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.

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.