Ian gets his teeth into the song
21/04/88 (Simon Bates & Peter Powell)
S-Express – “Theme From S-Express” (3)
Will be number one next week.
George Michael – “One More Try” (14) (video)
This fourth single from his Faith album peaked at number 8.
Danny Wilson – “Mary’s Prayer” (15)
The group's only top ten hit, peaking at number 3.
Pat & Mick – “Let’s All Chant” (19) (breaker)
Peaked at number 11.
Will Downing – “A Love Supreme” (21) (breaker)
Peaked at number 14.
James Brown – “The Payback Mix” (25) (breaker)
Peaked at number 12.
Patrick Swayze & Wendy Frazer – “She’s Like The Wind” (24) (breaker)
Peaked at number 17.
Jermaine Stewart -“Get Lucky” (17)
Peaked at number 13.
Hazell Dean – “Who’s Leaving Who” (6)
Went up two more places.
Pet Shop Boys – “Heart” (1) (video)
Third and final week at number one.
Michael Jackson & Jackson Five – “I Want You Back ‘88” (10) (video/credits)
Peaked at number 8.
Next up is April 28th
She likes the wind, nice one Batesy!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I also noticed that error from Bates, but it's possible that he did it on purpose for a laugh, but it's anyone's guess really. Despite that, the classic ballad remains one of the best of all time, and such a shame that Swayze died in 2009 at the relatively young age of 57 with cancer when you think of his amazing singing talent on this song, for example.
DeleteThe "Old Firm" of PP and Master Bates come together for the final time, the Headmaster only having two more shows to go after this. Watching them, it really is not surprising they were both approaching the end of their time on TOTP - PP looks like an old man in that big cricket jumper, and Bates is as eternally middle-aged as ever, though at least his hair is more under control this time.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not a great fan of house music, the S-Express theme is one of the better examples, though it does owe a lot of its impact to that Rose Royce sample. Still, it's bright and upbeat, and doesn't outstay its welcome. As ever with these kinds of acts, there is no real visual focus for the studio performance, though Mark Moore does his best with his outsize lapels. Bates informs us anorakishly of the height in heels of the tall singer, but she doesn't grab the attention that much. George next with one of the best songs on the Faith album, a sincere and impassioned ballad with some real soul. Sadly the static video makes for tedious viewing, which perhaps explains why it gets faded early.
My sister and I were amused at the time that there was no one in Danny Wilson who actually had that name - it was actually taken from the title of a Frank Sinatra film after Spencer Tracy's estate objected to the band using his name. Contrary to what the Headmaster says, the song had actually come out a year before, but it took a second reissue before it finally became a big hit in Britain. I remember it getting heavy airplay at the time, and this overexposure has not helped me to be well-disposed towards it - I have always felt it was quite a bland ballad anyway. Main man Gary Clark, who would go on to enjoy much more success as a writer and producer, looks very far here from being a credible pop star, not least with that silly beret, which he does not have the looks or physique to carry off well. Was he a Curiosity Killed the Cat fan, I wonder?
We'll be seeing more of all the breakers apart from Patrick Swayze, cashing in on his new heartthrob status with a decent enough little tune - he actually co-wrote it, and persuaded the Dirty Dancing producers to use it in the film. Jermaine Stewart turns up in the studio with the same awful hair that he had in the video we saw last time, but this isn't a bad effort, with a repetitive, catchy chorus that burrows into your brain. Hazell is back, with a ludicrous intro from Bates and a more sensible skirt this time, and we end with a dubious remix of a song I don't much like in its original form. I do remember watching this video - presumably taken from the Jackson Five cartoon series - on TOTP at the time, as I had not realised until I saw it that Jacko had been a child star. Presumably Motown put the remix out as another cash-in on his adult megastar status? I imagine the Nanas must have been annoyed that this was released at the same time as their own identically titled single...
Speaking of the Jackson Five re-mix it is a SAW remix of the song, a PWL '88 version and you could hear The Jackson 5's follow-up to 'I Want You Back' in the British market 'ABC easy as one, two, three', that was later sampled again for Sigala's 'Easy Love' in 2015.
DeleteAlso speaking of next week's TOTP re-runs, on the 28th of April 1988 episode as one of the hosts said that Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland was on BBC One which was due broadcast on the 30th of April 1988 as we do have Scott Fitzgerald's 'Go' as play-out track, which was a true contender but sadly losing out to Celine Dion, who became a international superstar after winning the contest also Hothouse Flowers were the interval act at Eurovision 1988.
S-Express - As a show-opener, it seemed a lot slower than the video, as if the song was slowed down somehow for TOTP. I liked the video a lot more, as on the Breakers last week, but this studio performance did nothing for me, as its slowness was quit evident and not quite right if you are familiar with the record.
ReplyDeletePat & Mick - who could forget the original of this by The Michael Zager Band in 1978 which was a big hit in Britain, and that famous Legs & Co performance on TOTP, which was one of my earliest memories of TOTP from 1978, and sticks out in my mind a lot more than this new 1988 version by Pat & Mick from Capital Radio.
Hazel Dean - Just love this record, and Essex girl Hazel Dean too. Got so much time for her, as she sings it so well, maturely, and looks great in the minidress (and the top ten rundown caption come to think of it, with a different minidress) as she definitely has a nice figure here at the age of 35. The song tempo could easily have been one for Samantha Fox, as it definitely sounds like her kind of music, but Hazel somehow brings class and maturity with the song, and it came off very well, already at No.6 this week!
Funny you mention Theme from S-Express being too slow, that was the tempo it was originally, but there is a version they play on the radio over the past few years which has been sped up. It's the fast version that never sounds right to me, sounds like a mistake!
DeleteIt's the opposite with me THX, I found the slow version quite backbreaking!
DeleteIn the sped up one, the vocal samples sound like The Smurfs!
DeleteGood Lord, surely there must be a version somewhere in the middle?
DeleteGetting the episode off in party mood, S-Express were always among the best of the sample-heavy dance acts, because main man Mark Moore had a real understanding of what made his beloved disco records appeal, and skilfully wove them together into an entertaining collage. Don't know if I'll ever get used to people miming sampled vocal bits, though at least they're trying to make an essentially aural experience visual.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Michael then proceeds to throw a bucket of cold water over the party mood with one of his "I want you to take me very seriously" ballads. No wonder we just get a snippet, this is a wearisome, self-important trudge, there must have been better choices off that album for a single?
Dundee's Danny Wilson next, and how often were we reminded that no, there was nobody in the band called Danny Wilson? Every time this was played, basically. Anyway, despite their offputting look (Gary is more Benny Hill in that beret) this is just a really nice record, not sure what they were getting at in the lyrics, but it's a wistful melody that carries it. Peter Powell applies one of his final chart kisses of death by telling them they will be number one.
Breaker from Patrick Swayze, he may have been a great action star but I'm not sure singing was his forte, this isn't much better than the George Michael effort, all very earnest. Big question: who was Wendy Fraser? This is the mystery woman's claim to fame, and she never capitalised on it!
What do you know, Jermaine Stewart had three hits. I haven't heard this since 1988, and it's pretty catchy too, the chorus anyway. Good to hear the other hit with this title for a change. That can't have been his real hair, can it? I can imagine him unclipping it and taking it off in the dressing room.
Someone's obviously had a word with Hazell about her dress sense, as she was better attired this time around in regulation LBD and denim jacket.
Ah, we get the video for the PSB No.1, complete with sound effects and Nosferatu Ian McKellen singing and dancing (!). All very camp, but at least it shows they had a sense of humour.
The unnecessary remix of The Jackson 5 to finish, not mucked around with too much, though that just means you don't know why they bothered remixing in the first place. Classic Motown, but the cartoon series was less so, about the level of the Beatles one. You don't get pop stars with their own cartoon these days, do you?
I remember the Osmonds vaguely from my childhood in the early 70s where I am sure they also had their own cartoon. There were probably others, but someone needs to jog the memory.
DeleteSurprising though it may be to hear, given my other likes, The Osmonds 'The Plan' is in my all time top 5 albums... :-D
DeleteI'll never forget the first time I heard 'Crazy Horses' on Top of the Pops. I had been expecting another ballad like Donny's 'Puppy Love' which had been a big no1 hit in summer 1972, but instead, wow! Of course, the ballads followed, but this was certainly a kick up the back side for all those teenage fans!
DeleteCrazy Horses was the music they actually wanted to make, of course, but they were "dissuaded" by their management/record label, so it was back to the ballads and MOR.
Delete@Dory, you're right, there was an Osmonds cartoon, made by the same people who made the Jacksons one. Although the Osmonds actually provided their own voices for it, unlike the Jacksons (or The Beatles).
as far as i'm concerned "crazy horses" is a classic and one of the best rock tracks of the 70's (great horn arrangements on it too, which was fairly unusual for that kind of music back then). i too remember seeing them having a good time performing it on totp (with the drumming osmond doing much of the lead vocal), and donny pretending to play the horse-whinnying noise on keyboards with great relish
Deletei remember the hoo ha over danny wilson (didn't he play football for sheffield wednesday?) being one of the new breed inspired by the works of steely dan. i had been listening to the dan quite extensively for the previous decade, so in my view anyone who wanted to flaunt them as an influence had a lot to live up to. prefab sprout managed to do that, but not danny wilson on the evidence of this. and deacon blue (who even named themselves after a dan track) certainly didn't!
DeleteCrazy Horses was all about the potential disaster of what we now call climate change, way back in the early 1970s too. The Osmonds were ahead of their time!
DeleteIf I am not mistaken, the debut ToTP performance of 'Crazy Horses' was on the 2nd November 1972 show (not available anywhere I believe) hosted by Ed Stewart. If my memory serves me well, there was a pre-performance brief interview between Stewpot and the Osmonds where they explained that the song was all about pollution. Way ahead of its time, and as wilbeforce rightly points out, a rock classic. Another one of those 'missed out at no2' hits (to Chuck Berry with 'My ding-a-ling' (sigh!)).
DeleteWhat we would now call "green" issues were a big part of the hippy movement, and environmental themes are prevalent in a number of pops songs from the late 60s/early 70s. Cliff's Silvery Rain, which we discussed recently, was one of these, as was Marvin Gaye's Mercy Mercy Me. Before that, folk singer Wally Whyton had penned the catchy eco-anthem Leave Them a Flower, which we used to sing in assemblies when I was at junior school:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB_O3JaVQyY
'What have they done to the rain?' by the Searchers back in 1964...
DeleteIndeed, and a very fine song it is, though I think that it's specifically about the threat of nuclear fall-out rather than a general lament for humanity's effect on the environment. 1964 also saw Doctor Who take a pioneering look at environmental destruction in the story Planet of Giants, inspired by the DDT scare, and of course in the early 70s Doomwatch would be concerned with ecological issues, while The Green Death would see Who addressing the dangers of pollution.
DeleteAnd in Japan... Godzilla vs The Smog Monster! Which must be seen to be believed, even with its heart in the right place.
DeleteI seem to recall Supergrass got the cartoon treatment at some point in the 90s. No idea why.
DeleteI just remembered another cartoon video from the 80s. ABC did a full cartoon for How To Be A Millionaire, which only charted as high as No.49 in 1984, in their relatively unsuccessful period between 1983-1986, but still, it's a very good video:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3IrFvVQiXk
Supergrass were going to star in a Monkees-style comedy show produced by Steven Spielberg! They didn't take him up on the offer, ultimately, because they were more about the music.
DeleteA very uneven show. Certainly better than last week, but some real lows for me.
ReplyDeleteS’Express – Theme – My goodness me, this is dire. A number of years later I recall a work disco where some of the usual staples were played. Suddenly, to my disgust this struck up. I looked at someone I was dancing alongside and we both looked at each other as if to say “where on earth and why have they dredged this rubbish up from?”.
George Michael – One more try – Cut short! Moody ballad, ten times better than the first single off ‘Faith’.
Danny Wilson – Mary’s Prayer – Deserved belated hit. Love this.
Breakers – Pat and Mick – Michael Zaeger Band struck with this in the year 2525, sorry 1978. Although both versions are someone disposable, the original wins hands down for me. Will Downing – who? next. James Brown – can’t make out what on earth this is supposed to be. Patrick Swayze and Wendy Frazer – Don’t recall this but sounds ok.
Jermaine Stewart – Get lucky – I should be so lucky this ain’t. FF.
Hazell Dean – Who’s leaving who – Hazell has ditched that dreadful puffball skirt and looks immaculately clad for another stonking rendition of this forgotten hit.
Pet Shop Boys – Heart – Another showing of this enigmatic video. Nice one.
Jackson 5 – I want you back – Yikes!! What on earth prompted this to be rereleased? Unbearable to listen to.
…and they continue to ignore Brenda Russell which is no bad thing.
At the time in 1978, there was no footage of Let's All Chant by The Michael Zager Band, so TOTP turned to Legs & Co in tasty outfits (or lack of clothing):
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1ocrmk47k0
Coincidentally that show in 1978 with Michael Zager's version was presented by Peter Powell as per the above clip shows, and now 10 years later in 1988 he presents a new version of it by Pat & Mick on the Breakers. Funny how that worked out!
DeletePP looked a lot different here! I'd forgotten about the middle section of this record where it goes into a different time signature and 'feel'. Great dancing!
DeleteLot of recycling/remixing/sampling this week...
ReplyDeleteS-express - nice start though...
George Michael - just reunited with his girlfriend eh?....
By the way, which one’s Danny?....
Here’s my song “Just a fool to believe”
Great, what are the lyrics?
Just a fool to believe
No, not the title, what are the lyrics?
Just a fool to believe
Ah..
PSB - hurray, the video! Not as loopy as I remembered it...
I Want You Back - Wonder how often there have been two songs on the top 10 with same title? I can only think of the 3 versions of Power Of Love, and not sure if they were actually in the chart at the exact same time..
Hi Anonymous, I'm after more shows if you've got them please. Have you got the original archive shows of the following, that BBC4 cut bits out of when they showed them. They are 17/06/82, 8/07/82 (both with JK inserts removed), 19/08/82, 18/11/82 and 20/10/83 (all with links to DLT removed). Also has 2/09/82 turned up yet? Cheers again!
ReplyDeletehi brie , here are the episodes you requested, sorry no sign of 2/9/82 as yet.
ReplyDeletehttps://we.tl/t-umFTW2S7uZ
Brilliant, Anonymous! Many thanks as always!
DeleteCan you please re upload TOTP 31/03/1988
ReplyDeleteyes here is 31/3/88 again :
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-HKoTFRp8dY
A Big Thank You for the above link.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous, I'm having some PC issues & was wondering if you have any of the following shows to replace my damaged copies. They are all on the Google Drive/Mega but most of them are missing the intros:
ReplyDelete24/06/76, 03/02/77, 24/03/77, 30/06/77, 25/08/77, 01/09/77, 06/04/78 and 03/03/83.
Thank you.
yes here are all of them, think one dlt ep is a new find for me
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-RlXkZxBSHW
They are excellent.Thank you.
DeleteI don't normally comment on this thread of the blog looking for past episodes from Anonymous for the 'completists' as some have called them, but I just love the 1976-77 period of pop music and TOTP shows, as this was the peak of the 70s romantic era and its associated music, when Legs & Co arrived on the scene and looked their sexiest best, and what people were switching onto on TOTP. There's just no better era in the history of pop music, so thanks to Anonymous for putting these out there, and a big thumbs up from me.
DeleteHey, some of us are a bit behind and haven't had chance to comment on the actual show yet, you know!
ReplyDeleteS-Express - I think Mark Moore should be applauded for taking a song with barely any publicity and certainly little airplay to No.1 (Radio 1 only showed an interest once it was in the Top 5)
The publicity I do remember was an advert on the teletext service on C4 (possibly on ITV too) using the London Underground style logo which ran for weeks before release. As for the song, I've always liked it.
George Michael - A bit of a fan favourite but I'm afraid I find it extremely dull.
Danny Wilson - This song seemed to be on the TV show 'No Limits' almost every week, so I knew it a long time before it was a hit. It's a good song which I still enjoy despite playing it loads on the radio, and Gary Clark seems like a nice chap too.
Breakers - The Patrick Swayze song is dire, and from one of the biggest Housewife Classic movies of all time. Wendy Fraser is lucky to get a credit here, she usually gets forgotten.
Jermaine Stewart - I think this is his best song, jaunty and catchy.
PSB - They cut the video off before the whip crack noise, how dare they!
The Jackson 5 - What seems to have gone unmentioned is that (at least, I'm 99% sure of this) they're playing the original version anyway, rather than the remix (which contains bits of 'ABC' and an instrumental breakdown not present here)
The video is really lazy, isn't it? (Proposal: Play old cartoon underneath for the entire duration. Approved!)
weren't all patrick swayze's films housewife classics? er, perhaps not that "priscilla queen of the desert" rip-off where he dragged up with wesley snipes!
DeleteRoad House and Point Break are top "get beer and pizza in" bloke's movies!
DeleteThe return of the (very) old guard, with PeTER and Slimes apparently tossing a coin and swapping sartorial styles pre-show.
ReplyDeleteDoes that S-Express gal’s six foot two include the hairstyle, Simesy? Somewhere in Hull or more likely Brighton, The Housemartins’ ex-bassist sees this and contemplates a career change.
George Michael with “The Eddie Waring Song” and a very wearing video. Did Wham! really die for this?
A pre-mugshot mix-up shows the obvious camaraderie between our hosts. Nice to see that.
Beret alert with Danny Killed The Cat, whose singer adopts a weird double hand clutch mic style early doors while the guitarist and bassist syncopate moves smoothly, then all three just enjoy themselves – and why not? Definitely worth the 18 month hatch for this moment.
Euggh, Pat’s mate Mick with a horrible open mouthed chewing gum moment. Paul Weller would have been proud.
Will, the song’s better than that top, mate.
JB FF.
Patrick Swayze actually had a pretty decent singing voice. Shame we appeared to get the repetitive ending to the song here.
Now then, judging by his costume can you guess where Jermaine Stewart’s from? Liechtenstein, maybe? I was more taken by the natty backing singers than the lead singer or the headache masquerading as a disco track. Nice hairstyle, Slimes? Clean those glasses and have a proper look. While we’re at it, we’re not doing the whole top 30 in the next rundown, PeTER!
Hazell Dean with much better clobber this time, allowing us to enjoy a fine performance of a well structured floor stomper.
Skipping the summit track’s video, that Jacksons cartoon brought back unexpected memories. In the early 70’s my local weekend ITV region (unsurprisingly called London Weekend) ran the Jacksons cartoon series, which I remember had the intro accompanied by the track “One Bad Apple”. Around that time the pre-“World Of Sport” kids’ segment called “Saturday Scene” was anchored by an early crush of mine, the lovely Sally James prior to her free transfer to ATV’s “Tiswas”. Carefree innocent times, those.
Seems a bit ironic that One Bad Apple should have been on the Jackson 5 cartoon, given that The Osmonds used it to launch their hit-making career by completely ripping off the Jacksons' sound!
DeleteHang on, it might have been an Osmonds cartoon on London Weekend instead! Too busy focussing on Sally James even as a 12-year-old!
DeleteYou and thousands of other young males at the time Arthur. It was her amazing chest popping out of her tops/blouses in the 70s if I remember correctly!
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ReplyDeleteNot enamoured with the Dinosaurs presenting this week. Let's hope the tunes are good.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy this trip...well at least 3 of us on here probably will. Myself included. The brainchild of Mark Moore of course and a great mix of samples here. What is it with tall ladies on dance records this year. We've had Yazz already and now some serious legs on this one... 😀 😀 😀 Big jump to number 3 this week and this song got a LOT of Radio airplay at the time. Even Slimes was interested.
George Michael back with his girlfriend is he PP? Eltons hair had grown back naturally as well...
This is a powerful ballad and suits his voice well. An underrated gem this one.
Fairly moody video but needs a bit more to it.
Will Deacon Blue get a look in this time around, their last hit was ignored.
Danny Wilson (a group NOT a person as every single DJ reminded us at the time). This is a really good summer tune (he says watching on a rainy August day). Somehow this got through my pop/dance wall into my head at the time and I've always been a fan of the song. Improved with age I think (the song. Not me. 😀)
Have we had a big double bass on the show before? Say Ten Hail Mary's and this may go Top Ten.
Breakers :
Pat and Mick from Capitol Radio raising funds for Charity. It's not actually a bad cover. We've had much worse.
Will Downing with a smooth laid back version of Love Supreme. Did this get a more funky remix.
James Brown with a pointless megamix FF.
Swayze. She has wind. She likes wind. Come on Slimes at least name the poor girl..
The spotify missing "Get Lucky" which was one of my favorite tracks on NOW 12. That hair is hilarious.is it a burnt bagel? Where's mini Jermaine??? Oh look... Another double bass.. 😀
Why is he dressed as an American flag? Highlight of the show.. 😀 😀 😀
Hazell back again minus puff ball skirt thank goodness. She could do with some dancers.. How about a double bass..I thinks there's a couple knocking about. 😀
I see we've bothered to credit the Jackson Five this week. No idea Fleetwood Mac got so high.
Hooray the PSB video. One of the best they made. Quality. Love Ian McKellan in this. Shame they cut it of before the end.
88 remix for the Jackson Five. Not sure why we needed this but seems like it was popular with the public.
I think it was because the PSB video showing Dracula getting his way with the tall sexy bride, leaving her innocent groom behind bars, was too scary for the younger viewers of TOTP, as they would probably be thinking the worst of what would happen to her, so understandably TOTP had to think of the the sort of under-12s (PG status) in order to consider showing the whole video!
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DeleteThat's a good point Dory.
DeleteMusic videos themselves were always exempt from classification at the time so it wouldn't matter for commercial release.
Re double basses, we did see a few during the rockabilly revival of the early 80s, courtesy of The Stray Cats, Matchbox and The Jets.
Delete