I'll try to show you each and every way I can the 27th of January 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Top marx
27-1-94: Presenter: Mark Franklin
(18) THERAPY? – Nowhere
Getting Mark's 59th and final show underway but the song got no higher.
(8) DEPECHE MODE – In Your Room (video) (and charts)
At its peak.
(22) JOE – I’m In Luv
Performing his first of ten top 40 hits but this one got no higher.
(20) CELINE DION – The Power Of Love
in the studio with this Jennifer Rush cover and it peaked at number 4.
(13) GARTH BROOKS – The Red Strokes (via satellite)
His first of three top 40 hit and this was the biggest but it was now at its peak.
(23) THOMAS DOLBY – Hyperactive (video) (Breakers)
Had got to 17 in 1984, this time number 23 was the peak.
(9) ENIGMA – Return To Innocence (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 3.
(17) RICHARD MARX – Now And Forever
Here tonight and the song went up to number 13.
(15) ZZ TOP – Pincushion
From their top 3 album Antenna but the single was at its peak.
(1) D:REAM – Things Can Only Get Better (video)
Second of four weeks at number one.
3rd of February is next.
Chart rundown - the featured Depeche Mode video this week on the rundown with the title In Your Room reminded me of the song title of the same name by The Bangles in late 1988 which only managed No.35 on the charts, but did a lot better in America with a peak position of No.5 on the Billboard charts.
ReplyDeleteAlso just sneaking into the Top 40 at peak position of No.38 was Oui 3 with Facts Of Life which would turn out to be their last ever Top 40 single, as one more single release in 1995 could only manage No.55 before finally throwing in the towel.
The Breakers - Good Lord, what was Thomas Dolby doing back in the charts in 1994 exactly 10 years after his original 1984 single Hyperactive? Apparently a remix of the original, so that is OK, but the video on The Breakers this week appeared to be the same as the original 1984 video.
Enigma return for their first single in two years, since the first album, and coinciding with a new album for 1994 which I bought at the time, but was disappointed that it did not live up to their debut album from 1990, but it was still good to see them back in the singles chart after two years away.
ZZ Top - Good Lord, was this their first ever appearance in the TOTP studio? I only recall one previous UK studio performance, but on The Tube in the early 80s with Paula Yates or Jools Holland introducing them. Pincushion was to be their last ever Top 40 single in the UK, apart from a remix of Gimme All Your Loving' 2000 in 1999 which got to No. 28, but it was pretty much it from them at this point in 1994 in terms of Top 40 singles.
Last episode with the Charts Compiled by Gallup.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this coincided with the last of Tony Dortie and Mark Franklin as hosts, or was it just coincidence, and they were replaced for other reasons?
DeleteThis was the last edition produced by Stanley Appel who, in my opinion and probably not just mine, totally ruined the show while he was in charge with his 'year zero' approcah giving us exclusives, album tracks and pointless US top 10 hits. More than likely Tony and Mark were swept out by the new produce Ric Blaxill who wanted a fresh start.
DeleteTherapy - lemmy-style microphone placement for what was quite a good little rocking number.
ReplyDeleteDeoeche mode - bit dull this one
Joe - bog standard / rap r and b.
Celine - fairly straight note for note cover of power of love
Richard marx - not my cup of tea but pleasant enough
Zz top - big fan, but this one passed me by. Not one of their finest. (Liked the subtle background advert for the album it came off - Antenna
Interesting to note this week that Tag Team had two adjacent singles on this week's chart outside the Top 40, with a new single called 'Addams Family (Whoomp!)' in at No.53 as a new entry, alongside their recent single 'Whoomp! (There It Is)' falling to No.54.
ReplyDeleteOne nonentity host down, one to go….
ReplyDelete…. And notice the grace of Mark Franklin, who doesn’t mention once that it’s his last show. Not the attention seeker that Dorky was in his final edition (remember him? me neither.)
Therapy? Putting the NI into Nirvana. Bassist in short trews yet again – he’s consistent, that lad. Great start to the show – file this next to Senseless Things and headbanging if you’ve got any hair.
Depeche Mode with guitars - different - and a weird video giving Tori Amos’s from last time a run for its money, featuring the return of the king and deckchair from their “Enjoy the Silence” video. This didn’t sound like a single to me so their fanbase did a fine job getting this in the top ten.
Joe had ten hits? I don’t remember any of them, not even this one after it had finished. Mark does a great job talking all over the first line of rap. Actually, he did us a favour.
Christ. No. FF. Thanks a bunch to Yugoslavia for hoisting this abomination to fame at Eurovision.
Garth Brooks must have been on repeat play on Terry Wogan’s show to be a hit. Or was it John Peel? Well written, well played, but it still left me cold. By the way, regarding Mark’s intro, how can two dates be a tour?
Thomas Dolby, No hiss, great producer.
Enigma, no monks but some ethnic chanting this time.
Not full Marx for Richard from me. Worked better than Horlicks.
A real truck driver’s gear change from zzz to ZZ Top, two beards and a Beard on drums. Oo, an up the nostrils mic camera. Lovely. Not their best but at least a change from the show’s norm.
The anthem rave chart topper accompanied by a video so cheap, KWS are suing for copyright.
So it’s ta-ra to Mark, and goodbye and good riddance to Stan ‘Rotten’ Appel, the idiot who almost singlehandedly ran “Top Of The Pops” into the ground.
It looks like "U" by Loni Clark didn't have a video. Record company screw-up stopping it being a bigger hit, perhapss?
ReplyDeleteI didn't see this edition as I fell asleep after the first couple of songs. It's not that the show was that boring. I just work unsociable hours. There wasn't enough good music on this one to see it elsewhere but I'll offer my thoughts on the Appel years. I'm sure no one will agree.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a brave, sometimes adventurous, often flawed attempt to revitalise the show. I have a greater nostalgic connection to the Paul Ciani years but I think it was in need of a shake up. By Sept '91 the programme continued as if it didn't have a clue that MTV did anything other than show videos. Appel at least suggested that he was aware of things like 'MTV Unplugged' and various other music TV. Tony and Mark and the others (leaving out Adrian) were not a match for Mayo et al but what none ever did was send up the show. Amateurish at times but that's not the same. I'm looking forward to the returnees but soon we'll be in to the "Blimey I'm doing Top of the Pops. What a big old jamboree eh??" period which will be fun. For a bit. I'm glad of the changes but respect to the Appel presenters who made it a very early '90s experience.
Personally my favourite presenter was Femi Oke.
Good critique, Mic. My thought was that Appel disregarded all of the past and changed everything when maybe just a few amendments were needed instead. Shout out to the shouty Claudia Simon while I'm at it! PS - just downloaded that Therapy? track to my iPhone.... at my age!
DeleteThanks Arthur, yes it was a rather extreme shake up. I thought they should've retained Jakki Brambles who seemed the most suited to the changes. For me the much more open feel to the show with satellite links was a bonus and thankfully Ric Blaxill carries on with that. With better presenters '94 should be a great year. Only downside, all the celebs getting involved.
DeleteI agree regarding Jakki Brambles. I thought she was excellent. It appears she moved to the USA in 1993 and, after several moves and shakes here and there, the more maturely named Jackie Brambles currently hosts a three-hour nightly show midweek after Simon Mayo on Greatest Hits Radio, akak "The New Radio 2", especially as Ken Bruce announced last week he was joining them in April.
DeleteI agree the show needed a shake up in 1991 and maybe without all the exclusives and album tracks it would have faired better. Claudia should of stayed into 1993 and the show really had found it's feet by then. Mark I thought would be the better presenter but I found him a bit dull and Tony was much more lively and fun (and yes annoying at times).
DeleteI wonder if the ‘Pick of the Pops’ tie ins will continue as this week Gambo presented a great chart from 1980. That Billy Preston and Syreeta song always gets to me and the ‘Top of the Pops’ performance featured a film of them performing live where Billy demonstrates his virtuoso keyboard playing that caught the eye of the Beatles. An interesting aspect of the ‘Pick of the Pops’ website is that it shows which albums they have taken the tracks from, so for example if you’re a lover of ‘Spacer’ by Sheila & B Devotion (and I am) then you’ll see it can be found on the Virgin album ‘Best DISCO Album in the World..Ever!’. One that amused me somewhat was the Nolans’ ‘I’m in the Mood for Dancing’ for which the team dug out the immortal CD ‘Cheggars Choice’. For those unfamiliar with the set, it’s subtitled ’40 Clucking Awful Trax’. Now call me odd, but I actually like around 50% of the material on this double CD set – for example hits like ‘Son of my Father’, ‘Mouldy Old Dough’, ‘Lily the Pink’, Making your Mind up’, ‘Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep’ and ‘Ernie’. However, on the flipside there are definite clunkers such as ‘Shaddup you Face’ (Hi there Ultravox!), ‘Birdie Song’, ‘Orville’s Song’, something by St Celia that I never want to hear again! and, recently, topical here…’Mr Blobby’. An eclectic album for sure and surprising the team obviously knew that the Nolans track was on it!
ReplyDeleteFeb 7th 1980 is getting shown week Friday. Sadly both Feb 5th '70 and Feb 1st '73 has been passed on so I think we can safely say that any pre '76 editions won't get shown.
DeleteBye Mark! You definitely grew on me.
ReplyDeleteGreat opening with Therapy? and Depeche Mode, then the quality dives.
Enigma the best of the breakers (I like Hyperactive fine but why was it rereleased?)
Richard Marx with some diminishing returns and ZZ Top make this quite a snoozy (and largely male) ep.
Still a lot better tunes are on their way soon, right? Don't let my nostalgia down, 1994.
So before the Meatloaf goodbye it's time for Stanley's final show. And whilst Laters got one of the best shows in a long time, Mark gets an absolute stinker (with a couple of exceptions). He doesn't even want to say goodbye.
ReplyDeleteTHERAPY? up first with a short song that goes absolutely "Nowhere", loudly.
"In Your Room" is an interesting MODE tune. Not their finest but I enjoyed it. Odd video and not sure at the start if that was a lightbulb hanging down or a pair of testicles?
The less said about JOE the better but "I’m NOT In Luv" with this tune, He even crashes the start of CELINE DION who has taken a UK hit that was an American flop and sold it back to us. An excellent vocal on "The Power Of Love" but no-one will beat Jennifer on this one. First single from the "Color of Love" album which I still own and play today.
Next out of the sick back it's GARTH BROOKS, My goodness this is terrible. I'd rather have Billy Ray Cyrus
Breakers:
THOMAS DOLBY – Still Hyperactive but no idea why this is back
ENIGMA – Second decent tune of the night.
RICHARD MARX next with a very dull ballad. It was dull then, it's dull Now And will be dull Forever. Followed by ZZ TOP by numbers and some very odd camera angles.
D:REAM with a terrible video that jumps around all over the place and doesn't care if the pictures don't match the lyrics. Possibly the worst video we've seen since the rave days.
One final spin of the full end credits and in sweeps the new broom.....what changes await?