Feels so, so good to me, take me away to the 13th of January 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Finally in the studio
13-1-94: Presenter: Mark Franklin
(5) CULTURE BEAT – Anything
Getting the show underway with their third and final top ten hit but it got no higher.
(7) BRYAN ADAMS, ROD STEWART & STING – All For Love (video) (and charts)
Peaked at number 2.
(4) K7 – Come Baby Come
In the studio and going up one more place.
(16) CE CE PENISTON – I’m In The Mood
Here tonight but the song got no higher.
(17) THE THE – That Was The Day
Also here and also got no higher.
Peaked at number 15.
(26) TONI BRAXTON – Breathe Again (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 2.
(22) DEF LEPPARD – Action (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 14.
(12) ETERNAL – Save Our Love
In the studio and the song went up to number 8.
(21) BITTY McLEAN – Here I Stand
Performing what became his second of three top ten hits when it peaked at number 10.
(1) CHAKA DEMUS & PLIERS – Twist And Shout (video)
Second and final week at number one.
20th of January is next.
13-1-77: Presenter: David Hamilton
ReplyDelete(NEW) GALLAGHER & LYLE – Every Little Teardrop
(5) BARRY BIGGS – Sideshow
(21) ROSE ROYCE – Car Wash (danced to by Legs & Co)
(35) DAVID PARTON – Isn’t She Lovely
(7) JULIE COVINGTON – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (video)
(11) STATUS QUO – Wild Side Of Life (video)
(25) LIVERPOOL EXPRESS – Every Man Must Have A Dream
(32) PUSSYCAT – Smile
(1) DAVID SOUL – Don’t Give Up On Us (video)
(14) STEVIE WONDER – I Wish (and credits)
Thanks for out this up for comment Angelo. I'm glad that they're continuing with this. I'm hoping for some very old repeats. I guess we'll know very shortly. David Hamilton joins us and being a DH edition it's terribly civilised, like a comfortable cheese and wine evening. I can only praise him though. He's the only TOTP presenter I've been in a room with having attended a 'Music Believed Wiped' event at the BFI in 2019. DH hosts them and a brilliant job he did.
DeleteThis edition went at about 4 mph but still enjoyable.
Gallagher & Lyle; Don't know this one but it was a pleasant tune. Graham Lyle looks remarkably like Edwyn Collins and aside from the modest flaring of the jeans looks like he's come from around 8 years into the future. If he was a '321' contestant. Always liked their voices and style. Oh there was an audience.
Barry Biggs; A favourite from this phase of the repeats, a beautiful cover of the Blue Magic number. This live vocal is heavy on the reverb (I think someone in the control room must've turned it down after the first line) and Barry soberly dressed in green and black doing his toddling to the front of the stage and back again dance. Lovely tune this one and credit to the Totp orchestra who get the sweeping strings sound just right.
Rose Royce; All very nice so far but the show needs a bit of a kick and whooah!!! it's Legs & Co (the Co being thighs almost!) with a car washing routine to... that's right. The implication here is that the ladies are actually dancing INSIDE the car wash itself which gives the scenario a whole other, um...spin. Patti, my favourite, gets a prime role in this being mainly front and occasionally solo and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed that.
David Parton; A big voiced cover of 'Isn't She Lovely' under union jack lights isn't a big pull for me. The most exciting thing about that was when the camera panned back to a dangly wire.
No Julie Covington. Boo.
Status Quo; A no nonsense stage video for a song who's melody goes back to the '20s apparently and it's hard to do a bad version of this. One of their better singles.
Liverpool Express; This single is more Liverpool trundly interminable freight one that means your already
delayed train is going to be at least another 5 minutes. This lot in an earlier guise recorded 'Sorrow'. He has got a pleasant voice and it has a certain ponderous charm but nowhere near the quality of 'You Are My Love'.
Pussycat; Adopting the same musical ingredients as 'Mississippi' with the tempo and country twang moments but without any of the same appeal. Largely because this one doesn't have a chorus that sounds like being strapped to the underside of a DC10. Nice enough and the lead singer does have a fabulous voice.
I know The Pistols had only landed in the tabloids about 6 weeks earlier but it it's genuinely weird to see the women in full Woodstock threads at the start of 1977.
No.1 with David Soul moodily lit with Tony Grieg hair, carousing to the viewer or the woman on the horse. Good song.
David bids his very own farewell with an oh so polite jostle with an audience member who takes a fancy to his trousers. I Wish they wouldn't cut the credits so quickly.
Quo drummer John Coughlan currently has a band that plays blues and, yes, jazz versions of Quo hits!
DeleteMic, have you commented on the 1983 show shown on the same night? It's on the 2017 thread.
DeleteThanks Dory, yes I'll add something on that show. These posts really do open the box of memories!
DeleteWould like to hear John Coughlan's band. Jazz versions of Quo sounds good fun!
DeleteOh here's a quiz question which I figured out from Peter Checksfield's Totp book;
DeleteThree presenters of Totp (one or more show, co presenting or solo) were also Thames Television continuity announcers. David Hamilton and Richard Skinner were two. Can you name the third?
was unfortunate enough to catch this as it went out. Oh my word, one dire song after another. I know I'm and 80s/90s kids so missed the seventies but this was hard work.
DeleteI think I will avoid any more 70s shows before 79.
Mic, if you're in the London area, "John Coughlan's Quo Re-Imagined" are playing the legendary Bull's Head, a Young's pub with an iconic courtyard jazz venue two minutes from Barnes Bridge train station, on Saturday 25th March. Online tickets £20 a pop.
DeleteCheers Arthur! That sounds rather good. I'll see what I'm doing around that time. Is that the pub with the beautiful view over the river? He is a great drummer and that would be a good gig.
DeleteThe pub is right across the road from the Thames and has a pavement-length wall to prevent flooding. Decent views across, though, yes. Barnes Bridge railway bridge is itself a Grade II listed building.
DeletePart One
DeleteWe’re so lucky to be treated to repeats of these 70s shows. I love ‘em. Maybe they’ll show one not included as part of the original series of repeats.
Here’s my thoughts.
Chart rundown – spotted Chris Hill whose ‘Renta Santa’ is one of those Christmas hits you never hear these days nor see on compilations.
(NEW) GALLAGHER & LYLE – Every Little Teardrop – I mistakenly thought Gallagher was Rory Gallagher in those pre-internet days where you couldn’t just look these things up and nobody had heard of Noel and Liam. Nice tune and live performance from the duo who notched up a few notable numbers. Kenny Everett did a good mini sketch on ‘Heart on my Sleeve’ I recall.
(5) BARRY BIGGS – Sideshow – Absolutely loved this. Barry does a good live performance (maybe dancing wasn’t his forte – it isn’t mine) with a backing track bearing some resemblance to the original; the instrumental break is quite different. I love the way the camera pans back at the end so you get to see the ToTP musicians – nice harmony backing vocals too. Some singles featured a timing for the intro on the label – this was one of them (11 secs). ‘Something better change’ by the Stranglers was another (14 secs). Can’t recall any others off the top of my head.
(21) ROSE ROYCE – Car Wash (danced to by Legs & Co) – Initially I thought this was ‘Rolls Royce’ and then I got the pun! Ideal one for the girls to present one of their routines amongst some leftover spinning Christmas trees.
(35) DAVID PARTON – Isn’t She Lovely – I am in the minority in that I prefer this to the original which went on and on and on…a bit like ‘Sir Duke’ which everyone raved about later in 1977. Nice live version from David here. I personally never understood why Stevie Wonder never wanted to release his version as a single. A bit like the Beatles not releasing ‘Michelle’ and letting the Overlanders get a No1 hit with it.
(7) JULIE COVINGTON – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (video) – Timeless. I actually found the music, words and photo montage profoundly moving and still do. Covington famously refused to perform it on ToTP and was interviewed when the song reached No1 but sadly that show is wiped. What’s the best version of this? I really like Madonna’s take on it with slightly different phrasing but this from the ‘Rock Follies’ girl takes a lot of beating. Not many people had heard of Eva Peron in 1977 but this show has immortalised her forever. Not shown for some reason on this repeat and more’s the pity.
(11) STATUS QUO – Wild Side Of Life (video) – One of the Quos finest in my view. Just a simple song and chorus and the inevitable guitar break, and Rossi’s ever present green guitar. The entire video gets shown on this ToTP edition whereas other showings were truncated.
(25) LIVERPOOL EXPRESS – Every Man Must Have A Dream – The previous hit ‘You are my Love’ was a gem with its melody counterpart last verse. This was a good song too and obviously too complex a piece to attempt live but the Express were soon to run out of steam.
(32) PUSSYCAT – Smile – I’ve raved about Toni Willi and Pussycat before and won’t bore you all again but just to say that Pussycat recorded some little known gems such as ‘I’ll be your Woman’, ‘My Broken Souvenirs’ and ‘Another Day (The Sun comes up tomorrow)’ which don’t sound like this or ‘Mississippi’. ‘Another Day’ being a personal favourite. ‘Smile’ always felt like ‘Mississippi Part 2’ and scored on the back of that hit so at least the band weren’t one hit wonders in the UK. Nice live rendition particularly the harmonies on the second chorus.
Part 2
Delete(1) DAVID SOUL – Don’t Give Up On Us (video) – ‘Starsky and Hutch’. Who didn’t watch that show on Saturday night? Everyone I know did. Even Morecambe and Wise did a take off on one of their Christmas shows. David Soul had a good voice, so all he needed were good songs and prolific songwriter Tony Macaulay duly obliged with this massive hit (best selling single of 1977). Soul would have chalked up a No1 hat trick had Abba’s classy ‘Knowing me, knowing you’ not stalled the follow up ‘Going in with my Eyes open’ at No2 for three weeks before later in 1977 ‘Silver Lady’ did the trick. I think all three have stood the test of time. My only gripe with this video is that it is at the wrong speed; slightly too fast and it grated at the time and still grates now. P.s who remembers David Soul in ‘Salem’s Lot’? That scared the hell out of me. Great story and dramatization.
(14) STEVIE WONDER – I Wish (and credits) – To round off a great show is a record I can happily skip. Thank you for reading – I’ve enjoyed the back in time slip from 1994.
Culture beat - liked this. Nice beats, and variation. Impressive rapping.
ReplyDeleteBryan adams etc - still ploughing the everything I do trough…
K7 - back to the monotonous side of dance music
Ce ce penistone - nothing special. Not a patch on finally
The The - I admit I know the name, but don’t remember anything by them. Pleasant enough but a bit ploddy.
Eternal - pleasant enough… singing a bit flat.
Bitty mclean - not a reggae fan, but this is ok
Not sure how Adams, Stewart & Sting got together on one single, but it came off very well. I remember hearing this a lot on the radio in 1994, and their voices do go very well. Great video too.
DeleteAlso to have the Breakers section still going in 1994 was quite something, especially with 80s superstars like Phil Collins and Def Leppard still getting their new singles in at the start of 1994 with a Breakers slot guaranteed this week.
Spoiler alert - the breakers got ditched two months later.
DeleteThen it was a long run, as I think The Breakers section was launched in 1986, and has been kept in since.
DeletePretty solid episode, none of the songs are my favourites of the year but all are perfectly decent.
ReplyDeleteGood opening with Culture Beat. Sting/Bryan A/Rod must have been quite an expensive combo. Bit overblown but I like it more now than I did then.
K7 - Great energetic performance that has aged quite well.
CeCe - not her best track, bit forgettable.
The The - anyone else noticed how many US teen/young adult films and TV shows of the last few years have used this track? Seriously, it's everywhere in that genre. This live version is OK but loses a little something from the recorded one. Synth effects maybe?
Toni Braxton the big hit lurking in the middle of two less memorable breakers .
Don't remember this Bitty McLean song at all. He seems like a chirpy chappy but it's a bit snoozy.
I like Eternal but this is very mid-tier for them. Some of my favourite songs of theirs are coming later this year though.
With reggae from Chaka D and Bitty M, plus a big movie ballad this felt more like a summer episode than a January one!
Pop-a-doodle-doo! An outfit and a half to start with. Ah, some awful scattergun rap. FF and next.
ReplyDeleteWatch that birthday dedication’ girl roll her eyes! Not pulled yet tonight, Mark.
Sound down for the ‘3 Blondes’. Chart rundown: our very last top 40 sighting of Tasmin Archer, only reaching the anchor position with an EP of Elvis Costello covers, while Daryl Hall gives John Oates the night off.
K7 obviously had their Weetabix for that routine, Shame about the noise, though.
Cecelia belting out that supper club soul and then some.
Truck driver’s gear change into another slice of sombre yet compelling pop from The The. Early award for most unusual stage line-up.
Breakers in order: Snoozesome, MOR soul ballad, they’re back (sort of) but still pining for another exclusive.
Eternal, the sort of army I like. Obviously an ‘out of hours’ / 2-for-1 recorded when they did “Stay”. Not their best, but the promise is showing.
An interesting end to the show with a reggae segue. UB40’s mate is back with an innocuous and enjoyable track, then Chaka et cetera’s video again.
Mark appears to have pulled with Cassie after a piss-taking mention for his nemesis Dorky. Do you think mark knew by this stage they’d been binned? Oops, peaked too early there, sorry…
It's almost goodbye for Tony and Mark and I'm sad about that. I think both have improved hugely and to put in that much effort for so long a time is some achievement. There's no suggestion this evening that it's nearing the end for them both and Mark is his usual assured self.
ReplyDeleteBetter edition this one but it opens with almost a flashback of all the dullest bits of the Appel revamp. Culture Beat with a dance non tune sung more or less in key on a lifeless set. Cameras whizzing about picking up crowd members in half darkness not doing very much. Come on, don't end it like this.
The charts with the video for 'All 4 Love' and this is way better. Liked Mark's introduction, with a girl who's celebrating her birthday and he seems more pleased about it than she is. No Mark the video isn't just for her is it.
I really love this single and wouldn't have minded if this made the top. Even the words 'Bryan', 'Adams' and 'film soundtrack' doesn't bring on a mild shudder in this case. Also great to see so much of it when you think how hopeless the chart rundown was when the revamp started. It's gone back to being the centrepiece of the show.
K7 with one of the best rap singles of the year and a good live performance though surprisingly lacking in humour.
Ce Ce Peniston interacts with as many members of the front row as she can and it's great to watch but I agree it's certainly no 'Finally'.
Really enjoyed The The's single and some fine harmonica playing.
Breakers; Phil Collins; In a big apartment room again. Waiting for Marilyn Martin to come back with the completed songsheet?
Toni Braxton; A big name for the next couple of years. Great single. Video possibly an inspiration for Taylor Swift's first hit.
Def Leppard; "Cut!"
Eternal back and dressed in the gear that Manic Street Preachers wore for most of 1994. They however were a band in the most profound turmoil (and for me absolutely THE band of the year) while Eternal were probably just bored of looking nice. Vernie's T Shirt reads 'Hot'. Yep.
Bitty with some smiley reggae then Chaka Demus and Pliers with some smiley reggae still at the Top. It's a good year for the genre. Aswad 'Shine' and China Black 'Searching' are among my singles of the year.
You'll be pleased to know then that All For Love did get to the top for the trip of Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting, in America though, and a week after this show went out. Three weeks it had at the top of the Billboard Charts during January and February 1994, despite missing out in the UK with a peak of No.2.
DeleteFour songs further down the chart this week at peak positions for these 80s regulars that could resist some 90s action, and worth a mention:
ReplyDeleteNo.32 Cyndi Lauper - Who Let In The Rain
With the Breakers going down only to No.28 this week, Lauper could have been considered very unlucky not to get a Breakers slot, but I would need to watch the video this weekend to see whether it was worth it.
No.54 Barbara Streisand & Michael Crawford - The Music Of The Night
Strangely a change of personnel for this 90s re-recording, albeit only with Streisand replacing Sarah Brightman who was on Crawford's original in 1987. Take your pick as to which was the better combination, but looks like these two singles some seven years apart were the only two singles put out by Crawford for the UK charts.
No.59 - Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - White Lines
Re-release of this famous 1983 single that got to No.7, and not sure why it was released 10 years later here in January 1994.
No.70 Freddie Jackson - Make Love Easy
Last ever single from Jackson in a 10 year run from 1985 with occasional singles, the most successful being Rock Me Tonight in 1986 which got to No.18, as the curtain comes down on another 80s icon.
Low January sales probably affording CULTURE BEAT another Top Ten hit. It certainly wasn't the musical worth of this tune.
ReplyDeleteAn Englishman, A Scotsman and a Canadian walk into a recording studio....to record a ballad for a swashbuckling film. Who would have thought this would not be the long running Number One we would have to worry about. BRYAN ADAMS clearly hoping lightning would strike twice and ROD STEWART & STING jumping on the bandwagon. Hope the Birthday girl enjoyed the 3 wrinklies Mark got her? In all fairness the track is quite good but without the full 30 month distance between this and Everything I Do you really notice how much they sound alike.
Proper club tune from K7. "Come Baby Come" marked the start of my clubbing days in 1994. All the WHS Reading crew down to Washington Heights on a Thursday night (payday!). Still love this tune and a great performance as well.
Dance next and proof that if you get a decent singer before you find the song (looking at you Culture Beat) then even an average dance tune like this one by CE CE PENISTON can come alive. I’m In The Mood to dancing along to this one.
No idea THE THE were still going in 94. Kind of 80s also rans but with a very loyal fanbase. I found myself enjoying this and it made a nice change of pace from everything else tonight. What's with the MJ t-shirt?
Breakers:
PHIL COLLINS – Bland
TONI BRAXTON – Pre everything being remixed
DEF LEPPARD – I'll have a Piece of the Action (no Bucks Fizz here please)
I was completely in love with Eternal at this point. Well certainly Louise anyway. Awesome tune as well. Great album. Love...
First of the follow ups I had completely erased from my memory for BITTY McLEAN. I know where "I Stand" on this one. Front and centre bopping along. Lots of fun here and then into CHAKA DEMUS. PLIERS and the rest of the tool box for a second week.
2 weeks into 94 and 2 really strong shows...what could possibly go wrong?
Get your coat Cassie, you've pulled.
The answer to the quiz question, who was the 3rd TOTP presenter to also be a Thames TV continuity announcer as well as David Hamilton and Richard Skinner was.................
ReplyDelete........Tom Edwards. He co hosted 14/03/68. It seems each Radio 1 DJ was tried out before they settled on Stuart Henry as fourth regular presenter from 20/06/68 until his place was taken by Tony Blackburn from 22/05/69. Sorry to be an anorak but I was a Thames kid and Tom's a legend. That Peter Checksfield book, from where the info came, is very recommended.