It looks like Vault nights might be back to some kind of regularity, although New Year's Eve seems to just be a big celebration night. Might be some good songs in there somewhere ...

Monday Night 31st December / Tuesday Morning 1st January

RAGE: NEW YEAR'S SPECIAL (12:19am to 5:59am)

After the fireworks ring in 2019, rage brings you an all night party mix to help you rock in the new year and keep the party going with classic tracks and party hits until the sun comes up.


Monday Night 7th December / Tuesday Morning 8th January

RAGE (1.29am to 2:31am)

For over 30 years rage has been showcasing a diverse range of music videos from Aussie and international artists. #WatchingRage

Good to see the Vault is back next week... but only a 62 minute episode (if it starts on time)? I hope the theme is crap, to get one out of the way, if it's going to be that short.

Oh, we can say crap now? About ******* time (just testing) :smile:

The vault is only an hour long tonight... so of course they choose a theme that's right up my alley.

We're taking it back to the dancefloors of 1994 on the VAULT tonight. Expect to see videos by Pizzaman, K-Klass, Melodie MC, Future Sound of London - FSOL, Snap! and more. 1:30 am on ABCTV. #rageabcvault


PIZZAMAN Trippin' On Sunshine
DOOP Doop
GRID, THE Swamp Thing
TINMAN Eighteen Strings
REEL 2 REAL I Like To Move It
MELODIE MC Dum Da Dum
PRODIGY, THE No Good (Start The Dance)
FUTURE SOUNDS OF LONDON, THE Lifeforms
JX Son Of A Gun
STAXX Joy
SNAP Welcome To Tomorrow
URBAN COOKIE COLLECTIVE High On A Happy Vibe
CRYSTAL WATERS 100% Pure Love
M-PEOPLE Sight For Sore Eyes
D:REAM Things Can Only Get Better

K-KLASS What You're Missing

should be added after TINMAN above; I asked rage where the missing K-Klass clip mentioned in the blurb was, and they revised the playlist.

Looking ahead on the schedule, there is a 1 hour, 59 minute vault episode of rage next week. Hopefully it's back for good now.

If only a Countdown was back for good, 90s special tonight, how crap

Though at the moment with Countdown episodes and Vault clips being played in ratios where the logo is going into the screen and just barely over the 4.3 box it is stressful to even collect anything that is dear to me as they are being all ruined.

As much as l love January, these hiccups are with ratios are making it too stressful

I don’t mind some dance and house music of the 90s and this playlist isn’t too bad from what I have just read. I will most likely watch this one. I wonder if ABC Me ch 723 are going to play any Countdown show replays from last Sunday morning’s Week 1 selection. I will be watching to see. Better still are Rage on ABC ch 2 going to play shows on Wednesday morning from Week 1 which we have seen done in past years. There certainly is space in their morning programs to do that once again. Who knows last year it did not really happen too much. I think there was the odd show replayed though it was far and few between from memory. Always good if they do this for anyone who may of missed or had something go wrong during the Saturday and Sunday morning replays.

I like early and mid 90s dance, so am looking forward to the program tonight.

The ABC ME repeats don't repeat any of the Saturday night guest programmer/special segment, but do repeat the 5-6 and 6-7 slots (no Countdown was aired during that period, and hasn't been for the last few years) on Tuesday and Wednesday night, respectively.

If there is a rage show on Wednesday morning on ABC, that's when part of the Saturday night guest programmer/special hour is repeated. There is a 61 minute episode of rage on ABC at 1:02am on Wednesday morning this week. I imagine that one of the Countdown episodes will be repeated during it, and ads (or possibly one isolated music video) will fill up the remaining few minutes.

EDIT - OK, they've posted the playlist for Wednesday morning's ABC episode, and it does not repeat a Countdown, but instead repeats the Saturday morning playlist of retro videos:

https://www.abc.net.au/rage/playlist/tuesday-night-8-january-2019-on-abc/10695662

Hmmm it turns out that rage stretched Staxx 'Joy' and D:Ream 'Things Can Only Get Better' last night - they are 4:3 clips, but both overlapped with the watermark slightly. Ridiculous!

This stretching is getting to be ridiculous indeed!!!!

The watermarks overlapping into the actual video is just silly. I don't see why this even needs to occur :-(

I don't see why Countdown episodes and videos can't just be played from the archives with no editing to the 4.3 ratio!!!!

Even with the last episode of Countdown last Saturday night from May 4, 1980 ... The logo was just outside of the 4.3 picture nearly touching the edge of the Countdown episode and then on the GTK clip of Jon English the logo moved right to the very right of the screen, why the logo couldn't have been to the very right of the screen for the whole night, I don't know ... It all seems unnecessary to me how logos change position all night :-(

rage have played some really amazing videos in the Vault specials in 2018 and the Countdown's so far this January have been BRILLLIANT! They have done such a STELLAR job but whoever is editing the Countdown episodes and Vault videos clearly is not doing a good job at all, these Countdown episodes and videos just need to be played as they are from the masters and not edited for ratio purposes ...

^ The watermark is stationary; it's the edge of the picture that moves (I'm sure you know this).

Did you ever hear back from rage?

I can imagine the frustration with all that aspect ratios and watermark issues but as someone like myself who had analogue TV for so long with a terrible quality reception I can only be thankful that now I can see Rage on crystal clear picture and crispy CD quality sound with all my favourite tracks on Monday Vaults without even dropouts on a rainy thundery weather , Iam so lucky to have an overnight music show running through the weekend and on some weekdays on free to air television that's why I can't give my opinion on the aspect ratio / watermark issues I wish I had an opinion!
On the Friday new music segment I'm not sure if you guys watch it much but as I have noticed so many new songs they play throughout the Friday night get repeated after the charts segment and in between the mini guest programming segment and the last hour of Saturday morning. As I remember in the 90s all the way through the mid late noughties this would rarely happen, if my memory serves me right on Sunday early morning after the countdown concludes or the guest programming concludes is when Rage replay some of the Friday night new releases and I think the entire top50 was also repeated on Sunday mornings until 2004 but I'm pretty sure the Friday program from midnight until 11am Saturday morning would hardly have a song repeated. Is this because of budget cuts? Or the new video releases aren't getting shortlisted by the archivists or whoever is making the decisions, or maybe they are just leaving it to YouTube who knows!

rage wrote back to me about my requests which I posted here last week but I didn't email them about the watermark.

I don't think me emailing them is going to really do much when it comes to the abc logo going into the picture section of Countdown episodes. I only hope that the logo at least stays out of the the picture as the two episodes last weekend was getting quite ridiculous when the logo kept moving in, I'm surprised the logo won't end up in the middle of the screen at this rate :-(

I am very grateful rage even emailed me and took note of some of my requests so there isn't much any of us can do about the logo not staying to the very right unfortunately ...

I could be wrong, but it seemed to me like rage pretty much aired *any* new video they received back in the 90s (and probably the 80s too, but I was only watching the top 50 segment then); whereas, now, they don't air everything new they receive, particularly if they deem it to be 'crap'.

When googling the rage playlists (when they were all up on the website dating back to 1998), I saw that e.g. rage never aired Daphne & Celeste's 'Ooh! Stick You!' video as a new release, in late 1999, but have aired it since when it (or rather, one of the two versions) has been chosen by a guest programmer. They also never aired Wayne G's 'Twisted' in 1998 - either as a new release, or (for obvious reasons) when it was in the top 50. It received its first airing on rage during the 2012 Mardi Gras special. That shows they weren't airing everything they received by 1998.

You're right about there not being repeats of new release videos on the Friday night segment back then - until (I think some time in 1998) it switched to the top 50 finishing at 9, and then 2 hours of new release videos (mainly repeats) showing, I guess when Recovery was off air over summer.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I recall seeing a post top 50-'new releases' repeat segment in January '97, when rage finished at 11 on Saturday morning.

The Friday night new releases segment was peppered with the odd vault/older video. I've got a Friday night show taped from June 1993 (just before the Friday morning new releases program commenced) where they aired Fuzzbox's 'Walking On Thin Ice' (then 3 and half years old) in between the new release videos, about 3 hours into the show. I had never heard/seen it before, though, so it was 'new' to me.

I think one of the main issues with the watermark/picture stretching is that rage did not used to do this. It's only with newly-digitised material that they are stretching the picture; clips digitised earlier are not affected. It doesn't make sense why they would suddenly decide to change the original aspect ratio of the material

I haven't really paid much attention to this stretching saga. Would I be right that they are doing this as most people own wide screens and not 4:3? I agree with everyone that why not air them as is in 4:3. Also how long has this been happening?

It has been happening since at least late 2016. I noticed, in retrospect, when looking at some of my 4:3 recordings (referring to standalone videos here rather than Countdown episodes), e.g. from the November 2016 Fleetwood Mac-themed Vault, that on some of the 'new' (previously unaired/haven't aired in many years on rage) videos, the picture runs right to the edge of the (4:3) screen, suggesting it probably continues beyond that point a little bit.

Some of the videos are not stretched, but are actually moved slightly left or right of the 4:3 border. Why, I don't know.

Others are stretched horizontally a little bit - it's not usually that noticeable though unless you are viewing/recording the picture in 16:9 and see that the picture almost touches, or does touch/overlap with the watermark. The photos I posted in the week 1 retro month thread illustrate this.

Normally, there should be a bit of a gap between the right edge of a 4:3 picture and the ABC watermark, but on these streteched videos, the gap is narrower or there is no gap.

It became really apparent to me when viewing the 'Classic Countdown' episodes in late 2017. The picture for every episode overlapped slightly with the ABC watermark, even though all of that footage was shot in 4:3. I thought that was a really stupid decision, and they probably did it to fill more of the screen, since most people would view it now on widescreen TV's.

It's like they (it's probably not rage staff themselves, but whoever is responsible for digitising the tapes and/or broadcasting the material - though it may not be the latter, since earlier-digitised clips are not affected) think we can't handle seeing pillarbox bars (the vertical black bars either side of a 4:3 picture viewed on a 16:9 TV).

Despite noticing it, in retrospect, from late 2016 clips shown on rage, I think most of the 2017 retro month Countdown episodes were spared, as I've since religiously checked all of my 4:3 recordings when adding them to my external hard drives to see whether the picture fits within the 4:3 screen on a program I use. It's only the 2018 and 2019 episodes so far that seem to have been affected, and they did remedy it a little bit for week 2 during retro month 2018 after Jason phoned rage and spoke to them about it.

Thanks Nathan -seems like new guys in charge since 2017 or change of policy.Either way it's silly if the reason is to avoid black bars on a wide screen TV at the expense of the integrity of the clips/Countdown episodes.Personally I've always had 4:3 TV's and still do. Owned a wide screen a few years back just for watching DVD's in wide screen but that's it.

Given that each 'Classic Countdown' episode was like this, and that presumably wasn't put together by the same people who program rage, I assume that it's probably general ABC staff/those who digitise the tapes who are making this decision, rather than rage themselves. OK, well I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt :laughing:

I don't think the stretching that occurs is malicious or the result of editorial direction, I think it is either incompetence or ignorance on the part of the people who digitise and parameterise the old analogue recordings.

It's probably different people at different times in the studio bringing their own biases or lack of understanding to the process, and that's why it happens to varying degrees and is quite random, from no stretching to really annoying stretching.

That seems plausible.

Except it mainly happens on 'new' (old) clips they air, like Joy's 'Staxx' this week. I'm referring to non-letterboxed 4:3 clips that are stretched for no apparent reason.

They need to move whoever is doing it to another department. Given their incompetence, it's bound to happen eventually :laughing:

I'd really like a Playlist to be published on rage for this weekend. Nearly 6 pm, I have been refreshing for what seems like years

I've been refreshing the Rage website as well. We have Friday's play list so shouldn't be too much longer

Metal/industrial tonight...

Coming up on the VAULT tonight Type O Negative, Meshuggah, Dark Tranquility, "Strapping Young Lad", Corrosion Of Conformity, Napalm Death, Pantera, System of a Down and more. 2:01 am on ABCTV.


CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Stone Breaker
PRONG Rude Awakening
ROB ZOMBIE Dragula
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD Detox
SAMAEL Jupiterian Vibe
CANNIBAL CORPSE Sentenced To Burn
PANTERA Drag The Waters
NAPALM DEATH Greed Killing
SEPULTURA Choke
MESHUGGAH New Millenium Cyanide Christ
DARK TRANQUILITY Therein
TYPE O NEGATIVE Everything Dies
MARILYN MANSON Man That You Fear
MARILYN MANSON Long Hard Road Out Of Hell
MARILYN MANSON Tourniquet
KORN Clown
KORN No Place To Hide
KORN Falling Away From Me
SKINLAB Second Skin
SKINLAB Know Your Enemies
SEVENDUST Waffle
GODSMACK Whatever
MACHINE HEAD Ten Ton Hammer
SYSTEM OF A DOWN War
CLAWFINGER Pin Me Down
FEAR FACTORY Resurrection
FEAR FACTORY feat. GARY NUMAN Cars
COAL CHAMBER feat. OZZY OSBOURNE Shock The Monkey
ORGY Blue Monday


And the vault is on next week - a 119 minute episode.

Metal may be my most disliked genre - that or opera:thinking_face:

I guess they picked the genre that is the most polar opposite to the retro we are getting with Countdown! Did Countdown ever play a metal song? I don’t recall they ever did.

There was some Judas Priest the other week, but no, not much.

Haha, yeah, funny timing. I'm just in the process of editing that 1980 episode of Countdown that had the



… along with a description of what Heavy Metal is, so it's fair to say that they didn't play much of it!
Adorable stuff really.

I'm no fan either although I do have a little bit of Rammstein and System of a Down in my collection.
I like the "polar opposite of Countdown" theory. Sounds about right. And as long as we keep getting Countdowns I'm more than happy to keep skipping crappy Mondays.

Did they ever show any Iron Maiden videos?

I don't why Rage keeps on airing In your Room by Toni Pearen everytime they flashback it was aired in the Rage turns 30 special and the 92 /91 special just in the space of less than 12 months. I hope they can consider an Aussie Dance special that will screen " Walkaway Lover " and I want you by Toni Pearen, " My Enemy " and Satisfy the Groove " by Culture Shock , " Don't call me baby , who the hell are you and Reminicing by MADISON AVENUE
I can do for you , one in a million and I wanna love you right by EUPHORIA
I saw a UFO , Pictures and I love it by Sneaky Sound System
Don't hold back by Potbelleez
Shooting star by The Bag Raiders
There is so much good electronic dance made locally and internationally that unfortunately is not getting what it deserves

Marco

Here is an Iron Maiden snippet from Countdown in 1982 ...

rage aired 'I Want You' during the 2010 Wild Card special.



It would be good to see 'Walk Away Lover', yes. And 'Joy' would be even better, since I don't have the full video for that.

Thanks for the I want you upload sensational song best years of my life ! I'm yet to discover / remember Joy by Toni Pearen if it's post 92
Toni and Danii Minogue had stacks of excellent dance videos throughout the 90s and Danii continued until the late noughties and shamefully she doesn't get much exposure!
Correct if I'm wrong but Danii hosted a Mardi Gras special sometime ago and if so did they play her songs who do u love now , this is it etc etc etc etc please Rage come back to great friendship with my Aussie Dance Diva Queen!


Marco 😀

Madison Avenue and Euphoria need to be deleted period as do the 90s. Why the likes of Madison Avenue are even being mentioned on my Forum here, I don't know.

It's a Countdown Forum and yes, the likes of Rock Arena and shows of the same era is brilliant to be mentioned but Madison Avenue???? 00's???? The 00's isn't even Vault material anyway.

Tonight on the VAULT we're showcasing the iconic videos of director Mark Romanek. Expect to see Johnny Cash, k.d. lang, Iggy Pop, Nine Inch Nails, JAY-Z, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna and more. 2:01am on ABCTV.

THE THE Sweet Bird Of Truth
ROBYN HITCHCOCK Madonna Of The Wasps
IGGY POP Beside You
KD LANG Constant Craving
FIONA APPLE Criminal
SONIC YOUTH Little Trouble Girl
WEEZER El Scorcho
G LOVE and SPECIAL SAUCE Cold Beverage
BECK Devil's Haircut
EELS Novocaine For The Soul
LENNY KRAVITZ Are You Gonna Go My Way?
EN VOGUE Free Your Mind
DE LA SOUL Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)
JANET JACKSON Got 'Til It's Gone
MACY GRAY Do Something
MACY GRAY I Try
LENNY KRAVITZ If You Can't Say No
MICHAEL JACKSON Scream
MADONNA Bedtime Story
MADONNA Rain
DAVID BOWIE Jump They Say
NINE INCH NAILS The Perfect Drug
NINE INCH NAILS Closer
JOHNNY CASH Hurt
JAY-Z 99 Problems
MICK JAGGER and LENNY KRAVITZ God Gave Me Everything
NO DOUBT Hella Good
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Can't Stop
AUDIOSLAVE Cochise
LINKIN PARK Faint

There must be a rule at the ABC Rage office - no 70s or 80s on VAULT night during Retro Month.

The whole of January should be retro month, tonight’s playlist isn’t the greatest of VAULT but hey.

I just Hope rage play at least two Countdown episodes this weekend and the 90s people can have there other three hours or more.

THE THE Sweet Bird of Truth is from 1986.

Don't lump '90s people' all together. I am a '90s person' musically, in some ways, but loathe Recovery as much as anyone else here. It was trash! Recovery does not in any way represent what the 90s were to me.

Haha, ditto Nathan. Loving some 90's music is not mutually exclusive with loving the 80's.

Sometimes a picture explains things best

Same here love 90's music but not the alternative artists such as Nick Cave you see on Recovery. Love Oasis Blur Suede (talk about glam rock) Travis Radiohead and many others.

OMG!!! isn't 90s , 00s music ( the good ones ! ) considered "Vault " as the thread is titled ?

I think it depends greatly on when you grew up. Even though it's coming up to 20 years ago (my god), the early 2000s don't feel that 'retro' to me. But if you were 10 years younger than me, that era would be your teenage years, and you'd probably feel some nostalgia for it.

I can live with 'bad' (IMO) vault weeks - so long as there are some good episodes now and then.

There have been a few early 00s/late 90s-themed vault episodes. They even had 2005 as the theme one week.

Like it or not, that era is going to be 'retro' for some people.

Countdown started being repeated on rage when the last episode was only 5.5 years old. That's like airing something from 2013 as 'retro' now, as shocking as that may seem.

If only Rage would do more of these dancy Vaults I'd be the happiest man on earth. With all the YouTube, dailymotion.com and internet videos we have I still find myself buying Dance and techno DVDs ! 😊

I would love more dance/pop/electronic-themed vaults, too, though more from the 80s and early to mid 90s than the late 90s/early 00s. 70s disco is welcome too.

Was it labelled 'retro' in 1993 or did that come later?

I think it came later. Though, going by the episodes of Countdown shown each year posted recently by Armin, it's not as though the whole month's Saturday night programs back then were devoted to retro content, e.g. only 4 Countdown episodes aired in 1993.

Thanks thought that may be the case.

rage goes retro, came later about 10 years ago I think. I used to love it when it was just known as Countdown in January, none of this retro b#$$@^*t!

No VAULT tonight ... bummer! With 90s etc being played on the VAULT during January, we're overdue a 70s or 80s VAULT, I reckon.