The Story of the Failed Television & Brian Eno Sessions
In December of 1974, an Island Records A&R exec out of London put together a demo session for punk pioneers Television. They were joined in the studio by Brian Eno, formerly of Roxy Music, who had gone solo that same year. With hopes of a promising endeavor to pitch the band to label heads, the sessions instead were a complete failure with the band and Eno leaving frustrated. This is the story of those fateful demo sessions, the stakes on the table for both Television and Eno, and why they went so catastrophically wrong.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro to the Failed Television & Brian Eno Demo Sessions
1:32 A Brief History of Television
4:58 Brian Eno Leaves Roxy Music and Goes Solo
6:50 What Went Wrong With the Demo Sessions
12:17 The Session Fallout and the Vinyl Bootleg
14:09 Why the Stakes Were So High For Both Artists
16:41 The Legacy of Television and Marquee Moon
#television #brianeno #punkrock #musichistory #musicstorytelling #musicstory #musicdocumentary #punkdocumentary #podcast
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@AndyFenstermaker
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
CLARIFICATION: Tony Visconti produced Bowie's Berlin trilogy. Eno's role was Arrangement, as per credits notated in Discogs. Bowie also gets the Arrangement credit in that location.
NEXT: Television was instrumental in transforming CBGB’s into the cornerstone of punk rock in the United States. In the next video, I dig into the little told story of how the fall of the Mercer Arts Center also led to the rise of CBGB’s: https://youtu.be/GxkZ8dQp51E
@starrywizdom
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy has been my favourite Eno album for 40 years! Just subscribed on the strength of your Slowdive Pygmalion episode, & I'm stoked.
@BipTunia_Microtonal_Cats
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Did you ever notice how much this band's song "Elevation" has in common with "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" by Pink Floyd?
Both came out the same year. Who copied who?
I'm guessing Televison copied Pink Floyd, since Floyd had been playing those songs live for a whole tour, and I don't think anyone in Television would be too uptown to go see Pink Floyd.
@fvazquez64
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
One of Eno's great works was Another green world and you didn't mention it, not a single time… I'd like to know why?
@phillipc3286
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
I think you jnow what an autocrat is now dont you ???
@TheChadTI
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Phil Collins plays drumes on Enos's Taking Tiger Mountain…as a trade for his work on Genesis Lamb album.
@TheChadTI
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
3:59 This is why people call them punk which I disagree with strongly. Verlane screwed the Damned over on a pivotal gig ($$) as he didnt want to play with a punk band. They were temporarily stranded in the US because of this.
@TheChadTI
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
"This song is for Tom Verlane! We hate him!"- Captain Sensible 😅
@MusiclyricsByECDaleyC
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Great stuff!
@chrisreynard865
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
2025
Unfortunately, I believe that now Americans know exactly what an "autocrat" is. Things change so quickly. Best of luck to my Southern Neighbors.
@virginiaviola5097
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy is my all time favourite record. Not even #1.. it's in a class all of its own. The entire album is a gas. If I had to pick a favourite track it would be Fat Lady of Limburg..but Burning Airlines runs a close second.
@quizzical2023
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Feel like Eno isn’t a guy for bands in their early career-stage, but rather mid to later stages with him reviving them with a fresh Take on their music. TV were still forming their foundation, Eno wants to make bands sound unlike them.
@zorkpork
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Autocrat also means coffee milk in certain locales.
@jeffreyhughes399
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
I love how the Ikea Kallax shelf fits an lp so well.
@outtathyme5679
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
John Cale was the obvious choice
@MrStefanDittrich
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Brian Ego
@bbcocallaghan
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
a debut record should be about the artists initial vison – it doesn't make sense to get in a super producer until later in their career imo
@charlescarter9773
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
I like the 1992 album.
@augustosecklerr
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
THANK YOU
@TheBlackHelicopterRevue
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
I'm confused that Eno and Television couldn't make this work.
@adamsaunders3413
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
U should know about Autocracy, u live in one😂
@sstanfo1
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
This was my first video from you. I loved the video but I subbed because of the Brian Johnstown Massacre shirt
@gregrice1354
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Thanks for this info, and the documentation. I've watched a lot of web videos on and by Bowie and this the first time I"ve ever seen Bowie say those things about Eno. I know they remained great friends and successful associates, so it is STRANGE to hear Bowie describe Eno's work that way.
I think there must have been a big "halo effect" for Eno after Bowie's great records Low, Heroes, and . . what? Lodger? I think that must have been Record "Industry" and music "industry" publication cooperation, to suppress ANY negativity or challenge to the "magic" of Eno. I LOVE those 2 Eno albums and appreciate his work with Robert Fripp too – especially learning of Fripp's own strict music discipline ways.
Interesting and well documented claims and info! Good job.
@BeandipCartography-i3z
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Fun fact : Blue Oyster Cult's late, great Allen Lanier produced a Television demo in 1975. Would be cool to hear that, I wonder if there's a bootleg.
@scott7521
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
I think that 3rd self-titled record was a really good record albeit not the standard of the first two. Hardly a "whatever" record IMO.
@Monkeyspankerelite
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
5:38 Didn´t "No pussyfooting" release before "Here come the warm jets" or do my memory playing a joke with me?
@MichaelElliott.c
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
They also spelled Brian Eno’s name wrong on that Television/Eno album you showed.
@ReidBottorff
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
I'm pretty sure this incredibly niche music history video was made specifically for me. Thank you so much for the fascinating video!
@newforestpixie5297
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
because i was aged 13 in early 1978 , on first discovering ‘serious’ or non chart single music was a particularly interesting time because there was the new hip punk / new wave getting radio play but also 2nd hand record shops & mates with older siblings with lots of Prog & art & folk rock stuff but apart from Life On Mars & Wild is the Wind i never got into Bowie . Don’t know why but there it is.
@Reprodestruxion
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Those demos sound great , if anything it could have used some darkness and weird touches here or there
@Reprodestruxion
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
NOW Devo wants to release the Eno tracks as a special release. 🤦🏿♂️
@Reprodestruxion
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Those demos have a great sound , if anything it sounded thin due to the intention to be demos and of course all the fighting
@Reprodestruxion
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
Blondie should have been produced by ENO not Television
@Reprodestruxion
November 15, 2025 at 7:55 am
The sessions with Scott Walker went worse
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