|
Post by o on Oct 6, 2019 9:55:15 GMT 1
Siouxsie and the Banshees!
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Oct 6, 2019 10:13:33 GMT 1
Thirty six. Powell in shorts. Dear God. We have Matt Bianco, apparently. Oh God. Hazell Dean, who is in miniskirt and big shoulders. Absolute SAWmill by numbers including the shmutter.
Springsteen on video. Slower and more thoughtful than his recent output. Really, really good. Gay couples in the video, that's way before its time, don't remember that.
Tracy Chapman. I get the feeling I ought to like this, but I don't. Too same-y, just relentless grind and hard work.
Charts. Glenn Medeiros, who? Up to 7, Salt & Pepa, this is good stuff, sassy and sexy and dirty and funky in all the good ways.
T'Pau. Carol Decker looking more seductive now than rock chick. Great verses and build up to the chorus, but the chorus needs perhaps something else to kick it over the edge. Otherwise impressive.
No. 2, pushing for the top of the charts next week, insider knowledge? Chubs & the Fatties. This is, well, not pretentious. Bit of fun, I suppose we need something like this from time to time.
Top 10, before we get Bros at no. 1; for a group that is supposedly the biggest thing since The Beatles, they've not had THAT much chart success, it's not exactly been obliteration.
Playout is Medeiros. Christ on a f***ing bike, that's ATROCIOUS.
|
|
SheriffFatman
Member
Been spending most our lives living in the Cheshire countryside
Posts: 10,930
|
Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 7, 2019 12:43:16 GMT 1
I was watching the excellent Timelords track on TotP 1988 the other day, and like others reflecting on the fact that while the BBC would never now show a performance by to Gary Glitter, they are obviously OK with one where he gets a writing credit and will therefore earn a bit of cash from them broadcasting it.
Then I noticed in the chart forum Rock & Roll Part 2 is actually climbing iTunes thanks to it's appearance in the new Batman film the Joker. The Sun have picked up on it today, their front page headline is "BEYOND A JOKER - Movie fortune for perv Glitter".
It raises some difficult questions. I don't think anyone would advocate preventing convicted criminals from being able to secure a legitimate legal income, I expect with a lot of crimes (although perhaps not the sort Glitter committed) it's one of the key things that keeps them from reoffending. Should we be outraged, or does it not really matter?
|
|
vya
Member
Posts: 8,776
|
Post by vya on Oct 7, 2019 20:24:58 GMT 1
I'm in the "not outraged" camp, overall.
My eyebrows did raise a few winters' ago though (wiki suggests it was after his first prison sentence, but before his second) when a local radio station played "Rock N Roll Christmas" and the DJ commented that it was by "our local Banbury boy Gary Glitter". Strictly speaking, true, but....
|
|
|
Post by smokeyb on Oct 11, 2019 21:26:25 GMT 1
Tonight's episode famous for all the acts having lead female vocalists, and infamous performance from All About Eve. Oh dear, what a shame.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Oct 13, 2019 10:59:47 GMT 1
72. Mayo and Long. Communards to start, looking and sounding like a Price Waterhouse staff band. Sorry, this may be a positive message, but the song is terrible. Quite like the girl on keyboards though. Dolores lookalike. Is June Miles-Kingston pregnant?
Up 16 to 16. The Mac Band. Disappointingly this is not The Macc Lads. What the f*** is that dance? This is also terrible. Despite the musicians in the video it has all the soul of a rusty robot. I cannot be doing with this.
Today's charty prongs. That looks fairly dull as well, other than Wee Papa Girl Rappers. We cut into Everything But The Girl with Michael Schumacher on lead vocals and Terry Christian on guitar. This is a long overdue hit but they seem to be going the UB40 route of doing covers because their own material won't make it. This is very worthy and technically accomplished but also very dull.
Breakers. Debbie Gibson looking cute in noir. This is a bit different, it could almost be a Diane Warren ballad rather than her upbeat teenpop. Little Debs is growing up. Magnum, whose career revival is rather startling. Eric B & Rakim, is that the first time they've been in a video? PE-lite. And Natalie "I only have a career because my dad was a legend" Cole. Who is buying that sh*te?
INXS. Wow. This has come out of nowhere. This is fecking brilliant. I've been on that bridge. The weather was similar. I've seen that graveyard too. Think it is the Jewish cemetery. So different to their pop-rock and it absolutely works.
Chartbites. Cuts to Eighth Wonder. Very disappointing song. It's SAWmill style at its worst. And Patsy isn't dressed like a whore like in the promo shot. Sad times.
Top 10. New no. 1. Glenn Medeiros. What? Jesus f***ing Christ, this is horrid. Absolutely dreadful. There is not one single redemptive factor about this whatsoever. People who bought this should be arrested for music-cide. Or forced to listen to literally any other record ever to realise that there is proper music out there. ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.
Playout is Transvision Vamp. Yay, punky. Hang on, I might need some me time.
Wow. They should have replaced the scheduled programme with just repeating that for half an hour. This is basically an orgasm on 45.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Oct 19, 2019 14:49:53 GMT 1
21/7 =3. Powell and, er, Crane. Europe's most successful TV show, apparently. Didn't take long for the cretins at the BBC programme planning to totally f*** it over. S-Express in at 20. Heh, Sonique. Mark Moore is step-brother to Stephen Moore, who was in the charts a few years back. Nice keyboardist.
Def Leppard, who are no. 1 in the US dance charts, apparently. Hm, maybe Powell was referring to S-Express. Meh ballad, blatant chart bait.
40. Dull. EBTG. Ditto. Mac Band. Tritto. Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers. Zigmundo sounds like he is singing live, as it's not very good at all. Michael Jackson, also not very good either.
Kim Wilde. God, she just gets hotter. Shame about the song, which sounds like a typical cheapass SAWmill lowest common denominator production.
Interesting that there are no breakers. Have they dropped that? It was far too much double-dip. Finishing with Medeiros, God almighty, and George Michael, with his leftovers.
That was a very poor show. Only the opening track was worth paying attention to.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Oct 19, 2019 15:21:33 GMT 1
Let's get straight back on the horse. 28 to the 7 to the pops. Davies and Campbell. And we zoom into this bright exciting and dynamic new era with Shakin' Stevens and a song that's already been a hit four times already. Feck's sake.
Next up is...oh, for God's sake, is this the kids of New Edition? BVSMP with more godawful tinny synthshite background. And even their rapping is computer-enhanced. They can't even keep their rhymes up for one verse before running out of breath. This is horrid. Absolutely gut-scrapingly dreadful.
Charts. VOTB are back. The Funky Worm? Novelty single? Siouxsie & The Banshees, with Siouxise on video and in the studio. Looking amazing in dazzleship 2 tone. And this single is...startling. Astounding. All broken up jazz and surreality. This is almost like The Sugarcubes. And that's a Very Good Thing Indeed. Wow wow wow wow wow.
Breakers are back. VOTB at 37 with something rather brilliant. This is making up for last week's. Love Melissa's utter lunacy. All About Eve. This is rather sweet. This run of good songs comes to a screeching halt with Steven Dante. Back to speed though with Julia Fordham, who looks absolutely stunning in plain white. There's something languid and languorous about this one, it's slow and soothing.
Back to the regular show. Pat Benatar? Not heard from her in a while. I suppose this just about counts as rock if you squint hard enough. It's OK, fills a gap. Could do with being a LOT more raucous in the chorus.
Next up are Yazz & The Plastic Population, without Coldcut. At 10, big climb. Yazz is so upbeat, I've seldom seen anyone enjoy having a hit record so much. Looks like she's outgrown her clothes. Fun.
Top 10. Big leap for S-Express. Also Kim Wilde. Top 5 are non-movers. Could have done with some Vamp. I'd much rather Salt & Pepa at the top than the execrable Medeiros. Playout is Fairground Attraction with a Spanish theme, unexpected and something of a grower, the song seems to get more certain of itself until it finally knows what it's doing at the bridge. Yes, I like this one.
Lot of focus on 30-40 this week, the programme benefitted because of it. Infinitely better than the previous week's.
|
|
Gezza
Member
Posts: 7,846
|
Post by Gezza on Oct 24, 2019 21:39:36 GMT 1
I was watching the excellent Timelords track on TotP 1988 the other day, and like others reflecting on the fact that while the BBC would never now show a performance by to Gary Glitter, they are obviously OK with one where he gets a writing credit and will therefore earn a bit of cash from them broadcasting it. Then I noticed in the chart forum Rock & Roll Part 2 is actually climbing iTunes thanks to it's appearance in the new Batman film the Joker. The Sun have picked up on it today, their front page headline is "BEYOND A JOKER - Movie fortune for perv Glitter". It raises some difficult questions. I don't think anyone would advocate preventing convicted criminals from being able to secure a legitimate legal income, I expect with a lot of crimes (although perhaps not the sort Glitter committed) it's one of the key things that keeps them from reoffending. Should we be outraged, or does it not really matter? He sold the rights to his songs years ago so he won't be profiting at all from it. It remains publicity for him (of a fashion) I suppose.
|
|
|
Post by o on Oct 25, 2019 12:55:58 GMT 1
Tanita Tikaram the most recent highlight for me.
|
|
vya
Member
Posts: 8,776
|
Post by vya on Oct 25, 2019 22:07:19 GMT 1
"Happy Ever After" by Julia Fordham is such a beautiful song. A pity all we got to see of it was a short excerpt in the breakers.
Not least when we got two performances of "Don't Blame It On That Girl" by Crap Bianco, a classic example of a naff track having a superior B-side (which then became the AA side, then effectively the A-side).
|
|
|
Post by o on Oct 26, 2019 9:12:37 GMT 1
Guns n Roses Sweet child o mine first appearance, followed by dull Gloria Estefan and the Miami sound machine...
|
|
vya
Member
Posts: 8,776
|
Post by vya on Oct 31, 2019 23:09:33 GMT 1
It would be pushing it more than just a little bit to say the latest, early September, re-broadcast, is filled with outstanding music from start to finish, but it is, at least, pleasing to be reminded of Spagna's "Every Girl and Boy": a definite contender for the much treasured "so bad it's utterly brilliant" category: nonsensical lyrics (or sounds masquerading as words in a random order, sometimes) in the verses that don't really connect with the more, excessively straightforward (and actually comprehensible) words in the chorus. The music and atmosphere is a weaker and slightly slowed-down carbon-copy of her much bigger (and indisputably rather brilliant and utterly insistent) previous big hit, "Call Me", not from 3 months before, but from a whole year earlier - the delay in release being a great way to extend her career duration in the UK, if nothing else. And the moody pacing around instead of dancing. And the hairstyle. This is utterly characteristic of its time. And it wasn't quite entirely evident in September 1988 that that time was rapidly coming to an end. Truly, perhaps unintentionally, brilliant. And really, truly, enjoyable.
So much so that it probably even manages to stand out over Marc Almond's "Tears Run Rings", once of several lost or ignored or overlooked gems from "The Stars We Are" album. Some social critique in the lyrics, not all of which has necessarily aged well.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Nov 3, 2019 11:29:56 GMT 1
4 and its double. Long and Goodier. Minogue starting with a new entry at no. 2. Is this the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of music? There is no justification for this whatsoever. Terrible, godawful, tinny, computerized voice over an artificial background of a song that patently does not need to be covered in the first place. I want everyone involved in this grotesque parody of marketing eliminated instantly. Other than Minogue in that dress, I can find a use for her. Nobody who buys this should ever be allowed out of a f***ing cell.
Fairground Attraction. This is a contrast in nearly every respect. Sweet Latin-tinged song with a powerful vocal that is in sympathy with the music. Needless to say it did not enter at no. 2.
Charts. Wee Papa Girl Rappers going down. Did they get a play? To Voice Of The Beehive. Tracy very sparkly. Camera focusses on her more than on Melissa. This is feckin brilliant. This is everything pop should be. Dynamic, upbeat, singalong, vivacious. Magnificent.
Kim Wilde. See above.
The Funky Worm. Well, it's not a novelty track, it's a bit of housey-housey music. Weird name for a serious track. Bassist is doing the Wilko Johnson bit. Gets very boring very quickly.
Charts again. Per Long, Julianne Regan has a wonderful voice. Let's hope we hear it tonight. No, we're not. Are they protesting at not being able to perform live? It's a nice song. Hang on, everyone's cheering. Oh, now they're miming. Well, someone f***ed up there. The irony though about someone having a nice voice yet being silenced...
Top 10. Yazz & the PP holding the Minogue atrocity off the top. Thank God. At least for one week. Yazz is still thrilled. Two thumbs up. Heh, she's nearly in tears. Means a lot to her. S-Express on the playout, shame they're not in the studio, they also seem to enjoy Ver Pops loads.
Well, that picked up after the absolute worst possible start.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Nov 3, 2019 12:39:03 GMT 1
11/8. Brookes and Liz Kershaw who looks like she is cosplaying Cruella. Mica Paris and Will Downing, bit of jazz lite, not keen, bet it goes down a bomb with the cheese fondue and Beaujolais.
All About Eve. Technical difficulties with the soundtrack last week, so they're back, and fortunately went up And leaving nothing to chance as Julianne is singing live. Fair enough.
Chart me up, bitches. Meh. Breathe. Also meh.
Highest new entry is Iron Maiden. Fittingly at no. 6. Will it drop to 66 next week? Sounds like their last one, frankly.
Tanita Tikaram. Just left school. Quite sweet. Not sure she is anywhere near playing that guitar. Reminiscent of "Come On Eileen".
Charts. Julia Fordham creeping up, she should get a play. Brother Beyond also going up and they do get a play. God, this is sh*te. Pretty boy can't sing for toffee. Another SAWmill disgrace.
Top 10. Minogue is NOT NUMBER ONE, hahahahaha. Yazz video, which was done on nearly zero budget. Playout is that godawful BVSMP.
Curate's egg.
|
|
SheriffFatman
Member
Been spending most our lives living in the Cheshire countryside
Posts: 10,930
|
Post by SheriffFatman on Nov 4, 2019 22:22:57 GMT 1
Running All Over The World by Status Quo is like the punchline to a joke. It’s actually no more similar to Rocking All Over The World than several of their other hits. 😂
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Nov 10, 2019 11:18:00 GMT 1
18/8. Mayo and Read. Yazz coming up later. Which means that tiny tuneless terror is not no. 1, good times. We start with Aztec Camera, whose cred Read instantly destroys by saying he saw them gigging. This starts off really dark and brooding, then goes a bit ska, which doesn't really suit the song. It's something of a missed opportunity; this could have been epic with more sympathetic production work.
They are playing Minogue even though she's a non-mover. Whoever bought this song because they liked it needs to be hanged, drawn, and quartered.
Charts. Jane Wiedlin. Ooh, are The Go-Go's making the charts bit by bit?
Chris Rea. By numbers.
Breakers are back. Status Quo, well, it was OK ten years before. Van Halen. This is woeful. Big Country with a new sound that is emphatically not an improvement.
Fairground Attraction. Aww, this has embiggened the show. Looks like Scotland is saving the day.
Charts. Nothing special. Iglesias & Wonder. This is the musical equivalent of Jeffrey Dahmer.
Top 10. All About Eve get a top 10 despite (because of?) the TOTP balls-up. Brother Beyond still going up? REALLY? Yazz is very obviously loving being no. 1, bantering with Read and Mayo.
Playout is Robbie Robertson. You'd think a legendary member of the legendary Band would get a more prominent thing than the playout. Instead of the poison midget.
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Nov 10, 2019 11:45:10 GMT 1
Pi approximation day pt 2. Davies and Campbell. Yazz is still no.1, f*** you Minogue. We are instantly back to playing the breakers from last week. Big Country. Stuart Adamson, who left The Skits to become a Big Country member. And we do remember. Arf. He sounds like Morten Harket on this.
Jane Wiedlin. Not looking very Go-Go-ey, but sounding pop perfect. She did tend to be the best songwriter in the band (with Charlotte Caffey). Davies thinks she's cute.
Charts. Aztec Camera's performance last week plunges them straight to the basement. Counterproductive. Donny Osmond? Feck.
Brother Beyond. Fast forward.
Breakers. Bomb The Bass. This is far more an actual tune rather than cut-up samples. Highest climber is Womack & Womack, with a cheapass video, which works as you have to concentrate on a very good song.
Quo. No.
Charts. Breathe. And Breathe. This is classic American dullness. Amazing that they're British.
Yazz still no. 1. Next week's will be a radio 1 simulcast. Permanent thing? Playout is Tanita Tikaram. Quick question, why is it a good tradition of good and HATE? That's not a very good thing.
|
|
vya
Member
Posts: 8,776
|
Post by vya on Nov 10, 2019 12:11:23 GMT 1
"So In Love With You" by Spear of Destiny gets a nice long play in the Breakers section - but why go straight to the end of the song, jumping over some of the most substantial (and lyrically interesting) earlier parts? I'd rate it as, at least, my preferred 1988 hit single about Marilyn Monroe. Not sure it would have lent itself so well to subsequent repurposing as the other one, though...
The "Sunshine Mix" of Bill Withers' "Lovely Day" is grotesque, like graffiti scrawled all over a baroque structure of some elegance. I'd actually forgotten how bad it was, basically a guy with a drum machine shouting "look at me!" while some superior soul music has its volume turned down in the mix in the background. (Granted, compared with the recent Four Tops remix that just missed the top 10, and was thankfully ignored by TOTP, or the recent Four Seasons one of "December '63" that didn't quite make the top 40, it was relatively subtle and tasteful. But still). The "88" mix of Alexander O'Neal's "Fake" (a minor hit only a year earlier) plays the same trick, but doesn't benefit from the high quality structure to spew inane 808-phonia over. I'm getting a sense of pop music being in stagnation...
An interesting - and actually quite superior - selection of late-period SAW tracks on one of the recent rescreenings, all of them missing the top 20: "I Don't Believe In Miracles" might just be Sinitta's finest moment (as for the photo on the cover? oh yes). "Turn It Into Love" by Hazell Dean (a repurposing of a track previously seen as a Kylie album track) is almost (quality) middle-of-the-road pop, probably her best single of the year, and definitely suits a more mature performer better than it did Minogue, while "Love, Truth and Honesty" really is SAW-era Bananarama (any era Bananarama, even) on peak form. A subtle, growing track with a lot going on in the background. But as nobody is particularly interested, I can't help but think that some kind of musicial revolution will be on its way soon, to blow all this out of the way...
|
|
vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,429
|
Post by vastar iner on Nov 10, 2019 13:02:42 GMT 1
Pinch and a punch. Goodier and, oh God, Wright. "Sime-ulcast". And what hip hop and happening act is going to open this brave new era? Level 42. The proof that this won't live long in the memory is that I don't remember it at all.
Iglesias & Wonder. So feckin blatant.
Charts. Background is Yello, who obviously deserve a go on Ver Pops. Primitives are back, good. Bill Medley at 32 with "He Ain't Heavy", what's wrong with The Hollies' version?
Studio. Womack x2. Good stuff.
Breakers. Guns & Roses. Again this is hardly rock. Distinctive voice. Gloria Estefan with a "beautiful" (which in this sense means "sh*te") song. Yello are at 14 and they only get a video? WTF? They've tried for a decade to get a hit single and they only have breaker? Derek Daly's crash at Monaco 1980, nobody injured amazingly.
A-ha. This is weird, it's like they've gone back six years. It's quite jolly, it just doesn't sound like A-ha.
Charts. Screens in the background doing a sort of Ceefax animation. Mory Kante never got a play and he's down. Oh, here are The Hollies. Re-entry, surely, not a re-entry? OK, so Yello had the highest climber, and only get a Breaker?
Bomb The Bass. Ordinary.
Top 10. Yazz still no. 1, we get the video. Phil Collins on playout with a deathly dull and glacially slow version of "Groovy Kind Of Love".
|
|