Discotheque TV Show 1968/69

[williammcgregor]

Sadly, there appears to be not one second of the TV show Discotheque that exists ? or does it ? unless it's in the Twilight Zone ? anyway please read on ...



Discotheque

Granada TV

The show was hosted by Billy J Kramer and produced by Muriel Young plus regulars The Factory and The Four Spots

5:20 to 5:50pm

01/11/68 Host Billy J Kramer, Billie Davis, Graham Bonney, Tangerine Peel and Roberta Rex (* Mary Hopkin was mentioned as being booked for the first show) but unconfirmed

08/11/68 Host Billy J Kramer, Dave Clark, Long John Baldry, The Merseys, Liza Doolittle, The Barron Knights, The Marbles, David Essex sang (Just for Tonight) Susan Maughan

15/11/68 Host Billy J Kramer, Chris Andrews, The Barron Knights, The Flirtations, David Garrick, Mike Leroy

22/11/68 Host Billy J. Kramer, Dianne Greaves, The Four Spots, Long John Baldry, Susan Maughan

29/11/68 Host Billy J Kramer, and The Remo, Cupid’s Inspiration, Heath Hampstead,The Marbles, Roly Daniels,Norma Leon

06/12/68 Host Billy J Kramer, with Dianne Greaves,Leslie Duncan,The Herd,The Young Brothers,Tommy Farrell,The Four Spots

13/12/68 Host Billy J Kramer,The Cats Eyes,The Peddlers,Paul Slade,Deena Webster,The Four Spots

20/12/68 Host Billy J Kramer, Paul Jones sings (Aquarius) Billy J Kramer, The Cameos, Wayne Fontana, Peppermint Circus - (I Won't Be There) Vigrass (Paul Vigrass)

27/12/68 Host Billy J Kramer and The Remo, The Idle Race, J.J. Jackson, The Perishers and Tammy Jones

03/01/69 Host Billy J Kramer, 'Disc Dolly'Diane Graves, Geno Washington's Ram Jam Band, Blossom Toes, Truly Smith and The Chants

10/01/69 Host Billy J Kramer, Freddie and The Dreamers, Root and Jenny Jackson, John Walker and Lois Lane

17/01/69 Host Graham Bonney, Julie Rogers, Roger James Cooke and Kenny Ball's Jazzmen

24/01/69 TV POP Diaries says content unknown same as does TV Brain - was there an episode?

29/01/69 Hosts Diane Greaves and Graham Bonney, Gordon Waller, Kiki Dee, The Fortunes and Graham Bonney,Hosted by Dianne Graves, The Remo, Bill Kenwright - Tiggy (Kenwright was currently starring in Coronation Street as Gordon Clegg)

05/02/69 Host Graham Bonney, Paul Jones, the Caravelles, Mike Leroy, Kathy and The Perishers, Hosted by Graham Bonney

12/02/69 Host Graham Bonney, The Move (the band's first TV show with Rick Price) Harmony Grass and The Paper Dolls,Clyde McPhatter

19/02/69 Host Graham Bonney, Billy Fury, The Iveys and Ayshea, Gene Latter, Ayshea (as a performer, not as a presenter yet) The Countrymen

26/02/69 Host Graham Bonney, Duane Eddy, The Troggs, Raymond Froggatt and Clodagh Rodgers, Stuart Smith, Duane Eddy, Jackie Trent, Plus regulars The Remo, 'Disc Dolly' Dianne Greaves, The Four Spots

05/03/69 Host Graham Bonney, Long John Baldry, Rita Pavone and The Executives, The Remo, The Executives, Nicky Scott, Jackie Trent (also seen as 26th February 1969) Long John Baldry, Rita Pavone

12/03/69 Host Graham Bonney, The Fourmost, The Magic Lanterns, The Merseys, Billie Davis and David Garrick, Crackers (Tony Crane and Billy Kinsey ex-Merseys) - Honey Do , David Garrick, The Merseys

*"Discotheque" did end its run on 23 April 1969: but without Dianne Greaves, who got her wish: she did her last show on 12 March, and was replaced by another 'female', Ayshea Brough. So successful was Ayshea at being a "girl DJ" that the programme was networked throughout all of ITV, and re-titled "Lift Off with Ayshea"

19/03/69 Host Billy J Kramer and Ayshea (her debut as a presenter) Unit 4+2, Nina Shaw, The Dalys, Elton Johns (as listed in the TV Times) - Lady Samantha The Amen Corner

26/03/69 Host Billy J Kramer and The Remo, Jackie Trent,Dave Davies, Shirley and Johnny, Gary Walker, The Equals, Jefferson, Lew Rich, Dave Davies

02/04/69 Host Billy J Kramer and The Remo, Marbles, Locomotive (Mr Armageddon) Phillip Goodhand-Tait and Linda Russell, Philip Goodhand-Tate, Polly Perkins

09/04/69 Host Billy J Kramer and The Remo, Peter Sarstedt, The Love Affair, Vince Hill and Friday Brown, Eire Apparent

16/04/69 Host Billy J Kramer and The Remo, John Walker, Tangerine Peel,Emil Dean, Svenne and Charlotte (from The Hep Stars) John Walker - Yesterday's Sunday Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mitch and Tich - (Don Juan) Double Bubble Trading Card Company of Philadelphia 1914 - (Dance to The Rock 'n' Roll) (danced to by The Four Spots) Tangerine Peel, Emile Dean

23/04/69 Hosted by Billy J Kramer, Ayshea, Kenny Everett, Linda Kendrick, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and The Explosives,Linda Kendrick
Kenny Everett - Nice Time, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Explosives, John and Anne Rider - (I Still Believe in Tomorrow)

* According to the Disc and Music Echo Billy J.Kramer was going to fly out to Australia on the 1st August 1969 to promote "Discotheque" and his new single of the time.

Hopefully, the Australians bought old episodes of the show which might still be lingering in their archives somewhere?

[richardwoods]

Yes, let’s hope so William 🤞

[paul carney]

29.11.68 Who on earth was Heath Hampstead?

[williammcgregor]

Found him Paul

Not a bad singer ! ...

Someone on the 45Cat mentions the name might be a Nom De Plume for a better known singer ! ? www.45cat.com/record/56289

A-Side

B-Side

[John Green]

Simon Park?

Only kidding.

[darrenlee]

Heath Hampstead is listed as appearing on the only surviving episode of 'Time for Blackburn', 26.10.1968.

[stevej]

Granada's archive is usually pretty good, so it's a shame that not even a fragment of 'Discotheque' remains. I suppose there's a very slim chance some home-recorded audio survives, although probably unlikely given the tea-time slot. I wonder if there are on-set photos of hosts/singers/groups set on Getty Images or similar?

[williammcgregor]

May 26, 2024 20:12:16 GMT stevej said:

Granada's archive is usually pretty good, so it's a shame that not even a fragment of 'Discotheque' remains. I suppose there's a very slim chance some home-recorded audio survives, although probably unlikely given the tea-time slot. I wonder if there are on-set photos of hosts/singers/groups set on Getty Images or similar?

Here you are Steve ...

This is a picture of 'Discotheque' compere Diane Greaves for you from the TV Times 26th October 1968

[John Green]

Weren't there ITV Pop annuals in the lat '50s, early 60s. Had they ceased by the late 60s?

[Peter Stirling]

Dianne Greaves at the end of this vid.

[Jeff Leach]

Promo shot

[stevej]

That's excellent! Some good stuff there and at least we have an idea of what the studio set was like. Possibly there are other promo photos taken of guest groups etc for use in TV Times. EDIT: Just found this photo of Truly Smith and the set in the background is identical to that shown in the Billy J Kramer photo in the post above, so this could be her 3/1/69 appearance on the show.

[williammcgregor]

May 27, 2024 7:38:45 GMT stevej said:

That's excellent! Some good stuff there and at least we have an idea of what the studio set was like. Possibly there are other promo photos taken of guest groups etc for use in TV Times. EDIT: Just found this photo of Truly Smith and the set in the background is identical to that shown in the Billy J Kramer photo in the post above, so this could be her 3/1/69 appearance on the show.

View Attachment

Great bit of detective work Steve

[williammcgregor]

May 26, 2024 22:43:45 GMT Peter Stirling said:

Dianne Greaves at the end of this vid.

Great to see Peter thanks

[williammcgregor]

May 26, 2024 21:59:20 GMT John Green said:

Weren't there ITV Pop annuals in the lat '50s, early 60s. Had they ceased by the late 60s?

I seem to remember someone on the forum did mention the ITV Pop annuals but on which thread I cannot remember ?