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1976-1985 Tribal Gatherings

Episode 3 of 5

The story of pop music through fans' memories and memorabilia from 1976-1985, when punk hit Britain and rival tribes exploded onto the high street.

Pauline Black, lead singer of Two Tone band The Selecter, looks at the years 1976-1985, when she first picked up a guitar and when music got involved in passionate protest and the high street filled with colourful factions of music lovers.

After a lot of big hair and big rock stars, punks brought pop back down to earth and, out of that, music lovers shattered into an array of pop tribes who posed with passion.

We hear from a man who loved listening to pop hits on Radio 1 and who recorded his own 'Record for the Day' in his incredible picture diary every day. And one former student at a college in Surrey tells how a ball at his graduation was saved by a favourite rock star when the headline act pulled out - neighbour Elton John popped over and played an intimate set on the college's grand piano.

We speak to fans whose lives were changed forever by punk, and the members of an Asian punk band who were inspired by the music to shout for what they believed in at Rock Against Racism gigs and marches. Mods, a Numanoid and a fan of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal explain why they chose their tribes, while Two Tone was the music that tried to unite the kids and just get them dancing. The reverend of Kerry parish shares her unstoppable love of Duran Duran, much to the regret of her punk fiancé. And pop fans were brought together by the experience of Live Aid, when music changed the world outside of us.

Unearthed pop treasures include a tambourine punched through by Sid Vicious, played by a Sex Pistols fan as he sang with the band on the Great Rock n Roll Swindle album. A former music promoter shares some rare items from the Sex Pistols' ill-fated Anarchy in the UK tour, and the son of artist Ray Lowry shows Pauline the drawings his dad did of The Clash's summer American tour in 1979, when Ray was taken as their 'war artist'. We feature some precious material that gives us an insight into the thinking of The Clash's lead singer, Joe Strummer.

59 minutes

Last on

Sat 16 May 2020 00:00
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1966-1976: The Love Affair

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1986-1996 All Together Now

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  • Music from the third episode, including Elton John, The Clash, Duran Duran & The Smiths.

Clip

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:04

    Joan Armatrading

    Love And Affection

  • 00:05

    Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

    Blinded By The Light

  • 00:09

    Elton John

    Pinball Wizard

  • 00:12

    Sex Pistols

    God Save The Queen

  • 00:25

    The Clash

    (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais

  • 00:31

    Iron Maiden

    Running Free

  • 00:31

    Iron Maiden

    Phantom Of The Opera

  • 00:32

    Tubeway Army

    Are Friends Electric

  • 00:32

    Gary Numan

    Cars

  • 00:33

    Gary Numan

    Cars

  • 00:33

    Gary Numan

    Cars

  • 00:35

    The Specials

    A Message To You, Rudy (feat. Rico Rodriguez)

  • 00:38

    Spandau Ballet

    To Cut A Long Story Short

  • 00:38

    Spandau Ballet

    To Cut A Long Story Short

  • 00:38

    Giorgio Moroder

    Chase

  • 00:42

    Duran Duran

    Is There Something I Should Know?

  • 00:43

    The Damned

    Neat, Neat, Neat

  • 00:43

    Duran Duran

    Rio

  • 00:43

    Duran Duran

    Planet Earth

  • 00:45

    Duran Duran

    Hungry Like The Wolf

  • 00:46

    Duran Duran

    Hungry Like The Wolf

  • 00:49

    The Smiths

    What Difference Does It Make?

  • 00:55

    Band Aid

    Do They Know It's Christmas?

  • 00:56

    Band Aid

    Do They Know It's Christmas?

  • 00:56

    Queen

    We Are The Champions

  • 00:56

    Ultravox

    Dancing With Tears in My Eyes

  • 00:57

    The Cars

    Drive (Lp Version)

  • 00:58

    Wang Chung

    Dance Hall Days

Credits

Presenter Pauline Black
Series Producer Zoe Jewell
Executive Producer Steve Condie
Director Zoe Jewell
Production Company 7 Wonder Productions

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