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Post by o on Mar 22, 2017 11:27:17 GMT 1
Bobby Brown was in New Edition? How had I forgotten that? Wont be seeing new songs by Yazoo or Fun Boy 3 again But at least Alison Moyet will be tipping up, got a while to wait for Erasure though, maybe a bit of Assembly will suffice?
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Mar 22, 2017 11:43:15 GMT 1
I bought a book called 1,001 Songs To Hear Before You Die because I thought it would be a good way to discover old music I didn't know which had a good chance of being half decent.
I was really quite horrified to find Candy Girl by New Edition in it, I thought it kind of undermined the whole concept. I have always hated that record, gimmicky irritating nonsense, I saw it as a blight on the list of UK 80s number ones. I've listened to it a load more times trying to understand if there's something I've missed but I still don't get it, it's horrible.
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Post by thehitparade on Mar 22, 2017 12:55:53 GMT 1
Did it actually suggest that you would enjoy hearing New Edition though? I can see that it's a significant record (the first UK Number One to feature rapping) that it's worth having heard and having an opinion on, even though it's not actually any good.
Although Bobby Brown is the most successful act to emerge from New Edition, there's also Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill and Bell Biv Devoe (I guess they count as one choice, as the book club catalogues used to say).
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Post by Earl Purple on Mar 22, 2017 13:53:28 GMT 1
Did it actually suggest that you would enjoy hearing New Edition though? I can see that it's a significant record (the first UK Number One to feature rapping) that it's worth having heard and having an opinion on, even though it's not actually any good. What do you call "featured rapping". Isn't Ian Dury "rapping" on "Hit me with your rhythm stick"? If not, what type of vocal is it?
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SheriffFatman
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Been spending most our lives living in the Cheshire countryside
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Post by SheriffFatman on Mar 22, 2017 14:32:53 GMT 1
Did it actually suggest that you would enjoy hearing New Edition though? I can see that it's a significant record (the first UK Number One to feature rapping) that it's worth having heard and having an opinion on, even though it's not actually any good. What do you call "featured rapping". Isn't Ian Dury "rapping" on "Hit me with your rhythm stick"? If not, what type of vocal is it? I've heard it suggested that Ian Dury was rapping before, but to me there's a big difference between speaking and rapping. I love Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, but whether it's spoken word or poetry it's definitely not rap.
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Post by Earl Purple on Mar 22, 2017 15:57:02 GMT 1
Rap = spoken word in rhythm. Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 sounds a lot like "rap" to me.
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 22, 2017 18:48:55 GMT 1
I bought a book called 1,001 Songs To Hear Before You Die because I thought it would be a good way to discover old music I didn't know which had a good chance of being half decent. I was really quite horrified to find Candy Girl by New Edition in it, I thought it kind of undermined the whole concept. I have always hated that record, gimmicky irritating nonsense, I saw it as a blight on the list of UK 80s number ones. I've listened to it a load more times trying to understand if there's something I've missed but I still don't get it, it's horrible. It sounded like and still does a knock off of the superior Jackson 5's first two singles "I Want You Back" & "ABC", but with 1980s technology ..... in the same way that the first time I heard Ed Sheeran's long running tropical house acoustic rock current #1 "Shape Of You" I immediately had TLC's "No Scrubs" pop into my head.
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Post by thehitparade on Mar 22, 2017 21:33:13 GMT 1
Yeah, I would agree that 'Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt 3' resembles rap, as does 'Pop Muzik' by M - but neither of those was a Number One single. 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' is, at most, Sprechgesang, but it doesn't have the strong meter of actual rap.
Of course, some would argue that anything recorded in Britain before 'Rapper's Delight' could only coincidentally resemble rap, but I know Dury was picking up on some of the same influences that early rappers were, and possibly Robin Scott was too.
Incidentally, the old Guinness books used to claim that I Feel For You was the first UK Number One with rap elements, so presumably they were in denial about New Edition. Can't say I entirely blame them.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 22, 2017 23:33:31 GMT 1
Pfft. Rap hit the British charts long before New Edition. Dictionary.com defines it as music "in which an insistent, recurring beat pattern provides the background and counterpoint for rapid, slangy, and often boastful rhyming patter glibly intoned by a vocalist or vocalists."
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Post by thehitparade on Mar 23, 2017 14:13:25 GMT 1
Subterranean Homesick Blues of course.
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Post by Earl Purple on Mar 23, 2017 16:53:32 GMT 1
I wouldn't describe either of those as rap. With "Ernie", it's the way he delivers it. Is "Captain Beaky" by Keith Michel rap too?
Both are similar: someone telling a story over background music. In the case of Ernie, there is a bit of singing in it too.
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 23, 2017 20:11:10 GMT 1
I wouldn't describe either of those as rap. With "Ernie", it's the way he delivers it. Is "Captain Beaky" by Keith Michel rap too? Both are similar: someone telling a story over background music. In the case of Ernie, there is a bit of singing in it too. I agree otherwise you can go back to pre Top Of The Pops started and the likes of Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John".
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Post by suedehead on Mar 23, 2017 20:58:06 GMT 1
We’ve skipped a week, bringing us up to a programme broadcast on a Wednesday, the day before the General Election. Perhaps they were worried that John Peel might say something controversial on polling day. His co-presenter, as usual, is David Jensen. Both of them received the memo about it being loud shirt day.
Twisted Sister get things going in their understated way. Noel Fielding seems to have joined them. No sign of Sandi Toksvig.
David Bowie is next with another great song.
Ultravox, Irene Cara and H2O have all been axed from the early evening version.
George Benson attempts to send us all to sleep.
Ah, this song wouldn’t have been included if the programme was shown in the usual Thursday slot. Here’s The Imposter, aka Elvis Costello, with a highly political (and brilliant) song. I’m surprised by the number of people on Twitter who don’t remember it. I used to play it a lot at the time.
Peelie does the first bit of the chart with the odd sarcastic comment.
Shakatak - introduced after a lengthy intro - next with a prediction of what might happen the following night. That Twisted Sister bloke is back but is now pretending to be a woman.
The next bit of the chart is done in a Canadian accent.
Big Country give us a geography lesson. Oh, and we get “that” Peel joke.
The countdown ends with The Police at number one.
Rod Stewart plays us out.
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Post by Earl Purple on Mar 24, 2017 11:47:49 GMT 1
A great episode that was not shown as one of the DJs has a Yorkshire accent and silver hair and used to fix things for people. The other DJ was the sensational Tony Blackburn, who is currently on my 1968 playlist as a singer..
Wham! with Bad Boys and Elton John with "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues". But they stopped the song short near the end of Stevie Wonder's harmonica solo. Yazoo also on with Nobody's Diary so 2 NM #1s.
Jonathan King also on the show counting down the US chart where "Flashdance" is #1 and they show a clip from the Tubes too.
Jo Boxers "Just Got Lucky" better than I remembered it being. Booker Newbury III with "Love Town" and Flash And The Pan doing "Waiting For A Train". Police and #1 and we had Bob Marley on the end-credits with "Buffalo Soldier"
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 26, 2017 13:00:19 GMT 1
Funfundzwanzig. Earlier and shorter edition. Powell and Sharp, with emerging mullet. Big Country to start. With their near eponymous single. Spacey guitars as ever. Stuart Adamson looking fresh from the Freemans catalogue. I do quite like this. Big Country are one of those acts that I seem to forget quite easily but when I hear them I think "yeah, this is decent". Bit like Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich. Just goes on a bit. Needs another verse or maybe a different coda.
Wow, straight into the top 30. Christ alive, this is only 21 minutes on the iplayer. Al Jarreau? Don't remember that one. They haven't got a pic for Booker Newbury III, I seem to remember that Steve Blackshall (sp?) on Breakfast TV saying that he was something of a mystery.
13 is Man Ure. Oh for f***'s sake. They're playing it. Well, I'm not watching it. Ah, the replay is on afterwards.
Now they're doing a Top 12 Video Show. Style Council at 12, "Money Go Round", or basically a revamp of "Start". First glimpse of Dee C Lee. The video is very modern looking; moody close-ups and monochrome. Would do well as a contemporary vid.
11. Bob Marley. Oh, that's it for the videos, we are going to Hot Chocolate at no. 10. Is Errol singing live? Very tall girl in red dancing in the crowd. Just looking at their chart career, we know obviously they were a consistent hit machine, but oddly their album chart appearances are basically Greatest Hitses. Their highest position for a regular release is 24. Also they went from 20 to 1 with their last charting album - denying Runrig a chart-topper.
We are running through to 7 and The Police. This is criminal.
New no. 1. New Edition. Oh my f***ing God. And we play out with Forrest.
Well, that was a waste of cathode rays. They had very few records to play and picked all the worst they could choose. Only Big Country were anything other than gash. And while the Hot Chocolate one was OK there were loads of other unplayed singles they could have had.
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Post by o on Mar 26, 2017 13:31:57 GMT 1
I'd forgotten that H20 single, quite like it, but his vocals remind me of someone else, but cant put my finger on who... Mike Oldfield and Maggie Reilly and Moonlight shadow as well, sweet!
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 26, 2017 13:41:58 GMT 1
8 June. Peel and Jensen in Hawaiian shirts. Twisted Sister, no chart position, allegedly one of Simon Bates' favourite bands. Not very good.
David Bowie with "China Girl", and in a good bit of western ignorance the director settles for a Vietnamese Kiwi for the video. Not that I'm complaining, she's hotter than Stromboli. This is Bowie doing a favour to co-writer Iggy Pop, who was short of a bob or two and in a bad way. The royalties came in very useful, indeed they may have saved his life. Not sure Bowie would have been that proud of his attempts to give his eyes epicanthic folds. Different times.
Unusually structured song, no real chorus. Tetrapak drink in the video. Didn't remember that being a thing in 1983.
Election is coming up tomorrow, so here is Ultravo X. They came to dance, although it doesn't appear that evident in Ure's manoeuvres. Not even close to their best, this sounds like it was thrown together and thrown out to keep their name in the media.
The original Coco Hernandez with "Flashdance". Is she going to be in the video? Jennifer Beals didn't do her own dancing. She didn't even do her own welding. This is, on the quite, a brilliant single. Loads better than her no. 1 hit. Albeit now I associate it with female hygiene. This is at 9 and credited as "Flash Dance".
Peel is standing next to Paul Rutherford, it seems. Now we have H2O. Never heard of them. Barely miming. Looks like Sparky from Dr Feelgood on lead guitar. It's OK, bit dull, bit yuppieish.
Talking of boring yuppiesh stuff, here's George Benson. Arf. I appreciate he is a talent, and regarded as a legend in his field, and all that, but this stuff just bores the p*ss out of me. It's all by numbers.
The Imposter. Peel thinks it might be Shaky. No, it's Elvis. Costello, that is. Between labels and not allowed to release material under his stage name. Deleted the next day so little chance of rising.
Top 30. Shakatak and Imposter to start. The tension is whether they have a pic of Booker Newbury. Might be a while before we see it. Mostly fallers. What the hell is this now? Oh God. Shakatak. This is f***ing yuppie heaven. Even The Imposter is probably the "look how edgy we are as we devour the canapes" option. Wish they suffered a shark attack. Christ alive, does this ever finish?
No. Gave up. Fast forwarded. "Goes on a bit" says Peel. Quite right. Top 20. Rod Stewart is back, oh good. Big Country get a second go, Stuart has eschewed the knit for plaid. "Tree back into Country", quoth Peel.
Top 10. There is a pic of BN3. He's quite a husky chap. Bob Marley at 4, one of his biggest hits. Wham! stuck at 2. Police are at 1. They can f*** off. The playout is Stewart. He can f*** off too.
Not a good show AT ALL. Pretty much the soundtrack to cheese & wine. The new Demis Roussoses.
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Post by Earl Purple on Mar 26, 2017 14:03:20 GMT 1
John Peel was DJing one of the shows when that Man U song came up. I think it was only in the countdown, but given he supported Liverpool you can guess what he made of it..
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vya
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Post by vya on Mar 26, 2017 20:00:23 GMT 1
8 June 1983 a rare Wednesday edition, because of the general election the following day
Grandaddy Peel n the Kid, both in well lairy shirts
Twisted Sister "The Kids Are Back" Much make-up and taking of hair rock to another pantomime dame dimension .The song doesnt's seem very convicing - even Gary Glitter revivalist. Do you wanna be in my gang? Somewhat weaker than their recent hit.
David Bowie "China Girl" on video Some slightly unexpected pejorative orientalism in the vid. The song is pretty decent, its tenderness tied up with a simmering tension.
Ultravox "We Came To Dance" Midge looking slik in shades, to start with at least, but the song is considerably simpler and more straightforwardly poppy and, simply, much less gripping than some of their more multilayed enigmatic recent singles. One to leave off "greatest hits" compilations, even.
no 1 in America, Irene Cara "Flashdance" on video Almost the sound of mainstream mid-80s pop summed up in one single. Subtitles confirm she sings "take your passion and make it happen", and not, as I presumed "take your pants down". Peel makes a potentially election-influencing comment about the video having been filmed in "one of those countries that still has a steel industry".
H 2O - "Dream To Sleep" Late new romanticism (with even a minor goth influence that Bauhaus might notice) from Scotlandthat Zoo seem to be getting very into interpreting. Sax break notwithstanding, it's a bit underwhelming, but that might be intentionally lullyabyesque. I reckon it's about two years too late for anyone to really care or be impressed though.
George Benson "Lady Love Me (One More Time)" on video Getting into 80s wine bar territory here. Competent, capable, assured, etc, but a bit too polished and controlled.
a mystery artist (Shaky suggests Peely, and later Boy George, but, gosh, it looks and sounds awfully like Declan McManus eschewing any contractural obligations he may have under another name) The Imposter - "Pills and Soap" A dense maze of serious and bleak words over a gentle mostly piano backing. Rather stern and menacing. Definitely not a party political broadcast for the party about to win a landslide victory on the next day. (not sure it would have been broadcast on election day itself though). Quite haunting.
Charts. peely not kind about Man Utd
Shakatak "Dark Is The Night" Their glory seems to be fading a bit now, or maybe time has just moved on. Nice tinkly piano, and identifiably Shakatak vocals, and not without charm, but the song lacks the instant appeal or enigmatic undertow of some of their 1982 singles. Not sure why the crowd are shouting "oh oh! oh oh! oh oh" through one quiet section. I'm minded to make excuses for Shakatak, in general, but this is a bit dull and difficult to care much about. Even Peel says "it goes on a bit". And so it does..
Charts. Hmm, chart entry from Kajagoogoo which is conspiciously being ignored. Maybe it was on the yewtreed edition.
Big Country "In A Big Country" I suspect this is as good as this show is gonna get. Spine-tingingly brilliant Scottish pride. Lots of words strung together and shouted out to the verse, too. But (in a common theme tonight) still not, here only quite, up to the standard of their previous single...It is a pleasure to hear though. ("the band that put the tree back into country, says Peel, riskily)
No 1 Police "Every Breath You Take" Aaarrgh just horrible, stop it now.
dance out to Rod Stewart "Baby Jane", which I can make excuses for. Zoo overdoing the annoyingly smug aggressively trendy dancing in groups of four in the audience, too,as they have been doing passim
Really not a good episode. At all. Big Country heads and shoulders above everything else.
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vya
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Post by vya on Mar 26, 2017 22:03:24 GMT 1
23 June 1983 Bates and Powell
Skipped a week, because DLT.
Freeez "I.O.U." Uptempo electro, nagging and insistent, not in an unwelcome way. TOTP stagers going a bit mad with the Zoo dancers trying to be Coolest In The Club, balloons everywhere, etc
Rod Stewart "Baby Jane" on video Very 80s Rod. Oh the video is not subtle - one of the things that he likes most about her is her backside, clearly. But, as ever, he means it (man), impassioned longing and emotionally strained huskiness. Energy and determination. He did far worse later in the decade.
Elton John "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" In a green outfit and boater hat, Elton's not messing about at the old joanna here. Almost as impassioned as Rod, even, vocally, and the lyrical composition has its merits. Fair enough.
Bates says here's "some exotica from John Peel" - in Amsterdam, with the European chart. Cue Peel seeing the sights of the city.
Dolly Dots "Money Lover" more like the Belle Stars than Bananarama, hard-edged, aggressive, and attacking the subject of the song. Not really pleasant to listen to. And here are the Dolly Dots! - counting down the Dutch top 10. No 1 "Comment ca va" by the Shorts - "dutch" apparently, but singing in French, with accordions, its sounds quite dreadful, from a village hall. Also no 8 in European charts. No 5, & the Swiss no 1 Geier Sturzflug "Brutto Sozial Produkt", women dressed as nurses dancing, I'm thinking a Swiss-German Madness maybe no 1 in Germany & no 6 in Europe, Robin Gibb "Juliet", shamelesslly rhymes "Juliet" with "met", and the other rhymes are as obvious. Not sure it's very good really. Daniel, "Julie" a Yugoslav , no 3 in Europe, sung in English. sub-Shakin' Stevens with wackier instrumentation (Peel seems to agree). no 1 overall in Europe David Bowie "Let's Dance"
Shakatak "Dark Is The Night" Still a bit dull, alas. Zoo dancing around now waving balloons don't really help matters.
Charts Cricketer Denis Lillee gets a mini-interview with Bates
Mike Oldfield "Moonlight Shadow" Maggie Reilly's vocals make this, almost a modern folk song. A beautiful voice goes a long way.
Charts
H 2O "I Dream To Sleep" Proto-sophistipop as much as late new romanticism, could be a grower actually. Zoo's interpretative dancing among the audience and the ubiquituous balloons don't really suit the song's atmosphere of introspection and vague melancholy.
Charts No1 still The Police "Every Breath You Take". (on video) Call the cops, just not these ones.
Dance out to ELO "Rock N Roll Is King". Which is a bit more retro even than typical for ELO. But such talent.
Another fairly patchy show all in all.
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