Posts Tagged Old Grey Whistle Test

Songlist Special: Songs That Captured the Spirit of The Old Grey Whistle Test (Part2) 

September 2, 2026 at 3:56 pm · Filed under Music, Songlist Special, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome to another Songlist Special which effectively pays homage to The Old Grey Whistle Test.   

 Usually known as OGWT (and from 1983 simply Whistle Test) it’s probably no exaggeration to say that it was the most important music programme on UK TV.  Aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988, it attracted studious music lovers who wanted thoughtful analysis & interviews.  Album-oriented rock and ‘serious’ music was the order of the day.  (None of this was available on the BBCs main music programme Top Of The Pops – TOTP.) 

In future issues we’ll look at how the OGWT got its name and examine its roots and history.  We’ll also feature its presenters, including the iconic ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris. 

We’ll end by saying something that’s probably regarded as ‘controversial’ & not too popular these days. And that’s giving credit to the BBC for keeping the programme on air for so long.  For 17 glorious years the OGWT brought us an eclectic mix of musical genres, including rock, folk, reggae, progressive rock, punk, new wave, and more.   

 Will we see another music TV series like it ever again? 

 

THE SONGS 

 

The Damned – Smash it Up 

 The Damned made history when they became the first UK punk band to release a single – New Rose in 1976 – and an album – Damned Damned Damned in 1977 – and tour the US in spring, 1977. 

Here we feature their 1979 single Smash it Up (taken from their album Machine Gun Etiquette).  Their performance – rooted in glorious chaos, irreverence, raw energy & unpredictability – sums up punk.   

 

 Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama 

Lynyrd Skynyrd epitomise Southern rock, which is rooted in rock and roll, blues & country (but perfectly blended with elements of gospel, soul, and sometimes even jazz).  Sweet Home Alabama is an iconic homage to their homeland.  It’s a remarkable song as it’s instantly recognisable from the off. 

As free thinkers & non-conformists we love the ‘rebel spirit’ of Southern rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd are unapologetic & proud of their identity.  As we’ve noted many times before, all art forms must be free to provoke, unsettle, and challenge.  They certainly do this when they display the Battle Flag of the Army of Tennessee! 

 

Talking Heads – Psycho Killer 

Psycho Killer is another track that’s instantly recognisable due to its simple yet very distinctive bass intro.  Written by David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth in 1974 (when they were known as The Artistics) it’s an attempt to get inside the head of a “psycho killer” — portraying the character’s hysteria, detachment, and internal conflict.  

Talking Heads were a fascinating band.  Emerging from the New York punk scene they’re seen as pioneers of new wave, post punk and art rock.  We’re not too sure if this does them justice – they must be one of the most innovative & genre defying bands we’ve ever come across. 

 

Teardrop Explodes – Reward 

 The Teardrop Explodes were formed in Liverpool in 1978.  Described as post-punk/neo-psychedelic band they were fronted by the eccentric Julian Cope.  Cope is also an author and political/cultural activist.  

The band were short lived (1978–1982) but very influential.  They’re credited with reviving 1960s-inspired psychedelia & have been referenced by Blur, Morrissey and Inspiral Carpets. 

  

Gary Numan – My Name is Ruin & Are Friends Electric? 

We featured the original version – from the late 70s – of Are Friends Electric? in our first OGWT Special. It was very raw with a pounding bassline & later made history by becoming the UKs first synthesizer-based number one hit.  

The version we have here is much more polished.  Gary Numan is not as robotic.  My Name is Ruin – in particular – shows how far this electronic pioneer his come as a performer & songwriter.  

  

Police – Can’t Stand Losing You

During the late 70s/early 80s, the Police never seemed to be off the TV or radio.  Their line up was Gordon Sumner (better known as Sting) on lead vocals & bass guitar, Andy Summers on guitar & Stewart Copeland on drums.  Together they managed to weave elements of punk, reggae, new wave, jazz, and pop into a distinctive sound. 

Can’t Stand Losing You featured on their debut album Outlandos d’Amour (which was released in 1978) and was released as a single in August of the same year.  The song is written from the perspective of a teenage boy who is so devastated by a breakup that he contemplates or commits suicide.  

  

Patti Smith Group – Because the Night

Patti Smith is an American singer, songwriter, poet, author, and visual artist (mainly drawings & photography). Universally known as the “Godmother of Punk” she fused rock ‘n’ roll with poetry & and was very influential in the 1970s New York punk scene.  Artists & bands such as Madonna, Michael Stipe (lead singer of alternative rock band R.E.M.), U2, Hole & Florence Welch lead singer of the indie rock band Florence + the Machine) all cite her as an influence. 

Because the Night is about the all-consuming nature of love & reflects Smith’s feelings for her boyfriend (and future husband) Fred “Sonic” Smith.  It’s probably her best-known song & has an anthem-like feel to it – which is not surprising as Brue Springsteen wrote the music and chorus! 

 

Supertramp – Dreamer 

 We just love the way Dreamer combines dreamy – almost ethereal – sequences with heavier moments.  Roger Hodgson’s distinctive vocals & the band’s harmonies all add to a memorable track. 

Founded in 1970, Supertramp found fame with the release of their third album, Crime of the Century (in 1974).  It uniquely blended their traditional progressive rock sound with that of pop. Dreamer is an excellent example of this sound, which has certainly stood the test of time. 

 

Thin Lizzy – Don’t Believe A Word 

This version of Don’t Believe A Word is really different to the one most people are used to.  Here, Phil Lynott shares lead vocals with Gary Moore.  It’s also far slower & heavily influenced by the blues.   

However, it does grow in intensity & speed. This reveals the heavy rock sound of Thin Lizzy that most of us are familiar with. 

 

The Who – Long Live Rock

 Formed in 1964, The Who progressed from the pop art & mod subcultures to become an English rock institution.  Their classic line up consisted of Roger Daltrey (lead singer), Pete Townshend (lead guitar), John Entwistle (bass). and Keith Moon (drums). 

 Long Live Rock was recorded in 1972.  However, it didn’t appear until 1974 on the album Odds & Sods (which consisted of 11 studio outtakes).  The band’s OGWT performance epitomised their energetic & sometimes frantic style. 

 

 

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Songlist Special: Songs That Captured the Spirit of The Old Grey Whistle Test

May 15, 2026 at 9:14 am · Filed under BBC, Midweek Song List, Music ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A wander back through the smoke‑hazed studio lights of The Old Grey Whistle Test — the BBC’s great cathedral of musical seriousness. No gimmicks, no pyrotechnics, no forced smiles. Just musicianship, mood, and the quiet confidence of artists who knew that a single well‑placed note could say more than a stadium’s worth of lasers.

Intro

This week’s list gathers songs that embody the OGWT ethos: unvarnished, emotionally literate, and played with the kind of conviction that doesn’t need gloss to land its punch. These are tracks that reward close listening — songs built from grain, grit, melancholy, and the occasional flash of eccentric brilliance. The sort of music that feels like it’s happening in the room with you.

THE SONGS

The Pogues – Dirty Old Town

A song that feels like it was designed for the OGWT’s stripped‑back stage: no gloss, no pretence, just the raw grain of lived experience. MacGowan’s voice — cracked, human, defiant — turns the industrial melancholy of Ewan MacColl’s lyric into something both intimate and communal. It’s reportage set to melody, a reminder that folk‑punk at its best is a witness statement.

Al Stewart – Year of the Cat

Elegant, literate, and quietly cinematic. Stewart writes like a novelist who happens to have a guitar within reach. The arrangement unfurls like a long exhale — saxophone, piano, and narrative all blooming in slow, confident arcs. OGWT always made room for musicians who treated songwriting as storytelling, and this track remains one of the great examples.

Blondie – (I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear

Before the iconography, before the stadiums, Blondie were a tight, clever New York band with a gift for melody and emotional precision. Debbie Harry’s cool, crystalline delivery gives the song its telepathic shimmer — intimate, stylish, and effortlessly poised. Exactly the kind of performance OGWT would have lingered on.

Focus – Hocus Pocus

A joyous, unhinged burst of virtuosity. Yodelling, shredding, flute runs, rhythmic acrobatics — all colliding in a way that only Focus could make coherent. OGWT had a soft spot for the eccentric and the technically fearless, and this track remains a reminder that musicianship can be both serious and absurd at the same time.

Dr Feelgood – Roxette

Pub‑rock stripped to the bone: tight, sweaty, and utterly committed. Wilko Johnson’s staccato guitar style — all attack, no indulgence — is the kind of performance OGWT treated as a craft demonstration. A masterclass in economy, intent, and the power of leaving space.

The Bangles – Walk Like an Egyptian

A pop song with sly intelligence beneath the surface. The harmonies, the rhythmic snap, the sense of playful detachment — all of it delivered with a precision that belies the song’s breezy exterior. OGWT always appreciated pop that was built like architecture, and this track is a perfect example.

Gary Numan – Are ‘Friends’ Electric?

Minimalist, icy, and epoch‑shifting. Numan’s stillness-as-theatre performance style was exactly the kind of boundary‑pushing OGWT championed. The track remains a landmark in British electronic music — alienation rendered as architecture and pulse, with a kind of emotional distance that becomes its own form of intimacy.

Ultravox – Hiroshima Mon Amour

European, atmospheric, and steeped in cinematic melancholy. OGWT gravitated toward bands who treated the stage as a place for mood rather than spectacle, and this track — all cold‑wave textures and emotional restraint — feels like it was made for that dimly lit studio.

Madness – Time

Behind the humour and the ska‑pop bounce, Madness always had a deep melodic intelligence. Time shows their reflective side — wistful, observational, quietly affecting. OGWT would have leaned into the musicianship rather than the caricature, letting the song’s emotional clarity speak for itself.

Janis Ian – At Seventeen

One of the great confessional songs of the 20th century. Ian’s delivery — vulnerable but unflinching — embodies the OGWT tradition of spotlighting artists who could silence a room with a single line. It still feels like a private admission whispered into the dark, decades later.

Nils Lofgren – Goin’ Back

A musician’s musician: precise, soulful, technically immaculate without ever losing emotional clarity. OGWT often showcased players like Lofgren — artists whose craft spoke louder than any hype machine. This track is a beautifully phrased homage to memory, return, and the quiet ache of looking back.

By Pat Harrington

A vinyl record with the title 'Lyrics to Live By 2' prominently displayed, featuring the subtitle 'Further Reflections, Meditations & Life Lessons' and a 'Buy Now' button next to the author's name, Tim Bragg, against a yellow background.

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