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Pan's People: Our Story
Between 1968 and 1976 the undisputed highlight of Top of the Pops was its nubile dance troupe Pan's People. In the era before music videos this legendary group and their choreographer Flick Colby filled in for absent bands. In the process they become better remembered than many of the records they danced to. Now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Top of the Pops, Babs, Cherry, Dee Dee and Ruth - the surviving members of the classic line-up - are going to tell their remarkable story. This is a compelling, surprising and ultimately moving memoir from eyewitnesses to the golden age of pop music.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2013
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June 18, 2020
Having become fascinated by the Pan’s People phenomenon during my research into 70s teenage girl culture, this was a must-read for me. I’ve given it five stars, which accounts for how much I personally enjoyed the read and the pictures, but that doesn’t mean it is without its imperfections.
Here we have a very good chronology of the group, starting with each individual member’s dance history and their background before the iconic Pan’s People was formed in the late 1960s. It’s a brilliant insight into pop culture and a bit of an eye-opener, too. Behind all the glitz and glamour was a lot of hard graft, freezing cold working men’s clubs and village halls, attics and less than salubrious dressing rooms.
Many of the members tell their stories from their own perspective, though not all of them were available to contribute therefore we have a partial story and look through a glass darkly at some of the girls; Andi, Louise and Flick. Parts of the story were glossed over too, I felt.
In 1967 Flick Colby married a man called Jim Ramble who became their manager, and after a few years it’s mentioned in blink-and-you-miss-it fashion that they dispensed with his services and from then on managed themselves. There was probably much more than met the eye with this especially as Flick remained a group member and choreographer. Though this paved the way for them to become a totally self-managed group, not only unheard of for a dance troupe at the time, but for women too? They’re a fantastic example of what the Spice Girls later termed Girl Power, but unlike the Spice Girls, for whom it was merely a marketing ploy, these girls really did it and lived it, without shouting about it. They were innovative and Flick Colby was a choreographic genius. Just watch some of their performances on YouTube.
I have to confess about some disquiet though when reading “between the lines” about Louise Clarke. A key member of the group, she left when she married an older, divorced entrepreneur. It was “a question of either Pan’s or Tony”, Dee Dee Wilde tells us. “He was one of these no-nonsense guys who felt ‘it’s either me or the dancing.’ Louise was totally, totally besotted by him, so it was the right decision for her.” But was it really?
A 2011 interview with Louise Clarke reveals that: “I left in 1974 because I was in love and wanted to start a family. I met my husband Tony on the night of my 21st birthday (he was 37). He wasn’t jealous of the attention I got from other men, but he was nervous I would meet someone else. I constantly reassured him that he was the only one for me.” Tony already had a son called Anthony when he and Louise met and their son together was also named Tony which I find bizarrely egotistical. Something didn’t feel right and I suspect Louise totally lost her identity and was perhaps insecure herself, even though that’s not explicitly stated.
Dee Dee Wilde also talks about the 1974 strikes: “as young people we weren’t that aware of what was going on in politics and everything else. I vaguely remember the Three Day Week …” She was 28. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!
I was totally unaware that they worked so prolifically. In my naivety I assumed all they did was prance around on Top of the Pops once a week. It was so interesting to read of all the gigs they did and the other TV appearances, promotions and advertising. They were the first proper tight-knit dance group of their kind and their recognition is truly deserved; they were professionally trained, had mass appeal and succeeded in a male-oriented industry through quiet and determined professionalism. The colour pics are just fabulous, and I’m amazed at how much I learned about the dance industry, the BBC and about pop culture.
Here we have a very good chronology of the group, starting with each individual member’s dance history and their background before the iconic Pan’s People was formed in the late 1960s. It’s a brilliant insight into pop culture and a bit of an eye-opener, too. Behind all the glitz and glamour was a lot of hard graft, freezing cold working men’s clubs and village halls, attics and less than salubrious dressing rooms.
Many of the members tell their stories from their own perspective, though not all of them were available to contribute therefore we have a partial story and look through a glass darkly at some of the girls; Andi, Louise and Flick. Parts of the story were glossed over too, I felt.
In 1967 Flick Colby married a man called Jim Ramble who became their manager, and after a few years it’s mentioned in blink-and-you-miss-it fashion that they dispensed with his services and from then on managed themselves. There was probably much more than met the eye with this especially as Flick remained a group member and choreographer. Though this paved the way for them to become a totally self-managed group, not only unheard of for a dance troupe at the time, but for women too? They’re a fantastic example of what the Spice Girls later termed Girl Power, but unlike the Spice Girls, for whom it was merely a marketing ploy, these girls really did it and lived it, without shouting about it. They were innovative and Flick Colby was a choreographic genius. Just watch some of their performances on YouTube.
I have to confess about some disquiet though when reading “between the lines” about Louise Clarke. A key member of the group, she left when she married an older, divorced entrepreneur. It was “a question of either Pan’s or Tony”, Dee Dee Wilde tells us. “He was one of these no-nonsense guys who felt ‘it’s either me or the dancing.’ Louise was totally, totally besotted by him, so it was the right decision for her.” But was it really?
A 2011 interview with Louise Clarke reveals that: “I left in 1974 because I was in love and wanted to start a family. I met my husband Tony on the night of my 21st birthday (he was 37). He wasn’t jealous of the attention I got from other men, but he was nervous I would meet someone else. I constantly reassured him that he was the only one for me.” Tony already had a son called Anthony when he and Louise met and their son together was also named Tony which I find bizarrely egotistical. Something didn’t feel right and I suspect Louise totally lost her identity and was perhaps insecure herself, even though that’s not explicitly stated.
Dee Dee Wilde also talks about the 1974 strikes: “as young people we weren’t that aware of what was going on in politics and everything else. I vaguely remember the Three Day Week …” She was 28. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!
I was totally unaware that they worked so prolifically. In my naivety I assumed all they did was prance around on Top of the Pops once a week. It was so interesting to read of all the gigs they did and the other TV appearances, promotions and advertising. They were the first proper tight-knit dance group of their kind and their recognition is truly deserved; they were professionally trained, had mass appeal and succeeded in a male-oriented industry through quiet and determined professionalism. The colour pics are just fabulous, and I’m amazed at how much I learned about the dance industry, the BBC and about pop culture.
Displaying 1 of 1 review