Elvis on Top of the Pops

Pretty self-explanatory
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John
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Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

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
Ulster Boy
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by Ulster Boy »

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.
Dr. Luther
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by Dr. Luther »

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.
That's correct.
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...)
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John
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

...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.
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John
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

Ah, I remember this one. The Imposter's sole appearance from June 2003.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbgT-YE0IeI

Love the hat!
johnfoyle
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by johnfoyle »

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'
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John
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

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.
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John
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

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
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docinwestchester
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by docinwestchester »

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
Bruce and Steve are not on their usual sides of the stage.

Looks weird.
adecartref
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by adecartref »

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.
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.
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verbal gymnastics
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by verbal gymnastics »

adecartref wrote:
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.
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.
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.

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?
sheeptotheslaughter
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

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
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by johnfoyle »

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
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John
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

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
Ulster Boy
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by Ulster Boy »

Different from the recorded version if I recall correctly.
johnfoyle
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by johnfoyle »

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' .
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

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!
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by John »

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
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by johnfoyle »

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
emotional_fascism076
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by emotional_fascism076 »

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?
JONPD
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Re: Elvis on Top of the Pops

Post by JONPD »

BBC4 10 May Top Of The Pops 1978 featuring Elvis Costello
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