12th May

1977: Well, this is fulsome, not to mention such an odd show Jimmy comes back on in a wig and suit halfway through claiming to be his own twin brother Percy and it seems par for the course. In 1977 they callled white funk bands Honky without prejudice, covering their gear in party poppers and streamers as if we'd missed their grand intro. Blue (not that one) are stuck away in a corner, the pianist having to find ever more acute angles at which to meet the camera with his gaze. "Ooh, Trinidad Oil Company!" indeed, and to think their Wolves colours-sporting steel band and their calendar-centric nature is only the start of an oasis of offbeatness as Percy cues up Legs & Co as flowers to Sue's bee in the name of Piero Umiliani's Mah Na Mah Na, Simon May misses pretty much every note and Martyn Ford Orchestra deal with disco in the way you'd expect an orchestra to, helped by the St Vitus' Dance of Ford himself. Watch for the point with which he cues up the sax solo. And then Mud go synthpop! Kind of. Dave Mount has grown a fine fake tache. Then a complete about-turn in stylistic and qualitative terms as Billy Paul in his big floppy hat has to recite the Malcolm X/MLK samples from the record himself and Dr Feelgood's Lee Brilleaux will take the whole audience down single handedly if he has to.

1983: This one is famous for the brief appearance of Agnetha Fältskog, and with body language like Tommy Vance's it's no wonder she'd soon become a recluse. Elsewhere, the Belle Stars in their monogrammed baseball gear. We've seen the Creatures' performance before, but having worked out that watching percussion for three minutes isn't in itself a televisular spectacular Zoo were pressed into emergency action.

1988: Run for the hills, it's a comedy song on Pops, Harry Enfield (and Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson and William Orbit, but nobody had heard of them then) having a handful of props and little idea otherwise. Even the forgotten novelty hit of the year Star Turn On 45 (Pints) had got their visual act sorted in advance, including much the same 'scratching' gags, and check that special end caption. Back in the land of the living Narada's backing isn't as much stylish backing vocalists/dancers as people along for the ride, and the vocal part runs out quite some distance from the end of this version.

1994: Iggy Pop on Pops? Yes, but it's not vintage rock and roll posing by any means. For that you'll need number one Stiltskin. Real punk anti-establishment, kicking over the amp stack and diving into the crowd with a live mike, from the band formed off the back of a session musician recording for a Levi's advert.