Hairy-tale princess
06/08/87 (Gary Davies)
New Order – “True Faith” (7)
Getting tonight's show underway with a totally live performance of what became their second of seven top ten hits when it peaked at number 4.
Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram – “Somewhere Out There” (23) (video)
From the animated movie An American Tail, this song became Linda's first of two top ten hits, and James's one and only, when it peaked at number 8.
Sinitta – “Toy Boy” (22)
In the studio to perform what became her second of four top ten hits when it peaked at number 4.
Samantha Fox – “I Surrender (To The Spirit Of The Night)” (29) (video)
Already a number one in five countries according to Oooh Gary, but over here it peaked at number 25.
Wet Wet Wet – “Sweet Little Mystery” (31) (breaker)
Peaked at number 5.
Motley Crue – “Girls Girls Girls” (28) (breaker)
Peaked at number 26.
Def Leppard – “Animal” (16) (breaker)
Their breakthrough hit, and first single from their massive number one album Hysteria, and it peaked at number 6.
Spagna – “Call Me” (8)
In the studio to perform her only top ten hit which peaked at number 2
Los Lobos – “La Bamba” (1) (video)
Second and final week at number one.
Stock, Aitken & Waterman – “Roadblock” (17) (video/credits)
Peaked at number 13.
13th August is next
Hi Gary – nice to see you again.
ReplyDeleteNew Order – True Faith – Great live effort sounds really good.
Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram – Somewhere out there – From the cartoon ‘ An American Tail’, I always used to proclaim “the mouse sings it first” as in the film the mouse does. This wonderful duet is played over the end credits. Linda went on to do another fabulous duet a couple of years later which should have been a huge no1. This song is the highlight of this show for me.
SInitta – Toy Boy – The lady seems to be struggling with that mini skirt! A very similar sound to ‘So Macho’ but that’s hardly surprising given the producers.
Breakers – Wet Wet Wet – Next. Motel Crew – Sailor for me please. Def Leppard –this is not bad to my surprise.
Spagna – Call me – Overplayed and a weird hair do.
Los Lobos – Next
SAW – Roadblock – Horrible.
…meanwhile at no1 in the States is another complete ‘miss’ in the UK. Yes it’s the Bob Seger Band from ‘Beverley Hills Cop 2’ and ‘Shakedown, co- written by our old friend Harold Faltermeyer’. Great stuff…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3MTFJz50qc
Couldn't agree more on Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram being the highlight of the show. I remember this show, anticipating the first showing of the video on TV by TOTP, and its feelgood sound. Great to see the video played in full. I was hoping it would at least make top 5, but as Angelo says, No.8 was the highest it got.
DeleteWhatever anyone says about Sinitta's miniskirt, although I think it was a minidress, I have a lot of time for her. She's always smiling non-stop and her sexy outfits are just so cool, especially the one on this week's show. Lovely.....
It's Gazza for the second week running, and that's no bad thing as he is once again smooth and professional. The only criticism I would make is that he should have named the "animated cartoon" the Ronstadt/Ingram song accompanied.
ReplyDeleteNew Order first up this week, with a lesser spotted live studio performance from them. It's more polished than the Blue Monday one, though I would still have preferred to hear the record, as there is no question this is one of their best. I can't help thinking that Peter Hook must have done himself an injury at some point, slinging his bass so low! Somewhat remarkably, this film theme was the first time Linda Ronstadt had made the UK Top 30 in a distinguished career that by this point stretched back some 20 years. She was a great singer, though sadly Parkinson's disease has now forced her into retirement. I don't think this song is the best showcase for her vocal talents, and the unflattering bob that she sports in this video makes her look a bit cartoonish herself, but it's a pleasant enough effort that works well in the context of An American Tail, which was an effective attempt by former Disney animator Don Bluth to rival the output of his former employers. I suppose the song also now stands as a belated tribute to James Ingram, who died a couple of months back.
Here comes Sinitta again, taking a leaf from Kelly Marie's book as she is flanked by two male dancers, who in a change from recent weeks manage to keep their tops on. Sinitta herself tries desperately hard here to look sexy, but fails - as for the record, it is just generic SAW production line fodder. Sam Fox is on video, reverting to the rock chick image and giving us a tune which, while not bad, does sound suspiciously close to Laura Branigan's Self Control.
Back in the studio, Spagna looks like an uber-glam version of Dusty Springfield, who incidentally we will be seeing again very soon. The big summer eurodisco hit of '87, it is very much a song of its time, and I was much more interested in Spagna's barnet than in the music - how much hairspray was needed to produce that look? Closing proceedings, SAW step out from behind the mixing desk to enjoy a hit under their own names. Ironically, this mildly funky effort doesn't have their trademark sound, but it's diverting enough. The video's a bit of a scrappy patchwork of new material and archive clips, with SAW themselves making fleeting cameos. For some reason, I remember the cartoon drivers vividly from the time, even though they only appear fleetingly.
I didn't pick up any similarity of Sam Fox to the Laura Branigan song Self Control, but anyway, she would soon after this be taking a different direction away from SAW and over to the USA to collaborate with Full Force for a more raunchy sound that would make Sinitta look up. Songs like I wanna Have Some Fun, and Naughty Girls (Need Love Too) were soon destined for top 10 status over in the USA for S-S-S-S-Samantha Fox, but which performed less well here in the UK.
Deletenew order: i think a lot of people regard this as their finest moment. it's okay as a dance-crossover thing, although for me it doesn't compete with the excellence of their non-charting early singles such as "procession". i never understood why they insisted on performing "live" when a: barney didn't exactly have the best of pipes even in the studio, and b: apart from his vocals and hooky's bass it's all practically pre-programmed anyway
ReplyDeleteronstadt/ingram: had no recall of this whatsoever, but then again hardly surprising given i was going to the flicks to watch schwarzenegger blow all and sundry away at the time rather than sickly stuff like "american tail". also not surprisingly this is absolutely hideous from my point of view, right from the first chord on the gloopy electric piano that was all the rage at the time. like sct i'm a bit surprised that she never really caught on here (the eagles were originally her backing band, out of interest), although i did like a version of "you're no good" that she recorded back in the 70's
sinitta: more saw slop, plus i don't really see what appeal she had visually
samantha fox: even though it's quite obvious where her producers filched their ideas from, this copycat saw effort is actually preferable to the real mccoy that preceded it
motley crue: unlike gun & roses, their brand of hard rock allied to questionable lifestyles never really took off here. a shame in a way, as they knock anything axl rose & co ever did into a cocked hat with this tune that contains a surprisingly catchy chorus
spagna: did she nick tina turner's fright wig and dip it in vat of bleach? another lightweight and bouncy saw-alike to my ears, but the chorus makes it just about palatable
After a shaky star that makes you worry New Order are going to mess up yet another live performance, they get over their nerves and surprisingly deliver a decent version of one of their best tunes. I still think Bizarre Love Triangle is their finest three minutes (or was it four?), but this is one of the best electro-rock songs of the 80s, no question, even if nobody knows what the lyrics are about. Brilliant video, too.
ReplyDeleteLinda and James with a very fitting theme song to a Don Bluth cartoon, in that technically it's impressive, but emotionally it's cloying and reminiscent of other things that did it better. Funnily enough Bluth's megaflop Titan A.E. was one of his best, but a disaster that persuaded him to give up the business - it had a much better theme song than An American Tail, too! Although he did make a sort of comeback for the video for Mary by the Scissors Sisters, a beautiful song that makes Somewhere Out There sound like the plastic ballad it is.
Sinitta with a title obviously lifted from whatever tabloid newspaper was in the SAW office that day. Surprised they didn't have a title referencing "bonking". In one ear and out the other stuff, laser targeted at the gay clubs, as are Sinitta's backing singers who appear to have stuffed socks down the front of their cycling shorts. Gary mentions her film debut later in the year, nope, she'd already appeared in the flop sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shock Treatment, some years before.
Smamfa, as John points out, it's a total rip-off of Self Control by Laura Brannigan, even down to the "woah-oh!" male backing vocals. They're going hard for the rock chick image for her, which is odd since her persona was more bubbly than that.
Spagna, an artiste Tony Blackburn still mispronounces to this day, with one of the catchiest items of Europop of the decade. Almost hidden under the frightwig and tons of makeup, she commands the stage like a pro, making it surprising she never followed up this international megahit with something of the same magnitude.
Los Lobos were over here to promote La Bamba, yet curiously never got on TOTP, so on to SAW's second outing this show, and who believes their story that they fooled a bunch of diehard soul boys this was an authentic 70s slice of American funk? It's not bad, but it's not THAT convincing. Points for including Mr Rossi in the video, though. You don't see Mr Rossi cartoons on the TV anymore, do you? Presumably Spagna was a fan.
i had drafted the lowdown on saw trying to pull the wool over the soulboys as a result of being ridiculed for their pop pap, but for some reason neglected to include it in my review! personally rather that (however hokey) than their usual efforts, but the giveway that it's a forgery rather than the real mccoy is the very then-contemporary sounding drum machine - something that sophisticated wouldn't either have been invented back then, or if so then only affordable to rock stars with a reputation and bank balance to match - and and certainly not an obscure black american funk outfit!
Deletein the same manner, the fairlight sampler was only used at first by the likes of kate bush and peter gabriel as they were the only ones who either had the means and/or the connections to do so (i still remember gthe latter scouring a junkyard in search of pipes and stuff to sample on "the south bank show" in the early 80's). in my view it's a great shame that it didn't remain the rolls royce of musical technology, as it would have continued to have been the preserve of creative musicians rather than talentless twats who just ripped a few bars from old funk and disco records and then rapped over the top - as they started doing with alarming alacrity circa 1987 thanks to samplers becoming as cheap as video recorders!)
Good spot on sam song. I was humming the tune and thinking it was familiar...
DeleteI forgot to mention Sam's song in my review. For me it's a rip off of her first hit 'Touch me (I want your Body)' without the groans.
DeleteQuire enjoyed this. Started out very well, then faded.
ReplyDeleteLove the new order track - quite a good live performance. Better than their live blue monday :-)
Enjoyed somewhere out there better than i remembered it
Sinitta - the chaps’ shorts left little to the imagination...
I remember liking the Spagna track when it cane out, but it now sounds very derivative.
Hey, pop kids, a bit of Samantha Fox news: she's going to be on Pointless Celebrities 80s special next Saturday. Come on, Sam, you can beat Duncan "Chase Me" Norvelle!
ReplyDelete7 past, present or future number ones in the Top 40 this week. The most I can remember so far.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous! I've gone through all the shows from 1976-1980 that BBC4 either didn't show, or cut acts out of. Most of them have been requested in higher res except the following 11 shows. Have you got any of them? They are 1/01/76, 27/04/78, 22/06/78, 13/07/78, 10/08/78, 19/10/78, 9/11/78, 25/12/78, 10/05/79, 22/05/80 and 16/10/80. Also have you got 26/02/76 and 25/03/76 both of which have never been previously asked for?
ReplyDeleteyes brie here are all of them, sorry for delay only just spotted this.
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-cD1nwWGWDq
https://we.tl/t-uioie7QO8a
Brilliant stuff, Anonymous! Thanks for these. Is there any chance of the missing '76-'80 eps that aren't in higher res being upgraded in the future?
Deletepossibly,w would need to send me a list of what's needed. Also i have a load of 80's upgraded episodes ready as well, maybe send lists of around 7 episodes each as they are higher file size as we transfer only lets 2gb through at a time.
DeleteHi Anonymous, thanks for the shows. 1981 was not a good year for BBC4 repeats and around 20 shows were skipped or cut. Have you any of the following in higher res? They are all from 1981 and I've listed them in date order: 15/1, 19/2, 23/4, 30/4, 7/5, 21/5 and 11/6.Thank you.
DeleteI'll go through them and give you the list later.
Deletehere are 6 episodes. can't find 15/1/81 not sure if higher res, but no logo onscreen.
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-cnV0gIcQ0X
Thanks,they are just fab! I don't want to hog the blog or anything but just to keep things ticking over, if you have any of the following 2 sets of 6 shows in higher res or without the logo, that will cover 1981 completely. I'm sure Brie will put me right if I've missed out on anything:
Delete2/7, 9/7, 6/8, 20/8, 10/9, 8/10.
15/10, 22/10, 12/11, 3/12, 10/12, 25/12.
Thank you.
Yes, you've named the entire lot from '81, xrayfour, which either weren't shown on BBC4 or had bits taken out. Have you got 22/01/76, 12/02/76 or 17/02/83 as I don't think Anonymous has got them.
Deletexrayfour here are all twelve episodes in two packs :
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-GZ2q64hbJO
https://we.tl/t-zovTBZpEAu
Fantastic Anonymous, thank you so much.
DeleteHere are my copies of the three shows Brie:
https://we.tl/t-NjGMBNSZq7
Thanks, xrayfour. Great stuff!
Deletehere are three upgraded episodes from 1980, 04/09, 11/09, and 15/05.
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-jyzFyIadSD
Thanks!
DeleteAnonymous thanks for all the 1980 upgrades they are fantastic
DeleteNew Order - Quite why they kept insisting on performing live baffles me entirely. This isn't quite as bad as previous attempts but I'd still prefer to hear the actual single, thanks.
ReplyDeleteRonstadt / Ingram - Very dull.
Sinitta - But this is worse. At least 'So Macho' had something about it, this is just a tepid rehash.
Sam Fox - OK, but sounds almost like a megamix of her previous hits.
Breakers - I presume (hope) that we won't see Motley Crue's misogynistic tripe again?
Spagna - Best song on the show by a mile, a fantastic pop tune that sounded great on the radio.
SAW - I don't mind this, as the resident fan of theirs on the forum I guess that's no surprise. I think the story of them fooling the soul boys has become somewhat embellished over the years, but I believe that a uncredited white label doing the rounds in clubs did get some kudos before the cover was blown....
Hi Anonymous, Have you got BBC Archive versions of the following 29/01/70, 05/02/70, 26/02/70, 14/01/71, 25/02/71, 29/04/71, 17/06/71, 18/11/71, 02/12/71, 23/12/71, 22/06/72, 16/11/72, 28/12/72 Thanks
ReplyDeletei have a few of them,i'll get back to you with updated new eps.
DeleteIt's August already. Crikey.
ReplyDeleteNew Order. Continuing their live appearances with a much better performance this time. Probably my favourite New Order song. Great pop band and one of the best TOTP performances we have had in a long time... 😀 😀 😀
Somehow I have gone my whole chart life without knowing what Linda Rondstat looked like. This is a very pleasant ballad and enjoyed hearing it again. Never seen An American Tale. Not gonna rush out and see this one.
Bouncy Sinitta and her boys in very tight fitting shorts. A bit of euro pop that is pleasant enough but not the best of 87 by a long chalk.. She still looks good nowadays though.
Have they changed the chart font?
Who the hell is Sherrick?
Pseudo Echo... I bought that!
Rick has entered the building.
I blame Europe for the 5 number ones this Sam Fox tune achieved. I do recall this video and the song but had forgotten about it up until now. Its not actually too bad.
Breakers :
WWW. sweet little song this one. Marti really is too smiley for his own good. Cheese alert.
Motley Crew. Sexist, dated, noise. FF
Def Leppard. I loved DL. Had the album. Adored this song. Fabulous.
Spagna. Now Sinitta and Sam this is how you do a euro pop smash. She looks fabulous as well, straight out of episode of Blake 7. Had a France holiday this summer (87) and this was in the disco every night. Love it. 😀 😀 😀
MJ in at 5 but I'm guessing no video as we haven't seen it. Will we see it at all???? BBC4 over to you.
Labamaba still at the top. It's very catchy and foot tappy. This is growing on me again. Take it away....
SAW. No.... This is bloody awful. Still. Who bought this.
Hi Anonymous! I've been through all the shows uploaded by you between '76 and'80 and I've found 21 shows that aren't in higher res, plus 2 others that you uploaded, that BBC4 showed and somebody requested. The 21 are 12/02/76, 29/04/76, 20/10/77, 19/01/78, 11/05/78, 15/06/78, 6/07/78, 20/07/78, 14/09/78, 26/10/78, 2/11/78, 23/11/78, 25/01/79, 22/02/79, 22/03/79, 29/03/79, 19/04/79, 26/04/79, 13/09/79, 18/10/79 and 25/12/80. The other two are 2/06/77 and 4/01/79. Cheers!
ReplyDelete