Tom Lodge and his cohorts used strategy against the British government to defy the law and broadcast Rock & Roll to the teenagers in Great Britain. He worked in the English Channel aboard Radio Caroline, a converted steamship with a giant radio antenna attached. As Tom puts it, “This was a defining moment for Britain. Without Radio Caroline, modern Britain as we know it today, may not have existed.”

Tom chronicles his adventures aboard Radio Caroline in his latest book, The Ship That Rocked The World: How Radio Caroline Defied the Establishment, Launched the British Invasion, and Made the Planet Safe for Rock and Roll.

Radio Caroline is credited with starting or enhancing the careers of such musical groups as Van Morrison (at the time playing with Them), The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks and The Spencer Davis Group. Tom’s personal favorite is Van Morrison.

Life aboard Radio Caroline was all about the music. Life ashore was also interesting. Tom interviewed The Beatles and announced the opening of The Rolling Stones in concert.

Pete Townshend of The Who says, “Tom Lodge was a vital figure in Caroline’s most vital times. As such, he deserves a Knighthood for the indirect millions he helped guide from the pockets of budding UK pop stars towards the coffers of the Treasury. Sometimes the law is more than an ass. Pirates? They were angels.”

Listen to the entire interview below: