The Old Grey Whistle Test, Vol. 1

Starring:Bob Harris (VI), Anne Nightingale, Andy Kershaw, Ian Whitcomb, Rory Gallagher, Dave Hepworth, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Mark Ellen
Studio: BBC Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

For better and for worse, The Old Grey Whistle Test was probably the most resolutely serious music program ever broadcast on television. During its 16-year run it showcased only the most earnest exponents of whichever musical style was currently popular, and given that the program's heyday coincided with the early '70s, some of the footage included here (e.g., the prog noodlings of the Edgar Winter Group) will provide humor as exquisite as only unintentional comedy can. However, the good stuff collected here is very good, both in terms of performance (Tom Petty snarling "American Girl", a pre-irony U2 whooping up "I Will Follow") and historical interest, notably a shockingly youthful Elton John crooning "Tiny Dancer." The 180-minute DVD offers remarkably pristine picture and extraordinarily vivid sound, regardless of vintage. However, the menu won't allow direct access to the individual songs other than through the artist gallery (and there is a "Random play" option), and the track listing itself is unhelpfully hidden in the packaging. --Andrew Mueller and Mark Walker

Description

Over its incredible 16-year run from 1971-1987, The Old Grey Whistle Test was THE destination in the U.K. to see cutting edge live performances by the hottest emerging acts in music. There was no comparable TV platform in the U.S. for artists this hot. Until now! On Sept. 16, BBC Video is importing a DVD jam-packed with 28 vintage live performances from The Old Grey Whistle Test. Most have NEVER BEEN SEEN IN THE U.S. Containing over three hours of music and interviews with truly legendary artists, The Old Grey Whistle Test will be a must have for music fans everywhere!

Customer Reviews:

Great clips,but.............2006-11-14

I love the clips of some of the artists and the interviews(though some of them could've been a little bit longer),but do we really need the hosts introducing each clip? Also,there isn't any SCENE SELECTION to click on either!! The guy said that Elton was suppose to do 2 songs,but all we get is one?? I'm sure the other artists and groups did more than just one song,but why not have the whole performance instead??

Old Grey Whistle Test.......2005-09-15

A great collection of performances. A must have for music lovers

British Don Kershner!!!.......2005-07-28

If you grew up in the 1970's watching Don Kershner's Rock Concert late on Saturday Nights, this DVD IS FOR YOU!!! Don't let the title of this masterpiece scare you away because it is SOLID R&R!! Nothing but GEMS here. Elton John, John Lennon, Alice Cooper, Bill Withers, etc. It even crosses into the 1980's w/Talking Heads, Roxy Music, The Ramones, U2, etc. Great work of art!

Frankenstein is the best.......2005-01-06

this dvd is one of the best. although some are lip-sync jobs, such as Alice Cooper, Roxy Music and a few others are suspect. Lynyrd Skynrd's never ending performance of Free Bird is somewhat lethargic. but the highlights outweigh the bad. these are Rory Gallagher, Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, Bill Withers, Ramones (Joey has a double tracked vocal, hmmm), and Edgar Winter Group's unbelievable performance of Frankenstein. the sound and picture quality are spectacular on this dvd, well worth picking up.

A fantastic selection of 70s performances.......2004-10-03

Pop is the music of the rebel. But it's also the music of the non-rebel, and with the OGWT, from the heart of the BBC establishment, non-rebellious, thinking-person's pop reached its zenith. Of course, punk knocked it all down in 1977, and with the help of Saturday Night Fever disco, pop suddenly became physical again. The OGWT never really recovered, and once Bob Harris had gone, competition from other TV programs such as Channel 4's 'The Tube' etc meant its days were numbered.

Which was a great pity, as all three OGWT compilation DVDs illustrate. The OGWT was a superb, must-see programme scheduled late on Tuesday evenings. You had to watch every show, firstly because there was no other TV programme showcasing 'album' music, and secondly because the Radio Times (the UK's TV listings magazine) never told you who would be appearing.

In the early 1970s I was at a boarding school, and our house was rationed to a TV maximum of three hours per week. Which programmes we watched were decided by the prefects (which brought them much undeserved popularity), and it says much about the quality of OGWT that this programme was always chosen.

These two DVDs have something of the feel of the TV programmes, except that they don't contain any interview material nor any of the wonderful animations chosen to accompany some tracks. (I never cease to be surprised at the number of occasions when I discuss OGWT with friends and they mention the 'Skiers' video chosen for Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'.) The introductions are, by and large, marvellous, if only to see how the artists and DJs look 30 years on.

The musical highlights, for me, are most of the 70s stuff, particularly Bill Withers (a fantastic performance of his 'Ain't No Sunshine', very much like the Carnegie Hall version on CD)and the Edgar Winter Group's 'Frankenstein', but there is so much else.

These DVDs will probably bring few new converts to the programme, but it's a treasure trove for those of us who were there at the time.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.

Mark King: In Concert : DVD

Lipstick Camera

DVD: Teletubbies:All Together Teletubbies

Deceived