You light up another cigarette and I'll pour the wine, it's the 23rd of May 1991 edition of Top of the Pops!
Bev-ear-ley
23-5-91: Presenter: Gary Davies
(20) T-PAU – Whenever You Need Me
Getting tonight's show underway, and their final top 40 hit went up four more places.
(7) COLOR ME BADD – I Wanna Sex You Up (video)
Will be number one in two weeks time.
(29) SIMPLE MINDS – See The Lights
In the studio with this fine stadium anthem and it peaked at number 20.
(3) BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Promise Me
A second studio performance and a second excellent live vocal but the song was now at its peak.
(13) REM – Shiny Happy People (video)
On their merry way to number 6.
(18) THE WONDERSTUFF – Caught In My Shadow (video)
Got no higher.
(23) DEACON BLUE – Your Swaying Arms
In the studio but the song could go no higher.
(28) QUEEN – Headlong (video)
This third single from their number one album Innuendo peaked at number 14.
(1) CHER – The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) (video)
Fourth of five weeks at number one.
(31) TECHNOTRONIC feat. REGGIE – Move That Body (video) (and credits)
Peaked at number 12.
Next up is May 30th.
Simple Minds - 1991 was the one year when Jim Kerr was a singleton, as he had divorced Chrissie Hyde the year before, and he was to get married to Patsy Kensit a year later in 1992, so on this performance he was enjoying being single, or perhaps not?
ReplyDeleteBeverley Craven - what can I say but that I just love this tune, and also Beverley Craven. I don't know any other tune of hers, but still, this one is like a hundred tunes, it's just that good, and so pleased that she is No.3 in the charts already with it.
REM - there's something nice about that girl singer borrowed from The B52s for this REM effort. A whole year since The Love Shack, and whatever her name is, she brings out the best in REM too, and yes, I love her minidress in the video.
Technotronic ft Reggie - I don't recall this one at all, let alone on the playout, and so I thought Reggie was a male singer from the artist title, but oh what a nice surprise, Reggie is a girl, in fact the best hottie that Tecnotronic has 'featured' on their list so far, and its already a long list since 1988 when they first knocked on the door of TOTP. Reggie does however rap a little like Neneh Cherry on this single.
Another fine edition with a real diversity of styles. So enjoying these recent shows.
ReplyDeleteT'Pau; Some heroes of a past era to start things off though a definite makeover is apparent. Carol now with B52s hair and a guitarist who looks a bit like Throb from Primal Scream. Not a rolled up jacket sleeve in sight. The tune pleasant enough carried on a beat that's currentish. She can sing anything though and it would be worth hearing.
Colour Me Badd; The woman watching the group gives an expression that says, 'oooh yes!'. Though her actual thought is probably, 'tossers'.
Simple Minds; No makeover for this band, oh no. I liked the last one but this sounded very windy and dull. Sounded like all of Jim Kerr's moody croony bits strung together with no tune. Blimey that seemed to take about an hour to pass.
Beverley Craven;. This is way better! Another fine live performance, even more so than the previous one, that really brings out the qualities of the song. Wow.
R.E.M; A proper showing of the video. Stipey does look a bit of an eejit but then this is the man that attended interviews wearing goggles and two pairs of trousers. Certainly he looks genuinely into it just as much as Peter Buck for the most part doesn't.
I really don't understand why they had such a problem with this song. It's just a perfect bit of pop with the elegiac strings then that joyful jangly guitar. Also they couldn't have written a better tune for Kate Pierson to join in on. I bought the single and because of it I bought 'Out of Time' as well. Another single I bought, possibly same day, was an 'Old Gold' re-issue of The Byrds 'Mr. Tambourine Man'. I can't remember if the R E.M single was the reason. Sadly Gene Clark, one of my all time music heroes, was to die the day after this show was broadcast.
The Wonderstuff; Some amiable buskers with a good busker's song though the amount of grebo types in the crowd suggests this wasn't an unannounced performance. It looks a bit like an on the ground version of The Beatles rooftop gig. Even looks like it was filmed in about 1969. Great to see again.
Deacon Blue; The first band I really took as my own in '88 and this is another beautiful thing from them. Ricky Ross not his usual ebullient self but then it's not that sort of song.
Queen; More good humour from them. Good chugging number with lots of in studio larking about. I know the ending is funny too with Freddie pulling a stupid face at the camera. The chorus has a passing resemblance to 'Impulsive' by Wilson Phillips.
Cher; These movie soundtracks. They're on quite a lot aren't they.
Technotronic; Alright video (not sure what the shaky camera was in aid of) but further proof that the best thing by far about this group was their name.
Thanks for the fact about Gene Clark dying the day after this went out, though I wouldn't have been aware of that for ages afterwards (no internet back then). Got his No Other album around here somewhere...
DeleteGreat great artist. No Other is just an absolute masterpiece. He died only five months after The Byrds were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame. Built like a brick outhouse but a very fragile character.
DeleteYes, a very troubled man, I believe he left the Byrds because he was terrified of flying and couldn't tour with them (that's the story I heard, anyway).
DeleteChart rundown - unlucky not to get a showing for two new entries on the TOTP chart this week:
ReplyDeleteNo.34 Curve - Coast Is Clear
Pure indie, pretty lead singer, but nothing much to get excited about. Black & white video, record label Anxious Records - no wonder it tumbled right out of the top 40 the following week with no TOTP play this week to help it upwards.
No.36 Chris de Burgh - The Simple Truth (1991)
Re-release of this 1988 single to coincide with The Simple Truth Concert 1991. No video but live 1991 concert footage carried this through to a Top 40 position, albeit just for one week, as this one tumbled down 20 places to No.56 the following week!
Anxious Records was the label run by David A. Stewart of Eurythmics which was affiliated to RCA. The label had already had hits with Londonbeat and Candy Dulfer. Curve singer Toni Halliday released a number of solo singles on the label.
DeleteToni Halliday was quite the indie pin-up in her day, sort of the 90s equivalent of the 70s Gaye Advert.
DeleteI still adore the Toni Halliday and Leftfield single
DeleteYou would've thought they could give Chris at least a brief video inclusion with maybe footage from the concert. They did plenty of promotion of it the previous week. I did watch it at the time. Good TV event I think.
ReplyDeleteCurve. Were fairly cool around '92 and Toni Halliday is the vocalalist on 'Original' by Left field in 1995. That is definitely something to look forward to.
Four singles peaking just outside the Top 40 this week, and unlucky not to get to the TOTP stage:
ReplyDeleteNo.42 - Bob Marley - One Love
Seems we were going back in time to the late 70s when this was first released, so possibly a new TV ad had brought it back to life, or was there a new album for Marley in 1991?
No.44 - Tottenham Hotspur Football Club - When The Year Ends In One
10 years after the same football team with Ossie Ardiles broke the Top 5 in 1981, this was an amazing fall from grace to not even be able to crack the Top 40 now in 1991, but I guess they had no Chas 'n' Dave to help them this time round.
No.47 - Hue & Cry - My Salt Heart
The group that burst on the scene in 1987 with a top 10 hit Labour Of Love, had no such success four years later with this new one, which was just as optimistic but not as punchy as their 1987 work. My Salt Heart was the first single released from their new 1991 album Stars Crash Down, and they had one TV invitation to perform it on The 8.15 From Manchester:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzuQNr5KgEU
No.58 - Joey B Ellis - I Thought You Were The One For Me
Eagerly awaited follow-up to the Rocky V Theme called Go For It which made Top 20 in Feb/March, and this new one had a Bobby Brown-style video with lots of sexy girls in hotpants dancing around Ellis, although Ellis selected his girls a whole lot better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLH89Y-qyXM
C & D were the masterminds behind the Spurs 1991 effort - it just wasn't very good (to be fair the 82 and 87 efforts weren't much cop either). As Spurs haven't graced the Cup Final since the world has never got to hear the East End Music Hall / Grime mash-up that would be released these days. Let us give thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteT'Pau, lucky to still be having hits when it sounds like they're resolutely stuck in the past, or about four years before anyway. I would have thought their fans would have outgrown them, but this did OK.
ReplyDeleteGaz says Color Me Bleuch were on the soundtrack to New Jack City, I don't remember that but its credibility just took a dip if it's true.
Plodalonga Simple Minds with a very by the numbers tune, not that you have to innovate with every record, but reminiscent of T'Pau in their lack of adventurousness. Jim almost boots the poor cameraman into the audience.
Cigarettes and wine don't sound as sophisticated as they used to, Beverley. Another live vocal but it's still all very middle class dinner party background music.
REM, not their biggest hit, but it does seem to be the one people remember, to their possible chagrin. Slightly annoying, not my favourite of theirs, lyrics a bit hipper than thou, and Mike looks a berk in the video.
The Stuffies take to the streets in a Howard Jones-style bid for world domination. Didn't work. Middling effort from them, good forward motion but not much variation. John Hannah in the background (in orange) looks like a fan.
Tasteful pop time from Deacon Blue, which translates as "a bit boring". They could turn this stuff out in their sleep. How do you hold someone in your swaying arms, then? I'm imagining Ricky Ross being rocked gently in the embrace of a gorilla.
Queen, an aren't we having fun in the studio video because presumably Freddie wasn't up to a concert video. Song's OK, but like a lot on this episode, nobody's really stretching themselves. Did that material they were recording as this went out ever see the light of day?
Cher and her keeuss, can't shift her, then Technotronic with the soundtrack to your local gym's aerobics session. Didn't expect the detour into an arse-based hokey-cokey. Were Technotronic the two middle aged guys in suits and glasses?
Presumably the queen stuff was released as part of freddie’s post passing
DeleteI must admit I don't remember any further Queen hits that weren't reissues.
DeleteQueen recorded the Made in Heaven album that was released in 1995. A few new songs were released.
DeleteT'Pau - if you'd told me before watching this that they were still having top 20s in 1991 I'd have said your memory was faulty, but here we are. I actually really like this one.
ReplyDeleteSimple Minds - this, on the other hand, zzzzz.
Color Me Badd - The phrase 'I wanna sex you up' does sound like something a pre-teen year old trying to look cool would say. No adult in the history of the world has surely seduced anyone with that phrase.
Beverley Craven - great tune, hope she made a ton of royalties to compensate for never hitting it so big again.
REM - Love the B52s and love this.
Wonderstuff - not their most memorable but still very enjoyable.
Deacon Blue - ditto
Queen - ditto here too
Technotronic - very forgettable this one.
A reasonable show from the usual affable Gary.
ReplyDeleteT’Pau – Whenever you need me – Much the same type of song and as usual Carol in a black mini dress. This is the last major hit for a band who promised much with ‘Bridge of Spies’ which I still play.
Color me Badd – I wanna sex you up – Next…
Simple Minds – See the Lights – Certainly one of the better hits from Jim and the boys. Quite enjoyed this.
Beverley Craven – Promise Me – Bev switches to a white outfit and hair up with dangly earrings and another perfect vocal for this wonderful song. Must be a backing track she’s using as the harmony vocals are evident and the bass very much so along with the orchestra – you couldn’t expect all them to turn up I guess.
Note to Dory – check out ‘Memories’ and the live version of ‘Hope’ (there is a nice 1992 version on YT)
REM – Shiny Happy People – A joy to hear this and actually went higher in the chart than their more distinguished songs.
Wonderstuff – Caught in my Shadow – Engaging video but the song doesn’t grab me.
Deacon Blue – Your swaying Arms – A grand effort but again, not an engaging tune.
Queen – Headlong – After Deacon Blue we get John Deacon! How amazing is that! Looking at the video and Freddie, one is struck by what an effort it must have been for him to have filmed some of the energetic bits. A typical Brian May rocker this, intended for his solo album until Freddie applied his magic vocals and then it just had to be a Queen track. Little did Gary know why they were recording new tracks at Montreux…
Cher – Shoop Shoop Song – Hang on, they showed a lot more this week. Still sounds good!
Technotronic – Move that Body – At the mere mention of the word ‘Technotronic’ I hit the stop button.
Missing out on the top40 at No44 is the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club with a song called ‘When the Year ends in one’. Obviously due for a re-release this year!
Actually check out the live version of Beverley's 'Memories' from the same 1992 Birmingham Show. Features Ian Bairnson's guitar in the extended intro. Sweet, sweet music....
DeleteThis week's ITV Chart Show Top 10 video rundown had some interesting points to make:
ReplyDeleteDannii Minogue was placed as high as No.5, when in fact she only got to No.10 in the official BBC Chart. Also they had Tainted Love as high as No.3 this week, when its peak was only at No.5, and get this, Crystal Waters was given two weeks at No.1 after three weeks of Cher at No.1, when in fact Cher had all five weeks at No.1. Talk about sharing the top spot!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bw8ilvuC8w
Right, here we go, first of this weekend’s three...
ReplyDeleteAn intriguing outfit for Carol Decker, all serious while the smiling guitarist to her right talks across stage to Ronnie at the start. T’Pau try to go more modern without sounding much different.
Good grief. More of Color Me Badd to come, sadly.
Oo, are Simple Minds kicking off their tour in Lincolnshire? An out of hours slot with Jim doing his usual poses, but I could tolerate this more than the recent Minds hits.
Beverley Craven, not everyone’s glass of wine, but I love this and another excellent if overly gaspy live vocal.
REM with some wonderful Sesame Street rock. Sadly, the one they never play live.
The Wonder Stuff give us a different take on the ‘live’ video. Not top drawer for them but enjoyable enough and with a catchy chorus. Miles Hunt smiling shock!
Ah, I remember that superb opening Deacon Blue bass line. Ricky’s haircut suits him, due to its sound the song would be suited to Paul Simon’s “Gracelands” album.
Freddie obviously looking different facially in that Queen video. Did I hear the line “You’ve got soup in the laundry bag”?
FF Cher for Technotronic by numbers accompanied by some saucy body positions. They may as well have played Twister.
TPau - don’t remember this at all but quite enjoyed (although the drum was a bit insistent, were they bad at keeping time?…)
ReplyDeleteSimple Minds - well that was lack lustre (despite the attempt by the audience to move it along)
Beverley Craven - on second hearing, the start of this reminded a little of ‘Will You’ by Hazel OConnor. Cracking singer!
Wonder stuff - don’t recall this one, and I bought most of their stuff (no,pun intended), but it was pretty good.
Deacon Blue - pleasant enough, nice singing, but didn’t really go anywhere.
Queen - obligatory rocker. Not their finest, but rocked along nicely.
Technotronic - …and we finish with yet another ‘ok but not their best’.
Will You by Hazel O'Connor has not stood the test of time as well as Promise Me by Beverley Craven.
DeleteQueen singles buyers would have been somewhat perplexed when buying the previous single 'I'm going Slightly Mad' as it featured a picture of the four members laying on some shelving units on the inner sleeve of the CD single and the reverse of the 7" sleeve. This scene then appeared in the 'Headlong' video that was shown on this ToTP. Poor continuity perhaps?
ReplyDeleteLots of new stuff on the show tonight..and it's look-a-like night.
ReplyDeleteT-PAU – Whenever You Need Me
Well that's an interesting dress Carol. I thought from the photo it was the B52s Kate but it's Ms Decker. Quite surprised this was a hit in 91 as it sounds very 87. Decent enough tune though. Bit stop, start for my liking.
COLOR ME BADD – I Wanna Sex You Up
George Michael lookalike, Mick Hucknalls kid brother, Dodgy Moustache Man and Milli Vanilli cast off with their "sex u up" tune that I am really sick off hearing already. Doesn't bode well. Was so popular at the time though. One of 91s many "sex" hits.
SIMPLE MINDS – See The Lights
Jim Kerr looking like Nicky Campbell for a sultry guitar number that I don't recall at all. I quite liked it though. One of their better numbers.
BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Promise Me
Bev has come as the neighbour from 2.4 Children. Cracking tune and vocals. Nice.
REM – Shiny Happy People
Well I like this even if they don't. Maybe it's the dodgy orange baseball cap. Some serious eyebrows on the drums and Hank Marvin at the back.
Buskers unite for THE WONDERSTUFF – Caught In My Shadow a nice little ditty but instantly forgettable. Nice to see some serious 1991 fashion.
DEACON BLUE – Your Swaying Arms
Ricky has had a haircut and looks rather happy. Hmmm. Another decent tune from The Blue. Love this band.
QUEEN – Headlong
Missed the other 38 singles called Headlong Gary. It's all in the grammar. Poor Freddie clearly not at his best but still delivers the vocals. This is a real quality album from them. Every single really strong.
Shoop Shoop Supreme again with Cher coming as an earlier version of herself.
TECHNOTRONIC should give up now.
Belinda Lang? Yes I can see the resemblance. Never struck me before!
Delete'Tiger!!!!' as Kirk St. Moritz addressed her on Dear John!
Delete