I give marks out of 10 to every song – based on whatever criteria you like, here’s your opportunity to say what you’d have given more than 6 to from 1976. Tick as many as you like.
Loading ...And use the comments to discuss the year as a whole, if you like.
Tom in FT /Popular • featured content/Pop/popular year poll • 9,617 views
All, 1–25, 26–50, 51–75, 76–100, 101–125, 126–150, 151–175, 176–200, 201–225, 226–250, 251–275, 276–300, 301–325, 326–350, 351–375, 376–400, 401–425, 426–450, 451–475, 476–500, 501–525, 526–551.Back up to post. More comments: All, 1–25, 26–50, 51–75, 76–100, 101–125, 126–150, 151–175, 176–200, 201–225, 226–250, 251–275, 276–300, 301–325, 326–350, 351–375, 376–400, 401–425, 426–450, 451–475, 476–500, 501–525, 526–551.
All the UK number ones since 1952, reviewed in order and rated by whim. As featured on Radio 2, The Times, Metro, Paul Cornell's LiveJournal, etc etc.
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I don’t think they’ve missed any out, actually. They have been missing them *now* due to The Sky At Night taking the slot every three weeks or so, and I would assume they missed this time because of some sports event on that thursday back in 1976.
But they must be “missing some out” as a lot of 1976 and 1977 editions don’t exist intheir archives (if anywhere) by the sound of what I’ve read on the sites about mising TOTP sod’s law seems to be dictating that some of those missing edirions seem to be far superior to ones that have survived.There’s one from earlier in 1976 which I’ve seen mentioned a lot lately and which Bruce Forsyth recorded (because his daughter was appearing as one of Guys and Dolls)and which may or may not exist as a full show somewhere which although I can’t recall exactly the songs featured aside from Slik doing ‘Forevr and Ever’ i remember thinking what apity that ones missing.
The world of ‘missing TOTP’ is quite exciting with various clips (and sometimes whole shows) thought lost seemingly being discovered/newly rumoured to exist all the time – and when you think of all the unchecked foreign telly archives who knows what may still be lurking out there.
The whole set of 52 1973 editions at the height of glam rock with all those outrageous appearances seems to be the holy grail for many. But to me editions from c1968-72 when it was very un-BBC (ie non-light entertainment) and a very happening and well made reflection of pop culture seems to be an equally exciting period.
I thought they started this run from the week they did, because they had all the episodes from this point on.
The examples you cite were pre.
It would be nice to have those ‘Pre-mid1976′ ‘whole episodes’ that the BBC actually have, as another ‘re-broadcast’ project. But then again, it always seems quite ‘tentative’ that even these are being shown.
I completely agree with you as the couple that do exist in their entirety from 1970/71 and which I’ve seen are far better television than these 1976 editions not that I’m complaining as I like watching thse too. TOTP in 1969-71 was like watching a different programme though with dancers almost freaking out, far more imaginative camera work, better graphics everything really – even the djs are better (even though they’re basically the same ones as 1976).
I thought that about 1976 too but it seems that quite a few 1976 are missing – hence people appearing 2 weeks running and the charts seemingly moving really quickly for back then (IIRC they’ve got round this in the re-runs by occasionally not having a re-run that week and getting slightly out of sync with which week they were shown in 1976)
TBH it appears the real ‘experts’ on the ‘missing’ sites don’t know exactly how the BBC are doing it.
Some from 1977 also don’t exist and from what I’ve read the last one definitely wiped was from September 1977 but unusually other later editions including one from as late as 1988 also seem to have disappeared.
It’s a shame they don’t plug the holes with something TOTP related, because it loses momentum when Mr Night Sky or The Proms turn up in its place.
Having to content myself with bootleg DVDs of the German equivalent, Disco. Lots of non-hit Gilbert O on that too.
So far, nobody has been on two weeks in a row, except for this time.
I was suspecting that some sports event meant that there was no TOTP for that week, but from #354 it would seem that a ‘missing episode’ is not totally unlikely.
Guess one of those things where a 1976 “Radio Times” needs to be consulted,.
The whole set of 52 1973 editions at the height of glam rock with all those outrageous appearances seems to be the holy grail for many.
Indeed, but even if all 52 were found, the G*ry Gl*tt*r Question would preclude at least half of them being shown.
I wonder if Brucie recorded his own TOTP performance in late 1975 performing the Lou Reed-esque (no, really! It would have fitted straight into Berlin!) “Sandra.”
Well, it’s not stopped the JKing “oops, we’ve only got 30 mins, which one to drop, hmmm” process, so doubtless there would be some weeks where the number one gets the ‘oh sorry, quality was a bit ropey at the end of the prog’ works.
#356 and others. It’s difficult / impossible to state authoritatively what’s really missing from the BBC archive, but not difficult to state authoritatively that the episodes broadcast have been non-consecutive: some have definitely been missed.
IF (big IF) I recall correctly, the press releases from March / April 2011 said that BBC4 had started with episodes from April 1976 because it represented the start of an unbroken run. However, a few episodes have not been broadcast by BBC4, for whatever reason.
Well, they started with an episode that was exactly 35 years ago to the week.
Now, they are lagging behind. This is because when they have a “Sky at night” or some such other, they hold off for a week. Each episode has had the date of original transmission on the ‘information’.
Although, on checking, they are ‘up to’ 19th August as the most recent broadcast. Which does suggest that some progs have been missed as they have had more than two ‘Sky at night’ shows, and other such.
This week? Sky at night….
Mark at 356 – Throughout my childhood from about 7 till about 15 TOTP was probably my favorite television programme and whatever I was doing I would try and make sure I could watch it – and I don’t remember it ever not being shown (this seems to be echoed by the ‘missing programmes’ people who presume it was shown every week of every year excluding industrial disputes). If any sporting occasion arose they’d just have shifted its time slightly.
But I do know there are places on the web where all the shows in the BBC archive (that the BBC have catalogued anyway and obviously excluding all the private collection stuff they haven’t got)are listed and quite a few 1976/77 shows are missing.
361, the big gap of course was June-August 1980, due to a technicians’ strike I think
IIRC I seem to recall one edition being cancelled (due to industrial action, I think) in 1983 because it coincided with Robert Wyatt’s version of ‘Shipbuilding’ advancing into the top 40. I don’t know if TOTP would have played it or not but it went down the chart the following week and the opportunity was lost.
I remember another lost to industrial action in about 1973/74 when they showed a programme comprised purely of Gilbert O’Sullivan songs (promotional type films IIRC) – it bored the arse off me as an 8 year old when I’d tuned in hoping for the usual Slade, Sweet and Gary Glitter.
#363: not actually the case – that programme was cut short because of an FA Cup Final replay (Man U v Brighton); RW and band were on standby to come on the show but in the event it could only go down as far as “In A Big Country” at #34. “Shipbuilding” was at #35 and didn’t go any higher.
From the period in 1976 covered by these re-runs these don’t exist and therefore can’t be shown:
1/7
12/8
2/9
16/9
11/11
18/11
2/12
16/12
Cheers Andy. Depressingly high proportion. Which really does make me wonder why they started the re-runs in April ’76.
#365. Fascinating story. Do you know to what extent he and his band were on standby? Were they expecting a call (up)? I ask because there were other records which could have got the call ahead of Shipbuilding (or put another way, which could have been selected ahead of In A Big Country). Although, of course, whatever one thinks of “The Rules” and however rigidly one believes they were applied, they only ever ruled records out, and did not rule them in (TOTP did not feel compelled to play Relax or I Just Can’t Stop Loving You even when they were #1s).
#366. Brilliant – thanks for the comprehensive list. To confirm, these shows were broadcast, but don’t exist in archive: Is that right?
Wonderful to see Manfred Mann’s Earth Band on this week’s edition – the first gig I ever saw was them supported by Racing Cars later in ’76. Definitely the highlight of the show along with the Whistle Test-esque cartoon they used for the Chi-Lites.
Martin Cohen, the bassist with 5000 Volts, has posted reminiscences of the band’s TOTP days on a site called Missing Episodes which is well worth a look – http://missingepisodes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=totp&action=display&thread=5467&page=32 . Such a shame to learn that singer Linda Kelly died in 1998 at the age of just 51.
TOTP 26th August 1978
Noel Edmunds – irritating as ever
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band: OK tune (early outing for Bruce on UK TV?) – this sounded like the original not a TOTP band version
Bee Gees: great tune, lacklustre dance routine and half the audience made to sit watching
Robin Sarstedt: ditchwater dull follow on from ‘my resistance is low’
Acker Bilk: 808 State wannabe
Chi-Lites – great production combining funky keyboards and horns with swirling strings and insistent vocals – visual goes down the OGWT vintage animation route as noted by Erithian
James & Bobby Purify – continue the soul theme – marred only by the antics of Ruby Flipper
Cliff Richard – don’t remember this vaguely Bee Gee like song – not too shabby
Gallagher & Lyle: pleasant if a bit drippy
KD & EJ – no vid more Ruby Flipper and dancing audience
I thought (Noel Edmunds and Robin Sarstedt notwithstanding)this was the best so far – even the audience semed to have a bit more life and the dancing appeared at least vaguely in the direction of the ‘proper’ dancing of the ’60s and start of the ’70s shows. In which ironically also featured and wasn’t even that annoying…
Manfred Mann – no more memories of the summer of 1976 for me as this takes me right back to that autumn and the hour before tea listening to the Capital Hitline on my dad’s radiogram.
Bee Gees – the half of the audience sitting down but still moving in rhythm (while everyone else dances)is slightly redolent of those at raves who were either too fucked or knackered to remain standing but still couldn’t stop madly nodding to the beat.
Acker Bilk – got into this via Youtube a year or so ago – they (seemed
to be loads of South americans and Italians) were biggin’ this up bigtime on there.
Chi-Lites – surprisingly good cartoon – they used something similar for Silver Convention ‘Get Up And Boogie’ from earlier in this year just before these re-runs started and a decade later for ‘Jack Your Body’ IIRC
Gallagher & Lyle re the punchline to Noel’s tortuous ‘joke’ – it’s amazing how big and floppy the old pound notes that he was waving were – I know the smaller poundnotes disappeared around 1986/87 but not sure when these were taken out of circulation – possibly about 1978(?). Think I was at secondary school anyway at the time.
So, I watched the Iplayer 30min version, and knowing that Can were supposed to follow RobStars, it sort of puts Noel’s intro into question..
His thing about “the wonder of words, listen to these lyrics” cued up Acker here. Did they cue up Can and their ‘robust sexual wanting’?
Dunno, will have to watch the 40 min repeat and find out…
I’d forgotten just how good that Chi-Lites record was. Arrangement is everything. And the OGWT cartoon was marvellous, especially with the very cheeky girly orgasmic squeak at the end of the track.
Robin Sarstedt looked too smug by half.
Sue from Ruby Flipper certainly looked like a girl who needed very little encouragement to me. Rather like “The Landlord’s Daughter” from “The Wicker Man”.
Both Erithian and I had become convinced that Kiki became gradually more interested in Elton as the weeks rolled by and were just wondering if she would tear his kit off this time around when Noel (who was a complete dick from start to finish) pulled the plug on the vid. So we’ll never know. Instead we saw Sue again, which we both agreed was much nicer.
They missed out Can!
That’s completely ridiculous -is the person in charge of these re-runs a complete idiot just trying to piss as many people off as possible?
If Sue was the one doing the thrusts at the end of one of the songs this week (when no-one else was) I know just what you both mean!
That’ll be her!!