Could this be what funky love's all about, baby, is this for real or is it the 18th of July 1991 edition of Top of the Pops?
Dreamy lady
18-7-91: Presenter: Jakki Brambles
(28) CATHY DENNIS – Just Another Dream
Getting tonight's show underway and the song peaked at number 13.
(4) HEAVY D. & THE BOYZ – Now That We Found Love (video) (and charts)
Went up two more places.
(26) LITTLE ANGELS – I Ain’t Gonna Cry
Got no higher.
(20) M.C. HAMMER – (Hammer Hammer) They Put Me In The Mix (video)
Also got no higher.
(21) KIM APPLEBY – Mama
A second studio performance and the song went up two more places.
(19) NATALIE COLE & NAT ‘KING’ COLE – Unforgettable (video)
At its peak.
(40) ALTERN-8 – Infiltrate 202 (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 28.
(37) SHADES OF RHYTHM – The Sound Of Eden (video) (Breakers)
Went up two more places.
(33) LONDONBEAT – A Better Love
Had peaked at number 52 less than a year earlier, but this second time around it made it to number 23.
(36) JESUS JONES – Right Here Right Now (video)
Another re-issue. Had peaked at number 31 last year, and this time around it did exactly the same again.
(1) BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
Second of sixteen weeks at number one.
(38) VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE – Monsters And Angels (video) (and credits)
Peaked at number 17.
25th of July is next.
Cathy Dennis - one of my favourite singers of the time, but I must say came on to TOTP this week with a somewhat awful outfit considering her backing dancers better choice of dance clothing. I mean, please, if Cathy Dennis was looking to go places in her career, this didn't help.
ReplyDeleteLittle Angels - a British sort of Bon Jovi band, but to be more specific they were from Scarborough and had already been going as a rock band since 1984, but I can't say I hard of them until the 90s. Quite like this one, but they fell down the chart quite badly by 10 places after this week's studio performance, so perhaps they were not that good!
MC Hammer - what, he's not sampling on this single? Good Lord, perhaps he felt he had enough talent on his own not sample other people's records for his record.
Londonbeat - how they managed to get to no.23 with this one when they initially only got to no.52 with it first time round in 1990 just baffles me, but unusually they got to no.1 in America for one week, three months earlier in April 1991 with I've Been Thinking About You, when that one was a hit in Britain in 1990, so maybe they felt they could achieve anything.
The new style TOTP format with the chart rundown being within a video play was clearly working in terms of getting more songs in as main slots, as this week and last week they managed to show all the climbers inside the Top 40, including Altern-8 as a breaker at No.40.
MC Hammer was sampling George Clinton! He's almost as sampled as James Brown!
DeleteI wasn't really excited about seeing this edition thinking it was a bit low on big songs and after the Prom that was shown on BBC4 this evening any edition would be an anticlimax, but it was a show of nice suprises with things I haven't heard for ages. Jakki gets to present as a presenter rather than as a special effect here so that's
ReplyDeleteone change for the better. She's very cheerful this week.
Cathy Dennis; Looking fabulous as always but not a very memorable single with what sounds like a Rick Astley impersonator joining in on the chorus.
Next single is lovely though.
Heavy D and the Boyz; Where in the charts is this one at the moment? I mean now, not in 1991. Chart rundown still effective.
Little Angels; The lead singer looking less like Ian Hunter this time and the guitarist with one of those guitars fixed in place set ups. Not a bad song but grunge needs to show its face soon.
It will though Totp will prefer this sort of thing.
MC Hammer; One act in '91 does self referencial nonsense brilliantly. That act is not him.
Kim Appleby; She's such an attractive performer that I'm not really fussed what she sings but this is a nice one for me. Nice understated tune and touching lyrics.
Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole; Another showing of the video; a half touching / half faintly queezy experience. A little sad to watch with all the departures of late.
Breakers; Some good ones here. Altern 8 less bombastic and obvious than the likes of Cubic 22. There'll be more to come from these two in the coming months. Shades of Rhythm; not heard for years.
Londonbeat; I had no idea this did so well in the charts. I thought I was one of about 7 people that bought this record! A relative flop for them of course but far more respectable showing than I remember. Beautiful record with that gorgeous guitar part. Great to see them do it in the studio and also nice that a couple of former members of Olympic Runners should appear during Olympic competition.
Jesus Jones; Favourite one of theirs. Still sounds great. Don't remember seeing the video before.
Interesting to see the address for Totp shown on the screen just as the show reaches its final days at Television Centre. I think the last time I saw that was the 'name the new dance troupe' competition in 1976. Back then they were under the grand title of '?????'. A description that could be applied to the success of the song that follows the show's address this time.
Bryan Adams; Week 2 of...er rather a lot. It's more or less impossible to hear this again with fresh ears but I'll do my best. What I'll say as this marathon stay at the top begins is that the film did have all the movie (and TV,ie. Mike McShane) personalities that you could've asked for at the time. Put the best glossy scenes into a video and even a half decent single couldn't fail. And it is a perfect bit of just pre grunge soft man rock balladry that was everywhere at the time so...well, boom!!!! Also easy to forget how big a teenage icon Christian Slater was at the time. His appearance alone would've got 16 year olds at least half into the film and single.
But there's success and there's 16 weeks at No.1! I'm pretty sure I didn't get too fed up with it at the time but then I didn't have to see it repeated twice in 30 minutes every Friday for about 9 weeks.
Voice of the Beehive; Great single from an undervalued band to finish.
Yes indeed, Kim Appleby was looking fabulous on this show, although I think it is her last ever appearance on TOTP, as it seem to be her final top 40 hit.
DeleteThe Wood Lane adress for TOTP was indeed last put up on screen in late 1976 when looking for a name for the new dance troupe after Ruby Flipper was about to evolve into Legs & Co, and the new Legs & Co name was chosen by the viewers. The same West London studio was home to TOTP from 1969 until October 1991, with the final No.1 in 1991 being Bryan Adams, but not sure what the first No.1 at Wood Lane was in 1969.
Hmmm looking in the 'Top of the Pops 1964 - 2002' book by Jeff Stimpson it states that the first programme from London was 20/01/1966 recorded in Studio 2 TV Centre. No1 on that show was the classic 'Keep on Running' by the Spencer Davis Group.
DeleteHaving looked on Wiki, apparently the show moved to London TV centre Studio 2 in January 1966, but then temporarily to the BBC Lime Grove studios in mid-1966 to make space for the Top Of The Pops Orchestra, staying at Lime Grove for three years before returning to BBC TV Centre for good in November 1969 when colour TV arrived, and stayed there for 22 years until October 1991.
DeleteActually one clip does survive from that very first show at Television Centre; the much repeated clip of Stevie Wonder with 'Uptight' though I think there is some debate about whether or not that was an insert and not the new Totp studio. Still remarkable that it survives given how little footage exists from 1966. The No.1 when the show went colour for the first time (20/11/69) was 'Sugar Sugar' by The Archies.
DeleteFunny how there were still wiping shows when colour TV had arrived. You would have thought it was a momentous occasion in TV broadcasting that would be saved for future generations.
DeleteYes I know, you really think they would've kept the 1st colour edition for posterity, 27th Nov '69 not the 20th incidentally. Not a great one it would appear but an in studio performance by Thelma Houston of 'Jumping Jack Flash' would've been good to see. No colour '69 apart from Marmalade and some other stray bits and pieces from the Christmas Day edition.
DeleteAnother odd one to wipe is the New Year's Day 1970 edition. I would've thought the 1st show of the '70s would be worth keeping certainly. Thankfully due to a saved show we do get one performance from it that we can see and a fine thing it is; on pristine PAL colour videotape, Badfinger, 'No Matter What'.
Oops, Badfinger, 'Come and Get It' I mean.
DeleteNot a bad show this. Jakki’s choice of outfits get better and better with a nice off the shoulder number here paired with jeans. Hairstyle is great too and her hosting style is second to none. Seeing the title of this blog by Angelo as ‘Dreamy Lady’ is ironic as I only put a T.Rex CD on in the car the other day for the first time in ages and ‘Dreamy Lady’ was on it. This song was actually credited to the T.Rex Disco Party and I don’t think a ToTP appearance exists any more.
ReplyDeleteCathy Dennis – Just another Dream – I just knew those shiny raincoats were coming off! This is a polished and slick performance a la Kylie with Cathy showing off her coordinated dance moves in the instrumental breaks. Good start.
Heavy D and the Boyz – Now that we found love – Totally pointless destruction. FF
Little Angels – I ain’t gonna cry – Not heard of these Angels before…Wild Angels? Blue Angel maybe but not Little. They seem to have charted already with the aptly titled ‘She’s a Little Angel’ in 1990…maybe it made ‘little’ impression on me.
MC Hammer – They put me in the mix – Yawnnnn…I’m just a-waiting for the hammer to fall.
Kim Appleby – Mama – Gorgeous song – really like this…I can see, you mama….
Coles – Unforgettable – Tugs at the heartstrings. Very moving indeed.
Breakers – I felt the vocals on the Altern-8 were a little low down in the mix (poor production?) and the video looked like some kind of rave. Not sure what to make of Shades of Rhythm.
Londonbeat – A better love – It’s a great feelgood record and performance. No23 doesn’t really do it justice.
Jesus Jones – Right here right now – A few recent eastern bloc themes in the video here from JJ. It’s actually not a bad track.
Bryan Adams – (Everything I do) I do it for you – OK, the challenge now is to try and say something different about this track and video every week for the next 15. Right, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio for starters (what did happen to her?). I loved her performance as Maid Marion in the film, especially this scene by the lake where the dialogue is backed with this wonderful tune played by the orchestra. Has there ever been a more perfect combination of the scene, the dialogue and the music? It still brings a lump to my throat!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNb2Do5XaEA
Voice of the Beehive – Monsters and Angels – A nice way to end. The Beehive has been silent for several years but good to hear it again.
You're almost right about MC Hammer, as the 'MC' in his name was about to fall to just 'Hammer', but the 'Hammer' didn't get dropped!
DeleteThey didn't really need to get down all the way to No.40 to have Altern-8 as a Breaker considering it offered a duff rave video. It would have been better to give Sounds Of Eden at No.37 a main slot in place of the Breakers space given to Altern-8 at No.40, and just have no Breakers this week, considering that Voice Of The Beehive at No.38 got the playout slot with their nice video.
Voice Of The Beehive were last in the charts exactly 3 years earlier in July 1988 with I Say Nothing, so it was high time to see them back on TOTP after such a long break.
A couple of interesting tunes peaking just outside the Top40 this week, and unlucky not to make it to the TOTP stage:
ReplyDeleteNo.43 - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers - Hot Summer Salsa
Their penultimate single and first not to make Top40, and strangely had no video for it, so I wonder if this had something to do with its failure to break the Top 40, as all their previous releases had accompanying videos.
No.62 - Dread Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
Spoof comedy act with a rare Australian TV Show appearance in 1989, meaning that this song wasn't new in 1991:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxx1ZDGbIIA
Dread Zeppelin had a sense of humour, but I wouldn't describe them as a spoof, they were serious about the music (a mash-up of Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley and reggae). Heartbreaker is probably their best-known single.
DeleteCathy Dennis dressed as we all were in 1991, purple tights and spangly leotard hoodie combination. Her backing dancers meanwhile have come as 1970s flashers. Anyway, this is one of the solo tunes of hers that I most associate with her, though it didn't breach the Top 10. Fair dance pop. She also deftly avoided being on the same show as Dannii this week.
ReplyDeleteHeavy D, a Number 2 we couldn't shift (from the radio playlists), I never need to hear it again.
Ah, we haven't seen Smokie on the show in years! Where have you been, boys - oh, wait, it's The Little Angels, slightly undercut by the graphics implying they are the little angels on top of a Christmas tree. Sounds very out of time, like they hadn't changed their tune for two decades. Also: a man playing the keyboard with his elbow.
MC Hammer - spent most of this trying to identify the sample in the verses, then the penny dropped, One Nation Under a Groove by Funkadelic. Oh, he wishes! Selling DIY tools awaits...
Kim Appleby with There's No One Quite Like Mama, sentimental slush but at least she looks happier to be there for a change, perhaps because she knew it would all soon be over.
Glossing over the creepy Coles, the Breakers are a rave banger (do you think those young people could possibly be off their faces?) and a bit of dance pop with overly sincere singing.
Londonbeat, age is no obstacle, serve up tepid pop soul that's difficult to really engage with, it's very in one ear and out the other when the melody is this weak. But inoffensive.
Jesus Jones try a bigger hit with the single that got away, and, er, fail. All about living through a time where the news seems incredibly significant, which it does now, but back then they were happy to hear about it, unlike now when turning on or reading the news invokes a feeling of dull terror.
I see everyone else is trying to find something to say about Bry every week he's at the top. Not me!
Ah, Voice of the Beehive, the perfect popsters with (I think) their chart swan song. Sweet sound, light philosophy, Edward Hopper-inspired video.
Voice of the Beehive had two more (ex-)mugshot hits and we'll see the next one in a few weeks. They also did a collaboration with Jimmy Somerville which also got a TOTP outing in 1993.
DeleteJakki looked great, very Debbie Gibson though.
ReplyDeleteCathy D - Not a bad track but a bit forgettable.
Heavy D - I still enjoy this, but in quite a few of the crowd dance sequences, some of the performers are out of sync with another. They're lucky they didn't make it today, wouldn't get far on TikTok with that kind of slapdash approach.
Little Angels - one of a few songs this ep that are lesser-known. It was fine.
MC Hammer - the same as above but without the fine bit.
Kim A - This song hasn't grown on me since the last time. Which is a shame because Kim is ace.
The Coles - see last time.
Altern-8 / Londonbeat - more lesser known tracks from these two. The first is not as catchy as the deservedly popular Activ-8. The Londonbeat track is quite pleasant, might even prefer it to I've Been Thinking About You, though that could be because I've heard it less.
Jesus Jones - JJ made US no 1?! I really like this one, my second favourite of theirs after IBYT. Apparently they're still together.
Things to say about that thing 2/16: RH Prince of Thieves was the only video my secondary school seemed to own, and it was summarily wheeled out as a last day of term 'treat'. But as our lessons were only an hour long, I have actually only seen the end of this film once, but the first hour more times than I care to remember. It wasn't anywhere near as fun as when my first school chose Big Trouble in Little China (15) as the end of term entertainment for bunch of 7 and 8 year olds. Naturally we LOVED it.
Voice of the Beehive - Excellent track, one of my favourites from this summer, probably my favourite of theirs.
Erm, it was Londonbeat who made US No.1 in April 1991 with I've Been Thinking About You, not Jesus Jones!
DeleteAh, I thought Jakki said JJ were US number one but maybe she was cueing up Londonbeat and I wasn't paying attention!
DeleteLondonbeat were introduced as being the nicest band in the business.
DeleteYes, the last last day of term film. We watched 'Scum' on the last day of semester at college, unbelievably. At the insistence of the A level Sociology lecturer. Yes, thanks for that Mr. Hadlow. And a Merry Christmas to you. One that does stick in the mind was at primary school. Must've been Xmas '83. Crowding into the Class 3 classroom to watch the 'Thriller'! promo. 1st time for most of us
DeleteWe were content with Mr Horatio Knibbles in primary school - lucky to get it! Although one kid brought in Life of Brian to show on the VHS player in secondary school, so we saw half of that. Great.
DeleteRad, you are nearly right though, Jesus Jones made Number 2 in the US! Bizarre that it only made 31 here...
DeleteMr Joslin (R.E. and from tutor for 5 years!) would alternate West Side Story with Leonard Bernstein "The recording of the music to West Side Story" every other end of term...how I hate that film now. This was the pre-mobile phone days so we had no distractions...
DeleteAltern-8, along with Bizarre Inc, put my home town of Stafford on the map in 1991. This looks like it was filmed inside the legendary Shelley’s (rave) club in neighbouring Stoke. Their next hit later in the year, Activ-8, was filmed on said club’s car park. I missed both events but had attended on nights in between.
ReplyDeleteShades of Rhythm probably peaked with their previous single in rave quality, Sweet Sensation, that stalled outside the Top 40. They make it to the TOTP studio with their next one though, the cryptically named Extacy. Not sure why ecstasy was allowed but acid had been banned.
Near misses! Did you make it into any rave videos at all?!
DeleteAcid was presumably banned because the tabloid press were too middle-aged to know what ecstasy was.
Ha ha THX, no, still not seen my younger gurning face pop up - just as well. Convinced that one of the girls sporting a perm was my mates ex-girlfriend though. When Bizarre Inc make it to TOTP their female dancer was apparently from my school, does that count as a far removed claim to fame? 😂
DeleteOf course - the 6 degrees of separation rule applies here!
DeleteAnother famous Staffordian is stand-up comic Dave Gorman.
DeleteHey, coincidence: it was Kim Appleby's birthday yesterday, according to Gary Davies on Sounds of the 80s. There you go, Kim, have some birthday royalties.
ReplyDeleteCathy Dennis - subdued vocals. Odd outfit. Ok tune.
ReplyDeleteHeavy D - destroyed a perfectly reasonable song
Little Angels - Bon Jovi lite [pre post look at comments - not just me then]
MC Hammer - nothing new here…
Breakers
Altern8 - another repetitive dance track. Subdued vocals again. I got bored with the little bit we heard!
Shades of Rhythm - and also boring
Londonbeat - there seemed to be a good tune desperate to get out from this weedy production.
Jesus Jones - their biggie. Strangely I found this less exciting now than when it first came out. Was this a remix from the single release?
Voice of the beehive - a good one to go out with.
I notice that the guitarist in Little Angels beat Noel Gallagher by a few years to the Union Jack guitar. Were there any before this I wonder?
ReplyDeleteLiked Kim Appleby and Londonbeat and a huge fan of that Voice of the Beehive tune!
Lol, you'll be able to see Voice Of The Beehive on the next TOTP show - 1st Aug 1991 - as they will be in the TOTP studio to perform Monsters And Angels, as they continue their rise up through the charts to No.24.
DeleteThey appeared to be always willing to turn up in the Totp studio, bless them. Unusual for a US act to be on so much. Were they based in the UK I wonder, like the band America were. Very underrated I think. It's great to see them back after a gap of a few years and still sounding so cheerful and good natured. They have one beautiful single around Jan/Feb '92 that I haven't gone on to YouTube to find, hoping that it will also get a performance in the studio.
DeleteJakki in an off the shoulder number, and I’m going to miss her. Only near the end of the show does she start giving chart positions for the acts.
ReplyDeleteCathy Dennis first with the ‘Norwich Vogue’ and some detective coat shirking workout. A slight but well constructed chorus there. Home win for The Canaries.
Next, now that I found the FF – oh, hang on, it’s chart time!
Little Angels with an invisible guitar player to our left at the start. I remembered this Guns ‘N’ Roses lite (Catapults ‘N’ Carnatians?) number and surprisingly enjoyed it.
Should’ve put Hammer in the blender rather than the mix. Did he ever wear tight trousers?
Kim Appleby, one of the nicest women in pop. Shame I couldn’t stomach that slush.
Next, “Unforgettable” with a double F!
Altern-8’s racket gr8ed on my nerves – see what I did there? My, what an expensive video!
Shades Of Rhythm sounding a bit like a rave Fine Young Cannibals. A soupçon of Roland Gift in that voice.
Londonbeat with a catchy number which sounded a bit plodding and in need of 5 to 10 more BPM.
I never really got the religious fervour over Jesus Jones. Boom boom tish! This sounded lightweight unless it was just the way the Beeb had controlled the song’s volume.
Fact 26/16 for the number one. I f#cking hate this. My PC showed immaculate taste and went into ‘unplayable pink circle spin’ at the start.
We finish with the fifth of six songs in the 31-40 bracket at the end of the show and the best by a shotgun shack shot. Really wish Voice Of the Beehive had been bigger.
My PC did exactly the same in the Bryan Adams song "download error" apparently/
DeleteThe Brambles up tonight and she has recently been covering the evenings on Greatest Hits Radio.
ReplyDeleteCATHY DENNIS – Just Another Dream
A big star of 1991 and her sound was very fresh and sophisticated compared to other pop acts this year. No surprise she was a hit over the pond as well. Great 7" mix. Looking fab as well. Loved the stripping paparazzi. Superb.
The OVERWEIGHT LOVER.& THE RAINCOATS share the charts with their BIG hit, followed by LITTLE ANGELS. I Ain’t Gonna Cry, I remember this as I think my brother quite liked them and Faith No More It's not bad actually. A few minor hits for them and that was it though.
Hammer Hammer, Please Put Me In The Mixer.
"A ruler is a stick I have to measure" Lyric of the night.
KIM APPLEBY – Mama
Lovely ballad from Ms Appleby. An under-rated gem in fact. Shame she gave it all up as she had some great songs.
Already forgotten what came next...
Breakers:
ALTERN-8 – bit naff this one. Wearing masks before everyone was wearing them.
SHADES OF RHYTHM – forgettable dance tune.
LONDONBEAT – A Better Love
Always nice to have Londonbeat back in the studio. Don't think they ever made a bad tune. Amazed they weren't bigger stars. Ended up as Eurovision also rans.. I like this a lot.
JESUS JONES – Right Here Right Now
Deserved so much better than Number 31, Twice!
Great band, great tune. Had the album on cassette. Upgraded to CD and still occasionally pop it on.
BRYAN ADAMS still on top
Might write to the ticket unit for a laugh
VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE – Monsters And Angels
OMG I love this song. Been so long since I last heard it but still such a great pop song. A real summer feel as well. Tune of the night.