PiL
- Check it Out (TV),
July 2nd, 1979
- band interview & Chant
Running Order:
1. Chant (live)
2. Interview
Running Time:
12 minutes (approx)
Sound Quality:
(6.5) Low quality cassette recording taken from TV broadcast
Tape Gradings Explained here
review by TIM BUCKNALL
Notes:
A complete video recording of this Tyne Tees TV interview is not known
to be in circulation. Despite reports elsewhere 'Death Disco' is not
aired; only 'Chant'.
Review:
This audio is the only
known complete recording of the infamous 'Check it Out' appearance. Most
existing video/audio copies are sourced from the edited 1986 rebroadcast
on Channel 4's 'The Tube'; and a few other TV 'Best of' type shows.
And while the quality is often superior they are all incomplete.
Unfortunately, the quality of this tape is poor, but it is still worth seeking out due to its completeness. It's very high generation, and possibly originally recorded on a tape recorder placed next to a TV speaker. It's muffled and warbly. But it is listenable; with patience.
This is the first time I'd ever heard the live performance of 'Chant' in full. It's a great performance, Keith's guitar has a cool short-delay effect.
After the performance of 'Chant' comes the infamous interview. The 2 presenters are a bad joke (even without being able to see the male presenters ridiculous afro and 70s porn star moustache!). It's pretty clear as soon as PiL take their seats that this is going to be train-wreck TV. The hosts have no idea what's going on.
So much has been written about this confrontation (interview isn't really the correct word; it's more like watching a prawn poke a shark with a stick!) that it's hard to give a new perspective on it. The hapless interviewers play a video tape featuring Mond – the guitarist of (hideous dross punk band) The Angelic Upstarts – bad mouthing Lydon and PiL in particular. I can hardly bear to watch/listen as Lydon & Wobble give the interviewer what they deserve.
Like all the rebroadcasts, the swearing is bleeped out.
Truly an essential recording for any PiL fan, despite its poor quality. And until someone out there comes up with a complete video, this is the only complete document of the show that exists…
Read the full Fodderstompf transcript of the 'Check It Out' interview via this link…
