Christmas Top of the pops 1974

[VABkWrm]

They remind me of a slightly less plaid Bay City Rollers.

[carnivorouskettle]

How comes there are six Rubettes shown in the photo at the beginning, but only five on stage?

[cjfussell04]

loved the 70s, reminds me of driving in my car yanked to 10 windows open trying to reach that high note lol

[DeccaQuinne]

I love the song - but is there any explanation for those dance moves?

[willpurry]

My dead Mum's, dead Dad's and dead brother's first Christmas with me.

[iosnick]

Ah the hairy cornfake

[jinty59]

wish we could bring back all that was good about the 70's especially the music

[odellshaun]

the 70's, the best decade ever !!!

[MrSamato64]

so cool, so many memories...............thx

[darin90]

I was 2 in 1974. Never saw this clip until right now in July 2011.

[wolfie1843]

You cant beat them days!!!!!

[taildragger53]

Ha ha!! I recall watching this episode as an 18 yr old.

It was great Christmas.

Yes, the IRA were active in London & elswhere..we had a 3 day week..power cuts..garbage strikes. The World was abit younger

But we seemed happier with far less..just a velvet jacket, Oxford bags & Vauxhall Viva was good enough.

But on reflection, things always seem better when we were young.

Even in 1974 elderly ones would speak about how great things were in 1935.

[crazydavedisco]

@taildragger53 Totally agree with you, I had a Vauxhall Viva and Oxford bags, cowboy boots with cuban heels. Oh yeah and don't forget unemployment was huge back then !

[gracam11]

Miss the 70s an understatement. Music, loves, un-loves, kids, un-kids, ageing, no-unageing but the music lives on, our spirit must live on

[TheScouse17]

wow,brought back so many memories,still feel like a teenager, just how good was some of the 70's music! where have all the years gone?????

[majuryni]

Sugar Baby Love is our song....Married 34 yrs this june.

[notsolong55]

also 19 in 1974

music at its very best glam rock will live forever

[express777100]

cannot beat the 70s

[barrybamford64]

I WAS 19YRS, TO AND YES I MISS THEM DAYS, I WISH THE CLOCK COULD GO BACK HOTMAIL

[evanswho]

I was a kid growing up in the 70's and life was much easier and people were happier. Also there was little stress about!! I loved the 70's!!!

[DaveEllis13]

@evanswho Me too!

[1912JOCK]

19 year old then ,and still as daft,god I miss the 70's,does anyone else ?

[Petuniamendoza]

Lindo lindo, me encanta,

[kool2535]

とってもかっこいいですね♪　

[MisspentYouth70]

@nicklonuk2006

The sugar shortages weren't so bad ;)

[essmbee]

0.30...... NO DEAL

[limeyjoe1957]

I go back in time anytime these year's are magic! Beautiful the 70's

[coolah666]

sugar pop and candy music - so wish i was back in the 70s in my white flares and body shirt yah man

[ViGhostB]

this song so beautiful

[orwellwasrite]

I didn't know Quentin Tarantino played guitar in this band!

[kikkiokioli]

@orwellwasrite ha... thought the same thing. maybe it's his dad.

[fifthof]

the Hairy Cornflake was such an annoying and unfunny twat.

[staffsmole]

The Rubettes...

A more scary bunch of geeks would be hard to find!

[DCNY31279]

@staffsmole Well there is weezer

[johnrose92]

Fabulous song it takes me back to my childhood , i really fancied the singer.

[conradheidi]

These are guys were always brilliant. This is one of my favourite songs it brings back so many great memories. Wish I could turn the clock back . They were happier days compared to today's standard.

[ALMARITE]

à regarder sans modération et sans limite d'âge

[magprob]

I couldn't make it all the way through this without puking all over my monitor.

[xxleannebabyxx]

hahahaha this is when they mimned hahahaha

[aberkirk1]

great sound

[anne3362]

I agree - it was a much nicer world.

[bradshawvincent]

seeing this dross again reminds me of the frustrated boredom of my teen years. thank god punk rock came along and blew all this nostalgic crap into the dustbin of history.

[carmel1956]

Brilliant! There was some great 50's revival stuff going on in the mid 1970's.

Stuart.

[nitsuac]

Hmmm. You'd have a tough time in prison, boys.

[007velma]

wow wow cudnt move from tv when these on

[mel140297]

I`d loved to see someone on Brtitains Got Talent do this song- No chance !!!!

Special or what ?

[salvavegna]

my guilty pleasure love the songs and seeing them perform

[GavinS1965]

Superb!

[DrDaveHPP]

Class! I haven't laughed so much at a TOTP act in years.

[Christoph1964]

was on the very first sampler, I bought (did by?) for own money (it was K-tel)

[deedee40dd]

when are they touring in the uk!!!!!

[RSLICKER]

loved these guys with their hats and shirts and their shoobe dooo waaa remember them from the 70s my mum and dad loved them , so did i . im 44 now so sad but i still have my white hat

[leebegeebee]

Memories! Did They do Juke Box Jive and I Can Do It?

[RSLICKER]

yes they did

[elguapis1000]

Wow.. Living in Spain since´76 lived in england till then.. 45 I am, and hahahah... so many memories!! Great!

[magus5555]

check out the lapels..SOAB!

[jimmyvirtue]

you only live nice. mad! ill have a fanta

[mutikonka]

So that's where Peter Hook got his low slung guitar idea from.

[Finbarbarfin]

Kind of reminds me of Later... with Jools Holland. Some stuff's changed, and some hasn't/

[Kuanyin123456]

I remember when it first came out and I still think it's a great song! Ahhhh, the

70s!!

[ivory631]

LOve this song!!!!!

[drwhatson]

Ooooh - how I LOATHED these f*****g people! Time has not mellowed my attitude toward Dave Lee Tosser and his fellow overpaid talentless nonentities who stifled the airwaves via Radio One for decades, and are still at it.

[Glamking1]

Why EinsFestival wonder skipping this episode anyway and they was going to show this one next Thursday night, but now they're not gonna show it. because due to the publicity of blank screens and the cut during the episode. But I still have the 27-12-74 episode on DVD uncut with no DOG, but instead they have got a Edmonds episode from 1976, that means they are just showing 1 christmas episode from 1974 then, which was originally shown on UK Gold in 1993.

[rainbow395]

oh I love this song!! 5 from Poland <3

[remeclerk]

ahh the year my grandad died....

[jocecowgirl]

I love your voice Alan. Merci

[garpstube]

Ahh the days of lip sinc and playing Electric guitars not pluged into Amps LOL.

[knownpleasures]

whos that chap from deal or no deal??? LOL

[sard37]

Great song, bad vid

[GeHOF]

It was more than an off night. Only the lead guitarist held them together. The singer was unbelievableby bad. It was embarrasing to listen to him. Perhaps he was ill, it sounded like it. I have never heard so many people remark on a band in such a negative way during and after the show which was a pity because I'd seen them a few years before and thought they were really good. I'm afraid that Shawaddytwaddle precicely sums them up that night.

[heyrocknroll]

SWW-36 years at the top.

Who was top of the bill ?

It is still the Wads that pull in the punters.

[pharoahsoulero]

captastic memories

[GeHOF]

Saw these in Peterborough last year. They brought the house down--fantastic performance. On the same bill was Shawaddytwaddle--utter rubbish and Sweet --only one original left but sound just as great.

[inagrump]

I also saw these in peterborough and kings lynn approx 3 yrs ago. excellent act. the sweet sounded the same because andy scott was the one who made the original sounds. showaddywaddy was excellent i thought. perhaps they were having an off night when you saw them. rubettes were great also..

[margiaustralia1]

Fantastic - love em

[BEJK60]

they look like the thunderbirds, espesialy brains on giutar

[RobDeManc]

Its really bizarre seeing this now as I think seeing the rubettes on totp is one of my first memories.

[TsukiyoAme]

Still have the LP!

[TsukiyoAme]

I still have this record!!!!!!!

[cpausini]

So do I. I remember I specifically asked my father to buy it for me since I was only seven at the time!

[cherie880]

I ♥ !!!!!!!!!!!

[escortRS1600i]

If you like the Rubettes then look on here for a duo called Baskin & Copperfield. Its Alan Williams & John Richardson in the pre Rubettes days

[kookietur]

Lars Ulrich ?

[Glamking1]

I have got the complete edition of this without UK Gold seeing it ?

[kookietur]

LOL at 1,26 we got Quintan tarantino.

[rrrripbing]

Incidentally Alan never sang the intro, it was a chap named Paul Da Vinci aka Paul Prewer. On a re-recording like this it was probably sang by some-one supplied by the BBC. Great clip by the way.

[ifthecapfits]

You're 100% wrong and I have to question your motives for saying something totally untrue.

The track was re-recorded as per Musicians Union rules. The entire lead vocal is Alan Williams. No 'probably' about it.

[escortRS1600i]

Of course Paul Da Vinci sang it, its well documented & its even mentioned on their web site. Paul Da Vinci (Paul Brewer) now plays in the band called "the Rubettes featuring Bill Hurd". Bill Hurd being the pianist in this clip. Thats why the Rubettes are now called "the Rubettes featuring Alan Williams" cos Alan took Bill Hurd to court over the use of the name won €150.000 damages. Incidentally, Alans Rubettes also feature the original drummer John & the original bass player Mick Clarke.

[altosequannais]

Sorry but Paul Da Vinci left Bill Hurd's band in 2006.

[joesophie90]

The original studio recording of the high pitched sqweel, was with the then lead singer Paul Da Vinci - who left before Sugar Baby Love got into the charts.

This version on TOTP's does appear to be Alan, even on the intro! It's totally different to the studio recording and he does seem to have sung the intro.

[ifthecapfits]

There's no 'appear' about it joesophie90.

The track was re-recorded with Alan Williams singing the lead vocal, including the falsetto.

For filming the re-recording was played with Williams obviously miming to his own voice.

All the Rubettes appearances on Top Of The Pops featured re-recordings. They never mimed to the record (hardly surprising as they were all top session men before becoming successful) as can be seen on all the surviving appearances, all of which can be found on youtube.

[Ayrshirenutter]

they certainly did mime to the original

watch?v=XyIMi3uTpBQ

watch?v=hyzH9OYie_o&feature=re­lated

[ifthecapfits]

Sure, but not on Top Of The Pops.

[123strauss]

Wowo ..all my life I thought the intro was by the lead singer . I always thought though , that he didn't look capable of it , now I know . Isn't it sad how the real musicians and singers are usually in the background ..and the pretty boys get all the glory . ( story of my life )

[brzville]

The drummer went onto drum for Chas and Dave,

[escortRS1600i]

I thought their drummer was Mick Burt

The Rubettes drummer went all Krishna for a while.

[spikemello]

Is the drummer,the lead singer from Showaddywaddy,another naff cheesy band from that time period.Anyone out there know?

[paulytwotanks]

to spikemello: No, the drummer was definately not the lead singer of Showaddywaddy.

[krakenwave]

..that being Dave Bartram who, if fifties revival acts had been in any way trendy, would have been the pin up in My Guy and Oh Boy every other week. The most overlooked lead singer of the teenybop 70s.

[ifthecapfits]

No, it's John Richardson. He was a top session drummer at the time playing on numerous hits including 'Kung Fu Fighting', 'Dancing On A Saturday Night', 'Boogie Nights' and... 'Sugar Baby Love' amongst others.

[evanswho]

I always thought he sang live vocals on the track. I was always impressed by this!

[StanPomeray]

@evanswho He didn't sing the vocals at all, at least not the high pitched part - that was done by a guy called Paul DaVinci. Most of the band didn't even play on this track (it was only the lead vocalist, drummer and the pianist I think).

[cygnetUP]

Sorry but you're incorrect. The vocals on this Top Of The Pops performance were indeed performed by Alan Williams.

The track was re-recorded as required by Musicians Union rules at the time and then mimed during the tv show. Source of info is from the band themselves.

Williams has sung the high falsetto part on literally thousands of live concerts ever since and recently sang the song live on the popular 'Les Années Bonheurs', He also supplied the falsetto on 'Juke Box Jive' an even higher part

[ifthecapfits]

Just to clear up the debate, the entire track was re-recorded (notice no orchestra, different piano part) and Alan Williams supplied the lead vocals.

He lip synched (mimed) on the actual show - notice he clearly moves away from the microphone several times.

[icekjan]

super. moje lata mlodości

[00babymolz00]

lmao i think stephen was in boyzone, but he does look like him. i loved this when i was a kid even then i thought he was sexy lol

[Glamking1]

ABBA didnt appear in part two. only in Part One. but i wish this episode could be repeated someday and but this one was blocked because Noel Edmonds did not want to show any of his episodes to be on UK Gold.

[123strauss]

How can Noel Edmunds stop UK Gold from showing them ? Surely the bbc had the rights to this

[loopyhogan]

actually i think he looks more like Rene Zellwigger haha in a manly sort of way, but stll gorgeous...

[monkeytrap]

LMAO agree

[loopyhogan]

i;m not sure Alan looks like steven Gately buti think tey have a lot in common gay wise... i know this is a corny song but it is still bloody brilliant and Alan was so horny...

[Nuttybott]

My sentiments EXACTLY!!! And of late I have been thinking about this more and more. For all its problems back then, Britain was still a much nicer and better place than it is now. At least "freedom" was something we took for granted, not something the government considered an optional extra...

[notyobs]

Hear hear! You are SOOOOOOO right. I would love to rewind time to the 70s.

[dazzlerby]

anyone think the lead singer looks like stephen gately out of take that?

[123strauss]

Yes he does look a bit like Gately , but hte difference is that Alan had talent

[nick2li]

if some one older 'suggested something to you',you agreed, otherwise a slap was in order,none of todays disrespect and i've got 15 mates with knives cos i'm a coward.

[alliekanga]

Spot on nick

[superabbafan]

Did Abba also appeared in this Christmas Special?

[keepnets]

Superb!!!!!!!

[MickeyLove01]

Why is one or members of a band a bit "dodgy", here we have a Tarantino double LOL!

[evanswho]

It was a much nicer world in the early 70's and everything seemed much better back then.

[bammy1690]

and you could dink at football,,, the summers were hot and then blacks were still called WOGS on the telly

[nicklonuk2006]

@evanswho We run the risk of looking back with rose tinted glasses,, i was 14 and loved the music etc and life was easy as we were kids but dont forget the risk of being blown up by the IRA, power cuts, sugar shortages and waiting 3 months for a phone line !! lol but i agree id go back in a heartbeat

[Pelindaba]

Those were the days! no chavs! no teenage stabbings! no groups of fat drunken ladette slags drinking pints and effing and blinding and puking up their kebabs!

[bobzaopiano]

Tony , on lead guitar, was the best Jazz guatarist in the UK!!!

[Kevo216666]

Edmonds' head is so diproportionally large to his shoulders! Hehe, it's brilliant! What a freak.

[MickeyLove01]

It's Noel Tidybeard

[campgalore]

Hilarious. Horrific and wonderful all in the same instance...

[awolwakefield]

Although Paul Da Vinci sang on the original Rubettes "Sugar Baby Love" I think this is Alans voice, although it might have been pre recorded for the show.

[groveservices]

No. Not singing live or playing live. Still great band though.

[classie60]

Alan Williams voice is much more distinctive in this clip than I have seen or heard before. Many thanks for posting this fantastic clip.

[lilern3]

Sounds like they're playing and singing this live and not miming to the original version

[oszillotze]

In Top Of The Pops almost everybody sang LIVE! I think Alan is here singing live. If not, he was earlier pre-recording it for the show.

[tismeal]

He was singing the song but also had a pre-recorded song in the background

[charliemouse1234]

Fantastic, many thanks for sharing, have you the rest of the xmas show, how on earth have you got this, please keep them coming.