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Chart Music Podcast

Started by DrGreggles, September 05, 2017, 07:33:38 PM

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Natnar

Three people review and discuss old Top Of The Pops episodes.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

It really is as simple as that.

dr beat

QuoteThere's a jingling jangling spectre looming over the show so far, who's only been mentioned a few times in passing. It's going to be amazing when they tackle that topic head on.

They do discuss Gary Glitter and the playing of his records in some depth in one of the podcasts.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: dr beat on September 07, 2017, 11:35:09 AM
They do discuss Gary Glitter and the playing of his records in some depth in one of the podcasts.

They do, it's an interesting discussion. Parkes is correct when he points out that there's no consistency when it comes to public opinion regarding entertainers who've committed heinous crimes. We still listen to Elvis, Jerry Lee, Jacko and Spector without guilt, but draw the line at Gary Glitter. Elvis, Jerry Lee and Spector weren't monstrous sexual predators on Glitter's scale - Jacko probably wasn't either, relatively speaking at least -  but they were still wrong uns. Spector murdered someone. Elvis, Jacko and Jerry Lee had sex with underage kids (allegedly, in case any lawyers are reading this). They all did terrible things.

But, as Simon Price points out in this podcast, he has to psyche himself up before playing a Glitter record during a DJ set. He wouldn't feel so anxious if he was about to play some Spector, Elvis, Jacko or Jerry Lee.

Is that because, as they suggest on the podcast, those four artists are regarded as "cool", whereas Glitter was - prior to being exposed as a paedophile - thought of as harmlessly naff? Therefore it was easier to accept him being outed as an absolute cunt?

People were fond of Gary Glitter. He became a sort of self-mocking national institution - a pantomime dame. He didn't make great records, but his hits were enjoyable. Is that why we find it easier to discard him than the aforementioned artists?

Paul Gadd is a reprehensible human being. Gary Glitter, the daft '70s pop star, made some good pop music. But he may be unique in that people are generally unwilling to separate the art from the artist in his case.

I dunno, basically.




madhair60

Quote from: Natnar on September 07, 2017, 11:24:57 AM
Three people review and discuss old Top Of The Pops episodes.

I'm in

dr beat

QuotePaul Gadd is a reprehensible human being. Gary Glitter, the daft '70s pop star, made some good pop music. But he may be unique in that people are generally unwilling to separate the art from the artist in his case.

If memory serves, don't they also mention separating Gadd's contribution from that of the rest of the Glitter Band?

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: dr beat on September 07, 2017, 02:10:23 PM
If memory serves, don't they also mention separating Gadd's contribution from that of the rest of the Glitter Band?

They do.

Crabwalk

Quote from: dr beat on September 07, 2017, 11:35:09 AM
They do discuss Gary Glitter and the playing of his records in some depth in one of the podcasts.

And very interesting their discussion is too. But Savile is going to be a whole different matter. When you watch one of his TOPT episodes, you're probably watching a crime scene.

Crabwalk

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on September 07, 2017, 10:59:43 AM
Price, Needham and Kulkarni are very affable. Based on his writing for MM in the '90s, the latter always struck me as rather sneering and formidable, but he's not like that at all. Similarly, Taylor Parkes, for all his writing prowess, always struck me as a total wanker, but I like his sardonic, self-deprecating style on this.

Kulkarni certainly wrote with a burning intensity back then. He was probably my favourite Maker writer of that era, even though my tastes don't overlap hugely with his. I've followed him on twitter for years, and he's a teacher now. He writes brilliantly about the UK education system and the atrocities that've befallen it under the Tories. His blog's really good too, with recent music writing mixed with old snippets http://fuckyouneilkulkarni.blogspot.co.uk.

As you say, it's surprising how sweet and affable he comes across as on the podcast.

The impression that Taylor Parkes gave as an incisive, super-smart wanker in the 90s can be excused by his relative youth at the time, I think. He seems pretty self-aware now, and he's extremely entertaining on Chart Music.

He was way too dismissive of early Madonna though, the cunt.

billyandthecloneasaurus

Quote from: DrGreggles on September 06, 2017, 11:06:31 PM
They create a YouTube playlist for each episode that contains pretty much everything they mention.
+++++++karma thanks so much


kidsick5000

#40
Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on September 07, 2017, 01:49:55 PM
People were fond of Gary Glitter. He became a sort of self-mocking national institution - a pantomime dame. He didn't make great records, but his hits were enjoyable. Is that why we find it easier to discard him than the aforementioned artists?

Paul Gadd is a reprehensible human being. Gary Glitter, the daft '70s pop star, made some good pop music. But he may be unique in that people are generally unwilling to separate the art from the artist in his case.

I dunno, basically.

I think it's got to do with familiarity. All your bigger music stars are far off, untouchable and aloof. Mt Olympus types.
To an extent, it wasn't too hard to meet the 70's UK Pops regulars. They were more parochial. Available for any TV appearance.


I love these Chart Music shows. It's great that there's more of a reason to pick the dates at the moment. Like the last show being about era before collective memory of CCS/Whole Lotta Love and Pans People.

The Youtube playlist that accompanies it is ace. You should watch all the DJ docs. Fascinating.
Does anyone know what happened to Rosko. I'd never heard of him until the late 90s. Did he have a fall from grace, post BBC-fallout wilderness years.
He seems very much of his era. That is unable to speak in anything other slogans.


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Crabwalk on September 07, 2017, 05:43:40 PM
Kulkarni certainly wrote with a burning intensity back then. He was probably my favourite Maker writer of that era, even though my tastes don't overlap hugely with his. I've followed him on twitter for years, and he's a teacher now. He writes brilliantly about the UK education system and the atrocities that've befallen it under the Tories. His blog's really good too, with recent music writing mixed with old snippets http://fuckyouneilkulkarni.blogspot.co.uk.

Very interesting, thanks for that.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: kidsick5000 on September 08, 2017, 03:23:52 PM
Does anyone know what happened to Rosko. I'd never heard of him until the late 90s. Did he have a fall from grace, post BBC-fallout wilderness years.
He seems very much of his era. That is unable to speak in anything other slogans.

According to Wikipedia, he relocated back to America years ago. He never had a fall from grace, so I can only assume that his "groovy" Pirate Radio style of broadcasting began to sound too anachronistic, even for Radio 1 in the '80s.

He was a baffling DJ, though. As you say, everything that came out of his mouth was utter doggerel.

Neomod

They are wrong about Pan's People though.

My dad fancied Babs.

I 'liked' Sue.

kidsick5000

Quote from: Neomod on September 08, 2017, 09:28:33 PM
They are wrong about Pan's People though.

My dad fancied Babs.

I 'liked' Sue.

Yeah. I'm perplexed by that too.
Are on of the greatest things ever created for TV.
Legs And Co, urgh. Very ice-like. But Pan's People looked like they knew about having fun.

Porter Dimi

Trying this for the first time and really enjoying it. Thanks for the recommendation!

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Their outright dismissal of Madonna was a bit harsh. Quite surprising too, as you'd assume that a bunch of avowed pop fans such as this lot would have more time for her.

I agreed with Kulkarni's point that Madonna was never as transgressive or controversial as she and her publicity machine made out. You'd have to be very easily shocked to take offence at her "sexy" antics. But she made some great records in her day.

Porter Dimi

Some of Madonna's more transgressive or 'controversial' work is also some of her worst. 'Justify My Love' is terrible, as is her abysmal American Life period.

Despite that, she is (or at least was) a hell of a pop musician.

DrGreggles

I fail to see* the value in any of Madonna's early stuff either.

*hear

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Porter Dimi on September 09, 2017, 08:05:31 PM
Some of Madonna's more transgressive or 'controversial' work is also some of her worst. 'Justify My Love' is terrible, as is her abysmal American Life period.

Yep, her try-hard shock tactics were always the least interesting thing about her. Justify My Love was a boring soft porn video with a nothing song attached.

Quote from: DrGreggles on September 09, 2017, 08:23:02 PM
I fail to see* the value in any of Madonna's early stuff either.

*hear

Vogue? Material Girl? Into the Groove? Like a Prayer? True Blue? Papa Don't Preach? These pop classics don't move you in any way? Fair enough, it's all in the ear of the beholder.


Porter Dimi

I think this is still the exact low-point of Madonna's career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha8Af4o3Pnk

non capisco

The "now I know you're mine" bit in Into The Groove is absolutely fucking banging.


non capisco

Quote from: Porter Dimi on September 09, 2017, 09:23:15 PM
I think this is still the exact low-point of Madonna's career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha8Af4o3Pnk

Oh my gawd. "I drive my Mini Cooper and I'm feeling super dooper".

DrGreggles

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on September 09, 2017, 08:55:29 PM
Vogue? Material Girl? Into the Groove? Like a Prayer? True Blue? Papa Don't Preach? These pop classics don't move you in any way? Fair enough, it's all in the ear of the beholder.

I wouldn't class Vogue or Like a Prayer as her "early stuff".
And I wouldn't class any of the others as "pop classics" either. Just pretty standard mid-80s disposable pop.

Borderline has something going for it, but I think that's just a key change.

rapid relief

absolutely love this and hope it continues forever. it's turned me on to 'in bed with chris needham' (no relation apparently) which i thoroughly recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it...it's where the opening 'chart music' bit's taken from

Enzo

Thanks for recommending this. Been hooked ever since.

kidsick5000

Their take on Instant Karma was refreshing, even as self-confessed fans.

SteveDave

Hmm. I listened to the first episode and found it painful. If you mention "Slade" and "Top Hat" the first person that springs to mind is Noddy not Dave. Pffft.

Epic Bisto

Is that the 1977 episode? It's not that good, but the rest are dynamite.


"Gary Davies doesn't fuck, he prefers to make love"

Neomod

Quote from: SteveDave on September 12, 2017, 09:57:59 AM
Hmm. I listened to the first episode and found it painful. If you mention "Slade" and "Top Hat" the first person that springs to mind is Noddy not Dave. Pffft.

They do make some right clangers in the earlier episodes but as the series continues I think they start doing a bit of research.