Story on the radio last night said that Jeremy Clarkson presented one edition of TOTP, reacting to one US rap act by saying “wasn’t that awful” or something like that. Its days then already clearly numbered…
I vaguely remember seeing clips of groups (probably on VH1) like the Yardbirds and Beau Brummels lip-synching in a small room with a staircase and I was wondering if that was the “abandoned church” mentioned in the article.
Not coincidentally, about five minutes after punk rock started.
Oh, it ceased to be old and grey at that point, but certainly staggered on through the 80s. And Jools Holland’s music programme is more or less the same format.
More pertinently: at what point was TOTP not bollocks? I can think of one edition when both the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays appeared, that seemed to mark the coming-of-age of Madchester, but other than that?
And Jools Holland’s music programme is more or less the same format.
except with added Jools Holland. Apparently Mark E Smith had it written into his contract for the Fall’s appearance that “at no point during the performance will Mr Jools Holland play boogie-woogie piano”.
{ 15 comments }
Kieran Healy 06.20.06 at 11:16 pm
But Jimmy Saville is still alive.
Daniel 06.21.06 at 1:37 am
to be honest it has been dead for years and the BBC has finally realised.
Daniel 06.21.06 at 1:38 am
Sorry; the above post was talking about the TOTP format, not Jimmy Savile.
Chris 06.21.06 at 3:09 am
Story on the radio last night said that Jeremy Clarkson presented one edition of TOTP, reacting to one US rap act by saying “wasn’t that awful” or something like that. Its days then already clearly numbered…
Andrewgates 06.21.06 at 4:14 am
Hardly matters Daniel, Late realisation, but its “better late than never”!
Brendan 06.21.06 at 5:07 am
Since we are all, presumably, the last generation who will give a shit about this, does this mean we are all officially old then?
chris y 06.21.06 at 5:48 am
I bet I’m older than Brendan, and I already don’t give a shit about it. Third rate show since RSG went live (1965), of antiquarian interest only.
Functional 06.21.06 at 9:16 am
This was one of the classic Crooked Timber “indecipherably obscure” posts. At least to its American readers.
harry b 06.21.06 at 10:32 am
thanks functional, that’s what I aspire to!
Urinated State of America 06.21.06 at 12:03 pm
When did they kill off the much-better “Old Grey Whistle Test”?
bob mcmanus 06.21.06 at 7:45 pm
I vaguely remember seeing clips of groups (probably on VH1) like the Yardbirds and Beau Brummels lip-synching in a small room with a staircase and I was wondering if that was the “abandoned church” mentioned in the article.
Gone googling.
Daniel 06.22.06 at 1:45 am
When did they kill off the much-better “Old Grey Whistle Test�
Not coincidentally, about five minutes after punk rock started.
nick s 06.22.06 at 5:35 am
Not coincidentally, about five minutes after punk rock started.
Oh, it ceased to be old and grey at that point, but certainly staggered on through the 80s. And Jools Holland’s music programme is more or less the same format.
More pertinently: at what point was TOTP not bollocks? I can think of one edition when both the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays appeared, that seemed to mark the coming-of-age of Madchester, but other than that?
Daniel 06.22.06 at 7:43 am
And Jools Holland’s music programme is more or less the same format.
except with added Jools Holland. Apparently Mark E Smith had it written into his contract for the Fall’s appearance that “at no point during the performance will Mr Jools Holland play boogie-woogie piano”.
harry b 06.22.06 at 7:46 am
It was good whenever John Peel presented it.
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