Well, this isn't the way I expected the impending backlog to be dealt with, at the very least of our present worries. Remember when this was a fun, carefree blog? That was a great eighteen months or so we had going back then, wasn't it?
I don't know if 20/10/77 will be shown again, because it might, you never know - the official word is merely 'postponed', though given he's been bailed til January it now seems unlikely. But in case, here's a Disappeared for that show, which I can skip through because Legs & Co aside every one of these will (technically, pending) be on again or has been on before. If it is eventually shown in some form, pretend you never saw this.
Showaddywaddy – Dancin' Party
Smokie – Needles And Pins
Dorothy Moore – I Believe You
Status Quo – Rockin' All Over The World (video)
The Carpenters – Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (Legs & Co)
David Bowie – Heroes
La Belle Epoque – Black Is Black (video)
Queen – We Are The Champions (video)
Tina Charles – Love Bug/Sweets For My Sweet
Roxy Music – Virginia Plain (no, really, it was reissued for some reason so they repeated the famous 1972 appearance)
David Soul – Silver Lady (video)
Meanwhile...
Kid! Ah, always trust Kid, even in a complex patterned dad tank top. Santana backs the chart and appears concentrating on a closed eyed solo, which about sums him up.
Slade – My Baby Left Me/That's All Right
We catch Slade on the precipice, endless US touring having cost them their way over here and this their last top 40 single for more than three years. Even with this there's some desperation given it's an Elvis tribute, two of his songs welded together into hard rock shape. To complete the Samsonite illusion, Dave Hill's gone and shaved his head. Even Noddy's luxurious mullet passes by the notice of most, although with the shine eminating from the Hill pate it might just be that people standing at a certain angle can't clearly see it.
Mary Mason – Angel Of The Morning/Any Way That You Want Me
In front of a hoop of lights, which really should have had a dog jump through when the song completely changes volume and introduces big timpani for full effect, Mason is making her own attempt at tonsorial attention, a very tightly wound perm that seems to move independently of its owner and makes her look like a lost member of the Abigail's Party cast. Otherwise it's the sort of performance those with stage experience knock out, Mason gazing lustfully down the camera and pacing away during an instrumental section before a sudden half-turn back when time to sing. Sawing strings, Ladybirds in full voice, the full cabaret arrangement.
Darts – Daddy Cool/The Girl Can’t Help It
Three medleys in a row! Even when the charts went mad for medleys in 1981-82 I doubt TOTP ever did that. "You may not believe your eyes when you see this next group but they're for real" is all Kid can say in advance accompanied by an extravagant wave of the arm, though having been weaned on Showaddywaddy and the like some people singing call and response in a line is highly believable. The pianist - sorry, operator of the "piano machine" - is on the floor next to the audience, which is odd as there seems to be room enough on the stage until Den Hegarty gets going, jumping around on the drum riser before taking over vocals with the sort of malevolent glint which is only leading one way. That way is on top of the pianist, and then falling over trying to retake the stage leading to his having to sing the last line while sitting down. As old rock and roll lags given their moment they're putting as much as you like into it. That said, half the audience can't wait to walk away from the stage, and perhaps not before time. "Wild sounds and scenes" adjudges Kid.
Ram Jam – Black Betty
Even Legs & Co are firing tonight, and while rock has never been a Flick strong point, leading to far too much aimless running about, it allows all sorts of signifiers - ripped black dresses, extravagant hair swishing and air punching, meaningful faces to camera. Of course, not everyone makes good business out of looking hard...
Rod Stewart – You’re In My Heart
"Hit sound number four... hit sound number three, actually". Kid must have been put out by being surrounded by women, knowing what people on Twitter would say 35 years into the future. It's a strange video as Rod and his spiky ladies' mullet sits and mopes in an expensive restaurant before singing into a fancy mirror as the maitre d' improvises a violin solo
Boney M – Belfast
Kid's on the stage looking back over the audience at us, which is strange but not quite as strange as what follows. After January's near death by non-miming they're taking no chances on their first visit since, three extra backing singers in carnival gear resembling bellydancing costumes and massive headgear made from what seems to be leftover material which reaches down to the floor at the back, while Liz Mitchell has donned antenna on top of a full bodysuit. As they've brought the band Bobby in his silver reflective suit isn't even the most expressive man on stage, guitar and bass heads and the heads of their players alike bobbing and waving all over the place. This is, lest we forget, for a song about the Troubles. Most of the audience look baffled, as well they might.
Tom Robinson Band – 2-4-6-8 Motorway
I'm going to embed this because of a) Tom's school tie knot, pink triangle badge and Musician's Union sticker, b) the all over the place air punching on the first chorus and c) the tone of the end of Kid's intro. Excited much?
ABBA – The Name Of The Game
Kid's still too excited for proper words, calling this the "highest chart charter". The video, wherein the couples sit around a dinner table, chat, play ludo and experience differing emotions.
Smokey Robinson – Theme From The Big Time
"It's a bit like the pop family Robinson" Kid inaccurately reckons. Truly, if Smokie weren't available the show had to make do with whatever was closest. Wisely for the full soul-funk sound Smokey's brought his own band with him, the pianist caught in passing close-up playing just above the keys without actually depressing them, as well as an all-aquamarine outfit for his Esther Rantzen tribute. (It's not, it was the title track for a Motown-produced film) Only tentative movement now.
Baccara – Yes Sir I Can Boogie
"Can you? I'd like to watch" Kid asks a female placed next to him. Please, Kid, not now. Not here and now. A repeat of their appearance follows, after which he has a guest. "If you were watching last week" ... er, yeah, Kid, about that... "you'll have seen the back of Radio 1's newest recruit - well, this week we're giving you a full frontal" before revealing... Peter Powell" In a Radio 1 247 T-shirt too, as tradition insists. Kid promises we'll see more of him next week before, surprisingly, the Sex Pistols' current top ten single Holidays In The Sun plays us out. Peter Powell as the way forward for Top Of The Pops in 1977? A cheap holiday in other people's misery indeed.
52 comments:
SLADE – My Baby Left Me – That’s All Right (Medley)
Elvis dying seems to have created a mini Fifties timewarp: Steve Gibbons, Hank The Knife, and now Slade.
Noddy seems to be missing his Top Hat and a small portion of side-whiskers, but that's nothing compared to what Dave Hill is missing - I had suspected a receding hairline under those glam fringes, but not THIS much (unless it's a clever double bluff and he's sporting a bald wig!)
DARTS – Daddy Cool/The Girl Can’t Help It
Bah! Not the excellent Boney M song. This lot seem to be another 50's inspired group, which makes them look oddly like a quintessential Eighties Band (with their sharp suits and obligatory Saxophonist). 'Old Matey' The second lead singer reveals himself to be a bit of a nuisance with his audience bothering antics.
RAM JAM – Black Betty (danced to by Legs & Co)
OH BOY! Thank Cliff that we weren't denied THIS spectacle! Not since the Legendary Bebop Deluxe 'Maid in Heaven' routine has the licence fee been so well spent - Bravo Flick, Bravo!
ROD STEWART – You’re In My Heart (video)
No time for a retake on the intro - it's number three or four . . . eh, who cares.
Nice to see Mr Creosote on the violin - I forgot how long this takes to get to the actual chorus . . . Less Rod, more Creosote please!
BONEY M – Belfast
Shame this doesn't have a better tune, as the lyrics elevate it into the realms of barmy genius.
Interesting concept of having a fake band on stage mime to fake band offstage, meanwhile a spinning Bobby does his best to distract us from the tune.
TOM ROBINSON BAND – 2-4-6-8 Motorway
A classic Kid Jensen 'Rhythm and Rock' record given it's first outing here.
Sounds like its all played and sung live (though, possibly the guitar soloist is hiding behind a curtain?). The audience get another chance to do that 'pointy finger' thing last seen with The Boomtown Rats.
ABBA – The Name Of The Game (video)
In retrospect they really were the Beatles of the 70's (consisting of three Pauls and a Harrison) - every single a perfectly crafted pop gem - A class apart.
SMOKEY ROBINSON – Theme From The Big Time
Oh, not Smokie AGAIN! No hang on, it's someone else, and they're playing live . . . unfortunately.
Not even the Pops orchestra could produce such a limp and unconvincing performance as this.
'Old Matey' on the bongos seems to panic towards the end, shouting wildly - possibly to be rescued.
THE SEX PISTOLS – Holidays In The Sun (and credits)
With only one proper performance on the Pops, it's all over for these chaps with the final (proper) single grudgingly slotted in at the end, still it's more than the Clash ever had (the silly-billies!)
While somehow recovered from having DLT's show craftily pulled out of our schedules tonight, I did enjoy Kid Jensen's show, especially Legs & Co dancing to Black Betty by Ram Jam.
The song is pure genius and even 35 years later it sounds so good today, as though it was meant to come back to us all these years later. Lulu looked great in her mean pose as one of the Legs and Co dancers.
Also, it was great to see the debut of Darts with those funny performers. I remember as a young boy at the time that Darts appeared more on ITV shows, because their raucus style seemed to fit well with shows like Tiswas, more than Top of The Pops.
We will no doubt see lots of Darts in the 1978 re-runs coming soon. I love darts!
Ladies and gentlemen, it feels like we’re witnessing the not so slow death of this re-run. Eschewing the old ‘innocent until proven guilty’ ideal, we’re now likely to miss 4 more Savile and Travis editions this year and possibly a whopping 14 next year, which will leave plenty of room for the F=cking Sky At Night – provided BBC4 even bother with TOTP next year now. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pull production on Sue Perkins’ 1978 epic.
I knew about today’s arrest but, listing of artists on my lap as ever in anticipation (ready to write something hopefully informative or funny - one day), I was unaware of the change of edition until the pre-show announcement. I was stunned and felt desperate at the further decimation of one of only two shows I watch regularly every week.
Three medleys tonight then, and only one good one. Slade’s top 32 effort was most noticeable for Dave ‘Snooker Ball’ Hill’s change of image coinciding with their last top 40 hit until 1981, and Mary Mason’s cabaret ballad was so unnoticeable it was see-through. Things finally picked up with Brendon’s label mates, the band first seen on telly - I think - on a Carling lager advert, aka one of the unluckiest chart acts ever (three number 2’s and never a chart-topper), complete with piano surfing loon Den. Eat that, Dave Bartram! Rita and Ian (the red-tied singer) are married, you know.
I might need to watch that Legs & Co routine again a few times just to properly appreciate the dancing. Wahay!!! What outfits for 7.40 on a Thursday evening in 1977! Was that Hill’s Angels? Who needs punk? Just like getting a bag of Revels and finding you suddenly like all the flavours. So glad Kid introduced this edition. Even he was so taken aback he gave Tomsk - er, Rod Stewart’s song the wrong chart number. Imagine if someone else in the news had been hosting this edition, and imagine the unholy mess.
So Poirot moonlighted as a violinist in a restaurant with next to no customers. Get Gordon ramsay in! Was Rod still with Britt Ekland at this time? If so, why was he singing about a pneumatic woman from a different country? Bet Britt loved that.
It’s jawdrop time! Boney M do inner city deprivation, years before Jim Kerr, and he never dressed like that. Where did that lot park their float, and what fancy dress party were they going to afterwards? Loved it when Bobby tried to twirl and lost all cool points by having to retrieve his timbered mic stand.
Ah, Tom Robinson, label mate of La Belle Epoque – such radical times. Those naughty schoolkids’ effort sounded quicker and punchier than on the single. Funny how we skip from two axed shows to one featuring one of the first openly and proudly gay singers that I can recall.
Look, one of Brotherhood of Man’s grown a beard! Is it Sandra? And they’re not even miming to begin with. Would have been a more interesting video if the name of the game had been Twister (stop it, Arthur!). Still, a wonderful and majestic song, still love it.
So we missed Smokie and got Smokey, who’d obviously been left with the cast-off in Boney M’s wardrobe. Was that Rolf Harris pretending to be one of ELO on that surely reinforced stage? Great to see Smokey, shame the song was hokey. I’m pretty sure Martin Fry didn’t have this song in mind when he wrote his paean.
What a line-up to finish the show. Baccara, acrimoniously split in two and gigging across Europe as two separate Bacarras as we speak (honestly!), a thankfully quiet and almost shy Peter Powell (Kid – “If you were watching last week” – we didn’t get the bloody chance!) and “Holidays In The Sun” – surprised they didn’t cut that with its lyrical mention of Belsen – juxtaposed with visuals of Smokey having a chat. Let’s just hope Peter Powell’s been a good boy, otherwise we’re doomed.
peter powell always looks like he's pretending to be drunk/stoned/dropped on his head as a baby - it's that weird grin and rolling of the eyeballs.
funny how boney m seemed able to do songs about momentous historic occasions - rasputin, ma baker, the troubles - frank farian was some kind of teutonic genius.
I was hoping we'd get the preceding edition tonight, so I could have included a reference to Ron Pickering in my critique of "We Are The Champions". It would have been most apt, seeing as there's going to be a special one-off edition of "Superstars". Could they get Bill Oddie to do the theme tune or Kevin Keegan to re-enact his "think once, think twice, think bike" routine?
We never thought we'd be so grateful for Kid keeping to the straight and narrow, would we?
Thought Dave Hill looked like Richard O'Brien, and how marvellous he was able to sing into a mike stand that contained no microphone. The wonders of TV. I remember an interview with him a few years ago where he countered people asking him if he looked back on his heyday and thought "What an idiot!" by correcting them that he actually looked back and thought "No, what an entertainer."
Mary Mason, one for the Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. Darts, that's a different matter, you were guaranteed a show with them about. Den Hegarty co-presented TISWAS in its dying days, didn't he? A friend of mine once told me he used to believe Phil Collins was in Darts.
Legs & Co rock out! Was there more to that routine, not that there wasn't enough, or was it cut short by the BBC Four edit? I could have watched that twice in a row. They must have been exhausted.
Boney M, appropriately dressed for the carnival in that most carnival of cities, Belfast in the 1970s. Almost too much to take in here, I half expected Den to leap onstage and join in. Safety net of a veritable choir of voices noted.
Tom Robinson looked really cheeky, I thought, pulling faces and a general air of "I can't believe they let me on!" about him. Finally a live version that sounded fine (no TOTP orchestra involvement).
What's that, Sooty? You have a song about Sheena Easton? No, it was a very quiet Smokey, not a cuddly little bear, with everyone playing too softly and the star looking slightly shy about being there. Nice to see him, anyway.
As long as all the other DJs kept themselves to themselves, we should be safe over 1978. Peter Powell was totally inoffensive, surely? Also, was he really short or was Kid really tall?
Peter James Barnard-Powell, to give his full name, was probably slightly on the short side, but don't forget Kid was part of the 'Shorty / Big Guy' duo with John Peel. Peter ended up marrying Anthea Turner, who'd been the girlfriend of the DJ previously in Peter's slot, Bruno Brookes (to my mind one of the worst Radio 1 DJ's of that era).
I thought it was just a terrific show this week, so many great songs one after the other ~ dArts ~ totally priceless!
I hope all this Savile/Travis funny business isn't going to disrupt my highly anticipated Mull of Kintyre bagpipeathon ~ I want to relive the whole 10 mist rolling in weeks of it, its the only thing getting me through these dark November days, I need it.
For the Dave Hill hairdo spotters out there, a look at the covers of the earlier LPs show that even then he used to sport the most impressive comb forward ever seen...
Right, I've checked out that Legs & Co routine - God, that was tough work - and Gill seems to be peeking at someone else's papers occasionally, as she sometimes has trouble remembering what to do next. Patti and Pauline really seemed to enjoy that routine and gave it some vim, though I do need to watch again to be doubly certain!
Really glad Kid remembered to say the 'd' in "Tartan hordes" in his next link, otherwise he'd have been toast.
Something I forgot to mention and it seems everyone else did too - so preoccupied with introducing Powell was Kid that he didn't wish us good love! Mind you, that might have sounded trite coming directly before the Pistols.
I was disappointed at losing yet another show due to the bollocks that the press have whipped into a frenzy in recent weeks, but it was replaced by a superior show I have to admit, every song and performance an absolute gem.
I did wonder though if the show would be banned or we'd be denied a late night repeat due to Jensen's comment that he'd like to watch that young girl boogie and then offered us a full frontal of Peter Powell. The whole fiasco is becoming too ridiculous for words.
Yeah, a bit of a shame we lost the last one but this one was brilliant anyway, and frankly now we've seen that Black Betty routine I wouldn't mind if they don't show another. I loved Kid hollering "Say bam-a-lam for Ram Jam and BLACK BETTY!", which made it even more exciting.
Belfast is a brilliant song, surely the most flamboyant presentation of a protest song until The Specials do Free Nelson Mandela on the big stage in 1984. The band were brilliant, the two guitarists were really going for it. I like the behind the scenes bit at the end when they gave us a long lingering shot of a staircase for no reason.
Smokey Robinson's only appearance on Pops, alas with a complete flop, though I liked Kid's Pop Family Robinson gag, and also his moves going into that performance. I think it was "chart charger" he said. In any case, even more in the current circumstances, I love Kid on this show. A presenter you can trust, even in that tank top.
I wonder if someone is desperately editing '60 years of the top 10' prior to tonight's transmission. And how are they going to deal with Gary Glitter's run if number ones?...
Just checked - Smokey's ode to Esther was a breaker for three weeks, peaking at an unofficial 56.
First time comment from me. Shame we're likely to be missing lots of shows in the future, but at least there's good stuff we hopefully will see on Kid and PP-fronted shows. Great show last night as others have said. My wife may call Legs & Co 'Those horrible girls!' but it was a memorable routine from them, if you ask me! Great live vocal from Tom Robinson as well.
Santana Kick us off to the chart then into the mighty Slade!
Tank top on the Kid!
Dave Hill went skinhead to try to give them a different look to their Glam days (Nod changed a bit too) - Sadly Their star would remain in the decendency for a couple of years until just as they were about to give in and split the 1980 Reading festival would give them a 2nd life.
Medley 2 - Wake me up when it's over, Good fringe bobbing tho'
Medley 3 - Darts - for those who the 'waddys were a bit to rock...Den does the Frog in the instrumental break then freaks out a chap in the audience by faking a collapse slowly!
Legs & co - Stockings and thrusts - really very good...
Rod - Cracking tune but the video somehow brings it down, was mopeing around a bit the template for a video in these days?
Boney M have brought their live band in but have killed their own song where's the Guitar?, even the audience run out of steam before the end.
TRB - An excited yelp of Motorway by Kid, Tom's giving it some good expressions I think he's really pleased to be there, Air punch! Makes you smile.
Fade into Abba's Video which I'm sure we all know well, only slight Mope work tho'
Smokey Robinson - forgettable light weight soul with no real tune
Baccara - 'I'd like to watch' says Kid, how many times was that echoed in the dressing rooms of the BEEB, (Sorry) it's a repeat, a quick look at Peter Powell then we fade to the Pistols on holiday
Will we see DLT on Sunday? (and thereby the back of Peter Powell)
I'm glad I wasn't the only one momentarily confused by the presence of Dave Hill's cueball noggin.
It was a cracking show, in spite of a couple of duffers from Mary Mason and Smokey Robinson. Black Betty proved a lot more entertaining with L&Co instead of a load of hairy blokes with guitars. I liked Kid's amazement at Darts, but perhaps they didn't have much of that sort of thing in Canada and Luxembourg.
I also enjoyed Rod's rubbish video, although they didn't have a violinist the only time I visited an Angus Steak House. Who'd have guessed Rod's sneaky mention of Celtic in the lyrics would be so relevant 35 years on?
Boney M were brilliant. I can't believe the Troubles lasted for another two decades following the 'M's lame-clad plea for peace and understanding.
Love those mid-period Abba videos. "Real-life" footage, moody looks into camera and a bit of miming if the girls can be arsed.
I'm reliably informed that Peter Powell is a really nice bloke in real life.
Boney M's heartfelt tribute to The Troubles reminded me of another unintentinally brilliant political pop statement, "The Lebanon" by The Human League - "and where there used to be some shops..."
My parents were big Darts fans, they have The Amazing Darts LP. I always think the lead singer in Daddy Cool looks a bit like Jack Docherty, and I like how the bald bloke (who looks exactly like Paul Putner) always seems to be terribly intense.
The other great thing about Darts is that they were formed by the drummer, and that his name is John Dummer which is almost brilliant.
John Dummer also made number 54 with Helen April in the early 80's with a cover of the Irving Berlin classic "Blue Skies".
Liked the way Darts singles had a pretend American 1950's style three-prong middle printed onto the label.
why did boney m need three extra mimers? were the other two women and bobby not sufficient? and if (german) puppet master frank farian is going to comment on political issues in song (not that any musician should in my opinion - become a politician if that floats your boat!), then maybe the activities of the baader-meinhof group would have been more relevent?
i implore everyone to overlook smokey robinson's lame totp version of "theme from big time" and check out the original recording - in my opinion it's a monster!
Going back to the schedules over the next few weeks, I think that the editors by removing the JS and DLT shows, can then justify the Sky At Night interupptions to the weekly flow of TOTP shows, and the viewers like ourselves are the losers in all this.
A solution to keep the viewers happy is to show the JS and DLT shows, and if they wish to keep Sky at Night going, then they put on two shows of TOTP back one one night whenever they fall behind. They it last year around this time of year, so surely it can't be that much of a problem? It is certainly better than pulling shows off altogether like the one last night which was supposed to be DLT!
20/10/77 has been taken off tomorrow night's schedule and removed from the site :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00704hg/episodes/guide
In the current climate it's somewhat ironic that the show is introduced by someone called 'Kid' and includes a group of grown men dressed as schoolboys. That's show business.
Mr Jensen seems to have adopted the 1930s James Herriot look two months before All Creatures Great and Small was broadcast. Let's hope he didn't put his arm up a cows bum.
Santana are "not there" so we hear them over the rundown. Why was this in the charts again, did Santana not release any new songs?
Quite a few female solo singers in the chart, at least the NME would have a wider choice than usual for Top Female Singer, usually it was just Kiki Dee.
Slade with drummer Don eternally chewing gum. Apart from his own-up baldy look this performance also revealed that minus his stack heeled boots Dave Hill is in fact only about 4 feet tall. I love the three people in the audience standing behind the scenery. Top of the Pops for shy people.
So scary Mary Mason's been taken "any way" has she. That might explain the curious hairstyle and blow up doll eyes but is the shaky head thing the onset of Parkinson's disease?
Like Showaddywaddy The Darts were another '50s revival group who made good but they were very good at it although Den Hegarty's antics are a bit too unrehearsed to be funny. Their saxophonist was called 'Horatio Hornblower' (real name Nigel).
That Legs and Co routine was very raunchy and looked extremely tiring, I hope the girls got paid a bonus that week.
Rod in the most unpopular restaurant in the world with General Melchett playing the fiddle. Then Boney M trying hard to be contraversial. Never mind Belfast they're having a hard job trying to stop the people in audience from leaving.
Ah The Tom Robinson Band. "Keep Music Live" demands the yellow sticker on the guitar and this is live and all the better for it. They look like a band of sixth formers who just jumped on stage and got on with it. Boney M may have said more politically but this is by far the superior song despite Tom's froggy throat. It ends with Tom bizarrely aping Pete Townsend's windmill arm guitar thrusts.
The all too familiar ABBA video with their paen to playing Ludo.
That Smokey Robinson track is smokin'. I could watch a whole show of him doing stuff like this. So slick and effortless. It's the theme from a blaxploitation movie. I think it's the bongo player who's doing those deep backing vocals.
Baccara repeat faded out just before the over-laboured drum fill. You'd think being number one that they'd turn up for a new performance or at least do a video. Even Pussycat did a video.
I must admit I hated Peter Powell at the time, he was just a bit too jolly for his own good but he seems quite harmless now.
Kid introduced Abba as the "highest chart CHARGER" not 'charter.' He does like his alliteration doesn't he?
@wilberforce: I obey, and checked out Big Time on YouTube. If the live version had sounded like that on the show it would have been a far bigger hit, it is indeed truly excellent.
I double-checked http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00704hg/episodes/guide and couldn't believe the picture BBC have used to denote the 22/9/77 edition. Some lazy arsehole who obviously knows nothing about music or bothers to watch the show has represented Swedish band Stardust with a picture of Alvin. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.
I think we all know what 'postponed' really means. Why they don't just treat us like adults and tell us they're not going to show that edition at all, I don't know.
I know DLT can be very self-righteous but good on him for the way he stuck up for himself today, I say.
As for the Kid edition, I can't muster the enthusiasm to watch it tonight, sorry. I don't want to disappear from here but a year that started with me accidentally larking about and thus coining a comedy name that stuck has ended in much more depressing fashion.
Slade - I like the way that Slade had seen it all by this stage and were again reduced to flogging dodgy stuff like this on TOTP but looked to be having as good time as if it was all still a novelty.
Tom Robinson Band - usually really dislike new wave stuff like this but quite like TRB still play their compilation. But what with gay rights,Rock Against Racism ,Musicians union badges/stickers all on display - it's so PC a few years later it would seem almost like a parody.
Mary Mason - don't know out of all similar club type singers plying their trade at the time she broke out and had a medium sized hit. I don't think she was even on Opportunity Knocks!
Abba - total class as you'd expect.
Smokey Robinson - perhaps the actual record sounds better - now if it was Rick James's "Big Time" (especially the 12 inch) you'd be talking"
And do these bans we never get to hear Karen Carpenter on TOTP? - I've thought over the months that at least we'd get to see this (admittedly not oner of their best) one.
Noax, as Johnny Bristol once sang...hang on in there, baby! We can't afford to lose one of the first team, especially an inventive one when it comes to names. Give the latest edition a go. Trust me, Legs & Co will make it worthwhile on their own! Just because I've been acting like I've got an albatross over my head doesn't mean I want the ride or riders to stop yet.
80sblokeinthe70s : relax, Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft is on next week.
@Noax - so why are you called Noax? Are you Blue Peter's John Noakes by any chance?
Ha ha! No, bama, I'm not.
My surname rhymes with Noakes though so that became my nickname at school - it stuck and then became Noax when I started doing radio because (tragedy alert) it just looked better when written down like that IMO.
Oh, still haven't watched this week's show but that's more because I've been busy. I will give it a go tomorrow.
(Thanks for the gee-up Arthur!)
Some news tonight: the researcher of the Story Of 1978 documentary has come forward to state... well, that a Story Of 1978 documentary and consequent repeats are going ahead. (No, obviously I haven't been asked, though nobody needs my face and voice on broadcast media. Though I think it's safe now to say I was asked to be in last night's Pop Charts Britannia only for the different researcher to fail to get back to me when I expressed an interest)
thx: nice to read you following up my suggestion and benefiting accordingly... but you don't have to obey me!
the original arrangement and production of "big time" is so slick and intricate that there's no way it could be reproduced on a budget... although it sounded better through headphones via youtube than it did on the telly. but why has smokey got a sax player and cellist on stage when they're inaudible? and watch out for the geezer gently patting the congas (in contrast to the frenzied playing on the soundtrack) - he definitely takes over the crown of "most apathetic conga player" from the hot chocolate guy!
noax: i'm sure you're not alone in feeling a bit jaded with all the media hoo-haa over s*vilegate - although i aim to continue watching in the future (and making contributions to this page when relevent), it has all changed a bit from what was originally a great opportunity to get away from the dystopian nightmare that the world is today and stroll down memory lane in (ironically) much more innocent times!
I will post soon a reply from BBC about the silly pulling of the DLT show and when it will get shown...
Thanks for the news Simon - I'd started to worry that they might cancel the run after Christmas, so that's cheered me right up! (touch wood etc.)
I hope the BBC decide show the 1978 DLT shows though, or we'll miss the only appearance of Odyssey doing 'Native New Yorker'! (19 Jan 1978) - one of my all time favourites.
I've now watched this week's show and I have to say that it cheered me up immensely. To see the news from Simon that we'll at least get (most of) the 1978 shows is a bonus.
What surprised me about this week's show was the sheer amount of live performances (if you include the repeated ones like Baccara) as hardly anyone seemed to be miming!
Slade - The gypsy years, by the looks of it. I know their last song had 'gypsy' in the title but this is ridiculous. Not a good one this, but at least they came back with some good tunes in the 80s (plus multiple re-releases of THAT Christmas song)
Mary Mason - She's a great singer, you've got to give her that. But what's the actual reason for this being in the charts? Surely there must be one, as we've seen similar 'light ent' stuff as filler before that never charted.
'Angel of the Morning' just reminds me of the Juice Newton version which confused the hell out of me with its ubiquitous nature when I was in Australia as it was huge over there, but a complete flop here.
Darts - I love 'em, and they sure know how to terrify an audience!
Ram Jam - Apparently their song playing while this was on! In the absence of DLT in every sense, I feel duty bound to go 'PHWOOOAARR'. Hey, I listened to 'Girl Crazy' by Hot Chocolate the other day, so arrest me.
Boney M - Magnificent in every sense. I liked the guitarist best.
Tom Robinson Band - Great song, and a good performance just the right side of shambolic and under-rehearsed!
Smokey was dull, Baccara I still think is bad because of the orchestra mainly (shame they never came back) and then we get PP the PP (that's Pogoing Prick) but I didn't let that spoil my improved mood!
That's more like it, Noax! Told you! ;-D
Excellent news about 1978, but I'm saddened that we didn't get to see our leader on what I thought was an ultimately disappointing Pop Charts Britannia, as I would have liked to see the face (and name) of the man who cheers us up most Thursdays, unless those details are easy to find elsewhere and I've been a complete loser!
Apart from seeing the Lord God Bob Stanley and that bore Pete with his waste of both fish and chip paper and a few minutes which could have been used way better, I was intrigued to finally see James Masterton, who's compiled a critique of the weekly chart on the net for the last 20 years - having recently lost his spot on Yahoo to the lowest common denominator OMG! thread, he now writes the UK chart critique for Billboard.
And now, the fly in the ointment. BBC4 have had their programming launch for early 2013 today and the trade magazine Broadcast's online editor has tweeted the following:
"BBC4: No decision yet on airing TOTP 1978 or beyond. Audiences in decline in any case."
And then in response to a couple of people:
"might still happen. But (BBC4 controller Richard Klein) didn't sound too positive. And a LOT of Savile in 78. Maybe feel its not worth the hassle"
Except (and I think with that bit he's projecting rather than quoting anyone) there isn't a lot of Savile, six shows, which along with three weeks lost to strike action and the World Cup would be comfortably covered by Sky At Night breaks much as we've been experiencing these past two years. Plus, as stated, a BBC researcher said just last week it was going ahead.
Bugger
Here's Klein's exactish quotes as reported by Media Guardian, from a Broadcasting Press Guild event which seems to have doubled as a BBC4 2013 new programming launch:
"It is complex and it is difficult to judge. These are judgments we are making on a case-by-case basis. It requires us to be cautious and careful without overreacting, to take into account public sensibilities and legalities, and hopefully we are going to get it right. At the moment we actually haven't scheduled 1978, so we'll take a view. We have only done it the last two years so if we didn't do it again it wouldn't be the end of the world and audience figures have declined quite markedly. It has done a good job, whether I choose to continue or not I don't yet know.... We have to think about this and make a judgment and hopefully we will get it right. That's all we can do."
Odd choice of words at the end, it's some repeats of a 35 year old music series, not brokering a peace deal, and it does read as if he wasn't expecting to be asked about it.
Sounds like a typical BBC Manager these days ie a total c*ck.
I don't feel confident as the excuse quotient here is extremely high (audiences declining - really? it's not like they were immense to begin with)
I'll be really annoyed if we don't get 1978 and 1979 as IMO they are better for music than the 2 years we've had so far. Looks like I'd better keep my extremely grainy VHS compilations from mid-90s UK Gold airings then....
Forgot to mention re audience numbers...
If your audience is in the 100,000s area, as BBC4 will usually be, losing 50,000 in one week looks massive. If you're drawing millions a week, it's nothing. So I hope they have at least genuinely factored stuff like this in.
Oh, and no mention of DLT which is interesting.
I Really hope the re-runs do continue next year and this is just the bbc testing audience reaction. Didn't they threaten to pull the christmas special a few years back and then 'change' their minds when there was an outcry?
First time on here by the way, hope it's not the last!
Reading the list of tracks that would've been shown if the rozzers hadn't micked DLT I noticed the reissue of Virginia Plain. That was the first record I ever bought - ok, my mum bought it for me but that was cos I said I liked it (possibly after seeing this ToTP?!). Always thought that was pretty cool for a 3 year old.
My second record was Mull of Kintyre. Not so cool.
Lets hope TOTP78 is an 11th hour go ahead
james masterton does an (almost) weekly podcast on the uk top 40 - a very good listen
Savile and dlt scuppering 1978 indeed. I have wistfully hoped that they would revive totp ( along late sixties early 70s lines) but i guess that is well and truly stuffed now
** by that, look at picketywitch same old feeling (with a white polly brown), shocking blue (with claudia winkelman singing), edison lighthouse, stones, slade coz i luv u (even better on german tv live) and middle of the road soley soley fornexamples of how they staged it
Middle of the road , pop pickers, er, sally carr, er not arf. Never noticed that at the time when i was 11
regarding james masterton (who apparently tragically started doing reviews of the pop charts just when pop music died): there used to be a website called "golden years" or similar, where a bloke called nigel gave a review of every top 40 single between 1973 and 1983 (sometimes mentioning events in his own life that related to such hits) - it was rather good in my opinion, but sadly disappeared a few years ago now... does anyone else remember it? maybe it's returned to the web in some way - if so please re-direct me, thanks!
I remember James Masterton's excellent reviews of the charts in the early days of the internet in the mid-90s. I stuck with them for many years until the early 2000s when a) I started losing interest in music and b) he started getting really snooty when I would occasionally e-mail daring to suggest he may have got something (usually only slightly) wrong.
Mind you, having seen his tragic yet simultaneously impressive collection of chart tapes on that BBC4 60 Years of the Chart show, he's gone up in my estimations again.
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