TOTP on BBC4

[Benjm]

TOTP on BBC4

Gangster Octopus wrote: I don't remember Christmas jumpers being a "thing" back then. But obviously The Specials did...

I had a memory of The Jam modelling some snazzy Yuletide knitwear when they did Beat Surrender on TOTP but can't find any images to back this up.

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

Good ol' Weller - always a couple of years off the pace.

Watched the two most 'recent' repeats back-to-back last week. Following the (extremely brief considering the circumstances) Lennon tribute, I recall several people 'phoning the BBC to claim that 'Mark Chapman' could be seen in the audience at the archive gig shown. This, naturally, made the news. On revisiting the footage, I can only assume that their grief had caused these people to hallucinate wildly.

This Wreckage was, for most of his mainstream audience, the moment that Numan jumped the shark. He wasn't gifted with the industry's finest voice, it must be said.

The R1 DJs' constant inability to a) follow a script, or b) improvise to any extent at all continues to balk in this age.

[treibeis]

TOTP on BBC4

Benjm wrote: I had a memory of The Jam modelling some snazzy Yuletide knitwear when they did Beat Surrender on TOTP but can't find any images to back this up.

I can remember that. I recall thinking at the time that it must be some sort of elaborate joke.

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

More than likely - after all, didn't Weller and Mick Talbot tend to place the odd 'hilarious' set-piece into their Style Council promos?

[Satchmo Distel]

TOTP on BBC4

One of the Nolans was dating a member of Motorhead at the time IIRC.

I think the avalanche of Xmas songs really starts in 1984, with Live Aid and Wham being 1 and 2, although as we discussed upthread the St Winifred's phenomenon of releasing novelty shit that could only chart in December had already clicked into full gear by 1980; Don't You Want Me in 1981 was the last quality Xmas No. 1 by a living artist until Pet Shop Boys.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_Singles_Chart_Christmas_number_ones

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

Jah Womble wrote:

The R1 DJs' constant inability to a) follow a script, or b) improvise to any extent at all continues to balk in this age.

Yeah, it made for a bit of a surprise to see Richard Skinner turn up and be able to deliver all his links competently and without stumbling all over the place. No wonder he was seen as a safe pair of hands for the next decade.

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

Indeed, he, Peel and Gambo (who barely ever did TOTP anyway) stood out, to say the very least.

Satchmo Distel wrote: I think the avalanche of Xmas songs really starts in 1984, with Live Aid and Wham being 1 and 2, although as we discussed upthread the St Winifred's phenomenon of releasing novelty shit that could only chart in December had already clicked into full gear by 1980; Don't You Want Me in 1981 was the last quality Xmas No. 1 by a living artist until Pet Shop Boys.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_Singles_Chart_Christmas_number_ones

Hmm, I'd dispute that. The early/mid-seventies saw the phenomenon really kick in, with 1974 perhaps the pinnacle: Lonely This Christmas - Mud (#1); Wombling Merry Christmas - The Wombles (#2); Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me - The Goodies (#7); The Christmas Song - Gilbert O'Sullivan (#12); Hey Mr Christmas - Showaddywaddy (#13) all made the Top 20. (There were also a ton of reissues, including Lennon and Slade's recent classics, and further festive releases from George Harrison, Mr Big and others.) 1975 then saw major Christmas hits for Greg Lake, Dana, Mike Oldfield, Chris Hill, Judge Dread and (again) The Goodies...

(Edit: NB Band Aid, not Live Aid - that was the gig.)

[Mumpo]

TOTP on BBC4

Stating the obvious I know, but that list of Christmas number one singles is a litany of shame from 2005 onwards.

[Mumpo]

TOTP on BBC4

Anyway, the good news - TOTP repeats to continue into 1981/2016. The bad news - 17 episodes lost to Yewtree (and no 1980 Christmas special).

[Sean of the Shed]

TOTP on BBC4

Could they not just cut the bits with the presenters and show the acts?

[Sean of the Shed]

TOTP on BBC4

Mumpo wrote: Stating the obvious I know, but that list of Christmas number one singles is a litany of shame from 2005 onwards.

From 1988 to that point was a pretty grim selection as well.

[Satchmo Distel]

TOTP on BBC4

JW, yes, but I'm suggesting there was a lull after 1975 until Band Aid revived the thread. OTOH there were Top Tens by Bowie/Crosby (an oldie), Jonah Lewie (as discussed) & a Top 20 hit by The Pretenders (arguably the best Xmas-themed Top 20 hit of the 80s). 1982 had some dross in there too:

http://www.everyhit.com/retros/christmas.php?cr=1982

1983: look at the bottom 10 positions here for some novelty stuff I don't recall at all (Jingle Belles?):

http://www.everyhit.co.uk/retrocharts/1983-DecemberC.html

Gambo was dropped because his presenting partner, Mike Reid, cried off one week for another engagement.

Peel lasted until the late-80s though God knows how he could bear it (he needed the cash?).

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

Sean of the Shed wrote: Could they not just cut the bits with the presenters and show the acts?

I wish they'd do that, but guess the BBC wants to avoid the Mail running stories along the lines of "BBC repeats episode where I was molested by the presenter"

Saw somewhere that there are 38 repeatable editions from 1981, which includes the shortened one on Cup Final replay night. Annoyingly we also get to miss the 900th episode special which is presented by Pete Murray, Fluff and Saville.

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

Satchmo Distel wrote:

JW, yes, but I'm suggesting there was a lull after 1975 until Band Aid revived the thread. OTOH there were Top Tens by Bowie/Crosby (an oldie), Jonah Lewie (as discussed) & a Top 20 hit by The Pretenders (arguably the best Xmas-themed Top 20 hit of the 80s). 1982 had some dross in there too:

www.everyhit.com/retros/christmas.php?cr=1982

1983: look at the bottom 10 positions here for some novelty stuff I don't recall at all (Jingle Belles?):

www.everyhit.co.uk/retrocharts/1983-DecemberC.html

Obviously, there were shedloads of Xmas singles issued every year during the seventies and eighties. If that's what you were saying, in terms of 'hits', yes, there was something of a lull between 1980 and 1984, but this happened sometimes. I mean, the 1976 chart-topper When a Child is Born wasn't really written with Xmas in mind, and, the following year, only the recently-deceased Bing Crosby charted with a distinctly-festive song.

NB I'd recommend this site for all yer old charts, etc:

http://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Chart=A

[Satchmo Distel]

TOTP on BBC4

Couldn't they just put the Yewtree ones on Youtube?

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

...or 'Yewtube'.

I can only assume that this is all down to investigations being 'ongoing', since the BBC were happy enough to play Gary Glitter's TOTP performances from early 1977.

[MsD]

TOTP on BBC4

It's really annoying, and it shouldn't be beyond them to edit the shows.

Steve Wright used to present an edited highlights show. Half the fun of the reruns is that they show the low spots (musically speaking) as well as the legendary performances, but they could work that out, and it wouldn't cost much.

I dunno, are there royalty issues? A friend of mine became a regular on the show - her role was to stand beside the DJs, grinning, from about late 82-84? It went on for a while, and she got occasional cheques from (I think) the sale of a DVD. Does everyone involved in a programme still get credited and paid even if they're cut out?

There was some dispute with the Ants, where they owned the song but the BBC owned the performance of the song. The legal side of things is quite complex.

[MsD]

TOTP on BBC4

.. Or yes, maybe ongoing investigations.

[Satchmo Distel]

TOTP on BBC4

In theory (but sometimes not in practice*) instrumental performances in the 70s were recorded with a Beeb orchestra to be sung or mimed to in the evening. This was often a disaster (e.g. Althea & Donna) but it presumably gave the Beeb the copyright.

*The original backing track was surreptitiously substituted

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

MsD wrote:

Does everyone involved in a programme still get credited and paid even if they're cut out?

It all depends upon what kind of a deal one signs up to in the first instance. Your friend did well, as most appearances of that nature would be subject to a buy-out only: being cut from transmission, however, shouldn't normally affect any original contract. A contributor to a show's material (ie, in terms of scripting/producing, etc) would look to royalties, of course. (I still get cheques for stuff I wrote for NMTB and other shows back in the day that have recently been shown elsewhere in the world, which is quite nice.)

[Beatle Simon]

TOTP on BBC4

dalliance wrote:
I really liked Gary Numan back then but This Wreckage was a bit of a dirge. Note Simon Bates introducing it as Wreckage.

He was the first pop star I ever got into, and had every single from 'Are Friens Electric' to 'Stormtrooper In Drag', but listening to 'This Wreckage' for the first time in over 30 years really was a chore.

[Beatle Simon]

TOTP on BBC4

MsD wrote:

There was some dispute with the Ants, where they owned the song but the BBC owned the performance of the song. The legal side of things is quite complex.

When Nick Broomefield made 'Kurt & Courtney', Courtney Love refused to license any Nirvana music, so the only clip of Nirvana performing was their TOTP appearance with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1khy9_E4h44

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

1981 has started up tonight. Just prior to the late repeat the continuity announcer said "Top of the Pops goes twice weekly in 2016", and indeed they are repeating episodes on Friday night too. How's that going to work then? Are they planning to show us the Christmas hits in June?

Not an especially auspicious start to the year either as it kicked off with a Racey cover of "Runaround Sue" though things are now improving with Adam and the Ants followed by The Look.

[Squarewheelbike]

TOTP on BBC4

longeared wrote:
things are now improving with Adam and the Ants followed by The Look.

You need to stop drinking and taking drugs! Actually no, you really need to take more!

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

longeared wrote: 1981 has started up tonight. Just prior to the late repeat the continuity announcer said "Top of the Pops goes twice weekly in 2016", and indeed they are repeating episodes on Friday night too. How's that going to work then? Are they planning to show us the Christmas hits in June?

Not an especially auspicious start to the year either as it kicked off with a Racey cover of "Runaround Sue" though things are now improving with Adam and the Ants followed by The Look.

Hmm, I thought that the whole point of these repeats was that they mirrored the current date, 35 years ago. Perhaps all this 'Yewtree' stuff has knocked that idea out of the park...

A cursory listen to Feeding Time - The Look's identikit follow-up to I Am the Beat - explains why their career faltered somewhat.