The Old Grey Whistle Test

The Old Grey Whistle Test was an entertainment program of the BBC and aired from 1971 to 1987 in the second British television BBC 2. There were mainly presented Albums Tracks of rock musicians live and discussed in connection with the guests. The name was derived from an anecdote, which was only published in the New Yorker 's music centers, Tin Pan Alley, a record when the song a panel of musical experts, the old gray men liked it so much that they mitpfiffen the melody.

Program

For the mission you chose presenters with in-depth journalistic skills and avoided elaborate decorations. The latter did not happen just because you wanted to exude a certain seriousness, but because you had to do with a low budget. The band played in front of a wall of simple wooden planks and the conversation you sat on stools; also there was little fee for the artists. Nevertheless, the music magazine was very successful, and many bands saw the sales of their albums climb into the air after it had occurred there.

Moderator in the first year was Richard Williams, then Bob Harris coined the mission for the seventies. But Steve Howe, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Annie Nightingale, Rick Wakeman, Stuart Adamson, Tony Butler conducted various shows.

Among the guests is found musicians such as Mick Jagger, Robert Plant, John Lennon, Billy Joel, Tom Waits, Graham Nash, Edgar Winter, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Alice Cooper and SEM. Bob Marley and the Wailers gave their first performance on British television at The Old Grey Whistle Test. Presented were also many punk and new wave groups such as Talking Heads, The Police, Blondie, Iggy Pop, Ramones, New York Dolls, The Damned, Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Boys, Simple Minds, The Specials, Prefab Sprout, Ultravox, Huang Chung and The Adverts.