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

SIX-FIVE Special (1958) - part 3of6

-- Don Lang and His Frantic 5 - "Boy Meets Girl"

-- Russ Hamilton - "I Had A Dream"

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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

[metafis]

I love the 'mean' look the guy tries on when he rocks it up a bit for a few seconds at 3:56

Great times...so long ago now it seems. Thanks for this.

[northstar1950]

Thanks prettiest and 23565129 that explains things :)

[thecubanism]

PrettiestDogEver, It wasn't Alfred Lynch was it? you've got me wondering now.

[PrettiestDogEver]

@northstar1950 This isn't the TV show. It's a film about it, as evidenced by the picture and sound quality and the camera shots, which were not possible in the TV studio. My older sister went to see the film. The performers are miming. The real show was pretty primitive. Existing tapes of the show are very grainy. I recognised one of the "kids" dancing as an up and coming actor who became a star in the early 60's. I wish I could remember his name. It was Alfie something.

[23565120]

@northstar1950 Microphone technology was quite advanced in those times, and it was most likely to have been done "live". Some ambient studio noise can be heard during the playing, and you may notice no sudden change in the background sound level or tonality when the lady announcer comes into shot and speaks.It would be interesting if a BBC studio engineer from those days was around to let us know for certain. I suspect the slight lip-synch problem is due to the transfer method from the original

[northstar1950]

If this is an ex broadcast programme then I presume it was on film and the sound was mimed?

[shakeypitt]

@TheDiddlysquat Russ Conway????

[billiesue02]

Just love this music

[Matts78s]

This music was from the days when it was music, thanks for posting from matts78s

[roland0800]

Very sad to read the other comments about him dying without a penny to his name. Well and truly ripped off .....