The Old Grey Whistle Test

My fave one is John Otway nearly breaking his neck while falling off the amps during "Cor , Baby That's Really Free ".
The most depressing moments were the almost complete by passing of punk music as whispering Bob hated it . I remember he dismissed a Sham 69 live song by saying "And now we move to some proper music" before introducing a 15 minute guitar solo by Jessie bloody Winchester. Sorry , I can't forgive this twat of a presenter and always switch the radio off when I hurt his weasly voice but may buy the album if Jessie Winchester is not on it and none of the proceeds go to Bob Harris!!

They are showing it on BBC2 all this week. last night was interesting for Tim Buckley footage singing Dolphins and made me reconsider a lifelong personal ban on singer songwriters, The New York Dolls (cabaret act) , Little Feet, AWB, Alex Harvey (what beards!) and finally further proof of the God Like genius of Captain Beefheart. Tonight is very promising with Patti Smith and Talking Heads.

John

Perhaps the most significant comment was Whispering Bob saying his favourite bit was Curtis Mayfield - jeez!

I used to watch this when originally broadcast but now it is too much like "Jazz Club - great!"

cheers

Nigel

Now Nigel lets get one thing straight Curtis Mayfield was the king of soul and I will not hear a word said against him! I thought he said last night that it was the hopeless and dreary John Lennon in New York that he liked best? You are right about Bob though.

John

That footage of Tina Wymouth was great last night and further proof of her Rock God status.David Byrne really just window dressing. I have to disagree about Patti Smith and the Captain however. Smith was fantastic. Have we had this argument before?? I have an eerie sense of daj vu (all over again).

John

Lynard Skynard were truly laughable.a

Sorry for the coitus interuptus chaps...

I finally got hold of the OGWT DVD and have now seen the whole thing after watching disc 1 in one very very enjoyable session t'other day.

Highlights?

Captain Beefhearts totally mezmerising performance and Little Feat being so unbelievably tight and together (it's so hard to believe he was only 34 when he died - what a loss) Alex Harvey being as demented as I remember, Bill Withers being so intense he looks like he's about to explode! Randy Newman being the genius he always was, Focus (everybody I was at school with at the time wanted to be able to play that riff!) and, oh yeah The Edgar Winter Group doing Frankenstein.

As for the rest, well I can still think of countless other performances that I reckon could've been included. Disc 2 is a big let down - No Joy Division, No Magazine, No Neville Brothers etc etc

Still - with a bit of luck they might just set up the whole series so you could pick and choose and compile your own DVD?

Now that'd be nice.

TTFN

Pete

Not too sure about the technical Out of Synch stuff but some of the early performances certainly appear to be mimed I reckon.

In fact I can remember having the "See the Whistle Test last night? Were they miming or what?" conversations in the pub the following day at the time. This was pre VCR of course.

Bollocks, I wish I hadn't just thought of THAT - I now feel very old!!!!

TTFN

Pete

I met 'Whispering Bob' while doing some session bass playing years ago.

I swear that he actually projected his voice on TV. I could only understand about every
forth word through his twitching beard. I think 'Mumbling Bob' would have been more appropriate.

Bob.