Friday 23 September 2022

Paying the Price of Top of the Pops

 When you let me get you close to me, I can't wait another day for the 29th of July 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!


You sing again


29-7-93:   Presenter:  Tony Dortie

(29) D:REAM – Unforgiven
Getting tonight's show underway but the song got no higher.

(12) ROBIN S – Luv 4 Luv
In the studio and the song went up one more place.

(5) FREDDIE MERCURY – Living On My Own  (video)  (and charts)
On his way to number one.

(22) MANIC STREET PREACHERS – La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)
Performing in the studio but the song got no higher.

(13)CRAIG McLACHLAN & DEBBIE GIBSON – You’re The One That I Want  (via satellite)
Debbie's eighth and final top 40 hit and Craig's fourth and final top 40 hit was now at its peak.

(30) JULIET ROBERTS – Caught In The Middle  (video)   (Breakers)
Peaked at number 24.

(23) JANET JACKSON – If  (video)   (Breakers)
Peaked at number 14.

(21) BILLY JOEL – River Of Dreams  (video)   (Breakers)
Became his fifth and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 3.

(20) WHITNEY HOUSTON – Run To You  (video)   (Breakers)
Peaked at number 15.

(7) MADONNA – Rain  (video)   (Breakers)
Got no higher.

(10) DANNII MINOGUE – This Is It
A second time in the studio but the song was now at its peak.

(NEW) THE BEE GEES – Paying The Price Of Love
Performing their new release and it peaked at number 23.

(1) TAKE THAT – Pray
Back in the studio for their third of four weeks at number one.


5th of August is next.

15 comments:

  1. Jumping in first off topic, but did anyone catch 'Pick of the Pops' last Saturday? Gambo presented a show with a selection of memorable number one hits from the 70 years of Her Majesty's reign.

    Obviously very difficult to fit 70 years of number ones into a two hour show, so there's always going to be debate on what should or shouldn't have been chosen. I think the list was pretty good and I really enjoyed the show. Only one song that I thought should definitely have been included that wasn't. Otherwise I won't give away what was featured; it's on the Radio2 Pick of the Pops website to listen to if anyone is interested. No number ones from 1993 however, although one of the songs did feature but by another artist.

    A nice touch I thought.

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    1. I was listening to it with my Mum and Sister. I thought it was very moving. Obviously concentrating on the gentler end of the chart toppers but very enjoyable. The theme being No.1s from the Queen's reign then you realise that that reign encompassed the whole era of No.1s and it hit me what an extraordinary period her reign covered. Literally the modern pop era. I cried when I heard 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'.

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    2. Hope you are feeling better Mic, and glad you enjoyed this 'Pick of the Pops' show as much as I did. The bit that really got to me emotionally was the words Paul said right at the end before the last track kicked in...and when those famous piano notes started up.

      p.s. interestingly when you go to the website there is one track listed that wasn't actually played.

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    3. Thanks Sct. It's been a hard September that's for sure! Very glad to get home when I did and to have a first day listening to that Pick of the Pops. I've had a look and yes I've seen the extra song. Some great choices over the two hours. I won't give it away but like you the final song got me and that verse which couldn't have been more appropriate.

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  2. A stagnant Top 4 this week, with Chaka Demus & Pliers in the Top 4 for the fifth week running, and were to have a total of 10 weeks in the Top 10 over the summer of 1993 for this debut single Tease Me. You could say it was the summer hit of 1993.

    The only two performances of note were the Craig McLoughlin/Debbie Gibson rendition of the Grease classic, and also Danni Minogue doing This Is It for the second time in the TOTP studio, and this time much better, looking so slimmed down and that cute top was just fantastic for belly button time.

    The Take That No.1 single was my favourite of their entire singles catalogue, and although this was an average performance in the studio, the song still stands out as their best and most memorable I would say.

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  3. Hello everyone. I've been absent from here due to being layed up in hospital with a dislocated left foot and right shoulder and was too zonked out to catch up on the last couple of weeks. Home in time for the state funeral and am observing lots of clouds and now the last two Totps!

    Tony offers up a very Tony introduction into the latest attempt to get D Ream into the upper reaches of the charts. No chance with this. Prof. Brian Cox (I still have as much belief that's him as I do in the possible causes of the Big Bang) looked for a sec like he was trying to channel the Chippendales but, no, he was wearing something. Never thought much of this group.

    Tony intros Robin S with a comment about dance being perceived as faceless to some which is a bit like Kid Jensen commenting in 1980 that some find punk rather aggressive. Nice enough song. Brilliantly sung again. After his complimentary introduction (for goodness sake, can't you stand still for half a second?) Tony then seems to offer a sarcastic putdown of it. Hmmm.

    Charts and not a great song to accompany it. I've always thought there was a moving song within 'Living On My Own' but it's lost among the mass of horribly inappropriate squarks and yelps. I don't know. If Freddie sings like he couldn't give a monkeys about being alone then why should we? Obviously many people at the time didn't agree and he was still much in people's thoughts so it's heading for No 1.

    Link of the year into the Manic Street Preachers latest and it is a really great single although I wouldn't have allowed myself to like it at the time due to Nicky Wire's Michael Stipe comment some months before. Brilliant tune and guitar playing. Fantastic. This of course is known as the track that Richie actually plays guitar on though I've never known which part and his mining certainly doesn't give you any clues. Whatever. He looks fantastic here. What a pop star. Nicky looks remarkably normal in relation to how he normally looked at this time.

    Enjoyed the satellite clip. Like a special item from a '70s edition. Debbie not quite Olivia but not far off. What are the earliest music TV memories of others on here? The film clip of the John and Olivia version from summer '78 is my one.

    Breakers; Juliet Roberts; Nice to hear again.
    Janet Jackson; Hasn't bothered to change costume. Fair enough.
    Billy Joel; Never very keen on this. Sounds like an environment anthem composed in a boot camp. He could do so much better, especially 'Don't Ask Me Why'.
    Whitney Houston; Sorry Kevin, no No .1 for this video!
    Madonna; A real return to form with 'Rain'. I love this period of hers where she concentrates on beautiful songs.

    Dannii Minogue gets found out a little with the live vocal setup but she's lots of fun and it's a brilliant song. One day we'll get an edition without a cover.

    The Bee Gees are also in good spirits. Barry cheerfully waves at the camera at the start. Awww!
    His check sleeveless shirt would've looked fantastic on Daisy Duke in 1981 but not so much on a middle aged beardy bloke acting as warm up for the nation's chart topper. Still impressive vocals if he's doing it live and always good to see the trio together.

    Take That were never going to miss No.1 with this and there's copious amounts of new man waistcoats, bare chests and curtains to force home the message. Never understood the slow motion hand gestures. Is it boy band semaphore?


    RIP Your Majesty

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    1. Ouch! It won't be a speedy recovery from those injuries but get well soon, Mic.

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    2. Thanks Arthur. Yes it's going to take a while but I should be walking and not hopping in less than 4 weeks. Serves me right for walking home in the dark without a light. And while listening to The Band, 'Music From Big Pink' . Certainly had more than a 'Chest Fever' that morning!

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    3. Get well soon Mic. Sounds painful. Take care

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    4. Thanks Morgie, will hear lots of music and do lots of reading for the next 4 weeks.

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  4. Three songs at peak position this week outside the Top 40, with no TOTP for them this time round:

    No.41 Kim Appleby - Light Of The World
    Possibly singing about her late sister Mel who sadly died in 1990, leaving Kim to forge ahead with a solo career. Kim had already had her last Top 10 single in 1991, and this new one along with everything else she released between 1991-1994 for the rest of her singles career failed to make the Top 40.

    No.52 Inner Circle - Bad Boys
    I don't think this was a cover of the Top 5 Wham hit from 1983, but it was an eagerly awaited follow-up to Sweat (A-La-La-La Long), and disappointingly got no higher than No.52.

    No.72 Tears For Fears - Cold
    Follow-up to their recent Top 20 single Break It Down Again, and also from the new Elemental album, this new single disappointingly stalled at No.72, and there would be nothing from TFF in the charts for another two years until 1995 for a final hurrah.

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  5. Hats off for D:Ream’s opener? Not really, though Coxy’s enjoying himself again.

    Robin S sings it well but I agree with Tony, this was “Show Me Luv 4 Luv”.

    Awful crap from Mercury which, sadly, we’ll get again.

    From the non-mugshots, poor Jason Donovan missed out on the anchor spot in the top 40 to “Suntan” by Stan, a complete sub-Right Said Fred style turd. Its catalogue number was BUM 1 which says it all, really. Thankfully his only ever week in the 40.

    Peak of the week by a mile as the Manics, with a blonde James and bedressed Nicky, give it wellies for “Sadness Will Last” (thanks, Google Translate).

    The remake of “Grease” had a very funny Shane Richie? Sorry, does not compute. Debbie does a good ONJ impersonation, Craig just hams it up embarrassingly.

    Breakers: Decent / nice pelvis thrusts there / A bit of classic Joel / woah, that’s a revealing outfit, Whitney! / had this last week.

    Plenty of navel gazing by the sound of it. Dannii gives a better outing, but it’s still a duff cover.

    The Bee Gees paying the price of an average song. First wave to someone in the crowd since the lead singer of The Adventures gave one to his Bananarama member girlfriend.

    How to spot the leader of an ensemble: sleeveless shirt in a different colour, no waistcoat, makes their entrance down the middle from back of stage. Admittedly one of Take That’s better tunes.

    “One word – UB40”!?!?!? Dorky, that’s two letters and two numbers. Reminded me of the late, great darts commentator Sid Waddell – “There’s only one word for that – magic darts!”

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  6. Patrick has a Xylophone, Bryan has a keyboard and apparently D:REAM had a third hit. "Unforgiven" it might be but unforgotten it won't be. Sounded decent enough though.

    ROBIN S taking the Kym Sims route for her follow up single, same tune just different lyrics. I was singing "show me love" all the way to this one. A big star Tony? So big she was never heard from again...

    What a great tune and what a great remix. "Living On My Own" peak Freddie and amazing. I had completely forgotten this gets to Number One.

    A quick French lesson from PREDICATEURS DE RUE MANIAQUES– "Sadness Will Last" (crier jusqu'à un soupir) is one of their best tunes for me. They seem to have a bit of a makeover as well.

    Craig, Debbie and Shane with a toe-tapping version of "You’re The One That I Want" which I am sure brought the house down at the end of the Grease musical.

    Breakers:
    JULIET ROBERTS – Persistence pays off
    JANET JACKSON – Rhythm Nation knock-off
    BILLY JOEL – Pure class
    WHITNEY HOUSTON – Decent ballad
    MADONNA – In need of an Umbrella

    DANNII MINOGUE better second time around as it's quite a catchy number. Still don't know how this version of "This Is It" managed to go Top Ten though.

    The bell hasn't quite tolled for THE BEE GEES yet (they make it to 2001 I believe). I enjoyed "Paying The Price Of Love" even if Bazza did go a big too high and squeaky for me at the end.

    TT logo in full effect for another studio performance of their best tune.

    Is UB40 a word Laters???

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  7. Quite surprised they showed Craig Mc Lachlan.

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  8. Were the Manics miming? Still love this one regardless. As everyone's said, better showing from Dannii but she definitely made a good career choice going into reality TV judging, she's a real natural for that (I'm being genuine here not sarcastic) and never quite convinced as a pop star .

    Everything else is a bit ho hum.

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