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Post by Sal Mohammed on Jul 11, 2015 22:00:20 GMT
Just as well the police had dropped the Cliff sex case in time for this weeks episode.
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Post by Chris Barratt on Jul 13, 2015 6:44:06 GMT
I thought Cliff gave a reasonable account of himself as co-host - this was around the same time he was making regular self-deprecating appearances on The Kenny Everett Video Show too. He also (IMO) had just cut his best album, the Alan Tarney showcase 'I'm No Hero'. Incidentally, here's an interesting article on the BBC censorship of TOTP and one mans journey thru the BBC complaints process www.masterton.co.uk/2015/06/food-for-thought/
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Post by Tony Walshaw on Jul 14, 2015 8:27:34 GMT
Cliff merely used his experience as a light entertainer and TV presenter. And he came across much better than Elton & Roger did.
He came across better than Steve Wright as well, and looked younger - Cliff was almost 40 at this time, whereas Wright was still only a few days from reaching 26 years.
Though I don't dislike Steve Wright per se, he was then very much a 'Smashie n Nicie DJ', a bit silly and not particularly original. A lot of his delivery and mannerisms are taken from Kenny Everett, who was an original.
To pick up on the disco discussion, I see where both Kev & Rob are coming from. In the schoolyard, you 'had to like' UK (white) rock/new wave artists, and other genres like disco were separate to this, and off the radar of coolness. You could have 'Queen', 'Thin Lizzy' or 'The Clash' painted onto the flap of your haversack, but not 'Chic' or 'Bee Gees'.
In 1980, this 'mentality' meant that you might have to endure run-of-the-mill album tracks by such as Peter Gabriel, Whitesnake or The Jam, and not admit to liking singles by The Detroit Spinners, Odyssey or Stephanie Mills.
In reality disco ranged from the cheesiness of Ottowan, via Sheila B. Devotion right up to the sublimity of Nile Rogers. The difference was a stark as that from Racey to Rainbow.
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Post by Dave Woods on Jul 14, 2015 22:00:07 GMT
via Sheila B. Devotion right up to the sublimity of Nile Rogers.
Spacer is pretty sublime in my book - thanks in no small part to Mr Rodgers.
I think Steve Wright owed most of his physical mannerisms to nerves. It doesn't make for easy viewing.
I daresay a lot of people would still class him as naff (those that still class things as naff anyway) but he did seem to emerge a much stronger broadcaster when he took on board the criticism about homophobia and did something about it. Hmmm. There's a definite theme emerging in this thread... And it seems quite appropriate that it should emerge in the early eighties.
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Post by Chris Barratt on Jul 15, 2015 12:00:08 GMT
Steve Wright's main broadcasting influence - to my ears anyways - seems to have been Noel Edmonds. He took the silly phonecalls/daft voices from Noel and mixed a bit of "edgy" US 'zoo' in there. Quite liked him on Radio 1, but I've never bought into his yuppiefied "Mr Media" R2 persona despite the fact most of his listeners claim he hasn't changed... He has managed to survive unscathed on daytime BBC national pop radio for 35 years though, and that isn't to be sniffed at.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 7:00:34 GMT
He doesn't have Mr Angry on nowadays. Or The Horrible Voice. Reason alone to avoid like the plague.
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Post by richardwoods on Jul 17, 2015 8:43:09 GMT
Does he still have Mick & Keith on the show? I remember Bill Wyman saying that it seriously peed off MJ.
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Post by Tony Walshaw on Jul 22, 2015 6:10:54 GMT
Yes. Steve Wright's main broadcasting influence - to my ears anyways - seems to have been Noel Edmonds. He took the silly phonecalls/daft voices from Noel and mixed a bit of "edgy" US 'zoo' in there. Quite liked him on Radio 1, but I've never bought into his yuppiefied "Mr Media" R2 persona despite the fact most of his listeners claim he hasn't changed... He has managed to survive unscathed on daytime BBC national pop radio for 35 years though, and that isn't to be sniffed at. Steve Wright was phased in to Radio 1 around the time that Edmonds was moving on to full-time TV work. They seemed keen to get him onto an extended afternoon show in the early 80s. With such as Paul Burnett, DLT being phased out. He must be someone who gets on with the job, and his superiors.
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Post by darrensetter on Jul 25, 2015 6:35:37 GMT
On this week's show Mr Bates mentioned a BBC show on XTC due soon. Does anyone know what this show was? I only know of the C4 show a few years later, and a special feature on Andy Batten-Foster's RPM (I think) at around the same time. Also good to see the brief interview with Lynda Carter, which was unexpected.
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Post by Tim Linnell on Aug 1, 2015 21:33:20 GMT
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Post by Danny Payne on Aug 26, 2015 10:54:17 GMT
Anyone know when the next TOTP 1980 is being broadcast, not been seen for about 5 weeks ?
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Post by Richard Marple on Aug 26, 2015 12:13:23 GMT
I presume when the proms finish, the break also allows to get thing back into synch because of the strike gap.
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Post by Oliver Roemer on Sept 23, 2015 16:49:24 GMT
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Post by Chris Barratt on Oct 2, 2015 12:06:45 GMT
BBC Four saw fit to chop the following intro from last nights repeat - even the late "uncut" one. I can think of a few words to describe it - lame and superfluous being two - but 'controversial'? Make up your own minds:
Russ Abbott, dressed as a scout: "Welcome to this weeks Top Of The Pops! Unfortunately The Beatles will not be appearing tonight and you will not be grabbed by The Dooleys, but we do have Sooty & Sweep's latest record 'Sooty Goes Punk, ooh!" Mike Read: "Listen, No Sooty" Russ "No Sooty? Just a minute, who are you?"
Mike "Mike Read. Doing the show tonight" Russ "Mike Read? (shakes his hand) Russ Abbott, bsc" Mike "Hi Russ, bsc eh, Bachelor of Science!" Russ "No, boy scout! Hahaha! Look at that kid, what do you think eh?" (moves one leg around) Mike "Who's that?" Russ "Legs & Co!" Mike "Can you do it with both of them?"
Russ "There's five isn't there?" Mike "Don't be dirty! Right I think it's about time we got on with the show, right here we go"
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Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Oct 2, 2015 12:20:03 GMT
BBC Four saw fit to chop the following intro from last nights repeat - even the late "uncut" one. I can think of a few words to describe it - lame and superfluous being two - but 'controversial'? Make up your own minds: Russ Abbott, dressed as a scout: "Welcome to this weeks Top Of The Pops! Unfortunately The Beatles will not be appearing tonight and you will not be grabbed by The Dooleys, but we do have Sooty & Sweep's latest record 'Sooty Goes Punk, ooh!" Mike Read: "Listen, No Sooty" Russ "No Sooty? Just a minute, who are you?"
Mike "Mike Read. Doing the show tonight" Russ "Mike Read? (shakes his hand) Russ Abbott, bsc" Mike "Hi Russ, bsc eh, Bachelor of Science!" Russ "No, boy scout! Hahaha! Look at that kid, what do you think eh?" (moves one leg around) Mike "Who's that?" Russ "Legs & Co!" Mike "Can you do it with both of them?"
Russ "There's five isn't there?" Mike "Don't be dirty! Right I think it's about time we got on with the show, right here we go" It's silly to chop that unless there was some sort of major reason, and I can't think of one. Oddly, I've met both of those two. And Sooty and Sweep. And one of the Beatles But not the Dooleys. Although I did email one of them, no response....
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