Don't hold your breath, he won't be seen again until Christmas 1981 as one of many DJ's. Shame that, I really enjoy his editions.
Also, only the 15th anniversary of Radio 1 edition in 1982 I think, as one among all the DJ's.
Next "proper" presentation is co-presenting with new boy Gary Davies in March 1983, nearly 4 years away!
Unfortunately he also co-presented TOTP in 1983 alongside Jimmy Savile and DLT.
Then I think that was it. He left Radio 1 the following year 1984.
I'm guessing this is because he was by now presenting the Top 40 on a Sunday, and maybe that was considered a bit repetitive? Unless I've got my dates wrong.....
BIB - I believe the clip of the Pretenders miming to 'Brass In Pocket' in an empty studio was recorded specially for the 22 November 1979 episode for which DLT provided a voiceover; this particular clip had not been screened on TOTP previously and to my knowledge was never shown again on any subsequent edition.
Yes spot on!
The point i was trying to make, and in trying to keep things brief, was that the clips were not containing freshly filmed segments, where new audience members were in view of the camera, other than those that had been filmed for previous shows.
Yes, that 'Brass In Pocket' clip does appear to have been specially filmed for the programme. Considering how the charts have behaved in more recent years, it seems strange to think that this song, shown on the 22nd November 1979 edition, wouldn't actually climb to the top of the of the charts until 19th January 1980. I think 'Brass In Pocket' is a definite grower, and for me, my favourite Pretenders song. It is a little less rocky than many of the group's more uptempo chart hits, and a little more subtle and rhythmic. Sort of has the same effect on me that some reggae rhythms have, although it would never be mistaken for anything close to a reggae song. 'I Go To Sleep' is a definite favourite of mine too from the Pretenders, and i think it is more successful than the previous Ray Davies penned song they covered, 'Stop Your Sobbing'. 'I Go To Sleep' was quite a find, because Davies's version only appears as a rarely heard demo. I suppose that's one of the benefits in Chrissie Hynde knowing Davies more intimately (romantically). I don't think the Kinks thought it was suitable for their r+b/rock 'n' roll sound at the time, but Ray's demo is well worth a listen.
I'm guessing this is because he was by now presenting the Top 40 on a Sunday, and maybe that was considered a bit repetitive? Unless I've got my dates wrong.....
I get the impression that by the end of the 70s, Tony was beginning to fall out of favour and was perhaps viewed as being a bit 'old hat'. His earlier on-air breakdown after his wife left him can't have endeared him to the bosses either. He was gradually being moved to less favourable slots on Radio 1, Top 40 notwithstanding (which he took over in September of 1979), which culminated in him being dumped onto Junior Choice, which he hated.
Plus, by the early 80s he was also presenting a daily show on BBC Radio London in addition to his Radio 1 weekend shows, which must have left little time to be involved with presenting TOTP on more than the handful of occasions that he did by this time.
In view of this it seems likely that if the hairy cornflake has not been cleared of the outstanding charges against him by the time the 22-11-79 edition is due to be transmitted the BBC will not allow us to hear his voice either and the show will be cancelled.
I estimate this episode is due to be shown on October 9th, DLT's new trial starts in early September and is only expected to last two weeks, if he does get cleared then his voiceover edition would be his first show back on BBC Four, and if some people think the aquitted are guilty regardless then this would be a good test to show them.
While Abba were having a massive hit with "Waterloo", Glam was at its height, Mud had Tiger Feet and Bay City Rollers were on a roll, this was happening in Germany http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-G28iyPtz0 Unbelievable really.
Am I right in thinking that the "Autobahn" album was recorded in mono?
It is starting to look like it will be the last TOTP for a while, though. BBC Four will be showing Proms every Thursday from 31st July to 11th September, and as far as I can fathom from the Radio Times website, there is no sign that TOTP has been moved to Wednesday 30th July, or any other day that week. So it looks like they may well have taken everyone's advice and are resting TOTP so we don't start racing too far ahead.
It is starting to look like it will be the last TOTP for a while, though. BBC Four will be showing Proms every Thursday from 31st July to 11th September, and as far as I can fathom from the Radio Times website, there is no sign that TOTP has been moved to Wednesday 30th July, or any other day that week. So it looks like they may well have taken everyone's advice and are resting TOTP so we don't start racing too far ahead.
As long as it DOES come back! . Autumn 1979 is class!
It is starting to look like it will be the last TOTP for a while, though. BBC Four will be showing Proms every Thursday from 31st July to 11th September, and as far as I can fathom from the Radio Times website, there is no sign that TOTP has been moved to Wednesday 30th July, or any other day that week. So it looks like they may well have taken everyone's advice and are resting TOTP so we don't start racing too far ahead.
It makes sense for the TOTP repeats to have a break for a month or so. I prefer the repeats to be broadcast as close as possible, date wise, to when they were originally shown back in 1979.
I'm guessing this is because he was by now presenting the Top 40 on a Sunday, and maybe that was considered a bit repetitive? Unless I've got my dates wrong.....
I'd never considered this point you make, which is a very good one and sounds plausible, as Tony Blackburn was presenting the Sunday Top 40 on Radio 1 from August 1979 where we are now with the TOTP showings, until January 1982, so it ties in neatly with his withdrawing from TOTP presenter duties by mid '79 I suppose.
Thanks for these Chemical! Had a quick scan through both, and a couple of points about the hosts in each.
DLT in the 9th August edition was actually getting the come on from a girl who was all over him as he introduced Joe Jackson, she even managed to make DLT go all coy. He has a case against her surely! Even blowing sweet nothings on his face. He got quite physical with a couple of other females too, of the harmless variety I'd say.
Jimmy Savile in the 23rd August edition was altogether more creepy. Introducing Spyro Gyra as the penultimate record he has 4 extremely young looking girls who all appear 12 or 13 lined up looking at the camera with himself at the back and appears to have his wandering arm/hand all over the back of each and every one of them. It looks from his face like he is more interested in these 4 very young girls than in any of the actual music he introduced on the entire show, as ever.
It will be interesting to hear what others make of it when they view it.
Spyro Gyra's Morning Dance sounds just like the muzak the BBC used to play while the testcard was on, or more recently while pages from ceefax were airing. There is a unique likeable quality about that muzak sound that is oddly enjoyable.
I'd never considered this point you make, which is a very good one and sounds plausible, as Tony Blackburn was presenting the Sunday Top 40 on Radio 1 from August 1979 where we are now with the TOTP showings, until January 1982, so it ties in neatly with his withdrawing from TOTP presenter duties by mid '79 I suppose.
I think the Top 40 was his only gig in 1979/80, and then he hosted Junior Choice, a show he later admitted to disliking intensely, until September 1984. Indeed when he left Radio 1, he became a vocal critic of the station, saying its frequencies should be given to independent stations and it was old hat.
Had Blackburn not annoyed the BBC in 1978 when he started droning on about his relationship ending, he could have been in the morning slot a lot longer and we'd been spared Simon Bates.
I was just thinking about the fact that money was made from such a tragedy- I wonder if there was outrage at the time
The response by some on the thread regarding this song puzzles me. What the song was about was well known at the time. There are many great examples of music commenting on events. The song doesn't seek to exploit the issue. Rather it is expressing sadness and mystification at why it happened.
The response by some on the thread regarding this song puzzles me. What the song was about was well known at the time. There are many great examples of music commenting on events. The song doesn't seek to exploit the issue. Rather it is expressing sadness and mystification at why it happened.
I never liked I Don't Like Mondays, even at the time I thought it was exploitative and trashy. It was quite controversial at the time, I believe it got banned in the States or at least caused a fair bit of stoosh and the Rats career in the USA stuttered because of it.
I never liked I Don't Like Mondays, even at the time I thought it was exploitative and trashy. It was quite controversial at the time, I believe it got banned in the States or at least caused a fair bit of stoosh and the Rats career in the USA stuttered because of it.
Strange that tracks like 'Ohio' by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (which deals with a massacre of students by US guardsmen) are regarded as meaningful and poignant but the Boomtown Rats track is regarded as exploitative and trashy by some on this thread. I suspect a large amount of cultural snobbishness is at work.
Comments
I'm guessing this is because he was by now presenting the Top 40 on a Sunday, and maybe that was considered a bit repetitive? Unless I've got my dates wrong.....
Oh what a shame! Didn't realise he was off for so long!
Yes spot on!
The point i was trying to make, and in trying to keep things brief, was that the clips were not containing freshly filmed segments, where new audience members were in view of the camera, other than those that had been filmed for previous shows.
Yes, that 'Brass In Pocket' clip does appear to have been specially filmed for the programme. Considering how the charts have behaved in more recent years, it seems strange to think that this song, shown on the 22nd November 1979 edition, wouldn't actually climb to the top of the of the charts until 19th January 1980. I think 'Brass In Pocket' is a definite grower, and for me, my favourite Pretenders song. It is a little less rocky than many of the group's more uptempo chart hits, and a little more subtle and rhythmic. Sort of has the same effect on me that some reggae rhythms have, although it would never be mistaken for anything close to a reggae song. 'I Go To Sleep' is a definite favourite of mine too from the Pretenders, and i think it is more successful than the previous Ray Davies penned song they covered, 'Stop Your Sobbing'. 'I Go To Sleep' was quite a find, because Davies's version only appears as a rarely heard demo. I suppose that's one of the benefits in Chrissie Hynde knowing Davies more intimately (romantically). I don't think the Kinks thought it was suitable for their r+b/rock 'n' roll sound at the time, but Ray's demo is well worth a listen.
Plus, by the early 80s he was also presenting a daily show on BBC Radio London in addition to his Radio 1 weekend shows, which must have left little time to be involved with presenting TOTP on more than the handful of occasions that he did by this time.
I estimate this episode is due to be shown on October 9th, DLT's new trial starts in early September and is only expected to last two weeks, if he does get cleared then his voiceover edition would be his first show back on BBC Four, and if some people think the aquitted are guilty regardless then this would be a good test to show them.
Am I right in thinking that the "Autobahn" album was recorded in mono?
Is there one next week? When is the next one due?
By the way - I think the next episode is my birthday one - 30/08/79!
It's back in it's normal slot next week.
Hurray!
As long as it DOES come back!
9/8/79 (most of it)
http://www.4shared.com/video/6PrJXY2Iba/totp_090879.html
23/8/79
http://www.4shared.com/video/rX_4jo5yce/totp_23879.html
Thanks for these Chemical! Had a quick scan through both, and a couple of points about the hosts in each.
DLT in the 9th August edition was actually getting the come on from a girl who was all over him as he introduced Joe Jackson, she even managed to make DLT go all coy. He has a case against her surely! Even blowing sweet nothings on his face. He got quite physical with a couple of other females too, of the harmless variety I'd say.
Jimmy Savile in the 23rd August edition was altogether more creepy. Introducing Spyro Gyra as the penultimate record he has 4 extremely young looking girls who all appear 12 or 13 lined up looking at the camera with himself at the back and appears to have his wandering arm/hand all over the back of each and every one of them. It looks from his face like he is more interested in these 4 very young girls than in any of the actual music he introduced on the entire show, as ever.
It will be interesting to hear what others make of it when they view it.
Spyro Gyra's Morning Dance sounds just like the muzak the BBC used to play while the testcard was on, or more recently while pages from ceefax were airing. There is a unique likeable quality about that muzak sound that is oddly enjoyable.
Cliff at No1....yessss!!!!!!! :cool:
Is there something different about the format of the downloaded file for 9/8/79?
It won't play in any of the programs I've got, not even Windows Media Player!
23/8/79 is ok though.
I think the Top 40 was his only gig in 1979/80, and then he hosted Junior Choice, a show he later admitted to disliking intensely, until September 1984. Indeed when he left Radio 1, he became a vocal critic of the station, saying its frequencies should be given to independent stations and it was old hat.
Had Blackburn not annoyed the BBC in 1978 when he started droning on about his relationship ending, he could have been in the morning slot a lot longer and we'd been spared Simon Bates.
Sorted now.
I can play it but i can't download it. That's a shame because i think it's a really good episode.
Nice to see Mick Talbot in the Merton Parkas, long before he teamed up with Paul Weller in the Style Council. That Kandidate track is very catchy too.
The response by some on the thread regarding this song puzzles me. What the song was about was well known at the time. There are many great examples of music commenting on events. The song doesn't seek to exploit the issue. Rather it is expressing sadness and mystification at why it happened.
That is an extremely generous interpretation.
Strange that tracks like 'Ohio' by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (which deals with a massacre of students by US guardsmen) are regarded as meaningful and poignant but the Boomtown Rats track is regarded as exploitative and trashy by some on this thread. I suspect a large amount of cultural snobbishness is at work.
No longer, if you can manage it, here is TOTP for Thursday 16th August 1979. ;-)
http://youtu.be/enbMF-ISeF8
This is without doubt the best edition ever.