You little Beaut!
18/02/88 (Nicky Campbell & Gary Davies)
Bomb The Bass – “Beat Dis” (5)
Getting the show underway with what became their first of four top ten hits when it peaked at number 2.
Billy Ocean – “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” (4) (rpt from 04/02/88)
Went up one more place.
T’Pau – “Valentine” (9)
This perfectly timed song was now at its peak. There's an excellent behind the scenes Blue Peter feature all about this very performance here at Youtube.
Was (Not Was) – “Spy In The House Of Love” (21)
At its peak.
Vanessa Paradis – “Joe Le Taxi” (29) (breaker)
On her way to number 3.
Michael Jackson – “Man In The Mirror” (27) (breaker)
Peaked at number 21.
Bangles – “Hazy Shade Of Winter” (30) (breaker)
Peaked at number 11.
Coldcut featuring Yazz & The Plastic Population – “Doctorin’ The House” (25)
Coldcut's only top ten hit, peaking at number 6, but we'll be getting more of Yazz of course later in the year.
Kylie Minogue – “I Should Be So Lucky” (1) (BBC video)
First of five weeks at number one for Charlene.
Alexander O’Neal & Cherrelle – “Never Knew Love Like This” (26) (video/credits)
Went no further.
Next up is February 25th
Bomb The Bass - now that's more like a great start to the show, powering straight in at No.5 this week, and what a studio performance! Particularly liked the cutie at the back singing "everybody in the street, get down to the funky beat".
ReplyDeleteOne of the presenters on the show called it hypnotic, and I can understand to some extent. Absolutely brilliant!
Billy Ocean - I loved the bevvy of leggy lovelies as backing singers. The video is not bad too, which I remember seeing every week on The Chart Show on the other side, and fancying the girl playing Ocean's girlfriend in the video.
Was Not Was - second time round for this track, which originally made No.21 in July 1987, and was not played on TOTP in the summer of 1987, but thanks to the enormous success of Walk The Dinosaur, it was re-released here in early 1988, with Sweet Pea Atkinson this time on lead vocals, and his sidekick Harry with a more minor role on this one.
The Bangles - on the Breakers this week with this lesser known hit in the UK, which made No.1 I think in the USA with this Hazy Shade Of Winter which I remember hearing every week around this time on Paul Gambaccinni's American Chart Show on Saturday afternoons on Radio 1, and quickly became my favourite Bangles hit, largely due to the fact that it was not overplayed in Britain, unlike some of their other hits overplayed over the years.
bomb the bass: although not quite as young as tiffany, i remember main man tim simenon being hailed as some kind of prodigy as a result of being able to produce this collage of sound despite his youth. listening now i remember the bleeping pattern, that i presume was not only a sample of an alarm clock but perhaps was also the orginal inspiration that the track was modelled around? i'd also like to know where he got the wah-wah sample from. but however hard he tried to jazz things up visually for the totp appearance (and he did try very hard with his black dance troupe and sexy girl "singer"), the fact is that this (like many such efforts starting to pop up in the charts) is simply unlistenable outside a club environment. by the way: i wonder if this act had radio airplay affecting them during the gulf war, for the same reason massive attack had to change their name throughout that conflict (if one could call it that) to simply "massive"?
ReplyDeletecoldcut: and the house-related puns keep on coming. if nothing else, the new dance genre inspired those concerned to show a bit of wit when it came to the act names and track titles - perhaps to try and hide the fact that there was practically nothing in the recordings themselves to lodge in one's memory? i suppose this has a bit more of a tune than the above, but it was still hard to present it visually given that traditional musical instruments were now fast-getting the elbow in favour of sampling and scratching
alexander o'neal: a couple of years earlier he had guested on the excellent cherrelle track "saturday love", and here she was returning the favour (with jam & lewis once again writing and producing). this is almost as good, and certainly by far the best from on his "criticize" album, but perhaps releasing a couple of inferior singles from it beforehand was the reason this track failed to set the charts alight?
I think Bomb The Bass did suffer from the Gulf War banning stupidity, though given that it was (rightly, as it's brilliant) a big hit, that must have been over by the time that 'Winter In July' came out.
DeleteAnother new presenter joins the fray and hopefully we’ll see less of another overexposed presenter as well so we won’t miss too many more shows. Big improvement on the 11th Feb show this, although there are some moments of utter tosh.
ReplyDeleteBomb the Bass – Beat dis – I used to avidly look at the new chart in the Daily Mail every week. I think they published it on Tuesday or Wednesday. When I saw this go straight in at no5 – no5 for goodness sake!...and I saw the band name and ‘song’ title, I feared the worst. I hadn’t even heard the track and actually didn’t really need to in order to know what it sounded like. Truly awful and a chart peak of no2 (higher than to quote a random classic such as ‘Keep on loving you’ by REO Speedwagon) is an absolute travesty. I guess it was just where the charts were heading and continued a journey started by the likes of Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley and Mars.
Billy Ocean – Get outta my dreams and into my car – Much more like it. You can rely on Billy to deliver some quality and this is certainly it, co-written by Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange, this topped the US charts. I saw Billy on his ‘Tear down these walls’ tour to promote this and the two subsequent singles ‘Calypso Crazy’ and ‘The Colour of Love’ which sadly weren’t big hits.
T’Pau – Valentine – I thought this track a standout when I first played the ‘Bridge of Spies’ album through and, having not played it for years, it still sounds great. I love the way the song builds to a gradual climax as Carol gradually creeps up the scale. Nice performance and Carol’s pink lipstick is fetching. Thanks for the link to the ‘behind the scenes’ feature Angelo. Not seen that before.
Was (not Was) – Spy in the House of Love – Reminds me of ‘Shine on’ by the House of Love purely from the title connection, but otherwise, tosh.
Breakers – less said about the first two the better. The Bangles gave us a surprisingly rocky rendition of this Simon and Garfunkel song featured in the film ‘Less than Zero’ starring Robert Downey Jnr and James Spader. The original was a single release in 1966 but surprisingly flopped, despite being backed by the very wonderful ‘For Emily, whenever I may find her’.
Coldcut featuring Yazz – Doctorin’ the House – Fortunately Yazz redeemed herself later in the year whilst the title would have one word changed on a no1 hit later in the year with a connection to a certain long running sci fi series.
Kylie Minogue – I should be so lucky – OK, so I was pretty ambivalent to Kylie at the time. I really believed that she’d be a TV series inspired flash in the pan. However, later years forced my reappraisal. First her wonderful 2000 ‘Light Years’ album featuring the very camp track ‘Your Disco needs you’ which never fails to bring a smile to my face. Then, for me Kylie’s finest hour. Yes, it’s that long running sci fi series again where Kylie played the tragic Astrid in the 2007 Christmas special ‘Voyage of the Dammed’ alongside David Tennant. Heartbreaking stuff. Love the Australian accents from messrs Campbell and Davies and the country looks fabulous in Kylies whistle top tour video. I assume that this is Sydney.
Alexander O’Neill / Cherrelle – Never knew love this – before? Nope not the Stephanie Mills hit, but something one can just cease watching as it’s at the end !
I love For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her, especially the live version that was included on the original S&G Greatest Hits album in the early 70s. Art Garfunkel's finest moment, in my view, even more so than Bridge Over Troubled Water.
DeleteYou're right John. That live version is just marvellous. Such a clear and sweet vocal building up to that crescendo and then the raptuous applause, leading onto the segue to 'The Boxer'. I must have played that album so many times since 1973 and it never fails to move me.
DeleteIt's time to say hello properly to Nicholas Andrew Argyll Campbell, the first of many new presenters we will be seeing in 1988 as Paul Ciani really starts to get his feet under the table (incidentally, I see Michael Hurll's name finally disappeared from the credits this week). Campbell has never been someone I have cared for much, and this performance underlined why. Just like Smitty, he tries too hard to be funny, especially in the chart rundown, and gives the impression of loving himself that bit too much. I don't think he looks at Gazza once during the show, even when his co-host is speaking to him, and when he stumbles over one of his links it is perhaps telling that Gazza seems to take some pleasure in it! In fairness some of this could have been down to nerves, and to do him credit Campbell took to Twitter after this was shown last night to comment on how he found it an "unrelenting embarrassment" to see it again. He particularly cringed at the bit where he and Gazza do their Aussie impersonations, but I actually thought neither of them were completely terrible...
ReplyDeleteAnother week, another house track as Bomb the Bass debut and illustrate the growing problems TOTP would have in trying to present faceless dance acts in a visually interesting way - the dancers and the sexy girl help to a degree, but can't completely overcome the problem. As for the record, it sounds suspiciously like Pump Up the Volume to me, with Thunderbirds and Morricone samples added. T'Pau are back, Carol wearing a jacket that suggests she might be a fan of Top Gun, and Was (Not Was) then return with a decent pop-soul song that may not pull up any trees but at least is far less irritating than their previous hit. The singer's open-necked shirt looks about ten years out of date.
This is all we will see of Man in the Mirror, though it would of course become a much bigger hit in the wake of Jacko's demise (already ten years ago itself - where does the time go?). It's an OK song, but hardly top drawer Jacko, and the rather self-important video showing footage of various world leaders trying to make peace or improve international relations suggests that he was already beginning to succumb to the notion that he could heal the world himself.
I don't remember Yazz appearing on TOTP before her big chart-topper came along, so it's interesting to see her here in all her leggy, peroxide glory with Coldcut. Nowhere near as good at the aforesaid number 1, of course, though it does briefly break out of scratch 'n' sample monotony whenever Yazz sings - I also quite liked her sidekick's jazz hands and techno scat singing routine. Xander and Cherrelle to conclude, with a rather gloomy video that, with its featuring of press photographers with big flashing bulbs, reminds me a bit of the Vienna promo. The song is fine, but not as catchy as Saturday Love.
Bomb the Bass, big record for me at the time, not so much for its aping of MARRS (there did seem to be a small pool of go-to samples Brits were going to), but because Tim made stuff like Thunderbirds and Sergio Leone something to be cool to be interested in, which was fine by teenage me. No idea where he is now, mind you, a bit of a flash I the pan - and Pop Will Eat Itself took up his mantle pretty sharpish.
ReplyDeleteOh, that Bruno Brookes Twisted Lyric for Billy Ocean was "Touch my bum, girl!" It's obviously "bumper", but I'm not sure that's not what Billy meant all along.
T'Pau with Carol in a jacket too big for her, but aside from that the yawnfest as before.
Was Not Was with another of their high concept soul-pop ditties, preferable to the Dinosaur one, if only because you hardly hear it now. The lyrics make it sound like he's put up some Chuck Berry-style "security" cameras.
Whackson's messianic ego tripping really sticks in the craw in this Breakers vid, thankfully only the deluded superfans believe he was on a noble statesman level now. I don't even mind the song, but as seen in his Moonwalker film which opens with a stadium full of fans practically having multiple orgasms over this, his self-aggrandisement was ludicrously overwrought. And we still have Earth Song to come!
Coldcut, another one I thoroughly enjoyed at the time, thought that might have been down to the "Plastic Man!" playout they predictably cut off in this showing. Our first glimpse of the 50 Foot Woman that was Yazz, and as Daphne and Celeste asked last year, whatever happened to Yazz? Does she still do her hair like that? Some by now overfamiliar samples, but also some fresh (i.e. weird) ones, make for an entertaining listen.
I Should Be So Lucky's reign of terror begins, let's see how sick of this we get this time. All credit to Kylie, she grew a mighty oak of a career from this irritating acorn.
Alex and Cherelle - was she genuinely plagued by paparazzi as seen in the video? Seems difficult to believe even people passing by on the street would even recognise her. Anyway, affectionate little number, nothing offensive on the ears, but the hook is a little lacking.
Was Not Was were soon to have their finest moment with Papa Was A Rolling Stone, which was probably the best of all the covers done on this iconic tune, but staying with the here and now, ie, Spy In The House Love, the video was 10 times better than the TOTP studio performance, and set on a sunny day in an old warehouse in Detroit, Michigan, and definitely worth a watch:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eDJdfcDNKw
Yazz appeared on This Morning earlier this year looking very odd and murdering Only Way Is Up. The voice and the looks have gone west...
Deleteooh i've noticed an ad here for kylie minogue's latest upcoming tour. what a coincidence that she's just made her debut on these totp re-runs. or not. anyway, i shan't be going...
ReplyDeleteYawn.........
DeleteNick looking very confident and taking to presenting TOTP like a duck to orange but, as already pointed out, loving the camera too much and not engaging Gaz in any form of proper contact. Points deducted.
ReplyDeleteBit hot for that hat, Tim. Quite enjoyed “Beat Dis” complete with its wacky ensemble which reminded me of that time The Rah Band supposedly turned up to perform “The Crunch”.
No Mark Curry announcing T’Pau this time (that YouTube link gave a really good insight into the workings behind the scenes, though I’m sure there was a soupcon of hammy acting going on). Not overly keen on the song but nice jacket from Oxfam there, Carol.
Too many vocal ticks by Nick in the mugshots. BOURGEOIS TAGG???
Vaseline time on the small stage as Waz Not Was (as it’s supposed to be pronounced) turn up with an okay song which would have benefited from more natural sounding instruments and percussion to these ears. I loved Sweet Pea’s ‘glad to be here’ grin in the first verse.
Vanessa Paradis, the Minipops it’s sort of okay to like with an 11-week French chart topper.
Jacko with an average outing and an awful political video.
Nice to have all The Bangles joining in on vocals. A boomy and bouncy cover, taking the original down a different junction and making something as good with it.
So, if Coldcut comprised the DJ’s, The Plastic Population was just that one bloke? Another decent Blighty take on house, with excellent choreography which would have made Five Star spit and a Louis Armstrong hankie mop to boot.
Annoying singing by Nick over Gaz’s intro to Kylie, who appeared to have Barry Manilow as her chauffeur.
Alex and Cherrelle see us out with a song not as catchy or immediate as their big hit, but, thankfully, Alex wasn’t as sweaty as in his last video despite wearing more clobber this time.
Right, that’s it, finally got round to critiquing this week’s mountain of shows. Hopefully, there must be a bit of a break till the next lot turn up. Ah...
The onrush of shows and a holiday has meant that I'm way behind, so I'll be fairly brief.
ReplyDeleteBomb The Bass - Well, I like it anyway. It's difficult to describe how exciting and different this sounded to me at the time. The fact that it wound up the parents made it even better.
Was (Not Was) - A great song with some terrific vocals and lyrics, a favourite being "I pretended to know nothing, especially indiscretion..."
Interesting to see how Jacko's supposed masterpiece eulogised after his death was treated at the time with just this one clip on the show, and a lowly chart peak. I mean, it's alright but it probably didn't deserve much better.
Coldcut / Yazz - I like this too! Sadly we're deprived of the 'Plastic Man' outro. Let me mention once again that Coldcut went to my school.
Alexander O'Neal / Cherrelle - Bit of a dull end to a decent show barring Decker's awful caterwauling of course.
If there was any justice, Man in the Mirror would be best recalled as the title of the hilariously bad TV movie biopic of Whacko. Starring... Stretch Armstrong, or something.
DeleteStill Gary and hello Nicky "Wheel of Fortune" Campbell.
ReplyDeleteNow this is an interesting way to present a dance record. Pretend it's got real instruments in it. One of the bands who I think got a bit of a name change during the first Gulf War (see also Massive Attack)
This is one of my favourite dance records. Doesn't age and still sounds fresh today. Straight in at Number 5 as well. Dance/House music has well and truly arrived. 😀 I do like the performance as well.
Billy back again with the fabulous Get Outta.. Repeat but always happy to see this again. Having fun watching the cameraman trying to get around the stage 😂😂😂
T'Pau with their cheeky Valentine cash in. 😀 Wonder if it would have gone Top Ten in October? I do like this though. Liked all their singles so far.
Nicky is trying to be funny. Do we have a Smithy replacement? I can hear the groans on this forum from here. 😀
He could get annoying very quickly.
Was (Not Was) with the fabulous Spy In The House Of Love. 2nd time around for this one I think. This lot would have been massive in the 70s. Not sure we hear from them again until the early 90s with Kim Basinger.
Breakers:
Vanessa Paradis. Mrs Johnny Depp. Joe La Taxi. I remember liking this at the time. Not sure i like it now.
MJ still peddling the Bad album. A soci Al statement in the video. Not sure it works though. Song is pleasant enough.
Bangles with a by the numbers cover of Hazy Shade of Winter which is perfectly acceptable radio fodder.
Coldcut. Love, love, love this. Played this so much at the time. Yazz is really striking as well. Such a fantastic house/dance record.12" of this is fantastic. Of course not the only Doctorin' hit this year but more of that later. Wonder which ones are the Plastic Population?
Love the Bomb The Bass photo. Tim not really a pop star pin up is he?
KYLIE with the first of her chart toppers. 5 weeks of this peeps.. Enjoy. 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
I've stood on that grassland by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Had a picnic there on NYD 1999.
Alexander and Cherelle video to close. A nice slow smoochy tune at the end of the night. Not a fan at the time but can appreciate it now with my more grown up tastes. It's a lovely ballad.
Loving 1988 so far (although I may be in a minority).
Nicky needs to calm down though.. He always has been a bit cheesy.