Revisiting some of the older routines

[VintageVideos]

For quite a while I had planned to provide new cd audio tracks for some of the 'older' routines (i.e. those that have been in my collection for a long time, sourced mainly from EinsFestival and BBC4). When I finally started this project a few weeks ago, I had to rewatch a number of routines that I hadn't viewed for quite a while. It turned out to be a very pleasant but also somewhat surprising experience, as I realized that my ratings for some of those routines would be fairly different now. Here are some of my thoughts:

More More More: Even though I had given that one a '9' I had not watched it for some time. It is really nice but I felt that this late incarnation of Pan's People with just 4 dancers somehow didn't quite do it for me. And it is too short. I'd possibly rate it a bit lower now, 8.5 seems right.

Do You Wanna Dance: I don't know why I neglected that one. It is great. I would certainly up my 'miserly' 8.5 to 9.5 now with just the credits getting in the way. The girls look fantastic and the dance is pure joy. A rediscovered gem.

What Am I Gonna Do With You: Nothing rediscovered here. The girls look marvelous, but that's about it. My rating of 8.5 still seems appropriate.

You're The First, The Last, My Everything (Xmas): 7.5 was my rating. I can't believe it. I must have been blind! This is so much better! Somehow I had never understood that this routine was a complete send-up from start to finish and performed with more than just a wink! Watching the facial expressions and the numerous gestures now, it is so obvious that I keep wondering why I had never realized it before. A 9 at least!

You're So Vain: A 10 if ever there was one. No change here. Highlight is Ruth singing along during her solo. Just love it! Needless to say that this routine is improved a lot by the new sound as the original audio is so dull.

There's A Kind Of Hush: Another member called it 'A Kind Of Mush' and that pretty much sums it up. Cheesy intro, cheesy song and cheesy routine. A nice idea (music box dancers) but it doesn't work. Yep just those 4 again. I gave 7.5. Quite generous in retrospect. A 5 seems more adequate.

I'm A Man: Wow. Just wow. This is one groundbreaking routine when you consider it was done in the first month of 1970! A 9 was my rating. I think I'd go for 9.5 now, with half a point deducted for the many redundant pictures of the band. And it sounds simply great now.

Ghetto Child: I remember how excited I was when I finally saw that one on BBC4. I called it a classic and awarded the highest rating of 10. Well I still think it's a great routine - but it's not a 10. More of a 9.

Get Down: It's funny what happens when you watch a routine that has been in public circulation for so long and you haven't actually played it for ages. Yes it is very literal but certainly much better than its reputation. What was my rating? An 8? Make that a 9 please!

Disco Connection: I only gave it a 7, so I was anxious to find out if DC would have risen in my estimation. The short answer is no. I really don't know what was wrong with poor Ruth. She must have suffered from a flu or something like that. At any rate, she wasn't her usual self. Sue is faultless though. Heck, this should have been a solo routine just with Sue. Then it may have scored an 8 with me. As it is, I would go no higher than 6 now.

Swing Your Daddy: Well what I can say about the routine that started my love for the dancers except that this will always be a '10' in my book. Always.

Help Me Make It Through The Night: A great great routine. Everything is just perfect. What did I say about 4 dancers a bit earlier? Never mind, those four are splendid! I already gave it a 10 and would do so again.

Both Sides Now: Surprise, surprise. This used to be my example of a Pan's People turkey. My rating was a 3. A 3! The lowest score I ever gave for a Pan's People routine. Watching it again made me realize that it is actually quite charming and beautiful. Not that it will ever be one of my favourites. But it is worth much more than a 3. I think I would rate it 7.5 or possibly even 8 now. There goes my turkey!


If now, after reading all this, you think you would like to see and hear all those routines, you can! I have uploaded them in two (big) archives. However, as they are intended for the good people of OFTD only, the archives are password-encoded to prevent them from falling into wrong hands. So every member on here can send me a message, tell me his user name and ask for the password, and if he's accumulated 100 posts at least, I will send the password by email.

The archives are here:

Part 1: https://we.tl/t-jzn9d1nqrr
Part 2: https://we.tl/t-oK2VrzGDuA

But hurry! They'll be gone in 7 days!

[Everything'sRosie]

You're The First, The Last, My Everything. I've just had a look at this. Sorry to pile on the misery, Vin, but 7.5 was really tight marking. It's superb, the girls look amazing, hair, make-up, costumes...and they're step perfect too! Absolutely love it.

[RYAN]

VintageVideos wrote

 a Pan's People turkey.

Now theres a really good thread idea. Least liked Pans routine on TOTPs.

[RYAN]

VintageVideos wrote

You're So Vain: A 10 if ever there was one. No change here. Highlight is Ruth singing along during her solo. Just love it! Needless to say that this routine is improved a lot by the new sound as the original audio is so dull.

Absolutely the best Pans routine for me. Gets better on every watch. I can't praise this more highly. Now, lets find a colour version.

[VintageVideos]

Everything'sRosie wrote

You're The First, The Last, My Everything. I've just had a look at this. Sorry to pile on the misery, Vin, but 7.5 was really tight marking. It's superb, the girls look amazing, hair, make-up, costumes...and they're step perfect too! Absolutely love it.

Thanks for your rating! I imagine the girls had a lot of fun during the rehearsals. Just to say that my 7.5 was still above the average rating for this routine. Definitely a 'sleeper' as far as I'm concerned. The choreography is a masterpiece and I only needed about 10 years to realize that...

[Michael]

There are a number of routines listed here I am yet to watch. Your comments about some of those listed here have rather whetted my appetite, VintageVideos...

[Dancer]

I wont be changing my opinions on the dances VV so won't ask for the password.  I was not keen on the Chicago track or dance but they never did much for me at all even the awful lush ballad at No.1 in 1976.  I loved all of the dances.  I do like your opinions though.

More More More I absolutely loved and I forgot about that one been televised.   I always remembered Silver Star.  Yes it was short and it would have been good to have the instrumental break in this routine but they were cramming a lot of songs in this edition.

There's a Kind of Hush was a good dance.   Their outfits did them no justice and the song was just ideal for the Carpenters.  I presume there was no promo video for this given Karen's health and the album was one of their worst released.

I need to look again at your Disco Connection routine given your comments.  I loved Ruth in this one including her outfit.  The tune itself was fantastic and it was one I need to revisit.  

[Mikey]

An interesting read Vin, im glad you have changed your mind about Both Sides Now, although i cant allow you to get rid of Cherry and Ruth on Disco Connection , and DC is always something i view as a bonus routine rather than the main event.

[Doc]

It's a shame there's no money to colourise the show that featured Your So Vain (assuming there are chromadots on the telerecording). Pan's were always very colour orientated and the routines are just not the same when in black and white.
The dresses in Both Side Now would have challenged the colorisation process! Unfortunately such money seems to be reserved for Dr Who and Morecambe and Wise.

[VintageVideos]

Mikey wrote

i cant allow you to get rid of Cherry and Ruth on Disco Connection

Watching Ruth in DC causes me physical pain. Maybe it's because I am such a big fan of hers and tend to watch her very closely in every performance that I imagine to see things others don't. I can literally feel her discomfort in this routine.
On the same show there is of course Theme From Mahogany in which she is fantastic but I am positive that was pre-recorded while DC was 'live'.
It seems that full solo routines were very very rare during the time of Pan's People but I do think DC would have been the perfect candidate. And Sue completely nails it.

[Dancer]

It could be due to a number of factors VV.  Ruth's outfit was tight and it was a vigourous dance, her age could have had an input too or she could have been "on" and just felt out of sorts.  Agree Sue did nail it but look at the age difference.  That routine killed me when I attempted it.  I need to watch this again tonight and analyse.  You need to watch them about 20 times to find fault in my opinion.   Still a lovely tune though.  

[Mikey]

I've never noticed that Vin, she was placed at the back so presumably they wanted to focus on Sue and Cherry if Ruth had been struggling to keep up. At least Ruth and Cherry had the regulation colours.

This is probably just me but has anyone tried counting the beats (i.e from 1 to 8 and then start at 1 again) whilst watching, i find it an interesting way to view them as you notice often there are changes to the dance structure or a camera edit etc on the 8th beat (or the 1st if you get my meaning). i do often lose my way but interesting all the same if you want to view them in a different way. I think of you is a good one for this as an example.

[Dancer]

I watched the Disco Connection routine five times last night and I do agree Sue does nail it well but Ruth is faultless really too.  Yes she is at the back and Mikey has come up with a good idea too.  I could not find anything wrong with her performance at all.  She did not go down far enough on one part with her head but it is such a vigorous routine.  

[Suefan]

As usual Vin an interesting post, and I suspect if most of us revisited some of the routines now we might view them, and consequently score them, slightly differently than of yore.
Back in 2013 I thought the send-up version of YTFTLME worked well and I haven't changed my view.  Flick takes us to the extreme of a 1920's setting to make her point, but whether all five dancers are equally so dialled in to what she was driving at is perhaps a moot point.  However, however one reads the undertones I still detest those silly little hats so I'm sticking at a 7.5 no matter how many nudges and winks come my way!

PS.  From a certain perspective every dance can be a Sue solo and I have the blinkers to prove it!