blackcat

In that case, I will ask another question, suedehead - which songwriting duo wrote - and I think produced - many of the band's 1970's hits in the UK?

Yes, Fiesta, I liked The Old Grey Whistle Test as well, probably much nearer my taste in music nowadays to what top of the pops showed at the time. Enjoyed a great many records in this week's trip back to 1978. The Adverts with a good punk track, in fact, I enjoyed it much more than Gary Gilmore's Eyes. Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley had a sizeable hit with If I Had Words, one of my late father's all-time favourite tracks. Great MOR stuff. On the other hand, poor MOR stuff from Brotherhood Of Man and Smokie, in my opinion, redressed a bit by ABBA's catchy and commercial Take A Chance On Me closing out the programme. Never liked Althea and Donna's ditty, but, again, redressed somewhat by an excellent soul classic from Rolls Royce, Wishing On A Star. And good soul from Heatwave with Groove Line, which was quite well presented on the programme, if you know what I mean, lads and lesbians! ;) Even liked Rod Stewart's Hot Legs, with sounded to me like a return to his Faces days. Sweet were in the charts with Love Is Like Oxygen, the late great Brian Connolly on lead vocal, so trivia for this week - as many Sweet hits as possible off the top of one's head. All the best, BC B-)

Thanks Suedehead, correct in every respect. Midge Ure was considered as a potential recruit by Malcolm Mclaren to the Sex Pistols at one stage. Midge is probably always going to be best known nowadays as the man who helped Geldof write Do They Know Its Christmas. So one edition not made because of a strike? That sounds very nineteen seventies!

This weeks top of the pops 1978 was for 26th January that year, while the previous one from last week was for the 5th January. So let me guess - the missing two editions were Savile/DLT related! Daft! Good job Stuart Hall never presented an edition. :cry: Lots of records still about from the last edition, including Terry Wogan, (mildly amusing), Althea and Donna (crass in my view), Mull Of Kintyre (never a head banger) and Bob Marley (good song). Good songs on this week's show in my view from Donna Summer, The Rich Kids, great novelty record from Yellow Dog, good soul from Bill Withers. Baccara's follow up to their number one form the previous year was not as strong, Gordon Giltrap and Gallagher and Lyle with reasonable MOR efforts. Thanks for the Odyssey answers, trivia for this week centres on The Rich Kids. Three members of that band were more famous, eventually or sequentially, for other bands/projects. Please name those members, all three of them, and the other bands/projects they were central too. That should keep even knowledeable pop fans churning for a little while! All the best, BC B-)

Great group, I have a compilation album of theirs. Guitarist John O'Neil was perhaps the main songwriter, he wrote Teenage Kicks. Bizarrely, Feargal Sharkey's creative input was just singing, but he has always been the best known member of the band. Interesting to hear suedehead say that he preferred Jimmy Jimmy to Teenage Kicks. I to like Teenage Kicks, but much prefer You've Got My Number. As I understand it, the phrase "teenage kicks so hard to beat" is written on John Peel's gravestone. Excellent band, one of the best out of the punk rock era, and arguably the best band to come out of Northern Ireland.

Was it really worth the wait?! Pretty poor programme, very MOR with Brotherhood Of Man, David Soul, Mull still at number one. Bit of light relief with Mr. Wogan, liked the Babies record, although contrary to what Peter Powell said, they were definately NOT big in 1978! Did not like The Hotrods disc, again, not a patch on Do Anything You Wanna Do. Two reggae songs in the show, that must have been a first. Bob Marley was class, as usualy, but I never did like Althea and Donna's hit. Travesty that that ended up topping the charts when so many other good reggie records were only minor hits. Only Women Bleed by Julie Covington was nice, the other highlight being Native New Yorker by Odyssey. Odyssey only had a few hits, but all of them seemed to be really good platters in my view. What's more, I saw them live once back in the mid 1990's. Great band. So trivia question - as many UK hit singels for Odyssey as one can roll off the tongue. All the best, BC B-)

Thanks again, Davetaylor, your contributions to this thread are much appreciated. Anyone see the 1978 top of the pops specials the other night on BBC Four? Quite well put together, and some good music - maybe a little bit too much of Boney M, even if they were the best selling UK singles act of the year! Curiously, although no Jimmy Savile, there were clips of DLT. Makes one wonder why they could not have screened that part 2 of 1977 over Christmas. Looking forward to some splended vintage top of the pops clips for 1978.

Thanks for all this Dave, you are a mine of information! Always been a fan of the programme, so your '64 stuff is still very relevant to me, although I would have been too young to have seen the programme then. Interesting that I Want To Hold Your Hand was the first number one on it. America had the Ed Sullivan show, we had the fledgling top of the pops to publicise the moptops. Pity all the sixties editions could not have survived. Must have been some great music on them.

Yes, bit of red tape gone mad at the BBC, since DLT, according to my news sources, has not actually been found guilty of anything as yet! I do remember the Chris Hill record from the time, was quite funny! Don't remember The Goodies record at all, though. The thing I remember most vividly about the Goodies was the indesputible, and rather incredible fact, that one of their shows literally caused a man to laugh himself to death! True story, if you don't know about it, just type it into the search engine. A man literally died from health complications after a bout of uncontrollable laughter caused by watching The Goodies. First time that had happened, although not the only time, the film A Fish Called Wanda also led to a fatal death through a person uncontrollably laughing. Must be the ultimate accolade for any comedy programme!

Best of 1977 part one was on tonight, some good records, in my view, from Hot Chocolate, Space, good MOR stuff from Leo Sayer and Denise Williams, and yes, the Floral Dance. Other interesting offerings from Stevie Wonder, great track from ABBA, Baccara with a good singalong Spanish ditty, Showaddywaddy with one of their more catchy numbers. And a good Christmas song from Johnny Mathis, which was really from 1976. Enjoyed the programme. Part two to come, good end to the year. Davetaylor, I hope that you are right. Would love to see these repeats continued onto 1978. Great era for music, and top of the pops superbly captured a lot of that new music visually. It was the pop programme in the right place, at the right time.

LOL! Can't fault you for your thoroughness and Elton John knowledge, popchartfreak, I had Sacrifice/Healing Hands as the first, and Are You Ready For Love just nine years ago as the last. And yes, Bernie Taupin his main songwriting collaborator, who I still would not know if he passed me in the street! Lots of down votes for poor old Elvis's version of My Way. Is there anyone out there who actually liked it? I loved the version by Sid Vicious, of course, which was not just used to good effect in Sex Pistols projects, it was also the chief play out song of the ganster movie "Goodfellas". And thank you Davetaylor for links to the editions which are not going to be shown. I wonder if these editions will ever be shown? Maybe around about the year 2077, a hundred years or so after the event, when all the dust has settled down over the Savile affair. Will we see Top Of The Pops 1978? Let's hope so. I have a nasty feeling that we may not. TOTP's two's Christmas edition was excellent this weekend, and the BBC may decide that that should be the only outlet for older music on the station. Be a big shame if they do........... :huh:

Weren't that good, actually! :unsure: Some interesting punky rock sounds from Generation x, Graham Parker, some good soulish disco stuff from Chic, Donna Summer and The Emotions, and my favourite Floral Dance record played out the last programme! :dance: Apart from that, disappointing, I would say. A rather flat version of My Way by Elvis (yes, I know he had just passed away, and I like Elvis as well, but his version was not a patch on Sinatra's) Mull Of Kintyre played twice, and it would be played and sold over and over again in the UK that winter of 1977/1978. MOR well represented by The Dooleys, Bonnie Tyler, and the Bee Gees classic ballad How Deep Is Your Love. John Ottaway playing live was maybe the most interesting aspect of the two shows. But plenty of records there that we have already heard on previous editions, not really two of the more outstanding shows. Triva this week centres on Elton John, who presented the latter edition. Quite simply, his real name, his anonymous song writing partner for most of his career, and his first and last UK number ones (not counting collaborations, such as the Don't Go Breaking My Heart dirge with Kiki Dee). All the best, and if I don't get a chance to say it on this thread before the big event, happy Christmas to one and all, and to old top of the pops fans everywhere! BC B-)

Two totps '77 editions on tonight, will comment on them over the weekend. As Fiesta says, one presented by Elton John. Should be good.

Yes, all correct of course, well done suedehead. American and Canadian discjockeys also thought that Girls School was the better song, and choose to play that one side instead of Mull Of Kintyre, which was why Mull Of Kintyre was not a big hit on the other side of the Atlantic. It remains the biggest selling non-charity record in the UK, so in those terms, you could claim that it is still the biggest selling single. McCartney was featured on the B-side of Do They Know Its Christmas, so you could say that he had a hand in the biggest selling record of the sixties - She Loves You - the biggest seller of the seventies - Mull Of Kintyre - and the eighties - Do They Know Its Christmas. Not so with the 1990's biggest seller and all-time UK best seller, The Candle In The Wind 1997 tribute to Diana, by Elton John. However, it was produced by ex-Beatles producer George Martin...........

Bit too MOR tonight's edition, for me. Fairly tame records from Leo Sayer and The Jacksons, some obscure record about skateboarding, the aforementioned Mull Of Kintyre (well written record of course, but not the type of Macca composition I usually go for). Bonnie Tyler had a listenable record out, not one I would ever think of buying though. The Bee Gees How Deep Is Your Love was a great ballad, and Hot Chocolate had an unusual sounding record out at the time. And ABBA continued to reign supreme with the professional Name Of The Game. The novelty sound of the time was Egyptian Reggae by Jonathon Richmond, interesting to listen too, but not a patch on Roadrunner. For the trivia this week, I think that I will build a few questions around Mull Of Kintyre, which was about to become quite a UK phenomenon. So first question - which particular sales barrier did it breach in the UK in 1977/78, and which big selling record from the sixties did it take over from as the UK's all-time number one selling single? Next question - which record then succeeded Mull Of Kintyre about seven years later as the UK's best selling single? Also, I have a question about the composition of Mull Of Kintyre. Paul wrote a lot of it, but the original credit carried another writer's name, it was officially written by Paul and another composer. Who was that other writer, and which sixties band was that writer in? (I bet Suedehead/Feista know all the answers) :P Take care, all the best, BC. B-)

Another "LOL"!! I think that he was a great character, as I say, there were some musical connections there as well, with his links with Brian May, and his own musical skill, highlighted elsewhere in this thread. I agree with Brian May that Patrick Moore was irreplaceable, but, nevertheless, they will have to find a new presenter for The Sky At Night eventually, I assume. Unless, out of great respect for Sir Patrick, they stop making the programme, as it was, after all, his baby. And if they did that, where would that leave TOTPS '77, in the light of the Savile controversy................... :unsure:

LOL! I think that it is somewhat ironic that the two biggest hits at the end of the punk year of 1977 were The Mull Of Kintyre and The Floral Dance. Just puts into perspective how fickle the singles charts can be.

Well there is a tenuous link to this thread, in that the Sky At Night does interrupt Top Of The Pops 1977 once a month, and he did have some musical connections. Brian May today described him as "irreplaceable". So all due respect - RIP Sir Patrick.

Thanks for the replies on Roxy Music, excellent outfit, and still officially going. All of their members carved out very successful careers for themselves in their own right. Bryan Ferry had a very successful solo career, Phil Mansanera produced and wrote songs for many top artists, and Andy Mackay played with a variety of top stars. And Brian Eno went on to make some of the most interesting "New Age" music ever recorded. Highly influentiel band. No top of the pops this week, its The Sky At Night time of the month. It is ironic, isn't it - after bemoaning the fact that Sky At Night was taking up, once a month, one of the slots of top of the pops 1977 a few months ago, now we are (in the wake of the Savile allegations) welcoming it as a saviour for these repeats! Coming up to Christmas 1977, I am looking forward to that mega, highly creative and innovative sound, forget punk and disco, the real moving force musically of 1977 is about to come upon us at the end of the year. Yes, The Floral Dance is on its way! :D

Tonight's edition was not presented by Kenny Everitt, rather it featured Kenny as an artist! Presented by Noel Edmonds. And not a bad edition. Good rocky songs from Elvis Costello and Tom Robinson, reasonable soul from Ruby Winters, one of The Bee Gees better ballads danced too by Legs & Co., who looked a girl light to me. Roxy Music as well, with what I assume was a re-issue. Bit of fun from Darts, who were probably a lot more funny than Kenny Everitt, it has to be said, on this occasion. Still, Kenny's record was one more to add to the list of sci-fi tunes! ABBA still at number one with the thoughtful Name Of The Game, and the lead female vocalist of Boney M I am sure did a live vocal to "Belfast", always a brave thing to do in front of watching millions. Santana with a guitar led version of the old Zombies number She's Not There, so enough good things to keep the interest going. On the downside, Tina Charles did look a bit like last year's news somewhat! And the play in and play out tunes by both the Jacksons and Rod Stewart respectively were never amongst the best records by those particular artists. Noel Edmonds innocently messing about with some female members of the audience made me cringe a bit, though. As has been said elsewhere, in the current climate, seeing such things on the old repeats does look a bit more sinister now, after the Savile allegations, than it would once have done. Trivia question? I liked Roxy Music a lot, so as many of their UK hits as possible off the top of one's head. All the best, BC B-)

Correct, popchartfreak, first British rock act at number one in the USA. About a year or so before The Beatles made a more substantial and long lasting breakthrough over there. I have heard that the first British artist ever to get a number one Stateside may have been Vera Lynn, but can't swear to that offhand. Again, thanks for the replies on the space theme, look forward to the late great Kenny Everitt presenting the next edition. Worth savouring every edition from now on, because you never know when the next edition maybe the last. :(

Yes, Telstar by The Tornadoes was probably deemed as being more to do with science fact than science fiction. Bit of trivia for you, Fiesta and others - what important chart landmark did Telstar achieve in the early sixties? Not necessarily talking about the UK charts here, though. <_<

LOL! Long haired lover from Liverpool, highly creative sound from little Jimmy Osmond, clearly Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields do not have a patch on that! Thank you for the replies so far on the space theme, there are a few rather silly records one could name as well, such as The Firm's Star Trekking, A Spaceman Came Travelling by Chris De Burgh, Urban Spaceman by The Bonzo Dog Do Dah band, Starship Trooper by Hot Gossip. Must be many more. As for the question of the future of these repeats, I can only say what I said before - hopefully they will keep showing them, and just ban the Jimmy Savile shows. If they don't, this thread, sadly, might come to an abrupt end. :(

Good contributions on the cities and towns trivia question, thanks to all who posted on that, and thanks to Fiesta and popchartfreak for the Angel Of The Morning riddle. One epoch making single that we have not mentioned, and which was certainly centred around a certain city, was The Beatles highly creative Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane disc, probably the best double A side ever made, and undoubtedly the most famous record Worldwide about Liverpool. This week's show was excellent in the main, I thought. Still a bit of rough with the smooth, you have to draw a veil over mediocre efforts from Showwaddywaddy and a really "funny" Barron Knights song, but very good otherwise. Good soul from Dorothy Moore, great mod/punk from The Jam. I agree with Peter Powell, We Are The Champions probably was Queen's best since Bohemian Rhapsody, and Rocking All Over The World well above Quo's usual fare, in my view. Abba's number one was maybe not one of their best, but still a highly creative record. And David Bowie singing Heroes with a live vocal, if I am not mistaken. Excellent! Many of these acts would go on to give equally excellent performances at Live Aid eight years later. Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft was one of The Carpenters best ever in my view, so for a bit of fun this week, how about some more UK hits over the years with a space/science fiction theme? Again, could be a long list, but should be fun to compile! All the best, BC B-)

Yes, I am surprised at that as well, Steve. I know they had a bit of an early eighties revival, a number two hit in late 1983, if I remember correctly. And of course, in terms of airplay, at this time of year............................................. :angel: