I love the idea of D.Bowie's TOTP dressing room being guarded by two Sumo Wrestlers.
I can't help feeling I should be doing my A-Level revision and waiting for a session from Echo & The Bunnymen whenever I hear the voice of Janice Long...

No more about Jude Rogers' upcoming nuptials.

For the last couple of years they've been playing TOTP episodes from 1974 onwards on German channel Einsfestival. Dull doesn't even begin to describe it. By December 1976, the arrival of Status Quo and Thin Lizzy seems positively menacing.

a version of this podcast with subtitles? Couldn't understand a word...

T'was lovely to hear Janice again - like Dr. Volume I feel like I should be doing some school work when I hear her voice. And Jude is great - does she really talk about her wedding that much? Don't think so - and anyway, Andrew asked her about it. It is only a few weeks away; cut her some slack!
And what exactly are messrs Ellen and Hepworth up to that's keeping them both away from the podcast? Any guesses out there?

Thought it was good to have a podcast without messrs ellen and hepworth on it for a change

she isn't banging on about it. I raised the matter of the Wedding of the Year, largely because it's more interesting than the other one with whatsisname and the girl whose mum was an air hostess.

...like others, Janice Long was a really big influence on me musically.

John Peel was on a bit too late at night to listen to often, but Janice's evening show was just right. Great to hear her, and I *liked* hearing about Jude's wedding: it was only a couple of minutes. In fact, I insist we have a post-wedding pod, so I can hear about her frock, hair and make-up and which Auntie or Uncle got drunk and had a fight.

although did laugh when Janice managed to mention Pete Wylie within 5 minutes of the start.

Gets an honorary thumbs-up for being the voice of the excellent Rastamouse!

on the train this morning.

Must we peddle this pop filth at our kids? I'm assuming Ellen and Hepworth had decamped to Q at this point and are so not guilty of all charges m'lud?

Stevie Ray Vaughan in Austin, Texas.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrbill/sets/512524/

I went through that entire podcast thinking I was listening to Stuart Maconie

Andrew H's question got me thinking (and I know this crosses over with another thread). Here's my TOTP theory, a long way of answering "no":

Until you were about 10 you didn't pay that much attention to pop, or TOTP, except that sometimes there was an amusing or intriguing curiosity on the programme.

But then, when you started to get the music bug, you needed to find your way through the hordes of music out there, and what better way than by looking at what everyone else is listening to. So TOTP becomes essential viewing for about 3 years.

But then you realise that a lot of what Other People buy is complete tosh, and anyway you've discovered other avenues to find out about and listen to music, music that you like (whether it's popular or not). So you give up on TOTP.

In other words, TOTP is only ever the first rung or two of the ladder of musical awareness - once you've climbed past it you don't really want to climb back down do you?

but looking at the picture above, it leaves one question unanswered.

Did Andrew's barber really train in a borstal? ;-)

I thought it was very good, and found myself heading to http://mybandtshirt.tumblr.com/. That's http://mybandtshirt.tumblr.com/ almost immediately after enjoying the 'cast

in associating Janice Long with revision.
Hopefully I've still got the tape of an interview she did with Lou Howard of Red Guitars in 85/6. It really brought acroos the enthusiasm for music that they both had.

http://mybandtshirt.tumblr.com/ has got me really nostalgic for my old t-shirt collection. It once numbered over 200 and most of them were band ones. Unfortunately I had to have a major cull when I moved in with the FPO (now ex-FPO) I'll have to have a look in the loft at my mum's. I think I hid a few there!

Was interested in someone's comment about the Police being the first reggae crossover band (or something like that). Had to go and look up the timeline. Was slightly surprised to see from Wikipedia that Roxanne was released in April 78 which was indeed *before* 10cc were number 1 with Dreadlock Holiday that summer.

But it seems it didn't make much impact as a single until the rerelease in 1979, which squares with my memory.

Meanwhile, I was intrigued by the Beatles singles in the charts---had wonderdd if it was something to do with the Red and Blue albums but these were much earlier, in 73. Turns out the Beatles Singles Collection was released in March 76 (see http://www.jpgr.co.uk/bsc1.html).

As you were ...

My thoughts on the podcast and TOTP blogged here:

http://timdifford.blogspot.com/2011/04/insomnia-vs-top-of-pops-and.html