Sadly, this edition of Top of the Pops from the 11th of February 1993 will not be shown on BBC4 tonight, so a huge thanks goes to Anonymous for making it available here at We Transfer.
In a good way
11-2-93: Presenter: Tony Dortie
(12) SAINT ETIENNE – You’re In A Bad Way
(3) ANNIE LENNOX – Love Song For A Vampire (video) (and charts)
(5) EAST 17 – Deep
(18) THUNDER – A Better Man
(31) DEACON BLUE – Will We Be Lovers (video) (Breakers)
(25) POISON – Stand (video) (Breakers)
(23) JON SECADA – Angel (video) (Breakers)
(17) STING – If I Ever Lose My Faith In You (video) (Breakers)
(9) ROLF HARRIS – Stairway To Heaven
(NEW) CHARLES & EDDIE – N.Y.C.
(1) 2 UNLIMITED – No Limit
18th of February is next.
Did anyone notice that Tony Dortie mentioned Rolf Harris on several occasions on this show as 'coming up later' that it would have been impossible for BBC4 to edit it so many times, and was easier to just skip the show completely.
ReplyDeleteSaint Etienne - shame that their first ever performing appearance on TOTP had to be the episode that BBC4 skipped, but this new entry at No.12 was already their fifth single since 1991, with only a No.21 peak single in 1992 getting only a short Breakers clip, so this edition was the unveiling of the group to the wider public audience who most likely would never have seen them on TV before.
2-Unlimited - at last a new No.1 to replace Whitney, and I remember at the time really liking this 2-Unlimited tune, as I was only weeks away from my 25th birthday and (still?) in prime dancefloor action at the weekends. This TOTP studio performance on first week at No.1 still had the video playing on the small TV screens on the floor of the stage if anyone noticed, as a little taster for next week still at No.1 where only the video was shown!
Shame this was missed as it was a decent episode. Fabulous opening from Saint Etienne and my favourite song of theirs. Then one of Annie's most effective videos, which is spookier than the actual film it's promoting. A solid return, with better staging, for E17 before a slightly dull Thunder. Breakers a load of songs I barely remember but I quite like that in the breakers sometimes. Then Rolf with a terrible cover. Gah the 90s novelty song obsession. The Charles and Eddie follow up was such a bad choice after a cracking number one, but I got the album at the time and WILTY is so far above the reat of it, what a snoozefest. 2 Unlimited with a welcome change of pace at the top. I dressed up as Anita in that outfit for a fancy dress party around this time. We made it out of strips of card covered in tinfoil. I'm never letting anyone see the photo!
ReplyDeleteOh, go on!
DeleteA quick bit of research shows that all the first seven songs on the show and, of course, the number one moved no higher. Deacon Blue and Jon Secada got breakers slots here with non-movers. The only ‘uppers’ were Sting who got to 14, Rolf who moved two places higher, and Charles and Eddie’s non-classic which peaked at 33. Their two other UK chart entries peaked at 29 and 38.
ReplyDeleteThanks once again, Anonymous. Much obliged!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Dorky. If you hadn’t been such a tit and kept mentioning you know who, the powers that be might have just chopped his slot out and given us the rest of the show. What a prick.
Saint Etienne finally got on the show. Didn’t they do well? What a start. Gold lamé suits, “No future” and “Not 4 real” inked on the keyboardists’ hands (gentle swipes at The Pistols and the Manics there) and a fine track with lovely vocals from the lovely Sarah. Band named after a famous French football team who got relegated this season, resulting in fans rioting on the pitch.
All very earnest from Annie but nothing there for me to get my teeth into, Fangs anyway.
Chart rundown: Fantastic! Undercover have gone down this week. We won’t hear their crappy cover of a Gallagher and Lyle classic. Where’s Julie Joanne Bevan when you need her?
Nice segue from vampires to devils, but that East 17 song wasn’t hot stuff as far as I was concerned.
Thunder thinking they’re Extreme unplugged. No-hair drummer on guitar there. Nice symmetry with the left handed guitarist to our left.
NO, Dorky, Deacon Blue aren’t new in, they’re non-movers. You’ll catch a cold in that outfit, Lorraine! Trying a change of direction and failing by the sound of it.
Oh dear, gospel soft metal from Poison. Can we have Thunder back?
Jon Secada looking like Imagination’s Leeeeee John and sounding like uncharismatic Latin MOR.
Sting. Next.
After all the fanfare from Dorky, I much prefer Rolf’s version to the original which I can’t stand. Big-headed band T-shirts but he knew how to work a crowd. I Liked Miss Given. Nice backdrop. Shuddering to think of Rolf doing that public information film in a swimming pool full of kids, though.
Charles and Eddie nick that “Hey hey what’s that sound” riff and do absolutely nothing with it. NYC ZZZ.
Say yeah! Pinball rave and a welcome change at the top.
Never mind Valentine’s Day, I was 31 the next day - and yes, had I been born two days later that would have been my first name!!!
Valentine Nibble? It's been a while since I last had one of those. :-)
DeleteIn dorkys defence, I don’t suppose he knew that 20 odd years later Harris would be part of the yew tree mob.
DeleteTrue, but you rarely got an upcoming act mentioned so many times beforehand in the show as in this one.
DeleteHands up, my bad. Deacon Blue were indeed a new entry. They stuck at 31 the next week. Jon Secada was a non-mover here so I was right with that one at least.
ReplyDeleteThree songs at peak position this week outside the Top 40, with no TOTP for them on this occasion:
ReplyDeleteNo.48 Gloria Estefan - I See Your Smile
Umpteenth single from Estefan, and they are not getting into the Top 40 any more it seems.
No.56 John Waite - Missing You
Wasn't this already a bigger hit in the 80s for Waite? Sct353 where are you?
No.63 The Carpenters - Rainy Days & Mondays
What a classic from The Carpenters, but looking at the pop chart history, this one was never released in Britain in the 70s like all their other hits, so it was a first release now in 1993 for some unknown reason.
Quick bit of research to augment Dory's post...
DeleteGloria Estefan managed another 14 UK hits, only one of which missed the top 40 though a couple just scraped in.
John Waite had indeed gone UK top ten with "Missing You" back in 1984.
"Rainy Days And Mondays" had been released back in 1971 but missed what was then the top 50 by a handful of places - it was third in the 'breakers' list.
John Waite topped the US charts with 'Missing you' in September 1984. Reached No9 over here.
Delete'Rainy Days and Mondays' was released in the UK as a single in May 1971 but didn't trouble the scorers. This release was a 'Radio Remix' totally remixed and digitally mastered by Richard Carpenter and Roger Young...and damn fine it sounds too, and was included on the 'Interpretations' compilation. A more recent reworking saw it included on the 'Greatest Hits with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra' which Richard Carpenter oversaw.
A great opener from Saint Etienne. I wonder why it entered the chart so high on its first week. It came with a couple of great videos, maybe they were a factor, although where would they have been watched back in 93. According to band notes You’re in a Bad Way was originally only going to be a B-side to the preferred tune Everlasting, the latter only re-appearing nearly two decades later in the end.
ReplyDeleteAt the time I remember hearing and liking Annie Lennox’s tune Little Bird quite a lot. Didn’t realise that it was a double A-side with this Love Song for a Vampire. I think it was Todd Terry’s mix that got the airplay / club play. There was also a Utah Saints mix, them paying Annie back for the use of her voice on their debut What Can You Do For Me single?
Also worth noting that Radiohead, with Anyone can Play Guitar, debuted in the charts at 32 this week. We’ll have to wait until later in the year to see the band for the first time on TOTP with the re-release of Creep.
Great line-up, shame the BBC didn't show this episode and just edit out Rolf Harris.
ReplyDeleteSAINT ETIENNE always provide great music, I liked Sting in the 90's and If I Ever Lose My Faith In You was a fantastic song
Thank You Anonymous, for the upload, I know you don't do requests anymore, but was the Bill Grundy Show with the Sex Pistols (1/12/1976) ever in the archives, I'm not asking for any uploads just curious if it exists as there has never been a decent dvd release with the full interview, just versions on YouTube.
FG, I'm afraid the show's host kept mentioning Rolf in earlier links which would have been difficult to chop without the links making no sense, hence the show's removal from the schedules.
DeleteAs for the Grundy / Pistols incident (caused when Queen couldn't make it and their record label sent another act instead!), I missed this live by a matter of seconds. My then one-telly family were watching BBC1 and turned over in time for "Crossroads", and we saw Bill's link out of the show, just after the notorious chat!
Wasn't it a 19-year old Siouxie of Siouxsie & The Banshees in that Sex Pistols group being interviewed by a 53-year old Bill Grundy who seemed to make a pass at her during the interview? Good Lord!
DeleteJust looked on Wiki, and Grundy died a couple of days before this 1993 episode of TOTP on 9th Feb 1993, so quite a co-incidence to bring up his name on this particular show's blog with regard to a 1976 interview with the Sex Pistols.
DeleteCorrect, Dory. it was Bill's pass at Siouxsie which started the rumbustuous language from Steve Jones.
DeleteDanny Boyle's Pistol, based on Jones' memoir "Lonely Boy" was fantastic viewing, great insight into the Bill Grundy incident and other events of the Sex Pistols history.
ReplyDeleteI haven't got round to actually watching this episode of TOTP, just what i sort of remembered especially SAINT ETIENNE, who were at Glastonbury 2022, my favourite performances was Paul McCartney and Pet Shop Boys.
Grab your didgery-don't and head to the 60s with the gorgeous St Etienne. Their finest tune, so trippy and summery. Adore this. And Sarah looks amazing. I'm in a good way 😂
ReplyDeleteAnnie as well tonight. Seem to remember the film was really big at the time. A really kooky ballad that really fits with the video. Tres bien Annie!
East 17 have escaped the pool and made a deal with the devil for their rather naughty little tune. Watermelon sugar anyone?
Thunder need to hurry up and find that bass player so they can stop peddling this acoustic crap. Sleepy now. I'm confiscating that harmonica it sounds really depressed.
Breakers:
Deacon Blue: bit rocky for them but I like it
Poison: forgotten it already
Jon Secada: Follow up flop.
Sting: I'm stung
Interesting take on Led Zeppelin. I'm sure it's not the worst cover of one of their tunes. Audience wakes up part way through. I've tried playing a didgeridoo and it's bloody hard.
Charles and Eddie. Now what's that sample. That's gonna bug me. I really like this but I don't remember it at all. A pleasant surprise.
A new Number One. A pinball set. A fantastic tune. This is more like it. No no no no…
Laters…no way they'd have been able to edit around the prime suspect tonight.