By sheerest coincidence, because the cycle hasn't changed, all the lost/skipped shows this year (so far) have coincided with Thursdays off. Unlike the last two this one was on UK Gold many moons ago though, so (cheers, Neil) we have this, enter at your own risk etc...
Brighouse and Rastrick represent! Imagine if you were watching at the time and previously had no idea what that was. The only songs we won't see anyway are the Boomtown Rats - luckily given that ever-popular 'present climate', one might argue - and Noosha Fox. Note also a different edit of Live In Trouble, this time in "loose heel"/"chip shop in Walthamshow" mode. For the record Fox had gone their seperate ways at the start of 1977, a couple turning up in 1978 as the prime of Yellow Dog, one joining Whitesnake and Noosha inevitably going solo with a song written and produced by Fox majordomo Kenny Young - and before you say it Andrew Sachs' targeted granddaughter is Georgina Baillie, this is Georgina Bailey, wide difference - which seems to be a pastoral companion piece to big recentish hit The Killing Of Georgie (without the murder, admittedly) and a band who seem in a cartoonish way to have taken the French element of the lyric to heart. Noosha meanwhile has gone that oh so common fashionista route, the country headmistress. It made number 31 but that wasn't good enough for the label to persevere and Noosha never got to do an impromptu knee raise again. By the way, I wonder wonder what Legs & Co's theme is supposed to be. Stone Age, you'd guess from song selection and general setting, but if so that's really not much effort on the costumes. Or set. Or set stability.
You'll also notice Jimmy didn't say Showaddywaddy much differently from anybody else. YOU HAVE LIED TO US, HUGH DENNIS.
**THERE NOW FOLLOWS INFORMATION ABOUT CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR SCHEDULING. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP EVERYTHING A SURPRISE UNTIL THE RELEASE OF THE CHRISTMAS RADIO TIMES (OTHER LISTINGS MAGAZINES ARE AVAILABLE) THIS WEEKEND PLEASE STOP READING**
While we're all gathered here, let's get in order the run of things from here until Epiphany. As expected the one remaining DLT-fronted show is being skipped so there's three normal TOTPs left in 1977 - one next week, two in a row from 8pm the week after. Boxing Day, being DLT-heavy, has also gone for a burton so just the one Christmas show is being repeated, 7pm on Christmas Eve, followed by a ten minute filler up to the hour only listed at present as 'Top Of The Pops: A Christmas Cracker'. Your guess is as good as mine. The programme gets a Christmas Day repeat at 10.15pm.
In further BBC archive ransacking there's ...Sings James Bond (BBC4, 14th, 10.30pm), The Christmas No.1 Story (BBC2, 19th, 9pm), Slade At The BBC (BBC4, 21st, 9.50pm), ...Sings Disney (BBC4, 31st, 8pm) and the annual even though you'd imagine they'd have run out by now TOTP2 (BBC2, 22nd, 8pm). They haven't shown Dennis Waterman and George Cole's run through What Are We Gonna Get For Er Indoors? yet. Just dropping that in there. Normal TOTP 2pm Christmas Day as per and a New Year's Eve companion programme complete the set.
And then... Friday 4th January, 9pm, The Story Of 1978! Followed at 9.50pm (don't ask me) by Big Hits 1978! Followed by... oh. I do know that the official line from the channel as recently as Monday just gone was no decision on scheduling 1978 had yet been made but you'd have to imagine they haven't commissioned, made and scheduled these for the hell of it.
70 comments:
Always enjoy Simon's blog, it never fails to raise a smile, and the comments that follow. Looking forward to the remaining 77 shows, and hopefully there will be another year to look forward to...Incidentally, I've always thought that Noosha Fox offered something a little different to the norm: a decent song, shame it wasn't a bigger hit.
"Heroes" gets a playout despite being one place lower than David's repeat showing a fortnight earlier. Another one the producers obviously liked.
I'll watch this episode at home tonight and probably chip in a bit later. Fully agree about Simon's informative and humorous comments.
Love how the signal scrambles during the Dooleys - My Amstrad box with the separate decoder used to do that regularly.Hope we do get to see some 1978 top of the pops episodes after the beeb whetting our appetites with the documentary and big hits clip show
As a Costellophile, I'm gutted that we'll miss both repeats of "Watching The Detectives" due to who presented the editions. Mind you, we're also spared the sight of Jim'll hosting a show in a lurid yellow singlet, so small mercies there.
This certainly is an odd musical melange and Mr Savile really seems to be relaxed and enjoying himself, for some reason wearing army trousers and a red jumper emblazoned with the word 'Peace'. If only it were that simple.
At the time I remembered seeing them do The Floral Dance song on Dad's Army so I knew the tune and it's great to see a brass band on TOTP but we all know what this is leading to, yes wiggy Wogan doing the same song, badly.
Last time it was finger pointing this time its ruler waving. Audience participation was clearly the key to The Rats' success. But Mary Of The Fourth Form is a cracking song, much better than I remembered it being. But the band already seem to have dumped the punk look for a more clean cut style with white suits except Johnny fingers still in his jim-jams. I see those hand held cameras are back which seem to be reserved exclusively for the band's performances.
This part of The Baron Knights' medley seems genuinely funny and the audience loved the "you picked a fine time to bend down Lucille" line. For years whenever I heard the song Angelo on the radio I always sang "running away in leather" to myself and now I know where it came from.
Turn To Stone is a song about loneliness but the Legs girls seem to have turned it into something sexual with those HUGE stalagmites looking more like elongated marital aids, albeit very wobbly ones. A great song but very difficult to dance to and perhaps it was wise to fade it early.
Simon if you think Ms Fox was dressed as a headmistress you need some new glasses, she was a St Trinian's schoolgirl from head to toe. Ooh la la indeed. I liked the drummer using bagettes as drumsticks and taking a bite out of one. This has more in common with The Rubette's Under One Roof than Rod's The Killing Of Georgie.
NB: Jim Gannon who was the guitarist in Fox (the guy who played the voice box on Single Bed) was originally in heavy rock band black Widow and had worked with Alice Cooper. Yes that ginger bloke in the cardigan!!
This is a repeat of the previous Showaddywaddy performance, they might have least changed their suits and filmed a second one.
The Dooleys still remind me of The Human Leauge - tall bloke with a funny haircut, two girls making shapes and a faceless band behind. Great pop-disco tune though.
The Quo video with one of them (or is it all of them) replaced by a dummy. Then ABBA playing Ludo and the end titles with Bowie's paen to gay love in Berlin. The crowd at the end all look very happy and this all seems like innocent fun
Simon - is it you in the radio times letter page concerning TOTP?
Well, this couldn't have been more dodgy if they tried. A song about a schoolgirl, Noosha Fox dressed as a schoolgirl, Jimmy waving a ruler about which for some reason was quite disturbing, and those phallic objects that Legs & Co had to dance around.
For once I'm glad this wasn't shown. Just imagine the Daily Mail outrage.
I can forgive Hugh Dennis anything as he's a comedy god, but it was strangely disappointing hearing Jim pronounce their name almost normally ('WADD' rather than 'WAD' though?) but I loved his Maltese Cross jumper.
Not many stunning songs on this one in any case, I can see why Noosha's wasn't a hit.
Shame we're not going to get the DLT shows though I guess Boxing Day's show will mostly (or possibly all) be stuff we've already seen.
Thanks for the link Simon - great to see the whole episode - Up Yours, censors!
A Brass Band? It really looks like punk never happened!
So that's where Terry Wogan got the idea -
I can imagine him singing along to it on the radio, and coming up with the cunning plan for his own version (was he on Radio 2 breakfast at the time?)
Oh, here we go - it's punk happening after all . . .
Never heard the Boomtown Rats song before (and if they don't reschedule the Old Hairy Branflake's episodes, we won't see it on (proper) TV either.
The title makes it sound slightly dodgy, but I don't think it's any worse than 'Don't stand too close to me'.
I loved the Legs and Co routine here (great song too), do they ever show Legs/PP routines in TOTP2? I'd certainly like to see this one again on the old 'top quality' telly (Fred Scuttle's glasses steam up at the prospect)
Hooray for the delightful Noosha Fox (shame the song is a bit of a stinker though- it's no S-s-single Bed, that's for sure).
Top marks for the Stripey Jumpers and french loaf - should have invested in a string of onions for the full set.
I preferred the previous Barron Knights performance - presumably between the two, we now have the complete song (or are there more untapped 'delights' therewithin?)
Simon, thanks for turning a non-Pops week into a Pops week after all! It's great to see this edition in full. Noosha Fox - what a star!
Someone mentioned Terry Wogan's version of 'The Floral Dance'- but may not know that Wogan was singlehandedly responsible for this version being a hit (like he had been for Kenny Roger's 'Lucille')by playing it for months on his Radio Someone2 show.
Brighouse is one of the places I visit most days when I invariably go round a roundabout in the town centre proudly dedicated to the "World Famous Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band".
PS This must be one of those rare occasions when OAP's must have been very significant factor in a record getting high in the charts.
If Mary's 4th form was equivalent to the English 4th year back then she'd have been 14 or 15 - just up Jimmy's street...
Notice Jimmy was very precise with the Live In Trouble title adding Part 1 to it - shades of his Old Record Club's "extra points" for exact title.
Noosha Fox had another couple of attempts a couple of years later with the bigger Chrysalis records but unfortunately they didn't even make the Top75.
That really is a great performance from Queen - about the only thing besides Abba and David Bowie on the playout I liked this week.
Pity what Jimmy got up to because I thought he was actually very good on this one.
PS Thanks for the link.
That Boomtown Rats song was on the 'Disco Fever' LP I got for Xmas that year - quite how K-Tel thought this was a disco number I'm not so sure. Great song though. Sadly Disco Fever passed from my possession some time ago - which is annoying as it also had Telephone Man on there!
I think Floral Dance ended up spending 6 weeks at number 2 ~ so Jimmy's prediction wasn't far off ~ but he wasn't banking on nine weeks at number one for a certain bagpipe number :-)
The banned regular DLT edition robs us of Legs & Co dancing to Diana Ross's "I'm Getting Ready For Love" (sounds like it had potential!), a second dose of The Boomtown Rats and The Dooleys, the first outing of a classic in my opinion, "Run Back" by Carl Douglas, and the debut of John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett!
Those UK Gold repeats came in handy after all! I'll upload 1/12/77, 22/12/77 and 26/12/77 before the end of the year. Loved the Rats when I was a kid. Must have liked all the pointing!
I meant to thank Simon for posting the link.
@Neil - can you post the previous 'banned' versions on YouTube as well.
@80sBlokeInThe70s - thanks for reminding me that Wogan was responsible for pushing the Brighouse tune, but was it necessary for him to sing his own version? I don't remember John Peel cutting his own cover of Teenage Kicks.
This must be the first appearance of Egyptian Reggae, a tune I now realise Mr Richman partly nicked from Johnny Clarke's reggae song None Shall Escape The judgement. Am I right in thinking that Legs and co go all Wilson, Kepple and Betty with this in a few weeks time? And doesn't a certain EJ go all DJ by presenting that show?
Thanks in advance for the uploads Neil! The gaps between the editions may not be as large as I first imagined then, thanks to you. Much appreciated.
Fingers crossed too for an as complete-as-possible 1978 run after 4th January.
I came here to read about the episode that wasn't to be, and went away having watched it instead. Which is cool :) So thanks to Simon for the link, and to Neil for filling in the gap (and volunteering to do more in future); it's nice to be able to make your own mind up about whether it's appropriate to watch such things these days, rather than have it made for you by someone in the BBC publicity department.
TOTP with an ad break? Fancy that! Also, surely the quickest ever chart rundown – whoa there, slow that reggae down!
A strange show in some ways but still really enjoyable. Loads of re-runs, five top 10 hits then nothing higher than 23, and all songs in the top 50, no payola this week. The Rats, The Dooleys and Noosha all gave Jim’ll plenty of opportunity to do one of his precise 'outside the top 30' chart placings, but never mind.
A very racey show as well. Surprised Noosha’s stocking top flash didn’t manage to propel the song a bit higher. Anyone else notice the Travlolta wannabe ogling Noosha from stage right?
Surprised the Legs & Co stage setting wasn’t used years later for The icicle Works. Boom boom! What they really needed was a Spinal tap style mini-Stonehenge. Either that one of those stalagmites rising from the ground!
Funny to see a Yorkshire brass band have a massive hit with a song of Cornish origin. I can wait for Terry’s version. Really I can! The Barron Knights’ guitarist looked like Blakey’s bruiser boxer brother.
The start of the tune to The Rats’ saucy ode reminded me of “Born To Be Wild”, and the song’s complex formation gave you due notice of “Rat Trap” in the future.
Now then now then, as for my faves of the show...The Dooleys! I loved this and iTuned it, despite the verse tune’s proximity to an old ad for the Jelly Tots / Tiger Tots range of sweets (I really should get out more). Jim showing his chest mat again, boob tube gal now catching her death in a low cut red dress and chicken-in-a-basket pop at its finest. It must have really hacked Jim off that, when the ladies got a chance at lead vocals, the group scored their biggest hit!
PS - Huge thanks to Neil, and Simon as always. Diamond geezers!
No problem. Unfortunately I can't upload the previous banned editions though as sadly I don't have copies of them (they weren't on UK Gold).
No worries, as long as you have the future ones
I'd like to say thankyou too, though it felt strangely illicit, as if we were dealing in contraband.
I always associate that Queen song with the night Great Britain won It's a Knockout, they played it over the celebrations, one of the proudest nights on TV. Er, well it used to be.
The Barron Knights seemed to have brought their own canned laughter, which was weird.
Barron Knights trivia: Re Daf's comment - part 1 of 'Live in Trouble' features 'You make me feel like dancing', 'Angelo' and 'Float on'; 'Lucille' is actually from part 2 (i.e. the b-side), So JS was slightly inaccurate with his intro!
To clear up a few queries...
Yes, Legs & Co go all sandy to "Egyptian Reggae" and it got a repeat showing (why did TOTP insist on repeating the dumb efforts like "Mah Na Mah Na" and not the, erm, more artistic performances for "Ma Baker" and "Chanson D'Amour"?)
We've now had all of both sides of "Live In Trouble" apart from their take on the very high-pitched Minnie Riperton's "Loving You", so I'm glad of that.
As seen on the start-of-year 1977 preview show, a certain pop star with a Christian name for a surname presents an episode near to Christmas, dresssed like someone out of "Captain Scarlet".
Didn't know "Heroes" was about gay love. The iconic 'lovers' cover shot was inspired by Bowie looking out of the recording studio window and seeing his produce embracing his mistress!
"Seeing his producer embracing his mistress" and only 2 'esses' in "dressed". Content B plus, spelling C minus!
sorry, but even though i'm missing out on all the fun i've decided not to watch this on youtube - thanks to neil for making the effort anyway, but staring at a video on a computer screen whilst perched on an office swivel chair is just not the same as reclining in your favourite easy chair in front of the telly with your feet up!
I love the fact that we also saw a five second 'teaser' of next weeks' show - Kid Jensen in a satin jacket and Crystal Gayle at Number 30.
Re Heroes being about a gay love affair, someone on Songfacts says - "Homosexuality was considered "bourgeouis decadence" by the East German Communist regime - and Bowie was living Schoeneberg, which was THE gay neighborhood in Berlin at the time and the home of the famous "El Dorado" club. When he says, "You will be Queen," I don't think that is a reference to Elizabeth II!".
yes big thanks to Neil for this and the next installments, not the best quality, but nice to have in the archive, till these (if ever) get shown (prob about ten years time).
If anyone is interested I have put up Turn To Stone (not a gold copy) and Getting Ready For Love (1/12) which is a tweaked Gold copy (both excellent quality regardless), by Legs & Co on The One For The Dads YT channel
Angelo - As I know Disco Fever back to front, having played to death (I've still got my parents copy) I can tell you that the Rats song on there is actually 'Looking After Number One'.
Arthur - That Carl Douglas song is one of the most under-rated tunes ever, so I hope we get to see it on a different show.
Simon / Neil - Forgot to say before so thanks for letting us see the show!
Apologies for the poor quality. I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to uploading to Youtube. Anyone got any tips on how to improve quality etc?
according to wiki, bowie moved to berlin in the mid-70's through his relationship with singer/dancer romy haag, who was actually a pre-op transsexual at the time - perhaps she was the inspiration for "heroes"? much more of the lovely ms haag is here:
http://www.romyhaag.de/pics/galerie/galerie.html
also if anyone's interested, that "disco fever" LP is given an in-depth review (inasmuch as a lightweight disco cash-in compilation can be given one) here:
http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/194-10-december-1977-6-weeks-track.html
****SPOILERS****
Top of the Pops
On: BBC 4
Date: Friday 4th January 2013 (starting in 27 days)
Time: 21:00 to 21:50 (50 minutes long)
The Story of 1978.
In 1978, Top of the Pops began to turn the credibility corner. As the only major pop show on television, it had enjoyed a unique position in the nation's hearts since the 1960s - teenagers fed up with the show's predominantly light entertainment blend still watched in the hope of seeing one of the new young outfits thrown up by punk, new wave and disco. In 1978 it seemed the kids' time had come again for the first time since glam rock, yet the biggest-selling singles of 1978 were by the likes of Boney M, John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, Rod Stewart, the Bee Gees and Abba. Punk never quite fitted in with the mainstream - it had been treated with disdain and largely ingored by Top of the Pops. Along came a generation of young post-punk and new wave bands ready to storm the Top of the Pops stage - from the Undertones, the Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Skids and Ian Dury and the Blockheads to the Boomtown Rats, Elvis Costello, the Jam and Squeeze.
(So basically it's going to be exactly the same as The Story Of 1976 and The Story Of 1977, basing itself on the premise that unless it's punk the show isn't worth watching)
MUSIC: Top of the Pops
On: BBC 4
Date: Friday 4th January 2013 (starting in 27 days)
Time: 21:50 to 22:50 (1 hour long)
1978 - Big Hits.
A pick 'n' mix of Top of the Pops classics from 1978, when in-yer-face punk and new wave rebellion co-existed with MOR suburban pop, disco fever, soul balladry, reggae and prog rock, and when two mega-successful movie soundtracks in the shape of Grease and Saturday Night Fever squared up on the dancefloor. Featuring shouty Sham 69, the cool rebellion of Ian Dury, Elvis Costello and Blondie, the media-savvy clowning of the Boomtown Rats, Kate Bush's debut with Wuthering Heights, alongside Brotherhood of Man's perky Figaro, Dan Hill's sentimental Sometimes When We Touch and the high camp of Boney M's Rasputin. Bob Marley shares chart space with 10cc's Dreadlock Holiday and ELO and Manfred Mann's Earth Band keep on rockin'.
And if you want to know about Christmas TOTP2, who have ignored my plea...
Mark Radcliffe digs deep into the archives to deliver some familiar and unfamiliar festive treats. Straight from the vaults are some perennial Christmas favourites from the likes of Slade, Wizzard, Shaky, Wham, Macca and Jona Lewie. Plus, this year there is a punk Christmas vibe with The Ramones and the ultimate post-punk supergroup, The Greedies with Phil Lynott on vox and a smattering of Sex Pistols as backup band. French chanteuse Francoise Hardy pops up in a winter wonderland setting, and the queen of gospel Mahalia Jackson spoils us with a soulful performance of Silent Night from 1964. And not forgetting the usual fun with The Wombles, The Snowmen and the Barron Knights and their 60s Christmas medley impersonating all the greats. Plus, Mikey Dread wishes us all a reggae reggae Christmas. All in all, a collection of special archive performances designed to help you and your kin have a very merry Christmas.
Noax, Glad you agree about Carl Douglas, although the electronic keyboard section in the intro really doesn't fit. The song's featured on the edition a certain pop star hosts but, sadly, the song dropped from 30 to 31 the following week and, despite crawling up to 25, it was never aired again.
Wilberforce, have you watched this latest edition yet? You only need to watch half of it really, due to all the repeats. Sit down by your PC with the magnification up (150% should do it) with a can of booze - like I sometimes do - or a metal tray of exotic takeaway nosh. It's worth a peek, honest.
Hey Neil
Sorry if it came across as a negative view on the YT upload, it's an old VHS copy (it wasn't supposed to be), it is really appreciated, and I have no idea how to improve old VHS. But none the less I'm really really happy you put this up, and I am really looking forward to the next ones.
Kudos Simon for the info on '78, but not for TOTP2 (why oh why do they show this hatchet job stuff)
Thanks for the heads up on the 1978 and Christmas shows Simon, I suppose we'll have to grin and bear it
Re the TOTP2 Christmas show if they're going to include clips from anywhere (not just TOTP) then I don't know why they don't delve into the archives of US TV, Australian TV and European countries where there must be hundreds of clips of artists from across the spectrum from pop to easy listening doing Christmas or seasonal songs which may not have charted here but are still good. Eg I recently found a great Christmas LP by German group The Les Humphries Singers where they do funky/soulful covers of carols, I think one of the singers from Boney M was in the group.
Meant to also say I love that Carl Douglas song and bought it when it came out. It's a Northern Soul classic. It irritates me when they only talk about Kung Fu Fighting when he had a long history as a British soul singer going back to the sixties.
"Gambling Man", one of Carl's B-sides, showed he had a good country-rock tinge to his voice when needed. Fine, hugely underrated singer.
wilberforce - Thanks for that link to the Disco Fever review, that's an extremely interesting read!
The Story of 1978 does sound depressingly familiar, perhaps it's just as well you're not on it Simon!
I haven't bothered with 'Big Hits..' before as I knew we'd see everything on it, but had better record it this year just in case.
As for TOTP2, well, it's the usual stuff mostly so no surprise there!
Can't say I know what The Ramones song is though (but I do know that I won't like it) and at least we're getting The Wombles.
The one I'd like to see is 'A Spaceman Came Travelling' (yes, really!) but I'm not sure that ever had a proper video.
I imagine Ramones will be the video for Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight). Problem with Christmas TOTP2 is, as fun as it always is, we've pretty much seen the breadth of what Christmas songs can be found in the BBC archive* and the demand to go through the hits mean most of the mystery comes from which performance precisely will be used (Slade from 1974 or 1983? Mud with the doll or with Les at the piano? Pogues with Shane at the piano or... oh, there was only one) Nobody needs to see the videos for Last Christmas or Wonderful Christmas Time again but there they are.
Bama: I think all these clips are from BBC shows or the original videos supplied by the labels. Licensing anything else would be a minefield.
(* Having said that, they could wrongfoot most of the nation and show Half Man Half Biscuit's Whistle Test performance of All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit...)
Actually, here's a trivia question. A big Christmas radio favourite to this day, it's had no official video or available live footage and has never made the top 40. Which song?
The Ramones will be Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight tonight)
@Simon: Sounds like Christmas Rapping by The Waitresses, a song I used to love but like a lot of the great Christmas songs it gets played ad nauseam every December to the extent I never need to hear it again. Though better than the Spice Girls' version, natch.
That's the one (though if anyone can think of any other examples that are on heavy rotation this time of year, feel free to suggest them - presumably whichever versions of the bands on the Spector album are still touring are willing to come out at this time of year and perform it)
There was never any footage of John Lennon and Yoko singing Happy Xmas (War is Over) and that's played everywhere.
And Make A Daft Noise for Christmas by The Goodies, I know that's never played now but the only TOTP appearance has been wiped.
D'oh Posted Ramones at same time as Simon, Nice to see your letter in the RT as well.
My letter? What's this?
Thanks, Simon, for all the blogging, info, news and views. This is always a highlight of my week, even though I don't post much.
And thanks to Neil for uploading this week's edition. I miss Noosha and Fox, but am looking forward to Yellow Dog.
I think we miss Godley & Creme's 5 O'clock in the Morning cos of the Savile fuss. I know in the greater scheme of things, none of this matters, but I am enjoying these trips down memory lane so much, and never thought I'd ever see some of these on TV again.
Merry 9th December, guys x
Whilst it is sad to hear of the death of Patrick Moore, does anyone think The Sky At Night will continue without him? The show has never been presented by anyone else and seemed to be very much his baby.
Oh, It's a letter from a Simon Bayliss, Being about TOTP I thought it could be you.
If not Sorry, I Assumed & you know what that does!
RIP Sir Patrick - A Great British excentric
Heh, no, I only buy RT at Christmas time, though the blurb for the 1978 shows does refer to their having received some correspondence in favour of the series going (in fact it starts "all credit to BBC4 for renewing its commitment... an invaluable cultural document and a rush of nostalgia")
The Sky At Night will surely continue, there's been enough regular guests on it taking a lot of the load off Moore in recent years and it's the most established specialist series there is.
Sad to hear of the passing of Sir Patrick, an eccentric, a genius and a mean xylophone player to boot. "The Sky At Night" won't be the same without him. What's the chance that this Thursday BBC4 will show a tribute to the man in place of TOTP?
Surely Sir Patrick's tribute will be on BBC1 or 2? He was a big enough star.
I know The Sky At Night gets a lot of flak for interrupting the show we all love once a month, but I still watch it occasionally and the fact that I am interested in space is all down to the man and his shows so I shall miss him.
I loved the fact that he was always self-deprecating enough to let people and programmes take the p out of him (Morecambe and Wise, Jon Culshaw, even Doctor Who just a couple of years ago) and people forget that he was pioneering moon scientist.
No problem, Andee. My DVD copy doesn't look too bad but seems to go worse when uploaded to Youtube. Surprised nobody else has uploaded it to be honest.
Simon that letter in the RT (which we all hoped was from you) was mentioned by Charlie Cook earlier in the blog. Are you sure you read all the comments or are you playing with us?
And Patrick Moore, a great astronomer but a controversial figure who could be homophobic, xenophobic and sexist. And famously never married and lived with his mum until her death (now where have we heard that before?). I wonder if any secrets will come out about his past?
Oops, so he did. There are occasions when there's a lot of new comments to glance through...
Sir Patrick lost the love of his life during the war, when the ambulance she was driving was blown up by a bomb. He was heartbroken and couldn't imagine life without her or anyone to fully take her place.
To reply to myself up there a bit, the tribute programme for Patrick Moore is on tomorrow night on BBC1 at 10.35 for a grand total of 25 minutes. Is that the best they can do?
Mind you, presumably there will be a separate Sky At Night special.
Never mind the top 40, "Christmas Wrapping" (my second fave Xmas song after Greg Lake) never made the top 75. I could never understand it, just as I wonder how / why there are still people buying that bloody Mariah Carey abomination every December.
By the way, Simon, what's the record number of posts for a Disappeared thread?
This is now the record, comfortably beating 45 for two Savile shows ago (nobody really bothered with these until then)
Christmas Wrapping did reach the top 75, number 45 in 1982. Didn't chart in America, though, where they're pretty much known as one hit wonders for the preceding single I Know What Boys Like. Singer Patty Donahue died in 1996.
after s*vilegate, i think the beeb might be advised hold back on any tributes for "confirmed batchelor"-type slebs like patrick moore, at least until they've checked out his private life properly (maybe they should employ the guy who dug up the dirt on js?)...
i'm sure i once heard or read that he used to live with a "nephew", which if that were the case may well be perfectly innocent and explainable, but all the same in my opinion it should be checked out to spare themselves possible future embarrassment...
further to the above, the beeb shouldn't screen tributes to any recently-deceased celebrities (even those "happily married" with wives and children) until they've made sure there are no skeletons in the closet. i once met a guy who claimed he was an ex-bbc employee, that alleged that a much-loved family entertainer and peer of JS and patrick moore (who shall remain nameless here) was once caught engaged in some dubious activity with a young boy in his dressing room...!
This looks promising - from the Christmas Radio Times 'choices' section :
"All Credit to BBC4 for nenewing its commitment to Screen TOTP from 35 years, despite the Saville Controversy, because these repeats (as RT readers rallied to point out) provide an invaluable cultural document and a rush of nostalgia - if you are old enough to remember the shows from the first time round."
Fingers crossed!
Do you remember when beloved celebrities died of old age and half the internet didn't go "'e's a paedo, you'll see"?
Yep - One of my Friends seems determined that most of the BBC were up to something.
It's depressing
Agreed. I mean, I didn't agree with everything Patrick Moore did or said (his patronage of UKIP for a start!) but he was from a different age with different standards etc etc and I really don't like all these constant insinuations about this and that.
I think most people are agreed that JS always came across as creepy and odd. Patrick Moore I would say was obviously eccentric in a 'mad professor' sense but that's about all you can judge without really knowing him.
And the story of him losing the love of his life is very sad.
The stats are telling me the blog's just been linked from David Icke's forum. Run!
Simon, thanks for putting me right about The Waitresses' top 50 status. I'd never realised.
Belated thanks to Andee Bee for helping us enjoy the past as well.
Fox imploded so soon after their purple patch. As I've bored you with before, Fox's main songwriter Kenny Young decided to take over vocals from Noosha Fox (why get rid of your selling point?) and the hits dried up as quickly as they came. Looking forward to his main man status with Yellow Dog, mind.
just to set the record straight: i'm not suggesting that all geriatric and/or recently-deceased celebrities are closet perverts, but in the wake of what's happened that the media (especially the beeb) should think carefully about eulogising them without scrutinising their private lives beforehand...
on a slightly lighter note: arthur, looking forward to seeing yellow dog again soon as well... assuming they didn't appear on a JS or DLT episode!
Spoiler alert...We'll be okay with yellow Dog, provided Kid and Peter behave themselves in the meantime. We might be spared a further repeat if DLT's found innocent, but we'll have to reply on poor Neil again for a copy of their top 54 follow-up.
You won't as I don't even have a copy :-(
Post a Comment