60's UK TV Show -- Discs a Go-Go

[Roburt]

DISCS A GO-GO   ... I don't remember this TV music show from the 60's at all. It was made by TELEVISION WALES & WEST (TWW) initially in their Cardiff studio and then in their Bristol studio. It ran from late 1961 with the last show going out in 68 (no shows made in 66/67). I wasn't a networked prog but was screened by other ITV companies (Anglia, North, Tyne Tees & Borders). After it relocated to Bristol, one of the co-presenters was a local black lady. Guess it wasn't too hard to get acts to travel down to Bristol from London to appear and some decent singers / outfits appeared on the show  -- Cliff Bennett (65), Millie Small (65), Mike Cotton (62), Spencer Davis Group(64 & 65), Kenny Lynch (63), Chants (64), Animals (65), Long John Baldry (65), Solomon Burke (65), Chubby Checker (65), Bo Diddley (65), Georgie Fame &B F's (65), Ben E King (65), Yardbirds (65). Decca even put out an EP of cuts performed on the show.  

Seems little (or none) of the footage of decent acts who appeared has survived, a great shame. Knowing how long it takes to shot a 30 minute show, I guess the acts would have been there for 2 - 3hrs minimum (even though it was shot in the TV studio, the set was made to look like a coffee bar & there was a live audience (dancing, etc.), so it must have been quite a logistical nightmare to shoot / edit. It was all in B&W of course but it would be great to see some of that old footage. I wonder if any of the US acts stayed overnight in Bristol or landed local gigs to tie in with their visit to Bristol.

Anyone here remember watching any of these shows ??

Edited July 5, 2018 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Seems Chubby Checker appeared on the show in 65 ... in that case, he would have been promoting one of his new 45 releases at that time. That would have ment he performed "At The Discotheque" or "Everythings Wrong" ... I'd have loved to see that.

Chubby got quite a bit of UK TV time back in the 60's. Rediffusion made a show (Trad Jazz + Twist content) he appeared on in 62. He also appeared on 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' that year and had his own show (The Chubby Checker Show) on ATV later in the year.

Later in the 60's, the BBC got involved. They sent a camera crew to visit OTIS REDDING on his ranch in 1967. The footage shot was to be used in a documentary but it was never used / shown. Colour Me Pop (BBC) shot an episode starring the Chambers Brothers in 68 but it was not broadcast for some reason. The same year, Jack Good filmed footage of the Flirtations for Yorkshire TV but it wasn't screened. Taj Mahal was one of the acts on the Rock & Roll Show, filmed in late 68 for London Weekend, but again it didn't go out (though it later escaped on video). In 1970, the BBC agreed to make a special starring Stevie Wonder. But Stevie insisted on using his own US musicians to back him up. The Musicians Union objected and the project died.

At least we did get loads of great acts on RSG and some of that footage has survived (+ lots of old BBC TotP / Old Grey Whistle Test footage).

[Roburt]

Done some more checking & it seems that Chubby Checker appeared on this show (Discs-A-Go-Go) late in September 65 ... his current UK 45 release at that time was "Everything's Wrong / Cum Ma La Be - Stay" ... it is a great pity that footage no longer seems to exist.

Solomon Burke was on at the end of June 65 when his UK 45 outing was "Maggies Farm" (I never knew why UK Atlantic put this cover of a Bob Dylan song out here, though I do recall it getting quite a bit of radio airplay at the time).

Ben E King was on at the start of Nov 65, so he'd have been plugging a 45 track from some weeks earlier, "Cry No More". Benny was touring the UK at the time (playing gigs at clubs such as the Twisted Wheel), so no doubt he was just handy & available to appear on the show.

Edited July 6, 2018 by Roburt