Sadly, this edition of Top of the Pops from the 25th of June 1992 will not be shown on BBC4. So a huge thanks to Anonymous for making it available here at WeTransfer.
She'll be there
25-6-92: Presenters: Adrian Rose & Claudia Simon
(13) TLC – Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg
(11) MARIAH CAREY – I’ll Be There
(12) U2 – Even Better Than The Real Thing (video)
(19) TORI AMOS – Crucify
(15) MEGADETH – Symphony Of Destruction
(14) DIANA ROSS – One Shining Moment
(17) DEF LEPPARD – Make Love Like A Man (video) (Breakers)
(21) MESSIAH – Temple Of Dreams (video) (Breakers)
(NEW) WET WET WET – Lip Service
(1) ERASURE – Lay All Your Love On Me (video)
2nd of July is next.
The news is that the Story of 1991/Big Hits 1991 will finally be shown on March 12th - on BBC2. This will then be followed a week later by the Story of 1992/Big Hits 1992, and then it seems they will carry on weekly all the way to 1999.
ReplyDeleteFantatstic news - I've missed these documentaries.
DeleteI presume that the Story of 1991 show wasn't done when its time came round, because of the coronavirus pandemic when social distancing prevented production and interviewing people without masks and distance, so now they have caught up by producing both Stories of 1991 and 1992 together so that we are back on schedule.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThe original plan to when they were meant to have aired it comes from this post from Rozalla saying the 8th January 2021
Deletehttps://www.instagram.com/p/B9W6it2Asyx/?utm_source=ig_embed
Then that date slipped as 1990 started in October 2020 instead of August 2020 and didn't finish till May 2021.
We then got this from Jan Younghusband the head of BBC Music commissioning from 2009 to January 2022 in May 2021
"coming in the autumn 91 and 92 sorry for the wait but not long now ."
Then after Christmas Day 1991 aired on BBC Four last year Tony Dortie said that The Story Of 1991 would air in the Easter of 2022.
This seems to follow the covid restrictions with the same start-stop drama during the different new variants coming on board!
DeleteAll the way to '99, eh? Sounds like we're in this for the long haul!
DeleteIncidentally, will we be over the Adrian Rose mini-era by the time The Story of... starts up? Only it's getting a bit hectic in TOTP repeats land.
DeleteOh this is the best news ever! I missed those so much!
DeleteReally? NINE "Story of" shows in consecutive weeks, featuring seven years we haven't even seen yet? Book early until 2025 at this rate!
DeleteWoo, black minidress on for Claudia Simon. Like it!
ReplyDeleteMariah Carey - starting to do better in terms of chart positions for her singles, as after following her successful debut hit Vision Of Love in 1990, the following three singles failed to make Top 30, so now enjoying two weeks at No.1 in America with this new single I'll Be There, a No.11 position on the same week in the UK was not bad considering here recent chart results in the UK.
Tori Amos - debut on TOTP after her first three singles failed to get on the show, only getting to No.51, No.51 and No.25 with those first three singles releases, so this new one at No.19 already had put TOTP with no choice but to invite her at last to the studio to perform it, and was the first time I heard of her, and Tori was looking nearly as good as Claudia Simon introducing her.
Erasure - having an EP with four different singles on it meant doing four videos, and this one Lay All Your love On me was the one I recall being played most on TV at the time, and the best one in my opinion. I still think Erasure had too many weeks at No.1, but I guess they could get more or less all the videos shown on TOTP through that time.
TLC! Their profile has fallen since their heyday, but they were fairly massive at the time, and this is how they started out, as a scrappy R&B hip-hop outfit. You don't hear this one anymore, you're more likely to hear Waterfalls or No Scrubs, but it's bursting with energy and is a lot of fun. RIP Lisa.
ReplyDeleteMariah, in contrast, took a more conservative route, and this is not as oversung as some of her performances, but still fairly staid and uninteresting.
Megadeth, sheesh, look what a sandwich TOTP have prepared for us, as if to show those greasy metalheads a thing or two about Stanley Appel's idea of "proper music". Consider yourself chastened. OK, this is "get out of my room" music, but nevertheless.
Well, here she is with one of her forgotten 90s ballads, and I spent the whole thing wondering "How is Miss Ross's dress staying up?"
Another Breaker we've seen before, and one I have no memory of whatsoever. Doesn't half sound like something else.
Next, about a quarter hour of Wet Wet Wet trying to sound like George Michael. Gets very tedious early and doesn't improve, though the boys seem to be happy to be there.
The good thing about there being four videos for the Erasure EP is that there's no repetition for their spell at the top. Do you think they used green screen in this video? Or blue screen as it probably was back then.
Oops, forgot Tori Amos! She was Beverly Craven with a hefty dose of American attitude, really PLAYING that piano, as Dickie Davies would say about driving trucks. A tad too self-flagellating for comfort, but she'd had her troubles before channelling them into music. This is perfectly fine.
ReplyDeleteOh, and U2's video seems to have added more footage of Cicciolina, the Italian porn star/politician. Probably why they cut it off when they do.
Two records inside the Top 30 at peak position with no TOTP appearance as main feature or Breakers, and deserving a mention as we will not see them mentioned at all:
ReplyDeleteNo.26 Crowded House - Four Seasons In One Day
Unlucky to miss out here, but looking at what was to come from them, there were 9 more singles up until the end of 1996, and all getting into the Top 30 quite comfortably, so it was probably hit and miss as to weather they would get onto the show.
No.28 Prince - Thunder
This was one of Prince's all time classics and a bit disappointed to see it peaked as low as No.28 in the chart considering its strong composition.
If I have, for instance, four coffees in one day, I sing to myself a la Crowded House "Four Coffees in one Day!"
DeleteAnd what if it's raining outside, do you sing Thunder by Prince?
DeleteOr Thunder / Let it Rain by East 17?
DeleteWhat I most recall about East 17's Thunder is Peter Baynham on the Lee and Herring Radio 1 show wondering about the lyrics: "'When the thunder calls you!' - what, like on the phone?"
DeleteRegardless of your opinions of them as artists, Tori Amos, Mariah Carey, Diana Ross and TLC all giving exclusive performances in one episode is incredible... and incredible that the at home audience miss out in it because of some idiot's ego.
ReplyDeletePffft.
TLC - a good fun opener.
Mariah - nooo it's too soon after this week's drag race, it's like salt in the wound.
U2 video AGAIN? Nope. Although they've gone back to putting song names on the new entries. Consistency? I don't know her.
Tori Amos is excellent here (is this her Pops debut?), then Megadeth fun if dated, Diana Ross looking like a true diva in gold, and the breakers with Messiah being a clear highlight.
The new WWW is dreadful. And a third tune from Abba Esque is a fun way to deal with the fact that all the number ones stay around for ruddy ages. If only Bryan Adams had released an EP, huh?
This was Tori's TOTP debut at her fourth single, as the first two only got to No.51, and then the third did reach No.25 just before this one, but had no TOTP mention or showing for it, so at last she's here.
DeleteNot much grabbing my attention on offer this week so gave Messiah a listen. Without the shouty “Who loves you and who do you love” Running Man film sample, it’s a nice use of Liz Fraser’s This Mortal Coil “Song to the Siren” vocal. Which coincidentally (?) was also the basis of The Dust Brothers (soon to be Chemical Brothers) debut track release taking shape at this time in 1992.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I know the "Did I dream, you dreamed about me?" sample from somewhere else, but not sure where.
DeleteNew music from Liz Frazer coming up soon if you're a fan.
DeleteThanks Arthur, I’ll watch out for that.
DeleteFour songs peaking outside the Top 40 this week for previous chart regulars, and no TOTP for them this time round:
ReplyDeleteNo.49 ZZ Top - Rough Boy
Although this one was first released in 1986, this re-release of it in 1992 seemed to be alongside the release of their Greatest Hits album, much like Madness were also doing in 1992 for their greatest hits album by re-releasing songs from the 80s.
No.52 Opus III - I Talk To The Wind
Eagerly anticipated follow-up to their Top 5 hit It's A Fine Day, this second single from them failed to trouble the scorers, and with a song title like that, it didn't help.
No.67 Dire Straits - The Bug
18th and penultimate single release since coming on to the scene in 1979 with Sultans Of Swing, this one I don't recall at all, as it was their lowest chart position for any of their singles going all the way back to 1979. One more single, the Encores EP, was to come from them in 1993 which did much better, reaching No.31.
No.69 Meat Loaf - Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad
Re-release of Meat's 1978 opening year in the charts where it got to No.32 at the time, but not sure why it was re-released now, as we were still over a year away from Bat Out Of Hell II which no-one had seen coming at this point in June 1992.
Thanks once again, Anonymous. You’ve been a brick. In comparison, that presenter’s been a prick.
ReplyDeleteWe endure loads of boring exclusives and the same old same old and, typically, quite a landmark edition is canned for general viewing by that bastard Ponce.
TLC – shouty, monotone rap, a T-shirt with the wrong song title (there’s no “I” at the start). At least they were colourful.
Having Mariah Carey on was bad enough, we’ve had way too much Wacko in 1992 prior to this pointless cover.
A third showing for the Irish Manic Street Preachers? Piss off, U4!
Ah, now. Peak of the week and then some by the former singer in metal band Y Can’t Tori Read. A sultry, soulful, confidence oozing debut channelling her inner Kate Bush there. Like the matching skirt and shoes. Just wonderful. A podium performance thus far for the year.
Oo, Megadeth with a Flying V, a scary tache and what sounded like a Black Sabbath C-side.
Tina Ross next with “One Shining Dress” which made me hungry for a Quality Street toffee penny. Some Mariah dog attracting notes near the end. At least Diana made the effort to turn up. I’m looking at you, 15 week bottler Adams.
Yeeuch. Deaf Lepers with their horrible stench of a song. See previous episode dig about exclusive one week, show clogger the next, preventing two worthy chart acts of exposure.
Mystic “Ghost Hunter” rave from Messiah there.
WWW one to chill to, Cloudia? The only chill was hearing Pellow’s voice for a few seconds before FFF.
Erasure provide their best Abba rip-off on the EP. The Vince Clarke comedy cavalcade continues. Andy needed a spangly shirt one size bigger if you ask me.
Jimmy Nail shows more charisma in ten seconds than Ponce could muster in his entire worthless life.
Here come TLC. Salt n Pepa with street smarts. They will be huge and produce some really great RnB tunes but this is a very average start. Dressed like they've stepped out of Sesame Street and sounding like the a female De La Soul but without the soul. They will make one of my all time favourite tunes "Waterfalls" and we've all got to start somewhere.
ReplyDeleteEvening Claudia. KWS are sticking around aren't they. Stay only took 3 weeks to drop out the chart completely.
US Number One Mariah is here with one of her signature tunes and it's another cover to add to 92s growing list. Could she not find someone famous to sing this with. Couple of the Pasadenas in the background have let themselves go a bit 😜
U2 video again and the song titles are back but not many new entries this week. Where's Geldof?
Tori Amos in the studio and a few years away from her biggest, remixed, dance hit. I find a lot of her tunes very underwhelming but this is ok however I'm not going to be playing it again any time soon. Shades of Alanis Morrissette in the verses, maybe she was watching.
Begging for death for the following 3 minutes followed by a crunching gear change into Diana Ross dressed as a Quality Street. This is very bland unfortunately and a waste of her talents.
Breakers:
Def Leppard: Dull performance video.
Messiah: Weird
The Wets are back and they've gone all summer pop on us. Anyone remember this? Nope, didn't think so..did it tank? Best thing on the show tonight which says a lot. What's with all the ponytails….
Erasure Track 3. The radio stations played this to death and the reason I can't stand it. Dressed for an episode of Blakes 7 and dodgy BBC CSO to match.
I've no doubt that's Jimmy Nail.