I'm looking for a girl with a job and car and the 19th of May 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Snakes out
19-5-94: Presenters: Bruno Brookes & Alice Cooper
(9) 2 UNLIMITED – The Real Thing
Getting the show underway with what was their 8th and final top ten hit and it peaked at number 6.
(4) WET WET WET – Love Is All Around
Here it is folks. From the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral, a cover of a Troggs song that is about to spend fifteen weeks at number one.
(10) BAD BOYS INC – More To This World
Performing their only top ten hit and it went up two more places.
(20) DEEP FOREST – Deep Forest (video) (and charts)
Got no higher.
(16) SEAL – Prayer For The Dying
Here tonight with his first hit for two years and it went up two more places.
(NEW) JULIA FORDHAM – I Can’t Help Myself
Became her final chart hit when it peaked at number 62.
(3) EAST 17 – Around The World
In the studio but the song was at its peak.
(NEW) ALICE COOPER – Lost In America
Became his eleventh of twelve top 40 hits when it peaked at number 22.
(1) MANCHESTER UNITED FC – Come On You Reds (video)
First of two weeks at number one.
(NEW) ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS – Absolutely Fabulous (studio montage) (and credits)
Peaked at number 6.
26th of May is next.
Good grief, what was going on in May 1994? One of the best years ever for music and yet we get two utterly dire weeks in a row.
ReplyDeleteStarts ok enough with 2Unlimited.
Then THAT song. I managed to talk about Bryan A for every week of his run. I watched all 17 appearances. This one though, I watched it today. It's probably the FF button from now on.
After EYC it's the other dire are-they-still-here boy band, BBI. Awful.But Boyzone are about to get invented and these costumes were clearly an influence.
Neither Deep forest or Seal are my thing but they're fine. Not sure why we are getting either Julia Fordham or Alice Cooper exclusives in 1994 but here we are. E17 alright, bit low key for them but good to see them in the actual studio.
As for the number ones, I can't believe how glad I'm going to be to see Whigfield...
I agree totally with Rad, a dreadful run of shows lately and I'd say that the one hosted by Mark and Robbie was the last one that was really good. Good presenting at least from Bruno and Alice Cooper though more could've been made of Cooper who only makes one actual link on his own, 'Prayer For The Dying' which presumably the producer thought was a good Alice style title. Would've preferred him introducing 'Come On You Reds' meself.
ReplyDeleteBruno finally does something that's worth talking about and not just what he's chosen to wear that evening. It's....well, it's what he looks like but there's far more to that.
2 Unlimited; Opening the show like the sun rises in the morning but this is way below their best. The stupid element that always made them so exciting is absent here and instead we get a melt mouthed rap from Ray and a barely serviceable tune from Anita. Say "Nooooo!!!!'. Very disappointed.
Wet Werrrrr......hmmm. It starts and with a barely bothered Bruno link which sees him half introducing it while rushing through the crowd. Oh blimey, they look pleased with themselves already.
Bad Boys Inc; Boy band flamboyant suit hell here we come though this isn't too bad a song to launch the latest hopefuls. So much more of this to come.
Deep Forest; Bruno gets 10 points in an instant for managing to keep his cool while Alice drapes a huge snake around him. Anyway charts and in precisely one year's time they would be played out with the latest from Sleeper or similar which shows how big the changes will be through this year. Right now it's Deep Forest with a none more new age style video. The cut down tree emits blood. Still once again if it was a new release today it would be very current in look and sound. Not a patch on the gorgeous 'Sweet Lullaby' mind and this brand of trendiness will soon be elbowed aside.
Seal; Alice does a good moody intro to Seal's new single which is one I haven't heard since it came out and I enjoyed it. I remember 'Seal II' getting a kicking in 'Melody Maker' largely for the pretentiousness of its song titles and he certainly isn't as exiting as he once was but that was good to revisit. Why was he wearing ear defenders? It wasn't loud.
Julia Fordham; A well made, well performed single but didn't make much of an impression.
East 17; Bruno has an image change and good on him. The one who made the most effort with what he looked like in the past reappears looking like he's fallen head first into a food bin. Not sure if that's why you'd look like if you'd been attacked by a giant snake but well done Bruno for agreeing to it. Still love this single and good to see it done in the studio. One of the group who isn't Brian or Tony actually sings something on his own.
Alice Cooper; Another co host who gets to do his single. Liked it though forgotten it already.
Manchester United FC; Don't hang around at No.1 lads. No, actually do hang around!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely average montage and music.
I think Seal was wearing the headphones so he could hear what he sounded like, considering the horrific-ness of the live vocals in recent episodes. Perhaps the in-ear style of soundchecking hadn't yet made it to TOTP.
DeleteThe only other person I can think of who wore head phones on the show was John Lydon when PIL did 'Death Disco' in the studio on 12/07/79
DeleteLoved the start of the show with 2 Unlimited, as they are kind of leading the way at the moment with 90s tech/dance music, and have been really since 1992.
ReplyDeleteChart rundown - Enigma who got largely shunned at their last single, were at peak of No.21 this week with The Eyes Of Truth, and were not to get a TOTP feature this time round either. Chelsea FC at a peak of No.23 this week, would tumble down very badly to No.71 the following week as a result of getting no exposure on TOTP this week. Biggest surprise on the chart rundown was Phyllis Nelson back in the chart with her No.1 from 1985 called Move Closer, also at peak position this week at No.34.
Alice Cooper - has shades of The Beastie Boys in the protest part of the song, where he talks about not having a girl because he doesn't have a car which is because he doesn't have a job...and so on. But the tune does reflect America's 'lost' status due to stereotyping and expectation.
wasn't Move Closer in an ad around this time?
DeleteDon't know, I suppose Arthur Nibble will let us know, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was used in an ad.
DeleteHello there! Indeed, "Move Closer" was used in an advert for Soft & Gentle deodorant in 1994. Sadly, Phyllis Nelson passed away in 1988 aged 47 due to the 'big disease'.
DeleteWas Anita cold? Shame. Too much (c)rapping Ray on this opener. Fourth time in three shows a song had “The Real Thing” in its title. Surprised the Liverpool lads didn’t take a hint and ask for an exclusive with all that publicity.
ReplyDeleteAnd the nightmare begins. First FF of sixteen then.
First boyband on the show tonight with a song with “World “ in its title. This lot sounded in-continent.
Nice bit of comedy acting by Trev, leading into a track which would have made Enigma fume at their lack of air time.
Non-mugshots: the only top 40 week for Mash! (say “Smash!”) and the final solo top 40 week for Shalamar’s Jody Watley.
Lovely title there as Seal wears headphones to drown out his own row.
Wow! Cutting edge stuff next as Julia Fordham makes Beverley Craven seem like Chrissie from Divinyls. Was it me or was she yet another ‘top’ singer hitting some off-key notes tonight?
Trev does comedy – good on him – before East 17, who didn’t exactly rock my planet in all honesty.
Great daft first verse there from Vince… er, Alex, then all gets a bit samey and goes downhill.
You are joking. This shite got to number one??? MUFCFF.
We end with a rip-off of “Rhythm Is A Dancer” smotherd with some totally unfunny schtick.
Well, that was a grim hour this week. Hope next weekend’s is better, especially as we’ll lose an hour’s kip too when the clocks go forward.
I was also thinking that about Anita at the start of the show, but the coat was to deter from the fact that she had a skirt or leggings or trousers missing from her lower portion, leaving her quite exposed if she did not take the raincoat option to cover up.
DeleteNot a lot of love for the Wets on here, and rightly so. I really liked the Troggs original and still do, so I try to blot this cover out of my head. The original was in glorious mono and still sounded good, but this guy has taken it to another dimension with his stereo remix.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8V5Rls-3UA
It is well worth checking out his channel on Youtube as he does a fabulous job of remixing (mainly 60s) tracks. I particularly like his versions of 'Dance On!' by the Shadows and 'Words' by the Bee Gees.
I'm loving these episodes of totp, such a great era of music. I'm sad that we're due an influx of britpop, it was bad enough the first time, don't need to hear it again. But am really enjoying revisiting the beautiful sounds of Michael Bolton, Wet Wet Wet (I'll never get bored of that song) and I especially loved hearing that joyous Barbars Streisand song recently. More of this please!
ReplyDeleteBruno Brookes, Alice Cooper and a Snake presenting tonight. What is Ric Blaxhil on? Must have been some dream coming up with that line up. Mind you they kind of make it work with Bruno in his snake-ripped make-up.
ReplyDelete2 UNLIMITED always a great start to the show. The Real Thing on show here is Anita's rather fine outfit,
I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes, in a few weeks time,I'll feel it when I throw (up). WET WET WET enjoying their first TOTP performance of "Love Is All Around". Bet they won't be enjoying this in 16 weeks time. Testament to what an unbelievably massive hit film Four Weddings was.
All hairspray and velvet it's Bad Boys Inc. It starts ok and then he has to dance and sing at the same time and it all goes downhill fast. How did this get Top Ten. The one with the bowl cut has come as Pat Troughton's Doctor Who!
DEEP FOREST - Hate Pan Pipes. Hated this. Hello to Clock in the countdown who are about to turn a lot of old hits into new dance tunes!
SEAL is back! Hooray! "Prayer For The Dying" another fine tune.
Imagine working hard, finally cracking the Top 40 and then Dic Blaxhil digs out JULIA FORDHAM instead. Just dull as dishwater.
EAST 17 – Around The World
Well now we know why the 3rd one doesn't sing.
Lyrically i think my kids could have turned this ALICE COOPER tune out. Nice catchy chorus. Surprised he got away with the gun/school line even then.
As a MANCHESTER CITY fan I have had to break my unwritten rule and fast forward this one. Even with the video re-mix (can you remix a video? re-cut surely?