SickthingsUK

I was looking at a database (not sure how accurate it is) of Top of the Pops performances and under Alice there are no fewer than 14 appearances listed for the seventies.

7 for School's Out in 1972 (including one on the Christmas show)
3 for Elected in 1972
1 for Hello Hurray in 1973
2 for No More Mr Nice Guy in 1973
1 for Teenage Lament '74 in 1974

Also according to this database, all the seventies Alice footage other than School's Out is missing.

My memory of the shows then is patchy as I was very young in the early seventies and only recall the famous School's Out performance, which has been repeated endlessly since. I remember a friend of mine at school claiming he'd seen him in the TOTPs studio performing Elected but I've never seen this confirmed.

With the band being thousands of miles away, often involved in gigging and the likes, it's a fair assumption that they didn't visit the studio at all outwith the School's Out appearance. It would also be fair to assume that Pan's People must have danced to an Alice song on at least one occasion!

So, does anyone have any memories that could assist my curiosity?

This helpful?
https://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/19-telev ... v-totp.php

In the Netherlands there was a "simular" Toppop program at the time and I remember Alice bringing Bed of Nails ( which got quite some airplay at MTV at that time.) Unfortunately it is not to be found on youtube. Don't know how long Top of the pops went on ?

patrick wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 14, 2020 3:08 pm

Don't know how long Top of the pops went on ?

Broadcast weekly between 1 January 1964 and 30 July 2006.
There was/is also TOTP2 which showed archive performances plus newly recorded material, for example Alice performed a few tracks for them around 2000, only two of which I think have ever actually been aired over the years.

Si wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 14, 2020 2:28 pm

This helpful?
https://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/19-telev ... v-totp.php

HaHa! How did I miss that? I'm an idiot sometimes.

Best information as per usual.

No Pan's People then. Outrageous.

VinceRaven wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 14, 2020 5:47 pm

No Pan's People then. Outrageous.

I don't know that for sure. The "Disc" means they played the record, sometimes with dancers, sometimes over credits or the chart rundown maybe? I have no info on if that was the case for any of the Alice listed as "disc".

Si wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 14, 2020 6:09 pm

VinceRaven wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 14, 2020 5:47 pm

No Pan's People then. Outrageous.

I don't know that for sure. The "Disc" means they played the record, sometimes with dancers, sometimes over credits or the chart rundown maybe? I have no info on if that was the case for any of the Alice listed as "disc".

Very good point. They surely can't all have been the end credits songs?

I remember Tony Blackburn having a very brief chat to Alice, re Elected, on the 9th November '72 show. Following the Mary Whitehouse/Leo Abse furore - tabloid hysteria & double page spreads of BDB's mascara baby - TOTP (and Radio One) gave the subsequent singles short shrift. Despite them all climbing the charts for several weeks. Hello Hooray had the video aired just once. NMMNG was never played in full; partially for an initial chart run down & very briefly with closing credits. And Teenage Lament had all of thirty seconds at the end of one show. Pan's People never danced to any of the singles.

concolz wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 15, 2020 9:48 am

I remember Tony Blackburn having a very brief chat to Alice, re Elected, on the 9th November '72 show. Following the Mary Whitehouse/Leo Abse furore - tabloid hysteria & double page spreads of BDB's mascara baby - TOTP (and Radio One) gave the subsequent singles short shrift. Despite them all climbing the charts for several weeks. Hello Hooray had the video aired just once. NMMNG was never played in full; partially for an initial chart run down & very briefly with closing credits. And Teenage Lament had all of thirty seconds at the end of one show. Pan's People never danced to any of the singles.

Thanks for the info.

Top of the Pops was such an influential show that you wonder how much better the singles would have done had they been treated a bit better.

I do remember Tony Blackburn playing “Elected” on his breakfast show for the first time one morning, saying “... and here’s the new single from Alice Cooper, recorded at a power station”

TOTP 13 July 1972 is where it started for me. The Who, Hawkwind and Alice Cooper just blew me away. In the next couple of weeks we had Bowie and Starman then Mott the Hoople with All the Young Dudes. What a month. Alice flipped a switch for me though, Hawkwind too but less so.

What an era that was Del

del wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 17, 2020 8:08 am

TOTP 13 July 1972 is where it started for me. The Who, Hawkwind and Alice Cooper just blew me away. In the next couple of weeks we had Bowie and Starman then Mott the Hoople with All the Young Dudes. What a month. Alice flipped a switch for me though, Hawkwind too but less so.

To be in England...
RIP Lemmy

Daggers & Contracts wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 18, 2020 12:38 am

del wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 17, 2020 8:08 am

TOTP 13 July 1972 is where it started for me. The Who, Hawkwind and Alice Cooper just blew me away. In the next couple of weeks we had Bowie and Starman then Mott the Hoople with All the Young Dudes. What a month. Alice flipped a switch for me though, Hawkwind too but less so.

To be in England...
RIP Lemmy

Was lucky enough to meet Lemmy briefly in 74 at the Glasgow Apollo. During the break after Dr Feelgood, who had just signed to Hawkwind's label, Lemmy was walking the queue for the toilets, introducing himself to anyone who would speak to him and then asking what we thought of Dr Feelgood, what bands we liked and then telling us to enjoy the gig. When I said I was an Alice Cooper fan he told us the band knew the group, liked their attitude and thought they were a bit wild... Was delighted with the connection and couldn't believe how nice a guy he was.

jacknifejohnny wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:04 pm

I do remember Tony Blackburn playing “Elected” on his breakfast show for the first time one morning, saying “... and here’s the new single from Alice Cooper, recorded at a power station”

He was a complete ti t and I'm glad Tessa Wyatt dumped his stupid arse. A power station! Brilliant!

Hahahahaha yeah he was , used to cry about her all the time afterwards