On Jan. 6, legendary UK broadcaster Tony Blackburn launched a ’60s music TV channel, That’s 60s. The station launched at 6 p.m., with “Flowers in the Rain” by the Move, the Electric Light Orchestra predecessor band whose hit was immortalized in September 1967 as the first song on BBC Radio 1. Blackburn was already known at that point from his work at pirates and border-blasters like Radio Caroline and Radio Luxembourg. He is still the host of BBC Radio 2’s Saturday morning Sounds of the ’60s program.
That’s 60s is a side channel to the UK’s That’s TV — similar to America’s Me-TV. It’s playing non-stop ’60s music from 6a-2a daily. Blackburn is already appearing on Friday evenings to present some of the video clips. Other veteran UK broadcasters such as David Hamilton and Bob Harris have been announced. (So far, the posted schedule shows only “That’s 60s: The Best Music.”)
That’s 60s isn’t available in the U.S., but veteran UK-based programmer and consultant Paul Easton, whose background includes London’s Capital Radio and LBC, Birmingham’s BRMB, and Jack FM Oxford, was happy to take a first watch. These are his comments and an extensive music monitor.
That’s 60s is probably best described as “eclectic.” In a random 2-½ hour sample the music ranged from Frankie Avalon and the Highwaymen with Steve Lawrence to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin via pop, bubblegum, and Motown.
On his Friday-night show, Blackburn introduces some of the clips and talks about his ’60s memories. Most of the time, there is no presentation to speak of. Commercial breaks are every 3-4 songs (and the same “in/out bumper” is used each time). Ad spots have been dominated by life insurance and funeral plans.
There weren’t many pop videos around in the ’60s, so the channel is obviously very reliant on what material is actually available – and licensable – which would explain the use of live performances (e.g., Simon & Garfunkel from their 1982 Central Park Concert) and a lot of clips from US TV shows (especially Hullabaloo) that weren’t all widely seen here. It also explains pairings that might have existed on TV, but not on the hit singles themselves, like Steve Lawrence performing with the Highwaymen, and hit songs performed by other artists not known for them at all.
There were four Beatles covers – I’m including the version of “Twist & Shout” that was neither Beatles nor Isley Brothers – but no actual Beatles. After a week, I finally saw the Rolling Stones (“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”). It took longer than that to finally catch Dusty Springfield or Tom Jones. On Jan, 29, I finally saw Cliff Richard, a noticeable superstar omission in the UK.
The availability of clips also means there are some songs that were bigger in the U.S.: the American Breed’s “Bend Me, Shape Me” (No. 24 in the UK) and not Amen Corner’s No. 3 version; “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” No. 1 there for Herman’s Hermits, but never charted here. There were also songs such as the Joe Brown & Bruvvers and Wayne Fontana & Mindbenders tracks (see below) that weren’t hits either place.
Personally, it’s refreshing to find a channel (TV or radio) that doesn’t rely on the same predictable songs. But for now, That’s 60s is relying on too many obscure songs and artists. Look for an update once the channel has bedded in and more hosted shows have started to appear on the schedule.
Here’s the full playlist of what I saw on Jan. 12 from 9:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
- Byrds, “The Times They Are a-Changing”
- Lovin’ Spoonful, “Do You Believe in Magic?”
- Roger Smith, “Chim-Chim-Cheree”
- Tommy James & Shondells, “Mony Mony”
- Nancy Sinatra, “Bang Bang”
- Lulu, “Shout”
- Marvin Gaye, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)”
- Bob Dylan, “Desolation Row”
- Tammy Wynette, “Stand by Your Man” — a 1975 hit in the UK
- Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations”
- Bob Lind, “Elusive Butterfly”
- Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth”
- Georgie Fame & Blue Flames, “Yeh Yeh”
- Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
- Gary Lewis & Playboys, “Run for Your Life”
- Led Zeppelin, “Whole Lotta Love”
- Animals, “I’m Crying”
- Kinks, “Sunny Afternoon”
- Glen Campbell, “Wichita Lineman”
- Tony & Tigers, “Day Tripper”
- Monkees, “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone”
- Nashville Teens, “Tobacco Road”
- Johnny Cash, “Ring of Fire”
- Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love”
- Joe Brown & Bruvvers, “ Teardrops in the Rain”
- Seekers, “The Carnival Is Over”
- Everly Brothers, “Gone Gone Gone”
- Moody Blues, “Nights in White Satin” — 1967 in the UK
- Wayne Fontana & Mindbenders, “She’s Got the Power”
- Archies, “Sugar Sugar”
- Dave Clark Five, ”Because”
- Elvis Presley, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
- Astronauts, “Twist and Shout”
- Simon & Garfunkel, “Mrs Robinson”
- Highwaymen & Steve Lawrence, “Cotton Fields”
- American Breed, “Bend Me, Shape Me”
- Jimi Hendrix, “Purple Haze”
- David Bowie, “Space Oddity”
- Bantams, “Do You Love Me?”
- Jerry Lewis & Gary Lewis, “Help!”
- Freddie & Dreamers, “I’m Telling You Now”
- Beach Boys, “God Only Knows”
- Herman’s Hermits, “Mrs Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter”
- Frankie Avalon, “Downtown”
- Bee Gees, “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You”
- Small Faces, “Itchycoo Park”
Also, here’s Blackburn’s BBC Radio 2 “Sounds of the 60s,” produced by and curated with the help of Phil Swern, on Jan. 21 at 6 a.m.:
- Gerry & Pacemakers, “I Like It”
- Isley Brothers, “I Guess I’ll Always Love You”
- Roy Orbison, “Oh Pretty Woman”
- Beatles, “A Hard Day’s Night”
- Cilla Black, “Love of the Loved”
- Joe Dowell, “Just Love Me”
- Allisons, “Are You Sure”
- Richard Harris, “MacArthur Park”
- Scott Walker, “Joanna”
- Byrds, “All I Really Want To Do”–the first of two in honor of David Crosby
- Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Marrakesh Express”
- Move, “Flowers in the Rain”–with a mention of the Radio 1 launch
- Stevie Wonder, “For Once in My Life”–#3 on a “this day in 1969” countdown
- Fleetwood Mac, “Albatross”–#2
- Marmalade, “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da”–#1, the UK hit Beatles cover by the band best known in the U.S. for “Reflections of My Life.”
