He believes in beauty, he believes in the 9th of September 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!
It's oh so Bjork
9-9-93: Presenter: Tony Dortie
(24) MOBY – Move
Getting tonight's show underway and the song went up three more places.
(12) D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE – Boom! Shake The Room (video) (and charts)
On their way to number one.
(29) BJÖRK – Venus As A Boy
Performing live in the studio but the song got no higher.
(18) JAMES – Sometimes (via satellite)
Lots of guitars but the song got no higher.
(23) STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – Plush
Performing their only top 40 hit which was now at its peak,
(34) GURU feat. N’DEA DAVENPORT – Trust Me (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(30) TEXAS – So Called Friend (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(26) ZHANÉ – Hey Mr. D.J. (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(25) MOTÖRHEAD – Ace Of Spades (video) (Breakers)
This re-issue went up two more places.
(13) NEW ORDER – World (The Price Of Love)
In the studio tonight with the third single from their number one album Republic, but it got no higher.
(NEW) BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Love Scenes
Performing the title track from her top 4 album and it became her fourth and final top 40 hit when it peaked at number 34.
(1) CULTURE BEAT – Mr. Vain (video)
Third of four weeks at number one.
16th of September is next.
Moby - Moby's back, and with another one-word song title. First it was Go in 1991 when performed in the previous TOTP studio before the show's revamp in late 1991, and now a newer TOTP studio for Moby with Move. The lady singer performing with him looked really stiff doing her lines, but I was impressed when Moby went on to stand up on his keyboards towards the end of the song. Good Lord!
ReplyDeleteBeverley Craven - did like this performance and looking great in that evening dress. Cocktail anyone? First single for her in two years since new motherhood in 1992, and also had last performed in the old TOTP studios before the 1991 revamp.
Culture Beat - the video again ,and still reminding me of the Leila K video for Open Sesame.
One of several tracks Beverley played live before recording in the studio. Check out 'Hope' which was for my money the pick of those songs.
DeleteSct353
Two cracking episodes this week. I missed Nirvana who should have been on with the highest NE but I am guessing there wasn't a video for HSB?
ReplyDeleteMoby with one of his less remembered tracks but a great show opener.
At the time I was far too cool to appreciate Boom! Shake The Room but age has made me see that it's a proper pop classic.
Björk here absolutely a case of a star is born. Is she miming? Probably. Is she captivating to watch? Definitely.
I like James but this particular track is one of their least memorable singles. Still, even mediocre James is enjoyable.
Stone Temple Pilots - love this.
Breakers are all interesting and a nice variety. I don't remember this Texas track at all. And next year we'll be seeing a lot more N'Dea Davenport with the Brand New Heavies.
Not sure why we need an exclusive from, er, Beverley Craven but it's a nice track and much preferable to last week's Cilla exclusive (still not over it).
Love Culture Beat too, not a duff track in the whole episode, well done ver Pops!
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DeleteOff to agood start with…
ReplyDeleteMoby - don’t remember this one, but liked it. Sample from loleatta holloway?
…but not impressed with much else. On the other hand, wasn’t bored enough to FF
DJ JAZZY ok,
bjork ok but overstayed its welcome
James - ‘live’? Who was playing the drums then? Ok, but again didn’t go anywhere
Stone temple pilots - sounded like the beginning of Freebird. You guessed it.. ok and again overran
Beverley craven - sorry, breaks the run - dull. most exciting part of this was the dress
We start with an uber-energetic Moby, thrashing those leccy drums into submission and doing keyboard gymnastics even Jerry Lee Lewis didn’t attempt.
ReplyDeleteJeff and Prince didn’t shake me at all.
Peak of the week musically as Bjork blooms. The era when we thought her name rhymed with York. Suggestive lyrics, superb song. The album “Hit” is just as good. Oo, a drummer with vertical cymbals set up either side. Not seen that before on the show.
A novel approach for James with four guitarists and one lad miming strumming on a bass. Shame the song just meandered and went nowhere.
Stone Temple Pilots with the legend “Butt hole” placed on top of one of the drum skins. My views on their Extreme-like rock-lite entirely.
Breakers: didn’t hear enough of Guru after Dorky’s waffle to make an opinion / okayish from Texas / good groove from Zhane / Wahay! And Dorky namechecks the Golden Wonder advert link by mentioning Lemmy choking on his (pot) noodles at the rave mix.
Almost New Order by numbers but still good.
Peak of the week sartorially as Beverley Craven ditches her piano and gives us a dress and a half. Tough gig for that cameraman front of stage. Shame the song was an album track not strong enough to be a single.
Vanity at the top again.
Sorry. I meant to say Bjork's album "Debut" was just as good... though I also loved and bought "Hit" by The Sugarcubes.
DeleteLooking back I would say Debut was my favourite and most played album of 1993. Interesting that it was number one in the NME Album of the Year chart but didn’t even get a nomination for that year’s Mercury Prize (won by Suede). NMEs Track of the Year 1993 was the recently heard breaker, Cannonball by The Breeders btw.
DeleteAn enjoyable edition with some big hits, good lower charting entries and one moment defining performance. I still listen occasionally to my Now 26 album for a reason; late '93 was a flipping great time for the charts!
ReplyDeleteNot the most memorable of openings mind, but the Moby of 1993 can be relied upon to be an interesting watch. He devises whole new ways of playing dance instruments; alternately giving resuscitation to a keyboard then bashing the living crap out of his drum pads. Oh yes, then jumping on top of the keyboards. As you do. Song OK but 5 stars for the performance.
Charts to a single that I've tried to like but still find it as boorish and charmless as 'Summertime' is endearing. Lots of dull rap clichés to my ears though the chorus does boom as it should do with that title and I can see why it was so big. Seen the video many times and never previously noticed the Saturn 5 footage on the screen behind them.
So still annoying the previous one but at least it's a perfect contrast to the next performance. As Rad said, a real arrival for Bjork as a pop icon. 'Debut' will always be one of my two favourite albums of the year ('Together Alone' the other) and both among my favourite ever albums. She got more adventurous but I don't think Bjork ever bettered it and particularly 'Venus As a Boy'. Utterly sublime and does she get her message across. A true artist becoming a star in front of your eyes. She even seems to throw in a bit of the melody to the next album's 'Hyperballad' near the end. So full of music and ideas. This is the early '90s at their absolute best for me.
Hard to follow that but James by satellite do pretty well with the underplayed 'Sometimes'. Tim sways as the band form a line behind him, all strumming with straight ahead stares, very like Kate Bush when she did 'Running Up That Hill' on the show.
Stone Temple Pilots a band rather maligned as grunge also-rans I think, although I enjoyed that. All the close ups of Scott Weiland in his shades, like a less lovable Mott the Hopple performance.
Breakers as usual too quick to listen / watch closely. Always nice to hear N'Dea Davenport. Texas in their career prolonging phase before they went truly massive. A dance thing. Motorhead to return next week.
A good show when New Order are the old stagers. Love 'World', for me much better than 'Regret'.
New item and a welcome back to Beverley Craven with 'Love Scenes'.
Looking sultry and somewhat isolated on a stool amidst copious dry ice. Her legs were a nice distraction I must say. Not that the song was something I was looking to be distracted from. Not as tuneful as her other hits but for me it's a more intriguing single and she really delivers it to the audience who unusually seem to be clamouring to get closer to her. More commanding without the piano. Very impressive.
Top 10 ably delivered as usual by Tony. No video clip for 'Heart Shaped Box' though their certainly was one. A very glossy, arty one with it must be said some rather unsettling facial expressions from Kurt. Maybe it wasn't ready at the time.
Culture Beat still at No.1 with the still brilliant 'Mr. Vain' and their rather elitist looking house party.
Having seen a snippet of him presenting the show on YouTube last night, I actually think that Tony's delivery and demeanor rather resembles that of Ed Stewart, so it's fitting that he should end by wishing good luck to kids starting or going back to school. A nice gesture. The kind thought seems to throw him slightly as his goodbye trails off into a half embarrassed mutter.
In place of Pick Of The Pops this weekend is the Top 40 debut albums of all time introduced by Steve Wright, available on BBC Sounds for the foreseeable future for those who missed it on Radio 2 on 15th October. Unfortunately before I got to listen to the show, BBC News revealed that the No.1 in this Top 40 was the 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell.
DeleteIt’s just as well Moby didn’t make it to TOTP with his previous single that dented the top 40 in July with double A-side I Feel It / Thousand. The song Thousand gets up to a Guinness World Record Breaking 1000 beats per minute, which Moby would no doubt have tried to keep a pace with bouncing on his synths.
Delete
ReplyDeleteFour songs further down the chart at peak position this week, and missing out on a TOTP feature:
No.35 Duran Duran - Too Much Information
Third and final single off the 1993 Wedding album, and last we will hear from Duran Duran until they return in 1995 with the Thank You album.
No.47 Kriss Kross - Alright
Last ever single from Kriss Kross in a fairly short career since their first single Jump got to No.2 in 1992.
No.57 Bryan Ferry - Girl Of My Best Friend
With Ferry's last Top 40 single already behind him, there would be one more album release in 1994 called Mamouna with two singles released off it that both failed to make Top 40, so we had already seen the last of Ferry on TOTP at his last single before this one.
No.72 Michael Ball - Sunset Boulevard
Check out this GMTV feature on this new single with Ball joined by Meat Loaf on the sofa discussing his new album Bat Out Of Hell II also out at the same time as Ball's new soundtrack for the Sunset Boulevard musical:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvDP1ddUz3s&t=161s
Mad MOBY is on the "Move" with a bonkers opening number that I do not remember at all. Thought it was quite good actually, decent club tune.
ReplyDeleteD.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE – Boom! Shake The Room
Future Number One and a party favourite. Think I actually knew all the words to this.
BJÖRK – Venus As A Boy
I'll be honest, I have no idea what she's on about or what's going on here. Her voice and performance however are captivating as always. Pure madness.
JAMES – Sometimes
Interesting staging for this satellite performance. Think there might be a guitar on this tune somewhere. Really distinctive voice on the lead singer and I really liked James even if this is one of their least memorable numbers.
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – Plush
Didn't think much of this in the breakers last week, my opinion hasn't changed this week. Something of nothing.
Breakers:
GURU feat. N’DEA DAVENPORT – Trust Me I won't be digging this one out.
TEXAS – Nice but not a patch on the "pop years" to follow
ZHANÉ – Sounded interesting, worth a full spin.
MOTÖRHEAD – Classic rock
NEW ORDER – World (The Price Of Love)
How much of this was live? Either I've completely forgotten what the record sounds like or they've rerecorded this for the studio? Either way I really liked it, better than I'd remembered.
BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Love Scenes
Here's one I filmed earlier. Really liked this one as well and I wasn't expecting to. Big success is unfortunately behind her though.
What happened to Nirvana? I assume no video for this one then?