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Welcome to the merry month of May and a new month of Top of the Pops 1980..or is it? Introduced tonight by Tommy Vance, on his TOTP debut (they've even put his name in writing in case you don't know who he is). It's not clear whether the amount of rock/heavy metal on tonight is because Vance wanted to 'push' his preferred genre, or if they got him on because he's the man in the know. Anyway, on with the show...
Leon Haywood - Don't Push It Don't Force It
Chart rundown (NB "special effects" on the writing). Leon's at no. 12 - same as last week. In other chart news, Sky go Top 5 with their classic-prog-pop number, the Undertones shoot up to no. 11 and Irish Eurovision winner Johnny Logan is straight in at no. 15, in the days when Eurovision winners still sold records. Bad Manners and Cockney Rejects go Top 30 after last week's appearances, although there does seem to be an unhealthy amount of heavy rock and disco about. "Sound of the eighties"..where are you?
New Musik - World of Water
Oh here it is! New effort from this lot after Living by Numbers which made it to no. 13 a couple of months back. This would fare less well as perhaps the geeky 'Buggles' effect was already wearing a bit thin. As John Foxx's recent mediocre success had highlighted, the world was still not ready for pop music fuelled by J.G. Ballard novels. Plus the keyboard player is embarrassing.
Narada Michael Walden - I Shoulda Loved Ya
So it's back to the disco, but what's happened to the TOTP studio? It's gone all.... Oh, sorry it's a clip of Narada and his band doing their thang on U.S. pop show Soul Train, which sort of showed how pop shows are done Stateside: bright stage sets, coloured lights, and people dancing and having a good time! Whatever next!
Chords - Something's Missing
Better get back to the grim and gritty world of the BBC Centre and the London suburbs, quick! The Chords really were trying hard to have a hit, after Maybe Tomorrow earlier in the year, but perhaps this time hoping to make the most of the angry young mod vibe set up by The Jam and their smash hit Going Underground. A brave attempt, but alas one wouldn't get them far chart-wise. New album out soon, and cult status assured.
Rodney Franklin - The Groove (Legs & Co.)
But enough of this mob music! Not good for the country ... let's give the masses what they want: banal dance music and scantily clad females! Indeed Legs & Co,'s knickers seem to be getting skimpier by the week and their legs even longer. There's even a huge long sofa featured this week, for rolling about on, hiding behind etc. Not trying to distract us from anything are they? Franklin's 'groove' (if you're paying any attention ot he music) was up to no. 13.
Whitesnake - Fool For You Loving
But enough of this cheapo girlie show, let's have some real men making some real, sweaty, hormone-fuelled music! Yes it's the first of a trio of c*ck-rock numbers, which see Vance in his element. This one was already Top 30 (just) and we get a gritty film of a live performance which looks like it might have been made circa 1973. I must admit I know nothing about this bunch of hairy rockers but wiki reliably informs me that lead singer David Coverdale (I've heard of him) formed the band in '78 after leaving Deep Purple (I've heard of them!). This would become a bit of a classic of its genre and indeed the start of a successful career for Whitesnake throughout the coming decade, and beyond.
Jimmy Ruffin - Hold On to My Love
Who? Well whoever he is they've put him on top of the wobbly tower and set the place on fire possibly in the hope he wouldn't be seen again? Ruffin had actually been churning out the hits since 1966 - his chart debut in that year was What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, soon to be covered by someone else. Anyway he was now getting a new lease of life thanks to the Bee gees, especially Robin Gibb, who co-wrote this number and and a few others on his new album Sunrise.
Saxon - Wheels of Steel
Back to the c*ck-rock after all that sloppy ballad stuff. Third appearance and slow progress for this lot which has been up and down the charts, and back up again. It won't get any higher than this week's no. 20 though notwithstanding Tommy Vance's plug.
Hot Chocolate - No Doubt About It
...and back to the disco. It's a sad fact that Hot Choc's vocalist Errol Brown passed away just a few weeks ago. Looking back, he was amazingly cool, had a great voice and sang on some really good records. Wiki duly reminds us that the Choc had at least one hit every year between 1970 and 1984 inclusive, and their song "You Sexy Thing" made the Top 10 in three decades. They were also a multi-coloured multi-ethnic band, so what a shame that Vance (and some bright spark in production) has to muster a bevvy of young ladies of evident Afro-Caribbean origin only to introduce the band. Anyway this was an excellent attempt to bring the Hot Chocolate up to date and into the eighties: love the synthy-Moogy intro to this one, which TOTP cameras naturally fail to spot since, as usual, they've put the keyboards way to the back.
Motorhead - Leaving Here (from 'Golden Years live EP')
But enough smooching already, let's get the greasers back in, eh Tommy? I'm not sure of Motorhead's previous track record but they must have been pretty popular already as this was straight in at no. 23. You can smell the stale beer stains and patchuli oil from here.
The Nolans - Don't Make Waves
Talk about contrasts: after the great unwashed come...the mighty Nolan sisters, in all their squeaky-cleanliness and smiles to the camera. I wonder if they ever met Motorhead backstage? The girls were struggling at no. 25 although could and would do better. Whether we shall see them again remains to be seen....
The Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom
Now this is good. A nice bit of intelligent ska and a worthy follow up to Hands Off She's Mine which in turn had been a worthy follow up to Tears of a Clown/Rankin'. Perhaps the only let down is that the singer actually holds up a 'bathroom mirror' but they manage to carry off even the cheapest of TOTP props with style. Not exactly the sound of the eighties, but a classic for sure.
Kate Bush - Breathing
Blimey! Just when you thought it was no. 1 time here comes Kate with something even weirder than Wuthering Heights! Kate's inside a kind of plastic bubble doing a bit of 'in-out, in-out, in-out'. With her breathing that is. What's that? She represents a fetus inside the womb, scared of smoking and the nuclear threat? Sounds like great chart material! This was Kate's first new stuff since her big success in '78 and live shows in '79, a preview of the new album in progress.
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno
It's been quite a roller coaster ride of a show and seems to have lasted for ages but here we are at last with the new number 1 folks! Blondie have been sent packing and notwithstanding the big names McCartney and Essex, Dexy's have made it to the top spot and deservedly so. Haven't got much more to say cos I'm knackered after this plethora of popular musics, but best be grateful for what we get every week, while it lasts. Ge-no! Ge-no! Ge-no!
Johnny Logan - What's Another Year? (credits)
He was on last week (despite being nowhere near the charts) so can't appear this week - serves him right.
See ya!
