Someone called "seventiesrule" at Rage posted the following message on the Messageboard:

"Hi,

The Coundown Memories website lists the below episode as being available in the ABC archives.

Is this the case or are only segments of the show still in existence. Would be great if Rgae can play it down the track.

Countdown 9/3/75
Episode No: Unknown

HOSTED BY SHIRLEY STRACHAN FROM SKYHOOKS.
MUSIC FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE INCLUDE:
STUDIO PERFORMANCES
SKYHOOKS 'CARLTON LYGON STREET BLUES'
RAY BURGESS 'TOUCH ME'
DEBBIE BYRNE 'DA DO RUN RUN'
CASH BACKMAN 'HE'LL HAVE TO GO'
CAPTAIN MATCHBOX WHOOPEE BAND 'HERNANDO'S HIGHWAY'
ISSY DYE 'PERSONALITY'
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 'MY LITTLE ANGEL'
DOVE 'BRICKYARD BLUES'
HUSH 'BONEY MARONEY'
MUSIC FILM CLIPS:
HELEN REDDY 'ANGIE BABY'
LEO SAYER 'LONG TALL GLASSES'
PAPER LACE 'BLACK EYED BOYS'
PILOT 'JANUARY'
ERIC BURDEN BAND 'THE REAL ME'
SUZIE QUATRO 'THE WILD ONE'"



Does this episode exist??

I have never used the Countdown Archives section on this site as they are not in numerical order and use my own reference list as to what is in the ABC archives. This episode is not on my list.

I can't believe it has probably been here for 10 years and no one has noticed it. By my reckoning that would have to be episode 2 according to the date.

No sure Guru, will have to check mt paper work archives as well to see if this show is in there....

Episode 2 of 1975 do you mean? As episode 2(actual)was broadcast for around a half hour slot in November 1974 if my faded memory serves.

Possible it's 3/9/75? Closest I can come to is the ep of 7/9/75..date maybe the other way around? It's certainly not in any listings I have..

I think a mistake was made and this show was added into the search engine through Troy (70's fan) and it was put in but I don't think it exists at the ABC, too late to take it out now...

Yes episode 2 of 1975, the 2nd colour episode. Episode 1 (John Farnham) was, from memory, shown at midnight March 1 1975 to introduce colour TV and then shown again on Sunday March 2. Therefore March 9 would be episode 2. I don't have the playlists for these early episodes so couldn't confirm that.



9/3/1975 would appear to be the right date as William Shakespeare was No1 in the 1st episode so would probably be played again the following week if it was still No1. 7/9/1975 was hosted by Marty Rhone and had different acts on.

One would reasonably assume Rage would have happily played this episode if it actually existed in full rather than repeating yet another 1970's episodes - which no one really wants them to do.

I'd love to see it of course but perhaps it's just a segment tape and not the whole show. I'd still love Rage to show the 'damaged' 1978 Adelaide Festival episode in full......although I somehow have a feeling we may see something special Countdown related as we head towards its 40th anniversary later this year.....

Oh well, hopes built up and crashed down in a matter of hours. Hopefully Rage can confirm this one way or the other. I didn't think that episode existed but would love to be proven wrong.

The show definitely does not exist. The segment tape refers to the performance of Hush "Boney Maroney" which does exist, sometimes those segment tape entries are confusing as they seem to imply the whole show exists which is not the case. This is what has happened in this case. Apologies if anyone had their hopes up - sorry GuruBob!!

I think the episode might have been entered on the ABC's database in error. Around five years ago I contacted Troy and sent him a copy of the episode for 29/6/75 hosted by Bob Hudson which I recorded at the time. To my knowledge that episode has not been sent to the ABC or NFSA and only Troy and I hold copies of it.

Was that the audio soundtrack John from the days it was simulcast?

I recorded it off an FM radio tuned to ABC-TV before FM started in Australia. Every week in 1975 I used record it but I wiped all the others. No VCRs back then unfortunately.

Was that a common thing back in '75 to tune your radio to Countdown and record it? If so, I guess it was just as common to erase it.

Sadly people back then wouldn't have dreamt in a million years the ABC would wipe all those 1970's episodes or everyone would have kept their audio/U-Matic/Video recordings - a great shame indeed.....