|
|
Post by markdixon on Aug 11, 2014 14:59:32 GMT
Hello, this is the first time I’ve posted on the forum. I thought some of you might be interested in the following item I found in the 11th-25th April 1970 edition of the North West version of ‘Time Out’ magazine:
“Octopus. A programme on Granada TV about new developments, be they in music and the arts, scientific research or literally anything that’s happening today. Octopus goes out at 6.05 every Wednesday and is presented by Andrew Fisher, who used to co-edit OZ magazine amongst many other things. The programme has been running since January and Granada say that it might be extended.
Considering that the show is relatively new and that its length is only 25 minutes some really nice people have been on – Bruce Beresford (of the British Film Institute), Harvey Matusow (large musician and computer-abolitionist), Buckminster Fuller, Nick Drake, Angelo Quatrocchi and groups like Love, Taste, and Quintessence to name a few. All this plus synthesisers, mobiles, inflatables and a galaxy of other wonders. Ron Geesin appears on 15 April while on the 22nd April that excellent rock group Mighty Baby. Future plans include John and Yoko, Caroline Coon, Bridget St John and a feature on communes in Britain.
All the credit for these goodies must go to the Octopus team of Andrew Fisher and Sue Woodford, who have demonstrated that TV can be used as a communicator of ideas and energy and not just as a means of selling detergents. He is also fortunate in having aware producers and directors around him. With the exception of World in Action (which has a lot more money to spend) Octopus is certainly the best programme on Granada. The day might come when we see Granada do a midnight show as John Peel did so effectively on radio.
As a way of helping to promote the North West, on 29 April, Andrew will be presenting several local groups on Octopus. He hasn’t heard them all and so if you play in/manage a group and would like to be considered for this programme, then write (don’t telephone) giving full details to Andrew Fisher, Octopus, Granada TV, Manchester 3. “
I’d like to see footage of any of the guests mentioned in the article, but I’m particularly intrigued by the Nick Drake appearance, because no performance footage of him is known to exist. It’s possible that Nick Drake experts know all about his ‘Octopus’ appearance already, but I did an internet search and came to the conclusion that this information isn’t widely known about. I think that the only person who has written online about a Nick Drake TV performance is Steve Diggle (presumably not the Buzzcocks guitarist) on the NickDrake.com forum in 2005. A friend of his remembered seeing Nick Drake on Granada’s ‘Scene at 6.30’ in March 1970, about the time Drake supported Fotheringay at the Manchester Free Trade Hall. However the recollection was proved to be faulty because ‘Scene at 6.30’ finished in 1966. It’s possible that Steve Diggle’s friend saw Drake on ‘Octopus’ which had a similar time slot (6.05). Drake appeared at the Free Trade Hall on 20 March 1970, so the clip could have been aired on ‘Octopus’ the following Wednesday (25 March).
Does any ‘Octopus’ footage survive? ITN Source lists a few film inserts from the show dating from January to June 1970, but they are not music-related. There are clips featuring holograms, robots, steam engines and other things. Could it be the case that ITN Source haven’t listed all the Granada holdings? It would be nice to think there could be other segments or even complete editions of ‘Octopus’ hidden in the Granada vaults. I suspect the Drake performance doesn’t exist anymore. If he was filmed at the Free Trade Hall then there might be a film insert in existence somewhere. If he performed in the studio, then I’m guessing it’s likely that Granada wiped the tapes shortly after transmission without making a telerecording.
I’d be pleased to know if anyone has further information about ‘Octopus’ .
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2014 15:42:43 GMT
Very interesting! Welcome to the forum, by the way. Did Drake make many (any?) other TV appearances, do you know? He's become one of those iconic artists who have no performance footage existing to represent what they did. I'd never heard of Octopus before now though; sounds like a fascinating time-capsule programme and it would be interesting to know just how much of it has managed to survive.
|
|
|
|
Post by John Green on Aug 11, 2014 15:48:04 GMT
One of the poster on the Nick Drake website mentioned that not only was he sure that the John Peel session exists (and this proved to be true),but that TV appearances survived,too.Sounds interesting!
|
|
|
|
Post by markdixon on Aug 11, 2014 15:50:30 GMT
Thanks Laurence. As far as I know he didn't appear on any programmes other than 'Octopus'.
|
|
|
|
Post by williammcgregor on Aug 11, 2014 16:09:18 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Jeff Leach on Aug 11, 2014 19:36:59 GMT
From the excellent site "Rock on TV" homepage.ntlworld.com/carousel/pob/RockOnTV70-75.htmlA snippit of info - ??/??/1970 Nick Drake / Love / Taste / Quintessence [Octopus, Granada TV] (Local North-West magazine show presented by Andrew Fisher on Wednesdays 6:05-6:30pm, acts listed said to have appeared early 1970, before mid-April) |
|
|
|
Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Aug 12, 2014 9:46:10 GMT
This is from the Benyon Archive:- www.members.optusnet.com.au/mbenyon/""TELEVISION BROADCASTS 1984 Southern TV news flash of Poole Arts Centre show featuring Hands & Rice 1984 Global Images Video, 'Holography:Memories in Light'. (Holograms filmed). 1981 New York Metro Media/Channel 5 Evening News, 'Spotlight' TVS. 1978 South Australian Film Co., 'Do you see what I see'. 1972/3 BBC Television, Reporting Scotland. 'Laser Beam Artist'. News report, short interview. Colour. 3 mins. 1970 BBC TV Enterprises. News footage of a solo exhibition in Nottingham University Art Gallery. B & W. 1min. 1970 BBC Television Bristol. South and West Film Unit. Children's programme, Tom-Tom. Interview with Norman Tozer.Colour. 7 mins. 1970 Granada Television report, Octopus, directed by Brian Winston. Colour. 4 mins."" |
|
|
|
Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Aug 12, 2014 9:48:05 GMT
William, Badfinger RECORDED their slot on 27/01/1970, it may well have been transmitted later. But PLEASE keep up the research!!!! |
|
|
|
Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Aug 12, 2014 10:16:29 GMT
On January 21st 1970, Sydney filmmaker Alby Thoms showed an experimental 35mm handmade film on Octopus.
|
|
|
|
Post by Joe Haynes on Aug 12, 2014 10:30:01 GMT
I have never heard anything about Nick appearing on on Octopus Although there have been many rumours of TV shows. I believe he was considered for TOGWT but either turned it down or wasn't accepted.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Aug 12, 2014 10:32:09 GMT
This is from the Benyon Archive:- www.members.optusnet.com.au/mbenyon/""TELEVISION BROADCASTS 1984 Southern TV news flash of Poole Arts Centre show featuring Hands & Rice 1984 Global Images Video, 'Holography:Memories in Light'. (Holograms filmed). 1981 New York Metro Media/Channel 5 Evening News, 'Spotlight' TVS. 1978 South Australian Film Co., 'Do you see what I see'. 1972/3 BBC Television, Reporting Scotland. 'Laser Beam Artist'. News report, short interview. Colour. 3 mins. 1970 BBC TV Enterprises. News footage of a solo exhibition in Nottingham University Art Gallery. B & W. 1min. 1970 BBC Television Bristol. South and West Film Unit. Children's programme, Tom-Tom. Interview with Norman Tozer.Colour. 7 mins. 1970 Granada Television report, Octopus, directed by Brian Winston. Colour. 4 mins."" Very slightly off-topic (well, off Nick Drake, but still on the show), I am wondering if Octopus is ALL wiped? And if the Benyon Archive do have this footage as listed. I'd be interested to find out. |
|
|
|
Post by markdixon on Aug 12, 2014 11:55:38 GMT
ITN Source contains an entry for the 'Octopus' footage listed by the Benyon Archive. The clip ID is 242106. It's a 4 minute clip about experiments with holograms by Margaret Benyon of the Fine Arts Department at Nottingham University. There are about 8 other 'Octopus' clips relating to science on ITN Source. Sadly there's no evidence that any of the musical performances featured on the show have survived.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Aug 12, 2014 12:06:52 GMT
ITN Source contains an entry for the 'Octopus' footage listed by the Benyon Archive. The clip ID is 242106. It's a 4 minute clip about experiments with holograms by Margaret Benyon of the Fine Arts Department at Nottingham University. There are about 8 other 'Octopus' clips relating to science on ITN Source. Sadly there's no evidence that any of the musical performances featured on the show have survived. Thank you Mark. |
|
|
|
Post by williammcgregor on Aug 12, 2014 16:19:11 GMT
William, Badfinger RECORDED their slot on 27/01/1970, it may well have been transmitted later. But PLEASE keep up the research!!!! Hi Ray, I should have noticed it said RECORDED Oops! I do intend to keep up the research it's fun cheers William |
|
|
|
Post by markdixon on Aug 14, 2014 17:35:52 GMT
Two interesting bits of information regarding the Drake ‘Octopus’ appearance have been posted on the NickDrake.com forum. The ‘Time Out’ article from 1970 that I included in my original post here also appears in a photograph in the new book compiled by the Estate of Nick Drake titled ‘Remembered for a While’. Maybe they’ve taken steps to acquire the clip (if it still exists).
One forum member heard Drake’s producer Joe Boyd state that he has a memory of seeing the Drake clip, but not in the Granada area. Perhaps a telerecording or a recording made on an early domestic video recorder may exist. The programme wasn’t networked. I’ve checked ‘TV Times’ listings from March 1970 for almost all of the ITV regions and I couldn’t find any evidence that ‘Octopus’ was shown by any company other than Granada. Unfortunately I haven’t got access to any 1970 editions of ‘TV Times’ from the Granada region itself. They probably contain some interesting further information about ‘Octopus’.
|
|
