Discs-A-GoGo

1 9 6 1 – 1 9 6 5 (UK)
215 x 25 minute episodes

This weekly pop music programme from TWW (which broadcast to Wales and the West of England, although the show was also seen in other ITV regions) was hosted by Kent Walton.

The show was first broadcast from the company’s studios in Cardiff using a set designed to resemble a cellar coffee bar. Teenagers danced to tracks – usually mimed – by stars of the day.

A cartoon mascot called ‘Gogo the fox’ featured in sketches illustrating some of the music, and on little badges worn by audience members.

Production of Discs-A-GoGo soon transferred to TWW’s Bristol studio which made life easier for artists travelling across from London. Even The Beatles made the trip in December 1962.

Helping Kent Walton in the studio was Frank Harding, who manned the coffee counter with a girl named Connie Greengrove, but he was later replaced by Tony Prince, a 20-year-old DJ from Oldham who eventually ended up on the Pirate Radio ships and Radio Luxembourg.

Guests who appeared during the run of the show included The Mudlarks, John Leyton, Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Eden Kane, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, The Springfields, Kenny Lynch, Cilla Black, Kiki Dee, Gene Vincent, Gene Pitney, The Mojos, Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers, Manfred Mann, Lulu and the Luvvers, The Applejacks, Freddie and The Dreamers, The Searchers, The Big Three, The Honeycombs, The Dave Clark Five, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Yardbirds, Spencer Davis Group, The Beach Boys, Sandie Shaw, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, The Remo Four, The Righteous Brothers, The Animals, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, The Nashville Teens, Herman’s Hermits, Long John Baldry, The Pretty Things, Tom Jones, The Ivy League, The Moody Blues, Solomon Burke, Chubby Checker, Bo Diddley, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, Ben E King, The Fourmost and Johnny Tillotson.

When the show ended just before Christmas 1965, it was swiftly replaced by another TWW youth programme entitled Now! that featured two or three bands a week and was seen only in the TWW and Border areas.