The Rolling "Top of the Pops" BBC4 Revival thread.

Because, the first one (tonight) is 1976, where we get :

01/04/1976
With Abba, the Brotherhood of Man, the Beatles, Fox, John Miles, Diana Ross and Sailor. (R).

Then after that they are on Thursday night, 7:30pm, and basically are running weekly, each
episode being from (exactly) 35 years ago (near enough)..

Until BBC4 sack it.

Brilliant idea. I can relive my childhood. My earliest musical memories (from pre-school days) are stuff like Abba, The Wurzels, Showaddywaddy and Hot Chocolate.

This docu that's on now makes grim viewing.

The docu made some interesting points, and for all that I'd have loved if they'd started in 1964 (or whenever), 1976 is a good year to kickoff from.

The big point made was that the charts had become a 'variety' show source, as opposed to the 'teen hit parade' of the sixties. So, loads of Mathis, Roussos, BroMan, Abba and Radio DJs having comedy send-up hits.

It'll be like this for a while, but one I do remember being somewhat of a life changing moment was when Eddie and the Hot Rods did "Get out of Denver",and I went straight out and bought the (expensive) ep the next day.

I know, thesedays peopple decry the rods as being "not as seminal as Dr Feelgood", but I saw a repeat on TOTP2 and it was as good as I remembered. So, soon come, that show which showed the juxtaposition of this band against the other acts on that night.

(also, it means that the quality of dodgy Punk TOTP compilation DVDs are going to shoot up. If they get that far, of course)

What tickled me most was the former TOTP producer saying that they didn't get the Pistols on for "Anarchy In The UK" (which peaked at #38) because it didn't chart high enough, very important that we always stuck by the rules etc etc... followed by an April 1976 show featuring two (useless) acts which never charted at all.

The Hot Rods did well to get a TOTP appearance for "Get Out Of Denver", as a) the Live At The Marquee EP peaked at #43 and b) it was the lead track on the B-side.

It was track 2 on the a-side, but yeah.

Also, the funny was having Dave Bartram saying "yeah, a TOTP appearance guaranteed you a top 10 hit" and demonstrating this with a screening of their massive top (fillinasecond) hit "Trocadero"...

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xpost - Aaargh, so it was!

The big point made was that the charts had become a 'variety' show source, as opposed to the 'teen hit parade' of the sixties. So, loads of Mathis, Roussos, BroMan, Abba and Radio DJs having comedy send-up hits.

Am I misunderstanding? cos the 60s had big hits for Ken Dodd, Englebert Humperdinck, the Barron Knights etc etc

Oh sure, but the theory being that those were in the minority, show-content wise.

oh on the show. yeah probly fair enough. chartwise it was variety a-go-go

Yeah, I don't think the point was that the charts had become (more) like a variety show, but that TOTP had.

fuck Noel Edmonds and his 'comedy' links

fuck Noel Edmonds and his 'comedy' links

I know, what a dick. Still we had the Four Seasons doing "Silver Star" this week. Also Eric Carmen's "interview" with Noel Edmonds, where you couldn't hear a word he was saying, don't be shy Eric!

Interviews on TOTP? that's a rarity...

"Inteview" not really the word.

"You wrote a song for Dana didn't you?"
"Mumble mumble mumble"
"What's the best song you've ever written?"
"Mumble mumble mumble All By Myself"
"Well all the best with the new single"
"Mumble"

Don't know what song he wrote for Dana

Oh and Noel was saying what a good album "Eric Carmen" was: a rare display of good taste from Edmonds there!

Noel had to say he liked it cos he didn't want to blow a raspberry.

My god that it horribly formed.

*is*

OK so Google tells me Dana covered "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" from the aforementioned "Eric Carmen" album

Is Dana the one who did some religious kids programme called 'Wake Up Sunday'?

Sounds likely

10CC, "Mandy Fly Me" was on too. Fantastic!

NEdmonds always had his love of singer-songwriters, to be fair.

Big fan of Harry Chapin, yer Edmonds.

Balderdash certainly describes droll Noel's career.

This was easily the most WTF song on this week's show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iISUroWbu2U

I watched last night's 1976 episode, it was amazingly and compellingly bad. Lots of odd-looking folks I've never heard of awkwardly performing novelty songs, and one of Pan's People doing some remarkably gratuitous ass-shaking in the direction of the camera. I need more.

70s was the golden age for ugly blokes, you could still end up in a band on TOTP with groupies galore. Rubettes' (sans caps) song sounded more like the Beatles than the Rutles!

I'm watching this now. LOL at the male members of the Vagabonds miming the female backing vocals. Something massively depressing about second tier disco groups though, like they're trapped in time, it's as if they're composed entirely of all the bits of late 70's disco that don't influence music today.

Shoeless and carrying a walking stick with a bicycle bell on it? Fucking hell, Harpo could teach Lady gaga a thing or two.

Sheer Elegance one of the most misnamed bands ever judging by what they were wearing, the uglyness of the Rubettes & their overcocky drummer, the utter WTFness of Harpo. mandatory viewing from now on!

I'm sure Punk would never of happened if Sky+ would of been available in 1976...ended up fast forwarding most of last night's show...bring back Noosha Fox...become a little obsessed with s-s-single bed...

^^^ same goes for watching it on iPlayer. I don't know if 'compellingly bad' is the term, or just 'bad'.

the uglyness of the Rubettes & their overcocky drummer

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx-aH0oBscw

definitely 'compellingly bad' for me. and Fox lady really reminded me of Alison Goldfrapp which is a Good Thing.

Noosha F missing link between Clare Grogan and Goldfrapp. Love that record.

Ah, been catching up via good old iplayer on the wii.

Old enough to remember these episodes quite clearly in some cases.

Sad that they haven't gone back far enough in time to have Sparks on.

Still, don't recall that Gilbert O'Sullivan song though I must have heard it then.

Oh, last I heard, they are definitely doing this run for a year.

After that? Who knows...

Still, don't recall that Gilbert O'Sullivan song though I must have heard it then.

He was long gone as commercial proposition by 1976. That song sounded like a demo, did artists have to re-record tracks? I know they had to re-record vocals, hence the ubiquity of the Ladybirds. But then other acts obviously just mimed to the record.

They did 'have' to.

A lot of them switched the tapes post-session, apparently.

ooooooo-oooooooooooooh Vienna it's Slik

It's Midge Uuuurrrr...

And Paul knickerless

Jesus Christ, superstar?

DLT looks like Badly Drawn Boy.

This is sooooo much better than last weeks....

Only one novelty act so far.

Shit Brotherhood Of Man are still number one...

I thought they were usually shown around January.

Itsy Bitsy is a sleazy record for kids, which should not be a thing.

Does anyone know if there will be a "The Story Of 1990" this year?

They showed it already, a few months ago - was a good one!

Adamski was in it, he had a very memorable look.

Good anecdote about him and Seal meeting as well.

Adamski was in it, he had a very memorable look.

Oh, i saw it! I am patently losing my mind.

I thought they were usually shown around January.

They were, but because we had a few blank months over the summer (presumably because of COVID) we didn't finish 1990 in December.

1990 only started in september. we talked about the 1990 documentary then:

The Rolling "Top of the Pops" BBC4 Revival thread.

(hope that works)

ah, thanks. sorry for thread derail.

no prob. it was a bit weird with the break. it was also the first overview show i watched.

and they do repeat them towards the end, i think, or just randomly - story of '77 is on on thursday for instance. big hits 89 on bbc2 tonight.

it was also the first overview show i watched.

You've missed out. The overview shows are much better than the actual episodes of TOTP.

Well, yeah but you get more context with the episodes.

the 1990 show is repeated on Thursday on bbc2

(the overview show, that is)

Anthea turner called klf kfm in the intro.

primal scream track at the end head and shoulders above everything else in the show (consolation prize to Betty boo)

Yeah, glad to see "Come Together" vid, it's not often seen.

i had screamadelica on vhs (and only vhs) for the longest while, finally buying a cd copy for £3 in 2008 (although i had all the singles on vinyl)

Primal Scream are not for me. His vocals exemplify that slightly out of tune can't be bothered Indie style of singing which I hate.

whit's this now

Bob can be bothered, he just can't sing.

Lol, Primal Scream got a skip here, one of the worst things E A S I L Y in the show

"head and shoulders above everything else" pfft Primal Scream do not have T U R T L E power

Haha. After 4 weeks that also got a skip.

Primal Scream not head and shoulders above KLF or Hardcore Uproar

Imagine writing a song which is vastly inferior to a very famous song called Come Together, and naming it Come Together. This has happened several times.

Now or something is my best friend etc.

Jive Bunny and Timmy Mallett on the same week. At least there's Dee-lite.

Is there going to be one or two episodes this week?

(my pvr doesn't like the 7pm cbeebies to bbc4 switchover, i often get audio only, so it'll be interesting to see if these recorded)

yeah, no dice on the first episode, but the second one taped.

betty boo rhyming 'window' with 'handle'

dancers doing all the work on itsy bitsy.

I dunno, say what you want about Mallett, he is giving being obnoxious some real welly as far as I can tell.

catching up on the first of this week's

nice to see Phil's hair has grown back on that one side, but i hope he didn't pay full price for that jacket. least cool I've ever seen the human League.

poor old janet kay

never liked that swanee whistle noise in the dee lite song but enjoyed seeing the video again

I only recently realised that's Bootsy Fucking Collins.

I mean I had no idea who he was in 1990.

Also the male Dee-Lite members' styles are very 2010s hipster.

<q>poor old janet kay</q>

Seconded, having to sing backing to a much worse version of your own song, mind blowing.

There have been times in my life when I’ve heard Groove is in the Heart too much, but what a perfect pop song.

yeah, i only hope it was lucrative for her.

i had a listen to other deee-lite songs on youtube. not a glimmer.

I've got a lot of time for Good Beat, but if you wanted a similar song to Groove you're out of luck, this is more of a deep house track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP55r5CDjI8

definitely worth searching through Towa Tei's back catalogue though, whether solo or his collabs like the supergroup Metafive (with Cornelius, Yukihiro Takahashi and others). some great stuff in there.

Her from Deee-Lite has fallen deep into the conspiracy hole in recent years :(

Oh no really? That hippy/free-your-mind thing again..

Story of '79 yesterday, featuring one Janet Kay. IT'S ALL CONNECTED

(18 at a time, singing live in front of an audience for the first time)

trevor nelson talking about the house party scene as seen in the Lover's Rock thing.

The disconnect between that live Steve Miller Band performance and the audience's reaction. Also Faith No More making me hate them even more by pretending to be the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

I'm fascinated by Gary Davies' ability to say almost anything without any emotion, just this professional 'enthusiasm' - "one of the most happening dance acts around at the moment"

why was the steve miller band in the charts even? advert? film? and why the live versions of all things?

Levi's advert

& not the live version, guess they couldn't source a better clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAHNihB_kzY