The Old Grey Whistle Test Pan Alley phrase from years before. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys – doormen in grey suits. Any song they could remember and whistle, having heard it just once or twice, had passed the old grey whistle test. On 23 February 2018, a one-off three hour special of The Old Grey Whistle Test was broadcast on BBC Four, hosted by Bob Harris to mark 30 years since the final episode aired. The show's focus on "serious" rock music, rather than chart hits covered on BBC1 by
Do the Strand centre, the quintessence, the energy." "Do the Strand" was released as a single in 1973 in some countries but not in the UK. That same year, however, the band performed the song on the UK television music show "The Old Grey Whistle Test". It was released as a single in the UK in 1978 to promote Roxy Music's "Greatest Hits" album, but it failed to chart. Despite this, the song remains one of the most popular amongst the band's fans, especially at live concerts. The German synthpop band, Alphaville, recorded a cover version of "Do the Strand" for their 2003