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

odd chart, lots of electronic stuff. the rah band is still in there at #7 (seems like 2 months since it was on first? actually, 7/7/77 according to web. and the repeats are about a month behind), jarre at 12, space at 5 and donna summer just outside the top 10 (twice?)

I'm amused by the combination of bafflement and derision Tony Blackburn used to introduce the punk/new wave acts.

Can't watch any of these things now without wanting to retch. Everett chatting up young girls. The strangely silent (about Savilegate) Blackburn saying "Why not? You can't get done for it" and "Have you ever been to Spain with me?" Now I look upon every presenter and performer and think, a la Olivier in Marathon Man: are they safe?

http://www.comedy.co.uk/images/library/people/180x200/d/dear_john_kirk.jpg

lipsmackin'

the bloke singing the elvis tribute had lightbulbs on his jacket. but they never lit up.

Slade's pirate look is bad enough (even if it does predict Ten Pole Tudor), but Noddy's curly mullet takes it over the edge.

Rod's haircut here looks like a bad Tina Turner Halloween wig that's been put through a tumble dryer.

kind of astounded by that Baccara song being one of the top 10 best selling singles ever, was only googling to find out their nationality ¯\(°_o)/¯

I quite liked punky Slade. Dave Hill looked liberated: bald and proud.

I haven't watched this for ages - are we still in sync? i.e. is it exactly 35 years ago this week, or have the Saville/DLT whitewashes from history meant a load of shows were missed out?

It's never really been 'in-sync', due to odd missing episodes and the need for "The Sky At Night" to have its slot once a month.

Tonight's episode is 3/11/1977 - they were slightly further behind than that, so they've skipped a few.

The skipped ones have purely been Savile and DLT presented ones.

I'd guess DLT will be OK by the time his next show comes up, I'm wanting Otway&Barrett for my comp DVDr.

I also note, "Mary of the 4th form" is on shows presented by Savile, then DLT.

The Barron Knights - every annoyingly smug thing about Robbie Williams cloned and turned into a comedy music act.
Queen - in their 'The Darkness but not shit' phase.

Heroes, Rocking All Over The World and We Are the Champions, all songs i associate with LiveAid, years later.

baron knights. why do i remember half the lyrics to that?

Wait until they show that Barron Knights' joint about Rubik's Cube - why is stuff like that clogging up my memory, when I can't remember useful stuff that would help me earn more money?

I wish I could forget the fact that the first gig I ever went to was by the Barron Knights, but it was 1981 and I was 11, but it's engrained on my memory. (shudder).

years ago a friend of mine was recording a demo in a pokey little studio in the middle of nowhere, the producer/engineer guy said he used to be in a band but was reluctant to say who "oh won't have heard of them" etc etc. of course they eventually found out that it was the Barron Knights.

Not to worry, that "Mr Rubik" got nowhere near the charts or the TOTP studio

Two weeks back to back tonight at 8PM

For those who wished to see "Mary of the 4th form" by The Boomtown Rats..

This was on twice, back in the day. First time, introduced by Jimmy Savile. Second time, by DLT.

Guess which song you won't be seeing any time soon on BBC4.

Looks like it's going to be all Kid Jensen/Edmonds/Tony Blackburn until we hit the Peter Powell years.

thought PP had been on already

I don't think he's a regular presenter until 1979.

November 3, 1977 - Peter Powell

http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/trivia/presenters/list2.shtml

and semi-regular from '78

That's a great list. BBC will be skipping 13 episodes from '78.

...and skipping 18 from '79. Looks like we are going to reach the 80's before the BBC can it, after all.

Unless they can it.

can the can

7PM BBC4 tonight, in case anyone was pondering whether the Christmas chart in 1977 was as dire as it is in 2012.

bump.

lots on the last one that i hadn't seen before. that medley of rock'n'roll tunes, that drummer man song. most of it quite poor.

oh, and fernando figaro, which is just blatant.

Is it? One is about thwarted revolution, one is about a beach bum.

Oh, and if you have it on 'replay', one of the girls sings "see her" where everyone else eings "see him down on the beach"...

It's 'Angelo' which is the 'Fernando' rip, although 'Figaro' is still 'crap ABBA copyists who have run out of ideas do Seaside Special'. And they tailed off hard after 'Figaro' - it was their last number one and by late '78 they were done.

Is it? One is about thwarted revolution, one is about a shepherd.

'Figaro' is more like a de-sexyfied daytime version of 'Voulez-Vous'.

Darts, 1978's Scissor Sisters, with Armando Iannucci on vocals.

and frankenstein's monster on backing vox.

"if i had words" is very familiar although i don't remember hearing that version for YEARS. had forgotten the reggae backbeat too.

BOM again 8(

Aside from a number 15 record in April 1978, this is the last time they trouble the charts. Possibly another victim of the 'Greatest Hits album' curse.

But they shall trouble TOTP a fee more times...

few

bom #1 this week, gah

still, abba and mr blue sky back to back. and that 'more more night' thing.

(that 'one more night' thing reminds me of 's-s-s-single bed' in a way)

(ha ha, youtube clip is from totp2 and the pop-up text says he was previously in Fox)

"5 Minutes" by the Stranglers was almost embarrassing in that it stood out so clearly amongst all the muck surrounding it.

Three songs featured which never made the chart, including Lulu's cover of "Best Of My Love" and pass-the-hat Dusty Springfield.

TOTP really was shite, wasn't it?

Entering the 'put a sticker on your guitar's scratchplate under the strings' period.

A little while ago, Paul Weller had a "put a mailing address sticker from you girlfriend's post' on his guitar. Presumably she doesn't live there anymore

Kid Jensen very taken with Kate Bush

So was a young snoball. One of my clearest and earliest musical memories.