I definitely don't think they'd ever go back to one chart a week, although I'm sure they could squeeze in an extra hour of the show, and that Tony would be up for it!

As if the travel news isn't bad enough, the banter between Tony and whoever's doing the traffic seems to get longer. I think it was the week before last, I honestly thought they'd still be talking at 3 o'clock! As for as I'm concerned, the trailer, promos or whatever the BBC call them to dress it up, are adverts and an annoyance. At least the times I have to record POTP because I can't listen live, which is usually every other week, I can fast forward through all that.

Changing the subject slightly just for a moment, and considering a lot of threads have been covering the late 1987 period and early 1988 period in the last few weeks, but I am trying to remember if it was on this forum that someone had previously written about the '87 Christmas hit by Mel Smith & Kim Wilde ??
It stated that the version found on CD is missing all the dialogue from Griff Rhys Jones at the beginning and the end. My question is: I'm guessing the dialogue version that we see on the video was actually on the 12" vinyl version? And does anybody know of a CD that this dialogue version is on? It ain't on the 2 Christmas compilations that I have, with the exception of one line from Griff in the middle of the track. I'm sure you 80s addicts may help!?

Tony Blackburn has just posted this on his facebook page

A good achievement - and deserved.

He has that skill of lifting people while never resorting to hysteria. There is scope for all kinds of presentation on the radio but I am not sure that I can think of anyone under 50 who is able to do that now.

Sensational!

One million more in 3 years, that is significant. People know quality when they hear it, and they also appreciate their presenters actually turning up to deliver a properly live radio show too, and being honest when you cannot be, and who sounds like he actually wants to be there and enjoys what he is doing. This aspect never seems to be lacking.

Well deserved news Tony.


The worst thing about the show is playing 1982 recently and saying "32 years ago". Ouch, that hurts when the songs seem so fresh and recent in the mind as a 12 year old then. I won't even comment on what remembering the 50's charts must feel like!

Had a listen to tony's first pick of the pops the other day (november 6th 2010)and its great that tony has the same attitude to the show 3 and a half years later( it's just a shame he uses the same jokes though )

Pre recorded in those early days I seem to remember, can't believe it was just over 3 years ago. Tony should have been presenting the show long before then. Radio 2 really should have picked him up when Classic Gold closed in 2007

One thing I find with the programme is that it passes very quickly.

It is one of the quickest two hours in the broadcasting week!

I wonder what that says, if anything, about pace in most modern radio?

What about the frequent intrusive trailers, were they evident much in that first show? It just feels like they have got so much worse in the past year or so.

on that first show it was just one trailer per hour and with no texts and chat to the traffic woman it seemed to be better (although tony played the wrong version of the devil went down to georgia in the 1979 chart on the second hour of the first show )

I've been listening to some shows from when I first started listening to POTP regularly, back in 2007 and have been enjoying them. It's a change to hear the show in a different format as it was back then and without too many trailers and the annoying jingles and texts. I get that they want texts read out to make clear it's live, and I wouldn't mind they were some interesting/funny ancedote regarded a song played, but they're never usually any more than someone saying they enjoy the show and are travelling from a to b.

Ah time is but the blink of an eye, once we said hello, now all is goodbye.

might be watching tony blackburn on itv's like stories tonight,but i'll have to have a sick bucket at the side of me when piers morgan appears on screen

The show is a victim of its own success. The more people that listen mean its a bigger sounding board to promote other shows, simple really.

Today's Pick Of The Pops will be playing the charts of this week back in 1965 and 1977.

I'm sure we won't be getting this 1977 climber from just outside the top twenty in 1977, a rather creepy "comeback" performance that strongly sticks in the mind from it's hugely debated appearance 2 years ago on TOTP 1977.

http://youtu.be/Pr5PgRDGAUw

No they don't because he has ruined the show. The same limited years week after week with Tony instead of playing the tracks going up just playing the tracks he likes. And with Tony's music taste being bloody awful outside the soul genre this is far from a good thing.

TESTICLES! The politest way of putting the "B" word to you.

Now I'm off to bed having got that out of my system Peter "the not so" Great in this instance.

(although I respect your personal opinion)

Sorry Rich it isn't. He was rubbish when he presented the Top 40 in the early 80's and is rubbish on Pick of the Pops. The show should be presented by someone who has a wide taste in music and can present it in an unbiased way. Sorry someone who thinks Shakin' Stevens is good doesn't have good taste in music. Soul music is the only thing Tony is good at presenting at.

See what happens when you don't edit quick enough.

I disagree entirely. It may be a formative years age thing, regards the Top 40 when he did it. Not to mention the fortune to present that show during a brilliant time for singles quality, and chart behaviour integrity.

Why would somebody who has "good taste in music", whatever that is, or means, make a great, or better host of POTP? It doesn't necessarily translate. Can you see someone like Bob Harris in Tony's shoes instead? Anyway, anyone who could pick up on I'm Still Waiting by Diana Ross in 1971 and play it, prompting it to get released and make the UK public turn it into her first solo No1 single cannot be lacking in that area to me. That is both taste and good judgement in spades.

Shaky is/was good...at what he does/did. Clearly the British public agreed as he was the biggest selling singles act in the UK of the 1980's, selling some 8,000,000 records I think it was.


I have a bad habit of posting and then re-reading and thinking of something better, in my own mind anyway.

I've just thought of a great new album possibility - Shaky Does Soul.

My point was that Tony is so biased it what is being played. I remember one time when he did 1985 he missed out big climbers from Kate Bush and UB40 so he could play a faller by Shakin' Stevens and there are many examples of this.
Then there are limits in the years he does. The much better Vintage Top 40 with Richard Green manages better and that is on BBC local radio! It is like the Jim Moir of Radio 2 era never happend.
Also why does Tony insist on talking over the music when he has nothing to say? We have "Dermot O'Leary is here at 3" every 10 minutes just so he can talk up to the vocal and sometimes he will crash the vocal.
Dale Winton may have been bland but at least he showed no bias to the music and the variety and turnaround of years was better.

i was amazed that G.G was not only aired on BBC Four showing of that TOTP but that the episode was rerun a few weeks later on BBC 2

IMO Tony is a great host of POTP. A worthy successor to the great Fluff.

He is biased in what he plays, and that is a fault, I agree. For example, he lets his dislike of Elvis come across obviously, which is not appropriate.

His range of chart years is better than some retro shows, however. And I can tell you there are far worse examples of talking over records. One retro show fades them down two thirds of the way through for a longer amount of chat. It even fades early 2 minute late fifties / early sixties songs.

So I'd say Tony's better than some, and I enjoy his show.

If you really want to listen to retro shows that improve on the problems you mention, I'd recommend the Non-Stop Top 40, Sundays at 5 on Replay Radio, and Paul Burnett's chart on the Wireless, Sundays at 4pm.

HI all - hour 1 - http://www.officialcharts.com/archiv.../1/1965-02-13/
TOTP chart -

11-2-65: Presenter: Alan Freeman (Wiped)

(22) THE HOLLIES – Yes I Will
(9) WAYNE FONTANA & THE MINDBENDERS – The Game Of Love
(13) THE IVY LEAGUE – Funny How Love Can Be
(25) TOM JONES – It’s Not Unusual
(NEW) HERMAN’S HERMITS – Silhouettes
(4) THE SEEKERS – I’ll Never Find Another You
(16) JIM REEVES – It Hurts So Much (video)
(11) THE ANIMALS – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood ®
(3) DEL SHANNON – Keep Searchin’ (We’ll Follow The Sun) ® * WATCH
(7) VAL DOONICAN – The Special Years ®
(1) THE KINKS – Tired Of Waiting For You ®

the Del shannon footage from the wiped episode http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUQ_LfVHbeo