This edition of Top of the Pops from the 7th of May 1992 will unfortunately not be shown on BBC4 because it features Adrian Rose. So a big thanks goes to Anonymous for making it available here at We Transfer.
Just a whisker away
7-5-92: Presenters: Adrian Rose & Femi Oke
(7) CURIOSITY – Hang On In There Baby
(ALBUM TRACK) ZZ TOP – Gimme All Your Lovin’ (via satellite)
(12) 2 UNLIMITED – Workaholic
(13) EXTREME – Song For Love (video)
(16) KIM WILDE – Love Is Holy
(17) MORRISSEY – We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
(6) METALLICA – Nothing Else Matters (video)
(1) KWS – Please Don’t Go
Next up is May 14th.
I'd forgotten this "Curiosity" track was Top 10, but that doesn't make it any different from the influx of bland covers that took over in the early 1990s. Why is Ben on rollerblades and looks like he's just about to glide off over the edge of the stage?
ReplyDeleteWith Adrian providing all the charisma and easy charm we've come to expect, we get the world's most awkward interview with Billy out of ZZ Top, then a perfectly serviceable rendition of one of their biggies. They could do this in their sleep by now. Frank's drum cosies are a strange touch.
2 Unlimited, and there really are just two of them this time. They'd found a formula and by God they were going to stick with it. Ray has his name shaved into his head in case he forgets it. Not sure about the Big Ben interlude.
What would Extreme sound like if they tried to cover New Kids on the Block in a Metallica style? No, it's not an I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue question, it's this bloody awful dirge with a very unappealing backstage video.
Kim Wilde, talky bits inadvisable, as is the children's choir (and the "bah mah sahd" bit), but this is a pretty little tune, once it gets to the chorus anyway. She looks like she's trying to stop from laughing. 16 is as high as this one got, maybe she'd stayed away for too long?
Morrissey with an especially childish tune, even singing his derisive laughter. Well, Johnny Marr's more successful than you, now.
Speaking of Metallica, here they are to groan their way through a resigned plod, complete with orchestral strings (!). That Some Kind of Monster documentary about them pretty much erased any interest I might have had in them, though they do at least appear to be having fun arseing about in this video.
Then from out of nowhere, KWS, who thought what KC and the Sunshine Band needed most was Italian house piano. Bland cover of the episode number 2, I remember being baffled that this was even in the Top 40, never mind No.1. It's still utterly unmemorable.
Thanks for the upload!
Now I know why Adrian refused to sign the repeats contracts. Not because he's a so called big executive now trying to forget his past, he was an absolutely bloody dreadful presenter. I laughed at THX's critique of him.
DeleteYes, he's diabolical, no wonder he is ashamed. He's like an audience member who's wandered into shot and started reading the autocue.
DeleteBut how did he get from here to where he is now?! Baffling.
Good Lord, nothing below No.17 on this show, so there will be a number of peaking songs inside and outside the Top 40, but before that, there's still some stuff on this Top 17-only show worth mentioning:
ReplyDeleteZZ Top - performance was good, but I expected a bevvy of girls to come on the stage as per the video, so it was kind of unusual to see the group on their own on this live performance from Texas, and just singing it without the girl factor in the video.
Kim Wilde - looking nice, and been too long away from TOTP, I think around three years since last on TOTP, and now into her 30s, with a few more years of singles releases to come, with mixed fortunes in terms of chart success, she certainly looked fantastic on this performance, even before a single word was sung.
KWS - this new No.1 was already in the Top 30 for two weeks before going to No.1, but even last week at No.9, TOTP had no time for them, even no Breakers slot, and so just goes to show that the new format of the show was not particularly welcoming to some new performers trying make a breakthrough, as getting to No.1 should not be the first time a song is played, unless of course it goes straight in at No.1.
I'm genuinely not sure there was a KWS video to show, even as a breaker for the previous two weeks and I think the whole band may have been put together quite quickly when they were a hit
DeleteThanks again to Anonymous. Sadly another right old bag of Revels, most of them the orange or coffee ones I don’t like.
ReplyDeleteEasy FF for the cat killers and their ultra-slappable singer. NO, Adrian, it ISN’T great to see them back.
How to answer “How ya doing?”... repeat it back. Dear God. Excellent basic bar boogie from ZZ Top with Shadows-like synchronisation and, as said before, extraordinary drum covers.
Not 2 Unlimited’s best. Those mannequins had more personality than Adrian Ponce.
“Song For Love” became Song FF.
Kim Wilde decides to take a big bite out of the Belinda Carlisle apple. Not keen on the talky bits either. My, how she’s grown up.
I covered “Everyday Is Like Sunday” at my birthday gig and said I was reclaiming it for the nation from Morrissey, who provides us with arguably the worst ever excuse for a chorus here. At least he wasn’t wearing another see-through shirt.
Waltz-time last dance at the HM disco effort from Metallica.
KWS, no video for their single as seen by the rundown, first TV outing, and a horrible re-working of KC and the Sunshine Band’s worst hit. Can we have Right Said Fred back?
We then get hit over the head twice with who the next show’s exclusive is. Yeah, okay, we got it.
Many happy returns on your big birthday Arthur! I’d have been quite happy if Mozza had quit after his first two singles and accepted then that his friend was more talented and successful.
DeleteThanks, Sidders!
DeleteI must be weird, because I like ALL the Revels flavours. If they'd had a Turkish Delight Revel, I'd have never bothered with them, mind you.
DeleteA quick trawl on the net reveals thet KWS, who were actually from Nottingham, has as much originality as Adrian Ponce had charisma. Of their nine singles, at least six were re-workings of old soul / disco hits.
ReplyDeleteConsidering this show only played songs in the Top 17, then inevitably there will be a number of songs peaking INSIDE the top 40 this week without a TOTP showing for them:
ReplyDeleteNo. 19 Texas - Tired Of Being Alone
Three years after their first song made Top 10 in 1989, and I think the only time they have been on TOTP, their next 7 singles including this new one at peak of No.19, have not even been mentioned on TOTP, as most of them failed to chart by this stage, so only one out of 8 for Texas so far on TOTP.
No.25 Isotonik - Everywhere I Go
Follow-up to their first single on TOTP very recently with those scantily dressed girls, they were not going to be back to the studio for this one, and there was to be no more from Isotonik, as two was all they did.
No.26 Kiss - Unholy
Follow-up to the recent No.4 hit God Gave Rock & Roll To You, this one called Unholy was their last ever single in the UK, so we say goodbye to Kiss and their famous face painting and costumes. Was nice to see frontman Gene Simmons recently being interviewed by BBC Breakfast a few weeks ago.
No.33 Simply Red - Thrill Me
Surprised that this one only got to No.33 and had no TOTP for it, considering it is one of their most famous songs. sad not to see this none played in full or as a Breaker,
Lawdy I have four episodes to watch this weekend!! Anyway, this was a decent enough episode in the sense that I don't mind any of these songs, but all of the acts have had better singles (except probably KWS. I forgot this was a number one!). Metallica might be my pick of the episode. Last year the Black Album was one of many that got a 30th anniversary rerelease and they had a covers album where about 50 people covered songs from the album... only about 35 of them were covers of this track which was kind of dumb from a quality control standpoint.
ReplyDeleteFour songs peaking OUTSIDE the Top 40 this week, and unlucky to miss out on TOTP:
ReplyDeleteNo.53 - Alexander O'Neal - Sentimental
O'Neal still going in 1992, and for a few years more, but this one like the last two singles failed to get into the Top 50, so not exactly making progress, but for the love of recording new material.
No.54 Leeds United FC - Leeds Leeds Leeds
By now was there any football team that didn't make a record at FA Cup time? This latest one was no different to some of the other recent ones that also didn't make it into the Top 40.
No. 56 Julian Lennon - Get A Life
Second follow-up single to Saltwater which got to No.6 in 1991, and second flop that failed to break into the Top 50, and there would be only one more single from Lennon in 1998 which could only make it to No.66, so Saltwater in 1991 was indeed his last time on TOTP as a chart appearance.
No.62 Bomb The Bass - Keep Giving Me Love
Second follow-up single to Winter In July in 1991, and second flop that failed to break into the Top 50, they would keep going for another three years until 1995 with little or no success to emulate their first phase in 1988 which brought hem a lot of success with their early singles.
It's the not so dream team of Adrian and Femi tonight so we could be in for a rough ride!
ReplyDeleteSo cheesy even Spotify won't have it available it's Curiosity asking us to Hang on in there until the end of the song. Too late boys, the cats done a runner. Bens on blades as well. I was hoping he'd fall on his arse.
How long have Ten Sharp been at Ten?
An in-depth interview with a ZZ plugging their Greatest Hits album. Not sure this is really necessary but it's great to see the performance anyway.
Not sure you can call this 2 Unlimited track an original Femi as it sounds like all their other hits. This is not great and a real let down after their first two singles. Bless Ray, he gets a whole line to sing tonight.
Extreme AND Bryan Adams in one night.. I'll pass thanks. What happened to the boys who gave us Get The Funk Out. Playschool lyrics and an absence of tune on this one. Rubbish.
KIM IS BACK. Well this is a pleasant surprise. Forgotten about this 92 resurgence. Unfortunately it's a bit pop by numbers but always great to see her.
It's a second blast of 1988 in 2 weeks as following Kim, Morrissey is back. Looking more like Mark Lamarr every day and moaning about successful people. This is very much in The Smiths vain so not for me.
Metallica in a mellow mood and all the better for it if you ask me. Quality tune here (Extreme take note). Miley Cyrus has a stab at this on Elton John's Lockdown album which is really rather good and worth checking out.
Now I recall at the time there were 2 versions of Please Don't Go vying for our attention at the same time in 1992. One version by Italians Double You peaked at Number 41 this week and this version by Nottingham's KWS which people went and bought by the truckload. Delroy St. Joseph is your vocalist on this one and he does a decent job.. it's insanely catchy and everybody loved it. Great Karaoke choice as well. Both versions are remarkably similar however Double U had the bigger hit in Europe going to Number One in Belgium and The Netherlands and Top Ten in 6 other countries (including Austria who made both versions Number 2 hits!).
Significantly (for me anyway), this was the very day after my Step-Son was born (although it would be another nine years before he came into my life) so looking forward to a 30th Birthday Bash later on this year.