The Old Grey Whistle Test

• Cert:
• Cat.no: BBCDVD 1073
• Running time: 235 minutes
• Year: 1971-1987
• Pressing: 2001
• Region(s): 2, 4 (UK PAL)
• Chapters: 80 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Mono)
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: English
• Fullscreen: 4:3
• 16:9-enhanced: No
• Macrovision: No
• Disc Format: 1 * DVD 9, 1 * DVD 5
• Price: £24.99
• Extras: Archive Interviews, OGWT Museum, Audio Commentary, Selections: Year-by-year, Artist, Presenter Choice, Random Choice
  

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  Founding Producer:

  Mike Appleton

DVD Producer:

Executive Producer:

Presenters:

Bob Harris, Richard Williams, Anne Nightingale, Mark Ellen, David Hepworth & Andy Kershaw

Just about anyone who has an interest in decent music will remember The Old Grey Whistle Test, with its laid-back, but effective, presenters and the wealth of talent on-screen all of whom were – get this – singing live! That’s something that rarely happens these days as the latest pop offering slinks their way onto the stage.

Thirty years on – and time hasn’t been kind to some of them – six of the main presenters: “Whispering” Bob Harris, Richard Williams, Anne Nightingale, Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Andy Kershaw return to record special introductions for 45 class performances over the years the programme was broadcast. According to the DVD’s inside cover, if all of the crew’s “wish list” had been allowed we’d be looking at an 18-hour DVD! Perhaps that’s something that’ll have to wait until the next digital format arrives as while many people would say a big “yes” to the idea, they might baulk at the price.

It would take too long to list the entire set here, but the following is a selection of some of my favourites in the order in which they appear on the DVD:

• Bill Withers: Ain’t No Sunshine
• Focus: Sylvia/Hocus Pocus
• Roxy Music: Do The Strand
• Lynyrd Skynyrd: Freebird
• Talking Heads: Psycho Killer
• Blondie: (I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear
• Val Doonican & Charlie McCoy: Stone Fox Chase
• XTC: Statue of Liberty
• Police: Can’t Stand Losing You
• Iggy Pop: I’m Bored
• Tubeway Army: Are ‘Friends’ Electric
• The Teardrop Explodes: Reward
• U2: I Will Follow
• Japan: Ghosts
• Robert Wyatt: Shipbuilding

It’s worth noting for fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd that their performance of “Freebird” went on for 12 minutes and John Lennon fans can find his rendition of “Stand By Me” here also. Two versions of the theme tune “Stone Fox Chase” are also included – the original by Val Doonican & Charlie McCoy and a 1981 version by Nine Below Zero. The second disc closes with the real closing credits of the last ever Whistle Test to grace our screens in 1987. Whoever cancelled it should be ashamed of themselves.

Focus: does it get any more hippyish than this?

The picture quality is surprisingly good for the archive material on display here, even for that stretching back as far as the early Alice Cooper and Elton John performances. As you’d expect, the entire DVD is in standard 4:3 fullscreen – as it was originally filmed – and it makes sense for the new intro links to be shot in the same ratio.

I had reservations at first on seeing that the sound was in mono, but that’s how it was performed at the time and, to be honest, it doesn’t detract from the power that the music delivers when you listen, whether it’s the high-pitched whining from Focus‘ keyboard player or the entire ambience of Japan‘s “Ghosts”.

The main extra on the DVD is the Archive Interviews. There are six: Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen. The OGWT Museum contains 18 pictures each with a few notes to describe them and there’s also an Audio Commentary from founding producer Mike Appleton on the first disc.

Disc one contains music selections from 1971 to 1977, while the second offers 1978 to 1985, but separate menus have been created to make your choice by year, artist, presenter choice or random. My only gripe is that the presenter option doesn’t tell you who they picked until you select them – you just have x number of selections to make from their menu.

To state that there’s not a great deal in supplementary material would be to miss the point as that doesn’t take into account the amount of actual live performances on view.

There’s a massive 80 chapters over the near-4hr running time for the main music itself, most of the time giving you one chapter for the track and its introduction, where the songs have that option available. Subtitles are available in English for all the intros and the lyrics and the menus are subtly animated to look like a clapperboard, or a set of switches, plus the sound of an imaginary studio worker giving the orders.

Bryan Ferry needs underwear that doesn’t pinch too much.

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