This is an interesting extension of the latest thread above (and thanks again to @Troiboi for kicking off this little rave originally). Actually the Love God (aka Richard Mercer) would not fit in on Smooth because he’s way more genuine compared to most of the Smooth voice trackers. Richard is an experienced radio talent and so knew how to craft his pitch to suit the target audience. Sure it was an act / an image (remember his publicity shots were always shot in profile never showing his face … just holding a rose sometimes). The Smooth crew are mostly non-radio er “celebrities” and I think try too hard to sound like they think radio people should sound like. Just imho. Now as to where the Love God should come back … its obvious … 2SM / BOG nights (move over Graeme Gilbert … of course we would miss you but we would get over it).
Weekends maybe, but the workday crew are all seasoned radio talent.
Weekend Smooth irritates me, for some reason the whole “Oh we’re picking up the kids and going to the supermarket” type lines are quite weird. Stop assuming what I’m doing on the weekend!
The above is a very true statement for myself, personally speaking, at any time …
As I’ve said, the radio announcers are good and should be allowed to sound more real. The non radio celebrities should be axed. People are not going to listen just because cam dado is on the radio
I think the music is still the key, you can put up with some dodgy announcers if the music is good enough. But some (like the “Rock God” that Triple M had) were just unbearable.
Just for something completely different, and new - Smooth Stars is back again 
Yes unfortunately without any break from the previous competition that went off the day before. They need to try something new instead of having the same competitions again and again.
I totally agree!! I thought I was the only one! Lol. I don’t even like it when they suggest I should be enjoying a relaxing sleep in on a Sunday 
. Stop telling me what to do
The original version of Smooth here was basically a lift-and-shift from the format of Magic 105.4 in London, right down to competitions like Smooth Stars and the mellow block after dark - so that’s not really that surprising to feel perhaps.
From a Sydney perspective, I certainly think they had the recent breakfast right - particularly giving Glenn Daniel (RIP) near-equal billing with Bogart; it was refreshing compared to the rest of FM breakfast and I wonder how it sounds without Glenn. The pre-recorded segments with Reyne, Wilkins et al… do have to agree, they sound inauthentic? Such is the risk of what was such a tightly scripted format, and I wonder whether that even fits when the format broadened a couple of years ago.
if Richard Wilkins was able to run a segment like he did with MTV back in the 80s then it would better, but as others have mentioned he isn’t a necessarily a radio guy. I agree there are some good radio people on during the week.
Yeah I one of those people who is posting on this forum but never regularly listen to Smooth. The breakfast show is probably good. It was sad Glenn’s passing.
I am fan of SWR during the week and I listen to the replays of shows I like on SWR. Also some great shows on Mixcloud. So maybe there are some good shows on Smooth, most of my comments are my perceptions only. The commercial music radio I would listen to is probably mostly 2ue rather than Smooth. Smooth format is still about the music, to me it isn’t worth listening just for the music where there are better alternatives and it isn’t worth it, just to hear the occasional voice track.
It is now with Ron Wilson and it is terrible. Ron is annoying and cringeworthy and is just not suited to the format. I now no longer listen.
That really surprises me. I listen to Magic London all the time when I’m in the UK and also online, and I think it has always sounded way more alive than Smooth in Australia ever has. One show that stands out to me is Magic’s early breakfast (pre-Ronan Keating) and it sounds engaging without being in your face. I think that’s a balance Smooth hasn’t managed to capture. The late night Mellow Magic show is similar, the host is low key but still engaging. It’s quite scripted of course, but doesn’t seem like the sound bytes you get from Daddo etc.
Despite all this I used to listen to Smooth because of the edge they had in the music, but that is diminishing in recent years. Seems every time I flick to them I really don’t like the music. I think they’re just picking some really lame 90s tracks, or the 90s and early 2000s might have been a bit of a wasteland for soft AC music. I actually preferred it when they used to play more current tracks along with more 60s and 70s. I listen to BBC R2 a lot and I actually like a lot of the new music they play. It’s all about song selection.
Just missing the segues into live reads.
I’ve been curious after reading this thread and had a listen via Tunein for most of the day. I think Smooth FM sounds good. There’s a couple of great 60’s songs I haven’t heard in a long time. As I type this now they are playing Whitney Houston’s saving all my love for you. They aren’t playing those 90’s pop & dance songs I heard when I listened over the holidays.
Fair enough nerd . I was sampling Smooth sydney a while ago and to me it seemed so manufactured / synthetic especially some of the voice trackers hence my comments above. Maybe they have picked up their act a bit recently given the new competition from ACE / 2UE. I might check out Smooth again to test. I reckon they are worried but …
Yeah they seem to have tweaked it a bit over the last couple of weeks and I’m hearing more 60s and 70s pop up, and less of the lame 90s songs they had started flogging.
They recently moved Byron from drive to early afternoons which I hope is temporary. Byron was rating high in drive so it doesn’t make sense to move him. I am not sure if he is just doing a longer shift as I heard him at 2pm most days this week. I don’t normally listen after 4pm. I’ve enjoyed the music being played recently.
I heard Simon yesterday morning and Byron in the afternoon. Then a new voice I haven’t heard before. His name was Dave Evans.
Freaking Spice Girls on Smooth FM? This station never fails to disappoint lately.