I will always be hoping, hoping for the 7th of January 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!
Poppy New Year!
7-1-93: Presenter: Tony Dortie
(19) JESUS JONES – The Devil You Know
Getting 1993 underway with what became their second and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 10.
(7) SNAP feat. NIKI HARIS – Exterminate (video) (and charts)
Peaked at number 2.
(14) THE FRANK & WALTERS – After All
In the studio with their only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 11.
(18) SLIPSTREEM – We Are Raving – The Anthem
Performing their only hit but number 18 was as high as it got.
(29) LITTLE ANGELS – Womankind
Here tonight and the song peaked at number 12.
(38) PREFAB SPROUT – Life Of Surprises (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 24.
(35) THE FARM – Love See No Colour (video) (Breakers)
Their seventh and final top 40 hit and it got no higher.
(32) SULTANS OF PING FC – You Talk Too Much (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 26.
(25) SUNSCREEM – Broken English (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 13.
(8) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT – Revolution (video) (Breakers)
Went up four more places.
(27) APACHÉ INDIAN – Arranged Marriage
Making his studio debut with his second of seven top 40 hits and it peaked at number 16.
(30) PAUL McCARTNEY – Hope Of Deliverance
Live in the studio and the song peaked at number 18.
(1) WHITNEY HOUSTON – I Will Always Love You (video)
Sixth of ten weeks at number one.
14th of January is next.
Snap - it seems that Snap were no longer available for the TOTP studio ever since their first album when they were regulars there with four singles in 1990. In 1991 and 1992 we only got Snap videos on the show, and now this first one in 1993 continued the TOTP studio no-show for whatever reason. Still, I did like the video and its play in full this week as a new entry at No.7.
ReplyDeleteThe Frank & Walters - Good Lord, the two band members on stage were like Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees in hair and costume, and it took me back to watching The Monkees on TV in the 70s with their TV series. Was this performance a tribute to the Monkees?
The Breakers - The Farm with their last ever single, despite being a remix of the original released in 1991 getting only to No.58, this remix doing slightly better, but no more than a Breakers slot, and sounding a lot like their biggest hit All Together Now in 1990.
Two distinct eras on the same show as Apache Indian's Arranged Marriage moves across to the opposite stage for Paul & Linda McCartney for their new single. McCartney, now 50 years old on this new studio performance, who was too big for TOTP in the 70s and 80s, was now doing the TOTP studio at every opportunity to try to appeal to the next generation of record buyers more than half his age who were more interested in Apache Indian's sound than star of the 60s, 70s & 80s, and McCartney did well to peak at No.18.
Top Ten rundown - Dortie mentioning that Take That at No.3 in this week's chart, were now already worth 25 million pounds in 1993, after only about a year of chart success, which would be worth around 100 million pounds in today's money. Astonishing, after only a year of Top 40 singles.
Oh hello 1993! Kind of sad we're no longer in 30 years ago territory though, it was nice having much of 91 and 92 coming in 21 and 22.
ReplyDeleteJesus Jones - don't remember this one at all.
Snap! - I like this one though it's not as punchy as The Power or Rhythm is a Dancer.
The Frank & Walters - I love this about TOTP repeats, when an act or song you haven't heard since the original broadcast comes on and you're like 'oh yeah, I'd forgotten all about this'. Pleasant if not world changing.
Slipstreem - just too naff for me.
Little Angels - forgettable
Breakers - apart from Mr Wendall (decent tune, terrible lyrics/sentiment), an interesting selection of lesser known singles from bands I generally don't mind. Wouldn't have minded hearing more of these as none of them I remember too well.
Apache Indian - 1993 is going to be bringing us plenty in this vein. This one is not one of the most memorable (theme of the episode).
Ugh Paul McCartney solo singles.
We're now at the post Bryan Adams stage of resigning ourselves to 'Whitney will always be number one'
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ReplyDeleteHappy New Year... er, Jubilee... er, whatever.
ReplyDeleteI never ‘got’ Jesus Jones and this sitar-tinged effort was no different.
Snap goes Enigma panpipe disco. With a song title like that I half expected some Daleks in the video.
Ah. Now. The Frank & Walters. I got roped in to see them half a dozen years ago at the sadly lost Borderline venue in London by my Irish brother-in-law. They were dressed in orange shirts with black ties and black trousers and looked like a Celtic Kraftwerk. Sure enough, mid-set they covered “The Model” with disco-sounding verses and rockabilly-style choruses. Very good live.
THE anthem from Slipstreem? I’d hoped this would have sunk without trace instead of sailing.
Not Little Angels again! Another effort in the 20’s, this one filed under Extreme-type aluminium ballad.
Prefab Sprout. Brilliant. Sadly, leader Paddy McAloon’s not well these days.
The Farm give us the “Ticket To Ride” drum riff and something less than an unholy row.
Sultans of Ping FC, the Second band from Cork on the show, with something not as good as key track “Where’s Me Jumper?”
Sunscreem with acceptable mid-tempo rave.
Arrested Development with punk rap judging by its speed.
Does the next song curry favour here? A cross between “Poppadom Preach” and “Sit(ar) Down”.
Oo, a Beatle turns up with a song that washes over you and then the tide goes back out.
I will always FF that number one.
My, it's quiet. Either a problem with the comments or the commenters have been deserting us. My excuse for lateness is I've been ill (feels sorry for self).
ReplyDeleteNot sure how this Jesus Jones single made the Top 10 (other than sales being pitifully low) because it has no tune I can discern. Maybe it sounded better on the record?
Snap courting Doctor Who archenemy comparisons (they must have known), but this is bog standard stuff.
Singing Corner next, oops, my mistake, it's The Frank and Walters with the theme tune to Danny Baker's Saturday Night chat show. Nice enough, with a singalong ba-ba bit, but twee and Indian Ocean was their finest three minutes.
Slipstreem - is their Rod clone covered in cobwebs? He needs a bigger nose. Bloody awful bandwagon jumping whichever way you slice it.
Little Angels try to get in touch with the essence of femininity and miss by miles. Audience seems bemused.
Breakers, would have liked to hear more of Prefab Sprout and The Farm, but no dice. Happy not to hear from the Sultans, terrible student union botherers, and Sunscreem and AD are on next time.
Apache Indian, can't doubt his sincerity but it's a bit monotonous. Interesting hairline arrangement.
Paul McCartney, almost a parody of his little ol' humble songwriter me output, it's OK I guess.
Someone's at No 1 again.
Good Lord, how this blog is fizzling out as 1993 begins. Where is everyone? Doesn't help when changing a winning format to a new platform for leaving comments that allows no replies but only new comments, defeating the whole object of integrating with others on the blog by taking interest in other people's comments. Can we get real and return it to is 1979-1992 format please?
ReplyDeleteTesting
ReplyDeleteOne two one two! it works! Thumbs up.
DeleteWhat a relief!
DeleteIt's 1993 and better the devil you know to kick us off with the second coming of Jesus Jones. Not as catchy as their previous efforts and with some Indian twinkly vibes. I enjoyed this one but I'd forgotten all about it, which is probably why there wasn't much more from them.
ReplyDeleteExterminate! And not a Dalek in sight. It's a more chilled out number and probably now the come down tune at Doctor Who conventions. Not a bad tune but nothing special. Has she exterminated Turbo B?
Now here's a forgotten blast from the past. The Frank and Walters. Whatever happened to them after this piece of hippy indie pop? Jumpers 2 for £10 at BHS. Foot tapping tune. Nice tune. Miming?
Slipstream raving all the way to obscurity. Nice nod to Rod Stewart and Captain Birdseye in the staging. Tune is absolute shite of course. Better best forgotten.
Always good to see the Little Angels, much underrated in my opinion. This time they've gone for a rock ballad which is pleasant if not remarkable. A decent album track and a good vocal performance.
Breakers:
Prefab Sprout: Like this one. Great band.
The Farn: Preaching with drums.
Sultans of Ping FC: Rubbish
Sunscreem: Not as good as their last tunes.
Arrested Development: Can we have the flip side?
Some proper Indian vibes from Apache Indian next. Always nice to have something new in the charts but Boom-Shack-A-Lack is the better tune. You have to really like this kind of music to like this one I think. I'll pass thanks. Foot is tapping though.
80 this weekend it's Macca back in his youthful 50s. He writes some great pop songs but then he turns out bland hits like this. Nice to see Linda, weird to think she only has 5 years left at this point.
I will always quite like this edition of TOTP.