Editing The Old Grey Whistle Test

{{short description|British music television programme}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox television
| image        = The Old Grey Whistle Test title card 1970s black sky variant.png
| caption      = One of 1970s opening titles
| alt_name     = ''Whistle Test'' (1983–88)
| runtime      = 40–60 minutes
| creator      = [[Rowan Ayers]]<br />[[Mike Appleton]]
| developer    =
| producer     = Mike Appleton
| presenter    = [[Richard Williams (journalist)|Richard Williams]]<br />[[Ian Whitcomb]]<br />[[Bob Harris (radio presenter)|Bob Harris]]<br />[[Annie Nightingale]]<br />[[Andy Kershaw]]<br />[[David Hepworth]]<br />[[Mark Ellen]]<br /> [[Richard Skinner (broadcaster)|Richard Skinner]]<br />Ro Newton
| opentheme    = "Stone Fox Chase" – [[Area Code 615 (band)|Area Code 615]] (1971–83)
| country      = United Kingdom
| company      = [[BBC Television]]
| network      = [[BBC Two|BBC2]] (1971–88)<br />[[BBC Four]] (One-off special, 2018)
| first_aired  = {{start date|1971|9|21|df=y}}
| last_aired   = {{end date|1988|1|1|df=y}}
| num_episodes = 
| language     = English 
}}

'''''The Old Grey Whistle Test''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''''Whistle Test''''' or '''''OGWT''''') is a British former television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer [[Rowan Ayers]], commissioned by [[David Attenborough]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Sir David Attenborough: 'This awful summer? We've only ourselves to blame...' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/sir-david-attenborough-this-awful-summer-weve-only-ourselves-to-blame-7942405.html |first=Nick |last=Harding |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/sir-david-attenborough-this-awful-summer-weve-only-ourselves-to-blame-7942405.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=[[The Independent]]|date=13 July 2012|access-date=14 August 2017}}</ref> and aired on [[BBC Two|BBC2]] from 1971 to 1988. It took over the BBC2 late-night slot from ''[[Disco 2 (TV series)|Disco 2]]'', which ran between September 1970 and July 1971, while continuing to feature non-chart music. The original producer, involved in an executive capacity throughout<ref>Credits of the programme</ref> the show's entire history, was [[Mike Appleton|Michael Appleton]].

According to presenter [[Bob Harris (radio presenter)|Bob Harris]], the programme derived its name from a [[Tin Pan Alley]] phrase from years before. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called "the old greys" – doormen in grey suits. Any song the doormen could remember and whistle, having heard it just once or twice, had passed the old grey whistle test.<ref>Spencer Leigh, ''Frank Sinatra: An Extraordinary Life'', chapter 5 (Carmarthen: McNidder & Grace, 2015. {{ISBN|9780857160867}}).</ref>

On 23 February 2018, a one-off live three-hour special of ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' was broadcast on [[BBC Four]], hosted by Harris to mark 30 years since the final episode had been broadcast.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/922474/the-old-grey-whistle-test-bbc-top-of-the-pops-rival|title=Witness the revival of The Old Grey Whistle Test|first=DOMINIC|last=UTTON|date=22 February 2018|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref>

==History==
Launched on [[BBC Two|BBC2]], the show focused on albums, rather than chart hits covered on [[BBC One|BBC1]] by ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. It was originally produced in a studio at [[BBC Television Centre]] in west [[London]] known as "Pres B", which had been originally designed for shooting weather forecasts and [[continuity (broadcasting)|in-vision continuity]].<ref name="TVStudioHistory"/><ref name="Hepworth 207-208">{{cite book|last=Hepworth|first=David|title=Never a Dull Moment: 1971 - The Year That Rock Exploded|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k3_tCgAAQBAJ|place=New York|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|year=2016|pages=207–208|isbn=9781627793995}}</ref> The studio was only {{convert|32|x|22|ft|0}}.<ref name="TVStudioHistory">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvstudiohistory.co.uk/tv%20centre%20history.htm#pres |title=TV Studio History |access-date=6 March 2010}}</ref> Due to the lack of technology that accommodated live performances, bands [[Miming in instrumental performance|mimed to tracks]] in early episodes.<ref name="Hepworth 207-208"/>

The series' opening titles theme was an animation of a male figure made up of stars (known as the 'Star Kicker') dancing. The programme's title music, with its [[harmonica]] theme, was a track called Stone Fox Chase by a [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] band, [[Area Code 615 (band)|Area Code 615]].

The first host was [[Richard Williams (journalist)|Richard Williams]], features editor of ''[[Melody Maker]]'', the music weekly. From 1972 the programme was presented by disc jockey [[Bob Harris (radio presenter)|Bob Harris]] (nicknamed ‘Whispering Bob Harris’ because of his quiet voice and laid-back style). He later became notorious among the younger generation for distancing himself on air from [[Roxy Music]]'s first performance on the show and calling the [[New York Dolls]] "mock rock"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/14/new-york-dolls-mock-rock|author=Stevie Chick|date=13 June 2011|title=The New York Dolls play 'mock rock' on British TV|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/simon-price-theres-no-going-back-to-the-old-grey-twilight-zone-2341170.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/simon-price-theres-no-going-back-to-the-old-grey-twilight-zone-2341170.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Simon Price: There's no going back to the Old Grey Twilight Zone|date=21 August 2011|website=The Independent|access-date=4 March 2019}}</ref> and left ''OGWT'' in 1978.

In the programme's early days, before the advent of the [[music video]], tracks that could not be performed live by musicians were accompanied by old film footage, edited especially for the programme by film collector and archivist [[Philip Jenkinson]].

After Harris's departure [[Annie Nightingale]] took over as host. In December 1980 Nightingale presented a special edition immediately after the [[murder of John Lennon|murder]] of [[John Lennon]] (who had appeared on the show in 1975). This particular episode consisted almost entirely of interviews with various people about Lennon's life and career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Damian |date=2024-01-13 |title=Annie Nightingale once revealed she was the first person to interview Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/annie-nightingale-once-revealed-she-was-the-first-person-to-interview-paul-mccartney-after-john-lennons-death-3570274 |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Following the departure of Nightingale in 1982, [[Mark Ellen]] and [[David Hepworth]] were the regular presenters. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Tim |date=3 September 2024 |title=No Longer Old, No Longer Grey - The Story of Whistle Test (Part 1) |url=https://pinkforyouractualpterodactyl.com/2024/09/03/death-to-timid-pop-the-story-of-whistle-test-part-one/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 May 2025 |website=Pink For Your Actual Pterodactyl}}</ref>

For the series beginning in January 1984 the title was abridged to '''''Whistle Test,''''' with a new logo and set design.  More significant was a full revamp of the series in October 1984, where the programme was moved to a live mid-evening slot on BBC2. A new title sequence, theme music (by [[Dave Stewart (musician, born 1950)|Dave Stewart]]) and set design was introduced, and the show included the new Top 30 chart rundown, telephone video vote, and live performances across the country. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Tim |date=3 September 2024 |title=No Longer Old, No Longer Grey - The Story of Whistle Test (Part Three) |url=https://pinkforyouractualpterodactyl.com/2024/09/03/death-to-timid-pop-the-story-of-whistle-test-part-three/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 May 2025 |website=Pink For Your Actual Pterodactyl}}</ref>  Alongside Hepworth and Ellen, [[Richard Skinner (broadcaster)|Richard Skinner]] and [[Andy Kershaw]] joined the series.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/andy-kershaw-the-dj-who-came-back-from-the-wars-8191053.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/andy-kershaw-the-dj-who-came-back-from-the-wars-8191053.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title= Andy Kershaw: The DJ who came back from the wars | work=The Independent | first=Nick | last=Duerden | date=29 September 2012 | access-date=7 November 2016}}</ref> The same four presenters co-presented the BBC's television coverage of [[Live Aid]] in 1985.  Ro Newton joined as presenter in October 1985.

Initially the new series performed well in its new timeslot.  However, the BBC's new soap opera [[EastEnders]], was scheduled directly against Whistle Test, and this resulted in a drop in viewership.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Tim |date=3 September 2024 |title=No Longer Old, No Longer Grey - The Story of Whistle Test (Part Five) |url=https://pinkforyouractualpterodactyl.com/2024/09/03/death-to-timid-pop-the-story-of-whistle-test-part-five/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 May 2025 |website=Pink For Your Actual Pterodactyl}}</ref>

The series was cancelled in early 1987 by [[Janet Street-Porter]], who had been appointed head of Youth Programmes at the BBC.<ref>{{cite book |first=Andy|last=Kershaw |title=No Off Switch|year=2012|page=213|publisher=Virgin|isbn=978-0415892131}}</ref> The series ended with a live New Year's Eve special, hosted by Bob Harris, broadcast through to the early hours of New Year's Day 1988: material included "[[Hotel California]]" by [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]], live from 1977, and "[[Bat Out of Hell (song)|Bat Out of Hell]]" by [[Meat Loaf]].

Owing to technical issues during the show's early years and the need to ensure performances were controlled, the bands often recorded the instrumental tracks the day before. The vocals were then performed live "99 percent" of the time. After 1973 the show changed to an entirely live format.<ref name="Popular music and television in Britain">{{cite book|author=Ian Inglis|title=Popular Music and Television in Britain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SUhWx9Jnh_UC&pg=PA63|year=2010|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd|isbn=978-0-7546-6864-0|page=63}}</ref>

=== 30th anniversary ===
On 23 February 2018 the BBC broadcast a special programme, hosted by Bob Harris, to mark 30 years since the series was last broadcast. This live studio show featured music, special guests and rare archive footage. It featured live performances from [[Gary Numan]], [[Kiki Dee]], [[Peter Frampton]], [[Wildwood Kin]], [[Richard Thompson (musician)|Richard Thompson]], [[Albert Lee]] and [[Robert Vincent (musician)|Robert Vincent]].<ref name="only">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09scfnb |title=For One Night Only, The Old Grey Whistle Test - BBC Four |website=BBC |access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref>

Harris chatted to ''Whistle Test'' alumni, including Gary Numan, [[Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)|Dave Stewart]], [[Joan Armatrading]], [[Ian Anderson]], [[Toyah Willcox]], [[Dennis Locorriere]], [[Chris Difford]] and Kiki Dee, as well as fan [[Danny Baker]].<ref name="only"/>

Gary Numan's performances on the show caused his latest album, ''[[Savage (Songs from a Broken World)]]'', to re-enter the charts the following week at number 60.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17942/gary-numan/ | title=Gary Numan | website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]] }}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Top Gear (radio programme)|Top Gear]]'', a 1964–1975 BBC radio programme that focused on progressive music.
* ''[[The Midnight Special (TV series)|The Midnight Special]]'', a 1972–1981 US television series of a similar format from the same time period.  
* ''[[Sounds of the 70s]]'', a 1970s late night BBC radio programme which concentrated on albums rather than singles, and rock rather than pop.
* ''[[Top of the Pops]]'', a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006.
* ''[[Later... with Jools Holland]]'', a BBC television series with a similar format that has been broadcast since 1992

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{BBC Programme|b006zbkl}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0259795|title=The Old Grey Whistle Test}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Grey Whistle Test, The}}
[[Category:1971 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1988 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s British music television series]]
[[Category:1980s British music television series]]
[[Category:BBC Two original programming]]
[[Category:Rock music television series]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]