David Cassidy On Top Of The Pops

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I've read an article recently (Simon Usborne, Daily Telegraph) about the 60th anniversary of Top Of The Pops. The first edition was actually on 1 January, 1964. Its hayday was the 70s, when it attracted 15 million viewers each week (amazing) and of course we, teens in Poland, heard about TOTP, and we thought it was terribly unfair that we couldn't watch it.

I've only learnt from the article that first performing acts had to mime (lip-sync) to the commercially released records, but in 1966 miming was banned. So everybody had to make a new recording for the show, or at least recorded backing track first. Anyway in the early 70s DC should have performed on TOTP many times, he had 2 UK No1s and 5 UK Top 10, and of course UK No1s album (in 1973). But he couldn't because of problems with security. His performances had to be filmed outside the BBC TV Centre or if at the studio without the audience, and always in secret. 

So that's why on Christmas 1973 special edition of TOTP, the viewers could watch recording with David filmed earlier that year in Syon Park. For many fans visiting Syon Park now, walking in David Cassidy's footsteps, it's a very emotional experience. I was there myself in August 2018.

The recording with David starts at the 25th minute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xO_Q-KI5A

Record Mirror published on January 5, 1974 very interesting article (by Mike Beatty) about what happened behind the scenes of TOTP, and a lot was written about David.

http://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/InPrintPages/Mag1974Jan05_RecordMirror.pdf

Probably the most famous DC's appearance on TOTP was on the 500th episode, in October 1973, only 'big guns' were invited, including Bryan Ferry, Cliff Richard, David Cassidy and..The Who, but not everybody knows that this special episode has been and is, still missing. And we are very lucky having DC's performance from it. You can read here how this video was found.

https://wipednews.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/daydreamer/

I'm not going to write about all DC's TOTP performances, such a blog would have been very long. He at last could perform in person, in 1985, and in 2001. Still some of his TOTP's appearances are missing, eg we know that in 1975 he sang 'Darlin' on the show.

Let's finish with my favourite David's TOTP's performance, also from 1975. Btw only 644k views during 17 years, and rather strange remark from the person who published this video. Someone commented on it perfectly, "If anything Travolta's outfit was taken from DC's prototype. Not surprising, everyone stole from David. This version was huge in the UK. Not sure why it was given to Barry." So true..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_6cwUso8CA



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