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Boy George's 1970s: Save Me from Suburbia

British popstar Boy George assesses how the 1970s moulded the person and artist he has become. The 1970s were his musical, social and sexual coming of age.

British popstar Boy George recalls, revisits and assesses how the 1970s moulded the person and artist he has become. This is his musical, social and sexual coming of age, when he discovered the power of his own sexuality before setting about turning that persona into a popstar. Set against a backdrop of social discord, disenfranchisement and sexual repression, the 70s was also conversely the decade that revelled in colour and creative chaos, giving the world glam rock, disco and punk, and the young George O'Dowd was at the birth of them all. The documentary includes contributions from contemporaries like Martin Degville (Sigue Sigue Sputnik), Andy Polaris (Animal Nightlife), DJ Princess Julia and popstar Marilyn.

Boy George says: 'I think of the 70s as being this glorious decade where I discovered who I was and discovered all these amazing things - punk rock, electro music, fashion, all of that. And yeah of course there was that dark side to the 70s, the rubbish, the strikes, the poverty, and I'd get chased and confronted for the way I looked. But I was a teenager. I didn't have any time for misery. I was just having a great time with my friends.'.

59 minutes

Last on

Fri 11 Jun 2021 23:00
±«Óãtv Four

  • Programmes, playlists and features charting the history of pop music across the decades

Music Played

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

  • 00:01

    Slade

    Cum On Feel The Noize

  • 00:01

    Sweet

    Block Buster!

  • 00:02

    Donna Summer

    I Feel Love

  • 00:03

    T. Rex

    Twentieth Century Boy

  • 00:03

    T. Rex

    Twentieth Century Boy

  • 00:06

    War

    Low Rider

  • 00:07

    The Meters

    Cissy Strut

  • 00:08

    Gary Numan

    Metal

  • 00:21

    The Velvet Underground

    Sunday Morning

  • 00:27

    Buzzcocks

    Why Can't I Touch It?

  • 00:29

    Brian Eno

    On Some Faraway Beach

  • 00:29

    Lou Reed

    Walk On The Wild Side

  • 00:32

    Throbbing Gristle

    Hot In The Heels Of Love

  • 00:36

    Gang of Four

    At ±«Óãtv He's a Tourist

  • 00:36

    The Clash

    Hate & War

  • 00:39

    Sigue Sigue Sputnik

    Love Missile

  • 00:43

    The Stooges

    I Wanna Be Your Dog

  • 00:43

    Neu!

    Hallogallo

  • 00:45

    Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

    Electricity

  • 00:45

    Roxy Music

    Love Is The Drug (1999 Digital Remaster)

  • 00:46

    Roxy Music

    Love Is the Drug

  • 00:50

    Siouxsie and the Banshees

    Hong Kong Garden

  • 00:51

    Kraftwerk

    The Robots

  • 00:52

    Kraftwerk

    Die Roboter (Original Album Version)

  • 00:57

    Culture Club

    Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

  • 00:58

    Culture Club

    Church Of The Poison Mind

  • 00:59

    T. Rex

    Twentieth Century Boy

  • 00:59

    T. Rex

    20th Century Boy

Credits

Presenter Boy George
Interviewed Guest Nicola Tyson
Interviewed Guest Andy Polaris
Interviewed Guest Philip Sallon
Interviewed Guest Princess Julia
Interviewed Guest Rusty Egan
Interviewed Guest Caryn Franklin
Interviewed Guest Marilyn
Interviewed Guest Jon Savage
Interviewed Guest Martin Degville
Producer Ian Denver
Director Ian Denver
Executive Producer Paul Murray
Executive Producer Emma Cahusac
Production Company IWC Media

Broadcasts

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