I don't want to find another way to make it through the day without the 23rd of July 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
Havana good time
23-7-92: Presenters: Claudia Simon & Tony Dortie
(23) SUNSCREEM – Love You More
Getting tonight's show underway with what became their first of eight top 40 hits but number 23 was as high as it got.
(2) SNAP – Rhythm Is A Dancer (video)
Queuing up patiently for that number one spot.
(32) SHAKESPEAR’S SISTER – Goodbye Cruel World
In the studio performing a song that had originally peaked at number 59 last year, but this time it made it to number 32.
(18) NIRVANA – Lithium (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 11.
(17) SIMPLY RED – Your Mirror (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(12) MICHAEL JACKSON – Who Is It (video) (Breakers)
Went up two more places.
(NEW) ENYA – Book Of Days
In the studio (was this really a live vocal?) performing became her second of three top ten hits when it peaked at number 10.
(4) PRINCE – Sexy M.F. (video)
At its peak.
(US 6) JON SECADA – Just Another Day
Here tonight with what became his only top ten hit when it peaked at number 5.
(NEW) ELTON JOHN & ERIC CLAPTON – Runaway Train (video)
Peaked at number 31.
(1) JIMMY NAIL – Ain’t No Doubt
Back in the studio again for his second of three weeks at number one.
(10) WAS (NOT WAS) – Shake Your Head (video) (and credits)
Became their biggest hit when it peaked at number 4.
30th of July is next.
What is it about this continual trend of invisible presenters except from at the start and at the end of the show? I mean Good Lord, when you have someone as nice as Claudia Simon especially in a gorgeous minidress, you would think that the producers of the show were not quite in tune with the opportunity here. She probably wasn't missing anything when shortly to be dropped altogether from the show a couple of months later, but we certainly were.
ReplyDeletePrince - again Prince comes up with these perfect figure girls for his videos, and songwise a little surprised this got as high as No.4 considering the brilliant Diamonds & Pearls and Thunder missed out on a TOTP showing recently.
Was Not Was - nice to see the playout feature back in the show, but somehow only for three shows in July before going back to no playouts again from August onwards. I did like the Was Not Was video, and what was it about Kim Basinger that people liked at the time? No Ozzy Osbourne in the video despite being on vocals with Basinger and the Was team.
Sunscreem - is that supposed to be sun's cream or sun scream? Anyway, a nice enough ditty, but in the flesh the band are far too pleased with themselves to be truly endearing.
ReplyDeleteSeen Snap before, will see them again, then Shakespears Sister with a bit of an album track, no matter that this had been out as a single before. Siobhan seems to think it's Christmas.
Breakers, Nirvana with a song about a treatment Kurt knew only too well, Simply Red with a passive aggressive effort, and hooray! We don't get the full Whackson video.
Enya, I share Angelo's scepticism that this was live, anyway it's from a laughably bad Tom Cruise Oirish epic, so at least the end credits would have a pleasant tune over them.
Prince again turning the air blue, he was a big part of the naughty nineties (or the just plain crude nineties, if you were being honest).
John Secada, looking rather more froggy than I remembered, but he gives this live vocal 100%, I'll allow him that. Nice enough song, but not very exciting and a bit sorry for itself.
Gawd, not Clapton again. Anyway, his pompous guitar sound is all over a record Elton would have been better doing solo, and not just because of hindsight reasons, either.
Jimmy's still there, and then we get an actual playout (thanks, Mr Hurll!) with Kim Basinger and an invisible Ozzy Osbourne mixing it up with Was (Not Was). I remember hearing at the time Kim was immensely proud of this record, and would constantly play it around her house.
This was actually Sunscreem's second single, as their debut single flopped with a peak of No.60 earlier in the year, and obviously were not on TOTP with it. That single was called Pressure, and I would say their finest moment, with the video capturing the early 90s vibe to perfection with a totally captivated audience dancing to it:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLBDzXTD81c
Given the huge number of new entries by big acts this week, it's kind of criminal we get three not-yet chart songs.
ReplyDeleteSunscreem open well with a memorable if nonsensical track (and I'm kind of surprised they left in the 'as fathers rape their daughters' line).
Then Snap which we'll hear more of soon enough.
Shakespear's Sister give a fun performance even if they have charted lower than influences Siouxie and the Banshees who don't even get a look in via Breakers.
Speaking of, Lithium is my favourite Nirvana track and we could have done with more of it. However, I'm happy to consign Simply Red to breaker status any day, and what a nice surprise to see MJ slung here rtaher than us having to endure a ten minute video exclusive.
Enya is CLEARLY miming, I guess because of all the effects on the track, but still. *Shakes head*.
Prince - we already saw this video last week so shrug.
Jon Secada - I didn't realise this song was so recent. One that will become a staple of your Magic/Heart type radio stations.
If you'd told me Elton John and Eric Clapton had released a duet I'd think you were lying. No wonder I forgot this, there's nothing memorable or endearing about it.
Jimmy Nail - it comes to something when he's one of the only worthwhile performances in a show but here we are.Too many videos, too many non hits, too bad.
We play out on a fun entry from Was (Not Was).
I must admit I was also surprised to see a Elton John & Eric Clapton duet, but it could be that Elton was impressed by Clapton's recent solo single called Tears In Heaven which was quite a captivating ballad of sorts, and enough to reach out for doing a duet.
DeleteSunscreem were in my favourites list of “rave bands” of the period, along with One Dove, Sub Sub and Underworld. I must have sung along to this dozens of times and never picked out the terrible “fathers rape their daughters” line, the “sea turn turtle” is bad enough. I think I thought it was “mothers ape their daughters”. Digging out my vinyl I have a fair few of their early releases but annoyed that I didn’t snap up their debut “Walk On”. Having said that it’s £1.50 on Discogs so no Love me Do / God Save the Queen missed investment there!
DeleteIn addition to the TOTP 1991 Story Of / Biggest Hits on BBC2 tonight there is When Nirvana Came to Britain which will be worth a watch.
I just checked out the lyrics for Sunscreem, and I take it back about being a nice tune, those words are pretty horrible! No wonder they looked smug, in a "getting away with something" style.
ReplyDeleteIs an Enya concert basically her putting a CD of her greatest hits on then sitting back with her feet up on the piano?
A couple of singles peaking inside the top 40 this week from previous chart regulars, with no TOTP for them:
ReplyDeleteNo.21 Siouxie & The Banshees - Face To Face
Last single for two years until their return in 1994, but there was to be only three more singles from them in the 1994-95 period, as the long career of this group stretching back to 1978 with Hong Kong Garden was coming to its final lap in the early 90s.
No.31 INXS - Heaven Sent
Reminds me of a Meat Loaf track from Bat Out Of Hell III called What About Love where Meat's co-lead on vocals Patti Russo sings the lyrics "Once in a lifetime you'll find someone heaven sent for you, for a lifetime, you'll feel there's a reason to believe, in a love that's meant to be......."
Heaven Sent is one of INXS's best singles, I think it was from the Welcome to Wherever You Are album, which had the insane choice of cover that nobody in their right mind would want to be seen walking out of a record shop holding.
DeleteAlso, I think my friend saw Siouxsie in concert around this time, only she had broken her leg and came on in a wheelchair with her leg encased in plaster, ranting and raving. He thought she was hilarious.
DeleteJust looked at the INXS chart position the following week, and it fell badly to No.54, so not quite heaven sent!
DeleteYeah, Heaven Sent didn't get its due, though the second single off the album, Baby Don't Cry, did better (and also one of their best songs).
DeleteThree singles peaking this week outside the Top 40 from previous chart regulars, with no TOTP for them:
ReplyDeleteNo.50 Blue Pearl - Mother Dawn
Penultimate single release for them, and first not to make Top 40, this one managing only No.50, and there was only one more single to come in 1993 before calling it a day in terms of new material.
No.59 Gary Moore & BB King - Since I Met You Baby
Interesting collaboration this one, and was never going to be as successful as King's collaboration with U2 called When Loves Comes To Town which got to No.6 in 1989.
No.61 Shaft - Monkey
Follow up to Roobarb And Custard, Shaft turned to another 70s iconic TV series - Monkey! Pity it only got to No.61 considering Monkey's high peaktime viewing ratings in the 70s. Shaft's sampling on Monkey also includes Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon and Carl Douglas's Kung Fu Fighting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laU-yNfLAp8
Suffice to say that Shaft disappeared off the music scene after Monkey.
There were a couple of dance classics missing out on a chart entry this week. Degrees of Motion “Shine On” should have been massive on release, also Bump’s I’m Rushing. Although Shine On did reach top 10 when revamped a couple of years later.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the show, Dorky, here comes a seriously hot hostess! Sadly, as many holes in their presenting tonight as in a slice of Emmenthal.
ReplyDeleteDorky uses that sodding ‘crisp biscuits’ link into the top ten rundown again. What a knob.
“Making their debut on Top of the Pops...” Erm, who then, Cloudia? How the Hell did Sunscreem get onto TOTP or at least not have those lyrics altered? Miles Hunt did that tartan suit look last year, love.
Sound down for the new entries then FF to avoid the second track tonight with an offensive lyric.
Goodbye “Goodbye Cruel World” as it flops. Also the title of what Elvis Costello rates as his worst ever album. No, Cloudia, this is in the top 40, it isn’t a new release.
So that’s what Kurt Cobain sounds like (tee hee).
What a horrible smug view in your mirror, Hucknall.
“Who Is It”? Some bloke yelping after nearly every line who gets every boring new single on this show.
Rather than mime, Enya should have sung an octave lower like Kurt had done (See what I did there?).
A right old juxtaposition into what Dorky thinks is one of Prince’s previous singles. Dorky also seems to think that everyone on tonight is brilliant live.
Nothing left in the locker for Jon Secada’s performance, with mic skills straight from the Terence Trant D’Arby manual. Always liked this, especially for the uplifting almost gospel chorus. Could someone move that glitterball a big higher, please?
Elton with a cat on his head and a video filmed at “The Wembley” according to Cloudia. This song hit the buffers for me.
Jimmy Nail appears to have a trailer in the BBC car park.
Was (Not Was) with a fine track but a scary ‘tache on the ginger lad. I wouldn’t mess with Malcolm. Kim sounded fine and looked, erm, rather on the sultry side in that robe.
It will be interesting to see if the Sunscreem lyrics controversy will be discussed on The Story of 1992, as TOTP probably didn't ask invited performers to send in their lyrics for checking before performing in the studio.
DeleteAh, but TOTP stopped Gang Of Four from singing "The rubbers he hides in his top left pocket", wanted the offending word changed to "packets" or "rubbish", the band refused and walked out, so we never got to see them perform "At Home He's A Tourist".
DeleteAh, but (part 2) how on earth did no-one involved check the lyrics of that Sir Mix-A-Lot effort?
DeleteCrisp Biscuits it's the 23rd July already. Liking this new introduction to the show with the top ten.
ReplyDeleteDid Claudia forget the name of the band? Sunscream a new one on me. How did I forget this, it's a great tune. Is the singer possibly Scottish? Captain Sensible on keyboards. Really enjoyed that. Wonder what became of them…
Still no studio performance from SNAP! Where have they gone?
Dressed for Christmas it's Shakeys Sisters back for another hit which I had completely forgotten about. This is one that obviously doesn't get any attention now but I actually quite liked it. A great but short lived band with 2 great leads.
Breakers:
Nirvana: another good tune.
Simply Red: Who does not have this album yet? Own up! Good song this.
Michael Jackson: A slower groove from MJs latest album. Big fan of this one.
Enya is back with more mellow chill out music. I own her greatest hits and it's a lovely chill out album. A very talented lady. I do wonder how much of this is being performed live though?
Not a fan of this Prince number and I think it's downhill all the way now….
Jon Secada with a gorgeous tune. Real summer feel to this one.. never realised he was a Sound Machine guy. I can see why the US took to this one. An odd performance, microphone to chin and singing at the floor.
Exclusive time with not one, but two superstars this week. Eric and Elton manage to use all their talents to deliver something really bland and unappealing. Forgotten it already.
Jimmy back again for a second week at the top and then the wondeful Was (Not Was) tune to play out. I'd forgotten it was Ozzy on this.