What a great episode with so many classic hits...I even remember liking The Darts when I was five in 1978. Kate Bush, Rose Royce, The Bee Gees, The Darts, Abba and Rod Stewart at the end..
I loved the way that Agnetha was pregnant and didn't make a big deal about it.
I haven't seen tonight's episode yet... was it good?
I assume the episode that was missed - 23.02.77 - was presented by DLT and had Blondie's first TOTP appearance? If so, I will never forgive the BBC. Will they be on singing Denis again in a forthcoming episode?
What a great episode with so many classic hits...I even remember liking The Darts when I was five in 1978. Kate Bush, Rose Royce, The Bee Gees, The Darts, Abba and Rod Stewart at the end.. I loved the way that Agnetha was pregnant and didn't make a big deal about it.
I haven't seen tonight's episode yet... was it good?
I assume the episode that was missed - 23.02.77 - was presented by DLT and had Blondie's first TOTP appearance? If so, I will never forgive the BBC. Will they be on singing Denis again in a forthcoming episode?
Yes we are gonna miss it! - We will see the video though later on!
Yes but that video was clearly made in 1977, she has a bump under that tie around cardigan...Maybe they made the video early in anticipation of her being indisposed at the time of the single was in the charts. She had the baby in December 1977, It was only February.. I meant that she didn't need media attention just because she is pregnant, unlike so many famous women now.
As for the Bee Gees Staying Alive, those tight trousers on Barry are sinful and hide nothing....:p;):D
It is so amusing to think that I have just watched Kid Jensen presenting this Top Of The Pops from this week in 1978, and only 4 nights ago I was listening to him playing those same hits going back to 1978 from now in time. All except Rod's No5, which he played the other side I Was Only Joking.
Also, despite all the changes etc and time, there is something re-assuring that all this time later I am still able to listen to Kid Jensen on Smooth, Tony Blackburn on Radio 2 on POTP, and even good ole Noel on TV every week. You can't keep some people down! I wish I could put a few from nowadays down though!
My first ever school report slip comes dated February 1978 too!
It is so amusing to think that I have just watched Kid Jensen presenting this Top Of The Pops from this week in 1978, and only 4 nights ago I was listening to him playing those same hits going back to 1978 from now in time. All except Rod's No5, which he played the other side I Was Only Joking.
Also, despite all the changes etc and time, there is something re-assuring that all this time later I am still able to listen to Kid Jensen on Smooth, Tony Blackburn on Radio 2 on POTP, and even good ole Noel on TV every week. You can't keep some people down! I wish I could put a few from nowadays down though!
My first ever school report slip comes dated February 1978 too!
Yes I still like listening to all the old DJs today - Mike Reed and DLT were on Magic - until they pulled the plug on DLT! :rolleyes:
Yes but that video was clearly made in 1977, she has a bump under that tie around cardigan...Maybe they made the video early in anticipation of her being indisposed at the time of the single was in the charts. She had the baby in December 1977, It was only February.. I meant that she didn't need media attention just because she is pregnant, unlike so many famous women now.
Oh I never knew that was filmed in 1977 - it must have been close to her labour date!! :eek:
Agnetha was about the only female star who prefered motherhood to being on stage - which is why they rarely toured!
Thanks for posting that. Never seen it before! Debbie Harry was my idol for several years. I wonder if the whole episode is available somewhere.
I can find some individual performances from the episode on youtube but no whole episode has been uploaded, or at least one that I can find. The DLT hosted edition of TOTP features 11 songs, 10 of them are available on youtube as either clips from his actual edition or are are the studio performances shown on his edition which were repeats from a previous edition / are repeated in a future edition or are videos which again are either repeats or repeated. The only clip I can't find is 'Fantasy' by Earth Wind and Fire which is played over the chart countdown.
I can find some individual performances from the episode on youtube but no whole episode has been uploaded, or at least one that I can find. The DLT hosted edition of TOTP features 11 songs, 10 of them are available on youtube as either clips from his actual edition or are are the studio performances shown on his edition which were repeats from a previous edition / are repeated in a future edition or are videos which again are either repeats or repeated. The only clip I can't find is 'Fantasy' by Earth Wind and Fire which is played over the chart countdown.
At the time one of my top three songs from 1978, the other two being "Honest I Do Love You" by Candi Staton and "Back in Love Again" by Donna Summer. Plenty of competition though!
Dont think Kate should have sung live. Her voice wasn't too good. The video and dance made the song. Anyone remember a version of the Man with the child in his eyes with the bit at the start where she sings 'he's here,he's here,he's here' at the start. Maybe its the single version. Cant find it on any compilations or mp3 downloads.
Dont think Kate should have sung live. Her voice wasn't too good. The video and dance made the song. Anyone remember a version of the Man with the child in his eyes with the bit at the start where she sings 'he's here,he's here,he's here' at the start. Maybe its the single version. Cant find it on any compilations or mp3 downloads.
The 'he's here' intro is on the single version, the album version begins with a piano intro.
It was from the 'Rising Free EP' and was the side that got radio play. The main track was 'Glad To Be Gay' which didn't get much radio play.
The main track - Side 1, Track 1 - was 'Don't Take No For An Answer' ... I don't think EMI would have allowed 'Glad To Be Gay' (Side 1, Track 2) that much prominence. Even giving the EP a title shrouded the more controversial track.
The main track - Side 1, Track 1 - was 'Don't Take No For An Answer' ... I don't think EMI would have allowed 'Glad To Be Gay' (Side 1, Track 2) that much prominence. Even giving the EP a title shrouded the more controversial track.
The credited title of the single on the charts at the time does have a slightly convoluted history, which ties up with what you say about EMI's reluctance to promote the track 'Glad To Be Gay'. When it first charted at #30 it was credited as 'Don't Take No For An Answer', the following week (at #24) it was credited as 'Rising Free' before finally being credited from the following week (when it climbed to #18) until the end of its chart run as 'Glad To Be Gay'. I'm guessing EMI were worried about how this may have affected sales, at least in the first couple of weeks.
Just to add my support to all those saying it was a great TOTP tonight.
I called it back in 1978!
From my diary:
'Top of the pops was brills - Rose Royce, Darts etc. Sat by Nettie in Commerce. She kept asking me questions but I don't think I mind much. They're nice questions so I don't mind answering.'
The credited title of the single on the charts at the time does have a slightly convoluted history, which ties up with what you say about EMI's reluctance to promote the track 'Glad To Be Gay'. When it first charted at #30 it was credited as 'Don't Take No For An Answer', the following week (at #24) it was credited as 'Rising Free' before finally being credited from the following week (when it climbed to #18) until the end of its chart run as 'Glad To Be Gay'. I'm guessing EMI were worried about how this may have affected sales, at least in the first couple of weeks.
BIB - I'm sure that's true. Let's face it, EMI had managed to bag itself a Top Ten single with '2-4-6-8 Motorway' - apparently the acceptable face of punk/new wave after the company's brush with the Sex Pistols. Sighs of relief all round, I would wager ...
But TRB were actually more hardcore than the Pistols in many respects - the Power In The Darkness album is more overtly political than the Pistols' pro-anarchy and anti-monarchy sloganeering - and the Rising Free EP was probably the first sign that EMI had a group on their hands that wasn't willing to play ball.
Comments
I loved the way that Agnetha was pregnant and didn't make a big deal about it.
I assume the episode that was missed - 23.02.77 - was presented by DLT and had Blondie's first TOTP appearance? If so, I will never forgive the BBC. Will they be on singing Denis again in a forthcoming episode?
She did have a rather big bump there.... You try dancing when pregnant...Though Frida was always the better dancer of the two...
I thought Agnetha had had the baby by 1978?
Yes we are gonna miss it!
We've all seen the video countless times... won't there be a performance of them in the studio?
Just the DLT episode I think! - Sods law! :mad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8O3xCpC6M8
Yes but that video was clearly made in 1977, she has a bump under that tie around cardigan...Maybe they made the video early in anticipation of her being indisposed at the time of the single was in the charts. She had the baby in December 1977, It was only February.. I meant that she didn't need media attention just because she is pregnant, unlike so many famous women now.
As for the Bee Gees Staying Alive, those tight trousers on Barry are sinful and hide nothing....:p;):D
Thanks for posting that. Never seen it before! Debbie Harry was my idol for several years. I wonder if the whole episode is available somewhere.
Also, despite all the changes etc and time, there is something re-assuring that all this time later I am still able to listen to Kid Jensen on Smooth, Tony Blackburn on Radio 2 on POTP, and even good ole Noel on TV every week. You can't keep some people down! I wish I could put a few from nowadays down though!
My first ever school report slip comes dated February 1978 too!
Yes I still like listening to all the old DJs today - Mike Reed and DLT were on Magic - until they pulled the plug on DLT! :rolleyes:
Oh I never knew that was filmed in 1977 - it must have been close to her labour date!! :eek:
Agnetha was about the only female star who prefered motherhood to being on stage - which is why they rarely toured!
At the time one of my top three songs from 1978, the other two being "Honest I Do Love You" by Candi Staton and "Back in Love Again" by Donna Summer. Plenty of competition though!
The main track - Side 1, Track 1 - was 'Don't Take No For An Answer' ... I don't think EMI would have allowed 'Glad To Be Gay' (Side 1, Track 2) that much prominence. Even giving the EP a title shrouded the more controversial track.
And yet that vesion remains unreleased on any compilation, either by Kate or various artists ... Why?
Hell, yeah!
Barely a dud track in sight ... and a marked contrast to the previous episode shown.
I called it back in 1978!
From my diary:
'Top of the pops was brills - Rose Royce, Darts etc. Sat by Nettie in Commerce. She kept asking me questions but I don't think I mind much. They're nice questions so I don't mind answering.'
BIB - I'm sure that's true. Let's face it, EMI had managed to bag itself a Top Ten single with '2-4-6-8 Motorway' - apparently the acceptable face of punk/new wave after the company's brush with the Sex Pistols. Sighs of relief all round, I would wager ...
But TRB were actually more hardcore than the Pistols in many respects - the Power In The Darkness album is more overtly political than the Pistols' pro-anarchy and anti-monarchy sloganeering - and the Rising Free EP was probably the first sign that EMI had a group on their hands that wasn't willing to play ball.