THE OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST 24th February 1974

Tracks in audio;  

01 Area Code 615 - Old Grey Whistle Test Theme (Stone Fox Chase) 
02 Babe Ruth - Cool Jerk 
 03 Argent - Gonna Meet My Maker 
04 Loggins & Messina - Thinking Of You 
05 Loggins & Messina - Your Mama Don't Dance 
06 Cheech & Chong - Basketball Jones 
07 Cousin Joe - Beggin' Woman 
08 Bonnie Raitt - Write Me a Few Lines 
09 Babe Ruth - Gimme Some Leg (Live)

After the main titles, Bob Harris introduces the programme and apologises for the non-appearance of the group Canned Heat who were due to appear. Owing to permit problems, the group had not arrived in the country and would now be appearing on the following week’s programme. Harris introduces the first item, group Babe Ruth, in BBC studio, who perform ‘Cool Jerk’. The band consist of guitar, drums, bass, and a female singer. On ‘Cool Jerk’ they are accompanied by a trumpeter and trombonist. Harris then talks about Babe Ruth’s touring and introduces the next item, a track from Argent’s new album ‘Gonna Meet My Maker’ in sound only, accompanied by experimental animation(mistakenly introduced by Harris as ‘Meet My Maker’). He then introduces Loggins and Messina in footage taken from the US television show Superstars Of Rock. Loggins and Messina, with backing band, perform ‘Thinking of You’(mistakenly introduced by Harris as ‘You’ve Got Me’ & ‘ Thinking of You’). The other members of the group are introduced, these being Al Garth, Jon Clarke, Merel Bregante and Larry Sims. Loggins and Messina then perform ‘Your Momma Don’t Dance’. Harris talks about Cheech and Chong’s hit US albums to introduce the next item. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong perform ‘Basketball Jones’, sound only, accompanied by a piece of animation produced especially for the song by Lou Adler. Harris talks about how he has recently been in the US to record a series of interviews for the programme by way of introducing the following item; an interview with Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe, conducted in New York on the current tour of group Yes. Wakeman and Howe talk about the previous evening’s concert at Madison Square Garden and the tour as a whole; the size of the tour and the numbers of people involved; the logistics of the tour in the US and the problems encountered owing to its size; how they concentrate on the music in a long three-hour concert; whether there will be a new Yes album that year; Wakeman’s cutting of his own new solo album; and what they will be doing at the end of the tour. Harris introduces Cousin Joe who, says Harris, will perform three songs (Cousin Joe only performs two songs). Cousin Joe, in BBC studio and on piano, performs ‘Begging Woman’ and ‘I’ve Got Problems’. Harris introduces track from Bonnie Raitt’s new album, ‘Write Me a Few Lines’, sound only, accompanied by experimental animation. Harris closes the programme and introduces the final item, Babe Ruth, again in the BBC studio, perform ‘Gimme Some Leg’, with programme’s credits over latter part of the number.