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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 17, 2015 23:07:12 GMT 1
I have made another interim "Top Of The Pops", this time for 26th June 1980. Aside from featuring Legs & Co on a "Christmas" set and the Sex Pistols looking really old and at the end sampling a song that was still 2 years away, have a go at watching it anyway. Oh and Don McLean's video ends just before the climatic last note...
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Post by suedehead on Jun 25, 2015 20:02:39 GMT 1
We have now skipped all the way to August as TOTP was off-air for a few months due to strike action. To add to the fun, the BBC used the intervening time to revamp the programme. Earlier in the evening, Tom Baker confronted the Daleks in Dr Who.
The first change comes with joint presenters with Peter Powell (what is he wearing?) accompanied by Elton John. The old theme tune is back but the chart rundown has been replaced by a list of upcoming acts.
The Piranhas get the proceedings underway with their entertaining version of Tom Hark. The drummer doesn’t seem to have had time to get dressed properly or to find a chair. He also seems to have lost his drumsticks, so he’s using fish instead. As you do. Ooh, and there’s a new special effect with a caption at the end.
A video from Diana Ross in her Nile Rodgers disco phase.
A rather dull song from Roxy Music is the first to be cut.
Legs & Co are still here for now. Here they are accompanying Tom Browne (not to be confused with the former chart show presenter). The girls even get captions to remind people of their names. Just in case anyone cared.
Oh, we do get a chart rundown after all, starting with numbers 30 to 21. Classic Joy Division at number 22. Sadly, they are on their way down, so they never got a chance to appear.
Hot Chocolate next. I don’t remember this one at all.
The chart rundown resumes with numbers 20 to eleven.
Things are really going downhill as we get Kelly Marie followed by The Gap Band. I’m beginning to think that strike should have lasted another week. The appearance of The Gibson Brothers continues the dross section. The Kelly Marie song was written by Ray Dorset (Mungo Jerry) with Elvis Presley in mind. Elvis thought it was so awful, he died to make sure he wouldn’t have to record it.
The clips of the number one songs from the off-air period from Odyssey, ELO & Olivia Newton-John and Don McLean have been cut, along with Sheena Easton’s biggest hit. The rundown included a mention of someone called Katie Bush.
We jump to some typically daft nonsense from Bad Manners.
Another innovation next, as we get a rundown of the top ten with clips of each song.
That, of course, leads into the number one from Abba, one of the best-known break-up songs in pop history.
George Benson plays out over the closing credits with shots of the audience dancing.
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Post by Sm1ffj on Jun 25, 2015 20:08:55 GMT 1
They missed this one, perhaps no copy exists.
9-7-80: Presenters: Peter Powell & B.A. Robertson (TOTP Pilot)
(14) SAXON – 747 (Strangers In The Night)
(2) ODYSSEY – Use It Up And Wear It Out (danced to by Legs & Co)
(11) PAUL McCARTNEY – Waterfalls (video)
(21) THIN LIZZY – Chinatown
(22) LEO SAYER – More Than I Can Say
(16) KATE BUSH – Babooshka (video)
(24) DARTS – Let’s Hang On (video)
(10) SPLODGENESSABOUNDS – Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please (still picture)
(9) BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS – Could You Be Loved (live clip)
(8) THE KORGIS – Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (video)
(7) UB40 – My Way Of Thinking (sound dubbed over clip of TOTP 17-4-80)
(6) LIPPS INC – Funky Town (still picture)
(5) THE DETROIT SPINNERS – Cupid (live clip)
(4) DON McLEAN – Crying (video)
(3) STACY LATTISAW – Jump To The Beat (still picture)
(2) ODYSSEY – Use It Up And Wear It Out (still picture)
(1) OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN & ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA – Xanadu (still picture)
(29) CHANGE – A Lover’s Holiday (and credits)
>> During the Musician’s Union strike, TOTP piloted the new-look show during July
1980 - members of the production team stood in for the studio acts.
Info from popscene
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Post by suedehead on Jun 25, 2015 21:57:03 GMT 1
The "missing" programme was never broadcast and, in common with most pilots, probably never will be. Also, as the item says, there were no live studio acts. Therefore, all we would see would be a few videos and some pictures of the artists. So, I don't think it would be a particularly interesting programme.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 25, 2015 22:13:20 GMT 1
I have my 4 "Missing episode" videos. I may edit Bad Manners out of the final one though as they appeared on the real thing.
My missing episodes are every 2nd week during the skipped period, i.e. 12 June, 26 June, 10 July and 24 July.
I did change the format slightly.
1. The countdown track lasts between 3 and 3.5 minutes, each chart entry showing for 6-7 seconds but it means the track gets a full or close-to-full play
2. I did the DJ links. Opening and between each track except between the countdown track and the first act proper.
3. Where I can find a video or a live broadcast I use it. Sometimes I show only a snippet
4. I may use Legs & Co dancing. On the 4 video shows, 3 of them had a Legs & Co track. 2 were taken from dance routines to other songs and I dubbed the song I was using instead. The other one was from the Christmas edition where they were really dancing to that song.
5. No playout track. The #1 is the last song I play.
The music on each one is simply whatever charted. Songs only got on once. Sometimes I had a choice of which one they went on. If a song gets only a very short edit it's most likely due to the video clip I found for it. (Stacy Lattisaw and Change both got very short clips of their songs. Saxon I think got the longest one).
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 26, 2015 10:55:55 GMT 1
So the new TOTP has decided to start with the total spoiler of telling you everybody who is going to be on it. If they're going to have to "edit" the early editions why not edit that out. Then we can find out for ourselves when they come on.
It also means I will have to tune in about 3-4 minutes late each week on purpose now and will potentially miss or be late for the first song.
They decided Whole Lotta Love should be the countdown track. Later it will be Phil Lynott's "Yellow Pearl" and after that Paul Hardcastle's "The Wizard".
Phil Lynott's wonderful "King's Call" was on one of my TOTP shows. One of those songs I'd forgotten but certainly knew the song well once I heard it again. I actually like / liked it a lot better than "Chinatown" the Thin Lizzy song in the chart the same time as it.
Anyway, to this edition and due to the strike, they are playing all chart hits now, because they haven't played any of them before and you never know if they're going to go down next week.
Unfortunately one or two have, like Babooshka which peaked last week at #5 then fell to #6 this week. (It features on one of mine, of course). Those who did watch my shows said they enjoyed them. Presumably for the musical content, not my lame attempt at DJ'ing. For reasons of not wanting to get hit with copyright strikes or whatever I am not uploading them to youtube but have them in dropbox and can share the links individually with whoever wants them.
Elton John is co-presenting. How much did it cost the BBC to get him to do so? His last single peaked at #33 and he hasn't got much to promote by going on so presumably he did it for pay. They were trying to cut the budget by not paying an orchestra and then hired Elton John? Ok he's just one individual but his appearance fees must be higher than an employed orchestra. I don't think he added significantly but then he's a singer not a DJ. DJ'ing is a skill, not everyone can do it, I didn't do a good job of it and Elton John doesn't either.
His only silly crack about trying to kill disco but Diana Ross emerging with a Chic written and produced song (something pointed out by Peter Powell)., and a comment about the Oops Upside Your Head dance.
The first track on is "Tom Hark" by the Piranhas. Originally done in the 1950s as an instrumental, now with added vocals. Later used as a Brighton football song with the instrumental part being chanted or played at many grounds.
Diana Ross's video contains some "still photo" bits. Reminds me of a poor youtube video, the sort I often refuse to show. For Diana Ross this was her first significant hit since "Theme From Mahogany" peaked at #5 in 1976.
Roxy Music's "Oh Yeah" was a "cut" song. I do like it though and I don't think it will get shown again as it climbs to #5 next week but then falls back to #6.
Tom Browne's "Funkin' For Jamaica" which is then suffixed by "NY" to show that it refers to a place called Jamaica in New York state and not the country in the Caribbean. We will get caribbean content though later with the last Gibson Brothers hit "Mariana".
The countdown is split into 3 sections now and Peter Powell voices over with the titles of the songs, whilst "Whole Lotta Love" instrumental plays in the background. At least during the 30-21 and 20-11 section.
During the missing period, the only artist to appear in my countdown pictures twice are Hot Chocolate. (Not counting ELO appearing on their own and with Olivia Newton John). Their latest song is "Are you getting enough of what makes you happy".
Kelly Marie's annoying "Feels Like I'm In Love" - that's already in the chart whereas the next two chart-toppers will enter in the next couple of weeks but then that one will surpass them both. (All 4 Jam number ones were replaced on top by slow burners).
Sheena Easton was cut as well as a summary of what we've missed.
Before getting to #1 they decide to show a short snippet of the last 3 number ones, two of which never appeared on TOTP, although we did get "Crying" by Don McLean on the last one before the strike. As I did shows every 2 weeks, Xanadu was #1 on my 3rd show and Use It Up And Wear It Out on my 4th.
I did some research on songs I was planning to play on whether they appear this week and somehow I missed out on the fact that Bad Manners were and put them on my show too. Strangely enough also just before the #1. I may edit it out of that show and also move another track in so I don't end with 3 disco songs in a row. (I try to split genres apart as much as possible so kept that one at a distance with Dexys who were the closest other to it on my show that week).
The top 10 gets a bit of each song played, with a video where avaiable. But there isn't one for Odyssey strangely and it appears they got legs & co to dance for 10 seconds just to show a clip. (Or was that in the #1s missed. I just recall I saw them dancing to it).
Abba's return to the top for the first time since March 1978 is just late enough to get its play on TOTP with a video. Due to the lyrical content perhaps this has become one of their classics. However there's another classic song coming up that will hold its stay on top to just 2 weeks.
For George Benson's playout "Give Me The Night" we get a view of members of the audience dancing. There's a cute girl near the front in a pink body suit but they don't show her closely enough.
On the side of my own musical opinion, of my episodes, I felt that 24th July was by far the worst of the four. I had played some of the better songs in the chart on 10th July. And the song I used for the countdown track on 24th July was actually my favourite one on the show. It ended up over the countdown because I couldn't find a good video for it.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 26, 2015 15:08:21 GMT 1
Elton John is co-presenting. How much did it cost the BBC to get him to do so? His last single peaked at #33 and he hasn't got much to promote by going on so presumably he did it for pay. They were trying to cut the budget by not paying an orchestra and then hired Elton John? Ok he's just one individual but his appearance fees must be higher than an employed orchestra. I don't think he added significantly but then he's a singer not a DJ. DJ'ing is a skill, not everyone can do it, I didn't do a good job of it and Elton John doesn't either. He was probably already around the BBC he was always on Morecambe & Wise, think he was a relatively cheap booking in these days. Jun 26, 2015 10:55:55 GMT 1 Earl Purple said: His only silly crack about trying to kill disco but Diana Ross emerging with a Chic written and produced song (something pointed out by Peter Powell)., and a comment about the Oops Upside Your Head dance. Not so silly disco was being killed in the US,with clubs shutting down, records being burned and DJs refusing to play it anymore. The UK didn't do this of course we stuck with it and it evolved and changed but it's only since EDM that dance/disco music has been accepted back into the mainstream in the US.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 26, 2015 15:40:06 GMT 1
I don't know what happened with clubs and DJs in the USA but Upside Down spent 4 weeks at #1 there and Kool & The Gang had their most successful period in the first half of the 1980s and I'd call them "disco".
With regards to Elton John, he'd embraced the genre himself, particularly "Philadelphia Freedom" in my opinion and maybe even "Are You Ready For Love".
I'm one who never wants to believe that a genre is totally dead, just that you demand a higher standard from it once it has ceased to be the most popular one. So, for example, some punk that may have sounded original around 1976 no longer did so in 1980.
The UK radio stations were mostly multi-genre at the time whereas the US had mostly genre-based radio stations. Unfortunately it's gone too much like that here now.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 26, 2015 16:25:19 GMT 1
Really Neil the death of disco was famous in US, I agree it didn't happen here I said that but that's probably what Elton John was referring to, he wasn't a hater himself. Really no radio station played it anymore people really revolted. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco_Demolition_Nightlaunchistory.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-day-disco-died.htmlread backlash & decline onwards en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discoyes Kool & The Gang were notable survivors but they were the minority. Thats why bands like your favourites Styx, Air Supply and bands like Toto, Boston, Tom Petty took over as rock reclaimed the airwaves in US. in UK we were more enlightened and mixed everything up as you say, although US rock only snuck through occasionally not as dominant as US.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 26, 2015 16:30:02 GMT 1
cant edit posts for some reason the big big hits you mention still got played on pop radio or dance but disco stations stopped. I think the Uk was pretty oblivious to this , now we would know straight away. And Elton who spent a lot of time in US would have seen this first hand, hence his comment.
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Post by Shireblogger on Jun 26, 2015 17:07:31 GMT 1
Less of the "Kelly Marie is rubbish" if you don't mind. It was a great song (albeit 2 or 3 years behind the times). And it represents the pinnacle of my career as a choreographer, when a routine I directed and featured in brought down the house at a university disco in the late 80s.
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Post by thehitparade on Jun 28, 2015 0:39:51 GMT 1
I suppose you would expect a song written for Elvis to be at least three years behind the times in 1980.
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Post by thehitparade on Jun 29, 2015 22:34:35 GMT 1
Just watched the uncut version - I hope they didn't pay Elton John much, considering how little effort he makes... I imagine he did it in exchange for the plug of his new single though.
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Post by raliverpool on Jun 29, 2015 23:20:14 GMT 1
I too watched the uncut version on the iPlayer. Whoever did the editing clearly was an early period Roxy Music fan, as it seems rather harsh their UK #5 hit was binned from a fairly poor quality show. Elton John's attempts at being funny were not very successful to put it kindly.
As for Kelly Marie's Disco cover of a Mungo Jerry B-side - It was first released in the late summer of 1979 where it became a hit across Europe, South Africa, and Australia.
The two dancers in the video and TOTP studio promo were Stewart Avon-Arnold and Gary Hurst (whom died of Aids in 1990) as the pair regularly appeared with a number of different recording artists such as:
.... with their most famous client being their long time working relationship with Kate Bush.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 30, 2015 10:52:59 GMT 1
You call it a "poor quality" show but they simply played what was climbing in the chart. Of my four, in my opinion the 24th July episode was by far the "poorest" but my hand was similarly tied. I'd put "Babooshka" in the previous episode and the ones in this one couldn't have been in any other.
Some of the earlier ones I did had very good music. Joy Division was in one of them.
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Post by suedehead on Jul 2, 2015 20:16:00 GMT 1
TOTP moves into mid-August 1980. Earlier in the evening, BBC1 had shown a programme live from the Democratic convention where, as the incumbent President, Jimmy Carter was confirmed as the party’s candidate for November’s election. That election didn’t go terribly well for him.
This week’s special guest - Roger Daltrey. This week’s show was only half an hour, so there should be no cuts.
Ultravox get things underway once the waffle about upcoming acts is over. Their first performance with their new singer, one Midge Ure. The change went rather well for a while.
Classic early 80s Bowie next with its famous video.
Legs & Co do their thang to ELO. Oh dear, there’s a spinning globe which must have cost about £2.50. Daltrey’s intro was also pretty excruciating.
It took a long time for this Mike Berry song to be a hit. It would have been no great loss if we were still waiting.
This week, we get the full 30 to 11 countdown in one go.
Grace Jones with a terrible cover of a Pretenders song. I can only think of one decent cover of a Pretenders song. Naturally, that was by Suede.
Village People trying to repeat the success of Go West and YMCA. Somehow, this actually out-peaked Go West.
Sue Wilkinson fills this week’s unremembered song slot. Who? Oh, it sounds vaguely familiar now. Still, I’m sure I will have forgotten it again before long. I hope so anyway.
Then we get the top ten, giving us another clip of the Bowie video. Most of the rest of it is awful.
That takes us into the number one from Abba for a second week.
It all ends with Diana Ross, or DRoss as she is sometimes known.
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Post by thehitparade on Jul 2, 2015 20:53:12 GMT 1
TOTP moves into mid-August 1980. Earlier in the evening, BBC1 had shown a programme live from the Democratic convention where, as the incumbent President, Jimmy Carter was confirmed as the party’s candidate for November’s election. That election didn’t go terribly well for him. This week’s special guest - Roger Daltrey. This week’s show was only half an hour, so there should be no cuts. There was one cut though: they dropped out Roger Daltrey's homophobic comment in the Village People intro:
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Post by Earl Purple on Jul 3, 2015 1:32:32 GMT 1
Due to my desperate effort to miss the spoilers I missed Ultravox too. I need to arrive just one minute late next time?
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Jul 3, 2015 12:22:08 GMT 1
Sue Wilkinson? Did you notice Don Powell of Slade on drums? It was on Slade's Cheapskate imprint. Sue sadly died of cancer in 2005. One of the more memorable one hit wonders. Originally the word "hustler" was scrubber, someone took soundings and found it wouldn't get airplay unless it were changed...
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Post by Earl Purple on Jul 3, 2015 12:53:44 GMT 1
Mike Berry appeared on my 1961 playlist too, with Chas Hodges in his backing band. However his Tribute To Buddy Holly failed to make it into my top 30...
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