[Rich Tea.]

Tony would never tell a fib, would he......?

[alcockell]

Remember about last Nov when there was that rputine where the costumes thwarted the low-angle bum shots, but the cameras were positioned IN FRONT of the podiums where Legs and Co were dancing?

Cue "fur and early morning dew" shots...

[Robbie01]

I used to own this ELP single, I still quite like it!

[highlander1969]

The Stranglers - Demis Roussos....They certainly had variety back in the 'old days'!!

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by highlander1969

The Stranglers - Demis Roussos....They certainly had variety back in the 'old days'!!

Neil Innes to Bob Marley, a bit like comparing Eddie The Eagle to Usain Bolt at the Olympics.

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by Robbie01

I used to own this ELP single, I still quite like it!

Great track, it reminds me of racing cars. I watched James Hunt win the British GP at Silverstone in '77, as a young boy, at the time this was a massive hit a few weeks after tonights TOTP.

[highlander1969]

Originally Posted by Rich Tea.

Neil Innes to Bob Marley, a bit like comparing Eddie The Eagle to Usain Bolt at the Olympics.

He he, I know...A strange concoction tonight!

[Apprentice 2 SA]

So what's everyone's opinion? What really was number one?

[Robbie01]

Originally Posted by Apprentice 2 SA

So what's everyone's opinion? What really was number one?

I'd say Rod Stewart. The Sex Pistols single wasn't available in enough record shops to have topped the charts. It never made number 1 in the Melody maker charts either with only the NME placing it at the top and even that was a week after the official chart had the record peaking at number 2. Perhaps if the official chart had been based on a Friday to Thursday sales week (as the NME chart was) it may have been a number 1. But on a Monday to Saturday sales week the official chart had its sales split between two weeks when it entered at number 11 and then climbed to number 2.

On the NME chart it went (with Official Chart positions in brackets) 27 (11) -6 (2) -1 (4)- 3 (9) - 5 (12) - 12 (19) - 20 (27)

[Rich Tea.]

There must be some definitive proof somewhere surely? The sales figure for Rod Stewarts 4th week at No1 should be easily known surely, and so should the sales figure for the No2, within the relevant Monday to Saturday sales week, which in this case is the week of Monday 30th May 1977 to Saturday 4th June 1977, for chart of Tuesday 7th June 1977, meaning the TOTP of 9th June 1977 and officially w/e 11th June 1977.

Whether a bank holiday on 30th May meant shops were all shut I've no idea, or whether that holiday was moved like this year to the next week of 6th and 7th June 1977, in which case the full sales week would stand.

[Robbie01]

Originally Posted by Rich Tea.

There must be some definitive proof somewhere surely? The sales figure for Rod Stewarts 4th week at No1 should be easily known surely, and so should the sales figure for the No2?

It was Rod's 5th week at number 1 when the Sex Pistols peaked at number 2 on the BMRB chart. Even Richard Branson has stated he saw the sales figures that week and the Sex Pistols were at number 2. I do know someone who has seen the sales for that week (the BPI hold them all and at one time the library used to be open to the public to look at the weekly sales figures up to 1996) and he has posted that sales weren't particularly close for that week with Rod definitely at number 1.

[mrbernay]

Gladys Knight and the homo-erotic Pips LOL

[welwynrose]

Originally Posted by Robbie01

I used to own this ELP single, I still quite like it!

I still have all their stuff on my iPod

[Mr Merton]

Originally Posted by Robbie01

It was Rod's 5th week at number 1 when the Sex Pistols peaked at number 2 on the BMRB chart. Even Richard Branson has stated he saw the sales figures that week and the Sex Pistols were at number 2. I do know someone who has seen the sales for that week (the BPI hold them all and at one time the library used to be open to the public to look at the weekly sales figures up to 1996) and he has posted that sales weren't particularly close for that week with Rod definitely at number 1.

Someone claimed that there was a BPI directive produced for the week in question that excluded sales of certain records from shops when the record label is also owned by the shop in question, namely that this would specifically exclude counting the sales of Virgin records sold in Virgin record shops (but not Virgin records sold in HMV, Woolworths, etc.). However, regardless of the existence of such a directive, I suspect that the end result would have been the same even if the sales gap between Rod Stewart and the Pistols would have been much narrower than it 'officially' was for that week.

As for the Jubilee edition of Top of the Pops, it was a better effort than the previous week's despite all of the repeats (perhaps unavoidable given that it was Jubilee week), though it's a pity that we never got to see The Wurzels in the early evening edit. Don't think I saw this at the time because we were visiting relatives over the Jubilee period and my gran wasn't fond of such modern music!

[darnall42]

much better show than last week,But they cut the wurzels and played Honkey (but great to see osibisa - gonna have to get thier CD,still got dance the body music on my brain from last years TOTP repeats )

[Robbie01]

Originally Posted by Mr Merton

Someone claimed that there was a BPI directive produced for the week in question that excluded sales of certain records from shops when the record label is also owned by the shop in question, namely that this would specifically exclude counting the sales of Virgin records sold in Virgin record shops (but not Virgin records sold in HMV, Woolworths, etc.). However, regardless of the existence of such a directive, I suspect that the end result would have been the same even if the sales gap between Rod Stewart and the Pistols would have been much narrower than it 'officially' was for that week.

As for the Jubilee edition of Top of the Pops, it was a better effort than the previous week's despite all of the repeats (perhaps unavoidable given that it was Jubilee week), though it's a pity that we never got to see The Wurzels in the early evening edit. Don't think I saw this at the time because we were visiting relatives over the Jubilee period and my gran wasn't fond of such modern music!

I also did once read that the BPI sent out a directive for that week that sales in record shops owned by or part of a record company should have their sales discounted for records on that label but I do think this may be part of the urban myth...

Virgin didn't contribute sales from that many stores back then, they had just been added to the chart panel a few months before so I'd imagine that even if the directive was true it may not have made much difference.

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by Robbie01

It was Rod's 5th week at number 1 when the Sex Pistols peaked at number 2 on the BMRB chart. Even Richard Branson has stated he saw the sales figures that week and the Sex Pistols were at number 2. I do know someone who has seen the sales for that week (the BPI hold them all and at one time the library used to be open to the public to look at the weekly sales figures up to 1996) and he has posted that sales weren't particularly close for that week with Rod definitely at number 1.

Anyway they got a No1 album later in the year, with the very naughty word for them dangly bits we men have, and nobody tried to prevent that, or should I say pretend, that it had not made the top position.

Incidentally, is this 1977 chart used by TOTP not a BMRB one then? Only ask because you mention a 5th week and not the 4th.

Also, was the Sex Pistols track expected to make No1 the week after the Jubilee in any case, having gone 11 to 2, and was it a shock that it fell back to 4 after such a good climb?

[Misty08]

Originally Posted by Rich Tea.

Neil Innes, TO THE TOWER!! Sycophantic, inane drivel.

Aww, I love Neil Innes. I think it is fair to say this wasn`t his finest moment. (The Rutles were the following year..).

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by Rich Tea.

Bad luck to begin watching in 1983/1984. Those were great years themselves, but from 1985 I think it was a decline, and the shows and the music, and even the presentation at the end of the 80's was generally much poorer. I mean, Sybill Roscoe presenting TOTP, Jesus Christ!

Have many happy memories of Top of the Pops in the 80's. If we all agreed on what was the best era of the programme, it would be a very boring place. Quite enjoyed the editions presented by David Jensen, Dave Lee Travis, Simon Bates, Mike Read, John Peel, Janice Long and Jakki Brambles.

[Robbie01]

Originally Posted by Rich Tea.

Anyway they got a No1 album later in the year, with the very naughty word for them dangly bits we men have, and nobody tried to prevent that, or should I say pretend, that it had not made the top position.

Incidentally, is this 1977 chart used by TOTP not a BMRB one then? Only ask because you mention a 5th week and not the 4th.

Also, was the Sex Pistols track expected to make No1 the week after the Jubilee in any case, having gone 11 to 2, and was it a shock that it fell back to 4 after such a good climb?

Apologies RT, yes it was the 4th week at number 1 for Rod Stewart. I'm not sure why I thought it was the fifth week he had been at the top - he only spent 4 weeks there...

After all the fuss about the Sex Pistols making or not making number 1 with 'God Save The Queen', especially when they made it to number 1 in the NME chart they strangely never made it to number 1 with their album in the NME chart - it peaked at number 2 while it was an official album number 1.

I think the Sex Pistols only had one chance at making number 1 with GSTQ in the official chart, in the lead up to Jubilee week. Once that week had passed they lost any impetus they had to top the charts.

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by Robbie01

Apologies RT, yes it was the 4th week at number 1 for Rod Stewart. I'm not sure why I thought it was the fifth week he had been at the top - he only spent 4 weeks there...

After all the fuss about the Sex Pistols making or not making number 1 with 'God Save The Queen', especially when they made it to number 1 in the NME chart they strangely never made it to number 1 with their album in the NME chart - it peaked at number 2 while it was an official album number 1.

I think the Sex Pistols only had one chance at making number 1 with GSTQ in the official chart, in the lead up to Jubilee week. Once that week had passed they lost any impetus they had to top the charts.

Well that NME albums story is really fascinating to hear for the first time, and hugely ironic.

The God Save The Queen track did infact behave more like records in later years of the charts, and not like the movements of songs in the era it was a hit. It was clearly never going to appeal across the nation in general, and just to its fanbase before dipping, much like many songs nowadays.
I don't suppose the national punk treasure that is John Lydon gave a damn anyway, although having watched the recent Punk Britannia with his input, I cannot recall him making any comment about this issue in that documentary, but the boat on the Thames furore was in it! Not to mention the ever watchable Grundy sensation which always makes me laugh.

[Erithian]

Rich - over on "Popular" we noted that Grundy's co-presenter on "Today" was Eamonn Andrews, and we had fun speculating on what would have happened if the rota had given the Pistols interview to Andrews, always a gentleman but an Irish boxing champion in his younger days. Maybe Eamonn would have punched Rotten's lights out once he started to get stroppy!

Yes, for anybody unfamiliar with Neil Innes, there was such a lot more to him - the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Rutland Weekend Television and the superb Rutles film, and the genius of The Innes Book of Records. Only his wicked way with a rhyme was on show in the Silver Jubilee song...

[darnall42]

Originally Posted by Misty08

Aww, I love Neil Innes. I think it is fair to say this wasn`t his finest moment. (The Rutles were the following year..).

I Have all the episodes of rutland weekend television (Sadly downloaded from a torrent as eric idle does'nt want em properly released ) and niels songs on the show are genius,but his silver jubilee song was cringe making

[JEFF62]

Originally Posted by Rich Tea.

Whether a bank holiday on 30th May meant shops were all shut I've no idea, or whether that holiday was moved like this year to the next week of 6th and 7th June 1977, in which case the full sales week would stand.

In 1977 the late May bank holiday was indeed moved to the first monday in June with an extra bank holiday on the tuesday just like the recent jubilee. This also happened in 2002 as well.

[darnall42]

Just watching the uncut 1.35am repeat on my sky plus box and the wurzels were good fun