Filmed: Sunday 10 December 1978
Location: Location:
Broadcast: Monday 25 December 1978, BBC1, UK
Release status: This programme has not been included on any officially released video or DVD
Duration: 20 seconds
Shown in: UK
Top of the Pops was the longest running weekly, music chart show featuring videos and performances on BBC1, UK which ran for over 42 years from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006 and featured around 2,000 episodes in total. The show saw many changes through the decades, in style, design, fashion and taste. Due to the BBC's former policy of deleting old programmes, the vast majority of the episodes from the first ten years of the programme's history have been lost. Of the first 500 episodes (1964–73) only about 20 complete recordings remain in the BBC archives. That's why only four of the seven ABBA studio performances exist in their full-length episodes). The 1976 Mamma Mia performance exists only in a Christmas retrospective episode; So Long from 1974 has been found thanks to the help of ABBA fans c/o this ABBA on TV website but it is feared the performance of SOS from 1975 is wiped forever.
ABBA recorded a Christmas greeting to DJ and presenter Noel Edmonds on this review episode of 1978.
After one rehearsal they went into a spot-on choral, "Happy New Year" which was recorded at the same time they recorded the majority of The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show.
The running order of the show:
- Darts - Boy From New York City
- Boney M - Rasputin
- John Travolta & Olivia Newton John - Summer Nights
- Wings - Mull Of Kintyre (VIDEO)
- Brotherhood Of Man - Figaro
- Father Abraham & The Smurfs - The Smurf Song (VIDEO)
- The Bee Gees - Night Fever (scene from Saturday Night Fever)
- Brian & Michael - Matchstick Men & Matchstick Cats & Dogs
- The Brighouse & Rastick Brass Band - The Floral Dance
- Happy Christmas message from ABBA
- Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights (PROMO)
- Showaddywaddy - I Wonder Why
- Boney M - Rivers Of Babylon
- Commodores - Three Times A Lady ( Legs & Co. )
- ABBA - Take A Chance On Me (PROMO)
- Rose Royce - Love Don't Love Here Anymore (VIDEO)
- Happy New Year from Olivia Newton John
- John Travolta & Olivia Newton John - You're The One That I Want (scene from "Grease")
- Boney M - Mary’s Boy Child
This was Boney M's big year - with three huge hits making it onto this 1978 highlights programme.
This clip was also broadcast in the programme Top of the Pops - The Story of 1978, 21:00 on Friday 4 January 2013 on BBC4, UK; repeated 22:55 on Sunday 6 January 2013 and again on Thursday 24 December 2015, 22:00-23:00, BBC4, UK.
Frida: "Hi Noel"
ABBA: "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"
Top of The Pops (Waterloo), 1974;
Top of The Pops (Waterloo), 1974;
Top of The Pops (So Long), 1974;
Top of The Pops (Waterloo), 1974;
Top of The Pops (SOS), 1975;
Top of The Pops (Mamma Mia), 1976;
Top of The Pops (Fernando), 1976;
Top of The Pops (Christmas greeting), 1978;
Top of The Pops (Frida), 1982;
Top of The Pops (Agnetha), 1983;
Archive data from BBC’s public site:
Title: TOP OF THE POPS - TOP OF THE POPS 1978 TOP OF THE POPS XMAS, 1970S
Caption: Noel EDMONDS presents this special of Top of the Pops with acts Darts, Abba, Boney M, Brotherhood of Man, Legs & Com, Bee Gees, Brain & Michael, Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, Wings, Shawaddywaddy, Rose Royce. revised repeat NO MORE DETAILS Pop chart prog pres by Noel EDMONDS inc Darts;Abba;Boney M;Brotherhood of Man; Father Abraham;Bee Gees;Brain & Michael;Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band;Wings; Showaddywaddy;Rose Royce; Olivia NEWTON-JOHN & John TRAVOLTA; Dance:Legs & Co. Studio; promo VT; ex-lib VT; recd VT. Pop chart prog pres by Noel Edmonds inc Darts;Abba;Boney M;Brotherhood Of Man; Father Abraham;Bee Gees;Brian & Michael;Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band;Wings; Showaddywaddy;Rose Royce;Olivia NEWTON-JOHN & John TRAVOLTA; Dance: Legs & Co. Studio; promo VT; ex-lib VT; recd VT
Guid: LLVA550J
Transmission date: 25 Dec 1978
Clip #: BBC_LLVA550J
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License type: Rights-ready
Filmmaker:
BBC Broadcast Archive
Collection:
BBC Broadcast Archive
Clip length: 00:57:42:00
Credit: BBC Broadcast Archive
Source: BBC Broadcast Archive
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Release information: Not released. More information
Aspect ratios: 4:3
Object name: BBC_LLVA550J
Subject: Arts, Culture and Entertainment
Keywords: Brain, Close-up, Dancing, Chart, Darts, Father, Brother, Internet, Rose - Flower, Brass, Vermont, Repetition, Adult, Males, Men, John Travolta, Olivia Newton John, Boney M, Arts Culture and Entertainment, The Bee Gees, Noel Edmonds, ABBA. Find similar clips
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Transcript:
Pop chart prog pres by Noel EDMONDS inc Darts;Abba;Boney M;Brotherhood of Man; Father Abraham;Bee Gees;Brain & Michael;Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band;Wings; Showaddywaddy;Rose Royce; Olivia NEWTON-JOHN & John TRAVOLTA; Dance:Legs & Co. Studio; promo VT; ex-lib VT; recd VT.
Noel EDMONDS presents this special of Top of the Pops with acts Darts, Abba, Boney M, Brotherhood of Man, Legs & Com, Bee Gees, Brain & Michael, Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, Wings, Shawaddywaddy, Rose Royce. revised repeat NO MORE DETAILS
Pop chart prog pres by Noel Edmonds inc Darts;Abba;Boney M;Brotherhood Of Man; Father Abraham;Bee Gees;Brian & Michael;Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band;Wings; Showaddywaddy;Rose Royce;Olivia NEWTON-JOHN & John TRAVOLTA; Dance: Legs & Co. Studio; promo VT; ex-lib VT; recd VT
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Noel EDMONDS presents this special of Top of the Pops with acts Darts, Abba, Boney M, Brotherhood of Man, Legs & Com, Bee Gees, Brain & Michael, Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, Wings, Shawaddywaddy, Rose Royce. revised repeat NO MORE DETAILS
STUDIO: Darts - 'The Boy From New York City' (dur 2m55s) Brotherhood of Man - 'Figaro' Brian & Michael - 'Matchstalk Men' (dur 3m13s) Showaddywaddy - 'I Wonder Why' (dur 2m58s) EX-LIB VT:Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band - 'Floral Dance' (dur 2m42s) Boney M - 'Rivers Of Babylon' (dur 3m11s) Boney M - 'Mary's Boy Child' (dur 3m22s) RECD VT: Boney M - 'Rasputin' (dur 2m53s)
PROMO VT: Wings - 'Mull Of Kintyre' (dur 3m16s) Father Abraham - 'The Smurf Song' (dur 2m56s) Abba - 'Take A Chance On Me' (dur 3m05s) Olivia NEWTON-JOHN & John TRAVOLTA - 'You're The One That I Want' (dur 2m44s) Kate BUSH - 'Wuthering Heights' (dur 2m43s) Rose Royce - 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore' (dur 3m38s) Bee Gees - 'Night Fever' (dur 2m50s)
BBC Item Type: Programme
BBC SubCatalogue: LONPROG