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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 21, 2017 11:14:53 GMT 1
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 23, 2017 8:12:33 GMT 1
1 September. John Peel and The Sundance Kid Jensen. We start with Modern Romance, because the Human Rights Act hadn't been passed yet. Dear God. Seriously, who the f*** bought anything by Modern Romance? They're right down there with The Kooks in the running for Worst Band Ever.
"And now, by popular demand," quoth Kid, suggesting that Modern Romance were not by popular demand. Yeah, I can buy that. It's Madness with Chas Smash on lead vox for once. Which makes Madness part of a very select group of bands who have had top ten hits with a) two different lead singers and b) instrumentals. Them and the Mac. Anyone else? This is GLORIOUS. Shame we don't get the whole lot.
Gary Numan. Hm, this starts off quite goth. Then the poppy bit makes it sound Bauhaus. Still retaining the blond cut. Dressed like a fetish party. Quite like this. No idea why it's called "Warriors" though. Seemingly ends a bit short though.
Now it's the Eurochart. Peel can't understand why The Shorts did not have a hit. I think I detect a smidge of sarcasm. Righeira, looking like Buggles at a Christmas do, singing about going to the beach. The only words in the extract we hear is "Vamos A La Playa". That was utterly pointless. Does that make Righeira the act with the shortest TOTP career?
Now some French chanteuse with a typically hamfisted Europastiche that delivers a message with the subtlety of a brick shower (q.v. Sandra's "Hiroshima"). Ryan Paris is a guest talking about his Eurosuccess with "Dolce Vita". And people wonder why we voted Brexit.
Peel stands next to a Renault 16 as he introduces Berdian Sternberg. Who is no. 1 in Benelux with a flute. Fair enough. Mike Oldfield is no. 1. Interesting.
Also interesting is Genesis' "Mama". Collins trying to get an "In The Air Tonight" vibe on this one. Not so sure about the laughing though. More interesting than good.
Charts. Starting with "the celebrated aviator" Numan. Was this just after he'd crashed his plane trying to fly around the world? Kraftwerk are in and down already, didn't get to see them. Big Country. Stu has ditched the guitar. Shouldn't have done that, makes this one sound anaemic. Maybe it's meant to be a ballad.
Charty McCharts. New Order new in at 17 so we should see that. Carmel at 15, she had one hell of a voice. No, we get Stray Cats, because rockabilly revivals will never die. Not even in the chart but of course the BBC has to promote foreign acts over British. Gah.
Top 10. KC down to 2. And our new number 1 is introduced anticlimactically. Would have thought they would have made a bit more of a long-standing act whose fortunes had faded making an astonishing recovery. I remember at the time this seemingly coming out of nowhere to the top of the chart. Isn't life always better when Bluenoses are no. 1? Great bass.
We play out with New Order. How weird, when an American doesn't make a video they get Zoo to do a thing. British act and they get the useless playout...
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 23, 2017 8:14:13 GMT 1
So essentially the rights holders want everyone to negotiate special deals with them rather than rely on the usual recovery regime. They seem to think they are mor eimportant than everyone else, without thinking that the BBC has better things to do than deal with every single rights holder. The Doors are the most overrated act in history anyway. Lyrically up there with McGonigall, musically they had an organ. Woo.
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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 23, 2017 8:47:46 GMT 1
Carmel's "Bad Day" was on one of the shows but I think a yewtreed one. I preferred "More More More" to "Bad Day".
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 23, 2017 9:05:05 GMT 1
8 Ыузеуьиукю . Oops, September. Switched to Cyrillic for some reason.
Heaven 17. Maybe that's why, all very Nadsat. Fun track, although I suspect it's not meant to be fun. Seems to have inspired Pete Waterman.
An exotic video from Rod Stewart. Can't be bothered.
Status Quo. They've slowed this down a bit. Oh, no, they speed it up again. What a shame, I though they were going to do something interesting for a change. Instead we have to wait for the bridge for any innovation. Missed opportunity.
JoBoxers with that Difficult Third Single. Chyron dares to go so low as 35. This is actually way ahead of its time; this is basically rap-funk. Faith No More avant l'heure. He seems to have stuck Polo mints on his bandanna. Very Boosh.
Bryson & Flack. Fast forward.
Charts. Depesh. Ryan Paris twice in a row. f***ing hell.
Charts. Numan gets a climb. That TOTP performance worked. Back for Paul Young & The Royal Family. I suppose that's a better catch-all for the backing singers than Fabulous Wealthy Tarts. It's all very Regents. More interesting single than his no. 1 by quite a distance.
Top 10. Level 42 make it at last. UB40 still at no. 1 so we get the video with a shot of Ansells Bitter. Ali makes quite a good drunk. Robin's pulled a nice brunette. This is actually a great video. Never gets mentioned in the same circles as e.g. Bo Rhap but it tells a story, is well acted, doesn't focus on lipsyncing, and is black and white with a trick Spielberg stole. Yeah.
Playout is out top ten debutants.
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vya
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Post by vya on Apr 23, 2017 16:30:45 GMT 1
8 September 1983 Inexplicably sharp-suited Powell and inevitably deadpan Peebles
Peebles makes a joke "a record that could be bigger than the TUC conference in Blackpool" (Back when newspapers still had industrial relations correspondents too. Before Arthur Scargill comprehensively overplayed his hand, anyway) Heaven 17 "Crushed by the Wheels of Industry" After a couple of really quite excellent singles earlier in the year, this is a bit weak. Very weak, even. Might have better suited as an ABC rejected B-side during their "...Zillionaire" period. Some of Zoo dressed in labourers' overalls dancing on a podium in their characteristic irritating manner.
Rod Stewart "What Am I Gonna Do" on video More than mildly OTT and ridiculous nautical tropical sunshine with Rod prancing about video, but no-one looks to Mr Stewart for subtlety. The track is jolly enough - there is something to prance to, and where better than on a boat in the sun? Flying the Scottish lion rampant too.
Obvious cut thanks to the Doors' lawyers denying us Annabel Lamb's not wildly brilliant sub-Eurythmics take on "Riders on the Storm"
Status Quo "Ol' Rag Blues" Lighter and a bit poppier than sometimes, kind of classic early-80s Quo sound otherwise. When their critical reappraisal eventually comes this will probably be assessed as a light-hearted and attractive interlude (but which will refuse to prove to be memorable in any way). Would sound good in a pub, probably with Double Diamond and Roast Ox crisps.
JoBoxers "Johnny Friendly" Slowed down compared with their earlier hits, has a bit of a Living Colour vibe about it. Funky, and sharp. But with a distinctly English character. Much less astounding than "Just Got Lucky" - it does say "minor hit" - but no denying it's both innovative and not unattractive.
Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" (on video) Bit of a classic slow-dance number, no?
Charts
Ryan Paris "Dolce Vita" Robotic dancing. Some decent synthesised instrumental bits between the verses are probably, nay certainly, the highlight of this inoffensive number.
Paul Young "Come Back And Stay" Great 80s synths and moodiness, the haircut and the black and white angular not-quite splatter top he is wearing have aged much less well than the song. Fine chanting from the women. Yeah. Rather appealling.
Charts no 1 UB40 "Red Red Wine" (on video) Vid being set mostly in a boozer, before they sold much in the way of wine.
dance-out to Level 42 "Livin' It Up (When The Sun Goes Down)"
Not a brilliant edition, but kind of quite representative of the musical trends and concerns of 1983...
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vya
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Post by vya on Apr 23, 2017 18:11:36 GMT 1
22 September 1983 Bates n Read
Howard Jones "New Song" Legendary performance with chained dancer alongside HJ. Capable and still fresh and then still futuristic mid-80s synth-pop.
David Bowie "Modern Love" (on video. mostly of a live performance) Competent and capable poppier but not quite over-poppy Bowie. Drags a little bit, maybe.
Hot Chocolate "Tears On The Telephone" They've still got it, musically and performance-wise, one of the best singles acts of recent years. This song is not essential, though.
Toyah "Rebel Run" (on video) Vaguely sci-fi futurism, but with sound effects and a general soundscape that were ubiqutious around this period. OK. But more style than substance? Perhaps.
The Alarm "68 Guns" The energy of the performance is maybe a bit ridiculous given it just underlines that they are miming. Gah, so much posturing in so few minutes.
Nick Heyward "Blue Hat For A Blue Day" Sweet and sensitive, but rather nondescript. Disappointing.
Status Quo "Ol' Rag Blues" (on video) Alright as far as it goes.
Mike Read plays the chorus of "Ol Rag Blues" on kazoo. Charts Clearly no photo of the act at no 30, Unique
Soft Cell "Soul Inside" Ball and Almond being recognizably Ball and Almond in their nuances and styles of performance. Not their strongest song though. Maybe the string of brilliant singles in 81/82 was a fluke after all. Chaos and turmoil evident, but more eloquently expressed on other occasions. There's a bit for a minute or so in the middle of th song, where the tension that has been building up, is released, that's the best part of the song.
Charts Heaven 17 "Crushed By the Wheels of Industry" (on video) Considering this isn't even climbing the charts any more, something better could have been on than this. The video, which explores various different perceptions and realities of "work", is better than is the song.
Charts No 1 Culture Club "Karma Chameleon" Boy George dressed in Yellow with a hat that is almost like a crown out of Alice in Wonderland; ther rest of the band dressed as American Footballers or cowboys for reasons unknown. Quality pop that hides its lyrical tensions and pains behind a bright singalong surface. Very good.
dance out to Hot Streak "Body Work" Not a notably distinguished bit of electro. Zoo could have justified their existence by doing some break-dancing to this, but they don't, so.
A more than tolerable edition.
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Post by thehitparade on Apr 24, 2017 0:38:31 GMT 1
"And now, by popular demand," quoth Kid, suggesting that Modern Romance were not by popular demand. Yeah, I can buy that. It's Madness with Chas Smash on lead vox for once. Which makes Madness part of a very select group of bands who have had top ten hits with a) two different lead singers and b) instrumentals. Them and the Mac. Anyone else? This is GLORIOUS. Shame we don't get the whole lot. Hmm.. did all the vocal hits by the Shadows (as opposed to Cliff & The Shadows) have the same singer? As I'm sure you know, Madness had been in this club for some time already as Chas Smash is also the lead vocalist on 'One Step Beyond'.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 24, 2017 6:57:30 GMT 1
I count OSB as an instrumental, otherwise you end up with groups like The Surfaris being a vocal group because one of them shouts "Wipe Out!" at the start.
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Post by thehitparade on Apr 24, 2017 9:22:18 GMT 1
I presume they have to be vocalists who are actually members of the group, otherwise you could include The Chemical Brothers or Eric Prydz.
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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 24, 2017 9:31:19 GMT 1
I'm not sure if "One Step Beyond" is properly an instrumental, however Return of the Los Palmas Seven definitely is (one spoken word "Waiter" doesn't change that) so Madness still fit into that category.
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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 24, 2017 9:35:24 GMT 1
Hmm.. did all the vocal hits by the Shadows (as opposed to Cliff & The Shadows) have the same singer? If you don't count Cliff, the Shadows only had one vocal top 10 hit (Don't Make My Baby Blue).
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Post by o on Apr 24, 2017 13:24:49 GMT 1
68 guns was brilliant, and still sounds good!
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Apr 24, 2017 23:13:23 GMT 1
22 September. Master Bates and Minime Reid. We kick off with a new song, figuratively and literally. Jed shows off his mental chains in a literal approach that would have made Pan's People proud. Good song, but seems to be a couple of years late. Are we going retro for 1981 already? It also needs some more verses, I never realized how repetitive it was.
Reid does his GBOHS bit by pointing out David Bowie's last couple of chart positions. Now he's back at 8 with "Modern Love". Another great single, he's on an utter roll. Tinges of early sixties mixed with uplifting new wave. Video though is a bit basic. Budget has gone on blazers. That moonlight doesn't look very serious.
Bates now does his GBOHS bit by saying Hot Chocolate have had eighteen hundred hits. I'm guessing he is not going to be invited as a contributor. Don't remember this HC one, it's OK, bit more upbeat than their last ballads.
Reid puts things right by saying it's actually a run of hits since 1970 while standing next to an utterly gorgeous Chinese girl. Segues into Toyah wearing a gimpish mask with a letterboxed video. I can see where they got the inspiration for the Streetfighter costumes, As usual this is great dystopic stuff from Ms Willcox, but alas the market has shifted away from such fare.
Now it's Alarm, no The, who might be at no. 68. I love the shouty bit before the chorus. It's like Stiff Little Fingers with brass. No sign of their roadie Gaz Top.
Nick Heyward. Still totally rubbish at miming. His weakest single thus far. That's two in a row that are not even in the top 40 and three on the show thus far. I like this in theory, but it seems a bit wasted on the well-pushed Heyward.
Bates says it's great to see Quo back in the charts. I'll be the judge of that. Video is weird. Strange mix of girls from the local strip club and The Chippendales. Drumkit is denim blue to go with the imagery of the song.
Charts from 30 to 21. Unique at 30 and they don't have a picture. Interesting. Annabel Lamb going down, we missed her out. New Order have two charting singles, "Confusion" is at 22. And by lucky hap we can stop at 21 to listen to Soft Cell. They've sped themselves up and lost what makes them unique, this is basically Bauhaus with synths. Which is still pretty good. Indeed, better than Bauhaus.
Top 20. New Order again at 20 with "Blue Monday". Again? H17 at 17. Kajagoogoo new in at 12. Thought we'd had enough of them. Glenn Gregory is going to race Leo Sayer to Paris on the Noel Edmonds show. We go back to them rather than (say) Monyaka or New Order who are both going up. Video looks quite American.
Top 10. UB40 no longer no. 1? Oh noes. Oh, bloody hell, it's "Karma Chameleon". When you listen to the lyrics, they are total b****cks, aren't they? Hot Streak is the dull playout.
Not a bad show. Quite daring. Gorgeous Chinese girl is dancing at the end.
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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 26, 2017 21:35:46 GMT 1
29 September episode, you won't see because one of the DJs has a lot of facial hair.
TOTP 83. DLT and Tommy Vance presenting
First up: Black Lace. Superman. Oh dear. This didn't get into my chart.
David Essex: Tahiti. From Mutiny. This was his last ever hit. Starts slow then turns into a calypso. In my chart, in its peak position this week at #12.
Tracey Ullman: They Don't Know. Kirsty MacColl cover. And at the time it was "what happened to Kirsty?" In some ways this helped her get back into the limelight. This entered my chart at #13 this week and would peak at #3. I wonder if Kirsty's version would have reached #1?
George Benson: In Your Eyes. A slow ballad so snooze time maybe? Entered my chart at #25 this week, but I took to it and it got as high as #8.
From Jamaica but living in New York are Monyaka with Go-Deh-Yaka. #19 in my chart this week, which is as high as it got.
One place higher in my chart, at #18 this week, Kajagoogoo with Big Apple. #8 in the UK chart this week, but in my chart #18 is as high as it will get.
So many of my big hits are in the US chart, so what we really need is Jonathan King to give us a rundown. Well my luck is in, and here he is...
Naked Eyes with Promises Promises. Not in my chart. Then, #5, Air Supply. My #1. And there's a bit of it on Top of The Pops! #3. Men Without Hats. My #2 this week. With The Safety Dance. A long clip of this one. Then #1. Billy Joel - Tell Her About It. That's down to #11 in my chart this week having peaked at #3. That was produced by Joey Ramone who also produced Michael Sembello at #4, whilst Jim Steinman had two songs in with Bonnie Tyler at #2 in the US chart this week.
#27 are Unique on TOTP with Zoo dancing. Not in my chart.
20 to 11 and we see entries by Siouxsie & The Banshees and PIL so which will be on? Siouxsie & the Banshees, not just The Creatures but another cover of a 60s song, this time the Beatles' "Dear Prudence". Entered my chart at #30 this week and eventually reached #14.
Up to #1 for Culture Club which is #4 in my chart this week but still climbing and will get to #1. In the UK this is their 2nd hit this year but in my chart their 3rd as "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" was a hit in the summer.
Playout track. Guessing it will be P.I.L. Correct, it was. Never really liked this one. It did get into my chart but only #25 peak (entering next week).
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Post by suedehead on Apr 27, 2017 20:16:00 GMT 1
We’re up to October 1983 and it’s another John Peel / David Jensen episode. Their costume this time? Warriors obviously. It was Labour conference week. In the general election a few months earlier Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair were both elected for the first time. At the conference Neil Kinnock was elected Labour leader and decided to go for an unconventional dip in the sea while dressed in a suit.
Freeeeeeez are on first. Things can really only go uphill from here.
From the atrocious to the brilliant. We move on to David Bowie.
Depeche (or Depesh-ay) Mode next. The opening song is becoming a distant memory.
Meat Loaf and Nick Heyward have been cut. Maybe they thought Blue Hat For A Blue Day could be interpreted differently in an election period.
Howard Jones has also been cut now that his song is not quite so new.
Some rubbish from David Grant survived the editor’s scissors unfortunately.
The chart with yellow bits starts with Cliff and even Peelie says Depesh-ay and includes a reference to the demise of Soft Cell.
Things improve again with The Alarm and this week’s “dragged through a hedge backwards” haircut.
On to the next bit of the chart. Who or what is Monyaka?
The second outstanding song of the episode with New Order - a repeat of the live version from earlier in the year. Note how The Other Two are shoved to the back.
On to the top nine and Culture Club are still number one.
We end as we began, with some rubbish in the form of the Rock Steady Crew.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2017 23:29:32 GMT 1
68 guns was brilliant, and still sounds good! Indeed, always loved that one
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Post by Earl Purple on Apr 28, 2017 9:11:52 GMT 1
Some good some bad. Well some brilliant.
68 Guns is just a great sing-a-long rock anthem. They do make songs like this now, but it seems people here now prefer whiny alternative stuff.
I saw David Bowie live in 1987 and "Modern Love" was the last song he performed. Usually you end with one of your great songs so obviously he considered that to be one of them. I think it did ok in our poll but wasn't anywhere near the top.
Those two, Karma Chameleon and Blue Monday. All 4 considered classics. New Song to some extent too, perhaps.
Depeche Mode would have a great year in 1984 but that one of theirs passed me by.
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Post by o on Apr 28, 2017 9:42:09 GMT 1
I was hoping for a new New Order performance I did like one of the Rocksteady Crew tracks, so shall have a listen tonight and see if this was it, sorry.
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Post by suedehead on Apr 28, 2017 19:58:35 GMT 1
Another week in October, this time overseen by Peter Powell and Richard Skinner. I wonder what catalogue they got their sweaters from.
Roman Holliday are on first. Let’s hope this is the low point of the show.
Tracey Ullman next.marking a massive improvement over the opening song. This is, of course, a Kirsty MacColl song. Oh look, there’s Pauil McCartney in the video.
Thankfully, Black Lace have been cut so we continue with the good stuff as Siouxsie and the Banshees return with a great Beatles cover. I’ll even go so far as saying that I prefer it to the original.
Time for a snooze while George Benson is on.
Now it’s the first bit of the chart with some orange bits. It’s still Depesh-ay Mode.
Bucks Fizz have been axed.
Lydia Murdock, whoever she was / is, is next. Thankfully, her career didn’t last long.
On to the next bit of the chart.
Lionel Richie with a typically terrible song. Apparently Peter Powell likes it.
Culture Club get another week at number one. This time we get the video.
Two giants of pop, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, bring the show to an end.
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