Pop Go The Sixties
Encyclopedia
Pop Go The Sixties! was a one-off, seventy five-minute TV special originally broadcast in colour on 31 December 1969, to celebrate the major pop hits of the 1960s
. The show was a co-production between the United Kingdom's BBC
and Germany's ZDF
broadcasters. It was shown on both stations on the same day, with other European stations broadcasting the programme either the same day or later. Although a co-production, it was primarily produced by the BBC and recorded at the BBC's Television Centre in London, in late 1969, featuring largely only British pop acts and hits.
and Elfi Von Kalckreuth. The two presenters introduced each act (with the exception of Cliff Richard), but neither was present in the studio recording with the artists, their links being added later. Savile spoke English, whereas Elfi Von Kalckreuth speaks in German throughout. The BBC's Johnnie Stewart
produced the show, while Stanley Dorfman
directed. Both men were involved with the regular production of BBC music show Top Of The Pops
and this show had a very similar look and production style. The artists performed on rostra, surrounded by a standing audience who danced along with the music. Klaus Weiding was the co-producer for the German station. The end titles are in both English and German.
All the artists present in the studio performed live, singing with an orchestra directed by Johnny Harris
. The Ascot Dancers appeared with a large number of the performers. Although an Anglo-German co-production, only one German artist appears and that is on a pre-recorded film insert. The only song performed in German is by Sandie Shaw
.
The participating artists were (in order of appearance):
Adam Faith's song What Do You Want? had reached no.1 in the UK singles chart in 1959, but was the first no.2 record of the 1960's.
Tom Jones had to withdraw from the recording at short notice, resulting in the inclusion of an earlier performance of his song from Top Of The Pops. This footage was a film recording
in monochrome and was shown on a giant screen in the studio, with the audience dancing to the soundtrack. Horst Jankowski appears in a, rather soft, film insert shot in a snowy landscape in Germany. Neither The Rolling Stones nor Cilla Black were present for the recording either. Their performances were recorded (in colour) in other studios without an audience and cut into the final edit. The Rolling Stones song Gimme Shelter was the only track included in the show that had not been a hit single. The Beatles performances were also archive clips, taken from the film The Beatles at Shea Stadium
. Although presented back-to-back, Sandie Shaw undergoes a costume change between her two performances. Most of the full programme recording has survived in the archives, together with out-takes and a re-recording of The Shadows performances. The only missing footage is that of Dusty Springfield, which is no longer available.. The show has been repeated on both BBC Four
and The Yesterday Channel in the UK and often on other European stations.
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
. The show was a co-production between the United Kingdom's BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Germany's ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
broadcasters. It was shown on both stations on the same day, with other European stations broadcasting the programme either the same day or later. Although a co-production, it was primarily produced by the BBC and recorded at the BBC's Television Centre in London, in late 1969, featuring largely only British pop acts and hits.
History
The show was presented by Jimmy SavileJimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
and Elfi Von Kalckreuth. The two presenters introduced each act (with the exception of Cliff Richard), but neither was present in the studio recording with the artists, their links being added later. Savile spoke English, whereas Elfi Von Kalckreuth speaks in German throughout. The BBC's Johnnie Stewart
Johnnie Stewart
Lorn Alastair Stewart was a television producer who worked for the BBC, noted mostly for his role in creating the long-running music programme Top of the Pops.- Early life and career :...
produced the show, while Stanley Dorfman
Stanley Dorfman
Stanley Dorfman is music director and producer.Dorfman was active in Great Britain throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He was the original co-producer and director for the TV music show Top Of The Pops and created and directed the BBC’s In Concert series....
directed. Both men were involved with the regular production of BBC music show Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and this show had a very similar look and production style. The artists performed on rostra, surrounded by a standing audience who danced along with the music. Klaus Weiding was the co-producer for the German station. The end titles are in both English and German.
All the artists present in the studio performed live, singing with an orchestra directed by Johnny Harris
Johnny Harris (musician)
Johnny Harris is a Scottish born composer, producer, arranger, conductor and musical director. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland; and a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music in London. He has lived in the US since 1972...
. The Ascot Dancers appeared with a large number of the performers. Although an Anglo-German co-production, only one German artist appears and that is on a pre-recorded film insert. The only song performed in German is by Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
.
The participating artists were (in order of appearance):
- The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
- "I Can See For MilesI Can See For Miles"I Can See for Miles" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album, The Who Sell Out. It was the only song from the album to be released as a single, on 14 October 1967...
" - Adam FaithAdam FaithTerence "Terry" Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith was a Teen idol English singer, actor and later financial journalist. He was one of the most charted acts of the 1960s. He became the first UK artist to lodge his initial seven hits in the Top 5...
- "What Do You Want" & Someone Else's Baby - The TremeloesThe TremeloesThe Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...
- "Silence Is Golden" - LuluLulu (singer)Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
- "Boom Bang-A-Bang" - Kenny BallKenny BallKenny Ball is an English jazz musician, best known as the lead trumpet player in Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.-Career:...
& His Jazzmen - "Midnight in Moscow" - The BachelorsThe BachelorsThe Bachelors are a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:The founding members of the group were Conleth Cluskey , Declan Cluskey , and John Stokes...
- "Charmaine" & "Diane" - Sandie ShawSandie ShawSandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
- "There's Always Something There To Remind Me" & "Wiedehopf Im Mai" (German version of "Puppet On A String") - MarmaladeMarmalade (band)Marmalade were a successful Scottish pop rock group, from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as "The Gaylords", later "Dean Ford and The Gaylords". In 1966, they changed the group name to 'The Marmalade'. The most successful period for the band, in terms of UK chart success, was...
- "Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da" - The Johnny HarrisJohnny Harris (musician)Johnny Harris is a Scottish born composer, producer, arranger, conductor and musical director. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland; and a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music in London. He has lived in the US since 1972...
Orchestra & The Ascot Dancers - "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" - The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
- "DaysDays (The Kinks song)Kirsty MacColl covered "Days" on her 1989 album Kite. It was released as a single and reached #12 on the UK singles chart, the same position achieved by The Kinks in 1969. It was re-released in 1995, charting much lower, only reaching #42 in the UK...
" - Horst JankowskiHorst JankowskiHorst Jankowski was a classically trained German pianist, most famous for his internationally successful easy listening music.-Biography:...
- "A Walk In The Black Forest" - The HolliesThe HolliesThe Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
- "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - Helen ShapiroHelen ShapiroHelen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...
- "Walking Back To Happiness" - Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
- "Delilah" - The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
- "Gimme ShelterGimme Shelter"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling...
" - Cilla BlackCilla BlackCilla Black OBE is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie...
- "Anyone Who Had A Heart" - The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
- "Apache" - Cliff RichardCliff RichardSir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
& The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
- "Bachelor Boy" - Cliff RichardCliff RichardSir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
- "Congratulations" - The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
- "I Feel FineI Feel Fine"I Feel Fine" is a riff-driven rock song written by John Lennon and released in 1964 by The Beatles as the A-side of their eighth British single. The song is notable for the use of feedback on a recording for the first time by any musician...
" & "Help!Help! (song)"Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom....
" - Dusty SpringfieldDusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
- "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"
Adam Faith's song What Do You Want? had reached no.1 in the UK singles chart in 1959, but was the first no.2 record of the 1960's.
Tom Jones had to withdraw from the recording at short notice, resulting in the inclusion of an earlier performance of his song from Top Of The Pops. This footage was a film recording
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
in monochrome and was shown on a giant screen in the studio, with the audience dancing to the soundtrack. Horst Jankowski appears in a, rather soft, film insert shot in a snowy landscape in Germany. Neither The Rolling Stones nor Cilla Black were present for the recording either. Their performances were recorded (in colour) in other studios without an audience and cut into the final edit. The Rolling Stones song Gimme Shelter was the only track included in the show that had not been a hit single. The Beatles performances were also archive clips, taken from the film The Beatles at Shea Stadium
The Beatles at Shea Stadium
The Beatles at Shea Stadium is a fifty-minute-long documentary of the Beatles' August 15, 1965 concert at Shea Stadium in New York, the highlight of the group's 1965 tour. The documentary was produced by Ed Sullivan , NEMS Enterprises Ltd. , and the Beatles company Subafilms Ltd...
. Although presented back-to-back, Sandie Shaw undergoes a costume change between her two performances. Most of the full programme recording has survived in the archives, together with out-takes and a re-recording of The Shadows performances. The only missing footage is that of Dusty Springfield, which is no longer available.. The show has been repeated on both BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
and The Yesterday Channel in the UK and often on other European stations.