Head Girls
29/09/88 (Gary Davies & Mark Goodier)
Sinitta – “I Don’t Believe In Miracles” (38)
Getting the show underway with a typically lively dance routine and it peaked at number 22.
U2 – “Desire” (3) (video)
Will soon become their first of seven number one hits.
Hazell Dean – “Turn It Into Love” (29)
In the studio to perform what was to be her final top 40 hit and it peaked at number 21.
Alexander O’Neal – “Fake ‘88” (24) (breaker)
Had peaked at number 33 last year, but this remix made it to number 16.
Duran Duran – “I Don’t Want Your Love” (20) (breaker)
Peaked at number 14.
Erasure – “A Little Respect” (19) (breaker)
Ever try to hit those high notes on Singstar? It peaked at number 4.
Whitney Houston – “One Moment In Time” (8) (video)
This ballad about fast athletes was slowly making its way to number one.
Bananarama – “Love, Truth & Honesty” (28)
Doing their usual thing in the studio and this song peaked at number 23.
The Hollies – “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” (1)
You just couldn't keep them away from the studio, but it was their second and final week at number one.
T’Pau – “Secret Garden” (37) (video/credits)
Carol looks to be having an a-mazing time, and the song peaked at number 18.
October 6th is next.
Surprised that Sinitta got a studio performance at No.38. Simon Cowell must have been very persuasive!
ReplyDeleteYeah, in two shows time she is already on her second distinct studio performance having still only got to No.25, but in her favour she had lots of male viewers in admiration, including myself, so why not?
DeleteI can think of 2 reasons: 1) Can't sing 2) Way too skinny
DeleteGazza and Mark make for an efficient if unexciting presenting duo, but the crowd seemed determined to make up for that by whooping and cheering as much as possible. Not the greatest of shows either, dominated by some less than inspiring SAW records. Sinitta's is probably the best of the bunch, though that is not saying much, as it is quite slick and enjoyable while it lasts. Sin actually has some substantial clothing for once, and has also apparently brought in two girls from the street to act as her backing dancers.
ReplyDeleteU2 produce another video in thrall to Americana, which feels quite similar in place to the one which accompanied I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. This is the last single of theirs that I rate, a good rocky tune with some nice production, and I think it was a deserved chart-topper. Back to the SAW production line next, as that professional trouper Hazell Dean manages to eke out one final hit. Haze sells the song well, but this is strictly formulaic stuff from her producers. We won't get any more of this Alexander O'Neal remix, which is perhaps just as well given how unappealingly fat and greasy Alex was looking in the video! As for the song, like so much on this show decent enough but unexciting.
I think One Moment in Time marks the moment where Whitney began to descend headlong into the abyss of overblown balladry. Thankfully she hadn't quite reached the full-on vocal gymnastics phase of her career yet, but this song undoubtedly points the way towards that. There is quite a nice tune lurking beneath all the production gloss, but this is one of those records that tries too hard to move the listener, and is alienating as a result. The video is also cloying and schmaltzy in a very American way - the Seoul Olympics were actually drawing to a close by this point, and the Ben Johnson scandal would blow up the day after this show was broadcast, rather undercutting the noble vision of sporting competition that we are presented with here. If SAW's effort for Hazell Dean was formulaic, the Nanas' latest offering is even more so, and is a sure sign that the law of diminishing returns was now kicking in for the girls. Still, they looked good in their black outfits, and I enjoyed the fashion poses.
The Hollies are the only non-SAW act in the studio this week, though unfortunately once again they use the "new" version of the song - I think it must be quite a while since an act did a new performance in the studio three weeks on the spin. T'Pau to finish, with a video that I remember watching at the time (I think it must have been after seeing this very show) and which has stuck in my mind ever since. That must be due to the unusual maze setting, in which Carol indulges in some very brattish and anti-social behaviour, including kneeing that unfortunate soldier in his tender area! This is one of those cases where the promo is much more memorable than the song.
Agree completely with regard to T'Pau. The video was quite good, and reminded me of one of the scenes of Laurel & Hardy's 1940 final movie at the Hal Roach studios, called A Chump at Oxford, which I think was filmed in Oxford, England, and I just wonder if the T'Pau video 48 years later in 1988 was filmed in the same garden maze in Oxford, as it certainly looks very similar, and there can't be many (if any) other garden mazes worldwide.
DeleteSuffice to say that L&H were subjected to Oxford graduate anti-social behaviour in the Oxford garden maze in that comedy movie, of which I found this hilarious clip of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o_6UmYJ5nw
A very lacklustre show that is only made more absurd by the audience's near-hysteria at a bunch of unexceptional records.
ReplyDeleteSinitta up first, one of three "spot the difference" SAW tracks this episode, though she and her backing singers certainly win in the big 80s hair department.
Gaz, Gaz, Gaz, U2 were never the greatest band in the world, and neither were they the greatest band in America, as their ambition appeared to be. Desire was probably the best of their bluesy rockers, but the pretensions of it worked against them. Best bit of the video is that bloke putting his beard over his face and his glasses over the beard. He would have won Opportunity Knocks with an act like that the previous decade.
Hazell Dean with SAW identikit effort #2. This was the reason people got so sick of them, not because they were bad songs or performers, but the production line aspect drained the personality out of the charts.
Quick mention of Alexander, good luck noticing what was remixed in this Fake (OK, it sounds slightly different), but this was a solid effort from the sweatiest man in 80s soul, and the lyrics are fun. Pity we don't hear the "And I'm disgusted!" couplet. There aren't enough songs about people being disgusted.
I bet the athlete who fell over was delighted they used her moment of humiliation in the video for Whitney's bombast. The whole thing resembles a Coca-Cola ad, music and all (speaking of which, were the Coke execs watching and planning?). Even the Whitney footage is second hand.
Bananarama with lazy, soundalike SAW effort #3 for tonight. Sporting miniskirts with bustles, bizarrely, not a look that caught on (and Jacquie is wearing leather breeks with hers!). The moves are overfamiliar too, it was the beginning of the very protracted end for them (until the nostalgia circuit beckoned).
The Hollies with their plodder for the second week at the top, then it's saying something when the most memorable bit is the T'Pau video under the credits (including the legendary Ed Wooden, I notice). Nothing special, but the clip is amusing in an English surrealism way and the song at least sounds a bit different to the rest.
I'm not surprised that this was Hazell Dean's final hit as John correctly mentions. It sounded so repetitive, to the point of being utterly bland in music terms, as she was clearly well past her best in 1984 when she was new on the music scene and sounded great. Oh, and the Sinitta and Pasadena-style faded jeans look was really the last straw here in late 1988.
DeleteWell this is a show where Bananarama obviously didn’t get the new dress code memo. Notable for featuring two dreadful (and unworthy in my view) future no1s.
ReplyDeleteSinnitta – I don’t believe in miracles – Observing the new ‘cover up’ dress code is Sinitta with a song just not as good as previous efforts. Colin Blunstone anyone?
U2 – Desire – Greatest band on earth? I think not. I could not believe at the time that this noise hit the top spot. Ironically, the ‘Rattle and Hum’ album did produce two U2 songs that I actually liked….one in fact I really liked. But not this.
Hazell Dean – Turn it into love - Observing the new ‘cover up’ dress code is Hazell with a song just not as good as previous efforts.
Breakers – Two turkeys (very disappointed in the Duran Duran effort) followed by one of the best records of 1988 for me for which we’ll be seeing more.
Whitney Houston – One moment in time – Ughhhhhh!!!! FF
Banarama – Love, truth and honesty – One of the girls’s forgotten hits which I really like along with the slinky black minis. A far cry from their original baggy outfit image.
Hollies – He ain’t heavy he’s my Brother – Love it still….but love the original recording more.
T’Pau – Secret garden – Amusing video. At first I thought it must be Hampton Court or Longleat, but no, it was a maze at Symonds Yat, Ross-on-Wye. Can’t hide the fact that the song is not a patch on most of the ‘Bridge of Spies’ stuff.
i know this has nothing to do with the show, but sct you've reminded me of when i went canoeing on the river wye a few years back - just as i came to the end of a two day journey at the symonds yat yard, a near-hurricane blew up and as a result i had to furiously paddle against the flow for what seemed an age so i wouldn't be swept miles further downriver, before i was finally hauled ashore! and it took me a week to recover afterwards as a result!!
DeleteRegarding Sinitta's dress code of lazy jeans, it seemed to be the new fashion when the Pasadenas made it look really cool to wear faded jeans. Even Hazell dean on this show was at it, when all these ladies previously made more evening style effort in dress code. Then Richard Skinner and some of the girls in the studio audience on his presented show in a couple of weeks were at it, wearing the faded jeans, so it even got to the TOTP presenters. See what the Pasadenas started?
DeleteWell, that edition took just over 10 minutes to watch. Dreadful.
ReplyDeleteSinEEDa according to Gary, with Dead or Alive “You Spin Me Round” style backing but this was utterly forgettable, plus I’ll swap the backing singers for those who accompanied Tracey Ullman.
Completely disagree with you about the next act, Gaz. I had no desire to listen to “Desire” by that overblown lot. U2FF.
Early mugshots – T’Pau’s photo is the same as for their last hit, but back to front this time.
Hazell Dean a GIRL, Mark? Mutton dressed as lamb by now. Identikit SAW. I which someone would SAW this in half.
Alexander O’Neal, working up a sweat over an inferior mix of an old hit. Fake news.
Mystifying crowd hysteria halfway through DD’s weak tea white boy disco effort.
Erasure there with the most literal video on the re-runs yet or ever, I’d guess, with a broken heart, blue lighting, the word Seoul and a little Respect given at the precise time the words are sung. If Andy had sung “I love you”, we’d probably have seen an eye, a heart and a female sheep!
Christ, no. Gold medal for my speed with the FF control.
Ridiculous cheering during the mid mugshots but deadly silence for Yello. Boo!
Was the early whooping in anticiaption of this Nanas no-no? Love, truth and honesty? No, f#cking Stock, Aitken and Waterman again! Dress code black, tune very weak beige.
End mugshots - bloody hell, now we even get the floor manager shouting instructions starting at number 9!
Please, PLEASE, couldn’t we have had the proper version of The Hollies’ chart topper?
The combined intro and outro song chart placings this week are 75. Long time since we had both topper and tailer so far down the chart. Carol seemed to enjoy herself in that maze, and I positively loved the old style road signs which were replaced by more modern designs abourt 1967. I didn’t dislike “St. Elmo’s Maze” but it wasn’t one of their best.
Didn’t take long to watch this...
ReplyDeleteSinitta - don’t remember this one. Sounds like the backing track was set too slow...
U2 - this single persuaded me to buy the album Rattle and Hum. Still rocks after all these years (as dies the album)
Hazell Dean - still not found the ‘go fast’ button then?....
Durranies respond to Wendy Vamp’s invitation?....
Whiney turns the schmaltz button up to full...
Bananarama - for fork’s sake, where is that speed up button?...
TPau - Finally a track that kept my hand off the FF button. (Were those schoolgirls in the video moonlighting from the I don’t like Mondays video)
Hell, if no-one else well, I'll try and stick up for the SAW songs in this edition!
ReplyDeleteSinitta - But not this one, as it's utterly awful, with Sinitta's usually weak vocals not helping.
U2 - One of their most 'by the numbers' tracks becomes their first No.1. Baffling. Didn't think much of it then, and I still don't.
Hazell Dean - I think this song isn't bad, but (and I'm surprised nobody's mentioned this) I prefer Kylie's version which featured on her first album and was released as a single in other countries but sadly not here.
Breaker - Just Alex not getting another viewing? Shame, as this is probably his 2nd best song and the lyrics are brilliant.
Whitney Houston - Typical balladry but unlike some of her later efforts at least there's a half-decent tune trying to escape.
Bananarama - Now I really must defend this as for me it's one of their most under-rated singles and rather catchy.
T'Pau - Definitely their best song, as Carol manages to provide a decent vocal for once. The video is also very memorable.
Ah!!!! So that is why the Hazell Dean song sounded like a Kylie copy!
ReplyDeleteShow 3..ooh Gary is back with Mr Chart show. Is this in stereo??
ReplyDeleteSinitta in at a lowly number 38 but she gets a studio outing. Must have a good prompter. She's stopped making anything decent at this point. She needs to give up now.. Audience seem quite excited.
That's one hell of a gear shift into the clappy bit.
U2 back big style and what a song. Possibly the best thing they ever did.
Quality. Great little video as well.
How many SAW artists covered this song? There are so many versions around including Kylie but it's Hazell who draws the short straw and gets the UK single release..this has not aged well.
Nice shiny jacket Hazell. 😀
Breakers:
FAKE 88. Hey it rhymes. Let's call it that. Go on Alex its a great idea.
Duran Duran with a nice but lesser known track. All the crowd noise is very off putting though. This is very US influenced.
Erasure with one of their best.. Covered of course by Bjorn Again in response to Erasures ABBA EP.
Whitney video gets a full outing. This video is so cheesy, as is the song. Great chorus though.
Another stereo hit Mark..
The Bananas back with some Love, Truth and Honesty. Still roughly all danchj G the same. They seemed to cream off a lot of SAW best songs.. Good for them.
Nice tracking shot of an empty part of the set. Well done Director. Turn the audience down whilst you're at it.
Hollies again! And they turn up for a THIRD time.. Wowzers.. Someone tell them its not the 60s anymore and they can repeat stuff now.. The one on the left gets younger and his hair gets darker every week.
Happy 21st Radio One. 😀 😀 😀
Tpau get lost in a maze. Love the British Avengers 60s style video.
Top song as well.
And September has gone... Next week's day off... OCTOBER!