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COUNTDOWN IS BACK THIS JANUARY, 2019 ...  ON rage !!!!!
Stay tuned below with regular Countdown full archival information for each Countdown episode rage shall be airing every Saturday throughout January ...

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Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Am I the only one who found the story about the girl member of the group Dream (?) being indisposed after a speaker fell on her, funny in a dark way? Wherever and whoever she was, I hope she's well and doing fine. I only hope it was an orbit and not a gorilla.

That has to be one of the wierdest and most awkward moments on a show that is VERY difficult to watch at times.

Sorry 'Dick' is very late 60's isn't he? All manners and slacks!

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Definitely a highlight - what a weird story!! - and it looks like Rages transmission dates are a week out - this was from 13/06/70 - here is the line-up they showed last night - different to the one I predicted - and needless to say the Beatles segment was edited out in last nights broadcast. I would imagine they just used a show with Bobby & Laurie as they also featured last week on "Dig We Must" - everything Rage shows must have a common "theme" it seems - one must ask why?


HS 50 A OPENING TITLES AEROPLANE & VS FESTIVAL FOOTAGE
HS 50 B NEW DREAM MERCY MERCY MERCY
HS 50 C NEW DREAM INTERVIEW
HS 50 D MIKE PRESTON CELLOPHANE DISGUISE
HS 50 E BOBBY & LAURIE THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE
HS 50 F LEE CONWAY JODY & THE KID
HS 50 G LEE CONWAY INTERVIEW
HS 50 H BLUE MINK VENUS (CAGE VERSION)
HS 50 I DICK WILLIAMS RECORD REVIEW: FRIJID PINK, LIONEL ROSE, GUESS WHO, HEINTJE, PEGGY LEE
HS 50 J COLLEEN HEWITT (DEBUT) WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND
HS 50 K COLLEEN HEWITT (DEBUT) INTERVIEW
HS 50 L BEATLES FOOTAGE OF PREMIERE OF LET IT BE IN UK WITH FOOTAGE OF GET BACK FROM FILM
HS 50 M DICK WILLIAMS REVIEW & COMPETITION FOR BEATLES LET IT BE LP
HS 50 N NEW DREAM WHO COULD BE LOVING YOU

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Although most of the music featured on Hitscene isn't my cup of tea, it's always amusing watching this show.

Dick Williams is such a square - but he holds the show together quite well though.

Now a question: how on earth did Hitscene survive the great ABC tape purge of the early 80's? Considering there were around 165 eps of it made one would have the tapes they were on would have gone the way of most of the 70's Countdowns.

Maybe the Hitscene tapes were elsewhere during that time or ABC management were massive Hitscene fans? I find it interesting that every ep of that show survives and yet Countdown which was produced later was affected the most by the cutbacks.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Hi Patrick,

I'm not sure why but given the quite clear sounding audio it led me to believe Hitscene was recorded on u-matic. Definitely originated on film but then kinescope has been mentioned - can anyone shed any light on this?

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

I was under the impression that Hitscene was on film. As film can't be erased there would have been no point in deleting them - as that would just involve throwing them out.

If they were on some sort of U-Matic tape then maybe it was an earlier generation and not compatible with the ones being used in the late 70's. U-Matics didn't really hit the market until about 1972 and as that was the last year of Hitscene I presume that it was recorded in an earlier format.

Some tech head will set us straight.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Hi all

Hitscene was all copied to film and all surviving shows are held in that format. As no videotape masters survive this explains their retention as opposed to Countdown whose videotape Masters were wiped in the early 1980's. I just wish someone at the ABC had the foresight to back up copies on U-Matic or even VHS format - sadly this was not done for early Countdown.

Getting back to Hitscene, it appears that for a long time only a limited number of episodes were held and only in the Melbourne archives, however the remaining films were re-discovered in the Sydney vaults (along with GTK) earlier last decade and hence the survival of virtually every Hitscene. (Before anyone asks - no Countdowns were held at Sydneys archives - all held by Melbourne)

Everything seems to exist from Show Number 2 - 17/05/69 - listed as first "National" Hitscene - through to show No 165 - 16/12/72 (with the exception of Episodes 64 (19/09/70)and 120 (11/12/71) both of which are shown as "missing" and Episode 52 (shown as never made) - so officially there are 4 gaps, not one as I mentioned in another posting in the forum.

There is also some good material from the 1972 period of Hitscene - as a 60's & 70's afficiondo I can only hope for another episode soon?

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Thanks for the info Brett, very interesting.

I'd really love to know what the criteria was for dumping the Countdown episodes was. Also, why certain shows were kept - some parts of the dumping process seemed random and others not.

I assume the Summer Specials over the 81/82 period was the production crew's way of saving as many performances as they can.

I'm only just grateful most of the 80's Countdowns still exist - although I very much sympathise with 70's fans as I'd know I'd be crushed had it been the other way around with the 80's all gone.

It doesn't bear thinking about! Let's hope more treasures from the past turn up on videotape soon.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

I enjoy the Hitscene's. It's not my era as I was born when it started and 3 when it finished so I never saw it so there are no memories linked to it, but it is interesting to watch.

On the William Shakespeare GTK was it just me or did the ratio on that change near the start - just wondering as no one had mentioned it. Also the date of 1/1/75 has to be wrong as I am sure the last GTK went to air on Dec 12 1974, at least according to my TV Weeks. I think it got axed when ABC management agreed to go with Countdown in 1975 and they couldn't justify 2 programs. They did start filming colour episodes of GTK towards the end of 1974 but were still broadcasting in B&W.

I am sure they were also filming Countdown in colour in 1974 and the B&W story comes from the fact that they were transmitted in B&W. Some of those 1974 performances are used in Ep 1 from 1975 and everything there is colour.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

As was mentioned that the "Hitscene" ep last night was out a week I am gathering that's why we never saw Olivia's singing mate Pat Carroll. Was really looking forward to it as well. Having said that it was a nice surprise to see Colleen Hewett on the show performing a Dusty Springfield covered song "Windmills Of Your Mind" (didn't they all) which made up for the loss of Pat's performance and interview.

Colleen also performed "Superstar" on this show which has already been aired a number of years back. Can anybody help with her "Day By Day" performance clip this is one I am waiting to see complete again. Have seen previews from other tv program sources "Love Is In The Air" and "When Rock Was Young - 70s". I am gathering that same B&W clip for "Day By Day" is also taken from this show as dhe did appear a number of times on it during the early 70s period. Can anybody help and clear this up for me and if so please let me know the ep no. as I would really like to request it perhaps for next year's "Rage Goes Retro" shows.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Yep,

GTK with William Shakespeare did start in a 16.9 ratio and I was FUMMING!

It then went onto 4.3.

Second weekend in a row this has happened!

I don't understand why this keeps re occurring for!

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

No it wasn't you - I noticed the opening was stretched out as well.

Colour TV came here around November 1974. I know this because I have Number 96 on DVD which begins from its very first colour ep from that date. I'd imagine there wouldn't be too many GTK's in colour - but the one last night was good - great seeing Luna Park as it used to be.

Regards to that William Shakespeare interview - he stated that he was 25 but he looked much older than that - how old was he when he passed away?

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

NUMBER 96 is TO DIE FOR!

My FAV scene EVER is when the gay character says to Abigail

"I'm a homo - sexual"

It's utterly FAB!

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Ha ha, yeah it's a fantastic show and I'm amazed that drama these days has gone BACKWARDS in telling stories. Number 96 was truly ahead of its time and I've got all of the available DVDs - the movie, the Pantyhose Strangler story-line, etc - fantastic stuff.

Sadly like Countdown most of the B & W era of the show no longer exists - I think only 5 early eps survive, although all of the colour eps exist. Bellbird is another drama that got wiped in the ABC purge - only the last 2 years of that show exists.

I'm glad some of Number 96 is still around for us to enjoy and marvel at how very un-pc drama was back then.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

guru bob
I enjoy the Hitscene's. It's not my era as I was born when it started and 3 when it finished so I never saw it so there are no memories linked to it, but it is interesting to watch.

On the William Shakespeare GTK was it just me or did the ratio on that change near the start - just wondering as no one had mentioned it. Also the date of 1/1/75 has to be wrong as I am sure the last GTK went to air on Dec 12 1974, at least according to my TV Weeks. I think it got axed when ABC management agreed to go with Countdown in 1975 and they couldn't justify 2 programs. They did start filming colour episodes of GTK towards the end of 1974 but were still broadcasting in B&W.

I am sure they were also filming Countdown in colour in 1974 and the B&W story comes from the fact that they were transmitted in B&W. Some of those 1974 performances are used in Ep 1 from 1975 and everything there is colour.


Every episode of Countdown was filmed in colour from the start - as you mentioned, most people only had B & W T.V's and so only saw the show in that medium. Some department stores such as Myer stocked colour
T.V's and some shows such as the news, some sport
(the VFL Grand Final Richmond Vs North Melbourne) and some Paul Hogan shows went out in colour in the latter part of 1974. People would sit in Myers watching the screens - it was a real novelty at the time. The official launch of colour TV was March 1 1975 when the surviving U-Matic tape survives of the launch of colour episode. Late in 1975, I think our family got it's first colour TV - cost a lot of money, and it created so much interest the neighbours used to come inside our loungeroom and watch it with us. It was a BIG thing at the time!!

With regards to that GTK segment on William Shakespeare, whenever a transmission date is unknown for a particular show on Rage they usually just put 01st January. I believe GTK was made in colour from the start of 1975 but I am not sure how long it lasted - definitely not past the end of that year as Countdown virtually dominated the airwaves and as you mentioned the ABC saw GTK as superflous once Countdown took off. Please check any TV weeks you may have after 1st March 1975 if you can - I cannot lay my hands on any in this period for now.

No full colour GTK survives as they were all shot on videotape and wiped over(as per Flashez) but a number of undated GTK segment tapes from 1975 seem to have survived - and of course a number of them have been screened on January Rage in recent years (Little River Band Interview last year was one that comes to mind)

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Brett
Just check my TV Weeks and GTK ran from March to Dec 1975. I wasn't aware it was still going in '75.

I don't actually think that Countdown spelled the end of GTK as in 1976 GTK was replaced by Flashez, although Flashez didn't start until late July, early August 1976 in the 4:30pm slot.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

At the very end of this ep of GTK it was mentioned that it was the last one of all time so the Jan 1 date didn't seem right to me either

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Patrick
I'd really love to know what the criteria was for dumping the Countdown episodes was. Also, why certain shows were kept - some parts of the dumping process seemed random and others not.

I assume the Summer Specials over the 81/82 period was the production crew's way of saving as many performances as they can.

I'm only just grateful most of the 80's Countdowns still exist - although I very much sympathise with 70's fans as I'd know I'd be crushed had it been the other way around with the 80's all gone.


In the Peter Wilmoth book Glad All Over it states that one of the bosses from Sydney came down to Melbourne, went into the tape library and simply pulled tapes off the shelves, dumped them on the floor and told the staff to reuse them. Earlier in the day ABC staffers got wind of what was about to happen and went into the library and put as many episodes as they could - including preassemblies - into their car boots and smuggled them out of the complex.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

At last count I think the 1975-1977 episode availability was:

4 from 1975
3 from 1976
8 from 1977

Tragic

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

It is tragic that so much of the 70's Countdowns are lost but keeping on repeating the same stuff is not going to make it feel like the missing episodes are back. Anyhow, most of the best performances from the early days were put on the Wonder Years DVD so the monkeys that keep missing it can buy it.

I don't normally put this here, as most Countdown fans know what exists, but the following episodes are what exists from the 1970's, in brackets when they were shown on Rage.

Feb 22 1975 John Farnham (1997, 2005)
Aug 31 1975 Sherbet (1994, 1996, 1998, 2002)
Sept 7 1975 Marty Rhone (1997, 2000)
Dec 15 1975 Sherbet Special (2009)
Dec 5 1976 John Paul Young (1997, 1999)
Dec 12 1976 Daryl Braithwaite (1995, 1996, 2007)
Jan 9 1977 JPY Top 100 50-33 (2003)
Jan 16 1977 JPY Top 100 32-17 (2002)
Jan 23 1977 JPY Top 100 16-1 (1995, 1998)
Apr 3 1977 100th show (1997)
July 3 1977 (2010)
Nov 13 1977 Silver Jubilee (1994, 1999)
Dec 24 1977 Christmas (1997)
March 19 1978 Adelaide Festival (sound fault, can't be shown)
Apr 29 1978 Dance contest (1997)
July 23 1978 Dame Edna Everage (1998)
Sept 24 1978 Marc Hunter (2000)
Oct 1 1978 Roctober DJs (2005)
Oct 15 1978 Leif Garrett/Kate Bush (1998)
Nov 4 1978 Peter Frampton (1994, 1998)
Dec 10 1978 Elton John (1997, 2009)
Feb 18 1979 Tom Baker interview (1994)
March 11 1979 Shirley Strachan (1997)
March 23 1979 Shirley Strachan (2004)
April 7 1979 Bob Welch (1997)
May 5 1979 Smokie (1997)
June 17 1979 Eric Oldfield of Young Doctors (1997)
June 24 1979 Russell Morris (1997)
July 8 1979 Glenn Shorrock (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000)
July 15 1979 Dolly Parton (1994, 1998)
July 22 1979 Daryl Cotton (2010)
July 29 1979 Shirley Strachan (2002)
Aug 4 1979 Tim Finn (1997, 2000)
Aug 11 1979 Garth Porter (1999)
Aug 18 1979 Roger Voudouris (1997, 2001)
Aug 25 Peter Mockery of Restless Years (2000)
Sept 15 1979 John Paul Young (1997)
Oct 7 1979 Shirley Strachan (2007)
Oct 20 1979 James Reyne (1997, 2003)
Oct 27 1979 Steve Gilpin (1997)
Nov 4 1979 Russell Hitchcock & Christie Allen (1997, 2009)
Nov 11 1979 Graham Parker (2003)
Nov 18 1979 Boomtown Rats (1997)
Nov 25 1979 Marc Hunter (1997, 2011)
Dec 2 1979 Elton John (1998)
Dec 16 1979 End Of Decade (1994, 1996)

After numerously giving Rage this info they say "Thanks Sheik154. You're right, there are many reasons why we may repeat an episode as you mention, none the less being that, if something hasn't been played in over a decade and it's a great episode, then there would be a lot of people who missed out the other time/s (maybe because they weren't even born yet!) who would enjoy it.
rage tries very hard to play as many good and broadcast quality 'new' retro shows as we can possibly find time to locate and watch. 'Back in the day' when rage started retro month, there was no record kept that current staff can find of what was played, so that makes it very difficult sometimes for us to see what has and hasn't been on going back before our current library extends. We also keep databases with everyone’s suggestions and cross check with lists that have been slowly made using info from the guest book of what has already been played."

A total of 45 surviving episodes in broadcast quality and every single one of them has been shown. On top of that there have been 22 repeats of these episodes (which, if they were played end to end, is an entire retro season wasted on repeats). The crew at Rage actually endorse that policy of repeating something shown in 1997 and not to show something last seen in 1980????? They claim they don't have records when things were shown, yet I have posted this same message so many times over the years.

"if something hasn't been played in over a decade...." There are 217 episodes that have not been shown for between 23 and 31 years. There are 150 Hitscenes that haven't been seen between 38 and 41 years etc...

No one requested Nov 25 1979 again and there weren't any memorable performances on it that I saw but with that attitude I expect more repeats to come.

I guess the only thing you can do is enjoy the good bits and shake your head at the mentality that brings the rest of the material on.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Bob,

I don't mind at all if you put up such throuogh lists like that! I'm nicking that one for the books!!

Cheers,

Kyron

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Only wish that some people at Rage would do the same.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

I'm a bit concerned about how old someone is if they think 1993 was 'back in the day'?!!!

Something doesn't add up there!

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

1993 was in the pre mobile phone and internet era. I am sure none of the kids at Rage would know how to survive in a world like that. They probably think we sat around a radio and caught a horse and cart to school.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

I saw one of the girls that was at the rage talk. She looked TERRIFIED as h e l l when she saw me walk in
and every time I put my hand up she looked like she was going to throw up.

She looked about 21 years old with NO concept or clue about ANYTHING!

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Can you tell me is any promo/promotional film clips here in the 6 June 1970 episode of Hit Scene please?

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Nicholas
Can you tell me is any promo/promotional film clips here in the 6 June 1970 episode of Hit Scene please?


Nicholas,

The only promo film clip shown in this episode was Shocking Blue - Venus.

The rest were just in the ABC studio.

Re: Hitscene 06 JUNE 1970

Episode 49 or 50?