Even as late as the mid-1960s, Swiss television, which was still young at the time, had not yet embraced the Beat Sound which was already sending Britain’s youth into a frenzy of enthusiasm. In the early evening schedule for this most popular of entertainment mediums, there had been a few tongue-in-cheek reports about long-haired beat fans and their music, but a dedicated contemporary youth programme was still nowhere to be seen.
At the end of 1965, producer Jean Niedermann and director Gianni Paggi finally took the plunge into cold pop waters. Their new programme called "Hits à gogo" tried to follow the big English pop shows like "Ready Steady Go" and "Thank Your Lucky Stars" as well as its German counterpart "Beat Club", but was initially a little on the conservative side. The test run in December 1965 featured Udo Jürgens and The Lords. The latter stared impassively into the camera while their new single was played. On a podium, four well-behaved "experts" assessed the newly presented music as a "hit or miss", while the studio audience danced prudishly. Texan Mal Sondock – who had made a name for himself in Germany as a disc jockey at AFN as well as having a few terrible "Schlager" records on his conscience – had been hired as the presenter. The short-haired, rotund Sondock presented the programme in his American accent – the only thing that "Hits à gogo" had to offer in terms of an international format. His connections to the German pop mafia, which brought Swiss television appearances by Manuela and Rex Gildo, were no consolation either. It seemed as if the new programme’s heart just wasn’t in it, with everything later, slower and more cautious than the competition from abroad.
With time, there was a slight improvement. "Hits à gogo" now went out live and made stops at the Basel Mustermesse and the Bern Bürgerhaus. The burgeoning show managed to get some big names like teen stars The Walker Brothers, the great British rhythm 'n' blues singer Chris Farlowe as well as the powerful-voiced Julie Driscoll into the studio. In addition, Swiss groups were repeatedly given the chance to appear on TV. Les Sauterelles were in the top spot and flickered across the "Hits à gogo" screen four times from 1966 to 1968, while their Basel-based colleagues The Sevens and some other bands like The Countdowns, The Times and The Gentlemen had to be content with one-off appearances. It was also the Sauterelles who produced the first Swiss video clip for the show: a flowery, colourful rendition of their Beatles-inspired hit "Heavenly Club". So, like the Fab Four, they also got their own film – even if it only lasted a little under three minutes.
Having the energetic, even authoritarian, young Gianni Paggi on board as director represented a real stroke of luck for TV DRS. Under the most adverse of circumstances – the preparation time for a 40-minute programme was just half a day – and using a few dramaturgical tricks, he managed to inject some pop feeling into proceedings, and so lightened up the stiff atmosphere of the venerable old Gesellenhaus am Wolfbach studio. However, even Paggi went quickly into a tailspin whenever the real pop stars showed up. A flying visit to Zurich by Andrew Loog Oldham and some of the big names from his "Immediate" record label in the summer of 1967, provided added stress for the Swiss TV crew. Oldham played the self-absorbed big shot, answering the questions put to him with just a "yes" or "no" – even though he was supposed to be on a promotional tour for his young record label. His musicians, the Small Faces, Chris Farlowe and Twice As Much were equally as moody and bored. P. P. Arnold was sociable – and promptly became the darling of the Zurich pop set. Only once did Oldham allow himself to be jolted out of his lethargy. When translator Heiner Hepp asked him what he thought about LSD, Oldham grabbed the microphone that was held out to him and without comment, stuck it into a strawberry tart that had been served to him for dessert: "Strawberry Fields Forever".
In the autumn of 1968, there were personnel and technical changes at "Hits à gogo". Sondock, with his office-worker look, was simply no longer acceptable as the face of a contemporary TV show. He was replaced by the lighthearted Suzanne Doucet, a singer and TV announcer from Munich, and the more unruly Heiner Hepp. The duo however were not a good match. Hepp was irritated by his colleague's superficial professionalism and was more interested in starting a heated debate about America and the Vietnam War with his first studio guests, classic rockers The Nice. He had been inspired by a provocative poster by Emerson, Lake and Palmer which they had put out to promote their single "America". After the main rehearsal, TV boss Max Ernst pounced on Hepp, proclaiming in an authoritarian tone that entertainment and politics should be kept apart from one other. Now in particular, with the Russians having invaded Czechoslovakia, critical remarks about the USA were unwelcome.
Those in power on television all too often avoid comment with the excuse that entertainment programmes are meant to entertain, and nothing more. But being apolitical is also a policy. The renowned plays of the entertainment department, "Holiday in Switzerland" and "Kummerbuben" also follow a policy, namely that of saying nothing. One could also call it entertainment to displace problems. "National-Zeitung", December 1968.
The hardy Hepp had to grit his teeth. During the "Colors à gogo" live broadcast from FERA – one of the first colour programmes on Swiss television – playing along in a series of embarrassing sketches and putting inane questions to pale, second-class pop performers was a strain. Engaging music and television, it seemed, just weren’t meant to go together. After only three shows, he threw in the towel, leaving the field to his colleague Doucet. The lightness of the entertainment business had, for him, become unbearable. A new beginning was imminent.
"Unfortunately, there is not much left of the 'Hits à gogo' broadcasts in our archives. All too often tapes have been erased. In addition, water damage at Kreuzstrasse destroyed many of these unique documents. What a pity!"
Mani Hildebrand: Hits à Gogo. (PDF; 82,2 KB) In: srf.ch. Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (Swiss Radio and Television), retrieved 16th April 2022. He was the music editor of Swiss Television from 1968 to 1984.
Hits à gogo soon became a Swiss/German co-production, which raised the standard of professionalism somewhat. In 1973, Hits à gogo was dropped from Swiss Television as new programming guidelines stipulated that the main evening slot should be reserved for programmes with a broader audience base. In addition, it had become increasingly difficult to bring artists to Zurich. It was easier to distribute music videos worldwide instead of hosting live performances. In Germany, live broadcasts continued until 1978.
Text by Samuel Mumenthaler Translation: Alun Lennon