Come on now, own up, who's nicked my vest?
17/03/83 (Tony Blackburn & Gary Davies)
Bananarama – “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” (5)
Its a hello rather than a goodbye really as Bananarama get tonight's show underway, but this song went up the chart no further.
The Style Council – “Speak Like A Child” (6) (video)
Going back to the 60's and straight in at number 6 for the Style Council's debut single, which went up two more places.
Mezzoforte – “Garden Party” (29)
Tony informs us that their album Surprise Surprise costs £15 in their native Iceland, so we're lucky to live in the UK! Garden Party became the band's only top 30 hit, peaking at number 17.
Jonathan King – European chart rundown: Edited out
Louise Tucker – “Midnight Blue” (video clip)
Taco – “Putting On The Ritz” (video clip)
F.R. David – interview + “Words” (video clip)
Nena – “99 Luftballoons” (video clip)
Peter Schilling – “Major Tom (Coming Home)” (video clip)
Ultravox – “Visions In Blue” (30) (video)
Quite a saucy video here, and a seemingly odd choice for a single, but it did get to number 15, so maybe not so odd after all.
Bucks Fizz – “Run For Your Life” (21)
Going hell for leather here with a slightly scary song that peaked at number 14.
Joan Armatrading – “Drop The Pilot” (28)
Making her first appearance in the studio since 1976, which of course we saw in the early days of these re-runs (is that a sort of double nostalgia now?) Drop the Pilot peaked at number 11 and was Joan's final top 30 hit.
Bonnie Tyler – “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” (1)
Second and final week at number one.
Forrest – “Rock The Boat” (4) (audience dancing/credits)
Now at its chart peak.
PAGES FROM CEEFAX KLAXON #totp pic.twitter.com/XyBwnqNQbj
— Neil Miles (@neilsmiles) February 10, 2017
Next up is the live edition form Wednesday March 23rd 1983 that flashed up at the end of tonight's credits.
Angelo, I wonder if the 11.5 million viewers were tuned in because of Tony Blackburn's return? And what prompted him to return after a 4-year absence from the show? Actually the No.1 song on his last appearance was Gloria Gaynor, and not Vera Lynne as Blackburn says jokingly of course.
ReplyDeleteBananarama - not much to say about this one apart from the fact that Keren was looking very pretty once again, and that I liked the studio audience member with the white top and red miniskirt dressed as a cheerleader. It was like Toni Basil all over again, a whole year on.
The Style Council - aha, another debut here, and straight in at No.6 already, but no appearance in the TOTP studio here? Quite surprising considering that up to now, Paul Weller was always rough and ready for the TOTP studio whenever the opportunity came his way.
Mezzoforte - really like this one, although it was technically still winter in mid-March '83, and garden parties seemed a long way off considering the bitterly cold winter we were in at the time. I'm a proud owner of the 7-inch single of this somehow, although I don't know how it got into my collection.....anyway I liked the two sexy ballgowned ladies dancing in front of them on this performance...yes please, and much better than Zoo I thought!
Ultravox - saucy video? Yes indeed, although quite surprising for Ultravox, as I would have expect this sort of video from Imagination or Rod Stewart at the time. The song itself is too slow to get going, and when it does, it gets cut off. Good heavens TOTP!
Bonnie Tyler - third and final week at no.1, and did you notice that the male singer behind her singing "turn around bright eyes" was not his voice but it was Jim Steinman's voice, as you can see on this original recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owv_cL3bTDU
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDory - according to Wikipedia it was a Canadian singer called Rory Dodd who provided the "turn around" vocal part on the original recording. Different people were miming the part on Bonnie's two TOTP studio performances, but I have no idea if either of them was Mr Dodd.
DeleteAnorak alert - Tony introduced consecutive TOTPs where the different number ones are sung by someone called Gaynor, as Bonnie Tyler's real name is Gaynor Hopkins.
DeleteThe first of two weeks in a row on TOTP with Jonathan King somehow, so anyone have this show and the following week's show (24th March), as we will not have the pleasure of this from BBC4?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure 'pleasure' is a word I'd use to describe an appearance from Jonathan King, but it would be nice to have a week without shows being cut or not shown because of presenter issues!
DeleteThe issues are coming from the BBC and not from the presenters who have been treated very badly by BBC4.
DeleteI meant 'issues' in inverted commas Dory!
DeleteMezzoforte: that's why jazz-funk fans go to Iceland! Sterling work. 'Garden Party' was used to introduce the horse-racing coverage for a while, if I remember rightly.
ReplyDeletetotp 17 March 1983 With JK euro chart segment is here https://we.tl/8zCXHQFxM5
ReplyDeleteBrilliant stuff gia. Jonathan King in Paris this time? Good Lord, the JK roadshow continues. I actually went on a cruise only a month ago for the first time on the River Seine in Paris where JK is overlooking at the start of his segment.
DeleteOnto the music, and Midnight Blue by Louise Tucker sounds identical to Somewhere Out There in 1987 by James Ingram & Linda Ronstadt. What do you think?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smc5FHbZtG4
With regard to the song title Midnight Blue, I much prefer the ELO song with the same title from the Discovery album in 1979, which was a much better song than Tucker's one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F71soGRAqC0
With regard to Peter Schilling's song Major Tom at no.4 in the European chart, did he consult with David Bowie, the originator of the Major Tom concept? It did not seem anywhere near Bowie excellence. In fact in 1996 the Pet Shop Boys joined forces with Bowie to release Hallo Spaceboy with references to Major Tom in the lyrics for the Pet Shop Boys. Good consultation here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnvr9QEX0wI
Thanks gia! Any chance of the full edition of the 10/3/83 show please?
DeleteJK released a single that mixed Space Oddity and Major Tom which was quite well done.
DeleteDo you have a link for that Charlie?
Deletewww.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZRVrkCaovI
DeleteInteresting to say the least, but JK's version of Space Oddity could not have impressed the great Bowie, as much as Hallo Spaceboy in 1996 by The Pet Shop boys, where he liked it so much, he even sang most of the song on it, and appeared with them in this clip at the 1996 Brit Awards:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfrqK_uVDok
Suffice to say that the Pet Shop Boys sing the words "Ground to Major, bye bye Tom." Absolutely brilliant in my opinion!
The JK segment from the 23 March show can be found here - the whole show was on YouTube at one point, but the copyright police have blocked the first part.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of_j74-QlR8
I would say that it would be a lot easier if someone can just upload the UK Gold edition of 23.3.83 in full, to save having to stitch together the Utube part-show together with the BBC4 edit coming up on Friday.
DeleteThat is unless gia can come to the rescue with the original show, that will even supersede the UK Gold showing with slight sits on either side of their commercials!
I can't say that I'm bothered about having a complete version of the show, as long as I can get to see all the constituent parts!
DeleteOn the subject of Peter Schilling, as far as I am aware Bowie never raised an objection to his use of Major Tom, so I would assume he gave the song his blessing. In any case, musically it is totally different from either Space Oddity or Ashes to Ashes.
As I understand it, Pet Shop Boys were asked to remix 'Hallo Spaceboy' by Bowie from an existing track so it's not a true collaboration really. They did have to clear the extra lyrics that they'd written mind you, and I seem to remember Neil Tennant saying that he wasn't sure that Bowie would like what they had done. Happily he did!
DeleteIf I'm correct Noax, I think that Hallo Spaceboy in 1996 was the final chapter of the Major Tom trilogy, and thank goodness that Bowie himself took the bulk of the singing on it, even though it was a Pet Shop boys style song.
DeleteThe next 20 years till 2016 while Bowie was still alive, did not spur on any further Major Tom songs to the best of my knowledge, and so this final chapter in 1996 was for me a fantastic finish to the Major Tom open book since Space Oddity first introduced Major Tom in 1969.
There was also probably a clue of the end of Major Tom in Hallo Spaceboy, when the Pet Shops Boys lyrics went "Ground to Major, bye bye Tom" and then Bowie takes the next line "this chaos is killing me". We just did not realise then that this was the last episode for Major Tom, by they obviously did!
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ira7NnmoYI
Ah Dory your taste regarding 'Midnight Blue' is impeccable! Stuck on the B Side of 'All over the World', this is one of the standout tracks on 'Discovery'.
DeleteThe 'nanas commendably undisturbed by the floor manager bellowing at the audience to get their hands in the air. Just as well he wasn't swearing, you could hear him clear as a bell.
ReplyDeleteStyle, yes, good... Council, hmm, not quite as exciting, anyone here have a stylish council? Is it something to do with the swish way they collect the rubbish or fix the potholes that attracted Mr Weller? Whatever, he's so triumphant about speaking like "A" child that he's hired an open-top bus to travel the highways and byways of the nation. The song? Yeah, it's bouncy little tune, nice brass, but with this lot you always wondered when Paul was going to get grumpy.
Mezzoforte, I have this on a mix CD I bought a while ago, and it's so good they allow it to play in full. It is a bit test card/coming up on BBC Daytime it's Paul Coia and Catchword, but for what it was, very satisfying.
Ultravox with a muted track I don't recognise, apparently they were hoping to sustain our interest with intense knee-washing. I guess we didn't get the crescendo, but it wasn't a very interesting journey to get there from what we did hear.
Bucks Fizz seemingly appearing as their own tribute act, which is more or less what they do now. Sort of ver Fizz lite, if you can imagine such a thing, aims for the usual beats but sounds like a facsimile.
Joan! It's been too long! Great little song this one, always fun when someone a bit folky gets out the electric guitar and rocks, though slightly disappointing to see Miss Armour Plating didn't actually play it herself. What would The Beano say?
Then back to the bellowing to end on, except it's the artiste doing the roaring. Is this a live vocal from Bonnie? Difficult to tell. She's left her hairdryer on.
Oh, in fact to end on you can't see the Forrest for the audience. And you could hardly hear Tony, as well, had they switched his microphone off without telling him?
JK was saying in his clip that a cup of tea for £1 was startling in Paris. Considering the fact that the new one pound coin was released only one month later in April 1983, I think the French were moving in quickly to bump up their prices, as a cup of tea in Britain in 1983 would cost less than 50p, so JK was quite right to feel taken aback at the Paris cafe on this clip.
ReplyDeleteIts 'Bring-Your-Dad-To-Work-Day' on ToTp so Ooh Gary Davies (he of the heroic nose and Noel Gallagher eyebrows) persuades the venerable Tony Blackburn out of retirement to help host a show which is, happily, a large step up from previous weeks.
ReplyDeleteThe Nanas have the honour of opening the batting tonight. Despite having fairly low production values (which meant that during the instrumental break the crowd were forced to whoop and yelp to keep the atmosphere going) the BBC threw all their party tricks at this. Huge flags for the crowd to wave, tin-foil litter falling throughout, and a phalanx of cheer leaders behind them. The song still does nothing for me, but this was a quirky and kind of enderaing performance from the gals who are really starting to look like a cohesive group now.
The Style Council. So, you're Paul Weller. Famous, probably got a bit of moolah in the bank, and sufficient Star points to do pretty much what you like regarding publicity and promotion. So why the hell would you agree to film outdoors on a testacle-shrivelling, bitterly cold day? It's not as though the vid was any good, or had anything pertienent to say about 1980s Britain. I swear at one point I could hear Mick Talbot's teeth chattering. It IS a great song though.
Mezzaforte. Back in the warmth of the studio some anonymous Icelandic bods Jazz-funk their way through the kind of tune you hear in Wine bar toilets where there is a guy trying to sell you a splash of cologne for a couple of quid. Get outta here mate, I've already doused meself in Lynx Africa!
Ultravox. Took an absolute age to interest me aurally. But visually, the director had me at 'Action'. Very soft-pornish and I wonder if it got even more so, thus requiring the abrupt end?
Joan Armatrading. Really liked Joan's stuff around this time (Me Myself I - another single- was superb)She looks a tad lost without her guitar though. Semi-interesting fact. I have her autograph on a beer mat from the day when we were both at Liverpool Cathedral for a University Cap & Gown thing. ( I got an MA she got an Honoury Doctorate) She was positively charming.
Bucks Fizz. A slip in standards for the Fizzers. Not a patch on something like Land Of Make Believe and, without checking up, I'm thinking this is the start of the end of the road for them. Did they even have another hit after this? Nice visit to the dressing-up box for Mike, and especially Jay. I think I have a thing for women wearing faux-military caps ( Janet Jackson, Cheryl Cole especially)
Bonnie at number one and Forrest plays us out.
Scores. Davies is beginning to irk me for some reason. It might be his hair, it might be his eyebrows, it might be the amount of times he looks down to me. But I smell a fake. Someone who doesn't really know enough about the music, or even like it that much. Blackburn was, surprisingly, the better of the two, although given the fact he was approaching two decades as a DJ that's hardly surprising. 6
Some good stuff tonight. Joan, Bucks Fizz, Bonnie, Style Council. Mezzaforte was a bit 'meh' and the Forrest playout I could have done without, but other than that..... 7.
Blackburn was 40 years old in this TOTP 'comeback'. A 40 year old then looks like a 50 year old now, as people were ageing more quickly back then than they do now, as we're living around 10 years longer than they would have expected to live in those days.
DeleteHaving said that, Blackburn would be around 74 now, and he has certainly outlasted some of his colleagues who left us at a younger age, for example John Peel, Mike Smith, Alexis Korner, etc.
Bucks Fizz would continue to have hits right up until 1986, though their most successful period was now behind them.
DeleteQuite a good show.
ReplyDeleteStyle Council - Great song, but not seen this video - Looks like one of our family cine films :-) Never really understood why he split the Jam - this is very similar to The Bitterest Pill.
Introduction to Garden Party must have been the longest intro on record - could have squeezed another trck in in the time - and not really worth the wait. ANiother track I have never heard before.
Louise Tucker track sounded like a reject from Phantom of The Opera.
There is a 99 Luftballoons video thta they showed on MTV with her wandering across a desolate landscape - wonder why they didn't use thta one...
Ultravox - anther track that completly passed me by. Never seen the video. Bit dull - I kept expected it to burst into life...
Buck's Fizz - the band are my guilty pleasure. This is one of their weaker singles, and the start of a run of less dance oriented tracks.
Joan Armatrading - Great tune that I had completely forgotten about.
Bonnie - As a Steinman fan, I have to love this. Someone was commenting on Steinman Number ones - he also cowrote No Matter What by Boyzone.
Forrest - Not sure why they bothered, this doesn't seem to be very much different to the original.
The English language version of 99 Luftballoons called "99 Red Balloons" took a stonking one year to chart in the UK in 1984 following this week's JK plug, so it took quite a long time for the British public to endear itself to a German parody. They were a lot quicker to lap up most of the American artists into our UK charts.
DeleteWith regard to Jim Steinman, anything that he did not give to Meat Loaf, was eventually snatched by Meat Loaf for himself at some stage later, including No Matter What, which I have on his 1997 album The Very Best Of Meat Loaf, and I think he sings it a lot better than Boyzone if you care to listen to it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RlPtsGnMeA
One exception was of course of Total Eclipse Of The Heart which I think Meat himself would have agreed was better for a woman to sing, and he has never put it on one of his albums to date.....well, not yet anyway!
If you are a Steinman addict, you should check out the various Tanz De Vampire soundtracks. He is the master of recycling :-)
DeleteI found Steinman at his very best on this German TV appearance in 1981:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR53uAzkF6A
Oh and guess what - Meat Loaf pinched this song 12 years later for his Bat Out Of Hell II album in 1993.
My wife and I were supposed to get married to 'Rock n Roll Dreams Come True', but due to a delay and the CD overruning, we actually tied the knot to 'Out Of The Frying Pan, and Into the Fire'...
DeleteThrough...
DeleteCrickey, then you're a bigger fan of Meat Loaf/Steinman than myself, which I thought was not possible. Pity that it's the final week at No.1 for Total Eclipse Of The Heart on this week's show.
Deletecharlie i hope that unfortunate change of circumstance wasn't an omen for your nuptials! of course in the unlikely event i got wed then it would be a jim steinman-free zone...
Delete23 years next month :-)
DeleteDoes that mean you will be playing Deadringer For Love on your 23-year wedding anniversary?
DeleteIn respones to someone's comment about Foley Artists which I can't find again - it IS named after a Foley, Jack Foley, but he was around in the 1920s
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit strange to see Tone (incidentally, now unveiled as Brian Matthew's successor on Radio 2's Sounds of the 60s) back on the show after so long, and he does looks a bit out of place in the flashy 80s studio atmosphere. Even so, he does a reasonable job, though his "gay" Jonathan King reference was a bit of a surprise, and seemed to shock Gary Davies too - I wonder if it was deliberate? Although Tone would host two more shows later that year, this will be the last time we see him on BBC4, due to the identity of his other co-hosts. Interesting that Gazza was picked as his sidekick this time, as they both share the same kind of naff and cheesy image, the difference being that at this point Gazza was an up-and-coming Radio 1 star, while Tone was fast approaching the exit door. I think the older man does the better job overall - Gazza still seems too unnatural in front of the cameras - though the chart rundown technique of both is monotonous.
ReplyDeleteOn to the music, and the Nanas appear to want to adopt some kind of "bovver girl" look here, though as ever they do not get the coordination of their clothes right. In any case, they seem to be enjoying themselves as they indulge in more pointy dancing amid the shiny confetti tumbling around them. The Style Council make their first appearance, though their summery sound sits uneasily with the wintry feel of the video and its badly dated graphics. Paul appears happy to have escaped The Jam, but his new group would never be afforded the critical respect of his old one. This is a decent enough tune, however, and the Council would go on to record several other worthwhile hits. Just what we need next - an Icelandic Shakatak! Admittedly this has a bit more oomph than the music purveyed by their British counterparts, but it still goes on forever and my interest was only sustained by the cute dancer down the front.
JK is in Paris for his segment, and like Tone is complaining about the cost of living in foreign parts. This was nevertheless an interesting sequence, as it featured several songs that would go on to become hits in the English-speaking world, notably 99 Red Balloons, though it would be another year before that topped the charts here! My Dad loved the Peter Schilling song at the time, and bought the English-language version via the parent album when it was released here, but although it was a biggish hit in the States it only got to 42 in the UK. Taco's imaginative reworking of Puttin' on the Ritz would be very successful in America, and of course we will soon be hearing a lot more of the "multi-talented" FR David, who is interviewed here by JK, with an added glimpse of his somewhat psychedelic video. Louise Tucker comes over as a prototypical Katherine Jenkins, and thankfully this dreadful slice of popera wouldn't pull up many trees here - the video is most notable for borrowing the TV-am clock...
Part 2 - Ultravox premiere their latest epic, with a pretentious video that recalls the one for Vienna. The song has some good synth work, but it takes an age to get going and is promptly cut off when it does. Bucks Fizz follow the Nanas' lead and dress all in black, but an energetic routine and some kinky headgear for Jay can't disguise the fact that musically they are offering nothing new here. Far better follows from the superb Joan Armatrading. By rights she should have had a string of hits since her last appearance on the show (coincidentally, on an edition that was also hosted by Tone), but at least this great pop-rock track found its way into the charts. It comes from an album called The Key, presumably named after the one that Joan made a habit of wearing on a chain round her neck, and which can be seen here.
DeleteBonnie returns to the studio for her last week at number 1, perpetuating the black theme with her choice of outfit - thankfully, as she is braless, she does not pop out of her top! Forrest's tiresome cover of a tiresome song plays us out, with a persistent message appearing after the credits to remind us that the next show will be live and on a Wednesday - just as well therefore that BBC4 can actually show that one...
Alguém sabe o nome desses músicos que estão tocando com a Bonnie Tyler ? Br queria saber
Deletehosts: did another jock pull out of this show at the last minute, or was tony blackburn really itching to get back in the game? whatever the reason, his presence wasn't justified as he's a complete anachronistic embarressment with what now looks seriously like as syrup (that is made to look even more absurd by his youthful partner's luxurious thatch). with regard to this show, i'm only going by the clips on yt here as what's on this edition is certainly not worth making the effort to trudge over to the library in the damp and cold to watch on iplayer
ReplyDeletestyle council: speak as "A" child! the worst case of placing the emphasis on the wrong part of a phrase since "prince char-MING"! but i'm only going from memory on that, as i have no wish to be aurally or visually reminded of the modfather's desperate attempts to re-invent himself as some kind of casuals-wearing hipster
mezzoforte: pleasant enough if already outdated jazz funk-lite that is as anonymous as the b(l)and themselves. none of which explains its popularity, other than it was simply the fact that they were icelandic and therefore of curiosity value?
ultravox: i pulled a complete blank on this, and listening now it's truly awful to the point where i could only do so a few seconds! is this really the same band that did the brilliant "mr x"?!?
bucks fizz: another that rings no bells whatsoever. and another slick piece of manufactured dance-pop in the vein of their recent work, but without the allure of the last single. no doubt dory will disagree with me here (for a change!), but i don't think jay's peaked leather cap impacts in quite the same way as when modelled by the likes of rob halford and freddie mercury...
joan armatrading: more plodding and earnest rock from one of the few successful black acts that had a much larger white following than that of their own ethnicity - the only others that come to mind for me are hendrix, richie havens, tracy chapman and (probably) prince. by the way, does anyone else remember her brother tony appearing in "grange hill" as a teacher?
Certainly do disagree with you Wilberforce, cos I think Jay Aston comes up ahead of everyone else in whatever she is modelling, even a leather cap.
DeleteI'm not that interested in JK, but I did check out the videos to a couple of his picks, and when the Louise Tucker one started I thought "Louise is a funny name for a bloke" until I realised there were two singers on it. We got Hooked On Classics, the rest of Western Europe got this, I suppose?
ReplyDeleteAs for Peter Schilling, I didn't recognise the name but on hearing it I had an "Oh yeah!" moment, no idea where I first encountered it but it is a catchy slice of Europop. Pity he couldn't think up a more original set of lyrics, though. Does have that stock footage favourite, the NASA clips, natch.
Frustratingly the full length Ultravox video for Visions in Blue isn't on YT, so we can't see if the knee washing goes any further. Is Midge embarrassed by his attempts to go all David Hamilton (not that one)? Presumably he directed it.
ReplyDeletetotp 23 march 1983 with JK segment is here https://we.tl/sLLVgAz6b6
ReplyDeleteGood Lord gia, yours must be the most popular postings at the moment. I'll wait till Friday to comment when the blog goes up (with the link perhaps?).
Deleteany chance of someone putting this on a streaming site where you don't have to agree to "terms of policy" before you can watch it? the reason being that i don't want big brother watching me if i can help it!
DeleteSorry, i hurried
DeleteWeller sporting a stylish mac on the open top bus. Lovely stuff. Can't beat a bit of jazz funk sax at any time of day. A nice bit of soft focus from Ultravox. Those knees were a bit knobbly for my taste though. Bucks Fizz trying to compete for the gay pound in those outfits. Cheryl Baker always gets my gentleman stirring however. Joan Armaplating. Smell my perfume. Bonnie's trousers were unfeasibly tight in the upper area. A stingy play out of Forrest to finish.
ReplyDeleteFull edition of 10/3/83 has turned up courtesy of Neil B. The link is at https://wetransfer.com/downloads/2792df7cc70818c8ca46f0e2d1a81af820170212130934/4f7538
ReplyDeleteThanks brie, but you have put your message in the wrong edition, as this is the one for the 17/03/83. Can you kindly post the message there for those reading the comments for 10/3/83?
DeleteThanks brie!
DeleteSorry Dory! Only just gone back online and realised I'd put the link on the wrong edition last night. Thanks gia for posting it on the correct one.
DeleteDory, it's here https://we.tl/81fzZrwNS0
ReplyDeleteOy oy old boy! It’s Tony from the 70’s accompanied by Young Monobrow wearing a ripped Flintstone type top.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up Band AKA from the chart rundown. Turns out this was their only UK top 30 and it was at its chart peak so we never saw or heard them. “Joy” was generic session soul and their second chart entry after “Grace” reached 41.
That foil tickertape spoilt a wonderful routine from Bananarama. Wonder why they didn’t double up with Bad Manners and release a medley called “Ne Ne Na Na Na Na Nu Nu Na Na Hey Hey”? Maybe not, then.
The Style Council? Did The Jam really die for this? Get that marker pen frenzy. Ooo, It’s Tracie! Excellent branch dodging, Mick. Dreadful rhyming couplet of lecher with lecture, Paul. Put a suit on and go back to the basics.
Coming up next on Channel 4, it’s Mezzoforte. It’s not all Bjork round these parts! If their album cost £15 in Iceland, was it cheaper in Bejam?
Midge Ure, a real arty vision in blue there, in a video which started and ended like Visage’s would have done if they were still going, but the bathtime horsey bits in the middle got my attention. Speaking of which…
What a shame Bucks Fizz didn’t follow Orange Juice in a recent edition. Shame the gals could only afford one pair of gloves between them, and Mike and especially Jay looked ready for a suburban bondage party. A weirdly sinister song, but see that, Bananarama? That’s what you call a routine, Watch and learn.
Joan Armatrading’s song was great if a bit repetitive, but top marks for getting the word mahout (an elephant trainer / rider – I had to look it up) into the lyric. I wonder what the significance of the key round Joan’s neck was?
Bonnie Tyler making the effort to come into the studio for her number one, so fair play. They could have at least turned that hairdryer off, mind you.
It happens to be exactly two years to the day that Visage lead vocalist Steve Strange died at the mere age of 55.
DeleteWith this the last outing on TOTP for Bananamama for this, another Top 5 hit for them, I took a look at the video, not shown on TOTP, and some interesting points to mention:
ReplyDeleteStarting off in the playground doing hopscotch, finding it boring, then leaving three lads to take over their boring girlie sport, the girls head to more adventurous climbs in the gym, and then the boxing ring where Keren (in shorts!) grades herself up to knocking out a gym muscleman, and then as if that wasn't enough, they return to the playground and pinch the three lads' motorbikes and speed off:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUIYwrMyiQ
It was a sort of early version of the Spice Girls in a more innocent and less developed 1980s, and I think this video was the first of the girl power themes that I can think of in pop music, and that we would see take over big time in the following decade with the Spice Girls in 1996 that would then cement the theme forever, in case anyone had any doubts of where we were heading in our new world and new century.
Tony Blackburn here for the last time then (on BBC4 at least) and I guess he's the last link back to the beginning of the repeats of the DJs that we're allowed to see, isn't he?
ReplyDeleteShame that the show was a bit bland, with a couple of exceptions.
Style Council - Oh, how many more of their singles we have to 'look forward to'. I don't mind a couple of their songs but eventually the lyrics became about Thatcher 90% of the time. This one isn't overly offensive, but it's not particularly great either.
Mezzoforte - Well, they're better than Shakatak, which admittedly isn't saying much. Wasn't this song used both by Gary Davies (on the radio) and Mike Smith (on TV) later on?
Of the JK segment songs, I know them all bar the Louise Tucker song and by the sounds of it I'm not missing much there!
Nena (not sure why you think the song is a 'parody', Dory!) and FR David we will see at some point. Taco appears on the odd 80s compilation even though it wasn't a hit here, and Peter Schilling's song deserved to be a Top 40 hit I think.
Ultravox - Very, very dull tune.
Bucks Fizz - Seems to be happening a lot these days, but I'm going against the grain here to say that this is one of my favourite singles by them. Not sure why really, maybe it's the tight production.
Joan Armatrading - Also excellent, used to get a lot of airplay on my student radio station in the 90s, this one! (I thought that she'd been in studio for 'Me Myself I' but either it was a video, or that was a hit during the strike period presumably)
As I'm not excited either by Bonnie Tyler or her song, that's about it. Next up, one I've watched many times since I recorded it from UK Gold. Hope I don't get bored watching it again!!
I also meant to say that the ending to the Bucks Fizz performance is very odd - the single fades, so why they had a sharp end and freeze frame at the end, I'm not quite sure.
DeleteAnother vote for Bucks Fizz here, probably my favourite. Top notch arrangement, harmonies and production as usual.
DeleteAlso thought Ultravox's was a nice song too, it was building nicely before it got faded out.
Does anyone know if Speak Like 'A' Child was code for something else? Thinking along the lines that another Weller song 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street was short for Atomic Bomb...?
I put together an edit of the BBC4HD version of 17/3/83 with the JK Euro chart included in case it's of use:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.4shared.com/video/d2C9hIHKba/TOTP_1983-03-17.html
Looks like I'll have to do 13/10/83 too now that's turned up...
err no that one didn't have a JK segment, did it? I think I meant 17/2/83 (that still hasn't turned up in ull yet has it?) I'm finding it hard to keep up with all the skipping that's going on *sigh*
DeleteThey don't call you dry kid for nothing
DeleteThanks drykid! I see on your 4shared page that the full version of 13/12/79 is on there. Have you any more full length editions from 1976-1981 that the BBC tampered with, as I'm after 11 editions from that period?
DeleteI guess you are referring to the BBC removing the Barron Nights from the original 13.12.79 edition, instead of having a sense of humour?
DeleteYes, you got it Dory! All the rest have had at least one act removed through various reasons.
Deletebrie: those are the only ones I've edited so far. I'm going to try and fix all the future JK ones as they come out, but not sure whether I have time to go back and do all the ones BBC4 have (half-) shown so far. Editing each one is a fairly time-consuming process, or at least it is the way I do it.
DeleteI just wondered if you'd got any UK Gold editions that don't need editing, which were shown in full in the '90's
DeleteNah sorry, I did record some stuff myself back in the UK Gold days, but only songs I particularly liked rather than whole episodes.
DeleteFinally got round to watching this and I find I am late to the party again. That’s the problem with having four shows to watch – too much of a good thing! Surprised to see TB back on the show and giving a very professional account of himself with his younger partner.
ReplyDeleteBananarama – Na na hey hey etc. Nice and cheap these Nanas on the show. Just stand there, wiggle around and mime the lyrics and clap whilst copious amounts of glitter paper are poured from above. Rousing start to the show to get everyone in the mood and nothing wrong with that. I bumped into Keren in Cornwall in her and Andy’s Local one year. They didn’t really see me as they were with all their local chums.
Style Council – Speak like A Child – Uh-oh Weller’s back with a bus tour of wintry countryside whilst posting a nice tribute to John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett on the side of the bus. What’s it all about though?
Mezzoforte – Garden Party – Nice piece of instrumentation. Nobody’s mentioned another ‘Garden Party’ of a very different genere from Fish & Co that would hit the charts very soon later in the year.
(JK Segment)
Louise Tucker – Wow!! Lovely way to treat Beethoven’s ‘Sonata Pathetique’. Should really be credited to Charlie Skarbek as well as he shares the vocals, but we don’t hear him here. Yes, I really like this and it’s off to eBay after writing this!!!! Thanks JK and gia. In terms of songs called ‘Midnight Blue’, then we’re spoilt for choice’ ELO edge Louise with Melissa Manchester a close third.
Taco – Putting on the Ritz- From LVB to Gershwin. Not quite so moved by this one!
F R David – Words – I’m gonna stick my head up and proclaim that I love this!! Most people I know couldn’t stand it, but me, I just wanted it to reach the top spot, but it didn’t, that much is true.
Nena – 99 Red Balloons – Not a particular favourite of mine.
Peter Schilling – Major Tom- Not a great fan of this.
(end of JK Paris trip)
Ultravox – Visions in Blue – Robin Smith of ‘Record Mirror’ reviewed the ‘Quartet’ album when it was released, gave it one star and described ‘Visions in Blue’ as an anti-climax. By the time the song was released as the third single he was man enough to admit he’d been a little harsh in his judgment. Rightly so, this is my second favourite Ultravox track. A slight edit in the single mix doesn’t help admittedly as the middle vocal fade stops abruptly. The video had to be clipped here for showing on TOTP giving a very clipped presentation of the song; but this is because one of the dancers, shall we say, pops out! YT has the video bizarrely shown in reverse.
Bucks Fizz – Run for your life – Sort of ‘My Camera never lies’ but not as good.
Joan Armatrading – Drop the Pilot – Always hated ‘Love & Affection’ which appeared on so many ‘Love Songs’ compilations in the 80s and 90s and wasn’t too keen on this either. A chart rundown announcers dream though; “Joan Armatrading with ‘Drop the Pilot’ drops two places down the chart…”.
Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart – I kinda remembered that we never saw the red leather outfit again. Instead we got a non-bearded guy singing the male vocals and Bonnie being blown around in black. Awesome song still! Bad luck BBC4 viewers, you have been robbed!
Forrest – Rock the Boat playout – Good playout audience stuff.
Sorry to hark on here, but something bothered me about the Louise Tucker use of Beethoven. I felt sure another song around the same era had done likewise. Then it came to me; 'This Night' from Billy Joel's 'An Innocent Man' album used it in the chorus.
DeletePost Script: The missing verses from 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' as featured on the album 'Faster than the speed of Light' and the B Side of the 12" to 'Have you ever seen the Rain?'.
ReplyDelete(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know you'll never be the boy
You always wanted to be
(Turn around)
But every now and then
I know you'll always be the only boy
Who wanted me the way that I am
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know there's no one in the universe
As magical and wondrous as you
(Turn around)
Every now and then
I know there's nothing any better
There's nothing that I just wouldn't do
Also features more keyboard notes at the start and a much longer fade at the end with the male vocal. 'Magical' indeed...
Anyone seen Bama Boogiewoogie lately, or even 20th Century Relic?
ReplyDeleteI'm still around Dory, I've been watching those shows from non-BBC sources (thanks mainly to gia) but to tell you the truth I've no real love for TOTP from this period or its presenters (new recruits for 1983: two blokes chosen for their looks and a dotty middle-aged woman who isn't even middle-aged yet - great!), no fond memories of this time and I feel that much of the music is best appreciated in audio only (Kajagoogoo being the prime example!).
ReplyDeleteSorry, nothing positive to say really...
Great to see Tony Blackburn back on the show and I'm glad this edition dates from 1983 If it had been a few months earlier we might not have seen it. I was shocked to read about the girl who was linked to him in 1970 who committed suicide, not least because she lived in the same road I lived in at the time in Watford but I had no memories of the story at all although being only 7 at the time is not surprising.
ReplyDeleteThe show gets off to a great start with... Bananarama. Oh dear, what a shame, never mind.
The Style Council with a brilliant video clearly inspired by The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, in particular the Fool On A Hill sequence with Paul in a white mac like Paul while the music is inspired by Brinsley Scwartz's Surrender To the Rhythm. I LOVED this to bits when it came out and got seriously into the Style Council. I even got myself a checked scarf like Weller's, never got a mac though.
Mezzeforte I have vague memories of this but it's pretty standard forgettable jazz-funk which could come from any group in any country, their Icelandic-ness adds nothing to it. Interesting to hear how much records cost in Iceland at the time although wasn't it called Beejam back then?
I had fallen out of love with Ultravox by this point and hearing this today I can see why, Visions In Blue a horrible rambling mess with a video desperately trying to rekindle the days of Vienna. It's not working.
The Bucks Fizz song has all the right elements to be a massive hit but doesn't quite work for me, maybe I've seen too many of their dance routines.
Now this is more like it Joan Armatrading another song I loved at the time. This is from her album The Key and when I worked at Our Price Records a little later in 1983 I found a promotional Joan Armtrading guitar-shaped key which I still have somewhere.
The Top Ten and Bonnie Tyler at the top spot. Never a Bonnie fan I must admit I did like this song a lot but think the vocalist Rory Dodd deserves equal credit for his vocals which help make the song what it is and it's wrong/odd to let the guitarist mime them.
We play out as we came in with a mediocre cover in the shape of Forrest.