Take me to another place, take me to another land, take me to the 2nd of July 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
Happy
2-7-92: Presenter: Tony Dortie
(US 9) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT – Tennessee
Getting tonight's show underway with what will only get to number 46 this time round, but it will come back and peak at number 18 next year.
(16) ALTERN-8 – Hypnotic St-8
In the studio performing their fourth and final top 40 hit and it got no higher.
(12) DEF LEPPARD – Make Love Like A Man (video)
At its peak.
(6) ELECTRONIC – Disappointed
The supergroup are live tonight with their second and final top ten hit, and also their biggest hit but number 6 was as high as it got.
(21) THE B52’S – Good Stuff (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(22) CARTER – THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE – Do Re Me So Far So Good (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(13) SNAP – Rhythm Is A Dancer (video)
On their way to number one.
(3) RICHARD MARX – Hazard (via satellite)
Now at its peak.
(NEW) JIMMY NAIL – Ain’t No Doubt
Our 1992 blog title song makes its debut and will be number one in two weeks time.
(1) ERASURE – Abba-Esque E.P. (video)
A medley of all three videos for their fourth of five weeks at the top.
9th of July is next.
Presenter Tony Dortie mentioning being in the latter stages of Wimbledon, so who was in the mens semi-finals the following day? Well it was John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic, with Agassi going on to win his first Wimbledon title three days after this TOTP edition was aired.
ReplyDeleteElectronic - I think this was the first time since their debut single in 1989 called Getting Away With It, that they recalled Neil Tennant on lead vocals, as I think the two songs in between in 1991 were without him on the record, so it definitely made a difference to have him back, as this was their most successful single chartwise, although not as good as the first one which started them off.
The Breakers - It is the only time we will see The B-52s on this single, as it was at peak this week, and another fun video with lots of colourful costumes, it doesn't get much better than this. Definitely worth watching the video in full.
Snap - first time in well over year back in the Top 40 since the Snap Megamix got to No.10 in early 1991. Where had they been all this time, and I guess it must have been a new album in 1992 to bring on this future No.1 single, and I remember it was THE tune of the summer of 1992 on dance floors.
Oooh, we're about to get serious as cancer everyone!
ReplyDeleteArrested Development another new act in the US import section. I can't work out if this is more or less exciting than using the US import slot for established acts like Belinda Carlisle. It's probably better overall in terms of introducing new acts to the UK audience but I am still an 'in the charts only' purist at heart. This is a song with a great chorus and so-so verses. But at least it's not patronising the homeless...
Altern-8/Def Leppard/Electronic - not the most memorable from any of these acts, but fine I guess,and the show's enjoyably varied so far.
Deluxe Breakers! When was the last time we saw this much of each track? Not complaining either, two under-rated singles that I'm happy to hear again.
Snap! - Obviously *that* line is a clanger, but this tune is a banger (you can have those lyrics for free, Turbo B!). One of THE defining sounds of the year and will become yet another mega number one very soon.
Richard Marx - I definitely didn't remember this song as being as big as it clearly was It's been hanging round the top of the charts for ages (and yet Right Here Waiting is still by far the song of his I remember most. Perhaps because I own it on 7", which is a slightly embarrassing admission) Anyway, nice to have a live version of this one.
Jimmy Nail's singing career was a source of so much mirth when I was a teenager. The cry laughs we got out of Crocodile Shoes and his role in Evita especially mean however rubbish I thought this was at the time, I'm kind of sentimental knowing it would lead to such 'greatness'. Bless you Jimmy!
Erasure - was hoping we might get SOS this time, perhaps in the studio, but oh well. Did they even make a video for SOS? (Weird how Erasure were ALWAYS on this show except the one time they hit number one though I guess being on tour prevented it?). I'm always amused by how much Vince Clarke laps up the focus in Take a Chance on Me given his usual demeanour. And at least you can't get too bored of a number one when it had multiple tracks. And of course 5 weeks is nothing by 90s standards. I believe we still have quite a long time before our next one-week-and-done chart topper.
Good episode overall, felt like it packed a lot in, even the slightly stroppy presence of Laters didn't bother me so much.
@Rad Erasure sos
Deletehttps://youtu.be/QvR72DYtYHw
A couple of songs at peak position inside the Top 40 this week from previous chart regulars which got no TOTP stage this time round for their new singles:
ReplyDeleteNo.32 Londonbeat - You Bring On The Sun
Surprised it only got to No.32 considering how much radio play it had at the time. Three more singles until 1995 failed to break the Top 40, so it's goodbye and good night for this group as far as TOTP appearances are concerned.
No.34 Kim Wilde - Heart Over Mind
If only life always worked liked that, it would be heaven. Would probably have got a Breakers slot the following week if it had continued to rise, but can never get enough of Kim, so when's the next single?
Arrested Development I seem to remember got into trouble for sampling Prince on the word "Tennessee" (from Alphabet Street), but it's not holding them back here, that woman doing the high kicks is quite alarming. Probably their best hit, and as mentioned above, better than their ultra-condescending follow-up.
ReplyDeleteAltern-8, singing the samples, miming the keyboard riffs, all a bit shrill.
Def Leppard including Fatty Arbuckle in the video of their ode to getting it on with a laydee, pretty misguided. Mr Arbuckle was an innocent victim of a newspaper smear campaign, in case you're interested.
Electronic, unfortunately the live sound on this is terrible, it sounds much better on the record. Probably the least of their big hits, but it's not too bad.
Breakers that don't last ten seconds! Thankyou, Michael Hurll! Loved this B-52s track at the time (though not as much as Channel Z) and the video is colourful. Carter finding something else to complain about (celebs?), the punning was getting pretty poor.
Snap, serious as Coronavirus, with their other huge hit, was never quite as keen on this one, but it's OK. Video is a complete mess, however.
Richard Marx, they were so desperate to have him on as much as possible they even get a satellite link-up. Give it a rest.
Whatever happened to Jimmy Nail? Spender, Crocodile Shoes, hit records, then... he disappeared. More talking on this one that I recalled. Bit gimmicky.
Then Erasure and disappointingly, there's no fourth video to show.
I would recommend watching Robert Youngson's 1960 compilation film called When Comedy Was King, which includes a summary of Arbuckle's demise, along with a clip from one of his comedy short films.
DeleteHey - I read Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon back in the day! Both volumes!
DeleteFour songs at peak position this week outside the Top 40 by previous chart regulars, and unlucky not to get to the the TOTP stage:
ReplyDeleteNo.48 The Farm - Rising Sun
Coming towards the end of their career, this one was no crowd puller, and only one more to come soon after this one, which at least got to No.18 to finish off their new material respectfully, as most groups call it a day when they can longer make top 40!
No.51 Fish - Something In The Air
Was this a cover of Thunderclap Newman's 1969 No.1 single? First one in a while not to make Top 40 for Fish, and the next three singles also failed to reach the Top 40, so I think we have seen the last of Fish on TOTP.
No.55 The Beastie Boys - Frozen Metal Head EP
EPs seem to be the fashion in 1992 with Erasure at No.1 with theirs on the current chart. No further output from the Beastie Boys for another two years until 1994 where they did much better with a couple of Top 30 hits, so not all was lost at this stage.
No.58 Weird Al Yankovic - Smells Like Nirvana
If anyone thought he was a one-hit wonder in 1984 with Eat It, which was send-up of Beat It by Michael Jackson, Weird Al was back again briefly in 1992 for another one-off single, this time targeting Nirvana.
Dory, Fish's minor hit was indeed a cover, credited to John Keene as songwriter whereas the earlier number 1 version credited him with his nickname of Speedy Keene.
DeleteCarter - don’t remember the video, but enjoyed it. ‘Taken sick during rehearsal’ - is this TVspeak for misbehaving and thrown out?
ReplyDeleteGood thing there’s only one Dorky. Keeping the tennis theme going, two of them would have made a double fault.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed “Tennessee” with its midpace sung rap and catchy chorus. Not so sure about the Wurzels-style backdrop. How tall was that female singer in the waistcoat?
Altern-8 with an ice cream van tune and even screechier noises than Mariah Carey.
We get this turd from Deaf Lepers for a third time?
Pet Shop Boys have been announced for Glastonbury this year, and “Disappointed” could easily pass for a quality PSB track. Not disappointed at all with that killer chorus. Johnny Marr already way cooler than Morrissey at this stage.
Two breakers which were pretty much half to two-thirds the length of a normal TOTP track.
Good old Fred Schneider, failing to sing as always.
Shame Carter weren’t well, apparently. Probably got wrecked in the bar. Was that a dig at Live Aid in the cartoon video?
Much as it's a dance choon, I can't stand "Rhythm Is A Dancer" because of THAT lyric.
“Hazard” for a third time as well? What about all those acts suffocated of TOTP exposure?
Jimmy Nail’s spoken verses and military chant hook were just so different that this song screamed ‘big hit’. Jimmy needed a ladder to make those high notes into the choruses, though. ‘Hilarious’ antics by the miming brass section.
Three into one does go at the top, but watch out for the truck driver gear changes into each video.
I thought Carter (or their video director) was having a dig at We Are the World.
DeleteSounds a deecent explanation.
DeleteHaving just checked Electronic's UK chart history, it looks like we're at the start of that era, at least with acts like Morrissey, where singles enter the chart at their highest point and then drop.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who took Neil Tennant of PSB onto their single, inevitably bolstered their standing, not just Electronic who performed less well without Tennant, but also in 1996 when David Bowie collaborated with Tennant on Hallo Spaceboy, Bowie suddenly had his first Top 30 single for three years since Jump They Say in 1993 got to No.9 somehow.
DeleteNot to mention the trend of hits going straight in at Number 1 for the next couple of decades.
DeleteOh, and Jump They Say is a really strong latter day Bowie single, it was about his brother's suicide, I believe.
DeleteSurprised to see how well this Electronic single did as not a patch on Getting Away With It and Get the Message. However, there were a lot of PSB fans out there waiting to snap this up in the first week of release as nothing else Neil Tennant related to purchase in 1992, their first year without a single/album release since 1984
DeleteI do like Arrested Development. Very funky and a sort of Pop version of De La Soul. Loads of fun this and a great start to the show.
ReplyDeleteWho's buying that Diana Ross mush…
Altern-8 had far more hits than I'd remembered unfortunately and they are getting worse each time. Was there a competition to find the most uncoordinated dancers. Sing dear, don't shout..my ears…..
Def Leppard on video..my word TOTP love this one don't they.
Electronic are back with a Tennant in tow. This is just pure class. 3 supremely talented pop stars and one gorgeous tune. Great record.
Breakers:
B-52s. Cheeky fun.
Carter: Their most fun tune would have loved to see this live but we get a decent amount of both breakers due to their absence
SNAP on video and what a tune. Great video as well. THE summer sound of 1992. Much more of this to come.
Richard Marx is in LA and this tune has had more plays than some Number Ones. Still enjoying hearing it again though.
Jimmy Nail speaking his way through probably one of the 90s oddest Number One singles. He is rather cool up there in his suit. This should not work but it does and it's brilliant.
Erasure still TOTP and we are saved the awful SOS as there is no video. Nice idea to show a bit of the other 3. Voulez Vous still rules…