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Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Three

Started by daf, November 05, 2020, 08:25:18 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

The Culture Bunker

Quote from: buzby on November 08, 2021, 10:12:50 PMIf he had spent his late teens and early 20s in Newcastle or Carlisle then he might have based it on  a journey along the A69 and you would have got your wish.
Hmm, I'd have gone with a trip down the Cumbrian coastline (A596/A595/A590, with a few minor diversions to sample various industrial wastelands) for a true epic road trip to show the absolute peak of Northern grimness. The A69 is quite a pleasant trip, really - you can see bits of Hadrian's Wall and everything!

When I was 16, I did have an idea of doing a quasi-cover and calling it "It's Really Grim This Far North" but wisely thought better of it.

Norton Canes

No Pops for me tonight, I'm off to see the Scarred for Life guys. See you on the other side of catch-up

buzby

Quite funny to see Altern 8 got a woman in to (badly) try and recreate Bernard Fowler's sampled vocal.from Don't Make Me Wait. They did have a nice TR808 with the Kenton MIDI kit installed though


The Jacko video was just tedious.

daf

This Jacko vanity project hasn't aged well.

That ridiculous shuffling and grunting coda felt like it was never going to end!


buzby

Don't know if it's a national netwwork playout thing or just affecting the Winter Hill transmitter, but there's a periodic streaming glitch/error on BBC4's output tonight that resulting in hanging/dropped frames. It was most apparent when it seemed to perfectly sync up with the 4th beat in every bar of Sonia's cover of You To Me Are Everything, giving a' 'flam' effect on the bass drum.

The echo effect on Bizarre Inc's singer's mic was really awful and should have been turned off after the soundcheck.

Quote from: buzby on November 12, 2021, 08:22:48 PM
Quite funny to see Altern 8 got a woman in to (badly) try and recreate Bernard Fowler's sampled vocal.from Don't Make Me Wait.

She's a dancer from the video, they get one of the backing singers from Lisa Stansfield's band for the next performance.

kaprisky

Good grief! The visual effects on the Bassheads performance made it unwatchable.

It's nice to know they had a Jakkkki Brambles clone lined up with Claudia Simon.

"And a warm welcome back to Terry Waite!"

daf

Quote from: buzby on November 12, 2021, 08:22:48 PM
Quite funny to see Altern 8 got a woman in to (badly) try and recreate Bernard Fowler's sampled vocal.

Found this in the youtube comments under the video of the TOTP performance :
Quotemoonbell1 : "I was the girl.  I was approached by them in Shelley's one night and asked to dance on their video.  On the day we filmed their video, their manager heard me singing along to the radio.  He asked me to be their singer, they had sampled a male vocal and need a girl to sing it.  Flattered and curious I agreed.  Little did I know it was going straight to number 2 two weeks later and didn't make it to no 1 because we were beaten by Michael Jackson's Black and White. 

"I had no previous experience singing live in front of an audience so sharing a stage on Top of the Pops with Tina Turner among other huge stars, my nerves did get the best of me.  I had also been in and out of the medical centre all day taking multiple concoctions for my sore, hoarse, throat they told me I had laryngitis.  I'm not making any excuses it was definitely not my best effort.  I was way out of my depth but at least I gave it a go. Hey not many of you can say you have been on Top of the pops! 

"Any way I went on to do be a model and I'm now happily married to a Racing Driver/TV Host and live in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles with my two young children who are models and successful Actors.  As for the haters yeah I agree with you it wasn't great and not my proudest moment.  As for the people with the nice comments thanks and Rave on!!!!"


Norton Canes

Okay, let's get the housekeeping done first:

Earworm Watch (or should that be 'Listen'?) from last week's shows - just Dizzy, basically. No competition.

And here's the hot 40-11 from 14/11 (with Nine Inch Nails sneaking in at 35) and 21/11 (hi, Take That!)

That Jackson video, then. Where to even start? It's literally no thriller, that's for sure. I'll give him one thing, the solo dance sequence at the end is uncannily prescient - of those comedy videos where they edit out the music and replace it with grunts, gasps and squeaky shoes noises. Do you think anyone watches that bit any more? Even diehard Jackson fans who religiously watch their greatest hits Blu-rays right through every day must get to this bit and skip straight to Remember the Time. As for the song itself, it would be a punchy if perfunctory three and a half minutes but there were far better singles to come from Dangerous, the aforementioned Remember the Time and especially the stripped-down and slinky In the Closet. Overall though it's the bggest load of rehashed nonsense by a guy in a flouncy white shirt seen on TOTP since... wel, since Seal was on a few minutes earlier

Anyway, despite Jackson hogging the show there were a few other acts on. Rozalla gets a sci-fi Minifig makover just in time to fade into obscurity. the visually impaired finally get to realise that the revamped shows aren't just playing thirty seconds of the new theme tune each week. Crisp biscuits! Presumably he shoe-horned that one in after overwhelmingly positive reaction to its use on his first show. Absolutely love that Tina Turner performance, what a legend. I don't think there are many other artists I could simultaneously laugh along with and at in quite the same way. Hi Claudia! You've been to Anthea for a few presenting tips, I see. Try not to stoop when you speak, yeah? The rough live vocal on Activ 8 actually works perfectly, I think. These sort of tracks aren't supposed to be complemented with virtuoso performances, it's all about the feeling that anyone could be up there. And that's a nice shot of it all from the gantry at the end.

Tony's been great but you do get the impression that he's about to trip up on every single word. Straightjacket! Tony, you card.

daf

14 November 1991: Presenters: Tony DOrtie & Claudia SimOn

(22) | ROZALLA - Faith (In The Power Of Love)
(14) | SEAL - Killer
ALBUM | TINA TURNER - The Way Of The World
(11) | ALTERN-8 - Activ-8 (Come With Me)
- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(29) | SONIA - You To Me Are Everything (video)
(28) | REM - Radio Song (video)
(08) | BASSHEADS - Is There Anybody Out There? (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



NEW | MICHAEL JACKSON - Black Or White (video)
(01) | VIC REEVES & THE WONDERSTUFF - Dizzy (video)

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




gilbertharding

#1931
First of all, welcome home Terry Waite.

I remember watching the Jacko video as if I was going to take an exam on it the next day. And everyone was talking about it in the office the next day (22 I was).

However, I'd misremembered loads. I thought it was Slasher out of Guns n Roses stood on the car, and I'd forgotten McCauley Culkin and Bart Simpson were even in it. Was that Little Richard in the (very impressive at the time) morph sequence?

Egyptian Feast

I missed this episode at the time so never got to see the full 'Black or White' video until last night, but I remember the papers tutting loudly about him promoting vandalism. It definitely lived up to my expectations, haha. What a colossal bellend and what a (smooth) criminal waste of valuable pop time for the dance equivalent of a drum solo.

Never thought much of the main video either. Bits that remind you of much better, much less expensive videos ('We're Not Gonna Take It', 'Cry' etc.) strung together while he touches himself and makes 'hee hee' noises in front of landmarks. No thanks, Wacko. I'd thoroughly absorbed the previous three albums, but Dangerous was the point I completely lost interest in him. It got crossed off my Christmas list and I've still never heard it. Doubt I'll ever be arsed.

Chicory

I think I know why I don't remember the late 1991 - 1995 era very well.  It's not the music, because there was plenty of good stuff going on there.  It's these awful presenters... Dortie, Big Fun, Claudia Whothefuck etc.  Just utter personality voids, all of them.  At least lampable smirk merchant Nicky Campbell had the decency to elicit some kind of human reaction.

Bobby Treetops

Jacko can do one, surely the best moves in this week's episodes were being pulled off by the bloke in the audience wearing the Reebok sweatshirt. Oi Oi Savaloy!

Norton Canes

Quote from: daf on November 13, 2021, 12:26:00 PM
"Any way I went on to do be a model and I'm now happily married to a Racing Driver/TV Host and live in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles with my two young children who are models and successful Actors.  As for the haters yeah I agree with you it wasn't great and not my proudest moment.  As for the people with the nice comments thanks and Rave on!!!!"

Now there's the correct response to detractors after a dodgy spell on TOTP. Suck on that, Adrian Rose Woolfe.

bigfatheart

The full Black Or White video is at least fascinating for the first watch because of how monumentally self-indulgent it is, and clearly the work of a man who is not well. And the response in the studio is "Hey, wonder what the album will be like?" I know they can't exactly be stood there open-mouthed, going "Fucking hell, the man has lost his mind!", but still.

I'm warming to Tony Dortie, between his 'crisp biscuits' patter, which sounds like he's collecting a tenner from a mate down the pub each time he comes out with it, and his inability to hide his grim-faced contempt of the stuff he doesn't like - I suspect the first take on his Vic Reeves comment was closer to 'a good fucking shoeing' than a strait jacket.

I reckon if Terry Waite was settling down to watch his first Top of the Pops in four years, he'd be too busy wondering what happened to Simon Bates to take too much notice of Mark Franklin.

Norton Canes

#1937
At least we get the correct portion of Black or White in the 21/11 edition. That native American section is pretty lousy, isn't it. All Western cliché topped of with a bit of cultural appropriation when the white girl dances with Jacko. You know, I think if I had to choose the most physically impressive type of ethnic dancing it would be Cossack dancing, for sure. I wonder who was really behind all that crap that goes on before and after the song proper? Jacko? Landis? The record company?

Anyway

This episode is basically the story of a few other songs getting in the way of three rave anthem classics. These are supposed to be the performances no-one wanted or enjoyed, but looking back now they say far more about the vital culture of the era than Michael Bolton. Can't work out which one I enjoy more, to be honest. Bizarre Inc. have the soaring vocals (horrible reverb effects notwithstanding) and the best 'middle eight', if archaic terms like that have any currency in this new age. Bassheads have proper acid, do the great trick with their MC incognito among the audience and even manage to keep their banner up through the whole show. Might have to dock a couple of points for those Bill and Ben dancers though. Love Decade are just the realest, and end up with the best video effect. Their website says "Due to popular demand LOVE DECADE is lunching a new album". Yum!

Should we be charitable to M People? Did they have any merit? This pre-remix version of HCILYM is... reasonable, no? I thought the poppy was a remembrance thing then remembered (heh) this ep went out on 21/11 so a bit late for that, surely? Wait, is it a rose?

That's about it really, at least as far as any bands worth mentioning go. Oh go on then, I'll bite - Sonia seems even less relevant here than Neil Sedaka did a couple of weeks ago. Truly, SAW are already relics from a bygone era.

Also, this seems to be a time when a lot of female backing dancers got put into bondage gear.

Norton Canes

I suppose technically, I can watch my downloaded version of the 28/11 episode now, seeing as it's next up. I was trying to work out exactly what annoys me most about the fact that the Adrian Rose episodes won't be screened. Is it:


  • I won't be able to see them in broadcast quality?
  • We won't have the collective experience of talking about them together?
  • The fact that one guy has the power to spoil things for so many people?
  • I'm just really OCD and hate that we can't have a 'complete set'?

Ah it's a bit of all the above, really. I keep reminding myself that this doesn't mean 'less' TOTP, in the sense that, they're still showing two episodes a week.

bigfatheart

Quote from: Norton Canes on November 13, 2021, 09:46:32 PM
I thought the poppy was a remembrance thing then remembered (heh) this ep went out on 21/11 so a bit late for that, surely? Wait, is it a rose?

Red rose of Lancashire, innit?

Nice to see Pete Baynham joining them on sax, plus Richard Lewis playing bass in the Scorpions - good show for comics showing their range.

monkfromhavana

Quote from: Norton Canes on November 13, 2021, 09:46:32 PM
Their website[/url] says "Due to popular demand LOVE DECADE is lunching a new album". Yum!

I highly, highly doubt that Love Decade are playing the Stade de France - even more so when the "reserve your tickets" link just links back to the same webpage.

Norton Canes

Quote from: bigfatheart on November 13, 2021, 09:55:04 PM
Red rose of Lancashire, innit?

I guess. Perhaps the black centre was like, a statement.


Quote from: Norton Canes on November 13, 2021, 09:53:56 PM
I suppose technically, I can watch my downloaded version of the 28/11 episode now, seeing as it's next up. I was trying to work out exactly what annoys me most about the fact that the Adrian Rose episodes won't be screened. Is it:


  • I won't be able to see them in broadcast quality?
  • We won't have the collective experience of talking about them together?
  • The fact that one guy has the power to spoil things for so many people?
  • I'm just really OCD and hate that we can't have a 'complete set'?

It is on YT

but

QuoteDue to copyright claims YouTube has blocked George Michael/ Elton John, Michael Jackson and a Simply Red breaker

daf

21 November 1991: Presenters: Steve AnDersOn & Mark FrAnklin

(09) | BIZARRE INC - Playing With Knives
(31) | M-PEOPLE - How Can I Love You More?
(05) | BASSHEADS - Is There Anybody Out There?
(10) | MICHAEL BOLTON - When A Man Loves A Woman (video)
(21) | LOVE DECADE - So Real
NEW | THE SCORPIONS - Send Me An Angel
- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(24) | ANTICAPPELLA - 2√231 (video)
(23) | ROXETTE - Spending My Time (video)
(20) | SKID ROW - Wasted Time (video)
(15) | EXTREME - Hole Hearted (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(13) | SONIA - You To Me Are Everything
(01) | MICHAEL JACKSON - Black Or White (video)



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


Catalogue Trousers

QuoteI wonder who was really behind all that crap that goes on before and after the song proper? Jacko? Landis? The record company?

Jacko and no one else, I'd expect. He seemed obsessed with sassy little boys, be it Macaulay Culkin or Bart Simpson. Draw your own conclusions.

It really is a rubbish video, though, isn't it? Well suited to the song, then.

Pauline Walnuts


daf

28 November 1991: Presenters: Adrian ROse & Tony DOrtie

(06) | EAST SIDE BEAT - Ride Like The Wind
(09) | NIRVANA - Smells Like Teen Spirit



(15) | JAMES - Sound
NEW | GEORGE MICHAEL & ELTON JOHN - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (video)
(03) | ALTERN-8 - Activ-8 (Come With Me)
- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(20) | SIMPLY RED - Stars (video)
(18) | SHADES OF RHYTHM - Extacy (video)
(10) | DIANA ROSS - When You Tell Me That You Love Me (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(01) | MICHAEL JACKSON - Black Or White (video)
(--) | QUEEN - The Show Must Go On (video)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Full episode Wetransfer link

monkfromhavana

Bit of rave royalty there with Altern 8 and Shades Of Rhythm.

bigfatheart

Watched the RoseWoolfe debut episode - it's a mortifying horror show which you can absolutely see why he'd want buried from public view forever fine, a bit 'nervous work experience kid' but most of the new hosts have had a bit of that. Well, except for Tony Dortie, who's now got his feet under the table enough to be making jokes about Michael Jackson duetting with Bubbles. What a cut-up!

Musically, I was already familiar with the Nirvana performance because it used to be on TOTP2 every fucking week[nb]It definitely seemed to be the go-to 'classic' and 'iconic' 90s performance. When I listened to the first 90s Chart Music Al asked if there were any classic 90s TOTP appearances, I thought 'Nirvana, obviously'... Simon Price went with the Manics.[/nb]. I was a kid at the time and thought it was hilarious, but through jaded eyes it kind of washed over me a bit today. It's one of those songs that's just there now, isn't it? So part of the fabric you can't step outside of yourself and force yourself to hear it through fresh ears.

The Michael-John forenames-as-surnames-athon went on FOR-FUCKING-EVER. Made the Genesis track from a couple of weeks ago sound like Here Comes the Summer. The James track was at least entertaining in how up its own arse it was. Altern-8 had a Cyberman (or something like it) on stilts. Stars is a bit of a guilty pressure.

Thinking about it - if they can't show an episode without the host's approval, airings from the golden mic era could be spotty as fuck, couldn't it? It'll only take a few people with the hump to knock whacking great chunks out of the show's run. We've already got a couple of Glitter episodes to be skipped over as it is...