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Post by johnstewart on Mar 3, 2015 21:21:11 GMT
Pans people also did a missing routine for 'jean genie' at that time. I didn't see it in colour but assume the main subject might have been painted green as in 'monster mash'. One of th girls was dressed up Angie Bowie style.The background was one of those non descript studio bits which look black with various beams and triangular type shapes.The first shot was of their interpretation of jean genie as presumably an alien girl. The camera started on the boots not unlike Bowies whistle test from '72 then panning up the body. She was dressed in glitter platform boots and a glitter catsuit which has a darker colour with silvery trim. I seem to think she was wearing a permed wig again in probably a weird colour. Also big sunglasses bit like a cross between Bette Davis style and x ray specs beach type ones. She may have had a false insect antennae headset like the one Chicory tip used for GOOD GRIEF CHRISTINA. I don't recall how or where the other dance troupe members came in. Pans people donned gangster suits for a film for THE PERSUADERS tv theme and seem to recall them reusing them with a machine gun prop painted in a bright colour for 'armed and extremely dangerous' in 1973. The routine for that was the oft used standing in a line one behind the other each making a move before going off to reveal the next girl behind. ""21-12-72: Presenter: Tony Blackburn (Wiped) (7) ELTON JOHN – Crocodile Rock (crowd dancing) (and charts) (14) GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS – Help Me Make It Through The Night ® * WATCH (24) ELVIS PRESLEY – Always On My Mind (video) (13) ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS – Little Drummer Boy (video) (37) CAT STEVENS – Can’t Keep It In (NEW) DICK EMERY – You Are Awful (16) DAVID BOWIE – The Jean Genie (danced to by Pan’s People) (NEW) MALCOLM ROBERTS – Happy Song (19) LYNSEY DE PAUL – Getting A Drag (29) WIZZARD – Ball Park Incident (1) LITTLE JIMMY OSMOND – Long Haired Lover From Liverpool (video) (3) T-REX – Solid Gold Easy Action (crowd dancing) (and credits) * although this show is wiped, this performance still exists"" I can only recall a film to 'crocodile rock' which I thought I saw on pop quiz years later. Elton John was seen on plain background in glasses in some shots singing without the piano. Presumably Wizzard may also have had the same stickers on guitars they had for the Move performance as the band was up and coming then. Didn't know there was a follow up to 'amazing grace' but do recall an insert film of the band performing the latter, on location somewhere whilst marching along. I also seemed to recall the studio audience doing the conga linked up with Dick Emery going round the studio train style with party streamers. But I thought that was for a version of 'let's all do the conga' not the track mentioned. Simliar period. Emery had a grey suit and tie on. Hhe was actually an excellent serious vocalist as some early BBC surviving material demonstrates.
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Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Mar 4, 2015 9:42:03 GMT
Fascinating news on Bridget the Midget. I don't think the Four Tops peformance was the TOTP film, but I have been known to be wrong, so any views.... I do recall some people seemed to think they had seen the bridget clip again since the time (not forum members). There is I believe a surviving TOTP from the same weeks which has Ray Stevens doing what seems to be the 'B' side for some reason. Wonder if they used a similar set up which would explain it? Can We Get to That is the song. Yes, he performed it live 25/02/71, before Bridget the Midget was performed or had charted.
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Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Mar 4, 2015 9:53:17 GMT
TV Critic John Gibson of The Edinburgh Evening News comments on the 05/12/74 edition of Top of the Pops Guys and Gals,I've fallen in love all over again with Pan's People! I'd gone off them,you see.They'd gone stale...and that's not difficult if you're anything like a permanent fixture on this show. You've only got to look and listen to the deejays. But last night the girls,reserved for the finale,looked stunning in skin-hugging white,moving to Barry White's "You're My First,My Last,My Everything." Never seen them look better.The white was effective,but this was a night on TOTP when black was beautiful. The programme began badly and was getting progressively worse from there until George Macrae, appeared to give it a bit of a boost The whole thing came alive,though,only when The Tymes,singing and moving professionally (there's never too much professionalism about in TOTP) did their thing Miss Grace.We'd gone from a disgrace to Miss Grace, I should explain. Two or three records earlier we'd been subjected to a thoroughly grotty slab of film from the sates of American (sic) rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Sound was ropey too. If the Americans can't send over respectable film DON'T entertain 'em!Or do the BBC let their standards fly clean out of the window when it comes to dealing with American managements?
said Tony Blackburn introducing the Overdrive sludge:"If you think you've seen everything,you ain't seen nothing yet!" And how right dear old Tone was.
So to The Tymes and Flick Colby for the Pan'e People mirage,I extend a thousand thanks. They materialised just when total boredom was beginning to take a grip.""5-12-74: Presenter: Tony Blackburn (Wiped) (6) HELLO – Tell Him * (10) RUPIE EDWARDS – Ire Feelings (Skanga) * (25) K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND – Sound Your Funky Horn ® * (NEW) ABBA – So Long * (19) MUD – Lonely This Christmas * (3) THE RUBETTES – Juke Box Jive * (NEW) GEORGE McCRAE – You Can Have It All * (5) BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (video) * (47) THE WOMBLES – Wombling Merry Christmas * (24) ALVIN STARDUST – Tell Me Why * (NEW) THE TYMES – Ms. Grace * (1) BARRY WHITE – You’re The First, The Last, My Everything (danced to by Pan's People) * (28) ROD STEWART & THE FACES – You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything (crowd dancing) (and credits)"" The Tymes performance has them smiling hugely, singing live (and very well), and dancing humourously. Oddly, there are only 4 microphones. I suspect the other guy had a sore throat. At least he wasn't as ill as the guy in the Tams in '71 I suspect our writer of the above piece was partly enchanted by the fact that Pan's People are wearing figure hugging leotards (and straw hats) for the clip. And they are certainly not wearing bras. (Please note, I am being purely observational. I have never watched the clip more than once. Honestly.)
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 4, 2015 20:39:18 GMT
There's another possible Pans people appearance to mention I recall. I don't really seem to recall anything with them before the 'glass letter' titles c 1969. This was a TOTP film for 'the witch' the Rattles. I seem to recall a girl made up as an archetypical witch; (pointed black hat, cloak, pointed false nose). It was a young girl made to look hag like with stick on wart on the nose, blacked out tooth, pointed chin and thought paint out glaring eyelashes; not unlike the groups lead singer. She was also mimicking the 'flashing' movement the singer does with her hand in the live performance. Her face also appeared shot from below through a fish eye type lens. Pity it was film as if it was studio John Henshall might have had something to do with it. There were bare trees encircling her head though looked like a day shot. Also the witch was seen appearing with a hand outstretched claw like and holding broom behind a man who turned round grimacing. As he did so she disappeared in a 'lock off' effect. Seem to remember scenes round a park and rose garden (again).
We can ponder whether they used an actress or member of Pans people in the film. Certainly they appear in the TOTP film for 'tears of a clown' from similar period.
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Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Mar 5, 2015 10:46:32 GMT
There's another possible Pans people appearance to mention I recall. I don't really seem to recall anything with them before the 'glass letter' titles c 1969. This was a TOTP film for 'the witch' the Rattles. I seem to recall a girl made up as an archetypical witch; (pointed black hat, cloak, pointed false nose). It was a young girl made to look hag like with stick on wart on the nose, blacked out tooth, pointed chin and thought paint out glaring eyelashes; not unlike the groups lead singer. She was also mimicking the 'flashing' movement the singer does with her hand in the live performance. Her face also appeared shot from below through a fish eye type lens. Pity it was film as if it was studio John Henshall might have had something to do with it. There were bare trees encircling her head though looked like a day shot. Also the witch was seen appearing with a hand outstretched claw like and holding broom behind a man who turned round grimacing. As he did so she disappeared in a 'lock off' effect. Seem to remember scenes round a park and rose garden (again). We can ponder whether they used an actress or member of Pans people in the film. Certainly they appear in the TOTP film for 'tears of a clown' from similar period. ""29-10-70: Presenter: Tony Blackburn (Wiped) (1) MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT – Woodstock (and charts) (34) GENE PITNEY – Shady Lady (NEW) CAT STEVENS – Father And Son (14) THE RATTLES – The Witch (video)(15) EDWIN STARR – War (danced to by Pan’s People) (25) JULIE FELIX – Heaven Is Here ® (35) CCS – Whole Lotta Love (crowd dancing) (19) DON FARDON – Indian Reservation (4) THE TREMELOES – Me And My Life ® (NEW) DAVE CLARK FIVE – More Good Old Rock ‘N’ Roll (video) (24) CHRISTIE – San Bernadino (crowd dancing) (NEW) JAMES TAYLOR – Fire And Rain (1) MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT – Woodstock ""
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 8, 2015 22:04:14 GMT
Is that the only other edition to feature the record? 'Video' seems an ambiguous reference as it could mean a video insert of the group. What I recall was a TOTP film; (shot on film); so maybe that's what it means?
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 8, 2015 22:09:37 GMT
Though I have clear memories of early 'ready steady go' unfortunately my memory's not so good for TOTP.I do seem to recall that existing one for 'you've lost that lovin' feelin'. Also the NEMS promos for the Beatles I recall on the show exist. I can vaguely recall the stones doing 'satisfaction' (missing to date). Mick J had a plain button up white shirt like some of the existing clips as far as I recall. And I do remember 'My generation' the Who, seeing it but not many visuals. Then again more memories are existing clips like the 'Sonny and Cher'. A friend however recalled an appearance for 'Little things' Dave Berry on being prompted by the the U.S. clip. He said on TOTP he recalled a group of girls behind him doing actions to the song lines. Possibly an early appearance for the go joes? c. 1965.
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 8, 2015 22:24:29 GMT
I have memories that Englebert and Tom Jones' hits were all in similar mode. Rather like the existing one for 'Delilah' they were using those slim line metal mikes with pop guard removed, and dressed in suit jackets. But for 'green green grass of home' for some reason I seem to recall the existing film where Jones is lying in a checked shirt in grass with a fern in teeth. A friend recalls there were specially made TOTP films for 'Eleanor Rigby'; 'Paperback Writer' and 'Lady Madonna'. In the first an actor plays Father Mackenzie in literal interpretation wiping dirt off his hands in a churchyard. Eleanor Rigby was depicted as a woman in a Victorian dress in a foggy edged photo in a frame.
'Paperback Writer' involved angled shots of the newly built post office tower. 'Lady Madonna' had a girl who looked like Jane Asher running in and out of a bedroom trying on different clothes, stockings etc and looking in a mirror. I think my friend mentioned it being sped up like a 1920s film.
I can confirm the standard colour back to back promos of 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields' were used on Top of the Pops. 'Hey Jude' used the David Frost show clip with the long outro and the audience giving impression they were the TOTP audience! recall my brother and sister laughing at the shots of people in the crowd at the time.
Seem to recall 'Puppet on a string' Sandie Shaw on CRACKERJACK but not TOTP. I do recall Dusty Springfield being on doing 'Son of a preacher man' I believe on a show which had the other standard BBC pop soloists Sandie Shaw and possibly Lulu. Occasionally that happened you also later had shows that featured Cliff and Rolf Harris and Lulu around the time of 'two little boys'. And I can remember Arthur Brown 'Fire' when it was pristine VT without the scratches.
there's an existing promo which may be a T/R of a clip of a U.S. show for 'these boots were made for walking' I seem to recall being shown on TOTP. Unless TOTP did a similar one it has different coloured wellington boots following each other in a row seemingly disembodied marching and dancing to the song.
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 8, 2015 22:36:42 GMT
I hear also the disembodied clip of 'me and my life' exists somewhere. (Tremeloes)?
There was a quite elaborate TOTP film for 'good morning starshine' (Oliver); from the musical HAIR I think. (Presumably Oliver Tobias aka Arthur of the Britons)?
In this a bored looking long haired man sat at a breakfast table eating cornflakes. Suddenly he brightens up as a selection of different shaped cereals; stars; hoops etc are poured out of cereal packets by the mum. Each was labelled with a nonsense line form the song. Thus the first cereal would be labelled 'goobyabadabba' etc etc. Each title was done in comic strip type capitals inside Batman type balloons with multilayered jagged edges (i.e. like the 'pow' balloons on the show). I think they got faster then were shown in jump cuts. The young man looked surprised when one box completely contained 3 inch plastic soldiers and one flake of cereal. A lot of the shots were either looking down into the cereal bowl or up at the the mans reaction from the breakfast table. It had a window I think with view out onto a garden behind. And for some scenes later, a troupe like the young generation dressed up like Leapy Lee with top hats, short capes and canes in can can formation going round the garden (or a park) and by a high wall.
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Post by williammcgregor on Mar 9, 2015 8:09:32 GMT
Hi John,
The Tremeloes song "Me and My Life" brings back good memories to me could you elaborate on that clip please?
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Post by Alan Turrell on Mar 9, 2015 10:06:34 GMT
Thanks for those memories John fascinating stuff i can really picture those clips as you describe them have you any more ?
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 9, 2015 21:52:02 GMT
Hi John, The Tremeloes song "Me and My Life" brings back good memories to me could you elaborate on that clip please? The drummer appeared to be singing the main vocal whilst grinning, Dave Clark style. I recall a schoolfriend laughing at it at the time possibly as the miming was a bit ridiculous.
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 9, 2015 22:12:09 GMT
Thanks for those memories John fascinating stuff i can really picture those clips as you describe them have you any more ? Buffe St Marie performing 'Soldier Blue' 1971. They seemed to have a smaller higher stage for solo artists which I think was round like a podium. The background was those sort of geometrical shapes with wooden cross bars you can see in the stones 'Brown sugar' clip. So far as I recall she had flaired jeans and no shoes. I think she had some kind of headband, some stills of her I've seen indicate she used to wear an indian feather, part of her American heritage of which she was staunchly proud. Some kind of white top possibly a dark waistcoat. She was on the right of screen as the camera pulled out to show the audience slow dancing around. It's not much of a dance number I think a lot were just standing looking up around up into the lights. Buffe St Marie had centre parted hair. She didn't have an instrument on this particular song and was holding a mike. I recall a similar set up for the now disgraced Rolf Harris for 'Two little Boys'. Again the artist on the right of screen, though the background on B+W T.V. was black, before the geometrical shapes period. They sometimes had sort of foil mirrored walls behind or the neon lights version of the 'Top of the Pops' logo. Again Rolf Harris was quite high above the audience and wore a light coloured suit jacket I think with dark tie. Some shows from that period ended with a little silhouette of a man in tapered trousers sitting on a high stool and the words 'produced by Johnnie Stewart'. Earlier in 1969 Rex Harrisons son Noel appeared fresh from 'The girl from U.N.C.L.E.' TV show on BBC1; performing the title song for the film 'The Thomas Crown affair'. I recall my Mum and Sister debating whether he could sing or not. 'Oh, no,he can't sing'.It wasn't a traditional singing voice but a hushed almost spoken David Bowie type English voice though review years later proved he could hit the high notes (and it's a brilliant song). A surviving version from 1971 I think has a live vocal and is similar. Noel sat on a high stool, but for TOTP he had different clothing. Seem to recall a two tone black and white sort of crusade jacket and one of those page boy caps like Juliet Harmer wore in 'Adan Adamant Lives'. Again recall a black plain background. Noel looking bit wistful as camera moved revealing audience around him. I do recall a missing show from 1970 had 'raindrops keep falling on my head'; 'wanderin' star' and 'bridge over troubled water' in it. They may have been separate editions think the first two appeared in the same show. For the former two they showed sequences from the actual film fade and mixed between the DJ and studio audience at start and end. And I do recall seeing that show on friends familys colour TV, with a lot of blue in the Lee Marvin clip. There is a TOTP film for 'Bridge' that exists but for this showing I clearly recall a montage of the rehearsals of the song from the film 'songs of America' being cut together Art singing and the pianist at the session.
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 9, 2015 22:28:37 GMT
Two similar clips from Jan 1972 where Cat Stevens and America appeared. here I recall a stage which was flat and white to the left of the screen. More like a gig. America sat in a line on chairs with three acoustic guitars. They had long hair and beards. My Brother who played guitar at the time ran up a phone bill ringing 'dial-a-disc' to try and work out the lyric. Song was 'horse with no name'. They were very much a Crosby Stills Nash type affair but apparently from Manchester or Newcastle or similar I hear. In similar fashion, Cat Stevens sat on possibly the same stage in same position. he was dressed in a white shirt and I think white trousers. Song was 'Morning has broken'.
Again with the beginning of 1972, Lindisfarne had their first hit with 'meet me on the corner'. Unlike the existing Whistle test clip the lead vocalist had a handlebar moustache, dressed in tank top I recall. The drummer with round wire framed glasses, standing hitting a big bass drum with a bass pedal which had a foam end in the shape of a fist. I think one of the band was dressed as P.J. Gumby from Monty Python. One of them, possibly the singer had a weird hat like a french revolution hat which was later documented as being a sardine can with the rolled lid tied onto his head. I get this one mixed up with Terry Dactyls appearance for 'Seaside shuffle' where one of them has an accordian and is sitting in deckchair with a fake beach around him. This was a predecessor to Roy Woods environmental set ups for Wizzard.
And for Wizzard I recall an appearance for 'Angel fingers' where Ayshea Brough from Lift Off was dressed in a schoolgirls brimmed hat and a mini skirt doing sort of rock and roll movements with a pointing finger. At the end a member of the band dressed as a gorilla picked her up and appeared to spank her bottom with white underwear (on monochrome set) briefly visible. There always seemed to be a crowd of people on the stage in that band.
Onto another disgraced artist - Gary Glitter appeared for 'I'm the leader of the gang' with what I thought were a number of real chopper bikes driving onto the stage then lining up. I think they may have been lined up stationary though.
I have a memmory of 'rock and roll part 1' that isn't documented and suspect was a spoof maybe by Leslie Crowther for 'The Saturday Crowd' In this the Glitter figure was seen being helped onto the stage from the wings by two prop hands as his platform boots were so high, seeming afterwards to have difficulty and stagger on. And the hair was a ridiculously high bouffant like the Mozart wig Elton John has worn on stage. I supect this one was either something I dreamt or another programme though.
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 9, 2015 22:34:21 GMT
Final one for now: my Brother was a fan of Don Partridge when he came out, and I recall being sent to fetch and tell him to come through when he was on 'Top of the Pops'. So far as I recall this was Partridges first hit 'Rosie'. it puzzles me why the clip doesn't survive as it appeared to be almost documentary type footage of Partidge busking the song on a treet in the west end. I thought it might not be an in house BBC clip. This was shot on film with partridge wearing a Donovan type white pageboy cap and jacket not unlike Danny Scipios jacket in the BBC series 'Vendetta'. To those unfamiliar Partridge was a one man band who had a bass drum on his back, a 12 string acoustic guitar and harmonica brace with harmonica and kazoo on it.The clip was dark with strong lighting from the front. Think it was cold as seem to recall Partridges breath creating vapour in the air as he sang. (c. Jan 1968)
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