Running from 1st January 1964 to 30th July 2006, BBC TV’s ‘Top Of The Pops’ was the UK’s longest-running and most influential music TV show. Yet, unbelievably, the BBC didn’t start semi-regularly keeping tapes of the show until the spring of 1976.
These books affectionately recapture those musically and historically important years, and include:
• Complete episode listings to all episodes from 1964 to 1986.
• 1000’s of black & white screen-shots of surviving footage.
• Nearly 2000 mini-bios on every act seen, heard or danced to during those years.
• Anecdotes, memorabilia and photos from nearly 100 artists who performed on the show, as exclusively given to the author.
So, whether you were there at the time, or have discovered the show retrospectively, these books are the ultimate guide to TOTP’s golden years!
Artists who gave exclusive contributions to these books are: Frank Allen (The Searchers), Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon), Russ Ballard (The Roulettes, Argent), Peter Bartholomew (The Overlanders), Dave Bartram (Showaddywaddy), Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy), Bev Bevan (The Move, The Electric Light Orchestra), Gaye Black (The Adverts), Mick Box (Uriah Heep), John Cameron (C.C.S.), William Campbell Jnr. (Marmalade, solo), JC Carroll (The Members), Sheila Chandra (Monsoon), Jeff Christie (Christie), Frank Collins (Arrival), Ray Cotton (The Jets), Peter Daltrey (Fairfield Parlour), David Van Day (Guys ‘n’ Dolls), Kiki Dee, Chris Difford (Squeeze), Joe Dolce, Ray Dorset (Mungo Jerry), Mark Ellis (The Lambrettas), Ralph Ellis (The Swinging Blue Jeans), Steve Ellis (Love Affair), Andy Ellison (Radio Stars), Natasha England, Ray Ennis (The Swinging Blue Jeans), Nick Feldman (Wang Chung), Graham Fellows AKA Jilted John, Griff Fender (Darts), Graham Fenton (Matchbox), Nigel Fletcher (Stavely Makepiece, Lieutenant Pigeon), Dean Friedman, Mark Gane (Martha and The Muffins), Graham Gouldman (10cc), Julie Hammersley (The Angelettes), David Hamilton (DJ), Harpo, Anita Harris, Murray Head, Catherine Howe, Jack Hues (Wang Chung), Jim Irvin (Furniture), Clive Jackson (Doctor and The Medics), Spencer James (The First Class), Steve Jameson (Nosmo King), Steve Jansen (Japan), Leee John (Imagination), Martha Johnson (Martha and The Muffins), Georg Kajanus (Sailor), Jem Kelly (The Lotus Eaters), Kay Kennedy (Susan Fassbender’s guitarist), Jonathan King (solo, The Weathermen, Sakkarin, The Piglets, Shag, Bubblerock, One Hundred Ton and A Feather), Sonja Kristina (Curved Air), Simon Laffy (Girl), Mick Liber (Python Lee Jackson, Ashton, Gardner and Dyke), Jim McClusky (Wigan’s Ovation), Ian McCredie (Middle Of The Road), Jacqui McShee (Pentangle), John Maher (The Buzzcocks), Juan Martín, Sandy Newman (Marmalade), Peter Oakman (Harley Quinne), Bill Oddie (The Goodies), Dave Peacock (Chas ‘n’ Dave), Dave Pegg (Fairport Convention), Mike Pender (The Searchers), Brian Poole (The Tremeloes), P.J. Proby, Suzi Quatro, Jackie Rawe (Shakatak), Milton Reame-James (Cockney Rebel), Jeff Rich (Status Quo + The Judie Tzuke Band), Sir Cliff Richard OBE, Steve Rowland (Family Dogg, Steve and Albert), Roger Ruskin Spear (The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), Margo Sagov (Amazulu), Doug Sanders (The Lambrettas), Chris Sandford (Yin and Yan), Jill Saward (Shakatak + Enigma), John Sebastian (The Lovin’ Spoonful), Bill Sharpe (Shakatak, Sharpe and Numan), Rodney Slater (The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), “Legs” Larry Smith (The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), Tim ‘TV’ Smith (The Adverts), John Springate (The Glitter Band), Gavin Sutherland (Sutherland Brothers), Livingston Taylor, Barbara Thompson, Syd Twynham (Liquid Gold, Les Gray’s Mud), Sylvia Vrethammar, Mark Warner (Quantum Jump), James Warren (The Korgis), Alan Whitehead (Marmalade), Dee Dee Wilde (Pan’s People), Toyah Willcox, Robert Woodward (Stavely Makepiece, Lieutenant Pigeon) and Philip Wright (Paper Lace).
Special thanks to Amanda Sanders for permission to use quotes from her excellent book ‘Beyond The Jet Age: The Story of The Lambrettas’. Cliff Richard quotes are from ‘The Dreamer’ by Cliff Richard, published by Ebury Press. Copyright © Vox Rock Ltd 2020. Reproduced by permission of The Random House Group Ltd.
