I believe in fairy tales, Superman and Santa Claus, and in the 10th of December 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
It's Cliffmas time!
10-12-92: Presenter: Mark Franklin
(9) TAKE THAT – Could It Be Magic
Robbie and the boys get the show underway and this Barry Manilow cover became their biggest hit so far when it peaked at number 3.
(11) FREDDIE MERCURY – In My Defence (video) (and charts)
Peaked at number 8.
(US 2) SHAI – If I Ever Fall In Love
Singing acapella this was their only hit and it peaked at number 36.
(4) W.W.F. SUPERSTARS – Slam Jam (video)
At its peak.
(16) DIANA ROSS – If We Hold On Together (video)
Went up five more places to number 11.
(37) K.W.S. & THE TRAMMPS – Hold Back The Night
In the studio and this version of the old tune peaked at number 30.
(25) GLORIA ESTEFAN – Miami Hit Mix (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 8.
(22) THE LEMONHEADS – Mrs. Robinson (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 19.
(21) 808 STATE versus UB40 – One In Ten (Remix) (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 17.
(10) MADONNA – Deeper And Deeper (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 6.
(7) CLIFF RICHARD – I Still Believe In You
He's here tonight but this year's offering was now at its peak.
(1) WHITNEY HOUSTON – I Will Always Love You (video)
Second of ten weeks at the top.
17th of December is next.
Take That - great start to the show this week, with the group still working their way to stardom, and by now a Top 10 regular boy band, I found the girl backing dancers very watchable, especially the two on the left. Nice!
ReplyDeleteFreddie Mercury - with one year on since Mercury's death, the tributes kept coming through the whole of 1992, with previously unreleased singles from Mercury himself, Brian May with new solo singles throughout the year, and of course the George Michael & Lisa Stansfield single tribute. Not sure if the tributes stopped here or continued for another year into 1993, but we will soon find out.
WWF Superstars - it was a case of spot the wrestler, with The Undertaker, The British Bulldog and Bret 'The Hitman' Hart being the obvious culprits, but my favourite WWF wrestler of 1992 was The Berzerker who didn't feature in the Slam Jam video, but gave The Undertaker his biggest defeat in what turned out to be the rivalry of the year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EK038VhKls
Diana Ross - easily the song of the week on TOTP along with Take That, and not sure which animated movie this clip came from as the soundtrack, but it looked somewhat Disney to me.
The Breakers - really like this 808 State vs UB40 performance of One In Ten, coming out 11 years after the original from UB40 in 1981, and sounded like an interesting refresh for the 90s with the approval of UB40 I would have thought, and also liked the new video with 808 State.
The Diana Ross song was played at the end of the wonderful animated movie 'The Land before Time'. Great song.
DeleteThe above comment was from me....for some reason posting on my phone ended up with it showing as anonymous.
DeleteI think it's cos you're not logged in to Google or Blogger.com on your phone
DeleteI don't remember Shai at all, but this track will be getting a lot more play when it's covered by E17 and Gabrielle in the future.
ReplyDeleteI will begrudgingly admit a decent performance from TT but there's a lot of dross tonight. Christmas party/ballad season is here with KWS/Cliff et al, and the seasonal novelty record trend that's going to dominate several future years is already being hinted at with whatever that WWF song is.
Back to the covers... Take That tackle Barry Manilow with falsetto voices. Robbie not able to sustain his notes live, I notice.
ReplyDeleteFreddie, well, if we weren't tributed out with this guy, here he is paying tribute to himself from beyond the grave. All very sincere, but not much fun.
Shai, just asking to have a T added to the end of their name by wags. More anonymous balladry by a black American vocal group, they can sing OK, I guess? Shirt malfunction second from left.
So this WWF thing passes for a pop record in 1992, does it? Barely holding together, grabbing whoever was available, from America's campest spectacle. Sounds like they were going to finish it later and forgot.
Diana Ross with this episode's first song from a movie, a treacly ballad from a treacly movie. Dinosaurs just aren't cuddly to me. Undistinguished.
What fresh Hell is this? KWS team up to murder the Trammps' classic in trademark horrible tinny style. The soul band give it their all, but it's desperate stuff.
Breakers. Surprised they used clips from The Graduate in the Lemonheads' cover video. Yet another megamix! Who likes these?
Sir Clifford, hey, don't say Santa Claus is a fantasy this close to Christmas, there are kids watching! Regulation gloopy ballad. Again.
Speaking of which, here's Whitney to be FFed.
Four songs further down the chart for previous chart regulars at peak positions this week, with no TOTP for them this time round:
ReplyDeleteNo.27 Prince - 7
Superb record from the legend, and considering this week's Breakers only went down to No.25, Prince was next in the queue for a Breakers slot, but alas the song fell badly to No.42 the following week, and well out of TOTP's range.
No.42 Ce Ce Peniston - Inside That I Cried
Last single for a year until 1994, as the whole of 1993 Peniston would go on a break from releasing any new singles, but even coming back was not easy in terms of future chart positions.
No.43 Altern 8 - Brutal-8-E
Can't quite figure out what the song title is supposed to mean, but after a good run up until mid-1992, the rest of the year proved unsuccessful in breaking the Top 40, with this the second single in a row failing to make the cut, and with only more more single to come in mid-1993 which also bombed out at a peak of No.54, it was all but over for Altern 8 at this point.
No.44 Dannii Minogue - Love's On Every Corner
A relatively poor 1992 for her, compared to her more successful debut year of 1991 which spurned four Top 20 singles, however 1992 unusually released only two singles, peaking at No.30 and No.44 respectively.
I think Altern 8's tune title is trying to say "Brutality".
DeleteWell done on deciphering the puzzle Arthur, as I couldn't figure it out as being that simple!
DeleteA late addition from Sid..
DeleteNot much to add to this week’s proceedings except that I noted that Leftfield were at peak position this week with their fourth single, Song of Life, at no. 58, their highest position to date. They would break the Top 20 next year teaming up with John Lydon before launching their debut album (triple vinyl LP) to much praise in ‘95.
My iPhone won’t let me post as a Google Account and my work laptop blocked this site as potential porn 😂
We start with Robbie taking centre stage for Take That. Be careful what you wish for.
ReplyDeleteAnother cash-in… er, heartfelt tribute release for Fred. How many times was a video on TOTP interspersed with a clip from an interview?
Love that quip about Shait! Reminds me of the Brazilian player for Celtic called Scheidt – not many kids wanted his name on their replica shirts. Either put that top on or discard it, you dope! There should have be a tag team event to see if these were better than SawOffTrouserzIIMen. Talking of which…
WWF? WTF!?!? You never got this type of rubbish with Les Kellett.
“We’ve run out of 10p’s for the meter, so here’s Diana’s video instead”. More animated film slime. Not “Bright Eyes”, is it?
How did The Trammps’ crap on their own sublime song get on the show? Was every other act above number 37 on Christmas hols?
Yet another megamix, though Glo’s is certainly one of the better rehashes.
Cheeky enjoyable cover, but The Lemonheads never graduated to rock star status. See what I did there?
Christ, “One In Ten” gets just that. Sounded out of key. Dreadful.
Madonna was on last week as an exclusive!!
Yes, Mark, Cliff hadn’t been on TOTP since his last festive chart clogger. This made me cringe for the bit I listened to. It sounded like something I’d trodden in.
Sad to hear the news today of the death of Greek legend Vangelis at the age of 79. Will always remember his first and biggest hit Chariots Of Fire, which got to No.12 in 1981 with the famous video piece from the film, an that chilling synthesiser at the beginning of the track:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a-HfNE3EIo
Only recently on this forum, I mentioned him peaking at No. 61 in November 1992 with the Conquest Of Paradise theme tune in one of the biggest movies of the year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYeDsa4Tw0c
A sad loss to the world of popular music. RIP
Yes indeed....'Conquest of Paradise' was his masterpiece in my view. Also loved that 'Long March' from the 'China' album....haunting melody or what....RIP
DeleteI liked his work with Demi’s roussos as aphrodites child Check out the four horsemen on YouTube or it’s five o clock
DeleteThe Aphrodite's Child 666 concept album is a cult classic. His soundtrack for Blade Runner is one of the greatest of all time. I also liked Pulstar. RIP great man.
DeleteIt's TT with the old Bazza Manilow tune and a Robbie vocal too. Live vocals on the chorus a bit ropey. Robbie clearly comfortable with the lead role. Mum a huge Manilow fan so I knew this tune very well before this came out and it's a good one.
ReplyDeleteBack for Xmas it's Freddie. Clearly the record company cashing in. Not his finest tune.
It's another US boy band. What have they done to this song? No wonder this tanks over here. Can we have Boyz II Men back please.
Xmas cash in Number 2. WWF, sorry WWE. I hate wrestling. I hate this song. Next…
Tasmin has sent the satellite to sleep so we get a film tie in video for a very average Diana Ross tune. Not loving the show so far tonight.
The Tramps. From 1974. So KWS have ditched their nightclub singer already. Poor lad. Better than Undercover by a mile. Enjoyed that.
Breakers:
Gloria: Xmas Cash In 3
Lemonheads: Grunge cover versions now!
808 State/UB40: weird combination but it works.
Madonna: Mark likes it. So do I.
Cliff tops and tails 1992 and both tunes are crap.
Whitney ends the show again.
That was hard work tonight..is it Xmas yet?