TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 -
Despite the perceived lack of success of her pervious Saturday tea time show Lulu was back with her own series in the summer of 1970, but this time she was very much back under the control of the Light Entertainment department. In the meantime she had been given a one off special with The Young Generation in February made in conjunction with Swedish TV.
When the series debuted in July gone were Stanley Dorfman, the more left field music guests, Johnny Harris, Pan's People and definitely no Jimi Hendrix. In were the comedy guests, the Douggie Squires Dozen dance troupe, Alan Ainsworth and his Orchestra and comedy script writers.
This change of direction seemed to be at odds with not only her previous TV outing, but her current recording contract with Atlantic Records with whom she had cut two excellent albums.
But thankfully the guests were still top shelf, Arrival, Cass Elliott, Jerry Reed,
The Hollies, Matt Monro, Dusty Springfield, Fair Weather, The Moody Blues, Buffy
Sainte-
The next move was a strange one, It’s Lulu Not To Mention Dudley Moore, for BBC1 in 1972. By 1973 she was back with her own series, this time performing in comedy routines with Adrienne Posta as regular characters Maggie and Trish, a song and dance duo Lu and Ade, and acting with Paul Greenwood as Shirl and Eddie. The producer seems to have been a big fan of the Carpenters as she managed to get through most of their hits throughout the series. It had the usual, occasionally uncomfortable mixture of guests from pop to drama. Again, her career choices seem at odds with each other. Her TV series belied the fact that she was again making fine albums, this time for Wes Farrell's Chelsea label. Thankfully, the show found space for The Edwin Hawkins Singers, The Kinks, Sergio Mendes and Brasil 77, Don McLean, Tony Orlando & Dawn and Bill Withers among others.
The start of the final series in autumn 1973 saw some kind of renaissance for then then 25 year old. Separated from her husband Maurice Gibb, a new recording contract and about to start a new television series she told the Daily Mirror "I come to the BBC on a Tuesday morning, and before the week is out I've got to learn six songs, sketches and a couple of dance routines. It all seems too much too much for me in the time . . . but somehow I manage." She also admitted " You don't need a hit to stay at the top. but I'd dearly love one. It's an ego thing." Thankfully Dame David Bowie waved his magic wand and gave her The Man Who Sold The World.
IT'S LULU
BBC1
11th July 1970 -
