I've been holding on, I've been looking for the 5th of May 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Dreamy lady
5-5-94: Presenter: Simon Mayo
(3) C.J. LEWIS – Sweets For My Sweet
Getting the show underway with a second studio performance but the song was now at its peak.
(36) THE CRANBERRIES – Dreams
Performing the second single from their number one album, Everybody Else I Doing It So Why Can't We, and it peaked at number 27.
(8) MANCHESTER UNITED FC – Come On You Reds (video) (and charts)
With a little help from Status Quo, on their way to number one.
(34) KILLING JOKE – Millennium
In the studio tonight but this raucous song got no higher.
(17) JUDY CHEEKS – Reach
Performing her second of five top 40 hits and this one was the biggest but it got no higher.
(32) RICHARD MARX – Silent Scream (via satellite)
Got no higher.
(5) STILTSKIN – Inside
Here tonight with a storming song that next week will be number one.
(NEW) EVAN DANDO – Big Gay Heart
Just the one Lemonhead in the studio tonight and the song peaked at number 55 for the band.
(1) TONY DI BART – The Real Thing
Back to perform his one and only week at number one.
(NEW) 2 UNLIMTED – The Real Thing (studio montage) (and credits)
From their number one album, Real Things, this became the duo's eighth and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 6.
12th of May is next.
Lots of low charting songs tonight! Good mix though, that kind of bonkers collection that makes the Pops what it was.
ReplyDeleteNo Breakers means we miss a lot of new entries in the 20s and teens including Sonic Youth and Cypress Hill.
CJ Lewis - good opening, enjoyable.
The Cranberries - Love this, and what an afterlife this song has had, way more popular in the years after its release than it was at the time. I think it might also have been pretty big in the US. Miss you Dolores.
MUFC - aaargh one of the catchiest sports songs of all time, unfortunately. It's dross, I hated it back then and yet it's such an earworm for me, probably pops into my head most weeks.
Killing Joke - four songs in a row that couldn't be more different. I haven't heard this for ages and forgot how much I like it.
Judy Cheeks - another one I haven't heard in years but quite like.
Richard Marx - it's alright but he's lost the hair and what's the point of Richard Marx without the hair?
Stiltskin - the classic Levi's ad trick of using a brilliant riff and the rest of the song not quite living up to that. I do like it though.
Evan Dando - hadn't even realised this didn't chart. Bit dour but alright.
Tony Di Bart - his image makes me think of a sitcom character or reality tv star who thinks they're cool but they're actually quite dorky. I love the fast turnaround of number ones we're getting after years of really long runs. Shame that'll come to an end with the thing coming in the summer that I'm definitely not ready for fifteen ruddy episodes of
Four songs at peak position this week outside the Top 40 for previous 70s and 80s chart regulars with new music for the 90s:
ReplyDeleteNo.45 Phil Collins - We Wait And We Wonder
This was briefly featured on the studio montage on last week's show following the Prince No.1, but Collins was now at a peak of No.45, and turned out to be a wrong prediction by TOTP of a new Top 40 entry this week.
No.60 ZZ Top - Breakaway
Not a cover of the Tracey Ullman 1983 smash hit, but by now ZZ Top had already had their last ever Top 40 single, so this one and the couple of others still to come would not be on the TOTP radar.
No.65 Bob Geldof - Crazy
First solo single in four years since The Song Of Indifference made it to No.15 in 1990, this also turned out to be Geldof's last single, in a career going back to 1976 with The Boomtown Rats, it was now over, apart from a re-release of I Don't Like Mondays shortly after in July 1994 which could only scrape to No.38.
No.76 Dusty Springfield - Going' Back/Son Of A Preacher Man
Not sure why this was back in the lower reaches of the charts in early 1994, but Son Of A Preacher Man stands out as one of the best singles to come from Springfield in a glittering career since the 1960s.
Re - Dusty...'Pulp Fiction' Soundtrack I think...
DeleteShe was also featured in a BBC2 Dusty Springfield night on Saturday, a day after the TOTP show on BBC4.
DeleteIronic that Phil Collins and Stiltskin were on the same show as the lead singer of Stiltskin was Ray Wilson who replaced Phil as the lead singer of Genesis. Opinion is divided on how well he did but the one album he recorded with Mike and Tony 'Calling all Stations' was pretty good in my view. 'There must be some way out of here' is the standout track which I saw the band perform live on the one tour that they undertook.
ReplyDeleteWith apologies, a couple of ‘spoilers’ in my critique of a lottery numbers show with all those 30-ish chart entries being aired.
ReplyDeleteYou’re live in my living room tonight, Richard? Better get the Hoover out and some snacks in for you.
CJ Lewis, “former social worker”! At least the third social worker or probation officer on the re-runs after the singer on “Southern Freeez” and Crystal Waters, real name Crystal Waters. FF last time, no change this time.
Dolores’ knee got better quickly there. Shame she never got to enjoy all the royalties from this track being used for countless adverts.
Sound off for Crap I don’t want to hear again which tops the charts no. 1. This team were arrogant chip-on-their-shoulder also-rans until Sky ruined everything. Interesting to see a lad in an Arsenal shirt as Spurs fan Mayo introduces this cack.
Non-mugshots: The only top 40 week and only just for Hysterix, and we get one more week of T-Empo in the rundown ever. Frances Ruffelle’s got some new fans as her Eurosong goes briefly back up the chart.
Killing Joke! Blimey! Typical hard earthy fare from the lads. “Love Like Blood” is my fave of theirs. From singer Jaz’s blackened cheeks to…
Judy Cheeks (see what I did there?), beautifully camouflaged within the big letter ‘A’ at the start. What we hear next is identikit clubland oomph.
Richard, mate, where are you? I’ve got the beer and crisps in. Actually, glad you didn’t sully*** my carpet with that nondescript track.
(*** in-joke… with “Match Of The Day” decimated after Linekergate™ the hour’s void in the schedules has been filled by the Tom Hanks film “Sully” and I’m typing this while it’s on. Not just thrown together, this.)
Stiltskin. As far as denim advert songs go, it’s no “Jeans On”, is it? Crap I don’t want to hear again which tops the charts no. 2.
“WE’RE going to do OUR new single”? It’s Evan Dando and his invisible band or the voices in his head. My, watch that song fly off the record shop sleeves and no mistake!
Top 10 rundown: An admirably disparaging reading of the number 8 track by Simes and I concur.
Crap I don’t want to hear again which tops the charts no. 3. Tasmin Archer topping the chart was unexpected but joyful. Tony Di Bart topping the chart was unexpected and just baffling.
Oo, the montage track has the same title as the chart topper and the song immediately before it. Surprised Simes didn’t make a play on that.
Jack Dee next time? Oh, expect my sides to ache.
Another edition for Simon who throws in some funny quips. Another mixed bag though better than the previous one. I thought this year was chock full of great singles. For now there's a real sense of having to root around for something to show.
ReplyDeleteC J Lewis; Heard enough of this.
The Cranberries; Very stately set for a group who are only on their second charting single. Is Dolores on a throne? I liked the way the song got cut off abruptly as it always does now and she just goes and sits back down again. 'Dreams' is a strong follow up but already she's showing off that hiccupy yodelling thing that quickly got on my nerves. I hope 'Ode To My Family' gets a feature later in the year. That was a real gem.
Manchester United FC; I guess they were on the rise and if you're going to have a football singalong it might as well be to Status Quo. I have embarrassingly little football knowledge so I'm surprised Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes (?) are in the lineup. I think this is the only Quo or Quo related single to get to No.1.
Killing Joke; Any football team want to cover something by this lot? On the same evening we got an '85 edition which was good but a few weeks too late to see this band in the studio with the towering 'Love Like Blood'. I'd rather that single but this performance was still very powerful. They weren't going to take the polite reunion option. I don't think Jaz Coleman blinked once when the camera was fixed on him which was most of the time. Legend. A great furious intrusion.
Judy Cheeks; No memory of this singer at all. 'Sam Cooke's Goddaughter' reads the caption. She got the crowd going (not that has taken much doing in the last couple of months) and does a good performance though the song is reach for whatever dance schmance. The giant letters of the title behind her calling to mind Erasure's 'Respect'.
Richard Marx; Satellite link to a no longer Robin of Sherwood haired Marx and his band doing a Beatles (and U2 and Jefferson Airplane) and performing on the roof of the famous Capitol building. Far higher altitude than the fabs had to cope with but they've chosen to perform sitting down so they can't see the drop the big wusses. Actually it's a nice freewheeling country rock thing with some great echoed guitar lines and a decent tune and certainly visually the best satellite thing for ages. The camera whizzing around above them to make us feel that bit more queezy.
Stiltskin; Oh God. The grip that adverts had on the charts has relented for some time but they return with this grunting shite. Like 'Only You' by Praise another example of something that worked perfectly well for a couple of bars but doesn't work when stretched out to an entire song. Painfully indebted to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' but with all of the fun removed, it sounds just like one of the key lines in the song; like a big, sweaty, ugly bloke falling on top of you. What a performance too. Kicking a stand over at your age? But No.1 it will be. Maybe the nice girls in the advert swung it.
I said I would not use the term but I will here; Thank God for Britpop!!!!!
Evan Dando; Simon goes Tony and Mark with a brief interview with a gauche (or maybe bored) Evan Dando. An 'acoustic version' on an electric guitar, he does a really good performance of one of his sweetest songs. Highlight of the show for me.
Tony Di Bart; Ah. Now in shades so edging towards tosser but not quite because he still comes over as a thoroughly nice chap who's come up trumps. Don't like the song much and I'd rather hear Yvonne Elliman's take on the song's subject matter if I had to hear hers while being on a tube train invaded by pigeons but it's hard to mock him. He only gets one week at the top which is not what some others with long hair and linen clothes will be restricted to.
'The Real Thing' followed by 'The Real Thing' which must be a first.
Mic - re Quo - down down got to number 1
DeleteThanks Charlie, yes forgot that made No.1!
DeleteI've added a bit to the 13/03/80 posts
ReplyDeleteI looked already on there, and my posts for that show were already posted the first time round, and nothing much has changed regarding my opinion of that show. Still love The Dooleys intro to the show!
DeleteWell we have a right mix on the show tonight...reggae, r&b, metal, rock, country and some devilish crap from Status Quo. There really is something for everyone.
ReplyDeleteKicking off with the 39th best selling single of 1994 from CJ Lewis. A piece of reggae/pop that sounds great every summer and has pride of place in my summer playlist. Mum can sing along too to the "sweet" hook.
How good were THE CRANBERRIES? Dreams their best tune? Dolores has a poorly knee so let's cover her in dry ice so she has to stand up! Best in class tonight.
MANCHESTER UNITED FC with a little help from Status Quo! Who said football songs weren't hip and trendy. Have we learnt nothing from "World In Motion". Must have been a slow sales month for this to go all the way. Mind you it worked as Man Utd put 4 past Chelsea to lift the trophy. Nice Cantona joke Mayo.
KILLING JOKE – Miming alert but a a great performance for the metalhead in the house. Not a fan of the tune but I fair play for taking your moment and shining.
"Reach" No not S Club (RIP Paul C) but JUDY CHEEKS with an r&b/pop number that I really liked. Didn't remember this at all but full of energy and a great chorus. Will be checking this one out again.
Was a bit disappointed with this RICHARD MARX number when it started but it grew on me as it went on and I think I enjoyed it in the end.
Levi 501's at the ready it's STILTSKIN with their 15 minutes of fame. Looking like Bono after a heavy night but a brilliant performance of one of 94's stand-out tunes.
EVAN DANDO is on his own and goes all country for "Big Gay Heart". Very dull this one I'm afraid. Not my thing.
TONY DI BART has really just been dragged in off the streets hasn't he? How un pop-star can you get. Liked "The Real Thing" in a club or on the radio and would rather of had this at Number One for 3 weeks than what's to come....
2 UNLIMTED play out sounding the same as always...