New Faces is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central.
Original series: 1973–1978 The show first aired as a pilot on the ATV network on 31 May 1973 with host Leslie Crowther and a judging panel consisting of Noele Gordon, Tony Hatch, Clive James and John Smith assessing performances from ten acts looking for a break in show business. Welsh singer Jennifer Jones won the show that also featured a man who blew up a hot water bottle until it burst followed by a few choruses of "Spanish Eyes".
A further pilot aired on 7 July 1973 with new host Derek Hobson and a full series followed from 29 September 1973 to 2 April 1978. It was recorded at the ATV Centre in Birmingham. The show's theme tune, "You're a Star!", was performed by singer Carl Wayne, formerly of The Move, and it was eventually released, becoming a minor hit.
Winners went on to have careers in television entertainment, such as Lenny Henry. Many top entertainers began their careers with a performance on this programme. The acts were evaluated by a panel of experts, including Tony Hatch, Mickie Most, Clifford Davis, Arthur Askey, Ted Ray, Ed Stewart, Jack Parnell, Alan A. Freeman, Muriel Young, Lonnie Donegan, Lionel Blair, Ingrid Pitt, Shaw Taylor, Terry Wogan and Noel Edmonds.
Four judges would make up the panel each week. Contestants received marks out of ten from the four judges in three categories such as "presentation", "content" and "star quality" – the "star quality" category was later replaced by "entertainment value". The highest score any act could attain was thus 120 points. Patti Boulaye was the only act who ever attained the maximum mark, doing so in the programme's final season. Les Dennis received 119 points, with only Tony Hatch giving him less than a perfect "10" for presentation. Arthur Askey was on the same panel and started singing "Tony is a spoilsport" when Hatch awarded Dennis 9 as his final score.Master copy held in the BFI National Archive
Series 1–6 Winners +SeriesDateArtist(s)ActPilot7 July 1973Trevor ChanceVocalist (in the style of Jack Jones)129 December 1973Tom WaiteVocalist26 July 1974Aiden J. HarveyImpressionist327 July 1975Marti CaineComedian431 July 1976Roger De CourceyVentriloquist52 April 1977Koffee 'n' KremeVocal duo62 April 1978Patti BoulayeVocalist
Series One Final (1973) Key Winner Runner-up Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act 257 Tom Waite Vocalist ! 250Showaddywaddy Eight-piece group ! 233 Jackie Carlton Comedian4217Jean De BothVocalist5215John D. BryantGuitar/vocalist6213Charlie JamesFemale vocalist7205Ricki DisoniVocalist8203Yakity YakFour-piece group9185Anthony WatersActor/vocalist10184George Huxley's Dixieland Jazz Bandsix-piece jazz band11176Dri JinjaFolk trio12171Elaine SimmonsVocalist13143TrottoFolk trio
Series Two Final (1974) Key Winner Runner-up Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act 396 Aiden J. Harvey Impressionist ! 353 Nicky Martyn Comedian ! 337 Michelle Fisher Vocalist4333Art NouveauGroup5=327Susan CopeVocal / Piano5=327Jeffrey HooperVocalist7322Johnny CarrollComedian8312The CosmopolitansVocal Trio9306Sweet SensationGroup10301Nicola ChristieVocalist11300Tony GerrardComedian12234Jimmy ListerComedian / Impressionist
Series Three Final (1975) Key Winner Runner-up Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act 539 Marti Caine Comedian ! 538 Al Dean Comedian ! 528 Ofanchi six-piece group4478Lenny HenryImpressionist5475Mike FelixComedy/vocalist6472Tony MaidenImpressionist744120th Century Steel SoundNine-piece group8431TobySix-piece group
Series Five Final (1977) Key Winner Runner-up Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act 369 Koffee 'n' Kreme Vocal Duo ! 363 Bryan Taylor Vocalist ! 341 Simone Vocalist4338KiteThree-piece group5=337Mike 'Stand' DouglasComedian5=337The Bob Clarke EnsembleJazz trio7333Peter Collins with StyleGroup8319Mr Carline & Mr WallingComedy duo
Series Six Final (1978) Key Winner Runner-up Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act 565 Patti Boulaye Vocalist ! 554 Stella Starr Vocalist ! 543 Kirk St. James Vocalist4534Pat O'HareVocalist5530Civvy StreetFive-piece group6524Mike JohnsonJazz guitarist7522Alan J. BartleyComedian8509PoacherSix-piece country group9498Bazz HarrisComedian
Revived version The series was revived by Central for three series between 1986 and 1988, presented by past winner Marti Caine. Her catchphrase was bellowed at the voting studio audience: "Press your buttons... NOW!". The show also featured a panel of experts including the journalist Nina Myskow, who often made critical comments. In this incarnation, the home audience decided who won by sending in postcards (phone voting was soon introduced by BBC rival Bob Says Opportunity Knocks), though, the audience did vote for its favourite act using a gigantic lightboard known as Spaghetti Junction lighting up to a varying degree as they pushed their buttons.
1986 final Key Winner Runner-up Third place
OrderFinishedArtist(s)Act 1st overall in panellists' vote Duggie Small Comedian27 pointsWalker & CadmanComedians35 pointsBilly PearceComedian40 pointsWayne DentonClub singer522 pointsJulie A. ScottSoprano 6 56 points (public phone-in winner) Gary Lovini 17-year-old violinist743 pointsJames StoneSoul singer8Pauline HannahImpressionist9Freddy PhilipsSinger/comedian10Scott Randele11Maggie Dee12High Jinks
Note: The James Stone who appeared in this final is the same one who appeared in the Britain's Got Talent semi-finals of 2008.
1987 final Key Winner Runner-up Third place
OrderFinishedArtist(s)Act(s) 94 pointsJimmy TamleyVentriloquist 92 pointsJoe PasqualeComedian 70 pointsBrothers Demented432 pointsMike SterlingMusical theatre-style singer526 pointsRichard CourticeTenor vocalist610 pointsBilly JonesRock 'n' roll singer/guitarist7Lea CassellImpressionist8Derek BarronPianist/organist9Paul DuffySaxophonist10Denny WatersComedian11Barbara AllanVocalist12Stiles and DreweSinging duo
1988 final The Stage - Thursday 8 December 1988
The 1988 final took place at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre on Saturday 3 December 1988 and was hosted by the 1975 winner Marti Caine.
Key Winner Runner-up Third place
Performance OrderFinishedArtist(s)Act(s) 118 pointsStephen Lee GardenMusical theatre-style singer 102 pointsSteve WomackComedian 80 pointsDonimoComedy Mime254 pointsStevie RiksImpressionist46 pointsTim MurrayVocalist1Max BaconVocalist3The Mad HattersComedy Group5Steve TandyComedian6Janice WatsonSoprano Vocalist7The Brothers CondoComedy Group8T.J. KingVocalist10Louisa ShawVocalist
Note: Vocalist Tim Murray is the son of 1950s singer Ruby Murray.Liverpool Echo - Monday 3 October 1988
Famous winners and contestants
Jeffrey Hooper – Appeared in the Grand Final of series two in July 1974. Marti Caine - Series three winner in July 1975. Lenny Henry – Multiple wins in 1975. Michael Barrymore Joe Pasquale – 2nd in 1987. Pasquale won his heat but he came second in the final. Roy Walker The Chuckle Brothers – Appeared under the names Paul and Barry Harman in 1974. Malandra Burrows – Appeared in the first All Winners Final in November 1974 and was the youngest heat winner at nine years old. Carline and Walling Nick Van Eede - Appeared in band Twice Bitten. Would later have huge success with Cutting Crew with his song (I Just) Died In Your Arms in 1986 & 1987 Victoria Wood - Appeared in the first All Winners Final in November 1974. Terry St. Clair – Appeared on series two in June 1974. Roger De Courcey and Nookie Bear – Winners of the 1976 Grand Final. Nicol and Marsh's Easy Street – Runners-up in 1976. Mick Miller Les Dennis - Appeared in series one, two and twice in series three making the All Winners Final in November 1974. Showaddywaddy - Runners-up in the Grand Final of series one in December 1973.
Jim Davidson Gary Wilmot and Judy McPhee Billy Pearce Aiden J. Harvey - Winner of series two. Patti Boulaye – Appeared in the last 1970s edition of the show and was the only contestant ever to receive the maximum 120 points. Stevie Riks – Highest scoring contestant ever on the show. Max Bacon – later of GTR Sweet Sensation – From Manchester and fronted by 15-year-old Marcel King went on to become the first black British born soul band to hit the number spot in UK charts in September 1974 with hit record 'Sad Sweet Dreamer'. Andy Cameron Sheer Elegance – Pop trio who went on to have two hit singles in 1976. Lance Ellington – 1977 winner sang with the late Bet Hannah as singing duo Koffee 'n' Kreme. Roy 'Chubby' Brown – 10 December 1977. Paul Zenon - 21 November 1986. Bonnie Tyler - Appeared with her group Imagination in Series Two Our Kid - Won an edition in May 1976 and scored a number two hit single on the UK Singles Chart with "You Just Might See Me Cry".
Other winners and contestants Penny Black – Extremely popular female-fronted five-piece band from Walsall. Appeared 4 December 1976 opening the show performing Kiki Dee's "I Got the Music in Me". Penny Black's TV lineup included Tiki Jones (vocals), Barry Underhill (Bass guitar & vocals), Rob Wood (Lead guitar and vocals), Roger Hayward (Hammond organ & vocals), and John Perkins (Drums). An EP was recorded to coincide with the New Faces TV appearance. Penny Black performed with various personnel changes with Underhill an ever present from 1974 until 1989 when they changed their name to PARIS and introduced a revamped modern 'romantics' image initiated by their latest female vocalist, Paula Tuckley. Penny Black/PARIS performed around the UK heavily throughout the 1970s and 1980s establishing a strong fan base. They recorded "Inside These 4 Walls" written by Underhill/Wood in 1982, with "Teenager in Love" on the B-side, before disbanding in late 1991, however, Underhill & Wood continued as a duo until 2000. PARIS reformed in July 2012 with the original band members to perform a 'One Night Only' Charity gig in November that year, however the gig was so successful they decided to carry on performing, until Underhill left the band in early 2014 and PARIS finally disbanded shortly afterwards.
The Glentones – 18 piece high school big band playing music from the Glenn Miller era. Charlie James – Female singer – Heat winner, December 1973. Mike McCabe – Comedian. Bokkle Green – Pop music duo from Wolverhampton performing a song written by member Kevin Clark on the 24.11.73 episode. Kevin went on to become a successful musician, songwriter & record producer ("Crush" by Jennifer Paige). Martin Berger Al Brown – Comedian and father of television personality Claire Sweeney. Pete Hartley – Won audience vote in 1987. Pete Price Dave Curtis – Vocalist. Son of a Gun – Won in 1975 with 111 points beating Paul Shane. They did a number of TV shows and were signed to RCA. They lost to Al Dean in the All Winners Final, which also featured Lenny Henry. Sparrow M3 – Three sisters, Marilyn, Mary and Maureen Stevens. Walker and Cadman Professor Steve Green – Pianist and doctor. Dragon's Playground – Band.
David Gold – Vocalist. Jimmy Tamley – Beat Joe Pasquale. Crick's Canine Wonders Darren Stuart Frank Leyton Frank Yonco and Kit Connor The Mad Hatters Rabbit – Cabaret band. Sandra Christie – Voice of Edith Piaf. The Libra Brothers. Three-piece band from Barnsley – members were Frank Cawthrow, Charlie Foster and Gordon Scholey. Rod and Mark Lyons – Father and son ventriloquist duo who had a minor hit single in Germany with the Neil Sedaka song "Oh, Carol!". Ground Pepper – Band. Song – Draculamania 1 March 1975 series 3 episode 24 Pyramid - comedy showgroup from Gateshead – Steve Laidlaw, Allen Meche and Brian Pick. Colin "fingers" Henry Inter-City Union six-piece Soul/Funk group from London.