Good programmes and they saved the best for last IMHO.

1980 Episode of C.down was my TOP FAV last night, it was just WOW WOW WOW!

And with the Rodney Rude 1984 episode I didn't realise OMD's Locomotion was in the COuntdown studio and the Black and White video for What's Love Got To Do With It was something I never knew existed.

With the 1984 Episode I requested the QED performance was amazing and Dropbears were great AND the very RARE I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me video, what a surprise!

The 1981 episode was such a totally different type of Countdown episode, lots of obscure material. Joylene was utterly FLAWLESS with her deluxe costume changes, wigs and head pieces, I was in WOW mode!!! Ignatius in his kilt introducing 'The Spandau Ballet' was just fabulous and decadent and the final part of the show when Ignatius brings Molly out in a straight jacket was so COOL!!!!!!! How did we go so backwards in this day in age in 2014? A pity...

Fairly well the same highlights for me. Fortunately Rage didn't put their logo onto too many important clips so they are virtually clean now that the watermark is also off the screen.

Nice to get the 1980 and 1983 episodes without timecodes. Michael Delaney, of Delaney/Venn, was a contributor to Juke magazine but died in a car accident in 1982.

The 1985 episode had a Countdown studio clip version of Shine, I was hoping it was the actual clip with helicopters and Russian spies as my version (taped off Sounds in 1985) is lower quality but it was a great clip anyhow although I had a copy of it (now I know which episode it was from). The Stewart/Beck clip is also rarely played.

The Rodney Rude episode was quite good except that it had Rodney Rude in it. I never thought of him as funny, the same as I never thought Vince Sorrenti was funny either - yet they both hosted Countdown. I would have preferred more cast members from "Australia, You're Standing In It" but they only ever used Tim & Debbie from there. Rod Quantock would have been far better than Rodney. Pseudo Echo and OMD live in the studio were great - I had seen Pseudo's performance before but not OMD. I didn't pick up on there being 2 versions of What's Love Got To Do With It, will have to check it out again.

The episode you requested was brilliant, particularly the QED performance but also Avion and Dropbears. I was also pleasantly surprised by the rare Nik Kershaw clip as the concert version is the one generally shown but was hoping this would be the one as they had shown a segment of it in Chartbusters in another episode.

The 1981 episode had some of the best hosting ever by Ignatius and Joylene and a lot of obscurities.

Great start to Retro.

Yeah, never could understand the popularity of Rodney Rude back then.

Thought his humour was very lame, and his jokes were terrible on this show.

Clearly RAGE picked the episodes where Bruce Springteen featured, with his tour here next month.

1980 episode brought back memories of seeing that episode with the Veterans clip. Even my father enjoyed a song on countdown that night!

I was a big FGTH back at the end of high school, it was great getting this episode with HollyJ interviewed.

OMD in the studio, was just awesome....Great music in the 80s.

I haven't watched all of the Countdowns yet (went to bed at 1:30), but I love that the original concept video for Nik Kershaw's 'I Won't Let the Sun Go Down On Me' aired on one of the 1984 episodes. That was one I requested for my Rage playlist in 2010, but they only had the version 2/'live' footage version.

I've got a feeling that I may have seen that episode when it first aired, as I remember seeing Divinyls 'Good Die Young' on Countdown (unless it aired on multiple episodes), then watching it again later hoping they'd replay the clip. This would have been shortly before my family moved overseas. It may be a false memory, but I thought it was a Friday that I saw this episode (did they repeat Countdown on Fridays then?)

I think Countdown in '84 was repeated on Saturday's, like the 85's, correct me if I'm wrong Guru.

I loved the '85 episode, but I thought Molly would have been more buzzing and on a high and possibly still in the telethon room with some special guests, but he looked quite happy to go to bed. I swear The Pointer Sisters were the Destiny's Child of the 80's! I have never seen Part 2 of 'Goonies 'R Good Enough'. I liked the Bangles cameo and I wonder what Cyndi's version of 'Voices Carry' would have sounded like?

Jason, like you, I had no idea there was a B&W version of 'What's Love...'. and then a few weeks later they played the colour one. Maybe management thought the B&W vid was a bit too lame and decided to shoot another vision of it. The colour (the one we all know) is so much better. I hope rage now play the one with Tina hosting.

I found the 1980 episode my least favourite. I swear rage are trying desperately to play as many 1980 episodes to please the 70's fans and with a 70's artist hosting. While watching it, I was just wishing how cool it would be if they played 'I Like 'Lectric Motors' again. I have never heard of Claudja Barry or her music. Although, I noticed she also had another hit on the 1981 compilation 'Match This' with 'Radio Action' or was it just a filler? Sad to see a handful of acts on this episode that have passed away.

In summary, I just wish it was 1984 again! I had no idea too that OMD did 'Locomotion' in the studio. I had to look twice and confirm that it was not TOTP's. Different seeing a band perform on the floor and not on stage. A lot of energy in this performance. Funny thing is, I was never a fan of the song, but seeing the live performance, I am now.

Your comments about black and white vs colour video clips brings to mind that strange period in the late '80s, early '90s when there were a lot of black and white clips as it was briefly considered trendy. On a few occasions Rage actually turned the colour off on colour clips and showed them in b&w. I recall one occasion in 1991 when Tonight by New Kids on the Block was in the Top 50. Rage played the clip in b&w despite it containing fireworks and other colorful footage.

Sorry Michale but I LOVE LOVE LOVE 1980 Countdown Episodes, they are SO magical for me. They had the raw edge and buzz. As far as Tina's What's Love video, I So prefer the Black and White one, it's more arty and sophisticated. And like you, I had NO idea OMD did Locomotion in the Countdown studio as the archivist didn't record it right and typed it up under 'Video Clips' as they also did for Shine by KITK on the 1985 episode though it was a Countdown studio clip!

Great to see the Europeans video 'The Animal Song'. I still have their album 'Vocabulary'.

The black & white 'What's Love Got To Do With It' video is available on Tina's 'Simply the Best' DVD (I think it's that one, I've got a copy of it rather than the original... shhh), along with the more well-known colour version. From memory it's listed as the 'secret version' or similar.

OMG I remember that too! (except it was 1990 ) I thought at the time it was just my antenna reception playing up.

@ Jason, don't get me wrong, I love 1980 Countdown episodes. You could see a real change in music from 1979. Yep, more dark sounding and raw. I just thought that particular episode wasn't the best. My fave from 1980 would have to be the Australian made special from 14/12/80. What a year in Ausmusic!

Nathan, I have the Tina video DVD (bought) and yep, there it is in the tracklisting 'What's Love...' B&W version. Maybe that was a track I skipped when I watched it??? I wonder which version was made first and why they decided on two?

Oh yeah, something else I was going to say...was 'They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk To Me' the actual video that we saw 'twice' on Saturday night? It looked like a Countdown made video def. wasn't a Countdown studio performance?

I don't know does the ABC or just only the collectors have got the kine-scope films of the 1974 Countdown episodes.

Was that Marcia Hines doing backing vocals on Delaney/Venn's 'Prisoner'?

Yes, Marcia

Thought so, geez I can pick 'em.