On the whole a great show tonight. Didn't think much of Generation X, Forest was awful and Hot Chocolate's was one of their worst but rest was very good. Best song was the one sung by Tina Charles - but not her version, the classic of two years earlier by Jimmy James and the Vagabonds. (Wonder why she did a cover so soon afterwards?) Nothing wrong with the two novelty records, Matchstalk and Ally's Tartan Army (apart from maybe the lyrics of the latter) - it's only the musical snobs who dismiss songs like these.
Where are all the angry yoof these days. gen X with Idols angry snarl, the jam's paul weller.
Blondie still sound fresh now. Shocked to hear she was 34. Getting on a bit!
Eruption brilliant song.
Yeah, at the time she was considered very old (but still looked fantastic!).
The whole thing seems to be erased from my memory for some reason . did Scotland win it ?
Well if Holland had beaten Argentina in the final (as they should have done) then I'm sure most Scots would have claimed to be the true World Champions as they had defeated Holland in the group stages! (Famous Trainspotting scene!) Just like when they beat England (the World Cup holders at the time) at Wembley in 1967 they claimed they were the World Champions then.
I seem to remember Scotland did embarrassingly badly - much to the delight of all English people!:D
I don't think I harboured any anti-Scottish sentiment at the age of 12 - I seem to remember being quite excited when Archie Gemmill "put Scotland in Dreamland" (immortal line from David Coleman!)
I don't think I harboured any anti-Scottish sentiment at the age of 12 - I seem to remember being quite excited when Archie Gemmill "put Scotland in Dreamland" (immortal line from David Coleman!)
I was 11- and I found it all quite funny! (It was that bloomin` song that did it!).
I don't think the notorious Scotland fans 'enthusiastic celebrations/riot' (depending on which side of the border you hailed from) after their win at Wembley the previous year in the Home Nations championship endeared them to the English, nor the bizarre proclamations of Ally McLeod.
There will always be that Gemmill goal though and by an amazing coincidence he was referenced in the Nottingham Forest song tonight. An omen or what?
I remember the Forest song, for some bizarre reason was a top ten hit in the Netherlands around 18 months later, which I never understood, unless there was some cult of Clough going on in the deepest reaches of Rotterdam or somewhere.
Football songs aside, an excellent edition tonight although I have never forgiven Brian and Michael for keeping Blondie off the top of the charts (even though Denis made #1 in other charts of the time) - a travesty almost equal to the Joe Dolce vs Ultravox catastrophe .
The musicians on the Notts Forest song were Paper Lace, the last time they were in the charts. A few months after Paper Lace reached number 1 with 'Billy Don't Be A Hero', Pilot reached number 1 with 'January' - and they were the backing musicians on 'Wuthering Heights' by Kate Bush, the number 1 tonight on Top Of The Pops...
It's hard to believe there was such a time when there was so many great songs in the charts at once. Tonight was a fantastic episode! Blondie, Brian and Michael, Elkie Brooks, Eruption etc, and next week we got the fantastic Suzi Quatro, Bob Marley and Gerry Raferty. What a brilliant year 1978 was! These days I'm lucky if there's one song in the charts I like
Why so many football songs? its too early in the year for the World Cup or the FA Cup Final, or were both earllier in the year back then?
Notts Forest was because they were in the League Cup final which was played this month in 1978 and which they won, beating Liverpool, as well as being top of the old Division One. As for the Scotland football song... goodness knows.
Pilot reached number 1 with 'January' - and they were the backing musicians on 'Wuthering Heights' by Kate Bush, the number 1 tonight on Top Of The Pops...
BIB - I could have sworn it was the Top of the Pops Orchestra...
Ian Bairnson of Pilot played the lead guitar solo towards the end of the song on the vinyl version and the bass guitar was played by ex-Bay City Roller David Paton who also sang lead vocals on all Pilot's hits.
Notts Forest was because they were in the League Cup final which was played this month in 1978 and which they won, beating Liverpool, as well as being top of the old Division One. As for the Scotland football song... goodness knows.
It is very odd indeed. The 1978 FIFA World Cup began on a Thursday, 1st June, 1978 with the World Cup Final taking place on Sunday, 25th June, 1978. Yet this edition is from 9th March 1978, not even close. I don't get it at all.
Rod Stewart & The Scottish World Cup Squad did what I presume was the "official" song, Ole Ola, out during the World Cup itself, it shot quickly to No4, then plunged the moment they got sent home!
Watched the show last night but didn't have an internet connected laptop to hand. I'm sure my commentary wasn't missed, but had I been on I would've said...
Tony Blackburn never seems to wait until he's fully out of shot before switching off presenter mode. He's a fraction too early when he turns into off camera Tony. It's funny because it like grin-grin-grin-deadpan.
Blondie...love that look. Swimsuit and slightly too big jacket. Also, another single I nicked from dad.
Tina Charles...auntie on the karaoke.
Hot Chocolate...crotch shot!
Back next week for ever more insightful TOTPs thoughts.[/selfacknowledgingsarcasm]
I was watching this back in 1978, but my memory had erased them. It's hardly edgy and up to the minute to sing a tribute to a TV show which had been last broadcast twelve years earlier...
And Billy Idol et al - first time on if I'm correct...
No - third. 'Your Generation' was on a '77 Saville-hosted show (but in the Punk at the BBC clips show on BBC Four), and TB previously introduced 'Wild Youth' later that year.
Nice to see Idol without the plastic surgery/Botox/whatever he's inflicted on himself recently ... :eek:
On the whole a great show tonight. Didn't think much of Generation X, Forest was awful and Hot Chocolate's was one of their worst but rest was very good. Best song was the one sung by Tina Charles - but not her version, the classic of two years earlier by Jimmy James and the Vagabonds. (Wonder why she did a cover so soon afterwards?) Nothing wrong with the two novelty records, Matchstalk and Ally's Tartan Army (apart from maybe the lyrics of the latter) - it's only the musical snobs who dismiss songs like these.
BIB - the only possible reason I can think of would be the common denominator between Charles and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds - producer Biddu, who worked on both versions.
Charles' number was kind of up by now, and covering a song that had already been a minor hit rather drew attention to that. CBS didn't really need her once the disco juggernaut gathered momentum - not when it had the likes of Earth Wind & Fire and the Jacksons.
BIB - I could have sworn it was the Top of the Pops Orchestra...
Ian Bairnson of Pilot played the lead guitar solo towards the end of the song on the vinyl version and the bass guitar was played by ex-Bay City Roller David Paton who also sang lead vocals on all Pilot's hits.
David Paton was only in the Rollers in a very early incarnation. My aunty's next door neighbour was in them as well, I think his name was Nobby Clarke and I remember watching TOTP when they had "Keep on Dancing" out and it was so weird to think somone we KNEW was on TOTP. DP keeps his Rollers connection quiet, can't say I blame him.
Dave Paton is a lovely guy. My late father in law was good mates with his Dad. I went to his house once when I was about 19. Crap claim to fame but the fact that he'd played on Kate's albums rendered me gibbering and speechless.
That's right..there wasn't one, 'because they didnae qualify':D
Anyway, was wondering, like RT, how it appeared in the charts so early. I also wonder who was buying it? Looking at my Guiness Hit Singles book it reached number 6 at the start of March '78, the highest position, and I am sure that would have taken a fair number of records to shift to get to number 6, so it couldn't have just been us Scots that were buying it, including my parents:o
Comments
Yeah, at the time she was considered very old (but still looked fantastic!).
Well if Holland had beaten Argentina in the final (as they should have done) then I'm sure most Scots would have claimed to be the true World Champions as they had defeated Holland in the group stages! (Famous Trainspotting scene!) Just like when they beat England (the World Cup holders at the time) at Wembley in 1967 they claimed they were the World Champions then.
I seem to remember Scotland did embarrassingly badly - much to the delight of all English people!:D
Though Archie Gemmell did score a brilliant goal against Holland! A goal Brazil would have been proud of...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB0nFze1Fdw
I don't think I harboured any anti-Scottish sentiment at the age of 12 - I seem to remember being quite excited when Archie Gemmill "put Scotland in Dreamland" (immortal line from David Coleman!)
I was 11- and I found it all quite funny! (It was that bloomin` song that did it!).
There will always be that Gemmill goal though and by an amazing coincidence he was referenced in the Nottingham Forest song tonight. An omen or what?
I remember the Forest song, for some bizarre reason was a top ten hit in the Netherlands around 18 months later, which I never understood, unless there was some cult of Clough going on in the deepest reaches of Rotterdam or somewhere.
Football songs aside, an excellent edition tonight although I have never forgiven Brian and Michael for keeping Blondie off the top of the charts (even though Denis made #1 in other charts of the time) - a travesty almost equal to the Joe Dolce vs Ultravox catastrophe
BIB - I could have sworn it was the Top of the Pops Orchestra...
Ian Bairnson of Pilot played the lead guitar solo towards the end of the song on the vinyl version and the bass guitar was played by ex-Bay City Roller David Paton who also sang lead vocals on all Pilot's hits.
It is very odd indeed. The 1978 FIFA World Cup began on a Thursday, 1st June, 1978 with the World Cup Final taking place on Sunday, 25th June, 1978. Yet this edition is from 9th March 1978, not even close. I don't get it at all.
Rod Stewart & The Scottish World Cup Squad did what I presume was the "official" song, Ole Ola, out during the World Cup itself, it shot quickly to No4, then plunged the moment they got sent home!
"I want to be a punk rocker but my mammy will nae let me"
Tony Blackburn never seems to wait until he's fully out of shot before switching off presenter mode. He's a fraction too early when he turns into off camera Tony. It's funny because it like grin-grin-grin-deadpan.
Blondie...love that look. Swimsuit and slightly too big jacket. Also, another single I nicked from dad.
Tina Charles...auntie on the karaoke.
Hot Chocolate...crotch shot!
Back next week for ever more insightful TOTPs thoughts.[/selfacknowledgingsarcasm]
I was watching this back in 1978, but my memory had erased them. It's hardly edgy and up to the minute to sing a tribute to a TV show which had been last broadcast twelve years earlier...
There's also his solo hit, "Freak", from 1983.
Is it me, or did Blackburn pull a face just at the end of his intro to Blondie's song?
No - third. 'Your Generation' was on a '77 Saville-hosted show (but in the Punk at the BBC clips show on BBC Four), and TB previously introduced 'Wild Youth' later that year.
Nice to see Idol without the plastic surgery/Botox/whatever he's inflicted on himself recently ... :eek:
The Matchstick people is a great song but then im from Salford Lowry land.
The very next but one song in fact.
BIB - the only possible reason I can think of would be the common denominator between Charles and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds - producer Biddu, who worked on both versions.
Charles' number was kind of up by now, and covering a song that had already been a minor hit rather drew attention to that. CBS didn't really need her once the disco juggernaut gathered momentum - not when it had the likes of Earth Wind & Fire and the Jacksons.
PS 'Lovebuuuuug!'
They didn't look like they hate the rain.
Where was the Daily Mail in the 70's, what they were wearing here wouldn't be allowed now I don't think, didn't Mary Whitehouse watch TOTP then.
David Paton was only in the Rollers in a very early incarnation. My aunty's next door neighbour was in them as well, I think his name was Nobby Clarke and I remember watching TOTP when they had "Keep on Dancing" out and it was so weird to think somone we KNEW was on TOTP. DP keeps his Rollers connection quiet, can't say I blame him.
Dave Paton is a lovely guy. My late father in law was good mates with his Dad. I went to his house once when I was about 19. Crap claim to fame but the fact that he'd played on Kate's albums rendered me gibbering and speechless.
That's right..there wasn't one, 'because they didnae qualify':D
Anyway, was wondering, like RT, how it appeared in the charts so early. I also wonder who was buying it? Looking at my Guiness Hit Singles book it reached number 6 at the start of March '78, the highest position, and I am sure that would have taken a fair number of records to shift to get to number 6, so it couldn't have just been us Scots that were buying it, including my parents:o