33:
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Owing to technical issues during the show's early years and the need to ensure performances were controlled, the bands often recorded the instrumental tracks the day before. The vocals were then performed live "99 percent" of the time. After 1973 the show changed to an entirely live format.
264:
phrase from years before. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys – doormen in grey suits. Any song the doormen could remember and whistle, having heard it just once or twice, had passed the old grey whistle test.
448:
On 23 February 2018 the BBC broadcast a special programme, hosted by Bob Harris, to mark 30 years since the series was last broadcast. This live studio show featured music, special guests and rare archive footage. It featured live performances from
420:, who had been appointed head of Youth Programmes at the BBC. The series ended with a live New Year's Eve special, hosted by Bob Harris, broadcast through to the early hours of New Year's Day 1988: material included
595:
754:
249:, which ran between September 1970 and July 1971, while continuing to feature non-chart music. The original producer, involved in an executive capacity throughout the show's entire history, was
813:
777:
346:(nicknamed ‘Whispering Bob Harris’ because of his quiet voice and laid-back style). He later became notorious among the younger generation for distancing himself on air from
584:
365:, tracks that could not be performed live by musicians were accompanied by old film footage, edited especially for the programme by film collector and archivist
317:
The series' opening titles theme was an animation of a male figure made up of stars (known as the 'Star Kicker') dancing. The programme's title music, with its
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384:(who had appeared on the show in 1975). This particular episode consisted almost entirely of interviews with various people about Lennon's life and career.
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310:. The studio was only 32 by 22 feet (10 m × 7 m). Due to the lack of technology that accommodated live performances, bands
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also took turns as presenters. In 1983 the programme was moved to a live mid-evening slot. The title was abridged to
549:, a 1970s late night BBC radio programme which concentrated on albums rather than singles, and rock rather than pop.
537:
409:
joined the series as a presenter in 1984. The same four presenters co-presented the BBC's television coverage of
778:"Annie Nightingale once revealed she was the first person to interview Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death"
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took over as host. In
December 1980 Nightingale presented a special edition immediately after the
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known as "Pres B", which had been originally designed for shooting weather forecasts and
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585:"Sir David Attenborough: 'This awful summer? We've only ourselves to blame...'"
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231:) is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer
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746:"Simon Price: There's no going back to the Old Grey Twilight Zone"
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Gary Numan's performances on the show caused his latest album
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from 1971 to 1988. It took over the BBC2 late-night slot from
565:, a more recent BBC television series with a similar format.
891:"For One Night Only, The Old Grey Whistle Test - BBC Four"
268:
On 23 February 2018, a one-off live three-hour special of
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to re-enter the charts the following week at number 60.
361:
In the programme's early days, before the advent of the
699:
Never a Dull Moment: 1971 - The Year That Rock
Exploded
702:. New York: Henry Holt and Company. pp. 207–208.
629:, chapter 5 (Carmarthen: McNidder & Grace, 2015.
725:"The New York Dolls play 'mock rock' on British TV"
805:"Andy Kershaw: The DJ who came back from the wars"
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649:"Witness the revival of The Old Grey Whistle Test"
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321:theme, was a track called Stone Fox Chase by a
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298:. It was originally produced in a studio at
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863:Popular Music and Television in Britain
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627:Frank Sinatra: An Extraordinary Life
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647:UTTON, DOMINIC (22 February 2018).
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517:Savage (Songs From A Broken World)
16:British music television programme
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562:Later... with Jools Holland
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37:One of 1970s opening titles
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219:(sometimes abbreviated to
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616:Credits of the programme
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256:According to presenter
183:(One-off special, 2018)
835:Kershaw, Andy (2012).
428:, live from 1977, and
354:"mock rock" and left
336:, features editor of
300:BBC Television Centre
538:The Midnight Special
308:in-vision continuity
111:"Stone Fox Chase" –
860:Ian Inglis (2010).
673:"TV Studio History"
418:Janet Street-Porter
332:The first host was
314:in early episodes.
753:. 21 August 2011.
480:Harris chatted to
237:David Attenborough
235:, commissioned by
157:Production company
873:978-0-7546-6864-0
546:Sounds of the 70s
502:Dennis Locorriere
374:Annie Nightingale
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494:Ian Anderson
486:Dave Stewart
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149:Running time
88:Andy Kershaw
76:Ian Whitcomb
68:Presented by
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18:
787:5 September
510:Danny Baker
382:John Lennon
363:music video
233:Rowan Ayers
58:Rowan Ayers
965:Categories
945:BBC Online
820:7 November
570:References
471:Albert Lee
451:Gary Numan
389:Mark Ellen
348:Roxy Music
344:Bob Harris
258:Bob Harris
205:1988-01-01
195:1971-09-21
136:Production
96:Mark Ellen
80:Bob Harris
54:Created by
602:14 August
434:Meat Loaf
413:in 1985.
358:in 1978.
323:Nashville
319:harmonica
178:(1971–88)
115:(1971–83)
103:Ro Newton
49:(1983–88)
900:26 March
814:Archived
755:Archived
654:26 March
596:Archived
530:Top Gear
523:See also
455:Kiki Dee
411:Live Aid
302:in west
274:BBC Four
181:BBC Four
141:Producer
761:4 March
678:6 March
424:by The
280:History
246:Disco 2
203: (
199: –
193: (
188:Release
172:Network
131:English
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426:Eagles
378:murder
325:band,
304:London
956:IMDb
902:2018
868:ISBN
841:ISBN
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789:2024
763:2019
704:ISBN
680:2010
656:2018
631:ISBN
604:2017
473:and
395:and
356:OGWT
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286:BBC2
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228:OGWT
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