Game, set and mic
28/01/88 (Gary Davies & Mike Smith)
Debbie Gibson – “Shake Your Love” (17)
Beccame her first of two top ten hits when it peaked at number 7.
Billy Idol – “Hot In The City” (18) (video)
Peaked at number 13.
2 Men, A Drum Machine & A Trumpet – “Tired Of Getting Pushed Around” (21)
Peaked at number 18.
Jermaine Stewart – “Say It Again” (25)
His second and final top ten hit, peaking at number 7.
Taylor Dayne – “Tell It To My Heart” (24) (breaker)
Became her first of two top ten hits when it reached number 3.
Jack ‘N’ Chill – “The Jack That House Built” (19) (breaker)
Peaked at number 6.
Elton John – “Candle In The Wind” (16) (breaker)
This live version peaked at number 5.
T’Pau – “Valentine” (33)
This timely release became their third and final top ten hit, peaking at number 9.
Tiffany – “I Think We’re Alone Now” (1)
First of three weeks at number one.
The Beatmasters featuring the Cookie Crew – “Rok Da House” (8) (video/credits)
Went up three more places.
Next up is February 4th, but normal service can still not be resumed because its yet another Mike Smith edition!
To end off January 1988, we have two teenage sensations on the show in Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, at 17 years old and 16 years old respectively, although Gibson made more effort dressing up, and probably the best dressed person on the show, while Tiffany looked like she put on anything comfy she could find in the wardrobe, without too much thought. Suffice to say, that these two girls are still in their 40s and looking good present-day.
ReplyDelete2 Men A Drum Machine & A Trumpet - I quite liked this tune, as it was a bit unusual and quite creative, which reminded me of Waiting For A Train by Flash & The Pan which was danced to by Zoo in the TOTP studio in June 1983. The Humphrey Bogart lookalike saying 'Tired Of Getting Pushed Around" was a bit nonsensical on the show this week, as this bit-part wasn't exactly Bogart-like.
The Beatmasters ft The Cookie Crew - nice playout this week, and I also liked this one at the time. The black-and-white cartoon footage of the people jumping out of the windows of the Cabaret Club was the same cartoon footage in the ELO video for Rock 'n' Roll is King from 1983. I don't recall this happening before where two different bands used the same cartoon clip in their video.
debbie gibson: i remember her and her supposed rivalry with tiffany (which seemed a bit of a case of two bald men fighting over a comb to me), although i can't actually remember any of her records. but that's probably not surprising if this innocuous effort is anything to go by
ReplyDeletetwo men et al: i don't know if the beat-turned-fyc guys did this as a side project, or if the latter had imploded by this point? a fair-enough house effort with the already-established samples etc abounding. when i watched the clip i almost laughed out loud at the appearance of the humphrey bogart impersonator (his name was kenny something, and he was quite prominent as a bogey clone long before that sort of thing really took off) presumably mouth an actual bogey line from one of his films (it would be interesting to know what happened with regard to copyright issues if so)? and it's even funnier when he misses one of his lines. as for the two men themselves, i certainly can't hear any guitars on this despite both of them pretending to play them, and mr steele seems somewhat reluctant to do his usual jigging about for some reason
FYC hadn't imploded yet. Their biggest hits - accompanied by brief American stardom - were just around the corner.
DeleteWe move ever closer to Smitty's final bow, and here he is paired with Gazza for the final time. Both actually do a pretty decent job here, Smitty being in one of his more restrained moods - indeed, the most embarrassing moment was probably when Gazza attempted to essay his own Bogart impression.
ReplyDeleteOoh, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany on the same show - I wonder if they avoided each other during the recording? Debbie looks like the perfect pop princess here, and definitely has the better voice of the pair. The song is respectable enough lightweight pop, which clearly knows its intended audience, but the insistent chorus gets tiresomely repetitive after a while. Something much more raunchy next, as Billy Idol enjoys his last significant hit with a reissue of a 1982 song that features a nice rousing chorus and some good vocalising from Mr Broad. The video is typical Idol, with sexy women and a tough urban setting, but it gets cut off early, presumably because it ends controversially with Billy's then-girlfriend being bound to a cross - indeed, it was banned by MTV.
Back in the studio, Cox and Steele try to cash in on the burgeoning house scene with this rather leaden effort, enlivened by the brief interjections of the Bogey impersonator, who otherwise has to do nothing other than sit there with his newspaper. The two main men are less wobbly-legged than normal, perhaps deferring to the very agile dancers they have brought along with them. Jermaine Stewart returns with a pleasant enough tune and some well-coordinated moves with his backing dancers, but the song just wasn't memorable enough to stick in my head once it was over.
T'Pau are also back, cannily putting this single out in the run-up to Valentine's Day. I don't recall how any of their post-China in Your Hand hits actually went, and on the evidence of this song I can see why; it is trying to be a big, stately power ballad, but it just feels monotonous and even Carol's distinctive vocals seem weirdly toned down. At least she is wearing something lighter for a change. Tiff hits the UK studio to celebrate reaching number 1, and offers us another rather dubious live vocal. However, this gets overshadowed by that ludicrous three-quarter length woolly jumper, which makes her look a bit like a juvenile yeti - it wasn't even very cold that winter, though I suppose coming from California Tiff may still have felt a chill. More headache-inducing house to finish, with some rap thrown in as well to create a record that perfectly encapsulates why I really disliked the way the charts were going at the time. I suppose as a recording it does have a bit of dynamism, and the OGWT-style b/w cartoon accompaniments were fun. We even get a brief glimpse of early Mickey Mouse - how did that get past Disney, I wonder?
Tiffany can be forgiven for the three-quarter length woolly jumper in the TOTP studio, considering that she was still only 16 on this performance, and it's what 16-year-olds like to wear I guess.
DeleteELO used some of the same Mickey Mouse cartoon footage on their video for Rock 'n' Roll Is King a few years earlier in 1983, so there must have been a more relaxed stance on using Disney film footage 30-35 years ago.
I don't think that was an actual Mickey Mouse cartoon, I suspect that was Felix the Cat's animators taking the piss out of Mickey Mouse. Those old cartoons were pretty wild, STV used to show them in the dead of night and they were highly entertaining.
DeleteOoh, Tiffany and Debbie Gibson on the same show, it's like when The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were on together back in the 60s! Anyway, Debs is up first, and she had the artistic credibility of writing her own material, which even though it's pretty bland, is not a bad claim for one so young. She's stick-thin here, and backed up by a quartet of middle aged blokes which tends to make her look a bit like some cabaret outfit. Though one of them does mime the whistle - dedication.
ReplyDeleteDid Billy Idol ever hurt his face pulling that expression all the time? Probably best suited to summer, so obviously they put this out in the winter. It's OK, but rarely revived, and this broadcast cuts off before it gets to the "New York!" bit (wasn't Billy more Los Angeles?). Careful on that motorbike, Billiam.
What I remember about the 2 Men etc was the sample from the old movie wasn't actually Humphrey Bogart, it just sounded like him. However, I never found out who the speaker really was, and this has haunted me ever since - I lie awake at 3 in the morning wondering about it. Anyway, an oddball mix of kind of housey beats with a bit of jazz improv on the trumpet, but I didn't mind it at all, it's a fun bit of eccentricity from a time the charts had room for that.
See? Jermaine Stewart did have another hit. It's not as catchy as his first, but it's a pleasant bit of light soul pop, though I don't know what is going on with that jacket he has on. Bit of unconvincing loverman interaction with a lady in the audience too.
T'Pau are back with a real plodder, going positively nowhere for four minutes, it's the aural equivalent of watching someone walking on the spot, which funnily enough is what Carol is doing in this performance.
Tiffany in her comedy jumper, singing live and kind of swallowing the "anyone around" part of the chorus, with the passion of one who honed her craft next to the pick 'n' mix.
Anyway, a lot more fun than that are The Beatmasters and the Cookie Crew, probably the best thing on this episode as it rattles along with great aplomb, amusing lyrics from the girls and a real earworm melody. The Felix the Cat clips succeed really well, whoever edited this earned their money.
Mike Smith makes a meal of Kylie's surname in the charts, probably thought it wasn't worth learning as she would be a flash in the pan!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robert!
ReplyDeleteOo, Debbie Gibson AND Tiffany on the same show – but who’s better? Cue Harry Hill and “Fight!”. Debbie’s hit always sounds like “Shake ‘N’ Vac” in the chorus to me for some reason. A confident and fizzy debut, with a drummer who looked like either Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick or Heatwave’s sticksman.
I FF’d most of Billy Idol as I can’t stand all those bloody slappable lipcurls of his. Looks like Jonathan Ross had graffiti’d that wall by its message.
2 Men, An Impersonator, A DJ, Some Dancers, More Dancers And Oh Yes Look There’s A Trumpet with (ahem) a cannibalistic approach to house music. Roland’s mates are almost static here in comparison to their normal shenanigans.
Bloody Hell, is that Five Star at the start of Jermaine’s song? Still rocking the Phil Oakey fringe, this time for an of-its-era plasticky marshmallow of a midtempo ballad.
Thanks, Gaz for letting us know it was Taylor Dayne there. Shitty in Noel Edmonds / Paul Nicholas ‘forget the artist’s name’ mode. Taylor looks a bit scary (just wait for Sinead O’Connor, though) but I love this piece of shouty bombastic disco. Don’t know why, I just do.
Next it’s the sort of awful row you dread hearing through a commuter’s overly loud and tinny earphones on a tube train, with Marcel Marceau on brick and trowel. Dear God.
Elton looking as understated as usual. One way to hide that bald patch, I suppose.
T’Pau’s plugger did superbly to get a number 33 in the studio. Shame his efforts were for a tune which didn’t go anywhere. I liked Carol’s outfit, but surely a red blouse for Valentine’s Day to match the song would have been better. Hark at me, going all Gok Wan again.
Looking at the rundown, that “Stutter Rap” stayed in the top ten longer than expected, didn’t it?
Tiffany looking like she’s wearing an alpaca but giving a meaty live vocal there, along with a snippet of the patented L-shaped arm dance.
We end a very beaty, noisy show with a very beaty, noisy house number. Bring on Betty Boo, I say!
Not only did Stutter Rap hang around longer than expected, it far outsold Public Enemy's Bring the Noise! It took a nation of millions to hold them back, you know...
DeleteDebbie Gibson - Someone once counted the number of times she says 'Shake Your Love' but I can't remember the result. Pretty dreadful stuff and she was far too Mumsy for me to find her in any way attractive.
ReplyDeleteBilly Idol - I actually prefer this remix to the original. Incidentally THX, the 'New York!' bit isn't present in the 88 version, they put a silly repeated noise in there instead!
2 Men etc. - Good fun if fairly inconsequential stuff. The Humphrey Bogart impersonator may look the part but has clearly made no effort to learn the song.
Jermaine Stewart - I much prefer this to his debut hit but I seem to be the only one round here...
Not sure if we see the breakers again, so quick descriptions as follows - Fine but now overplayed, hilarious nonsense, the best version of the 3.
T'Pau - From the lumpen opening onwards, I have always detested this song. Carol Decker 'treats' us to what may be the worst vocal on a Top 10 hit ever.
Tiffany - Another song that is baffingly overplayed these days and oh dear, they've let her sing. Never a good idea.
Beatmasters / Cookie Crew - A great house tune, and those cartoons became quite common on similar songs in 88 I think.
I'll raise you regarding Ca,rol Decker Noax. Wait until 1991 (2021 in our terms) for Stevie B and his excruciating out-of-tune vocals on top 6 hit "Because I Love You (The Postman's Song)". Up there with a recently dug-up gem on the bespoke Left And To The Back website, where former "Blue Peter" presenter Simon Groom released a self-financed 'guess the note' version of an Elvis cover. Funny it never charted.
DeleteCan't remember if I mentioned this at the time, but I own the Simon Groom single! A record shop had it in their 'please take these away, no-one will buy them' box and I just couldn't resist.
DeleteYou're dead right about the Stevie B vocal - it is dreadful. At least he's had the good grace to bugger off rather than act like he's god's gift to music unlike Ms. Decker though.
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ReplyDeleteA couple more "Smithed" shows to go before he hands over breakfast to Mr Mayo and he;s in subdued form tonight partnered with Ooh Gary.
ReplyDeleteDebbie Gibson orders us to “Shake Your Love” fronting what looks like her Dads band. Very creepy. She needed a couple of younger dancers to make this work. Tune is a perfectly serviceable pop song but not the most memorable tune we will hear this year
Batman up next in the form of Billy Idol. It must be “Hot In The City” as he's stripping off before the first chorus. Not sure spying on the girls through a peep hole and rubbing himself up against the wall would count as acceptable for a pop video these days but hey ho.
As far as the song goes I love this version of the song. Billy really gives it some vocal welly.
2 break dancing men, A Drum Machine, A Trumpet, a keyboardist, Humphrey Bogart and a Guitarist or two take the stage and apparently they are “Tired Of Getting Pushed Around” After the brilliance of Krush a few weeks ago it's a shame this is the next house hit we get on the show. Just a dull tune and a dull performance.
The contest for "how many people can we fit on a small stage" has a winner as Jermaine Stewart has a party of NINE!
“Say It Again” is quite a good song actually although I didn't recall it from the title. Nice bit of flirting with the front row. Still got the dodgy fringe though.
Breakers:
Taylor Dayne - Now this Debbie and Tiffany is how to do a pop song for 1988. Great tune, great video. Like this a lot.
Jack ‘N’ Chill – Oh The "Jack that House built" very funny. What do you mean we need some kind of tune.. nah...FF
Elton John – Waving his candle in the wind with a live version of a song I've never warmed to. Strange to hear the non-Diana version as well.
T’Pau back next with “Almost Valentine's Day”
Best song on the show tonight by a mile. Quality shines through and a deserved hit.
Number One (for three whole annoying weeks) is girl next door Tiffany. That's if the girl next doors Mum was Queen of Knitwear, What the F... is she wearing. How was this cool in any way.
Full marks for singing live but her voice does grate after a while. Hoping for the video next week.
The Beatmasters featuring the Cookie Crew play us out by stealing MARRS video. Sounded better hearing the whole thing this week rather than the breakers snippet so I will revise my opinion slightly. Won't be listening again though as it's absent from Spotify.
T'Pau win the show. Billy and Jermaine second.
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