Not Only But Also query - colour/b&w film?

[Derek Trucks]

Bit confused, I had heard from 2 different sources that ALL of the tapes of the 1970 series were wiped.  Yet the video that I have has some sketches in Colour (the aircraft carrier, the Neasden's film), and I thought that that series was the only one to be filmed in colour.

Were some of the sketches from the earlier series filmed in colour?  Or did some the later shows survive?

[Jemble Fred]

No expert, but I think that the only colour bits that survive were all on film – it's the actual studio stuff which is no more.

[geeef]

Series 3 was the only one to be recorded in colour, and you heard correctly that all the tapes were wiped.
However, colour film inserts for the series do still exist, and it's those that are on the dvd. The "This Is Ludwig Van Beethoven" sketch is now somewhat shorter than it was when originally broadcast, as the film material linked VT studio segments; and for some reason the BBC left the Good Vs Evil Cricket Match sketch off the video, but that is another surviving colour-film sketch (in fact I think it's the only one of the surviving colour sketches not to be on the dvd).

[Panbaams]

A few sketches survive as audio only because they were put on LPs – "Lengths" is one, I think there were a couple of Pete and Dud sketches too...

[TJ]

A few sketches survive as audio only because they were put on LPs – "Lengths" is one, I think there were a couple of Pete and Dud sketches too...

I'd say it's roughly about half of the stuff that ended up on the albums. As you say, 'Lengths' was one of them and I love that and dearly wish that the visual version would turn up.

Hang on, I'll just check...


'Six Of The Best', 'The Frog And Peach', 'The Psychiatrist', 'Father And Son', 'The Music Teacher', 'Pete And Dud On Sex', 'The Wardrobe', '00Dud', 'In The Club' and 'Lengths' survive on albums but not on video, and 'Isn't She A Sweetie?' (presumably not the same version as heard onscreen) survives on a single. All of them sound as though they probably looked fantastic.

While I remember... anyone know what happened in the TV version of 'L.S.Bumblebee'?

[Darrell]

While I remember... anyone know what happened in the TV version of 'L.S.Bumblebee'?

They're miming to the single version in Sgt Pepper outfits stood there like a pair of spare arses. It's hardly thrilling TV.

The biggest audience laugh is when Dud points to his rear end during the "bum bum bum, bum bum bu-bumble" line.

[TJ]

While I remember... anyone know what happened in the TV version of 'L.S.Bumblebee'?

They're miming to the single version in Sgt Pepper outfits stood there like a pair of spare arses. It's hardly thrilling TV.

Ah. So it's right up there with finally seeing the 'Two Ninnies' song after having only heard it on the album for well over a decade?

Weird that they should be wearing Pepper outfits in late 1966, though - maybe they genuinely were responding to street fashion rather than pop star finery?

[geeef]

"The LS Bumblebee" was in the Boxing Day '66 show wasn't it? I really want to see that one; it was nearly repeated a few Christmases back on UK Arena, then replaced at the last minute (possibly for Yoko-ish reasons, as John Lennon appears in the show) by one of those compilations again...similar story to what happened when BBC4 were going to show the recently recovered NOBA. It's about bloody time the BBC released the complete shows that remain and stop fobbing us off with that compilation!

[Bert Thung]

The "Old Man River" sketch in the best of isn't from NOBA, but was a film insert from the "Behind The Fridge" stage show.

My favourite bit from that Boxing Day Show is when Dud's trendy nightclub owner is described as "young, gifted, horrible"

[geeef]

My favourite bit from that Boxing Day Show is when Dud's trendy nightclub owner is described as "young, gifted, horrible"

I've only seen clips from this show, but I suppose that is part of the sketch about  an investigation into "Swinging London" by Hiram J.Pipesucker (Cook);   and doesn't Cook  also appear as "the vicar of Carnaby Street and All Trends", or something similar? I presume the LS Bumblebee performance in the trendy "Pepper style"costumes was linked into this.  Clearly the '67 "Summer of Love" and psychedelia, that was to come ,was definitely in the air.
Given all the endless Cook/Moore documentaries that have been made recently you would think we might actually be allowed to see some of their programmes in full. Even the Goodbye Again dvd was edited highlights. Talking of which, since I haven't managed to get the Goodbye again dvd yet, does anyone here know if the "Long Distance" sketch is on it? It's my favourite bit of the LP, it would be nice to see it with the visuals.
Oh, and I don't know if this has been discussed here before, but since we're talking about Cook and Moore's work in colour,  Goodbye Again was one of those ATV shows like "This is Tom Jones" that was recorded in both colour and b/w (b/w for the UK, colour for the US), with the cameras next  to each other (so the two versions are recorded from slightly different angles), but only the b/w VT and the colour film sections are known to exist. I suppose it possible that  the full colour versions might still lurk in the US somewhere, where I think they were shown under a different title. Unlikely, I suppose, but possible. There was a short clip of a sketch in colour on "The Elstree Story" ( an in-house retrospective to mark the closure of the studios), that definitely looks like VT. Sadly, however,lots of the tapes that were sourced for clips in that were junked after it was made.

[geeef]

A few sketches survive as audio only because they were put on LPs – "Lengths" is one, I think there were a couple of Pete and Dud sketches too...

Is the last Decca NOBA LP significantly rarer than the other two NOBA LPs, or is it just my bad luck? I've got the first two, plus Goodbye Again, and the Misty Mr Wisty, all of which I've seen on other occasions in second-hand record shops and on ebay when I'm searching for the last NOBA LP. Many of the sketches have turned up on re-releases (most happily "Lengths", mentioned above,also one of my favourite sketches), but I'm not aware that Double-O Dud has ever been re-released anywhere.

[geeef]

Just to reply to my own post, in a narcissitic old hector fashion, but I've just got the Goodbye Again dvd and the "Long Distance" sketch is on it..but edited. All of the bit where Cook talks to Penny on the phone is missing....why can't we see this stuff unedited for flips sake? The dvd cost 17.99, it wouldn't have killed anyone to put alll four shows on the dvd, but no, we get  edited highlights plus some interviews,well whoop-e-doo. And people wonder why  people bootleg stuff. It's nice to see this material, don't get me wrong, but why in the name of all that's holy could they  not just release the whole thing? And why can't we have unedited NOBA as well. What a bunch of prime-ministering pim-holes!

[trotsky assortment]

Apologies if this has been asked before and I missed it, but I have a Not Only...question.

I have that old VHS cassette 'The Best Of What's Left Of Not Only But Also' (the one with the balck/white/navy blue cover).

Are all of the sketches from that included on this DVD?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AISIV/qid=1123191462/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-8203739-7844616

[geeef]

Apologies if this has been asked before and I missed it, but I have a Not Only...question.

I have that old VHS cassette 'The Best Of What's Left Of Not Only But Also' (the one with the balck/white/navy blue cover).

Are all of the sketches from that included on this DVD?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AISIV/qid=1123191462/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-8203739-7844616

I believe that all NOBA releases since the VHS you have (which is the only version I've got, as I didn't want to pay out for a lazy reissue job when we're crying out for a proper DVD) are exactly the same apart from the excising of  The Beatles "I'm A Loser" from the soundtrack in one sketch (dunno how they did that unless the audio exists minus the Beatles track) , and I'm unsure if the Pete and Dud "Nowhere Edgeways" reunion intro is on the later versions. But other than that it's the same.