Chart Music #62: November 3rd 1977 – WHOO! HEY!

Chart Music #62: November 3rd 1977 – WHOO! HEY!

Author: Chart Music November 6, 2021 Duration: 6:12:29

The latest episode of the podcast which asks; if David picked potatoes on Jack Heap’s playing field for one hour, how many Fumanchews would he able to cram into his gaping maw? 

Once again, Pop-Crazed Youngsters, Team Chart Music has returned to the safety of the late Seventies, and your panel is a) having their crayons thrown out of the window after an incident that could have been ripped from The Shining, b) being disappointed by Scalextric, and c) getting their arse tanned over an art installation on some concrete staircases. And all the time, the terror of Punk is looming, and no-one – particularly the canine population – is safe.


As it turns out, the only Punk-free zone at this time is the episode of The Pops we’re about to get stuck into. Like David’s Scalextric, the show – in Robin Nash’s safer-than-safe pair of hands – is running on rails by now. Unlike David’s Scalextric, everything fits together, and nothing is skidding off the table and smashing against the wall. This is Top Of The Pops in its purest form, Pop-Crazed Youngsters, and we savour every mouthful of it for over six hours.


Musicwise, it’s a veritable bestiary of Pop Gargantua, with Xmas on the way, some huge LP drops this week, and the Monsters of the Hit Parade already starting to fight over your forthcoming record token. Paul Weller makes a doomed attempt to get the BBC to post his guitar to his girlfriend. The Carpenters say hello to some aliens. The Barron Knights dare to have a pop at The Old Sailor. Freddie Mercury pitches up dressed like a bottle of Sheridan’s. Legs & Co hit up a sari shop in Shepherds Bush for a game of Sexy Lady Croquet. Status Quo predate Abba with an avatar bassist. Actual David Bowie pitches up to the studio, but can’t be bothered to button up his cuffs. Showaddywaddy have a group huddle. And Abba get down to a proper session of Scandinavian Sorry. All brought to you by Peter Powell in his debut TOTP appearance, and he immediately hits the ground running, even if he has to be nudged by the gallery into putting himself about with the maidens of the studio.


David Stubbs and Taylor Parkes join Al Needham for an intense drill into ’77, veering off on such tangents as the Great Dog Collar Crimewave of Coventry, why trying to crush a tennis ball on the school playground in order to impress girls is a wrong ‘un, NASA convincing aliens that British people are big Medieval jessies, the ELO-Faust War, Dave Lee Travis annoying Brian May, a review of Dave Bartram’s 2005 travelogue of caravan parks, Bruce Foxton stroke fiction, and the GOLDEN FLEECE OF CHART MUSIC has been located. Oh, the swearing in this one…   


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Chart Music: the Top Of The Pops Podcast is a deep, often hilarious dive into the archives of the iconic BBC television show. Each episode focuses on a single, random broadcast of Top of the Pops, subjecting it to a forensic and affectionate analysis that only a panel of former Melody Maker critics could provide. Hosted by Al Needham alongside creators Sarah Bee, Neil Kulkarni, Taylor Parkes, Simon Price, and David Stubbs, this podcast dissects the performances, fashion, and cultural moment of each show with a unique blend of expertise and nostalgia. Listeners will hear detailed commentary that treats pop history with both seriousness and irreverence, uncovering the stories behind the hits and the oddities that defined Thursday night viewing for generations. It’s more than a recap; it’s a critical reappraisal of a pop institution, exploring how music, television, and memory intertwine. The conversation is insightful, witty, and packed with the kind of context only insiders can offer, making each episode a time capsule opened with care and a sharp eye. For anyone fascinated by the evolution of pop culture and the specific alchemy of a weekly chart show, this podcast provides an endlessly engaging listen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Chart Music: the Top Of The Pops Podcast
Podcast Episodes
#67 (Pt 3): 9.6.77 – God Save Chart Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:54
Taylor Parkes and Neil Kulkarni continue their drill into the Silver Jubilee TOTP with Al Needham. Discover how the Wurzels let down Al at a visit to a farm in 1978! Thrill to the sight of Tony Blackburn pulling a bit of…
#67 (Pt 2): 9.6.77 – God Save Chart Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:27
Neil Kulkarni, Taylor Parkes and Al Needham continue their journey into the Silver Jubilee episode of Top Of The Pops, pausing to gaze forlornly at Tony Blackburn – who is in full Fathers 4 Justice mode – before being a…
#67 (Pt 1): 9.6.77 – God Save Chart Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:52
Taylor Parkes and Neil Kulkarni join Al Needham for a massive street party to commemorate the Silver Jubilee episode of Top Of The Pops – but before that, it’s a coat-down for the Monarchy, a comprehensive breakdown of t…
#66: March 15th 1990 – De La Stoke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:01:54
The latest episode of the podcast which asks; has anyone ever lost their virginity while listening to a Jive Bunny record?It’s the long-awaited return of Our Sarah and Taylor after their encounter with the Spiteful Armou…
#66 (Pt 4): 15.3.90 – De La Stoke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:03
Taylor Parkes and Sarah Bee straddle Al Needham and ride him hard in the final furlong of this episode of The Pops, pausing along the way to muse upon the hardcore Dad-hop of Jive Bunny, celebrate an actual decent #1 sin…
#66 (Pt 3): 15.3.90 – De La Stoke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:56
Sarah Bee and Taylor Parkes realign with Al Needham and – like the dog that returns to its own vomit – proceed to tuck in on this episode of The Pops. There’s a wodge of Breakers to wade through, followed by a chance for…
#66 (Pt 2): 15.3.90 – De La Stoke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:08
Taylor Parkes, Sarah Bee and Al Needham commence their excavation of this episode and rapidly uncover an extremely knackered Simon Mayo introducing some Pub Goth, New Kids On The Block playing some exceedingly futile bas…
#66 (Pt 1): 15.3.90 – De La Stoke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:50:23
Sarah Bee, Taylor Parkes and Al Needham ready themselves for a comprehensive rummage through an episode of The Pops from the spring of 1990, leafing through that week’s NME and its four-page spread on the Stone Roses chu…
#65: July 8th 1982 – Dancey Reagan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:57:30
The latest episode of the podcast which asks; if Steve Miller is in a consensual relationship, and keeps away from certain designated areas, and he’s not just doing it to show off in front of his mates, is it acceptable…
#65 (Pt 4): 8.7.82 – Dancey Reagan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:34
Neil Kulkarni, David Stubbs and Al Needham fight to resist the Siren-like lure of the ‘ITV1’ button and the West Germany – France game as this episode of TOTP enters the final stretch. Odyssey drop one of the greatest si…