Thatcher: Express angry at prospect of Chart show playing record in the chart

Here's a story from The Daily Express. Skip past the the headline and first bit - where a person who does drama sessions at school is misleading described as a "teacher" to ramp up the outrage - and focus on the foaming about the chance Radio One might play Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead this weekend:

BBC radio chiefs risk a furious backlash by playing a song which has become the anthem of anti-Baroness Thatcher protesters, it emerged last night.

The chart hasn't been compiled yet; the record hasn't been played yet; there is no backlash, furious or otherwise. But the Express has the blood pumping.

A massive online campaign has seen Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead, taken from the Wizard Of Oz, rocket into the Top 10 of the official midweek charts.

But with the tune a strong contender for the No1 spot this weekend, bosses have failed to rule out playing it during the official countdown.

In a statement the BBC said: "Radio 1 will run through the official chart update as normal, however, we only play a selection of entries each week.

"The chart show on Sunday is an account of what the public has been buying and we will make a decision about playing it when the final chart positions are clear."

Oddly, the Express doesn't seem all that bothered about the chart shows on commercial radio, who are presumably in exactly the same position. And those music TV stations who run down the charts too. Almost as if this was more about having a pop at the BBC than an actual story.

Isn't the point the Express has missed that the only expression of "furious backlash" here is that demonstrated by people who are buying the track in the first place?



Margaret Thatcher looked stunning, yes;
but why no nipples in the Daily Express?

Perhaps John Cooper Clarke for number one next week, then?

More Wilson tributes

Amongst those adding their memories of Tony Wilson are John Cooper Clarke:

"He gave me my first television gig, actually. On his Granada show. He came out to see The Buzzcocks, and I was third on the bill, and ended up getting chucked out of the venue for something or other, but he noticed me and said 'No, give him a chance'. It really gave me a leg up - in those days it was really hard to get on TV, and it tripled my audiences overnight."

.. and Tim Burgess:

"(Wilson) put out records by my favourite bands - Joy Division and New Order - which made me believe I could be in a band and put out records," Burgess said.

"I feel like I felt when Joe Strummer died. It's like losing a musical dad."