Monday, 24 February, 2003 19:15
Some of the artists |
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| Wishbone
Ash |
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The
Old Grey Whistle Test first went on air in September 1971 and became
one of the most influential music shows for a generation. Many artists
from the South appeared over the years. |
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During
it's 16 year run the Old Grey Whistle Test featured just about every
rock or pop band of the time. BBC South's Sally Taylor spoke to some
artists living in the South and asked for their memories of the programme.
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| Rick Wakeman. |
Rick
Wakeman played on the show six times, both with the band 'Yes' and
as a solo artist.
"I owe my whole solo career to The Old Grey
Whistle Test. Mike and Bob were the only people who had faith in
'The six wives of Henry VIII'
Most of the time you arrived at the studio in the afternoon.
The shows
were done in the evening, which meant you had little choice but
to go to the BBC bar! There were some serious casualties!"
Transmissions went out to a strict rule. If there was a technical
problem such as a faulty videotape they would stop, then go back
to it later, but if the band had a problem like a broken guitar
string, they had to carry on!
Annie Nightingale recalls:
"Sting
went into makeup and this girl was struggling to open a can of hairspray.
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| Annie
Nightingale |
He said "let
me help you". It exploded in his face and went in his eyes.
He borrowed some shades but they were too big for him.
He was playing his bass and wrinkling his nose, trying to keep the
glasses on. It was very funny".
Billy Bragg remembers how the show introduced him to music he might
otherwise never have heard:
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| Billy
Bragg on the OGWT |
"Ry Cooder
never appeared on Top of the Pops. Without a programme like Whistle
test I would never have heard his stuff - he wasn't being played
on the radio.
Whistle Test had a very strong influence on my age people.
Going out on The Old Grey Whistle Test was like going on Top of
the Pops, for me. You felt you had arrived.
I
believe that content is more important than style. The Old Grey
Whistle Test was kinda dedicated to that"
Wishbone Ash were a favourite. Bassist Martin Turner reveals
how nervous they were at the time:
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| Martin
Turner |
"We were
young lads trying to be men. I remember trying to grow a moustache.
It looked absurd! like a marmite stain!"
"We played live. That made us feel secure. It was
kind of reassuring because we didn't know how to mime!"
The Dammed smashed up their equipment live on the show.
Singer, 'Rat' told us why:
"We were mid tour and had a new single that we'd never played
live. You couldn't NOT do the Whistle Test if you were asked but
we were all a bit nervous so we pre-arranged that if we made a pigs
ear of it we'd do the sensational thing instead. That was, sadly,
what we chose."
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