Love in the 90's is paranoid on the 17th of March 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Take two
17-3-94: Presenters: Robbie Williams & Mark Owen
(5) BLUR – Girls And Boys
Opening tonight's show with this Britpop classic but it got no higher.
(27) ALISON MOYET – Whispering Your Name
Performing her ninth and final top 40 hit and it peaked at number 18.
(4) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Streets Of Philadelphia (video) (and charts)
His fourth and final top ten hit and it peaked at number 2.
(13) BJÖRK – Violently Happy
In the studio but the song got no higher.
(7) TORI AMOS – Pretty Good Year
Performing her second of three top ten hits but it got no higher.
(NEW) MADONNA – I’ll Remember (video)
Peaked at number 7.
(41) ROACHFORD – Only To Be With You
In the studio and the song peaked at number 21.
(NEW) ROXETTE – Sleeping In My Car
Here tonight and the song peaked at number 14.
(1) DOOP – Doop
Back in the studio for their first of three weeks at number one.
(NEW) D:REAM – U R The Best Thing (studio montage) (and credits)
Peaked at number 4.
24th of March is next/
Chart Rundown - at peak position at No.30 was Nat King Cole with Let's Face The Music & Dance, it was somewhat surprisingly never released as a single in the UK, despite his chart hits going way back to 1952. Anyway this 1994 new release of an old song was also to be Cole's last ever single in the UK, and I can only imagine there was a TV advert at the time that inspired the single release to get to as high as No.30.
ReplyDeleteMadonna - Good Lord, a video exclusive, I thought they replaced those with the live-by-satellite slot, but it was back again for madonna's new video I'll Remember, which was her first single in nearly a year.
TOTP presenters - now then, the funniest moment on the show, and probably ever on TOTP, was when the two presenters from Take That signed off the show by racing towards the Doop girls at the end of their No.1 performance on the stage. I must say I did like the sexy white Charleston dresses, but Good Lord, steady on boys!
I think the Nat King Cole song was released to coincide with the return of Torville and Dean at the Winter Olympics that were happening at the time.
DeleteActually, there WAS an advert once with Nat's tune, for a now defunct insurance company, with Mr. Colin from "Vision On" and "Take Hart" as the star.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lK1wkuT3Is
YES POPS! Now THIS is the kind of episode that I was excited for about 1994. Amazing stuff and great variety.
ReplyDeleteThe credits are even more truncated than last week. If it is so we can fit more songs in, I don't mind.
The era of celebrity presenters has begun then. It's going to be a mixed bag, but (don't tell my teenage self I'm saying this because she would not approve) I think Mark and Robbie do a perfectly adequate job.
Fantastic opening with one of Blur's best and a great performance.
I do like this Alison M track, nice to get it in full.
Bruce - one of his best, really great track and I like the video too.
Bjork - this episode is spoiling us with all these studio performances. I might have to rewatch it I'm enjoying it so much.
Tori A - And another. Lovely stuff.
Madge - I'm torn here because I don't even approve of studio exclusives really, much less video ones, but I do really love this song...
Roachford - The only real misstep here, not because the song is bad - and the performance is good -but because it's at 41. The Beautiful South are a non mover, why not get them in?
Roxette - Obviously I don't approve of exclusives BUT if we must have them, I'll take them from Roxette every day. Love love love. I miss Marie so much xx Not sure why they fade out though, when the actual single ends on the final 'yeah' - but that's very nit picky because I loved this.
Doop - fun staging!
D:Ream - eh, four non chart songs is a. bit much, and honestly, I should be mad at an episode with four tracks outside of the 40 but they packed in soooo much and it was quality so I can't be upset.
Two songs peaking outside the Top 40 this week for previous 90s chart regulars with no TOTP for them in a now downward spiralling career:
ReplyDeleteNo.52 Hammer - It's All Good
First single in two years for MC Hammer, having now shortened his name to Hammer, he had already had his final Top 40 single in 1992 with do Not Pass Me By, and this new one for 1994 was the first to flop outside the Top 40 since then, with two more singles to come in 1994 and 1995 which also tanked outside the Top 40.
No.55 Right Said Fred - Wonderman
Second single in a row to fail to make the Top 40, and final single from RSF, for the 90s anyway, as a brief return in 2001 brought them a No.18 result with You're My Mate.
'Doop' was the second No1 hit (and third ever) within a few months performed by an Act with the same name as the song. 'Mr Blobby' did it in December 1993 and before that was the dire 'Theme from 'S'Express' in 1988. None of this trio really tickle my fancy. Otehr attempts were memorably ' Visage' and 'Living in a Box'.
ReplyDeleteLiving In The Box were the first artiste to have UK album and chart hits named after the act.
Delete" both UK album and singles chart hits named after the act".
DeleteI’ll add Talk Talk - Talk Talk into the mix, although that single only got to 23 in the charts, thought it did much better than that.
DeleteMadness by Madness...
DeleteGuest hosts then. Apart from one daft bit of play-acting Mark did a good job. That other prat was just as slappable throughout as always.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, the proper start of the reign of the two Britpop monoliths I can’t stand. I won’t be mentioning them much if at all in future critiques (so less for you to be bored by). Safe to say this was an FF.
Alison with an unflattering blonde look and a snippet of the tune which reminded me of “Crying” by Don McLean – the bit that goes “I love you even more than I did before, but darling, what can I do?”. At least Dawn French wasn’t here to besmirch it.
I watched “Philadelphia”. No mention of soft cheese in it at all. Sorry! I did actually like Robbie’s ‘educational’ intro to Bruce’s video.
Non-mugshots: The only top 40 week for Senser (4 chart entries between 39 and 52), the second of three hits we’ll see on the ‘tickertape’ for Zhane, Pantera at their peak with no appearance of any kind, and Degrees of Motion featuring Biti made number 8 the next week but we get not a second of this - yet we’re given an unnecessary video exclusive for a stonewall hit.
A segue and a half next as we get three female figureheads, the first two of the slightly eccentric nature. Bjork’s track takes time to get going before blooming into mellow volcanic rave.
I’d forgotten Tori’s ballad (and liked it) but how can you forget her piano stool technique? The sultriest instrumentalist in the re-run by a mile.
Ultra-safe video exclusive next. I thought the song was quite nice, a phrase that I bet would rile old Madge.
Poor old Roachford doesn’t even get an intro sign for his ‘bubbling under’ track, and I’m sure Sinead O’Connor was provided with one for her recent song which peaked one place lower. Another track I’d forgotten and enjoyed.
Next it’s meat and potatoes (or swede) pop-rock with the second awful blonde hairdo of the night.
At least the screecher’s off the top spot. Those soap powder accompanied dancers were Omo-erotic (sorry, awful long-gone cleaning product pun).
D:Ream to end with. I bet we gat Peter Cun… er, Cunnah on again soon.
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ReplyDeleteGreat show, terrible presenters (in summary)
ReplyDeleteBLUR – Girls And Boys an absolute 90s classic and Blur are here to stay.
ALISON MOYET – Whispering Your Name
Who knew Eddie Izzard could sing?
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Streets Of Philadelphia
It will surprise no one here that I have never seen the film. One of Mrs Morgie's faves.
BJÖRK – Violently Happy
Still completely bonkers but with a decent dance beat
TORI AMOS – Pretty Good Year
Riding side saddle with and bashing her piano. Not her best.
MADONNA – I’ll Remember
What happens when she sings a decent tune. Classy. No idea what the film was
ROACHFORD – Only To Be With You
Obviously pre-booked and missed the Top 40. Nice enough.
ROXETTE – Sleeping In My Car
Rock and Roll vibes. Tune of the night.
DOOP – Doop
Ironing boards at the ready. Charleston time.