Pop on Crackerjack

[williammcgregor]

May 1, 2014 18:46:45 GMT robchapman said:

Did I say ‘a piece?’ Sorry, as William and one or two others on here already know, I meant a whopping great book about psychedelia, which is due out next year. I’ve gone the scenic route and part of that entails setting the scene in which much of the music was seen and heard on the BBC – which entails a bit of myth busting of course, hence the dig at all those flimsy histories from people who weren’t there.

They can’t be blamed of course. If the TV (and radio) networks hadn’t committed such acts of cultural vandalism the history would be a lot less flimsy and full of guess work in the first place – which is why I’m eternally grateful for sites like this one, not just for the heroic acts of cultural retrieval but also for the intelligent discussion (most of the time!) about the nature of the quest.

If I wasn’t so busy writing the book I’d happily contribute a few comments to Ray’s TOTP memories thread, particularly as I’m one of those people who was watching that night in night in August 1967 when host Pete Murray introduced the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and instead of the introductory wah-wah tones of Burning Of The Midnight Lamp we were treated to 30 seconds or so of The Alan Price Set’s ‘The House That Jack Built’. “Uh, I don’t know the words to that one man,” said an amused looking Hendrix, before the camera hastily switched back the panic stricken host and the correct backing track was cued in for Hendrix to mime to. If there had been any surviving footage of this incident it would be a You Tube staple and would be guaranteed to be shown on blooper programmes and nostalgia shows for the rest of time. The usual rent a quote suspects would pop up with a pithy anecdote and pretending they’d seen it at the time and hadn’t just been shown it by a producer. As it is, in the absence of any visual evidence, you will have to take my word that it happened. I was that 12 year old pop kid and I was paying attention.

Or there was the time when John Peel made his one ill fated appearance in 1968, mumbled something along the lines of “there’s no Captain Beefheart or Tyrannosaurus Rex tonight. You’ll have to wait till Saturday for those. Meanwhile here are Amen Corner with the shape me bend me thing".

For which he was carpeted I believe!

Is this the sort of thing you meant Ray?

One more thing while I'm here re:

"I agree totally, Tony. The 70's also had this go on, although to a slightly smaller extent"

Oh, I dunno. Although there's a lot more footage there seems to be just as much myth. Noddy Holder banging on about how Slade's Merry Christmas helped us all forget about the three days week. And how punk rock changed the world...........etc etc.

Here's the article Rob was mentioning this is from The Disc and Music Echo dated 2nd September 1967

[Ray Langstone (was saintsray)]

GREAT article. Thanks William!

[Tony Walshaw]

Yes, surprisingly frank and insightful.

[robchapman]

Thanks for posting the Disc and Music Echo article William - every bit as funny as I remember it. It seems like only yesterday. Murray's panic stricken look, as in that freeze frame, and Hendrix's look of amusement. Similar to the one he gives when he retunes a horribly out of tune guitar string at the beginning of the famous Lulu show performance. He seemed to take it all in his stride. He was quite the joker, Hendrix. People forget that sometimes.

[Ray Langstone (was saintsray)]

Hendrix - one of the best guitarists ever, unquestionably, and an awesome talent as a songwriter too, people forget - did used to have his guitar go out of tune frequently.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmWJfgLOd5w&list=PL2984A43BA1CBEA0C

The footage above was later shown in a film on Hendrix but was shown first (in abridged form) on Late Night Line-Up in late 1967 (as mentioned by me in a previous thread some time back). Hendrix is having trouble with his guitar tuning there too!

[Deleted]

Fender Stratocasters have a spring based tremolo system ... normally 5 springs in back. Hendrix removed 2 of them to get less tension and more bend ... plus he used the tremolo arm with way more enthusiasm than it was designed for. He ended up over stretching his guitar strings, sending them out of tune.

Another thing with tremolo arm strats is if you break a string, the tension that keeps all the strings in tune is gone and the whole thing just goes way off beam. Take my advice and stick with Telecasters

[John Green]

And for 10 points: Who's on the cover of this 'Crackerjack' annual? www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/0723501203/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0

Anyone have access to these annuals?

[petercheck]

Something I only recently learned (too late for my book!) is that John Leyton appeared on 'Crackerjack' on 29th March 1963. Someone sent me documentation to prove it, and I can add that he was paid £78! The fee covered a rehearsal on Weds. 27th (1.00pm - 3.00pm) and a requirement to be present in / around the 'Crackerjack!' studios on Friday 29th between 1.00pm and 6.00pm (lunches and teas /refreshments provided by the BBC - free of charge!). The song was probably 'I'll Cut Your Tail Off'.

[alliofinn]

Marmalade also appeared twice I believe

[Kelvin Walker]

Oct 14, 2022 6:57:55 GMT alliofinn said:

Marmalade also appeared twice I believe

Marmalade appeared once on 27th December 1968 edition.

[markjhaley]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPyWK15GUus
Rubettes promoting Juke Box Jive