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| pic: @OldRoberts953 |
Presentation duties tonight go to Mike Read, the Mary Whitehouse of Radio 1, so no swearing or mentioning sex between consenting adults. Incredibly that awful shirt of his did get past the censors. Anyway it's a real roller-coaster of a show in more ways thena one so better get cracking....
Chart rundown
Ooo - what's this? Azymuth? Makes for ace chart rundown music, they should use it every week. Would've made good theme music for something and it probably did.
The Buggles - The Plastic Age
Although their previous Video Killed the Radio Star had been a top no. 1 single some months hence, perhaps the full importance of that song had still to be fully appreciated at this point. Tonight here's the follow up in the prestigious opening new song spot, with Trevor Horn and the other bloke(s) giving us more futuristic pop sounds, sleeky production and clever clever lyrics about our not-too-distant dystopian future. The Kraftwerky intro is sadly lost here, but it's funny how Horn sounds like Jon Anderson and some point. Perhaps they should do something together with Yes.Taken from the forthcoming album The Age of Plastic - geddit?
The Nolans - I'm in the Mood for Dancing
From the lower reaches of the still non-existant Top 40 to the giddy heights of No. 4 with this new live performance by the Nolanettes complete with the legendary TOTP Orchestra. They (the orchestra) didn't appear that much but the show and indeed the whole music industry would feel the fullforce of their musicians' union-backed clout in a few months. The Girls were on fine form and evidently in the mood, for dancing obviously.
The Boomtown Rats - Someone's Looking at You
"Staying with the emerald Isle" quips Read (ouch) even though the singing sisters were from Blackpool. The Rats were no strangers to the charts, or to the TOTP studio, and this was to be their eighth top 20 hit. Full on TOTP production innovation here, cutting between the band playing 'live' on TOTP stage, Geldof even remembering to raise the mike to his mouth occasionally, and footage of selfsame Geldof watching multiple TV screens, evoking some kind of Orwellian ssurveillance-scenario. Phew, heavy.
Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown (Legs & Co.)
..or just 'Legs' as 'Mike' refers to them, and couldn't resist the nudge-nudge wink-wink comment at the end. A nice enough Gibb-tune gracefully interpreted by Flick Colby's girls. It had reached no. 16 but wouldn't get any higher and was indeed the last we would hear from the high-pitched siblings for quite a bit. Baz would soon be off to do other stuff with Barbara Streisand.
Joe Jackson - Different for Girls
The incredibly tall one is back this week too, and deservedly so having made it to no. 12. Make the most of it Joe, you'll have to wait another two years and release another eight singles before you get another chart hit.
Suzi Quatro - Mama's Boys
Eh? What's she doing in here? I thought we'd left Suzi Quatro clad in her leather 'catsuit' in the early 70s somewhere! Sorry, this is the eighties Suzi, we don't want you anymore. But what's that? "he touches me barely...he loves me too quickly..he's everything but manly..". Has Mike Read actually heard this?
Dollar - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
They're back after the other performance of two weeks ago, and Thereza has swapped that little back and white dress for a black and white jumper. I'm surprised how well this did as The Beatles still weren't nostalgia material yet, as we'd spent most of the 70s trying to forget them. Even The Beatles were trying to forget The Beatles. Kudos to BBCFour for leaving Read's intro referencing J*immy S*ville intact.
The Specials - Too Much, Too Young
This is more like it. Raw, mixed-race energy captured live on stage somewhere in the Midlands, no doubt. Mike Read's intro is true enough in the facts but does he know this new one is about teenage pregnancy? Incredibly he didn't get it banned from either radio or tv although this showing of the promo film cuts off before the final "..try wearing a CAP!", and no Mike, not one to keep the rain off.
Barbara Dickson - Caravan Song
Well after that injection of new youth music it's back down to earth and into the studio with a yawnsome ballad written by "the very talented Mike Batt", yes the one who wrote The Wombles songs. Not sure what this is doing here as the song didn't even make the Top 40. Batt obviously has friends in high places, including Mike Read singing his praises in a bubble above the studio.
Matchbox - Buzz Buzz a Diddle It
More nostalgia of the 1950s variety from an oddball rock n roll no sorry, rockabilly outfit who had even stole Dr Hook's maracas for this one. They'd done quite well with their previous song, the aptly named Rockabilly Rebel, although this one would do less well. A bit daft but at least Mike Read gets the horn.
Sheila & B. Devotion - Spacer
Again, a bit of a mystery why this one is on again as it was 'a non-mover at no. 20' as they used to say. Presumably to modernise things up a bit after the nostalgia acts, and get the dads interested again as Legs were on pretty early. Same promo-video as last time, featuring an amazing number of phallic symbols. Mike?
The Regents - 7 Teen
'New wave' novelty group of the week although they were no doubt taking it all very seriously. I can't seem to find out much about them so I'll be scouring Smash Hits to see if they were ever featured. The female backing vocalists remind me of the girls in The Human League who would in fact only materialise a year later. Hang on, Mike - are they singing about an under-age female doing..things?
Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
Second week at number 1 indeed and a new studio performance even though Chrissie Hynde still hasn't found a decent hairdresser and thank goodness for that! It must have been chilly in those studios cos she's wearing a jumper and a jacket and a scarf around her neck and a pair of gloves. This really was a good tune; 'tis a pity it's the last we'll hear of it on the Pops.
Kool & the Gang - Too Hot
Oh no, it can't be that chilly or at least Kool and his lot don't think it is. Another smooooth run-out this week, and unless you want to go and get some more of Mike Read 'on the wireless' (sic.) it's either Wildlife on One next or the rather more entertaining It's Patently Obvious over on Two.
See you next week...
Full chart here
For video clips see lee nichols' channel
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