Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Three

[daf]

15 November 1990: Presenter: Bruno Brookes

( 5 ) | BLACK BOX – Fantasy
(23) | INSPIRAL CARPETS – Biggest Mountain
( 6 ) | ROBERT PALMER & UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (video)
(40) | CARON WHEELER – U.K. Blak
- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(28) | THE MISSION – Hands Across The Ocean (video)
(30) | JON BON JOVI – Miracle (video)
(35) | JULEE CRUISE – Falling (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



(25) | JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS – Let's Swing Again (video)
(22) | MEGABASS – Time To Make The Floor Burn (video)
( 3 ) | KIM APPLEBY – Don't Worry
( 1 ) | THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS – Unchained Melody (video)
(26) | PRINCE – New Power Generation (video and credits)

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

[Gulftastic]

This 'shit cover version' business is really getting out of hand.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Inspiral Carpets? Biggest Mountain? What the fuck's that about ?

Must have been their last hit for about four years, that's for sure.

[daf]

22 November 1990: Presenter:  Anthea 'Cocaine' Turner

( 5 ) | EMF – Unbelievable
( 3 ) | VANILLA ICE – Ice Ice Baby (video)
(17) | THE PROCLAIMERS – King Of The Road
(12) | ROD STEWART & TINA TURNER – It Takes Two (video)
(11) | JULEE CRUISE – Falling

 

( 8 ) | JIMMY SOMERVILLE – To Love Somebody
(10) | 808 STATE – Cubik / Olympic
( 1 ) | THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS – Unchained Melody (video)
( - ) | BRUNO & LIZ & THE RADIO 1 D.J. POSSE – Let's Dance (video and credits)

[Satchmo Distel]

22 November 1990: This was the date that Thatcher resigned but I can only really associate EMF with the event in my memory; maybe someone in our student house played it the same day (I didn't watch TOTP during my student years)?

This was also the start of the Danny Baker era: he was hosting Radio 5 breakfasts that Autumn IIRC. OTOH, BRUNO & LIZ & THE RADIO 1 D.J. POSSE was one of those landmarks to the end for old Radio 1; this dumbed-down shit wouldn't last much longer. Danny Baker v DLT was on the horizon.

Nice peas, Norma. The 90s start here.

[Norton Canes]

15 November 1990: Presenter: Bruno Brookes

( 5 ) | BLACK BOX – Fantasy

Huh, what? Hang on, the Pops opener is usually a barnstorming new performance on the big stage isn't it? Not a dull old repeat showing from the corner set. 

Do you think Katrin Quinol ever got bored of miming on endless TV shows and PAs? I'm trying to work out if she really is bored or just someone with very little stage charisma. I know she looks great and that, but they could've picked someone with a bit more élan. 

(23) | INSPIRAL CARPETS – Biggest Mountain

Ah, right. I think I can see what's happened. They've booked the Inspirals for the big stage opener only to realise (probably not having bothered to listen to it) that it's actually quite a dull song. So they've relegated it to second slot and dropped Black Box in of necessity. Yeah, that makes sense.

Must have been their last hit for about four years, that's for sure.

For shame! Is their 1992 no.12 hit 'Dragging Me Down' so easily forgotten? It's better than this.

( 6 ) | ROBERT PALMER & UB40 – I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (video)

She looks really uncomfortable sitting like that.

(40) | CARON WHEELER – U.K. Blak

Ah, remember when black people in the UK had to speak out against prejudice and ignorance? Thankfully no need for that any more in the definitely not racist UK.

_{[Note for future readers: UK Gov report claiming UK 'Not racist' just issued at time of writing]}

(28) | THE MISSION – Hands Across The Ocean (video)

Another guilty pleasure of mine from the Mish, I'm afraid.

(25) | JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS – Let's Swing Again (video)
(22) | MEGABASS – Time To Make The Floor Burn (video)

Total deso

(26) | PRINCE – New Power Generation (video and credits)

Fantastic song (love the fairground middle eight) and I'm sure you'll agree the promo offers a mouth-watering taster of Graffiti Bridge. Unfortunately there's a rare lyrical misfire from Mr Nelson on this occasion with all that guff about "Your old fashioned music, your old ideas/We're sick and tired of you telling us what to do". Just give us the sexy stuff Prince!

22 November 1990: Presenter:  Anthea 'Cocaine' Turner

Harley Quinn's let herself go

( 5 ) | EMF – Unbelievable

Woof! Now that's how to kick off the show!

(17) | THE PROCLAIMERS – King Of The Road

I thought for a second that the JK pic might be because they'd had some sort of spat... until the title clicked. Anyway nice to see a double bass back on the Pops. When was the last one? Black? Fairground Attraction?

(11) | JULEE CRUISE – Falling

Damn good coiffure! Typical huh, you wait years to see a double bass in the TOTP studio

(10) | 808 STATE – Cubik / Olympic

Ha, this is the most amateurishly shambolic TOTP performance ever. No-one even doing remotely the right thing with their equipment of choice. Imagine if Kraftwerk had been like this lads

( - ) | BRUNO & LIZ & THE RADIO 1 D.J. POSSE – Let's Dance (video and credits)

Who's the one with the pony tail and floral blouse? Don't recognise.

[daf]

For shame! Is their 1992 no.12 hit 'Dragging Me Down' so easily forgotten? It's better than this.

Couldn't be much worse! ;)

(I take it that this stinker was some B-side off an EP or something - bloody awful!)

[non capisco]

It's the lead track on the 'Island Head' EP. Fuck knows how weak the other three must have been.

[Jockice]

Inspiral Carpets? Biggest Mountain? What the fuck's that about ?

Must have been their last hit for about four years, that's for sure.

Lest we forget, they headlined Saturday night at the Reading Festival in 1990. And much to my surprise were really REALLY good.

I have absolutely no recollection of that song though.

[non capisco]

I have absolutely no recollection of that song though.

I remember it but only because I was quite disdainful of it at the time. The video was mostly just Tom Hingley and Clint Boon stood back to back in silhouette, I remember thinking both song and promo were crushingly boring.

[edon]

( - ) | BRUNO & LIZ & THE RADIO 1 D.J. POSSE – Let's Dance (video and credits)

With the era of dual hosting well and truly over, this was a nice late resurgence of seeing the R1 lot attempting to be chummy with each other. More than one in there I have absolutely zero memory of too. These people must've seen something they shouldn't have while working there.

[non capisco]

A few too many repeat performances/videos this week and Jive fucking Bunny in its wretched death throes, but no qualms about seeing Kim Appleby doing 'Don't Worry' again. That's a pop banger worthy of her work with Mel. I like the bit where she's going garrity at the end after that Italo house-ish piano break and one of the backing singers gives her what can only be described as a 'nice to see you having so much fun' glance.

[daf]

Fun fact : The bloke getting mauled at the end in the Pudsey costume was our old friend, the ex-Blue Peter producer - who earned £50 for his sweaty troubles.

[Sebastian Cobb]

With the era of dual hosting well and truly over, this was a nice late resurgence of seeing the R1 lot attempting to be chummy with each other. More than one in there I have absolutely zero memory of too. These people must've seen something they shouldn't have while working there.

In 1991 they did Come Outside as well, my mum had the cd single for that one,

Spoiler alert

it's dreadful

[close]

.

[Norton Canes]

Oh yeah, meant to say - we've now had ten years of BBC4 TOTP repeats. First one was shown 1^st April 2011.

TV Cream have made a list of "a relevant (non-Yewtreed) performance from each year that sums up those twelve months in pop and Pops".

1976: GLAMOURPUSS - SUPERMAN (15/07/1976)
1977: THE RAH BAND - THE CRUNCH (07/07/1977)
1978: JILTED JOHN - JILTED JOHN (24/08/1978)
1979: XTC - MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL (04/10/1979)
1980: NEW MUSIK - LIVING BY NUMBERS (17/01/1980) (Fuck off, Wrighty)
1981: MODERN ROMANCE - AY AY AY AY MOOSEY (05/11/1981)
1982: ADAM ANT - GOODY TWO SHOES (20/05/1982)
1983: MALCOLM MCLAREN - DOUBLE DUTCH (28/07/1983)
1984: FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD - TWO TRIBES (09/08/1984)
1985: A-HA - TAKE ON ME (07/11/1985)
1986: CAMEO - WORD UP (18/09/1986)
1987: PET SHOP BOYS - IT'S A SIN (25/06/1987)
1988: KYLIE AND JASON - ESPECIALLY FOR YOU (22/12/1988)
1989: ROACHFORD - CUDDLY TOY (19/01/1989) (The veranda thing didn't last long, did it)
1990: ORBITAL - CHIME (22/03/1990)

[non capisco]

I debated whether or not to do a 'Your favourite TOTP performances' thread off the back of that TV Cream thing but figured it would come up in this one. Strong choices for '82-'87 but why the mad nostalgic fuckers have gone for 'Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey' for the golden chart year of '81 I have no idea. I know it's meant to be more 'most representative' rather than 'best' but still.

I agree, daf. Fuck off, Wright. That New Musik song is boss.

[Norton Canes]

I agree, daf

Er!

[non capisco]

Oops, sorry Norton Canes!

[Norton Canes]

That's alright! daf's the de facto chart/list provider here

We should have a TOTP thread contributor meet-up some time later in the summer. We could totally give the Chart Music podcast crew a run for their money.

[daf]

Er!

Haha!

To make up for it, I award this . . .

Damn good coiffure!

Quality Zinger of the week!

[monkfromhavana]

With the era of dual hosting well and truly over, this was a nice late resurgence of seeing the R1 lot attempting to be chummy with each other. More than one in there I have absolutely zero memory of too. These people must've seen something they shouldn't have while working there.

Did they all hate each other then? Or just the awkward hosting we saw every week.

[daf]

OK, here's my favourite performances * from each year so far :

1976 : FOX – S-S-S-Single Bed | (15-4-76)
1977 : JOY SARNEY – Naughty Naughty Naughty | (5-5-77)
1978 : PLASTIC BERTRAND – Ça Plane Pour Moi | (8-6-78)
1979 : CHAS & DAVE – Gertcha | (14-6-79)
1980 : LIQUID GOLD – Dance Yourself Dizzy | (13-3-80)
1981 : SUSAN FASSBENDER – Twilight Café | (29/01/81)
1982 : THE MAISONETTES – Heartache Avenue | (23-12-82)
1983 : THE KINKS – Come Dancing | (18/08/83)
1984 : NIK KERSHAW – The Riddle | (29/11/84)
1985 : STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE – Since Yesterday | (24/01/85)
1986 : JULIAN COPE – World Shut Your Mouth | (9/10/86)
1987 : SHAKIN' STEVENS – A Little Boogie Woogie (In The Back Of My Mind) | (23/07/87)
1988 : JANE WIEDLIN – Rush Hour | (25/08/88)
1989 : HAPPY MONDAYS (with KIRSTY MACCOLL) – Hallelujah | (23/11/89)
1990 : BASS-O-MATIC – Fascinating Rhythm | (27-9-90)

- - - - - - - - - -
* ( . . . that I could find on Youtube : hence no 'Monkey Chop' by Dan-I, or Nena's hairy armpits!)

[Captain Z]

Harley Quinn's let herself go

I was thinking Pauline Quirke scrubs up well.

[DrGreggles]

My favourite/most memorable (for various reasons) TOTP performances year-by-year:

1976 Billy Ocean - LOVE REALLY HURTS WITHOUT YOU
1977 Otway & Barrett - REALLY FREE
1978 Jilted John - JILTED JOHN
1979 Two Man Sound - QUE TAL AMERICA (thanks Chart Music!)
1980 Madness - NIGHT BOAT TO CAIRO
1981 Specials - GHOST TOWN
1982 Modern Romance - BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
1983 Haysi Fantayzee - SHINY SHINY
1984 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - TWO TRIBES
1985 Strawberry Switchblade - SINCE YESTERDAY
1986 Julian Cope - WORLD SHUT YOUR MOUTH
1987 Glenn & Chris - DIAMOND LIGHTS
1988 Timelords - DOCTORIN' THE TARDIS
1989 Neneh Cherry - BUFFALO STANCE
1990 Faith No More - FROM OUT OF NOWHERE

[daf]

My favourite/most memorable (for various reasons) TOTP performances year-by-year:

1979 Two Man Sound - QUE TAL AMERICA (thanks Chart Music!)

Doh - of course!

1979 was such a great year!

[Chriddof]

For shame! Is their 1992 no.12 hit 'Dragging Me Down' so easily forgotten? It's better than this.

I'm a bit late with this, but the last ever Inspiral Carpets TOTP appearance was in March 1994 (!) with a certain very well known scowling man from Salford.

[Better Midlands]

Strawberry Switchblade  - Since Yesterday is such a great song, really love the production/arrangement on that one.

[A Hat Like That]

1987 : SHAKIN' STEVENS – A Little Boogie Woogie (In The Back Of My Mind) | (23/07/87)

Joyous.

[Spudgun]

I don't mean to derail things, but I've got a really nerdy question about an episode from a few weeks ago (11th October 1990). There was a clear edit during The Beautiful South:

https://youtu.be/AtrtASd2zwY?t=117

When it goes from him to her it literally skips a beat, and I'm trying to work out whether this is how it was broadcast originally or whether it's a 2021 cut. I suspect the former, but does anyone know for sure? I've tried searching for a VHS recording to compare, but I've only managed to find the #1 and Christmas special performances of the song on YouTube.

[Gulftastic]

We have probable confirmation that the repeats will continue into 1991.

Paul Johnson
@nightowlr80
·
22h
The Top Of The Pops Christmas Day edition will be shown on 23rd April .
I expect Top Of The Pops The Story Of 1991 to follow shortly after.
It looks like the repeats will continue into 1992 with The Story Of 1992 already been commissioned.