Every guy grab a girl, make her feel like the 18th of June 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
Rat chat
18-6-92: Presenters: Mark Franklin & Bob Geldof
(6) UTAH SAINTS – Something Good
A second time in the studio for this one and it went up two more places.
(US 5) SOPHIE B. HAWKINS – Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (via satellite)
Slightly weirdly introduced by Bob and the song became her first of four top 40 hits when it peaked at number 14.
(12) THE ORB – Blue Room
Bizarre 'performance' of the 40 minute single (thankfully cut down to 3 minutes tonight) which became their first of three top ten hits when it peaked at number 8.
(10) ELTON JOHN – The One (video)
Got no higher.
(8) TAKE THAT – It Only Takes A Minute
A scond time in the studio and the song went up one more place.
(13) U2 – Even Better Than The Real Thing (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 12, but next month the re-mix will make it to number 8!
(16) THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH – Bell Bottomed Tear (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(18) TLC – Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg (video) (Breakers)
Became their first of ten top 40 hits when it peaked at number 13.
(20) DIANA ROSS – One Shining Moment (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 10.
(NEW) DEF LEPPARD – Make Love Like A Man
Here tonight with the second single from their number one album Adrenalize and it peaked at number 12
(1) ERASURE – Take A Chance On Me (video)
Second of five weeks at number one.
25th of June is next.
Anybody have 25/6 especially the unedited version.
ReplyDeleteWhich part was edited?
DeleteI am referring to the original studio tape before editing for transmission.
DeleteElton John - new presenter Bob Geldof was quite bold to introduce the Elton John video as 'Elton John with his new wig'. This was the first year that Elton had the wig on a new single, as up to 1991 with his duet with George Michael had Elton still with the hat to cover the baldness, so 1992 was indeed the year of the new look Elton John!
ReplyDeleteThe Beautiful South - on Breakers only, with Dave Hemmingway and Brianna Corrigan brought back onto lead vocals for the first time since 1990, after Paul Heaton took over on lead vocals with little success for the group in terms of chart position, and this immediately made a difference with this new single at peak this week at No.16 but only high enough for a Breakers slot. Corrigan left the group shortly after this single with no main TOTP feature for them to perform it in the studio, with only a top 10 placing ensuring a main slot on the show since the new revamp of TOTP.
Def Leppard - Bob Geldof doing away with niceties and pc, and his introduction to Def Leppard's song title could only have been allowed to Geldof, as I don't think the producers of the show would have allowed Mark Franklin to introduce the song like that, especially Geldof dragging in Take That in the Def Leppard introduction as being boys not men.
Whatever his faults may be, I can't imagine Mark introducing acts as obnoxiously as Bob here.
DeleteGetting definite B.A. Robertson presentation vibes from Bob Geldof, he obviously thought he was hilarious. He wasn't.
ReplyDeleteUtah Saints much the same as before, only difference being a megaphone to namecheck themselves.
Yeah, you're barking up the wrong tree there, Bob, Sophie is gay. Sort of the lesbian Belinda Carlisle as far as the quality of her pop went, pretty decent all told, and this was a ditty that stuck in the mind but for some reason didn't crack the Top 10. Simon Mayo used to call her Sophie Bloater Hawkins, and I was never sure why (she's not fat!).
The Orb with the longest UK single ever, they made it to deliberately secure a place in the record books, but then they changed the rules afterwards so it would never happen again. This is the radio edit, obvs. I seem to recall the full length version had a lot of coughing on it, which didn't make it great to listen to, this short one is better. And a fun performance, reminds me of Mr Spock's 3D chess on Star Trek.
Elton again, for heaven's sake, then Take That again, presumably because they would put on a show.
Ten second Breakers, then Def Leppard embarrassing themselves with a rawk hymn to their sexual prowess, and not in a 90s irony way, either. Oh dear, put them away, boys.
Ah, they did show the cross dressing Erasure video after all, which is good because it's really funny! They did love to raid the dressing up box, didn't they? Mark Franklin would have saved me a Google if I'd known he was going to credit MC Kinky this time.
I was quite bewildered to hear from the introduction of The Orb that the song was 39 minutes long, and reduced to three minutes for TOTP. Can you imagine if it was shown in full, then you would only get one song on the whole show, and even then it would have to have 9 minutes chopped off. And then the two presenters would not have much to announce. Good Lord!
DeleteHa, ha, it's a good thing The Orb had a radio edit, isn't it? I wonder if there was a video for the full length version, though?
DeleteI remember Andy Kershaw phoning up Radio 1 to complain about a session by The Orb on the John Peel show, because he didn't think it was real music. Cheery as ever, Mr Kershaw.
I wonder how The Orb got away with just sitting down playing chess? Suppose they didn’t want a repeat of Orbital’s Chime appearance where they just stood behind their keyboards for the duration showing off their anti-poll tax slogan t-shirts.
DeleteI first heard The Orb through John Peel as so often the case, unlike Mr. Kershaw I became a fan. I then picked up an ambient (home) tape with their early 20 minute epic “A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld” included. However, it was a 33rpm 12” recorded at 45rpm speeding the whole thing up to 15 minutes, some might say an improvement!
Three records at peak positions this week lower down the charts with no TOTP plays for them during their chart run:
ReplyDeleteNo.23 Prefab Sprout - The Sound Of Crying
This group were never punchy enough for big chart positions, but seemed to be the journey people of pop music since their first single in 1984 called Don't Sing which only got to No.62. See what I did there?
No.49 Swing Out Sister - Not Gonna Change
Their penultimate single before making just one more effort in 1994 with a final record that only got to No.37, so I think we have already seen the last of Swing Out Sister on TOTP.
No.58 David Sylvian & Riuichi Sakamoto - Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)
Sylvian with another Japanese theme, and considering his group was called Japan in the early 80s before he went solo, Sylvian had a couple more singles released in the 90s with little success to show for them.
Bob making Tony Dortie look like a good presenter.
ReplyDeleteUtah Saints - If you can't do the 'U-U-U-Utah Saints' bit properly then is there any point in being in the studio? That's the most iconic bit of the song!
Sophie B Hawkins is a weird exclusive though I don't mind the song. Glad she gave Bob's creepy intro the side eye it deserved. The massive hole in her crotch was a bit awkward too. Fabulous hair.
The Orb - I love their take on being "live" here. Bizarrest performance in ages but I do love TOTP for this kind of crazy. They were never my thing to listen to but they brought something a bit different to the charts.
Then a trio of slightly boring things we've heard before (I prefer the dance version of the U2 as well) and for some reason the new entries have gone back to only having artist names, not song titles. Whyyyy? Some big names here that aren't high enough for the breakers. Gary Barlow's dancing even less than the last time TT were on, and looking like a long lost member of Big Fun.
Bell Bottomed Tear is understated and under-rated, and our first taste of TLC Their later singles are better quality but they do lose a little of the fun attitude of this debut. Diana Ross is fine but not her best.
DL with another exclusive. Yawn. Er, I mean Go Sheffield!
Erasure - will we get every track from the EP? Not sure if this or Lay All Your Love on Me is the best remembered track. I hadn't heard their Voulez Vous for years until last week. S.O.S. isn't bad, given it's not my fave Abba song (Gimme Gimme Gimme on the other hand IS my favourite so not wild on the cover, but I do love Madonna's Hung Up).
Spot on regarding Utah Saints. That part is what did it for me, and kept it in the memory for years after, not the Kate Bush sampling.
DeleteWe'll be seeing a lot more of Sophie B Hawkins on TOTP during the chart run for this single, and The Orb's performance this week was an unusual one, and very clever idea where the group were not facing the audience on a stage as would be expected, but rather having their own interaction, doing their own thing.
I think Sophie was aiming for thrift store chic, as they say in America, but looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.
DeleteErasure video was brilliant! Rest of the show?…. Hmmm…
ReplyDeleteI didn’t critique this one last night as I couldn’t stomach some of the acts twice in one night thanks to Adrian Ponce.
ReplyDeleteFrom his presenting ‘skills’ tonight, I can see why Paula Yates found Michael Hutchence more alluring. Bob the Knob.
As said last time, this bastard Utah Saints track was used for adverts in my ITV region announcing the absolutely rubbish Carlton Television (unjustly) taking over from Thames, who Maggie Thatcher wanted rid off. ITV went downhill rapidly from then on.
Now that’s a stage performance from Sophie Ballantine Hawkins. Omnisexual with two kids, folks, and quite supple with it. Always liked this track, a bit of a guilty pleasure, but liked “Right Beside You” even more.
The Orb asked when they finished “Where’s the performance cheque, mate?” See what I did there?
Right, watch the title-less new entries under Wiggy’s video before FF.
Did Jason or Howard ever perform lead vocals on a Take That track? All I can say about this.
Breakers: U2 yawn yawn yawn, Brianna seems to have already left The Beautiful South judging by the video, TLC unremarkable, Diana stepping on Tina’s toes with a facsimile lightweight effort.
There seems to be a defined rota of acts allowed to clog the show up with non-chart exclusives which get shown the next week, thus stopping two charting acts from viewings. Annie Lennox, U2, Lisa Stansfield and Def Leppard in particular. The latter tonight are just gruesome and don’t even qualify as comic.
Quite enjoyed the humorous Erasure video up to that grating rap. Shame the cover’s so so-so.
Bob Geldof's publicised single "Room 19" failed to make the top 75. Maybe people saw his hosting tonight and thought they didn't want to bother with it. More like Bog Geldof.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder why Bob didn't warrant and exclusive himself with his new single. Maybe he kicked up such a fuss they let him present and plug the single that way instead.
DeleteSomething Good to start the show? No, something great! Always love to hear this banger.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to switch the megaphone on.
Great intro from Bob Geldof. Glad to see him not taking it too seriously and Mark has really settled into the role now.
Sophie B..Hawkins. Like a breath of fresh air when this hit the charts. Such a great song. Great production. Quality. Not sure this performance does the record justice. She's a wild one isn't she and looking rather fine and flexible too 😉
The Orb song is 39 minutes. If it was Michael Jackson they'd play it! Sod EastEnders. Love how they've just decided to play chess instead. Bet Geldof loved this one. Oh no, he didn't.
Elton and his new wig back again. I see we've dropped the song titles from the New Entry list, that's annoying.
And Take That are back to. Screaming girls in tow. We're stuck with them now. Let's see if we can spot the exact moment Robbie goes off script….
Breakers:
U2: Seen this
Beautiful South: like this one
TLC: Welcome ladies. Average start…
Diana Ross: so middle of the road you can see the lines.
Def Leppard making love like a big girls blouse. Can we have Bob every week? This is a really cheesy macho number for Da Leppards. Love it though. Sorry everyone I went out and brought this.
The gloriously camp video for Take A Chance on me as Erasure get a second week at the top. Fun stuff and just what pop music is all about.
I wonder what happened to Bob's wonderful new single?