Georges Lang Celebrates 40 Years of Les Nocturneson RTL Radio
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week 21 / 23 May 2013 “THE MUSIC AND NOTHING ELSE” Georges Lang celebrates 40 years of Les Nocturnes on RTL Radio Germany Luxembourg United States Hungary Thomas Gottschalk A new website Candice Glover Dirk Gerkens is signs exclusive celebrates the wins American Idol Hungary’s most contract with history of legendary influential media RTL Television Radio Luxembourg professional week 21 / 23 May 2013 “THE MUSIC AND NOTHING ELSE” Georges Lang celebrates 40 years of Les Nocturnes on RTL Radio Germany Luxembourg Luxembourg North America WNew show A colourful RTL Group ‘connects’ Candice Glover formats with website dedicated in Brussels wins American Idol Thomas Gottschalk to a colourful history Cover Georges Lang Publisher RTL Group 45, Bd Pierre Frieden L-1543 Luxembourg Editor, Design, Production RTL Group Corporate Communications & Marketing k before y hin ou T p r in t backstage.rtlgroup.com backstage.rtlgroup.fr backstage.rtlgroup.de QUICK VIEW RTL Group A colourful ‘connects’ in Brussels website dedicated to RTL Group a colourful history p. 9–10 RTL Group p. 7–8 New show formats with Thomas Gottschalk RTL Television p. 11 “40 years of radio, 40 years of happiness live on RTL Radio” RTL Radio Candice Glover p.4–6 wins American Idol FremantleMedia North America p. 12 Hungary’s most infl uential media Big Picture professionals p.14 RTL Klub p. 13 SHORT NEWS PEOPLE p. 15 p.16–17 On 22 May 2013, fans of the RTL Radio show Les Nocturnes tuned in at around midnight and “40 YEARS settled in for the night to enjoy Georges Lang’s selection of music. Nothing OF RADIO, unusual there, you might think – and certainly nothing unusual for fans who’ve been 40 YEARS OF listening for 40 years. Georges’ show first aired on RTL Radio in May 1973. HAPPINESS LIVE Backstage met him to test his memory. ON RTL RADIO” France – 23 May 2013 RTL Radio Georges Lang in the studio. Les Nocturnes airs Monday to Sunday from midnight to 3:00 and on Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 4 An expert in rock n’ roll and pop music, Les Nocturnes – a show with 100,000 daily listeners on average – has been keeping night owls company for exactly 40 years now. The winning recipe hasn’t changed over the time though: a healthy helping of pop rock, with a side of country, soul and a hint of the blues. Great tunes and a sprinkling of rare radio tidbits. How it all started… Georges grew up in Metz, where there was a US military base at the time. To earn some money he used to babysit for American military families. Except he didn’t really babysit. He confesses: “I used to get the kids to bed early so I could listen to their parents’ records – the Platters, jazz, Ray Charles, he was my idol – I couldn’t afford my own records, and where could I buy such fantastic music, anyway?” Georges has wanted to work in music since his early youth. “First I tried to play the guitar, but was no good. I started to study philosophy as well, but that was no use,” he says. “I longed to be in music, so I listened all the time to the radio, pirate radio, Poster promoting 40 years of Les Nocturnes the English DJs on Radio Luxembourg playing the Beatles and the Animals. I said to the radio, to the DJs I was listening to, ‘one day I will do this, for “ELTON JOHN, longer than you’.” He has done what he set out to ROD STEWART – THEY’VE do: no radio presenter has ever been at the helm of BECOME GOOD FRIENDS their own show for so long. TOO.” “I SAID TO THE RADIO, TO California. He was totally jet-lagged but very THE DJS I WAS LISTENING cooperative. When I interviewed Bryan Adams at TO, ‘ONE DAY I WILL DO the Hilton in Amsterdam, by the end of the interview THIS, FOR LONGER THAN my car, which I’d left in front of the hotel, had been towed to the municipal pound. Elton John, Rod YOU’.” Stewart – they’ve become good friends, too.” On the search for his dream job, Georges Lang went A new format: ‘free-form radio’ to RTL Radio in Paris and asked for a job. They With Les Nocturnes, Georges Lang introduced sent him back to Luxembourg to make a demo, and a new format to France – ‘free-form radio’. He said they would call him. “I didn’t think they really explains: “I don’t plan anything in advance. When would, but when they went to 24-hour broadcasting I arrive in the studio, I have no idea what will they offered me a late-night slot at 3:00,” he explains. happen. I choose my fi rst record. I make radio that “I did a show in November 1971. I didn’t imagine I’d I enjoy, fi rst and foremost, but of course I keep the be there for long, I was just happy to have a job. And listeners in mind, too.” A further peculiarity of from there it was on to Les Nocturnes 1973.” the show is that it brings in younger listeners as well. “I say on air: ‘The music and nothing else’. The greatest rock stars The music is the most interesting part of the show, Les Nocturnes brought listeners the greatest rock stars on air for the fi rst time in France. Georges “I MAKE RADIO THAT I had a lot of friends and connections in the US who were sending him music. “It was an exciting time. ENJOY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, All these stars came on as guests.” He remembers: BUT OF COURSE I KEEP THE “In London, David Bowie had just arrived from LISTENERS IN MIND, TOO.” Next > 5 not me. I am alone in the studio, but know the What about the next 40 years? listeners are there – and maybe they’re alone When asked about his plans for the next 40 years, too,” he continues. “Therefore, whether they are Georges Lang says: “I am still passionate. You can’t students or parents, they all tune in seeking a do it for this long without passion. I’ll think about the ‘refuge’.” Christopher Baldelli, CEO of RTL Group’s day I step down but I don’t plan to do so now. It’s French radio stations, confi rms: “Night radio can been 40 years of radio, 40 years of happiness live be very emotive. Georges’ long-standing success on RTL Radio, and I would like to thank all the is based on the wonderful relationship he has with RTL listeners without whom Les Nocturnes would those listeners.” not have been possible.” Meanwhile, to celebrate 40 years of Les Nocturnes, Georges Lang will welcome live 40 listeners for 40 nights to share the intimacy of making late-night radio – many of them anonymous, but also some celebrities including the writer Guillaume Musso and the singers Alex Hepburn, Patrick Bruel and Johnny Hallyday. THE 40 YEARS OF LES NOCTURNES BOXED SET Georges Lang has met a lot of artists such as Lenny Kravitz... The exceptional longevity of Les Nocturnes gives Georges Lang an opportunity to return to the roots of his original programming: with a boxed set of four CDs (one per decade) containing the most iconic songs with a cast of famous artists. Over five hours of music, 64 full-length tracks, photographs from the various periods, with Georges Lang’s notes containing anecdotes about the rock stars he has met. ...or Katie Melua GEORGES LANG’S TOP FIVE FAVOURITE A CAREER SPANNING FOUR DECADES SONGS 1973: Les Nocturnes launches on 1 RTL Radio Joe Brown, I Wrote A Song 1979: WRTL (on weekends) launches on RTL Radio 2 1980: Georges hosts Citron Grenadine Elton John, Tiny Dancer on RTL-TVI in Belgium 1984: He produces Bonsoir les clips 3 for Antenne 2 (now France 2) Linda Ronstadt, Down So Low 1987: He ceremoniously ‘opens the antenna’ upon the launch of M6 4 2013: Georges celebrates his 40th Ray Charles, Come Rain Or Come Shine anniversary at the mike on Les Nocturnes 5 Glan Campbell, There Is No Me Without You 6 A COLOURFUL WEBSITE DEDICATED TO A COLOURFUL HISTORY RTL Group RTL Group has relaunched the Radioluxembourg.co.uk website in a new design and with brand-new content. It documents and celebrates the history of a legendary radio station. Luxembourg – 23 May 2013 The new website Radioluxembourg.co.uk The English service of Radio Luxembourg enchanted generations of listeners with its famous programmes and presenters, not only in the UK. Among these throngs of enthralled listeners, certain names stand out – like Keith Richards of Rolling Stones fame, who was strongly infl uenced by listening to Radio Luxembourg in his youth as he explains in his autobiography Life: “The record that really turned me on, like an explosion one night, listening to Radio Luxembourg on my little radio when I was supposed to be in bed and asleep, was Heartbreak Hotel. I’d never heard it before or anything like it. When I woke up the next day I was a different guy.” Next > 7 Take a walk down memory lane on Radioluxembourg.co.uk The Radio Luxembourg phenomenon is cherished and remembered to this day, as shown by numerous references in news articles, and tribute sites and fan groups on the Web. Radio Luxembourg had a formative infl uence on generations of listeners and future musicians, even in Eastern Europe.