Elvis on Top of the Pops
Elvis on Top of the Pops
I know there are many of these clips (all miming) but here are a couple I have not seen before all introduced by those wonderful Radio 1 DJs.
Radio Radio (interesting change of lyric)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y9qfDvuyQY
Oliver's Army (not the appearance I've seen about many times, no audience, very static and terrible miming)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usw9x2vq6c4
Radio Radio (interesting change of lyric)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y9qfDvuyQY
Oliver's Army (not the appearance I've seen about many times, no audience, very static and terrible miming)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usw9x2vq6c4
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
The "lots of silly men" lyric change in Radio Radio was a retort directed at Radio1 DJ Tony Blackburn, who'd made some disparaging comment to that effect about EC.
The Olivers Army clip is from the 1979 Christmas edition of TOTP, I think.
The Olivers Army clip is from the 1979 Christmas edition of TOTP, I think.
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
That's correct.Ulster Boy wrote:The "lots of silly men" lyric change in Radio Radio was a retort directed at Radio1 DJ Tony Blackburn, who'd made some disparaging comment to that effect about EC.
He referred to Elvis as "a silly little man", with respect to the lyrics of Radio Radio.
(Radio Radio wasn't officially released in the UK until, I believe, October 1978 -- so Blackburn's comment was made as a result of it being a single release at that time...)
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
...and that voice you can here introducing the song is of course Tony Blackburn.
John an Olivia at number one. Must have been 25 October 1978.
John an Olivia at number one. Must have been 25 October 1978.
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Ah, I remember this one. The Imposter's sole appearance from June 2003.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbgT-YE0IeI
Love the hat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbgT-YE0IeI
Love the hat!
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Still so true.
'Four and twenty crowbars jemmy your desire
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
The king is in the counting house
Some folk have all the luck
And all we get is pictures of Lord and Lady Muck'
'Four and twenty crowbars jemmy your desire
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
The king is in the counting house
Some folk have all the luck
And all we get is pictures of Lord and Lady Muck'
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Just one to look out for. BBC4 are currently showing in full every surviving edition of TOTP from 1977. In 2 or 3 weeks time our man will make his debut with Red Shoes. It will be without commentary and scrolling text and in full.
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Chelsea from 1978 sandwiched between the truly dreadful Peter Powell. This has been showing on BBC4 this week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqQsrJkP6bg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqQsrJkP6bg
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Bruce and Steve are not on their usual sides of the stage.John wrote:Chelsea from 1978 sandwiched between the truly dreadful Peter Powell. This has been showing on BBC4 this week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqQsrJkP6bg
Looks weird.
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
I caught the clip on TOTP78 on BBC 4. I remember back then hearing Tony Blackburn on Rosko's Roundtable (a weekly review of new singles) getting quite angry about Radio Radio and particularly the "bite the hand that feeds me" lyric. It summed up the attitude of the DJs at the time who felt they were the reason people listened to Radio 1 and watched TOTP and that the music was incidental.Ulster Boy wrote:The "lots of silly men" lyric change in Radio Radio was a retort directed at Radio1 DJ Tony Blackburn, who'd made some disparaging comment to that effect about EC.
The Olivers Army clip is from the 1979 Christmas edition of TOTP, I think.
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
If I remember rightly, Tony Blackburn realised the silly little men reference and said something afterwards along the lines of "Ah we mustn't take these things personally" when it was clearly a personal reference.adecartref wrote:I caught the clip on TOTP78 on BBC 4. I remember back then hearing Tony Blackburn on Rosko's Roundtable (a weekly review of new singles) getting quite angry about Radio Radio and particularly the "bite the hand that feeds me" lyric. It summed up the attitude of the DJs at the time who felt they were the reason people listened to Radio 1 and watched TOTP and that the music was incidental.Ulster Boy wrote:The "lots of silly men" lyric change in Radio Radio was a retort directed at Radio1 DJ Tony Blackburn, who'd made some disparaging comment to that effect about EC.
The Olivers Army clip is from the 1979 Christmas edition of TOTP, I think.
The DJs at the time definitely believed they were untouchable (no offence intended - just a phrase) and I remember when Radio 1 had a culling. Dave Lee Travis got really uptight because he felt he and others should remain to help the younger DJs. Given the allegations that have subsequently come to light it was probably just as well...
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
The radio radio episode was on BBC 4 last week. The version I watched they edited straight to Chris Rea and didn't show the Tony Blackburn reaction afterwards.
Interestingly they showed in full a performance from convicted 'sex offender' Jonathan King
Interestingly they showed in full a performance from convicted 'sex offender' Jonathan King
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
More Elvis this week -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03f4qgp
16/11/1978
Duration: 40 minutes
David Jensen presents a weekly look at pop charts featuring the Buzzcocks, Elton John, Showaddywaddy, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Heatwave, Blondie, Dean Friedman, Streetband, Queen, Child and the Boomtown Rats.
Thu 24 Oct 2013 19:30 BBC Four
BBC FourFri 25 Oct 2013 01:00 BBC Four
BBC FourSun 27 Oct 2013 01:25 BBC Four
http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... f_The_Pops
Radio, Radio - live repeat, recorded 1978-10-25
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03f4qgp
16/11/1978
Duration: 40 minutes
David Jensen presents a weekly look at pop charts featuring the Buzzcocks, Elton John, Showaddywaddy, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Heatwave, Blondie, Dean Friedman, Streetband, Queen, Child and the Boomtown Rats.
Thu 24 Oct 2013 19:30 BBC Four
BBC FourFri 25 Oct 2013 01:00 BBC Four
BBC FourSun 27 Oct 2013 01:25 BBC Four
http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... f_The_Pops
Radio, Radio - live repeat, recorded 1978-10-25
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Look out for the Christmas Eve 1981 edition being broadcast on BBC4 this Thursday. It features Elvis and the boys performing Sweet Dreams. I remember watching it at the time, a little surprised as the song wasn't in the top 40.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07g9zmn
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07g9zmn
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Different from the recorded version if I recall correctly.
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Hopefully the TOTP repeat gets taped properly and posted on youtube. A low res print of it was once up on youtube. It vanished when the entire account of the poster was taken down due to posting something from, I think, Japanese tv. I remember that Christmas Eve TOTP. The tv was on in the background as various visitors were coming and going. I wanted to watch Elvis but I barely heard it all the commotion. A stunning , 'live' version was what I saw when the clip was briefly 'up' .
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
From 08:09 minutes in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-24121981
Elvis struggling to mime to a re-recorded track which he sings slightly differently to the single/album track. Wizard, Adam and the Ants, Elvis & Attractions, Bucks Fizz is the sequence. Such heady days!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-24121981
Elvis struggling to mime to a re-recorded track which he sings slightly differently to the single/album track. Wizard, Adam and the Ants, Elvis & Attractions, Bucks Fizz is the sequence. Such heady days!
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
For UK viewers BBC4 last night totp from 1983 watch on the i-player
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-14071983
Extract -
https://twitter.com/verypopularname/sta ... 4535459840
https://twitter.com/zenbubblegum/status ... 5801972738
https://twitter.com/BBCFOUR/status/850053325164867585
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-14071983
Extract -
https://twitter.com/verypopularname/sta ... 4535459840
https://twitter.com/zenbubblegum/status ... 5801972738
https://twitter.com/BBCFOUR/status/850053325164867585
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
Absolutely loads of Elvis on the Top of the Pops repeats on BBC4 recently.
First of all The Imposter on the eve of the 1983 elections, 20:40 into this. Good to see the audience clapping along. Nice hat and t-shirt:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-08061983
Then there was EDIWTB with the crowd reading books as John's links, first act on:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-14071983
And finally 2 weeks later on again, rather a good edition actually! 07:15 into this. Blue and white jumper from the Let Them All Talk single sleeve? and interesting non-playing of guitar and hands behind head sequence!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-28071983
First of all The Imposter on the eve of the 1983 elections, 20:40 into this. Good to see the audience clapping along. Nice hat and t-shirt:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-08061983
Then there was EDIWTB with the crowd reading books as John's links, first act on:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-14071983
And finally 2 weeks later on again, rather a good edition actually! 07:15 into this. Blue and white jumper from the Let Them All Talk single sleeve? and interesting non-playing of guitar and hands behind head sequence!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... s-28071983
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
From Bruce Thomas's site -
https://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?p=2912#comments
jim says:
April 8, 2017 just watching you do Every Day I Write the Book on an old Top of the Pops. What was that lump of wood you were using? It looked like one of those special Hofners with no strings!
Bruce says:
April 8, 2017
It was a bass I made in the garden shed when I was about 15. I did a post about it a while ago.
https://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?p=2146
https://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?p=2912#comments
jim says:
April 8, 2017 just watching you do Every Day I Write the Book on an old Top of the Pops. What was that lump of wood you were using? It looked like one of those special Hofners with no strings!
Bruce says:
April 8, 2017
It was a bass I made in the garden shed when I was about 15. I did a post about it a while ago.
https://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?p=2146
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
These are great to see. I'd like to round up all these TV appearances and put them on dvd.
Who on earth is tapping at the window?
Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops
BBC4 10 May Top Of The Pops 1978 featuring Elvis Costello