(It's from the 'clip' format that the Beeb seem to have taken to their hearts, cheap programming created by splicing together pieces from their archives)
My initial reaction?
As I sit here watching Barry's first Top Of The Pops performance (1976, Tryin' To Get The Feeling) the first thought is 'it's so clear', then, finally! After all these years! I get to see it! When that clip is rapidly followed by the fabled 'first Parkinson' (1978, Can't Smile Without You) and some chat with Michael, it all feels a bit surreal!
These were the clips people talked about but had never seen! Hard to imagine these days where the Internet and YouTube mean anything can be found, these shows predate personal video recorders.
Then we have Somewhere In The Night (1978, Albert Hall). I can tell you about every moment of this song, every raise of an eyebrow, every bead of sweat ...
The Old Songs, Albert Hall 1982
The crispness of all the film ... We'd all copied and recopied the precious few tapes that we had, I was used to watching these shows through a slight fog of distance from the original ...
Parkinson 1980 ... The velvet jacket ... By now I'm in the TV audience, my first time, but not my last!
More pinkness from the Albert Hall 1982, Made it Thru the Rain/Beautiful Music, filmed the Thursday and Friday night of a week of shows there. I was there ... Of course ... Jane's in the front row on the Friday, Pauline on the Thursday.
Brooklyn to Blenheim ... BBC News ... (Watched with the sound down ... Can't stand fans being talked to .. They only want the idiots)
I Write The Songs at Blenheim (1983) was down the front for that as well!
(If I had my hands on the archives it would be a very different show, I'd pick completely different songs)
More Blenheim ... One Voice - a sea of candles, he reckons that was the point when he finally realised how large the audience was ...
The Late Late Breakfast Show (I Wanna Do It With You 1982) Lordy! The excitement! Jeans and a rude sounding song :-) another piece of footage that has been poured over ... Got to number 8 in the charts :-)
Sixty Minutes in 1984 ... Hemsby! Bloody hell, I don't remember this! Mollie and Lynn being interviewed on the beach ... Why did we let the cameras in?! Another one watched with the sound down ... I would so have made this a music clips only show!
Ooh! Wogan 1986! Pretty boy :-) just a few words, shame, that was a good outfit.
Parkinson 1998 Could It Be Magic can't remember if I was at that one ... Shameful, I used to be able to reel off dates, times and places ... Amazing performance, just him and the piano. I must've been there ... I think I remember the angles in the studio ...
National Lottery (I'd Really Love To See You Tonight 1998) I seem to have blanked this one from my mind ... Still cute, certainly wasn't there!
Royal Variety Performance (Mandy 1992) I know I did a lot of RVP's over the years ... I would assume I was there ;-)
(Nervous they'll have the more recent post surgery stuff towards the end)
Parkinson 2002. Looks like the set and Barry's suit haven't changed from 1998!
It's A Miracle 1985 the BBC programme was called 'Decade of Hits', I can't quite place where it was filmed .. Just wondering if it was the NEC in Birmingham - that would make sense.
Oh my god! Back to Parkinson 1978 and Copa! That's a relief! Much better than very current!
Well that was a very strange evening. Makes me a tiny bit nostalgic for the past, a little bit thrilled to have seen the old footage and not surprised that the more distant past is clearer.
