tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post3571374684339107671..comments2024-03-28T10:45:51.725+00:00Comments on Never Forget ~ Top of the Pops 1995: Top of the Pops so Close to MeAngelohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16090709386124664912noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-64662527039921210512015-10-11T22:41:28.450+01:002015-10-11T22:41:28.450+01:00thanks for the upload here but i am having problem...thanks for the upload here but i am having problems seeing it how do i get into dropbox" is it available on say utube?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-2633786010442854742015-10-10T12:56:29.206+01:002015-10-10T12:56:29.206+01:00My guess is that whoever at the BBC is doing the e...My guess is that whoever at the BBC is doing the editing out of parts of the show, such as the Russ Abbott harmless intro, I can only put it down to the next generation coming through now, and allowed to work in the BBC vaults, who were born in the 80s and after, and would not remember 70's & 80's music, and the editing is a jealousy of the freedoms enjoyed by the public then, which are no longer available to the next generation, so instead of enjoying things as there were then, they are trying to hide them from us.<br /><br />My preference is that the BBC has someone over 45 for the job of the TOTP repeats, who would remember the 80s music and tv comedians of the time, and I think you would see a different result with no editing!Doryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718769648375882927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-36479032310788943552015-10-10T00:36:05.751+01:002015-10-10T00:36:05.751+01:00If they can show Johnathan King., a convicted sex ...If they can show Johnathan King., a convicted sex offender, why can't they show Russ Abott's<br />Intro? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-87977350113319841282015-10-09T07:18:23.198+01:002015-10-09T07:18:23.198+01:00i remember in the early days of "the tube&quo...i remember in the early days of "the tube" that at one point shalamar (and their backing band) appeared almost weekly with live renditions of songs from their "friends" album - i remember being impressed at the time, and that was probably a good reason why they had several hits from the album...wilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-72213546284585620902015-10-09T07:14:29.983+01:002015-10-09T07:14:29.983+01:00i seem to remember that the police had some kind o...i seem to remember that the police had some kind of reunion in 1986 and decided for some strange reason to re-record "don't stand do close to me", and then the night before the session stewart copeland broke a finger or something and couldn't play drums so they used a drum machine instead. which rendered the whole thing a pretty redundant exercise in my opinion. however, kudos to them in that when they reformed properly for a tour a few years back, unlike most reuniting once-successful bands they didn't test our patience by writing and releasing new material that everyone knows (including the artists themselves) will never be a patch on the old stuff!wilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-36667723676009649782015-10-09T07:06:06.456+01:002015-10-09T07:06:06.456+01:00you're probably right david, but if you did a ...you're probably right david, but if you did a survey now where you asked people to name five police hits, i doubt very much that would be one of them!wilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-74099138629571462882015-10-08T22:39:04.226+01:002015-10-08T22:39:04.226+01:00Dory, I hope you have complained formally to the B...Dory, I hope you have complained formally to the BBC against this incessant editing. It's wholly disrespectful to the intelligence of licence payers.Witheringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316567572591717140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-52024927984316195132015-10-08T18:16:20.845+01:002015-10-08T18:16:20.845+01:00Arthur thanks for that...yes, and what a great son...Arthur thanks for that...yes, and what a great song that Song for Europe finalist was - I have the original by Paris (featuring Ian Bairnson's guitar) and the two versions compare very nicely.sct353https://www.blogger.com/profile/15640119850898956884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-49747198228688035962015-10-08T11:20:17.533+01:002015-10-08T11:20:17.533+01:00Correct, Leo's flop was "Once In A While&...Correct, Leo's flop was "Once In A While", which sounded a bit too close to "Dreaming " in sound and structure for comfort. "Living In A Fantasy" was his fourth consecutive flop before Leo made the top ten again with a Song For Europe finalist.Arthur Nibblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11547006132533866220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-29301478430894679702015-10-06T23:43:06.948+01:002015-10-06T23:43:06.948+01:00The female lead on Ottowan did look very fertile i...The female lead on Ottowan did look very fertile in that tight green number!Doryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718769648375882927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-1224693054403269082015-10-06T22:42:26.536+01:002015-10-06T22:42:26.536+01:00At the time my friend and I used to sing "kna...At the time my friend and I used to sing "knackers off" instead of "Nabakov", which ironically is what they'd probably do to the old man today.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937581521280389248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-1040043388101353412015-10-06T22:36:21.541+01:002015-10-06T22:36:21.541+01:00Disco lived on in gay clubs in the early 1980s as ...Disco lived on in gay clubs in the early 1980s as Hi NRG.<br /><br />Level 42 make an appearance on TOTP in early 1981 although we're unlikely to see it as it a DLT show. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937581521280389248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-71442643287083291732015-10-06T22:32:21.916+01:002015-10-06T22:32:21.916+01:00I was 12 at the time with blinkered and not very m...I was 12 at the time with blinkered and not very mature tastes and remember very well hating this episode. Smash Hits used to run copies of two charts in their fortnightly editions – the indie chart, and the disco chart, the latter of which embraced, it seemed, all black music, including reggae. My recollection is that everything in this program apart from Split Enz and the Police, but including both Black Slate and Queen, featured in that disco chart that week.<br />Shaky Sladenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-7075390887188425002015-10-06T22:07:34.885+01:002015-10-06T22:07:34.885+01:00Hey everybody I’m back! What do you mean who are y...Hey everybody I’m back! What do you mean who are you? <br /><br />I've been on holiday, then preoccupied with other stuff, but back in time (just) for the return of the BBC4 shows.<br /><br />I have just remembered that during this time I had just started college and had an evening job working in a local supermarket and I’m sure this included Thursdays, so I don’t think I’ve ever seen this or any of the other shows in late 1980 before. <br /><br />The missing link at the start is decidedly odd. Having just viewed this on DropBox it seems perfectly harmless to me too so it is clearly just the BBC being uber-PC not showing a grown man dressed as boy scout. Maybe that’s why we don’t see The Krankies on our screens any more.<br /><br />But it's nice to see Russ Abbott but they could have tried to link his comedy characters into the music a bit more. And while I quite like Leo Sayer but I’m not sure I want to see him doing feeble comedy skits with Mike Read. <br /><br />Black Slate Amigo. I have this single in my collection somewhere, on Ensign Records if I remember correctly, and had forgotten how good it was. Whether it was the band’s idea to dress the lead singer up in a Mexican sombrero or the BBC costume department we shall never know, but I suspect the latter as it is the sort of obvious cliched thing that they would go for in those days. A good tune and the crowd seem to like it, well apart from the bored ones sitting on the bonkettes in the background.<br /><br />Split Enz. Another good tune that I know well but I had forgotten that it had charted back then. They are doing a Showaddywaddy with different coloured suits but with bum freezer jackets.<br /><br />Diana Ross has made a video. Well knock me down with a feather. Not a very good video but it is a video. You can just imagine the director running the idea past Di. “Well basically love you’ll be prancing round a piano while we intercut it with close ups of piano wires and keys”. But it makes a change from the usual thing we see to accompany her songs. This is a strange song with just the same verse repeated 5 or 6 times with no real chorus and no middle eight but a long coda but it works.<br /><br />Ottowan’s DISCO is one of those songs that I want to hate but it is very catchy. Strange performance though, I had to check to make sure it wasn’t speeded up because that was some insane shimmying the female half was doing at the end.<br /><br />Legs and Co dance to Queen. Not bad but this one time I’d like to have seen Freddie and Co.<br /><br />I had a friend who was a massive Shalamar fan who dragged me to one of thier concerts in 1982. They were a stonking live act but Jeffrey Daniel is a better dancer than he is singer as proved by this performance. Their later singles were better including I Can Make You Feel Good and There It Is.<br /><br />You’re lying by Linx is another song that had slipped from my memory. It’s not as instant as Intuition but it’s pretty good. That’s a massive shoulder synth the keyboard player has round his neck. I bet he’s regretting that now, probalby still has whiplash.<br /><br />The Top Ten - They had Randy Crawford on thes how a couple of weeks ago so why don't they show a clip of that insteasd of a still pic?<br /><br />Nice to hear the original of Don’t Stand So close To me which is so much better than the 1986 remix, and a good video too. The problem when a song goes straight in at No 1 is that it can only go one way after that and doesn't get as much exposure as other songs.<br /><br />Of course it’s Luther Vandross doing the vocals for the Change track and very good it is too which is more than can be said for the dancing. It’s saying something when Russ Abbott dressed as Tommy Cooper dressed as Superman looks more cool than Leo Sayer and Mike Reid. I was more distracted by the people in the background who looked more like they were waiting for a bus than being involved in a television broadcast.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937581521280389248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-17794107218995900292015-10-06T18:56:05.656+01:002015-10-06T18:56:05.656+01:00May I add my derision to the already loud chorus h...May I add my derision to the already loud chorus here for Ottawan. I can think of no redeeming features for this dreadful record other than it ends. <br /><br />I didn’t realise Sting was a fan of the Beat? What’s his favourite Beat track I wonder? ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’, ‘Hands off she’s mine’ or perhaps ‘Can’t get used to losing you’ which isn’t a million miles from ‘Can’t stand losing you’….<br /><br />Really liked Split Enz.<br /><br />So what was Leo Sayer’s ‘Going that way’ single? I can’t find it listed anywhere. Perhaps it was actually the Alan Tarney penned, non-charting ‘Once in a while’ which Leo couldn’t even find space for on his Greatest Hits album (although the B Side ‘Living in a Fantasy’ co-written by Alan and Leo did feature). Fortunately Leo wasn’t done with chart success but that’s another year to paraphrase Johnny…..<br />sct353https://www.blogger.com/profile/15640119850898956884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-70993004405706473902015-10-05T23:39:03.038+01:002015-10-05T23:39:03.038+01:00Yeah i have a 30 day copy on my phone. But it'...Yeah i have a 30 day copy on my phone. But it's Steves Sky we need for ArchivingAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16428998125298308921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-28385602103895291282015-10-05T22:27:05.395+01:002015-10-05T22:27:05.395+01:00It could be because Russ says that in the show com...It could be because Russ says that in the show coming up, we won't be grabbed by The Dooleys (which is obviously a take on being 'grabbed by the gooleys'). <br /><br />Anyway Editors, please have a sense of humour and respect for a fine comedian called Russ Abbot who gave us lots to laugh about in the 80s, and yes, some of us still like his fun style of comedy!Doryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718769648375882927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-41505843859630219742015-10-05T22:19:41.038+01:002015-10-05T22:19:41.038+01:00Thanks John G. Also I cannot see any problem with ...Thanks John G. Also I cannot see any problem with it.<br /><br />I would guess that the people at BBC4 responsible for chopping parts of the show like this, are likely to be in the 30-40 age group who were probably only just born in 1980 and do not associate with the TV comedy of the time, and they probably look down at people like Russ Abbot and others with a similar style of comedy, and don't have a sense of humour themselves.<br /><br />Pathetic really, but thanks Neil B for once again bucking the trend and giving us a full picture of the puzzle.Doryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718769648375882927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-7457815560750379052015-10-05T21:07:09.616+01:002015-10-05T21:07:09.616+01:00Somebody (it might well be Neil B) has made the in...Somebody (it might well be Neil B) has made the introductory segment of this show available. Why BBC4 cut it off I don't know, as it looks perfectly harmless to me.<br /><br />https://www.dropbox.com/s/w0mpdkz81sb5oc7/TOTP%2025.09.80.mp4?dl=0John Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-8085622552743771742015-10-05T20:39:18.157+01:002015-10-05T20:39:18.157+01:00I was forced to look up Russ Abbot's single on...I was forced to look up Russ Abbot's single on YouTube (I know, I don't have a life). Not surprised it wasn't a hit - includes the crepe shoe joke!charlie cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09051342047720711857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-65891905985566799072015-10-05T16:18:11.173+01:002015-10-05T16:18:11.173+01:00It's working fine on iplayer, Alan ~
http://w...It's working fine on iplayer, Alan ~<br /><br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06f16q6/top-of-the-pops-25091980<br />Angelohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16090709386124664912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-44641200115347204052015-10-05T00:13:39.193+01:002015-10-05T00:13:39.193+01:00..it should also be pointed out that Don't Sta.....it should also be pointed out that Don't Stand So Close To Me was the best-selling single of 1980, so it was widely liked. David of Stourbridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15702446216315122514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-36129134372435534972015-10-04T23:00:31.699+01:002015-10-04T23:00:31.699+01:00for some unknown reason on sky catchup the late sh...for some unknown reason on sky catchup the late showing for this episode isn't present, Stephen has tried to download the 7:30 one, it keeps failing. All other programs he's tried have downloaded without issue. So it aint Sky or the internet. Can anybody help us out with a copy of this show on 4shared.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16428998125298308921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-70864007863814452012015-10-04T22:54:03.633+01:002015-10-04T22:54:03.633+01:00This feels weird, getting back into the swing of a...This feels weird, getting back into the swing of analysing a proper episode, albeit in truncated form.<br /><br />Mike Read did a good job, with points gained for mentioning the previous week’s non-mugshot positions but a point deducted for thate Cliff impersonation, Russ Abbot was a waste of space, and Leo Sayer had a better hairstyle than Diana Ross and came across as a confident presenter.<br /><br />I wouldn’t say Black Slate were cod reggae, they were probably one step up from Janet Kay-style lovers rock. Fantastic sombrero, mind you – Jamiroquai, eat your heart out! <br /><br />I’m afraid the Legs & Co routine, complete with its costumes, special FX and a song I can’t stand, did nothing for me. Just as bad was the start of the chart rundown, with an awful ‘pic’ for Change and another occasion where the first ‘ten’ stopped at number 20 instead. Even worse was “S-H-I-T-E” by Ottawan.<br /><br />That David Grant did well for himself, didn’t he? Who’d have thought from this show this outing he’d have some decent hits with Linx, a couple of good duets with Jaki Graham, and then become a TV celeb vocal coach?<br /><br />For the record, Leo’s single ‘going that way’ as described by Mike Read was the first of a clutch of complete chart flops. Russ Abbot’s space invader / purple people eater single also stiffed while Hazel O’Connor and Elvis Presley had something in common as their next releases both stalled at number 41.Arthur Nibblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11547006132533866220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-43770198835612880912015-10-04T22:25:55.825+01:002015-10-04T22:25:55.825+01:00yes, i think that's the one - thanks john. but...yes, i think that's the one - thanks john. but in that i think the tragic heroine was sidelined from stardom because she was a bit of a porker, whilst flo was only "fatter" than miss ross in the sense that she had womanly curves and didn't look like a stick insect!wilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.com