Top of the Iggy Pops
15/01/87 (Mike Smith)
Iggy Pop – “Real Wild Child (Wild One)” (18)
At least we got to see this bizarre performance on the Big Hits compilation on BBC4 ~ and it peaked at number 10.
The Mission – “Wasteland” (24) (video)
Became their biggest hit when it peaked at number 11.
Robbie Nevil – “C’est La Vie” (6)
On its way to number 3.
The Style Council – “It Didn’t Matter” (15)
Became the band's seventh and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 9.
UB40 – “Rat In Mi Kitchen” (31) (breaker)
Peaked at number 12.
Siouxsie & The Banshees – “This Wheel’s On Fire” (30) (breaker)
Peaked at number 14.
Dead Or Alive – “Something In My House” (29) (breaker)
Peaked at number 12.
Bangles – “Walking Down Your Street” (28) (breaker)
Peaked at number 16.
Elkie Brooks – “No More The Fool” (5)
At its peak.
Jackie Wilson – “Reet Petite” (1) (video)
Fourth and final week at number one.
Alison Moyet – “Is This Love?” (3) (video/credits)
At its peak.
Next up is January 22nd.
iggy pop: the mere mention of this guy's name seemes to induce mass outbreaks of "we're not worthy" hysteria, although i've never understood why myself. this is probably quite commercial by his standards, but it's still just bogstandard 12-bar rock all the same
ReplyDeletemission: this isn't bad as far as indie-style rock goes, although to my ears echo and the bunnymen were ploughing much the same furrow several years previously
robbie nevil: i remember loving this at time, and then finding it had dated quite hideously when i listened to it again sometime earlier in this century (to the point where it's not in my mp3 collection). i'm probably erring towards liking again now, but i could do without the bursts of sanborn sax squealing that indelibly stamp it of its time
style council: this doesn't matter to me, so i'm not going to bother listening to it!
As Smitty alludes to in his final link, this was the week of the Big Freeze, when parts of the South East got cut off by snow, blizzards raged and I remember having a foot of the white stuff in my back garden - happily, I got almost the whole week off school too! Shame Smitty didn’t get snowed in, but this is one of his less annoying turns and for the most part he just gets on with it.
ReplyDeleteWe seemed to be finally past the new year hangover this week, with lots of new entries in the chart (as our host couldn’t help reminding us constantly), and plenty of new studio performances. Iggy Pop looks virtually unrecognisable here with his short dark hair, though his constant prancing around and John Otway-style leap on to the keyboard reminds us that it really is him - the badly crouched keyboardist, meanwhile, looks like a refugee from Madness. I’m sure the BBC, presumably well aware of his reputation, were relieved Iggy kept things relatively restrained overall for his belated TOTP debut. As for the song, it’s a good little rocker, though when I hear it I am always put in mind of Oliver Reed’s embarrassingly drunken rendition of it on Aspel and Company. Some doomy rock next from The Mission, nothing that special but perfectly acceptable, and a refreshing change from the increasingly highly-polished pop sounds of this era. On the evidence of this video, the singer must have wanted to be Bono so much that it hurt…
Talking of polished pop sounds, Robbie Nevil’s produced-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life hit certainly falls into that category. The production overpowers it so much that there isn’t much of a tune discernible, and Robbie looks as if he loves himself just that little bit too much - it’s a pity the camera didn’t just stay focused on the sexy conga player/backing vocalist! The Style Council’s chart fortunes were about to start declining irreversibly, but I do actually agree with Smitty that this one has a good feel to it, even if it ultimately isn’t that memorable. Dee C, her solo career having stalled, is still loyally providing backing vocals, and even gets to sing lead at one point - Paul’s bleach-bond look, meanwhile, was not advisable.
A plethora of breakers this week, of which the only one we won’t see again is The Bangles. Much as I like them generally, that is no great loss as this song was a blatant rip-off of Really Saying Something; even the video appeared to be patched together from pieces of their earlier promos. Elk makes it to the studio just two weeks after giving birth, but unfortunately spoils a good performance by appearing to do a Brucie impression while miming the final note - what makes it more unfortunate still is that this would be her last TOTP appearance. I am pretty sure we have seen the ginger bass player lurking at the back before, I think on Gerry Rafferty’s videos. Alf rounds off the show with an engaging promo in which she and her gang act out the lyrics - I wonder where this was filmed?
Beat me to it (by 1 minute) with the Elkie/Brucie observation!
DeleteWell, great minds and all that...
DeleteI think Oliver Reid's 'tired and emotional' performance was of a song by The Who also called 'The Wild One' wasn't it?
DeleteYou might be right - it was so out of tune it could have been anything really!
DeleteInteresting point about Robbie Neville. I thought the production was very good, in that the strong female vocals from the backing girls were very fresh and sexy, and I love the girl power on this track, as I think the production did a good job to get the girls vocals to flank out Robbie's. Overall a very good debut in the TOTP studio.
DeleteIggy, surprisingly with all his clothes on, pogos around for his Real Wild Child cover. Raw Power by the Stooges remains the loudest album in my collection, I can still hear it perfectly when the volume level is at 1. This is entertaining in its exuberant way, but I remember Smutty's Breakfast Show being inundated with complaints from kids who thought it was outrageous that Iggy wasn't miming properly and didn't seem to be taking the whole thing seriously. Heaven forfend! Up until recently I would say the Repo Man theme was his last great song, but I did enjoy his collaboration with Underworld last year. And now he's a 6Music DJ of course, though he's on at the same time as TOTP and Mastermind so I don't really listen!
ReplyDeleteThen one of my bete noirs of the 80s, The Mission with that old groaner Wayne Hussey straining his way through the goth doom rock. Song's called Wasteland, so let's have him standing on a wasteland in the video. Fine.
"What are ye like?" Really liked Robbie Nevil's C'est la Vie at the time, though hearing it on the radio I thought he was singing "Say la vie". Hearing it now it grooves along nicely, but the vocals are a bit hysterical to be that easy on the ear. Proof the 86 one hit wonder phenomenon was enduring.
Now, for some reason this Style Council chorus pops into my head when something doesn't matter, not all the time, but it is there. No idea why, because there's barely a tune and the shrug of the shoulders arrangement isn't exactly memory-searing.
Then the Breakers, where UB40 are one of a number of British bands visiting the Commies (taking their cue from Wham?), Siouxsie does one of her umpteen covers, Dead or Alive sound like a keyboard demo with sub-R. Dean Taylor lyrics, and the Bangles make do with a shoddy video edited together from their other videos.
Elkie in the studio (for the final time?), got a bit bored with this halfway through, and her Bruce Forsyth impersonation at the end was offputting.
Then Jackie's last week at the top, you know, that plasticine model looks nothing like him. Didn't he get shot in the arse by an irate lover at one point? That's not what killed him, I should say.
Hey, they're all having fun in Alison's video! Doing the actions, larking about on the beach! Looks bloody freezing! There's Eddi Reader, soon to have a hit of her own! Alison has quite a nice, Asterix and Cleopatra-esque nose, hasn't she?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deletei don't know about jackie wilson getting shot, but i remember reading about fellow soul crooner sam cooke once getting a bowl of (hot) grits thrown over him by the incensed hubby of a woman he was caught canoodling with. by the way, has anyone here ever tasted grits? i've never even seen it for sale in this country, despite it still being apparently hugely popular in the states
DeleteI hadn't heard about the Sam Cooke incident you mention, but Al Green had boiling grits poured over him by his girlfriend, who then killed herself - that was the incident which led him to embrace the Lord. As for Cooke, I always remember Q magazine running an article about his grubby demise which included a photo of his corpse, in a body bag, being removed from the motel where he was shot dead. The accompanying caption read "Sam Cooke checks out of the Hacienda Motel," which I must confess made me snigger!
Deletejohn it might well have been al green that i read about, but it was certainly one of those soul singers who were also known for their philandering
DeleteIndeed THX, I thought the bird (avian type) from the Manic Monday video was back on this new entry by The Bangles, but I didn't know it was the previous video clip stitched together for this new video. Well spotted! Even if John G is correct that it is a ripoff of Bananarama's Really Saying Something, The Bangles gave it a much better and impactful sound for our ears. Pity this week's Breakers slot was the only TOTP feature for this new entry by The Bangles.
DeleteThanks again to our anonymous loader for making this available. Smitty’s taste on this one by far outweighed his humour!
ReplyDeleteIggy Pop – Real Wild Child – ‘Bizarre’ is the word. Not a bad song though.
The Mission – Wasteland – Not too keen on this one. Don’t recall it either.
Robbie Nevil – C’est la vie – Not bad I guess. I’m sure you’ve all heard Greg Lake’s ‘I believe in Father Christmas’ a few times recently but I’d wager not many of you have heard his song ‘C’est la vie’? A beautiful song.
Style Council – It didn’t matter – Nope, don’t recall this (nor Blondie singing lead vocals) and doesn’t grab me much on hearing now, but I suppose it is better than some I could name.
Breakers – UB40 – what was this all about? Siouxsie and the Banshees – if ever there was a 60s song ripe for Siouxsie and co to cover it is this Julie Driscoll/Brian Auger and the Trinity classic. Dead or Alive – Still spinning that record. Bangles – Walking obsession maybe?
Elkie Brooks – No more the Fool – Well I certainly wished that this had made no1 the next week and Smitty’s taste is impeccable here. Great to see Elkie and her boiler suit back in the studio so soon after giving birth to Joseph on New Year’s Eve. The next release ‘Break the Chain’ (also written by Russ Ballard) didn’t do so well, ditto her cover of ‘We’ve got tonight.
Jackie Wilson – Reet Petite – 700K copies eh? This really did capture the UK public’s imagination and it’s a great tune really.
Not having checked out beforehand the acts on this show I have to admit to letting out a loud laugh when the playout track was announced as Alison Moyet’s ‘Is this love?’, and it was great to see the smiley video set on a beach (in the West I guess?). However, I was surprised (relieved) when the no2 hit was totally ignored!! I wonder why?
sct, only one week to go now for what i think you've made the most-anticipated moment on TOTP ever!
DeleteIt's amazing how Siouxie & The Banshees were still going strong in 1987, and now in their 10th year in the charts since making their chart debut in 1978 with Hong Kong Garden, when the likes of The Boomtown Rats, Gerry Rafferty and Lindisfarne were regular names in the pop charts, but they did not make it to 1987 like Siouxie and her team!
DeleteThanks for the upload, Anonymous. Have you got the three shows that BBC4 cut the Crowd video short? They were 6/06/85, 13/06/85 and 20/06/85.Also have you got 19/07/84, 20/09/84 and 11/07/85, all of which BBC4 cut links out of?
ReplyDeleteSmitty was mostly tolerable on this one, maybe the snow had mesmerised him into some presenting ability. Fortunately from my point of view, there's not a great deal musically that I'm crying over missing.
ReplyDeleteIggy Pop - At least we've already seen this, in all its madness. I can just picture Michael Hurll talking him through the rules. 'Now remember, you CANNOT get your cock out for this performance..'
The Mission - I do like some of their songs, but this one's a bit dull really.
Robbie Nevil - Pretty sure I loved this time, though age hasn't been kind to it. Still listenable enough though.
The Style Council - Usual rubbish from them. Truly one of the most anonymous Top 10 hits of all time.
Breakers - Only The Bangles to comment on it seems? Hmm...it's pretty average.
Elkie Brooks - Doesn't do anything for me I'm afraid.
Thanks once again to The Archivist.
ReplyDeleteShitty on much better form and with a jacket and a half there.
Methinks Iggy had a few pints of Guinness in the bar beforehand. Songwise, this was a mere passenger (ho ho) in the show. I seem to recall it was included as background music in a scene during “Crocodile Dundee”.
The Mission, vying for the status of Leeds’ top goth band with Sisters Of Mercy, nicking the bassline from the verse of Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Back Of Love”.
The prissy and self-important Robbie Nevil, with over-elaborate stick work by the drummer. Our studio host beat me to the bongos punchline.
Rewind to the early image and songs of The Jam, compare to this Style Council offering, and weep. Is Weller actually smiling here?
Missing out the three breakers given prominence on the next show, there’s Banglerama with a video which starts to put Susannah up front.
Well done to Elkie for getting in the studio less than three weeks after giving birth. Her Brucie last note mouthisms were the same as in the video. Good game, good game! Mike was very keen on this song.
An incredibly cheery video for Alison Moyet’s fine tune, filmed at and on the beach next to the long gone Cornwall Colisseum neat St. Austell.
talking of hinterland venues regularly used for rock band UK tours of the 70's and 80's: does the legendary west runton pavilion still exist?
DeleteBlimey, Wilby, that takes me back to looking at the weekly gig guides in Record Mirror and NME! For the uninitiated, West Runton Pavilion was an iconic venue in a tiny village three miles from Cromer on the North Norfolk coast, too far away for rock journalists to trek and revue gigs, hence loads of bands used it either as a tour warm-up venue or somewhere to try out new songs which may not have got such warm receptions at big city venues. Sadly, The Pavilion was closed in 1986 and demolished for housing the next year. A plaque celebrating the venue adorns the wall of the adjacent Village Inn.
DeleteCan anyone put this link back up, as I am a couple of shows behind, and just missed the 7-day cut-off where it automatically gets deleted from WeTransfer
ReplyDeleteOkidoke, the full show seems to be still on utube since someone posted it on there. Anyway, this show stood out for a couple of things:
DeleteFirstly, 12 out of the 13 songs in the chart rundown between Nos. 28-40, were new entries. Good Lord, I don't think this has ever happened before, nor that it will ever happen again. Any statisticians who know otherwise?
Secondly, who would have ever thought the Freeez would enjoy a re-entry with IOU in this week's chart, when they were previously stuck at No.2 with this one for three weeks in the hot summer of 1983. This passed me by completely, ie, that they were back again with it in January 1987. Good Lord, but hey, welcome back!
Welcome to 1987 Smithy. Nice jacket.
ReplyDelete14 New Entries! Wowzers. 😀 😀 😀
The badly miming Iggy gets us underway. A TV Directors nightmare. Never where he was in rehersal I expect. Great tune though. Really thought he was a 70s act to start with. Amazed this is his debut. Good luck to The Pretenders I think Mike.
The Mission. Not a band I'm very familiar with. Very U2 in places in sound and look. Not bad. Just don't recall this at all.
Robbie into the studio after last weeks breaker appearance. One hit wonder?
Quality tune. I was just about to mention the bongos but Smithy beat me to it.
Now that's what i call a post Xmas chart clearout. Dead or Alive still going?
Style Council back again. A new blonde Weller. Does not suit him. This is a bit of a lame effort from the council. Normally they are so much fun to watch. I'll pass on this one thanks.
Breakers :
UB40 love this so much fun. Is the Russia theme deliberate? Who is the rat?
THIS WHEELS ON FIRE.. Great song. What have you done to it Siouxsie.
And here are Dead or Alive. Still churning out pop nowhere near as good as Spin Me. He looks almost normal here.
Bangles. Not hears this one before but helpfully the words are in the video. Not their best. Bit cheesy.
Elkie makes it to the studio. Great moody performance. Has this has a remix since the video. Sounds much stronger in the studio. Think my Dad liked this one. I am quite surprised it missed out on top spot.
Reet Petite. My 12 year old thinks this video is hilarious. 😀 😀 😀
Moyet plays out... Another one to singalong to. Quality.
Elkie and Mission best of the bunch tonight. An OK show. 😀