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

[Sebastian Cobb]

While I was watching the last one, iPlayer rolled onto a Pet Shop Boys totp (totp2 1998) compilation.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008k8b/top-of-the-pops-pet-shop-boys

[Satchmo Distel]

Michelle Shocked 'Anchorage' was my favourite of that trend, but it only reached #60 and she's since pissed off her audience by opposing gay marriage.

Suzanne Vega arguably started the new female singer-songwriter trend in 1985, although Joan Armatrading, whose first hit was in 1976, could also be seen as a forerunner of Chapman.

[buzby]

Tasmin Archer for me - Not sure if she had an acoustic guitar, but hearing Sleeping Satellite again recently (my sister had the cassingle back in 1992) had me absolutely welling up for some reason I can't quite button - total soppy mess I was! *

- - - - - - - -
* (still am!)

Oh yeah, Sleeping Satellite is another favourite of mine (with that lush Julian Mendelson production, very much in the style of his mentor Trevor Horn), but it was a few years on from he current TOTP era. She is a singer and lyricist, with John Hughes and John Beck (later to become her husband) providing the music.

Tikaram's debut album Ancient Heart was released in 1988 (hence why I said I was waiting for it), and the second single from it Twist In My Sobriety was so atmospheric, with it's sparse instrumentation, (including a haunting oboe melody) letting her gorgeous husky baritone get all the attention. She is also most definitely an acoustical guitar botherer.

[kalowski]

"Cassingle".
What a word!

[daf]

14 July 1988: Presenters: Simon 'sexual swearwords' Bates & Bruno Brookes (Last Simes Show)

(15) TRANSVISION VAMP – I Want Your Love
BONK!
(2) SALT 'N' PEPA – Push It (video)
Golden Wonder
(7) UB40 & CHRISSIE HYNDE – Breakfast In Bed
Tea on my Pillow
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(28) ZIGGY MARLEY & THE MELODY MAKERS – Tomorrow People
(20) DEF LEPPARD – Love Bites
(30) PAT BENATAR – All Fired Up
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



(18) DEBBIE GIBSON – Foolish Beat (video)
. . . have got no rhythm
(29) THE WEE PAPA GIRL RAPPERS – Heat It Up
Gasmark 4 for 20 mins
(5) TRACY CHAPMAN – Fast Car (video)
Clunk-Click
(1) GLENN MEDEIROS – Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You
I Wuvv Ooo
(14) MICHAEL JACKSON – Dirty Diana (video / credits)
Pongs of B.O.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
https://wetransfer.com/downloads/f02afd8141f74cdfd51d54a0023afed720191002104407/3c9245

[Norton Canes]

Eh? Not being shown?

Because Bates? I thought he'd escaped a ban

[daf]

Yes - apparently the sound isn't "quite right", or Wendy James pants are "too rude" . . . or whatever cock and bull story they're pulling out of their arse this week . . . so they're just skipping it.

That was Bates' last regular show - apparently he's quite a good egg these days (on Twitter and that) - it's like him and Morrissey have swapped places in the last 30 years!

[The Culture Bunker]

I'm surprised Pat Benatar could muster a top 40 hit over here as late as 1988, though it seems the album it came off was her most succesful here, at a point her sales were on the downward curve back home. Not really my thing, though 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' is enjoyable enough, and the title 'Sex as a Weapon' is pretty amusing.

I quite like Tracey Chapman's 'Fast Car', but not much else to say about the rest except that 'Breakfast in Bed' must be one of Chrissie Hynde's creative nadir.

[gilbertharding]

'Breakfast in Bed' must be one of Chrissie Hynde's creative nadir.

I don't know what to make of that. On the one hand, it's quite a servicable version... she's certainly not the worst thing about it. On the other, the synth-horns and jolting rhythm is pretty nasty, but I'm allergic to most forms of reggae.

[The Culture Bunker]

I don't know what to make of that. On the one hand, it's quite a servicable version... she's certainly not the worst thing about it. On the other, the synth-horns and jolting rhythm is pretty nasty, but I'm allergic to most forms of reggae.

I'm a lot more ambivalent over the same set up's version of 'I Got You Babe', because I find the song itself grating as fuck. 'Breakfast in Bed' as done by Dusty Springfield, on the other hand, is one of the sexiest things ever - so a duff cover version seems the much greater crime.

[gilbertharding]

Ah- see what you mean.

[Norton Canes]

(2) SALT 'N' PEPA – Push It (video)

Fuck off Bates you bitchy shitbag

[daf]

Simes Mouth : "That's Salt and pepper . . .
Simes Brain : SHIIIIT!!! No it wasn't . . . 
Mouth : ". . .  coming up after Transvision Vamp"
Brain : Oh Bravo, sir - well caught!

What was the Stevie connection anyway - did they use a sample, or support him on tour?

[daf]

21 July 1988: Presenters: Andy Crane & Peter Powell

(20) S EXPRESS – Superfly Guy
Super Fried Egg
(12) DEF LEPPARD – Love Bites (video)
Neck Nosh
(3) EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL – I Don't Want To Talk About It
Some Strings Attached
(8) THE MAC BAND FEATURING THE MCCAMPBELL BROTHERS – Roses Are Red
The Mac Brand?
(22) ZIGGY MARLEY & THE MELODY MAKERS – Tomorrow People
Chip off the Old Bob
(4) MICHAEL JACKSON – Dirty Diana (video)
The People's Prostitute
(16) KIM WILDE – You Came
Aye-Aye!



(1) GLENN MEDEIROS – Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You (video)
It's no Giblet Gravy!
(13) GEORGE MICHAEL – Monkey (video / credits)
Everybody's got something to hide . . .

[buzby]

What was the Stevie connection anyway - did they use a sample, or support him on tour?

I think he may have been referring to Wonder's April 1988 MTV special to try and boost sales of his 'Characters' album - he got a load of guests in to perform with him, including Jody Watley, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Salt N Pepa. (in what I think was their first major US TV exposure).

As a result I think he played a big part in getting them on the bill for the Nelson Mandela 70th birthday tribute concert in June, where they performed Push It*. It was that appearance that got the single re-released in the UK (the remix has initially been released in March, but stalled at #41) and made it a hit.

*They had 3 minutes and 30 seconds of stage time to fill after Whitney Houston and the unannounced appearance of Stevie Wonder. He had walked out of Wembley in tears earlier in the concert, just before he was supposed to take the stage (following UB40) when it was discovered the hard disk of his Synclavier was missing and he could not perform his 20 minute set without it.

Tracy Chapman, who had played earlier in the concert, volunteered to go back out and fill in some time before Whitney was due on (her appearance boosted the sales of her album by 1.75m copies the following week). Wonder was eventually persuaded to come back when his band said they could fill in the missing synth tracks with instruments borrowed from other artists on the bill, and he took to the stage after Salt N Pepa.

[The Culture Bunker]

(16) KIM WILDE – You Came
Aye-Aye!

Songs about the writer's kids are usually likely to make me want to spit blood, but I've always liked this one.

[buzby]

7 July 1988: Presenters: Janice Long & Simon Mayo

Hurray! A reappearance of naughty Auntie Janice, molesting another 'fresh meat' co-presenter.

(20) THE COMMUNARDS – There's More To Love

June Miles-Kingston is back too. Unfortunately this is the Communards last release, as they shortly would split acrimoniously after a number of arguments while on a European tour. These were mostly driven by Coles' jealousy of Somerville getting all the attention, resulting in him lying to Jimmy and their friends about being HIV Positive after being diagnosed with shingles. When the truth came out, Somerville did not speak to him for 5 years, and the resulting  shame and being ostracised by their friends led him to joining the clergy to repent.

(23) EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL – I Don't Want To Talk About It

I remember my sister being overjoyed at this - she had been a fan of EBTG since the release of Eden and she mas made up that they were finally getting some late-period exposure (their first proper single Each And Every One had got to #23 in 1984, but they had not broken into the Top 40 since). I don't think Thorn and Watt were ever that bothered about hits, but Warners would have been veryhappy after sticking with them for 4 years. I like the cover too - it suits Thorn's voice very well, and they are infinitely better suited to it than Rod Stewart ever was.

(22) EIGHTH WONDER – Cross My Heart

Christ, this is bland isn't it? No PSBs involvement this time, and it shows - written by Michael Jay (who wrote most of Silk and Steel for Five Star) and produced by Pete "I'm fucking everywhere by now" Hammond (on the strength of this, maybe he should stick to remixing).

(1) GLENN MEDEIROS – Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You

Another live performance - I wonder if there was a post-Hurll policy change to have at least one live performance per show?

(32) TRANSVISION VAMP – I Want Your Love (video / credits)

The female Billy Idol. Also, another example of what I was talking about previously with Sabrina of someone who will do almost anything to promote a record.

[buzby]

14 July 1988: Presenters: Simon 'sexual swearwords' Bates & Bruno Brookes (Last Simes Show)

Farewell, Master Bates - how will we know what time it now?

(15) TRANSVISION VAMP – I Want Your Love
BONK!

Yes, the boom camera hitting the light fixture was the highlight of this performance. Wendy being oh so rebellious, sitting on the drum riser at the start

(7) UB40 & CHRISSIE HYNDE – Breakfast In Bed

It's UB40, so it's time for Yamaha preset #43 "Cod Reggae" again. Whose idea was it to put that dreadful 'mid-size room reverb' effect on Hynde's vocals? It sounds lie she's singing from the other end of the hallway from Campbell.

(29) THE WEE PAPA GIRL RAPPERS – Heat It Up

This is great - the British Salt N Pepa is you will (though The Cookie Crew maybe had more claim to that title). Again,it's a shame they aren't performing live (though they make a better job of miming than Derek B)

21 July 1988: Presenters: Andy Crane & Peter Powell

an escapee from the Broom Cupboard!

(20) S EXPRESS – Superfly Guy

Hmm, it's decent, but it doesn't bounce along in the same way as 'Theme', does it? Maybe because it's lees sample-tastic (presumably after Moore saw all the royalties from their debut go to the lawyers). They do still manage to get a few in there though, including the 'Woo!' from early hip-hop staple The Big Beat by Billy Squier, which would come back much later on Dizzee Rascal's Fix Up, Look Sharp. The KX5 returns, but sadly the OSCar has been replaced with a Roland Alpha Juno

(12) DEF LEPPARD – Love Bites (video)

Fucking Mutt Lange-produced FM rock drivel

(22) ZIGGY MARLEY & THE MELODY MAKERS – Tomorrow People

Another live vocal. Reggae's love of Steinbergers obviously extends to the guitars as well as the basses.

(4) MICHAEL JACKSON – Dirty Diana (video)

This is basically a retread of Billie Jean's 'rock' formula isn't it? His guitar player looks like Edward Scissorhands.

(16) KIM WILDE – You Came

Swoon! She's lovely, isn't she? She's got all the moves too, including the nice little bow to the audience at the end. Wendy James could do with watching and learning a few things. A decent song too, with Kim and Ricky pulling off a better attempt at the peak-period S/A/W sound than Waterman & co themselves were currently knocking out.

The performance is presumably brought to you by Casio, as we have the first appearance of both the brand-new VZ-1 (the CZ-1's replacement) on top of Ricky's keyboard stand and the FZ-1 sample workstation underneath it. The guitarist even has a Casio PG-380 MIDI guitar. We haven't seen this level of product placement since Paul Hardcastle brought Roland UK's demo rig in to perform The Wizard

[Satchmo Distel]

her appearance boosted the sales of her album by 1.75m copies the following week

It was 1.75m over two weeks.

https://www.rhino.com/article/rhino-factoids-nelson-mandela-70th-birthday-tribute

The figure must also be worldwide or the US because the record for a fortnight in the UK is 1,242,000 held by '25' by Adele

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_fastest-selling_albums#United_Kingdom

[Better Midlands]

The "Fluffy Bagel" mix of Superfly Guy was an excellent acid driven remix that was huge in the clubs at the time
https://youtu.be/udUW0KWVhew

It's built around an innovative sample from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 at 0.53 & 1.12 below
https://youtu.be/cIG0COsZmjg

[Better Midlands]

There's also a great acid driven remix (hey, it's 1988!) of Heat It Up by Kevin Saunderson of Inner City, best version is this dub/instrumental club banger
https://youtu.be/VDlamCilmec

[sweeper]

21 July 1988: Presenters: Andy Crane & Peter Powell

Powell is noticeably disengaged now, isn't he? Barely putting in the energy to get a single utterance out correctly. He's like someone working their notice in a menswear shop. Particular reference to the first link, which he sighs through next to what looks like a frugging Timmy Mallett. Can that be right?

Crane, by contrast, has a distinct student teacher who can't control the class vibe. A lot of unruly berks in his links. 

EDIT: Checked and it's not Mallett, but by God he wishes he was.

[Better Midlands]

Reminded myself that even Glenn Medeiros got an acid remix that year which was done live on the Network 7 TV show's acid house special, it ended up on the b-side of the follow up single to NGCMLFY (it's terrible)
https://youtu.be/vyTC_fzy1eo

[Egyptian Feast]

Powell is noticeably disengaged now, isn't he? Barely putting in the energy to get a single utterance out correctly. He's like someone working their notice in a menswear shop. Particular reference to the first link, which he sighs through next to what looks like a frugging Timmy Mallett. Can that be right?

I've noticed him getting uncharacteristically tetchy recently. His face was murder when Gary Davies messed with his hair a couple of weeks back and he was looking properly fucked off at points with the thronging audience behind him last night. I reckon he's just about had enough of this shit. I'm not surprised he retired from the radio a few months later.

My favourite bit of presenter fuckery from recent weeks was Simon Mayo firmly telling Janice Long to keep her hands off him. I love when we get those little glimpses of backstage politics.

I keep meaning to have a dig for the 3rd January 1980 episode, so I can make a GIF of my favourite ever bit of presenter fuckery, where Peter Powell puts his arm around and awkwardly kisses a girl to his right while a proto-goth girl on his left rolls her eyes with exceptional disdain. That girl is a hero and should be on the £50 note.

[buzby]

Powell is noticeably disengaged now, isn't he? Barely putting in the energy to get a single utterance out correctly. He's like someone working their notice in a menswear shop. Particular reference to the first link, which he sighs through next to what looks like a frugging Timmy Mallett. Can that be right?

He had set up James Grant Management with Russ Lindsay in 1984 and was already managing some of the newer Radio 1 talent (most famously Anthea Turner, who would leave Bruno Brookes to marry Powell), together with the then-current direction of pop music not being to his taste, there's no urge for him to hang around. He won't be missed.

[Norton Canes]

Andy Crane bossed it I reckon, albeit given the little he had to do. Definitely the most ept debut of any presenter over the last few years.

[gilbertharding]

June Miles-Kingston is back too. Unfortunately this is the Communards last release, as they shortly would split acrimoniously after a number of arguments while on a European tour. These were mostly driven by Coles' jealousy of Somerville getting all the attention, resulting in him lying to Jimmy and their friends about being HIV Positive after being diagnosed with shingles. When the truth came out, Somerville did not speak to him for 5 years, and the resulting  shame and being ostracised by their friends led him to joining the clergy to repent.

The Communards are not my cup of tea... not that there's anything wrong with that... but that Richard Coles is a thorough excrescence, isn't he? Really fucking awful.

[The Culture Bunker]

I'd never heard that Richard Coles/HIV story before either - not surprised wee Jimmy wanted nothing to do with him for years.

[daf]

I'd never heard that Richard Coles/HIV story before either

Yes, that certainly made my monocle pop out!

[Satchmo Distel]

Did Phillip Schofield ever present it?