TOTP 80.14 03/04/1980

Introduced by Kid Jensen
BBCFour repeat here
Chart here.
Full show on youtube here.

Cheeky! Kid Jensen excercises his eyeballs (see Legs & Co.)

Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
The Priest were up ten places after last week's appearance so get the chart rundown slot.  Indeed many of the acts on last week benefit from last week's show (except for John Foxx and The Dooleys, both non-movers), especially Genesis, The Brothers Johnson and Secret Affair although it's those creepy Dr. Hook who storm into the Top 10, beating even Madness with their new one. The Top 5 is still pretty much distributed between the usual handful of artistes although The Vapors are on their way down and Liquid Gold dangerously close to the top spot.

Madness - Nightboat to Cairo
And indeed here are the nutty boys from Camden appropriately dressed for this Egyptian pastiche straight in at no. 14. It was actually the lead track from their Work Rest and Play EP, a compliment to their debut album One Step Beyond (which featured 'Cairo') and a stop-gap prior to their new album in the making.

Barbara Dickson - January February
Here's Babs again with one of her best known numbers, doing very nicely thank you at no. 12. In April.

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno
Their debut effort didn't do so well chartwise, despite a rousing TOTP performance, although by now word had obviously got round that this lot were a bit good and Geno would become one of those new wave/eighties anthems still renowned to this day. Still bubbling inder the Top 30 but destined to do a lot better. A lot better indeed.

Pretenders - Talk of the Town
Another much anticipated new single after their surprise No. 1 success earlier in the year. Here the lads 'n' lass appear in a Blondie-esque promo-video (for 'tis surely captured on new-fangled videotape rather than film) on an eye-dazzling set. Very Kenny Everett-ish in a way, which is probably what it was made for rather than drab old TOTP. Great track by the way.

Leon Hayward - Don't Push It Don't Force It.
Kid invites us to exercise our eyeballs on this one and sound advice indeed as this week Legs & Co. really are rather phwaor. (Male chauvinist mode on, note the flash of bum in the opening seconds) The skimpy night dress things remind one of Kim Basinger's favourite kitchen get-up in a future 9½ Weeks, and the girls here really show us how silly animal/workman/ballet costumes often get in the way of the enjoyment. So don't force it, keep in simple girls, keep it simple. (Male chauvinist mode off).

UB40 - Food for Thought
This was by now blaring out of the nation's radio sets morning, noon and night as is reflected in its formidable no. 10 spot. Ironically, in a few years, they will not only be appearing on the same show as Chrissie Hynde (albeit virtually) but on the same song even.

The Selecter - Missing Words
Yet another eagerly anticipated follow-up single from these 2-Toners who as usual give an energetic delivery with lost of jumping around on the wobbly TOTP stage. Discrete success for this one although their chart performance was decreasing with each release.

B.A. Robertson - Kool in the Kaftan
Slow chart progress for this Scotsman who seems even more irksome than last time. This kind of 'comedy' single seems to have aged even more poorly than, say, Captain Beaky. Love and peace, man.

The Lambrettas - Poison Ivy
More jerking and jumping about à la Selecter which is quite a relief after "B.A.". The Lambrettas had gone Top 10 with this cover version, although this is as high as they got with it. No matter. They'll be back again soon, I'll wager.

Prima Donna - Love Enough For Two
Well it's April and so it's Eurovision Song Contest time and this is the UK's 1980 entry folks. A fairly banal affair although to their credit it got to third place with cent et six points, pipped to the top spot by Ireland's Johnny Logan (more of him later). The German entry came second, although that year I was of course rooting for synth-poppers Telex from Belgium who naturally came third last.

The Jam - Going Undergound
But enough of this soppy Eurovision malarkey! Let's get back to real English music wot ver kids are interested in. Yes, Weller & Co. hold out at no. 1 for a third week. After which it may have seemed as though The Jam had their moment of glory, but it ain't over yet!

Doctor Hook - Sexy Eyes (play-out)
Thank you Mr Kid Jensen for an ace show by the way - pity we had to end with this but, sadly, it was doing rather well.

See you next week!

TOTP 80.3 17/01/1980

Repeat showing: 29.01.2015

pic: @DamoIRL

Presented this week by the rather more irksome Simon Bates (turn that collar down man!), and a show which must hold the record for the highest number of non-chart or low-placed songs. Most of the big movers had already been featured last week (KC, Nolans, Dollar), while other high climbers were now falling in the post-Xmas lull. Plenty of room then for some new sounds. Let's get cracking:

Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown (chart rundown)
In at no. 26, the title track from the eponymous album which had been released almost a year earlier. Wiki informs that it was released as single in conjunction with the Bee Gees Greatest album which had come out before Christmas, and furthermore was the last Top 40 hit the band had in the UK for almost eight years. I can believe that.

New Musik - Living By Numbers
And new music it was indeed, brought to you by Tony Mansfield and his band. Peter Powell had announced "the sound of the eighties" two weeks ago although perhaps this really was the first hint of the new electronic-based pop music we would soon be seeing the likes of in the new decade. A spritely sing-along tune with a catchy synth-riff, electronic snare drum sound, but backed with skin-and-bone drummer and guitars. Still outside the charts at this point, it would become their biggest hit.

Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again
Here we go again. This hadn't been on last week so it was one of the few high-flyers who were on this week. Justifiably so as it was already at no. 2.

Sad Café - Strange Girl
Another non-charter by 'a band from Manchester' although a far cry from fellow citizens Joy Division and Buzzcocks. The song is actually a bit pervy: "Little girl who lives down the lane...".. eh? Their previous single Every Day Hurts had been a hit although this one failed to make the Top 30. "Sad" on many levels.

Sister Sledge  - I've Got to Love Somebody
More sadness here too I'm afraid which is a shame as their 1979 hits (look 'em up) have become disco classics. Seeing this rather shabolic studio performance makes you realise we were at the fag end of the genre however, and probably just as well.

Madness - My Girl
It would seem that there's always room for Madness in the 1980's TOTP line-up and this studio performance repeat makes them the most featured band and song to date, making it onto the playlist for three weeks running. The nutty boys from Camden had at this point made it to no. 4.

Positive Force - We've Got the Funk
Back to disco again, more's the pity, with this number which was just on the threshold of the Top 30. Signed to the Sugarhill label, these "two young ladies" (sic.) had made a contribution to the Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight hit, also in the charts. Despite getting the studio audience animated, this TOTP performance did little to help their no. 32 chart position

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Dance Stance 
I'm sure there's a wonderful story about how Dexy's ("some people from Birmingham") first got onto TOTP without yet being in the charts, although I have failed to find anything along those lines. But it's a significant debut nonetheless, and good to know that TOTP producers still kept their eye on the 'alternative' scene. Dance Stance only made it to aplatry no. 40, although they'd do better next time.

Doctor Hook - Better Love Next Time
From the sublime to the ridiculous. TOTP couldn't keep this 'alternative' nonsense up for too long though and it's back to repeat showing of this frankly embarassing maracas-shaking performance. The song had shot up to 14 from no. 13. Groan.

Amii Stewart - Paradise Girl
Here's an interesting one. Although better known for her disco hits Knock on Wood and Light My Fire, Amii tones things down a bit (although not in the costume dept.9 with this little number, which sadly time seems to have forgotten. Artificial tweets aside, the song highlights Ms. Stewarts vocal talents with a live performance. The song scrpaed into the Top 40 the following week, deserved to do better.

Styx - Babe
Judging by the promo-film this hairy lot were obviously already hugely popular in 'the States'. Thankfully, this would be their only UK hit.

Booker T. - Green Onions 
Bates' appreciation of 'little dresses' and sexist nuance towards Legs & Co. was embarassing enough at the time, so now it all seems just so wrong. However, the in-house dance troupe do indeed seem to have modelled their mises on Thereza Bazar's fetching number from last week in order to showcase the vintage ska-esque number of the moment. Impeccable as ever, perhaps it would have been even more effective if they'd filmed it in black and white.

Rupert Holmes - Pina Colada Song
Another low placed number is given the prime prior-to-the-number-one spot. And just because this is number 1 in 'the States' it also has to be inflicted upon us. The raised platform / spiral staircase is put to full use for this dreary anti-health food song. Actually called 'Escape' (but who really cares?), it would hang around the charts for an unhealthy seven weeks.

Pretenders - Brass in Pocket 

pic: Like Punk Never Happened

New Number 1! No more Pink Floyd! Hurrah! The combined efforts of (The) Pretenders, Madness, KC and Preton/Syreeta had brushed away the cobwebs from the post-Christmas lull knocking The Floyd, Abba and, yes, Fidler's Dram down a few notches. A repeat studio performance for the Herefordians plus one in their moment of glory, but no-one's complaining. Although not strictly UK home-grown, Chrissie Hynde was "our" Debbie Harry for a bit. You can't get more English than 'brass' in the sense of 'money' though. Said Hynde of her lyrics (in Smash Hits). "I don't want to tell you what they're about because what they're about is what they sound like to you". Whatever you say, miss.


Jon & Vangelis - I Hear You Now (closing credits)
More early-electronica sublimeness from the edges of the Top 30 and it makes for nice closing music with those very special TOTP lens/lights effects. Fun fact: Vangelis (né Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) auditioned for (Jon) Anderson's band Yes in 1974, but was turned down.

See you next week.

Full chart here: Offical Chart Company