19th May

1977: Kid did like his poetic intros. A show represented in full: part one features a largely seated Suzi Quatro, Linda Lewis in front of the early 80s BBC news graphics and Bay City Rollers on the way out; part two starts with Kid taking a ride on a camera before panning to Carol Bayer Sager, white of trouser, hands on hips, refusing to tell what 'he' does with bread, followed by Joe Tex playing around on Soul Train, Legs & Co taunting epileptics and Tony Etoria's "good disco fun", followed by the singular Joy Sarney. Imagine the orchestra having to re-record that. The real gold comes in part three as the Jacksons come "from the land of a thousand dances" and Michael decides he can trust a Top Of The Pops crowd with participation with inevitable consequences, then Bedouin trousers all round for Legs & Co's Shuffle, then Kid air guitars away as the Jam bring their "effervescent new 45" and those of their ilk - "a new rock phenomenon known as New Wave", which is fair comment as that's what the music press labelled them as at the time - to the show for the first time.

1983: Lots of dancing up and down in formation for D-Train, plus a very tall woman in the crowd. David Grant adds body popping to his soul repertoire, Dig Wayne of JoBoxers' limbs turn to rubber (what's going on at the very start?) and Vince Clarke of Yazoo comes up with an ever more ludicrous haircut.

1988: Sharing a charity double A side with Wet Wet Wet's With A Little Help From My Friends, Billy Bragg and Cara Tivey were invited on. Bragg, who'd been on a long tour, couldn't remember the words, taped them to the floor and watched the dry ice obscure them. Also on, Prefab Sprout, Aztec Camera with lively session backing singers and Derek B plus turntablism demonstration.

1994: The whole show, during which Alice Cooper enacts... something on Bruno. If you ask me, I think they've overplayed it. Otherwise 2 Unlimited, Bad Boys Inc, Seal in big headphones, Julia Fordham, East 17 and the first of many, many showings for Love Is All Around.