Make a cup of tea, put on the 23rd of February 1995 edition of Top of the Pops!
Elastiblur
23-2-95: Presenter: Peter Cunnah
(7) PERFECTO ALLSTARZ – Reach Up (Papa’s Got A Brand New Pig Bag)
Getting tonight's show underway and the song went up one more place.
(17) P.J. & DUNCAN – Our Radio Rocks
The pair are studio regulars by now and this latest song went up two more places.
(9) BON JOVI – Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night (via satellite) (and charts)
Went up two more places.
(13) ELASTICA – Waking Up
Back in the studio with a 'mystery keyboard player' to perform what was to be their third and, sadly, final top 40 hit, and it got no higher.
(ALBUM TRACK) BLUR – Jubilee
The mystery keyboard player makes a quick dash across the studio to perform this thumping track from their number one album, Parklife.
(4) MADONNA – Bedtime Story (video)
At its peak.
(21) DEL AMITRI – Here And Now
In the studio but got no higher.
(NEW) GLAM METAL DETECTIVES – Everybody Up
The cast of Peter Richardson's new BBC2 sketch show are here to perform their theme tune. It was their only hit and it peaked at number 29.
(1) CELINE DION – Think Twice
Back in the studio for her fourth of seven weeks at number one.
(TOTP2) THE STRANGLERS – Go Buddy Go (clip of TOTP 26-5-77) (and credits)
Performing the flipside of Peaches, a number 8 hit from 1977.
2nd of March is next.
ReplyDeleteConsidering he was an actor the presenter’s elocution was dreadful! Particularly annoying then that they didnt show the bands and song titles
Best TOTP for ages!
Perfecto Allstarz - half of it not so much sampled as copied. Love the original song and liked what they did with it. I couldnt understand the presenter’s pronunciation of the band and had to google it…
Pj and duncan - didn’t realise that they had so many hits. Sounded like there was sample in there I couldnt quite recall, but nothing showing up on who sampled
Bon jovi - bog standard
Elastica - brilliant! Similar to no more heroes so can see why the publishers sued…
Blur - don’t remember this one from the album. Loved it though.
Madonna - great song, and great video
Del amitri - bit dull - any other week this would probably have been the highlight
Glam metal detectives - never heard of them, but enjoyed the track. A google showed that they were a comic strip creation - better than bad news!
I love how the lead male on this came on stage in a suit-and-tie, as this was very rare on TOTP, and last chart regulars to come suited like this regularly on TOTP was of course the Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley in the 80s, and Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry in the 70s, but for the 90s the vacancy is still up for grabs for a chart regular, as this Glam Metal Detectives single was indeed their only hit as Angelo points out.
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ReplyDeleteThis episode in February 1995 went out on my 27th birthday, so of course it's got to be a great edition, and boy what a superb start to the show:
ReplyDeleteThe Perfecto Allstarz - somewhat lucky to be back in the studio for another performance of Reach Up, considering they fell to No.9 the previous week, and then back up to No.7 this week, meaning there was three weeks between the two studio performances. Great track, and love the lead on this, looking great in that two piece outfit for my birthday, haha!
Bon Jovi - one of the formats kept from the last era of TOTP pre-1995 was the Live By Satellite section, but now intertwined with the Top 40 chart rundown, whereas before they were two distinct parts of the show. Anyway, this Bon Jovi single I don't remember from the time, but it sounds great, and I love how they are still looking forward to Saturday nights!
Madonna - Good Lord, 39th Top 40 hit? I can't wait for the next 39 if she had that many more to come!
Madonna’s latest compilation is subtitled ‘50 number ones’… (not all in the uk)
DeleteUgh Peter Cunnah was really annoying as a presenter!
ReplyDeleteFun mix of genres tonight though. Perfecto Allstars was everywhere back then catching a clip of the video in the top 10 - it was the most 90s clip you could imagine. Knightmare goes go the rave.
If you imagine Our Radio Rocks is in some kind of singing battle with I'd Rather Jack it makes it a lot more fun.
Bon Jovi - it's fine.
Elastica - Best of the night, my absolute favourite of theirs. Mainly because I fricking hate mornings.
Blur - more Britpop fun, Parklife really was a great album.
Madonna - not my favourite of hers but you can see the blueprints being laid for Ray of Light which was such a great album.
Del Amitri - another album I have a soft spot fora s my friend was really into them and we went to see them live (he accompanied me to Roxette in 94 as long as I went to DA with him but we both enjoyed both!)
I had completely forgotten Glam Metal Detectives til I heard this. Dumb but fun.
Celine - weird how old she looked as a young woman, she looks a lot younger when she gets older
Three new entries inside the Top 30 this week and at peak with no TOTP play, was a sign of the times since the 1991 revamp, where you would not be guaranteed a play on the show if outside the Top 20, and was certainly case in point this week:
ReplyDeleteNo.23 Stevie Wonder - For Your Love
OK, this was not a cover of the famous Yardbirds 1965 song of the same title, but was a superb own Stevie Wonder owned song, and although not played on TOTP this week at peak, we did get to see the video in full the week before on TOTP2 as their new video exclusive.
No.27 EMF - Perfect Day
Long awaited comeback single for EMF since their last hit way back in 1992, but fell to the same fate as Stevie Wonder by not getting a play this week, but was also shown a week before on TOTP2 as one of their chart predictions. This was to be the final year for EMF with two more singles still to come before the end of 1995, one of which got to No.3, so all is not lost at this point.
No.28 Moby - Every Time You Touch Me
Sixth UK single for Moby, with only their debut single in 1991 making the Top 20, reaching No.10 at peak, but this new one in 1995 was brilliant I thought, and deserved a lot better than a peak of No.28 had they got a TOTP play this week.
ter Cunnah presenting and from his level of personality as a lead singer I wasn't expecting much. But my God he was poor. Sometimes I literally couldn't make out what he was saying so lacklustre were his links. Affable but little else. Also I'm really disliking the presentation in general with cameras whizzing around. Is this cameraman's showcase a private function or are the rest of us invited? Some good things on at least.
ReplyDeletePerfecto Allstarz; Great choice of opener but not as much impact as there first appearance. Looking like American Football coaching staff. I prefer the skeletons. The singer still an authorative presence but much prefer her with the dress and the big hair.
PJ & Duncan; Dross. Lost me at the 'Video Killed the Radio Star' reference.
Bon Jovi; A satellite clip so as you'd expect plenty of big lights and Jon's lustrous hair wafting gently about. Not a bad song.
Elastica; Peter does muster some excitement for this performance with its mystery keyboardist. It shouldn't be that much of a mystery. Smugly grinning away just in case anyone still isn't sure by the 2nd verse. It does detract from another great performance though I'll never care for this single.
Blur; Our mystery man now with his band, treating us to a smug, dreary noise.
Madonna; A very arty diversion for Madge which makes up in depth what it lacks in melody. Some very striking and fairly disturbing images particularly near the end.
Del Amitri; Reassuringly pleasing of melody, touching of sentiment and verdant of buggers handles (an Uncle's phrase) the Dels return. Was Del Amitri the name of an associate of the band? Nice song but enjoyed mostly because the camera actually had a rest from showing off for a few minutes. It even focused on the lead singer for several seconds at a time. Also some effort made with the set here with a pleasingly '60s TOTP kaleidoscope effect.
Glam Metal Detectives; Would rather have had Bad News on.
Think Twice; I'm beginning to wonder what my life was like when this first appeared on the repeats. It seems like ages ago and there's still a further 3 editions. Back with a (rather disappointing) mimed performance though she mimes beautifully and a nice touch to put the long haired axemeister way over to the side calling to mind Hank Marvin doing 'Teardrops' with Shakin' Stevens.
Peter right at the end suddenly becomes quite animated as if he's just realised he's been presenting Top of the Pops for the previous 28 or so minutes. Ending with The Stranglers and the ever enjoyable look at a 1977 audience reacting (or not) to punk.
TOTP2
ReplyDeleteThe new video by Weezer was set in the Happy Days Arnolds Cafe run by Big Al Molinaro, and considering Happy Days ended in 1984, there was some very clever superimposing of the new 90s group Weezer over a early 70s edition of Happy Days with a very young looking Richie, and Weezer made a worthy No.12 in the UK with this one called Buddy Holly in June which we will hopefully see soon on the main TOTP.
In Recorded For Recall 1981, I just loved The Passions single I'm In Love With A German Film Star, as I think this was a one-hit wonder, but really resonated and a little surprised it only got to No.25. Joe Dolce's Shaddap Your Face at No.1 was a one hit wonder, and I didn't know it was an American pretending to be an Italian on the video!
Let's get the worst out of the way. Peter Cunnah does a terrible presenting job, shouting into the mic, incomprehensible at times. Awful.
ReplyDeletePERFECTO ALLSTARZ get a second go but the performance is rather dull without the skeleton suits.
A shocking performance from Ant and Dec. "Our Radio Rocks" straight out of the "I'd Rather Jack" songwriting pool. I'd rather have the Reynolds Girls as well. Ant is the world's most unconvincing pop star isn't he.
BON JOE VEE next with a great song but ticket sales have crashed and they're left performing to an empty stadium.
Brit-Pops Golden Couple next with another performance from ELASTICA and then a great album track from BLUR. Lots of fun to be had here with Damon gatecrashing Justine's show.
Terrible link from Peter, 4 Blur awards? Oh dear.
MADONNA does Bjork with the rather fine "Bedtime Story" Nice video as well. Under-rated gem from Ms Ciccone.
Dull AMITRI next with the rather bland "Here And Now"
I remember the GLAM METAL DETECTIVES, I watched the series (although I can't remember anything about it) and I will confess I bought the tune. "Everybody Up" a real literary triumph!!! Only 1 series for these guys though.
Not sure why CELINE bothered turning up to mime and be cut off half way through.