Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Three

[Satchmo Distel]

The remix album made #35 in the albums chart but only for two weeks so I don't think sales were that big.

[buzby]

The remix album made #35 in the albums chart but only for two weeks so I don't think sales were that big.

Given most diehard Talk Talk completists who wanted the remixes would have already had them from the reissued singles anyway, and that Hollis went public about his disgust at EMI's actions it's not a surprise it was a flop (as I said, the release of the 4th reissued single was basically abandoned due to diminishing returns).

[buzby]

31 May 1990: Presenter: Simon Mayo

(22) | BLACK BOX – Everybody Everybody

Shame, when they had so many screamin' soul vocals so sample, that the ones they used post Ride On Time were so dull.

The vocals post-Ride On Time weren't sampled. The follow up tracks were written to be part of the Dreamland album and were performed by Martha Wash, who also wasn't credited and then sued them as well, just as Loleatta Holloway had. It's almost like they hadn't learned a thing.

(15) | BETTY BOO – Doin' The Do (video)

Another BANGER for m The Boo. The original version of the track had been recorded with the production team King John (Rex Brough and John Coxon) in the sessions for her debut album (which Rhythm King coerced her into - she wanted to self-produce, having built herself a studio with the royalties from her forst two singles and enrolled on a sound engineering course at the advice of The Beatmasters). For the single release it was decided to return to The Beatmasters for a more radio-friendly remix. You can see why as the original version sounds a bit too basic, like an unfinished rough mix. There was also the minor press furore about that 'Doin the Do' meant, in which Alison played the innocent.

For the video, she chose the leather jacket and hotpants as a tribute to Emma Peel from The Avengers.

( 2 ) | ENGLAND/NEW ORDER – World In Motion (video)

Factory were approached after FA Press officer David Bloomfield caught Granada's Best & Marsh football archive show, which they had done the theme music for (it was fronted by Wilson). The tune was later released as the B-side to Round & Round.

As the band were on 'hiatus' with the members working on their various side projects, they had no ideas from jamming to work up into songs. As they never had much success at writing under pressure, Steve and Gillian offered up the end credits theme they had written for Reportage, the current affairs stand on Janet Street Porter's DEFII youth programming block on BBC2 (it had been credited as being written by New Order despite Hook & Sumner not being involved - something Steve expresses frustration at in his memoirs regarding their early soundtrack work). Sumner came up with the italo-piano style middle section and then the y struggled with the lyrics.

Gillian was the only member who actually knew anything about football, having been a regular supporter at Macclesfield with her dad when she was younger. It just so happened that Keith Fucking Allen had become a regular at The Hacienda while in Manchester filming the BBC comedy drama Making Out (which New Order/The Other Two had also written the soundtrack for) and when he heard they were worknig on the England world cup song he offered his services.

The band then decamped to Real World Studios in Bath (where Technique had been finished) to record and produce a rough mix prior to getting together with the players. This was released as 'The B side' on the single and the rap section on it is performed by a combination of Steve, Richard "Dickie the Christian" Chappell (the tape-op from Real World) and Keith Allen doing impressions of the players. Allen can be heard reprising his Gazza impression in this interview clip from Granada's 1990 end-of-year music review Bob's Christmas Rave (warning: contains Keith Allen, obviously).

A couple of weeks later they met up with the members of the squad (the ones who bothered to turn up) at The Mill in Buckinghamshire to do the final version with Stephen Hague producing. For the rap section, they were all given a chance to run through the full thing. Beardsley struggled with it, Walker and McMahon couldn't keep in time. Gascoigne had the rhythm perfect but was incomprehensible due to the fridge full of champagne that had been provided. It came down to John Barnes and Chris Waddle, Barnes got to go first and nailed it, so Waddle never got his chance. The players were all paid in envelopes of cash for turning up.

For the video, John Barnes was injured and wasn't training with England, so New Order and Allen had to come down the M62 to LFC's training ground (Melwood in West Derby) to film him, with the distinctive 3 tower blocks of Winterburn Heights in the background (they were demolished in the mid-90s) In fact, most of the footage featuring New Order (including Allen and Bernard driving round in his Mercedes SL, wearing an Elvis costume he found in Johnny Marr's house) was filmed there - the shots of the England team only feature Hook as he was the only member of the band who could be arsed going down to the FA's Lilleshall Hall training ground in Berkshire).

The single was a joint release between Factory and MCA, who the FA had signed the deal with for the team song.

[Norton Canes]

It came down to John Barnes and Chris Waddle, Barnes got to go first and nailed it, so Waddle never got his chance

If only the same had been true with that last semi-final penalty eh!

[non capisco]

For the rap section, they were all given a chance to run through the full thing. Beardsley struggled with it

We said kickin' rap, Peter, not 'chicken wrap'!

[Sebastian Cobb]

I'm looking forward to tonight!

[kalowski]

Fuck, I'd forgotten how dull The Charlatans were. Betty Boo followed them and knocked it out if the park. She could rap so well.

[daf]

7 June 1990: Presenter: Mark Goodier

(28) | POP WILL EAT ITSELF – Touched By The Hand Of Cicciolina
(26) | ELTON JOHN – Sacrifice (video)
(29) | D-SHAKE – Yaaah (video)
(32) | THE MISSION – Into The Blue (video)
( 4 ) | DON PABLO'S ANIMALS– Venus
(23) | WILSON PHILLIPS – Hold On (video)
(31) | M.C. TUNES versus 808 STATE – The Only Rhyme That Bites
(12) | WAS (NOT WAS) – Papa Was A Rolling Stone (video)
( 1 ) | ENGLAND/NEW ORDER – World In Motion (video)



(21) | ROXETTE – It Must Have Been Love (video and credits)

[Pauline Walnuts]

I'm looking forward to tonight!

No body thinks you're a Longhaired Mothafucka dad...

https://youtu.be/YVdhF-mNbPc?t=106

[DrGreggles]

POP WILL EAT ITSELF
ELTON JOHN
D-SHAKE
THE MISSION
DON PABLO'S ANIMALS
WILSON PHILLIPS
M.C. TUNES versus 808 STATE
WAS (NOT WAS)
ENGLAND/NEW ORDER
ROXETTE

Top of the Pops really was quite bizarre at times, wasn't it.

[The Culture Bunker]

I have always wanted to hear the version of 'World in Motion' with Beardsley having a go at the rap section. I can imagine it being utterley incomprehensible.

I was nine years old that Summer, and have a very warm memory of being on a bus back from a school trip to Muncaster Castle, just after England beat Belgium or Cameroon, with us all singing the chorus, convinced England were going to win the World Cup. Ah, the naivety of youth. Funny to think back then it was 24 years since 1966, and it's over 30 years since Italia '90 now.

[DrGreggles]

I have always wanted to hear the version of 'World in Motion' with Beardsley having a go at the rap section. I can imagine it being utterley incomprehensible.

You've got to hold and... Ah... Dog dirt...

[Sebastian Cobb]

Ah, the naivety of youth. Funny to think back then it was 24 years since 1966, and it's over 30 years since Italia '90 now.

This makes me feel cold, I've always been indifferent to football but World Cup Italia 90 came bundled with me megadrive.

I didn't really play it until I went to uni though, the highlight being winning on pens and a mate throwing the dregs of a pot noodle up the wall.

[Camp Tramp]

I remember thinking, even back then that the guy in the England shirt jumping around in the England shirt pulling faces was an idiot.

30 odd years later I still think Keith Allen is a colossal twat.

[Jockice]

I was nine years old that Summer, and have a very warm memory of being on a bus back from a school trip to Muncaster Castle, just after England beat Belgium or Cameroon, with us all singing the chorus, convinced England were going to win the World Cup. Ah, the naivety of youth. Funny to think back then it was 24 years since 1966, and it's over 30 years since Italia '90 now.

I have a very warm memory of getting an unexpected hand job during the Belgian game. But there we go. I'm Scottish. We were already out.

[DrGreggles]

I have a very warm memory of getting an unexpected hand job during the Belgian game. But there we go. I'm Scottish. We were already out.

I think that represents Scotland's best World Cup result.

[daf]

14 June 1990: Presenter: Bruno Brookes

(32) | GURU JOSH – Whose Law (Is It Anyway)?
(38) | MAUREEN – Thinking Of You
(13) | SNAP – Oops Up (video)
(36) | MAXI PRIEST – Close To You
(22) | BOBBY BROWN – The Free Style Mega-mix (video)
( 9 ) | THE CHARLATANS – The Only One I Know (video)
( 7 ) | BETTY BOO – Doin' The Do



( 2 ) | NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK – Step By Step (video)
( 1 ) | ENGLAND/NEW ORDER – World In Motion (video)
(31) | 49ers – Girl To Girl (video and credits)

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

[kaprisky]

The MC Tunes/808 State performance contains a cutaway to a floor manager hastily arranging some audience members for the pull back to the next link! Great. I'm not sure about the use of the sample from... (looks it up) the western The Big Country. The backing track during the rap was more effective I thought. I can't wait for buzby's take on MC Tunes' career.

Did the original Ooops Up have references to a broken condom? I think we should be informed.

[non capisco]

Fuckin 'Sackarafice' by Elton John. Cocoa heart, hard-on bayou. Gets to number one, doesn't it? Worra dirge.

'Doin' The Do' is great. "Someone like you puts me off my food!", forgot about that bit.

They criminally left off the best bit of 'Step By Step' by New Kids On The Block, the bit when Lurch Travolta gets his chance to vocally shine after months of pelvic thrusting in the shadows. Of course they went for pretty boy Jordan Knight to be front and centre of the band but have a listen to this and tell me you still think they picked the right guy. This here's some Sam Cooke shit. Ready yourselves for as close as a human vocal can come to the heavenly sighs of the cherubim... STEP ONE!

What did I tell you? Eat your heart out, Donny Hathaway.

[non capisco]

Did the original Ooops Up have references to a broken condom? I think we should be informed.

The Snap! version only exists so a nation of dads and grandads can say "is someone stepping on a mouse?"

[Jockice]

Doin' The Do' is great. "Someone like you puts me off my food!", forgot about that bit.

I loved it (and her) at the time but I find the 'fat and ugly thing' bit annoying nowadays. I also remember her saying something derogatory about Danny's looks when Hearsay released her Pure And Simple. It might be because I've been bullied at times because of my appearance but I find it a bit off-putting when someone good-looking (which is more or less down to luck) says/sings things like that.

[edon]

The inept attempts at satellite linkups by TOTP are charming. The England squad interview wasn't as bad as that time they cut to Madness in Japan and the shit cameras couldn't pick up what they wrote on pieces of paper, but was still something that redeemed a show which, 808/Tunes notwithstanding, was pretty poor.

As if the endless regurgitated megamixes aren't enough, there does seem to be an abundance of rank disco covers about around this point, and there are definitely more to come as well. Probably not fair on Snap ("I'm as hard as Chinese math" is a nice lyric too) but that version of Thinking Of You sucks virtually all of the joy out of it.

[non capisco]

that version of Thinking Of You sucks virtually all of the joy out of it.

It's atrocious. An entirely meritless record. Up the road, "Maureen"!

[non capisco]

I loved it (and her) at the time but I find the 'fat and ugly thing' bit annoying nowadays. I also remember her saying something derogatory about Danny's looks when Hearsay released her Pure And Simple. It might be because I've been bullied at times because of my appearance but I find it a bit off-putting when someone good-looking (which is more or less down to luck) says/sings things like that.

Yeah, fair enough. These repeats are now about a year and a half before my life descended into extreme acne hell and nostalgia stops becoming fun so I completely hear ya on that one.

[Jockice]

Yeah, fair enough. These repeats are now about a year and a half before my life descended into extreme acne hell and nostalgia stops becoming fun so I completely hear ya on that one.

At the time it was out I didn't give it a second thought though. I've never been fat myself and like a lot of people, considered it as a sign of weakness and laziness and a fitting subject for insults. Then came the realisation that I was a member of the only other group in British (or at least English) society that it was considered perfectly okay to say absolutely anything about, no matter how hurtful. I don't mean that I'd only just realised I have red hair (take it from me, I'm never allowed to forget that) but I didn't make the link. And it was still a long time before 'body shaming' became a bad thing. Also, becoming more disabled has made me realise that a lot of overweight people are that way because they're in pain and can't exercise. I suppose I'm lucky in that I can still swim and I have my mum's thin frame rather than my dad and sister's 'look at a chip and put on weight' body types. But if I was, so what?

Anyway, enough of the lecture. I still have a soft spot for Betty, although Where Are You Baby is a much better single.

[Norton Canes]

7 June 1990: Presenter: Mark Goodier

(28) | POP WILL EAT ITSELF – Touched By The Hand Of Cicciolina

"Yes! Yes! Oh, yes!" Literally the best moment of Top of the Pops ever, as the camera zooms in on the main stage and after a couple of seconds astonished hesitation the penny drops - It's Patricia fucking Morrison, looking fantastic in orange (it's the new black) and cavorting with devilish abandon like a goth Roger Milla. Doing, in fact, more in these two minutes thirty seconds then she did in her entire career with the Sisters. She looks like she's actually enjoying herself! (I see the BBC have rightfully used a freeze-frame of her for this episode's thumbnail on the iPlayer)

Anyway. Stuff yer New Order, this was my World Cup '90 song. Poppies go Italo. Happy evenings on the college football pitch recreating moments from the afternoon's matches. Wondering if Steve Bull would get a game. Jumpers for goalposts. No, hang on, there were actual goalposts.

(26) | ELTON JOHN – Sacrifice (video)

Typical innit. You wait for ever for a number one single that adds a gratuitous extra syllable to a word in the chorus, then two come along at once.

(31) | M.C. TUNES versus 808 STATE – The Only Rhyme That Bites

Absolute belter, pure euphoria. Purephoria. Coolest TOTP dancing ever, no returns. Then Tunes joins in, magic.

14 June 1990: Presenter: Bruno Brookes

(32) | GURU JOSH – Whose Law (Is It Anyway)?

Josh, mate... there's a reason Adamski (and 1,000 other DJ producers) recruited a proper singer. Although it's doubtful anyone could have put a vocal polish on this particular aural turd.

( 7 ) | BETTY BOO – Doin' The Do

Liked it at the time but yeah, a bit lukewarm on this too, now. Luckily Deee-Lite were about to turn up and show us how this retro-kitsch dance stuff should be done.

[Norton Canes]

Shit. Steve Bull played four times at Italia '90.

[Jockice]

30 odd years later I still think Keith Allen is a colossal twat.

Let's not forget the word 'Welsh' in there. Not that there's anything wrong with being Welsh but there's certainly something wrong with being Welsh and supporting England.

(Although he has come out recently as a Corbyn supporter. Literally the first thing he's done in his entire career that I find tolerable).

[Non Stop Dancer]

What is it that people find so intolerable about Keith Allen? What are his worst crimes?

[daf]

Mainly being a boorish oaf, isnt it?

(his brother Kevin, the film director, is much nicer - mainly as he doesn't pretend to be a obnoxious Cockney twat all the time)