Not sure if this is more cafe than GMF topic matter, but BBC Four are beginning repeats of Top of the Pops today, at 22:00. Starting with the show from 1/4/1976, and going through in order of transmission, week by week.

Disco-tastic!

Thank you very much for that, Barry, it will certainly bring back memories.

This morning Sue McGregor's programme was:The Reunion - The British Rock and Rollers ? reunites five people who took part in the earliest days of rock and roll in the UK.

The first stirrings occurred when the film Blackboard Jungle, featuring Bill Haley and The Comets singing 'Rock Around The Clock' was released in 1955, but when Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley entered the UK charts in May 1956, a passion for rock and roll was ignited amongst the youth.

Within a matter of months Tommy Steele's 'Rock With The Caveman,' generally considered to be the first rock and roll song to have originated in the UK, had reached number 13 in the charts. The rock and roll revolution was under way.

Tommy Steele was discovered in the 2i's Coffee Bar in Old Compton Street in Soho, as was Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Mickie Most, Joe Brown, Vince Taylor and Terry Dene amongst many others. The person who discovered him, Larry Parnes, was the UK's first pop manager.

In this programme, Sue MacGregor will be discussing those days with Bruce Welch from The Shadows, Terry Dene, Vince Eager and Marty Wilde who all signed up with Larry Parnes and Clem Cattini, who played drums with all of them.


More nostalgia and appealing for the old rockers amongst us!!

BBC Four are doing a whole night of TOTP nostalgia before the repeat of the 1/4/76 edition. And before that, it's Palestrina. As far as I know, Palestrina's music didn't feature in the chart for 1/4/76

I hop you don't mind a correction Barry, but to be sure we don't miss it,
the programme starts at 10:00 - ending at 10:50
Top of the Pops: The Story of 1976 Friday 01 April : 10:00pm - 10:50pm BBC4

A pop-tastic evening of archive action from 8:30pm. Central to the flare-flapping craziness is this documentary about colossally influential music circus Top of the Pops in a pivotal year for the programme. The OK-to-like Abba, Bowie and Queen were slowly giving way to colour-coordinated Brotherhood of Man, the tractor-balancing Wurzels, and even songs like Disco Duck, which, lest we forget, made number 15. Former hosts "Diddy" David Hamilton and Tony "Not Especially Diddy" Blackburn reflect on the show's inexorable slide towards middle-of-the- road family entertainment, and the wrecking-ball riposte that punk had waiting in the wings.

ADDED..
- just saw your response above after posting mine - yes - looks good - I think you are right about Palestrina.

I can't read

Cheers, will go and correct the original post!

Week by week: is that one programme each week? If they're going to show one programme a week for the show's entire run (25 - 30 years, or whatever it was) we'll be watching till around 2040 !!!

That is the intention, yes

Further update : the story of 1976 is at 22:00hrs, and the 1/4/76 repeat is at 22:50hrs.

Takes me back to those dreadful old boarding school days... TOTP was the one programme I used to watch the whole week. Thursday supper used to end with a vilolent scramble to save seats with a decent view on the one telly in the dining room...

Enjoy it!!!

Top of the Pops = Pan's People

Aaaaaaaah, NOSTALGIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can only go back to Legs and Co. : though obviously I am well aware of Pan's People.

I liked the curly haired one...who I since found out was Cherry

The next repeat (8/4/76) is on Thursday at 19:30 (traditional TOTP time!), and features, amongst others, 10cc, Paul Nicholas and Hot Chocolate, with Noel Edmonds presenting.

The 1/4/76 episode, with John Miles, ABBA and Brotherhood of Man is now on iPlayer

Well it's shame they are ignoring the best period

OK I'm old.

Main reason is the BBC's shortsighted decision to wipe the tapes containing most pre-1976 editions of Top of The Pops I'm sure the BBC are regretting this decision now...

Ah. Oh well tape did used to be very expensive and I suppose even the Beeb had to re-use the stuff.

Ah, I was wondering what the reason was for starting at 1976...just think of all those amazing performances that must have been wiped...

Anyone else finding they know all the words to most of the songs?

Like Bo Rhap, 1975

This is still in the archives, katica. This was no.1 in the charts in late '75/early '76 : and the shows for 25/12/75, 26/12/75, 1/1/76 and 8/1/76 all still exist in the BBC archives.

*puts anorak away*

I watched the hour and a half special 1963 - 1975 on iPlayer the other day.

Trouble was, I remembered seeing every song when it was first transmitted and I watched it live at the time.

With all the miming that was done in the early days and nothing played live I was amazed at the lip-sync of Judith Durham (The Seekers) - she was absolutely perfect in every way with no hint that she was miming at all. Only the lack of microphones gave it away.

Though others were very obvious (though strange I did not notice at the time).

Great programmes.

Top of the Pops with Dave Lee Travis tonight on BBC4, 19:30. Featuring Eric Carmen, Sailor and Brotherhood of Man

The next one is tonight on BBC Four at 19:30. I believe Brotherhood of Man are still no. 1...

...and is being repeated tonight at 22:50.

Nothing this coming Thursday, sadly, but it will be back on 12th May, with a new no. 1

Just a reminder

Noel Edmonds presents Barry Manilow, Sutherland Brothers and Quiver and ABBA

19:30.

.....that J.J. Barrie song, 'No Charge', how on earth did that get anywhere near no. 1??????

Spam post , reported

Aw, come on, J.J. Barrie wasn't THAT bad

The mods were pretty quick in removing the post between yours and mine !

The next edition is tonight at 19:30 - featuring ABBA, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Andrea True Connection and the Wurzels

And here we go again, tonight 19:30, with Marmalade, the Rolling Stones, Tina Charles, the Four Seasons and ABBA

Cherry??????????

yeahhhhhh...she danced on her own this edition...just for meeeeeeee

Stop it, I'll get jealous

Sad news from Top of the Pops land : Felicity (Flick) Colby, former dancer and choreographer for Pan's People, Legs and Co. etc. has died, aged 65.

click

Ewww that's sad...

Far too young.

A chance to see some of Flick's work tonight on Top of the Pops. BBC Four, 19:30.

Next instalment is tonight on BBC Four at 19:30. The Real Thing will be no. 1

But Dee Dee Wilde and Barabara Lord are still going strong.

...and next week's will be Wednesday rather than Thursday, still at 19:30.

For reasons I won't get into I've just downloaded stuff by The Real Thing. They really don't sound as though they're from Liverpool!

They've done some good music over the years, I feel

I watched TOTP 1964-75 last night (not all of them, obviously) - very early Status quo in Mick Jagger-style silk coats and ruffles! Particularly pleased to see The Equals with Eddie Grant, as it was an answer to a crossword clue that I hadn't been able to get yesterday Brilliant to see Elton John guesting with T-Rex on 'Get it On' and John Peel pretending to play the mandolin for Rod Steward in 'Maggie May'

I wish the BBC hadn't wiped so many of those early TOTPs

Me too - I love seeing clips from the earlier programmes and still learn so much from them. It was brilliant to see Gerry Rafferty playing/singing 'Stuck in the Middle with you' - being a complete ignoramus, I never think of him existing much before 'Baker Street' and it was somehow poignant to see him with this battered/well-loved guitar with 'Gerald' painted on it. Also loved seeing the Kink's performing 'Lola' - Ray Davies must have one of the most infectious smiles around

Top of the Pops 8/7/76 is on tonight on BBC4, at the usual time, 19:30.

Next instalment on in about 20 minutes (19:30). Features Elton John and Kiki Dee, among others

5 minutes to go...

I keep missing them