Des Paul: Get to know the Greatest Hits Radio presenter
Join Des for Rhythm Of The Night every Friday from 10pm
Last updated 2nd Apr 2024
Des Paul is one of our brilliant Greatest Hits Radio presenters, and you can catch him on our station every Friday from 10pm. Des presents Rhythm Of The Night here on Greatest Hits Radio and has all the greatest soul, funk, disco and Motown hits to start your weekend.
You can join Des on Greatest Hits and we've put together a handy guide so you can find out more about the presenter and his weekly Rhythm Of The Night show.
Who is Des Paul?
Des Paul is a radio presenter, with a weekly show on Greatest Hits Radio as well as hosting special programmes throughout the year too.
What can listeners expect from Des Paul's show?
Tune into Rhythm Of The Night to hear all of the best soul, disco, funk and Motown tracks chosen by Des Paul. Des described his show as: "Three hours of the best soul, disco and funk classics from the 70s, 80s and 90s. All handpicked, with a few surprises that will take you back."
When is Des Paul on Greatest Hits Radio?
You can catch Des Paul on Greatest Hits Radio every Friday night from 10pm.
What is Des' favourite thing about presenting Rhythm of the Night?
He told us: "The favourite bit of presenting Rhythm of the Night is when listeners contact me to say how much they’ve loved hearing a particular track and then tell us all about when and where they used to hear it."
What is Des' go-to track to listen to in the car?
Des shared: "I don’t have a specific one, it’s really down to how I’m feeling or what Greatest Hits Radio is playing, haha!"
What do the good times sound like to Des Paul?
"For me, the sound of the good times can be heard in soul and disco music. Pioneers like Nile Rodgers know how to bottle up those feelings and put them into music," Des explained.
Which song is Des' good times anthem?
He chose Luther Vandross' track 'Never Too Much'.
How different is presenting on radio compared to TV?
Des explained: "Radio is a direct connection with the listener. I’m in a studio playing the music and you are at home listening and hopefully enjoying it. It’s that simple. TV is much more planned and scripted, with lots of people doing stuff to make it happen."
What is Des Paul doing now?
Des Paul is one of our talented Greatest Hits Radio presenters, bringing you Rhythm Of The Night every Friday from 10pm. As well as this, Des said: "When I’m not in a radio studio, I produce videos and podcasts for all sorts of people."
How can I listen to Greatest Hits Radio?
You can listen to Des Paul and all our other amazing presenters on Greatest Hits Radio. Find us on the Greatest Hits Radio website, on our app as well as on your traditional radio.
Check out all of the ways you can listen to Greatest Hits Radio.
Des Paul celebrates Black History Month on Greatest Hits Radio
October is Black History Month, and to celebrate Des Paul hosted a special feature on his Greatest Hits Radio show. For the first hour of Rhythm Of The Night, he looked at the pioneers of Black music one decade at a time from the 60s to the 90s.
What music does Des Paul play on Rhythm Of The Night?
Expect all of the greatest soul, disco, funk and Motown songs from Des' Rhythm Of The Night show, including hits from Stevie Wonder, Prince, Sade, Billy Ocean and Chaka Khan.
Check out these Motown legends:
Marvin Gaye
Before becoming a successful solo artist, Marvin Gaye worked behind the scenes with some of the biggest artists already signed to Motown Records and was a session drummer for the likes of The Supremes, Little Stevie Wonder and Martha and the Vandellas.
He scored solo recognition with his first Top 40 solo single in 1962 called 'Hitch Hike' before enjoying success with singles like 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', 'Can I Get A Witness?' and landmark record 'What's Going On' in 1970. In the same year, his singing partner Tammi Terrell, who he sang with on hit 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' tragically passed away with a brain tumour. He swore he would never duet with a female vocalist again and even threatened to abandon his career on stage for good.
Tammi Terrell
Tammi Terrell was a hugely talented singer and star of Motown during the 1960s. She is most famous for her fantastic duets with Marvin Gaye, with whom she achieved seven Top 40 singles in the US, including 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. Tragically, her blossoming career was cut short, when she fell into the arms of Marvin Gaye as they performed a concert in October 1967 and was later diagnosed with a brain tumour. After eight unsuccessful surgeries, she sadly died in March 1970, aged 24.
The Supremes
Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard helped pave the way for other black and female artists to strive for mainstream success. In the mid 60s, the trio's popularity rivalled that of The Beatles, with huge hits including 'Baby Love', 'You Can't Hurry Love' and 'Stop! In the Name of Love' storming the charts backed by legendary songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland. In 1967, Cindy Birdsong replaced Florence Ballard and in 1970, with the group now known as Diana Ross & the Supremes, Diana herself left to pursue a solo career!
The Four Tops
The Four Tops seemed a rarity in the world of Motown. Levi Stubbs, Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Abdul 'Duke' Fakir and Lawrence Payton remained together for four decades. The quartet from Detroit also worked with songwriters and production trio Holland-Dozier-Holland and scored hugely popular singles including 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' and 'Reach Out I'll Be There'. As Motown Records moved from Detroit to Los Angeles and started to focus more on their younger acts rather than established groups like The Four Tops, the quartet remained in the motor city and continued to make music with other labels.
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 originated in Gary, Indiana made up of members of the Jackson family. Father and talent manager Joe Jackson founded the pop group, consisting of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine with younger brothers Marlon and Michael Jackson joining soon after. They signed to Motown after leaving Steeltown Records in 1968 and success soon followed. They enjoyed four consecutive US Number 1 hits on their debut, with songs 'I Want You Back', 'ABC', 'The Love You Save' and 'I'll Be There'.
Stevie Wonder
Motown boss Berry Gordy signed Stevie Wonder at the age of 11, describing the blind singer, songwriter and producer as a child prodigy. When Stevie Wonder released his single 'Fingertips' in 1963, he became the youngest artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, at the age of 13. He went on to produce incredible hits like 'Superstition', 'Sir Duke' and 'I Just Called To Say I Love You', which have all solidified him as one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has won 25 Grammy Awards and has been nominated 74 times.
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas was a pop girl group founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams in Detroit in 1957. Gloria Williams left the group in 1962 and was replaced by lead vocalist Martha Reeves. Their hits included 'Heat Wave', 'Nowhere to Run' and 'Dancing in the Street, which was later covered by David Bowie and Mick Jagger in 1985.
The Temptations
Like Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Temptations hailed from Detroit, Michigan. They were famous for their harmonies and dance moves, helping to bring psychedelic soul music to the mainstream. Their classic songs like 'My Girl' and 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' made them one of Motown's biggest selling groups of the 60s and 70s. They were also the first group to bag Motown a Grammy Award with their song 'Cloud Nine' in 1969.
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
Smokey Robinson founded group the Miracles in 1955 and became one of the first acts signed to Motown. Their 1960 hit 'Shop Around' was the label's first million-selling record and they went on to dominate the charts with songs like 'Tears of a Clown' and 'You've Really Got a Hold on Me'.
The Commodores
In the 1970s, funk and soul group The Commodores were the opening act for Motown heavyweights The Jackson 5. With Lionel Richie as their lead vocalist, the group caught the attention of Motown and reached their peak in the late 70s and early 80s, scoring hits like 'Easy' and 'Three Times A Lady'. Lionel Richie went on to enjoy a hugely successful solo career.
Was Des Paul at Rewind Festival?
Des joined fellow presenters Jenny Powell and Pat Sharp at Rewind North and Rewind South, and even got into the 80s spirit by dressing up!
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Take a look through some of the Greatest Hits Radio shows
Ken Bruce
Greatest Hits Radio is the home of the legend that is Ken Bruce, weekdays 10am-1pm - including PopMaster, the UK's biggest music quiz for 25 years and counting.
Find out more about Ken and PopMaster.
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo hosts Drivetime every weekday at 4pm and The Album Show on Sundays from 1pm.
Simon said of his Drivetime show: "I think the thing about Drivetime is that it is like the flip side of breakfast. You kind of know what an awful lot of people are doing, it's the end of most people's day, they're doing some final bits of work, they're shutting the laptop, they're doing a bit of food preparation, they're driving home. I think it is that sense of camaraderie, it's the end of the day, people want to be cheered up and they want to spend some time with some decent folk on the radio!"
Find out more about Simon Mayo here.
Paul Gambaccini
Paul brings us his famous America's Greatest Hits programme every Saturday between 5pm-7pm, featuring two hours of the Greatest Hits that made it big in America.
Sharing some of the things he loves about his show, Paul said: "Radio is the perfect form of one-to-one communication. TV can be direct, too, but the camera operator is always in your line of vision! I enjoy sharing my favourite music, and my admittedly freakish knowledge of it, with people who care about that music. I love the opportunity for challenging talk overs, too!"
Find out more about Paul Gambaccini here.
Alex Lester
The Dark Lord keeps you company in the small hours. Join him for the Music Marathon from 1am and the Best Time Of The Day Show 4-6am weekdays.
Alex brings: "Your favourite songs. Bizarre insights and unusual thoughts," to his show and told us that he loves that during his show: "It's just the two of us. You and me. (Against the world)."
Find out more about Alex Lester here.
Jenny Powell
Jenny plays the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s on Greatest Hits Radio to kickstart your weekend, every Saturday and Sunday from 6am.
On Jenny's show, listeners can look forward to The Breakfast Club, which she says is: "A warm-up for the weekend, full of positive vibes and feel-good factor when you wake up on Saturdays and Sundays. I insist you have a dance with me on the Kitchen Disco, I share some fun news stories from the previous week on The Headliners and get you smiling no matter what, sharing some of my favourite tracks from the 70s, 80, and 90s."
Find out more about Jenny Powell here.
Andy Crane
Join Andy's late-night community of music and company, Sunday-Thursday at 10pm.
Andy has three hours of the biggest songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s as well as The Top 10 at 10 and Midnight Music Marathon. His show is full of: "Great music and plenty of laughing."
Find out more about Andy Crane here.
Martin Kemp
Join Martin Kemp with The Mix Tape every Friday from 7pm!
Martin has got "the perfect soundtrack to start your weekend," and his show includes: "All the biggest songs of the 70s 80s and 90s that we grew up listening to on full volume. I'll give you TV recommendations for your weekend, there's always a slow dance at the end, and I turn the decks over to you to pick your favourite songs. Plus plenty of stories from my career in music, film and TV. We always have a good laugh and the music is absolutely popping."
Find out more about Martin Kemp here.
Jackie Brambles
Jackie Brambles hosts The Evening Show every Monday to Thursday from 7pm - 10pm.
Jackie promises to deliver: "Great music and great conversations! Every night we're joined by one of your favourite artists of the 70s, 80s and 90s for an in-depth chat about the highs and lows of their careers and their musical influences over the years."
Find out more about Jackie Brambles here.
Kate Thornton
Catch Kate Thornton on Saturdays from 7pm! It's the best night of the week - so if it's a kitchen disco you're after, Kate will make it fun and have you dancing and laughing with her perfect blend of playlist and good times chat.
Kate explained what listeners can expect from her show: "It's the kind of show that lets you know it's Saturday night, no matter where you're listening in from and no matter who you're with. Three hours of songs that make a night in feel like a night out if you're with friends, or offers up the soundtrack for the perfect party for one if you're tuning in alone."
Find out more about Kate Thornton here.
Richard Allinson
Richard Allinson is live on Greatest Hits Radio on Saturday afternoons from 1pm with the perfect Soundtrack of the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s and weekend anthems.
Speaking about his show, Richard said: "The idea is to recreate all those great memories I have of Saturday afternoons growing up, a bunch of us meeting up to buy clothes, records, maybe sort a date…everything happened on a Saturday and we remember the records we played at that time."
Find out more about Richard Allinson here.
Des Paul
Join Des for Rhythm Of The Night every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm, where he plays all the greatest soul, funk, disco and Motown hits to start your weekend.
Des explained what he loves the most about his show: "The favourite bit of presenting Rhythm of the Night is when listeners contact me to say how much they've loved hearing a particular track and then tell us all about when and where they used to hear it."
Find out more about Des Paul here.
Ken Bruce will join Greatest Hits Radio
As well as our amazing current line-up of presenters, broadcasting legend Ken Bruce will also be joining the Greatest Hits Radio family. You'll be able to listen to his show weekdays from 10am-1pm from 3rd April and he'll even be bringing PopMaster with him!
Is there an app for Greatest Hits Radio?
You can download the free Greatest Hits Radio app for Android as well as for iPhone and iPad.
Can I get Greatest Hits Radio on FM?
You can find Greatest Hits Radio on FM in lots of places across the UK. You can also find our station on DAB. Find out how to tune into your local Greatest Hits Radio station on FM.
Can I play Greatest Hits Radio on my smart speaker?
You can play Greatest Hits Radio on your smart speaker by using one of the voice commands below.
For Google Home say: "Ok Google, play Greatest Hits Radio from Planet Radio."
For Apple HomePod say: "Hey Siri, play Greatest Hits Radio."
For Amazon Alexa say: "Alexa, play Greatest Hits Radio."
Now read:
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Get to know Greatest Hits Radio presenter Jenny Powell
Everything you need to know about Jackie Brambles on Greatest Hits Radio