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Post by robertreinstein on Oct 28, 2018 23:25:39 GMT
Appearing on British television for the first time in 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were among the guests on the fourth programme in new series The Simon Dee Show. The 50-minute show was broadcast by London Weekend Television on 8 February from 11.25pm. It was filmed at Studio One, Wembley Studios, London. Lennon and Ono brought black rights activist Michael X with them, and other guests included actor George Lazenby. The host was former disc jockey Simon Dee, who had interviewed The Beatles on several previous occasions. Among the subjects for discussion were James Hanratty's legal case, the controversial Bag One lithographs, nudity and the Two Virgins cover. Talk then turned to race issues. Michael X spoke of his gratitude to Lennon and Ono for donating their hair to The Black Centre. Lennon reveals that Sotheby's have declined to sell the hair because "they only sell art". Shortly after the broadcast, the Lennons requested a copy of the show, which was promptly delivered to them. Unfortunately, it seems to no longer be part of their archive.
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Post by williammcgregor on Oct 30, 2018 13:11:21 GMT
UPDATE Marilyn Powell audio is from Dee Time (missing episode) if we all listen to the opening credits on the audio clip
search term
Marilyn Powell on Simon Dee show
result is 4.44 minutes www.marilynpowell.co.uk/the opening credits include Leslie Caron and when Simon Dee starts talking he mentions Max Harris these 2 things coupled with the release date for Marilyn Powell Kiss Me Again (Adios Amor) release date 3 May 1968 and the BBC Genome entry for Saturday 18 May 1968 18.25 - 19.00 Dee Time Musical Director Max Harris TV Brain entry for Dee Time 18.05.1968 with Simon Dee, Bob Hope, Leslie Caron, Ben Lyon (missing) Anybody got any information on Marilyn Powell and maybe a photo? thanks
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Post by Alan Turrell on Oct 30, 2018 13:20:04 GMT
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Post by williammcgregor on Oct 30, 2018 16:56:12 GMT
Thank you Alan
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Post by Alan Turrell on Oct 30, 2018 22:09:06 GMT
This is what I could find out about Marilyn Powell.
Marilyn Powell, born in Kennington, London, took to the stage at the age of three singing at concerts given by her local dancing school. In the Sixties, at the age of 15, she started her recording career making 9 singles for Philips/Fontana and CBS Records and appearing on many TV and radio shows including "Thank your Lucky Stars" and "The Simon Dee Show". She has her place in history for being the first female singer to cover a Beatles track with her first single, "All my Loving". Later Marilyn went on to record 2 albums for the U.S.A. One for United Artists in Los Angeles and one for Manhattan Records in New York. This saw the start of her song writing career. In the 90s, Marilyn released her ¨Seeds¨ album on President records and more recently, ¨Somewhere in the Night¨on Mima Records. All of the singles tracks are available for download from iTunes on her compilation album ¨The Sixties Singles collection 1964-1970¨(Pop gear Records). "Something to hold on to", written by Gallagher and Lyle, has been featured on many multi artist compilation albums. As well as all her single tracks, her albums ¨Seeds¨ and ¨Somewhere in the Night¨ are available for download from iTunes, Amazon and other top download sites. Marilyn has worked extensively doing live concerts throughout Europe and has represented the UK in music festivals in Romania and Bulgaria
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Post by williammcgregor on Oct 31, 2018 21:03:33 GMT
Thank you for this information Alan
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Post by markdixon on Oct 31, 2018 21:34:31 GMT
It looks like I was wrong in my previous post when I suggested that ‘The Simon Dee Show’ was either broadcast live or recorded hours before transmission. It seems more likely that each episode was recorded the day before transmission.
Therefore, it seems strange to me that LWT bosses allowed Dee’s interview with George Lazenby to be broadcast on 08 February 1970 when they knew the contents were very controversial.
A lot has been written about the Lazenby interview, but it’s hard to gauge the accuracy of the information, because as far as I know, no audio recording or transcript exists. I think all that survives from the episode is a 13-minute audio recording of Dee’s interview with John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Michael X.
Craig Brown devoted a whole chapter to the Lazenby interview in his 2012 book “Hello Goodbye Hello: A Circle of 101 Remarkable Meetings”. Brown included what appear to be quotes from the episode, but I think his account of the incident contains many errors. For example, Brown claimed that when Lazenby appeared on the show, he had a beard and long hair, and was dressed as a cowboy. He also claimed Diana Rigg was interviewed alongside Lazenby. However, I’ve seen a photograph taken during the interview. Lazenby was clean-shaven and wore a suit. Diana Rigg wasn’t there.
I had a look through some old newspapers to see if I could find any contemporary accounts of the Lazenby incident. I could only find a few snippets. According to the ‘Newcastle Journal’ (14 Feb 1970) Lazenby ‘talked discursively, ignorantly and irrelevantly about the late President Kennedy’.
David Gibson wrote the following in ‘The Glasgow Evening Times’ (09 Feb 1970)
Watching all these late-night talkie-talkie shows, I get the feeling that if every oddball in London doesn’t know every other oddball, they’ll meet some night on TV. Last night was a good example. There was George Lazenby, 007½, spouting away from a list of people murdered and asking Simon Dee – I mean Simon Dee, of all people! – to investigate the Kennedy assassinations…
Dee even mentioned the Lazenby interview on the following week’s show. This is from ‘The Glasgow Evening Times’ (16 Feb 1970)
Simon Dee is to investigate the Kennedy Assassinations. I can hardly wait, following his announcement last night that he has taken seriously George Lazenby’s request for an enquiry made on the show last week to everyone’s embarrassment.
Finally, here’s Simon Dee discussing the episode about a year after it was broadcast. This is from the ‘British Kinematograph Sound and Television Society Journal’.
Let me tell you what happened to me in commercial television. One night George Lazenby appeared on my show. He came on and brought up the assassination of President Kennedy. I was completely unprepared for this so I let him get on with it because he wanted to talk about it — which is freedom. When he finished I mentioned a book I had been reading. The following morning Philip Purser in the Daily Telegraph filled two columns with invective against me and my handling of the situation.
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Post by williammcgregor on Nov 1, 2018 7:37:56 GMT
Thanks for this information Mark....I must try to see if I can find the Telegraph columns.
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Post by williammcgregor on Nov 3, 2018 11:30:47 GMT
Dee Time BBC
BBC Genome has the following entries for
BBC1 Thursday 20 July 1967 18.25 - 19.05 pm Dee Time From Blackpool, a special holiday edition with Simon Dee introducing some of the stars appearing in the North's most popular seaside resort Frank Ifield Andy Stewart Peter Goodwright Music, Bernard Herrmann and the Northern Dance Orchestra
TV Pop Diaries also says that The New Faces also appeared in this episode.
Did Frank and Andy have any releases around this time?
BBC1 Tuesday 25 July 1967 18.25 - 19.05 pm Dee Time From Blackpool, a special holiday edition with Simon Dee introducing some of the stars appearing in the North's most popular seaside resort Donald Peers Johnny Hackett Hope and Keen Samantha Jones The Barron Knights Music, Bernard Herrmann and the Northern Dance Orchestra
Did Donald, Samantha and The Barron Knights have any releases around this time?
BBC1 Saturday 7 December 1968 18.15 - 18.45 pm Dee Time Guests not listed
BBC1 Saturday 29 March 1969 18.25 - 19.00 pm Dee Time Guests not listed
So the last 2 episodes are proving elusive when it comes to the guests and singers on the show!
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Post by markdixon on Nov 3, 2018 14:13:46 GMT
I’ve found out that another controversial episode of ‘The Simon Dee Show’ was the edition broadcast on 08 March 1970. The focus of that particular show was the macabre and the occult. Vincent Price and Dennis Wheatley were amongst the guests.
Apparently, Dee intended to have a coven of witches on the show. I’m not sure if this happened, but I know that Alex Sanders (known by some people as ‘the King of the Witches’) appeared on the programme. He produced a wax effigy of a rival witch and proceeded to stick pins in it. This incident gets a brief mention in the 1971 part-work magazine ‘Man, Myth and Magic’.
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Post by Alan Turrell on Nov 3, 2018 19:20:56 GMT
Dee Time BBCBBC Genome has the following entries for BBC1 Thursday 20 July 1967 18.25 - 19.05 pm Dee Time From Blackpool, a special holiday edition with Simon Dee introducing some of the stars appearing in the North's most popular seaside resort Frank Ifield Andy Stewart Peter Goodwright Music, Bernard Herrmann and the Northern Dance Orchestra TV Pop Diaries also says that The New Faces also appeared in this episode. Did Frank and Andy have any releases around this time? BBC1 Tuesday 25 July 1967 18.25 - 19.05 pm Dee Time From Blackpool, a special holiday edition with Simon Dee introducing some of the stars appearing in the North's most popular seaside resort Donald Peers Johnny Hackett Hope and Keen Samantha Jones The Barron Knights Music, Bernard Herrmann and the Northern Dance Orchestra Did Donald, Samantha and The Barron Knights have any releases around this time? BBC1 Saturday 7 December 1968 18.15 - 18.45 pm Dee Time Guests not listed BBC1 Saturday 29 March 1969 18.25 - 19.00 pm Dee Time Guests not listed So the last 2 episodes are proving elusive when it comes to the guests and singers on the show! Frank Ifield / Up Up and Away 7th July 1967 Nothing on Andy Stewart around this time. Donald Peers / Somewhere My Love 9th June 1967 Samantha Jones / Surrounded By a Ray of Sunshine 30th June 1967 Nothing on the Barron Knights around this time.
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Post by markdixon on Nov 4, 2018 9:27:36 GMT
Just for ease of reference, I’ve gathered together all the information we have for the ‘The Simon Dee Show’ (including the names from the TV Brain list). At the end I’ve indicated what still exists from the series.
18 Jan 1970: Patrick Cargill, Peter Sellers, Maggie Britton, the Peddlers 25 Jan 1970: Anni Anderson 01 Feb 1970: Des Wilson (director of Shelter), Billy Eckstine, The Pentangle 08 Feb 1970: George Lazenby, Sylvia McNeil, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Michael X, April Ashley 15 Feb 1970: Ginette Reno, Ned Sherrin, Orange Bicycle, Roy Hudd, Sacha Distel, Diana Dors 22 Feb 1970: Billie Whitelaw, Andre Previn 01 Mar 1970: Joe Brown, Samantha Jones 08 Mar 1970: Vincent Price, The Cuff-Links, Joe Brown, Salena Jones, Dennis Wheatley, Alex Sanders 15 Mar 1970: Gene Pitney, Jack Benny, Clifford Davis, Laurence Harvey, Wolf Mankowitz 22 Mar 1970: Ricky Renee, Jochen Rindt, Jack Wild, The Arrival 29 Mar 1970: Marty Feldman, Glynis Johns, Ronald Fraser, Joseph Ward, Jerry Butler, Will Gaines 05 Apr 1970: Shirley Bassey, Eartha Kitt 12 Apr 1970: Eric Sykes, Imogen Hassall, Dionne Warwick, Malcolm Roberts 19 Apr 1970: Edna O’Brien, Harry Fowler, Kenny Lynch, Carol Channing, Cleo Laine 26 Apr 1970: Siobhan McKenna, Nelson Riddle, Terry-Thomas, Dusty and Tom Springfield, Graham Kerr (the Galloping Gourmet) 03 May 1970: Dawn Addams, Peter Wyngarde, Midge McKenzie, Georgie Fame, Peter Hall, Yvonne Mitchell 10 May 1970: Warren Mitchell, Selena Jones, Andrew Duncan, The Up With People 17 May 1970: Millicent Martin, Alan Randall, Jimmy Chipperfield (with tiger cub), AJP Taylor, Marianne Faithfull 24 May 1970: Sandie Shaw, Jo Ann Pflug, George Wells, John Crosby 31 May 1970: Val Doonican, The Arrival, Rosemary Nicols, Jackie Collins, Anthony Quinn and the World Cup Motor Rally winners – Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm 07 June 1970: no episode due to World Cup coverage 14 Jun 1970: no episode due to World cup coverage, but there was a special early evening programme in which Simon Dee interviewed the Archbishop of Canterbury 21 Jun 1970: Vanessa Redgrave, Dr Benjamin Spock 28 Jun 1970: Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Bruce Forsyth, Harry Secombe, Terri Stevens 05 Jul 1970: Carol Channing, Robert Morley, Cat Stevens
The Spooner Twins and the Maynard Ferguson Big Band were regulars on the series.
Peter Cook, Barbara Cartland and Roy Kinnear made appearances, but I haven’t got precise dates.
According to ‘Record Mirror’, White Plains were due to appear on the show sometime in February 1970.
Surviving material
18.01.70. VT of opening credits and Dee’s introduction to his interview with Patrick Cargill (but not the interview itself). Audio of interview with Peter Sellers. 08.02.70. Audio of interview with John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Michael X (duration: 13:31 minutes) 29.03.70. Audio of interview with Marty Feldman
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Post by williammcgregor on Nov 4, 2018 11:47:27 GMT
WOW! thanks Mark great research
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Post by Marie Griffiths on Jan 18, 2022 16:25:36 GMT
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread. Is there nothing of the George Lazenby, Michael X interviews? Not even Audio?
The mention of JFK conspiracies must have been very new at the time.
I would have thought their historical significance would be recognised at the time. I also thought the programme was recorded and sent to America. I wonder what happened to Lennon's copy and why he asked for one. Did it go missing after his death? Simon Dee was called paranoid for thinking the authorities were out to get him but it transpires he had worked in intelligence in Baghdad and a freedom of information request revelled that there was a huge file on him and that he had been visited. It looks like the show was not immediately cancelled but the series finished and he never really worked on TV again.
There are some clips on Youtube of other shows with less notable guests.
See
Simon Matthews: The life and times of Simon Dee
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Post by Kev Mulrenan on Jan 18, 2022 18:47:34 GMT
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread. Is there nothing of the George Lazenby, Michael X interviews? Not even Audio?
The mention of JFK conspiracies must have been very new at the time.
I would have thought their historical significance would be recognised at the time. I also thought the programme was recorded and sent to America. I wonder what happened to Lennon's copy and why he asked for one. Did it go missing after his death? Simon Dee was called paranoid for thinking the authorities were out to get him but it transpires he had worked in intelligence in Baghdad and a freedom of information request revelled that there was a huge file on him and that he had been visited. It looks like the show was not immediately cancelled but the series finished and he never really worked on TV again.
There are some clips on Youtube of other shows with less notable guests. See
Simon Matthews: The life and times of Simon Dee
Sadly his spin a disc appearance on Lucky Stars does not exist. He stepped in for one episode when Brian was ill. All that remains is a still photo on Rex features.
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