The Naming of Legs & Co

[Doubleday]

Saw this comment from Suefan earlier ...

 didn't see Legs first performance at the time and am grateful to YMG for having it here.  Recently I read that, in addition to the naming competition, each girl took a moment to introduce herself.  Can anyone with a long memory recall this?

and yes I can just about remember the announcement of the name. According to Wikipedia:-

By the time of the new troupe's first appearance on Top of the Pops on 21 October 1976, dancing to the Average White Band's "Queen of My Soul", they had not come up with a name for themselves. For their first appearances, they were introduced as the "Top of the Pops" dancers, while their name was listed as "??????" on the end credits of 3 editions. The BBC decided to allow the TOTP viewers to select a name for the new dance troupe via a competition promoted on the programme by Ed Stewart, after the girls made their dancing debut, and the name "Legs & Co." was chosen as the successful name. This was supposed to have been announced by Noel Edmonds on 4 November 1976, but the BBC had so many entries to the competition that they had no time to choose a winning name. It was finally announced by Dave Lee Travis on 11 November, but that edition of the show, no longer exists in the BBC archive.

Legs & Co were on stage in a line facing away from the camera, and the teenage girl who won the competition was asked by DLT to reveal the name. As she announced Legs & Co, the girls turned round to reveal the letters on their costumes spelling the name out. I don't remember the girls introducing themselves on the programme, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

There are people on here who'd have first-hand recollections, of course. Well, almost first-hand.

[Suefan]

Hi Doubleday, thanks for your recollection of the group name being announced.  Can't recall ever seeing that.  The girls had already introduced themselves three weeks previously before they danced to Queen of my Soul; I posted the YouTube link somewhere on here and YMG has this and will post it in due course.  It is a very short snippet with all six girls saying there names.

[Doubleday]

Thanks, Suefan, I'll look out for these introductions. I remember that the poor girl really mumbled the name, so this Important Moment lost some of its impact.

[Suefan]

What a shame.  It would have been quite a moment for the girl to have looked back on.

When the six roses of Legs introduce themselves one or two were also a little nervous and although it is over in a flash it is a charming little moment.

[RYAN]

Was this the `Spinning rock boogie` episode from 11/11/76. This is a travesty how this episode has been lost.

[Suefan]

Yes ryan, Spinning Rock... it was.

Doubleday from your pic can I infer you are a Pans fan.

[Patti'sdaughter]

Yes it was.

[RYAN]

Theres a challange for you Amy find that episode !!!

[Patti'sdaughter]

Why don't you ring up the beeb and get them to find it for you and you pay for it.

[Patti'sdaughter]

Who sung it then?  

[RYAN]

Hank C Burnette, No ive never heard of the dude.

[PattiforPM]

The Legs girls voices are priceless on that YouTube clip you found SueFan, such well-spoken young ladies.  I especially like Gill's quiet slightly reserved effort but the cultured "Patti" will stay with me forever

[Suefan]

I think YMG told me he might have the whole show in better quality.  If so we could add this moment to the beginning of the 'Queen of my Soul' routine.  And you know what they say about the quiet ones - all true in my (admittedly limited) experience.  Unfortunately I believe 'Spinning Rock Boogie' was on one of the last shows to be wiped and to date I haven't heard of a copy.

[JEZ]

i remember the girl who won got a handful of chart singles for winning

[Doubleday]

That's something else we won't see again ... when nowadays we can keep every chart single ever recorded on something smaller than a matchbox!

And yes, Suefan, I'm a Pan's fan at heart; though that includes Sue, and the Legs & Co material on here (which I wasn't that familiar with before) is terrific.

[Patti'sdaughter]

Hi DoubleDay.  I will see if we can get it.  If it has been deleted we might not be able to get it.

[Young Mister Grace]

Suefan, could you post the YouTube link again? I can't find it. Thanks.

YMG

[Doubleday]

Thank you, Amy, it would be good to see it again. A lot of people seem to think it's gone for good, though. If this was someone's conscious decision, then it's a really bad one!

[Patti'sdaughter]

Hi DoubleDay.  I know, I think they were silly also.  I like your avatar picture of Dee Dee dancing to The O'Jay's Back Stabber's.

[Doubleday]

Thank you, and well recognised. It came off one of the fan sites and just happens to fit the avatar perfectly (if you're into aspect ratios).

Reminds me that I must ask about said clip ... it exists as there are one or two compilations on You Tube that include it.