Chart Music #63: December 28th 1972 – Thank God For Belgian World In Action

Chart Music #63: December 28th 1972 – Thank God For Belgian World In Action

Author: Chart Music December 29, 2021 Duration: 7:17:47

The latest episode of the podcast which asks; Singleton Noakes Purvis and Judd, or Baxter Woollard and Rodd – who was the better Prog band?

Santa has come once more to Chart Music, Pop-Crazed Youngsters – but this year he’s decided not to curl one off into our stocking, and has dropped off what is indisputably the greatest episode of the Pops we’ve chanced upon thus far in our five-year odyssey, plucked from the very dawning of the Golden Age. No, it’s not a Xmas Day one – that year’s episode, featuring Jinglenonce OBE introducing Clair by Gilbert O’Sullivan, has been plunged into the memory hole – but as always it’s an opportunity for the show ponies of Our Brand New Favourite Year For Pop to have a trot-about, egged on by Tony Blackburn and his foul nemesis Edmonds.


Musicwise, GASP: a combination of old chancers and young upstarts team up to drag Pop away from the foul mung of the Sixventies, the Heads are chased off by unkempt youths in spangles, and the result is a glorious year for singles – and this episode of TOTP is a non-stop barrage of banger after banger after banger after banger. Mike Leander invents the DNA of Glam. Donny Osmond demonstrates why eleven year-old girls turn up at his hotel with sledgehammers. After some KID’S LIB INNIT, Hilda Woodward casts an eerie spell and enchants the Kids into the worst occurrence of Granny Claps ever seen on Top Of The Pops. Roberta Flack takes over on piano. THE PEOPLE’S BAND shake a silvery top hat. Benny Hill delivers last year’s Xmas #1. Chicory Tip whip the silver and gold-booted hooligans of Sheffield into a frenzy. Cherry Gillespie’s three-day ordeal in wrapping paper bondage mercifully comes to an end. Mary Whitehouse’s masturbatory nightmares are relived once more, with the assistance of Rolf Harris. Then it’s the three-punch knockout of Utah Valhalla, the Jackson 5 and the Blessed Marc before Ringo pitches up at the end. 


Neil Kulkarni and Taylor Parkes join Al Needham for a celebration of Top Of The Pops at its most godlike, gleefully veering off on such tangents as famous pianos we have played on, schoolkids in London being forced to watch The Third Ear Band, Saddam Hussein’s choice of Christmas chocolate, why Americans are so rubbish when it comes to Christmas #1’s, Levi Stubbs fails to get a good night’s sleep, and a brief chat about some film that the Beatles are in. TUCK IN, POP-CRAZED YOUNGSTERS – and treat yourself to some lovely festive swearing…   


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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…