TOTP 80.39 27/11/80

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

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

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

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

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

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

UB40: politically correct

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

Robert Palmer - Looking For Clues

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

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

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

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

Rundown 30-21

Stray Cats - Runaway Boys

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

Stray Cats: 80s quiffs ahoy

20-11 rundown.

Spandau Ballet - To Cut a Long Story Short

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

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

Madness - Embarrassment

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

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

Abba - Super Trouper

Abba Angels

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

A man maneuvering a super-trouper

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


See you next week as we race towards December!

TOTP 80.33 16/10/80

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

FULL REPORT PENDING !!!

Madness - Baggy Trousers

Showaddywaddy - Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts

Barbara Streisand - Woman in Love

Adam & the Ants - Dog Eat Dog

George Benson - Love x Love

Matchbox - When You Ask About Love

Bad Manners - Special Brew

The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me

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

TOTP 80.24 14/08/80

BBCFour repeat here.
Full chart here.

Introduced by Tommy Vance and guest Roger Daltrey.

Just a quick runthrough as we're packing our bucket n spade and going on our summer holiday...

Looking at the charts, nearly all the acts that were on last week benefited from their respective performances (save for Bad Manners who remained at 15) so TOTP had definitely given the record buying public a kick up the backside. Amazingly they seemed to have cobbled together a pretty good show from what else of good there was....

Ultravox - Sleepwalk

Openers Ultravox got the party started with their debut as a group and they were already at no. 29. Midge had already been on with Slik though a few centuries ago as had keyboardist Billy Currie who had d been on last year with Tubeway Army/Gary Numan. Midge is oh so slick with the cameras, never losing a moment to give Bowie-esque gazes into the lens. Another jaw-drop moment for me (for the music not for Midge's crafty looks) although surprisingly this did them little good chart-wise. But they'll be back...

David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

So much has been said about this song/video already as it's become nigh-on legendary. This was apparently the first time it went on telly and duly shook the nation. Bowie's new one had to be featured on TOTP of course because it was straight in at no. 4. That legendary 'video' practically brought the New Romantic movement out of the underground London clubs and into the mainstream. And we now knew that Space Oddity's Major Tom was actually a junkie.

ELO- All Over the World

Brum's best didn't get much of a look in with their only no. 1, albeit with hot blonde lead singeress, because of the Strike. Here's another cracker from Xanadu though which also did them good. Legs & Co. slightly overdressed this week, but you can't mess around too much with national costumes - might start a war or something.

Mike Berry - Sunshine of Your Smile

Who is this and how did he get here? I've no idea and no time to find out either. Life's too short.

 

Grace Jones - Private Life

Another debut and possibly the first time many had seen her. Epic cool performance and a great single. Love the way she flicks the ash without actually smoking. A Marlene Dietrich for our time.

Village People - Can't Stop the Music

Way past their 'YMCA' best and perhaps they really had better stop the music. or re-invent themselves for the 80s. No, forget that.

Sue Wilkinson - You've Got to be a Hustler..

See Mike Berry above, although perhaps slightly more entertaining. A nation asked itself what a 'hustler' was. Get that woman some hair conditioner.

Abba - The Winner Takes It All

Is it all over already? I've missed out the 'guest presenter' banter and the intermittent peacemeal chart rundowns in favour of brevity, plus the fact that Daltrey is an arrogant burke. But still, everyone's favourite Swedish group are still kings and queens of pop. For now.

Must fly! Ciao!

TOTP 80.18 01/05/80

BBCFour repeat here.
Full chart here.

Welcome to the merry month of May and a new month of Top of the Pops 1980..or is it? Introduced tonight by Tommy Vance, on his TOTP debut (they've even put his name in writing in case you don't know who he is). It's not clear whether the amount of rock/heavy metal on tonight is because Vance wanted to 'push' his preferred genre, or if they got him on because he's the man in the know. Anyway, on with the show...

Leon Haywood - Don't Push It Don't Force It

Chart rundown (NB "special effects" on the writing). Leon's at no. 12 - same as last week. In other chart news, Sky go Top 5 with their classic-prog-pop number, the Undertones shoot up to no. 11 and Irish Eurovision winner Johnny Logan is straight in at no. 15, in the days when Eurovision winners still sold records. Bad Manners and Cockney Rejects go Top 30 after last week's appearances, although there does seem to be an unhealthy amount of heavy rock and disco about. "Sound of the eighties"..where are you?

New Musik - World of Water

Oh here it is! New effort from this lot after Living by Numbers which made it to no. 13 a couple of months back. This would fare less well as perhaps the geeky 'Buggles' effect was already wearing a bit thin. As John Foxx's recent mediocre success had highlighted, the world was still not ready for pop music fuelled by J.G. Ballard novels. Plus the keyboard player is embarrassing.

Narada Michael Walden - I Shoulda Loved Ya

So it's back to the disco, but what's happened to the TOTP studio? It's gone all.... Oh, sorry it's a clip of Narada and his band doing their thang on U.S. pop show Soul Train, which sort of showed how pop shows are done Stateside: bright stage sets, coloured lights, and people dancing and having a good time! Whatever next!

Chords - Something's Missing

Better get back to the grim and gritty world of the BBC Centre and the London suburbs, quick! The Chords really were trying hard to have a hit, after Maybe Tomorrow earlier in the year, but perhaps this time hoping to make the most of the angry young mod vibe set up by The Jam and their smash hit Going Underground. A brave attempt, but alas one wouldn't get them far chart-wise. New album out soon, and cult status assured.

Rodney Franklin - The Groove (Legs & Co.)

But enough of this mob music! Not good for the country ... let's give the masses what they want: banal dance music and scantily clad females! Indeed Legs & Co,'s knickers seem to be getting skimpier by the week and their legs even longer. There's even a huge long sofa featured this week, for rolling about on, hiding behind etc. Not trying to distract us from anything are they? Franklin's 'groove' (if you're paying any attention ot he music) was up to no. 13.

Whitesnake - Fool For You Loving

But enough of this cheapo girlie show, let's have some real men making some real, sweaty, hormone-fuelled music! Yes it's the first of a trio of c*ck-rock numbers, which see Vance in his element. This one was already Top 30 (just) and we get a gritty film of a live performance which looks like it might have been made circa 1973. I must admit I know nothing about this bunch of hairy rockers but wiki reliably informs me that lead singer David Coverdale (I've heard of him) formed the band in '78 after leaving Deep Purple (I've heard of them!). This would become a bit of a classic of its genre and indeed the start of a successful career for Whitesnake throughout the coming decade, and beyond.

Jimmy Ruffin - Hold On to My Love

Who? Well whoever he is they've put him on top of the wobbly tower and set the place on fire possibly in the hope he wouldn't be seen again? Ruffin had actually been churning out the hits since 1966 - his chart debut in that year was What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, soon to be covered by someone else. Anyway he was now getting a new lease of life thanks to the Bee gees, especially Robin Gibb, who co-wrote this number and and a few others on his new album Sunrise. 

Saxon - Wheels of Steel

Back to the c*ck-rock after all that sloppy ballad stuff. Third appearance and slow progress for this lot which has been up and down the charts, and back up again. It won't get any higher than this week's no. 20 though notwithstanding Tommy Vance's plug.

Hot Chocolate - No Doubt About It

...and back to the disco. It's a sad fact that Hot Choc's vocalist Errol Brown passed away just a few weeks ago. Looking back, he was amazingly cool, had a great voice and sang on some really good records. Wiki duly reminds us that the Choc had at least one hit every year between 1970 and 1984 inclusive, and their song "You Sexy Thing" made the Top 10 in three decades. They were also a multi-coloured multi-ethnic band, so what a shame that Vance (and some bright spark in production) has to muster a bevvy of young ladies of evident Afro-Caribbean origin only to introduce the band. Anyway this was an excellent attempt to bring the Hot Chocolate up to date and into the eighties: love the synthy-Moogy intro to this one, which TOTP cameras naturally fail to spot since, as usual, they've put the keyboards way to the back. 

Motorhead - Leaving Here (from 'Golden Years live EP')

But enough smooching already, let's get the greasers back in, eh Tommy? I'm not sure of Motorhead's previous track record but they must have been pretty popular already as this was straight in at no. 23. You can smell the stale beer stains and patchuli oil from here.

The Nolans - Don't Make Waves

Talk about contrasts: after the great unwashed come...the mighty Nolan sisters, in all their squeaky-cleanliness and smiles to the camera. I wonder if they ever met Motorhead backstage? The girls were struggling at no. 25 although could and would do better. Whether we shall see them again remains to be seen....

The Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom

Now this is good. A nice bit of intelligent ska and a worthy follow up to Hands Off She's Mine which in turn had been a worthy follow up to Tears of a Clown/Rankin'.  Perhaps the only let down is that the singer actually holds up a 'bathroom mirror' but they manage to carry off even the cheapest of TOTP props with style. Not exactly the sound of the eighties, but a classic for sure.

Kate Bush - Breathing

Blimey! Just when you thought it was no. 1 time here comes Kate with something even weirder than Wuthering Heights! Kate's inside a kind of plastic bubble doing a bit of 'in-out, in-out, in-out'. With her breathing that is. What's that? She represents a fetus inside the womb, scared of smoking and the nuclear threat? Sounds like great chart material! This was Kate's first new stuff since her big success in '78 and live shows in '79, a preview of the new album in progress. 

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno

It's been quite a roller coaster ride of a show and seems to have lasted for ages but here we are at last with the new number 1 folks! Blondie have been sent packing and notwithstanding the big names McCartney and Essex, Dexy's have made it to the top spot and deservedly so. Haven't got much more to say cos I'm knackered after this plethora of popular musics, but best be grateful for what we get every week, while it lasts. Ge-no! Ge-no! Ge-no!

Johnny Logan - What's Another Year? (credits)

He was on last week (despite being nowhere near the charts) so can't appear this week - serves him right.

See ya!