Kinks at the BBC

[Marie Griffiths]

Great archive footage and Ive got love if you want it wss in good condition BUT Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon had terrible timing problems that should have been fixed as they were playing along to the record I could have done a better job myself.

[Thomas Walsh]

Sept 3, 2021 22:31:59 GMT Marie Griffiths said:

Great archive footage and Ive got love if you want it wss in good condition BUT Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon had terrible timing problems that should have been fixed as they were playing along to the record I could have done a better job myself.

This may seem trivial Marie but it's simply called 'Sunny Afternoon'. This seems to be the norm now along with 'We all live in a yellow submarine' and 'Lazy Sunday Afternoon'.

[nicadare]

Sept 3, 2021 22:31:59 GMT Marie Griffiths said:

Great archive footage and Ive got love if you want it wss in good condition BUT Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon had terrible timing problems that should have been fixed as they were playing along to the record I could have done a better job myself.

Could of been fixed in 5 minutes using some software such as Avid or Vegas.
Talking of dodgy audio...

[Kev Hunter]

Dodgy audio? Surely that's the 2012 BBC Krinkly Magnetic Tape Mix?

[Marie Griffiths]

Ll that certainly puts a kink into the kinks. Im sure some work on that could make in presentable.

Sept 5, 2021 10:02:04 GMT nicadare said:

Sept 3, 2021 22:31:59 GMT Marie Griffiths said:

Great archive footage and Ive got love if you want it wss in good condition BUT Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon had terrible timing problems that should have been fixed as they were playing along to the record I could have done a better job myself.

Could of been fixed in 5 minutes using some software such as Avid or Vegas.
Talking of dodgy audio...

[Mike Goldwater]

I watched "The Kinks at the BBC" last Saturday and I found it quite shoddy, there was too much post Kinks material (with just Ray Davies) and shocklingly only four clips from the 60's, even though more survives in the archives. They should have included performances of 'Autumn Almanac' and 'Wonderboy' from TOTP and 'Days' from The Basil Brush Show which was recently recovered. Plus colour footage of 'Last of the Steam Powered Trains'/ 'Picture Book' from Once More With Felix, taped a few weeks before Pete Quaife left the band. Moreover, from the 70's, 'Apeman' from TOTP (Dec 1970) and performance footage from The Kinks at the Rainbow, The Old Grey Whistle Test (1977) and the Kinks Christmas Concert from the same year. I admit the compilation is from 2011, but it should have been updated and improved.

A further note, the 'so called' researcher got their facts wrong with the song 'Days'. They wrote that Kirsty MacColl had a hit with the song 30 years after the original; wrong, her cover version was released in 1989, so more like 21 years after.

Here's a 'proposed' updated lineup, with the unused clips marked in red:


You Really Got Me - The Beat Room (1964)

Got Love If You Want It? - The Beat Room (1964)

Sunny Afternoon - A Whole Scene Going (1966)

Autumn Almanac - TOTP (1967)

Wonderboy - TOTP (1968)

Days - The Basil Brush Show (1968)

Last of the Steam Powered Trains - Once More With Felix (1969)

Picture Book - Once More With Felix (1969)

Lola - TOTP (1970)

Apeman - TOTP (1970)

Alcohol - The Kinks at the Rainbow (1972)

Have a Cuppa Tea - Old Grey Whistle Test (1972)

Acute Schizophrenia Blues - The Kinks in Concert (1973)

Sleepwalker - Old Grey Whistle Test (1977)

Jukebox Music - Christmas Concert (1977)

Come Dancing - TOTP (1983)

The Informer - Later with Jules Holland (1993)

Scattered - The Late Show (1993)

You Really Got Me - TOTP (1994)

[Paul Watkins]

In defence of the BBC at the time of compiling this show there were issues with some clips they should have included.

Autumn Almanac & Wonderboy would have had to be licenced from ZDF & NDR
Days hadn't been recovered at that point
The 'Once More with Felix' masters according to the BBC, had been 'loaned out' and couldn't be returned in time for broadcast.


I agree that the 'Kinks at the BBC' should have had an update or a 'Kinks at the BBC' 2.

Some more i would have also included are these videos and performances:

Dedicated Follower of Fashion (Video) (A Whole Scene Going) (1966)
Dead End Street (Video) (1966) although not shown on TOTP i would include due to the controversy at the time.
Death Of A Clown (TOTP)(1967)
Lola (It's Lulu) (1973)
Do It Again (Video) (OGWT)

[markjhaley]

That compilation must've been on half a dozen times. There's a live "Days" from the Late Show they could slot in as well.

[Mike Goldwater]

Unfortunately one clip that does survive in the archives, but may never get included in a future compilation or documentary. Footage of The Kinks playing "Sunny Afternoon" on TOTP in June 1966, which was discovered some time ago, yet for some unknown reason the film print has never been properly transferred. This footage is quite historic, not only is it the earliest surviving footage of The Kinks performing on TOTP, it is the only surviving footage from John Dalton's brief initial stint with the band before he joined full time in the Spring of 1969. It's a shame this footage has been treated such neglect given it's status, currently we're left with a ropey VHS viewing copy which hardly does the clip justice. 

[ajsmith]

Jul 21, 2023 16:42:52 GMT Mike Goldwater said:

Unfortunately one clip that does survive in the archives, but may never get included in a future compilation or documentary. Footage of The Kinks playing "Sunny Afternoon" on TOTP in June 1966, which was discovered some time ago, yet for some unknown reason the film print has never been properly transferred. This footage is quite historic, not only is it the earliest surviving footage of The Kinks performing on TOTP, it is the only surviving footage from John Dalton's brief initial stint with the band before he joined full time in the Spring of 1969. It's a shame this footage has been treated such neglect given it's status, currently we're left with a ropey VHS viewing copy which hardly does the clip justice. 

Do you know in which archive or collection the higher grade master of this is known to reside? I thought the VHS dub (which apparently has been known to collectors since about 1993) might have been all that was left.

[Thomas Walsh]

Jul 21, 2023 16:42:52 GMT Mike Goldwater said:

Unfortunately one clip that does survive in the archives, but may never get included in a future compilation or documentary. Footage of The Kinks playing "Sunny Afternoon" on TOTP in June 1966, which was discovered some time ago, yet for some unknown reason the film print has never been properly transferred. This footage is quite historic, not only is it the earliest surviving footage of The Kinks performing on TOTP, it is the only surviving footage from John Dalton's brief initial stint with the band before he joined full time in the Spring of 1969. It's a shame this footage has been treated such neglect given it's status, currently we're left with a ropey VHS viewing copy which hardly does the clip justice. 

And that’s my slightly embarrassing handy work on the video you linked to Mike. I did the dub and tried to just preserve the clip as best I could 10 years ago or so, when I posted it. I could do a MUCH better job on it now in 5 minutes. And that KINKS night was just sad. Everything smelt of mothballs and mould. Nothing treated with love and care. Nothing updated. Give me strength BBC.

[robertreinstein]

I think that clip originated in a compilation titled “Texas TV” which was several clips from “The LarryKane Show” (not the same guy that interviewed The Beatles), and The Kinks clip was just sandwiched in there for no apparent reason. The rest of the clips were from the Larry Kane studio and shot on videotape.

[sonnybh]

I heard The Kinks were banned from touring the USA for a few years after an incident at a performance so didn't get many TV appearances over there.

[Kev Hunter]

Jul 23, 2023 10:17:23 GMT sonnybh said:

I heard The Kinks were banned from touring the USA for a few years after an incident at a performance so didn't get many TV appearances over there.

This is covered in Jon Savage's excellent 1984 official biography of the band; they fell out with a promoter after failing to perform for her following some disagreements, and were reported to the American Federation of Musicians which then blacklisted them.

[sonnybh]

Jul 23, 2023 12:07:53 GMT Kev Hunter said:

Jul 23, 2023 10:17:23 GMT sonnybh said:

I heard The Kinks were banned from touring the USA for a few years after an incident at a performance so didn't get many TV appearances over there.

This is covered in Jon Savage's excellent 1984 official biography of the band; they fell out with a promoter after failing to perform for her following some disagreements, and were reported to the American Federation of Musicians which then blacklisted them.

Thanks I though it was something like this.