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Topic: Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Two.

Started by Dr Rock, August 26, 2018, 02:21:41 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

buzby

Quote from: daf on July 05, 2019, 12:45:48 PM
21 January 1988: Presenters: Gary Davies & Steve Wright
Davies has come as The PRat In The Hat, and Wright has suddenly transformed into a Yuppie, red braces and all.
Quote
(8) JOYCE SIMS – Come Into My Life
Recreating the video with just Joyce on her own and a piano. It's a shame she didn't sing live as it's pretty spectacualr when she goes into her whistle register to hit those high notes.
Quote
(15) THE CHRISTIANS – Ideal World
Now reduced to a three piece after the departure of Roger Christian (he didn't like touring). This isn't the best single from their debut album - forgotten Town and When The Fingers Point are much better, but the latter didn't do that well chart-wise) I preferred their more dynamic, upbeat songs.
Quote
(14) THE BEATMASTERS featuring THE COOKIE CREW – Rok Da House
The reason why this had the cartoon video was because it was only the second release on Rhythm King that got into the charts (on it's second try - the initial release in July 1987 only reached #79) and their 11th single in total (the preceding single in their catalogue was Hotline's Rock This House). Their first release being Taffy's I love My Radio, and the video for that was supplied by the Italian label they licenced it off. They had no money to shoot a video so it was time to raid the motion library for vintage cartoons (though it seems they were not out of copyright ,as the video is nowhere to be found on Youtube).
Quote
(18) DOLLAR – O L'Amour
Like the band themselves, this sounds like a throwback to the Hi-NRG sound that was in vogue a couple of years earlier. It has also aged much worse than the superior Erasure original. (though Van Day and Bazar had the sense to write the B-side, but again it's nowhere to be found on Youtube), Produced by The Extra Beat Boys, PWL's 'C-Team' of engineers and programmers who normally assisted s/A/W and Phil Harding. At this point they were presumably so busy that even the hit Factory's Tape Op could get a production gig.

The Culture Bunker

Quote from: buzby on July 07, 2019, 04:22:11 PMNow reduced to a three piece after the departure of Roger Christian (he didn't like touring). This isn't the best single from their debut album - forgotten Town and When The Fingers Point are much better, but the latter didn't do that well chart-wise) I preferred their more dynamic, upbeat songs.
Did they re-record the 'Hooverville' and 'Forgotten Town' singles for the album? As I recall, Roger isn't credited on the album beyond "Special Thanks to..." or such.

I also have a very faint memory of flicking through my "Q Encyclopedia of Rock" and reading that Roger wasn't too taken with the star treatment his kid brother was getting, and that Henry Priestman nearly quit himself at some point due to sibling squabbles.

buzby

Quote from: The Culture Bunker on July 07, 2019, 05:11:29 PM
Did they re-record the 'Hooverville' and 'Forgotten Town' singles for the album? As I recall, Roger isn't credited on the album beyond "Special Thanks to..." or such.
Not on the UK version version, as far as I can tell. his verses on Forgotten Town and Hooverville are still there. He can't be heard on the subsequent singles though, and the version of Forgotten Town on the US release of the album has his verse sung by Garry & Russell's layered vocals.. Roger left in August 1987 between the release of Hooverville and Fingers Point and the album was released in the October so there would have been little time, but they presumably went back to do it for the US release.
Quote
I also have a very faint memory of flicking through my "Q Encyclopedia of Rock" and reading that Roger wasn't too taken with the star treatment his kid brother was getting, and that Henry Priestman nearly quit himself at some point due to sibling squabbles.
Oh yeah, the split between Roger nad Garry was an acrimonious one as Garry very quickly got a nasty case of 'lead singer syndrome' and  Roger left to go solo. I don't think they had even settled their differences before Roger's death in 1999. Garry decided to split the band and go solo himself in 1995, but by 1998 was back working with Russell and Priestman. They both eventually got tired of it though and now The Chrsitians is just Garry and a load of session musicians.


Norton Canes

#1264
Some great performances in these last few episodes.

(25) EDDY GRANT – Gimme Hope Jo'anna
Spot the Goth dancing in the background. Wonder who she's come to see.

(16) KYLIE MINOGUE – I Should Be So Lucky (video)
Doesn't Sydney look impossibly exotic?

(7) DEBBIE GIBSON – Shake Your Love
I love the little shoulder shimmy she has to do every time she uses the word 'shake'. Gives up on it before the end though.

(20) THE MISSION – Tower Of Strength
The sigil of the double-headed flying beast! Obviously a portent of Wimbledon's performance in the FA Cup that year.

(4) TAYLOR DAYNE – Tell It To My Heart
For some reason I always had T-Dayne down as a Tiffany/Gibson-esque 'for-kids' singer, but no - she's a proper soul belter.

God 'I Think We're Alone Now' goes on, doesn't it. Here's the verse I sing quietly. Here's the verse I sing with some rock guitar. Here's the verse...

(5) BOMB THE BASS – Beat Dis
Who said this new-fangled dance music didn't translate well to the TOTP formula? 

Kylie and Tiffany are friendlier to the ears than most No. 1 acts of the 1988-90 period, such as Jason, Bros and the execrable NKOTB. Tiffany also seems to have done covers rather than inflicting new compositions on us. Hardly anyone would have predicted in 1988 that Kylie would be a credible artist in 2019.

Belinda Carlisle deserves points for work rate. I saw the Go-Go's a few years ago and she was easily the dominant performer.

Gulftastic

I've not listened to 'Beat Dis' in aaaages. Almost forgot how much I love it.

ETA, they cut the date-rape-tastic opening demands from Billy to 'GET INTO MY CAR!' from his performance. He sounds so angry. I hope she didn't get into his car.

boki

Quote from: Gulftastic on July 11, 2019, 03:57:23 PMETA, they cut the date-rape-tastic opening demands from Billy to 'GET INTO MY CAR!' from his performance. He sounds so angry. I hope she didn't get into his car.

When GWAR covered it for the AV Club, Oderus made a point of pointing out how demeaning it was in his opening spiel.  When an alien monster with a 3ft. fish for a penis who once sang a a song called 'Babyraper' says your song's problematic, it just might be.

daf

#1268
QuoteLady driver
Let me take your wheel
Smooth operator
Touch my bumper (Bumper)
Hey, let's make a deal

Billy : Let me take your wheel
Lady : My what?
Billy : You know, (does double handed "honk-honk" gesture while nodding enthusiastically), your "wheel"
Lady : Oh. . . Hmm, well, it'll cost you, mind - Boobs is extra!
Billy : Look, lets make a deal : if I can squeeze your . .  I mean . . "Take your wheel",  I'll let you touch my "bumper"
Lady : your . . . bumper?
Billy : Yes - "Bumper" - my (whispers) bottom.
Lady : Eurgh! I'm not touching your bum-hole, mate - forget it, deal's off!
Billy : (locks doors) GET IN THE BACK SEAT!

buzby

#1269
Quote from: daf on July 05, 2019, 10:26:23 PM
11 February 1988: Presenters: Bruno Brookes & Gary Davies
Brookes appears to have come as the Rhinestone Cowboy this week.
Quote
(7) DEBBIE GIBSON – Shake Your Love
VT from the previous week with the twin Roland D50s and Yamaha KX5
Quote
(20) THE MISSION – Tower Of Strength
This song just seems to be a cynical attempt at breaking the US by making a facsimile of a U2 song (like Simple Minds and The Alarm before them). Also has a bit of The Bunnymen's The Cutter in there for a bit of an eastern feel. Verdict: Derivative.
Quote
(4) TAYLOR DAYNE – Tell It To My Heart
Dayne's breakthrough debut single, though before being signed to Arista as a development artist she had recorded a couple of dancefloor singles (1985's I'm the One You Want and Tell Me You Can Love Me in 1986) with producer Ric Wake under the name Les Lee (her real name being Leslie Wunderman).

After signing with Arista, Wake would go on to produce this single and the rest of her debut album. wake was a bit of a hot new producer at this time ,and was also responsible for remixing Bros' early singles for release in the US. He was known at the time for being good with percussion, and the programmed drums on this track have a hard edge and bite to them that make it stand out.

for the performance we've got a bit of variety for a change - a set of Simmons SDS pads, the inevitable DX7, a Yamaha KX5 keytar but best of all a little Roland Alpha Juno 2 lurking behind Ms. Wunderman.
Quote
(22) SINEAD O'CONNOR – Mandinka
this is a cracking song and vocal performance. O'Connor had made her debut providing the vocals for The Edge's theme for the 1986 hostage drama Captive, Heroine. This was the second single off her debut album (the lead single Troy had been released in October 1987 aheard of the album, but didn't chart). The guitars on the track were played by Adam Ant's old mucker Marco Pirroni.

Quote from: daf on July 06, 2019, 01:55:01 PM
18 February 1988: Presenters: Nicky Campbell & Gary Davies
Jesus, Campbell makes an impression on his debut - as painfully 'whacky' as DLT at his worst.
Quote
(5) BOMB THE BASS – Beat Dis
A Roland G707 MIDI guitar and a Yamaha KX5 keytar amongst the hear hawked by the dancers. The model with the bass guitar looks particularly clueless. The track though is still a cracker, and was rhe vanguard for the oncoming wave of bedroom producers.
Quote
(21) WAS (NOT WAS) – Spy In The House Of Love
Rereleased off the back of the success of Walk The Dinosaur, it had originally peaked at #51 the previous August.
Quote
(25) COLDCUT featuring YAZZ & THE PLASTIC POPULATION – Doctorin' The House
Hmm. Compared to more recent tracks from the likes of Krush, The Beatmasters and Bomb Da Bass, this sounds a little bit hokey and cluttered, with too many cheesy samples thrown on top. I guess it shows how fast things were moving that their style as displayed on the Paid In Full remix was already sounding a bit old hat.

daf

25 February 1988: Presenters: Mark Goodier & Peter Powell (Goodybags Debut Special!!)

(29) PRIMITIVES – Crash
Gentleboys Prefer Jangle-Pop
(6) MORRISSEY – Suedehead (video)
He is a Bad Egg - Bad Egg . . . He is a Bad Egg, Oh no!
(14) VANESSA PARADIS – Joe Le Taxi
Big Horn!!



- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(9) RICK ASTLEY – Together Forever
(17) THE SISTERS OF MERCY – Dominion
(19) EDDIE COCHRAN – C'mon Everybody
(25) GEORGE HARRISON – When We Was Fab
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(12) THE MISSION – Tower Of Strength
Drop in, Tune up, Turnip
(8) EDDY GRANT – Gimme Hope Jo'anna
He Ain't Gonna Play Rhyl Sun Centre!
(1) KYLIE MINOGUE – I Should Be So Lucky (video)
Pixielated Topper
(20) BANGLES – Hazy Shade Of Winter (video / credits)
Shady Mix of No-Bass

Sebastian Cobb

Gary Davies in his daft cork hat, already suggesting Kylie sounds a lot like Rick there.

Is that Kylie video a really early example of cheap portable video kit making its way into music videos? A friend had it on a video tape at the time and I thought it looked like it wasn't far off camcorder stuff, I dunno if there's a frame conversion thing (Aussies used PAL/50i I thought), but it looks weirdly fluid.

Dr Rock

Quote from: daf on July 11, 2019, 10:31:47 PM
25 February 1988: Presenters: Mark Goodier & Peter Powell (Goodybags Debut Special!!)

(29) PRIMITIVES – Crash
Gentleboys Prefer Jangle-Pop
(6) MORRISSEY – Suedehead (video)
He is a Bad Egg - Bad Egg . . . He is a Bad Egg, Oh no!
(14) VANESSA PARADIS – Joe Le Taxi
Big Horn!!



- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(9) RICK ASTLEY – Together Forever
(17) THE SISTERS OF MERCY – Dominion
(19) EDDIE COCHRAN – C'mon Everybody
(25) GEORGE HARRISON – When We Was Fab
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(12) THE MISSION – Tower Of Strength
Drop in, Tune up, Turnip
(8) EDDY GRANT – Gimme Hope Jo'anna
He Ain't Gonna Play Rhyl Sun Centre!
(1) KYLIE MINOGUE – I Should Be So Lucky (video)
Pixielated Topper
(20) BANGLES – Hazy Shade Of Winter (video / credits)
Shady Mix of No-Bass

One person involved there pinched my bum. hashtag MeToo.

boki

Quote from: Dr Rock on July 12, 2019, 12:41:31 AM
One person involved there pinched my bum. hashtag MeToo.
Bet it was Hoffs, the dirty old ovaries.

daf

#1274
Quote from: Dr Rock on July 12, 2019, 12:41:31 AM
One person involved there pinched my bum.

Did you get it back in the end?

Quote from: boki on July 12, 2019, 11:21:27 AM
Bet it was Hoffs, the dirty old ovaries.

My money's on the ghost of Eddie Cochran.

The Culture Bunker

A few songs I really enjoy, there: 'Crash' I'll always remember as the first song I heard after landing on a trip to California. Sisters of Mercy and the Bangles tunes are good, Eddy Grant's number reminds me of a holiday to Butlins in Ayr that Spring and naturally poor dead Eddie is great too.

Never that taken with 'Joe le Taxi', but Paradis would do much better work in a few years. And I don't mean just the video to 'Be My Baby'.

Sebastian Cobb

Crash always makes me think of Dumb and Dumber.


Dr Rock


buzby

#1279
Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on July 12, 2019, 12:39:48 AM
Gary Davies in his daft cork hat, already suggesting Kylie sounds a lot like Rick there.
It was a 'thing' that was going round at the time I Should Be So Lucky came out that if you played it at 33rpm it sounded just like Rick Astley. The suspicion was that Kylie wasn't really singing on the track, but as we now know their voices sounding similar was due to them both being processed up to the gills in the Publison Infernal Machine pitch-corrector/effects processor that PWL had just bought.
Quote
Is that Kylie video a really early example of cheap portable video kit making its way into music videos? A friend had it on a video tape at the time and I thought it looked like it wasn't far off camcorder stuff, I dunno if there's a frame conversion thing (Aussies used PAL/50i I thought), but it looks weirdly fluid.
The 'Sydney car ride' video? It was probably shot on a portable Sony or Ikegami Betacam SP camcorder, which still had an image tube (CCD-based portable cameras were still a couple of years off) and 400 lines resolution. We were at the point where cheapo promos shot on video (mostly for dance tracks like The Jack That House Built, for example) started appearing again after the early 80s shift to big budget promos shot on film.

The official promo for I Should Be So Lucky was also shot on video (as evidenced by the horrendously low-res CSO backgrounds used at some points) at Channel 7's studios in Melbourne (who made Neighbours, and directed by Chris Langman, one of the directors on the series), but being studio-based will have been shot at full resolution (Oz is a PAL/50 country), and was probably transferred to film for international distribution.

The Culture Bunker

Quote from: Dr Rock on July 12, 2019, 01:49:09 PM
It was Patricia Morrison.
Not like her hands needed to be busy playing bass for the Sisters of Mercy, I guess.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: buzby on July 12, 2019, 01:53:25 PM


Yeah I remember you posting the publison stuff before and I tried to Google about it, but it sounds like a quite bespoke piece of kit. A harmonizer/auto tune precursor seems like only a small amount of its 'effects processing' capabilities.

I noticed the wank cso on the next episode run.

daf

Quote from: The Culture Bunker on July 12, 2019, 01:56:23 PM
Not like her hands needed to be busy playing bass for the Sisters of Mercy, I guess.

Bum the Bass (!!)

daf

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on July 12, 2019, 08:25:26 PM
I noticed the wank cso on the next episode run.

I read that as : "I need a wank, so I'll put the next episode on"

Must get my eyeballs cleaned!

daf

3 March 1988: Presenters: Gary Davies & Simon Mayo

(9) COLDCUT featuring YAZZ & THE PLASTIC POPULATION – Doctorin' The House
Samplin' The Choonz *
(4) RICK ASTLEY – Together Forever (video)
If it Ain't Broke . . .
(13) THE SISTERS OF MERCY – Dominion
Sheik Rattle & Roll
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(17) BELINDA CARLISLE – I Get Weak
(32) JOHNNY HATES JAZZ – Heart Of Gold
(28) TAJA SEVELLE – Love Is Contagious
(33) AZTEC CAMERA – How Men Are
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


https://www.flickr.com/photos/51106326@N00/albums/72157678778931315

(20) ERASURE – Ship Of Fools
Forty-Seven Ginger-Headed Sailors
(19) DEREK B – Goodgroove
. . . and Rappin'
(1) KYLIE MINOGUE – I Should Be So Lucky (BBC video)
One speed bump and she's a gonner - buckle up, old fruit!
(16) MEL & KIM – That's The Way It Is (video / credits)
Time to say Goodbye

* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Invasion of the Plastic Men"(1966)
"Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force (1982) 
"Cookies" by Brother Soul (1974)
"Double Barrel" by Dave & Ansel Collins (1971)
"Don't Make Me Wait" (Special Version) by Peech Boys (1982) 
"Parker Well Done!" by The Barry Gray Orchestra (1965)
"Jack'n the Trax" by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk (1985) 
"Funky Stuff" by Kool & the Gang (1973)
"122 House" by Risqué Rythum Team (1986) 
"Looking for the Perfect Beat" by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force (1983)
"Long Red" by Mountain (1972) 
"Chill-Out!" by Free Expression (1980) 
"The Wildstyle" by Time Zone (1983)
"Kool Is Back" by Funk, Inc. (1971)
"Funkbox Party" by The Masterdon Committee (1982)
"Rocket in the Pocket" (Live) by Cerrone (1978)
"Lockjaw" by Dave Barker, Tommy McCook and The Upsetters (1969)
"Fire Corner" by King Stitt (1969) 
"We'll Be Right Back" by Steinski and The Mass Media (1986) 
"See the Light / Feel the Heat" by Air Force 1 (1984)

buzby

Quote from: daf on July 11, 2019, 10:31:47 PM
25 February 1988: Presenters: Mark Goodier & Peter Powell (Goodybags Debut Special!!)
Bloody hell - Goodier's shoulder pads rival Ev's General Bombthebastards. Had anyone told him 16:9 widescreen was still a few years off yet?

Quote
(29) PRIMITIVES – Crash
Cor, what a tune! Their first release under RCA, having signed over their Lazy Recordings label as part of their contract.. There was a big push to make this a hit by RCA, including a number of limited-edition releases of the single - a 7" EP in a custom sleeve that contained 6 tracks, 4 of which were the standard single mix, a 10" gatefold autographed version, a 12" with a free poster and a 7" special edition of 2000 that came with a 'Crash' chocolate bar
Quote
(6) MORRISSEY – Suedehead (video)
Audio flub near the end of the video - someone moved the wrong fader or forgot to press the monitor button and we got the delayed studio ambient playback feed mixed in (around the time of the least convincing tractor driving ever captured on film)
Quote
(14) VANESSA PARADIS – Joe Le Taxi
Hmm, the particularly French kink for 'Lolita Pop' leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth for me. She  was 15 at this point - ok, it's no Mini Pops, but it still seems a bit iffy.
Quote
(17) THE SISTERS OF MERCY – Dominion
I'll cover the song in the next episode, but the video needs a mention. Shot over 8 days in Jordan around the ancient city of Petra (as seen in Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade) at a cost of £50,000  and directed by David Hogan. Spiggy Eldritch is quoted as describing it as 'Lawrence Of Arabia Part Two', but it's really got more of an espionage theme. The overblown pomposity perfectly matches the song.

King Hussein put a Jotdanian Air Force helicopter at the disposal of the production and many of the Bedouin horsemen extras were veterans of both Lawrence Of Arabia and Last Crusade. The camels were particularly camera-shy, so their owner suggested to Hogan that he disguise the camera in a Bedouin shawl and kufeya, which put them at ease. Patricia regards the filming of the video as her favourite memory of her time in the band (she loved getting to ride the black stallion, and Spiggy was terrified of the horses and camels).

The full video was never shown on TOTP , so here it is.
Quote
(19) EDDIE COCHRAN – C'mon Everybody
Another Levi's ad tie-in, which was based on the memoirs of Eddie's girlfriend, the songwriter Sharon Sheeley, of the first time he noticed her because she was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt rather than her usual fancy dresses. EMI had released a '25th Anniversary' compilation album of Cochran's tunes in 1985, and off the back of this advert they re-released it as the 'Levi's 88' edition:

Quote
(25) GEORGE HARRISON – When We Was Fab
We open on the line 'Back when income tax was all we had' - still smarting were we, George? It's a decent enough song, but like all late-period Harrison recordings it suffers from 'Jeff Lynne syndrome', i.e. sounds just like ELO.
Quote
(20) BANGLES – Hazy Shade Of Winter (video / credits)
The band were asked to record a song for the soundtrack of the Andrew McCarthy/Robert Downey Jr. film Less Than Zero. They decided to record a cover of Hazy Shade Of Winter, which had been a long time part of their live set. Unlike on the Different Light album where they were mostly replaced with session musicians, this single was produced by Rick Rubin and he allowed the band to play on it. It's also unusual in that each member gets to sing (there had been much friction in the band during the Different Light era due to their label focussing in Hoffs as a lead singer).

Jockice

Quote from: Dr Rock on July 12, 2019, 12:41:31 AM
One person involved there pinched my bum. hashtag MeToo.

I bumped into someone on that episode a couple of months ago. And I've been within possible bum pinching distance of another. Wonder if  it was either of them.


daf

10 March 1988: Presenters: Mike Smith & Steve Wright

(4) VANESSA PARADIS – Joe Le Taxi
Good Moaning!
(23) JOHNNY HATES JAZZ – Heart Of Gold
Maxipops
(13) BELINDA CARLISLE – I Get Weak (video)
You can talk, with that hairy caterpillar!
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(21) ERIC B & RAKIM – I Know You Got Soul
(20) HEART – These Dreams
(26) EIGHTH WONDER – I'm Not Scared
(27) AFRIKA BAMBAATAA & UB40 – Reckless
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(9) PRIMITIVES – Crash
Trad Arr.



(17) TAJA SEVELLE – Love Is Contagious
"Discovered" by Prince
(1) KYLIE MINOGUE – I Should Be So Lucky (video)
Tapless Tub
(22) ASWAD – Don't Turn Around (video / credits)
Two fingered salute

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https://wetransfer.com/downloads/fc052ae4a8a59c8f4cf9dd4e70137e8d20190712185226/3ac0be