Pick of the Pops tape find

[murphyv310]

Hi
I ordered a tape off eBay as I was on the look out for 8.25 inch reels.
To my surprise there is a full recording of Pick of the Pops from October 1969 with Mama Cass, The Archies, Frank Sinatra etc. The tape speed is 3.75ips but the recording is to studio standards mono full track and on high spec tape. I'd happily pass it onto someone that is a collector or even the BBC assuming the price reflects this piece of history.

[Kentode]

There's a few episodes from that year available on the internet, Trevor so it's probably not that valuable. Sorry...

[murphyv310]

Thanks Ken.
I seem to remember the Beeb looking for tapes a few years back, was just thinking. Oh well a nice tape to keep and play on a vintage radio via a pantry transmitter.

[jamesperrett]

I think that tapes of radio shows from that era are fairly common but good audio tapes of TV shows are rarer because it was more difficult to record from a TV. I have a tape of a Top Of The Pops edition that features Jimi Hendrix singing live (and messing up the words) which is listed as missing although I subsequently found out that the BFI already has a good audio copy but it isn't listed on their website.

There is a Facebook group called Missing Believed Wiped which, while it mainly deals with video recordings, sometimes talks about audio recordings.

[Penally]

Terry o'Brien is archiving all old pick of the pops recordings. A small group have archived a large number of episodes from 1960 onwards, but are always looking for good quality recordings.
The group can be found here.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2223615914523004

[fetteler]

Perhaps Trevor, you would consider transcribing the tape and making digital versions available?

I for one would love to have a copy

Right now I am heading off to check out Terry O'Brien's archive courtesy of the link that Penally has kindly provided above.

Steve.

[Radio Wrangler]

It would be great material to radiate from a pantry.

David

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
I would have thought that the Beeb would have recorded it at 7.5 IPS.
Cheers, Pete.

[Ted Kendall]

Originally Posted by murphyv310

I'd happily pass it onto someone that is a collector or even the BBC assuming the price reflects this piece of history.

The BBC don't pay to get material back, with very few exceptions. At least they don't throw out cease-and-desist letters any more...

[murphyv310]

Hi.
I'll do a recording via Audacity most likely next week. Once done I can certainly send it via a file sharing app etc to anyone interested.

[fetteler]

Originally Posted by murphyv310

Hi.
I'll do a recording via Audacity most likely next week. Once done I can certainly send it via a file sharing app etc to anyone interested.

Fantastic! This Pop Picker will certainly download a copy...not arf!!!!

Steve.

[TIMTAPE]

Originally Posted by murphyv310

Hi.
I'll do a recording via Audacity most likely next week. Once done I can certainly send it via a file sharing app etc to anyone interested.

3 3/4 ips was about as slow as tape machines recorded to full track because azimuth alignment was particularly fussy. If you're playing back on a true full track machine and want good quality it might be worth tweaking play head azimuth to the programme for best highs.

[murphyv310]

Hi.
I've done a recording. Had a little trouble toward the end of the show with excess back tension and a little slowing of the playback.
I have put this onto MP3 at high bitrate but I'll do it again on a lossless platform, the MP3 is 111Mb.
If anyone wants to hear this one and the good quality please PM me with their email address and I'll send through We-Transfer. Or post me a stick and I'll return.

I will do a further recording once I fix the back tension issue.

[Michael Maurice]

Hi, I've only just seen this, I'd be very happy to buy it and transcribe it or even just get a copy.

[yestertech]

Interesting find and quite rare to find a good quality complete recording from that period. They're usually off air and from AM radio ( complete with whistle )
I'd love a copy, as I was POTP 'mad' when growing up. It was required listening every Sunday and Fluff's presentation style has never been bettered, especially all the music inserts and 'stabs' which were woven into the mix !
I had the very great privilege when at BBC radio of working with Fluff on the later 'Saturday Rock show' in the late 70's and he was still a master of his craft !
One would imagine that he had some recordings of his own, but when I asked him, his reply surprised me :
"do you know I haven't got one recording of Pick of the Pops, not one ! "

Andy

[dave walsh]

As Ted said [p9*] the Beeb doesn't pay to get material back but it has put out various appeals for for lost programs. They did seem to have a Damascan moment when the great 4xtra radio station emerged, appreciating the social value at least. Talking Pictures TV makes a similar request [for cine footage] from supporters but it's founder actually rescued an archive of unwanted reels in the first place and is unlikely to lose any. Prior to changing tack, I was sure that the BBC had once put out warnings about home recordings but the evidence is probably buried in my archive. Is that what you meant by the legal term "cease and desist" Ted or was it a more commercial issue?

I think that the many highly skilled and greatly valued presenters, like Alan Freeman, would have just assumed that their work was, of course, being preserved. I'ts hard to investigate, via the listings on the new "Sounds" system, as there is often just a very few episodes in the stripped out version now. I'm hoping that all the progams are still there

Dave W

On BBC4 tonight [after two episodes of Top of the Pops] Bonnie Raitt, Judy Collins and Joan Baez are all in Concert. Joan's 1965 appearance at the Television Theatre was twinned by one featuring Bob Dylan. I got [audio of course] recordings of them both at the time but it, painfully, reminds me of the worst and most well known omission, ie that someone wiped the Dylan Videotape

[woodchips]

Interesting, 8.1/4" reels, presumably with cine centre, not NAB?

Back in the mid-70's I bought lots of 8.1/4" tape reels from a secondhand place behind New Street station in Birmingham. I had a Ferrograph tape recorder, 2 track mono, and the 2400' reels gave 2 hours at 3.1/2 ips, valuable.

All my tapes came from the BBC, but had been totally wiped. As mentioned I would have thought the BBC would use 7.1/2 ips, one hour is plenty. So I would assume this tape is a copy?

[murphyv310]

Hi
I'll consider those that have made reference to purchasing the tape in due course, I'm in no hurry to sell at the moment.
The first thing to do is to re-record the tape but before that add a cathode follower or FET follower after the high impedance output of the Brenell so I don't loose the bass from recording into the low impedance input of the PC, also replace the spike suppressor on the rewind motor and check the brake isn't binding to cure the back tension issue.
Once all done I'll consider the tapes future. After recording I'll put it on YouTube privately, hopefully that way It may escape the copyright issues and I'll share the link.

[stacman]

Hi Trevor, I would like to download a copy when available, sounds good, and thanks for taking the time to do this, appreciated, Regards Alan.

[Graham G3ZVT]

I'll wager I'll not be the the only poster to this thread who spent Sunday afternoon with his finger poised over the "pause" key, hoping that Fluff didn't crash into the end of the tracks too much!