Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 10:37:52 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Top of the Pops on BBC Four

Started by daf, June 01, 2012, 04:17:04 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Sebastian Cobb

Still can't see Steve Wright or even a mention of him without thinking of Viz's 'Steve Wright and his sycophantic shite' sketch.

gilbertharding

Quote from: DrGreggles on July 16, 2018, 08:16:11 AM
Peel was always good value on TOTP.
One of the (few) things I disagreed with on Chart Music was that Pricey said that Peel's sardonic delivery was annoying, as if he was trying to suggest that the songs were beneath him*, but it's not as if the TOTP producers were unaware what he was doing - it's the reason he was there. His lack of enthusiasm, paired with the ebullience of Kid Jensen/Janice Long, always made for the best presenting duos.
Give me that over two gurning imbeciles any day.

*and they generally were

I agree with you Dr Greggles (if that's your real name).

It's also wide of the mark to suggest he was predictably sniffy about pop acts. It might be atypical, but his love for the first couple of Sheena Easton singles is fairly well known. He might have been outwardly laconic, with a dry quip ever playing about his lips, but to infer that he was looking down on it all would be wrong.

Mind you - I was disappointed to hear he and Janice didn't like the Addicted to Love video. In the words of Nigel Tuffnel, "What's wrong with being sexy?"

(While I'm here - I'm looking forward to the imminent rise and rise and fall again of Sigue Sigue Sputnik).

canadagoose

Quote from: gilbertharding on July 16, 2018, 02:35:05 PM
(While I'm here - I'm looking forward to the imminent rise and rise and fall again of Sigue Sigue Sputnik).
Oh, yes! I like them. They couldn't have had very many singles out before they disappeared again.

Sebastian, do you have a copy of that comic, by any chance?

Norton Canes

Just did a Google Image search for "Steve Wright and his sycophantic shite", in the hope of finding a scanned version. Looked at the results, thought "hang on, these images look familiar..."

Going off Peel more and more with every appearance.

I have a memory of Sharkey failing to mime You Little Thief on an aeroplane on Noel Edmonds Xmas Day morning bollocks. And here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1gs3szsE_8

daf

#2915
16 January 1986: Presenters: Dixie Peach & Mike Read

(17) FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS – Suspicious Minds
Why can't you see . . I'm bursting for a wee
(4) DIRE STRAITS – Walk Of Life (video)
America's Sportiest Bloopers
(6) CHERRELLE & ALEXANDER O'NEAL – Saturday Love
Hairy Pyramid
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1985 British Video Award : Postcards only please - London W12, 8QT
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(2) A-HA – The Sun Always Shines On TV
Sweat Bangles



(8) MR MISTER – Broken Wings
Roger Hargreaves scrapes barrel (Smaragdine Torus with white cowboy boots)
(1) PET SHOP BOYS – West End Girls (video)
Re-Record Not Fade Away
(3) BRONSKI BEAT – Hit That Perfect Beat (audience dancing / credits)
Snip that perfect edit, boy

buzby

Quote from: daf on July 19, 2018, 10:04:17 PM
(4) DIRE STRAITS – Walk Of Life (video)
America's Sportiest Bloopers
I wonder why they never used the UK version of the video?
Quote
(6) CHERRELLE & ALEXANDER O'NEAL – Saturday Love
Hairy Pyramid
Exactly what I was thinking:

I've got a lot of time for Alexander O'Neal - he put out some ace tunes over the next couple of years.
Quote
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1985 British Video Award : Postcards only please - London W12, 8QT
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bloody hell, most of those were dire. What happened to music videos in 1985? Money For Nothing and Close (to The Edit) are head and shoulders above the rest (the latter won the 1985 MTV Award for best experimental video)
Quote
(8) MR MISTER – Broken Wings
This has that mid-80s slickly-produced American AOR sound , similar to Don Henley's Boys Of Summer (coincidentally they went on tour as support for Don Henley to promote the album). Nice to see an Emulator II just about hanging on in there against the Fairlight/Synclavier tidal wave (though they did use a Fairlight on the track in the studio, along with the EII, a Prophet 600 and inevitably a DX7).

phantom_power

Quote from: daf on July 14, 2018, 07:14:10 PM
Yeah, I was listening out for any dodgy stuff, but it does seem to be about a Cassanova with a girl in every port, flashing 'it' (affections / penis / cash?) round the worldie :

So too 'girlie girlie' seems = too 'girl mad'

I always thought it said, but obviously knew if couldn't "you're too girlie girlie, you're just a fascist curly-wurly". Good to have the real lyrics cleared up at last

daf

23 January 1986: Presenters: Paul Jordan & Mike Smith

(22) THE ALARM – Spirit Of '76
Gaz Toppermost of the Gaz Poppermost


https://www.flickr.com/photos/51106326@N00/sets/72157660795469966

(12) EURYTHMICS – It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) (video)
Annie Lonnie?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1985 British Video Award : British acts only please!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(8) NANA MOUSKOURI – Only Love
Curve ball!
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(15) MADONNA – Borderline
(20) GRACE JONES – Pull Up To The Bumper
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(21) SARAH BRIGHTMAN & STEVE HARLEY – The Phantom Of The Opera (video)
Wot, no Frank Spencer?
(1) A-HA – The Sun Always Shines On TV
Best Bib and Tucker
(13) FIVE STAR – System Addict (audience dancing / credits)
And . . . (big breath) . . . Janice Long!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
https://we.tl/BBaOCYylDr

Gulftastic

Sort of TOTP related, but ABBA at the beeb is keeping me from my bed. It's not a new observation, but fuck me, what a band! So many brilliant hits.

Quote from: Gulftastic on July 21, 2018, 12:52:39 AM
Sort of TOTP related, but ABBA at the beeb is keeping me from my bed. It's not a new observation, but fuck me, what a band! So many brilliant hits.
I'm slowly picking up ABBA albums and singles as I see them, my current favourite is The Name Of The Game. Just love that intro groove. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ90ZqH0PWI

Quote from: Delete Delete Delete on July 21, 2018, 12:57:47 AM
I'm slowly picking up ABBA albums and singles as I see them, my current favourite is The Name Of The Game. Just love that intro groove. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ90ZqH0PWI

The Name Of The Game is one of my favourite Abba songs. The Fugees with ATCQ & Busta Rhymes sampled the intro really well.

https://youtu.be/Ok6fmRt6MvU

Uncle TechTip

My regular thank you to daf for keeping the uploads flowing.

daf

Cheers!

30 January 1986: Presenters: Gary Davies & Janice Long

(6) BILLY OCEAN – When The Going Gets Tough The Tough Get Going
When the Gary gets Fluffs . .
(4) MADONNA – Borderline (video)
Second Time Lucky
(22) TALK TALK – Life's What You Make It
Animal from the Muppets



- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(19) JAMES BROWN – Living In America
(17) SIMPLE MINDS – Sanctify Yourself
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(15) GRACE JONES – Pull Up To The Bumper (video)
Blow your Horn, Queen Janice
(8) FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS – Suspicious Minds
50,000,000 F.Y.C. Fans Can't Be Wrong!
(1) A-HA – The Sun Always Shines On TV (video)
Terror of the Morten
(30) KURTIS BLOW – If I Ruled The World (audience dancing / credits)
If I Mouthed the Word* (over Gary's shoulder)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* "prick"

buzby

Quote from: daf on July 20, 2018, 03:57:12 PM
23 January 1986: Presenters: Paul Jordan & Mike Smith
Not exactly oozing with confidence, Mr Jordan. It's probably no coincidence he was soon back off to the provinces.
Quote
(22) THE ALARM – Spirit Of '76
You can smell the choking fug of hiarspray through the TV.
Quote
(12) EURYTHMICS – It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) (video)
Bit of an interesting video this, it was directed and animated by Willy Smax, who had a long history with Dave & Annie, having got to know them while he was in Hornsey Art School and their pre-Tourists band The Catch was part of the Crouch End music scene. He made some Super 8 films of their very early gigs, and designed the sleeves for The Tourists' Luminous Basement album and Don't Say I Told You So single. Prior to art school he had served time in a Spanish prison, having been caught smuggling drugs from Morocco to finance a year painting there.

He went on to direct the videos for the follow-up single Missionary Man which is much more well-known, using similar techniques to the video for Sledgehammer (they were in production at the same time, with Sledgehammer being released first), King And Queen Of America and early Blur single Bang (which features his trademark undercranked camera technique). Through his connection with Stewart he was asked to direct the video for The Travelling Wilburys' End Of The Line
Quote
(21) SARAH BRIGHTMAN & STEVE HARLEY – The Phantom Of The Opera (video)
Wot, no Frank Spencer?
There's a tale to tell here, daf. Like most of his musicals, Lloyd-Webber wanted a recording to promote the project prior to it hitting the stage. Harley was asked to record the single with Brightman, and subsequently played the part in the video (which was directed by Ken Russell). Based on the single's success, he was asked to to audition for the part in the stage production and was successful, despite the director Harold Prince's reservations about his 'gammy leg' (Harley had polio as a child). and started rehearsing the part and songs. However, behind the scenes Crawford, whose run in Barnum was coming to a close, had been privately campaigning for the part with Lloyd-Webber (Crawford and Brightman used the same vocal coach), and so after 5 months of rehearsals Steve Harley was given the elbow and a £20k payoff in favour of Frank Spencer.

Quote from: daf on July 21, 2018, 02:38:23 PM
30 January 1986: Presenters: Gary Davies & Janice Long

(22) TALK TALK – Life's What You Make It
Animal from the Muppets
Indeed - what an odd performance from both Harris and Hollis. things have certainly changed since they were last on in 1982. Given Hollis's increasing tendency to avoid the limelight (which presumably led to his positioning to the left rear of the stage, and disappearing behind the shades and hair), his and Harris' 'enthusiastic' performances seem odd when relegated to the rear of the stage behind the relatively static Paul Webb.
Quote
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(17) SIMPLE MINDS – Sanctify Yourself
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fuck off, Jim - one Bono is bad enough.
Quote
(15) GRACE JONES – Pull Up To The Bumper (video)
A (rather unnecessary) remix, re-released to promote the Island Life best-of, which in itself was put out to cash in on the recent success of Slave To The Rhythm. The remix (by Paul "Groucho" Smykle, though a more sympathetic remix by Steven Stanley featured on the album) follows the usual mid-80s formula of throwing extra synth lines and samples on top of the original track. The video soundtrack is the original version instead of either of the remixes though, so a bit of a pointless exercise. The video uses live footage from Jones' 1982 One Man Show (hence the confetti in her hair) overlaid onto excerpts of Koyaanisqatsi.

Contrary  to what Janice says, Jones did say in an interview years later that the lyrics of the song weren't intended to be sexual, but she was surely taking the piss.
Quote
(1) A-HA – The Sun Always Shines On TV (video)
another great video by Steve Barron, which as pointed out earlier has the conclusion of the Take On Me story at the start. It was filmed in the Victorian gothic splendour of the deconsecrated St. Alban's church in Teddington, and features what must be London's entire stock of shop window mannequins. Like the TOTP performances it also features session drummer Lindsay Elliot (brother of Cockney Rebel's dummer Steve Elliot), depute the fact that the drums on the track are a LinnDrum LM-1, programmed by the guitarist and main songwriter Pal. It also features Mags' real keyboards, a DX7 and PPG Wave 2.3 instead of TOTP's rental DX7 Corner.

During the filming of the video, the band gt the news that 'Take On Me' had got to number one on the Billboard chart, largely thanks to Barron's video getting rinsed by MTv (it got to number 2 in the UK, on it's second attempt). The end  of this video segues into the video for the next single, Train Of Thought, which was actually made before both Take On Me and The Sun Always Shines On TV (more on that later).

Sebastian Cobb

Do you like Sly and Robbie buzby?

I love Rhythm Killers, me./

buzby

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on July 22, 2018, 11:29:30 AM
Do you like Sly and Robbie buzby?

I love Rhythm Killers, me./
Oh aye- I don't know much about their earlier dub stuff, but their work as producers is usually worth a listen. Their own stuff can verge a little too much into plagiarism (though that's all part of the dub tradition I think) - their 1985 album Language Barrier sounds like the result of The Art Of Noise producing Herbie Hancock's Rock It (particularly on Bass and Trouble)

Pauline Walnuts

#2927
Quote from: daf on July 20, 2018, 03:57:12 PM
23 January 1986: Presenters: Paul Jordan & Mike Smith

(21) SARAH BRIGHTMAN & STEVE HARLEY – The Phantom Of The Opera (video)
Wot, no Frank Spencer?


Watching it, I hate Andrew Lloyd Webber, blah blah 3rd rate Mendlesson's greatest hits, blah blah musical theatre for people who hate both music and theatre blah blah...

Mike Smith - "Well strut your funky stuff, that's 'good'??"

FUCK YOU! AT LEAST HE'S MADE SOMETHING PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR, WHAT HAVE YOU EVER DONE THAT MATCHES THAT! YOU JUMPED UP LITTLE SQURT!


daf

Quote from: buzby on July 22, 2018, 11:26:57 AM
Based on the single's success, he was asked to to audition for the part in the stage production and was successful, despite the director Harold Prince's reservations about his 'gammy leg' (Harley had polio as a child).

They could have easily worked that into the Phatnom's list of ailments (wasn't he meant to have been scarred in a fire?)

Or does he have to do cartwheels and backflips when old Hot Gossip finally gives him a blowie?

Quote from: buzby on July 22, 2018, 11:58:24 AM
Oh aye- I don't know much about their earlier dub stuff, but their work as producers is usually worth a listen. Their own stuff can verge a little too much into plagiarism (though that's all part of the dub tradition I think) - their 1985 album Language Barrier sounds like the result of The Art Of Noise producing Herbie Hancock's Rock It (particularly on Bass and Trouble)

Buzby, are you a fan of the Compass Point Studio sound/Compass Point Allstars from the 80s

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_Point_All_Stars

PUTTB was originally an instrumental by Compass Point Allstars called Peanut Buttee

https://youtu.be/XloV1prvMRM


daf

#2930
27 December 1971: Presenter: Tony 'plum pudding' Blackburn

(-) T-REX – Get It On
. . Bang a Gong . . . Elton John!
(-) THE TAMS – Hey Girl Don't Bother Me
The Mysterious Case of The Disappearing Tam
(1) BENNY HILL – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)
Gotta Lotta Bottle



(14) SLADE – Coz I Luv You
So much senseless Violins
(-) GEORGE HARRISON – My Sweet Lord (danced to by Pan's People)
They're So Fine
(-) THE ROLLING STONES – Brown Sugar
Pink Prancing Peacock
(-) ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE – Resurrection Shuffle
Scream if you want to go faster!
(-) DIANA ROSS – I'm Still Waiting (video)
Triple Floater
(-) THE NEW SEEKERS – Never Ending Song Of Love
Probably the best shlager in the world
(35) ROD STEWART – Maggie May
He is Miming, He is Miming . . . That John Peel, looks like Thijs Van Leer

Dr Rock

So did Belouis Some's Imagination not get a nibble on TOTP? He got to number 17, he was robbed. It's one of the better songs in them charts.

daf

Yes - next show as a breaker, and full performance on the one after that.

canadagoose

Quote from: daf on July 28, 2018, 11:57:34 AM
27 December 1971: Presenter: Tony 'plum pudding' Blackburn

(-) T-REX – Get It On
. . Bang a Gong . . . Elton John!
(-) THE TAMS – Hey Girl Don't Bother Me
The Mysterious Case of The Disappearing Tam
(1) BENNY HILL – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)
Gotta Lotta Bottle



(14) SLADE – Coz I Luv You
So much senseless Violins
(-) GEORGE HARRISON – My Sweet Lord (danced to by Pan's People)
They're So Fine
(-) THE ROLLING STONES – Brown Sugar
Pink Prancing Peacock
(-) ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE – Resurrection Shuffle
Scream if you want to go faster!
(-) DIANA ROSS – I'm Still Waiting (video)
Triple Floater
(-) THE NEW SEEKERS – Never Ending Song Of Love
Probably the best shlager in the world
(35) ROD STEWART – Maggie May
He is Miming, He is Miming . . . That John Peel, looks like Thijs Van Leer

Are the BBC going back to 1971 for a separate run (presumably broadcast at a different time) or is it just a one-off for some reason?

Dr Rock

Quote from: daf on July 28, 2018, 12:13:26 PM
Yes - next show as a breaker, and full performance on the one after that.

Woo!

daf

Quote from: canadagoose on July 28, 2018, 12:34:43 PM
Are the BBC going back to 1971 for a separate run (presumably broadcast at a different time) or is it just a one-off for some reason?

One off - to tie in with yesterday's Jack Jigger Night (full version was shown at 3:15am!)

Sadly there are only 9 editions left from 1971 - which is bad enough, but SIX of those are un-showable due to being Presented by Jimmy Savile (FFS!)

The 1971 clips that get shown on retrospectives are all from this show, it seems. For example, I've never seen a Maggie May appearance without Peel in it. Were the performances filmed for this special or were they culled from the year's shows?

daf

#2937
Good question!

I've had a bit of a dig around to winkle out the origins of the performances. Here's my best guess :

T-REX – Get It On : NEW (not 100%, but seems to use the same set as The New Seekers)
THE TAMS – Hey Girl Don't Bother Me : 7 October 1971 (Jimmy Savile) *
BENNY HILL – Ernie (video) : also on 2 December 1971 (Jimmy Savile - this show not wiped)
SLADE – Coz I Luv You : NEW (notice the 'superman' shirt dancer in background also appears in Tony's links).
A different performance of the song also survives in black and white
GEORGE HARRISON – My Sweet Lord 28 January 1971 (Jimmy Savile) *
THE ROLLING STONES – Brown Sugar : 15 April 1971 (Ed Stewart) *
ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE – Resurrection Shuffle : NEW (The 'balloon' party hat on the piano is similar to the one that Tony pops in a later link)
DIANA ROSS – I'm Still Waiting (video) 5 August 1971 (Ed Stewart) *
THE NEW SEEKERS – Never Ending Song Of Love NEW ('superman' shirt dancer again)
ROD STEWART – Maggie May 30 September 1971 (Ed Stewart) *

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* (these performances from shows they later wiped)

Pauline Walnuts

Quote from: daf on July 28, 2018, 11:57:34 AM

(-) ASHTON, GARDNER & DYKE – Resurrection Shuffle
Scream if you want to go faster!


Is that Eight-Ace on vocals?

The chart rundown for 30.12.71 is available on YT and is obviously the same chart positions as 27.12.71, but Ed Stewart presents so I assume they did not record it the same day as the Tony Blackburn 27.12.71 segments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFeoJQ3qfBc

30.12.71 episode contents. Possibly the New Seekers performance is a video from the 27th?:

http://totp1970-1975.blogspot.com/2015/02/30th-december-1971.html