Top Of The Pops

[CZB]

Three tracks were snipped out of tonight's early evening repeat:



21-4-77: Presenter: Tony Blackburn

(46) EDDIE AND THE HOTRODS – I Might Be Lying
(25) O.C. SMITH – Together
(9) STEVIE WONDER – Sir Duke (danced to by Legs & Co)
(3) BERNI FLINT – I Don’t Want To Put A Hold On You
(15) TAVARES – Whodunnit (video)
(19) LYNSEY DE PAUL AND MIKE MORAN – Rock Bottom
(18) LEO SAYER – How Much Love (video)
(47) DELEGATION – Where Is The Love (We Used To Know)
(16) ELKIE BROOKS – Pearl’s A Singer
(29) DAVID DUNDAS – Another Funny Honeymoon
(7) DEAD END KIDS – Have I The Right
(4) DENIECE WILLIAMS – Free
(1) ABBA – Knowing Me Knowing You (video)
(23) PETER GABRIEL – Solsbury Hill (and credits)




I don't think I had heard Delegation's "Where Is The Love" before - but I recognised the song, as it was a hit in various parts of Europe for Timeless, quite a few years later.

[Graham76man]

Question guys?

I was looking at the 14th edition of British Hit Singles and on page 74, on the hits that never were, is a reference to The Singing Postman and Hev Yew Gotta Loight Boy?. The year stated was 1966.
In this mention it says he (Allan Smethurst) as the Singing Postman appeared on TOTP at the same time as the Rolling Stones.
However I have searched the archive of TOTP we use for this thread and he doesn't appear in 1966. Nor does he appear in 1965 and 1967.

It's even quoted that he appeared on TOTP on the online encyclopedia. But the question is when?

By the way it seems the track in question was a hit, but since it was on an EP called "First Delivery" and only entered the EP charts (December 1966), it doesn't count. I couldn't find it as a single anywhere so that's why it didn't make the chart.

[Blondini]

^Not listed in EP charts in latest Virgin Book.
EDIT: it is, but under his real name, Allan Smethurst.
"The BBC Singing Postman EP" (RTP, 1965) #20 UK EP chart
"First Delivery EP" (EMI, 1966) #7 UK EP chart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtS61PESUWY

Says under the video:

In 1966, the Singing Postman's best known hit "Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boi?" won Smethurst the Ivor Novello Award for best novelty song of the year. The hit knocked the Beatles from the top of the East Anglia hit parade and remained in the charts for nine weeks.

[Graham76man]

^Not listed in EP charts in latest Virgin Book.
EDIT: it is, but under his real name, Allan Smethurst.
"The BBC Singing Postman EP" (RTP, 1965) #20 UK EP chart
"First Delivery EP" (EMI, 1966) #7 UK EP chart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtS61PESUWY

Says under the video:

In 1966, the Singing Postman's best known hit "Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boi?" won Smethurst the Ivor Novello Award for best novelty song of the year. The hit knocked the Beatles from the top of the East Anglia hit parade and remained in the charts for nine weeks.

The EP charts can be found on UKMIX, listed as the Singing Postman on them. Under the Parlophone label. Not EMI as quoted in the book. Although EMI was the parent company they didn't use the name as a label till 1973.
I had a look around the web for the record and there seems to have been the Parlophone EP record with the glossy "Beatles" style cover. And the other one with a pink crude looking (as if it was homemade) style for the BBC one.
However that still doesn't explain where the TOTP story comes from or why his performance doesn't show up in the TOTP listings for 1965/66/67?

Didn't know that they had regional charts in the 60's
Would they be published in regional newspapers? Anyone got any?

[Blondini]

There are numerous mentions of regional charts in commentaries (how else did we know about Kelly Marie being huge in Scotland first?).

I don't think they would have been published outside of regional newspapers. I remember hearing a North East top 30 on Saturday mornings on local commercial radio. Where heavy rock and metal always performed amazingly well - forcing the station to actually play what they actively avoided!

[Graham76man]

There are numerous mentions of regional charts in commentaries (how else did we know about Kelly Marie being huge in Scotland first?).

I don't think they would have been published outside of regional newspapers. I remember hearing a North East top 30 on Saturday mornings on local commercial radio. Where heavy rock and metal always performed amazingly well - forcing the station to actually play what they actively avoided!

I know all about Independent Local Radio charts of the 70's, but in the 60's they weren't around. That's the first time I have heard of a local chart for the 60's. The Pirate stations had charts but they were not regional. There was no local stations in the 60's to broadcast an area one, so it would have to have been a newspaper chart. There were regional pop papers - Mersybeat being the most famous. There must have been one for Norfolk!

[Blondini]

Oh, right. Don't know if there are any East Anglians on here to verify that quote. Could be rubbish.

[Robbie]

The TOTP line-ups listed at Popscene were compiled with reference to the Top Of The Pops database which used to be on the BBC website. Whilst the database was fairly reliable it did suffer from having a few errors and omissions and these have been carried into the Popscene listings. Some errors have been corrected but I'd imagine there are still going to be some that haven't been picked up.

[davetaylor]

Regional charts in the 60s, definately existed. Most regional newspapers printed top 10s of local singles. And threw up some strange results.

I remember the Berkshire top 10 had Rose Brennan's "Tall Dark Stranger" in it around 1961 & in 1966, "A Groovy Kind Of Love" & the Mindbenders topped the chart for a week, when the Top Of The Pops #1 was "Sha La La La La Lee" & the Small Faces.

[CZB]

For no apparent reason, this edition from earlier in 1977 is being repeated on most regions of BBC TWO as I type. On BBC Two Wales, however, it is due to appear in an hour's time:


20-1-77: Presenter: Noel Edmonds

(NEW) SLADE – Gypsy Roadhog
(27) DONNA SUMMER – Winter Melody (video)
(6) 10cc – The Things We Do For Love (video)
(30) JESSE GREEN – Flip
(20) ELVIS PRESLEY – Suspicion (danced to by Legs & Co)
(11) THE DRIFTERS – You’re More Than A Number In My Little Red Book (video)
(NEW) LEO SAYER – When I Need You
(21) THIN LIZZY – Don’t Believe A Word
(41) GARY GLITTER – It Takes All Night Long
(NEW) SILVER CONVENTION – Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
(1) DAVID SOUL – Don’t Give Up On Us (video)
(18) BONEY M - Daddy Cool (credits)


And it would appear that, due to BBC FOUR falling a bit behind as a result of replacing its repeats with "The Sky At Night" once a month, there is a slight catch-up this coming Thursday, with the next two editions (edited earlier on, full-length later, as usual).....

[Blondini]

For no apparent reason, this edition from earlier in 1977 is being repeated on most regions of BBC TWO as I type. On BBC Two Wales, however, it is due to appear in an hour's time:


.

BBC2 is having a 70's season - it's part of that.
And those two editions are part of a 70's night framed around a Tales Of Television Centre doc. - already causing some mirth in the press with stories of kids presenters on drugs and bonking in the dressing rooms.

[CZB]

The first of tonight's cut-down repeats:



28-4-77: Presenter: Dave Lee Travis

(NEW) CONTEMPT – Money Is A Girl’s Best Friend
(14) ROSE ROYCE – I Wanna Get Next To You (danced to by one of Legs & Co)
(NEW) THE DETROIT SPINNERS – Could It Be I’m Falling In Love
(28) 10cc – Good Morning Judge (video)
(NEW) THE RAGS – Promises Promises
(24) JOE TEX – Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman) (video)
(NEW) KIKI DEE – Night Hours
(2) BILLY OCEAN – Red Light Spells Danger
(25) BARBRA STREISAND – Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen) (video)
(NEW) URIAH HEEP – Wise Man
(22) VAN McCOY – The Shuffle (danced to by Legs & Co)
(36) BARRY BIGGS – You’re My Life
(1) ABBA – Knowing Me Knowing You (video)
(13) ROD STEWART – The First Cut Is The Deepest (end credits}



Another edition is coming up at 8.30pm - after a 1974 episode of "Blue Peter", also part of this 1970s celebration.....

I'm a little surprised to see that TOTP always went with "The First Cut Is The Deepest", rather than what I thought was the rather better double A-side of this Rod Stewart hit, "I Don't Want To Talk About It" !

[CZB]

5-5-77: Presenter: Noel Edmonds

(42) BAY CITY ROLLERS – It’s A Game
(4) ROD STEWART – The First Cut Is The Deepest
(26) DELEGATION – Where Is The Love (We Used To Know)
(15) THE EAGLES – Hotel California (danced to by Legs & Co)
(NEW) MAC AND KATIE KISSOON – I Can't Live Without It
(10) LEO SAYER – How Much Love (video)
(47) JOY SARNEY – Naughty Naughty Naughty
(5) TAVARES – Whodunnit (video)
(NEW) FRANKIE VALLI – Easily
(11) ANDREW GOLD – Lonely Boy (danced to by Legs & Co)
(NEW) MR. BIG – Feel Like Calling Home
(1) DENIECE WILLIAMS – Free
(2) STEVIE WONDER – Sir Duke



The Joy Sarney track is that Punch-the-puppet-ridden thing, a little of which was featured in one of the programmes introducing this series of repeats. I had no idea at all back then what that was - I had meant to ask here, as perhaps Graham76man or others might have known! Surprisingly, it goes on to spend three weeks in the top thirty, peaking at 26.....

[Blondini]

Watching the double bill on BBC4.

What the hell is this??

(NEW) CONTEMPT – Money Is A Girl’s Best Friend



Girl in 10cc video not wearing a bra.

[Blondini]

^Rags singer needs one, though.

They're like an ugly Bucks Fizz.

Four NEW songs flopped (was there a shortage of chart acts that week for them to have five new ones?). Uriah Heep never had a hit - they came close in 82 and 83 just missing the 75 both times. Big album act.

[Blondini]

^Rags singer needs one, though.

They're like an ugly Bucks Fizz.

All three NEW songs flopped! Uriah Heep never had a hit - they came close in 82 with an EP. Big album act.

song

YT COMMENTS:

By special request, "Promises, Promises" by the vocal trio (Nichola Martin, Jill Shirley, Steve Glen) Rags, who would go on to win Grand Prize International at the World Popular Song Festival later that year. This song was performed at "A Song for Europe" of 1977, the British national final for Eurovision. Due to a strike at the BBC, the national final was not televised, only broadcast on radio, so the group were unable to unveil their big gimmick, where Steve Glen pulls off his female counterparts' skirts. (Sound familiar?) The song came in fourth place.

All three members of Rags were subsequently involved in the career of Bucks Fizz. Jill Shirley managed the group, while Nichola Martin co-wrote? many of their songs including 'My Camera Never Lies' and 'Now Those Days Are Gone'. Steve Glen also co-wrote some of their songs, including the Top 20 hit 'One Of Those Nights'.

[Robbie]

Watching the double bill on BBC4.

What the hell is this??

(NEW) CONTEMPT – Money Is A Girl’s Best Friend



Girl in 10cc video not wearing a bra.

That Contempt song was awful. And yes, I noticed the woman in the 10cc video wasn't wearing a bra! She seemed very chirpy

[Blondini]

The Joy Sarney track is that Punch-the-puppet-ridden thing, a little of which was featured in one of the programmes introducing this series of repeats. I had no idea at all back then what that was - I had meant to ask here, as perhaps Graham76man or others might have known! Surprisingly, it goes on to spend three weeks in the top thirty, peaking at 26.....

This is atrocious! I like Punch but this doesn't work at all!

[Graham76man]

The Joy Sarney track is that Punch-the-puppet-ridden thing, a little of which was featured in one of the programmes introducing this series of repeats. I had no idea at all back then what that was - I had meant to ask here, as perhaps Graham76man or others might have known! Surprisingly, it goes on to spend three weeks in the top thirty, peaking at 26.....

This is atrocious! I like Punch but this doesn't work at all!

The Joy Sarney record had been released back in March, it finally takes off! She sings it a lot better on record. I know that because I bought it It was one of those singles where they turned up the volume when recording.
Classic 10CC! Have to say it's better on CD. Because when it starts if you have just put the stereo on and the volume is set a bit high it makes you jump! It made my dad jump several times Which I always got ...from him
It's from the Deceptive Bends album, I got the single and then the album, still have them!

The Mac & Katie track is listed as "Your Love" on some sites as single State 48 and was left off earlier TOTP listings.

The Mr Big track has some fantastic drum sounds on it, with them flying from left to right in stereo It's one of several records from 77 with great drum work. The others being Fleetwood Mac Dreams and The Four Seasons Down The Hall. I think they might have been listening to Boz Scaggs Lowdown from 1976 when they recorded them.
Pitty you don't get this kind of drumming on records these days

[Robbie]

An interesting article here which was linked to from the Joy Sarney wikipedia entry.

The engineer on the Joy Sarney record was Chris Tsangarides. Through this record he eventually went on to be a producer of some note with a CV that includes Gary Moore, Japan and Depeche Mode.

Eventually, Chris got given the chance to engineer and produce a session all of his own. The project was a success and he never looked back. But the track was a far cry from the heavy rock and serious alternative music he is now known for. "A chap came to Morgan with a funny idea for a song and he wanted a very cheap studio rate and somebody who was a bit zany to work on the track — so the studio said I could do it!

"This chap arrived with a Punch and Judy man and an ex-singer called Joy Sarney who had become a housewife in Southend. We recorded this song called 'Naughty Naughty Naughty' which was a love song between Joy and Mr Punch. The bloody thing was atrocious but it was a hit single. So this chap thought he'd found his production team and started bringing in these rockabilly acts for us to work on. After about three months I'd been engineering all the time so I became an engineer. It will haunt me, but I'm grateful because it was a break and it gave somebody confidence in me. He thought my touch had helped him have a hit and therefore he wanted to repeat the successful formula and that is how it works in this business.

"So I became a recording engineer, and with that I got some pretty damn fine sessions. I got to engineer Japan's second album Obscure Alternatives, and I got to do all the bands that were going through Morgan at the time like Colosseum II. Because I was into guitar, I formed a good relationship with Gary Moore who was in Colosseum II. Gary was signed to a company that was owned by the recording studio, so they put me on his album Back On The Streets. About 10 minutes into that session I was told I was the producer. I thought it was a joke but after a couple of days I realized they were serious! I thought 'What do producers do?' So I said to Gary, 'You play, I'll record and that will be that,' so that's what we did. That album had the single 'Parisienne Walkways' which was a big hit. Through Gary I met Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy. Suddenly I was a producer."

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul01/articles/chris.asp

So it's all thanks to Joy Sarney that he went on to produce some big names!

[CZB]

Tonight's cut-to-shreds early evening repeat:




12-5-77: Presenter: Jimmy Savile O.B.E.

(NEW) HONKY – Join The Party
(11) BARBRA STREISAND – Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen) (video)
(27) BLUE – I’m Gonna Capture Your Heart
(NEW) TRINIDAD OIL COMPANY – The Calendar Song
(15) PIERO UMILIANI – Mah Na Mah Na (danced to by Legs & Co)
(NEW) SIMON MAY – We’ll Gather Lilacs
(9) 10cc – Good Morning Judge (video)
(48) MARTYN FORD ORCHESTRA – Let Your Body Go Downtown
(16) KENNY ROGERS – Lucille (video)
(25) MARVIN GAYE – Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1) (danced to by Legs & Co)
(NEW) MUD – Slow Talkin’ Boy
(26) BILLY PAUL – Let ‘Em In
(NEW) DR. FEELGOOD – Lights Out
(1) DENIECE WILLIAMS – Free
(4) JOE TEX – Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman) (and credits)



I can certainly wait until midnight for Simon May, whose main talent was surely in writing and performing instrumentals, rather than singing.....

Jimmy Savile's prediction tonight was that the opening track, by Honky, would go on to reach number one. It ultimately fell a mere twenty-seven places short!

[Blondini]

Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977
Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

A US hit in ’69, “Mah Na Mah Na” was composed for Sweden: Heaven And Hell, a “mondo movie” about those liberated Swedes’ proclivities. #TOTP

Here’s some clips from the sauna scene it’s used on. Ahem. http://bit.ly/SwedeSauna http://bit.ly/SwedeSauna2 #TOTP

^Clip 2 is NSFW though quite mild

1h Top Of The Pops Fax Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

Why was it a hit in the UK in ‘77? Cos of its use in the first episode of The Muppet Show. Video: http://bit.ly/MahNaMuppet #TOTP

1h Top Of The Pops Fax Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

However, “Mah Na Mah Na” was FIRST Muppetised on Sesame Street in 1969. Video: http://bit.ly/MahNaSes #TOTP

Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

People who’ve covered “Mah Na Mah Na” include Giorgio Moroder (in 1969) (clip: http://bit.ly/MahNaGM )#TOTP

1h Top Of The Pops Fax Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

… Indie-rockers Cake, for the children’s LP “For The Kids” (Clip: http://bit.ly/MahNaCake) #TOTP

Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

… And of course, Gareth Keenan and David Brent: http://bit.ly/MahNaOffice #TOTP

Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

Billy Paul was born Paul Williams. His grandfather was killed by the KKK. #TOTP

1h Top Of The Pops Fax Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

Billy’s live raps on this #TOTP performance replace samples on the record from speeches by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

Billy’s bit about “bloodless revolution” quotes a 1964 speech by Malcolm X http://americanradioworks.publicradio.o ... ch/mx.html

1h Top Of The Pops Fax Top Of The Pops Fax ?@TOTP1977

Click here (later!) to enjoy “Let Me In” with the Malcolm X and Martin Luther King samples intact: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWYyejcHqIg

[Graham76man]

Mah Na Mah Na only reason to be in the chart was the Muppet Show. The Muppets also released it on a 45! However the record company marketed it as the Halfway Down The Stairs, which will be a hit later in 1977. The track being on the B-side. However my local station Radio Hallam tended to play the B-Side as they got a lot of requests to do so. I suspect it was the same with many FM radio stations. Therefore it should really have been a AA.

Did anyone spot the floor manager (or somebody clearly not audince) with a clipboard or some paper, back of Jimmy! Look out for it on the repeat

[CZB]

Mah Na Mah Na only reason to be in the chart was the Muppet Show.

Wouldn't Benny Hill have also already been using parts of this in the two or three shows per year he was making for ITV at this time?



As well as the two main cuts, tonight's early evening versiont might have had part of the presenter's announcement of the first Legs & Co appearance chopped out, if he mentioned that they would be on again later!




19-5-77: Presenter: Kid Jensen

(NEW) SUZI QUATRO – Roxy Roller
(15) HEATWAVE – Too Hot To Handle (video)
(NEW) LINDA LEWIS – The Moon And I
(21) BAY CITY ROLLERS – It’s A Game
(NEW) CAROLE BAYER SAGER – You’re Moving Out Today
(3) JOE TEX – Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman) (video)
(23) THE TRAMMPS – Disco Inferno (danced to by Legs & Co)
(NEW) TONY ETORIA – I Can Prove It
(27) JOY SARNEY – Naughty Naughty Naughty
(NEW) THE JACKSONS – Show You The Way To Go
(4) VAN McCOY – The Shuffle (danced to by Legs & Co)
(41) THE JAM – In The City
(1) ROD STEWART – The First Cut Is The Deepest
(20) BOZ SCAGGS – Lido Shuffle (and credits)



This time, Mr Punch will have to wait for the late-night repeats!

[Blondini]

Mah Na Mah Na only reason to be in the chart was the Muppet Show.

Wouldn't Benny Hill have also already been using parts of this in the two or three shows per year he was making for ITV at this time?

It wasn't on Benny Hill. This was: Yakety Sax