The Sunday Times - Lisa Verrico

June 29, 2008

TV pop: no longer top of the charts

There was a time when inviting musicians onto live television was a risky business

 

When the Zutons performed their latest single on GMTV last month, their fans were moved to mob message boards with tales of how terrible they were. In three toe-curling minutes of purposely poor miming, the Liverpudlian band debunked the myth that life as chart-topping pop stars is one long party.

 

If you’ve never seen a band looking bored, you probably work for a living. In which case, you didn’t catch Maroon 5 on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women the week before last, performing with the verve of pensioners en route to the post office. Or a jet-lagged Alanis Morissette wearily discussing hang-gliding holidays before slumping on a stool to sing.

 

There was a time when inviting musicians onto live television was a risky business. The Sex Pistols set the precedent in 1976 with their expletive-strewn rant on Bill Grundy’s talk show. In the 1990s, Happy Mondays’ singer, Shaun Ryder, forced TFI Friday to be pre-recorded after repeatedly ignoring pleas to steer clear of swearwords. In its heyday, even the relatively tame Top of the Pops saw its fair share of drum-kit trashing, riotous outfits and daring dance routines.

 

When Top of the Pops limped lamely off screen two years ago, a few months after the Saturday-morning children’s show CD:UK had been cancelled, music on terrestrial television was all but declared dead. For the earnest adult rock consumer, there was Later, but mainstream music-dedicated shows were gone from prime time. These days, artists with an album to promote are often faced with a chilling choice — an early-morning appearance on GMTV, with that dreaded stopover on the sofa, or a performance on Paul O’Grady’s afternoon show, before a feature on dancing dogs.

 

“Persuading an artist to appear on these programmes can be a battle,” admits Steve Morton, who spent seven years as media director at Virgin Records before leaving to manage bands including the Hoosiers and the Automatic. “Every act wants to be on Later, alongside credible musicians, with an audience of genuine music fans. The problem starts when you sell more than 100,000 albums in Britain. To get bigger, you have to reach out to people who aren’t regular music-buyers — say, housewives who occasionally put an album in their trolley at Tesco. When the Hoosiers’ album went platinum, the only way we could reach a new audience was on shows like This Morning and Paul O’Grady. Luckily, the guys have a quirky sense of humour that works well on TV. That’s unusual. With most artists, you take one look at their face and know they desperately don’t want to be there.”

 

Another manager recalls hours spent last autumn trying to persuade his award-winning American rock band to do the UK chat-show circuit. “They were worried it would affect their credibility,” he says. “They were right, of course, but their album sales had hit a plateau. They were offered Loose Women or Alan Titchmarsh — try explaining to American rockers why they should play on a programme hosted by a genteel middle-aged gardener. They almost agreed to Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Then they discovered the band on the previous week had to dress up as elves. In the end, they did nothing and the album stopped selling.”

 

With the exception of Jonathan Ross, who occasionally offers the performance slot on his Friday-night series to breaking artists, chat and breakfast shows tend to stick to household names. The Australian teenager Gabriella Cilmi got on GMTV only after her debut single, Sweet About Me, had been used in a deodorant ad.

 

“Gabriella’s GMTV performance had a huge impact on sales,” says Andrea Edmondson, a TV promotions manager at Island Records. “The ad had been running on GMTV, so the audience knew the song, although probably not who sang it or what it was called. Live performance is crucial to making that link, and it’s why TV is so important. You can hear a track a dozen times on the radio and have no idea about the artist. A performance connects the two and seals the song in people’s minds.”

 

The show was less memorable for Cilmi, who avoided the sofa, but gave a short interview before her performance. “I honestly can’t remember what the presenter said,” she laughs. “Something about tennis. I know nothing about tennis, so I just nodded.”

 

At least Cilmi was allowed to sing live. “So far, they have all been live, thank God,” the 16- year-old says. “It’s nerve-racking enough without having to mime. I don’t mind singing in the morning; the hard part is having no audience. What’s funny is when you finish and hear this solitary clapping from the sofa. For a split second, you think, ‘Only one person clapping? How bad was I?’ ”

 

What everyone in the industry agrees is that no single television programme today has the power to break a new act. “When CD:UK and Top of the Pops were both on, it was a golden age for breaking bands,” Morton claims. “Nothing now reaches those young music-buyers in such big numbers. It was one reason pop became so prevalent. Bands like Blue, Atomic Kitten and S Club 7 all sprang from Saturday-morning TV.”

 

For Edmondson, mainstream television’s reliance on established stars can be seen in the number of veteran acts in the album charts. “There are hardly any opportunities for new, young acts on top-rating TV shows,” she says. “They know most kids have migrated to the internet and aim their performances at adult album-buyers. Their dream bookings are artists like Neil Diamond and Rod Stewart.”

 

Yet Edmondson admits there is more music on television than ever before. “Late-night Channel 4 is very committed to music, and ITV2 broadcasts iTunes gigs and summer festivals. For younger viewers, there is BBC Sound, the Green Room and T4. Their audiences are minuscule compared to the millions who watch GMTV, but they are exclusively music fans, so it’s a good place to start.”

 

The biggest change for the traditional TV plugger, however, is how they sell their artists to broadcasters. A fortnight ago, Island changed the name of its TV

 

promotions team to “visual output department”, and about half their work now is creating programmes. “In the past,” Edmondson says, “we would spend a huge amount of money on a standalone video for a first single. Today, we spread that money over filmed live performances, content for web pages and viral videos for YouTube.”

 

The content is produced in-house by Island’s own production company, or in partnership with anyone from Yahoo! to Channel 4. “It allows us to be more creative, and the artists like it because they have total control of how they are represented,” Edmondson says. “For example, we made the recent Girls Aloud documentaries for ITV2 and a half-hour special with Paul Weller for Channel 4. Weller and the Fratellis are two of our acts who only want to appear on TV performing. You wouldn’t see either on a breakfast-show sofa.”

 

Artists in charge of their own television shows? In the punk days, it would have been anarchy. In the sedate world of 21st-century pop on TV, perhaps it just means the bands won’t look bored.

 

Do you think the lack of Pop shows like Top Of The Pops & CD:UK is hurting the UK Pop scene for new acts or not?

I Think So! Around 2000-2005 Pop dominated everything because of the shows on tele like TOTP's, The Saturday version for children, CD:UK and others. It certainly made bands become well known like you said band like Atomic Kitten & S Club would've never seen any of their singles got to the top 10! It now seems if a band wants a comeback to become a success they are reduced to Dancing with Paul O Grady or cooking with Gordan Ramsy. Even with shows Like E4 Music and The Green Room seem to be less interesting now-a-days because some people have given up on live music on tele

CD:UK & TOTP are really needed back :(

I used to LOVE CD:UK and then it just disappeared from the screens.

 

 

The whole Gabriella thing is completely wrong. I saw her perform BEFORE the ad. Valentine's Day to be exact -_-

 

CD:UK lost its magic for some reason. After Cat Deeley (sp??) left it was just :(

CD:UK & TOTP are really needed back :(

Agreed.. TOTP especially! Why they pissed around with it so much and then took it off air is beyond me -_-

They should never have moved TOTP to friday nights and then sundays :drama:

 

Cd:Uk was brilliant until (Like someone else said) Cat Deeley left.

 

I think its the artists fault. They look bored etc... because theyre only ever interested in the money and being well known celebrities to go on shows like Im a Celeb, Celeb Big Brother etc...

Agreed.. TOTP especially! Why they pissed around with it so much and then took it off air is beyond me -_-

wasnt TOTP losing viewers on a friday night? So then they moved it to a sunday night :wacko: yeah cos loads more people are gonna be watching TV on sunday than on friday :blink:

 

But its true though. the whole pop culture is coming to an end. Popworld is gone, TOTP is gone, CD:UK is gone and Smash Hits Mag is gone too. i stand by what some artists have said about bringing pop back. I would STILL (after 9 years of growing up and moving on from cheesy pop) rather listen to a good manufactured pop song from S Club 7 than listen to any $h!te from Dizzee Rascall or any other "rapper" they picked up off from the streets.

 

And Johnjo that was me :) And its so horribly true. After Cat left they started to change it too much and made the whole chart interactive and added (not that i hate her) Myleen Class (as well as a bunch of other people). Sorry, but presenting wasnt for you :(

not only did they move totp to a dead slot but merged totp2 with the modern so you had a mixture of new and old... that was always going to be a disaster, i think it was a deliberate move to justify removeing both shows. the point is that most people who like 'oldies' dont like modern, and vice versa (amongst the general viewing public).

 

however.... im not so sure it has harmed anyone, as mtv has many chanels so music on tv is more available then ever. plus, theres big money in the music business, money that 'normal' tv wouldnt turn down if it was viable... so pop would still be on terrestrial tv if it was financially profitable.

Back in the 80s (and early 90s), you also had prime-time shows featuring pop acts like

Des O'Connor Tonight, Wogan and the Saturday comedy specials, eg. Little & Large, Cannon & Ball where

a pop act was the special guest of the week performing their latest hit.

That too is lost now.

 

Oh and speaking of boybands, smash hits magazine was a major factor in there success as they gained

fame appearing on the smash hits roadshow tours.

 

I do think there is still a market for a pop show on tv in the right timeslot. Sunday evenings was not right

for TOTP.

CD:UK was excellent...I used to love Saturday lunchtime and the Saturday chart, as often I hadn't seen midweeks prior to this, so had no idea what would happen...the week in 1999 when Vengaboys' Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom was announced as the CD:UK No.1, I was genuinely shocked!

 

I do miss pop on TV but a lot of the shows just seem so false/copycat

 

CD:UK just worked...just like SM:TV did...partly because of the format but largely because of Ant & Dec, and Cat Deeley before she became patronising

 

how would cd:uk work now? the weeks when mint royale and alex gaudino were sole entries to the top20 they couldn't get flo rida, sam sparro ect in every week it would be a yawnfest?! true the no1 has been changing a bit more recently but mint royle and coldplay were freak events (brits got talent / a huge album track) the underlying trend is the same remove those 2 records then rihanna would have spent 4 weeks and ne-yo 2 weeks at no1. not enough action for a saturday morning pop show these days!

how would cd:uk work now? the weeks when mint royale and alex gaudino were sole entries to the top20 they couldn't get flo rida, sam sparro ect in every week it would be a yawnfest?! true the no1 has been changing a bit more recently but mint royle and coldplay were freak events (brits got talent / a huge album track) the underlying trend is the same remove those 2 records then rihanna would have spent 4 weeks and ne-yo 2 weeks at no1. not enough action for a saturday morning pop show these days!

 

But surely if there was a weekly show like cd:uk back on tv, there would be a higher turnover of new entries and chart movement? as tv viewerswho don't go online regularly, would learn of the new downloads and releases for the following week. Isn't that why acts who appear on the X-Factor and An Audience With, DOI shows etc, have much improved sales?

I used to love sitting down to Totp on a friday night, and waking up to CD:UK and TOTP saturday on a Sat morning.

 

I wish they would make a new Music show

But surely if there was a weekly show like cd:uk back on tv, there would be a higher turnover of new entries and chart movement? as tv viewerswho don't go online regularly, would learn of the new downloads and releases for the following week. Isn't that why acts who appear on the X-Factor and An Audience With, DOI shows etc, have much improved sales?

 

any effect would take time probably a year to 18 months to manifest itself and as for a higher turnover of new entries how does that follow? are record companies are going to sign more acts and release more singles on the back of a tv programme which would be hard pressed to establish itself with several million viewers? now that singles don’t make much money in their own right the release schedule isn’t going to pick up anytime soon lol. that’s the key to the slow down not a lack of tv exposure.

I used to love sitting down to Totp on a friday night, and waking up to CD:UK and TOTP saturday on a Sat morning.

 

I wish they would make a new Music show

 

totp on a friday was a modern thing.... for decades it was on at 7.30 on thursday.

Well I'm only 19, I always remember it being on Fridays haha

wasnt TOTP losing viewers on a friday night? So then they moved it to a sunday night :wacko: yeah cos loads more people are gonna be watching TV on sunday than on friday :blink:

 

But its true though. the whole pop culture is coming to an end. Popworld is gone, TOTP is gone, CD:UK is gone and Smash Hits Mag is gone too. i stand by what some artists have said about bringing pop back. I would STILL (after 9 years of growing up and moving on from cheesy pop) rather listen to a good manufactured pop song from S Club 7 than listen to any $h!te from Dizzee Rascall or any other "rapper" they picked up off from the streets.

 

And Johnjo that was me :) And its so horribly true. After Cat left they started to change it too much and made the whole chart interactive and added (not that i hate her) Myleen Class (as well as a bunch of other people). Sorry, but presenting wasnt for you :(

Oh god no! :angry: The period of having record companies manufacture acts with NO TALENT at all and basically being able to control the music industry to MAKE MONEY and just follow trends to see what would make the most money rather than making an album of the best music possible (like for example these days the likes of Cowell go for the old biddy market with their acts -_- ) is the reason why in past ten years music has been become stale and the acts on the big labels that the public are buying are just inpersonators of the current big acts who aren't that different than bands from the past 40 years anyway! Even now the popularity of The Libertines and I've said this many times on here has resulted with MAJOR labels signing up bands that are just watered down versions of them and putting the 'Indie' on them to make them seem 'cool'. They certainly made a big impact and it's a shame things fell apart as they could have been even more so what this decade needed.. Anyway Thank godfor labels like XL and Domino who are all about the music and so even though some bands like Arctic Monkeys aren't groundbreaking they're not coming out with the same thing every year or two until they're dropped like Pigeon Detectives etc.

 

Another example I'd like to point out is The Feeling with The Hoosiers and Scouting For Girls coming around to sanitise that current market and so The Feeling rushed back hoping to capitalize and have failed.

 

The british public turned their back on 'manufactured pop' (yes the word 'pop' isn't just something to describe the Spice Girls) after Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell got greedy and basically showed the way they're all manufactured with Popstars and Pop Idol and you could also blame Busted too as the kids wanted bands who could play instruments and write songs after them so you could call them one of the most influencial bands of the 21st century too. :P

 

I ain't having a go at your opinion as I am personally a big fan of Girls Aloud but that technically makes me a big fan of Brian Higgins which goes to show if the right people are involved you can get a long lasting manufactured act but as my post says when big labels see a trend they always sanitise the market with imitations to make a quick buck and their current favourite flavour seems like Amy Winehouse clones and by the looks of things R&B singers too.

 

I could imagine CD:UK would be good for someone like The Saturdays for example as I can imagine they're gonna struggle and TOTP would have some brilliant shows at the moment, would have loved to see Coldplay on it last week :( I would have thought they would have talked about bringing it back by now and I really can't understand why they're not at least talking about it.

I used to love CD:UK back in 2003-2005, it was one of my favourite shows and i used to like TOTP to :(