Sadly, this edition of Top of the Pops will not be shown on BBC4 so a huge thanks goes once again to Anonymous for making it available here at WeTransfer.
You can tell your dog to bite my leg
27-8-92: Presenters: Adrian Rose & Claudia Simon
(3) BILLY RAY CYRUS – Achy Breaky Heart
(US 1) BOYZ II MEN – End Of The Road (video)
(5) JON SECADA – Just Another Day
(4) UNDERCOVER – Baker Street
(2) LUTHER VANDROSS & JANET JACKSON – The Best Things In Life Are Free (video)
(9) ANNIE LENNOX – Walking On Broken Glass
(NEW) GEORGE BENSON & PATTI AUSTIN – I’ll Keep Your Dreams Alive
(1) SNAP – Rhythm Is A Dancer (video)
Next up is September 3rd.
A strange sort of show this one, concentrating on the Top 10 only, so nothing lower than No.9 this week, except for the US No.1 as a separate slot, plus a new exclusive. Would have liked to see more of Claudia Simon, but the current trend of only showing the presenters at the start and end of the show, seemed to continue for the time being unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteBoyz II Men - Wow, the US No.1 gets its own slot this week. Wish we could have this every week, but it would mean that we would get Boyz II Men for 13 weeks in a row on TOTP, which is how long they were on the top of the US Billboard chart through the summer of 1992. Good Lord!
Benson & Austin - it's amazing how so many of these American ballad legends of the 80s were suddenly available for the TOTP studio in the 90s when they never made it in the 80s during their peak. I never knew what Patti Austin looked like until now, thanks to this reruns, as I was away on holiday in August 1992 and never saw this show first time round. Austin was famous for the gorgeous 80s smooching ballad called Baby Come To Me.
Roll on September 1992 next week with three more shows to review, as Snap continue their reign at No.1, making way for The Shamen's Ebeneezer Goode, soon to take over at the top and keep the dance theme going at the top of the charts!
Well, that didn't take long to watch. Billy Ray, don't think so even if he has shown up, then the video for Boyz II Men, first of this episode's songs from a movie, Boomerang in that case. They look ready for church, and I'd forgotten about the talky bit in this version, which made me laugh out loud. Danny Baker thinks this is the hit that boy bands would try to emulate the sound and success of for decades after. Could be.
ReplyDeleteJon Secada, seen before, with those popping veins he looks like a heart attack waiting to happen. Undercover, couldn't care less.
Another video, another song from a movie, this time Mo' Money, with Janet and Luther noticeably absent but the stars of the film miming to their singing, oddly. Even more odd is the Wayans brothers cross dressing later on, but they always did have a hit or miss sense of humour. Tune, eh, it's OK, played to death at the time.
Annie Lennox, always available, and another repeat, then the major coup for the show, or so they mistakenly believed. Claudia bigs it up as a future classic, but the entirety of the human race disagreed as nobody has thought about it in 30 years. Seems to be a song from a film, is it forgotten cartoon Freddie as F.R.0.7? Which was a disaster too.
Snap, still there. A dud of an edition. But thanks for the upload!
Four songs at peak position lower down the charts with no TOTP play or mention for them, and worth a mention:
ReplyDeleteNo.26 Tori Amos - Silent All These Years
Reissue of her 1991 debut single which only got to No.51, Amos did much better this time round in 1992 but it was still the fifth single release for her with only one TOTP appearance to show for it at the fourth single, and this week's TOTP show only showing songs in the Top 10 unusually, really didn't help her cause to make further traction in her chart career.
No.42 Elvis Presley - Don't Be Cruel
Re-release of this original which got to No.24 in 1978 after his death the year before, and not sure why it was released 14 years later in 1992, but a real classic from The King.
No.49 The Pasadenas - Moving In The Right Direction
Penultimate single this one for The Pasadenas before one final release before the year was out which got to No.22 to give them some dignity so as not to bow out like many groups when they could not get into the Top 40 any more.
No.59 808 State - Time Bomb/Nimbus
Sounds like something out of Dr Who, 808 State were still at it in 1992 and would continue throughout the 90s to release new material with very little impact on the charts, with their debut 1989-90 period being their best before their gradual slide which had already started by now in 1992.
I think the Elvis song was re-released because of the film Honeymoon in Vegas. There was also a Billy Joel cover of All Shook Up in the charts too.
DeleteThis episode was no great loss, but that doesn't mean I'm not still grateful to Anon!
ReplyDeleteThe Luther and Janet duet is the only new (apart from when it was on breakers) thing in the charts. Boyz II Men is an OK exclusive I guess given its status in the US charts but still not a fan of these pre release exclusives. The other exclusive is just an even weirder choice. Annie's new wig is about the most interesting thing here.
Story of 1992, I'm really enjoying these, they give good anecdote.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Siobhan Fahey points out how much more tense the acts were by this time because they had to sing live. You can tell! Plus this was the year with the fewest Number 1s since the early 60s because singles sales were so low. If you had an album, you were fine, however.
1992 was the year that people were transitioning from vinyl to CD for singles, and there would have been some hesitancy to make the transition and so not buying anything at all, which would have contributed to the low sales of singles and lowest number of Number 1's since 1962.
DeleteI was still buying 7-inch vinyl singles in 1991, but I remember that in 1992 there were less and less vinyl singles on the shelf, but I wasn't convinced on CDs, and finally succumbed in late 1993 when I bought my first CD single, in fact in late 1993 which was I'd Do Anything For Love by Meat Loaf, so I stayed on the fence for as long as possible, as by then, CDs were the only format for singles.
I enjoyed "The Story Of 1992" as well, apart from the fact they showed more of that prick Rose than of Jimmy Nail (in the latter's case, not one second). Interesting to see JimBob of Carter in a suit and tie - the lads wore suits in their videos for "Let's Get Tattoos".
DeleteAs for this edition of TOTP, maybe they showed have shown the rundown from 40-11 to make up for the show's content!
You'll be pleased to know that there's only one more show with Rose presenting, and that will be on here this Friday with the September 1992 shows, and that's pretty much it from him as far as TOTP is concerned, and we'll be going back to two shows a week from next week.
DeleteI was surprised they got away with using clips of that prick in The Story of. Siobhan was looking really healthy though Kind of a shame we didn't hear talking heads from many of the other 91-2 presenters. So many big hits still to come even though we're up to August in broadcast order.
DeleteUsing clips of Adrian Rose comes under fair use.
DeleteMaybe, but it's ironic that his refusal to sign the repeat contract has decimated the
Deletefirst half of the 1992 re-runs and deprived regular BBC4 viwers of some seminal moments. Personally speaking, if you don't want to be seen, you shouldn't get a cameo in "The Story Of...".
Thanks to Anonymous for downloading this show for us though, having seen the list of artistes and realised the only one I'd want to see is Jon Secada, I'll give it a miss.
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ReplyDeleteBilly has leapt across the channel and all the way into the Top 3. Earworm of the year? Is it just me wishing this was Shakey?
ReplyDeleteOooh, no hand held mics…
Looking like a bunch of junior bankers from Wall Street it's Boyz II Men with a sloppy RnB ballad that everyone seemed to love in Autumn 92. Never in danger of being remotely cool and thankfully the UK single version ditches the deep voiced rubbish in the middle.
Jon back again with his only big hit. Still singing to the floor and looking like he's in absolute agony.
Maybe he needs a poo?
And now Undercover are back again. Karaoke time everyone. Where, exactly, is the guitar on this record?
Third song in a row we've seen already and it's the Janet and Luthur no show video again.
And now Annie is back for a third time. Now I love this tune but can we please have something new now..
George Benson and Patti who? Oh it's Disney time then. Was this even a hit? We have found the bottom of the barrel people.
It's quite a journey from Mary Had A Little Lamb to Rhythm Is A Dancer.
Sinead and Sonia next week…can't wait! (Sarcasm intended)
It was actually Mary Had A Little Boy
DeleteOh yeah. Ooops
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