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URGENTLY SEEKING

Does anyone remember the song "Convoy" that was released around 1976-1978 that had truck drivers talking on the CB "That's a big 104 Rubber Ducky...etc"?

My partner says that around 1978, he was watching Countdown and saw this song being played to an Australian version of the song's film clip. Apparently his father was a truck driver and appeared in the film clip. His father has passed away and he has been searching for this everywhere and can't find it.

It is his birthday in August and I would LOVE to obtain a copy of this film clip with his father on it and give it to him as a HUUUGGEEE surprise.

Can anyone help me???

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Can you upload an Australian version of Convoy film clip on YouTube if you got a copy of it please?

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

I know 'Convoy' very well, from 'Ripper '76'! When I was working at Tax in the mid 90's opening up the Tax Returns, we used to bring in our daggy tapes and play them all morning and one of my mates got hold of 'Ripper 76'. We played the tape all the time, p i s s e d off a lot of people and a couple of us always used to p i s s ourselves laughing when 'Convoy' came on. Then a group of us used to prank each other and ring up their work extension and play 'Convoy' over the phone and then hang up! . '104 Rubberduck...we got ourselves a Convoy'...

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Butterflyblue70
Does anyone remember the song "Convoy" that was released around 1976-1978 that had truck drivers talking on the CB "That's a big 104 Rubber Ducky...etc"?

My partner says that around 1978, he was watching Countdown and saw this song being played to an Australian version of the song's film clip. Apparently his father was a truck driver and appeared in the film clip. His father has passed away and he has been searching for this everywhere and can't find it.

It is his birthday in August and I would LOVE to obtain a copy of this film clip with his father on it and give it to him as a HUUUGGEEE surprise.

Can anyone help me???


You have come to the right place for help on that one.

A bit of background - "Convoy" was released in 1976 and despite mixed reactions at the time from teenaged music buffs (like me) who were right into Countdown, this song was huge and topped the charts in the USA, made No. 2 in the UK and also briefly reached the top of the charts here in Australia of that year. Actually, I must have liked it because I still have the 45 in my collection!!

An official USA-produced promotional clip was shot for the track but appears only to have been shown in the USA at the time and also Europe. That clip exists as part of the European-produced "Popscope" film clip series with all sorts of official rare promo clips of artists from the time. There are 6 full episodes in circulation.

CW McCall also performed "Convoy" live on the USA daytime variety show "Mike Douglas" during 1976 and this clip was shown on VH1 in the USA in the 1990s and there is a copy of this clip on Youtube I am sure.

In Australia, the producers of Countdown were unable to source any of the clips for "Convoy" but because the track was in the Top 10 and heading towards No. 1 some kind of vision had to be made and urgently - so the Countdown production team went and filmed some stock footage of an Australian truck barrelling down an Australian road in the bush and this was used as the "local" version of the hit track.

A bit of bad and good news - all of the Countdowns that originally screened this vision during 1976 when the track was charting have long been wiped from the ABC archives.

The good news - at the end of the year Countdown had a Top 100 special divided into 6 separate shows that were shown over the Summer of 1976/77 and some of these do exist. And fortunately one of them does contain that footage you are after. Sadly, I know they did not show the whole lot of the "Convoy" footage on the Top 100 Special as they had to edit things down a bit for all songs to save on time. I know there is about 1 1/2 minutes for sure. I will check this out for you as the episode was repeated on Rage some years ago now and I wil dig it out.

I do hope for your friends sake this surviving vision does contain some of his late father in the truck and I (and no doubt others in here) will be happy to supply this clip to you for sure. Give me a day or two to dig it out and have a look - I will be in touch for sure. Stay tuned.

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Can you please tell me the list of six full episodes of European-produced "Popscope" film clip series with all sorts of official rare promo clips of artists from the time?

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Brett... I've read your message and IF, fingers and toes crossed, you find this song, you'll hear me yahooing from the rooftops!!! It will be too much!!! I'm waiting with bated breath xxx.

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Butterflyblue70
Brett... I've read your message and IF, fingers and toes crossed, you find this song, you'll hear me yahooing from the rooftops!!! It will be too much!!! I'm waiting with bated breath xxx.


I HOPE it all works out for you and you get it thanks to the nice people who use this Forum here :-)

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Nicholas
Can you please tell me the list of six full episodes of European-produced "Popscope" film clip series with all sorts of official rare promo clips of artists from the time?


Hi Nicholas

Will come back to you with that information very soon
Regards Brett

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Just an update - I finally get a day away from work tomorrow so I will chase up that Countdown episode for you tomorrow and let you know how I go.

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Brett

You have no idea how much I appreciate you doing this... I'm so excited and have fingers and toes crossed... Even the thought of you finding it gives me a lump in my throat..

Thank you so much

Ciao
Paula

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Hi Paula

I have located the DVD of the Countdown episode that features the Australian film clip to Convoy.

As Molly Meldrum and silly JPY talk over the start of the clip, the vision only lasts around 1 1/2 minutes as I mentioned and the sad part is you do not see your partners late father in the flesh in that piece of the clip. Whilst there is some good vision of the truck both close-up and from a distance it is disappointing that the truck driver is not seen in the flesh as such.

This would be all that now survives anywhere of this clip given how much footage was wiped from this period so I am sad the news is not at least a bit better. Unfortunately very few people had video recorders in 1976. Does your partner recall if his father appeared in the clip in person or not?

I am happy to send this DVD off to you in the post (no charge) if you would like it anyway - you can E-Mail me at bleslie@bigpond.net.au

Regards

Brett

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Hey Brett

I sent you an email from my work email . Did you get it???

Paula

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

I remember that clip well. During 1976 I was at Phillip College in Canberra which had a small TV studio with U-Matic video recorders. The caretaker allowed me into the building one Sunday to record Countdown and Convoy was the number one record. The clip was played in full. During that year (and 1977) I also recorded other episodes of Countdown and Flashez.

I kept meaning to snaffle the tapes and smuggle them out of the building in my backpack but I never got around to it. The cassettes were quite large and I would have had to remove all my books and sports gear to fit them in.

It is one of my greatest regrets that I never brought those tapes home in light of the great bulk-erasings of 1981. Imagine how valuable those recordings would have been now.

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Hoin
I remember that clip well. During 1976 I was at Phillip College in Canberra which had a small TV studio with U-Matic video recorders. The caretaker allowed me into the building one Sunday to record Countdown and Convoy was the number one record. The clip was played in full. During that year (and 1977) I also recorded other episodes of Countdown and Flashez.

I kept meaning to snaffle the tapes and smuggle them out of the building in my backpack but I never got around to it. The cassettes were quite large and I would have had to remove all my books and sports gear to fit them in.

It is one of my greatest regrets that I never brought those tapes home in light of the great bulk-erasings of 1981. Imagine how valuable those recordings would have been now.


OMGGG! if only you removed your books and crap to put the tapes in! So much more valuable, DARN!!!

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Is it a possibility that Phillips College may have the tapes tucked away somewhere???

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Hi Paula

Sorry about that - No E-Mail came through that I saw. I may have not seen it or accidentally deleted it, or it maye have gone to the spam folder. I have your E-Mail address link here so I should be able to send you one. Will try in the morning. I am only on a work laptop tonight. Regards Brett

Re: URGENTLY SEEKING

Hi Brett

Thanks so much.

Cheers
Paula