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When the Marine Offences Act came into effect in August
1967, no one really knew how actively the authorities would pursue pirate
disc-jockeys. Unlike the old days before the Act, when the station publicity
machine would have gone into overdrive to promote a new presenter, now the DJs
had to remain men of mystery. One of these was Carl Mitchell. Legend has it that
he was a 21 year old New Yorker, the son of a newspaper publisher, who was in
Europe avoiding the Vietnam draft. His real name though was David Carmichael. He joined Caroline South in November 1967
with no previous broadcasting experience and took over the late night show and
responsibility for the news. He was a radio natural and immediately became one
of the listeners' favourites. Known as “The Weird Beard”,a name previously
used on American radio by the legendary Russ Knight, Carl appropriated Knight's
jingle for his own use. Carl stayed with Caroline until the
close-down in March 1968, although he was on shore-leave at the time. After the
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stayed in Holland joining Radio Northsea International in
September 1970, until
it’s closure in September of that year. It is believed that he later returned
to his father's newspaper business in America. Many people, via various
websites, had been appealing for information about Carl for several years, but
to no avail. However it has recently been reported on the Radio London website
that his ex-shipmate, Roger 'Twiggy' Day, has finally discovered that Carl,
sadly, is deceased. He died in New York in 1991, after a long illness.
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On learning of Carl's death, Chris Baird sent the following
message to Hans Knott, which Hans included in his April 2004 newsletter: "I was so sad to learn of the death of Carl
Mitchell who was a good friend to me 1971 . We both worked for IDA , The
International Disc Jockey Agency based in Copenhagen that sent us all over
Scandinavia. We spent many months having a weird time in Denmark and Norway. He
was always very inventive calling himself once to great amusement Carlos Von
Mitchellstein. He was especially popular at the underground scene at the
Revolution Club in Copenhagen. I can still see him up is this parapet DJ box
playing Locomotive Breath by Jethro Tull or the Moody Blues a Question Of
Balance. One night he saved the club from burning down when he saw a fire start
near the stage and shot down from his roost and shook up a bottle of Carlsberg
and put the blaze out with a spray of beer. He recorded some show drop in's for
me back then before I was in Radio. And I got great pleasure in playing his
inserts during the RNI offshore RSL in 1999 off the Essex coast. I've got quite
a few of his old show and will listen to them with great saddens that we never
got to see each other again after he returned to the States to get a proper job.
Dig out "Slim Jenkins Place" by Booker T and the MG's sometime his old
signature tune. Greetings and Salutations as Carl use to say". Chris Baird.
BBC Radio Derby.
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In the same issue, Andy Archer also paid tribute to Carl: Hi
Hans, here a few words about Carl for the next issue. I was so sad to learn of
the death of Carl. Many of us had been trying to track him down since the days
of Radio Northsea International; but with no luck. I first met Carl on board the
MV Mi Amigo in 1967 and found him to be a most generous, intelligent and
friendly guy. He had the most interesting cabin on the ship which he called
"The Bag 'o Nails" after a trendy London nightclub, it was at the bow
of the ship and was the favourite meeting place for most of the deejays. I have
very happy memories (just about!) of climbing down the steps and entering this
very dark room, the air reeking of smouldering marijuana and sitting, crossed
legged on the floor discussing the most bizarre topics and listening to the sort
of music we weren t allowed to play on the air like Captain Beefheart and Frank
Zappa! Carl's "Midnight Hour" programme was the most enjoyable show to
present and to listen to as he wasn't required to play the fourteen or so
"plug" records that the rest of us were obliged to play each hour! As
a matter of fact, I was the last person to "sit in" for Carl in March
1968, the night the ship was towed away to Amsterdam, I'm embarrassed to admit
it, but the last record I played, and only for a laugh was Cinderella Rockafella
by Esther and Abi Ofarim!! God Bless you Carl and I hope I'm forgiven for that
last record!!!
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