#2 - "SIX-FIVE Special" (1958)

SIX-FIVE Special (1958) - part 2of6

-- Petula Clark - "Baby Lover"

-- Cleo Lane & Johnny Dankworth - "What Am I Going To Tell Them Tonight?"

-- Jimmy Lloyd - "Ever Since I Met Lucy"

-- Joan Regan - "I'll Close My Eyes"

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The Six-Five Special was a British television programme launched in February 1957 when both television and rock'n'roll were in their infancy in Britain.

It was the BBC's first attempt at a rock'n'roll programme, a very great innovation at the time and subsequently much imitated, even today. It was called the "Six-Five Special" because of the time it was broadcast - it went out, live of course as all programmes did then, at five past six on a Saturday evening.

Jack Good was the producer and disc jockey Pete Murray was its presenter who used the catchphrase "Time to jive on the old six five". Its resident band was Don Lang and his Frantic Five. The show opened with film of a steam train accompanied by the programme's theme song, played and sung by the Frantic Five.

The show was originally scheduled to last six weeks but, as a result of Jack Good ignoring the guidance given to him by the BBC management not to show the young audience alongside the performers, it continued indefinitely.

The BBC interfered with Good's vision of what the show should be by cluttering it with educational and information elements, as per their Public Service Broadcasting policy. The relationship between Good and the BBC became strained and they eventually fired him, resulting in a big loss of viewing audience.

Jack Good would quickly join the ITV company ABC to create "Oh Boy!", which was the show he'd wanted to make from day one. It featured non-stop music and lost the tedious "public service-inspired" elements as part of its more frenzied pace, and trounced the further-diluted "Six-Five Special" in the ratings.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 6-5
• Special
• Jack
• Good
• Jim
• Dale
• Petula
• Clark
• Lonnie
• Donegan
• Cleo
• Lane
• Don
• Lang
• King
• Brothers

[northstar1950]

Parhaps modern TV isnt as bad as I thought!

[Niteowl128]

Cleo Laine, amazing as usual

[noeyiom]

Petula sounds like she has nappy rash on this video.

[mantlemick]

Wow! What a great video of Pet. Thanks for posting.

[hairynakers]

eddie murphy looks young in this one

[lornemowers]

Ahh memories. This, along with Sailor are two of Pets best.

[johnjo49]

Joan Regan sings a little later in the video - after Jimmy Lloyd

[Pinguinmambo]

Just for the sake of cleo and johnny - one of my all time favourites!

[philo2222]

This is not Joan regan this is Petula Clarke

[001sexbomb]

Love it!