Let's come together, right now, oh yeah, in the 21st of January 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!
Lovely nails
21-1-93: Presenter: Mark Franklin
(7) SISTER SLEDGE – We Are Family (Remix)
Getting the show underway with this disco classic which had originally peaked at number 8 in 1979, and this time around it made it to number 5.
(3) FAITH NO MORE – I’m Easy (video) (and charts)
Their second and fianl top ten hit, but it got no higher.
(15) GO WEST – What You Won’t Do For Love
Performing in the studio but the song got no higher.
(2) SNAP feat. NIKI HARIS – Exterminate
Live in the studio tonight but the song was at its peak.
(25) THE THE – Dogs Of Lust (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(20) DEL AMITRI – When You Were Young (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(19) ALICE IN CHAINS – Would (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(8) USURA – Open Your Mind (video) (Breakers)
Went up one more place.
(9) THE BELOVED – Sweet Harmony
Performing their only top ten hit and it peaked at number 8.
(17) S.O.U.L.S.Y.S.T.E.M – It’s Gonna Be A Lovely Day
Michelle Visage is live in the studio but this Bill Withers cover got no higher.
(NEW) DEF LEPPARD – Heaven Is
Performing their new release and it would go on to peak at number 13.
(1) WHITNEY HOUSTON – I Will Always Love You (video)
Eighth of ten weeks at number one.
28th of January is next.
Sister Sledge - interesting how Mark Franklin describes it as a possible future No.1 just cos it went straight in at No.7 and also that anything was worthy of No.1 to get Whitney out of there. In any case, since when had sister sledge any No.1 potential since they came on to the scene in 1979?
ReplyDeleteFaith No More - the video had mainly transgender characters if anyone noticed, and interesting to see on the chart rundown over this video that Leila K was a new entry at No.31. More on that on the next show when she reaches peak position at No.23 and not even a breakers slot to see her new video!
Snap - first appearance in the TOTP studio since 1990, and no longer with Turbo B since Rhythm Is A Dancer in 1992 which we only got on video. Last time they were in the TOTP studio was for Mary Had A Little Boy in 1990, cos in 1991 there was only a Megamix video, and 1992 the only single was Rhythm Is A Dancer. Remains to be seen if Turbo B will be back with Snap, or has gone for good at this point.
Def Leppard - Good Lord, first of three weeks in a row for this single on TOTP, when the show could have at least given Leila K an invite, or a showing of the Peter Gabriel video at peak this week at No.10 who was more worthy of the Def Leppard slot, cos we only got a snippet of the Gabriel video last week as a new entry on The Breakers!
Another Stop of the Pops as all the chart acts managed to move up a whole four places between them. The only real winners were 'exclusive' whores Def leppard.
ReplyDeleteAnother dreary edition with one absolute gem. They haven't really bothered with the set either, the first number having giant post it notes stuck randomly on the wall. Could you scrawl this message on one of them please; Stop all the covers and reissues!!
ReplyDeleteNo we won't. Sister Sledge return to the studio to get a slice of the dance makeover pie. They look great and are in fine voice (though I initially thought they were miming) but a disco song removed of any trace of disco is, well, literally soul destroying.
Reissue followed by a cover (grits teeth) but at least this is by a group at the height of their popularity and everyone I knew at college would've sung / howled along to this. Another good change; the video playing on past the chart rundown to include Ugly Stick's humourous grungy take on the original's guitar solo.
Go West return as well. Not so welcome but at least it's new. Doesn't mean it's worth watching.
Snap with an OK tune but no idea how that made it to No 2. It must've been entirely due to the success of the previous one.
Some interesting breakers flash before our eyes. Always good to hear The The and Alice In Chains keeping the grunge flag flying on this most grunge resistant of pop shows. Usura beaming out to space. Justin Currie's sideboards visible from space.
Aaah now. The Beloved return with one of the songs of the year. This was and always will be the lead single on my inner soundtrack for early 1993. Beautiful sounds, melody and words which we bought but didn't really learn from. I was in an environment of group at college at the time and none of us would've needed to declare this as our anthem. Our big project; putting balloons on a bath and pulling a girl around St. Alban's town centre. Sorry to any motorists we pissed off in the process. Jon Marsh doesn't sing it especially forcefully or for that matter especially well but he doesn't need to. Even the sax solo sounds fantastic on this.
More dance with barest hint of soul with a pretentiously named act. You'd have heard this on the Bodyguard Mark tells us. Thanks for that. Will watch it so I can hear the song again. Only thing of note in this performance is that the lovely looking singer / dancer on the right appears to be wearing flared tights.
Can't the rest of the Totp production team take their Def Leppard fanatic to a rave?
Whhhiiiiiit. Neeeeeeeyy. Heeeewwww. Ston up at the top again. The theatre she's sitting in really should've got it's heater sorted out by now.
Oops on as Anonymous again!
DeleteI referred to Faith No More's Jim Martin as 'Ugly Stick'. No that wasn't his nickname it would seem. I saw a feature on him that referred to him as 'Big Sick Ugly' which I'd half remembered. There actually was a San Francisco area punk band from the early '80s called Ugly Stick who were contemporaries of an early incarnation of personal favourites American Music Club.
DeleteThe breakers were decent (and so many high ones that we missed Leila K and Belly with great tracks charting in the 30s).
ReplyDeleteSister Sledge with a reasonable (if slight in its difference) remix of We Are Family. I remember seeing them at Tramlines a few years ago and they went down a storm among a more indie/rock crowd.
FNM - an OK cover, far from their best but it got them some more attention.
Snap! - decent track but I've never seen this Billie Holiday film they keep banging on about and I don't recall Nikki Harris taking off.
The Beloved - cheesy but memorable.
Everything else - zzzz
I swear, if it's not mediocre covers it's mediocre remixes, and here's a case in point with Sister Sledge. "How do we make this better?" "Why, take Nile and Bernard off it, of course!" WRONG!
ReplyDeleteFaith No More, apparently this was a pisstake that unexpectedly took off. It's a very faithful version, I'll give it that.
Go West, another mediocre cover we didn't need.
Nikki never did play Billie Holiday against Bruce Willis (!) and it took 30 years for another Billie movie to be made after Diana Ross had had a shot at it in the 70s. I preferred Mahogany.
Breakers for about 30 seconds all in, then The Beloved with a bit of classy pop that is just on the boring side, alas. One for the wine bars.
Yeah, I'm not adding all those full stops. Dreadful rapping cover, terrible fashion sense, The Bodyguard has much to be ashamed of.
Def Leppard the new Showaddywaddy, always available whether we want them or not. They were really running on fumes creatively by this point.
Still not interested, Whitney.
So we’re back in 1993, at the time this was my Annus Horribilis, although largely this was down to my failing to realise I needed to grow up! Personal highlights included being mugged at knife point, being nearly killed when knocked off my bike, being beaten up needing hospital treatment - twice, having my uni research project cancelled, splitting up with my long term partner and having a work visa rescinded, temporarily.
ReplyDeletePositive highlights of the year included seeing Sister Sledge do a Live PA in Stoke club Golden later in the year, including a rendition of We Are Family.
Not much else to say about this show, I like Snap and good to see The The. Going through my vinyl I was playing my copy of USURA “Open Your Mind”. My copy is incredibly warped, only just playable, down to another 1993 event when the boiler leaked hot water all over my record collection (and flat). Good to see another use of a Simple Minds tune, although I wonder if USURA were sampling the Utah Saints cover of New Gold Dream rather than the original.
Great tune from the Beloved. I hadn’t realised it was such a gap of four years between the Balearic classic Sun Rising and this one.
How come Def Leppard keep coming back, this time at the expense of Belly who therefore never made it to TOTP stats. As for Whitney, I will always.. just remember her for when she "joined" the JAMMs.
After a year like that, Sidders, I'm both glad and astonished you're still with us!
DeleteFor the uninitiated, Belly's classic "Feed The Tree" has a chorus about burying the song's narrator near a tree so it feeds off the rotting corpse. Mmm.
DeleteCheers Arthur, things picked up in 1994, although 1993 was still a great year. I remember thinking bad things come in threes, which they did, just in threes times two :-) Sidders
DeleteWelcome back to the Covers and Reissues Social Club! ‘Not Dortie’ presenting this time.
ReplyDeleteSister Sledge give us rehashed sludge. “I’ve got all my sisters with me”? Where’s the fourth one gone, then?
A reworked title for a faithful cover by Faith No More. Check the guitarist with fag in mouth for his solo and subliminal advertising for Dairy Box.
Another cover, this time Go West do a perfunctory version of Bobby Caldwell’s sublime self-penned US top ten hit from 1978, to which I nudge you to give a listen.
No crackle or pop from Snap. Where are the Daleks I expected?
Breakers in turn: sweaty (urgh) and feisty, upbeat for a change, look at that guitarist’s chinny beard, zzzzz.
The Beloved’s huge hits alluded to by Not Dortie reached 19, 26 and 39. Really huge, then. Love this, though. Wise words wisely sung, deeply vocalised mellow David Attenborough type groove. Love the singer’s shirt.
Great. A PM Dawn rip-off version of a Bill Withers track. Not lovely at all. I agree with Mic about those weird tights with bellbottom frills.
Heaven is definitely not this Def Leppard by numbers track.
As stated before, I will always FF this number one.
Sister Sledge back and remixed for the 1990s. Great tune and a great start to the show. Remember buying these remixes at the time. Just let me staple the vicar…Fabulous stuff.
ReplyDeleteFaith No More next and i find this quite a dull lifeless version of I'm Easy. Odd video as well. 2 old songs to start the show this week. Come on 1993, wakey wakey.
Go West..yes everyone it really is 1985. Decent album track no more but still pleasant. Is he miming? I'm actually quite enjoying this tune as it goes on..
Exterminate! It's Niki Harris without any sign of SNAP! I'm not really a fan of this one and the hook/chorus is quite weak. Bit of a let down after Rhythm….
Breakers:
The The: Never got into them.
Del Amitri: More of the same
Alice In Chains: I wouldn't!
Usura: Great club tune. Like. Shit video
I really like The Beloved and this is a gorgeous tune. Highlight of the show tonight. Is he pointing his finger to remind himself to go up a note or two?
Another wondering tune from the Bodyguard soundtrack. Strictly beckons for Michelle. I like what they've done with this version.
Def Leppard with more of the same. Big set for them as well. Big hair and big tune also. Like.
Whitney still there!
Sister Sledge - I NOT got all my sisters with me. Pointless remix
ReplyDeleteFaith No More - pointless cover
Go West - very annoying ‘crack’ drum beat. Didnt realise it was a cover - wonder why they bothered.
Snap - as monotonous as a Dalek’s voice…
Beloved - forgettable
Soul system - ooh a cover version - not pointless, dreadful!
Def leppard - not a cover, but sounds like it is (bryan adams the only good thing…)
Dull - Now you know why I haven’t been commenting recently…