posted by Matt Jarrells on 06/08/2018
As you probably know by now, Mike Scot is a Scot. Born in Glasgow Scotland, Mike spent the first 30 years of his life there before immigrating to Chicago in 1980. He and his wife Helen and kids made their way to Grand Rapids in 1987, the same year that WYCE’s eclectic format hit the airwaves.
Mike found 88.1 FM around 1990 while driving down 131. Hearing “a really obscure Santana cut that came on”. He was listening to John Spencer at the time, called the station and found out that he knew John's father through the Grand Rapids and District pipe band. He fell in love with WYCE’s sound and after several years of tugging at Mike he began programming in 1997 about the time of the move to Bridge Street.
The Scotsman's first years at WYCE were spent spinning records Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. British Infusion followed, on Sunday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. .
Mike's day job is as a self-employed candy packaging engineer, Europack Services specializes in high speed packaging machinery, wrapping the likes of M&M's, Mars Bars, Nestle, Hershey's and even Michigan's Mackinac Island salt water taffy.
British Infusion casts a net over the whole of the British Isles, going back to the roots of British Blues, including John Mayall, Cyril Davies and Alexis Koerner and their influences, such as Muddy Waters, J.B. Lenoir, Elmore James, Son House, Otis Spann, Etc
The show also includes skiffle, early rock and roll, the Beatles, Progressive music, Curved Air and Flash. From these “Small Beginnings” (Flash reference) the Union Jack has been waving over 711 Bridge Street on Sunday nights for some 15 years.
Among Mike's favorites are Rory Gallagher, the real Fleetwood Mac featuring Peter Green, Small Faces, Frankie Miller and Graham Parker. What makes Mike Scot's show even more attractive is the history it gives you with the music, and intricate knowledge of the vast WYCE library. So many of the artist played on YCE had their start in obscure British bands, and blossomed into their own solo careers.
One of the biggest changes at YCE since Mike arrived is the increased power and our web presence. What was then a West Michigan treasure can now be heard worldwide. Mike Scot will be returning to his homeland sometime this summer (2018) and to the milk and bread and beauty of the Highlands, however he will be able to tune in to WYCE. Longtime British Infusion fans will be able to still catch the show with it being produced from Kirkcaldy Fife, Scotland. Check out www.K107.co.uk for details later this summer (2018).
