In my dreams she infatuated me on the 31st of March 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Smashing it
31-3-94: Presenter: Bruno Brookes
(11) HADDAWAY – Rock My Heart
Getting tonight's show underway with what became his fourth and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 9.
(24) JAMES – Say Something
Performing in the studio but the song got no higher.
(10) MADONNA – I’ll Remember (video) (and charts)
Went up three more places.
(20) CULTURE BEAT – World In Your Hands
Here tonight but the song go no higher.
(NEW) FRANCES RUFFELLE – Lonely Symphony
Performing this years Eurovision entry - it came 10th and the song was her only hit and it peaked at number 25.
(2) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Streets Of Philadelphia (via satellite)
At its peak.
(ALBUM TRACK) SMASH – Shame
Giving us a taste of their eponymous album which peaked at number 28.
(NEW) THE BEE GEES – How To Fall In Love Part 1
Live in the studio and the song peaked at number 30.
(1) DOOP – Doop
Third and final week at number 1.
(NEW) BLACK MACHINE – How Gee (studio montage) (and credits)
Their only hit and it peaked at number 17.
7th of April is next.
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ReplyDeleteHaddaway again with hotties dancing on stage with him. How come they're always perfectly toned and very tasty in their very short shorts?
DeleteCulture Beat were now filling the gap left by Snap, as they seemed to have a similar music style at this stage.
Hey, I remember Omo. I think the tv ads were in the 70s. Doop were one-hit wonders, so we won't see them again.
Trevor still dresses like one of the Love Boat crew, but certainly one of his better editions. He seems to have thawed out a bit in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteHaddaway had a way with top ten hits. Tough gig with all those stage sharers.
Say something, James? Okay. Another of your pleasant enough mid-chart hits without a killer hook to draw the punters in.
“This again?” part 1. Madge on video repeat, just when the breakers have been ditched and another hit single, say JX at number 13, deserved a crack instead. JX (trance DJ Jake Williams) actually reached higher up the charts with that track a year later on re-issue.
Almost a ballad there for Culture Beat. Flat rap, not up there with their top stuff.
No wonder Frances Ruffelle only made tenth spot at Eurovision. The audience reaction said it all. An awkward and slightly jarring 12-bar style verse which I’m sure wouldn’t have been popular across the Channel and a song which tried to be earnest but didn’t cut the mustard. Forgot this as soon as it finished.
“This again?” part 2. See comments on Madonna. I saw the film “Philadelphia”. Not one mention of soft cheese in it.
The first of two consecutive truck driver gear changes, first into S*M*A*S*H with their unphotogenic and slightly eery leader, whose star medallion and star T-shirt were prophetic. This lot managed a solitary week in the entire singles chart at number 26 with “I Want To Kill Somebody”. Lovely.
Trev’s there with “three of The Bee Gees”. There were only ever three in The Bee Gees! I bet they really wanted that big disc on one of their walls. The track? Barry bleating as always.
Doop surrounded by those pretend soap powder packets, looking Omo-erotic. Omo, geddit? Harumph. You have to be a certain age to remember that product.
We were fab? Gee, thanks, Trev.
(Arthur Nibble having log-in troubles again)
ReplyDeleteTrevor still dresses like one of the Love Boat crew, but certainly one of his better editions. He seems to have thawed out a bit in the last few years.
Haddaway had a way with top ten hits. Tough gig with all those stage sharers.
Say something, James? Okay. Another of your pleasant enough mid-chart hits without a killer hook to draw the punters in.
“This again?” part 1. Madge on video repeat, just when the breakers have been ditched and another hit single, say JX at number 13, deserved a crack instead. JX (trance DJ Jake Williams) actually reached higher up the charts with that track a year later on re-issue.
Almost a ballad there for Culture Beat. Flat rap, not up there with their top stuff.
No wonder Frances Ruffelle only made tenth spot at Eurovision. The audience reaction said it all. An awkward and slightly jarring 12-bar style verse which I’m sure wouldn’t have been popular across the Channel and a song which tried to be earnest but didn’t cut the mustard. Forgot this as soon as it finished.
“This again?” part 2. See comments on Madonna. I saw the film “Philadelphia”. Not one mention of soft cheese in it.
The first of two consecutive truck driver gear changes, first into S*M*A*S*H with their unphotogenic and slightly eery leader, whose star medallion and star T-shirt were prophetic. This lot managed a solitary week in the entire singles chart at number 26 with “I Want To Kill Somebody”. Lovely.
Trev’s there with “three of The Bee Gees”. There were only ever three in The Bee Gees! I bet they really wanted that big disc on one of their walls. The track? Barry bleating as always.
Doop surrounded by those pretend soap powder packets, looking Omo-erotic. Omo, geddit? Harumph. You have to be a certain age to remember that product.
We were fab? Gee, thanks, Trev.
Having trouble posting my critique. Three goes now under two different names and it's still not added to the forum. I may have to give up posting in future as this is getting tiresome.
ReplyDeleteIts been playing up for a while unfortunately - I've tried changing the setting here and there but there's obviously still an issue somewhere. I was having trouble posting comments too last year, but my laptop was getting very old, so I got a new one and that posts things fine - cept for the weird way it highlights the writing in the blog itself!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTrevor still dresses like one of the Love Boat crew, but certainly one of his better editions. He seems to have thawed out a bit in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteHaddaway had a way with top ten hits. Tough gig with all those stage sharers.
Say something, James? Okay. Another of your pleasant enough mid-chart hits without a killer hook to draw the punters in.
“This again?” part 1. Madge on video repeat, just when the breakers have been ditched and another hit single, say JX at number 13, deserved a crack instead. JX (trance DJ Jake Williams) actually reached higher up the charts with that track a year later on re-issue.
Almost a ballad there for Culture Beat. Flat rap, not up there with their top stuff.
No wonder Frances Ruffelle only made tenth spot at Eurovision. The audience reaction said it all. An awkward and slightly jarring 12-bar style verse which I’m sure wouldn’t have been popular across the Channel and a song which tried to be earnest but didn’t cut the mustard. Forgot this as soon as it finished.
“This again?” part 2. See comments on Madonna. I saw the film “Philadelphia”. Not one mention of soft cheese in it.
The first of two consecutive truck driver gear changes, first into S*M*A*S*H with their unphotogenic and slightly eery leader, whose star medallion and star T-shirt were prophetic. This lot managed a solitary week in the entire singles chart at number 26 with “I Want To K#ll Somebody”. Lovely.
Trev’s there with “three of The Bee Gees”. There were only ever three in The Bee Gees! I bet they really wanted that big disc on one of their walls. The track? Barry bleating as always.
Doop surrounded by those pretend soap powder packets, looking Omo-erotic. Omo, geddit? Harumph. You have to be a certain age to remember that product.
We were fab? Gee, thanks, Trev.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry Arthur, for some reasons your comments had been marked as spam! (I didn't even know I had such a feature! It never notified me) So anyway, I've approved you now :-)
DeleteDon't know how it happened - my apologies again to you!
Please don't give up posting Arthur! I always enjoy reading your comments (even the fifth time in a row 😆)
DeleteAngelo, thanks for fixing the system. Please feel free to delete my 20 duplicate comments! It does how that I tried my best to get on the forum!
DeleteRad - Thanks. We need to hear more from you. X
Keep your comments coming Arthur! A while ago I must have also suffered the dreaded spam filter issue on this blog. I split my initial disappearing comment into smaller comments and realised it was my reference to Madonna’s recent album beginning with E (haha spam just prevented me posting this comment) that had caused the non-appearance of the original comment. I see you dare to joke Omo-x here Arthur.
DeleteI still have my iPhone Safari browser issue, so I use Chrome with Allow cross-site tracking temporarily turned on.
Thanks, Sidders. Good to have you on board too!
DeleteTHREE songs (or FOUR songs if we count the credits) not in the charts? Good grief, were they really struggling that much for content? (Yo Ric, Roxette were a non mover, just saying ;) )
ReplyDeleteHaddaway is a decent enough start. I always enjoy James though this isn't my favourite. I like the Madge track.
Why do dance acts of the 90s always think they need a ballad? Stop it Culture Beat.
The chorus of Lonely Symphony is the only good bit and I don't generally mind Frances R but this particular performance is a bit screechy and very sub-Shakespear's Sister.
Nice satellite link with The Boss, then the weirdest choice in a while, a 'top 30 album track'. I don't mind the song but what a bizarre booking.
Bee Gees with something dull, disappointing after From Whom the Bell Tolls.
See ya Doop, three and done is a respectable length at the top. You gave us some fun studio performances along way.
How Gee is going to get a lot of airplay on the radio very soon, don't mind it as a sign out song.
I'm gonna stick my neck out here and say that Frances Ruffelle and 'Lonely Symphony' is one of my favourite Eurovision entries ever! I recall watching the show where viewers chose it which I have just found on Youtube (at 33:30 approx.).
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHO0x9ei5aA
That instrumental bit near the end and those commanding backing vocals just get me every time I hear it. Frances of course was the original Eponine in the first english language production of 'Les Miserables' and is the mother of Eliza Doolittle.
I quite liked Frances Ruffelle’s performance as well, and not just for the patriotic Union Jack pants on display. I initially skimmed through the Song for Europe 1994 video on my phone and wondered why all the singers looked the same! Also watched her performance at the actual Eurovision on YouTube, very classy, deserved better than finishing 10th, although we’d have taken a 10th place through most of the subsequent 2000s and 2010s.
DeleteI wasn’t aware of her work prior to watching the show just. Consulting Wiki I see she was in one of my favourite coming of age movies, P’tang Yang Kipperbang back in 1982, although not the main female character.
Haddaway - another one I don’t rememebr, but still not mch different to his pre ious three
ReplyDeleteJames - don’t remember this either.
Madonna - yet another hit from her. Was this from a film?
Culture beat - boring rap damce track
Frances ruffelle - a very poor eurovision effort
Soringsteen - beautiful soundtrack to a very moving movie
Smash - i liked it, but 15 years too late.
Bee gees - unmistakably bee gees, but I don’t recall the track and wasn't enraptured
Chart rundown - over the Madonna video, there were three new entries in the Top 40, and were all at peak position, so we would not get to see them at all on the show:
ReplyDeleteNo.32 Deacon Blue - I was Right You Were Wrong
This was their last year of regular hits since coming on to the scene in 1988, and now at penultimate Top 40 single.
No.33 Pulp - Do You Remember The First Time
Could have sworn this was a bigger hit, and quite surprised that this one fell badly the following week to No.53, but this was actually their first Top 40 single, as their debut single Lip Gloss in 1993 only reached No.50 and wasn't featured on TOTP of course.
No.37 UB40 - C'est La Vie
Quite like this one, and surprised it didn't go up higher for a group that was used to much more succesful chart placings than this.
Not forgetting our mate JX straight in not far off the top 10 and getting diddley squat in terms of coverage.
DeleteThanks Arthur, I did see it, but as you mentioned it already before me, I thought to continue with the others. Ha!
DeleteDo You Remember the First Time is one of those tracks that's been played a lot more and become a lot more popular way after its release. It did do alright in the indisle corners of Radio One. Babies is coming soon though, and that is around the same time as Jarvis on Buzzcocks (I think?) where he starts to become known as a personality.
DeleteWorth noting that Pulp had released 12 singles prior to this one, the last one being the only one that sold enough to chart. On discovering Pulp at about this time, I tracked down most of their back catalogue, their debut 1983 single My Lighthouse is a little gem that probably only sold a handful of copies.
DeleteSadly, Pulp bassist Steve Mackey has passed away aged 56, just as he about to be able to enjoy watching himself on the show all over again.
DeleteYeah, very sad to hear of Steve’s death. There is also the Pulp reunion gigs this summer that he’ll be missing. I presume his introduction to the band in 1989 in part changed Pulp’s musical direction. Moving from their bonkers uncommercial mid to late 80s Freaks period to the bass, dance driven sound of their next 1992 album Separations. Or that could just have been Jarvis discovering the pleasures of being sorted for E’s and wizz.
DeleteBruno has settled back in nicely though again looks slightly bedraggled. Just the hair really.
ReplyDeleteAgain a half hour that's entertaining though lacking in essential music.
Haddaway; One of the go to openers starts the show with an unmemorable tune after the delight of 'I Miss You'. Lots of dancing women in front of a back line of flaming torches.
I've long since forgotten why those torches were so in vogue at the time.
Haddaway as always in great voice.
James; 'Saying Something' as usual with some gravitas but this time without any memorable music. They get a Wintry set with lots of bare branches. In late March?
Saul switches to violin and looks a dead ringer for John Cale circa 1966 if he'd gone soft and decided to put on a big coat to screech out The Dom.
Madonna and her sessioneering friends again, this time to accompany the charts. Nice melody. Very unassuming by her standards.
Culture Beat; Nothing of interest here apart from a globe that spins throughout at an unnerving speed.
Frances Ruffelle; A Eurovision song that I'd forgotten all about but which had a reasonably good chorus with a nice little skip to it. It's so very '94 Eurovision. Moody strings, lyrics about freedom, a singer who looks like Siobhan Fahey after a night in the Glasto greenfields and a title that suggests that the writer had at least heard of Massive Attack. Still, not bad but it didn't have a hope during Ireland's victory run which from memory I think was just a couple of amiable well dressed folkies that year.
Bruce Springsteen; Satellite scoop! A great bonus to get Mr.Springsteen on to sing a live version of 'Streets Of Philadelphia' but as the video also features him wandering around singing the song live it's not as much of a coup as it could be. He also sings the moving title phrase differently taking most of the feeling out of it. Still it's good to see him here and the set is appropriately sombre like Philly in deep fog. Powerfully the screen goes momentarily from B&W to colour then back again.
S*M*A*S*H; Welwyn Garden City's noise makers were never off the pages of 'Melody Maker' in '94 as leaders of the 'New Wave Of New Wave' movement. It only seemed to be them and These Animal Men unless Elastica were also included. I forget. Never translated to chart success really but a good sound. Lots of Richard Hell style pop eyed urgency and a good diversion but they weren't really needed with the Manics latest album just round the corner.
The Bee Gees; How to mark an anniversary. A ludicrously big disc and Maurice left by the others to say thanks for the role the show had.
Followed by a dreary single. No Part 2 I assume.
Doop; The giant washing powder boxes sum this thing up really. Worth it purely for Robbie and Mark's hilarious sign off at the end of their edition.
Something crap with something crap.
It's good to see Springsteen getting his highest ever chart placing in the UK, as he never got a No.1 on his own, except for being on the USA For Africa team getting two weeks at No.1 in 1985 with We Are The World. This new single Streets Of Philadelphia in 1994 was to be his best ever single reaching No.2.
DeleteSpolier alert for Mic: These Animal Men will be on the show in about a couple of months!
ReplyDeleteGood that Ric Blaxill is featuring all sorts of bands in '94. He clearly understood which way the charts were going.
DeleteTwo songs at peak position this week outside the Top 40, for previous chart regulars in the 80s:
ReplyDeleteNo.42 Yazz - Have Mercy
Yazz had already had her last Top 40 single in the summer of 1993 with How Long. The fact is that she released a few new singles in 1994 to 1997 with no Top 40 action for them whatsoever, including this one peaking at No.42 in March 1994.
No.52 Daryl Hall - I'm In A Philly Mood
First solo single in the UK since 1986 with Dreamtime (of which I still have the 12-inch of), this new one for 1994 was the first of five solo singles in 1994 to 1995, with only two of them making the Top 40, so the end of the road was soon near for Hall in 1995.
Just to comment on the track by S*M*A*S*H, I'm sure there's some swearing in the lyrics, along the lines of "f**k the past, f**k your wife, kiss my a*s" It's toward the end when the camera is panning behind the drum kit. Does anyone agree? I can't find the lyrics to this song on line. Remarkable if that got through without being bleeped out.
ReplyDeleteChris
It's Bruno On A Box and he's been handed a bit of stinker.
ReplyDeleteSydney Youngblood's German cousin HADDAWAY up first with his second best tune "Rock My Heart". Shame the female vocal wasn't live as well.
Love Tim Booths voice and this is tune of the night from JAMES. "Say Something" beautiful and melancholy. Nice.
Oh dear oh dear CULTURE BEAT. One hit wonders they should have been. World In Your Hands? Probably just your P45's.
We tried to go classy with Eurovision 94 and instead went lifeless. FRANCES gives it all she's got and parts of this were fine but never going to win. A quick return to cheerleading I think.
Nice vocal from BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. Why all in black and white, picture quality was poor on this one.
Shame we had to have SMASH when we could of had Pulp! Truly awful song. Low point of the evening.
100 Million sales for THE BEE GEES but there won't be 100,000,001 as this is woeful. Lacking a tune, any sense of rhythm, and absolutely nothing going for it. Can we please not have Part 2.
Re-edited Doop next (I can still see Mark and Robbie). Looking forward to Erasure and PSB next week.
File this edition under "it was there"