TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 -
ATV began to dip into the world of pop TV with this one-
Recorded over two nights in early January at the New Bingley Hall in Stafford, rather than somewhere more established like the Empire Pool, Wembley, it utilised the Rolling Stones mobile recording unit for the best sound. ATV wanted to link up with the Independent Local Radio network to broadcast the show in stereo FM, despite the apparent reluctance of the Independent Broadcasting Authority. Local radio station BRMB didn't appear to play it.
Show producer Hector Stewart was unaware of the scale and atmosphere of a pop gig until he went to see Status Quo play live. "I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere. I never really realised that these kind of scene's existed. Now the job is to get that quality of sound through to TV viewers." Talking about The Real Thing Stewart claimed "The volume of sound they produce at an actual concert is too huge to described."
Five cameras were used to record the event, with one of them on a crane 40 feet in the air over the audience.
The awards were presented by Maurice Kinn who used to present the NME Pollwinners' Shows back in the sixties, in conjunction with the Daily Mirror, with David Essex voted the top singer, Status Quo the best band, John Miles as the best solo newcomer and The Real Thing the best new group.
The Bingley Hall held 8000 people with the Status Quo show sold out, but there were empty seats for the second show. The following year, Jubilee year, a rival awards ceremony, this time sponsored by the Britannia Music Club was created and still exists, albeit in a different form, as the Brit Awards. The Daily Mirror show moved over to the BBC, in conjunction with daily news magazine Nationwide.
THE BRITISH ROCK AND POP AWARDS 1976
ATV
27th January 1977
