TOTP 80.41 11/12/80

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talking of the charts .. 19-10.

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOTP 80.30 25/09/80

First broadcast 25/09/80
BBCFour repeat here, first shown 01/10/15
Presented by Mike Read
Guest presenters: Leo Sayer / Russ Abbott
Full chart here.


We're back! Yes indeed, after a lengthy hiatus due to Proms, BBC programming and other shenanigans your fave programme is back on the telly on a Thursday night where it always should be so to hell with the washing-up and let's get started. Over to you Mike..

No! Wait..! Where's Mike the Presenter? This is The Police thrashing around in school master garb!.. Diana Ross on her ol' Joanna and some other chaps flapping about in garish "carnival" costumes! Oh phew, here's Mike at last, in sensible-yet-trendy jacket 'n' thin tie . .had me going for a moment there.

Black Slate - Amigo
New in the charts at 35 so perfect for the slot of 'quirky' newcomer to open the show. But oh dear, what's with the over sized Speedy Gonzalez sombrero an' ting? Well, apparently according to wiki, it was "their Rastafarian rallying call". Well good for them, even though 'amigo' is actually Spanish for 'friend', no? I suppose that explains the sombrero. Don't want to give any spoilers or anything but this one shot up to no. 10 the following week, presumably on the back of this performance and having rallyed lots of Rastafarians.

Interval (already?) - and up pops chirpy chappy Leo Sayer, and what a splendid opportunity for Mike Read to do his Cliff Richard impression.
Next!

Split Enz - I Got You
Better cool things down a bit after all that Rastafarianism and get some clean white boys on to do a more sensible number. This one was creeping verrrry slowly up the charts although got a further leg-up after this repeat showing. They were Australian of course, but thankfully not a hat with corks on in sight.
Their only hit.

Diana Ross - My Old Piano
Mike Read obviously needed a bit a lie down after that cabaret number cos it's just Sayer to introduce this promo of Ms. Ross and her latest about a piano, in which the chanteuese duly cavorts around a (not so old) piano. Flick Colby take note. Another Edwards/Rogers produced Top 10 success after last summer's excellent Upside Down.

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust (Legs & Co.)
Ooooh! Speaking of ver Legs here they now, in quiet possibly their weirdest dance costumes ever. Actually it's all looking a bit 'New Romantic' even though that hasn't been invented yet. Stage designers have also evidently had a bit more time on their hands this week and have constructed a kind of corridor in a Japanese restaurant for the girls to do their thing in. And if that wasn't enough it's special effects galore to boot! I'd like to think that Bowie's Ashes to Ashes video was a big influence here, but who can say? Queen had indeed gone Top 10 with this John Deacon penned number although sadly this all-out Legs performance did little to aid its chart success. Still an ace track though.

are you ready, are ready for this?

Prior to the 30-20 chart rundown there's a short appearance from Russ Abott who, unlike Leo Sayer, is/was actually genuinely funny. Most singles in the 30-20 bracket going down, save for Bob Marley and the afore-featured Split Enz.

Ottowan - D.I.S.C.O.
Well while Queen were at least trying to do something new with 'disco' this kind of 70s-leftovers was still making it through. Mike Know-All Read has to tell us of course that this single was already a year old and that Ottawan have little or no English. Just one place behind Queen although they went on to effectively leap-frog them to reach the giddy heights of the top 3. Where's the justice?

Rundown 19-11 - quite a few post-Strike big names on the way down: Cliff, Bowie, Berry, Sheena, Sabbath, Jam, obviously leaving for space for new and exciting stuff. Some hope.

Shalamar - I Owe You One
Seems to be some kind of disco 'theme' running through this week's show, much to our chagrin. Wish they'd hurry up and invent the New Romantics. What's that? Get down the The Blitz Club if you want some new styles, new shapes...? But for the moment we're stuck with  this kind of thing. We'll be hearing more from the Shals a couple of years hence, so tune in again around 2017, Shalamar fans as this might be your lot as far as 1980/2015 goes.

Russ Abbot/Teddy Boy introduces...

Linx - You're Lying
And here's some quality Brit-disco at last. Linx were still a fairly labour-intensive soul/funk combo apparently coming out of nowhere, or perhaps from an underground Brit-soul/funk movement which has probably already been featured on a BBCFour documentary. But no matter, this really was rather good and went down well on the dance-floors of the nation, kick-starting a successful career for the David Grant/Peter Martin duo. Some ace state-of-the-art keys on stage here and they were even 'cred' enough to be featured on a future cassette compilation issued by the ultra-cred NME, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Scritti Politti, Cabaret Voltaire and, er, Furious Pig.

Top 10 rundown. and you have to listen very attentively to Read to find out what's going up or down, plus get some really interesting info about each artist. From one clip we even see that Sheena's Modern Girl works in a Chiropody Clinic. Fact.


The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
Although they'd done pretty well up to now, mega-stardom status for The Police officially begins here with this single staying at the top for four weeks, and likewise its parent album Zenyatta Mondatta released a week or so later. Love 'em or hate 'em Sting and pals going straight to number one (the seventh in history, right Mike?) with this new song was a due testament to their popularity and sale-ability at the time. That said, perhaps the success of the 'Don't Stand..' follow-up (which we won't mention for now) may also be a testament to the fact that the British public would eagerly snap up any old rubbish with 'The Police' written on it. But credit where credit's due for Sting's semi-autobiographical tale of a wanton schoolgirl trying to get close to 'teach' possibly in the hope of getting a better school report, or perhaps even more. A scholarly reference to 'that book by Nabakov' is somewhat counter-balanced by rhyming said author's surname with the word 'cough', and a rather shoddy promo-film showed how erstwhile 'punk' was becoming mainstream, but of course the New Romantics will be putting a bit of a shine on videos before long.

..the subject, of schoolgirl fantasies..

The chart-topping trio is soon replaced by a shambolic presenter-trio who wrap up the show with a pitiful "sketch" in which Read is suddenly heavily pregnant and nearly knocked over by a psueudo-superhero.

Change - Searching (playout)
Groan. More MOR disco to finish up, although I was surprised and interested to discover that Change actually originated in Bologna, Italy (home of lasagna and the world's oldest university) with a bit of americano/NY sparkle laid over the top like a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. This one features the talents of a fledgling lead-vocalist Luther Vandross, no less, and as well as being a huge success Stateside was also doing quite well UK-side so we might be hearing it again soon.

A pretty spritely play-out with balloons, dancing and streamers! Is this the 1980s?

We might find out next week..t'ra!

TOTP 80.29 18/09/80

Full chart here

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

and what's so funny about my nose then?

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

Somewhat wearily, we press on...

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

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

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

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

Sheena....

...bombing!

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

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

separated at birth

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

TOTP 80.28 11/09/80

Another one not repeated this time around, hosted by Saville and Richard Skinner, who was in fact already a R1 DJ, but getting his introduction to the TOTP public Steve Wright style.

You can watch the full programme here on Vimeo (via Manorak)
Full chart here

I have a feeling that good and exciting material was pretty thin on the ground for this edition, since most of the songs were in the lower reaches of the chart and struggling to get anywhere. But anyway these things seem to go in cycles so let's just get on with it:

The Skids - Circus Games
And by way of proof of the above statement here's the second outing for The Skids who had crept up just one place to no. 32 from no. 33, which is where they were two weeks ago when featured on the show. They must have been chuffed to have got a second chance although again the Great British public weren't buying it (literally) and they dropped down to no. 40 the week after.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (promo)
I can't seem to find any information out there as to why this 1970 song from The Sabbath became an unexpected hit again a decade later, so any gen would be gladly accepted. Over the years Paranoid has turned out to be quite an 'evergreen' as it crops up every now and then on films and stuff. Already at no. 17 this week.

Ian Dury & the Blockheads - I Want to Be Straight
Again? Like the Skids' single this had stalled after its TOTP showing a couple of weeks back, yet somehow was miraculously 'rescued' for this week, and then got nowhere. Next!

Elvis Presley - It's Only Love
Again it's an old one re-marketed, perhaps in the wake of Presley's death, which had happened three years hence. HAd someone from Black Sabbath died too? Legs & Co. give it the once over this week so let's break the monotony a bit and watch it over on One For the Dads.

Shakin' Stevens - Marie Marie
Another 'rescued from obscurity' feature, which again hadn't done very much since being on three weeks ago. Now at the dizzy heights of no. 21 it gained another two places next week. Then nothing. A bientot, Shaky. Next!

Judas Priest - United
More p*ss poor strugglers, I'm afraid. And it's even a repeat of two weeks ago. Next!

Splodgenessabounds - Two Little Boys
Oh something  a bit fun and interesting at last, although one wonders why this lot weren't put in the opening 'novelty band' slot. A not-so-good follow-up to Two Pints of Lager.. which had been a hit during the Wilderness Weeks of The Strike. Not surprisingly this song has its origins in English music-hall and this is more or less what we get 'post-punk' style with The Splodge Ones, albeit on a very cramped and overcrowded stage. God knows what they were on but they certainly gave tonight's lacklustre show a kick up the backside. They also went whizzing up the charts after tonight's showing, my lords, laydees and gennle-meeen, but its success was short-lived.

Split Enz - I Got You
Maybe it was a new TOTP strategy to save the best bits til last, after wading through the drudgery? That would certainly seem the case this week. Colourful Australian cousins Split Enz make their TOTP debut with this number, which is actually a bit creepy, but a well-crafted song nonetheless, somewhat in the style of say, Squeeze. This one had already made it to no. 27 and would deservedly go on to do better.

Kelly Marie - Feels Like I'm in Love
It's a new number one folks, and full marks to Kelly for hangin' on in there and getting to the top after six weeks grafting and sweating (enough of these short lived 'instant hits' already!). It must also have been a big satisfaction to have out-done fellow females Sheena 'I've Got Two Singles Out Actually' Easton and Hazel 'I'm a Film Star Too Actually' O'Connor, and beating both to the top spot (can you imagine the backstage bitchin'!!?). Randy Crawford also hot on her heels, so we'll see what happens next week folks.

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust (playout)
You'd have thought that Queen going all disco would've deserved more pops attention, but there obviously wasn't even a decent promo-video around, so just unleash the kids!

Back next week with a proper Pops showing, at last. T'ra!

TOTP 80.6 07/02/1980

Repeated on BBCFour as from 19.02.2015
Full chart here: Official charts

First Pops of freeezing Feb, and as promised it's new boy Steve Wright doing the duties tonight, and he's even brought his own groupies

pic: @Phleeper

Jefferson Starship - Jane 
Chart rundown only, thank goodness as we really wouldn't like to see this bunch of tired old seventies rockers 'performing' on TOTP thank you very much. This eventually got a tad higher so best not speak too soon.

The Tourists - So Good To Be Back Home Again (46)
And it's good to have you back again too Tourists! This was their follow up to their rendition of  I Only Want to be With You which went massive around Christmas and had only just dropped out of the Top 30. The lead singer - one Ann Lennox - is wearing some very odd headgear, nay, hairgear. Don't think she'll go too far, and nor will that daft looking guitarist in a red suit in the background. Now that bloke singing with Lennox on the other hand, he looks like a real new-wave star.

Cliff Richard - Carrie 
I wasn't looking forward to this but it was a pleasant surprise, and not half as cheesy as I thought. A really good ballad on the back of his We Don't Talk Anymore renaissance, which had also done well "State-side" as Steve Wright might have said. Steve does of course remind us of how young Cliff (né Harry Webb) still looks etc., although it is amazing to think that he'd already been having hit records for over twenty years. Knighthood due, I reckon.

The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On (Legs & Co.)
A proper dance song for Legs rather than prancing around in tight-fitting lycra, dressed up as wild animals and....ehem, moving swiftly onto this week, it's The Whispers! Who? Well apparently this lot had been going round since 1964 (therefore nearly as long as Cliff) and their patience was now paying off with this snazzy little dance number which despite the demise of disco would actually be a smash. Some credit to Legs perhaps?

The Boomtown Rats - Someone's Looking at You
But enough of disco! Back to New Wave and all that with The 'Rats, enjoying their eighth top twenty single and parent album The Fine Art of Surfacing, of  which this was the opening track, also selling truckloads. It's the repeat recording of a couple of weeks ago, starting off with Fingers and his funny little organ and Geldof looking a lot like the Floyd Pinkerton/Pink character he would later play in the movie version of The Wall, the tour for which opened on this very night in LA as a matter of fact. Small world.

The Nolans - I'm in the Mood for Dancing
And just so the Wright-person can use once more the 'Oirish' connection (cringe) it's The Nolans again, this week switching places with Madness but kept off the no. 2 spot by that fat American bloke, grrr. Commendably, this was yet another new performance for the Pops with live singing, although this time the resident orchestra obviously had better things to do. The lead Nolanette seems to be doing a little less twirling too, so perhaps all that dan-cin' and roman-cin' was already taking its toll.

The Chords - Maybe Tomorrow
New name time, and this week it's The Chords from Sarf Landan who are doing their best not to look like The Jam even though they do sound quite a lot like The Jam, or at least they do to these 21st century non-Mod-tuned ears. This was their second stab at 45rpm stardom and they'd hit the Top 40 with this little number this week, but sadly do little else. Shame - they seemed quite good.

The Regents - 7 Teen  
They're back again from their debut a fortnight hence and have edged up to number 11. The audience do seem a tad more enthusiastic, although the band continue to strut and pout much as they did first time around. The lead singer has obviously anticipated the 80s wide shoulder pad fashion, although perhaps they should actually go inside the jacket so as not to show the sticky tape, mate.

Queen - Save Me
Enough of the youngsters, time for a bit of 'classic rock' to keep all the punters happy. As anticipated in last week's closing credits, this had already made it up to no. 20. Nice little promo film here too mixing live performance, some soppy animation and a, er, dove which Freddie just fails to catch hold of (ie. "save") at the end. Hopefully this one didn't hit the back of the net.

The Selecter - Three Minute Hero
Bringing a bit of energy back into the show, it's more of those fun-loving ska kids who are also rocketing up the charts this week. (Interestingly, chart anoraks, they were one place ahead of Queen last week but are now one place behind). Sadly this would not replicate their On My Radio debut, although the soon-to-be-released album Too Much Pressure would establish them as one of the key bands of the genre/era.

AC/DC - Touch Too Much
Despite having become something of a cult (witness the buzz on Twitter recently when folks started realising they would be on tonight) AC/DC failed to set the singles charts alight at the time, with album sales doing considerably better. I'm no fan but I preferred last year's Highway to Hell. A unique TOTP moment nontheless.

The Buggles - The Plastic Age 
But back to the future... Good to see Buggles back on, even though chart progress was slow for Horn and pals with this one from the soon-to-be-released album. A new performance this week, distinguishable from the one of a fortnight ago only by Geoff Downes' rubber, er no sorry, plastic gloves. The hugely underestimated Plastic Age eventually made the Top 20 although whether we'll see them again on the Pops remains to be seen.

The Specials - Too Much Too Young
Second week at no. 1 for Coventry's finest even though this, the third showing of the live promo film, gets rather short shrift from TOTP makers tonight. Whether that was an excuse for not having to broadcast too many taboo lyrics to the nation or a punishment for not coming to the TOTP studio is anyone's guess. Their days at the top spot were numbered, but they'll be back, mark my words. Try wearing a CAP!


Joe Jackson - Different for Girls (closing credits)
Joe was stable at no. 5 and obviously not worthy of another studio appearance/repeat. Only The Nolans could carry that off.

Well that's all for this week and, sadly, there'll be no Pops on BBC Four next week so you'll have to wait until 5th March for the next show, chums. But do stay tuned for more 1980 music 'n' fun in the meantime.

TOTP 80.5 31/01/1980

Repeat shown on BBCFour  from: 12.02.2015

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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

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

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

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