Pick of the Pops
| Genre | Music, Talk |
|---|---|
| Running time | 2 hours |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station |
BBC Light Programme (1955–1967) BBC Radio 1 (1967–1972, 1989–1992) Capital Radio (1982–1988) Capital Gold (1994–1997) BBC Radio 2 (1997 onwards) |
| Hosted by |
Franklin Engelmann (1955) Alan Dell (1956, 1957-58) David Jacobs (1956-57, 1958-61, 1962) Don Moss (1963) Alan Freeman (1961-2000) Dale Winton (2000-10) Tony Blackburn (2010-16) Mark Goodier (Stand-in, 2016-) Paul Gambaccini (2016-) |
| Produced by |
Tom Du Croz Phil 'The Collector' Swern |
| Executive producer(s) |
Richard Power Tom Du Croz |
| Narrated by | Paul Gambaccini |
| Recording studio | Wogan House, London |
| Original release | 1955 – present |
| Audio format | Stereophonic |
| Opening theme | At The Sign of The Swinging Cymbal by Brass Incorporated |
| Website |
www |
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.[1] It transferred to BBC Radio 1 (simulcast on BBC Radio 2) from 1967 to 1972. It was revived for six years in the 1980s. Its current production run started in 1997.
Original format (1955–1972)
Initially the show did not feature the charts, but in September 1957 Alan Dell introduced the format of running through the charts of the week, playing the top tens from various music papers plus entries to top 20s.
David Jacobs brought the first averaged BBC Top 20 to the helm on Saturday, 29 March 1958. Alan Freeman took over in September 1961, taking the show to a regular Sunday slot in January 1962. The programme ended in September 1972, while the Top 20 continued as part of "Solid Gold Sixty".
Freeman, who presented the longest and whose name is probably most closely associated with Pick of the Pops, 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.[2] It was produced by Derek Chinnery.
Denys Jones (producer 1961–1972) and Freeman split the programme into four: chart newcomers, new releases, LPs and the Top 10.[2] The programme attracted attracted large audiences as the BBC had restrictions on "needle time" and could play relatively few commercially available recordings each week. Freeman continued with the show when it moved to Radio 1 and stayed until the programme ended in September 1972.
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 (Top 15s compiled successively by Record Business, the NME and MRIB) with a chart from the past. In 1989, Freeman returned to Radio 1 where the show featured three past charts each week, and was produced by Phil Swern through March 1992, and for the rest of 1992 by Sue Foster.[3] 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".
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.
BBC Radio 2 era (1997–present)
Pick of the Pops returned to the BBC as an independent production by Unique Broadcasting on BBC Radio 2 on 5 April 1997, with Freeman now counting down two archive charts each week featuring the top 10s and what was number one in Canada & other parts of the world., interspersing trivia about the records, again researched by producer Swern.
Dale Winton (2000–2010)
On 1 April 2000, Freeman presented his last show and retired for health reasons, and the show was taken over by Dale Winton, who first presented the show on 8 April 2000. The regular weekly edition ended in August 2004, with limited broadcast of special editions.
Pick of the Pops then returned on a weekly basis in September 2005 with Winton at the helm. The BBC announced moved Pick of the Pops to a Saturday slot in April 2009.[4]
Winton bowed out of Pick of the Pops on 30 October 2010 owing to other work.
Tony Blackburn (2010–2016)
On 24 September 2010, it was announced that Tony Blackburn would take over Pick of The Pops, and be continued to be produced by Swern. Although the show was pre-recorded during the Winton era, from January 2011 the show was mostly broadcast live, which allowed Blackburn to interact with his listeners. In August 2015 Pick of the Pops got a new producer Tom Du Croz after 18 years of Phil Swern producing on his own. Tony featured 1956 to 1992.
Mark Goodier (2016)
Blackburn was fired by the BBC in February 2016.[5]
Paul Gambaccini (2016–present)
Paul Gambaccini took over Pick of The Pops in July 2016. In 2016, it was announced that the show was now being produced by 7 Digital Productions. Paul also features Billboard charts along with The UK 20 twenty normally in the first hour then the Billboard chart in the second hour, over the Christmas/ New Year period, he has featured 1965, 1970, 1975 & 1982. He features charts from 1958 to 2006 and also tells listeners what was number one in America giving a nod to his long running show America's Greatest Hits. On 6 January and 24 February 2018, Paul missed Pick of the Pops for the first time in the show's history since 1992 due to snow and ill health, Mark Goodier covered on both occasions. In May 2018 Paul presented a special Pick Of The Pops to celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and featured their birth years in celebration: 1981 and 1984. On the 25th August 2018, Paul presented another special on Prince & Madonna to celebrate their 60th birthdays and counted down their best selling singles.
Presenters
- Franklin Engelmann (1955)
- Alan Dell (1956 and 1957–58)
- David Jacobs (September 1956 – September 1957, March 1958 – September 1961, September–December 1962)
- Don Moss (September–December 1963)
- Alan Freeman (September 1961 – 2000)
- Dale Winton (2000–2010)
- Tony Blackburn (2010–2016)
- Mark Goodier (February–July 2016, Occasional Cover for Gambaccini)
- Paul Gambaccini (2016–present)
Theme music
The theme tune (1961–1966) was "At the Sign of the Swingin' 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.
References
- ↑ "BBC Radio 2 - Pick of the Pops - Available now". BBC. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- 1 2 "BBC Radio 1 People – Alan Freeman – Not Arf!". Radio Rewind. 28 November 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ↑ BBC Genome listings
- ↑ "Press Office – Radio 2 announces new weekend schedule". BBC. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ↑ Rawlinson, Kevin; Sweney, Mark (25 February 2016). "BBC 'parted company' with Tony Blackburn over Savile inquiry evidence". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
