Wine, beer and spirits take me down to the 24th of November 1994 edition of Top of the Pops!
Big spender
24-11-94: Presenter: Mark Goodier
(30) CARTER – THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE – Let’s Get Tattoos
Getting the show underway but the song got no higher.
(8) JIMMY NAIL – Crocodile Shoes
Performing his third and final top ten hit, and it peaked at number 4.
(5) LOUIS ARMSTRONG – We Have All The Time In The World (video) (and charts)
His fifth and final top ten hit and it peaked at number 3.
(29) NEW ATLANTIC feat. BERRI – Sunshine After The Rain
In the studio with their second and final top 40 hit, and it went up three more places. But it will be a top ten solo hit for Berri next year.
(15) JAMIROQUAI – Half The Man (via satellite)
Got no higher.
(17) KYLIE MINOGUE – Put Yourself In My Place (video)
Peaked at number 11.
(18) SINEAD O’CONNOR – Thank You For Hearing Me
Here tonight and the song peaked at number 13.
(34) LUTHER VANDROSS – Love The One You’re With
In the studio and the song went up three more places.
(1) BABY D – Let Me Be Your Fantasy (video)
First of two weeks at number one.
(TOTP2) THE SMITHS – This Charming Man (clip of TOTP 24-11-83) (and credits)
Peaked at number 25 in November 1983.
1st of December is next.
TOTP2 26-11-1994 https://we.tl/t-m0xjcVYe5M (yet again no JW commentary)
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, I wonder when the JW commentary will be back? Was there a presenters strike on BBC2 or something?
DeleteIn Recorded For Recall from November 1976, Elton John in his last year of showing his natural hair, or lack of it, before the hat came on in 1977, plus the brilliant Chicago at No.1 with If You Leave Me Now, with only the video available, as they never performed in the TOTP studio.
The video stir sees Joni Mitchell's new video with Seal on backing vocals and joining her in the video, and on The First Time section, Phil Collins appears for the first time solo on TOTP in 1981 without Genesis with In The Air Tonight, and was quite impressive, and then on World Hits, Jaki Graham gets into the Australian Top 5 with Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody with a new black & white video.
as these are ex-archive copies, I wonder if the BBC did not store them properly. All of the ones with missing commentary have said BBC Post Production at the start.
DeleteI must say it does seem quite odd, as I don't remember any of these episodes having missing commentary at the time in 1994 and 1995 when I watched most of them.
DeleteJimmy Nail - first single for two years since Ain't No Doubt was No.1 in the summer of 1992, I wasn't so convinced by this new one for 1994, but it was just about palpable and clearly popular with public to get to No.4, and final Top 10 hit.
ReplyDeleteChart rundown - did anyone spot Boyz II Men straight in at No.20 at peak position, with not a TOTP play in sight, as the second video slot went to Kylie Minogue this week, only just ahead of them at No.17. On Bended Knee ended up going to No.1 in America for Boyz II Men a couple of weeks later, dislodging their own No.1 of 14 weeks called I'll Make Love To You. The Beastie Boys at No.27 also missed out on a fully play, as they were also at peak this week on the chart rundown. 70s icons Roger Taylor at No.32 and David Essex at No.38 also missed out on a TOTP appearance in the 90s.
New Atlantic ft Beri - was Beri the pretty lead singer covered up clothing wise, as her backing dancers seemed to have lost their clothing before coming on stage, as certainly those bare legs were just amazing and more eye candy following the Michelle Gayle and backing dancers in recent shows, so keep em coming. Yum!
Kylie Minogue - seems to be going the same way with clothing below the waist slowly coming off through the video and a bit more subtly than New Atlantic unclothed downstairs from the very start of their single.
8-6-78: Presenter: Noel Edmonds
ReplyDelete(2) JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – You’re The One That I Want (and charts)
(13) MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND – Davy’s On The Road Again
(18) DAVID SOUL – It Sure Brings Out The Love In Your Eyes (video)
(10) PLASTIC BERTRAND – Ça Plane Pour Moi (with Legs & Co)
(56) LINDISFARNE – Run For Home
(23) THE ROLLING STONES – Miss You (video)
(27) BROTHERHOOD OF MAN – Beautiful Lover ®
(24) GOLDIE – Making Up Again
(NEW) MAXINE NIGHTINGALE – (Bringing Out) The Girl In Me
(30) GUY MARKS – Loving You Has Made Me Bananas ®
(51) AC/DC – Rock ‘N’ Roll Damnation
(1) BONEY M – Rivers Of Babylon ®
(25) FATHER ABRAHAM & THE SMURFS – The Smurf Song (and credits)
David Soul - could have sworn the lady in the video was the same one as in the Silver Lady video from the previous year 1977.
DeletePlastic Bertrand - hmm this strobe effect performance was way ahead of its time, as you wouldn't have so many flashes and moving cameras to that extent in the 70s, but didn't Legs & Co look really tasty in those outfits?
Lindisfarne - now that's more like it, a sort of theme for the whole year, it was in the top end of the charts for ages in mid-1978, and still love it to this day. There's a grainy outdoor video that has survived and sometimes shown on the music video channels, but the TOTP studio performances are second to none.
Seems only Brotherhood of Man was edited out to squeeze the programme down to 30 minutes for the BBC4 schedules.
It's been good to see Noel Edmonds be so heavily featured in these repeat re-runs. Strange that Tony Blackburn has only had one so far I think. Hopefully Paul Burnett (1 of a few) and Ed Stewart (1 of 1) will also feature. Still nothing from 1976.
DeleteShedding the school teacher suit and tie seems to have made Noel more cool and relaxed. He may have just left the Breakfast Show and sensed that he was in his last days on TOTP but he seemed much more casual on this edition. Big collar and less beard and just a little less punning.
Fantastic, extraordinarily eclectic chart rundown to a single already on its way to bulldozing all opposition.
Manfred Mann's Earthband; A third cracking single (that I know of) by a band who you wouldn't expect to have any kind of singles chart career with a name like that. Such is the pop brilliance of the Mann himself though as in earlier times he doesn't take centre stage. Great vocals and brilliant tune and that whimsical keyboard part in the middle is just of those pop moments.
David Soul; Ok but no 'Silver Lady'. Noticeably less Hutch like than in Jan '77.
Plastic Bertrand; Much heard recently so good to see it when newly released. Minimal as it gets but still really fun. Legs & Co backing him up and I was watching them far more than him I must confess.
Lindisfarne; An unusual case of Noel crashing an intro though to be fair he didn't get much time to say anything. As you'd expect he crashes with some panache but still frustrating as this single has one of the most glorious, sweeping intros I can think of. I never tire of hearing this single. Love Alan Hull's shades and Simon Cowe with about a 20th of the hair volume he sported when on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' in '71. I said before that I have the faintest memory of seeing 'Run For Home' on TV at the time but can't place where. All I recall was lots of facial hair and them lit but everything else being dark. Anyway thanks BBC4 for showing this again.
The Rolling Stones; A very of its time performance (no pun intended) video rich with '70s transatlantic fuzziness. 'Miss You' still sounds great and Jagger starting his pulling curiously exaggerated expressions at the camera period.
Goldie; No Brotherhood of Man so to a group who are far from the Goldie I've heard of. Know the tune however and I liked it. Singer sounding a bit like Simon Climbie and looking a little like James Blunt.
Maxine Nightingale; Good to see her though not as great as her big hit.
Guy Marks; Just when you think '78 couldn't perplex you any more.
AC/DC; Seen a few times before and not a fan but good to see them in their first period of success. Like also how affable and un poseur like Bon Scott seems in this performance. Note absence of Noel punning at the start despite being a band name which offers huge and obvious Noel pun opportunities.
Boney M; But we get a corker from him at the end. "Rivers of Babylotion". That made me laugh at loud! Heard it a million times but still like it. Bobby delightfully doing entirely his own thing throughout.
Play out; The hypnotic interconnecting squares on top of the usual lights helped me to ignore what was on.
Good to have Carter back. The dancing is a bit weird, but fun.
ReplyDeleteCrocodile Shoes was a song I hated with a fury at the time. It's not AS bad as I remember, but nor is it good.
What advert was Louis A in again? Guinness?
Dory - This week you could really feel the absence of Breakers. So many possibilities as you mention.
New Atlantic and Berri - solid cover version in the Maxx vein. I think Berri came from Grimsby or Cleethorpes, I seem to remember a lot of hometown hero press coverage at the time.
Jamiroquai - Lordy what a racket with no tune. No wonder no one ever remembers this track. They've had and will have much better.
Kylie - such an underrated song and good video but she was only presenting a couple of weeks ago, could she not have squeezed in a cheeky pre record in the studio?
Sinead - I really like this one, especially when the beat kicks in.
Luther V - zzzz
Baby D - Classic tune that still gets played a lot.
I think we get Roxette back next week (or else the week after) so very much looking forward to that. Can't believe 1994 is almost over though! Guess it flies by when several episodes get redacted.
Rad, correct re Louis Armstrong. Iy was used in a Guinness Ad.
DeleteSwitching to sort of Dory mode for a mo (sorry, Dory!) I'd never seen Kylie's enigmatic video before - probably too tired or preoccupied at the time to watch after making the 60-mile train journey home from a crap job - and was intrigued to see it. As I mentioned elsewhere, I forgot how good this slinky track was.
DeleteLooking on Wikipedia it was apparently a real trial to shoot with much discomfort for Kylie to have to endure. Worth the trouble though as it is a stunning visual experience just as great as the single.
DeleteRad, correct ITV region for Berri but wrong end... according to her web page she's from York.
DeleteCarter usm - good start. I think the boy dancers were ironic - other half enjoyed them
ReplyDeleteJimmy nail - hated this at the time, now I only find it boring
Louis armstrong - presume this was used in an advert, or was it just a revival in an 007 year…?
New atlantic - this us one tgat still gets played these days. Touch of I feel love in that backing.. didn’t realise that it was a cover version until other halk told me
Jamiroquoi - never liked him and this didn’t change my mind
Kylie - don’t remember this at all. Mind you, not very memorable - only the video kept me from the FF button ;)
Sinead - didn’t hear her for long…
Luther VanDROSS - dreadful cover!
“Yo Ladies” starts Luther, clearly still way in the closet at this stage.
ReplyDeleteCarter very lucky to get on with a non-mover, despite what it says in the non-mugshots. Jim Bob’s jumper made me hungry for a packet of refreshers. None of those unnecessary dancers appeared to have a tattoo. Just saying. Shame CUSM end their studio career with probably their weakest hit yet, with just two mid-30’s placings remaining. Thanks for the fun, lads.
Aled Jones is back in the form of Jimmy Nail, shown in filmic quality on a smaller ‘arty’ screen setting.
Didn’t know until tonight the title of Louis’s hit is the last line James Bond says in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” just as his wife is assassinated.
Non-mugshots: I wonder why we didn’t hear 20 Fingers and Gillette? “Short Dick Man”… obviously not the best a man can get. See what I did there? This will be re-recorded with a less smutty title and peak higher (ahem).
No mention by Mark of Berri prior to shite cover version number one, shitting all over Elkie Brooks and Donna Summer simultaneously.
Jamiroquai follows with boring acid jazz ballad “Half The Man Half The Biscuit”.
I forgot how good Kylie’s hit was. Very strange white face make-up before… you saucy minx!
Sinead O’Connor must have a trailer in the car park by now. Dreadful repetitititite shite. How did that make the top 20?
“You only get the best on this show” says Mark between two complete turds. Luther with shite cover version number two.
Klaxon and glow stick ahoy! Baby D with a deserved chart topper.
We finish with who were my fave band at the time. I missed this on TOTP first time round while enduring a dull evening in a pub with some of my classmates at polytechnic. That last word of the sentence ages it completely.
Big new entries this week for Pearl Jam and Janet Jackson but we get a rather unremarkable CARTER tune to open the show. "Let’s Get Tattoos" directed at the male dancers who don't appear to have any?
ReplyDeleteJIMMY NAIL with a better performance of "Crocodile Shoes" and then LOUIS ARMSTRONG is in the charts? Do we have an advert to blame for this one. Super-quality record and a hastily put together video for "We Have All The Time In The World" Celine Watch: Up 6 to Number 22. And Short DxxK Man at Number 21 (or short, short man as the R1 version had it).
Forget Baby D, Berri should have been number one (here in her New Atlantic phase, although if you can tell the difference between this and the solo version next year I will be very impressed).
One of my all time favourite summer tunes. Good job it's 28degrees+ outside.
Didn't recall this JAMIROQUAI tune and I now know why. Just very very dull.
No idea why the Indie-KYLIE phase gets so trashed as she had some amazing tunes in this period including "Put Yourself In My Place". WOW for the video as well.
Probably took SINEAD all of 5 minutes to write the lyrics for "Thank You For Hearing Me" but it's a rather fine, haunting tune. I like it.
LUTHUR goes gospel for his version of "Love The One You’re With". Preferred the Bucks Fizz version myself.
Good Lord, everyone is up to date!
ReplyDeleteNot as good as the previous edition but a classic '90s No.1 and two quiet masterpieces that don't get enough play nowadays. This year has got so original and exciting that even the poor stuff is worth watching. Mark the aging mod his usual cheery self and serious when the moment requires.
ReplyDeleteCarter USM; Jim Bob looks a sweetie in his jumper and it's good that him and Fruitbat are still around at this point. Good fun and the oily dancers gyrating to it is a brilliant piece of piss taking, particularly when two of them bump into each other and have a pretend argument.
Jimmy Nail; Returning with 'Crocodile Shoes' which I wasn't looking forward to hearing again but I found that rather charming. Characterful and the character this time not being a miserable sod. Some interesting instrumentation. Clarinet and pedal steel. I was trying to make out who was playing the latter. It looked like guitar legend Albert Lee. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a master of that instrument as well.
Louis Armstrong; From the Guinness ad which I think was the one where the camera goes microscopically through a full pint glass and back out to go back in again. Or something. Sorry not enough time to put it better, ha ha. Brilliant of course. Is there a single person in pop more utterly one of a kind than this man. Love the guitar lines on this. The images oddly humdrum for such a dreamy song.
Anyway reminders of arguably the greatest innovator in pop music history is all very nice but I'm off to have a listen to 'Short Dick Man' as soon as this post is finished!
New Atlantic feat. Berry; Hmmm. A bit of a tune taken and plastered over a dance beat with some other bits that sound familiar. 'Sunshine After The Rain' (Elkie Brooks, Denise Johnston) is a near unbearably poignant outpouring of sorrow and they just take the chorus and turn it into a throwaway dance hook. It was bouncy and probably sounded novel at the time but this is going to catch on.
Jamiroquai; By satellite from Paris with 'Half The Man'. Put the big hat back on then if you feel that way. He still has his old image around his neck but the tunes have danced away for the time being.
Kylie Minogue; It would be wonderful if the figure in the astronaut suit was Kylie, back in after presenting the show a fortnight before. It was more likely someone from the production crew but that was a funny intro to a single that never gets enough attention. Weightless and seductive with a killer chorus, incredible that 'Put Yourself In My Place' failed to even make the Top 10. The video clearly based on the opening sequence to 'Barbarella' and Kylie would've been an immediate choice to be the lead if 'Barbarella 2' had been proposed. She looks gorgeous here. I love the moment where she sets off the smoke to hide herself from the leering astronauts. Not to mention a humourously phallic spaceship. She really had come into her own at this point. Should've been another Top 3.
Sinead O'Connor; Another very spacey sound but with a very different tone. I well remember this being out, a hypnotic, glowering presence on the radio in late '94 and it did get a lot of airplay. The moment where she launches into the first repeat of, "Thankyou for staaaaaying with me!" with audible fury is for me probably the most cathartic pop moment of the whole year. I love how the predominantly female audience really seemed to get into it especially the girl just off to the side of the stage swaying dreamily on her own. Another marvellous TOTP moment.
Luther Vandross; From Sinead's shattered declaration of independence we come to a song that you could say isn't the most empathetic of relationship numbers. Classic tune though impressively reworked by Luther and his gospel chorus.
Baby D; Finally a class single at the top, maybe the best dance chart topper since '3am Eternal'. Something really melancholy about it. They should perform it in the studio as she's clearly ok with candles.
Four candles?
DeleteJust discovered that Baby D were set up by a production firm / record company founded by that Phil Fearon out of Galaxy and the singer was in said troupe.
Following Mic's very measured and accurate critique of the New Atlantic / Berri track, it made me ponder.
ReplyDeleteI guess it all depends on (a) whether you're ancient enough like me to remember the original or previous hit version of a song and prefer that, (b) whether you haven't heard the original version and like the new track you've just heard, or (c) heard the original but prefer the direction taken by the reworking.
The best example of option (c) for me was The Futureheads' cover of "Hounds Of Love" which I thought was fantastic and loved more than Kate Bush's version.