Rock Follies

One of Verity Lambert's greatest successes: way ahead of its time and highly innovative. You could call it a "musical comedy docu-drama" but that doesn't do it justice.

The two series (1976 & 1977) established Charlotte Cornwell ("Anna"), Julie Covington ("Dee") and Rula Lenska ("Q"). It followed the fortunes of The Little Ladies through the grubby world of the music business. Sue Jones-Davies joined the band during the 2nd series.

Dee was a tough rocker, keen for success in the music biz. Anna was a bored housewife. Q was involved in the world of porno flicks.

Devised & written by Howard Schuman. Produced by Andrew Brown. Directed by Brian Farnham (both series), Jon Scoffield (1st series) and Bill Hays (2nd series). Music written and produced by Andy Mackay (of Roxy Music), lyrics by Howard Schuman.

Each series had an associated album release and the single of OK? was a minor hit.

The series was to be on UK Gold (BBC/Thames) "soon" - there was a mention of it on the teletext pages around December 1996 as possibly coming in late 1997. However the relaunch in October 1997 as a BBC Worldwide venture (under the imaginative label UK TV, administered by Flextech) ruled this out. Content from the Thames TV archives was phased out by 1st November. There's been no further word since. [Granada Plus is now the main channel rerunning old UK shows originally on ITV.]

Meanwhile the shows are due out on DVD around May 2002.

Albums

Rock Follies
1976 Island ILPS 9362 (LP)
  1. Sugar Mountain
  2. Good Behaviour
  3. Stairway
  4. Daddy
  5. Lamplight
  6. The Road

  7. Glenn Miller Is Missing
  8. Biba Nova
  9. Talking Pictures
  10. Hot Neon
  11. Roller Coaster
  12. Rock Follies
Rock Follies of '77
1977 Polydor 2302 072 (LP) 3100 387 (Cassette)
  1. Follies of '77
  2. Struttin' Ground
  3. Round 1
  4. The Hype
  5. Dee's Hype
  6. The Things You Have To Do

  7. The Band That Wouldn't Die
  8. Wolf At The Door
  9. Loose Change
  10. Jubilee
  11. OK?
  12. Real Life


Footnotes

Verity Lambert

Surely the subject for a major set of Web pages? She's been a major figure in the production of U.K. TV drama since the early Sixties.

Off the top of my head:

Now with her own production company Cinema Verity.


Index of Articles * TV etc.