If you’re a watcher of the Top Of The Pops 1977 re-runs on BBC4 you’ll know that there are whole episodes missing from the archives. It’s criminal that an awful lot of broadcast videotape up until the late 70′s was simply earmarked for reuse due to the expense of the tape vs the perceived transient importance of its content.
Even something as historic as the BBC coverage of the 1969 Moon landings is still missing though a then schoolboy’s home audio recording recently surfaced.
Sometimes items long thought missing are discovered in the vaults of overseas TV companies or the private collections of technicians. Some material also comes from the earliest home video recorders.
This footage of Marc Bolan with partner Gloria has suddenly seen the light of day once more. Although Bolan is not looking his best here it’s nonetheless great to see from a historical music perspective. It’s thought to be from Thursday 31st July 1975 though the continuity preceding it is from an earlier day.
