[Music] Whispering Bob Harris

[DavidinSouthampton]

The old Grey Whistle Test when Whispering Bob would had some great bands on as a youngster I would stay up late to watch it and record it onto a cassette tape, Bob really did whisper so I would need to turn the volume up then on would come a band at a thousand decibels and I would be scrambling to turn the volume down before it woke the house

When I was at Uni in the early to mid ‘70s, OGWT was one of the TV programmes which drew the biggest crowds in the college Beer Cellar, where the TV was. I bought a number of albums after seeing people on there.

I can even remember seeing Slade on there when they were still a skinhead band and could still spell. They were actually quite good…….. not that I really had anything against them when they went mega-popular.

But whispering Bob was a hero, but I don’t particularly like the Country stuff he does now.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Subjective,but a few of us here can recall genuine decent live bands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSlyn0WoSjc&list=RDTSlyn0WoSjc&index=1

Loved Brinsley Schwarz, one of the many bands produced by Nick Lowe.

 

[jakarta]

Loved Brinsley Schwarz, one of the many bands produced by Nick Lowe.

Played bass and occasional guitar for them of course, presumably cut his production teeth with the Brinsleys.

Anyway this is a Whispering Bob thread, for my money (watched it from 1972 onwards) there was always a fair amount of dross on it in his day. It didn't get any better with Anne Nightingale and reached a nadir with those two blokes whose names I can't remember

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Taped loads of early 70s stuff with Bob and others on the 10pm slot.......Bob, 'the loudest band I have ever witnessed, Grank Funk Railroad with An American Band' BOOF!!

 

[BN9 BHA]

or punk, new wave.

https://youtu.be/oYvQ8WxE1Sk

Someone posted this last week, think it was on the Best song you have heard today thread.

Bob Harris just doesn’t look the part sitting in a chair with a waistcoat, he’s wearing a Vibrators badge

 

[Icy Gull]

What was really great about the OGWT was the diversity of music on it. I reckon I loved maybe one act a week, quite liked a couple of others and some I didn’t like at all. Something for everyone who was into music, I really doubt that anyone liked everything. Which reminds me of watching this for the first time, I was stoned and it cracked me up.

https://youtu.be/Z6oQ4oRH_nc

 

[Peteinblack]

Four of my fave pre-punk OGWT performances

 

[happypig]

What was really great about the OGWT was the diversity of music on it. I reckon I loved maybe one act a week, quite liked a couple of others and some I didn’t like at all. Something for everyone who was into music, I really doubt that anyone liked everything. Which reminds me of watching this for the first time, I was stoned and it cracked me up.

https://youtu.be/Z6oQ4oRH_nc

Seen Otway a number of times and he's hilarious.

 

[WATFORD zero]

 

[studio150]

Loved Brinsley Schwarz, one of the many bands produced by Nick Lowe.

The first four albums were produced by Brinsley Schwarz (the individual) and Dave Robinson, then the band, and finally by Dave Edmunds.

 

[studio150]

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

OGWT End Of Year Review was always The Best Of Times. Also The Worst Of Times. For every fleeting glimpse of The Adverts or The Ramones or The Damned, you had to first sit through an eternity of the likes of Jackson fookin Browne. Always made you seriously question your parents (lack of) values. It was always just assumed that the bulk of OGWT was shite and that you and everyone of your age group bunked off your parents NYE party in order to become esconced in spare room with spare telly

 

[Sirnormangall]

Wonderful memories as a young teenager of sneaking a transistor radio into my bedroom to listen to his late night programme. Introduced me to Queen - who? And more esoteric tastes like the wonderful Ivor Cutler.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Played bass and occasional guitar for them of course, presumably cut his production teeth with the Brinsleys.

Anyway this is a Whispering Bob thread, for my money (watched it from 1972 onwards) there was always a fair amount of dross on it in his day. It didn't get any better with Anne Nightingale and reached a nadir with those two blokes whose names I can't remember

Indeed, in fact Bob was only one of about a dozen presenters of the show over the years, but l agree, when he stood down, it nosedived in quality and popularity, so no surprise at all when it was axed permanantly not too long afterwards.

 

[Icy Gull]

OGWT End Of Year Review was always The Best Of Times. Also The Worst Of Times. For every fleeting glimpse of The Adverts or The Ramones or The Damned, you had to first sit through an eternity of the likes of Jackson fookin Browne. Always made you seriously question your parents (lack of) values. It was always just assumed that the bulk of OGWT was shite and that you and everyone of your age group bunked off your parents NYE party in order to become esconced in spare room with spare telly

Nothing changes, everything you liked it seems I didn’t and vice versa

Jackson Fooking Browne

*stalkeralert*

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Superb.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Be nice to hear Harris reminiscing, and Baker recycling his books/Lineker stuff yet again.

https://www.harrisandbaker.com/

SPEAK UP MAN come the shouts from the back.