Top Of The Pops 1978 - BBC4

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  • Phoenix LazarusPhoenix Lazarus Posts: 17,305
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    tortfeasor wrote: »

    'Funny Funny' by Sweet is a great song.

    Quite a stylistic contrast to Love Is Like Oxygen, though!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 14
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    I'm looking to watch the Top of the Pops episode of 3/2/77 - 36 years this week after original broadcast. Does anyone have it available on line?
  • footygirlfootygirl Posts: 35,171
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    UrsulaU wrote: »
    Agreed!! - And I cannot believe Summer Night City only made No5 in the UK -It should have been higher!!! :eek: - Especially after all the No1's they'd been having! ;)

    Summer Night City is one of my favourite Abba songs, even better when they sung it live

    I think what stopped them getting a number 1 out of it was that it was during the Grease sequence of song releases. Think Travolta, Newton John were higher in the charts with solo offerings with 10CC sitting at the top
  • UrsulaUUrsulaU Posts: 7,239
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    Servalan wrote: »
    'So Long' did indeed not make the Top 50 - but it definitely featured on TOTP as a new release. There are clips on Youtube - it really did happen, Tortfeasor, I remember it! ;)

    Yes - I have seen it on Youtube before - but never knew it was actually shown on the actual TV episode of TOTP!!

    - I wish we could see all of the TOTP episodes from 1974 onwards with all these Abba appearances and more - but this seems unlikely what with all the continuing DLT/Savile commotion! :(

    When will we find out about DLT? :confused:
  • pedrokpedrok Posts: 16,758
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    ramraider1 wrote: »
    I recall this as well Rich Tea. I think the programme was something like the top 10 Glam Rock acts. Channel 4 ran a wonderful series of top 10 specials in the late 90s and I remember seeing Brian on this as well as an ageing Les Gray of Mud fame. Similarly on the top 10 New Romantics I recall seeing a worse for wear Steve Strange. Incredible what happens to these dudes we used to idolise when we were bairns ...

    I loved those Channel 4 top 10 programmes, on a Saturday night, from the late 90's. The first of those programmes that had 'talking heads' that I can remember.

    The BBC seemed to have picked up on the popularity of those programmes and started the 'I Love the 80's/90's programmes soon afterwards.
  • chemical2009bchemical2009b Posts: 5,250
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    UrsulaU wrote: »
    Yes - I have seen it on Youtube before - but never knew it was actually shown on the actual TV episode of TOTP!!

    - I wish we could see all of the TOTP episodes from 1974 onwards with all these Abba appearances and more - but this seems unlikely what with all the continuing DLT/Savile commotion! :(

    When will we find out about DLT? :confused:

    DLT answers bail again next month.
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    ... says someone who didn't even think Yugoslavia was a proper country! Give it a rest Richard and stop picking on me, you're becoming an embarrassment.

    Without wishing to derail this fine, well mannered thread I cannot believe that you think Yugoslavia was a proper country! It was a forced together mash up of various ethnicities early in the 20th century, forcibly held together by a dictator, Tito, who when he died in 1980 what happened within a decade? You watched the news thoughout the 90's surely? Need I say more.

    Give it a rest Pete and stop picking on me, and the others here who have felt your needless ire. The :o is all yours.

    http://youtu.be/KpN_TOP9hg8


    Back to TOTP 1978 :)
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    DLT answers bail again next month.

    I honestly cannot imagine what can possibly be the reason for leaving him hanging in the wind like this for such a long time. Either he is going to have nothing to answer, my hunch, or suddenly a shocking litany of accusations are going to pour forth and into charges, which I doubt very much. As far as I can tell his whole arrest related to just one single accusation if I am correct. We will soon find out at last.


    Having said all that, dear old Stuart Hall charged as an alleged rapist! Can anything surprise us anymore? :confused:


    EDIT; Apologies for the previous 2 blank posts. It sent the same one 3 times. Not sure in edit why you cannot fully delete them.
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    I'm looking to watch the Top of the Pops episode of 3/2/77 - 36 years this week after original broadcast. Does anyone have it available on line?

    Hi Neil, this edition was actually shown on BBC4 last year. Did you see it then at all? It was the notorious one when Gary Glitter made an appearance, in a very un-1977 look, almost creepy, and was presented by Kid Jensen. Cannot recall if it was his first ever TOTP. If you google Top Of The Pops 3rd Feb 1977 it takes you to the BBC iPlayer site of this edition, but alas it's no longer available, but you can see who appeared.

    I'm sure other regulars can be more use than me for you! ;)
  • chemical2009bchemical2009b Posts: 5,250
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    Rich Tea. wrote: »
    Hi Neil, this edition was actually shown on BBC4 last year. Did you see it then at all? It was the notorious one when Gary Glitter made an appearance, in a very un-1977 look, almost creepy, and was presented by Kid Jensen. Cannot recall if it was his first ever TOTP. If you google Top Of The Pops 3rd Feb 1977 it takes you to the BBC iPlayer site of this edition, but alas it no longer is available, but you can see who appeared.

    I'm sure other regulars can be more use than me for you! ;)

    18/11/76 was Kid's first show even though it's wiped. 6/1/1977 was his first on BBC Four.
  • HughJasssHughJasss Posts: 153
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    Rich Tea and The Gatherer, are you two that used to frequent the TOTP forums years ago? I think you are who i think you are-

    Question-when did TOTP change to 30 minute episodes from the (was it 40 minute) episodes, and on the BBC4 repeats, when was the last time that they showed a full length episode?
  • mrbernaymrbernay Posts: 145,801
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    Rich Tea. wrote: »
    Hi Neil, this edition was actually shown on BBC4 last year. Did you see it then at all? It was the notorious one when Gary Glitter made an appearance, in a very un-1977 look, almost creepy, and was presented by Kid Jensen. Cannot recall if it was his first ever TOTP. If you google Top Of The Pops 3rd Feb 1977 it takes you to the BBC iPlayer site of this edition, but alas it's no longer available, but you can see who appeared.

    I'm sure other regulars can be more use than me for you! ;)

    The next TOTP on BBC4 is the edition from Feb 9th 1978 and this is the line-up
    SPOILER][Tonight, Baccara, ELO, Lulu, Yellow Dog, Dusty Springfield, the Stranglers, the Brotherhood of Man and David Castle./SPOILER]
    It is presented by Peter Powell
  • The GathererThe Gatherer Posts: 2,723
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    Rich Tea. wrote: »
    Without wishing to derail this fine, well mannered thread I cannot believe that you think Yugoslavia was a proper country! It was a forced together mash up of various ethnicities early in the 20th century, forcibly held together by a dictator, Tito, who when he died in 1980 what happened within a decade? You watched the news thoughout the 90's surely? Need I say more.

    Give it a rest Pete and stop picking on me, and the others here who have felt your needless ire. The :o is all yours.

    http://youtu.be/KpN_TOP9hg8


    Back to TOTP 1978 :)

    Duh! Next you'll be telling us that East Germany and the USSR never existed. :yawn: :yawn:

    (And Richard, me correcting your basic errors is not ire, it's doing you a favour.)
  • Nick GNick G Posts: 1,099
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    footygirl wrote: »
    Summer Night City is one of my favourite Abba songs, even better when they sung it live

    I think what stopped them getting a number 1 out of it was that it was during the Grease sequence of song releases. Think Travolta, Newton John were higher in the charts with solo offerings with 10CC sitting at the top

    On the Radio Rewind site Paul Burnett counts down a relevant chart and expresses his surprise as 'Summer Night City' is pushed back from 7 to 8. Remarkably 3 records in that week's top 4 climbed a combined total of 29 places, two of them from the Grease soundtrack.
  • faversham saintfaversham saint Posts: 2,535
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    tortfeasor wrote: »
    As for your ABBA question, I think it's correct to say they didn't actually appear in the studio again after the 'Fernando' performance you mentioned.

    As far as I'm aware, Servalan's provided all of the appearances they made. There were 3 performances for 'Waterloo' as far as I've seen on Youtube (one was April 10th 1974 - this is the clip that's been on TOTP 2 a few times, then again on April 30th 1974, and a performance for the Christmas Day 1974 edition); a performance for 'So Long,' which I believe wasn't actually broadcast because of a strike*; a performance for 'SOS'; one for 'Mamma Mia' and the final one for 'Fernando.'

    *EDIT - Conflicting accounts exist for this particular episode. Some say it was broadcast but only in England, others just say it was filmed but not broadcast because of a strike.

    BIB 1 - Abba's first ever TOTP appearance was introduced by Noel Edmonds on 11 April 1974 (the week after they won Eurovision).

    BIB 2 - Abba's second 'Waterloo' performance was introduced by Jimmy Savile on 2 May 1974 (the same week it reached No. 1); it was featured on TOTP2 last year:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu4sIkkIwK4

    The 'SOS' clip from October 1975 is erased from history although I did see it at the time (from memory the girls were dressed in the same clothes they had on in the TOTP studio for 'Fernando' in April 1976).

    When the 'So Long' clip from 5 December 1974 surfaced on YouTube last year it was the first time I had seen it since its original broadcast which I also clearly remember (a discussion started on page 107 of the TOTP 1977 thread about this on 07-06-12):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFYcbKoztz0
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    Duh! Next you'll be telling us that East Germany and the USSR never existed. :yawn: :yawn:

    (And Richard, me correcting your basic errors is not ire, it's doing you a favour.)

    How very patronising you are. :confused:


    Going back to my original post regarding Yugoslavia and also Switzerland and the loose tie up with Scott Fitzgerald (God it seems a lifetime ago) and the Eurovision he did a decade later, have you actually got no sense of humour at all? It was made as a good natured light hearted comment, not in the black and white charmless way you seem to read peoples contributions, like mine at times. Lighten up...please! :)

    The break up of Yugoslavia into its more natural components is one of the reasons we find it harder to win that thing nowadays, as well as bad music choices! Likewise with the old USSR for that matter. Yes, they were nation states, but artificial ones, like many say Belgium is for example. This is a discussion for elsewhere!

    OK Pete? :cool: ;)
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    BIB 1 - Abba's first ever TOTP appearance was introduced by Noel Edmonds on 11 April 1974 (the week after they won Eurovision).

    BIB 2 - Abba's second 'Waterloo' performance was introduced by Jimmy Savile on 2 May 1974 (the same week it reached No. 1); it was featured on TOTP2 last year:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu4sIkkIwK4

    The 'SOS' clip from October 1975 is erased from history although I did see it at the time (from memory the girls were dressed in the same clothes they had on in the TOTP studio for 'Fernando' in April 1976).

    When the 'So Long' clip from 5 December 1974 surfaced on YouTube last year it was the first time I had seen it since its original broadcast which I also clearly remember (a discussion started on page 107 of the TOTP 1977 thread about this on 07-06-12):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFYcbKoztz0

    Am I alone in thinking that the Eurovision winner for Abba in 1974, Waterloo is actually one of their worst records, admittedly out of a fantastic bunch? The British jury clearly held my opinion back then because amazing as it seems the UK did not give the winning Abba song a single point so I have heard! How very bizarre in the context of the history of what followed. The hiatus between them winning, their subsequent under performing singles and then smashing into the big time again 2 years later is rather curious, and inexplicable to me. I've heard it said that the 1985 hit I Know Him So Well could easily have been an Abba hit, likely their 10th No1 if they had recorded it, instead of Paige & Dickson for Chess the musical. You can easily see why! Elaine and Barbara almost did the Abba girls moves and looks on TOTP at the time if I recall, and of course it was written by the Abba guys anyway. Wish Abba had done it and topped the charts themselves for that month in February 1985.
  • ErithianErithian Posts: 294
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    Indeed, there was a feature in Record Mirror in early '75 comparing the music scene of '75 with '74, which included the memorable quote "Mouth and McNeal and Abba appear to have been Eurovision fly-by-nights..." Indeed for someone at that time Abba had had a better post-Eurovision chart performance than the likes of Vicky Leandros and Anne-Marie David who'd disappeared completely, even with a couple of small hits like Ring Ring and I Do x5. Their return with SOS in late '75 was unexpected, and then...
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
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    Rich Tea. wrote: »
    Am I alone in thinking that the Eurovision winner for Abba in 1974, Waterloo is actually one of their worst records, admittedly out of a fantastic bunch? The British jury clearly held my opinion back then because amazing as it seems the UK did not give the winning Abba song a single point so I have heard! How very bizarre in the context of the history of what followed. The hiatus between them winning, their subsequent under performing singles and then smashing into the big time again 2 years later is rather curious, and inexplicable to me. I've heard it said that the 1985 hit I Know Him So Well could easily have been an Abba hit, likely their 10th No1 if they had recorded it, instead of Paige & Dickson for Chess the musical. You can easily see why! Elaine and Barbara almost did the Abba girls moves and looks on TOTP at the time if I recall, and of course it was written by the Abba guys anyway. Wish Abba had done it and topped the charts themselves for that month in February 1985.

    I recall the 1974 Eurovision very well and loved 'Waterloo'. Sorry! :p;) I think they've made better singles since - but it was a breath of fresh air then. Strangely, the top four singles from the contest that year all made the UK Top 30 - which I don't think has ever happened before or since ...

    That hiatus you refer to is unusual compared to other Eurovision winners, who either faded away or sank without trace - but they were different times, with record companies willing to commit to talent for much, much longer than they do nowadays. Abba also had major success in Australia and NZ - 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' hit number one in both countries - so that may have signalled to CBS/Epic that there might be money to be made. Certainly 'SOS' was quite heavily promo'd, with the group making at least one appearance (if not more) on Summertime Special before the single reached the upper echelons of the chart.

    As for Abba doing 'I Know Him So Well' - I know what you mean but, given the marital history of Anna/Bjorn and Frida/Benny, it might have invited some speculation about the identity of the 'him' in question ... :eek:;)
  • Robert WilliamsRobert Williams Posts: 2,208
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    HughJasss wrote: »
    Question-when did TOTP change to 30 minute episodes from the (was it 40 minute) episodes, and on the BBC4 repeats, when was the last time that they showed a full length episode?
    TOTP became a fixed 30 minutes in September 1985 when an East End soap opera was moved into the 7.30-8.00 slot, so TOTP was forced to slot in before it. Before that it would normally vary between 30 and 45 minutes depending on what else was in the schedule that week.
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    HughJasss wrote: »
    Rich Tea and The Gatherer, are you two that used to frequent the TOTP forums years ago? I think you are who i think you are-

    Question-when did TOTP change to 30 minute episodes from the (was it 40 minute) episodes, and on the BBC4 repeats, when was the last time that they showed a full length episode?

    Nope is the simple answer to your question HughJasss. I had never ever commented on any forum about TOTP, or anything else before my joining date on DS, which you can see on the left was only just last summer. I had been reading the comments on the original 1976 thread from when the repeats began in spring 2011 however, but dragged my heels about joining in the chat. Pleased I did though in the end! :)

    Not sure who you have been imagining I was? :confused: Do tell! :cool:


    I used to hate 30 minute TOTP's back in the 80's and early 90's when I watched mostly. I always had imagined the 70's editions all being 45 minutes long. Clearly wrong there, as has been seen. But the rigidity in the schedule that damned Eastenders caused on Thursdays, forcing everything into permanent half hour slots really annoyed me at the time, and I am sure that many tracks and video's used to get brutally cut short because of it. There again, 1985 into 1986 was the end of the TOTP heyday for me personally. Sales plummetted rapidly in that period too, from just a couple of years earlier.
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    Erithian wrote: »
    Indeed, there was a feature in Record Mirror in early '75 comparing the music scene of '75 with '74, which included the memorable quote "Mouth and McNeal and Abba appear to have been Eurovision fly-by-nights..." Indeed for someone at that time Abba had had a better post-Eurovision chart performance than the likes of Vicky Leandros and Anne-Marie David who'd disappeared completely, even with a couple of small hits like Ring Ring and I Do x5. Their return with SOS in late '75 was unexpected, and then...

    The music scene at the start of 1975 must have seemed so bleak! I love it when articles like this get recalled and are so patently wrong on a grand scale.
  • chemical2009bchemical2009b Posts: 5,250
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    TOTP became a fixed 30 minutes in September 1985 when an East End soap opera was moved into the 7.30-8.00 slot, so TOTP was forced to slot in before it. Before that it would normally vary between 30 and 45 minutes depending on what else was in the schedule that week.

    The moment when the decline really kicked in although I thought it was still a good show until 1988.
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