Robert Wyatt - I'm A Believer [totp2]

[pdorn777]

Is it true that the TOTP producer nixed this bit 'cause of the wheel chair? WHY did Wyatt want to do the song in a surreal wheel chair in the first place? Don't get me wrong -- it's a brilliant rendition musically but I'm just not sure on artistic value of the props.

[DerekMcA]

@pdorn777 Robert Wyatt actually needs a wheelchair.

[pdorn777]

@DerekMcA Honestly...I had no idea. I feel terrible!

[jackoxpass]

What a line up for top of the friggin pops!.

[DonVan58]

Niick Mason from Pink Floyd on drums.Also produced the tune.

Mabe Andy Summers on acoustic guitar.Dave McKrae on keyboard.Fred Frith on guitar&violin.

[StanPomeray]

The BBC was apparently on the verge of pulling the performance in 1974 because they believed that the sight of someone in a wheelchair would "disturb sensitive viewers"...........

[jocksmen]

@StanPomeray BOLLOCKS HE HAD THE STEEL

BALLS TO DO IT SO "WHY"TT NOT.??

LOL.

[Afonkyshyt]

1.05 before we can finally see the chair...

[spliff2901]

Great performance, Andy Summers (The Police) on acoustic, Nick Mason (Floyd) on drums... but where's Mike Oldfield?

[ThisIsRuthie]

I'm pretty sure Fred Frith plays lead on the record. Not sure if that's him in the vid or not.

[buysometrysome]

@ThisIsRuthie it's got to be him. he's got the violin, the suspenders, the works.

[SpinettaGMR]

Also, in the video appears Fred Frith (Henry Cow) playing electric guitar

[Glamking1]

IIRC 20th September 1974. This is the only clip that exists out of the BBC cupboard in the TOTP archives (the only clip!) and also it means 5 episodes of 1974 still exist in full with Cockney Rebel's "Mr Soft" being shown the previous month in 1974.

It was shown on a BBC documentary afterwards when this performance was shown!

[davidgbarron]

Quite a story behind this performance. Robert Wyatt was told he was to be singing in a huge wicker chair and he refused. He was then told by the Top of the Pops producer that he would never appear on the show again.

Ironic that Robert Wyatt would be linked to another artist told the same thing, the producer telling Elvis Costello that if he discovered that his latest song "Shipbuilding" was political, he would never do the show again. Now who did a cover of "Shipbuilding"? Robert Wyatt.