Pick of the Pops
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Pick of the Pops is a BBC Radio programme, originally based on the Top 20 UK singles chart and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1955. It transferred to BBC Radio 1 (but simulcast on BBC Radio 2) from 1967. Its last edition in its original format was on 24 September 1972.
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[edit] History of original programme
Original presenters included Franklin Engelmann (1955), Alan Dell (1956 and 1957–58), David Jacobs (Sept 1956 – Sept 57, March 1958–61 and Sept–Dec 1962), Don Moss (Sept–Dec 1963) and Alan Freeman (Sept 1961 – Sept 1962, Jan 1963 – Sept 1963 and Jan 1964 – Sept 1972). Though it did not feature the charts until Sept 1957 with Alan Dell, from then he played the top tens from various music papers plus entries to top 20s, this was around 11 pm on Sundays.
David Jacobs brought the first averaged BBC Top 20 to the helm on 29 March 1958 (on a Saturday). Alan Freeman took over in Sept 1961, but finally took the show to a regular Sunday slot at 4 pm on 7 Jan 1962. The show moved to 4.30 pm on 27 Aug 1967, the chart increased to a top 30 then. When Radio One began, the show then moved to the 5–7 pm slot on 1 Oct 1967, until its demise on the 24 Sept 1972.
Freeman, who presented the longest and whose name is probably most closely associated with the programme, had been a radio announcer in Melbourne, Australia. Freeman arrived in Britain in 1957 and joined the Light Programme in 1961 to present Records Around Five. That same year he replaced David Jacobs for Pick of the Pops, which was then part of a Saturday-evening programme called Trad Tavern, after traditional jazz which had a following at the time. Pick of the Pops became a separate programme in January 1962, broadcast late on Sunday afternoons.[1] It was produced by Derek Chinnery.
Denys Jones (producer 1961–72) and Freeman split the programme into four: chart newcomers, new releases, LPs and the Top 10.[2]
The programme attracted a huge audience as there was little other pop music on BBC radio at that time.[citation needed] The BBC had to pay "needle time" to artists, but felt it inappropriate to use its radio licence revenue for copyright fees, when it had its own orchestras and singers available. That worked in the 1940s and '50s for orchestral music and crooners, but was difficult with up and coming artists such as Elvis, Little Richard and Tommy Steele.
Freeman continued with the show when Radio 1 replaced the Light Programme and stayed until the programme ended in September 1972.
[edit] Revivals
Freeman revived Pick of the Pops on the local London station, Capital Radio, from 1982 to the end of 1988 as Pick of the Pops - Take Two, combining the new chart (for much of the time a London-only Top 15) with a chart from the past. In 1989, Freeman returned to Radio 1 on Sunday lunchtimes, where the show featured three past charts each week, and was produced by Phil Swern from 1989–91 and Roger Pusey (who had been Jimmy Savile's final producer on Radio One from 1986–87) in 1992. Freeman's final programme, at the end of 1992, stated that he would never present it again, and signed off with the Beatles' "The End".
The slot was superseded by a similar retro show for the first nine months of 1993 under the title Ones On 1FM, presented by Man Ezeke, with number ones from all types of music charts in the UK and other countries. From April 1994 to January 1997 Freeman revived the show once more on Capital Gold as Pick Of The Pops - Take Three, featuring two vintage top 12s, and the "Battle Of The Giants", and on other occasions featuring three vintage top 10s, two vintage top 20s and a rock request, along with competitions on Saturday mornings.
Pick of the Pops returned to the BBC as an independent production by Unique Broadcasting (who also produced independent radio's Pepsi Chart) on BBC Radio 2 in April 1997, with Freeman now counting down two archive charts each week, interspersing trivia about the records, as researched by the producer, Phil Swern.
[edit] Dale Winton era 2000–2010
In 2000 Freeman retired due to health concerns, and the show was taken over by Dale Winton. The regular weekly edition ended on 28 August 2004, but over the following year bank holiday specials were broadcast.
Pick of the Pops then returned on a weekly basis in September 2005, on Sunday afternoons 15.30–17.00 with Winton at the helm and one archive chart a week. It moved to 15.00–16.30 from 28 January 2007, extended to 14.30–16.30 from 25 February. Since 7 October 2007 the show has reverted to featuring two archive charts, spanning the period 1958 to 1995 and usually featuring a couple of tracks from outside the Top 20 before focusing on the chart. On 13 March 2009, the BBC announced that Pick of the Pops would move to a Saturday slot from 13.00 to 15.00 on 4 April 2009.[3]
Winton left Pick of The Pops on Saturday 30 October 2010 due to other work, and he counted down the charts from 1959 and 1983 with classics from Culture Club, Fats Domino, The Cult, Adam Ant and Dickie Valentine. The show's new presenter is Tony Blackburn.
[edit] Tony Blackburn era from 2010
On 24 September 2010, it was announced Tony Blackburn would take over Pick of The Pops from Winton who had presented the show since Alan Freeman's retirement in 2000. Blackburn counted down the charts from 1966 and 1979 for his first show with hits from The Who, Kool and The Gang, The Jam, Charlie Daniels Band, Status Quo, Paul Jones, The Rolling Stones, Suzi Quatro and Cliff Richard
The show continues to be produced by Phil Swern, Blackburn's long-standing friend. Although Pick Of The Pops was pre-recorded during the Winton era, the show has mostly been broadcast live since 29 January 2011, allowing Blackburn to interact with his listeners. Pre-recordings are now only used when Blackburn is on holiday, a departure from other Radio 2 shows where stand-in presenters are employed.
[edit] Theme music
The theme tune (1961–1966) was "At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbal" written and performed by Brian Fahey and his Orchestra. It was later replaced (1966–1970) with "Quite Beside The Point" by The Harry Roberts Sound. Since April 1970 the show has used a new version of "At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbal" by Brass Incorporated.
