Top of the Pops on BBC Four

[Chriddof]

Just leaving this important Simon Bates fact here...

[Camp Tramp]

Jennifer Rush

Strangely enough a guy I know echoed your hate on Twitter, plenty agreed with him.

[daf]

Rush with her (. . .)  naff 80's costumes and glitter hairspray

Those 80s fashions were brutal - she had only just turned 25 at this point!

TWENTY FIVE!

[Gulftastic]

Oh yes. I've been listening to this, and the whole Single Life album, a lot recently. I love Larry Blackmon.

I loved their TOTP 'Single Life' appearance. They were obviously having a ball.

[non capisco]

The Far Corporation's Led Zeppelin cover confused me a bit. They seemed to have a superfluous frontman who never actually did anything. He kept waving his mic stand at the crowd in a "here we go, I'm about to start singing, 1-2-3-4.." fashion but then either a guitar solo or a load of backing singers came in. Then when it was finally time for some singing....some other little bloke comes out and does it! What was the deal with the first guy? He was laughing all the way to the bank for doing naff all!

[daf]

Full 9 minute version from German TV -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO066OFUuNQ

It was a Frank 'Boney M' Farian project apparently, and there's three of 'Africa' Hit-makers Toto in there somewhere!

Some of the musicians Farian assembled included vocalist Robin McAuley, vocalist Henry Gorman, drummer Simon Phillips and three members of Toto: vocalist Bobby Kimball, keyboardist David Paich, and guitarist Steve Lukather.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_Corporation

[daf]

14 November 1985: Presenters: Gary Davies & Mike Smith

(24) JIMMY CARR & THE CARNATIONS – Lost Weekend
Kooks
(10) EURYTHMICS & ARETHA FRANKLIN – Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves (video)
Suffragette City
(11) KING – The Taste Of Your Tears
Oh! You Pretty Things
(12) TALKING HEADS – Road To Nowhere (video)
Young Americans



- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(25) MADNESS – Uncle Sam
(22) DIRE STRAITS – Brothers In Arms
(9) QUEEN – One Vision
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(1) FEARGAL SHARKEY – A Good Heart
The Laughing Gnome
(31) BRYAN ADAMS & TINA TURNER – It's Only Love (audience dancing / credits)
Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
https://wetransfer.com/downloads/753efde17c94e3ef2783bca42af1071d20180609213022/7b093d

[Natnar]

(20) KATE BUSH – Cloudbusting

Best video ever!!!

[wosl]

Nick Rhodes kicking a Fairlight down the stairs

A decade in chart pop summed up.

[Vodka Margarine]

Those 80s fashions were brutal - she had only just turned 25 at this point!

TWENTY FIVE!

Jennifer Rush in 1985 is a jaded suburban mum navigating the inevitable decline of her unremarkable middle aged marriage. Teenaged kids driving her senseless, increasingly pot bellied husband who never even looks at her anymore. A growing penchant for Tia Maria every night. And still two years younger than Madonna.

[Better Midlands]

Best video ever!!!

Yes, apparently Donald Sutherland did it for free because they couldn't sort out a work visa for him in time.

[McChesney Duntz]

It's definitely one of my 20 favourite albums of all time. So there.

This comment is several months old at this point, but I simply must agree with it (w/r/t Cupid & Psyche 85).

[Jockice]

This comment is several months old at this point, but I simply must agree with it (w/r/t Cupid & Psyche 85).

Thank you!

[daf]

Love old Lady Di - top bloke!

[daf]

21 November 1985: Presenters: Paul 'Casual Jumpers' Jordan & Janice Long

(24) MADNESS – Uncle Sam
Coming down the Shaft
(2) WHAM! – I'm Your Man (video)
15 Shades of Grey


https://www.flickr.com/photos/51106326@N00/sets/72157660761615906

(18) DEE C. LEE – See The Day
Gloopy Honk
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(23) WHITNEY HOUSTON – Saving All My Love For You
(19) DIONNE WARWICK & FRIENDS – That's What Friends Are For
(14) LIONEL RICHIE – Say You Say Me
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(12) DOUG E. FRESH & THE GET FRESH CREW – The Show
Dum-bee-dum-bee-dum - Inspector Gadget - Dum-bee-dum-bee-dum . . . Woo Hoo!
(1) FEARGAL SHARKEY – A Good Heart (video)
Big Wheel Keep on Turnin'
(28) MIDGE URE - That Certain Smile (audience dancing / credits)
Live Nick Cotton Update!!

[steveh]

Am I alone in having no memory whatsoever of Paul Jordan?

[Dr Rock]

Am I alone in having no memory whatsoever of Paul Jordan?

Had a Radio One afternoon slot in 1985 but was gone by 86. Probably a dark story attached.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Fuckin' love Doug E Fresh.

[Gulftastic]

Fuckin' love Doug E Fresh.

Indeed. I remember singing it loads back in the day. When I first got on the internet nearly 20 years ago, it was one of the first tracks I downloaded from limewire.

[daf]

Bit of a rare performance here - the 'Michelle' bit had to be removed from all subsequent copies, as they didn't bother to sort out the rights.

[buzby]

Am I alone in having no memory whatsoever of Paul Jordan?

Had a Radio One afternoon slot in 1985 but was gone by 86. Probably a dark story attached.

He came from Radio City in Liverpool and went back there after his stint on R1. then moved to do the Breakfast show at Red Rose/Rock FM in Preston in the mid-90s. He eventually became the programme controller at City and Rock FM and their Magic oldies offshoots (as well as presenting a 60s show on Magic) until the lare-2000s. He presents a weekend 60s gold show on Smooth Lakeland and Sangrounder FM in Southport now - very Partridge-sque

Bit of a rare performance here - the 'Michelle' bit had to be removed from all subsequent copies, as they didn't bother to sort out the rights.

The BBC could presumably get away with it due to it being a live performance and their blanket needle time agreement.  Was that bit still in the repeats on Gold?

[Dr Rock]

He came from Radio City in Liverpool and went back there after his stint on R1.

I reckon he saw something he shouldn't have.

[NattyDread 2]

Best video ever!!!

Although she's strangely inept at running down that hill. She keeps falling on her arse. You'd think it'd be a doddle for her.

[buzby]

I reckon he saw something he shouldn't have.

He first appeared in July 85 as a swing jock, filling in for other presenters holidays, the lowest of the low in DJ terms. He briefly got a sunday afternoon and weekday afternoon slot around September-November handing over to Long, which is presumably why they were paired together for TOTP. His appearances got more sporadic from the beginning of 1986, and he last appeared in late April 86.

Either his ratings were poor, his face didn't fit (maybe Powell wanted him out as he was getting too chummy with Long?), he got fed up and went back home or he opened the wrong door one afternoon and witnessed one of Jim;ll's crimes (he does look a bit of a haunted man in his current photo).

[Jockice]

It's probably been noted somewhere on here but did 'Me' Mark Page ever present TOTP? Literally I can remember about him is that he had a moustache and described himself as an 'avid meat eater' in Smash Hits. Which was the inspiration for a group of young Welsh listeners later calling themselves the Manic Street Preachers. Possibly. I haven't checked.

[buzby]

It's probably been noted somewhere on here but did 'Me' Mark Page ever present TOTP? Literally I can remember about him is that he had a moustache and described himself as an 'avid meat eater' in Smash Hits. Which was the inspiration for a group of young Welsh listeners later calling themselves the Manic Street Preachers. Possibly. I haven't checked.

Not according to the Genome. He last appeared on Radio 1 in September 87, went into BFBS, then set up and appeared on Garrison FM for the Army before it was taken over by BFBS in 2013. He's been the  announcer and DJ at Middlesborough FC since 1994 and is currently campaigning OFCOM for a local radio licence for Teeside (he started at Radio Tees, which was bought by Metro Radio and it was merged into the Newcastle station by Bauer in 2013).

According to Chart Music's Simon Price, the Manics' name was shouted at Bradfield during an altercation  with a passer-by while he was busking in Cardiff. However, an anonymous poster to Band Names Explained says:

A band member was walking along Queen St. Cardiff when a member of the public spotted the God Banner man and said 'It's a Manic Street Preacher', well that's how I remember saying it.

[phantom_power]

The Show is one of the greatest rap records of all time. Whenever anyone mentions a number of minutes I always mentally (and sometimes vocally) add "Doug E Fresh you're on" at the end

I was surprised at how much I liked Don#t Break My Heart by UB40. I had lumped it in with the other shit they were pumping out at the time (Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe) but it is much more like their earlier stuff. A great bassline and interestingly heavy atmosphere

[non capisco]

I was surprised at how much I liked Don#t Break My Heart by UB40. I had lumped it in with the other shit they were pumping out at the time (Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe) but it is much more like their earlier stuff. A great bassline and interestingly heavy atmosphere

I like that one as well, it's quite haunting. And the airing of the video on the Breakers finally solved my internal 'what was that pop video set in a pub where the song starts skipping and the singer goes over and thumps the jukebox?' nagging question. My dad's mind was blown to smithereens by that one when the episode first aired.

[batwings]

I was surprised at how much I liked Don#t Break My Heart by UB40. I had lumped it in with the other shit they were pumping out at the time (Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe) but it is much more like their earlier stuff. A great bassline and interestingly heavy atmosphere

Bit of a Massive Attack vibe to the music, I feel.

[non capisco]

The verse melody is actually pretty similar to 'Protection'.