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Post by Earl Purple on Mar 27, 2018 23:11:29 GMT 1
I was thinking who could be much worse than the Conway Brothers... well maybe the Conway Sisters.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 30, 2018 10:03:52 GMT 1
23/5. Two thirds of the three Rs.
We start with Go f***ing West. The 1985 Junior Giscombe. They must have had compromising pictures of lots of people in the media. Straight to FF.
Katrina & The Waves at 20. The Waves are bundled up against the cold and she is bouncing around in t-shirt. This is perky and fun. It in fact has "massive hit single" written all over it. This is surely going to soar. The end chyron is a bit wave-y.
We now go to Marillion. Hm, two good songs in a row. Can't remember the last time this happened on Ver Pops. They're in the top 10 for the first time. Fish is wearing a weird shirt and skinny tie. Even he has been captured by Mid Eightiesitis.
Alas it grinds to a halt with Power Station, a classic example of hype over product. One single and they're already onto the cover versions. Even worse, this is a woeful, dire, pathetic, soulless abortion of a sh*t. I would like to ask every single cretin who bought this why they didn't buy the original and leave it at that.
Breakers. Duffy no. 1 (or 2, if you include Power) with THE eighties video. Not a patch on "Kiss Me".
"From the former voice of Duran Duran to the voice of Green." Eh? Is there meant to be word play there? Anyway, Scrolitti's record is rubbish.
Animotion. They've had fun in the dress-up box. Not a bad one.
Depeche Mode. Two lots of applause at the beginning. Something went a bit wrong there. Song is by numbers. Wallpaper a la Mode. Not interested.
Charts. Regardons. Highest new entry is OMD at 38? And yet Billy Ocean is a new entry at 37. They've gone straight through the 40-11 into the top 10. f***ing hell, Manure are at 10. Anyone who is not from Manchester who bought this should be executed. And their children so their gloryhunting scum genes are wiped out.
Wright goes full homophobe for Bronski and Almond at 5. They're scooting through the videos. We get a bit more Nail for no reason. Duran Duran are at 2. Hardcastle still at 1, still startling.
Playout is Skipworth & Turner. Sounds more like a solicitors' firm.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 31, 2018 9:19:50 GMT 1
35. Long on her tod dressed as a wedding cake. No Peel. Worrying, has he seen the line-up? Starting with Tintin Duffy, a song without a decent chorus, or decent verses for that matter. Yuppie musak. Can't be bothered. What an anti-climax after "Kiss Me".
Have we cut something out? Long cuts in with "and it's the second highest climber". A superfluous and there. Climbed to where? We do not know as the Pops has eschewed the chyron. This is fairly decent. It is basically PSBs avant l'heure.
The chyron is back for Billy Ocean. This is rubbish. It's like the music when the Incredible Hulk goes back to Bruce Banner and realizes he's killed his girlfriend or whatever.
Breakers. We get too little of Propaganda at 36. Claudia is a weird looking young lady. Not complaining though. Then Mai Tai. Dull. And then a smidge of "Are 'Friends' Electric?", which knocks seven shades of sh*te out of everything so far.
OMD at 26. Everyone's really upbeat for this. Which is odd, as it's a subtle single, with an incipient melancholy.
Scritti Politti. Next.
Charts. It is all mediocre. No wonder I wasn't watching TOTP in this era. Katrina is at 9, that's a bright spot. Gary Moore in the top 10. Has that happened before? Top ten videos just go straight past Nelson. Top 3 is the same as last week so let's go to the playout. It's 5 Star. No ta.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 1, 2018 11:15:12 GMT 1
Six six but no other six. Skinnerbates. Lynott & Moore. Heh, Thin Lizzy never got into the top five. This though isn't a patch on TL or "Yellow Pearl". Flying V.
The Crowd. I've (probably) said it before - charity records should be chart-exempt. They don't show much of this.
Making their TOTP debut: Mai Tai. Capitals for the act name in the chyron. This is rubbish. The middle one is cute though.
They're playing "19" in the background, so I think I can guess what the no. 1 is. Kool & The Gang's "Cherish". No video for this, they've recorded a live performance. This too is rubbish.
No. 21. Propaganda. Wow, at last something worth watching. Don't remember the girl in the very tight white dress who looks happy just to be there. I get the feeling that this is three years too late though. Or that it could be used for the scores in Grandstand.
We have charts. Now they're going for all upper case in the chart names. I think that's a bad move graphically. We segue into the breakers. First one up is Sister Sledge. Ooh, this is quite sweet. Very 1961. Think the Frankie in the video is a bit old for them. There's meant to be 3 years.
Madonna. She is basically a whore, isn't she? Gash.
Bowie's "Loving The Alien". Video is meant to be very expensive and very silly. Not sure where the budget went. Unusual, it's got minor key chorus. Almost discordant. Interesting rather than alluring.
Top ten. Scrolitti. Girl in the video is cute. Green has come a long way from a squatter making deliberately obscure rubbish. Katrina is only up to 8? That is pretty shabby. Also, she should surely be on? Up in consecutive weeks. And so should Marillion at 3. Bad programming. Well, at least they're giving the video more of an airing.
Bates thinks AVTAK is the best Bond film ever. I wouldn't go so far. And Moore was indeed a bit old. But I think it is underrated.
Well, we know the no. 1, so perhaps the playout will be Katrina? Oh, no, it is Hardcastle.
That was a weirdly paced one. Two good songs...
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Apr 1, 2018 11:59:20 GMT 1
Who’s Manure?
Just a thought Vas, but are these TotP repeats good for your health? They seem to make you very angry.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 7, 2018 21:49:43 GMT 1
13/6. Mike "not that one" Read and...Dixie Peach? Who in the name of f***?
We start with the anarchists who would never sell out wearing suits, ties, hair gel, expensive shoes and the most bland AOR yacht rock sh*te going. Way to stick with your principles, Scrolitti.
Second up: Mad on her. "Crazy For You". Typical Madonna fare, so utter rubbish. She's not even that hot. Just slutty.
Peach introduces Sister Sledge, who, unlike Madonna, have deigned to turn up. Showing respect. And this is a really fun single. Could have done with as retro a production as its sound. Would have been a stone cold classic with the Wrecking Crew on it. They've been to no. 2 in the States, never that high in the UK. But this is nudging the top 10.
Breakers. No. 30 is Axel F. Film soundtrack so nobody is buying it because they actually like it. Per the video it seems to be recorded, not so much by Crockett and Tubbs, but a Tubbsy Crockett. Then we have a bit of boring Boss.
And then the absolute cheapest video made for half a decade. I recognize some of The Beat in there. Weird falsetto vocals but "Johnny Come Home" is a very decent track.
"Obsession" is in the background before we move to Ocean. Dull again. I can't imagine a dinner party without this in the background. Albeit that I'm not keen on it, I'd like it to get to no. 1 cos Billy has been close before and not quite made it.
Charts from 40 to 11. Almost devoid of interest. And the top 10 in another video rundown. Same ol'. We stop at 2 to see Marillion at no. 2. Who must be p*ssed off that their biggest hit after years of trying is stopped from getting to the top of the chart because of a charity gimmick. And of that no. 1 hit we basically see very little. Marsden, Fagin and that's pretty much it. And we playout with the song that's been playing out throughout.
OK, one good record and a snippet of another one. Dixie Peach was fairly good.
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vya
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Post by vya on Apr 10, 2018 0:00:10 GMT 1
I've been watching the 1985 ToTPs, but I really can't bring myself to write any of them up, as frankly, so much of the music on them is really rather dire. (Plus the current ToTP format is far from optimum) I think there was one episode in which almost every track I'd have given more than 6/10 to, but one episode alone.
It seems too that this is a (rare?) period in which that the "canon" of pop songs that have continued to get airplay and are widely remembered from this time does more or less accurately represent the cream of the crop. Although, heavens, even that is not gold top.... While what has been forgotten, mostly, seems deservedly to have been forgotten. There's not much innovation or excitement about. Although maybe just maybe some of the high-energy often quite camp dance music that is breaking through is the nearest thing at hinting at a way forward. Although some of that (Divine!) is quite atrocious too.... (And as for "Kayleigh" being kept off the top by the Crowd...)
Best top 40 track of the year so far for me has to be D-Train's "You're The One For Me", but that's a re-release from a few years earlier, and I knew it first time out, anyway... The only track (and indeed act) that ToTP 1985 has introduced to me to that I'd care to hear again so far is "This House" by Big Sound Authority... otherwise - gah, and yawn. At least I have now learned that the 2nd follow-up to King's "Love And Pride" was vastly better than the dire 1st follow-up.
My memory tells me that 1986 will be even worse....
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Apr 10, 2018 1:32:14 GMT 1
I agree. I’ve been watching all of these repeats since they started with 1977 (or was it 1976? It’s so long ago I’ve forgotten) and I’m definitely enjoying 1985 least of all. I did expect it though, for some reason I’ve always found that 1985 was a bit of a gap year for good pop, the number ones of the year are particularly bad.
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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 10, 2018 12:32:21 GMT 1
I think what happened at Bradford was far more of a disaster to be sad about than the after-effect of Marillion being denied a #1 single by a rather poor cover done for charity.
It's the case with most years that there was mediocre stuff around in the chart that isn't played anymore, you forgot existed, but turns up on Top of the Pops.
1985 is the year of stadium rock. Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, Simple Minds... The year MTV started in Europe. (In the USA it started in 1981) and the year of Live Aid. And the year of Marillion's "Misplaced Childhood" album.
The start of the year was also the best of any year. Have you forgotten how good January-February were?
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Post by o on Apr 10, 2018 13:25:48 GMT 1
I was 15, so for me it was a good year, Big Country, New Order, Cult, Cure, and loads more. Why are there no eps this week though, just seem to be repeats of 1983 at the moment.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Apr 15, 2018 23:02:03 GMT 1
Slightly bizarre that Rock ‘N’ Roll Children by Dio (me neither) had a full on Christmas video in an episode broadcast in August.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 20, 2018 18:46:21 GMT 1
Independence day. Skinnerbate. They seem to be on together a lot. We kick off with some woeful half-hearted chewing gum from Dead Or Alive. Don't remember this; not surprised. It's just nothing, isn't it? There's no tune to speak of, no chorus, the vocals are so computerized as to be meaningless. Burns looked bored as feck.
Skinner looks a bit like a Bond villain henchman techie from 1977. Anyhoo, we go to a live performance of TFF's "Head Over Heels". It is amazing to think that the same universe could contain both this and the DOA track. Curt using one of those guitars without a headstock. This is the best song that has been on these revivals for, well, this year, perhaps.
Half-expecting Go West to be up now. No, it is The Damned. Hello, they've gone all goth. Vanian is a whirling Vlad Dracul. There's something of the quickstep about this. It is really odd. No sign of the Captian.
Los chartos. Which ones do I like? 37, 36. The Redskins at 34? Wow. Never knew they had had a top 40 hit. Hardcore. 30, The Cult, brilliant. 29 also. Highest new entry is only at 27. 24 and 23. And Animotion. 14. Heh, Rory Bremner. 12. And 11. More than I had thought.
We stop at 11 for Roland and the Beat. One short of the first decad; perhaps this will push them over the edge. Ska-funk, I suppose. Stands out a mile.
Breakers now. We start with Simply sh*te. They fan f*** off. We get a bit of Cult. This is epic. Greatest driving song? Ian Astbury is channelling his inner Adam Ant. Over too short. Ooh, I could have lived a lot longer without seeing Weller in his undercrackers. This is snide crap. He really needs to re-form The Jam. Opeless. Prefer the Laibach corker.
Top 10. Is Bates on happy pills tonight? Springbok at no. 8 but they put on the duller of the double-a sides. The Crowd with Bruce Forsyth and Gary Holton. Hm. Marti Webb with a charity single as well, this is being promoted by That's Life. The SS are no. 1 still. Bet they never expected that.
Heh, there's a TOTP book out. Peel and Long next week. Playout is Glenn Fr(e)y, with which I cannot be bothered. Dullsville.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 21, 2018 11:32:58 GMT 1
7/11. Vice-versa. Peel and Long doing American pseudoshtick. Long looks cute tonight. On commence avec les frères Conway. There are some vocals somewhere in this, but they've disguised them nicely amongst a whole load of clichéd computerized disco nonsense. It's like they never finished it. Only got the backing vocals down. And forgot to do the real singing.
Long flubs her numbers. She knows it's Eurythmics and 10, but thinks it is the climb, rather than their current position. They're actually up 27, which is quite mammoth. Another group dressed all in white. Decent enough.
Peel announces Austria have produced many wonderful things. Such as? The one I recall most is Hitler. Anyway, apparently Opus are five of them. No ta.
Little top 40. BB&Q, Trans X, it's all very initial for the initial. Lots of newies in the first ten. Shufti at the breakers now. Russ Abbot, oh dear. Oddly he is holding a mike in the video. That's not a common thing. Steve Arrington with soething that doesn't really exist. Jaki Graham with some rubbish.
Video top 10s. They're cramming the charts in in these eps. No let-up. FYC did nick into the top ten with their cheapo vid. Well done them. OMG, what the f*** is this? We could have had a bit of warning before going to Tina Turner's grandmother in a fright wig. It's Denise Lasalle. So we're stopping at 7 pro tem. I have no idea what this is about. And the production sounds like it was done in a seaside booth. But whatever, it's fun that this has gone top 10. Not least that the rest of the ten is mehsville. Barring the bouncy chart-topper.
Playout is Animal Nightlife. Shame it's not Animal Magnet. Jazzy vocals against a yuppie soul background. Playout is about right for it. Group name does NOT suit it.
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Post by suedehead on Apr 21, 2018 11:39:24 GMT 1
Austria gave the world Apfelstrudel. For that I shall be eternally grateful.
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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 22, 2018 11:21:45 GMT 1
Vienna was the centre of music culture from the late 18th Century up until well the mid-20th century I guess before that horrible Nazi guy came along.
And along with it many great Austrian composers. Haydn. Mozart was from Salzburg, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss composer of many famous waltzes.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Apr 23, 2018 20:00:50 GMT 1
Madonna hand-drying her armpits put me off my dinner. What a bizarre thing to feature in a music video.
Also, was I imagining it or did the guy from Baltimora have a nearly naked lady riding a gorilla behind him? 80s TotP have started to get very odd.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Apr 27, 2018 11:20:12 GMT 1
Just watched last night’s episode and was genuinely shocked at how bad it was. What’s gone wrong? There wasn’t a single song that was better than mediocre. I like some UB40, even some of their covers, but that version of I Got You Babe is rotten. I know things will get much better in the late 80s, but watching these at the moment is quite a chore.
Straight after I watched last week’s Sounds Like Friday Night and it was way better.
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Post by o on Apr 27, 2018 12:44:55 GMT 1
Maybe stick to that then
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Post by o on Apr 27, 2018 12:45:20 GMT 1
Never a chore for me as I record and whizz through the crap.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Apr 28, 2018 7:49:56 GMT 1
I guess I’m a bit of a completist. I always watch all of every episode, I kind of want to replicate the original viewing experience, and in 1985 people didn’t have fast forward.
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