Wogan Pop

Christmas list for Pinefox.. brown cords, brown slippers, a pipe, greatist hits CDs from Beautiful South & Deacon Blue, Saga gift voucher, grandpa style pattern cardigan from British Home Stores, a digital radio to pick up the BBC's new retro pop/rock radio station and another Lloyd Cole box set ;) SORTED !

I think Wogan's relationship with pop is somewhat skewed because of his commentating on (and close association with) the Eurovision Song Contest. No matter that he obviously can't stand most of the tracks, his own taste in pop becomes somewhat obscured behind those boozy, exasperated but loving voiceovers for ESC.

is it true abt TW's seven-weekly cycle of wigs, each slightly "longer" than the last, until he has a "haircut" and goes back to the beginnng?

urgent and key: what will martian be listening to when he is 60? (thru an ear- trumpet the size of cheddar gorge)

Wogan originally = 70s / early 80s MOR, the more cross-generational end of chartpop (greater crossover with Mike Read than there was between Derek Jameson and Simon Mayo), Radio 2 as an older version of R1 rather than the Light Programme fantasy world it became from c.1986 to 1996.

Wogan now = I don't listen to him, but I imagine he has a relatively traditional R2 playlist compared to Steve Riding The Afternoon.

Reynard's other examples: Johnnie Walker = 60s soul when it was new on Radio Caroline and later Radio 1, glam rock on early 70s lunchtime show, AOR when R1 was growing old with its audience and riding the Q boom (The Saturday Sequence, hmmm), now AOR / classic rock format on R2 drivetime show.

Gary Davies = all mainstream pop from c. 1984 to 1992 esp. Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, Swing Out Sister, Living In A Box, Johnny Hates Jazz und so weiter. Associated by me with early 90s dancepop (KLF, Shamen, De La Soul's "Ring Ring Ring", Gary Clail's "Human Nature") mainly because that's what he was playing when I listened to him every day. In later years at R1 = increasingly MOR late-nite smoothie, then Bannisterised and went to Virgin Radio / other commercial outlets. Did much to break a lot of Europop of the Spagna / Sabrina mould in the UK, am I right? Vivid memory: Davies, Monday lunchtime c. August 1990, talking about how great the DNA remix of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" was and how he'd played it at a club the previous Friday night or something and everyone there had loved it. Also very keen on Scritti Politti's reggae covers of 60s songs the following year (the early 90s' greatest false dawn?)

Peel = too many genres / eras to list. Depends how old you are what you link him with.

Robin are you reincarnated? next you will be telling us about the Crystal Palace potential team of the Eighties circa 1979 ;)

By the way, Pinefox, whaddya think of Lloyd Cole's new LP of ambient instrumentals? I'd seriously be interested to know.

If you're referring to Walker playing anything by Del Shannon in the "Cruisin' At Six" spot or whatever it's called, I'm with you, Andrew.

Also: Terry Wogan being interviewed some time in the early 80s was the first time I ever heard the name Flann O'Brien. Wogan was describing how much he loved The Third Policeman.

I haven't discussed it with anyone who would have been listening at the time, but it is hard to imagine Wogan having any impact in the early days of R1. Remember that famous picture of them all sitting outside Broadcasting House back when the station was launched in '67...there were just so MANY of them. It must have been difficult for a DJ to carve out an individual identity at that stage, I would have thought.

The Wogan chat show was terrible, Les Dawson was streets ahead Blankety Blank-wise and Wogan's Radio 2 breakfast show was like having a complete twat in the house first thing in the morning. I think he was probably responsible for a lot of novelty hits by the likes of the Barron Knights, The Worzels, Captain Beaky and of course his own hit, the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band sampling 'Floral Dance'.

I heard the instrumental track that kicks off Lloyd Cole's non- instrumental album on a listening post. I thought it was excellent; simple, evocative, perhaps even elegaic. But it still sounded like someone from Derbyshire who wants to be American.

"Captain Beaky" = made popular by Noel Edmonds on Sunday morning show, surely?

2. Is that Edna under the stairs? Poignant.

3. I think J Young is appalling, I really do.

4. Thanks, Martian.

5. What about *Roy Orbison*? I've lately heard both 'Only The Lonely' and 'In Dreams' on the morning show.

6. Haven't heard LC's new LPs but they are my LPs of the year, obviously.

7. "But it still sounded like someone from Derbyshire who wants to be American."

Hooray!

I am curious about what the pinefox will say about Lloyd Cole's instrumental album *after* he has heard it. (Based on two listens, I like it. It's much better than Boards of Canada. For one thing, I don't fall asleep in the middle and wake up when the voices say 'love' or whatever.)

It's gratifying that people (more than one! count 'em!) are interested in what I might have to say re. an LP I haven't heard.

Railway Children: I had a very cheap Best Of, but it was stolen. I never quite got to the bottom of it, but it had some fine moments. I recall one song about a monument somewhere... what was it called? 'After The Rain', 'Every Beat of the Heart' - this I can live with. I think you might like it, Youn. Any compilation will probably do.

As regards the music, usually the show featured the less threatening end of chart music. LLoyd-Webber hits were a speciality, as were the sort of acts who had solid chart success, but never inspired great passion in anyone (e.g. Lisa Stansfield). I imagine that Wogan couldn't have big international stars performing due to budgetary reasons (although some appeared as guests). The programme tended to highlight songs by British stars and often featured artists who were in the lower reaches of the Top 20. Therefore, quite a few "alternative" acts appeared on the show. The Housemartins appeared at least twice (Wogan claimed to be a big fan) and I think the Smiths were booked to appear, but didn't show up.

The show made a good-hearted attempt at diversity. Perhaps the biggest surprise was when Trio Bulgarka made their t.v. debut. George Harrison had recommended them in an interview with Wogan a few months earlier, so maybe that is why they were booked.

Lloyd Cole's 'Rattlesnakes' was the first album I ever gave away in disgust. I think I was probably embarrassed by the way the sixth form lyrics so accuratley reflected my own sixth form concerns (posh birds with cars! Taking notes!). Despite this, I have recently taken to picking up said album in CD form (with four extra tracks!) and thinking about buying it. I now know there are two Lloyd Cole compilations, one with the Commotions, one with the Commotions *and* solo work. I have also paid quite a lot of attention to the new albums - I genuinely thought I'd dreamt it at first.

This is the Power of Pinefox.

Mind you, I hadn't thought about Wogan much lately either

Such unbelievable folly - but it improves:

>>> Despite this, I have recently taken to picking up said album in CD form (with four extra tracks!)

This is better

>>> and thinking about buying it.

*Thinking?*

>>> I now know there are two Lloyd Cole compilations, one with the Commotions, one with the Commotions *and* solo work.

Technically I guess the latter is better cos it has some standout songs and the extra tracks, 'That Boy' and 'Fool You Are' are outstanding.

The Ednator's description of his Proustian radiogram moment touched enough to give me one of my own: Sunday lunchtimes, family around table, roast despatched, contentedly absorbing 3 Way Family Favourites presented by Cliff Michelmore, Judith Chalmers, etc. Messages from evocative locations, curious mixture of current (early 60's) Pop & classic popular songs.

(BTW, my memory is shot: most of the above detail is probably incorrect!)

As to other DJ's - I wish I could recall the name of the R1 one who cried on air after playing R & L Thompson's "Has He Got A Friend For Me". Its rare to be touched (sorry, no time to find an alternative word) by a presenter's reaction to the music they play, with the possible exception of Peel's gibbering enthusiasm.

There is an aspect in which I am more traditionalist than the Pinefox: run to the hills!

Lots of Olivia Newton-John on Family Favourites.

jimmy young - fond memories of dozing on backseat on tripz to relations

oh..my indie cred...take back my brats nme !!

Even S. Bates doing "Solid Gold Summer", presumably the R1 alternative, would have been preferable.

Desmond Carrington is playing a song by Terry Wogan!

"Me and the elephant - we'll never forget you".

phlar

-- phlar, Saturday, 23 April 2005 20:24 (3 years ago) Link

Did Youn ever get the Railway Children?

sorry Pinefox it looks like your alone with your radio 2 and Wogan fix. Most of us are still living the now !
Christmas list for Pinefox.. brown cords, brown slippers, a pipe, greatist hits CDs from Beautiful South & Deacon Blue, Saga gift voucher, grandpa style pattern cardigan from British Home Stores, a digital radio to pick up the BBC's new retro pop/rock radio station and another Lloyd Cole box set ;) SORTED !
-- DJ Martian, Tuesday, 4 December 2001 Bookmark Link

Most of us are still living the now !

tonight on BBC1: TERRY WOGAN'S IRELAND

I'm quite looking forward to this.

I watched the Wogan show regularly during the 80s (yes, I had nothing better to do) and I remember the guests far more clearly than the musical interludes.

(...)

As regards the music, usually the show featured the less threatening end of chart music. LLoyd-Webber hits were a speciality, as were the sort of acts who had solid chart success, but never inspired great passion in anyone (e.g. Lisa Stansfield).

Kate Bush performed 'Experiment IV' live on Wogan in 1986.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_7IjIp2DZI

If you start with the assumption he selected a lot of the music for his R2 show himself, he's probably had a bigger influence on British pop music of the last decade than pretty much anyone else.

Even Tom Ewing!

I quite liked his programme. I liked Wogan's secularism. The odd thing was how close it somehow stylistically was to Eurovision's touristic bits - TW's voice over footage of the country as though he was just commentating, live, on a TV feed coming up before him.

The first time I heard Running Up that Hill was also on Wogan - one of the all time great tv appearances, I think:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U1crhhEC9A

Yeah, the musical interludes had a high "worth watching for" count.

Never liked his radio show or his style in general, although his new "radio on the TV" show has an interesting aspect (theatre setting sort of thing, often on 301) but nothing I'm fussed about actually watching.

Barely remember what acts that were on the tv show except for the Primitives and Boxcar bleedin' Willie.

Pinefox nirvana:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdiYq-nBtm8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JPqXvy9W60

Underrated jam imo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cl5oQQFMZs

I vividly remember Julian Cope performing 'World Shut Your Mouth' in his full on leather kecks, climbing up the mic stand, rock star mode and on completion cutting to Auberon Waugh and Kingsley Amis. Wogan, 'did you like that?', Waugh, 'utterly dreadful'.

I don't know about that (Bron/Kingsley, I mean), but his final silhouette of "Rock God on the crucifix" got a lot of letters of complaint to Points of View. Actually, it was a funny week, there were a bunch of complaints about the Bronski's version of "It aint necessarily so", regarding casting aspersions on the story of Moses being fished out of a stream by Pharaoe's daughter. only around 40 years after the event (The Porgy and Bess musical it came from)

The Martika track's keyboards have an appealing period feel - traces of the guitars on 'money changes everything' or something.

The Lloyd video is quite compelling cos so different from LC's usual image since - the lights, the posing, the miming, the pop scene so far from his muted songwriter identity

as said before, The Railway Children definitely featured in 1990 or 1991 with 'every beat of the heart'

Go West played 'true colours' on Wogan, spring 1987?

aw man

RIP Wogan.

Vividly remember watching this in 1986:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8gGdnNqekg

My dad always had his radio show on in the 80s. Lots of Barbara Dickson, Kenny Rodgers, Chris Rea iirc. And Floral Dance, first by brass band then with his own accompaniment.

xp wish that song was actually called 'I Can't Stop Wogan'