Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Three

[Sebastian Cobb]

Is it just me or did Jive Bunny get more and more shameless as time went on? Feels like their '91 effort was just blatant cut and shutting, almost feels like they could've done most of that one with a cutting block and a razor blade.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Deep Trouble isn't good, but it's a shitload better than Do the Bartman innit?

[Jockice]

Is it just me or did Jive Bunny get more and more shameless as time went on? Feels like their '91 effort was just blatant cut and shutting, almost feels like they could've done most of that one with a cutting block and a razor blade.

I couldn't possibly comment. They might sue me again.

[Better Midlands]

That's her out of Republica in N-Joi isn't it?

Yep, she's also in the video of Chesney Hawkes - The One And Only with Homes Under The Hammer's Lucy Alexander.

[daf]

28 March 1991: Presenter: Bruno Brookes

(31) | DANNII MINOGUE – Love And Kisses
(10) | THE BEE GEES – Secret Love (video)
(25) | GARY CLAIL ON-U SOUND SYSTEM – Human Nature
(13) | SNAP – The Snap Megamix (video)
( 7 ) | JAMES – Sit Down
(24) | SCRITTI POLITTI feat. SHABBA RANKS – She's A Woman (video)
(22) | DEFINITION OF SOUND – Wear Your Love Like Heaven
(29) | THE ROLLING STONES – Highwire (video)
( 1 ) | CHESNEY HAWKES – The One And Only



(32) | JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS – Over To You John (video and credits)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Chicory]

Brilliant as it is, 'Human Nature' is a deeply odd track to be a sizeable hit.  I miss the way that ex roofers could just rock up and get in the charts like that.

[Better Midlands]

Brilliant as it is, 'Human Nature' is a deeply odd track to be a sizeable hit.  I miss the way that ex roofers could just rock up and get in the charts like that.

It's a Paul Oakenfold remix (quite extensively I'd imagine) just as he was riding on his Happy Mondays success and also on his newly formed Warner's backed label Perfecto which probably had a large marketing budget.

[daf]

4 April 1991: Presenter: Gary Davies (Live)

(30) | INSPIRAL CARPETS – Caravan
(22) | THE SIMPSONS – Deep Deep Trouble (video)
(19) | N-JOI – Anthem
(11) | THE WATERBOYS – The Whole Of The Moon (video)
(33) | THE MOCK TURTLES – Can You Dig It?



(21) | C & C MUSIC FACTORY feat. FREEDOM WILLIAMS – Here We Go (video)
(26) | BLACK BOX – Strike It Up (video)
(12) | FEARGAL SHARKEY – I've Got News For You
( 1 ) | CHESNEY HAWKES – The One And Only
(35) | MIKE & THE MECHANICS – Word Of Mouth (video and credits)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Chicory]

It's a Paul Oakenfold remix (quite extensively I'd imagine) just as he was riding on his Happy Mondays success and also on his newly formed Warner's backed label Perfecto which probably had a large marketing budget.

If it was released today it would be billed as Gary Clail On-U Sound System feat. Adrian Sherwood feat. Paul Oakenfold feat. Lana Pellay.

[Norton Canes]

28 March 1991: Presenter: Bruno Brookes

(31) | DANNII MINOGUE – Love And Kisses

Minogue! You've got to just, let your body move to the music

(25) | GARY CLAIL ON-U SOUND SYSTEM – Human Nature

It's a Paul Oakenfold remix (quite extensively I'd imagine)

So is there an original version? Can't see anything on YT which sounds much different to this one. Anyway great song and of course it'll always bring back memories of...

( 7 ) | JAMES – Sit Down

Fuck you forget what a dreary slog of a tune this is. Never mind Neds Atomic Dustbin, if one band epitomises the disparity between quality of music and number of t-shirts sold then these are the guys. They're playing a summer festival at the park up the road from us in a few weeks so I guess I get a chance to relive Sit Down's heady allure.

Is that Max Edie, shortly to be seen singing backing vocals on The Whole of the Moon?

(24) | SCRITTI POLITTI feat. SHABBA RANKS – She's A Woman (video)

Yes! It's the song I was trying to remember here! Phew.

(22) | DEFINITION OF SOUND – Wear Your Love Like Heaven

Another one of those bands that you imagined at the time were a big American act but subsequently realised were from the UK (I'm looking at you, The Adventures of Stevie V). Killer chorus, is it a sample?

(32) | JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS – Over To You John

Relentless deso obv but the Jive Bunny videos have provided some of these Pops playbacks most grimly fascinating moments.   

4 April 1991: Presenter: Gary Davies (Live)

https://chartmusiccouk.wordpress.com/2019/06/06/40-4th-april-1991-youve-got-to-earn-your-na-na-na-na/

Hope they weren't as down on this as that preamble suggests - I thought it was a brilliant episode, as have been most of the 90's ones.

(30) | INSPIRAL CARPETS – Caravan

Talking of grimly fascinating...

(22) | THE SIMPSONS – Deep Deep Trouble (video)

So weird watching this now and recognising all the characters but at the time, it would've been another 15-odd years before I saw an episode of The Simpsons.

(19) | N-JOI – Anthem

Yes! N-Joi dancing man is back! I think he's my favourite person ever to appear on Top Of The Pops. Though he is showing off a bit too much of his little N-Joi dancing man nubbin. Hi Saffron!

(21) | C & C MUSIC FACTORY feat. FREEDOM WILLIAMS – Here We Go (video)

Stone cold banger. So good, could almost be Prince.


Anyway I notice there are still issues with the Quantel fringing showing in some places. So I'm repeating my question from the other week - did this just not show on old CRT tellies back in those days?

[Better Midlands]

So is there an original version? Can't see anything on YT which sounds much different to this one. Anyway great song and of course it'll always bring back memories of...

I had a look too and couldn't find anything, it's a very Oakenfold and Osborne sounding track from that period.

[non capisco]

Another one of those bands that you imagined at the time were a big American act but subsequently realised were from the UK (I'm looking at you, The Adventures of Stevie V). Killer chorus, is it a sample?

I didn't realise they were from the UK. I recognise the main musical sample as 'Let It All Hang Out' by The Hombres off the Nuggets comp, had assumed for years that the chorus was a Donovan sample as I saw he had a song with the same title and it sounded "classic". Turns out that's a completely different song so looks like that killer hook is all theirs. Buzby?

[daf]

As non capisco mentions, the main bulk of it is taken from this 1967 single : The Hombres - Let It All Hang Out



Interestingly, the intro of that was based on this 1948 record : Red Ingle - Cigareetes, Whuskey, and Wild, Wild Women.

TOTP viewers would have been more familiar with the song via Jonathan King's 1970 version - which reached #26 in the charts.

[Better Midlands]

I didn't realise they were from the UK. I recognise the main musical sample as 'Let It All Hang Out' by The Hombres off the Nuggets comp, had assumed for years that the chorus was a Donovan sample as I saw he had a song with the same title and it sounded "classic". Turns out that's a completely different song so looks like that killer hook is all theirs. Buzby?

The follow up Moira Jane's Cafe is really good too, only got to #34

[Icehaven]

It might just be my ears but on some of the the bits where Gary Clail sing-talks on Human Nature it sounds like he's got a Northern Irish accent, but according to Wikipedia he's English and lived in Bristol so I must just be hearing things. Can't stop listening to it though.

[Icehaven]

Think I'm a couple of episodes behind. The Stonk genuinely annoys me.

I think Victoria Wood did the B Side to The Stonk, and it was much better.

[non capisco]

It might just be my ears but on some of the the bits where Gary Clail sing-talks on Human Nature it sounds like he's got a Northern Irish accent, but according to Wikipedia he's English and lived in Bristol so I must just be hearing things. Can't stop listening to it though.

His intonation "Watching thoooooose young children sleeping rough on the streets!" was hilarious to me and my mates in 1991 for some reason.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Similarly, Lana's lofty sneer of 'they put their hands in their pockets' always sounded to me as though there were something of the Vincent Prices to it. No bad thing.

[buzby]

I had a look too and couldn't find anything, it's a very Oakenfold and Osborne sounding track from that period.

I think the original Adrian Sherwood mix may have been released on the B-side of the 7" and cassingle as the 'Why Is it?' mix, but it doesn't appear to have made it to Youtube. The Oakenfold & Osborne remix replaced the original on the album too. The only variation on the single release was the original promo that had the Billy Graham samples, that Clail had to redo himself (originally he didn't appear on the track at all) due to clearance issues.

I didn't realise they were from the UK. I recognise the main musical sample as 'Let It All Hang Out' by The Hombres off the Nuggets comp, had assumed for years that the chorus was a Donovan sample as I saw he had a song with the same title and it sounded "classic". Turns out that's a completely different song so looks like that killer hook is all theirs. Buzby?

The chorus was all theirs, and was sung by Andy Parker, who was the assistant engineer on their debut 'Love And Life. A Journey With The Chameleons' album, alongside Rex Brough, who co-produced the album with Donald Weekes of the band. Brough also played bass on the track, and was the 'King' half of the production team King John who produced Betty Boo's Boomania album. You can hear a similar 60s-infused sound in some of the tracks on both albums.

Parker was the guitarist and occasional vocalist in the new wave band The Relatives, who had recently split after putting out a couple of singles and an album on the Belgian indie Radio City Records. Their first single, Dead Letter FIle, was a 'number one airplay single in Spain' apparently  - it's a shit business (it's not him singing on that btw, that's the band's main vocalist Steve Lake, formerly of the punk band Zounds). Discogs contributors seem to have trouble distinguishing Parker from the drummer of UFO with the same name. This is his real entry (it seems to have been created by him)

As an excuse to crowbar a KLF reference in, Ashanti, who provided the spoken vocals on 3AM Eternal, sang the additional vocals on City Lights from the album, her only other credit.

[Better Midlands]

I think the original Adrian Sherwood mix may have been released on the B-side of the 7" and cassingle as the 'Why Is it?' mix, but it doesn't appear to have made it to Youtube. The Oakenfold & Osborne remix replaced the original on the album too. The only variation on the single release was the original promo that had the Billy Graham samples, that Clail had to redo himself (originally he didn't appear on the track at all) due to clearance issues.

It's listed as an O&O mix there, I tried to download it off SLSK to check but it's not available unfortunately, likely to be a dub or instrumental IMO.



It is 32s longer though so can't be sure.

[non capisco]

I've had that "Let the carnival begin..." hook and accompanying Italo piano riff from Human Nature incessantly in my head since last weekend.

[Norton Canes]

So have I. Except, mine goes "Let the tournament begin". Every time. I didn't know Rage Hard had that profound an effect on me.

[Pauline Walnuts]

I'm laughing like the head of Apollo at that obscure reference.

[buzby]

I've had that "Let the carnival begin..." hook and accompanying Italo piano riff from Human Nature incessantly in my head since last weekend.

The chords are different, but it's basically the same piano riff O&O used on their remix of Hallelujah.

[daf]

11 April 1991: Presenter: Anthea Turner (Live)

( 6 ) | THE WONDERSTUFF – The Size Of A Cow
( 4 ) | MADONNA – Rescue Me (video)
(29) | ALISON LIMERICK – Where Love Lives
(12) | GARY CLAIL ON-U SOUND SYSTEM – Human Nature
(27) | MONIE LOVE versus ADEVA – Ring My Bell (video)
(23) | MIKE & THE MECHANICS – Word Of Mouth
- - - - - - - - - - (Album Chart) - - - - - - - - - - -
( 5 ) | BLONDIE – Heart Of Glass (video)
( 4 ) | REM – Losing My Religion (video)
( 3 ) | THE FARM – All Together Now (video)
( 2 ) | CHRIS REA – Auberge (video)
( 1 ) | EURYTHMICS – Love Is A Stranger (video)
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(10) | DANNII MINOGUE – Love And Kisses   
( 1 ) | CHESNEY HAWKES – The One And Only (video)
(30) | THE SHAMEN – Hyperreal (video and credits)

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[Chicory]

"Sensual Madonna!"

[Icehaven]

Clail's moving up the charts! Been enjoying sifting through his other stuff a bit too, some of the lyrics are a bit cheesy but I'm finding it endearing. These Things Are Worth Fighting For and Who Pays The Piper? are brilliant.

[Icehaven]

There's a track that's just popped up on YT called Bad Natured that sounds like the original of Human Nature. It's got the original Billy Graham samples Buzby mentioned. This is it:
https://youtu.be/P4B4zBO7L_U

[daf]

MC Golden Graham!

[Icehaven]

Perfecto remix of Human Nature, has an extra bit and is longer.
https://youtu.be/Dba5tOAiPAs