TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 -
From TV Times “Ayshea, hostess of the popular Discotheque show, and Graham Bonney are the resident hosts in this new swingalong series. Each week Lift Off features favourite recording artists and newcomers to the disc scene. Graham Bonney sings top pops and a request number and the backing is the super sound of the resident group, The Pattern. And adding their own exciting interpretations of the numbers are resident guests The Ken Martyne Dancers.”
Hosted by actress/singer Ayshea Brough and ‘Wondergirl’ hit-
As an article in TV Times pointed out show producer Muriel Young had been a radio host herself on Radio Luxembourg so recognised that the show would need a good host. "When we first planned the series back in 1969, I felt that a change from male comperes was needed. I was looking for a girl the boys would like and the girls wouldn't be jealous of." "I chose her because she showed a marvellous zany sense of humour at the audition. She was the type of person who could get hit with a custard pie and laugh more than anyone."
A few acts would perform in the studio, while host Ayshea would usually sing one song herself and the dance troupe would be used for one or two numbers. Each week they would feature one act which had not as yet been signed by a record company. Muriel Young told the Daily Mirror ahead of the first show "We put advertisements in the music papers for groups and solo artists to send tapes of their own work. The best of these artists we had in the studios for auditions and soon we will use in the programme. Apart from the eight to fourteen year olds who will be watching, we also hope to make the programme a must for record producers who are keen to sign up new entertainers." They were also introducing comedy and cartoons "which may pop up during an introduction, or even in the middle of a number."
One of the groups that impressed Young in the auditions were The Pattern who were signed to be the show's resident group.
As Producer Muriel Young explained to the Daily Mirror at the beginning of the second
series, “There are a lot of fine young musicians and singers who could hit the top
if only they knew how to go about it. We hope to give them the opportunity.” Talking
to TV Times in 1976 Young talked of its targeted audience "I suggested giving them
a television discotheque, Lift Off grew out of that idea and it proved my point that
that TV pop wasn't dead -
By the second series Ayshea had the hosting duties to herself, and the live audience
has now gone, but she now had company in the shape of ex-
At the start of the third series in 1971 Muriel Young asked the viewers what they’d like to see and after wading through 4000 letters the answer came back “mostly oldies. Pop singers like Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, and old film favourites such as Summer Holiday and The Sound of Music.” These requests would be granted with musical number clips from popular movies.
Recognising her popularity Granada changed the title to Lift Off With Ayshea at the beginning of the new series in April 1972. Talking about the show she claimed “We had lots of fun. I presented a part of the show at a desk with the puppets Ollie Beak and Fred Barker and the crew would tie my shoelaces together or undo my dress zip and I’d then have to sing live.”
Talking to TV Times in July 1974 Ayshea talked abut her access to stars and how that could be misinterpreted by fans and viewers "They should loathe me being cuddled by their idols," says Ayshea, "but I haven't received one nasty letter. They seem to identify with me and think if I can get to where I am, so could they."
Notable shows included 30th December 1970 when Sweet promoted ‘Funny Funny’ kicking off the pop end of the glam era, while 21st June 1972 David Bowie introduced ‘Starman’ to the world, a few weeks ahead of the more famous Top Of The Pops clip. Ayshea's beau at the time Roy Wood made several appearances on the show, while he would also write and produce her single for Harvest. She was also a member of Wizzard's backing singers The Suedettes together with Wood and Rick Price on their number one See My Baby Jive. The show also gave time to the first incarnation of Alvin Stardust, Peter Shelley, who vowed never to do it again and employing former rocker Shane Fenton to take over. Marc Bolan appeared on the show in December 1973 claiming “I did this show because I like Fred Barker.”
The show featured pretty much all the great glam acts of the era, but sadly only
three shows are thought to exist, alongside a few isolated clips. Talking to the
Sunday Express in December 2016 about the archive wiping she said “I couldn’t believe
it when I found out. Apparently Granada TV was transferring them to digital and instead
of getting rid of the three tapes that were repeats, they ditched the 141 originals.
It’s heartbreaking.” It transpires that three tapes were all that existed anyway,
however it's likely that some privately recorded off-
LIFT OFF / LIFT OFF WITH AYSHEA
Granada
5th November 1969 to 17th December 1974
