This is the Sound of Top of the Pops

Over in ITV on the 1st February 1979 we had:  6.35 Crossroads 7.00 Wish You Were Here 7.30 Jim Davidson Show 8.00 Rising Damp 8.30 TV Eye 9 Streets Of San Francisco 10 News

And on the good old Aunty Beeb: 6.20 Nationwide 6.55 Tomorrow's World 7.10 Top of the Pops 7.55 Blankety Blank 8.30 Butterflies 9 News 9.25 Euro Figure Skating Champs

A tough decision, but I think it will have to be.....

Top of the Pops!
1-2-79: Presenter: Mike Read

(27) EDWIN STARR – Contact (and charts)
(51) NAZARETH – May The Sun Shine
(3) THE THREE DEGREES – Woman In Love ®
(37) THE MEMBERS – The Sound Of The Suburbs
(19) SALLY OLDFIELD – Mirrors ®
(39) UFO – Doctor Doctor
(14) BILLY JOEL – My Life (video)
(52) TWO MAN SOUND – Que Tal America
(28) GENERATION X – King Rocker
(61) THE POINTER SISTERS – Everybody Is A Star
(7) DRIVER 67 – Car 67 ®
(1) BLONDIE – Heart Of Glass (danced to by Legs & Co)
(8) ABBA – Chiquitita (and credits)



Edwin Starr ~ any relation to Ringo? sings over the chart rundown this week :-)

Nazareth ~ An unlikely fusion of folk and heavy metal here from this band from Dunfermline, who featured guitarist Zal Cleminson,  recently transferred from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

The Three Degrees ~ another showing for this Giorgio Moroder produced song, although I think we are being treated to the Top of the Pops Orchestra produced version here :-)

The Members ~ very enthusiastically introduced by our host Mike Read, this song was produced by Steve Lillywhite, both future U2 producer and Kirsty MacColl husband. (Nice shot of a multi-coloured punk hairdo in the audience too)

Sally Oldfield ~ a repeat showing of the fairy-like Mirrors, now at its peak of 19 in the charts.

UFO ~ another song on the heavy side on tonight's show, a bit too heavy it turns out to rise any higher than 35 in the charts.

Billy Joel ~ was edited out of the 7.30 showing. Still, not a bad week for him sitting side by side in the top 15 with Barry White's cover of Just the Way You Are.

Two Man Sound ~ the slightly mad chap on the bongos is Yves Lacomblez who wrote Ca Plane Pour Moi for Plastic Bertrand ~ but more than that, the frontman Lou Deprijck, is the guy who actually sang the vocals on it! They couldn't repeat that success with this record though, which failed to make the top 40, despite Rosie and Gill's best dancing efforts.

Generation X ~ looking and sounding very much like Adam & the Ants here - this record became their biggest hit and was released in four different colours of vinyl.

The Pointer Sisters ~ were edited out of the 7.30 showing, catch them at 12.30am

Driver 67 ~ also edited out, how could they? It was a repeat showing though from a couple of weeks ago.

Blondie ~ the rare sight here of a Legs & Co routine to the number 1 song - the celebrated video must not have been ready yet? Heart of Glass had actually been written several years earlier, but never satisfactorily recorded until this mega hit version - proving maybe that the best things come to those who wait.

Abba ~ play us out this week, and we'll have to wait until next week, the 8th February 1979, to see the Legs & Co interpretation of this quite brilliant song.

Hello, This is 1979!

JANUARY 1979:

4-1-79: Presenter: Mike Read

(24) PAUL EVANS – Hello, This Is Joanie (The Telephone Answering Machine Song) (and charts)
(NEW) GENERATION X – King Rocker
(5) ELTON JOHN – Song For Guy ®
(18) EARTH, WIND & FIRE – September (danced to by Legs & Co)
(6) IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS – Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (video)
(21) OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – A Little More Love (video)
(3) RACEY – Lay Your Love On Me ®
(29) BARRY WHITE – Just The Way You Are (video)
(NEW) BROTHERHOOD OF MAN – Goodbye Goodbye
(1) VILLAGE PEOPLE – Y.M.C.A. (video)
(16) HOT CHOCOLATE – I’ll Put You Together Again (and credits)



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Paul Evans ~ plays over the chart rundown. This was his first hit in 20 years, his earlier ones being Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat) and Happy-Go-Lucky Me.

Generation X ~ King Rocker became their biggest hit, peaking at number 11. The song is apparently about the Beatles and Elvis having a fight over who is the king of rock n roll!

Elton John ~ a fine live performance featuring just Elton and his piano. At the time I thought this was about Guy the Gorilla, who had recently died at London Zoo, but in fact it is dedicated to Guy Burchett, a 17 year old messenger for Elton's label, who had been killed in a motorbike accident.

Legs and Co ~ dancing to Earth Wind and Fire's September - a strange time to release a song with such a title! Co-writer Allee Willis went on to write the theme from Friends.

Ian Dury and the Blockheads ~ the video this week, the legendary studio performance is yet to come. Ian had this song in rough on a piece of paper for about three years before it was finally completed!

Olivia Newton John ~ this song was written by John Farrar, who also wrote You're the One that I Want and Hopelessly Devoted to You. Not a bad 12 months for him!

Racey ~ were originally called Alive ‘n’ Kicking. They picked the new name from a list by producer Mickie Most for its easiness to say. This song was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who wrote a production line of hits in the 70's for the likes of Sweet, Mud, Smokie and Suzi Quatro.

Barry White ~ almost a year after Billy Joel had taken the original to 19 in the charts, Barry's cover made it to number 12.

Brotherhood of Man ~ a rather aptly titled song for them, as this marked the end of their chart career. Not a bad song though really, I guess its just the times they were a changing.

Village People ~ replacing Boney M at the top of the charts. A song that was no doubt played at just about every New Year party in 1979, it was still being played at those parties I'm sure in 2014. The song was inspired by the YMCA branch at 215 W 23rd St, as seen in the video.

Hot Chocolate ~ play almost their entire song over the end credits - well why not, it is such a good one :-)

Next week, it's the 11th January 1979 hosted by David Jensen.