Top of the Pops on BBC Four - Thread Four

[non capisco]

Highlight of the first episode for me. His live vocals are truly incredible.

*glum as fuck voice* Party people. Sing this song.

Ungghhhh.

[non capisco]

MA ALBAN: GET OUT OF BED THIS MINUTE, DR ALBAN, YOU HAVE A NUMBER 16 HIT RECORD.

Ungghhh

[bigfatheart]

Nice of East 17 to let the Kens take a seat. No such luck with Dr Alban, where Dr Alban is the Ken in Dr Alban.

Think it's fair to say that Slik have changed a lot since the Midge Ure days. At least Tony's stayed loyal to them.

And obviously the Bluebells' jokey take-offs of their fellow hitmakers have started a trend, because old matey out of Deacon Blue has shown up as an unconvincing pastiche of Jarvis Cocker in five years time.

[KennyMonster]

Back in the 80s and early 90s computer games reviewers would always hype up clones of the classic arcade game Defender for some reason, they couldn't get enough of them and they always seemed to score highly in their reviews despite there being a ton of better looking, more inventive and immersive games around at the time.

The musical equivalent of this has, to me, to be New Order.

A sure case of Emperor's new clothes, can anyone explain the appeal?

Three outings of this song in a fortnight of TOTP repeats shows that the music biz were on their side, and they had plenty of fans too.

But why?

I never got it.

Hacky rhymes of 'phone' and 'alone' are an example showing that their lyrics never seem up to much.
The music is quite bland and their is so little stage presence, Barney looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights behind his guitar on the TOTP stage performance of Regret. The woman one is hardly looking enthused either.

I suppose in fairness Hooky is doing quite well there, and it is an achievement to get where he got to when he obviously has been suffering from (Adam) Ricketts for most of his life judging by how he can barely stand up straight on those crippley legs whilst playing his bass.

The silver lining for them, of course, was that in a year or two the heat will be off them and the crown of most over hyped will be passed onto a pair of brothers from their same hometown.

[daf]

15 April 1993: Presenter: Mark Fr@nklin

(15) | EAST 17 – Slow It Down
(22) | DR. ALBAN – Sing Halleluuuuuuuurghjah
(13) | DURAN DURAN – Come Undone (video and charts)
(09) | CAPPELLA – U Got 2 Know
(17) | TERRY TROUT D'ARBY – Do You Love Me Like You Say?
- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(27) | REM – Everybody Hurts (video)
(25) | ROD STEWART – Shotgun Wedding (video)
(12) | THE PRODIGY – Wind It Up (Rewound) (video)
(11) | NEW ORDER – Regret (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NEW | SONIA – Better The Devil You Know
(19) | WORLD PARTY – Is It Like Today?



(01) | THE BLUEBELLS – Young At Heart

[Norton Canes]

Some guff about the show being moribund

And then... in an almost preternatural reversal of fortune, the show's lifeless body suddenly sits bolt upright; its eyes flicker open, it wrenches the cannulae from its arm, springs to its feet and bounds over to the microphone, as the slow bleeps of the life support machine become the seductive beats of East 17's Slow It down and... sorry I'm actually just describing the start of Big Train's Roxy Music sketch there aren't I, but you get the idea: reports of the show's death have, it transpires, been greatly exaggerated as it bounces back figuratively bigger and literally better than ever (or for a long time since, at least). Oh yes, this is a show that tears up the form book, turns back the clock and delivers a relentless twenty-nine minutes of top quality chart entertainment - and it's no coincidence there's barely a heritage act to be seen. Unless you count The Bluebells of course, but come on, you can't argue they aren't putting a shift in.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves because first up it's the aforementioned Walthamstow lotharios giving us a subtle reminder that if the tempo's too high the seed's gonna fly, or as Tony enchantingly puts it "Cause if I love too fast, I ain't gonna last"... oh Tony, you're a proper gentleman and no mistake. And what else you gonna do to keep the wolf from the door, so to speak? Have your mates round obviously, that always helps; stick your band videos on the little telly and flatscreen too (What? you're saying it's not a flatscreen? You had a CRT telly built into the chimney?) and make sure you've got your big china pineapples on the mantlepiece, the ones your gran left you, they always make you think of her sandpaper-skin chin and Steradent breath as she lunged in for a loving peck, yeah keep that in mind and you could go on all night... don't know about you but on current evidence I reckon E17 are giving Take That, last seen loitering around in a New York basement as their latest limp effort slogged on, an absolute spanking, so much so that the Barlow-led shower are soon to give up trying to be all boy-next-door cheeky saucepot types (well, all except one of them that is) and instead tap into the Seventies-style sophisti-soul singles market, which frankly puts them more on a par with M People than it does Tony and his crew.

Would love to know where they got that three-legged red coffee table by the way

Anyway speaking of the throes of ecstasy, let's hope Dr Alban has a little more enthusiasm when his cork pops, so to speak, than he does before the choruses kick in here. I don't even know why he's doing that "Unnhhh" thing, it's not on the record. Perhaps he's just relieved he got to the end of each verse. Did he do, like, entire gigs? Like a whole hour's set or whatever? That people turned up to, and watched, all the way through? I think it's fair to say the choir are doing the heavy lifting here. Maybe he just gets by on that natural bonhomie he exudes. Or maybe he gets terminal stage fright, and the "Unnhhh" thing is some kind of involuntary tic? Maybe it's a common thing among vocalists who had chronic anxiety in front of audiences. Perhaps it was the final straw for Andy Partridge... "And all the world is football-shaped, It's just for me to kick in space. And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste, and I've got one, two, three, four, five Unnhhh senses working overtime"

You can see how it would put people off

Or maybe every time he mentions the Lord, the Lord rewards him with a little micro-orgasm. If you're listening it's a good plan, Lord, and one I would strongly recommend you consider rolling out to the rest of Your flock.

I guess Corona deserve some kind of grudging admiration for the fact they've staged practically a perfect replication of their performance from a couple of weeks ago. If it ain't broke, huh. Does feel a bit like Bruce Forsyth should've walked on at the end of the first one going "All right, now you've seen how the professionals do it..." before getting Duncan and his auntie Jean to take the place of the dancers at the front.

So the whole iPlayer and chill thang was going fine with Mrs Canes, we were really connecting, y'know, it was getting to the point when I had to think of my gran's china pineapples, when suddenly she went really cold (Mrs Canes I mean, my gran's been cold for eighteen years) and completely detached and I don't know, but I think it had something to do with the scrawny little sex puppet that had appeared in his lamé fucksuit, like he's made of liquorish and is probably just as tasty, cavorting with impossible flexibility as if his arms and legs were hinged with paper fasteners and sounding like a libidinous stoat roaring out its desire for a receptive elk. And fair play to the frisky little fucker, putting all that Neither Fish bullshit behind him and cranking out another banger was a smart move. Though anyone who hasn't heard Symphony Or Damn (Exploring the Tension Inside the Sweetness) and thinks he's put all that tiresome pretentiousness behind him should bear in mind it's 16 tracks long and this is the intro

BReAKeRs time, and suddenly all the tension inside the sweetness goes a bit slack as maudlin blub-ballad Everybody Hurts gets some TOTP time, before Rod rocks up with a hopeless offering that would, in any other week, surely be featured as a heritage act EXCLUSIVe. And is there anything in life more wonderful and life-affirming than the sight of the Prodigy dicking around on some rocks?

The true testament to the quality of this edition, though, is that not even Sonia put me off watching it - though the fact that it was a Eurovision entry somewhat ameliorated the distress. Fuck, even then we knew how to serve up some luke warm dross didn't we. Checked Wiki expecting to see it garnering nul points and was astonished to discover it finished second, and would have won if it hadn't been entered in the era the Irish were hoovering up victories. You know I was thinking, while looking at the big UK maps either side of the stage, how weird they'll look when Scotland escapes the yoke, since Norn Iron's further north than most if not all of mainland England and will look like an ever further detached blob. Anyway nice to that Eurovision fever has encouraged some of the crowd to act up to the cameras, at least until the song's over when the shot widens and we gat one of those poignant moments where we see half the crowd drift away to watch the next act. Sorry Sonia but your perky Eurosong swingalong can't compete with the audience's predilection for existential musings on science, religion and the validity of human achievement. It's deep stuff indeed, with lines like "Blood just looks the same when you open the veins" and "Now he's out in space, hey, fixing all the problems, he comes face to face with God Unnhhh... sorry"

And that's just about it, it's been a blast guys and here come the Bluebells to round it off. Loving the astonished looks between them, not sure if they're still shocked they're on Top of the Pops again or they can't believe they've been backed by a bevy of bubbly babes. Actually it's the second one isn't it, especially as Bobby Bluebell glances round before doing a perfect double-take and biting his knuckle like Frankie Howerd. The only surprise is that it doesn't all end with Bobby V playing Yakkety Sax and the band chasing the women round the studio at comic speed. 

So look I'll level with you, I haven't even watched the second show yet (I'll probably catch it tomorrow morning when the euphoria has faded a little bit), because it couldn't be as good as this one, it just couldn't be, and I didn't want to go out on an anti-climax. Genuinely can't remember the last edition of TOTP where none of the acts were a let-down. It's completely reinvigorated my engagement with the show. Anything is possible.

[Norton Canes]

God willing

Unnhhh

[daf]

22 April 1993: Presenter: Tony DOrtie

(23) | VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE feat. JIMMY SOMERVILLE – Gimme Shelter
(09) | WHITNEY HOUSTON – I Have Nothing (video and charts)
(04) | NEW ORDER – Regret
NEW | SILK – Freak Me (via satellite)
(03) | SUB SUB feat. MELANIE WILLIAMS – Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)



- - - - - - - - - - - (Breakers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
(29) | MIDNIGHT OIL – Truganini (video)
(26) | DANCE 2 TRANCE – Power Of American Natives (video)
(25) | STRING – Seven Days (video)
(24) | D:REAM – U R The Best Thing (video)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(22) | DEACON BLUE – Only Tender Love
NEW | JANET JACKSON – That's The Way Love Goes
(01) | THE BLUEBELLS – Young At Heart

[A Hat Like That]

I wasn't as effusive about the two this week but did not a return to trying to put some sets on. Bluebells see out their run in style.

Top moment - Jimmy Somerville comes out of the blocks on an absolute rocket of a tune. For a man who so effectively occupied the mid-late 80s TOTP stage, good to see you, fella. Shabba Ranks is a Bigot. Indeed.

[buzby]

Back in the 80s and early 90s computer games reviewers would always hype up clones of the classic arcade game Defender for some reason, they couldn't get enough of them and they always seemed to score highly in their reviews despite there being a ton of better looking, more inventive and immersive games around at the time.

The musical equivalent of this has, to me, to be New Order.

A sure case of Emperor's new clothes, can anyone explain the appeal?

Three outings of this song in a fortnight of TOTP repeats shows that the music biz were on their side, and they had plenty of fans too.

But why?

I never got it.

Hacky rhymes of 'phone' and 'alone' are an example showing that their lyrics never seem up to much.
The music is quite bland and their is so little stage presence, Barney looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights behind his guitar on the TOTP stage performance of Regret. The woman one is hardly looking enthused either.

I suppose in fairness Hooky is doing quite well there, and it is an achievement to get where he got to when he obviously has been suffering from (Adam) Ricketts for most of his life judging by how he can barely stand up straight on those crippley legs whilst playing his bass.

The silver lining for them, of course, was that in a year or two the heat will be off them and the crown of most over hyped will be passed onto a pair of brothers from their same hometown.

Not that I'm going to change your opinion like.

1) Sumner had being the vocalist/frontman thrust upon him. He's not a natural singer or lyricist (early on, the lyrics were a collaborative process, but not by the Republic era), and nobody really listens to their songs for his voice or lyrics.

The current album (Republic) was effectively made under duress, in an attempt to keep Factory and the Hacienda afloat, by a band who had effectively split in all but name 3 years earlier and hated the sight of one another. They had few ideas to work from, so it was effectively written in the studio by Sumner and The Other Two working separately with Stephen Hague acting as mediator and piecing things together (he got a co-writing credit for the album). Hook was sat around waiting for an opportunity to put a bass riff on the other's songs, as he's not really a songwriter, and none of the others wanted to work with him (the emnity with Sumner already existed at this point, and he never really liked Gillian either). The bulk of the lyrics were mostly written in a weekend near the end of the recording, when Sumner was locked in his flat at the studio with a bottle oF wine by Hague after he ran out of patience waiting to get the album finished.

There are 3 distinct phases in their catalogue - up to Technique, from Republic to Waiting For The Siren's Call, and from Music Complete on. The songs in this middle phase are not their best stuff, mostly due to outside pressures and internal tensions in the band during that period (bascially they all fell out after touring Technique and and had differing views on their money being used to prop up Factory, the Hacienda and Dry Bar, so anything made after that until Hook fucked off was not a result of a happy time in the studio)

2) They were not particularly press darlings for the first 10 years of their career, as they didn't do many interviews, and those they did were mostly with a few trusted journalists (such as Paul Morley, Jon Savage, Mick Middles). With others they tended to be more uncooperative and wind them up. This dated back to Joy Division, who did not have a good relationship with the music press. Factory were never really that bothered about doing promo stuff anyway (other than when they were desperate for money, such as the Substance compilation and it's single, True Faith), and Wilson knew better than to try and force them into doing it.

That all changed with the release of Republic, as when Factory went down the toilet the band signed a licencing deal with London/Polygram (thier contract with Factory gave them ownership of their recordings, and that continued with London). They were now on a major label, and expected to play the game - in the chorus of 'Chemical' on Republic, Sumner reflects on what being on a major is like:

And this is how it feels to be
On the payroll company
Your every scene is in the round
We don't need to hang around

The label also put all their resources into making the album a success, such as securing the Regret LA live linkup before the song had been released, and a massive PR and marketing campaign that got the single straight in at #11 and the album straight in at #1 (Technique and Republic were their only albums to get to #1). Part of that was the drama with Factory had played out in the music press, and this was their first album in 4 years so people were excited for new material.

If you look at the chart positions for the singles and albums in their discography you will get a more realistic view - they were a 'big' niche indie band, rather than a chart-friendly pop band - if they were lucky a single might make the Top 40, and if they were really lucky it made the Top 20. Part of that was due to the band and Factory not wanting to do promo. The 4 singles from Republic all made the Top 40, but the chart positions were probably a disappointment to London's A&R team after timeand money they spent (the band weren't arsed, and after the short promo tour finished were back to not speaking to each other again for another 5 years).

3) Hook fucked his back up from years of doing the his 'rock god' guitar antics. Serves him right.

4) Sumner has always suffered from stage fright (part of not wantung to be the front man). He deals with it better now, but for years it meant when they played live he would have to get shitfaced or off his face before going on, which led to their patchy live reputation and him behaving like an arsehole after gigs. For TV appearances he couldn't do that so he always looks terrified (usually this manifests itself by him singing with his eyes closed). They would only play 13 shows on the tour to promote Republic, with most of them being in the US (the only UK gig was at the Reading Festival). This was due to Sumner's dislike of playing live and was a stipulation he made as part of agreeing to put Electronic on hold to come back and record the album.

5) New Order aren't from Manchester. Sumner and Hook are from Salford, The Other Two are from Macclesfield (which isn't even in Greater Manchester).

[Dyl Spinks]

The drummer out of the Bluebells (David) taught me how to play guitar when I was 13/14. We played along to Mellencamp, Springsteen, and Steve Earle songs every week until I had my thing down. It was amazing.

I met him in Bothwell main Street a few years later in 1993 and asked him if he was going to the Bruce show at SECC, but he couldn't: "I've got to go down London for Top of the Pops; we're no.1." (You'll note the incendiary "live" Lucky Town on TotP - actually filmed the previous night, on the Wednesday - appears during their weeks at no.1.)

An absolute gem of a guy, btw. Great memories at those lessons/rockin' out sessions. He'd a drum kit and would rock out along to Copperhead Road or Rain on the Scarecrow while I played/learned.

One week, David called to postpone the usual Thursday night session as he'd hit a rich vein writing - he was playing as The McClusky Brothers with his bro (the singer in the Bluebells - known locally as "Stan" since his schooldays, due to Stan Laurel hair, or something. I dunno, they were well older than me). The song was called Lonely Satellite, and it's absolutely beautiful. Played it for me the next week. Said he'd been inspired by the rhythms of Bruce's I'm on Fire. I'm unsure if it's out there on Spotify or whatever.

In an amazingly freakish - to me, at least - I met this very guy from the Bluebells tonight in Chinaski's, Glasgow, a mere two days after writing this post. I was there on a first date of sorts with the girl from the Tom Ford counter at Fraser's. And there he was, after not seeing him since, what, 1993?

I did not mention that I'd just written a multi-paragraph post about him on the music sub-section of a comedy forum a mere 48 hours prior. We just talked Steve Earle again.

He was aware that BBC4 had just re-run the shows.

I suppose it's not that "amazing", given Glasgow is quite a small city. But, still. Talk about coincidence.

[Dyl Spinks]

I feel guilty ignoring Buzby's in-depth defence of New Order, and just jumping in there with my news of that random nostalgia-filled encounter.

What did Moz call Bernard Sumner? Walter Softy? Or was that what BS called Moz? Can't quite remember.

I think Moz's music is quite hard compared to New Order. Hard as nails; hard emotionally, and hard musically. But I know there are a lot of New Order fans here, so I'll shut up now. Love this forum, really do.

By the way, in that place I was in at Charing Cross: 23 quid for an Old Fashioned and something called an "Aviator" (parma violet gin-flavoured cocktail for the lady friend).

"Pepper for the lady?"

To bring it back to music, I am now listening to Harold Budd/Robin Guthrie ambient. You don't get much of that on Top of the Pops, Clive.

[buzby]

What did Moz call Bernard Sumner? Walter Softy? Or was that what BS called Moz? Can't quite remember.

It was allegedly what Bernard Sumner called Morrissey. I can imagine him saying it in an interview when pissed - he used to refer to the lead singer of U2 as Bongo. Johnny Marr used it in his autobiography to describe the way the press portrayed him and Morrissey - 'Dennis The Menace and Walter Softy'.

Regardless of anything else, there is at least a visual similarity - they both have quiffs and large chins (something that he was very sensitive about, if his allged reaction to his caricature in the Great Pop Things comic strip is anything to go by).

I think Moz's music is quite hard compared to New Order. Hard as nails; hard emotionally, and hard musically.

I don't think New Order were interested in being 'hard' - they had done that in Joy Division, and New Order was a reaction to that (after the LSD-fuelled epiphany of recording Temptation, at least).

Sumner's  cryptic lyrics were partly used to hide any trace of his own thoughts and feelings from the songs, as he is intensely guarded about his private life. They still manage to creep through if you know where to look - Technique is his 'dirvorce' album, and some of the lyrics on Republic clearly refer to the downfall of Factory and the band's current situation.

[Pauline Walnuts]

Johnny Marr used it in his autobiography to describe the way the press portrayed him and Morrissey - 'Dennis The Menace and Walter Softy'.

"Dennis The Menace"

[waste of chops]

Didn't see TOTP this week so I don't know if they mentioned that Voice of the Beehive & Jimmy Somerville's cover of Gimme Shelter was one of a bunch of versions released in aid of Shelter:

Voice Of The Beehive and Jimmy Somerville
Heaven 17 and Hannah Jones
New Model Army and Tom Jones
Cud and Sandie Shaw
Kingmaker
808 State and Robert Owens
Pop Will Eat Itself vs Gary Clail vs Ranking Roger vs The Mighty Diamonds vs On-U Sound System
Blue Pearl/Utah Saints
Thunder
Little Angels
Hawkwind & Sam Fox

[Norton Canes]

What I want to know is, who was bankrolling those epic Bluebells extravaganzas? Were VW shovelling some money their way, in lieu of being able to get a brand new Golf on the set? With the latest notable set embellishments you get the impressions East 17 genuinely did raid their nan's flat for as much tat as they could get their hands on and Barry Manilow presumably used his own vast wealth to recreate the office of a private investigator but The Bluebells apparently have free reign to indulge their every whim despite not even having been a band for the last seven years. God knows (Unnhhh... sorry) what they would have come up with if the single had held on to the top spot for another week.

Anyway, disclaimer: I watched the Edgar Wright Sparks documentary last night, so I'm evaluating this episode through the prism of expecting all pop songs to be sharply idiosyncratic, acerbic introspectives on the artist's motivation and purpose and in that respect I'm all for Regret, and if it's been written on the hoof then so much the better, nothing more appealing in the world of pop then the proverbial song scrawled on a fag packet in the back of a taxi. In simplicitate veritatis, as Google Translate has just told me. And if the music's a bit basic, well, so much the better - sometimes you need a bit of basic in order not to obfuscate the message. I think the reliance on Barney's guitar lines makes it sound pleasingly fragile, a quality I don't often associate with New Order's more implacable electronically-driven output, and it's ironic that there's  an involved and  cohesive interplay between that guitar and Hooky's bass melodies that was obviously at odds with their relationship at the time. Also, I like that the fact they're in the studio after the sat link from Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago lends the whole performance I kind of 'return to reality' type air, a real sense that the holiday's over.

Ah, what else then... nice to see the Gimme Shelter EP represented in the studio, albeit with a performance that could perhaps kindly be described as 'spirited'. Just goes to show how much Jagger's voice is under-rated sometimes. Not that it wasn't great to have Jimmy and VOTB turn up of course but looking at who else contributed I can't help think that Hawkwind and Samantha Fox would have provided the show with one of its most legendary performances. A young Clare Balding beside Tony in the subsequent link, I see. And how embarrassed must Silk have felt? Guys did you not watch East 17 last week? That's how you sell a sex song, not with a gentle aerobic workout in your comfy slacks. You're supposed to be the real deal but you've been totally pwned by four chancers from Walthamstow.

So at last, three singles in, we get to hear something from Deacon Blue's Oakenfold-helmed Achtung Baby tribute album Whatever You Say, Say Nothing. Don't forget to pick up your big light, Ricky! Nothing gives a performance a Zooropa-style sheen like holding up a garage inspection lamp. If only Bono had thought of it. State of 'em, eh. They're like characters from the worst Vertigo imprint mini-series ever. 'Shame, The Changing Band'. I don't normally glance into the crystal ball that living 29 years in the future affords me but I was worried this might be the last we'd see of Lorraine, so was relieved if a little surprised to discover that the band will be back in the studio on a couple more occasions over the next 12 months, when hopefully she won't be played by Rhona Cameron. Hey here's something to pick over: no end of bands were influenced by U2's 80's stadium rock era of course, but apart from the great bunch of lads here, are there any acts that have adopted the Zooropa phase of the band so faithfully as their template? (Anyone who says Depeche mode can naturally GTF)

Sorry, don't want to bang on about this but I do find it fascinating - I wonder if Ricky Ross took any other leaves out of Bono's big book of making modern gigs exciting and dressed up as different stage characters, or made live phone calls to world leaders? I can feel the rabbit hole beckoning.

Finally let's all adopt hushed, reverential tones - just like hushed, reverential Tones - as we contemplate the new offering from janet. Jackson, who's deigned to honour us with an appearance. Now I'm not really up to speed on this phase of janet.'s career (Wiki tells me there were 11 (eleven) singles of this album, none of which apart from this I can remember) and though I kind of liked the rigid, rigorous bombast of Control/Rhythm Nation I'm not sure where there was to go with a third album of that (unless she ramped it up to industrial levels... hmm) and I can't see her coming out with anything as strident as En Vogue's Free Your Mind, so this laid-back fluff was as good a direction to go as any, I guess. It seemed pretty seismic - maybe it was the equivalent of indie hitting 'quiet is the new loud' a decade down the line. This performance does make it look like she's just promoting a new fashion line, tho'.

Well that wasn't such a bad follow-up to the highs of the previous show, in the end. I was worried it might revert to form and be the Twin Dilemma to the previous week's Caves of Androzani but thankfully the standard was pretty much maintained. Time will tell if we really are heading for the sunlit uplands.

Right, off now, got work to do


[Dialling tone. Beeps heard on phone]

"Hello..?"

[Sound of receiver being lifted]

"Hei? Hei, Esko?"
"Juu?"
"Esko, Esko Aho! Hei! Mitä kuuluu, how are you?"
[In a thick Finnish accent] "I'm sorry, who is this?"
"Esko, it's Ricky! Ricky Ross! Sorry, ah mean, Rickfisto!"
"Sorry, I don't know who you are"
"Esko Aho, Prime Minster of Finland, it's Rickfisto of Deacon Blue! Ah'm calling you from the Dumbarton Civic Theatre! You're live in front o' four hundred people!!"
"How did you get this number?"
"Esko, great to chat! Tell me, what's your policy on winning support from the agricultural sector for membership of the European Union?!"
"..."
"Esko?"
"..."
"Hey, we lost Esko! Never mind, here's Only Tender Love! Where's ma fucken' lamp?"

[Dyl Spinks]

That post made me laugh, especially the Deacon Blue stuff. Couldn't stand them.

Did Top of the Pops ever show the video for Peter Gabriel's Blood of Eden? A quick Google told me it was released as a single in March '93, but only got to no.43.

I seemed to see a lot of this video back then, and just wondered if it was via TotP at the time.

His hair is all funny in it, like floppy Jonathan Ross style. Not a good look for PG. But what a song.

[daf]

Did Top of the Pops ever show the video for Peter Gabriel's Blood of Eden? A quick Google told me it was released as a single in March '93, but only got to no.43.

'Steam' got a spin on the Breakers section back in January, but that was the extent of the Gabriel presence for 1993. At this stage, they were generally less keen on showing videos, and #43 was probably too low to count as a breaker.

I recon he could have got on there if he was up for a studio performance via the 'NEW' or 'ALBUM' label - like when Neil Diamond got on with his shit album track in 1992!

[Norton Canes]

Sadly, according to the TOTP Archive that 'Steam' clip was the last time Peter Gabriel featured on the show. Here's his one and only studio performance: No Self Control (1980)

[Dyl Spinks]

Sadly, according to the TOTP Archive that 'Steam' clip was the last time Peter Gabriel featured on the show. Here's his one and only studio performance: No Self Control (1980)

Thanks, Norton and daf.

Looks like he went with Aspel instead of TotP in March '93: https://youtu.be/oCjp1IMTKys (rocking the Jonathon Ross hairdo).

[daf]

On early again! 7pm

[daf]

Prof Brian Cox alert!

(coo! what a tartan dish!)

[daf]

Ess-Ess
Double-Double
You-You
Vee-Vee

[daf]

Rubber Plant

(Does anybody remember laughter?)

[daf]

Shakin' Cilla

[daf]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Elton John!

[Icehaven]

Brilliant editorial decision there to show the Everybody Hurts video with the chart rundown at the bottom of the screen so it was covering the video's subtitles.

[daf]

Morrissey's Rockabilly backing band

(does this count as Britpop?)

[Icehaven]

Keytar watch: 2 Unlimited so far, and I'm not sure what that thing Utah Saints frontman is playing is but it might count.

[daf]

Christ, that fudgeknocking wig!

Hahahahahahahahaha!