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GAS TANK - 1982
- 1983
The Gas Tank T.V.
Program, originally aired on channel four in the U.K.
between 1982 and 1983. Hosted by Rick Wakeman. The show
featured a mixture of interviews with 1970’s musicians
and impromptu performances, where the guest artists
would join Rick and his house band in playing
pre-arranged versions of their classic songs, or perhaps
entirely new pieces created just for the show. The
format was very informal with the setting being in a
bar-room where Rick would interview the guest over a
drink or two, followed by their performance, played
right in front of a small studio audience, who were
sitting in groups at tables. Rick Wakeman would
frequently cite the Gas Tank Show as “the perfect
opportunity for musicians from different bands to work
together”.
The Only Problem
Was:
It had such a
limited viewing audience, that the program was unable to
sell commercial time between musical segments. Where a
commercial would normally be slotted, a blank / black
screen came on for a few minutes, then the show resumed.
It was a short series of about six programs. The
presenter was Rick Wakeman from the progressive rock
group “YES”.
Alvin Lee of Ten
Years After was featured in at least half the shows that
I have viewed on you tube. Along with Ric himself, were
Eric Burdon, Tony Ashton, Chris Farlowe, Phil Lynott,
Ian Paice, Steve Hackett, Andy Fair Weather Low and
Godley and Crème, to name just a few in this short lived
series. Alvin’s contributions were varied and in a
different league all together. The general theme was
vary basic. Gather up a group of mainly forgotten,
rockers and players of the blues, passed over or
forgotten by now. Cranking out tunes of yester-year – as
a last ditch effort to fight off the rigor mortis that
was musically causing their creative atrophy. Unable to
move forward, they moved backwards in time and went for
what they know how to do best.
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