The Beat shuffled onto my playlist during my commute to work, a welcome reminder of what a strikingly great band they were when I was a kid.
Duly inspired, I've picked half a dozen songs, four live, two in the (TV) studio, to underline this point.
Who remembers O.T.T., the late night, 'adult' version of anarchic kids' TV show TISWAS? I do, though I suspect I saw very little of it at the time it was broadcast, being pre-teen, a school night and without a TV in my room. it's hard to imagine to scarcity of screens in an average household in the early 80s, compared to now...!
1) Big Shot (Live @ WDR Studio-B, Cologne, Germany, 23rd July 1980)
2) Doors Of Your Heart (Live @ US Festival, Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernardino, California, 3rd September 1982)
3) Jeanette (Live @ US Festival, Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernardino, California, 28th May 1983)
4) Mirror In The Bathroom (Top Of The Pops, BBC1, 1st May 1980)
5) Ranking Full Stop (Live @ US Festival, Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernardino, California, 28th May 1983)
6) Stand Down Margaret (OTT, ITV, 1st November 1982)
I vaguely remember OTT but like you saw little of it although for different reasons (impoverished student, no telly in term times). I suddenly feel very old typing that.
ReplyDeleteSpot on, a strikingly great band.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent band...the only thing that stops their debut album being a bona-fide classic is the awful cover version of Cant Get Used To Losing You.
ReplyDeleteYes, very good and probably rather underrated too, I think. I do indeed remember OTT and it was one of those programmes which was very embarrassing to watch with parents around - if I remember rightly, at the end of each episode (?) someone would take their top off and funnily enough it was never a man. Although they did have those naked male balloon dancers too! All seems pretty tame now, but then....
ReplyDelete