tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post4739427693754685441..comments2024-03-28T23:09:18.798+00:00Comments on Never Forget ~ Top of the Pops 1995: Addicted to Top of the PopsAngelohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16090709386124664912noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-88986207086571688312018-10-16T09:33:42.390+01:002018-10-16T09:33:42.390+01:00It's Thursday night (OK Tuesday morning)
It...It's Thursday night (OK Tuesday morning)<br />It's Live (or was)<br />It's Top of the Pops <br /><br />Janice introduces the fabulous Spirit In The sky <br />All in white this week and creepy girls still in tow.<br />Does anyone remember the Gareth Gates and The Kumars version? Thinks it's much funnier than it actually is,,<br /><br />Robert Palmer up next. Nice video☺<br />As a kid I used to have a belt that was identical to the stripy guitar strap.<br />The full version of this song is over 6 minutes long, no wonder it gets faded out on the radio. <br />Did JP just call him a dick head? Ouch.<br /><br />Oh look another old song back for more in 86. Real Thing do a good job with this one. Nice song.<br /><br />Breakers :<br />Nu Shooz. Such a fan of this song. Don't recall the video but the song has aged well. Still gorgeous. <br />Cash flow. What rubbish is this. Naff song. Naff video. Oh dear. <br /><br />Tears For Fears. Charity alert. Time to Run The world and play spot the celebrity. Bob and Midge NOT funny boys.<br />Note that the non Barry Hearne managed snooker stars avoided the novelty record and are on this instead. <br /><br />Peelie gets his little dance in as we get to the highlight of the show. Sinful. Great song. Still sounds fab today. Nice use of Nuns. <br />Taking their dance moves from the Medics girls.<br /><br />Chicken Song STILL number one..<br /><br />Another chance to see Sledgehammer. Nice.<br /><br />Great show, happy. Of to work now...<br /><br />Morgiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959948878421433865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-56798313048737754082018-10-09T10:06:57.914+01:002018-10-09T10:06:57.914+01:00kirk stephens' star was already on the wane at...kirk stephens' star was already on the wane at this point, as he was allowing his hard-living coke-snorting sleb lifestyle to get the better of his once-very promising career. a similar thing happened to another of snooker's golden boys tony knowles, who i once noticed was standing at the urinal next to mine in the toilets of a local nightclub when he was in town for a tournament. and it was quite clear he'd had a jug or three, as he briefly animatedly chatted with me as if i was the star and he was a nobody!wilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-65341652004929244112018-10-08T23:52:44.934+01:002018-10-08T23:52:44.934+01:00Ay! Ay! Calm down our kid! It’s TOTP chock full of...Ay! Ay! Calm down our kid! It’s TOTP chock full of Scousers, backing women taking your mind off the acts, and dreadful remixes.<br /><br />Doctor and The Medics are a fine show starter, with the singing unicorn backed by one dancer who stops to chat to her cohort early doors, forgets the routine and laughs it off.<br /><br />Wonderful miming by the drummer in Robert Palmer’s video! How did she get to play the bass drum at that angle while I’m at it? She probably refused to mime properly as she was unhappy about being lumped at the bank and hardly visible.<br /><br />How ironic, The Real Thing with a second facsimile rehash of an old hit. What had Chris done to his hair? Bring back your extravagant hat, sir!<br /><br />Nu Shooz sounded different to me. Was that the original recording instead of the hit remix version? <br /><br />Cashflow with a complete and utter rip-off of “I Found Loving”. Despicable.<br /><br />Followed by a horrible reworking of Tears For Fears’ track. Duncan Goodhew lived for a while in the West Sussex village of Yapton, where they named a new cul-de-sac in his honour following his Olympic gold medal.<br /><br />Pete Wylie accompanied by a mugging drummer and a scoreline of Nuns three Bassists nun, er, none!Arthur Nibblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11547006132533866220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-67794416069658963282018-10-08T15:50:27.763+01:002018-10-08T15:50:27.763+01:00Surely that's (the very topical) Zoe Ball in t...Surely that's (the very topical) Zoe Ball in the checked trousers during the final link?? Anyone want to confirm this?Mikey Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-19389493782098599202018-10-07T18:08:27.494+01:002018-10-07T18:08:27.494+01:00If you want to see the Sledgehammer video redone, ...If you want to see the Sledgehammer video redone, only crap, here's an ad you may recall:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nE57Tsmob0THXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-8426256401702825682018-10-06T19:54:19.638+01:002018-10-06T19:54:19.638+01:00Thanks Dory...interesting. Thanks Dory...interesting. sct353https://www.blogger.com/profile/15640119850898956884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-68232774188550159172018-10-06T19:37:15.845+01:002018-10-06T19:37:15.845+01:00P.S. Fixx lead singer Cy Curnin's real name i...P.S. Fixx lead singer Cy Curnin's real name is Cyril John Curnin. Along with members of The Alarm, Squeeze and Stray Cats, he actively supports the charity Love Hope Strength Foundation. He currently resides in France's Loire Valley.Julie Joanne Bevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480391445628307945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-68575621077640058282018-10-06T19:32:46.586+01:002018-10-06T19:32:46.586+01:00I suppose we all hear things differently. When I ...I suppose we all hear things differently. When I first heard the Fixx single on the radio, I found myself imitating one of the models in Mr Palmer's video.Julie Joanne Bevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480391445628307945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-75264063937645960382018-10-06T17:15:08.617+01:002018-10-06T17:15:08.617+01:00You may find this article interesting about the gi...You may find this article interesting about the girls in the Robert palmer video being interviewed in 2013, including Julie on keyboards:<br /><br />https://www.noblemania.com/2013/07/the-girl-in-video-addicted-to-love-1986.htmlDoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718769648375882927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-72769580907431700522018-10-06T17:01:53.011+01:002018-10-06T17:01:53.011+01:00Well I enjoyed this one so much (no1 aside) that I...Well I enjoyed this one so much (no1 aside) that I watched it through twice!! Great hosts and a great set of songs and videos.<br /><br />Dr and the Medics – Spirit in the Sky – I just find this an amazing cover of this 1970 hit and the routine of the band sells it so well. What a great start.<br /><br />Robert Palmer – Addicted to love – Certainly one of the most iconic videos ever made and one of my favourites (was the drummer wearing a mini dress btw?). I am with JohnG on the keyboard player (Julie Pankhurst btw) being my favourite. On the 1986 feature show, three of these ladies appear and tell the story, and also recount that they received no negative comment from women about. Where were the other two (Patty Kelly and Kathy Davies)? One other point to note, the same models were used in the equally good video for the follow up ‘I didn’t mean to turn you on’ which is where the picture in the chart rundown is taken from. <br /><br />The Real Thing – Can’t get by without you – The second great tune of theirs remixed from 1976 and it has aged so well. <br /><br />Breakers – Nu Shooz – I can’t wait. Not sure why it’s not ‘New Shoes’ but it’s one of those harmless songs that is unlikely to feature in anyone’s ‘Top 10’, so as Dory points out, how on earth did it sell so well? Cashflow – Mine all mine – When I was in Tenerife later in 1986, the club ‘Chaplin’s that I frequented used to play a segued mix of this into ‘I found lovin’. I have fond memories of this track for that alone.<br /><br />Tears for Fears – Everybody wants to run the World – Hard to find on CD this mix is; as Noax notes, it’s on the ‘Now 1986’ compilation (along with many other gems from 1986). The version used was formerly known as the ‘Urban mix’ and came out alongside the original release in 1985 , but here obviously the lyrical overdubs have been applied. Wonderful memories seeing all those well-known sports stars from the era (along with some try harders!). Kirk Stevens is certainly a snooker player I had forgotten about.<br /><br />Pete Wylie – Sinful! – Exclamation marks again! Josie Jones does play on the record so good to see her here. This studio performance is very good with the storming instrumental break intact – has anyone seen a complete video where this is not edited out? Agree with JP, this should have been no1, but not sure I’d visit everyone’s kitchen in a windy fit when it didn’t!<br /><br />Spitting Image – The Chicken Song – The usually non-opinionated commentary in the Guinness Book of number one singles comments “…the musical contributions are often the lowlight of the evening (on Spitting Image). The Simply appalling ‘Chicken Song’ was written by …..”. My thoughts entirely. Another one in the ‘Jack your Body’ category albeit for different reasons. FF<br /><br />Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer – With Genesis in with ’Invisible Touch’ we have two related records in the chart at the same time, both of which topped the US charts in consecutive weeks. <br />sct353https://www.blogger.com/profile/15640119850898956884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-56240415599446173862018-10-06T12:13:17.148+01:002018-10-06T12:13:17.148+01:00have to agree with thx - i can't really see an...have to agree with thx - i can't really see any resemblance to "addicted to love" at all. the fixx were very similar to wang chung in that their somewhat bland brand of synth pop wasn't really appreciated in their own country, so had to go further afield to find an audience. i remember the singer's name being cy, but still have no idea if it was short for cyril or not. or how it should have been pronounced?wilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-3976936365323076342018-10-06T11:47:00.804+01:002018-10-06T11:47:00.804+01:00The drums are the same, but I wouldn't say it ...The drums are the same, but I wouldn't say it made me think of Addicted to Love very much, to be honest.THXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-23346808227519886512018-10-06T11:02:14.942+01:002018-10-06T11:02:14.942+01:00The same month 'Addicted To Love' stormed ...The same month 'Addicted To Love' stormed the hit parade, British new wave band The Fixx - who were much more popular in the USA and Canada than at home - released THIS single:<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZciNthNnDA<br /><br />It is in the same key, and is rhythmically very similar, particularly in relation to the guitar part. Does this not make you think of the Palmer smash?Julie Joanne Bevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480391445628307945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-53224638786251492092018-10-06T09:36:57.537+01:002018-10-06T09:36:57.537+01:00It's interesting that BBC4 didn't edit out...It's interesting that BBC4 didn't edit out that 'breaking wind' comment, considering they edit out less shocking stuff on other editionsDoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718769648375882927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-83188664974485659622018-10-05T23:26:36.383+01:002018-10-05T23:26:36.383+01:00Did John Peel arrive at anyone's house and bre...Did John Peel arrive at anyone's house and break wind in their kitchen back in '86, as a matter of interest?THXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-2971343132933002032018-10-05T21:34:34.922+01:002018-10-05T21:34:34.922+01:00Although I thoroughly enjoyed the Jeremy Thorpe dr...Although I thoroughly enjoyed the Jeremy Thorpe drama, the actor who played David Steel looked and sounded nothing like him, which is a bit of a drawback when you are playing a distinctive politician...John Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-11419068868378101262018-10-05T21:01:14.660+01:002018-10-05T21:01:14.660+01:00Well it certainly was magic for them in Britain, g...Well it certainly was magic for them in Britain, getting to No.2. Although I remember Nu Shooz with this single, I certainly don't remember them getting as high as No.2. Good Lord!Doryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718769648375882927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-18867265466152113902018-10-05T18:13:42.520+01:002018-10-05T18:13:42.520+01:00Peelie was highly entertaining on this edition, th...Peelie was highly entertaining on this edition, though Mr. Hurll obviously didn't agree sadly.<br /><br />Dr & The Medics - See my commments on a previous thread for exactly what I think of it!<br /><br />Robert Palmer - ditto!<br /><br />The Real Thing - After the previous 2, this is actually something of a relief. A pointless remix again, but less offensive than the previous one.<br /><br />Breakers - Nu Shooz with a brilliant song, Cashflow with one so bland I'd forgotten it almost immediately afterwards.<br /><br />Tears For Fears - Here's something that almost certainly wouldn't have been seen at all since 1986 and there's so much to dissect -<br /><br />Why Carl Lewis and Peter Ustinov? Were no UK sports personalities available to speak on camera?<br /><br />Why is Duncan Goodhew seemingly diving into a children's pool?<br /><br />Why are well known Scotsman Midge Ure and well known Irishman Bob Geldof pretending to play with the England football team? (they might have matched the footage better if they'd let Midge and Bob have a kickabout on a gloomier day!)<br /><br />The song appears on the CD only compilation NOW 86 which I had to get a copy of for my collection even though the TFF track is the only one I don't own on other compos!<br /><br />Pete Wylie - It is very good and probably more deserving of No.1 than Dr & The Medics but it wasn't a massively charismatic performance by Pete here which probably didn't help its cause. Not sure if he was deliberately being moody but he was holding his arms in a very odd way.<br /><br /><br />Noaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790474836630218113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-41682447672085557322018-10-05T14:11:42.985+01:002018-10-05T14:11:42.985+01:00THX, it appears Mr Shooz doesn’t, er, appear in th...THX, it appears Mr Shooz doesn’t, er, appear in the video at all. <br /><br />“I Can’t Wait” had a very roundabout route to becoming a hit. Nu Shooz were initially rejected at every turn in America. The single was released independently, somehow it reached The Netherlands, where it was re-mixed and then imported back to the USA on a different label, and Atlantic liked what they heard and signed them up.Arthur Nibblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11547006132533866220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-81053368322315329952018-10-05T14:10:50.460+01:002018-10-05T14:10:50.460+01:00thx i had a fair idea what "nyaff" might...thx i had a fair idea what "nyaff" might have been, but i had to look it up to discover it's scottish slang for someone considered irritating (appropriate i suppose, given steel is scottish himself). it didn't help steel's cause that he publically objected to the way he was portrayed on the show - he'd have been better off using can of petrol to put out a fire ha hawilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-46856992004635224652018-10-05T13:57:39.131+01:002018-10-05T13:57:39.131+01:00And yes, the Robert Palmer keyboardist was the sex...And yes, the Robert Palmer keyboardist was the sexiest for me.John Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-14082007229486077802018-10-05T11:58:34.782+01:002018-10-05T11:58:34.782+01:00Was it true that while David Steel was depicted as...Was it true that while David Steel was depicted as a tiny wee nyaff on Spitting Image, in David Owen's pocket, he was actually taller than Owen in real life?<br /><br />I did note in the excellent BBC drama about the Jeremy Thorpe affair, Steel was not exactly shown in a flattering light either. He can't catch a break on TV!THXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-75084635283477038892018-10-05T11:54:48.866+01:002018-10-05T11:54:48.866+01:00I Can't Wait by Nu Shooz is a terrific tune, w...I Can't Wait by Nu Shooz is a terrific tune, with fantastic, ultra-slick 80s production. Is Mr Shooz in the video at all, or did he leave his more photogenic wife to hog the screen?THXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-84822565371223983842018-10-05T11:30:45.779+01:002018-10-05T11:30:45.779+01:00robert palmer: possibly like many i found the vide...robert palmer: possibly like many i found the video of far more interest than the tune (that was a bit too heavy-sounding for my liking) when it was originally released, although the latter has grown on me since. i don't know how they went about choosing what model "played" what instrument, but i always felt a bit sorry for the "drummer" as she was pretty much completely obscured throughout - that is once i had realised she was actually there, which wasn't the case to start with. it's interesting to note in retrospect that the video wasn't as well-planned as it might have been in other ways too - although similar the dresses are not identical, as if the models had been told to wear their own clothes rather than having them supplied as costumes; they sway and jig about in an unco-ordinated fashion (i once read an interview with one of them, who admitted that they got a bit tipsy on wine whilst doing the shoot - which explains both that and the somewhat glazed expressions on their faces); the guitars used are of differing designs (which means i can easily identify my personal favourite "band member", via the gibson explorer-style guitar she "plays"). all that was rectified in the similarly-themed video that accompanied palmer's (far superior in my opinion) follow-up single "i didn't mean to turn you on". yes i suppose this could be thought-of as exploitation-of-women in this pc age we live in now, but in my view it's got a hell of lot more style than the likes of samantha fox getting their tits out on page 3 of the "scum"<br /><br />real thing: another pointless remix/re-release - this time it's "you to me are everything part ii"<br /><br />tears for fears: apart from subsituting the word "run" for "rule", they also added a terrible mock-horn section synth patch for this. although i liked the original version quite a lot to begin with, i was already beginning to get bored of it even before it was re-tooled for charidee. so there's no way i'd play it through choice nowadays<br /><br />pete wylie: one i haven't heard in eons, and to be frank had no desire to either as i wasn't impressed with his previous hits. however this is actually quite a good piece of belated synth pop as opposed to his earlier cod-soul efforts, and it sounds like he's taken some singing lessons in the interim too. the lady guitarist isn't anywhere near as glamourous as the robert palmer ones, but then again maybe she did actually play on the record? as for the nuns, i'm surprised they didn't work the three wise monkeys thing ("see no evil", etc) into their routine<br /><br />spitting image: just to say that my favourites in the series were the davids owen and steel - the former portrayed as an urbane lounge lizard and the latter as owen's own puppet, despite them being co-leaders of their merged politicial parties that were supposed to give the labour-tory oligarchy some serious competition for a change. in fact steel was so cruelly depicted (remember him demanding "a stripey shirt and a white collar"?) that it almost single-handedly destroyed any credibility the guy had gained as a result of taking over the liberals from the disgraced jeremy thorpe, and his stirring-if-deluded "go back to your constituencies and prepare for government!" speechwilberforcehttp://www.gavinunderhill.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656821189691902130.post-54697525719103477132018-10-05T08:59:57.737+01:002018-10-05T08:59:57.737+01:00I did mention the Doctor and the Medics girls Dory...I did mention the Doctor and the Medics girls Dory, as I was wondering if their hair was real. I don't find them the slightest bit sexy, though!John Gnoreply@blogger.com