If you look at the corresponding TOTP for this week in 82, of the 11 songs featured I'd say there are 7 good ones, two are ok and two I don't much care for. You can guess what's coming next....yup it's Yewtreed

The same Absolute Radio that plays about 70% of it's music from the 90s & naughties onwards and rarely features songs from before 1985 unless it's by some commercial soft rock band?
- I would take that survey with a pinch of salt, as their Absolute 80s listeners probably only want to hear the 'Big 80s Popstars' who mainly were from & around the 1985 period anyway!!


Exactly!!

Although for me Live Aid was the last great Stadium show. A collection of artists who had made music great before Commercialism came along.

Watched the DLT one last night as well. Another excellent show, the only one I'm not keen on is Hot Chocolate.

Anybody hoping to see DLT back on our screens anytime soon, I wouldn't hold your breath. The BBC still seem to be sending out the standard reply about "balancing the views of all sections of our audience". I'm not sure how this is the case because, over the past 4 years, I've read in various places about people who have contacted the BBC and found themselves hitting the exact same brick wall. I've never seen or heard about anyone who's contacted the BBC with the view that DLT should not be shown.

I know - it's ridiculous! Even those who knew him think it's grossly unfair!
:-


I remember hearing that podcast "soundcloud" before, as one of the forumites posted it. So unfair & I wonder if the lady in question is now pleased with herself!!

That sounds promising about Tony B! <- Another one who has been used & cast aside as if the last 50 years have meant nothing!

Oh, that's good news!

Well, I'm someone quite happy not to see DLT's editions of TOTPs on BBC4.

Is he someone who has repeatedly touched women inappropriately?

Answer: Yes.

End of.

Frustrated as I am too by the missing episodes - or more the epic failure to at least construct a compilation or two out of the songs we'll miss completely as a result of the 'banned editions' (I'm personally less fussed about seeing DLT himself) - I can kind of see why the BBC isn't going out of its way to rehabilitate DLT … it has other, potentially much bigger fish to fry at the moment:
- a generally hostile government with a new prime minister who is already cozying up to Murdoch;
- her demand for staff salaries to be made public, risking a talent drain for the BBC;
- a new culture secretary whose intentions are largely unknown (but look what her predecessor did/wanted to do);
- the launch of 'BBC Studios' at the same time as senior staff are leaving in droves;
- and a largely hostile press who are happy to spin anything and everything they can against the BBC (even down to GBBO-gate, where the production company's greed is already being whitewashed away and the BBC itself blamed for what happened).

So given that returning the DLT editions to the BBC Four repeats would almost certainly invite a plethora of hatchet jobs in The Scum and the Daily Heil, I can kind of understand why it's not priority for them. Nor is it likely to be for quite a while yet, I suspect.

I totally get where you are coming from and the answer to your question is right … but there are many, many other men* who did exactly what he did and much worse and they have got away with it. It would much fairer if everybody was named and shamed - not just a handful of people.

* and I'm not talking about people who had anything to do with TOTP, BTW.

I also don't understand why we can't see clips of the missing songs - provided DLT isn't all across the performances, what difference does that make? (Especially as some have already been used in the 'Hits of …' compilations).

Reading between the lines, it seems to me this is exactly the reason "please don't let the horrible people say nasty things about us"

1985 was chosen not only because of the music, IIRC the those participating were also asked to chose films, books and TV programs from the decade.

I have no axe to grind as far as 'fave' 80's years go there will always be disagreements, personally 1982 musically was a week year in comparison to the rest of the period 80-85 and post '86 is better forgotten.

As far as 'Big 80s Popstars' go you obviously don't listen to Absolute 80's on a Sunday evening, two charts where they play most of the Top 40, ads aside its superior to Pick Of The Pops 80's wise.

Following that there is 'Forgotten 80's' two hours of songs rarely played elsewhere, the playlist from last Sunday, hardly 'Big 80s Popstars' or generic 80's songs.

The Cult "Rain"
Gary Numan "This Wreckage"
Shakin' Stevens "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For"
Cocteau Twins "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops"
Eddy Grant "Can't Get Enough Of You"
Beatmasters featuring Merlin "Who's In The House"
Bucks Fizz "I Hear Talk"
Jimmy Somerville "Comment Te Dire Adieu"
Ultravox "Passing Strangers"
Nick Heyward "Whistle Down The Wind"
Frankie Goes To Hollywood "Warriors Of The Wasteland"
Jaki Graham "Set Me Free"
Abba "Under Attack"
Iron Maiden "Aces High"
Soft Cell "What?"
Bangles "Be With You"
George Michael "Kissing A Fool"
Monkees "That Was Then, This Is Now"
Guns n Roses "Patience"
Japan "Night Porter"
Peter Gabriel "Biko"
Dusty Springfield "Nothing Has Been Proved"

So why is it that DLT is seemingly defended on the basis that others have done the same or worse? Yes, Savile did a range of appalling things but that doesn't automatically exonerate other people of their own behaviour and it shouldn't be used as a means of defence. It not only uses Saviles' victims as a straw man, it diminishes those who DLT touched inappropriately. It is that which is unfair.


BIB - If you have the evidence...go ahead and name and shame them.

But why would you go out of the way to invite criticism from hostile politicians or bad press from a hostile media when there are other, more significant battles to fight?

The BBC is completely on the back foot at the moment and it needs allies, not detractors.

I love TOTP as much as we all do - warts and all (oh, those football songs last week …) - but if bringing the DLT editions back cost us the repeats in their entirety, I'm fine without them. Plus there are other legitimate issues that LittleGirlOf7 has raised.

The alternative, as raised by another FM, would be to open up the entire BBC archive via the BBC Store, so we could pay to stream/own whatever episodes we wanted to see again (including the Yewtree'd ones). But I would suspect there are major rights issues with that, that could prove expensive to even initiate …

I'm not defending DLT's alleged behaviour. I'm saying that either everybody who did what he did and worse should get the same treatment, or nobody should. DLT is, at the end of the day, a pretty easy target. Sleazy 70s DJ? Hardly a big deal and already a cliché in many ways. Compare that to the lengths some people have obviously gone to in order to prevent Cyril Smith being investigated - most probably because the skeletons in his closet would almost certainly expose people who had way more power who are eager to keep their own misdemeanours under wraps. And make sure their victims stay silent.

Anyway, I think I'm missing LMSO and Craig Fairbrass …

The music of 1985 was so clean and conservative, i find it difficult to feel any affinity with much of it. However, many of the artists still displayed a level of ability, even if the synth heavy production and echoey drums etc. rendered much of it bland and uninteresting. From 1986 onwards the more manufactured sounds would make their presence felt more strongly, in addition to the later house, hip hop sounds etc. giving an alternative to the safer mid eighties sounds. Pop in the latter part of the eighties, at least strived at times to be a little more streetwise, even if the results were even more questionable.

A really good review and look forward fo watching it soon once the DVD pops through my letter box. Like you i am thoroughly enjoying this time on TOTP - as much as my 12 year old self did. I'll probably say it again, but the beginning of the end for me would be the release of Wake me up before you go go.

Good luck in this years Wimbledon, Jimmy. I think you may have a good chance of winning it

I think 1985 is probably my least favourite year of the 1980s, although 1988 would run it close. 85 was the year of Dire Straits more than anything else and I'm not much of a fan of their work. My favourite track from 85 is probably Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer. I quite like 84 and 86, funnily enough. I know 1986 is often cited by commentators as one of the worst years for pop music, not just in the 1980s but overall. I don't agree because I quite like groups/singers like Robert Palmer, Level 42, Janet Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Five Star. And it also was the year when the marvellous Brilliant Mind by Furniture was released.

Absolutely. Didn't see the Senna crash at the time but was watching the Japanese Grand Prix as it happened . Thankfully the crash itself was never broadcast.

At least 1985 produced the best song of the 80s

Propaganda, Duel

SUPERB

One Top 10 hit and two other Top 20 hits.

Not sure I'd bestow that accolade on it, but it is a top tune!

Other gems for me from 1985 …
Kate Bush | Running Up That Hill/Cloudbursting
Prince | Raspberry Beret/Pop Life
Grace Jones | Slave To The Rhythm
Siouxsie & The Banshees | Cities In Dust
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam | I Wonder If I Take You Home
The Smiths | How Soon Is Now
Cameo | Single Life
Doug E Fresh | The Show
A-ha | Take On Me
Aretha Franklin | Freeway Of Love/Who's Zoomin' Who
Animotion | Obsession
Pet Shop Boys | West End Girls

But I'm sure there's more good stuff in '84 and '86!

I was posting more generally in response to the defensive posts on here rather than aiming anything directly at you (apart from the bit in bold, obviously). The point is, DLT is responsible for the his own situation and is an easy target because of his own lack of contrition.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the most beautiful lyrics of 1982:

"Saddle up and ride your poney
Sit around and you'll be lonely
Saddle up and make the dust fly
Get on your high horse and ride"

http://www.lyricsmania.com/saddle_up..._christie.html

I was thinking mainly of the Brother In Arms album which was the biggest selling album of the 1980s in the UK.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...United_Kingdom

Ok - I stand corrected!