Thanks for the link though, interesting. I never knew he'd joined Smokie, (after Black Lace I guess?) and made 6 albums with them! Mainly as apart from the 'Alice' re-recording I didn't think they had any UK success after Chris Norman left. I know they were huge in Germany though so presume they maybe still had some degree of success there. As I said in the other post, tragic, horrible way to die and at only 41.
Thanks for the link though, interesting. I never knew he'd joined Smokie, (after Black Lace I guess?) and made 6 albums with them! Mainly as apart from the 'Alice' re-recording I didn't think they had any UK success after Chris Norman left. I know they were huge in Germany though so presume they maybe still had some degree of success there. As I said in the other post, tragic, horrible way to die and at only 41.
That song should be filed in the 'so bad its almost good' category! Never seen the film, but have read its a bit of cult classic so will try and check it out.
That song should be filed in the 'so bad its almost good' category! Never seen the film, but have read its a bit of cult classic so will try and check it out.
You have to be ready for a bit of crude Northern humour! ;-) Black Lace are just right for the film!
That song should be filed in the 'so bad its almost good' category! Never seen the film, but have read its a bit of cult classic so will try and check it out.
A large power cut struck in NP at teatime and put pay to my chances of watching TOTP 1979 and posting anything either. Such perfect timing. >:( Just caught the longer 1am showing. Saving comments for a decent hour. ;-)
Watching Toto followed by The Cars really emphasised the changes going on in music at the time. Both american bands but Toto were jumping around looking like a whole set of dad rockers whilst The Cars were standing there looking very cool.
TOTP tonight - Lighting terrible,no backdrop and lots of clips.:)
The Herbie Hancock clip (wonder what US programme it was from?) showed how the programme could have been done in terms of creative, moving camerawork and lots of interaction with the audience-lessons Michael Hurll would later bring to the show.
The special effects department had a busy time that week! Due to the strikes, I think the studio was looking so bland, they felt they had to make up for it in other ways by lots of close up shots. Excellent episode though! Strange Town by The Jam is an under rated classic!
I think I'd say that this was my favourite show of the 1979 run so far. Hold The Line is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine, although the singer did look disturbingly like Bob Carolgees, has has been pointed out.
I don't think I've seen that Black Lace Clip in full before. They admitted that they totally ripped off Oh Carol for MaryAnn. I'm surprised that, as far as I know, there was no legal action over this. There were certainly more members than in their "Agadoo" hay day. On the Popscene facebook group the other week we were listing duos from the 80s of which one member has since died, and there was some discusstion as to whether Black Lace counted.
Peter Powell's shirt was a bit distracting. Had they been painting the set just before the show ;-)
Until last night I thought the guy with the glasses was the lead singer of Black Lace and that Alan Barton just did backing, I already knew however about his subsequent work with Smokie.
Caught up with the long version on iPlayer. Good show this week with hardly a duff song (Black Lace obviously...just bleugh).
This must have been the time I started taping the top 40 because I clearly recall having most of those songs on tape and that's the first time I've thought that since I started watching these TOTP re-runs.
Very light on the disco stuff this week (Gloria, Herbie, Chic) but lots of rock (even if it was of the soft variety) and, um, Violinski, taking a sabbatical from ELO and sounding like something you'd hear in a carnival sideshow.
This must have been the time I started taping the top 40 because I clearly recall having most of those songs on tape and that's the first time I've thought that since I started watching these TOTP re-runs.
Yep, I had most of those too.
Just caught up with last night's episode.
"Strange Town" might just edge out "Going Underground" as my favourite Jam single, although it's tough to choose.
I certainly liked both "Hold The Line" and "Clog Dance" at the time - and the latter still sounds like a classic instrumental to me. (I'd like to ask the Toto singer "so in what way what was it then?")
"Lucky Number" - was that the TOTP orchestra, or was it a specially-recorded version like Elvis Costello used to do?
Herbie Hancock's song - the vocoder may have sounded cool at the time, but it sounds a little like Stephen Hawking these days...
Black Lace - looking at them now, it's not difficult to see the kind of musical crimes that they would commit a few years down the line.
Oh, and I'm no fan of Queen, but hearing the opening chords of "Don't Stop Me Now" in that context instantly took me back to class 2A at Tring School, more than any other song I heard tonight.
BIB - that was Brian Matthew(s) - without the 's' ;-) - who is now 85 and used to present 'Around Midnight' on Radio 2 in the early 1980s. He was the host of 1960s pop show 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' on ITV which preceded 'Ready Steady Go!' and 'Top of the Pops' and I think he later presented 'Top Gear' on Radio 1 which (like John Peel's programme) featured specially recorded studio sessions, and is probably where these T. Rex peformances come from (I somehow doubt he would be talking to Mark Radcliffe about TOTP but as I never heard the interview last August you could be right). Like Alan Freeman, he had a very distinctive and instantly recognisable voice. I recall hearing him talking to John Lennon immediately after he came off stage at Shea Stadium in August 1965 on '25 Years of Rock' back in 1980.
I watched 'Rita, Sue and Bob Too' many years ago on Channel 4 (who may have commissioned it) but found it crude and unfunny. It was directed by Alan Clarke who died of cancer in 1990 aged 54 and I noted links to some other examples of his TV work in the right hand margin including 'The Firm' (1989) starring Gary Oldman (who played Sid Vicious in 'Sid and Nancy') about organised football violence, and the original 'Play For Today' version of 'Scum' starring the young Ray Winstone as Carlin and the young David Threlfall a.k.a. Frank Gallagher in 'Shameless' (which I am not a fan of) as the Scouse vegetarian Archer who back in 1977 was sporting a Keegan-esque dark curly perm and a Souness moustache (they first appear together at 10.29 - 11.10 in the full length clip below):
"Lucky Number" - was that the TOTP orchestra, or was it a specially-recorded version like Elvis Costello used to do?
It appears Lene Lovich played strictly by MU rules in 1979 with a specially recorded version of 'Lucky Number' unlike for example The Skids, Generation X and Elvis Costello - who was obviously miming to the original vinyl recording of 'Oliver's Army' - although on his previous four TOTP outings he mimed to re-recorded versions of 'Watching The Detectives', 'Chelsea', 'Pump It Up' and 'Radio Radio' .
Comments
Thanks for the link though, interesting. I never knew he'd joined Smokie, (after Black Lace I guess?) and made 6 albums with them! Mainly as apart from the 'Alice' re-recording I didn't think they had any UK success after Chris Norman left. I know they were huge in Germany though so presume they maybe still had some degree of success there. As I said in the other post, tragic, horrible way to die and at only 41.
No, too much bush in those days.
That would explain it.
Shame the guy in charge of the lights wasn't on strike.[/QUOTE]
Fred Wright.
You can see him performing We're Having A Gang Bang on Rita, Sue and Bob Too, I have the DVD. Here's the clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXtx6N3ww7Y
The guy with the blond mullet on tonight? Died in a car crash?
That song should be filed in the 'so bad its almost good' category!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Barton
You have to be ready for a bit of crude Northern humour! ;-) Black Lace are just right for the film!
Noted, thank you! ;-)
I knew he was Smokie ;-);-)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alan-barton-1616108.html
Thanks, will try and watch that tomorrow.
Fair enough but, eh?
The Herbie Hancock clip (wonder what US programme it was from?) showed how the programme could have been done in terms of creative, moving camerawork and lots of interaction with the audience-lessons Michael Hurll would later bring to the show.
I don't think I've seen that Black Lace Clip in full before. They admitted that they totally ripped off Oh Carol for MaryAnn. I'm surprised that, as far as I know, there was no legal action over this. There were certainly more members than in their "Agadoo" hay day. On the Popscene facebook group the other week we were listing duos from the 80s of which one member has since died, and there was some discusstion as to whether Black Lace counted.
Peter Powell's shirt was a bit distracting. Had they been painting the set just before the show ;-)
Anyone getting tickets?
This must have been the time I started taping the top 40 because I clearly recall having most of those songs on tape and that's the first time I've thought that since I started watching these TOTP re-runs.
Very light on the disco stuff this week (Gloria, Herbie, Chic) but lots of rock (even if it was of the soft variety) and, um, Violinski, taking a sabbatical from ELO and sounding like something you'd hear in a carnival sideshow.
Yep, I had most of those too.
Just caught up with last night's episode.
"Strange Town" might just edge out "Going Underground" as my favourite Jam single, although it's tough to choose.
I certainly liked both "Hold The Line" and "Clog Dance" at the time - and the latter still sounds like a classic instrumental to me. (I'd like to ask the Toto singer "so in what way what was it then?")
"Lucky Number" - was that the TOTP orchestra, or was it a specially-recorded version like Elvis Costello used to do?
Herbie Hancock's song - the vocoder may have sounded cool at the time, but it sounds a little like Stephen Hawking these days...
Black Lace - looking at them now, it's not difficult to see the kind of musical crimes that they would commit a few years down the line.
Oh, and I'm no fan of Queen, but hearing the opening chords of "Don't Stop Me Now" in that context instantly took me back to class 2A at Tring School, more than any other song I heard tonight.
BIB - that was Brian Matthew(s) - without the 's' ;-) - who is now 85 and used to present 'Around Midnight' on Radio 2 in the early 1980s. He was the host of 1960s pop show 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' on ITV which preceded 'Ready Steady Go!' and 'Top of the Pops' and I think he later presented 'Top Gear' on Radio 1 which (like John Peel's programme) featured specially recorded studio sessions, and is probably where these T. Rex peformances come from (I somehow doubt he would be talking to Mark Radcliffe about TOTP but as I never heard the interview last August you could be right). Like Alan Freeman, he had a very distinctive and instantly recognisable voice. I recall hearing him talking to John Lennon immediately after he came off stage at Shea Stadium in August 1965 on '25 Years of Rock' back in 1980.
It sounds like The Clash!
I watched 'Rita, Sue and Bob Too' many years ago on Channel 4 (who may have commissioned it) but found it crude and unfunny. It was directed by Alan Clarke who died of cancer in 1990 aged 54 and I noted links to some other examples of his TV work in the right hand margin including 'The Firm' (1989) starring Gary Oldman (who played Sid Vicious in 'Sid and Nancy') about organised football violence, and the original 'Play For Today' version of 'Scum' starring the young Ray Winstone as Carlin and the young David Threlfall a.k.a. Frank Gallagher in 'Shameless' (which I am not a fan of) as the Scouse vegetarian Archer who back in 1977 was sporting a Keegan-esque dark curly perm and a Souness moustache (they first appear together at 10.29 - 11.10 in the full length clip below):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-soAK8wUlY
... or "I Want To Be Free" ?
I thought it sounded like the intro to "Jane" by Jefferson Starship - another AOR track from March 1980.
It appears Lene Lovich played strictly by MU rules in 1979 with a specially recorded version of 'Lucky Number' unlike for example The Skids, Generation X and Elvis Costello - who was obviously miming to the original vinyl recording of 'Oliver's Army' - although on his previous four TOTP outings he mimed to re-recorded versions of 'Watching The Detectives', 'Chelsea', 'Pump It Up' and 'Radio Radio' .