The Old Grey Whistle Test

Season 2 Episode 14: Focus

The guys in Focus were jamming in a small BBC studio in the heart of Television Centre, rehearsing for their first appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test. It was 12th December 1972, The atmosphere was great, very light-hearted and enjoyable as the band rehearsed its set. They decided to play 'Sylvia', 'Anonymous II' and 'Hocus Pocus', with a seasonal slant. Instead of following the usual pattern of the vocal breaks, This launched into a mock-serious yodelling version of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas...’ building up to that top falsetto with a heart-rending ‘And a Happy New Yeeeeeaaaaarrr...’, tailing off into Jan’s million miles an hour guitar playing. The performance was an absolute sensation. People had never seen anything quite like them before.

Seasons:

16

Episodes:

558

Actor:

Bob Harris, Annie Nightingale

Quality:

HD

Status:

Ended

First Air:

1971

IMDb:

8.3