Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Three

[Norton Canes]

In lieu of there being anything else to say this week, it occurred to me that in BBC Four TOTP repeats time I have now graduated; so whereas the last three years represented the student me, the next three years will represent the workshy dole scum me.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Still a bit before my time.

In lieu of TOTP I finally got around to watching the documentary about racism in pop with Leigh-Anne from Little Mix. Was alright.

[matjam13]

Last Week's episode of TOTP (1/8/91) got reviewed on Celebrity Gogglebox yesterday.

[Jockice]

In lieu of there being anything else to say this week, it occurred to me that in BBC Four TOTP repeats time I have now graduated; so whereas the last three years represented the student me, the next three years will represent the workshy dole scum me.

I do that with Pick Of The Pops every week. Try and set myself in the place and the time for both years. This week I had just started in fifth year at school and was still going through my Mark E Smith anti-fashion stage which I was disappointed to find out didn't make me attractive to women and then was working for the paper, about to enter the final year of my degree and was still getting over my mum dying the previous year.

And for Top Of The Pops, i was also working for the paper, going out with the second of my three seven-month relationships and hitting loads of concerts. Halcyon days. Until I got dumped in November.

[gilbertharding]

In lieu of there being anything else to say this week, it occurred to me that in BBC Four TOTP repeats time I have now graduated; so whereas the last three years represented the student me, the next three years will represent the workshy dole scum me.

I'm just about to meet the 'dynamite sack artist' of legend. I don't think I watch Top of the Pops much for the next year or so - although I'm still living with my parents and holding down a job as a draughtsman in a precast concrete factory.

[matjam13]

Sad News from the One For The Dads Forum:

Sue has asked me to forward this sad message.

It's with great sadness that I have to tell you that unfortunately Patti Hammond has passed away from a long illness early this morning .
She was a beautiful, special person inside and out, and her brilliance and unique talent stood out a mile . She was also funny and a great friend .
Pattis contribution to the dance groups was immense, we were all so lucky to work with her and will miss her terribly .

Sue , Lulu, Rosie , Pauline and Gill .
Legs and Co.

[Norton Canes]

Sad News from the One For The Dads Forum

What?! There's a...

Crikey, so there is.

[daf]

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Hammond'(s) ( internal) organ(s no longer working) .

One For The Deads.

[Icehaven]

What does Shamen bloke (Mr C?) mean "for the second time tonight"? Did it balls up the first time?

[daf]

Yes, they must have messed up & this was take 2.

Sounded pretty rough - no bass and that scratching was a bit of a disaster!

[Icehaven]

Look into my eyes
You will see
How sick I am
Of singing this fucking song

There's no way
I can do another 10 weeks
Although I have to
God help me please

[Norton Canes]

What does Shamen bloke (Mr C?) mean "for the second time tonight"? Did it balls up the first time?

I think he just meant tonight was the second time they'd performed the song

Needed a comma in there

[Sebastian Cobb]

Fucking hell Campbell's smarmy dismissal of electronic music when he's saying it's an honour to introduce music by Beverly Craven because it's "not just a computer printout".

WANKER.

[kaprisky]

I'd forgotten that Diane Butcher had made a bid for pop stardom. Now, if one of the Janines had made a record then that's all of the Butcher clan, with Mike Reid and Sid Owen also having chart success. An impressive feat.

[Chicory]

Color Me Dreadful, more like.

[daf]

8 August 1991: Presenter: Nicky Campbell

(22) | DE LA SOUL – A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'
( 2 ) | EXTREME – More Than Words (video and charts)   
(32) | BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Holding On
( 5 ) | METALLICA – Enter Sandman (video)
( 4 ) | THE SHAMEN – Move Any Mountain
(28) | AMY GRANT – Every Heartbeat (video)
(26) | BLUR – Bang
(19) | YOUNG DISCIPLES – Apparently Nothin'
- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(40) | TECHNOTRONIC feat. REGGIE – Work  (video)
(36) | MICHAEL BOLTON – Time, Love And Tenderness  (video)
(35) | SOPHIE LAWRENCE – Love's Unkind  (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



( 1 ) | BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
(33) | VANILLA ICE – Satisfaction (video and credits)

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

[kalowski]

DJ Milf?

[non capisco]

Fucking hell Campbell's smarmy dismissal of electronic music when he's saying it's an honour to introduce music by Beverly Craven because it's "not just a computer printout".

WANKER.

He's unbearable on these. He also evidently vanity checks his name on Twitter after every appearance so why not say what a weapon you think he is on there and receive some cry laughing emojis from the man himself.

[Norton Canes]

DJ Milf?

Milfzone

[Egyptian Feast]

What the fuck was with that 'zippity doo dah' after De La Soul? Unbearable cunt.

[non capisco]

What the fuck was with that 'zippity doo dah' after De La Soul? Unbearable cunt.

"Zippty doo and we're feeling high" is one of the lyrics in that song to be fair, much as I'd love to cancel Nicky Campbell.

Talking of 'cancelled' the DJ out of P.M Dawn turned out to be a wrong 'un. I remember this purely because he got done for sexually abusing his underage cousin in the mid '90s just after they released an album called 'Jesus Wept'. There was some talk about this last night on TOTP specific corners of social media along the lines of "Oh, well they're happy to show PM Dawn but they banned episodes hosted by Jimmy Savile". I'm too weary to even start bothering to think about whether or not they have a point.

[daf]

15 August 1991: Presenter: Gary Davies

(17) | LEVEL 42 – Guaranteed
( 6 ) | COLOR ME BADD – All 4 Love (video and charts)   
(26) | SOPHIE LAWRENCE – Love's Unkind



( 7 ) | BOMB THE BASS – Winter In July (video)
( 5 ) | P.M. DAWN – Set Adrift On Memory Bliss
(18) | VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE – Monsters And Angels (video)
(10) | D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE – Summertime (video)
( 2 ) | RIGHT SAID FRED – I'm Too Sexy
- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(31) | MIDGE URE – Cold, Cold Heart  (video)
(30) | KARYN WHITE – Romantic  (video)
(27) | REM – Near Wild Heaven  (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( 1 ) | BRYAN SODDING ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
(28) | MICHAEL BOLTON – Time, Love And Tenderness (video and credits)

[gilbertharding]

I'd forgotten that Diane Butcher had made a bid for pop stardom. Now, if one of the Janines had made a record then that's all of the Butcher clan, with Mike Reid and Sid Owen also having chart success. An impressive feat.

That was hilarious. When she appeared on the Breakers in the first episode I was trying to work out who she was - I'd guessed D List celebrity, but plumped for Page 3 Girl. So it was quite satisfying to find out the answer in the very next episode.

It was also a bit tragic that the backing dancers/singers had about 10 times the charisma that she did. What was all the winking about? I presume it was supposed to look beguiling, mysterious - but after the fourth or fifth time, it looked more like a nervous tic. Bless her.

[gilbertharding]

Fucking hell Campbell's smarmy dismissal of electronic music when he's saying it's an honour to introduce music by Beverly Craven because it's "not just a computer printout".

WANKER.

That's just a traditional TotP presenter trope. Simon Bates, DLT and Edmonds would have been more tacit, saying something like, "Now, once in a while a special singer comes along..." or "Now this is a fantastic melody by a very special singer with a fantastic voice," or merely implore the viewer to "listen to the words," which are so "meaningful."

It's just a signal for the kids to switch off for a few minutes. Don't worry - Mr C will be along shortly to repeatedly bellow something inane about "Banging to the beat of the drum, COME ON!"

[monkfromhavana]

Was it TOTP where Mr. C  started shouting "Underlay"?

[Norton Canes]

8 August 1991

At last, it's back, it's a double bill, Fridays are saved

Presenter: Nicky Campbell

Oh.

His jibes are just so boorishly boorishly predictable, I mean I was no great fan of John Peel's constant digs but at least they were done with a soupcon of wit and you got the feeling he was mostly just trying to puncture the air of pomposity around his targets, but Campbell... he's so tiresome I'd say he was coked up if he wasn't so languid, I'm guessing he must be on some narcotic cocktail that gives you all the swaggering arrogance of coke but none of the charm 

(22) | DE LA SOUL – A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'

What the fuck was with that 'zippity doo dah' after De La Soul? Unbearable cunt.

Oh Nicky, of all the lyrics to take out of context

(32) | BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Holding On

Fucking hell Campbell's smarmy dismissal of electronic music when he's saying it's an honour to introduce music by Beverly Craven because it's "not just a computer printout"

Not sure, but... I think (and I'm undoubtedly crediting him with too much acumen here) he might actually be employing sarcasm here, for humorous effect. Note that at the end of the song he attempts to construct an actual joke.

( 4 ) | THE SHAMEN – Move Any Mountain

Plavka stealing the show there

(26) | BLUR – Bang

And this was the last the world was supposed to see of baggy coat-tails hangers-on Blur. Except... one haircut for Damon and they're suddenly the Britpop beaus we love, irrespective of whether For Tomorrow is still almost a couple of years away. You've got to admit, they've got more vim than the listless Madchester crowd, and frisky Bang has knocked all that slouchy-arsed stuff right into a cocked hat, even though they hate it.

Campbell's 'hold a chicken in the air' gag almost works. I think I'm beginning to get him.*   

( 1 ) | BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)

What they should have done is forced Bryan to come back into the studio to perform it for every one of its sixteen chart-topping weeks. The effect might have been pleasantly akin to The Disintegration Loops.

Just one more appearance from Nicky until he takes a break for the aPOPSaclypse, Campbell fans.

15 August 1991: Presenter: Gary Davies

(17) | LEVEL 42 – Guaranteed

Sorry to say this (especially if you're eating right now) but Mark King's head looks like nothing less than an angrily engorged cock, replete with huge vein and meatus-mouth. It's like he could vomit spunk over the camera at any moment.

(26) | SOPHIE LAWRENCE – Love's Unkind

It was also a bit tragic that the backing dancers/singers had about 10 times the charisma that she did. What was all the winking about? I presume it was supposed to look beguiling, mysterious - but after the fourth or fifth time, it looked more like a nervous tic. Bless her

Mad innit. What drives people to think "Oh I'll have a crack at this music business lark" then come out with such a crock of hackneyed old toot? It's like we've gone back to TOTP in 1976. And thay was a year before Donna Summer released the original.

( 5 ) | P.M. DAWN – Set Adrift On Memory Bliss

Talking of 'cancelled' the DJ out of P.M Dawn turned out to be a wrong 'un. I remember this purely because he got done for sexually abusing his underage cousin in the mid '90s

From the bits I've just read I don't think he was ever convicted. Er... yeah. Not much you can say after that is there.

( 2 ) | RIGHT SAID FRED – I'm Too Sexy

As we come out of the breakers you can just see Fred Fairbrass, over Gary Davies' shoulder, sharing right-wing conspiracy theories with some adoring fans


_{* I'm not}

[daf]

Was it TOTP where Mr. C  started shouting "Underlay"?

Yes - he later explained it was a "rug reference"

[daf]

Plavka stealing the show there

I wasn't sure who the dancer was - but it didn't look like Plavka to me. I think this was Cheryl Melder - who's a bit of a forgotten member. The dates seem to fit :

In July 1991, Plavka Lonich chose to leave the band, being that she was planning to start on her solo career. After finding a new female singer, Cheryl Melder, the Shamen embarked on the start of their Progeny tour.

She never made it on to any records, but toured with them in 1991. Here's a live pre-Jhelisa version of LSI with Cheryl on vocals.

[Norton Canes]

Ah good spot. I'm hopeless with these dancer/vocalists, I thought it was Saffron on N-Joi's first appearance