Original subtitles

OK, here he comes.

Can I just have one comment, please?

I'm terribly sorry.

I'm sorry. I would, but I've got to get home to watch Countdown.

ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Classic Countdown - 1977.

RICHARD CLAPTON: In 1977, Western culture was under siege.

At almost every level of Australian society,

tradition and convention was changed.

Flags were waved for the Royal Family

as they toured here for the Queen's Silver Jubilee year.

SEX PISTOLS: ♪ God save the Queen... ♪

REPORTER: The Premier, Mr Dick Hamer, looking very happy,

and he's got a new suit on, too.

But at the same time,

we replaced God Save the Queen with Advance Australia Fair

as our national anthem.

Don Chipp stirred up politics for the Australian democrats,

promising to keep the bastards honest.

While in Queensland, Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen

banned public marches and demonstrations.

♪ In England's dreaming... ♪

Australia was featured as the wholesome backdrop

for ABBA The Movie.

And in a galaxy far, far away,

the Star Wars were just getting started.

It's sort of a combination comic book, fairy tale,

Wizard of Oz...

There's so many different elements in the movie.

Musically, it was the year of three vastly different groups -

The Sex Pistols, Fleetwood Mac, and the Bee Gees.

MOLLY: Can you tell us a bit about the new single

that's just roaring up the charts now in America?

Yeah, it's the closing music

for a film that's coming out in December...

I know, I know. (LAUGHS)

called Saturday Night Fever, which stars John Travolta.

♪ Rebecca

♪ Down, down, down, down... ♪

Whenever popular taste looked like heading in one direction,

it would drift off in another.

♪ Jamaica, land of tropical fruit

♪ And young girls and pineapple juice... ♪

Rather than shy away from this diversity, Countdown embraced it.

♪ Well

♪ Well, I know our love will always be... ♪

Boundary-pushing musicians found themselves a home on ABC TV.

♪ I went out to see if I could fall in love again

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake

♪ I went out to see if I could raise a laugh again

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake

♪ When all I needed was a friend

♪ To make me stop and think again

♪ Pull me up and pull me through

♪ Tally ho, your health, my dear

♪ I went out to see if I could live for a couple of days

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake

♪ One by one I counted all those happiest of days

♪ Yeah, that was my mistake

♪ Why, that was my mistake

♪ What's gone is gone Sweet memories

♪ Don't let them get the best of me

♪ No more lost in history

♪ No more lost for love

♪ When all I needed was a friend

♪ To make me stop and think again

♪ The call to arms is loud and clear

♪ Tally ho, your health my dear

♪ I went out to see if I could fall in love again

♪ That was my mistake

♪ Why, that was my mistake

♪ One by one I counted all those happiest of days

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake

♪ That was my mistake... ♪

♪ Two guys in the bathroom

♪ They've been there for an hour

♪ Somebody said that they were taking a shower

♪ Jimmy couldn't wait so he kicked down the door

♪ Found his girlfriend and two guys

♪ Having a party on the floor

♪ At the party to end all parties

♪ Wildest one in the book

♪ Party to end all parties

♪ Step inside and take a look at the party... ♪

Sadly,

not all the weird and wonderful moments of 1977 were preserved.

In the late '70s, a no doubt well-meaning ABC manager

decided to save money by reusing the tapes

stored in the archives.

Most of the 1977 episodes of Countdown were lost,

literally taped over.

♪ You cast your spell on me

♪ And it's plain to see

♪ It's witchery Ooh... ♪

Fortunately, some far-sighted ABC staff members

took it upon themselves

to save a selection of live Countdown clips from '77,

which have allowed us to piece this tribute together.

♪ Whichever way the wind is blowing

♪ About the only thing I know

♪ Is that I'm going to be

♪ Where the action is... ♪

Without that foresight,

some of the great performances of that year

would've been lost forever.

♪ Do do do do

♪ Do do do do... ♪

♪ City girls have got night life in their eyes

♪ Ooh, ask no questions and get told no lies

♪ If you get hurt

♪ They're on the flirt again tonight

♪ Tonight

♪ Don't fall in love

♪ Don't fall in love

♪ Big cars, bright lights with bow ties

♪ Underneath, all there is is lies

♪ Can't you see they're cheating all of you

♪ They're no good for you

♪ No good for you

♪ Don't fall in love

♪ Don't fall in love

♪ If you get hurt

♪ They're on the flirt again tonight

♪ Tonight

♪ Don't fall in love

♪ Long legs, short skirts with no tights

♪ Underneath all there is is lies

♪ Can't you see they're cheating all of you

♪ They're no good for you

♪ No good for you

♪ Don't fall in love

♪ Don't fall in love

♪ City girls have got night life in their eyes

♪ Don't fall in love... ♪

♪ First thing in the morning

♪ Last thing at night

♪ All is reborn Into dark into light

♪ First thing in the morning

♪ Look through the sights

♪ I aim to be there... ♪

Although many of the rescued Countdown clips

featured well-known overseas artists,

some captured fascinating local acts,

like former Tamam Shud guitarist, Lindsay Bjerre,

moving away from his hippie past.

♪ I've got the heart And I've got the steam

♪ Just like a dream, I'll go on

♪ High from the ground I never go down

♪ Chasing the sun I will take you higher

♪ I've got the will I've got the time

♪ Fly like a rhyme on the wall

♪ Never a trace I'm not in my face

♪ I'll step up the pace And I'll take you higher

♪ I've got the feel And I've got the jive

♪ And while I'm alive I'll go on

♪ No-one can take me Shape me or break me

♪ I'm right at the top And I'll take you higher

♪ I've got the mood And I've got the sound

♪ While I'm around, I'll go on

♪ Hour by hour I build up the power

♪ Explode like a bomb and I'll take you higher

♪ I've got the feel and I've got the drive

♪ And while I'm alive I'll go on

♪ No-one can take me Shape me or break me

♪ I'm right at the top And I'll take you higher

♪ I've got the mood And I've got the sound

♪ And while I'm around I'll go on

♪ Hour by hour I build up the power

♪ Explode like a bomb And I'll take you higher

♪ Take you higher

♪ Take you higher... ♪

Hi. I'm John Paul Young, that's Sydney,

and this is Countdown,

Australia's top rock-pop show on the ABC network.

We've released one album... In '77, Molly chewed the fat

with some of the brightest stars in popular music.

Luckily, the best of his interviews were preserved, too.

MOLLY: What do you think of the album itself?

Do you think that it's probably the best in a long while?

I think there's a great deal of truth on it. Lyrically, anyway.

I think some of the words are, probably,

some of the nearest to the knuckle that I've ever written.

A lot of them.

I don't think they're even going to get played, they're so filthy.

Prior to this album coming out...

Yeah. ..there's been, again,

the headlines and a lot of publicity

about you and Britt, about you breaking up,

and everything else like that.

Well, there's more to it than that. As you know.

Probably. But what I'm trying to say is,

the titles on these songs are like, sort of,

almost as if you could direct them at Britt.

From the listener's point of view.

I mean, was it that good or was it that bad?

You're right. You're right.

Yeah, that's a fairly accurate assumption.

Some of them are aimed at her.

Some of them are just aimed at women, you know?

One of them's about football.

What more can I tell you?

That was the reason I didn't put the lyrics in the sleeve.

I believe, on the last album, I put the lyrics on the sleeve.

This time, there's just a cartoon, and the song,

and it's up to the listener to work out what it's all about.

MOLLY: I'm going to ask you a couple of pertinent questions.

Oh. What are they?

Um... the first one being,

being one of the world's top groups

and living in a country... Oh, how nice.

Well, I mean, it's true. Yeah.

Are you going to ask me about taxes?

No, I'm not. Thank God.

Living in London,

with the punk rock craze coming along...

Mm. What's that?

Does it become a challenge?

You know, in the sense where...

you're finding these amazing contrasts?

It's always been a challenge.

You know, I mean, it doesn't matter what...

Even if there is a new movement, or...

call it what you want, there's always a challenge.

I mean, look at... take, for example, the charts today.

I mean, at the moment, I feel there's enormous competition

with just the established acts.

I mean, there's ELO, there's ABBA, there's Rod Stewart.

So, I mean, you know... there's always competition,

and we're never going to, sort of...

I'm never one for resting on my laurels, really.

MOLLY: You've sprung up a bit since I saw you last.

(LAUGHS) Yeah.

Everybody has, yeah.

How have you taken it over the last five years?

Success? Yeah. Has it affected you much?

In a joyful way.

In a rejoicing way, because I love it.

You have to like it to be in it this long,

or else you'd go crazy. It's so much.

We've been travelling the world, and making records,

and just having a great time.

Over in Australia, we've seen you on many of the big shows,

like the big music awards, and things like that.

Oh, yeah.

And your little sister's been on our show as well.

Yeah, yeah.

She's a funky little sister, isn't she?

(LAUGHS)

She is funky. She's amazing.

(LAUGHS)

But, I mean, the demand on you has been amazing,

as far as, like,

you've had to go into an adult world, more or less.

I mean, did you find that hard to cope with, Michael?

You mean, far as our music?

Yeah, and demand, as far as...

you having to go on all these shows,

and sort of really compete against the adults

as far as hosting things, and things like that.

Oh, no, that's part of the business.

And it comes at you all the time.

It's up to you whether you want to do it or not, so...

We do whatever we can.

Now, tell me, what do you think is the success of the Jacksons?

Yourself and the Jacksons?

I'd say probably togetherness, or, um...

just enjoying our work a lot.

As Molly made contacts around the world,

he was able to convince many of those acts

to appear live on the show.

♪ Oh, I don't know why she's leaving

♪ Or where she's gonna go

♪ I guess she's got her reasons But I just don't want to know

♪ 'Cause for twenty-four years

♪ I've been living next door to Alice

♪ Twenty-four years just waiting for a chance

♪ To tell her how I feel And maybe get a second glance

♪ Now I've got to get used to Not living next door to Alice... ♪

Soon enough, the biggest touring acts in the world

were gracing Studio 31.

♪ You're as cold as ice

♪ You're willing to sacrifice our love

♪ You want paradise

♪ But someday you'll pay the price, I know

♪ I've seen it before It happens all the time

♪ Closing the door You leave our world behind

♪ You're throwing away A fortune in feelings

♪ But someday you'll pay

♪ Cold as ice

♪ You know that you are

♪ Cold as ice

♪ As cold as ice to me

♪ Cold as ice

♪ You're as cold as ice

♪ Cold as ice

♪ Oh yes, I know

MOLLY: Well, with the...

Nice jacket, dear. Thank you.

You've got one the same, actually. Oh, yes, I know.

I clean the car with it. (LAUGHS)

For all the palling about with international stars,

Molly stayed friends with the local up-and-comers.

♪ Yes, it's alright baby

♪ You changed your life and how

♪ You used to be a honky tonk sister

♪ But you're a lady now... ♪

Countdown was always ready to give new artists a chance,

and many would go on to long and successful careers.

I'm talking about really true talent,

and I think this is one of the best things she's ever done

in her life.

The most beautiful lady I know, and she's Hungarian, I believe.

Speak Hungarian, speak Hungarian.

Here's Renee Geyer with her beautiful single,

Stares and Whispers. Renee Geyer!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Everybody's talking

♪ Ooh

♪ Everybody's talking

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Wherever I go

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Now everyone knows

♪ That the dream I thought I had found

♪ Has come tumbling down

♪ What seemed more perfect

♪ Than the future that we planned

♪ Walking proudly by your side

♪ I could not see

♪ You were deceiving me

♪ How could I be so blind To all the reasons why

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Wherever I go

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Now everyone knows

♪ That the dream I thought I had found

♪ Has come tumbling down

♪ I found her picture

♪ That you safely tucked away

♪ There was no need to explain

♪ Or to question you

♪ It was written clearly on your face

♪ That you love her more And, oh

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Wherever I go

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Now everyone knows

♪ That the dream I thought I had found

♪ Has come tumbling down

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Everywhere I go

♪ They just stare and whisper

♪ Now everyone knows

♪ They just stare and whisper... ♪

In '77, The Saints, from the 'burbs of Brisbane

caused a stir in England.

There was a lot of talk about punk music.

MOLLY: Um, as far as the product's concerned,

you came over here,

you were labelled by the Australian magazines

as Australia's first punk rock band.

Which is a title I don't think

that you or the group particularly like.

No. Well, it was irrelevant at the time,

because it was, like, a copy of English media.

I don't think that half of them know what they're talking about,

that's all.

What do you actually class yourself as?

You just class yourself as a...

a rather energetic rock and roll band, don't you?

If you have to put a classification to your music.

Yeah, talented is what the classification is.

Our audience these days isn't really punk,

because punk is not...

well, it's practically gone at the moment.

It doesn't really exist anymore.

So, like, a fair cross-section

of the people that we used to get before,

like, this hysteria thing, kinda.

Because we have just come through a boom period.

These things are just sorting themselves out.

And it's not just because you've got spiky hair,

and look like Johnny Rotten these days

that you'll, like, win over audiences.

It's, like... back to the way it used to be.

This thing, today's music's just '70s rock and roll.

It just says what '70s is about,

what it's like being young today, you know?

Just expressing our attitude.

MOLLY: Do you feel that perhaps recording companies,

that, perhaps, may be signing up a lot of the acts,

are just trying to cash in on a craze

that may be just going at the moment?

Yeah, I mean, that always happens.

I mean, there's loads of bands cashing in on it.

Most people just sling a tie around their neck,

reckon it's punk rock. Yeah.

But I don't know.

I think there's loads of groups like that.

I mean, I think there's only a couple of really true groups.

The rest is a load of shit.

There's a lot of talk in all the trade papers,

"They've sort of gone into a new wave."

Yeah, well they always go mad with anything, don't they?

They go mad with glitter,

and they go mad with Bowie's haircut.

And then they go mad with punk, you know.

But it's good, you know? It's good, young music at last.

That's the thing I like about it.

It's kids getting their own thing on,

instead of just copying their daddies.

It's very like the music everyone else used to play.

It's very like early Who and Doors and stuff.

Influences are all back there, but I think it's good.

I like it, you know. I like the way they dress.

All that funny hair.

MOLLY: And, like, you know, take Anarchy In The UK.

You were saying, just a moment ago,

that you thought it was, perhaps...

it came out too early.

Yeah. Came out this time last year,

and wasn't really big then at all,

the punk rock movement, you know.

Do you think it was slightly overshadowed

by the controversy that was going around it?

No-one took no notice of the music at all.

What they was worried about

was the front page headlines and everything.

No-one even bothered to listen to the record.

They didn't realise how good it was.

And God Save The Queen sort of... was obviously something

that was going to cause a lot of controversy,

as far as... whether you liked it or not.

Pretty Vacant, people have taken it pretty serious,

and to your favour.

I mean... you must be pretty happy

about the way Pretty Vacant was treated.

I don't know. I didn't really like Pretty Vacant.

In what respect? You didn't like it musically?

Or the way it was recorded, or what?

Well, no, I just...

I never liked that song that much.

I mean, everyone else likes it, so...

BON SCOTT: We're pulling bigger crowds than they are, you know?

MOLLY: Yeah?

I mean, we've got our following here,

it's not new wave and it's not punk,

it's just people that like our band, our rock band, you know?

And, like, we thought,

we honestly thought that the punk and the new wave thing

might sort of spoil it for us, but it hasn't at all.

Yeah. It was a big fad.

Just like anything else. Big fad for a while,

and there's those that are still hanging onto it,

but the main thing about it is,

that it gave rock music a real kick in the guts, you know?

And even though we started the whole thing over here,

like, we were the...

we played here before the Sex Pistols were even... thought of.

Now, we've always been there,

and people are beginning to realise that now,

they want more than just some...

uh, someone up there screaming, "Anarchy and rape!"

And this sort of crap, you know?

And we're it. We're doing it right.

♪ Well it's a dog eat dog

♪ Eat cat too

♪ Frenchy eat frog

♪ And I eat you

♪ Business man You make a deal

♪ Do you know who you can trust

♪ Do you sign your life away

♪ Do you write your name in dust

♪ Hey, hey, hey

♪ Every dog has his day

♪ It's a dog eat dog

♪ Dog eat dog

♪ Dog eat dog

♪ Read the news

♪ Someone win

♪ Someone lose

♪ Up's above and down's below

♪ And limbo's in between

♪ Up you win

♪ Down you lose

♪ It's anybody's game

♪ Hey, hey, hey

♪ Every dog has his day

♪ It's a dog eat dog

♪ Dog eat dog

♪ And it's an eye for eye

♪ Tooth for tooth

♪ It's a lie

♪ That's the truth

♪ See the blind man on the street

♪ Looking for something free

♪ Hear the kind man ask his friend

♪ Hey, what's in it for me

♪ Hey, hey, hey

♪ Every dog has his day

♪ It's a dog eat dog

♪ Dog eat dog... ♪

At the other end of the musical spectrum,

American west coast rock was still reeling in the hits.

Fleetwood Mac was a very spontaneous album.

We'd only known each other a month.

MOLLY: You also established a style.

Right, and it established a certain thing,

so we were under a great deal of pressure...

to do another album.

And we all became very critical,

and probably very scared and frightened, of not...

I don't think that anybody ever worried

that it wouldn't be as good,

but we worried that it would be different.

Because we had been playing together,

well... for over a year as a band, and we were much closer,

and much more ready to... tear things apart.

So from when I was a very little girl,

I was dancing around the house.

So, this is nothing new for me. This is nothing different.

People can interpret what I do any way they want to,

just the way they can interpret a song any way they want to.

I don't... it is not important to me.

I happen to like black. I've always liked black.

I happen to like very flowy clothes,

but I always liked those kinds of clothes.

Um... I'm small.

I'm not... you know, your stately, sexy type of a person.

"I'm 5'1" tall.

And if I don't wear the kind of stuff I wear on stage,

from a distance, you'd never see me.

Many Australian acts

gave us their own take on the west coast sound.

♪ You better look after yourself

♪ 'Cause nothing stays the same

♪ If you can run with the tide

♪ You've got yourself to blame... ♪

You could hear it in the work of Stars,

Cold Chisel, Paul Kelly, and this bloke from Sydney.

♪ We used to go down to the beach at night

♪ Fireflies dancing in the promenade lights

♪ Oh those rock 'n roll bands used to really swing

♪ And I'd do the foxtrot with sweet Christine

♪ Speaking to me with her gentle hands

♪ And we'd fly on down to Wonderland

♪ Deep water

♪ I'm caught up in its flow

♪ If I'm in over my head

♪ I'd be the last to know

♪ Deep water

♪ Deep water

♪ They closed down the doors to the Trocadero

♪ And I came back looking just like a ghost

♪ The posters are scattered all over the stairs

♪ Nobody reads them so nobody cares

♪ The kids all retired when they reached twenty-one

♪ But that really just ain't my idea of fun

♪ Deep water

♪ I'm caught up in its flow

♪ If I'm in over my head

♪ I'd be the last to know

♪ Deep water

♪ Deep water

♪ Sitting out on the Palm Beach Road

♪ I'm so drunk and the car won't go

♪ And my crazy eyes keep looking out to sea

♪ The Sunday drivers are cruising round

♪ I wish they'd all go back to town

♪ What do they expect to find

♪ Sure as hell ain't peace of mind

♪ Deep water

♪ I'm caught up in its flow

♪ If I'm in over my head

♪ I'd be the last to know

♪ Deep water

♪ Deep water... ♪

This is Michelle Phillips.

I'm on Countdown right across Australia.

MOLLY: Now, tell me,

do you ever listen to the old Mamas and the Papas records?

All the time. (LAUGHS) I'm a disgrace.

They're blaring out of my house all the time.

Well, I heard one the other day on the radio, and actually,

the announcer said they matched up to today's sound.

Do you agree on that?

Mm-hm.

Yep. I don't think that they're just nostalgic.

I think that they're, you know...

it's really good American music.

♪ Well I just flew in for a one night stand

♪ Making my business with a travelling band

♪ Drummer play the rhythm Pass the wine

♪ Everybody here gonna have a good time

♪ Now boogie

♪ Well, it's going to be one of those nights

♪ Got to be one of those nights

♪ People, I'm-a giving you a warning

♪ We're all going to jail in the morning

♪ Grab your mama and hold on tight

♪ Got to be one of those nights Sing it

♪ Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do... ♪

Countdown loved ground-breaking pop.

We always made room for local legends and favourite sons,

artists who just made you want to get out of your chair

and swing your hips.

♪ The more I see you

♪ The more I want you

♪ Somehow this feeling

♪ Just grows and grows

♪ With every sigh

♪ I become more mad about you

♪ More lost without you

♪ And so it goes

♪ Can you imagine

♪ How much I love you

♪ The more I see you

♪ As years go by

♪ I know the only one for me

♪ Can only be you

♪ My arms won't free you

♪ And my heart won't try

♪ Can you imagine

♪ How much I love you

♪ The more I see you

♪ As years go by

♪ I know the only one for me

♪ Can only be you

♪ My arms won't free you

♪ And my heart won't try

♪ The more I see you

♪ More that I want you

♪ Somehow this feeling

♪ Just grows and grows

♪ With every sigh I become more mad about you

♪ More lost without you

♪ And so it goes

♪ Can you imagine

♪ How much I love you

♪ The more I see you

♪ As years go by

♪ I know the only one for me

♪ Can only be you

♪ My arms won't free you

♪ And my heart won't try

♪ The more that I see you

♪ The more that I want you... ♪

♪ Come closer, baby, I will give you a kiss

♪ Kiss on your mouth On your north, on your south

♪ On your east, on your west What is on your chest

♪ I'll lay my head At night in bed

♪ One step is treason Two steps fear

♪ Just another reason to get out of here... ♪

In its first few years on air,

Countdown created its own superstars.

By 1977, Marcia Hines had become Australia's disco queen,

but the nation also loved her to belt out a big love song.

♪ Kiss today goodbye

♪ The sweetness and the sorrow

♪ Wish me luck

♪ The same to you

♪ But I can't regret

♪ What I did for love

♪ What I did for love

♪ Look, my eyes are dry

♪ The gift was ours to borrow

♪ It's as if we always knew

♪ And I won't forget

♪ What I did for love

♪ What I did for love

♪ Gone

♪ Love is never gone

♪ As we travel on

♪ Love's what we'll remember

♪ Kiss today goodbye

♪ And point me towards tomorrow

♪ We did what we had to do

♪ Won't forget, can't regret

♪ What I did for love

♪ We did what we had to do

♪ Won't forget, can't regret

♪ What I did

♪ For love

♪ What I did for love... ♪

Well, from...

AUDIENCE MEMBER: When's your engagement, Molly?

I got engaged yesterday.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) No...

Hold on. I was knocked back. So, there you go.

She's got the ring, and I've been knocked back.

I feel really cut up about that.

Let's go down into the Countdown audience.

Hey! (CHEERING)

Right, now, listen. No, let me step down. Come on.

Hold on, hold on.

Now, this is the Countdown audience.

This is the one I say, "Shush, shush, shush," to.

This is the one... where are we? Where are we?

Oh, here we are, Ian.

Ian's on the zoom. Oh, my God.

That's the... dust, dust, dust. You see? I mean, not...

Actually, you shouldn't do it to me,

because no matter what she does,

I'm going to always look the same.

That is real dust coming off his face, by the way.

I beg your pardon?

He's been lying around for so long.

Look, I can't say enough of how much

we're delighted and how proud we are.

Well, we thank you. The Little River band has...

have really done it, you know?

Well, from on behalf of all the boys...

a special thanks to yourself and for Countdown

for kicking us off in the first place.

No, no. Which is great.

If you can't believe in a group like that,

then what can you believe in?

And I keep reading in all the television magazines, you know?

You don't like Squeak.

You 're like, "What are you doing to Squeak?"

And everything else like that.

Now, Squeak, on behalf of not only yourself,

and all your fans... Yeah.

But Sherbet, you name it... (CHEERING)

Here it is. Punch me on in the nose.

I'm inviting you to. A left hook?

A left hook. Come on.

(LAUGHS) (CHEERING)

From all the ladies, I want you to slap me in the face.

(CHEERING)

Right.

Hello, everybody. This is Jon English,

and you're watching Countdown, right across Australia.

Molly had an uncanny ability

to be in the right place at the right time.

Would you now make welcome to Countdown,

His Royal Highness, Prince Charles.

Your Royal Highness, it is a pleasure to have you here

to help us support the Queen's Silver Jubilee Appeal

for young Australians.

I'm delighted to be here, obviously, as the patron.

And particularly grateful

that this program should've produced this marvellous album,

the Countdown album,

which I know has taken a lot of effort and problem to produce.

It's a lot of effort, but I'm sure you'd be delighted to know

that all the artists and composers

represented on this LP

have waived their royalties as a donation to the appeal.

And the recording companies involved

have given their very generous support.

From princes of the realm to lead guitarist of the band,

Molly was our man on the spot.

MOLLY: Les, how did the accident happen?

Well, we were in Maryborough in Queensland.

And it was kind of my fault,

because we'd just started the show,

and the dragons were breathing flames,

and we had these flash pots.

And I kind of forgot that the flash pots were there.

And I started playing guitar.

And... the guitar sounded kind of funny,

so I turned around to try it fix it up,

and this flash pot blew up.

And... I kind of looked down and my shirt was on fire,

I was on fire, and then we fainted.

Hello, Mabel!

Countdown bottled incredible moments.

Sometimes the interviews Molly conducted were so outrageous

and the live performances he captured so rare

they remain essential viewing to this day.

MOLLY: I saw on Midnight Special,

that thing that you did on Midnight Special,

where you said that you really...

got off on Beatles numbers in the '60s,

and you really enjoyed them.

Now, Bedroom Window, did you...

when you actually recorded that number...

(SQUAWKS)

and finally heard the finished product...

Go on.

When you finally heard the finished product,

did you honestly think that it was going to be a national...

international number one hit right throughout the world?

Do you realise you just said a hundred and one words

in less than 55 seconds? I did.

You know, it's just like... (BARKS AND HOWLS)

Oh god. (HOWLS)

I can handle the rocks.

(BARKS AND HOWLS) You can handle the dogs?

Rocks. (LAUGHS) (HOWLS)

Ferrets everywhere!

Well, that were the Mad Dogs and Englishmen,

and obviously they should never go out in the midday sun.

Nicky Hopkins, Bobby Keys and Joe Cocker.

But that night, they put on a concert

that had everyone raving about it.

All the press that were up there,

this is You're So Beautiful, Joe Cocker.

♪ You are so beautiful

♪ To me

♪ You are so beautiful

♪ To me

♪ Can't you see

♪ You're everything I hoped for

♪ You're everything I need

♪ You are so beautiful

♪ To me

♪ Such joy and happiness

♪ You bring

♪ Such joy and happiness

♪ You bring

♪ Like a dream

♪ A guiding light

♪ That shines in the night

♪ Heaven's gift to me

♪ You are so beautiful

♪ A guiding light

♪ That shines in the night

♪ Heaven's gift to me

♪ You are so beautiful

♪ To me. ♪

While his older brothers were discoing all the way to the bank,

Andy Gibb had his own chart topper in '77,

with I Just Want To Be Your Everything.

MOLLY: Did you think the single

was going to be such the monster it's turned out to be?

Well, when I very, very first heard the song,

you know, and Barry played it to me,

I thought, "Oh, yeah. That's a monster song."

And I thought that maybe the song's great,

but maybe it won't be a hit because I'm doing it, or whatever.

I didn't really think that I could actually, myself,

have a hit record, a number one record.

And then it just kept climbing and kept climbing.

And when it got to the top 50, that was enough for me.

I screamed my head off.

In a year famous for punk and disco,

a folk song held the number one spot

for 11 weeks at the end of the year.

MOLLY: Now, with Mull of Kintyre,

it's sort of a bit different,

because of the bagpipes and that.

Eh? And a lot of people say that it's...

it's you getting back to ballads and that.

Oh, yeah. Yeah?

Did you get away from them, dear?

I don't... no, I've never got away from them.

No, but I mean a really lengthy ballad like that.

Oh, good. Well...

But it is a bit different from the...

Yes. Well, I'll accept that, Mr Meldrum.

Now, can you tell us a bit about it?

Tell him? Actually, all it was is,

I kind of realised that most Scottish tunes are old tunes.

People do, they kind of just revamp all the old ones.

Most of those kind of old ballads you like.

So I thought I'd have a go at trying to write a new one,

so I got together with Dennis, here...

Waltz time ballad. Yes, waltz time.

Yes, waltz time ballad, if ever I saw one.

So we got together and...

saw if we could kind of write one, and that's what came out.

Rod Stewart made it to the top with You're In My Heart.

Australian number ones were more of a rarity than they are now,

but Little River Band cracked it with Help Is On Its Way.

♪ Why are you in so much hurry

♪ Is it really worth the worry

♪ Look around Then slow down

♪ What's it like inside the bubble

♪ Does your head ever give you trouble

♪ It's no sin Trade it in

♪ Hang on, help is on its way

♪ I'll be there as fast as I can

♪ Hang on, a tiny voice did say

♪ From somewhere deep inside the inner man

♪ Are you always in confusion

♪ Surrounded by illusion

♪ Sort it out You'll make out

♪ Seem to make a good beginning

♪ Someone else ends up winning

♪ Don't seem fair Don't you care

♪ Hang on, help is on its way

♪ I'll be there as fast as I can

♪ Hang on, a tiny voice did say

♪ From somewhere deep inside the inner man

♪ Don't you forget who'll take care of you

♪ It don't matter what you do

♪ Form a duet Let him sing melody

♪ You'll provide the harmony

♪ Why are you in so much hurry

♪ Is it really worth the worry

♪ Look around Then slow down

♪ What's it like inside the bubble

♪ Does your head ever give you trouble

♪ It's no sin Trade it in

♪ Hang on, help is on its way

♪ I'll be there as fast as I can

♪ Hang on, a tiny voice did say

♪ From somewhere deep inside the inner man

♪ Hang on, help is on its way

♪ I'll be there as fast as I can

♪ Hang on, a tiny voice did say

♪ From somewhere deep inside the inner man

♪ Help is on its way

♪ Help is on its way... ♪

Captions by Ericsson Access Services

DIRECTOR: Mark it. 52, one.

All my life, I've been into rock and roll music,

which was simple, vibrant noise, right?

Sorry. Could you start again? OK, right.

You ready to go? MOLLY: Yeah.

I thought rock and roll was just about great music,

so... you know, I think they're daft,

because I haven't really heard any great music from Chrysalis.

I think we're going to be the first great thing they've had.

Well, have you sort of followed any other form of music before?

I mean, have you... I've been into rock and roll.

I mean, all my life.

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