Can you understand me now, it's the 4th of April 1991 edition of Top of the Pops!
Madchester city
4-4-91: Presenter: Gary Davies
(30) INSPIRAL CARPETS – Caravan
The first of tonight's Madchester bands gets this live show underway but the song got no higher.
(22) THE SIMPSONS – Deep Deep Trouble (video)
This follow up to Do the Bartman peaked at number 7, and was their final hit.
(19) N-JOI – Anthem
In the studio to perform what became their only top ten hit when it peaked at number 8.
(11) THE WATERBOYS – The Whole Of The Moon (video)
Had peaked at number 26 in 1985, but this time around it became their only top ten hit when it peaked at number 3.
(33) THE MOCK TURTLES – Can You Dig It?
Making their studio debut with the song that was to be their biggest hit when it peaked at number 18.
(21) C & C MUSIC FACTORY feat. FREEDOM WILLIAMS – Here We Go (video)
Went up one more place.
(26) BLACK BOX – Strike It Up (video)
Peaked at number 16.
(12) FEARGAL SHARKEY – I’ve Got News For You
He's singing it live for a second time but the song got no higher.
(1) CHESNEY HAWKES – The One And Only
Second of five weeks at number one.
(35) MIKE & THE MECHANICS – Word Of Mouth (video) (and credits)
Peaked at number 13.
11th of April is next.
Inspirals with a song I haven't thought of in 30 years, and it's a goodie, they had a way with indiepop that was very respectable and this is no exception. Not the Barbara Dickson Caravan, before anybody starts.
ReplyDeleteSee, The Simpsons weren't one hit wonders either. With lyrics curiously similar to Def Leppard's Let's Get Rocked, this is more or less the same as the previous hit. I'd rather Mr Burns' See My Vest song had been a hit.
N-Joi with Saffron - Chesney Hawkes' pal? Future Republica frontwoman? Sure looks like her. Though you may be distracted by the man in the bodystocking leaving nothing to the imagination stage right. So the miming to samples continues...
Now, don't get me wrong, The Waterboys are a fine band, and when The Whole of the Moon appeared first time around in the 80s I thought, ah, it wasn't a big hit but maybe I'll look back on it fondly as a never-was. But 35 years later, when it's on rotation in practically every bloody music station in the land and has been for a seeming eternity, if I never hear this again I will cry tears of relief. PLEASE STOP PLAYING THIS RECORD!!! I'M SICK TO DEATH OF IT!!!
The Mock Turtles, how nice to hear the original mix and not the rubbish Fartboy Slim version from a few years later. Another song at the time I thought, I'll look back on this as a song of my youth, and it's still a nostalgic tune now, possibly by design. Alan Partridge's brother's idea, of course. The keyboard player is sporting an extraordinary outfit.
C&C and what looks and sounds like Ice-T after he had been in the gym. Otherwise, they were out of ideas - for now, they would stick around.
Black Box, still pretending their mimer was a singer, with one of those whooshy camera videos and Katrin has blue contact lenses in for that Village of the Damned vibe. Song: pretty basic.
I'd prefer if Feargal sang along to the Have I Got News For You theme tune, really. Interesting attempt at a beard.
Ches still there, repeated footage, then Mike and the Mechanics with not the worst thing they ever did, and it got them a half-decent chart placing too. Video thinks they're Bon Jovi.
Indeed, THX, the lesser spotted Martin Coogan in The Mock Turtles. Aha!
Delete"This follow up to Do the Bartman peaked at number 7, and was their final hit". Thank fornication for that.
On N-Joi, I recall the same tall man in the body stocking on another group's single in the TOTP studio only a few episodes ago, which makes me think that that it is one of the TOTP-provided dancers as compulsory to groups comprising of couple of DJs or keyboardists which at the time was very common in the house music scene.
DeleteOn this one he seemed to start on the side of the stage, and then towards the end creeping behind Saffron the lead singer, somewhat uncomfortably. No doubt we will see him again on another group's studio performance. Good Lord!
Yes, hated that reworked version of Can U Dig It. Messed around with the guitar solo and added some stupid spoken word bits. That was always the version they played on the radio long after it made the charts. Fatboy Slim was fine on his own things but often useless with other people's music. Blur's 'Crazy Beat' is another example.
DeleteI'm one who prefers Cornershop's original Brimfull of Asha to the Cook remix.
DeleteInspiral Carpets; Sorry I'm going to mention Barbara Dickson. A special one in the early memory banks. This has nothing to do with that one of course. To be honest I've already completely forgotten it from the one listen apart from that it has a very obvious debt to The Beatles 'Hey Bulldog' and the bassist is trying to be Peter Hook. Too low down the neck I think.
ReplyDeleteThe Simpsons; 'Do The Bartman' was just about bearable because it so obviously seemed like a one off. To do a follow up with the novelty removed is not on. Those words! Hello Gill Scott Heron. A charming video making the obvious connection between puerile rhyme schemes and capital punishment and eternity in hell. It actually makes being a child seem embarrassing.
A live edition. Couldn't someone have tripped over a power cable at this point?
Some bouncy haired pillock behind Gary takes the opportunity to impersonate Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson. Knob.
N Joi; The stringbean fellow from the previous appearance is there again, revealing a tad too much. The stunning woman with him doesn't appear unless that's her singing. I don't think it is. Dimly remember the spoken word part. I liked that far more than their previous one.
The liveness of the show comes across here. Also the fact that the camera man is having an off day. He knocks into the keyboard, almost connects with Mr. No pants and starts to absent mindedly pan across to the audience before drifting back to the stage. Was he dancing or drunk?
The Waterboys; A huge hit on reissue and a very special memory of that Spring. Very good to see the video but I think this is it's only appearance apart from a brief clip in the Christmas show. Hard on Karl Wallinger that they missed a chance to show him on the programme when he had just released one of the best pop albums of the period with his subsequent band World Party.
The Mock Turtles; Fantastic record, harmonies, storming wah wah solo (largely cut out here) and a great tune. I think I recorded one edition purely for this single. Steve Coogan's brother Martin on vocals, later composer of music for Alan Partridge's 'Mid Morning Matters'. I think he also did the songs for his Tony Ferrino character.
C & C Music Factory; Maybe should be titled 'Gonna Sweat You Make'. Sounds like that record slightly re ordered. At least the voice this time is who you're watching and not poor Martha Walsh. Speaking of which.....
Black Box; Here she is again disguised as a model. That poor woman. I must admit to really liking this one, horrible subterfuge and all. I think their run is coming to an end.
Feargal Sharkey; Another live appearance. Another live vocal. Was he still trying to atone for the 'live on an aeroplane' mega balls up from the Noel Edmonds show on Christmas Day '85? You don't need to Feargal. It was very funny! Brave to sing live again but not much of a song.
A girl on the gantry is unable to move her hands in the same direction as about 7 others.
Chesney Hawkes; So it's the same performance as last week. Strange considering there are two videos for this single. I assume one of them will be on next week. The camera catches an unfortunate bit of nose hair in those extreme close ups but Chesney's having too much fun to care.
The young fellow behind Gary gets a few more idiotic expressions in before we cut to the play out. Is he alright? To Mike and the Mechanics with some sort of on high sermon about something very profound but which doesn't make a huge amount of sense. I'm guessing it's a post cold war / German unification message. Great windswept tune and Mike Rutherford does a very impressive solo.
That stringbean dancer on N-Joi certainly gave me the creeps, and hope not to see him again, but this new tune Anthem was much better than their last single Adrenalin which was still in the lower reaches of the Top 40 by now. Need to check out the video.
DeleteI thought the first two C&C Music Factory's singles were brilliant, and had a factory style churning out feel about it, but I know the first one at least got to No.1 in America. I certainly remember these two singles for their videos being among the first available from iTunes to purchase way back in 2006 when iTunes had just arrived on these shores, and these tunes were 15 years old already!
The Simpsons - They were actually at No.22 with the new single as shown on the show this week, but also at No.25 with their previous single falling down the charts, so two singles in the top 25, but because of the new style chart rundown on TOTP to only show climbers, we couldn't see this simultaneous No.22 & No.25 on the same chart for The Simpsons!
ReplyDeleteBlack Box - this new one by Black Box was most famous for its superb intro, which TOTP left out on the video clip shown, in order to squeeze in the new male rapper on the single in the short 2-minutes allowed per video on the show at this stage of TOTP's evolution. Intro or rapper? Intro please:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo3kp5BLF6Q
Mike & The Mechanics - disappointed that TOTP chose this one for the playout, considering that Roxette were back up to No.4 this week after falling to No.5 the previous week, and were not on the show for about three weeks since last showing. Also Rod Stewart wasn't played on all three weeks at No.3, and could also have been considered for the playout this week instead of M&TM. Good Lord!
Gaz hosts a live one and does very well to keep calm with some right idiots behind him.
ReplyDeleteThe return of Pudding Basin Cuts And A Slaphead. Good groove but the track never quite takes off for me.
“Deep Deep Trouble”. Quick quick FF.
The singer with N-Joi may well be THAT Saffron from Republica. Looks like her in the mugshot. Was Skinny Ballbag the same dickhead whooping in Gaz’s ear during the intro?
“The Whole Of The Moon” reminded me of those recent Jaffa Cakes ads. This was just too earnest and po-faced for my liking.
The Mock Turtles were a bit lucky to get on – fifth week in the top 50, third week in the top 40 and still not in the top 30. A re-worked version of what had been the B-side to an earlier indie single they’d released. Very Ian Brown style vocals. Let’s see the female keyboardist, lads!
Next up, not the well known football chant but your usual brand of C&C dancefloor ‘boogie’ according to Gaz.
Katrin not able to mime in the studio this week? Erk, a Black Box single with a male rap. Next!
Ay up, Johnny Logan’s turned up again. Fair play to Feargal for a second live rendition.
I agree Rod Stewart was more worthy of the playout than Mike and the lads’ failed attempt at what sounded like a coffee ad jingle. Stupid video shape there. I didn’t realise Paul Carrack wasn’t the only singer in that band.
Black Box will in fact be in the studio in two shows' time to mime, so hopefully we will get the superb retro-style intro which is what is worth waiting for, as well as her miming.
DeleteI'm surprised Katrin didn't mime to the bloke as well, she's incorrigible.
DeleteSome interesting new entries peaking this week just outside the Top 40 by previous chart regulars:
ReplyDeleteNo.42 INXS - By My Side
Follow up to the more successful recent chart hit with Jimmy Barnes, INXS now back on their own, just couldn't manage a top 40 slot this time round.
No.45 - George Michael - Cowboys & Angels
Not sure what the connection is, but a quick look at the video suggests that it was not strong enough to chart in a rapidly changing decade where this was too slow for the younger generation to have patience for.
No. 54 2 In A Room - She's Got Me Going Crazy
At last, the follow-up to the recent Top 3 hit Wiggle It, this new one was mostly indoors this time, with some similar circumstances to Snap's Mary Had A Little Boy, where the team meet a girl at a disco, and work out how to make their move:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHsryx-0dUw
No.57 - Chris Rea - Heaven
The follow-up to Auberge, but nowhere near breaking the top 40, and this chart position was the best it got for Rea. He was to continue releasing new singles until 1997 before calling it a day, so this is by no means the last we see of Rea.
Inspirals - great start to the show. Classic inspirals, no idea why it stalled where it did.
ReplyDeleteSimpsons - forgotten the follow up. Better than I remember…
Waterboys - didn’t like this at the time, don’t know why, but nowadays I quite like it.
Mock Turtles - why they weren’t huge I will never know. First album, Turtle Soup, doesn’t have a bad track on it. Probably the band I have seen live more than any other, bar the Stranglers. (The last time I saw them was well after their chart days, at a pub called the Witchwood, where the support band were so loud, everyone was stood outside during their set.)
C and C Factory - like this, but tbh it’s not that different to Gonna Make You Sweat.
Black Box - must be in a good mood, cos I like this as well. (The dance tracks seems to be incorporating more than a single riff, and even a tune)
Mike and Mechanics - don’t remember this one. Not typical of their usual sound, but a nice foot tapper. (Did the video have that weird squashed effect, or was it TOTP special effect - added nothing)
They've been using the squashed effect on the end credits videos for the past few episodes, so it's not on the original.
DeleteI'm only gonna comment on one song this week and it's this:
ReplyDeleteMike and the Mechanics - Word of Mouth - The late Paul Young from Sad Cafe was the other original singer in M&tM. Paul died suddenly in 2000 of a heart attack aged just 53. It was July 15th 2000, nearly 21 years ago as I write this. Unbelievable, and such a tragic loss of a charismatic front man. RIP
A live version of 'Word of Mouth' featured on a later CD single and it sounded like a real crowd pleaser.
Here's a nice picture tribute to Paul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knALvGgNe_g
Some songs here that have kind of been lost in the years since from The Simpsons, Feargal, Black Box and C and C Music Factory, and some that very much haven't (Waterboys, Ches, Mock Turtles). Overall a very mixed bag of an episode, and of course I agree with Dory that it needed more Roxette ;)
ReplyDeleteOoh Gary in the house so should be a good show and LIVE again....onto the tunes...
ReplyDeleteINSPIRAL CARPETS – Caravan
Take your hands out of your pockets young man, you're at work! Indie was fabulous at times but the Madchester scene could turn out some dull dirge at times. Example A...
THE SIMPSONS – Deep Deep Trouble
This is a much more fun lyric than Do The Bartman and is the better of the two hits by a long way. Again the dull American album version rather than the far superior single mix.
Love the shirt on the guy to the left of Gary. Very colourful. I had an orange one like that.
N-JOI – Anthem
Now this is an actual dance anthem. A very lovely Saffron fronting the mining tonight. Well, occasional miming to Gwen Guthrie, Darlene Davis and Soul II Soul. Apparently she did sing parts of it live in clubs and of course went on to front Republica. Hair cut © Swing Out Sister
THE WATERBOYS – The Whole Of The Moon
A fabulous tune that for some reason was a bigger hit second time around. Still going and had a really good tune out last year "The Soul Singer" which is well worth checking out.
THE MOCK TURTLES – Can You Dig It?
An Indie anthem up next. Pay attention Carpets. Stood the test of time this one. Awesome tune.
Lovely leotard on keyboard.
C & C MUSIC FACTORY feat. FREEDOM WILLIAMS – Here We Go
Things that make you go hmm...how was this copycat of their last single a hit? Oh yeah, I bought it. Better to come but catchy.
BLACK BOX – Strike It Up
Bored with Black Box now. Hasn't this been on the Megamix already. I'm confused. Next..
FEARGAL SHARKEY – I’ve Got News For You
A second outing for this tune that still underwhelms me every time I hear it.
Lovely vocal performance though..maybe we should make them all sing live 😛
Diner Caroll? Really Gaz?
The One And Only CHEESY HAWKES gets a second week at Number One. Easy to forget what a massive tune this was at the time. Ches and his mole were everywhere.
MIKE & THE MECHANICS – Word Of Mouth
Proper sing-a-long tune for any concert. I really like this. Just a really decent pop/rock song. Hands in the air now ….
At this point we are halfway through the TOTP BBC4 re-runs (Jan 76 - Jun 06) if they are to go right to the end.
ReplyDelete