TOTP 80.41 11/12/80

First broadcast: 11th December 1980
Repeated on BBCFour from: 03/12/2015
Presented by: Richard Skinner
Full chart here

It's Richard Skinner's first presentation spot proper and for the occasion he's turned up looking like a Maths teacher who's mis-calculated the right amount of shampoo and conditioner in direct geometrical proportion to his hair. Apparently "we're celebrating Christmas a little early" tonight although there's not a sprig of tinsel in sight. But that's a cunning Radio 1 DJ style reference to the opening background song though, so full marks there Mr. Skinner.

Quick preview and a very masculine orientated Pops on the face of it - like the tinsel, there's not a female artist in sight!

Adam & the Ants - Antmusic
Adam and his jolly companions nearly did a 'Sheena Easton' last week by having two songs in the charts (ie. Top 30) at the same time. However that accolade still remains with our Sheene as this one was at no. 31 while Dog Eat Dog was on its way down. We believe the 80s - with the 'Ant Invasion' have well and truly started now however with this stomper stomping up to no. 16.

Showaddywaddy - Blue Moon
Ah yes, Skinner really must be a Maths teacher as he tells us that if you double 16 you get 32... But oh dear. The Pops still insist on hanging onto the past and subtracting 10 years from the 80s with a 70s band doing a 50s song, and very badly too. This one was outside the Top 30 when it was last on two weeks ago and unsurprisingly it's still outside the Top 30, and inexplicably on again. Definitely a case of having friends in high places (or perhaps someone made a wrong prediction thinking it would shoot up the charts for some reason?). Hopefully this is definitely the very last we will see of them.

Surprise! Here's a guest from The Other Side of the Atlantic! Waoah! It's Jermaine Jackson! And it's his birthday! Surprise! Cake! Applause! And a surprise! Jermaine's not a Madness fan!

Madness - Embarassment
Stable this week at 4 and they're in the studio. And very smart and well behaved they are too this time. Perhaps somebody had 'had a word'? Full marks to Suggs for starting the mimed vocals on cue.

Skinner then gives first tragic announcement of the show: no Legs & Co!!!!! So we're "legless". Geddit?

Status Quo - Lies
Anyway this lot don't give a toss and they're quite happy to tell us how much they're drinking an' smoking in this next catchy number. Sales of Quo's latest album Just Supposin' were lagging a bit so they decided to put out a double A side single with two tracks from said long player. Unbeknownst to most Lies/Don't Drive My Car  has been creeping up the charts for the past six weeks or so although the Quo obviously hadn't been able to make it to the studio but have finally made a promo film instead.

First mention of The Death of John Lennon, but hey who cares?! It's Christmas and Dire Straits and Jon Anderson are on tour! And another surprise: it's Gary Numan! He ain't bovvered about touring no more though cos he wants to learn to fly. Skinner's "interview" is a rushed affair though and sadly we don't get to hear what Gary thinks about Matchbox.

Matchbox - Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Also eager for a decent follow-up to their previous hits, latter-day rockabillies Matchbox hit the nostalgia button once more with this pointless cover version of the famed Judy Garland song. A subtle stab at the Christmas market perhaps (given that there would no doubt have been a repeat of said movie over the Xmas hols), but this is by and large pretty embarrassing. Interesting to see 'lighters' (and not proper matches - geddit?) swaying among the audience as I thought that was a much more recent phenomenon. Or did The Pops invent it?

The Police - De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da 
Talking of follow-ups, The Police follow up their no. 1 single about teenage lust for teacher with a song about...well, nothing. Their eloquence has obviously escaped them so they're happy just to arse about in the snow in a kind of millionaire-holiday mix between The Beatles and Madness. The Police go nutty-boys, and Sting's big thing keeps getting in the way. It's all very weird here in 1980-land folks..

And if Skinner says "Talking of..." to link two things together again I'll scream. It's highly contagious.
And talking of the charts... Here's 30-20.

Queen - Flash
And talking of no. 20, here's Queen. They've gone and done a bit of film-score for this new retro-scifi movie based on the classic "Flash Gordon" series. Very exciting it is too! "We only have 14 hours to save the earth!" Classic!

Talking of the charts .. 19-10.

The Stray Cats - Runaway Boys
Now up to no. 10, and as we've said before the Stray Cats may well have been another nostalgic rockabilly band but (talking of Flash Gordon), there's literally light years between these guys and, say, Matchbox and that other lot. Good luck to 'em.

"And talking of numbers.." 9-1......( he actually said that) STOP IT!! It's St Winifred's School Clone-Choir coming up dangerously at no. 2, but..

Abba - Super Trouper
They're still where you think they always have been for the past six years or so, and indeed sad to think this is for the last time ever at the top of the singles charts at least. Oh well at least we get to see some lovely laydees .. Oh and surprise surprise again...it's the closing titles over the no. 1! Since when??!?!?

Oh it's probably because of this.....

John Lennon - Imagine (live) [Lennon obit.]
Skinner actually manages to get through this without saying 'talking of..' which is just as well as the moment really is terribly sombre and quite rightly, and tastefully, placed just outside the usual Pops schedule. As an obit we're shown a very modern looking Lennon in red jump suit with acoustic guitar bashing out a version of Imagine, a song which to this day only he can sing properly. Not quite how we collectively remember Lennon perhaps, and the Beeb apparently had to apologise for showing this particular clip as his assassin Mark Chapman was actually in the audience of that occasion, but we'll have plenty of chances to see other video clips in the weeks to come. All very sad, and even sadder that to this very day his anthem is still being pulled out and chanted in these troubled times of mindless violence. Sorry John, the world still ain't living as one...

It may have been fitting to finish 1980 just here, but we've still one more repeated TOTP80 to go, but sadly no Christmas edition. Good night.

TOTP 80.39 27/11/80

First broadcast 27/11/80
Repeated on BBCFour from 19/11/2015
Presented by Tommy Vance
Full chart here.

Given the large amounts of heavy metal that are still hanging around they obviously thought it was time to get Vance on again. Sadly for him though (and lucky for us) there isn't very much of it at all on this week's Pops, although Tommy puts on a very brave face despite all this.

L to R: Soul boy, Vance, Anna-Marie

Starting with...quick preview (Spans, Palmer, Madness)

Showaddywaddy - Blue Moon
Vance spends an awful lot of time telling us how many hundred times this song has been done before, then we get The 'Waddy doing it exactly has it has been done a hundred times previously. Their manager/record company must have had a lot of friends in high places as a) their last song was rubbish and failed miserably b) this was only at no. 50 c) this was another rubbish version and failed miserably.

UB40 - Dream a Lie
As Vance so knowingly tells us, this was a double 'A' side with the doom-laden The Earth Dies Screaming, so here's a bit of light relief with the '40 posing as, er, Black and White Minstrels. I'm surprised this one actually got through in these politically and racially correct times, but some of the band were black and made to look white, so that makes it OK.

UB40: politically correct

Surprise visit from Darryl Hall and John Oates all the way from Philedelphia or somewhere, and they evidently have something to plug. Ah yes, Kiss On Your List which actually got nowhere near the Pops studio.

Robert Palmer - Looking For Clues

Looking like somewhere between Bryan Ferry and Gary Numan (with whom he had connections), Palmer is another one of those artists who skilfully and tastefully managed to re-invent themselves and their music to the eighties. That said, his previous single - the very eighties sounding Johnny & Mary - hadn't managed to get onto the Pops but this time he gets some good exposure as a bubbling under, and is all set to spend a record number of weeks at no..........33. And the "You had one job" award this week goes to the xylophone "player".

Yet another 'surprise' guest: Bev Bevan, who, as everyone in 1980 knew, was the drummer in ELO. Actually he's just written a book all about being the drummer in ELO. OK so now you're here Bev you can introduce the next number. By ELO.

ELO - Don't Walk Away (Legs & Co.)

And months after its original release they're still milking the Xanadu - The album cow for all it's worth with yet another single from said opus. More like flogging a dead horse though, as this one failed to get into the Top 20 and Olivia n Cliff were already on their way down just a place behind the 'Orchs with Suddenly. Fairly run of the mill Legs "dance" routine for one of Jeff Lynne's drearier ballads. In fact there's not much dancing at all, but predictably quite a lot of...walking away.

Rundown 30-21

Stray Cats - Runaway Boys

In retrospect, given his abysmal attempt to have a hit earlier in the year, Dave Edmunds probably did right to put his solo "career" on hold for a while to produce this lot. On the face of it, it's the same old repurposed rock 'n' roll stuff which had been rocking all over the world since our Dads were young, but this time with a slightly more credible 'modern' edge to them than, say, Matchbox or Showaddywaddy. Not quite Adam and the Ants or Spandau Ballet, but "eighties" defining nonetheless.

Stray Cats: 80s quiffs ahoy

20-11 rundown.

Spandau Ballet - To Cut a Long Story Short

"..in sound and vision.." says Vance - well yes Tommy that's what telly is supposed to be. Anyway the Spans are obviously already too busy touring or playing London clubs or something to come on again so here's a repeat of the performance form two weeks back. Now at no. 11.

More surprises, and more Americans...Martha and Marty of The Motels telling us what sort of Music The Motels Make. Now on a three week long short tour, making it the longest short tour ever. Just for the record, The Motels had two Top 50 (ie. not Top 40) singles in the UK.

Madness - Embarrassment

Well after that very embarrassing interview, here's some proper English hit music with Madness and their new one now at no. 12 up from 31. Great song, great band, great video and indeed a great year for them. They should be playing on top of Buckingham Palace or something.

Top 10 rundown .. .and it's a new number one!

Abba - Super Trouper

Abba Angels

But it's a full fifteen seconds before Vance can actually announce it cos of Agnetha and Annifried's angelic sung intro. Yup, the nation's favourite Swedes were at the top spot again (for the ninth time, thanks for that Tommy). Sad to think they never made it a tenth time and that it won't be long before they all get "sick and tired of everything" for real. But let's enjoy this for now. And it's their ninth numb.... oh shut up Vance!

A man maneuvering a super-trouper

Young & Company - I Like What You're Doing
Nondescript disco number to play us out as we bid adieu to Tommy and all his guests.


See you next week as we race towards December!

TOTP 80.33 16/10/80

First broadcast 16/10/80
BBCFour repeat first shown 22/10/15
Presented by Tommy Vance
Full chart here.

FULL REPORT PENDING !!!

Madness - Baggy Trousers

Showaddywaddy - Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts

Barbara Streisand - Woman in Love

Adam & the Ants - Dog Eat Dog

George Benson - Love x Love

Matchbox - When You Ask About Love

Bad Manners - Special Brew

The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me

Ottowan - D.I.S.C.O.

TOTP 80.31 02/10/80

First broadcast 02/10/80
Not repeated by BBCFour in 2015.
Presented by Dave Lee Travis
Full chart here.

Not repeated due to DLT presenterage. Despite having paid him good (taxpayers') money for 25 years, the BBC now deem him unfit for broadcasting, even in a historical context. One wonders if they still have it in for him after his on-air resignation in 1993, but there you go. Anyway thanks to those nice people at Popscene and Turn It on Again/TOTP 1980 here's a brief description of what came up on this particular show, with a few comments.

Show preview in (three) videos is preceded by a lengthy rambling about a special car and a motor show or some such. But on with the show.

Gillan - Trouble
Highest chart entry at 22 and it's back to the heavy-metal 'head banging' genre, even without Tommy Vance at the helm. As DLT duly informs us this is a cover version of an Elvis Presley song (from 1958), and pretty dismal it is too. This might as well be 1973. I'm no expert but he sounds like the bloke from Deep Purple to me.

..a lot more rambling on about that stupid car then..

Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster (video inter-spliced with studio dancing)
At no. 2 and the first of a string of hits by Wonder over the next few months or so. It'll be 'Happy Birthday' within a year so we should be grateful for this.

Matchbox - When You Ask About Love
Their follow up to....the previous one, and more 50s-nostalgia nonsense. Now at no. 38, this did surprisingly well although thankfully has since fell into the depths of oblivion.

Thin Lizzy - Killer on the Loose (video)
Not sure if Lynott is warning us against the killer or actually saying he is the killer given all his aggressive posing, snarling and finger wagging. Anyway having abandoned his solo "career" he's on his way to the Top 10 (for the last time) wiv Ver Lizzy.

Change - Searching (Legs & Co.)
We had a quick preview of this one in the credits run-out last week, and a classy bit of soul-funk it has turned out to be too. Legs give it their all, dressed as French maids (what else?) but you'll have to do some "searching" (geddit?) around for that for yourselves. Up to their no. 11 peak.

30-20 rundown. Good to see Lynx at 23.

Odyssey - If You're Looking For a Way Out (video)
Better have some more disco music then. Oh no..it's a slow one! This is the follow up to their unforgettable no. 1 of a few months back (the title of which escapes me) and will likewise go top 10, staying Top 40 for 12 weeks. And we haven't even seen the back of them yet.

The Charts (sic.) 19-11

Madness - Baggy Trousers
Well they've certainly kept the best til last and I can imagine that a large part of the viewing public had been eagerly awaiting this "nutty" studio performance (we only had the video last time).  Up to no. 4, which is a gross injustice innit. Love Suggs' stop/start 'dancing' and all that arsing about. At least it meant max. audience participation, something which was still largely lacking on The Pops.

Top 9 rundown, including The Giant Sombrero. Then DLT kisses two young girls on the lips while handing out free LPs. 

The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me (video)
Summers/Copeland/Sumner continue their run at the top. One wonders whether there could've been some kind of Madness vs. The Police rivalry competition if this chart had been some years into the future when record companies and such liked to play up such things (hello Oasis and Blur).


Bob Marley & Wailers -  Three Little Birds (credits)
The band had just completed their massive Uprising World Tour even though Marley was already very ill. But he didn't worry 'bout a ting.


Tune in Thursday 08/10/15 for the 09/10/80 show.

TOTP 80.29 18/09/80

Full chart here

Presented by Simon Bates and Olivia Newton-John (phwoar).

and what's so funny about my nose then?

Well not sure what "small problems" The Pops were (still) having, but it seems to mean that we have Simes and Olivia in a studio with just one cameraman with some repeated footage and promo videos edited in, and no Legs & Co.!. Which all makes for a very dull show and not very 'eighties' at all. Not to mention Bates wearing the worst jacket/suit/tie combo ever worn on the telly. Ever.

Somewhat wearily, we press on...

XTC - Generals and Majors
Fortunately this new single from The Partridge Boys had one of those new-fangled promo-videos (films) to go with it, so at least we get the novelty opener albeit in a new format. Virgin were wont to pumping a lot of funds into XTC, as can be seen from their often extravagant (ie. expensive) singles sleeves (picture sleeves, fold-outs, free games..the lot). As Symes rightly points out there was even a special documentary made about the band making their new album ("Black Sea"). I remember it being particularly interesting seeing how they got that clanging sound in Towers of London. Again a very expensive way to launch a new single, but Branson was paying so who cares. Somewhat undeservedly this failed to make the Top 30. Keep trying guys.

Randy Crawford - One Day I'll Fly Away
Repeat of a previous performance but emotional, nonetheless. Randy had also beat Elvis (Presley) to the no. 2 spot, so extra kudos to her.

Stevie Wonder - Masterblaster (Jammin')
Where did this come from? Wonder has seen his way (ehem) to no. 4 already with his first hit of the 80s and indeed for quite a long time. Nice summer hit, even though it's already September and raining.

Sheena Easton - Modern Girl
Here she is again .. I've lost count of how many times our Sheen's been on but she's now at her peak of no. 8 and we won't be seeing her again for a bit. But credit where credit's due - she's probably about the most 'eighties' thing about the show. I hadn't seen this before but there's a classic Pops moment when Sheens gets camera-bombed by a po-go-ing punk in the audience!

Sheena....

...bombing!

Nick Straker Band - A Walk in the Park
This was stuck at no. 20 (and continued so for another week) but we're a bit short of material so Nick and pals get a re-run before falling into oblivion. Did Simes just say he's "hanging on for grim death"? Pwahahahahaa.

Just to liven things up a bit here's Bill Gates, er no sorry, Jonathan King with a not-so-subtle advert for the Rubrik's cube:

separated at birth

Madness - Baggy Trousers
They're back: the band that kicked off the 80s Pops are with us again with some new material. They haven't lost they're 'nutty' edge (yet) with this one, their response to Another Brick in the Wall, since it's a more light-hearted throwback to school days and (no) edu-cayshun. A taste of their forthcoming album Absoloutely.

..and another guest! It's Wonder Woman! In a Chinese jacket!

Billy Joel - It's Still Rock n Roll To Me
Enough of Camden Town already, let's go Stateside. Another non-mover at no. 14 and it didn't get much higher, although another step towards Joel's Uptown Girl god-like status.

Kelly Marie - Feels Like I'm in Love
Phew, it's no. 1 already and here's Kells to put us all out of our agony, even though Simes seems to have enjoyed all the attention, possibly because that's what being a DJ is all about.

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust
Hasn't this been a playout one before? Queen may have updated their sound (a bit) but obviously still hadn't caught on to the new-fangled video malarkey. These 70s dinosaurs will never last.


Hey ho, another show over. The BBCOne site rather dourly tells us that there are "no upcoming debut broadcasts" ..debut?....as BBCFour makes way for The Posh Proms (c) which is possibly just as well as we all need a break.

See you some time in the future, by which time The Pops will have sorted out its "small problems". We hope.

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 80.5 31/01/1980

Repeat shown on BBCFour  from: 12.02.2015

Hello everyone: a bit late with the Pops commentary this week, due to a strange mix of mourning Steve Strange and Valentine's Day celebrations. But here we are with the last TOTP of January '80, and it's Dave 'Kid' Jensen's turn again, this time with a 'sensible' jacket (as worn by Simon Bates) with short collar worn in a definite seventies style. What happened to the eighties, Kid?

The Selecter - Three Minute Hero (chart run-down)
Not sure if the 'colourful' chart run-down quip refers to the garish (eighties?) colour scheme used in the graphics or indeed The Selecter themselves, whose new song is in at no. 29. Thirty-second heroes only this week though I'm afraid.

The Revillos - Motor Bike Beat
OK, here's the 'novelty' one to get the ball rolling, with yet more 'colorful' on-stage japes by Edinburgh post-punks Revillos, previously known as (the) Rezillos who'd had a hit single ironically entitled "Top of the Pops". Confused? Well so is this performance which seems to have numerous band members jumping around all over the place, even finding space for a, er, motor-bike of course.

Kenny Rogers - Coward of the County
Oh dear. This really was the sorry state of American music at the moment, but one which of course was still finding its way over here too, probably receiving ueber-playing by Radio 2 'disc-jockeys' throughout the day. Now we know what Father Christmas does when he's not being Father Christmas. Like Margaret Thatcher, this was already at no. 10.

Azymuth - Jazz Carnival 
Oh dear (2). Lithe young women dressed in tight fitting animal 'costumes', locked in cages. Hmm. What's worse, they've got 'Kid' donning an explorer's type hard-hat in order to give us a David Attenborough-like description of each 'animal'. Quite what this has to do with a "jazz carnival" is somewhat beyond us. The dance routine is equally as embarrassing. Better move one

John Foxx - Underpass
From the ridiculous to the sublime. It's hard for me to give any kind of objective description of John Foxx's (né Dennis Leigh) first TOTP appearance as it was one of those jaw-dropping, life-changing moments that would change me, and my tastes in music, forever. This was Foxx's first solo single, and indeed the first all-out electronic track, even though as Kid rightly points out he'd been dabbling for the genre for some time. TOTP cameras must have been a bit lost here as there's no drum kit, no guitars to (wrongly) zoom in on at opportune moments: even Gary Numan had brought along a drummer and a bass guitarist. Foxx was accused of imitating Numan, which is ironic as it was Foxx with his former band Ultravox! who had inspired a young Gary to make his own music in the first place. However, unlike Numan, Foxx failed to hit the number 1 spot with this fabulously gloomy track about "standing in the dark", "lifting the receiver", "world war-something" and so on, done solely with synthesisers and drum machines. But history has proved him right and this song and parent album Metamatic have since been revered, revisited and re-purposed in the new world of electronica. Click, click, drone...


Madness - My Girl
But enough gloom and doom! Let's get the Nutty Boys back in again, albeit in the third showing of this eighties-opening studio performance of almost a month ago, making Madness and indeed this performance the most featured to date. They were stable at no. 3.


The Shadows - Riders in the Sky
Oh dear (3). After John Foxx's static synths, the cameramen must have been glad to have had some guitars and a drum-kit to zoom in on at last, although this time no lead-singer, and so we have to make do with Hank Marvin's unique facial gestures for entertainment. To their credit these guys had been having hits since before The Beatles even knew how to play chords, although with this one you get the feeling their time was already up, notwithstanding the inclusion of four (count 'em) disco-effect syndrums to the drum kit. Next!


Rupert Holmes - Escape (Pina Colada Song)
Oh no, it's this again, and to add to the boredom it's a repeat from a couple of weeks ago. Somebody had obviously decided this needed some kind of 'boost' as it was already flailing as a non-mover at no. 27. Somehow this showing managed to get him and his bloomin' pina colada up a few more places.


Ramones - Baby I Love You 
Ooo! Who's this? Ramones? Aren't they American punk-rockers? But is this The Ramones who 'spearheaded' (sic.) punk in the USA from about 1976 onwards? But what's this? Doing a sloppy love song with the TOTP in-house orchestra (average age 60)? It's all very confusing but then again The Ramones never were going to do things normally. They would in fact wipe the board with this one and get to Top 10.


Jon & Vangelis - I Hear You Now
Better tone things down a bit and get one of those new fangled 'videos' in, with loads of special effects in to keep folks interested. I always really liked this song but the video is a tad embarrassing (perhaps even more than Legs' animal thing) and ages it terribly, as in fact most videos are wont to do. Hovering around the lower reaches of the Top 20, the record buying public heard them and gave Jon & Vang a wee boost.


Billy Ocean - Are You Ready
Um, for what exactly? Billy was already a household name, having had a few hits in the late seventies (including the ambivalent Red Light Spells Danger) although despite this one sounding a bit like what one Michael Jackson would be doing a couple of years hence, it bombed. Ocean would do better in the wide shoulder pad years.


New Musik - Living by Numbers
More, er, new (wave) music even though it's another repeat from a couple of weeks ago when they opened the show as the 'novelty' act. Speaking of numbers they'd now reached no. 20 and this repeat showing would edge them a little closer to the Top 10. (I've since checked out their album From A to Z which is/was actually quite good).


Keith Mitchell - Captain Beaky and his Band
In which bespoke Shakespearean actor recites children's poetry about animals over spritely orchestral musical arrangements whilst wearing 'sailor' cap and outfit. And gets to no. 5 in the charts. This could only happen in England, and it did. We have people Tony Blackburn and Noel Edmonds to thank for this.

Before the no. 1, 'Kid' introduces us to new boy Steve Wright who is obviously very shy, if rather more 'trendily' dressed, and gets to introduce....

The Specials - Too Much Too Young
And it's a new number 1, shooting up from last week's no. 15 whence it had already appeared from nowhere. Again, it's the live filmed footage as shown last week, although there's some logic to that as it was the lead track of a live EP, featuring four other songs (if we split the 'Skinhead Symphony' into its three respective parts). Despite the subject matter it didn't get banned, although I've a feeling that that final 'try wearing a CAP!' as well as being cut off again on TOTP, suffered a similar fate during what prime time radio play it would have received. Fun fact: first live track to get to no. 1 in the UK since Chuck Berry's My Ding-a-Ling.

Queen - Save Me (play-out)
After the smash hit Crazy Little Thing Called Love expectations were high, and this Brian May-penned number would do them well.

See you next week for the first February '80 Pops! Remember to get your TOTP80 selected video clippage here.

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

TOTP 80.2 10/01/1980

Repeat showing: from 22.01.2015 

pic: @sotc80s 

"Kid" Jensen's first presenting appearance of the eighties. Again, one of Radio 1's better DJ's at the time. His Canadian accent may have irritated many, yet his championing of many interesting 'new-wave' acts more than justified his presence at the Beeb.  OK then....

Madness - My Girl (chart rundown)
After last week's debut and prestigious 'first band on' spot, Madness stormed into the charts at no. 14, and so obviously deserved the no less prestigious chart-rundown backing music spot.

UFO - Young Blood
And this week's prestigious first band on spot goes to....UFO! Who? Predominantly a seventies 'heavy metal' album and live group, they attempted to re-invent themselves in 1979 with a change of lead guitarist and the George Martin produced LP No Place to Run. The poor Young Blood single would scrape into the Top 40 after this dire performance which wreaks of 1970s 'c*ck-rock' posing. Brightly coloured 'eighties' clothes do not a modern band make.

Abba - I Have a Dream
Back among the big guys now with mega-stars Abba giving Pink Floyd a run for their money with this sentimental track from their super-selling disco-orientated Voulez-Vous album. Much like Floyd's single, Abba's song also feature a children's choir, albeit expressing a rather different sentiment. The clever thing about this song was that it sounded Christmassy without actually being about Christmas, therefore giving it lasting power long after the last turkey scraps had been thrown out. That said, it dropped down the charts the following week.

(The BBC programme website lists Rose Royce - Is It Love You're After here but it was not featured on this repeat showing).

Joe Jackson - It's Different For Girls
Back onto the British new-wave groove now with this new-croon number from Joe Jackson and his merry men. Jackson had already enjoyed chart success in 1979 with Is She Really Going Out With Him (a re-issue from the previous year), and this was a worthy successor taken from the I'm The Man album. The interim single release of said album's title track had failed to chart.

Sheila B. Devotion - Spacer
A rare trip to the Continent now with sexy Sheila (née Annie Chancel) & B Devotion (supposedly the group) and their sci-fi disco hit. It was a tardy follow up to 1978's euro-kitsch version of Singin' in the Rain, but the Nile/Rodger's (Chic) production team had given them a kick up the derrière, ensuring steady progress up the charts and into the annals of Euro-disco. Sheila and pals give Legs & Co. a few hi-tech ideas with some flashy silver jumpsuits, 'spacey' visual effects and some strategically placed laser beams.

The Skids - Working For the Yankee Dollar
Some proper 'new wave' at last! In the crazy world of TOTP the jump from Sheila B's disco posing to Richard Jobson's on-stage "dancing" is but a small one. Dunfermline's finest were no strangers to the charts or indeed to TOTP having already had three hits over the course of 1979. Yankee Dollar had been hovering around the lower end of the Top 30 since early December, so undoubtedly this studio performance was a repeat, but nonetheless enjoyable. From their Bill Nelson-produced album Days in Europa.

KC & The Sunshine Band - Please Don't Go 
Back down to earth with a thud with this wearisome piece of American MOR which had been creeping up the charts for some time, now at no. 7. Made slightly more interesting with this Legs & Co. performance although quite what the ballet-esque costumes and moves have to do with anything is anyone's guess. The song's 'last dance at the disco, possibly with snog' appeal meant it was destined to go even higher. Short interview with 'KC' afterwards, who also gets to introduce...

Dollar - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
I was surprised to see this come up as Dollar's shiny glossy pop surely belongs to 1981 rather than '79 into '80. Full credit to them for being somewhat ahead of their time, and for this tasteful minimalist cover of the Beatles' classic which I'd quite forgotten about. Thereza Bazar's dress is a clever nod to both current ska-style fashion as well as 1960's Beatles-chic. Also noted that Dave 'n' Thereza have the same hair.

The Nolans - I'm in the Mood For Dancing
More home-grown talent in the form of the all singing, all dancing Nolan Sisters (the change of name imposed by Epic Records after signing for them in '79) who would go on to score one of their biggest hits with their version of Brit-disco, with an Irish flavour no doubt favoured by Terry Wogan. TOTP production went all out on this one editing together video of the Nolanettes performing both on the regular stage and on the raised platform, the latter angle also incorporating some male bottoms.

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2) (promo)
Amazingly still at the top spot, with its parent LP also at no. 3 in the album charts. The single sold over one million copies in the space of just over one month. Such popularity even earned them this rather odd centre spread in Smash Hits. This was the last of its five-week's stint at the top, although in March the single would make it to the top state-side for a further four. It would get banned in South Africa later in the year on the grounds that black children were using it to condemn apartheid education in Soweto.
Back on TOTP and it's the promo-film again of course, the opening shot showing London in all its grim and gritty fin-de-seventies glory.

Booker T & The M.G.'s - Green Onions
It was presumably the nation's new-found love of ska music which had led some record company to dig out this old hit from 1962 for the pop-pickers, who now had it creeping back into the Top 30. Even yer Granny could tap her foot to this one.

Enjoy the Circus Championships and I'll see you next week.

Year 2020 edit: The Skids' performance was not a repeat, whereas Dollar's was.

TOTP 80.1 03/01/1980

It's appropriate that the first show of 1980 was introduced by fresh-faced Radio 1 DJ Peter Powell. As a relative youngster (28 at the time) Powell had his roots in the sixties and seventies but also had his finger on the pulse of newer music and would go on to champion many of the new pop acts of the early eighties. But on with the show..

The Clash - London Calling (chart rundown)
The single was stable at no. 29, which may not have put it in good stead in TOTP terms, but it was an appropriate opener to the decade by one of the more commercially successful punk bands and the song which definitely summed up of the mood of the time. It would go on to reach a peak no. 11 position two weeks later. The eponymous album had been released shortly before Christmas 1979 and would become a classic of the genre and the period. As far as I know the Clash never actually went on TOTP.

Madness - My Girl
The first new TOTP performance proper of the eighties, appropriately featuring the large '1980' numbered background. Madness had already become successful with two top 20 singles in the second half of '79 (One Step Beyond reaching  no. 7 in November) and with this instantly likeable new single they could do no wrong.

Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime (promo)
Definitely a festive 'left-over', about as appealing as cold turkey sandwiches on December 28th, but Macca's synthy Christmas single had gone up one place to no. 6, post-Chrimbo. It would plummet the week after despite this last ditch attempt to push it at the January sales.

Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
This is more like it - melodic pop with a 'new-wave' feel and a slinky 'post-punk' female vocalist to go with it! The single had already rocketed up to no. 5 and would indeed go on to do even better.

David Bowie - John I'm Only Dancing (promo)
Correct title: John I'm Only Dancing (Again), this was a 'left-over' form the seventies in more ways than one. Originally released in 1972, the song was remixed and revived apparently in order to up Bowie's sales, after the moderate success of late 70s singles DJ and Boys Keep Swinging, and to cash-in somewhat on the current dance/disco craze (hence its release also as an 'extended version' on 12"). The single was featured here as a promo-film, and did little to up the songs chart success as it would remain stable at no. 12 the week after. But no matter, Bowie would go on to do much greater things later in the year.

( - the BBC programme website list three songs here which were not featured on the repeat broadcast. I'd be interested to know if these were actually featured on the original broadcast.)

Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'
More left-over turkey and, oh dear, it would also seem to be a Christmas song that time forgot. It may have been groundbreaking in its genre but one gets the impression that the UK/TOTP public was hardly ready for it. A non-chart feature, it disappeared without a trace after this showing.

Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again
More music from Motown, or thereabouts, although this ballad would fare much better than the above mentioned rappin'. Released at the end of 1979, it was a new entry at no. 24. Apparently from the soundtrack of the film Fast Break (apparently) although I doubt that had much to do with its success. Like it or not, we'll be hearing a lot more of this in the coming weeks.

Chic - My Feet Keep Dancing (Legs & Co,)
Staying with our American cousins, more disco fodder here, as interpreted by in-house dance troupe Legs & Co. Not Chic's best-known song, and indeed it would be their last UK chart hit of a long run which had begun over two years earlier. A steady climber at no. 21, the song would slowly drop back down the charts, notwithstanding Legs & Co.'s admirable interpretation.

Dr. Hook - Better Love Next Time
As was often the case with the first song featured in each programme's running-list (see My Girl above) the song before the Number 1 was usually a new non-chart song, presumably because maximum audience attention would be at the show's opening and  just before the no. 1 (did people just tune in to see who was no. 1?). Anyway it's more American faux-country 'n' western  MOR this week with Union City's finest sons Dr. Hook (formerly Dr. Hook & The, er, Medicine Show). They had enjoyed a UK No. 1 single just a month earlier with When You're In Love With a Beautiful Woman, and although this follow-up and the subsequent Sexy Eyes would also fare well, their UK chart days were numbered.

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2) (promo)
And so to the this week's Number 1, the first of the eighties. Ironically it was the Floyd who had knocked the above mentioned Dr. Hook off the top spot in the second week of December 1979, continuing to stay there for some time. There's no doubting Another Brick in the Wall's now legendary status, although far from being a standard pop single, this extract from the concept album The Wall remains one of British pop history's most unlikely hits. Presumably it was the "we don't need no edu-cay-shun" chant, inspired, unsurprisingly, by Alice Cooper's School's Out hit, which appealed to many young record buyers across the land. Despite Pink Floyd's 'rock dinosaur' label, if anything it goes to show that it was the British artists (rather than the Americans) who were producing the most interesting and innovative music at the time (see Clash / Madness / Pretenders above).

Rose Royce - Is It Love You're After (closing credits)
As if to prove my last point, it's back to the yawnsome Motown-y ballads to ease us out of the programme. Not time for bed just yet though: White Rock is on next, so we can enjoy the "thrills, skill and immense courage of the (Winter) Olympic heroes".

See you next week.