I'm on my holidays at the moment so am posting the 8th of April 1993 prior to watching.
Beach boy
8-4-93: Presenter: Tony Dortie
(10) SUB SUB feat. MELANIE WILLIAMS – Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)
(5) SYBIL – When I’m Good And Ready (video) (and charts)
(9) JADE – Don’t Walk Away
(ALBUM TRACK) DAVID ESSEX – Here Comes The Night
(6) ROBIN S – Show Me Love
(24) DR. ALBAN – Sing Hallelujah (video) (Breakers)
(22) BARRY MANILOW – Copacabana (At The Copa) (Remix) (video) (Breakers)
(19) AEROSMITH – Living On The Edge (video) (Breakers)
(17) DURAN DURAN – Come Undone (video) (Breakers)
(23) THE BELOVED – You’ve Got Me Thinking
(NEW) NEW ORDER – Regret (via satellite)
(1) THE BLUEBELLS – Young At Heart (video)
15th of April is next.
Not down the pub on Friday night for a change so I thought I‘d get in early. The football season kicks off for me next Saturday, so I’ll be back to my usual tardy “do ‘em before bedtime on Sunday” routine. While hoping Angelo’s enjoying his hols, I thought I’d give the tracks’ peak positions for him while I’m here.
ReplyDeleteSub Sub featuring Melanie Williams (reached 3) - A re-run of club night from two shows back, but with the added bonus of a belter first up from the act who became Doves after their studio burnt down on the Williams twins’ birthday and they decided to change musical style. Melanie was on loan from a band called Temper Temper. Weird to see bassist Jimi beardless and whimsical. Dorky thinks this is 70s sounding – what a tosser.
Sybil (5, peak) - it’s her pound-busting video accompanying the non-mugshots this week.
Jade (reached 7) – another fine look, choreography on cue, great performance, slinky track. What’s not to like?
David Essex (not released as a single) – the fossil spits on Them’s classic. Horrendous. I think the album was either some greatest hits malarkey or an inspiration voided album of covers, the actual single being “Everlasting Love” / “Father And Son”. Not in a rush to hear how Essex scrambled those. His only other top 40 hit after this was a duet of “True Love Ways” with Catherine Zeta Jones the next year.
Robin S (6, peak) – three dancers with her this time. Made it big, then. Belt it, gal, and work that crowd.
Dr. Alban (reached 16) – terrible outfits, terrible track, lucky we got just a brief snippet.
Baz (22, peak) – much preferred the original version, which I’ve been known to do almost unintentionally in club singer style at karaoke. You’re not missing anything.
Aerosmith (19, peak) – living on the edge of a giant tree trunk by the look of it. Not a wow of a comeback single.
Duran Duran (reached 13) – this lot will be in the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, due to their being staged in Birmingham. Using the slowed down sort of Soul II Soul beat from two years back in this song. Really up with the trends, then. Who were the bigger sharks in that video?
The Beloved (23, peak) – yoga backdropped relaxing ambient ballad. Liked this, wish it had charted higher.
New Order (reached 4) - Barneywatch! My fave track of theirs and what a setting. Bizarre and brilliant the both. I was half hoping for one of those balls in the background to hit our singing hero. As you know, David Hasselhoff has been a major pop star in Germany, so he wasn’t completely out of place here.
The Bluebells (1, peak… yes, I know!) – we get the jaunty video this time, featuring Claire Grogan, Mollie “Missus Flash” Weir and Stratford Johns, the latter in a comic role completely alien to his previous telly career – how did they pull that off?
Just as well that Melanie Williams was on loan from another band, cos Sub Sub made no impression. Just love Melanie's white outfit and stilletoes with gorgeous figure to go with them. No idea what the song was all about!
DeleteI always thought David Essex was best on his regular slots on The Kenny Everett Video Show in 1978 to 1980 on Thames TV, but as far as 1993 goes, er no!
Mollie Weir; Also one of the faces of afternoon kids TV as McWitch from 'Rentaghost'. A weirdly circuitous link in this period of the show as well because according to Wikipedia, Scottish group The Vaselines did a song called 'Mollie's Lips' after watching her on 'Rentaghost' and this tune was covered by Nirvana.
DeleteA stagnant Top 4 this week with no move at the top.
ReplyDeleteJade - is Jade the one on the right of the three girls on stage, she with the finest tone, or are they all called Jade?
The Breakers - some comeback single to only have a Breakers slot when it was their first single in three-and-a-half years since 1989 according to Dortie, and pity the it dropped down the charts after this Breakers slot, so there was to be no full slot as a celebration of this Aerosmith's first appearance in the 90s.
Jade was made up of Joi Marshall, Angela Slates and Debra Mitchell. They started out as JAD until someone advised them to stick an 'E' on the end of name to make it sound catchier.
DeleteSome great singles on this edition and as good an opening three as any since the revamp started.
ReplyDeleteStarting the show with one of THE party tunes of the year from Sub Sub with sultry voiced Melanie Williams. Great single, fun and groovy with a little hint of naughtiness. I can never hear that quirky backing and not smile. Some delightfully ungroovy shuffling about from the fellas who became Doves after they lost all their equipment. A 2nd performance I still have on video courtesy of Totp2. What a good start!
Another favourite of the year with Sybil and 'When I'm Good and Ready', this time the video and it's a cheery, simple affair with girls artfully appearing and disappearing around a sofa in groovy attire. It's a perfect choice for the 1st part of the charts, and a really happy few minutes.
Song 3, favourite No.3! "Jade's in the house!!". Oh yes they are. Back in the studio decked out like a marquee for the valedictory ball and the girls are again in fine voice for this wonderful single. Been early '90s pop heaven up to now.
Gear change moment. So much so that it's a miracle the studio is still upright. David Essex, who I do like, covers Them's 'Here Comes The Night' which I worship and good lord that was awful! Sung occasionally off key which itself is a major disappointment and I have no words for the reggae section if that's what it was. Watchable for sheer out of placeness.
Robin S grabs the show and drags it back to 1993 and it's another storming performance of this dance classic. She performs in front of maybe the dullest set in the show's history (even ones during strikes had more thought put into them) but she sings so well it's not a problem.
Breakers again too short but always liked the Dr. Alban single. Very striking. You could easily imagine Boney M or even Earth, Wind and Fire singing that chorus in 1977 with it's oddly stern chanting. Duran Duran still doing their '90s update with style.
The Beloved in the studio with Jon siting down and surrounded by a lush string section and a pony tailed dude plucking classical guitar. Looks great but with his voice they did need a fine tune or a striking lyric and that didn't have either for me.
A very underwhelming 2nd half is saved by a classic satellite linkup. New Order with the famous one from the 'Baywatch' set. Well, some beach in California. Could've done without watching scenes of searing heat after this week but it's still a memorable few minutes. Found the brief moments with David Hasselhoff very funny but I have to confess that I also found Peter Hook's attempts to trip himself up with his bass in deep sand almost equally funny.
The Bluebells with the original video for 'Young At Heart' from 1984. Yes, very strange to see Stratford Johns hamming it up to the max. Was he trying to be the old guy from the restaurant in 'Happy Days'? He did bear a resemblance. A nice bit of the past to end an enjoyable edition.
You mean Big Al from Happy Days, who was Al Molinaro who died a few years ago at the age of 96. He played the 50-something lonely batchelor and restaurant owner on Happy Days who couldn't get a girlfriend, and I remember one episode where a divorcee around his age that he liked couldn't respond to his charm.
DeleteAl, of course! Loved that character.
DeleteFour songs at peak position outside the Top 40 this week from previous chart regulars who couldn't make it this time round:
ReplyDeleteNo.43 Peter Gabriel - Blood Of Eden
Good Lord, is this one for after the watershed? Follow up to his recent Top 10 hit and from the comeback album in 1993 and still making novel videos.
No.54 Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
Clearly trying to piggyback onto the recent revival of Temptation returning to the Top 10 in 1993, this move to try rereleasing the other early 80s hits, especially seeing what The Bluebells were able to achieve with this move, did not work this time round for Heaven 17.
No.60 Kid Creole & The Coconuts - I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby
Ditto for The Bluebells and Heaven 17, and recently Hot Chocolate - the early 80s rejuvenation seemed to the the fashion in 1993 with differing fortunes.
No.64 En Vogue - Love Don't Love You
Erm please explain, sounds too complicated a song title for this simple mind.
Good to see that the next two TOTP 1993 will be on at the earlier time of 7-8pm. Haven't seen this from BBC4 for quite a while, but very much welcomed, as it feels more like TOTP time than the 8-9pm slot that we had to endure for ages on BBC4.
ReplyDeleteA great TOTP this week, starting with a classic and ending with a forgotten about appearance of Clare Grogan. Clare is back this year with the first Altered Images album in 39 years including contributions from Bluebells founder Robert Hodgens.
ReplyDeleteSub Sub's best piece of work came a couple of years earlier, in my opinion. Space Face, a song I associate with a northern (in a field) rave sound along with Hardcore Uproar "High on Hope" and Together "Hardcore Uproar".
Sub Sub up blast open the show with my not quite favourite tune of 93 (Dina/Don't Be A Stranger gets that award).. Not just an amazing dance tune but a great vocal as well. Watched twice as this is so good. Love, love, love it!
ReplyDeleteWhat happend in the Grand National? I'll try to remember whilst watching Sybil and this tune is growing on me again. Damn PWL and their catchy tunes.
Jade back again and I do like this one. Hot tune, hot moves, hot weather. Such a great bass beat in this one you can't help but move. I think this would be a hit if it was released today.
And in one fell swoop all the kids turn off as a 70s fossil is dug up for the "exclusive" slot and a dodgy cover version. Never saw the appeal in Essex and couldn't name a decent tune he did.
Robin S back to show some more love to this rather fine dance tune. Great vocal again.
Breakers:
Dr Alban: Hallelujah
Barry Manilow: The thinking woman's Chippendale. i like that 🤣🤣🤣
Aerosmith: Is there a tune in there?
Duran Duran: Beautiful
The Beloved with a slow chilled out tune that I had completely forgotten about. Like everything they released as a single it's rather good.
New Order and Baywatch? Obviously had to be done didn't it? No, not at all. Summer 93 clearly on the way. Possibly New Orders best tune? Quite possibly IMO. Would not be surprised if this had been Electronic instead. Classy pop tune.
It's her from Rentaghost! Great video for this Bluebells tune. Scargill in the papers as well.
Morgie, the 1993 Grand National was declared void for the only time in its history, as a number of horses started before the official go-ahead was given. I remember the day as I'd driven with a mate to Trowbridge for a football match, I stopped off en route to place a bet on the race (the only gambling I do all year) and my mate jokingly said he should put a bet on the race being void. Imagine his face when we heard what had happened!
DeleteThanks Arthur. Was wondering if it was a false start or the IRA one. Thanks for clarifying
Delete