Maybe you're the same as me, you and I are gonna live for the 18th of August 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Top of the Britpops
18-8-94: Presenter: Bruno Brookes
(4) CHINA BLACK – Searching
Getting the show underway and the song was now at its peak.
(10) OASIS – Live Forever
In the studio to perform our 1994 blog title, and number 10 was its peak.
(11) TINMAN – 18 Strings (video) (and charts)
His only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 9.
(18) ETERNAL – So Good
In the studio and the song went up five more places.
(16) SOUNDGARDEN – Black Hole Sun (via satellite)
Their second of six top 40 hits and this was the biggest peaking at number 12.
(8) YOUSSOU N’DOUR feat. NENEH CHERRY – 7 Seconds (via satellite)
Went up five more places.
(22) SOPHIE B. HAWKINS – Right Beside You
Here to perform her biggest hit and it peaked at number 13.
(NEW) BOYZ II MEN – I’ll Make Love To You
Will peak at number 5.
(1) WET WET WET – Love Is All Around (via satellite)
Twelfth of fifteen weeks.
(NEW) ASWAD – Warriors (studio montage) (and credits)
Peaked at number 33.
25th of August is up next.
Chart rundown video - the Tinman video was the highlight of the show for me this week, taking a Nirvana riff and applying their own additions.
ReplyDeleteAlso noted on the chart rundown the Morrissey & Siouxie duet at No.25 which was at peak and was Siouxie's first single in two years and fast running out of singles, but no welcome back to the TOTP studio. Also missing out was Snoop Doggy Dog as a new entry at No.32 with Doggy Dog World as his third single, and would then have nothing until 1996.
Boyz II Men - at last this single arrived, and the following week went to No.1 in the US and stayed there for a staggering 14 weeks from August till the end of November. Good Lord!
Also two songs peaking outside the Top 40 this week for previous chart regulars:
No.69 Everything But The Girl - Missing
The original of the famous single, and this was of course re-released as a remix by the same group the following year in late 1995, getting to No.3.
No.74 Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
Rare flop, but they would be back in November with Crazy which did much better, getting to No.23.
Everything But the Girl have just released a new album.
DeleteSweet emotion was just under 20 years old at that point - originally being released in 1975.
DeleteDid God buy your album as well then, Eternal?
ReplyDeleteSafari slacks chic Trev is back again.
The bloke with the pipes returns as we get another worthy crack at China Black, with the backing vocalists dressed for a milky cocoa and a good book.
First intro vocal crash of the night by Bruno as we see up Liam’s nose. Nice. Note Liam’s mic pointing upwards these early days as opposed to the Lemmy / Status Quo mic positioning in later years. Ah, the days when Bonehead had some hair up top.
Smells like a rip-off by Tinman (See what I did there?). I had no idea Morrissey and Siouxsie released a joint single. Poor old Tony Di Bart’s difficult follow-up to a surprise number one splats midway into the non-mugshots and we don’t get to hear it. Just one more week in the 40 for the lad and then that’s it, as Tony’s other three ‘hits’ peaked between 46 and 66.
Oh dear, early FF for Eternal due to that horrible squeaky noise in the backing track.
Double satellite exclusive next. Not on Kevin Bishop’s watch, I can tell you.
Soundgarden’s entry for last dance at the metal disco, preceded by Trev’s second blabber over the intro vocals.
Stupid astronaut voice effort into the next song, and a real spine-shiverer. Youssou sings the chorus here, unlike on the single when he was ill when it was being recorded, and he must be the first triple-language singer in the same chart song. Unusual garb for Neneh there and no mistake.
A return for Sophie, with very expressive hands, who needlessly mimes half of the song when she gets it all spot on. Very nice fast pace ambient vibe.
What is it about American four-piece barber shop quartet types releasing midtempo waltz-time ballads? Boring.
FF WWW for Aswad getting on the heavy Marley vibe trip for our montage. You can tell Ric’s back.
Cracking episode.
ReplyDeleteExcellent twofer with China Black and one of Oasis's absolute best singles. Quite enjoyed Tinman too.
I like So good, been ages since I heard it. Black Hole Sun one of the last big grunge classics - great stuff.
The show is finally on the Youssou and Neneh train full steam after ignoring it for ages. Love it.
Sophie B H - one that's really grown on me over the years.
Boyz II Men - Not my thing but I appreciate it's a good song.
Blur for Blur vs Oasis before that's even a thing. Both will be entries at #10 as well
Apart from the thing I didn't watch not a duff track, well done Pops!
Hello. Sorry I've been away for a while. Just been busy and not been interested enough in the '94 editions to follow them as closely as before. However I didn't want to miss this edition with some fine singles on it. I'll try to get back on track with the repeats.
ReplyDeleteChina Black; I'm glad I didn't completely miss this favourite single from these repeats. One of the best examples of reggae's dominance in '93/'94. I just think it's a hugely touching song, beautifully arranged and sung. I'd forgotten what an astonishing falsetto the guy had. Also for years I thought the backing singers sang "I found a woman who loves you" which would give it the feel of a dating agency but that's such a great single. Perfect summery start to the show.
Oasis; Back again with their ultimate anthem though strangely not quite as authoritative a performance as their debut one for 'Shakermaker'. For me, even at their best, they were a poor man's La's (that's still pretty good) but enjoying seeing them here. Fond memories of a time when they crept into most conversations in the Uni refectory.
Tinman; A bit of rock / rave and no need to think too hard to realise where the rock part came from. Sadly the one posthumous appearance of Nirvana themselves, from 'MTV Unplugged', won't get a showing and a major part of '94 rock will be missing. Good single and video though. Did anyone else think the young bloke mouthing the words looked a lot like Ed Sheeran?
Eternal; So...ok. Always good to see them though. Louise pulled a surprised expression at one point. It looked to me like one of them off camera tried a dance move that didn't quite come off.
Soundgarden; Satellite link part one. Very good to see a live clip of 'Black Hole Sun', nice to be reminded that Britpop certainly wasn't the only guitar sound to occupy the high end of the charts that year. I've always had a soft spot for REM's 'Monster' which is soon to make an appearance. The late Chris Cornell in great voice here.
Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour; A muffled voice announces satellite link part two and we get a classic single performed while the two singers are walking around some big photos of buildings. They're of New York but I had an early childhood flashback to the Iranian Embassy when one of the pictures came into view. The voices sounded a little muffled at times (not as much as Bruno) but that was another highlight of this really fine edition.
Sophie B Hawkins; Bruno in full astronaut guise. Ok. He does realize satellites aren't the same as space stations? Good on him though. He's certainly been stretching the demands of a TOTP presenter since he's come back. Sophie B with another brilliant single of this year which she performs with great gusto and with a range of inscrutable hand gestures. The caption tells us it's her first hit in two years. Um, isn't that normal?
Boyz II Men; Another slow close harmony thing from the Boyz. Pleasant enough. Another protracted burst of oversinging from the oversinging bloke.
Wet Wet Wet; I've been away but they haven't of course. Odd that there was no mention at all of where this TOTP related live performance comes from. Maybe no one could be bothered to tell us by this point. Beside Tommy's drums, a large arrow pointing upwards. God I wish it would point down.
ReplyDeleteThe first Oasis song I liked.was "Live Forever" but as I've said before I prefer their later stuff.
The spotify dodging TINMAN with "18 Strings" and this is a decent dance tune. If I was in Nirvana I would be suing.
A lesser known ETERNAL number next that was So Good to see again.
Grunge not my thing but "Black Hole Sun" is OK. Didn't like this live version at all and I'm not sure how much the crowd surfers were actually listening to it.
Zapping between satellite performances (in a very "isn't this clever" 90s way) for the performance I have been waiting for from YOUSSOU N’DOUR and NENEH CHERRY. Pure bliss.
This is a stunning vocal and a great tune from SOPHIE B. HAWKINS. Loved it in 94 and an absolute joy to hear it again now. "Right Beside You" a proper 90s classic.
Pay attentions All4One. BOYZ II MEN proving how this should be done. "I’ll Make Love To You" a really nice soul ballad.
A bit of Beatmasters remixed ASWAD to fniish up. Another good show.
Did one of Boyz II Men have a walking stick? That's gotta be taking their preppy chic too far.
ReplyDeleteA pity that Morrissey and Siouxsie didn't make it into the studio. By all accounts they loathed each other on first sight. He spends over three pages of his memoir slagging her and her music off. Classy.