First shown on BBC 1 on Christmas Day, 1980
Presented by Jimmy Savile and Peter Powell
not repeated by BBCFour in 2015
...so a huge thanks to Manorak for posting the show on vimeo, and thanks - as ever - to Popscene for the running order. Basically it's a 'The Best of [insert year here]' Christmas Day special, with lots of hits to keep everyone awake during the postprandial blow out and before The Queen comes on.
The Nolans - I’m In The Mood For Dancing
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno
Blondie - Atomic
Paul McCartney - Coming Up
Barbara Streisand - Woman in Love
Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy
David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
Marti Webb - Take That Look Off Your Face
(..having trouble with blog-tags so splitting this post into two..)
Showing posts with label Marti Webb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marti Webb. Show all posts
TOTP 80.11 13/03/1980
Shown on BBCFour as from 19.03.2015
Full chart here
Back to some kind of normality this week after all that faffing about with Winter Olympics and Steve Wright is back in charge.
Rush - Spirit of Radio (chart rundown)
Let's face it, any song with 'radio' in the title isn't going to played and played by all witless DJ's, especially of the Radio 1 variety, and sure enough this one proved an improbable hit for American dinosaur band Rush, and was already at no. 23, one of several new entries which also included The Labrettas and Martha & The Muffins who were on last week (apparently).
The Dooleys - Love Patrol
Well after having got rid of The Nolans we're stuck with another Brit family-run group who'd been having hits since 1977, amazingly a whole decade after they'd originally formed. This one was not their best, despite attempting to go 'eighties' with all the colourful lycra, and would indeed be their last Top 30 hit and TOTP appearance.
The Police - So Lonely
This one was getting rather huge so Sting & pals obviously had the pressure on them to get a promo video/film made up, which they duly did so by mucking around on metro trains in Oriental cities, singing down walkie-talkies. Somebody recently wrote that Police promo-videos were mostly them just mucking around in front of a camera, but it worked.
The Detroit Spinners - Working My Way Back to You
Speaking of mucking around, here's Legs &Co.'s weekly contribution where Flick has taken the 'working' metaphor from the title and transformed her girls into, well, workmen complete with striped tent and scaffolding. Only one of them is wearing a hard hat though, which wouldn't get past Health & Safety these days. Highest new entry at no. 20.
The Brothers Johnson - Stomp
Promo-film of what looks like something that came from about 1977. There are loads of 'em too . .are they really all brothers? Who knows.
Secret Affair - My World Today
Who are are actually located underneath Legs' scaffolding/work in progress set-up, and pretty much to their chagrin I can well imagine as it's all dark and dingy and doesn't do any justice to the band or song at all - poorly lit and mostly, er, behind bars. Is this really their world? perhaps they wouldn't want it any other way..
Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy
But from the sublime to the ridiculous. What are they on?
The Vapors - Turning Japanese
A fresh studio performance of this excellent number, and no random 'Japanese' pics this time. And we still don't know what it's about.
Rainbow - All Night Long
Another promo-film repeat but this had already gone huge, so justified.
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House
Gibson Brothers - Cuba
Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
Marti Webb - Take That look Off Your Face
Genesis - Turn It On Again
Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
It's a new number one but how the hell that happened I shall never know. Dull repeat performance of a couple of weeks ago in that tangerine-esque dress. I suppose it's a testament to the variety of the British charts that this kind of thing could outsell Blondie who in turn outsold Kenny Rogers who in turn..etc. It might be nice to have something British at no. 1 though.
Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time (playout)
More dross to play us out, after it had been featured proper last week.
That's all folks. Not long before next Pops!
Full chart here
Back to some kind of normality this week after all that faffing about with Winter Olympics and Steve Wright is back in charge.
Rush - Spirit of Radio (chart rundown)
Let's face it, any song with 'radio' in the title isn't going to played and played by all witless DJ's, especially of the Radio 1 variety, and sure enough this one proved an improbable hit for American dinosaur band Rush, and was already at no. 23, one of several new entries which also included The Labrettas and Martha & The Muffins who were on last week (apparently).
The Dooleys - Love Patrol
Well after having got rid of The Nolans we're stuck with another Brit family-run group who'd been having hits since 1977, amazingly a whole decade after they'd originally formed. This one was not their best, despite attempting to go 'eighties' with all the colourful lycra, and would indeed be their last Top 30 hit and TOTP appearance.
The Police - So Lonely
This one was getting rather huge so Sting & pals obviously had the pressure on them to get a promo video/film made up, which they duly did so by mucking around on metro trains in Oriental cities, singing down walkie-talkies. Somebody recently wrote that Police promo-videos were mostly them just mucking around in front of a camera, but it worked.
The Detroit Spinners - Working My Way Back to You
Speaking of mucking around, here's Legs &Co.'s weekly contribution where Flick has taken the 'working' metaphor from the title and transformed her girls into, well, workmen complete with striped tent and scaffolding. Only one of them is wearing a hard hat though, which wouldn't get past Health & Safety these days. Highest new entry at no. 20.
The Brothers Johnson - Stomp
Promo-film of what looks like something that came from about 1977. There are loads of 'em too . .are they really all brothers? Who knows.
Secret Affair - My World Today
Who are are actually located underneath Legs' scaffolding/work in progress set-up, and pretty much to their chagrin I can well imagine as it's all dark and dingy and doesn't do any justice to the band or song at all - poorly lit and mostly, er, behind bars. Is this really their world? perhaps they wouldn't want it any other way..
Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy
But from the sublime to the ridiculous. What are they on?
The Vapors - Turning Japanese
A fresh studio performance of this excellent number, and no random 'Japanese' pics this time. And we still don't know what it's about.
Rainbow - All Night Long
Another promo-film repeat but this had already gone huge, so justified.
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House
Show highlight: possibly not their first TOTP after Hong Kong Garden a
couple of years back although I doubt they'd been on with intervening Top 30
singles The Staircase Mystery and Playground Twist (correct me if I'm wrong). Siouxsie and pals
on fine form looking anything but happy but then that's post-punk irony for ya.
This then was the start of their household name popularity proper and one which
would last chart-wise for a few years to come. Legends in the making.
Gibson Brothers - Cuba
Well after the euphoria of Happy House even this seems a lot easier to
digest, and in fact seems like an appropriate segue. Much better placed last
week and already up to no. 16. Steve Wright shows off all his DJ knowledge by
repeatedly letting us know it was a re-release but quite frankly Stevie who
gives a f..
Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
It's the promo film again sadly, but you have to be grateful for small
mercies. Like The Police and Rainbow this had become huge, even more so in fact as it was
already at no. 4, and so the Pops people could hardly ignore it.
..and likewise this one which was now stable at no. 3 although 'twas the
end of the road chartwise. Perhaps Marti could've done with freshening it up a bit - this was the third showing for the same performance
Genesis - Turn It On Again
More cathartic TOTP moments as we have a rather new look and new
sounding Genesis in the studio (albeit recorded earlier?) to present their new
single just prior to the new album Duke. It's all new! JAzzy 80s coloured gear and they're almost dancing even! Cracking song with about five different time signatures - prog goes pop.
Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
It's a new number one but how the hell that happened I shall never know. Dull repeat performance of a couple of weeks ago in that tangerine-esque dress. I suppose it's a testament to the variety of the British charts that this kind of thing could outsell Blondie who in turn outsold Kenny Rogers who in turn..etc. It might be nice to have something British at no. 1 though.
Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time (playout)
More dross to play us out, after it had been featured proper last week.
That's all folks. Not long before next Pops!
TOTP 80.9 28/02/1980
Shown on BBCFour as from 19.03.2015
Full chart here
Well with all that Winter Olympics nonsense over, we're back on a Thursday night after Tomorrow's World, with the full 40 mins. worth of fun. Take it away Kid...
Jefferson Starship - Jane
Didn't we have this a couple of weeks ago as chart rundown music? (checks database) ..yes indeed! Three weeks ago when it was at no. 30, and now it's gone all the way up to no. 21. It's going to be a long night.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
First 'live' act tonight and it's a bouncy new-wave one which you may recall stormed into the charts at no. 17 a couple of weeks ago and was now at no. 5. Costello is doing his best to look 'cool' by appearing indifferent and un-bouncy but ends up looking like he doesn't give a monkey's. Which may well have been the case.
Marti Webb - Take That Look Off Your Face
Another one from two weeks ago and indeed a repeat of her glacial debut performance with the TOTP orchestra. Gary Numan and John Foxx stand aside - Marti was a chilling female automaton no mistake. "..you didn't sleep good last night.." still grates on me after all these years: one sleeps well, Marti, one doesn't sleep good.
The Vapors - Turning Japanese
It's the bouncy new-wave newcomers slot and this one quite rightly became quite a classic of its genre. Mimed studio performance interlaced with random 'Japanese' images which of course have nothing at all to do with masturbating in prison, which is what the song is actually about. Not that they never told us that at the time. Did Mike Read know?
Michael Jackson - Rock With You
..which is apparently all he wants to do according to 'Kid'. The camera pans right to give a faux-live in the studio effect, but we're not fooled. The BBC could never afford all those laser beams. Here's Jacko kicking off a rather bizarre disco-themed triptych. The single had indeed gone Top 10 although wouldn't go any higher than this.
Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy
And from the sublime to the ridiculous. Kid takes into the tacky world of Brit-disco with a glass of ..something, and lead singer duly shows she's partial to a tipple pre-performance, if only for the sake of being to appear to be having a good time. Her co-members are equally as annoying, especially the bare chested (and almost bare everything else-ed) "drummer". This will of course be a huge hit.
Gibson Brothers - Cuba
Staying in the disco-dance theme here are the brothers Gibson (not be confused with the Brothers Gibb) who have chosen a missile crisis as the subject of this cheery number. Legs & Co. have also decided they'd like to celebrate US sanctions by joining along with the band on stage - a TOTP first?
According to Official Charts the song is having its second chance at chart success, after failing to set the nation alight last year. Lucky us.
Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
oooh! Art-rock! Weird visuals! and (at last) the real sound of the eighties? Gabriel had already gone Top 20 with this which did in fact get his post-Genesis solo career rolling, after the false start with Solisbury Hill a few years back. Could be huge. Mike Reid possibly not playing it though cos it mentions the word 'willy'.
Stiff Little Fingers - At the Edge
Punk-rock time and da Fingers seem angrier than ever. One wonders if Liquid Gold hadn't been the more anarchic of the two though.
Dave Edmunds - I Never Felt More Like Singing the Blues
Better calm down a bit..and we never felt more like going and put the kettle on before time.
The Police - So Lonely
An odd choice for Legs & Co. who had already had a turn with the Gibson Bros. The Police were obviously already at superstar status such that they didn't need to come on TOTP especially considering this was a single which had been dug up from their back catalogue and re-released on the back of previous success Walking on the Moon. Another song about masturbation? Who can say...
Rainbow - All Night Long
Well after Dave Edmunds and all that prancing about we'd better have some proper rahck music... and all credit to this lot, they really do look and sound like a rock band should I suppose. Surprisingly enjoyable, unlike.....
The Shadows - Ghost Riders in the Sky
I think this must be the third time this had been featured for Chrissakes and they haven't got any better. In fact it gets a whole lot worse with the drummer and his so-not-plugged-in syndrums placed at the front of stage. Sooo nineteen-seventies dah-ling, Please Lord let them climb no higher in the charts! (prayer answered)
Blondie - Atomic
This rather lacklustre show is saved by Blondie being at number one, albeit featured via the promo-video shown last week too. Mind you in those days TOTP was probably the only occasion you'd get to see such a thing so hurrah!
David Bowie - Alabama Song
More weirdo art-rock! Not exactly the first thing you think of when discussing David Bowie in 1980 with friends and colleagues, but amazingly this track did really well, evidence that anything new Bowie-related was already selling like hotcakes. Apparently this release was merely "to hasten the end of Bowie’s contract with RCA" cit. Wiki, and had already been going around for a bit (full story here). An interesting quirk in (Bowie) chart history nonetheless, even though even better things were just around the corner.
....so show us the way to the next TOTP! What's that? Presented by DLT? Who's he?
Full chart here
Well with all that Winter Olympics nonsense over, we're back on a Thursday night after Tomorrow's World, with the full 40 mins. worth of fun. Take it away Kid...
Jefferson Starship - Jane
Didn't we have this a couple of weeks ago as chart rundown music? (checks database) ..yes indeed! Three weeks ago when it was at no. 30, and now it's gone all the way up to no. 21. It's going to be a long night.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
First 'live' act tonight and it's a bouncy new-wave one which you may recall stormed into the charts at no. 17 a couple of weeks ago and was now at no. 5. Costello is doing his best to look 'cool' by appearing indifferent and un-bouncy but ends up looking like he doesn't give a monkey's. Which may well have been the case.
Marti Webb - Take That Look Off Your Face
Another one from two weeks ago and indeed a repeat of her glacial debut performance with the TOTP orchestra. Gary Numan and John Foxx stand aside - Marti was a chilling female automaton no mistake. "..you didn't sleep good last night.." still grates on me after all these years: one sleeps well, Marti, one doesn't sleep good.
The Vapors - Turning Japanese
It's the bouncy new-wave newcomers slot and this one quite rightly became quite a classic of its genre. Mimed studio performance interlaced with random 'Japanese' images which of course have nothing at all to do with masturbating in prison, which is what the song is actually about. Not that they never told us that at the time. Did Mike Read know?
Michael Jackson - Rock With You
..which is apparently all he wants to do according to 'Kid'. The camera pans right to give a faux-live in the studio effect, but we're not fooled. The BBC could never afford all those laser beams. Here's Jacko kicking off a rather bizarre disco-themed triptych. The single had indeed gone Top 10 although wouldn't go any higher than this.
Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy
And from the sublime to the ridiculous. Kid takes into the tacky world of Brit-disco with a glass of ..something, and lead singer duly shows she's partial to a tipple pre-performance, if only for the sake of being to appear to be having a good time. Her co-members are equally as annoying, especially the bare chested (and almost bare everything else-ed) "drummer". This will of course be a huge hit.
Gibson Brothers - Cuba
Staying in the disco-dance theme here are the brothers Gibson (not be confused with the Brothers Gibb) who have chosen a missile crisis as the subject of this cheery number. Legs & Co. have also decided they'd like to celebrate US sanctions by joining along with the band on stage - a TOTP first?
According to Official Charts the song is having its second chance at chart success, after failing to set the nation alight last year. Lucky us.
Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
oooh! Art-rock! Weird visuals! and (at last) the real sound of the eighties? Gabriel had already gone Top 20 with this which did in fact get his post-Genesis solo career rolling, after the false start with Solisbury Hill a few years back. Could be huge. Mike Reid possibly not playing it though cos it mentions the word 'willy'.
Stiff Little Fingers - At the Edge
Punk-rock time and da Fingers seem angrier than ever. One wonders if Liquid Gold hadn't been the more anarchic of the two though.
Dave Edmunds - I Never Felt More Like Singing the Blues
Better calm down a bit..and we never felt more like going and put the kettle on before time.
The Police - So Lonely
An odd choice for Legs & Co. who had already had a turn with the Gibson Bros. The Police were obviously already at superstar status such that they didn't need to come on TOTP especially considering this was a single which had been dug up from their back catalogue and re-released on the back of previous success Walking on the Moon. Another song about masturbation? Who can say...
Rainbow - All Night Long
Well after Dave Edmunds and all that prancing about we'd better have some proper rahck music... and all credit to this lot, they really do look and sound like a rock band should I suppose. Surprisingly enjoyable, unlike.....
The Shadows - Ghost Riders in the Sky
I think this must be the third time this had been featured for Chrissakes and they haven't got any better. In fact it gets a whole lot worse with the drummer and his so-not-plugged-in syndrums placed at the front of stage. Sooo nineteen-seventies dah-ling, Please Lord let them climb no higher in the charts! (prayer answered)
Blondie - Atomic
This rather lacklustre show is saved by Blondie being at number one, albeit featured via the promo-video shown last week too. Mind you in those days TOTP was probably the only occasion you'd get to see such a thing so hurrah!
David Bowie - Alabama Song
More weirdo art-rock! Not exactly the first thing you think of when discussing David Bowie in 1980 with friends and colleagues, but amazingly this track did really well, evidence that anything new Bowie-related was already selling like hotcakes. Apparently this release was merely "to hasten the end of Bowie’s contract with RCA" cit. Wiki, and had already been going around for a bit (full story here). An interesting quirk in (Bowie) chart history nonetheless, even though even better things were just around the corner.
....so show us the way to the next TOTP! What's that? Presented by DLT? Who's he?
TOTP 80.7 15/02/1980
Repeated on BBCFour as from 05.03.2015
Full chart here
For those reading in 2015 welcome back to TOTP '80 after a week's break, and if you're reading in 1980 then you'll have realised that the Pops wasn't in the usual Thursday slot this week but moved forward a day 'cos of the Winter Olympics, which have just opened.
So anyway, put your skis and padded anoraks away for the moment, and enjoy this week's show, presented by Simon Bates. There's something for everyone tonight, including no less than five cover versions - can you spot them all?
Kool & the Gang - Too Hot (chart rundown)
Promoted from the "OK, get the kettle on" run-out credits spot a couple of weeks ago, they're now promoted to the "come in, sit down, shurrup, it's on" chart rundown spot. Good work.
Chart notes: The Rats have jumped up to number 4, the Nolans are stable at No. 3, despite all their dancing and romancing in the TOTP studio of late, and there's a new No. 1, more's the pity. TOTP going all out on the 'special' effects with double image for each position. Oooh! Clever!
Matchbox - Buzz Buzz a Diddle It
Well let's get the party started albeit with a blood curdling banshee-like cry from a Matchbox wannabe cowboy. Slow progress for our nutty rockabillies, so someone thought they needed a bit of a boost by placing them in the prime first act on slot. They slipped down again after this no. 22 peak, but they'll be back.
Keith Mitchell - Captain Beaky
And here's the little kids' favourite nice and early so they can go to bed before any lunatic punk rockers come on to traumatise them. This novelty record had already reached no. 5. So much for the punk revolution. Nul points Simon Bates for the 'feathered-friend' co-presenter but top marks for Mitchell for the live vocals and that jacket.
Flying Lizards - T.V.
Oooh! Hang about a bit longer kids, it's the novelty punk/new-wave band slot! Hopes were high after the bizarre yet catchy version of Money last year, and Simes shows us he's really 'with it' by having this as his record of the week. This original composition was nowhere near as good as Money though and didn't even make it into the Top 40, making the Lizards effective one-hit wonders. Nice try, and probably one of the bizzarest TOTP performances ever. Very, very, very ...Dada.
Elvis Costello - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
Seasoned new-waver Elvis Costello and his Attractions were straight in at no. 15 this week with htis stomper. It had been almost a year since their smash hit Oliver's Army but this tune was certainly up to that high standard and an excellent taster for his new album Get Happy!! which was also just out. Nice early promo too, possibly filmed on a wet day in South of France. This how to be bizarre and successful - Flying Lizards take note.
Michael Jackson - Rock With You (Legs & Co.)
It's Jacko! No, actually it's only Legs & Co. "as you've never seen them before!". Up from 35 to no. 12, just one place ahead of Cliff Richard whose Carrie possibly gave him inspiration for the future hit Billie Jean - we can but speculate. But back to now, and God knows what Flick Colby had been on this week to have dreamt this one up.
Dave Edmunds - Singing the Blues
Bit of an odd one this bluesy boyo, who had a number 1 hit - I Hear You Knocking - back in 1970, and seems to have lived off the success of that ever since. He did quite well with Girls Talk and Queen of Hearts in 1979 (I challenge you to whistle either of 'em) and this new one would also give him the same medium-sized/mediocre success. As Simes quite rightly points out Nick 'Breaking Glass' Lowe also features on gee-tarr, as does another bloke who looks like Keith Chegwin.
Jon & Vangelis - I Hear You Now
Back to the 'sound of the eighties', or almost. This seems to have been around for ages already. Video features a bloke in a leotard jumping out of a synthesiser. Don't ask. Moving swiftly along..
The Shadows - Riders in the Sky
'Simes' has to remind us that this next group are really famous and successful by showing us a big record in a frame. Again, it was slow progress for Cliff's former mates but amazingly they did get even higher than this week's no. 22 spot. The band are all modern now because they've got four (count 'em) syndrums and even a Moog hidden in the background. It was, alas (snigger), their last top 20, nay 40, hit. I'm not even going to mention what they did next.
Marti Webb - Take That Look Off Your Face
Andrew Lloyd Webber and co were obviously trying to follow up the success of Don't Cry for Me Argentina from Evita, although he would do better with Cats a year or so into the future. A nice enough song though and a good one for wives and girlfriends to shout into the faces of cheating partners. Webb is even more chilling and motionless than John 'Underpass' Foxx a couple of weeks back. Does she even blink? Scarey! Features TOTP orchestra and...tubular bells!
Stiff Little Fingers - At the Edge
It's punk rock time, and this week it's Stiff Little Fingers all the way from Belfast. They were only just bubbling under the Top 40 although someone obviously thought it was time they had their prime time break (at a suitable distance from Capt. Beaky) after being championed by the likes of John Peel. I had this down as being suitably shambolic yet it wasn't really, although compared to Marti Webb even The Wombles would have seemed energetic.
Kenny Rogers - Coward of the County
It's No. 1 but Rogers hasn't even bothered to come to l'il ol' England to go on Top of the Pops and it's that awful live promo film instead. Interestingly that makes it the second no. 1 in a row featured only via a live promo film. As far as I can make out this one isn't about teenage preganancy and contraception though. Not that I've ever listened to it properly.
Ramones - Baby I Love You (credits)
Well at least we're left with a slightly sweeter taste from another kind of American act. It's all been a bit rushed tonight becuase of the Friday slot and you won't be able to discuss it with your mates tomorrow morning either. Tough.
Did you spot all five cover versions? Answers next week!
Full chart here
For those reading in 2015 welcome back to TOTP '80 after a week's break, and if you're reading in 1980 then you'll have realised that the Pops wasn't in the usual Thursday slot this week but moved forward a day 'cos of the Winter Olympics, which have just opened.
So anyway, put your skis and padded anoraks away for the moment, and enjoy this week's show, presented by Simon Bates. There's something for everyone tonight, including no less than five cover versions - can you spot them all?
Kool & the Gang - Too Hot (chart rundown)
Promoted from the "OK, get the kettle on" run-out credits spot a couple of weeks ago, they're now promoted to the "come in, sit down, shurrup, it's on" chart rundown spot. Good work.
Chart notes: The Rats have jumped up to number 4, the Nolans are stable at No. 3, despite all their dancing and romancing in the TOTP studio of late, and there's a new No. 1, more's the pity. TOTP going all out on the 'special' effects with double image for each position. Oooh! Clever!
Matchbox - Buzz Buzz a Diddle It
Well let's get the party started albeit with a blood curdling banshee-like cry from a Matchbox wannabe cowboy. Slow progress for our nutty rockabillies, so someone thought they needed a bit of a boost by placing them in the prime first act on slot. They slipped down again after this no. 22 peak, but they'll be back.
Keith Mitchell - Captain Beaky
And here's the little kids' favourite nice and early so they can go to bed before any lunatic punk rockers come on to traumatise them. This novelty record had already reached no. 5. So much for the punk revolution. Nul points Simon Bates for the 'feathered-friend' co-presenter but top marks for Mitchell for the live vocals and that jacket.
Flying Lizards - T.V.
Oooh! Hang about a bit longer kids, it's the novelty punk/new-wave band slot! Hopes were high after the bizarre yet catchy version of Money last year, and Simes shows us he's really 'with it' by having this as his record of the week. This original composition was nowhere near as good as Money though and didn't even make it into the Top 40, making the Lizards effective one-hit wonders. Nice try, and probably one of the bizzarest TOTP performances ever. Very, very, very ...Dada.
Elvis Costello - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
Seasoned new-waver Elvis Costello and his Attractions were straight in at no. 15 this week with htis stomper. It had been almost a year since their smash hit Oliver's Army but this tune was certainly up to that high standard and an excellent taster for his new album Get Happy!! which was also just out. Nice early promo too, possibly filmed on a wet day in South of France. This how to be bizarre and successful - Flying Lizards take note.
Michael Jackson - Rock With You (Legs & Co.)
It's Jacko! No, actually it's only Legs & Co. "as you've never seen them before!". Up from 35 to no. 12, just one place ahead of Cliff Richard whose Carrie possibly gave him inspiration for the future hit Billie Jean - we can but speculate. But back to now, and God knows what Flick Colby had been on this week to have dreamt this one up.
Dave Edmunds - Singing the Blues
Bit of an odd one this bluesy boyo, who had a number 1 hit - I Hear You Knocking - back in 1970, and seems to have lived off the success of that ever since. He did quite well with Girls Talk and Queen of Hearts in 1979 (I challenge you to whistle either of 'em) and this new one would also give him the same medium-sized/mediocre success. As Simes quite rightly points out Nick 'Breaking Glass' Lowe also features on gee-tarr, as does another bloke who looks like Keith Chegwin.
Jon & Vangelis - I Hear You Now
Back to the 'sound of the eighties', or almost. This seems to have been around for ages already. Video features a bloke in a leotard jumping out of a synthesiser. Don't ask. Moving swiftly along..
The Shadows - Riders in the Sky
'Simes' has to remind us that this next group are really famous and successful by showing us a big record in a frame. Again, it was slow progress for Cliff's former mates but amazingly they did get even higher than this week's no. 22 spot. The band are all modern now because they've got four (count 'em) syndrums and even a Moog hidden in the background. It was, alas (snigger), their last top 20, nay 40, hit. I'm not even going to mention what they did next.
Marti Webb - Take That Look Off Your Face
Andrew Lloyd Webber and co were obviously trying to follow up the success of Don't Cry for Me Argentina from Evita, although he would do better with Cats a year or so into the future. A nice enough song though and a good one for wives and girlfriends to shout into the faces of cheating partners. Webb is even more chilling and motionless than John 'Underpass' Foxx a couple of weeks back. Does she even blink? Scarey! Features TOTP orchestra and...tubular bells!
Stiff Little Fingers - At the Edge
It's punk rock time, and this week it's Stiff Little Fingers all the way from Belfast. They were only just bubbling under the Top 40 although someone obviously thought it was time they had their prime time break (at a suitable distance from Capt. Beaky) after being championed by the likes of John Peel. I had this down as being suitably shambolic yet it wasn't really, although compared to Marti Webb even The Wombles would have seemed energetic.
Kenny Rogers - Coward of the County
It's No. 1 but Rogers hasn't even bothered to come to l'il ol' England to go on Top of the Pops and it's that awful live promo film instead. Interestingly that makes it the second no. 1 in a row featured only via a live promo film. As far as I can make out this one isn't about teenage preganancy and contraception though. Not that I've ever listened to it properly.
Ramones - Baby I Love You (credits)
Well at least we're left with a slightly sweeter taste from another kind of American act. It's all been a bit rushed tonight becuase of the Friday slot and you won't be able to discuss it with your mates tomorrow morning either. Tough.
Did you spot all five cover versions? Answers next week!
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