David Bowie live on TOTPs

[PaulWarning]

anybody watch top of the pops last night? rare David Bowie footage playing the Gene Genie live, absolutely brilliant mix,full of life, you can hear what the bass players doing, why can't studio recordings sound like that insteadof having all the life processed out of them?

[steve-bbb]

... and undoubtedly one of the best guitar talents to shine forth from our sceptered isle (despite the dodgy platforms)

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boTY_7VYoYU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boTY_7VYoYU[/url]

[Paul S]

Moonage Daydream.

sigh.

[Lozz196]

Yes, was a great piece of footage, much better, imo, than the studio recording.

[JTUK]

Saw it,,,what I want to know is...how come it is acceptable for the camera man to have his own copies stashed at home... and he says he has others..!!

Homework...???

[geoffbyrne]

.....I remember watching that live on TV.........



G.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1324560097' post='1475582']
Saw it,,,what I want to know is...how come it is acceptable for the camera man to have his own copies stashed at home... and he says he has others..!!

Homework...???
[/quote]
That's probably why it's took so long to surface, who knows how much vintage stuff is stored away which has got there by dubious means, but with the TV companies wiping tapes clean it's just as well, offer an amnesty to everybody that's got dodgy recordings stashed away, who knows what gems will be revealed

[obbm]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1324560097' post='1475582']
Saw it,,,what I want to know is...how come it is acceptable for the camera man to have his own copies stashed at home... and he says he has others..!!

Homework...???
[/quote]

I've known John Henshall, the cameraman concerned, for many many years. While he was at the BBC he started developing optical effects - special lenses - of which the Fish Eye used in this clip was one of his first. He eventually left the BBC and started his own company. He obtained a copy of the tape as the effect was his creation and no doubt he did not charge the BBC of the use of the lense so a copy of that sequence was fair recompense.

Videotape for 2-inch bradcast VTRs was very expensive and someone in BBC management decided that they could save money by wiping and re-using tapes. Thousands of hours of unique television got destroyed in this process. It will be interesting to see what else he has hidden away.

One of our local jammers spends some of his spare time researching and tracking down lost footage from that era. This is one of his finds, so thanks Ray.

Edited December 22, 2011 by obbm

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1324560987' post='1475600']
I've known John Henshall, the cameraman concerned, for many many years. While he was at the BBC he started developing optical effects - special lenses - of which the Fish Eye used in this clip was one of his first. He eventually left the BBC and started his own company. He obtained a copy of the tape as the effect was his creation and no doubt he did not charge the BBC of the use of the lense so a copy of that sequence was fair recompense.

Videotape for 2-inch bradcast VTRs was very expensive and someone in BBC management decided that they could save money by wiping and re-using tapes. Thousands of hours of unique television got destroyed in this process. It will be interesting to see what else he has hidden away.

One of our local jammers spends some of his spare time researching and tracking down lost footage from that era. This is one of his finds, so thanks Ray.
[/quote]

Indeed - that's what I'd heard. Wanted it for a show reel for his lenses or something like that?

[arthurhenry]

Great playing from Trevor Bolder and a lovely EB3 tone.

[MusicJunkie]

Incredible footage

[derrenleepoole]

I bet there's a few people around now that wished that the BBC still deleted it's recordings, especially with the amount of pap it puts out now

[4 Strings]

I suppose a lot of it is made by production companies now.

We lost a lot of Not Only But Also in this manner. Must have been difficult to draw the line between what could be safely reused and what would annoy a future generation.

We are the future generation and we are annoyed!

[Cygnus x-1]

I was 11 then, TOTP was a MUST watch for a young music fan, Bowie, Argent, The Sweet, Slade, Alice Cooper, Ram Jam, Geordie, Chicory Tip, Jo Jo Gunne, Edgar Winter, Status Quo....America, Horse with no name, now there's a good song. Happy memories.

[Judo Chop]

I wonder if anyone has a copy of the Beatles performing Paperback Writer on TOTP, I read somewhere that the BBC wiped that too.

[discreet]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1324560228' post='1475586']
...I remember watching that live on TV...
[/quote]

Me too.

Edited December 22, 2011 by discreet

[PaulWarning]

trouble is a lot of the tv stuff is miming, what made the Bowie clip special was that they were actually playing, with no backing tape, anybody know what were the years that totp did this for

[warwickhunt]

Only listened through that once and it's great to hear genuine live recordings... is it just me though but does TB occasionally go into the chorus refrain early? Not that it matters as it fits harmonically but if it is then it's an even better representation of 'live' music!

[lowdown]

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1324574449' post='1475843']
is it just me though but does TB occasionally go into the chorus refrain early? Not that it matters as it fits harmonically but if it is then it's an even better representation of 'live' music!
[/quote]

Yep, he did....

Still an enjoyable watch though.

Garry

[jonsmith]

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1324574449' post='1475843']
Only listened through that once and it's great to hear genuine live recordings... is it just me though but does TB occasionally go into the chorus refrain early? Not that it matters as it fits harmonically but if it is then it's an even better representation of 'live' music!
[/quote]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1324577124' post='1475897']
Yep, he did....

Still an enjoyable watch though.

Garry
[/quote]

He actually does this at least once on the studio version too.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1324578652' post='1475927']
He actually does this at least once on the studio version too.
[/quote]

The oldage; 'Do it once and it's a mistake... do it twice and it's Jazz'!

[lowdown]

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1324578652' post='1475927']
He actually does this at least once on the studio version too.
[/quote]

I think there has been a few threads on Basschat & Talkbass over the years about that.
About time it appeared again...


Garry

[Paul S]

Sounds like he comes back into the chorus too quickly, too at around 3.08... but, yes, anything by Bowie before or around that time was outstanding. Live Ziggy stuff was incredible. His voice had power and a quality to it that he lost IMO by the late 70s

[jezzaboy]

Great clip and well done that man for finding it. T B gets a fantastic sound from that EB but I tried to clock the amp head. Was it a Marshall guitar head or did the bass heads look the same as the guitar heads?

Very dodgy wig/sidebreezers combo though.

Jez

[Oopsdabassist]

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1324578652' post='1475927']
He actually does this at least once on the studio version too.
[/quote]

Aye just before 1st chorus, which is why you hear Bowie say 'get back on it' on the single.

Edited December 23, 2011 by Oopsdabassist