Big changes to evenings on Radio Ulster will be music to listeners' ears
He is the music man
Ralph McLean is now 91Èȱ¬ Radio Ulster's main man for music with four major weeknight programmes on the station.
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As well as continuing to present his long-running programme McLean's Country every Friday night at 8pm, self-confessed music obsessive Ralph will now present three exciting new music programmes on the station.
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Ralph has been evangelical about music all his life and, from Tuesday 6 February, he will be sharing his love and knowledge of music with Radio Ulster listeners every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night at 8pm.
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"I'm like an old time preacher when it comes to telling people about music," says Ralph. "I'm always making mix-tapes for mates and asking them what they think of an old soul track or a new album and so on. It's almost like an illness really!!"
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Together with McLean's Country, these three new programmes, simply called Ralph McLean, will see Ralph take listeners on a journey through the very best of music. From new releases to classic tracks, he will be covering all the bases and offering up the kind of musical experience that is sure to hit the right note with music lovers of all ages.
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Tuesday nights from 8-10pm are reserved for the very best in black busic, featuring soul, funk, blues and gospel with familiar classics sitting side by side with lesser known gems and brand new releases. Ralph says: "I'll be playing everything from the late, great Godfather of Soul, Mr James Brown to rarely heard singers like the incredible James Carr, who I reckon is the greatest soul singer of all time."
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On Wednesday nights from 8-10pm on Radio Ulster it's legendary voices from the back catalogue of popular music such as Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Dusty Springfield with some cool contemporary singers thrown in for good measure such as Amy Winehouse and James Morrison.
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"Expect the unexpected," Ralph says of his Wednesday night programmes. "Great voices play a crucial part in pop and rock and this is a chance to hear the very best of them".
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Thursday nights from 8-10pm, will see Ralph reflect on the world of classic albums, both vintage and new, to bring listeners a guide to all those classic and current albums no respectable music collection should be without, including releases from the likes of The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen to U2 and Oasis.
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"I'm an album collector first and foremost. You can't beat a bit of vintage vinyl and I'll be playing all the classics that are essential for people's record collections as well as the more current releases that people should be checking out."
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And winding up Ralph's four night run is McLean's Country, where, since 1999, Ralph has been playing the best in roots and Nashville music.
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"I'll never let my country music show go unless they prise it from my cold dead fingers," says Ralph, laughing. "Seriously though, I'm really excited about these new shows and I can't wait to get stuck in.
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"If you are a music fan or want to learn more about some of the greatest music ever made you'd be well advised to make it a date at 8pm from Tuesdays through to Fridays."
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As well as his presenting and producing work on Radio Ulster and 91Èȱ¬ Radio Foyle, Ralph has also presented a wide range of television programmes for 91Èȱ¬ Northern Ireland such as The Blackstaff Sessions (which can currently be seen on 91Èȱ¬ Two Northern Ireland), First Stop, Festival Nights and Burns Night and Beyond.
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Ralph is originally from Lisburn and is married with a baby daughter.
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Ralph McLean, Tuesday-Thursdays, 8-10pm
McLean's Country, Fridays, 8-10pm
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