There's nothing that I won't do for the 14th of July 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Loosen up
14-7-94: Presenter: Simon Mayo
(28) KILLING JOKE – The Pandemonium Single
Getting the show underway but the song got no higher.
(23) BLACKGIRL – 90’s Girl
Performing their only hit but it got no higher.
(21) MARIAH CAREY – Anytime You Need A Friend (video) (and charts)
Peaked at number 8.
(17) CHINA BLACK – Searching
In the studio with what became their only top ten hit when it peaked at number 4.
(19) HOUSE OF PAIN – On Point
Here tonight but it got no higher.
(NEW) THE THREE TENORS – The Brindisi (video)
From the number one album, The Three Tenors in Concert 1994.
(10) LET LOOSE – Crazy For You
Back in the studio and on their way to number 2.
(NEW) JULIAN COPE – I Gotta Walk
Performing at track from his top 20 album Autogeddon.
(1) WET WET WET – Love Is All Around (via satellite)
Seventh of fifteen weeks.
(14) THE ROLLING STONES – Love Is Strong (studio montage) (and credits)
From their number one album Voodoo Lounge, but the single got no higher.
21st of July is next.
13-4-78: Presenter: Tony Blackburn
ReplyDelete(14) THE BEE GEES – Night Fever (and charts)
(NEW) CHILD – When You Walk In The Room
(10) JOHNNY MATHIS & DENIECE WILLIAMS – Too Much Too Little Too Late
(24) CHIC – Everybody Dance (danced to by Legs & Co)
(NEW) ALAN PRICE – Just For You
(4) SUZI QUATRO – If You Can’t Give Me Love ®
(3) GERRY RAFFERTY – Baker Street (video)
(NEW) DEE D. JACKSON – Automatic Lover
(26) RICHARD MYHILL – It Takes Two To Tango
(NEW) BONNIE TYLER – Here Am I
(17) DR. HOOK – More Like The Movies ®
(41) GENE FARROW – Move Your Body (with Legs & Co)
(7) GENESIS – Follow You Follow Me (video)
(49) RAFFAELLA CARRA – Do It Do It Again
(1) BRIAN & MICHAEL – Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs ®
(29) MICHAEL ZAGER BAND – Let’s All Chant (and credits)
Good to finally get a repeat repeat of the newly octogenarian grinmeister and he does a smooth job. Some great singles on this one. As is the case with this period, a good dose of bewildering crud as well.
DeleteChild; Fabulous start with a sparkling song to a thrilling rundown. Then immediately back to earth with a thud courtesy of Child and a clomping cover of The Searchers classic. The led singer lives up to his band's name by determinedly hogging the limelight and most of the camera whenever he sings. Actually quite enjoyable as no singer seems to ever make eye contact with a TV camera anymore. Tony is caught not quite off camera doing some granddad dancing during this.
Afterwards he does his customary thing of asking the viewers something about the act or the record and here he lets slip that he is realising that the audience aren't really his anymore.
Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams; For Johnny a case of 'From Here To Eternity' with a stop off in White City and Deniece looking very demure. Lovely tune.
Four items in a row are cut including Legs and Co's main routine and a real whisper from the past courtesy of Alan Price. 'Just For You' must've been on every morning for ages on either Terry Wogan or Ray Moore's show as I vividly remember it as a child. Anyway it's not included.
Dee D. Jackson; What is included next however is this marvellously of it's time little item. I'm really sorry for this but a "Phwoaar!" for the singer from me. Fantastic, soaring tune as well and would be a straightforward brilliant love song if it wasn't for the silly robot.
Richard Myhill; TOTP confusing itself with 'Opportunity Knocks' again. They cut out Suzi Quatro's best one for this crap? He looks like a cross between Chris De Burgh and the 'wacky' one from 'That's Life'. The lyrics seemed to be fairly specific but I've no idea what he was rococoing on about.
Bonnie Tyler; Tony makes the Rod Stewart comparison. Maybe he had just been told that he had an unexpected extra half a minute to fill. Song didn't do much for me. Guitarist in dungarees and an archetypal friendly session beardo on bass.
Dr. Hook; Another one that is far less memorable than their biggest hits though my Dad said he remembers it and he stopped following the charts around 1974. This done in the new set that should've had 'Mind Your Head' signs hung everywhere. I didn't know Ray played the guitar.
Gene Farrow; Poor Legs & Co have their routine to the single made for them cut on the shortened edition and feature backing up this rhythmless Travolta wannabe. 'Move Your Body'; They can at least.
Genesis; Love this single and great to see here. An oddly atmospheric video considering nothing much is going on. Phil Collins obviously opted not to try on the 'Lamia' costume or the Fox's head for their new start. He dresses like a schoolboy waiting for his bus. He shakes something unusual and at one point drums silently while he's singing which in its own way is as weird as anything Peter Gabriel ever came up with.
Raffaella Carra; Great name, great hair, great costume. Rubbish record.
Brian and Michael; Aww, no apologies for loving this single. I was two and a half at the time so it's buried deep in there and it's just a fine tune with a perfect lyric. And it opens with the distant sound of kids in a playground. The chorus of prominent collared girls seemed to enjoy it.
Goodbye Tony. Hope to see you again soon. Don't like the outro single much apart from the huge bass.
The Johnny Mathis Deneice Williams duet I most remember as the video, and I didn't know they appeared in the studio with it. On the video the viewer is led to believe that they are in different apartments, and then at the end the camera widens to show that they are actually in the same room at opposite ends talking to each other on the phone!
DeleteWow, didn't like the editing out of four songs in a row in order to shorten a 45 minute show to 30 minutes, but this is modern day BBC reducing our nostalgia. Not sure why they couldn't show the full unedited show on the late night repeat. Why did that also have to be restricted to 30 minutes?
If I am correct, Genesis never performed in the TOTP studio throughout their careers, but only Phil Collins in his solo career parallel to his Genesis career. No doubt someone can confirm if this is correct.
I've just watched the video for 'Too Much, Too Little, Too Late' Dory. Absolutely brilliant! What a great idea, daft as it is. They had opulent studio flats in the '70s didn't they.
DeleteGenesis appeared in the studio I think there times; 'Turn It On Again', 'Abacab' and 'No Son Of Mine'. I don't think any more were made. Apparently they were invited to appear to perform 'I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)' in '74 but they declined. That would've been a pretty extraordinary display if they'd appeared.
Richard Myhill's rubbish purely got into the chart as a novelty - it was the first completely square vinyl record. We were about to enter the world of differently shaped seven-inch singles.
DeleteA stagnant top 3 this week, with All-4-One at No.2 for the third week, and not able to match their 11 weeks at No.1 in America at around the same time as Wet Wet Wet were at No.1 in the UK with Love Is All Around.
ReplyDeleteNot a great show compared with recent weeks, with the show opener Killing Joke with lead singer looking like a present-day Ronnie O'Sullivan in his forties. Good Lord!
Chart rundown - Rolling Stones as a new entry and peak position at No.14, got no play this week on the show, and would miss out completely, apart form the montage tune at the end of last week's show. Also peak position of No.36 and no play for for Diana Ross with double A-side Why Do Fools Fall In Love, and I'm Coming Out. Not sure why this was released again in 1994, after first appearing in the 60's.
Diana Ross was in the publics consciousness after her er, penalty at the World Cup 94.
DeleteLots of songs that have become quite obscure over time tonight.
ReplyDeleteKilling Joke - well I didn't expect them to look like that. They sound like cool if unremarkable rock and they look like very uncool dads. The singer looks like the love child of Gary Davies and Peter Polycarpou.
Blackgirl - don't remember this at all. Still that's what Pops reruns are good for sometimes, reminding you of the random songs as well as the hits.
Mariah - eh. Better than Wet Wet Wet and Take That I guess.
China Black - boy does this throw me right back to summer 94. Great track.
House of Pain - totp making up for pretty much ignoring Jump Around I see. Don't really remember this one, it's fine.
Three Tenors - I feel very uncultured but I don't get the appeal. Just sounds like a right load of noise. /dadmode.
Let Loose - speaking of dad mode, everyone is a bit middle aged tonight, good to see ageism isn't a factor. ;)
And to prove that point here's a truly random exclusive fro Julian Cope. Not his best work but I am kind of digging how eclectic this episode is.
Rolling Stones - really isn't an episode for young people, huh?
Good evening, all!
ReplyDeleteI've got a bit of a left-field video request to make. For context, I've started a community-run YouTube channel for the purpose of archiving media relating to the 80s artist Soft Cell, and in search for high-quality material, I've discovered this website.
I know that most if not all of the TOTP episodes were uploaded in a remastered form formerly to Google Drive and then to MEGA via. the PopScene forums, but I'm curious if the raw unedited videotape to digital transfer video of the episodes they appeared on could be shared?
Here are the dates / songs:
13/08/81 : Tainted Love (rpt 10/09/81)
27/08/81 : Tainted Love
03/09/81 : Tainted Love
03/12/81 : Bedsitter
27/05/82 : Torch
10/06/82 : Torch
19/08/82 : What?
09/12/82 : Where The Heart Is
25/12/82 : Torch (this one especially!)
22/09/83 : Soul Inside
The reason for this is that I would like to restore the clips from the original broadcast in proper 50fps by de-interlacing them with the QTGMC algorithm and make use of various restoration techniques via. AviSynth. I was kindly provided the transfer for them performing at the Old Grey Whistle Test and it proved to be a stellar result!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uPbcuOrE5s
A source I have access to and that I can share with the blog are TOTP and various UK TV performances from the master tapes featured on a box set's DVD (Keychains & Snowstorms), but they have been deinterlaced to 29.97 instead of 50 fps and suffer from severe compression artifacts.
Additionally, if you know of or have access to digital transfers of any Soft Cell material (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, various TV performances, etc.) feel free to share!
Thank you for reading and I look forward to any response!
Eek! A scary looking Julian Cope for starters. That’s nothing, mind.
ReplyDeleteMayo sadly turning into Nicholarse Campbell with all his quips by this stage.
It’s the return of the Goth Anthony Newley, miming the choruses by the sound of it. Talking of sound, imagine how loud Killing Joke must have been in the studio, making Gun from last week sound like a catapult.
Like Lighter Shade Of Brown in the rundown, another un-PC act name for current times as we get Blackgirl with something sounding (and titled) badly dated. Great idea using the ‘sound of stylus hitting scratches’ from the single’s backing in the background – not.
Sound down for the non-mugshots, featuring the first of five hits for North Carolina R’n’B quartet Jodeci (video filmed in a mental asylum a la Bonnie Tyler), Crash Test Dummies with that difficult ‘follow-up to a biggie’ mid-table effort and Abigail’s complete murder of Nirvana’s anthem, luckily at its peak.
Blimey, is my mirror intact after China Black’s vocalist hit those high notes early doors? Overly strong pipes there but a lovely, smooth, mellow song. China Black appeared in a 1990’s pop series giving old chartsters another chance, “Hit Me Baby One More Time”, and I remember the two key members of this outfit had lost touch and needed to be introduced to each other again for their appearance.
Liked Simon’s pronunciation of House of Pain’s name. This didn’t contravene the Trade Descriptions Act – I thought it was painful.
Thirty Quid next with a tune named after that ’heel of Italy’ bit. Loved Jackie Charlton’s grin. Great memory.
I remembered that Let Loose track straight away, a classic of its genre with a good build to a hooky chorus. As stated for a previous episode, though, the singer’s not exactly a male model. Talking of which…
You thought that bloke from Killing Joke looked and sounded scary. Meet Julian. That was an endurance and no mistake.
Satellite, video or studio, it makes no difference. WWW FF FFS.
The Rolling Stones, obviously too big a band for their sliver of Dr Feelgood sounding mouth harp blues to be sullied by something as frivolous as a montage. Perish the very thought.
Oo, is Norman Lamont co-hosting next week as well?
KILLING JOKE with their Demonic David Dickinson frontman play us "The Pandemonium Single". Second time I've found myself enjoying KJ rather more than I though I would. Not my style of music but I think they do a good job.
ReplyDeleteBLACKGIRL with "90’s Girl" doing exactly what is says on the tin. Adding in the audience this brings to 4 the number of black people in the studio. Very Eternal this and very brave to put equilibrium in a pop song.
One of MARIAH's better tunes with the charts, then CHINA BLACK, who came and went quickly. "Searching" is a rather fine song. Proper 90's sound about it. Happily hear this one again and again.
2 in a row next that I will happily never hear again from HOUSE OF PAIN and THE THREE TENORS.
Thank goodness for LET LOOSE. "Crazy For You" becoming a big hit and something worth listening to all the way through.
The Girls face in the audience says it all really about this noise from JULIAN COPE. Then repeated WETS to end the show and this week has been poor.
THE ROLLING STONES bring an end to the end montage and should probably have got a full slot for "Love Is Strong". Not a Stones fan but at least this had a tune.
Awful show.