Double DVD of "The Old Grey Whistle Test"

Oh man! I remember that from when I lived in the UK! I wonder if that DVD is available over here (NE USA)? I think I'll try amazon...

- Wil

PS: OK - here's a trivia question - where did the name "Old Grey Whistle Test" come from?

 

Hey Bruce! Many thanks for the heads-up! - my copy is now on its way to me - isn't technology wonderul!

- Wil

 

Be careful, Will. DVD coding for Europe and the US are different. So, I'd make sure that the DVD is Region 1 before you buy it. I'd hate for you to spend the cash for a coaster.

EDIT: I just checked. The link bruce put up is for region 2 only, so it will NOT work in a DVD player in the US.

 

Ah! Good catch - many thanks. I don't have a DVD player, but use my lap-top which can play DVDs and has an "S-video" out which I just plug into my TV. I noticed that when I set up the DVD player on the lap-top, it mentioned something about "regionalisation" and that I could change it - but only a limited number of times (5 I seem to remember). I wonder if it means that I can only change it 5 times, or I can only have 5 different regions set in it? Any ideas? Thanks again for a good catch!

- Wil

 

The DVD player for your computer can only be changed 5 different times, and it can only access one coding at a time. So, i'd be careful about changing it for one DVD. I don't know if the regionalization becomes burned after the 5th change, or if there is a code to get around it after that, or not. Haven't looked into it.

While there are some DVDs that aren't coded for any particular region (most porn DVDs, fer example--hey, I used to sell DVDs-honest! ), this one is definitely set for Region 2. I know that the music unions are a bit more stringent in the UK than they are over here as far as usage, so I'm guessing they just gave the go ahead for a European release only.

And, Bruce is right, there is software, and some hardware "mods" that allow you to rig something to work. I used to do that with my old PS One so I could play Japanese games. My friend has an older APEX DVD player that has codes you can put in to get to a secret menu where you can turn the coding off, but APEX has since removed this "feature" as they were tired of getting threats of lawsuits.

 

Hmmm. Interesting. I guess if you have an NTSC2 compatible TV, you should be set. I'd get one while you can, though. I don't imagine any of the major Hollywood studios, or Sony look kindly on getting around the coding system. I don't have any similar issues with it, though. So, grab one before the injunction!

 

Bruce,

I don’t suppose there was any footage on a band called “T 2” included on the DVD’s?
They appeared on the Wistle Test around ’71 and were also on Colour me Pop, which was the forerunner of TOGWT. This was a couple of years before I joined them.

Funny, a couple of years ago T 2’s “It will all work out in Boomland” album was re-released with 3 extra tracks taken from those BBC sessions by a Japanese record company.

 

Hey Bruce,

Played the second DVD in the set last night - interesting stuff! Some of the original stuff I'd missed as I moved over here in the early 1980s. I'd forgotten just how awful that wretched Anne Shytingale woman was (still is!) - my goodness, she looks pretty rough these days! I always thought her to be a pretentious bitch, and my impressions haven't changed one bit. I'd forgotten that poor old Bob Harris was booted out in favour of that wretched woman! Interesting early "Police", and very early "Talking Heads", and "Dr Feelgood". Meatloaf was pretty lame (so what's new?) as was some of the punk stuff (AN wetting herself over "The Damned" - oh well!)

On the whole, pretty good stuff though - thanks again for the heads-up!

- Wil

 

Where do you have the Playstation 2 in your signal chain to your TV? If you have it going through the VCR, you are experiencing the anti copying protection. You will need to hook the PS2 directly to the TV to play DVDs through it. It just dawned on me that this could be the problem. I hope this helps. if not, I have no idea.

 

Damn. I thought I had figured it out. Oh, well. Good luck.

 

OK, you 'older' UK-ers...
What's the deal with this show?
On a whim, I picked up The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC DVD video. The disc has "28 Rare, Archived" performances...on a whole, I am impressed(the studio is small).
The Curtis Mayfield track is so happenin'.
Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" is cool as is The Wailers' "Stir It Up".

The Edgar Winter Group(w/ Rick Derringer) doin' "Frankenstein" is a definite personal highlight...Winter plays some nasty alto in addition to some noizy synth.

Seeing Rory Gallagher come alive again is cool.
The Police in their more raw period is also neat.

What got my attention was the 1st group listed-
Alice Cooper. I wanted to see the original band play live again...but-
Why do I seem to think they were playing "Under My Wheels" to a backing track? I swear I hear an organ in there...Michael Bruce is only seen playing an SG.

These shows were about playing totally LIVE, right?