TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

It's a surprise that it took so long for someone so televisual as Essex to get his own series. But things were changing, Cliff, Cilla, Lulu and chums no longer occupied the mid-evening spot, and besides, Essex was younger and still having hits.

Talking to the Daily Mirror on the eve of the first edition his manager Derek Bowman claimed "It's not just any big star show. It's different, there's very little talk in it. David doesn't like talking much. He'd rather get on with it, dancing, singing, the entertaining part."

Although he was promoting his new Gold and Ivory album Essex was about to leave CBS who had been with for nearly five years, moving to Mercury. He was also about to leave writer and producer Jeff Wayne for Mike Batt, who had also left CBS (and The Wombles) behind him.

Each show started with his first hit Rock On and ended with the title song from All The Fun Of The Fair, albeit in instrumental form, and it was evident the producer (or someone at the BBC) must have spent time on the backing tracks as they were a higher calibre of the usual Light Entertainment fare. There were also some usual and unusual names in the end credits. Jeff Wayne and Richard Hewson who had worked with David on his CBS recordings were both present, while Richard Niles was the musical director and The Real Thing would on occasion sing back up, but the surprise was the dance troupe, the then unknown Hot Gossip, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, a full year before their more widespread breakthrough with Kenny Everett on Thames.

It was a studio bound show with a strange night-time street scene as set design, made slightly seedier still by the presence of the dancers, but each week one song would be shot on location. He sang live, mostly on his own, sometimes backed up by his touring band, and his special guests included Twiggy, Denny Laine (then in Wings), The Small Faces and The Real Thing. Saving the best till last he finished the series with a reunion of the London cast of Godspell, the stage show that finally made him a star.

Despite the quality, and it was a higher quality than most of BBC's light entertainment filler, it only lasted one series. Essex would be back at the BBC in summer 1982 hosting talent search show David Essex Showcase, then later starring in his own sit-com, The River and would go on be a regular on EastEnders.

DAVID ESSEX

BBC1

6th September 1977 - 11th October 1977