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

[Gulftastic]

Tanita did harmony vocals on a Nanci Griffith album track a couple of years after her hits but no clue what happened to her after that.

[Jockice]

Rather strangely, she came up on my Twitter feed last night. She'd retweeted something that someone I follow had posted. So I'm following her now.

[The Culture Bunker]

Er, I think you'll find Tikaram was a two-hit wonder. Martha's Harbour was All About Eve's only UK Top 30 hit.

'Every Angel' got to #30, 'What Kind of Fool' to #29.

[buzby]

Tanita did harmony vocals on a Nanci Griffith album track a couple of years after her hits but no clue what happened to her after that.

She released 5 albums with Warners between 1988's Ancient Heart and 1992's Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (her first self-produced album) with ever-decreasing chart impact, before decding to take a break from the industry and moved to San Fransisco. She released her next album Lovers In The City in 1995 and a Best Of in 1996 to complete her obligation to WEA. She then released The Cappuccino Songs in 1998 on Mother Records and retired.

She moved to Italy and learned to play the piano, which then led to her recording an album with her Italian piano teacher in 2005 called Sentimental which was released only in France (on Naive Records) that included duets with Nick Lowe and his drummer Robert Treherne. It was picked up for a UK release by V2 a couple of months later. She then recorded Can't Go Back in 2012 which was release don the German label Ear Music (and was also her fist album since 1995 to be released in the US, by Eagle Rock), and they also released her most recent album Closer To The People in 2016. She ahs been touring the UK and Europe fairly regularly since 2013 too. She moved back to London and lives with her partner (the Belgian artist Natacha Horn) in the house in Primrose Hill that she bought with the roylaties from her first album.

I have watched a couple of European TV interviews and retrospectives on her and she seems like a good egg. She had massive instant success, but at least since the end of her contract with WEA has had no pressure or desire to go back to that level and has been happy to avoid the limelight, live off her royalties (those first two singles and her debut album were massive in Europe)  and record and release music she wants to make whenever the muse takes her.

'Every Angel' got to #30, 'What Kind of Fool' to #29.

Yes, I know - I was paraphrasing, as mostly their Mercury-released singles existed in the #40-#30 hinterland. Twist In My Sobriety got to #22, but was much a bigger hit in Europe and Scandanavia, whereas AAE had virtually no chart presence outside the UK.

[Non Stop Dancer]

The atmosphere of the footage from 1970 and 1986 is so rich (the 'direct by satellite' audio quality really helps too).

Oh God yeah, proper international sports commentary should sound like it's being relayed via an analogue land line.

[Better Midlands]

Oh God yeah, proper international sports commentary should sound like it's being relayed via an analogue land line.

You've just reminded me if this Depth Charge track

https://youtu.be/O7jw-_wKkwI

[daf]

25 August 1988: Presenters: Nicky Campbell & Gary Davies

(16) BIG COUNTRY – King Of Emotion
Wot, No Bagpeeps?
(21) JANE WIEDLIN – Rush Hour
She's REALLY cute, isn't she! (#Garycancelled)



(3) BROTHER BEYOND – The Harder I Try
. . . to sound like Motown
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(20) BOMB THE BASS – Don't Make Me Wait
(18) WOMACK & WOMACK – Teardrops
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(17) STATUS QUO – Running All Over The World (video)
Never Mind Sebastian Coe, Here's The Rock Bollocks
(4) BREATHE – Hands To Heaven
Next stop, Carlisle
(1) YAZZ & THE PLASTIC POPULATION – The Only Way Is Up
Yaz & the Auton Invasion
(23) TANITA TIKARAM – Good Tradition (video / credits)
It's time for tea and Meet the Wife

[kalowski]

I now always think of this:

[The Culture Bunker]

'Rush Hour' really is a fantastic song. Brilliant, should have been #1. Mind you, so is/should have 'Teardrops'.

A quick check does suggest that the parent album to 'Rush Hour' wasn't much cop, hence why her solo career didn't take off the way her fellow ex-Go Go Belinda Carlisle's did.

[daf]

'Rush Hour' really is a fantastic song. Brilliant, should have been #1.

Best song since Since Yesterday . . .
. . . which was the best song since Heartache Avenue
. . . which was the best song since I'm in Love with a German Film Star
. . . which was the best song since Twilight Cafe
. . . which was the best song since Echo Beach
. . . which was the best song since Single Bed

Hmm . .  I think I'm detecting a pattern here!

[Satchmo Distel]

Yes, two superb tracks in this episode. Jane Wiedlin had an affair with Terry Hall (who was engaged to another woman) and co-wrote "Our Lips Were Sealed" with him.

Teardrops videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8AOAap6_k4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUEQdA8FE1U

Excellent extended remix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C0MSa7SXE8

The Bomb The Bass track is OK but nothing special:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_42p66WeM0

[Sebastian Cobb]

Oh God yeah, proper international sports commentary should sound like it's being relayed via an analogue land line.

When I worked in the bookies some of the old shop pa's were kicking about (with the new amps* dumped on top) and they had a toggle switch for the input - 'sattelite and 'bt line'.

*Branded quad, who I find it quite doubtful were the respectable hifi manufacturer.

[Better Midlands]

'Rush Hour' really is a fantastic song. Brilliant, should have been #1. Mind you, so is/should have 'Teardrops'.

A quick check does suggest that the parent album to 'Rush Hour' wasn't much cop, hence why her solo career didn't take off the way her fellow ex-Go Go Belinda Carlisle's did.

Another Stephen Hague production, I wonder if "that" snare sound is in there somewhere.

[buzby]

When I worked in the bookies some of the old shop pa's were kicking about (with the new amps* dumped on top) and they had a toggle switch for the input - 'sattelite and 'bt line'.

Backup distribution of in-store radio via the phone network (the primary satelite connection usually goes thorugh an audio channel carried in one of Astra's constellations) would probably have been via ISDN Basic Rate lines by then though, which in 128kbps bonded B channel mode can give FM Stereo quality (or 64kbps single B channel mode for mono, leaving the other B channel free for data services like credit card terminals). It's how a lot of local radio studios were linked to their transmitter sites. Both in-store radio distribution and studio to transmitter links are normally done via broadband internet now.

*Branded quad, who I find it quite doubtful were the respectable hifi manufacturer.

The Acoustical Manufacturing Co. Ltd's primary products up until the 1950s (when high-fidelity vinyl records took off) were PA amplifiers. The 'QUAD' name started as an acronym (Quality Unit Amplified Domestic) on one of their early domestic Hi-Fi amplifiers, the QUAD 1. It then became the brand for ther domestic amplifier range and became so well-regarded that they renamed the company after it in 1983.

They carried on making PA amplifiers into the 80s and had the contract for British Rail's station PA systems for a long time (with a version of the Quad 50E power amp. more famously known as the standard amp used by the BBC). However, in 1995 it was sold to the Verity Group and basically just became a brand with some UK-based design and all it's production moved to China.

[Norton Canes]

(21) JANE WIEDLIN – Rush Hour

Last stop, Carlisle

(17) STATUS QUO – Running All Over The World (video)

Back off the mic!

(23) TANITA TIKARAM – Good Tradition (video / credits)

Thought I caught a glimpse of John Shuttleworth in that video but on second thoughts it might have been Patrick 'National Theatre of Brent' Barlow..?

[A Hat Like That]

'Rush Hour' really is a fantastic song. Brilliant, should have been #1. Mind you, so is/should have 'Teardrops'.

A quick check does suggest that the parent album to 'Rush Hour' wasn't much cop, hence why her solo career didn't take off the way her fellow ex-Go Go Belinda Carlisle's did.

She looks A LOT like one of my exes.

I like the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIhDuWlmgD8.

These two facts might be related.

[A Hat Like That]

We'll see that song again in about 7 years time.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Backup distribution of in-store radio via the phone network (the primary satelite connection usually goes thorugh an audio channel carried in one of Astra's constellations) would probably have been via ISDN Basic Rate lines by then though, which in 128kbps bonded B channel mode can give FM Stereo quality (or 64kbps single B channel mode for mono, leaving the other B channel free for data services like credit card terminals). It's how a lot of local radio studios were linked to their transmitter sites. Both in-store radio distribution and studio to transmitter links are normally done via broadband internet now.

Yeah, there was a big box on the wall that contained two satellite receivers, one for the video that automatically switched between sources for races and one for sound.

These amps looked like they predated isdn, but almost certainly could be retrofitted.

I used to work with someone who helped with the tech ay multi site community rsl, they used broadband to link, they had to keep begging bt to lower their bandwidth to try and make a more robust connection.

[A Hat Like That]

She was Joan of Arc in Bill & Ted!



Might do some work now.

[Egyptian Feast]

And the singing telegram in Clue...

[Better Midlands]

There's a hint of Pornhub to that gif.

[Satchmo Distel]

Joan's arc of spunk

[Jockice]

'Rush Hour' really is a fantastic song. Brilliant, should have been #1. Mind you, so is/should have 'Teardrops'.

A quick check does suggest that the parent album to 'Rush Hour' wasn't much cop, hence why her solo career didn't take off the way her fellow ex-Go Go Belinda Carlisle's did.

Fur (the album's title) was fairly decent from what I remember but if you put out a single that good it tends to overshadow everything else

[The Culture Bunker]

Fur (the album's title) was fairly decent from what I remember but if you put out a single that good it tends to overshadow everything else

I've not heard anything she's done bar 'Rush Hour' except for 'Cool Places' with Sparks (which is also ace) - I was just gauging on a quick Google, from which it seemed reviews for 'Fur' weren't too warm (so to speak).

[daf]

1 September 1988: Presenters: Mark Goodier & Steve Wright (Stereo Simulcast Special!)

(18) LEVEL 42 – Heaven In My Hands
Shut up you lot!
(5) JULIO IGLESIAS & STEVIE WONDER – My Love (video)
The Chinese Way
(7) WOMACK & WOMACK – Teardrops
Alright Pete Best, put a sock in it!
- - - - - - - - - - - - (breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(24) GUNS N' ROSES – Sweet Child O' Mine
(19) GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE – Anything For You
(14) YELLO – The Race
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(12) A-HA – Touchy
Norweegees



(6) BOMB THE BASS – Don't Make Me Wait
Isn't she Terriffic! (#goodybagscancelled)
(1) YAZZ & THE PLASTIC POPULATION – The Only Way Is Up (video)
Wah-Wah
(9) PHIL COLLINS – Groovy Kind Of Love (video / credits)
A Soupy Kind of Sludge

[Norton Canes]

(18) LEVEL 42 – Heaven In My Hands

Continuing the mini-trend established last week of opening the show with an atrocious comeback song by a band five years past their sell-by date

(5) JULIO IGLESIAS & STEVIE WONDER – My Love (video)

Yes, yes of course you're in the video

(7) WOMACK & WOMACK – Teardrops

Liked the rogue dancers scaling the back pedestal towards the end

(6) BOMB THE BASS – Don't Make Me Wait
Isn't she Terriffic! (#goodybagscancelled)

Poor MeMark looks genuinely lovelorn there.

[Satchmo Distel]

(6) BOMB THE BASS – Don't Make Me Wait
Isn't she Terriffic! (#goodybagscancelled)

Like a flashback to Carol Kenyon doing Temptation

(7) WOMACK & WOMACK – Teardrops
Alright Pete Best, put a sock in it!

Either the video is out of sync on Youtube or the drummer is hearing a different playback than the audience because his miming is very odd and jarring. On the official video, he is kept out of shot almost completely. I suppose you should credit them with not hiring a British session drummer for the appearance.

I should add that Linda's double tracked harmony vocal on the chorus is absolutely gorgeous, i.e the bit that goes "and the music doesn't feel like it did when I felt it with you." Chills.

[Cursus]

(7) WOMACK & WOMACK – Teardrops

Liked the rogue dancers scaling the back pedestal towards the end

I thought that that was our hapless hosts struggling to get in position for the next link:

[non capisco]

A few bangers in the last couple (Womack & Womack, Jane Wiedlin) but my favourite bit was the "hello, mum" kid who was trying to sabotage every link by titting about as much as he could.

Morten Harket really was and presumably still is a ludicrously beautiful individual. To the extent when I spend the entire running time of any A-Ha performance engaging in unhealthy daydreams about what I could have done in my life and all the doors that would have opened for me if I'd somehow been born looking like Morten Harket.

[non capisco]

. . . which was the best song since Heartache Avenue
. . . which was the best song since I'm in Love with a German Film Star
. . . which was the best song since Twilight Cafe
. . . which was the best song since Echo Beach
. . . which was the best song since Single Bed

These are all my faves too, daf. I'd maybe go Only You Can over S-Single Bed, though.