There's a rainbow inside my mind - it's the 9th of April 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
Mr Big
9-4-92: Presenters: Femi Oke & Tony Dortie
(16) PRAGA KHAN feat. JADE 4 U – Injected With A Poison
Getting the show underway but this one could get no higher.
(15) CURTIS STIGERS – You’re All That Matters To Me
Performing what became his second and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 6.
(10) ALTERN-8 – Evapor-8
Here tonight with what also became their second and final top ten hit when it also peaked at number 6.
(8) VANESSA WILLIAMS – Save The Best For Last
A second time in the studio and the song went up five more places.
(2) RIGHT SAID FRED – Deeply Dippy
In the studio with the song that will soon give them their only number one.
(NEW) CHER – Could’ve Been You
It's a star studded show tonight and this one peaked at number 31.
(NEW) GENESIS – Hold On My Heart
Performing the third single from their number one album We Can't Dance and it peaked at number 16.
(1) SHAKESPEAR’S SISTER – Stay (video)
Eighth and final week for the duo's only number one.
16th of April is next.
Altern-8 - second follow-up to the brilliant Top 3 hit Active-8 (Come With Me) in late 1991, and this new one called Evapor-8 was nowhere near as good, but still managed to get up to No.6 at peak.
ReplyDeleteVanessa Williams - highlight of the show for me. Not only a singer, but also already and actress in Hollywood, and the reigning Miss America in 1991. By far her best single, and the only Top 20 hit for her in the UK, she was already on her third week of five at No.1 in America with this single at the same time as appearing on TOTP this week.
Cher - how do you follow up Vanessa Williams for glamour on the same show - Cher of course! I don't recall this single, but it seems that she was an every-ready performer by now for the TOTP studio since 1991, having not appeared in the studio since the 1960's. By now in 1992 she was already 45, so as many like her at this point in their careers had to start doing TOTP again to keep their careers going for longer.
Genesis - ditto for Cher!
I'm pretty sure Cher had been in the studio a few months before? Don't recall the song, though. And she had a worldwide smash hit a few years later, of course.
DeleteI did include the last single in 1991 as her first time in the TOTP studio since 1965/66.
DeleteAh, OK, I'm with you.
DeleteKind of boring episode, I'm afraid, starting with a right shambles, including some Italian bloke laughably trying to do the "Injected with a poison!" Jimmy Swaggart sample. He also has the same hair as his lead singer, who is naturally singing a sample. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteCurtis Stigers with a slab of MOR, I thought the backing singers were there for decoration until they joined in later(s). I'm sure the nation's mums took this to their hearts.
Altern-8 with actual PP Arnold, even she was reduced to singing samples by this point. I was more caught up in whether the robot on stilts was going to topple over or not. Tim-ber! What did he do if he wanted to go to the toilet?
Vanessa Williams and her stupid lyrics, then Wrong Said Fred and their stupid lyrics (Walthamstow?!), then we get the first of two exclusives, from Cher who seems to have come as Roary the lion from the Animal Kwackers, only ginger instead of blue. Her tune very much reminds me of something else, but frustratingly I'm not sure what. Anyway, it's OK, I suppose.
Then something very much not OK, Genesis taking up half the show with one of their boring ballads. The audience look as if they would rather be somewhere else and I could sympathise.
For the final time at the top, Shakespears Sister who have given up appearing in the studio by now, no Frankie Goes to Hollywood they.
I know that PP Arnold was guest vocalist on The Beatmasters follow-up to Rock Da House, but how did she join forces with Altern-8, and more importantly, how did they get in contact with her if not through The Beatmasters? Was there a dance/rave forum that PP was a member of?
DeleteI'm sure PP Arnold has an agent to contact her through.
DeleteWhat a weird episode. There were tons of new entries including several high profile artists and yet we don't even get breakers? And TWO songs that aren't even out yet???
ReplyDeleteCher's wig is impressive though, I'll give it that.
The chart lives we get are all fine if uninspiring. We certainly needed those two dance tracks and RSF to break up the MOR balladness of the episode.
Bah. And a shame we see the Sisters out on yet another play of the video.
Also, what was up with Mr Laters tonight? He seemed to be slagging everything off!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Tony was having his own personal Partridge-esque meltdown?
DeleteFour songs peaking this week outside the Top 20 with no TOTP main slot or Breakers for them, so not even a mention for the three inside the Top 40:
ReplyDeleteNo.22 Inner City - Hallelujah '92
They're back! First top 40 single since 1989, as three singles releases in 1990 and 1991 failed to chart in the top 40, and not even a celebration of their return by TOTP at No.22 this week.
No.32 Blur - Popscene
In this less successful first phase in 1990-1993 where their hits were quite average, before 1994 when they really became noticed and had regular top 10 singles, this one was quite forgettable, but worth a mention for the name Popscene, despite falling badly to No.56 the following week.
No.33 The Stone Roses - I Am The Resurrection
1992 was a bit of a washout year for them, as their next single after this one only got to No.73, so unsurprisingly disappeared in 1993, but the following two years in 1994-1995 they made a resurgence with more success in the charts.
No.47 The Beastie Boys - Pass The Mic
First single in five years since 1987 which was their debut year, and like The Stone Roses, 1992 brought no success for them, and they too disappeared in 1993 and came back in 1994 with two Top 30 singles to resurrect their fortunes.
Popscene and Pass the Mic are bloody great!
DeleteNoddy Oke gets teamed up with an uncharacteristically stroppy Dorky, who calls this show a party and then mentions Phil Collins, enough to burst the bubble.
ReplyDeleteFirst act getting a little hypo according to Oke. Rave rubbish which should have stayed in Belgium.
Another fine vocal from Curtis but points lost for no sax this time round.
The next rave slop gr-8-d on my nerves. A quick check of the Star Wars character was enough prior to FF.
Car crash gear change into Vanessa “I’ve got legs, you know” Williams and some nicely turned out syrup.
Another crunch into The Freds’ silly but enjoyable little jaunt.
Yes, Dorky, Cher’s song is so catchy it makes the top 31. Second division mid-tempo Cher looking demurely dressed for her.
Femi gets the show’s getting more exciting. Great! Are we getting Senseless Things then? No, instead we Genesis making 4 and a quarter minutes feel like 3 hours.
A bit more of the chart summit video this week as we get to see Siobhan lick her chops again. Apparently, the chap in the vid was a boyfriend of Sarah out of those ‘Nanas.
We end with the double blow of being told next week’s hitblockers on the show and another f#cking “Laters”.
Suprised then that Sarah let them touch him.
DeleteGot it slightly wrong - "Stay" video bloke was an ex-boyfriend of Keren's.
DeleteA couple of crackers here for me.
ReplyDeleteVanessa Williams - Save the best for last - A quote I have used many times when ToTP has indeed done that with the (old) playout track. I love the delivery of this song and the live rendition is superb.
Genesis - Hold on my Heart - One of the most enduring tracks from 'We Can't Dance'. Genesis played this live on the 2007 Tour and Phil sung it sitting down. Very sad that for the current tour he's forced to be seated all the time. The picture on display during this performance is from the cover of the single which if you bought the CD version had the added treat of 'Home by the Sea' live. Stadium rock at its best!
Welcome to the Party and what a party. Rave up first and I remember loving this at the time..injected with a posion doesn't sound so menacing with a light northern accent! The record is so much better. They've clearly not done this live before! Not great.
ReplyDeleteTony staring at Femi like she's the work experience kid. She's still trying far too hard.
More electioneering talk (not sure John, Neil or Paddy would have inspired me much but this is the last election I won't vote in as I'm not 18 til June).
I prefer this Curtis number to his bigger hit. It just has a bit more about it for me. Good live performance as well.
More Rave from Altern-8. Red outfit, black boots and yellow Marigold's. It really is a cheap throw together look isn't it. Sorry PP but there is no recognisable tune for this one.. rubbish. Wasn't it great Femi? No it was shocking.
Crunching gear change into Vanessa in a lovely black dress for her rather plain ballad. Some seriously legs going on here.
The Freds are back and on their way to a well earnt Number One. He's singing about Vanessa's legs as well.
Here to Cher her new single (I'm so sorry) is Cher, well into her rock phase. It starts promisingly but the chrous is seriously underwhelming.
A hung parliament? Another exclusive? This Geneis tune I don't recall at all. Was this a hit? Pleasant enough I suppose and I actually found myself quite enjoying this. Wonder what the significance of the arrow is?
8 Weeks! Well done Shakers..now move along please.
I had the Right Said Fred UP album on cassette. I'll leave now.