Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Three

[daf]

25 December 1991: Presenters: Tony DOrtie, Claudia SimOn & Mark Fr@nklin

( - - )  | SEAL – Crazy
- - - - - - - - - - - (January) - - - - - - - - - -
IRON MAIDEN – Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter (video)
ENIGMA – Sadness Part 1 (video)
QUEEN – Innuendo (video)
VANILLA ICE – Ice Ice Baby (video)
CLIFF RICHARD – Saviour's Day (video)
JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – The Grease Megamix (video)
C & C MUSIC FACTORY feat. FREEDOM WILLIAMS – Gonna Make You Sweat (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | NOMAD feat. M.C. MIKEE FREEDOM – (I Wanna Give You) Devotion
- - - - - - - - - - - (February) - - - - - - - - - -
THE KLF – 3 a.m. Eternal (video)
THE SIMPSONS – Do The Bartman (video)
MADONNA – Crazy For You (video)
2 IN A ROOM – Wiggle It (video)
PRAISE – Only You (video)
OLETA ADAMS – Get Here (video)
THE SOURCE feat. CANDI STATON – You Got The Love (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | CHESNEY HAWKES – The One And Only
- - - - - - - - - - - (March) - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE CLASH – Should I Stay Or Should I Go (video)
HALE & PACE & THE STONKERS – The Stonk (video)
ROD STEWART – Rhythm Of My Heart (video)
ROXETTE – Joyride (video)
PET SHOP BOYS – Where The Streets Have No Name (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | JAMES – Sit Down
- - - - - - - - - - - (April) - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CHER – The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) (video)
THE WATERBOYS – The Whole Of The Moon (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK – Sailing On The Seven Seas
- - - - - - - - - - - (May) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE KLF – Last Train To Trancentral (video)
CRYSTAL WATERS – Gypsy Woman (video)
BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Promise Me (video)
ZUCCHERO & PAUL YOUNG – Sensa Una Donna (Without A Woman) (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | KENNY THOMAS – Thinking About Your Love
- - - - - - - - - - - (June) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
COLOR ME BADD – I Wanna Sex You Up (video)
AMY GRANT – Baby Baby (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | ERASURE – Chorus
- - - - - - - - - - - (July) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
JASON DONOVAN – Any Dream Will Do (video)
HEAVY D. & THE BOYZ – Now That We Found Love (video)
EXTREME – More Than Words (video)
GUNS N' ROSES – You Could Be Mine (video)
C & C MUSIC FACTORY – Things That Make You Go Hmmm (video)
THE SHAMEN – Move Any Mountain (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | RIGHT SAID FRED – I'm Too Sexy
(73) | BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - (August) - - - - - - - - - - - -
P.M. DAWN – Set Adrift On Memory Bliss (video)
THE PRODIGY – Charly (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | OCEANIC – Insanity
- - - - - - - - - - - (September) - - - - - - - - - -
SALT-N-PEPA – Let's Talk About Sex (video)
PRINCE – Gett Off (video)
ZOË– Sunshine On A Rainy Day (video)
ERASURE – Love To Hate You (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( - - )  | THE SCORPIONS – Wind Of Change
- - - - - - - - - - - (October) - - - - - - - - - - -
U2 – The Fly (video)
MONTY PYTHON – Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (video)
KIRI TE KANAWA – World In Union (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(31)  | 2 UNLIMITED – Get Ready For This
- - - - - - - - - - - (November) - - - - - - - - - -
(11) | MICHAEL JACKSON – Black Or White (video)
(22) | VIC REEVES & THE WONDERSTUFF – Dizzy (video)
(53) | K-KLASS – Rhythm Is A Mystery (video)
(26) | ALTERN-8 – Activ-8 (Come With Me) (video)
( - - )  | KYLIE MINOGUE & KEITH WASHINGTON – If You Were With Me Now  (video)
(42) | BIZARRE INC – Playing With Knives (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - (December) - - - - - - - - - -
(03) | GEORGE MICHAEL & ELTON JOHN – Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me  (video)
(02) | DIANA ROSS – When You Tell Me That You Love Me (video)
(16) | EAST SIDE BEAT – Ride Like The Wind (video)
(04) | THE K.L.F. feat. TAMMY WYNETTE – Justified And Ancient (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(01) | QUEEN – Bohemian Rhapsody (video)

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

[kaprisky]

Was Vince Clarke having a dress rehearsal for the Abba-esque EP the following summer?


On a Mute-related note BBC4 have scheduled Other, Like Me: The Oral History of COUM transmissions and Throbbing Gristle for next Sunday (5th Dec). Some sources have its run time as over 80 mins, but they've got it in a one hour timeslot, so beware.

They do not appear to have had a charting single but I think they would have suited an appearance on TOTP '78 or '79. The camera would have loved Cosey. Which single would have fared the best?

[Pauline Walnuts]

I dunno, one of the disco ones on 20 Jazz Funk Greats or something. The later September Love song/period would have been great.

She would have been on it they'd have played the video instead of

[Norton Canes]

25 December 1991: Presenters: Tony DOrtie, Claudia SimOn & Mark Fr@nklin

And that was 1991. What a great way to end a great year. As evinced upthread I was in party mode so not especially paying attention to the minutiae of this episode (I should point out it wasn't just a sad solitary celebration, Mrs Canes was partying with me) so all I can really say is, it was nice to see three of the YZ presenters together sharing a bit of banter - even though they couldn't even get through the intro without mangling words literally right, left and centre (and it's a cut to Mr. Samuel so I preume their first effort was even worse)

I see we get a cheeky snatch of a Rose-blocked episode with that clip of East Side Beat.

"YEAH... EAH... EAH... EAH... EAH... HEY ROSE-BLOCK!"

[Norton Canes]

One thing I have been thinking about c.1991 is that people have generally been looking pretty good, style and fashion wise (the performers, at least - there's no accounting for how the plebs present themselves). I mean okay it's thirty years ago so there are bound to be things to cringe at, and obviously seniors like Cliff and Neil Sedaka are bound to turn themselves out in a state, but on the whole I reckon this era is a relative sweet spot between the ostentatious, accessory-obsessed fashions of the late 80's and the impending retro-fuckover of the Britpop years. A lot of credit for this must go down to rave culture, as generally the best fashions come from rebellious subcultures.   

[Egyptian Feast]

I wonder if they're going to get around to showing The Story Of 1991 now. Were Rose's shenanigans perhaps something to do with the delay/cancellation?

[Norton Canes]

I was thinking that. Perhaps they included him in some footage thinking it was exempt from the contract rules, and he still kicked up a fuss.

AFAIK that's it for regular repeats for this year - the 1992 repeats kick off in January '22. So there are a few weeks to fit in the '91 and indeed the '92 docs. Tony Dortie has affirmed via Twitter that they're going to be shown, but he doesn't know when.

[Pauline Walnuts]

AFAIK that's it for regular repeats for this year - the 1992 repeats kick off in January '22.

Why? Get on with it! Keep showing the Topsies,  Errr Not you Norton...

[gilbertharding]

I wondered what Big Fun was doing now, and came up with this strange listicle from The Hull Chronicle: Why are local newspaper websites always so horrible to click on?

Where Top of the Pops presenters are now from marketing boss to tragic death

Oh no - one of them's dead. I wonder who. I hope it's not Claudia Simon. I like her.

Mark Franklin
You might be surprised to learn the not-so-well-known Franklin actually presented more TOTP episodes than established names such as Bruno Brookes and Mark Goodier.
Franklin is still involved in music and hosts a weekly show on The Breeze.
He is quite vocal on Twitter often sharing his political views, and recently shared his views on the pandemic and life in lockdown.

Not him then.

Claudia Simon
CBBC presenter Claudia hosted seven episodes in the early days of the revamp.The presenter went on to host Channel Four's Board Stupid, before moving into the world of sports, with a stint on Sky TV.
But since then she has disappeared off British television.

Dead?

She moved to the US and was a Fox Sports anchor until the early '00s.

No. Good - I liked her. She was brilliantly useless at introducing pop groups.

Steve Anderson
Stand-up comic Steve hosted just five episodes of Top of the Pops during 1991 and 1992.
After he left the show he went on to host Price Drop TV, and in the early noughties emerged as a "confidence coach" on the BBC Two dating show Would Like to Meet.
In 2007 he opened the Portable Comedy Club in London with a stand-up comedy sketch.
But, sadly Anderson died in 2012 at the age of just 49 in his sleep.

Oh no!

At the time many friends in the entertainment industry took to Twitter to share their shock.
Sex Pistols star JoJo Smith said: "Oh my goodness. I remember him from back in the Clinic days. He was a terrific guy - gone far too young!"
Comedian Rich Wilson added: "That's a shock! He was a bit of a scamp but I liked him. RIP Steven."

"Sex Pistols star JoJo Smith"? "He was a bit of a scamp but I liked him"?
Fucking hell.

Femi Oke

etc etc.

[gilbertharding]

Two out of the five episodes hosted by poor dead Steve Anderson are affected by the Rose-Woolf excrescence.

Are you HAPPY NOW?

Tony Dortie is good value on twitter, in case you haven't seen. Laying into Woolf quite obliquely (quote tweeting the popbitch* gossip). And he doesn't think much of Jo Wiley either.

>> Budgie smuggler <<
Adrian flies under the radar
 
Those watching vintage Top Of The Pops re-runs on BBC4 might have noticed that there's been a few missing episodes recently; those hosted by a little remembered DJ called Adrian Rose (aka Adrian Woolfe).

The Beeb attributes the missing episodes to vague 'legal rights issues', but as Adrian went on to become a big player behind the scenes on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, it seems he isn't keen to remind viewers of his youthful attempts in front of the camera. It's a shame, because it'll also mean missing out on early performances by the Manics, Primal Scream, Shakespears Sister, The Shamen and that legendary performance from Nirvana where Kurt croaked his way through Smells Like Teen Spirit an octave lower than normal.

Still, with all the headlines about climate catastrophe and profligate spending at the minute, maybe it's smart of Adrian to keep a low profile. During his time at Celador, his nickname was "Budgie" – on account of his habit of always taking helicopters everywhere, even when a train or taxi would be easier.

[Captain Z]

Has there been any further word on the 'Story Of 1991', and is it possible that this Adrian Rose Woolfe nonsense has put a late spanner in the works of that?

[Norton Canes]

Mentioned upthread ^^

[Captain Z]

Mentioned upthread ^^

Oops, thanks. I've been watching the last few eps out of order, so lost track of read posts. The Nirvana performance must surely have been in the documentary, so it would provide one explanation.

[matjam13]

At present the BBC lists these episodes airing on BBC Four over December:
4th - Christmas Day 1984
11th - Christmas Day 1988
17th - Christmas Day 1989

Digiguide lists these as well:
20th - Christmas Day 1990
21st - Christmas Day 1986
22nd - Christmas Day 1978
23rd - Christmas Day 1998
24th - Christmas Day 2002

[JesusAndYourBush]

• "Our next lady's literally just stepped off a plane to be here tonight, and all she wants for Christmas is a good long frozen sh[it's probably not true so better redact]"

Someone from here asked her about it on twitter once and she denied it.  Sadly her tweet was later deleted and nobody screenshotted it.  I remember she spelt poo as pooh.

[Natnar]

the Rose-Woolf excrescence.

That was a great episode of Doctor Who!

[Norton Canes]

From Rose to Bad Woolfe, eh.

[Norton Canes]

PRINCE – Gett Off (video)

Meant to say, not the official video though - this  one (starting just after 41:12) appears to be a compilation of excerpts from live performances (seen briefly at the start) and footage from the video for Thieves in the Temple. Which is a bit weird, as I'm sure TOTP showed the official video on the 29/08 show. Perhaps they thought the Christmas audeince would consist of a higher proportion of easily-shocked grannies (even more reason to show the ruder one, in my book)

[matjam13]

Top Of The Pops December Schedule:
Friday 4th - Christmas Day 1984 - 8pm BBC Four
Friday 10th - Christmas Day 1988 - 8pm BBC Four
Saturday 11th - TOTP2: Police Special - 8:25pm BBC Two
Friday 17th - Christmas Day 1989 - 8pm BBC Four
Monday 20th - Christmas Day 1990 - 7pm BBC Four
Tuesday 21st - Christmas Day 1986 - 7pm BBC Four
Wednesday 22nd - Christmas Day 1978 - 7pm BBC Four
Thursday 23rd - Christmas Day 1998 - 7pm BBC Four and Big Hits 1984 at 10:35pm on BBC Two
Christmas Eve - Christmas Day 2002 - 7pm and TOTP: Christmas Hits 8pm on BBC Four
Christmas Day - Christmas Special 2021 - 12pm on BBC One
New Year's Eve - New Year Special 2021/2022 - 4:15pm on BBC One
On BBC Four New Year's Eve 2014 at 7pm then TOTP2: Party Special 9pm

[matjam13]

Top Of The Pops December Schedule:
Friday 4th - Christmas Day 1984 - 8pm BBC Four
Friday 10th - Christmas Day 1988 - 8pm BBC Four
Saturday 11th - TOTP2: Police Special - 8:25pm BBC Two
Friday 17th - Christmas Day 1989 - 8pm BBC Four
Monday 20th - Christmas Day 1990 - 7pm BBC Four
Tuesday 21st - Christmas Day 1986 - 7pm BBC Four
Wednesday 22nd - Christmas Day 1978 - 7pm BBC Four
Thursday 23rd - Christmas Day 1998 - 7pm BBC Four and Big Hits 1984 at 10:35pm on BBC Two
Christmas Eve - Christmas Day 2002 - 7pm and TOTP: Christmas Hits 8pm on BBC Four
Christmas Day - Christmas Special 2021 - 12pm on BBC One
New Year's Eve - New Year Special 2021/2022 - 4:15pm on BBC One
On BBC Four New Year's Eve 2014 at 7pm then TOTP2: Party Special 9pm

The TOTP2: Party Special should be 8pm

[matjam13]

Top Of The Pops December Schedule:
Friday 4th - Christmas Day 1984 - 8pm BBC Four
Friday 10th - Christmas Day 1988 - 8pm BBC Four
Saturday 11th - TOTP2: Police Special - 8:25pm BBC Two
Friday 17th - Christmas Day 1989 - 8pm BBC Four
Monday 20th - Christmas Day 1990 - 7pm BBC Four
Tuesday 21st - Christmas Day 1986 - 7pm BBC Four
Wednesday 22nd - Christmas Day 1978 - 7pm BBC Four
Thursday 23rd - Christmas Day 1998 - 7pm BBC Four and Big Hits 1984 at 10:35pm on BBC Two
Christmas Eve - Christmas Day 2002 - 7pm and TOTP: Christmas Hits 8pm on BBC Four
Christmas Day - Christmas Special 2021 - 12pm on BBC One
New Year's Eve - New Year Special 2021/2022 - 4:15pm on BBC One
On BBC Four New Year's Eve 2014 at 7pm then TOTP2: Party Special 9pm

4th should be the 3rd

[biniput]

https://www.youtube.com/c/DarrenRigbyONeill/videos

Link up there to a channel that has seemingly got broadcast quality of a shit tone of TOTP and a few others. Grab them while you can.

[Icehaven]

Nothing but Xmas shows for a month?! Booooooooooo! That's crap.

[Icehaven]

Worth it tonight for Paul Weller miming over Bono's line in Do They Know It's Christmas. He looked so confused.

[dissolute ocelot]

Watching the last few of these. There were no pop stars in 1991! Freddie Mercury died, a Madonna reissue, a Clash reissue, a Guns n Roses cover version, and Chesney Hawkes? Obvs the DJ was king, lots of great records, and U2 were probably the biggest band, but you can see why Nirvana and Right Said Fred were so big because who else was there? The Dannii Minogue Smash Hits cover upthread says it all.

[non capisco]

Worth it tonight for Paul Weller miming over Bono's line in Do They Know It's Christmas. He looked so confused.

Simon LeBon coming in miming too early on the "Feed the world" bit and having to style it out as well.

[Mr Banlon]

Feed the world ?
More like 'Sieg the World'

[matjam13]

1992 begins on BBC Four Friday 7th January with 9/1 and 23/1:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl6b/2022/01/07

[Norton Canes]

Weird hearing The Wizard again. And miming.

[Norton Canes]

Ha, Milli Vanilla performing live