When you move your body and move it nice and sweet like the 14th of April 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
We'll meatloaf again
14-4-94: Presenter: Meat Loaf
(21) TERRORVISION – Oblivion
Getting tonight's show off to a bouncy start but the song got no higher.
(7) REEL 2 REAL feat. THE MAD STUNTMAN – I Like To Move It
It's finally Move It night in the studio and the song moved up two more places.
(14) PET SHOP BOYS – Liberation (video) (and charts)
At its peak.
(25) FRANCES RUFFELLE – Lonely Symphony
Performing her only hit, she came 10th in Eurovision but go no higher in the charts.
(16) LOVELAND – Let The Music (Lift You Up)
Performing their first of five top 40 hits, but this one got no higher.
(NEW) GARTH BROOKS – Standing Outside The Fire
In the studio with what became his second of three top 40 hits when it peaked at number 28.
(15) TONI BRAXTON – Another Sad Love Song (via satellite)
Got no higher.
(1) TAKE THAT – Everything Changes
Here tonight for their second and final week at number one.
(NEW) MEAT LOAF – Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are (and credits)
Our host performs the third single from his number one album Bat Out Of Hell 11, and it peaked at number 26.
21st of April is next.
Good Lord, it's Meat Loaf presenting TOTP. What did we do to deserve this? I did like how he introduced Reel 2 Real as the band that will not go away and now 12 weeks on the chart, it seemed like the song was to stay forever.
ReplyDeleteCertainly Reel 2 Real gave us a sexy class on stage, especially the ending where the girl with the very short minidress lifted it up to show her bottom. Lucky studio audience and Meat Loaf.
I did like the way that Meat Loaf closed out the show with his new single singing it live, and crediting it to Jim Steinman as his best ever single. I thought there were many others that would claim that position, but hey, this was an awesome single to say the least, and a nice way to close out the show.
Meat Loaf is a friendly and excitable presenter and is another good choice. The music not so good, both his and almost everything else.
ReplyDeleteTerrorvision; A good start however with Terrorvision firing it up under a light shower of silver paper just as it did for Blondie on Christmas Day'79. This lot not so glamourous but a fun few minutes.
Reel 2 Real with the Mad Zag, sorry Stuntman; Good to get a studio appearance for this. What a great single. So many ideas in this, my favourite being the wailing female voice that initially sounds exactly like a wailing siren.
Pet Shop Boys; The video to 'Liberation' and a quite stunning array of graphics. Imagine this in 3D. The song made more of an impact on me this time. A little defeating perhaps to have this accompany the charts. What was there between 40 and 11? I have no idea.
Frances Ruffelle;. A little more conservatively dressed this week. Maybe she's seeing this as a dress rehearsal for the big night. Not bad as Eurovision songs go and she had reason to feel confident in coming.....2nd.
Loveland; Some ok but very anonymous self improvement dance that could've been made at any point since around 1990.
Garth Brooks; More a case of standing between the fires and in a hat big enough to be at risk of being ignited by both. Garth and a guy who could at a glance be his identical twin and some attractive female singers give us archetypal needy male country crud.
An exclusive as well. Oh thankyou Mr. Blaxill.
I noticed that the torches got put out as soon as it was over.
Toni Braxton;. A satellite link to a very opulent set for a song that offers nothing beyond allowing Toni to sing something then a little more than nothing for the choruses.
My highlight of the edition comes next which is Meat Loaf's unique way of delivering the Top 10. Ok, nuuuumber THREE!! is the general pattern. Very funny. I'm guessing that he's never done this before, even in rehearsal.
Take That, Yes I've enjoyed this being at No.1 and a charming Robbie led performance.
Meat Loaf; An impressive bit of multi tasking from our host as he bids us goodnight then takes to the stage though he does of course begin mildly shaking the second he reaches for the microphone stand. The best thing Steinman's written Meat? I don't think so. A real dirge.
Actually in the chart rundown this week, I picked out Taylor Dayne at No.29 which was at peak with no TOTP for her with I'll Wait, especially now with the loss of The Breakers which were now a distant star on the horizon.
DeleteAlso The Bee Gees were at peak position of No.30 with How To Fall In Love Part 1, although they did perform this in the TOTP studio as an Exclusive a couple of shows earlier on a Bruno Brookes presented show, but when eventually in the Top 40.
Three songs peaking outside the Top 40 this week for previous chart regulars:
ReplyDeleteNo.45 Frank Sinatra - My Way
Good Lord, what brought this one back to the charts, with I presume its own new 7-inch vinyl in the shops for what was left of this product line by early 1994.
No.64 Dolly Parton & James Ingram
Unusual but not surprising pairing, considering the Americans love for duets and ballads compared with the Brits. Ingram had normally paired up Patti Austin with Baby Come To Me in 1983, and then with Linda Ronstadt in 1987 with Somewhere Out There, but Dolly only with Kenny Rogers in 1983 with Islands In The Stream as far as I know.
No.65 Color Me Badd - Choose
Good Lord, this lot still going in 1994, after their 1991 successes. This latest failure at No.65 was to be their last single release, so that was pretty much it from the early 90s phenomenon.
Decent opening - I always enjoy Terrorvision and Reel 2 Reel have been waiting forever to be in the studio.
ReplyDeleteWatching graphics heavy 90s pop videos 3 decades later is wild. Tgey do not age well. Song's pleasant enough.
Frances R - much better performance than last time, her vocal is a lot smoother.
Loveland - shrug
A Garth Brooks Exclusive - why?
Toni Braxton getting more attention than Breathe Again did despite being a big hit.
TT - See ya, bye, one of their worst singles.
Meat Loaf - very indulgent for the guest performer not only to perform but to close the show. It was OK.
Ay up, the big fella’s hosting tonight. If he’s presenting again someone will have to get Meat a straitjacket to prevent all that pointing, but I liked his exuberance. Wished we’d had him all those months instead of Dorky.
ReplyDeleteI’ve said it before but “How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Terrorvision is one of the best pop-metal albums ever. “Oblivion” was on it. Brilliant show opener. Good time music by a good time live act. Don’t trip over that tinsel, lads! Another Yorkshire band place-checked by the Letrasetter after Little Angels. Liam Gallagher taking notes on the ‘drummer out front, singer at the back’ staging.
Loaf spoils the next intro by showing the gum in his mouth and namechecking the chart toppers before, four years after making the top 20, or so it feels, the “Move It” gang finally make the studio. Mad as a brush but hugely enjoyable and the second crowd pleaser in a row.
I recently told my sister what ‘pet shop boy’ was slang for. She nearly threw up. A hallucinogenic vid and a half there with heads on wings and Neil Tennant also masquerading as TellyTubbies Sun Face.
Non-mugshots: We don’t get an outing for Daniel O’Donnell and “Singing The Blues”? Get in!
Frances Ruffelle with an intriguing outfit and a better performance for this slow burner. Still won’t win the big gig, though.
Loveland contrast their monochrome garb with colourful rave soul which was at least 20 beats per minute too fast to dance to without getting totally knackered.
Was Terry Wogan leaning on Ric Blaxill to get Garth Crooks… er, Brooks on the show again? Between the fires rather than standing outside it. The new entry by Des’Ree was blanked for this? More boo-boo than yee-hah, then.
Toni Braxton has a smart voice, maybe stylised a bit too much like Anita Baker, but this track made Sade sound punk.
Take That. “former Pops presenters”? Only two of them, Sheesh.
The final song ending is definitely self-indulgent but way better than suffering one of those crappy outro montage flops if you ask me. Letraset budget used up for the next three months for Meaty’s song title.
I'm totally mesmorised by Frances Ruffelle and that song. Simply stunning performance, and as Rad has pointed out, she sings it better than the previous appearance; much more like the vocal on the recording itself. Love it! Should have won the Contest by a mile!
ReplyDeleteIt just goes to show that even in 1994, there was still music worthy of the 70s and 80s fans. I mentioned above that the fact that James Ingram was still looking for new duets in 1994, having graced the 80s with Patti Austin and Linda Ronstadt on different singles, I'm not giving up yet on this blog!
DeleteWe're six months away from when I stopped watching TOTP purely for work / travel reasons so it'll be an interseting ride for me.
DeleteI've decided Meat Loaf's intro to this edition is the best ever.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite something, yeah, but I think there is one coming up with Gary Glitter presenting, who is even louder and more intense than Meat.
DeleteI always think TERRORVISION are slyly taking the p***. Drummer centre stage here with a tune that will disappear into "Oblivion" This was quite good fun though, but the intern has got some serious sweeping up to do.
ReplyDelete12 week on and finally the MAD STUNTMAN gets to Move It in the studio. Proper crowd pleaser this one and a good performance as well.
Now I wasn't hugely impressed with this FRANCES RUFFELLE tune last time out but it's definitely a grower. Thought she did well here.
Huge amount of love for "Let The Music (Lift You Up)". One I did not remember at all but best in class tonight for me. Darlene Lewis performed the original and is teamed up here with Rachel McFarlane the usual Loveland singer. Rachel will be back with and without Loveland, most notably with LMC in 2004 when Take Me To The Clouds Above gets to Number One.
I do not like Country Music. I do not like GARTH BROOKS. I did like this song. Go figure?
TONI "GOLD" BRAXTON singing Another Sad Love Song via satellite. Nothing to see here really.
TAKE THAT still Number One and then onto the most stupid title ever for a song "Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are"
So Jim thinks this is the best song he's ever written does he? It clearly isn't. It may be the same song he's always written again and again and again, Shame really. Mr Loaf gives his all as usual but there is no saving this one.
I will say that Meatloaf did a fine presenting job tonight. Great rapport with the audience in the studio and at home.
Also wanted to add (and forgot) that I like the new Top Ten countdown, although clearly Meat hadn't looked beforehand and seemed really surprised every time a song appeared. Clearly never heard of Doop either, lucky boy.
Delete