Showing posts with label Peter Powell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter Powell. Show all posts
TOTP 80.43/2 25/12/80
..part two..
The Police - Don't Stand So Close to Me
Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
Johnny Logan -What's Another Year
Abba - Super Trouper
Lipps Inc - Funky Town (Legs & Co.)
Leo Sayer - More Than I Can Say
Sheena Easton - 9 to 5
Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2
St. Winifred's School Choir - There's No-One Quite Like Grandma
TOTP 80.43/1 25/12/80
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..)
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..)
TOTP 80.40 4/12/80
First broadcast: 4th December 1980
repeated on BBCFour from: 26/11/2015
Presented by Peter Powell
Full chart here
Here we are agin folks and it's December already in TOTP80-land so get ready for some festive previews (the likes of which we now get around mid-October). It's our fave Peter 'Pete' Powell doing the honours this week so let's get started..
Eddy Grant - Do You Feel My Love
Edmond was on a couple of weeks back although we didn't get to see him in post-Yewtree 2015 so justice is done as the long and lanky dreadlocked one goes Top 10 and gets the party started.
Neil Diamond - Love on the Rocks
Let's not get too boisterous though, better get some American AOR in (groan) although we do like it when Pete gets all slowed down and serious.. Some blurb about The Jazz Singer then it's love on the rahcks, now at 27.
Luckily Pete and the studio gang haven't fallen asleep and it's applause and smiles all round as we welcome.....two blokes from Earth, Wind and FIRE!, although we don't get to see one of 'em proper as he's got his back to the camera. New album blah blah blah..Pete wishes them good luck with the single. It got to no. 63. Nice one!
Jona Lewie - Stop the Cavalry
The guys are also treated to the debut od this littel gem which sort of puts us in the festive spirit with, er , grown men dressed in WWI uniforms pretending to play brass instruments. Luckily there's also one on a synth to remind us this is 1980, although he can't help getting his jingle bells out either. Nevertheless this is fine tune which will indeed go on to do well over the festive period and will stay with us to this day. Well, it's on my Xmas CD anyway. Already at no. 15.
Chart rundown 30-22 ....22?
Kenny Rogers - Lady (Legs & co.)
Yes, cos at 21 it's that white-bearded Yank with another slow toon. Legs take it all very literally of course and "Lady, I'm your knight in shining armour.." translates easily into the girls dressing up in medieaval 'Lady' costumes and swan around in a foggy castle setting, occasionally longing after that single golden 'pear' which eventually gets plucked from an otherwise barren tree.Yes, well.. not their best, but perhaps their most bizarre performance of the year.
Charts again 21-17
AC/DC - Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
..at 17. Here they are agin, not in the Pops studio this time but in a rather unimaginative promo film which could've been made in 1975. Seems like yesterday that they were in the studio but it was in fact February and they've had five non-hit singles out in the meantime. That seems like a helluva lot of noise pollution to us, actually.
Charts again .. 16-11 (Pause: amazing to see how many of the better tracks of the past month or so were fairly plummeting down the charts: Ants, Roxy, OMD, Bowie.... Oh the fickle world of pop..)
St. Winifred's School Choir - There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
"At Christmas all sorts of things happen in the British charts" says wise old DJ Pete. Well, just you wait a couple of weeks mate to see what can really happen. This is one of those Christmas-implicit©
songs which occasionally crop up, especially in a society/chart which is still suffering a hangover from the various Slade/Wizzard/Mus Christmas singles of just a few years ago. I can't and don't really want to remember why this cam to reach the charts and the Great British record Buying Public but there you go. The hard work of 'sound of the eighties' artists like David Bowie, Spandau Ballet, OMD and Adam Ant smashed to smithereens in one fail swoop. At no. 16 and destined to...well, you know.
Break: interview with Mike Oldfield. The erstwhile shy and retiring poly-instrumentalist is now well and truly confident in front of real people, confident enough in fact to wear a lime green tracksuit which he will continue to wear for most of the early 80s. Mike has a new album out and with a couple of flop singles going around he's prime material for a Pops studio interview. Mike also likes flying, playing his many guitars and hopes to go to, er, Israel soon.
The Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
Well after that unhealthy amount of slosh, better get some punk rockers back in. Or at least what remains of punk rock. The angry sentiment remains however as this song is allegedly a scathing attack on the Rats' native Republic of Ireland from whence the goiys had been banned. To quote their reputable blogspot blog "It is to Ireland what God Save the Queen was to Britain." Blimey!
Top 10. Madness, Spandau, Rats and Grant all going up, Waterman, Kool, Mills and (gulp) Lennon going down.
Abba - Super Trouper
Second week at the top for the Super-Abs who evidently have nothing against their native Sweden but continue to show their world-weary angst "wishing that every show was the last show". Strong words indeed. But just count your lucky stars you're on that stage tonight as your stardom ennui is nothing compared to what is about to happen in New York City.
repeated on BBCFour from: 26/11/2015
Presented by Peter Powell
Full chart here
Here we are agin folks and it's December already in TOTP80-land so get ready for some festive previews (the likes of which we now get around mid-October). It's our fave Peter 'Pete' Powell doing the honours this week so let's get started..
Eddy Grant - Do You Feel My Love
Edmond was on a couple of weeks back although we didn't get to see him in post-Yewtree 2015 so justice is done as the long and lanky dreadlocked one goes Top 10 and gets the party started.
Neil Diamond - Love on the Rocks
Let's not get too boisterous though, better get some American AOR in (groan) although we do like it when Pete gets all slowed down and serious.. Some blurb about The Jazz Singer then it's love on the rahcks, now at 27.
Luckily Pete and the studio gang haven't fallen asleep and it's applause and smiles all round as we welcome.....two blokes from Earth, Wind and FIRE!, although we don't get to see one of 'em proper as he's got his back to the camera. New album blah blah blah..Pete wishes them good luck with the single. It got to no. 63. Nice one!
Jona Lewie - Stop the Cavalry
The guys are also treated to the debut od this littel gem which sort of puts us in the festive spirit with, er , grown men dressed in WWI uniforms pretending to play brass instruments. Luckily there's also one on a synth to remind us this is 1980, although he can't help getting his jingle bells out either. Nevertheless this is fine tune which will indeed go on to do well over the festive period and will stay with us to this day. Well, it's on my Xmas CD anyway. Already at no. 15.
Chart rundown 30-22 ....22?
Kenny Rogers - Lady (Legs & co.)
Yes, cos at 21 it's that white-bearded Yank with another slow toon. Legs take it all very literally of course and "Lady, I'm your knight in shining armour.." translates easily into the girls dressing up in medieaval 'Lady' costumes and swan around in a foggy castle setting, occasionally longing after that single golden 'pear' which eventually gets plucked from an otherwise barren tree.Yes, well.. not their best, but perhaps their most bizarre performance of the year.
Charts again 21-17
AC/DC - Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
..at 17. Here they are agin, not in the Pops studio this time but in a rather unimaginative promo film which could've been made in 1975. Seems like yesterday that they were in the studio but it was in fact February and they've had five non-hit singles out in the meantime. That seems like a helluva lot of noise pollution to us, actually.
Charts again .. 16-11 (Pause: amazing to see how many of the better tracks of the past month or so were fairly plummeting down the charts: Ants, Roxy, OMD, Bowie.... Oh the fickle world of pop..)
St. Winifred's School Choir - There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
"At Christmas all sorts of things happen in the British charts" says wise old DJ Pete. Well, just you wait a couple of weeks mate to see what can really happen. This is one of those Christmas-implicit©
songs which occasionally crop up, especially in a society/chart which is still suffering a hangover from the various Slade/Wizzard/Mus Christmas singles of just a few years ago. I can't and don't really want to remember why this cam to reach the charts and the Great British record Buying Public but there you go. The hard work of 'sound of the eighties' artists like David Bowie, Spandau Ballet, OMD and Adam Ant smashed to smithereens in one fail swoop. At no. 16 and destined to...well, you know.
Break: interview with Mike Oldfield. The erstwhile shy and retiring poly-instrumentalist is now well and truly confident in front of real people, confident enough in fact to wear a lime green tracksuit which he will continue to wear for most of the early 80s. Mike has a new album out and with a couple of flop singles going around he's prime material for a Pops studio interview. Mike also likes flying, playing his many guitars and hopes to go to, er, Israel soon.
The Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
Well after that unhealthy amount of slosh, better get some punk rockers back in. Or at least what remains of punk rock. The angry sentiment remains however as this song is allegedly a scathing attack on the Rats' native Republic of Ireland from whence the goiys had been banned. To quote their reputable blogspot blog "It is to Ireland what God Save the Queen was to Britain." Blimey!
Top 10. Madness, Spandau, Rats and Grant all going up, Waterman, Kool, Mills and (gulp) Lennon going down.
Abba - Super Trouper
Second week at the top for the Super-Abs who evidently have nothing against their native Sweden but continue to show their world-weary angst "wishing that every show was the last show". Strong words indeed. But just count your lucky stars you're on that stage tonight as your stardom ennui is nothing compared to what is about to happen in New York City.
Playout: Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out
Crowd dancing.
TOTP 80.35 30/10/80
First broadcast 30/10/80
Repeated on BBCFour from 29/10/2015
Presented by Peter Powell
Guest presenter Colin Berry
Full chart here.
We open up the show with the party already in full swing, with loads of balloons and not a drop of Babycham in sight. Peter Powell in full-smug mode on, light blue T shirt and with him (in dark blue T shirt) is, er, Colin Berry. Who? Apparently some posh geezer from Radio 2 who has been 'getting up early'. How interesting. On with the show please...
Adam and the Ants - Dog Eat Dog
Second performance from Adam and his mates who are up to no. 13 and prepare for world domination. It's a pity they're on first as all the rest is made to look even more rubbish than it actually is.
Odyssey - If You're looking For a Way Out
Boring song, sung by boring people in boring video. Boring. (cit. Rick the Student). At no. 6, obviously.
Bad Manners - Special Brew
Slightly less boring although ska really was reaching its end surely? You know the score - lots of nuttiness and the big fat bloke in a grass skirt. Redeemed only by the ace line "I wanna spend all my money on you". One place above Odyssey and the last we'll see of them for a bit.
David Bowie - Fashion (Legs & Co.)
New in at 20 and Peter Powell shows us he really knows his stuff by telling us the full title of the latest Bowie album. We'll see the proper video for this in a couple of weeks time although while we're waiting for The Dame to make it, here's the luvvly Legs strutting their stuff, although sadly the cameras remain frustratingly distant from the stage/catwalk.
Sheena Easton - One Man Woman
Our Sheen has been busy making a video for this one so she didn't have to bother about going to the TOTP studio too often. Not a great song but the whole look and feel of it is very Eighties. But that's the only redeeming (max) factor I'm afraid as the song is a bit rubbish. At no 17 but will peak next week at only 14.
Olivia Newton John & Cliff Richard - Suddenly
Oh dear. More dreariness from this perhaps unlikely couple. This is another one from Xanadu although Olivia did more interesting things on that album/film/concept with ELO. This dirge was written by John Farrar who'd also done better things for Olivia on Grease. They'd better hurry up and get physical, physical...
Showaddywaddy - Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts
Or indeed why do a band like Showaddywaddy continue to have hits and appear on Top of the Pops? Not very Eighties at all, aside form the coloured streak in the singer's hair. At no. 22 but I don't think we'll ever see them on the Pops again. And why after seeing this do I get the impression they might have been a (closet) gay band? Never mind..
Oh it's Top 10 countdown already.
Barbara Streisand - Woman in Love
It's the third slow ballad (yawn) of the night but this is obviously way ahead of the rest. At number one for the second (of three) weeks in fact.
Don't forget to order your special T-shirts from the Radio Times and we'll see you next week as the TOTP-Tardis whooshes forward in time! Byeeeee!!
Repeated on BBCFour from 29/10/2015
Presented by Peter Powell
Guest presenter Colin Berry
Full chart here.
We open up the show with the party already in full swing, with loads of balloons and not a drop of Babycham in sight. Peter Powell in full-smug mode on, light blue T shirt and with him (in dark blue T shirt) is, er, Colin Berry. Who? Apparently some posh geezer from Radio 2 who has been 'getting up early'. How interesting. On with the show please...
Adam and the Ants - Dog Eat Dog
Second performance from Adam and his mates who are up to no. 13 and prepare for world domination. It's a pity they're on first as all the rest is made to look even more rubbish than it actually is.
 |
| Watch me Daddy-o! |
Odyssey - If You're looking For a Way Out
Boring song, sung by boring people in boring video. Boring. (cit. Rick the Student). At no. 6, obviously.
Bad Manners - Special Brew
Slightly less boring although ska really was reaching its end surely? You know the score - lots of nuttiness and the big fat bloke in a grass skirt. Redeemed only by the ace line "I wanna spend all my money on you". One place above Odyssey and the last we'll see of them for a bit.
David Bowie - Fashion (Legs & Co.)
New in at 20 and Peter Powell shows us he really knows his stuff by telling us the full title of the latest Bowie album. We'll see the proper video for this in a couple of weeks time although while we're waiting for The Dame to make it, here's the luvvly Legs strutting their stuff, although sadly the cameras remain frustratingly distant from the stage/catwalk.
 |
| Beep beep! |
Our Sheen has been busy making a video for this one so she didn't have to bother about going to the TOTP studio too often. Not a great song but the whole look and feel of it is very Eighties. But that's the only redeeming (max) factor I'm afraid as the song is a bit rubbish. At no 17 but will peak next week at only 14.
 |
| I'm sure Phil Oakey is watching this. |
Olivia Newton John & Cliff Richard - Suddenly
Oh dear. More dreariness from this perhaps unlikely couple. This is another one from Xanadu although Olivia did more interesting things on that album/film/concept with ELO. This dirge was written by John Farrar who'd also done better things for Olivia on Grease. They'd better hurry up and get physical, physical...
Showaddywaddy - Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts
Or indeed why do a band like Showaddywaddy continue to have hits and appear on Top of the Pops? Not very Eighties at all, aside form the coloured streak in the singer's hair. At no. 22 but I don't think we'll ever see them on the Pops again. And why after seeing this do I get the impression they might have been a (closet) gay band? Never mind..
Oh it's Top 10 countdown already.
 |
| It's eight fifteen... |
Barbara Streisand - Woman in Love
It's the third slow ballad (yawn) of the night but this is obviously way ahead of the rest. At number one for the second (of three) weeks in fact.
Don't forget to order your special T-shirts from the Radio Times and we'll see you next week as the TOTP-Tardis whooshes forward in time! Byeeeee!!
TOTP 80.32 09/10/80
First broadcast 09/10/80
BBCFour repeat here, first shown 08/10/15
Presented by Peter Powell
Guest appearances: Denis Waterman / Paul Jones
Full chart here.
Here we are again, and having skipped another YewTree show, BBCFour have finally got the TOTP-Tardis to land in sync with 1980...and the crowd are already dancing to celebrate! It's Peter Powell's turn to lead the proceedings and although it's October, and never one for the trendy jacket 'n' tie look, Pete looks like he's going on a cruise in the Med or something.
Preview - but why do they tell you who's no. 1 already?
Status Quo - What You're Proposing
Yes, Ver Quo are back, and getting the party started (although perhaps Ottowan had done that already). Despite having had a couple of hits every year recently they hadn't actually played in the Pops studio for yonks. Like most Quo songs it goes on forever and the title is repeated a lot. And it really is like punk never happened.
Diana Ross - My Old Piano
Same old piano, same old song, same old video. Edited out of first 7.30 showing.
Dennis Waterman was planning world domination thanks to his already cult-status in The Sweeney and now as a recording artist. Here he is to plug himself in a posh accent.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Enola Gay
Hard for me to objective about this (am i ever?) as it was one of those life-changing, jaw-dropping moments for the 16-year old moi on that Thursday night back in 1980, even after seeing Tubeway Army/Gary Numan last year and The Human League and, again, OM(it)D in May. Not sure if it was the song itself, the shiny synthesiser stacks, the new-look short back 'n' sides / tank-top 'n' tie / sensible trousers look, the stand-up syn-drums or a combination of all of these that just blew me away - but even looking back after 35 years and the context of this show perhaps it's not hard to see why. OMD had already made a sizeable dent in the charts with Messages shortly before The Strike and were now back with this new single in at no. 35. As we now all know the song is about the US military aereoplane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, although that's all cleverly disguised under the catchiest synth riff since Popcorn, and clever-clever cryptic lyrics ("is Mother proud of Little Boy today?"). Not happy with not having a guitar to zoom in on, the Pops cameras get the wrong keyboard for the solos; redeemed somewhat by getting Mal's drum solo in full though. Lead singer Andy McCluskey's 'embarrassing Geography teacher' image starts here, but who cares? There just wasn't (has never been) anything else quite like OMD and that Enola Gay, and they knew it.
Pete informs us that OMD are currently on tour as are Crusaders and The Shadows. Phew! Rock n roll!
30- 19 chart rundown. Sabbath 'n' Sheena both going down.
Coffee - Casanova
Unlike Enola Gay, I have no recollection of this song whatsoever. Coffee (we like it, erm, black) were apparently one of those 'manufactured' disco groups - a female trio no doubt hoping to replicate the success of Sister Sledge, The Three Degrees and the like. Legs & Co. execute their usual subtle take on the song title and go all Venetian baroque. This one had crept into the charts last week and is now up to no. 19.
18-11 chart rundown. And we have a tweet for you at no. 11
Black Slate - Amigo
Thankfully the sombrero has been down-sized for this new performance although our singer friend has obviously been to Torremolinos to get the full amigo kit. They're up to no. 9 and, yes, it's annoyingly catchy (but not as much as Enola Gay)
Waterman again showing off that there is no end to his talents. He even plays football.
The Nolans - Gotta Put Myself Together
Radio 2 darlings the Nolan Sisters are back with a new single, new LP on the way and, like OMD, a new look, although one gets the feeling they've been having lots of meetings with Sheena Easton's wardrobe assistant, rather than popping down to Foster Bros. They've also discovered the promo-video trick, and that although it might be a bit expensive it saves you having to go on Top of the Pops to do all that singing and dancing live, hoping you don't make any mistakes or hit a bum note. This won't do as well as the more memorable In the Mood for Dancing, but Top 10 here they come again.
Paul Jones also pops in for more shameless self-plugging at the licence-payer's expense.
Linx - You're Lying
A repeat of the studio performance of two weeks ago, even though it hadn't moved an inch since last week. Scraping the barrel a bit.
Peter Powell in an armchair.
Gilbert O'Sullivan - What's in a Kiss
Oh dear - is he still around? Gilbert (né Raymond Edward) O'Sullivan hadn't had a hit single in five years, although apparently he'd be going through a lot of legal issues with previous record company in that time. We'd better take a bit of pity on him then, go out an buy this to help him along with the legal fees. Again, it's like punk never happened. Understandably wiped from the 7.30 showing in the year 2015. O'Sullivan's fan(s) must have been gutted.
10-2 rundown, and a special mention must go to the Specials (see what I did there?) and their Stereotype at no. 6. Like, where did that come from? After Too Much Too Young and Rat Race, I'm wondering if the band had been banned by the BBC or were just being blatantly ignored by them? Powell doesn't even mention the song title. Social commentary in pop was sadly still a no-no, and it certainly won't get any better.
The Police - Don't Stand So Close to Me
Well I suppose at least this lot did sort of come out of punk in some way, and here they are again still at number 1 with that video. They must have been making millions already.
Playout with much dancing and merriment over Ottawan 'D.I.S.C.O'.
Waterman and Jones get the t-shirted blondes. Powell presumably gets back to his armchair.
Well that's all for this week. TOTP80 will be back in two weeks with the 16/10/80 show. One week too late.
BBCFour repeat here, first shown 08/10/15
Presented by Peter Powell
Guest appearances: Denis Waterman / Paul Jones
Full chart here.
Here we are again, and having skipped another YewTree show, BBCFour have finally got the TOTP-Tardis to land in sync with 1980...and the crowd are already dancing to celebrate! It's Peter Powell's turn to lead the proceedings and although it's October, and never one for the trendy jacket 'n' tie look, Pete looks like he's going on a cruise in the Med or something.
Preview - but why do they tell you who's no. 1 already?
Status Quo - What You're Proposing
Yes, Ver Quo are back, and getting the party started (although perhaps Ottowan had done that already). Despite having had a couple of hits every year recently they hadn't actually played in the Pops studio for yonks. Like most Quo songs it goes on forever and the title is repeated a lot. And it really is like punk never happened.
Diana Ross - My Old Piano
Same old piano, same old song, same old video. Edited out of first 7.30 showing.
Dennis Waterman was planning world domination thanks to his already cult-status in The Sweeney and now as a recording artist. Here he is to plug himself in a posh accent.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Enola Gay
Hard for me to objective about this (am i ever?) as it was one of those life-changing, jaw-dropping moments for the 16-year old moi on that Thursday night back in 1980, even after seeing Tubeway Army/Gary Numan last year and The Human League and, again, OM(it)D in May. Not sure if it was the song itself, the shiny synthesiser stacks, the new-look short back 'n' sides / tank-top 'n' tie / sensible trousers look, the stand-up syn-drums or a combination of all of these that just blew me away - but even looking back after 35 years and the context of this show perhaps it's not hard to see why. OMD had already made a sizeable dent in the charts with Messages shortly before The Strike and were now back with this new single in at no. 35. As we now all know the song is about the US military aereoplane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, although that's all cleverly disguised under the catchiest synth riff since Popcorn, and clever-clever cryptic lyrics ("is Mother proud of Little Boy today?"). Not happy with not having a guitar to zoom in on, the Pops cameras get the wrong keyboard for the solos; redeemed somewhat by getting Mal's drum solo in full though. Lead singer Andy McCluskey's 'embarrassing Geography teacher' image starts here, but who cares? There just wasn't (has never been) anything else quite like OMD and that Enola Gay, and they knew it.
 |
| "..never ever gonna fade away.." |
30- 19 chart rundown. Sabbath 'n' Sheena both going down.
Coffee - Casanova
Unlike Enola Gay, I have no recollection of this song whatsoever. Coffee (we like it, erm, black) were apparently one of those 'manufactured' disco groups - a female trio no doubt hoping to replicate the success of Sister Sledge, The Three Degrees and the like. Legs & Co. execute their usual subtle take on the song title and go all Venetian baroque. This one had crept into the charts last week and is now up to no. 19.
18-11 chart rundown. And we have a tweet for you at no. 11
Black Slate - Amigo
Thankfully the sombrero has been down-sized for this new performance although our singer friend has obviously been to Torremolinos to get the full amigo kit. They're up to no. 9 and, yes, it's annoyingly catchy (but not as much as Enola Gay)
Waterman again showing off that there is no end to his talents. He even plays football.
The Nolans - Gotta Put Myself Together
Radio 2 darlings the Nolan Sisters are back with a new single, new LP on the way and, like OMD, a new look, although one gets the feeling they've been having lots of meetings with Sheena Easton's wardrobe assistant, rather than popping down to Foster Bros. They've also discovered the promo-video trick, and that although it might be a bit expensive it saves you having to go on Top of the Pops to do all that singing and dancing live, hoping you don't make any mistakes or hit a bum note. This won't do as well as the more memorable In the Mood for Dancing, but Top 10 here they come again.
Paul Jones also pops in for more shameless self-plugging at the licence-payer's expense.
Linx - You're Lying
A repeat of the studio performance of two weeks ago, even though it hadn't moved an inch since last week. Scraping the barrel a bit.
Peter Powell in an armchair.
Gilbert O'Sullivan - What's in a Kiss
Oh dear - is he still around? Gilbert (né Raymond Edward) O'Sullivan hadn't had a hit single in five years, although apparently he'd be going through a lot of legal issues with previous record company in that time. We'd better take a bit of pity on him then, go out an buy this to help him along with the legal fees. Again, it's like punk never happened. Understandably wiped from the 7.30 showing in the year 2015. O'Sullivan's fan(s) must have been gutted.
10-2 rundown, and a special mention must go to the Specials (see what I did there?) and their Stereotype at no. 6. Like, where did that come from? After Too Much Too Young and Rat Race, I'm wondering if the band had been banned by the BBC or were just being blatantly ignored by them? Powell doesn't even mention the song title. Social commentary in pop was sadly still a no-no, and it certainly won't get any better.
The Police - Don't Stand So Close to Me
Well I suppose at least this lot did sort of come out of punk in some way, and here they are again still at number 1 with that video. They must have been making millions already.
Playout with much dancing and merriment over Ottawan 'D.I.S.C.O'.
Waterman and Jones get the t-shirted blondes. Powell presumably gets back to his armchair.
Well that's all for this week. TOTP80 will be back in two weeks with the 16/10/80 show. One week too late.
TOTP 80.26 28/08/80
BBCFour repeat here.
Full chart here.
Presented by Peter Powell and B.A. Robertson
Well we're back off our holidays but there are cases to be unpacked, washing to be done and plants to be watered so just a quick run-through this week.
First of all I'd just like to reiterate my view that B.A. Robertson is/was a burke and is/was never funny. Peter Powell was always a bit borderline embarrassing, but usually redeemed by his tastes in music. Not so this time I'm afraid. On with the show...
Ok well it's the usual 'preview' which interestingly puts the two promo videos (David Bowie and Gary Numan - oooh the irony) up first followed by a few other minor acts.
The Barracudas - Summer Fun
It's the novelty band up first of course, in true TOTP tradition. An appropriate choice as it's already late August and probably raining. Equally appropriately, this got nowhere.
Gary Numan - I Die: You Die
More summer fun! Not! Gazza's back with another new single, and like its predecessor We Are Glass is not from the forthcoming album. Ergo his millions of fans rushed out and bought the 7"(*) and made it a new entry at no. 8. Promo video only of course in which Gary sits in his car (where he feels safest of all), lurks in front of a microphone and wanders down dark and empty corridors. I can't hide my love of this track but the video is totally cringe-worthy and dates it incredibly, as most videos do, turning Gaz into a parody of himself. (*lovely piano version of Down in the Park on the B side btw).
The Selecter - The Whisper
In which Pauline has evidently abandoned her boy-ish sharp black suit 'n' trilby in favour of a more Thatcher-esque affair, although she continues to bounce around a lot like the rest of the band. Some kind of attempt to bring the ska sound into the 80s? Oh dear.
Mike Berry - The Sunshine of Your Smile
"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." - Ludwig Wittgenstein.
The Skids - Circus Games
Oh still about, are they? Actually I've always quite liked The Skids so nice to see them back on, and with a good tune too. More smart clothing in an attempt to 'modernise' their image, although I must confess I preferred their 'modernist' look. This made no. 32 and so possibly their last appearance on the Pops. Question: Why is Jobson sucking his finger at the beginning of this?
Elton John - Sartorial Eloquence
Former TOTP guest-presenter Reg really was struggling at this point in his career and this kind of dirge with such a difficult title wasn't getting him anywhere either. But as we well know he was one of those 70s artists who would go on to re-invent themselves for the eighties. Hang on in there Reg.
Sue Wilkinson - You've Got to be a Hustler...
Second Pops performance for Sue and pals and she's been tarted up a fair bit this time, spandex 'trousers' 'n' all that, making her a kind of raunchy Sheena Easton, if you will. The keyboardist has even tried to copy her look. Still struggling at no. 25 though and got no higher.
Ian Dury & the Blockheads - I Want to Be Straight
Another throwback to the late 70s (see The Selecter, Skids above) and frankly the geezer's past his best. Obviously on some kind of post-70s hangover/hiatus, Dury confesses that he wishes to turn over a new leaf, and stop misbehaving himself. Nobody believed a word of it of course.
Village People - Can't Stop the Music
Yet more late 70s stuff still dragging on through .. Where are the eighties?????
Judas Priest - United
So after Village People what do you get? Judas bleedin' Priest! Lots of leather and Marshall amps and a singer looking like he'd much rather be somewhere else. The kids seem to be enjoying it, but oh my God .. what a very disappointing show this has turned out to be.
Top 10 rundown and then...
David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
Thank Goodness for that! Sir David has come to save us all by letting us hear something modern and eighties and showing Gary Numan how a video should be made in this day and age. Second and final week at no. 1 (oops, spoiler) but the legacy lives on.
OK, end of a rather abysmal show, and it's the customary 'let the kids go mad on stage' moment. Thank you B A Robertson for nothing.
The Beat - Best Friend
A bit of quality ska to play out on, although of course it was the other A side 'Stand Down Margaret' that was selling the single.
A show hardly worth coming back off our holidays for; things can only get better. Can't they? See you next week, sort of.
Full chart here.
Presented by Peter Powell and B.A. Robertson
 |
| pic: popscene |
Well we're back off our holidays but there are cases to be unpacked, washing to be done and plants to be watered so just a quick run-through this week.
First of all I'd just like to reiterate my view that B.A. Robertson is/was a burke and is/was never funny. Peter Powell was always a bit borderline embarrassing, but usually redeemed by his tastes in music. Not so this time I'm afraid. On with the show...
Ok well it's the usual 'preview' which interestingly puts the two promo videos (David Bowie and Gary Numan - oooh the irony) up first followed by a few other minor acts.
The Barracudas - Summer Fun
It's the novelty band up first of course, in true TOTP tradition. An appropriate choice as it's already late August and probably raining. Equally appropriately, this got nowhere.
Gary Numan - I Die: You Die
More summer fun! Not! Gazza's back with another new single, and like its predecessor We Are Glass is not from the forthcoming album. Ergo his millions of fans rushed out and bought the 7"(*) and made it a new entry at no. 8. Promo video only of course in which Gary sits in his car (where he feels safest of all), lurks in front of a microphone and wanders down dark and empty corridors. I can't hide my love of this track but the video is totally cringe-worthy and dates it incredibly, as most videos do, turning Gaz into a parody of himself. (*lovely piano version of Down in the Park on the B side btw).
The Selecter - The Whisper
In which Pauline has evidently abandoned her boy-ish sharp black suit 'n' trilby in favour of a more Thatcher-esque affair, although she continues to bounce around a lot like the rest of the band. Some kind of attempt to bring the ska sound into the 80s? Oh dear.
Mike Berry - The Sunshine of Your Smile
"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent." - Ludwig Wittgenstein.
The Skids - Circus Games
Oh still about, are they? Actually I've always quite liked The Skids so nice to see them back on, and with a good tune too. More smart clothing in an attempt to 'modernise' their image, although I must confess I preferred their 'modernist' look. This made no. 32 and so possibly their last appearance on the Pops. Question: Why is Jobson sucking his finger at the beginning of this?
Elton John - Sartorial Eloquence
Former TOTP guest-presenter Reg really was struggling at this point in his career and this kind of dirge with such a difficult title wasn't getting him anywhere either. But as we well know he was one of those 70s artists who would go on to re-invent themselves for the eighties. Hang on in there Reg.
Sue Wilkinson - You've Got to be a Hustler...
Second Pops performance for Sue and pals and she's been tarted up a fair bit this time, spandex 'trousers' 'n' all that, making her a kind of raunchy Sheena Easton, if you will. The keyboardist has even tried to copy her look. Still struggling at no. 25 though and got no higher.
Ian Dury & the Blockheads - I Want to Be Straight
Another throwback to the late 70s (see The Selecter, Skids above) and frankly the geezer's past his best. Obviously on some kind of post-70s hangover/hiatus, Dury confesses that he wishes to turn over a new leaf, and stop misbehaving himself. Nobody believed a word of it of course.
Village People - Can't Stop the Music
Yet more late 70s stuff still dragging on through .. Where are the eighties?????
Judas Priest - United
So after Village People what do you get? Judas bleedin' Priest! Lots of leather and Marshall amps and a singer looking like he'd much rather be somewhere else. The kids seem to be enjoying it, but oh my God .. what a very disappointing show this has turned out to be.
Top 10 rundown and then...
David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
Thank Goodness for that! Sir David has come to save us all by letting us hear something modern and eighties and showing Gary Numan how a video should be made in this day and age. Second and final week at no. 1 (oops, spoiler) but the legacy lives on.
OK, end of a rather abysmal show, and it's the customary 'let the kids go mad on stage' moment. Thank you B A Robertson for nothing.
The Beat - Best Friend
A bit of quality ska to play out on, although of course it was the other A side 'Stand Down Margaret' that was selling the single.
A show hardly worth coming back off our holidays for; things can only get better. Can't they? See you next week, sort of.
TOTP 80.23 7/08/80
BBCFour repeat here.
Full chart here.
Introduced by Peter Powell....and Elton John. Elton John?
Well it's back: after a nine week hiatus The Pops was back on our Thursday night screens and the arrival of a 'guest presenter' with the regular Radio 1 DJ already hinted at the fact this was An All New TOTP, folks. Now let's get on with the chart rundown and see who's number one....
Wha? No chart rundown? Only a preview of "what's coming up" over some old 70s rock music? So how are we supposed to know who's no. 1 and know when the show is over when it comes on at the end? Whaddya mean you're not supposed to know? Oh well..let's see if this new-fangled idea works, shall we? A new broom will only sweep well for a bit.
Powell does indeed duly give us a preview of the main acts which are coming up, albeit out of sync. There does seem to be an awful lot of movement .. .lots of dancing and bright lights. Whatever next!
The Piranhas - Tom Hark
OK let's get this thing started. Lots of new features already but starting off with a 'novelty' band/song is an old trick that obviously hasn't been put to bed. Here's a whacky ska-reggae pub band sort of affair miming badly to their instruments. The highlight seems to be a stand-up drummer, bare and oily chested, 'playing' drums with a pair of...cucumbers? He sort of reminds me of Christian Bale in American Psycho which is a tad disturbing, as is this whole set-up. Now at no. 26, it would reach the Top 10 within a couple of weeks. Oh and since we weren't given The Chart Rundown, behold! There's now a futuristic computer graphic at the end of each song telling you name of the band and chart position! Wow!
Diana Ross - Upside Down
The inter-presenter banter continues as both men admit they can't whistle (pah!) and Elton confesses he tried to kill off disco, now "rearing its ugly head" again with Ms. Ross at No. 2. Well shucks to you for not being able to kill off Nile/Rodgers with your pathetic ballads Reg! Bit of a weird grainy, filmic collage promo for Diana, but no matter; this was already a big summer hit based on its radio play only and a bit of a classic in the making. Kept off the top spot only by the mighty .. oops not allowed to reveal anything!
Roxy Music - Oh Yeah
John gives us a bit of useless (and largely incomprehensible) banter about Chic and then states 'onto better things' .. as some of his pals are in the studio. Roxy Music seem to have timed their single releases to coincide with The Strike, as they were on the last programme before It happened and here they are again bang on schedule in The New Pops. The second single off Flesh + Blood album didn't disappoint. Another classic and this time Bryan Ferry has some decent trousers even though he moves as if his feet were stuck to the floor, but i suppose he can get away with that.
Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica
Elton seems to have gone for a lie-down after all that strenuous presenting work, so Pete's on his own to introduce Tom Browne and LEGS AND CO!! WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING PETE!? Oh .. I see. Not content to give us the odd glimpse of their pants up to know, the Legs are actually performing....IN THEIR UNDIES! Sexy! Raunchy! Hot! ..oh no sorry I mean NO! this is blatant sexist rubbish and should be banned off the BBC! It's disgusting! However we do get to learn each individual's name thanks to that new-fangled computer graphics machine. Good song too. Was it?
 |
| This is Sue. Apparently. pic.: BBC cameraman |
Oh wait. Pay attention. It's the Charts! Only from no. 30 to 21 though.
Hot Chocolate - Are You Getting Enough of What Makes You Happy?
Phew! A bit steamy this title too innit? Where's Mary Whitehouse these days? Like Roxy, the Chocs were also on the last Pops, but were less successful with this fairly unmemorable number. Perfectly fine to whiggle to though, just look at al the kids! Dancing!
More chart rundown? Oh I get it...it's the charts a bit at a time. Nice idea. Might even catch on.
Kelly Marie - Feels Like I'm In Love
Let's have something new at last shall we? What's this? A wee Scottish red-haired lassie doing the disco thing with two strapping dark-skinned chappies in tight bodywear? Och, the brazen hussie! But the British public loves this kind of singer of course and this song would have Kelly whizzing up the charts all the way up to no, 1, although I really shouldn't be telling you this of course.
GAP Band - Oops Upside Your Head
More wiggly disco stuff , this time from o'er the water. Oklahoma to be precise. Already at no. 6 although didn't get any further on the strength of this poor 'live' promo-video. And no I won't go into that embarrassing eighties dance craze that this song had started off. You know the one where everyone sits on the floor,one behind the other and.....
Gibson Bros. - Mariana
Oh no! More dancing! Live in the studio! With coloured balloons! Can you cope? The Gibson siblings are back with a 'long-awaited' follow up to the Cuba/Salsa thing earlier in the year. They're obviously well in with Flick Colby too as, and not for the first time, there are assorted Legs dancing along, although sadly not in their knickers anymore. Well they are in their knickers but with other stuff as well. But we digress. Do the Eighties start here?
Elton John has completely disappeared by the way. Probably trying to 'kill off disco' somewhere. But here's a nice interlude .. the ones we missed "while we were away" (see also my very own blogpost below). More bottom-wiggling to Odyssey, some nice Olivia Newton-John/ELO, plus the woeful Don McClean...
Sheena Easton - 9 to 5
Second wee Scottish artiste of the night although an all together more modern girl (geddit?) compared to red-head Kelly. Easton had been the subject of an episode of the BBC's The Big Time documentary series, which in her case followed the lassie's career up to recording and launch of Modern Girl, which however failed to make any big impression, and indeed 'the big time' back in April (of which we are reminded via a short clip). Not so this catchy number which shot her to stardom (dragging 'Modern Girl' along with it) making Sheena one of the first big stars of the Eighties. Totally un-p.c. subject matter now of course: woman sings about her successful man out at work while she waits all day for him to come home so that they can 'make love' and 'take off'. Hmmm. Acceptable in the (early) eighties, just like the green jumpsuit with matching white boots. Cute though.
Bad Manners - Lip Up Fatty
Elton's back, although he's obviously been out because he's now got his mac on, or just getting ready to 'take off'? For some reason he's given the arduous task of presenting Bad Manners and their latest one which had been going around for quite a bit, such that it may even had qualified for the whacky newcomer spot on the last Pops before The Strike, had it not been for Liquid Gold. But anyway here they are being 'nutty' or whatever, although sadly still very much stuck in the late seventies I'm afraid. 'Lip Up Fatty' is in no way Eighties, jumpsuit or not.
Chart countdown from no. 10 to no. 2 with a snippet of a performance of each song, Pops studio or other, which is good because we get to see a few seconds of Kate Bush's splendid Babooshka video. Just a tiny bit, mind. Then, at last, it's... No. 1 time!
Abba - The Winner Takes It All
It's not easy to explain how big Abba were at the time or even why perhaps, but there was something already inherently eighties in their pop stardom, even though most of it happened in the seventies. Which is why it's sort of appropriate we should be seeing them at the top spot in this first TOTP eighties-style proper. Does that make any sense? Possibly not, but even though this is a sloppy ballad about a twenty-something couple divorcing and suffering the consequences, as a spotty 16 year old I could somehow totally relate to it. Plus I wanted to marry Agnetha after this of course, knowing that she had now become single, and they had some great eighties clothes in Sweden. First week at no. 1 after a momentary pause at no. 9, and like the song, the video is also now nigh-legendary.
George Benson - Give Me the Night
Elton John decides to adopt a faux-Irish accent when promoting his new single with Pete. I'm sure there must be a reason for that. Somewhere. he even manages to re-state his dislike of disco music before p****ing off to America and Australia or wherever. I'd much rather have stayed on the stage to jig about with all those pastel shades and jumpsuits. I'd really like to know who that girl with hat at the front is/was. Looks like a budding New Romantic..
That was quite a strenuous re-opening night. Better make a cup of tea.
See ya next week!
TOTP 80.19 08/05/1980
BBCFour repeat here.
Full chart here.
Introduced by Peter Powell (in a Radio 1 jumpsuit).
Before we go any further let me just say that in the unlikely event of me ever getting a tattoo done somewhere on my body, then this date in history would be that tattoo. Now let's get down to business...
Mystic Merlin - Just Can't Give You Up
And since we're well into 1980 and time is fast running out, why don't we start with a bland disco-instrumental just to get the ball rolling? C'mon Powell, you can do better than this. Mind you they have to dig into the far outer reaches of the charts to get anything interesting and "sound of the eighties" this week. In fact it's a rum old chart featuring a lot of bland disco and heavy metal music, possibly due to the fact that last week we had so much bland disco and heavy metal music. Jimmy Ruffin is the highest new entry after his stint on the wobbly, steam filled tower last week although Whitesnake and Motorhead both do well, the latter up to a massive 15 places to no. 8. Sales of patchuli oil were also said to have peaked. Thankfully Dexy's defend the top spot even though incredibly last week's nos. 2-10 all go down!
The Human League - Rock 'n' Roll (Holiday '80 EP)
Ok cut straight from the wobbly captions into...... what's this? Electronic panels and wires and knobs and stuff? We thought Tomorrow's World had just finished! But no! It's a bunch of funny looking blokes doing a cover version of Glitter's 'Rock n Roll Part 1' but with no drums, guitars and only a tape recorder and those new-fangled synthesiser thingys? Where's Gary Numan? Funnily enough Powell doesn't even introduce this band so we'll have to do the honours: "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you THE HUMAN LEAGUE!" For all the 'novelty acts' which tended to be presented first upon the 'Pops (see Rezillos, New Musik, The Bodysnatchers et al) there really never has been anything quite like Sheffield's Human League up to now. They were already well known to the average Sounds/NME reader and were about to release their second electronics only album, and their semi-experimental electronics-only music could hardly have been classed as TOTP/pop fodder. This glam rock cover was a brave attempt to achieve that elusive chart hit, but one which sadly failed. Legend has it that David Bowie had said that 'one day all music would be made this way'. However, the band in this particular formation would split by the end of the year although the bloke with the funny lop-sided haircut had a cunning plan....
(note: this is the first song/act tonight which made my 16-year old jaw drop to the living room carpet with a mighty thud, and my music tastes - and my life - would never be the same again. But I digress...)
Johnny Logan -What's Another Year?
Oh God it's this wimp again. At least this time he's taken the trouble to put his jacket on properly Not content with being voted The Best Song in the Whole of Europe, Logan has got to no. 2 in the charts. Can it get any worse?
Prelude - Platinum Blonde
Much like The Human League, this one had been 'bubbling under' as they used to say for a couple of weeks. I, and most people on twitter, had no recollection of this whatsoever. Unlike The Human league however they're sporting a whole load of guitars in all shapes and sizes and end up looking and sounding like a poor man's Fleetwood Mac. the lady singer wears a purple jumpsuit to give it an 'eighties' look, but other than that it's rubbish. Or am I supposed to be reading between the lines? Amazingly, this lot are still performing.
Michael Jackson - Out of My Life
Or is that 'Outta My Life'? Anyway this is Jackson's fourth single taken from the album Off the Wall, and not even the last one, which at the time was a bit of a, er, record. Despite having already milked the album for what it was worth this would keep Jacko's chart average positioning high. It's also one of his slowest songs ever fact fans. Even slower than Johnny Logan.
Matchbox - Midnite Dynamos
But don't fall asleep just yet! It's those whacky Matchbox guys with another rockabilly choon to get everyone dancing round the living room. This was the follow-up to the cringeworthy Buzz Buzz a Diddle It, and would in fact better it. Amazingly their "best" was still to come.
Average White Band - Let's Go Round Again (Legs & Co.)
In which the Leggettes dance around in their skimpy swimming cossies which are, er, white.
Jona Lewie - You Will Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties
Always loved this one. Someone on twitter said they'd had an 'O' Level flashback and that was definitely the case for me with this song. Always loved the synth sound, although he obviously wasn't aiming to be like The Human League or anything. A bit of a novelty record à la B A Robertson but miles better. Millions also noticed in 2015 that one of the girls on backing vocals was the late Kirsty McColl, although apparently she didn't sing on the record. I'm guessing that Phil Oakey saw these girls though and thought.....guys..what if.....?
Cockney Rejects - Cockney Rip-Off
Yes, here we go again. I think this has been on before but doesn't really do it for me.
Boney M - My Friend Jack
Can't help thinking that Boney M were past their sell by date at this point .. Rivers of Babylon, Rasputin, Hooray Holy-day etc. being very much products of the late seventies. Well I'm glad to say that this was indeed the case and this got nowhere. Obviously a non-TOTP recording as there's too much light in the studio.
Ruts - Staring at the Rude Boys
I do remember this one however although never quite worked out if they were taking the mick out of the 'Two Tone' establishment or what. Never really understood what Babylon's Burning was about either, although it was slightly better than this. At no. 22 and didn't get any higher.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Messages
Now then...if the opening act hadn't been enough to make me feel like I had seen the future - my future - then this performance got me into even more of a tizz. I think I'd been sort of 'following' OMITD (as we used to call them) for a few months since their early single Electricity, and possibly an OGWT performance around the same time as this. But whatever it was, as with Phil Oakey and pals, nothing in my life would ever be the same again. I would soon become the world's biggest OMD fan (fact) and I still adore this song to this day. Peter Powell announced that it was going to be 'a smash' and he wasn't far wrong, even though it would only struggle its way up to no. 26 by the end of the month, but in June would get to no. 13 - wonder why? Anorak note 1: this was a radical re-recording of the track off their debut album which was a little less powerful production-wise; anorak note 2: the line up here included Dave Hughes on keyboards, roped in for live work and promotion, even though he would be out of the band before their next appearance; anorak note 3 :...I'm an OMITD anorak.
The Undertones - My Perfect Cousin
According to Powell, without this one tonight's show wouldn't have been 'complete'. Ummm shouldn't that be without the no. 1 song, Pete? Or perhaps he was referring to Feargal's not so veiled lyrical reference to The Human League (plays air synth) which brings everything 'full circle'? We shall never know. A surprising inclusion nonetheless as it had crept up just one place to no. 10.
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno
Number One again and it's a repeat of last week's where, as legend would have it, they only arrived just in time at the beginning to pick up their instruments and start 'playing'.
Hot Chocolate - No Doubt About It
This was up to no. 6, quite right too.
post scriptum: the Saturday after this show, I went into town and bought these two babes:-
So 'til next week: goodbye!
TOTP 80.13 27/03/1980
Presented by Peter Powell
BBCFour episode page
Full chart here
The Vapors - Turning Japanese (chart rundown)
Interesting how we played out last week with The Vapors and kick-off tonight with....The Vapors, who are now on a par with Madness for being featured four times with the same song.
A fairly stale looking chart tonight as the top 4 are still battling among themselves, although Brit-power wins through with The Vapors and Liquid Gold both going up a peg and The Jam still holding their own at no. 1. Martha and the Muffins, Lambrettas and Squeeze all benefit from being featured last week as do UB40 who climb a massive twenty places and indeed go Top 20 just keeping Siouxsie & the Banshees out. New wavers aside, Barbara Dickson and B.A.Robertson both make good progress after making the effort to go down to the TOTP studios last week, less so Sad Café. Anyway we're late so let's get on wi'it.
Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy
Still annoying as ever but definitely the prototypes of the hedonistic party-obsessed eighties which were just a couple of years away. A future Wham! were no doubt watching this. In that sense the most 'sound of the eighties' song/band to date. Drummer still hell-bent on showing as much of his skinny white body as possible although he's got his vest on this week.
Genesis - Turn It On Again
I don't quite know why Powell goes all serious for 'something more serious' by Genesis as I'm sure one could dance oneself dizzy even to Phil & pals if one really wanted. In fact there's quite a lot of dancing to be done in this week's show. Genesis were making slow progress but for some reason benefited massively from this repeat.
Brother Johnson - Stomp (Legs & Co.)
'Legs 11' 'cos it's Legs & Co. dancing to Stomp which is at no. 11 - geddit? There's a kind of seedy stripped down disco-stage for the girls this week who do their best to show us what 'stomping' really is. We'll be back here later.
Dr. Hook - Sexy Eyes
Oh God they're back. Has this one been on already? Can't remember. Wait, hang on..does he say "Sexy eyes..gettin' down on you" in the chorus? All a bit pervy if you ask me.
Judas Priest - Livin' After Midnight
Speaking of pervy! Gerraload of all that heavy metal leather gear wouldya! The girls in the front row with their nice dresses are all loving it and clapping along anyway! ..and there's even some dancing to be done! I didn't remember the lead-singer having all that hair.
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House
Why does Powell go all serious with his voice before certain songs? It's a repeat of two weeks' ago, but hey! you can dance to it! and pull confetti out of your pocket! It's all quite sane.
Secret Affair - My World
Wow Pete's suddenly not so serious anymore and is positively enthusing about this lot! Very good track actually and this week's performance does them and the song more justice than the dark Legs & Co. underbelly location of two weeks ago. The jacket and tie makes him look a bit like a smiley Gary Numan but nowt wrong with that. Just dance!
The Dooleys - Love Patrol
Don't sit down just yet! There's more dancing to be done! Just noticed this is rather Abba-esque, or at least it's what Abba were doing two or three years ago. End of the line here for The Dooleys I'm afraid.
John Foxx - No-One Driving
Amazingly even the glacial Mr Foxx is dancing too! Yay! He must have got a few tips off Legs & Co. before they left the set to make way for the four keyboardists, one of which is also doing a lot of dancing and even occasionally pressing a button! Quite a contrast to Foxx's more somber debut for Underpass a few weeks back, and sadly this more bouncier-one didn't move an inch after this week. Still a tad too early for the synth-pop age. Not Foxx's last single of the year but his last Pops appearance until Summer '81.
Detroit Spinners - Working My Way Back to You
More dancing to be done here by this rather dated vocal/dance troupe set-up, which would gradually go out of fashion only to return with the boy-band fad in a couple of decades time. They've obviously also seen Legs & Co.'s routine by taking the 'working' metaphor to its literal limit. Or perhaps it isn't really a metaphor after all.
The Jam - Going Underground
Powell approaches orgasm as they're IN THE STUDIO! And Paul Weller is wearing .. an apron! Inside out! Not sure if that gesture was ever explained by Weller but no matter, it's just good to have them on, and doing a very convincing mimed performance of this week's number one (even the promo film was quite good actually).
Leon Hayward - Don't Push It Don't Force It..
Ooo-er! Actually Hayward's debut single was entitled 'I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You' so it all follows ....
Not sure what Powell's mumbling on a about at the end but anyway see you next week (or rather in two weeks if you're reading this in 2015).
BBCFour episode page
Full chart here
The Vapors - Turning Japanese (chart rundown)
Interesting how we played out last week with The Vapors and kick-off tonight with....The Vapors, who are now on a par with Madness for being featured four times with the same song.
A fairly stale looking chart tonight as the top 4 are still battling among themselves, although Brit-power wins through with The Vapors and Liquid Gold both going up a peg and The Jam still holding their own at no. 1. Martha and the Muffins, Lambrettas and Squeeze all benefit from being featured last week as do UB40 who climb a massive twenty places and indeed go Top 20 just keeping Siouxsie & the Banshees out. New wavers aside, Barbara Dickson and B.A.Robertson both make good progress after making the effort to go down to the TOTP studios last week, less so Sad Café. Anyway we're late so let's get on wi'it.
Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy
Still annoying as ever but definitely the prototypes of the hedonistic party-obsessed eighties which were just a couple of years away. A future Wham! were no doubt watching this. In that sense the most 'sound of the eighties' song/band to date. Drummer still hell-bent on showing as much of his skinny white body as possible although he's got his vest on this week.
Genesis - Turn It On Again
I don't quite know why Powell goes all serious for 'something more serious' by Genesis as I'm sure one could dance oneself dizzy even to Phil & pals if one really wanted. In fact there's quite a lot of dancing to be done in this week's show. Genesis were making slow progress but for some reason benefited massively from this repeat.
Brother Johnson - Stomp (Legs & Co.)
'Legs 11' 'cos it's Legs & Co. dancing to Stomp which is at no. 11 - geddit? There's a kind of seedy stripped down disco-stage for the girls this week who do their best to show us what 'stomping' really is. We'll be back here later.
Dr. Hook - Sexy Eyes
Oh God they're back. Has this one been on already? Can't remember. Wait, hang on..does he say "Sexy eyes..gettin' down on you" in the chorus? All a bit pervy if you ask me.
Judas Priest - Livin' After Midnight
Speaking of pervy! Gerraload of all that heavy metal leather gear wouldya! The girls in the front row with their nice dresses are all loving it and clapping along anyway! ..and there's even some dancing to be done! I didn't remember the lead-singer having all that hair.
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House
Why does Powell go all serious with his voice before certain songs? It's a repeat of two weeks' ago, but hey! you can dance to it! and pull confetti out of your pocket! It's all quite sane.
Secret Affair - My World
Wow Pete's suddenly not so serious anymore and is positively enthusing about this lot! Very good track actually and this week's performance does them and the song more justice than the dark Legs & Co. underbelly location of two weeks ago. The jacket and tie makes him look a bit like a smiley Gary Numan but nowt wrong with that. Just dance!
The Dooleys - Love Patrol
Don't sit down just yet! There's more dancing to be done! Just noticed this is rather Abba-esque, or at least it's what Abba were doing two or three years ago. End of the line here for The Dooleys I'm afraid.
John Foxx - No-One Driving
Amazingly even the glacial Mr Foxx is dancing too! Yay! He must have got a few tips off Legs & Co. before they left the set to make way for the four keyboardists, one of which is also doing a lot of dancing and even occasionally pressing a button! Quite a contrast to Foxx's more somber debut for Underpass a few weeks back, and sadly this more bouncier-one didn't move an inch after this week. Still a tad too early for the synth-pop age. Not Foxx's last single of the year but his last Pops appearance until Summer '81.
Detroit Spinners - Working My Way Back to You
More dancing to be done here by this rather dated vocal/dance troupe set-up, which would gradually go out of fashion only to return with the boy-band fad in a couple of decades time. They've obviously also seen Legs & Co.'s routine by taking the 'working' metaphor to its literal limit. Or perhaps it isn't really a metaphor after all.
The Jam - Going Underground
Powell approaches orgasm as they're IN THE STUDIO! And Paul Weller is wearing .. an apron! Inside out! Not sure if that gesture was ever explained by Weller but no matter, it's just good to have them on, and doing a very convincing mimed performance of this week's number one (even the promo film was quite good actually).
Leon Hayward - Don't Push It Don't Force It..
Ooo-er! Actually Hayward's debut single was entitled 'I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You' so it all follows ....
Not sure what Powell's mumbling on a about at the end but anyway see you next week (or rather in two weeks if you're reading this in 2015).
TOTP 80.8 22/02/1980
Repeated on BBCFour as from 12.03.2015
Full chart here
A bit late with our Pops commentary this week chums, as we've been having a few technical problems - unlike Peter Powell who's presenting the show all the way from Lake Placid! Wow!
Here's the chart rundown ... in that glorious technicolour yellow they seem to find so eighties.. Unlike the music which is by, er, Rainbow?
Shakin' Stevens - Hot Dog
After last week's lacklustre blues performance by Dave Edmunds, here's the TOTP debut of fellow-Welshman Shakin' Stevens who seems to be presenting rock n roll in a lot more lively eighties kind of way. Shaky is of course a lot better lookin' boyo and it comes as no surprise he'd been making his career as an Elvis Presley impersonator, sorry tribute artist. This was at no. 40 but was already causing a bit of a stir. Better get used to Shaky cos he's gonna be around for quite a bit yet.
Blondie - Atomic
Straight in at no. 3 indeed, although it's hard to fathom out why as this was already the third single off last year's Eat to the Beat album which had probably already sold shedloads. This was a sort of remix however which may have got the punters to buy it again, a technique which would be fully exploited in the coming years. Quality semi-disco/pop/rock from Blondie, which is how we liked 'em, and a vast improvement on the previous rather dour Union City Blue. This one was certainly helped along by the post-nuclear scenario, bin-bag chic promo video too.
The Beat - Hands Off She's Mine
Peter Powell's on quite a roll here, grinning all over his clean-saven dimply face as he comes out of Blondie and into The Beat 'bouncy as ever' with their new one. Yes, much bouncing to be done with the follow up to their debut Tears of a Clown/Ranking Full Stop from last year. It'll be a big year for them although, unlike Shaky, their appeal will wear off pretty quickly.
The Buggles - The Plastic Age
Again!?!? Time really hasn't been kind to this song which surely needs greater recognition given how long it stayed around. It's a repeat of the 'rubber gloves' performance from a couple of weeks back, although we're not complaining.
The Tourists - So Good to Be Back Home Again
Another bouncy repeat studio performance with Annie Lennox in that kinky rubber helmet thing (not a patch on the Buggles-gloves). Already at no. 10 this week so kudos to them, but make the most of it guys 'n' gals.....
Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
Phew, after all that bouncing around in the plastic age better get back to some 70s style songstress in a big orange dress to calm us all down a bit. I have no recollection of either song or singer whatsoever and I believe for good reason. Warning: includes organ solo.
The Ramones - Baby I Love You
Pete getting all dreamy and cuddly after that one but hey! It's time to wake up again with The Ramones! Another studio repeat as the song goes Top 10, although - like the Tourists - it's the last we'll see of them. Ever.
The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
Blimey! This slice of MOR disco is already at no. 2 and we still don't know what these Whisper chaps even look like! Legs & Co. appropriately (not) get dressed up in post-punk-cum-disco gear to bounce around to this one and wiggle their bottoms a lot..
Cliff Richard - Carrie
Hurrah! He's back! Ace song and loads of Cliff close-ups, which is a shame actually as we don't get to see enough of those glittery lapels. Gross injustice of the week as this is kept out of the Top 5 by Captain Beaky and his wretched band.
Iron Maiden - Running Free
Uh-oh it's heavy metal time, although well done to the lead singer for trying to look a bit post-punk with the stripey T-shirt under his levver jacket, and he does quite a good job of singing live too. Not sure how this one features in the Iron Maiden or even heavy metal canon but it really doesn't do much for me. Not that they'd be bovvered.
Kenny Rogers - Coward of the County
Still No. 1. Sadface. But by way of a retort Pete plays out with Peter Gabriel and Games Without Frontiers....so there!
See you next week.
Full chart here
A bit late with our Pops commentary this week chums, as we've been having a few technical problems - unlike Peter Powell who's presenting the show all the way from Lake Placid! Wow!
Here's the chart rundown ... in that glorious technicolour yellow they seem to find so eighties.. Unlike the music which is by, er, Rainbow?
Shakin' Stevens - Hot Dog
After last week's lacklustre blues performance by Dave Edmunds, here's the TOTP debut of fellow-Welshman Shakin' Stevens who seems to be presenting rock n roll in a lot more lively eighties kind of way. Shaky is of course a lot better lookin' boyo and it comes as no surprise he'd been making his career as an Elvis Presley impersonator, sorry tribute artist. This was at no. 40 but was already causing a bit of a stir. Better get used to Shaky cos he's gonna be around for quite a bit yet.
Blondie - Atomic
Straight in at no. 3 indeed, although it's hard to fathom out why as this was already the third single off last year's Eat to the Beat album which had probably already sold shedloads. This was a sort of remix however which may have got the punters to buy it again, a technique which would be fully exploited in the coming years. Quality semi-disco/pop/rock from Blondie, which is how we liked 'em, and a vast improvement on the previous rather dour Union City Blue. This one was certainly helped along by the post-nuclear scenario, bin-bag chic promo video too.
The Beat - Hands Off She's Mine
Peter Powell's on quite a roll here, grinning all over his clean-saven dimply face as he comes out of Blondie and into The Beat 'bouncy as ever' with their new one. Yes, much bouncing to be done with the follow up to their debut Tears of a Clown/Ranking Full Stop from last year. It'll be a big year for them although, unlike Shaky, their appeal will wear off pretty quickly.
The Buggles - The Plastic Age
Again!?!? Time really hasn't been kind to this song which surely needs greater recognition given how long it stayed around. It's a repeat of the 'rubber gloves' performance from a couple of weeks back, although we're not complaining.
The Tourists - So Good to Be Back Home Again
Another bouncy repeat studio performance with Annie Lennox in that kinky rubber helmet thing (not a patch on the Buggles-gloves). Already at no. 10 this week so kudos to them, but make the most of it guys 'n' gals.....
Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
Phew, after all that bouncing around in the plastic age better get back to some 70s style songstress in a big orange dress to calm us all down a bit. I have no recollection of either song or singer whatsoever and I believe for good reason. Warning: includes organ solo.
The Ramones - Baby I Love You
Pete getting all dreamy and cuddly after that one but hey! It's time to wake up again with The Ramones! Another studio repeat as the song goes Top 10, although - like the Tourists - it's the last we'll see of them. Ever.
The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
Blimey! This slice of MOR disco is already at no. 2 and we still don't know what these Whisper chaps even look like! Legs & Co. appropriately (not) get dressed up in post-punk-cum-disco gear to bounce around to this one and wiggle their bottoms a lot..
Cliff Richard - Carrie
Hurrah! He's back! Ace song and loads of Cliff close-ups, which is a shame actually as we don't get to see enough of those glittery lapels. Gross injustice of the week as this is kept out of the Top 5 by Captain Beaky and his wretched band.
Iron Maiden - Running Free
Uh-oh it's heavy metal time, although well done to the lead singer for trying to look a bit post-punk with the stripey T-shirt under his levver jacket, and he does quite a good job of singing live too. Not sure how this one features in the Iron Maiden or even heavy metal canon but it really doesn't do much for me. Not that they'd be bovvered.
Kenny Rogers - Coward of the County
Still No. 1. Sadface. But by way of a retort Pete plays out with Peter Gabriel and Games Without Frontiers....so there!
See you next week.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)