TOTP Episodes

[Pete Seaton]

if it made nothing it wouldn't have been that high in that week, and would have been in the lower reaches of the chart. look in any chart book and you will find that this hit was in the rank of the consecutive Top 10's in the height of his early career. 10 weeks in the then only Top 50, five of them in the Top 10

with the other biggies GG, Dawn The sweet and wizzard

[Paul Dorf]

sure, it didnt do nothing, just way way lower than jean genie before & life on mars after. it was the forgotten single, not even on any greatest hits compilations till 20 years later. but the lp aladdin sane made number 1 here (17 in the US), & bowie was the biggest selling uk artist of 1973.

[Paul Dorf]

on the uk chart database 'drive in saturday' reached 3/4 for two weeks then sank like a stone. it wasnt released any other territories as a single, apart from germany.

back on topic if anyone knows about the missing totp video for it.

[LanceM]

I only wish I had heard of any footage existing for Jean Genie on Top Of The Pops.However,this makes me wonder as to whether may possibly exist in a private collection:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxx5sVNhutI&fmt=18

Thanks for the additional information in regards to this audio recording.I wish as well this performance had been on the listed tape 33 from the 405line collection.

In regards to the two recovered 67 TOTP editions,was interested to read in the Telegraph article that these had yielded from as yet undisclosed rock star's collection?So who can really say for sure,never say never, as you never know what may turn up "out of the blue" so to speak.

Cheers,Lance.

[davemachin]

I think that's just an audio taped by a viewer, Lance. I don't see it as any indication the video is out there. Rumours have persisted for Bowie fans for a long while but I don't think this is evidence, which is a shame.

Dave

[Chris Barratt]

If 'See Emily PLay' can surface over 40 years later, there is always hope!

[Christopher.C]

You can never say that something doesn't exist it's true. It's easier to prove something does! An audio is not proof of existence at all though as it would more than likely be a home taping rather than a dub from a video master. The appearance of those 1967 TOTP does beg the question of whether there are more though. It certainly illustrates that nothing is categorically lost forever.

[peter w]

Dec 3, 2009 11:01:18 GMT @davemachin said:

I think that's just an audio taped by a viewer, Lance. I don't see it as any indication the video is out there. Rumours have persisted for Bowie fans for a long while but I don't think this is evidence, which is a shame.

Dave

Thats right, its home taped audio only. Incidently I was saddened to note when perusing the tracklisting of those eBay tapes posted by Lance recently, that although the guy "may" have taped some of the 4/1/73 TOTP (tape 33) he neglected to record the lost Jean Genie performance from that show

On a lighter note, a little more on the Drive in Saturday promo here

"Rumoured to exist is an unscreened and unreleased promo of "Drive In Saturday" filmed by Mick Rock which features David Bowie performing in a red plastic jump suit. It reportedly exists only among hard-core collectors. If you know anything more about this film please let me know."
www.5years.com/dispromo.htm

And yet another unscreened Mick Rock promo, this time Rock n Roll Suicide, which aparently does exist. You can see a still on the link.

"A short (4:18 minute) colour film exists which shows many different overlapping images of Bowie performing at Ziggy Stardust live concerts in both 1972 and 1973 with many backstage segments.   The film uses the live version of "Rock N Roll Suicide" from the Hammersmith Odeon 3 July 1973 concert as the backing.

This excellent, but unreleased, film was shot by Mick Rock as a promotional video for the 1974 single "Rock n Roll Suicide"."
www.5years.com/rnrsvid.htm

Lastly, this emerged recently. A TOTPs promo for Life On Mars? Aparently from a July 73 edition. Footage culled from the Nationwide Winter Gardens concert report in May 73, and from outside the Hammersmith Odeon in July 73. Great shots of Lulu and Tony Curtis arriving. I presume this was from a BBC news report or some such and not Pennebaker's footage.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxNr2jvo5Pw

[Tim Brown]

Dec 3, 2009 19:12:04 GMT peter w said:

Dec 3, 2009 11:01:18 GMT @davemachin said:

I think that's just an audio taped by a viewer, Lance. I don't see it as any indication the video is out there. Rumours have persisted for Bowie fans for a long while but I don't think this is evidence, which is a shame.

Dave

Thats right, its home taped audio only. Incidently I was saddened to note when perusing the tracklisting of those eBay tapes posted by Lance recently, that although the guy "may" have taped some of the 4/1/73 TOTP (tape 33) he neglected to record the lost Jean Genie performance from that show

On a lighter note, a little more on the Drive in Saturday promo here

"Rumoured to exist is an unscreened and unreleased promo of "Drive In Saturday" filmed by Mick Rock which features David Bowie performing in a red plastic jump suit. It reportedly exists only among hard-core collectors. If you know anything more about this film please let me know."
www.5years.com/dispromo.htm

And yet another unscreened Mick Rock promo, this time Rock n Roll Suicide, which aparently does exist. You can see a still on the link.

"A short (4:18 minute) colour film exists which shows many different overlapping images of Bowie performing at Ziggy Stardust live concerts in both 1972 and 1973 with many backstage segments.   The film uses the live version of "Rock N Roll Suicide" from the Hammersmith Odeon 3 July 1973 concert as the backing.

This excellent, but unreleased, film was shot by Mick Rock as a promotional video for the 1974 single "Rock n Roll Suicide"."
www.5years.com/rnrsvid.htm

Lastly, this emerged recently. A TOTPs promo for Life On Mars? Aparently from a July 73 edition. Footage culled from the Nationwide Winter Gardens concert report in May 73, and from outside the Hammersmith Odeon in July 73. Great shots of Lulu and Tony Curtis arriving. I presume this was from a BBC news report or some such and not Pennebaker's footage.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxNr2jvo5Pw

Jean Genie - TOTP's 4.1.73 footage was shown as a question or end of show segment clip in the first or second series of Pop Quiz circa 1981 or 82. Where is the video for this clip? I believe Mike Read's videos were stolen at some point from his car? Is this true? There were other TOTP's clips shown that appeared to be unusual on this show.
Anyone tape the 1st or 2nd series of Pop Quiz? Do they still exist in the BBC library?
The audio was recorded by using a mic in front of the tv stylee The performance was a live vocal (Complete with harmonica) recording of the song and not a mimed playback version.

Not bother telling me this isn't true as I saw it with my own eyes.

[Ray Langstone (was saintsray)]

Pop Quiz started in Spring 1981, so you would think it was still in the Archive....

[Deleted]

Most of the junkings would have taken place well before this though, I think, Ray. The Ten Years Of TOTP '73 special reveals a selection of clips pretty much the same as what exists today so i'd guess most TOTP were wiped within a year of first transmission (some earlier, i'd guess, although certain things probably had to be held over a while for re-use, Xmas shows, German sales etc.)

[Deleted]

Dec 4, 2009 5:45:46 GMT Tim Brown said:

Jean Genie - TOTP's 4.1.73 footage was shown as a question or end of show segment clip in the first or second series of Pop Quiz circa 1981 or 82. Where is the video for this clip? I believe Mike Read's videos were stolen at some point from his car? Is this true? There were other TOTP's clips shown that appeared to be unusual on this show.
Anyone tape the 1st or 2nd series of Pop Quiz? Do they still exist in the BBC library?
The audio was recorded by using a mic in front of the tv stylee The performance was a live vocal (Complete with harmonica) recording of the song and not a mimed playback version.

Not bother telling me this isn't true as I saw it with my own eyes.

Well, it's interesting you mention this topic, Tim, as it's long been a mystery i've wanted to get to the bottom of. I've related the following story before but it's worth repeating now, particularly as there is a current angle to this one as well, due to recent discoveries:

I can clearly recall watching (again, with my own eyes) an early Pop Quiz that featured a Pink Floyd clip on b/w t/r with the group looking exactly the same as they do in the See Emily Play appearance (mirrored backdrop etc.) Now, I knew even then that this was from TOTP as i've had photos of it since the '70s. But...at the time of the early '80s, I had no knowledge of BBC wipings and therefore had no reason to think this was missing from the archives. Consequently I didn't take undue notice!

Since then, the clip has never re-appeared on anything and no one I have spoken to about it can recall anything. So you do begin to wonder if you imagined the whole thing! Except I know I didn't. I have heard the same thing relating to the Jean Genie clip too and can only deduce that some items screened on Pop Quiz came from Mike Read's personal collection. If some of these items later went missing then that could explain why they haven't been seen again. The only way of verifying would be to check a whole run of Pop Quiz off-airs.

I really would like to get to the bottom of this one.

[Ray Langstone (was saintsray)]

Maybe they should re-run Pop Quiz?

[peter w]

I've a video from the mid 80's that shows Starman and Oh You Pretty Things both used in that end segment on Pop Quiz. Starman is 82, but it cuts out on Pretty Things before the year comes up. Tim appears absolutely certain Jean Genie 4/1/73 was shown too, so thats a healthy line of enquiry.

I do wonder why Mick Rock has never released those promos mentioned above. I mean if they weren't up to the standard of his John I'm Only Dancing or Jean Genie promos then so what. He must surely have a fantastic archive somewhere, and one can only presume those out-takes from the John promo on youtube must have come from there originally.

I reckon the more we talk about these missing (or hidden) things, the more chance there is they'll get released, by talking them into exisitence. If its common knowlege they exist, then its less of a big deal for the holders to finally let them out.

[Neil Barker]

Does Andrew Martin still post on here? Surely he would be able to check the Pop Quiz tapes (if they still exist) and let us know for sure??