Top of the Pops on BBC Four

[Norton Canes]

Blimey. Won't be long until 'The Story of 1984'.

NEW PAGE MEGAMIX

[Gulftastic]

One of next week's eps features George Cole and Dennis Waterman. And Roland Rat has entered the top 30!


It truly was a glorious time to be alive.

[non capisco]

Love '2000 Miles' by The Pretenders. Record a ballad about heartache and longing, bung the word 'Christmas' in it, played every year and included on Christmas comps from now until doomsday, job's a good 'un. From the same bare-faced stable (or manger, arf!) as the equally brilliant 'Power Of Love' by Frankie. Which I am very much looking forward to hearing in a couple of months if the rapidity of 1983 is anything to go by.

The Flying Pickets still creep me out to be honest. I fast forwarded the one where they dressed as snowmen as I couldn't stick seeing them for the third time.

Status Quo taking their 'whispering in each others ears and laughing' to extreme heights during that performance. I always imagine the bass player and drummer getting paranoid. "What are they saying? Are they laughing at me?"

[non capisco]

Mike Read is a comedy vacuum. I was definitely getting the sense Tommy was on the verge of chinning him.

Oh yeah, the Vance teeth were gritted all right. There was some genuine frustration coming out when he was telling him to stop singing the Flying Pickets song, disguised as banter. But he meant it. "Fucking shut up, you sunglasses indoors prick." was what he wanted to say and not even Mary Whitehouse would have complained if he had.

[daf]

15 December 1983: Presenters: Simon Bates & Janice Long

(25) STATUS QUO – Marguerita Time
Cocktails for Five
(24) UB40 – Many Rivers To Cross (video)
The Booze Brothers
(3) SLADE – My Oh My
Stadium Pertwee
(20) BARRY MANILOW – Read 'Em & Weep (video)
Tears of a Clown
(23) PRETENDERS – 2000 Miles
Spangle-angle-angle-Annnnnngggg



(11) KENNY ROGERS & DOLLY PARTON – Islands In The Stream (US TV clip)
Curveball Keychange
(1) THE FLYING PICKETS – Only You
'Armless
(30) KOOL & THE GANG - Straight Ahead
In the Anchor Position

[non capisco]

"Stadium Pertwee"! Brilliant!

[kaprisky]

Friday 2nd June:

21:00

The Story of 1984.
1984 sees Top of the Pops at the height of its 80s' pomp - the year of big hair and big tunes. A BBC ban on Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax in January leads to an embarrassing Frankie-shaped hole on the show when it reaches No 1. One of the sounds of 1984 is Hi-NRG, that goes overground from the gay club scene into the mainstream charts. 1984 sees the rise of the one-man acts such as Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones. And jazz pop's soaraway star is Sade, who brings a stripped-back soulful vibe to Top of the Pops. Yet 1984 isn't all about smooth sounds. German singer Nena hits the top spot with 99 Red Balloons - shocking Brits with her hairy armpits. And The Special AKA's Free Nelson Mandela combines a political message with an irresistible tune. The year ends on a landmark moment when many of the stars of the chart-topping Band Aid single appear in the studio as the climax to the Christmas show. It's a moment that reaffirms Top of the Pops' place at the heart of British pop culture.

22:00

1984 - Big Hits.
Celebrating the big hits from a big year in British pop. The big hitters in this compilation are performed by the likes of The Smiths, Duran Duran, Sade, The Weather Girls, Wham! and Bronski Beat. Further stellar appearances come from the TOTP debuts of iconic Americans Madonna, Miami Sound Machine and Cyndi Lauper. Frankie Goes to Hollywood celebrate their 1984 chart dominance with one of their celebrated renditions of Two Tribes, and there's a certain little ditty from Black Lace!

[Chriddof]

The Flying Pickets still creep me out to be honest. I fast forwarded the one where they dressed as snowmen as I couldn't stick seeing them for the third time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pElYXc0dtZ4

[DrGreggles]

At what point will the retro TOTPs overtake us?
I'm curious* to find out what the hit parade of the future will be made up of.

*mildly

[buzby]

At what point will the retro TOTPs overtake us?
I'm curious* to find out what the hit parade of the future will be made up of.

*mildly

https://vimeo.com/24311483

[Eight Taiwanese Teenagers]

That last episode was incredibly dull compared to most. Sad!

[Vodka Margarine]

The backing vocals near the end of 'Hold Me Now' sound like they've kidnapped the Bee Gees and made them half heartedly sing against their will.

[Norton Canes]

Must admit I'm getting progressively less joy out of these. Started watching the This Charming Man one last night, got halfway through Marilyn and thought "Why am I putting myself through this?"

[Neomod]

At this point i'd only watch if I knew one of my bands was on as there were better alternatives in the Oxford Road Show, the Tube and even the (old grey) Whistle Test.

[Captain Poodle Basher]

Must admit I'm getting progressively less joy out of these. Started watching the This Charming Man one last night, got halfway through Marilyn and thought "Why am I putting myself through this?"

I'm way ahead of you. I bailed out in the middle of 1981 when the synth pop stuff started. I'd already lived through it once and never want to hear it again. Back in the day, I'd given up on TOTP by 1984 as I wasn't into the music and found the "Party in the studio" era of TOTP to be utterly naff.

I enjoy reading this thread mind you, mainly because my own recollections are rather fuzzy and I get the years mixed up. Eg, I always thought the likes of Howard Jones and Nik Kershaw were 1982 rather than two years later.

[poodlefaker]

Innit. I've ditched TOTP in favour of the repeats of The Good Old Days. Remember how we used to look back to the the 1910s in the 1970s? METANOSTALGIA.

[Norton Canes]

I'm way ahead of you. I bailed out in the middle of 1981 when the synth pop stuff started. I'd already lived through it once and never want to hear it again. Back in the day, I'd given up on TOTP by 1984 as I wasn't into the music and found the "Party in the studio" era of TOTP to be utterly naff

I think 84-86 will be a bit of a chore, though I'm sure there'll be at least one performance worth watching in each show. From 87 the dance/house music stuff begins, which I like seeing performed in the TOTP studios. The late 80's also see the start of the golden age of indie bands.

The early 90's could also be a bit of a slog, but I'm always up for some Britpop-era nostalgia, even though I wasn't a fan of most of the notable guitar bands of the era. Quite looking forward to the late 90's, actually (even though we're a few years off, even at this increased repeat rate) - I seem to remember that was the 'indie band of the week' phase of the show, with some decent representatives on most editions.   

[phantom_power]

I still think there is plenty of decent stuff. It is just that the shit has gone from saccharine ballads and throwbacks to style-over-content "80s" bands

[phantom_power]

One of the biggest problems from now on is the amount of videos compared to studio performances

[phantom_power]

Watching this has also made me realise how many moves Jarvis Cocker bit from Martin Fry

[Phil_A]

Tonight's edition - wasn't that Jeff "Reg Hollis" Stewart behind Kid Jensen at the end there?

[buzby]

Tonight's edition - wasn't that Jeff "Reg Hollis" Stewart behind Kid Jensen at the end there?

Yes, it looks like it. he seems to have been a regular dancer during 1983 - he's  behind Tony Blackburn and Gary Glitter on the 5th of May 1983 1000th episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYfGuXorlbk
and at the end of the 3rd of November 1983 episode that was on recently he can be seen carrying someone round on his shoulders during the audience dancing to Safety Dance.

I've just caught up with the last few episodes. A lot of dross (the one with Slade, Barry Manilow and Status Quo being a particular lowlight), but some real nostalgia for me. At Christmas 1983 my cousin was in the Army stationed in Hong Kong. My nan sent in a request for the BFBS to have 2000 Miles played for him - I've still got a recording of it on a cassette somewhere. Christmas 1983 was also when she bought me the 12" of Rat Rapping, to play on the Fidelity HF42 portable record player I'd got for Christmas a couple of years earlier.


We got a better look at Howard Jones' setup tonight - the white grand piano was replaced with a Yamaha CP80 with the SCI Pro One on top of it. What I thought was a TR-808 actually turned out to be a LinnDrum LM-2:

[daf]

22 December 1983: Presenters: David 'Jumper' Jensen & Dancing Jack Peel (Fancy Dress Special!)

(20) SLADE – Merry Christmas Everybody
IT'S CHRIIIIIISTMAAAAAAS!!
(3) CULTURE CLUB – Victims (video)
Wedding Cake with all the trimmings
(29) TEARS FOR FEARS – The Way You Are
Classic 1-3-1 Diamond Formation
(7) BILLY JOEL – Tell Her About It (video)
Happy Daze
(26) DENNIS WATERMAN & GEORGE COLE – What Are We Gonna Get 'Er Indoors?
Write da Feem Toon, Sing da Feem Toon



(22) PAUL MCCARTNEY – Pipes Of Peace (video)
For you Tommy, ze war is over
(11) HOWARD JONES – What Is Love?
Barefoot Boilersuit
(1) THE FLYING PICKETS – Only You
Don-Don-don-don (key jacket)  . . . Don-Don-don-don (key jacket)
(27) ROLAND RAT SUPERSTAR – Rat Rapping (Brilliant Isn't It?) (audience dancing / credits)
Only 3 more sleeps to go!

[daf]

25 December 1983: Presenters: Simon Bates, Janice Long, Andy Peebles & Mike 'Ugly Sister' Smith

FREEEZ – IOU
Panto Time
MICHAEL JACKSON – Billie Jean (video)
Whiplash Legwiggle
SHAKIN' STEVENS – Cry Just A Little Bit
Big Jessie
MEN AT WORK – Down Under (video)
BOO! - (mike smith) - BOOOOOO!!!!
BONNIE TYLER – Total Eclipse Of The Heart (video)
Windy Ninja School
EURYTHMICS – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
He's Behind You!


https://www.flickr.com/photos/51106326@N00/sets/72157633854400691/

IRENE CARA – Flashdance (What A Feeling) (video)
Fancy Breaking
ADAM ANT – Puss 'N Boots
Flouncy Cuffs
DURAN DURAN – Is There Something I Should Know? (video)
Mysterious Pyramid
BUCKS FIZZ – When We Were Young
Spatchcock'd Crudginton
LIONEL RICHIE – All Night Long (All Night) (video)
Keep it down mate, some of us have to get up in the morning!
HEAVEN 17 – Temptation
Spongebag Shoulderpad
DAVE BOWIE and the DAVE BOWIE BAND feat. 'The Dame' – Let's Dance (video)
Follow the Orange Dust Road
UB40 – Red Red Wine
Sour Grapes
BILLY JOEL – Uptown Girl (video)
Mud Flaps
THE FLYING PICKETS – Only You
Dave Dee, Baldy, Mick & Titch
KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND – Give It Up (audience dancing / credits)
Right, that's over - who's coming out for a walk?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
https://vimeo.com/218307384

[The Masked Unit]

Fucking state of paul youngs voice. Like a honking horn.

[Dr Rock]

It's true that it's going to be a loss from now on how many videos are shown, rather than live performances.

I'm in a minority of quite liking the Flying Pickets one aren't I?

[Brundle-Fly]

As I still maintain, from 1983 onwards it is dwindling returns for years on TOTP, as regards to variety and left turn pop. There are many notable exceptions, of course but if you like over produced bobbins, plastic soul, poncey coked up promos and AOR than knock yourselves out.

[Dr Rock]

As I still maintain, from 1983 onwards it is dwindling returns for years on TOTP, as regards to variety and left turn pop. There are many notable exceptions, of course but if you like over produced bobbins, plastic soul, poncey coked up promos and AOR than knock yourselves out.

Yeah during those years any of the left-field or indie alternative stuff would enter at 27 in the charts and then drop out, never getting their TOTPs performance. Public taste was more and more veering to the horrible (with a few exceptions) jazz/funk/soul/r&b slop. Fucking Casuals weren't it. Expect more Level 42 and all the bands that used to be decent going for the 'blue-eyed soul' 'real music' direction.

Plenty more Shaky to look forward to though.

[daf]

I'm in a minority of quite liking the Flying Pickets one aren't I?

Only You!

(BOOM! BOOM!)

[Brundle-Fly]

Yeah during those years any of the left-field or indie alternative stuff would enter at 27 in the charts and then drop out, never getting their TOTPs performance. Public taste was more and more veering to the horrible (with a few exceptions) jazz/funk/soul/r&b slop. Fucking Casuals weren't it. Expect more Level 42 and all the bands that used to be decent going for the 'blue-eyed soul' 'real music' direction.

Plenty more Shaky to look forward to though.

It seems so quaint for us to pinpoint this significant shift in chart pop music. Imagine attempting this now with completely different commercial and social media factors beyond comprehension.

I'd be like Rod Taylor getting all shirty with the Eloi in The Time Machine (1960)