TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

The unexpected success of Where Do You Go To My Lovely led to an offer of a one-off half-hour special for BBC2. Broadcast in April 1969 it was, according to the Radio Times “A fantasy look at the world of a songwriter.” Talking to Melody Maker in March 1969 Sarstedt explained "We are planning something entirely different from the Peter Sarstedt and guests type of show. There will be guests, but they will be incorporated to reflect different aspects of the music scene today. It will, of course, be great in colour." The show was produced by Stanley Dorfman, who had been working on series and specials for Bobbie Gentry and Esther & Abi Ofarim that year.

A series was then prepared and it was decided that like the Sandie Shaw Supplement the previous year each show should have a theme. First up was Peter Sarstedt On Age, featuring guests Dusty Springfield and The Kinks. “The thoughts and attitudes of a contemporary songwriter” was how Radio Times described the show’s mission. The second show On Cool featured probably the only TV appearance of Fat Mattress, while the third On Women for some reason featured Joe Cocker and The Greaseband. The fourth On Losers featured Cleo Laine and Fleetwood Mac, and the next On Happiness had the short lived Trash, while the final show On Power featured Madeline Bell and her band Blue Mink. Bell had been a backing singer on the series alongside Rosetta Hightower and Kay Garner.

Producer Stanley Dorfman told the Daily Mirror ahead of the first edition "Half the appeal of Peter's work is the words of the songs he writes. They're very intelligent and modern."

Anyone tuning into the final show who didn’t understand or appreciate the show’s format needn’t have worried, as, according to the Radio Times “Vera Lynn begins her new series next week at 9.30.”

Thankfully for the BBC Sarstedt wasn’t actually the one hit wonder history has perceived him as, but he wasn’t invited back to give it another go, however, he would be invited on to Top Of The Pops and other shows over the next year.

PETER SARSTEDT

BBC2

15th April 1969 one-off, 1st October 1969 - 5th November 1969