Lay All Your Top of the Pops on Me

So onto the 23rd July 1981 we go, and the summer of riots, mass unemployment, royal weddings, and a craze for medleys was now in full swing....

And as a little tribute to Ronnie Corbett, whose death was announced earlier today, here's the Two Ronnies with their very own version of Top of the Pops 1981....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9g-6uA4be4

Boy, it was fun while it lasted..

23/07/81 (hosted by Richard Skinner)

(44) The Vapors – “Jimmie Jones”
Despite their conversion to a New Romantic look and a song that sounded like a mash-up of Wig Wam Bam and Angelo, Jimmie Jones rose no higher in the charts and was the final chart hit for The Vapors.

(16) Sheena Easton – “For Your Eyes Only” (video)
The name's Easton - Sheena Easton! BBC4 seem to have solved their issues about showing movie clips, for here we see Sheena's James Bond opening titles song which made it up to number 8.

(22) Shakin’ Stevens – “Green Door”
Soon to be number one but edited out of tonight's 7.30pm slot.

(28) REO Speedwagon – “Take It On The Run” (video)
This follow up to Keep On Loving You made it to 19. But edited out of tonight's 7.30 showing.

(7) Abba – “Lay All Your Love On Me”
Legs & Co slip into some Victorian underwear as they dance to one of Abba's most modern sounding records to date, released only as a 12 inch single, and which also happened to be their penultimate top ten hit peaking at number 7.

(30) Tight Fit – “Back To The ‘60s”
The first of three medleys on tonight's show ~ and although officially this is the same Tight Fit that went to number one a year later with The Lion Sleeps Tonight, this is a totally different line up. Back To The 60's reached number 4.

(25) Visage – “Visage” (video)
Ah, so that's what the Blitz club looked like. Taken from their top 20 album of the same name, Visage peaked at number 21.

(35) Gidea Park – “Beach Boy Gold”
The second of tonight's medleys, this time the Beach Boys get the treatment. And host Richard informs us that lead singer Adrian Baker (who wrote Dance Yourself Dizzy) had just got back from America touring with said legendary band! Beach Boy Gold peaked at number 11.

(1) The Specials – “Ghost Town” (rpt)
Third and final week at number one, and so its goodbye to the original line-up of The Specials.

(2) Starsound – “Stars On 45 Volume 2”
Legs & Co grab themselves some lucky boys from the audience to dance out the credits to the third of tonight's medleys, currently at its chart peak.


Next up then is July 30th with the return of Steve Wright.

Top of the Pops in Your Lap

And so we come to part four of another epic Top of the Pops 1981 weekend. This time it is the July 16th edition hosted by Peter Powell.

I demand you bring back Whole Lotta Love!

16/07/81 (hosted by Peter Powell)

(26) Saxon – “Never Surrender”
The show opens with another metal number, and Never Surrender became Saxon's final top 20 hit when it peaked at 18.

(10) Third World – “Dancing On The Floor (Hooked On Love)”(video)
Now at its chart peak.

(19) Depeche Mode – “New Life”
Our theme tune still heading towards (almost) the top ten. And quite outrageously edited out of the 7.30pm showing :-(

(30) The Jacksons – “Walk Right Now”
This week Legs & Co do a kind of jungle clad routine to the follow up to Can You Feel It, which also made the top ten when it peaked at number 7.

(33) Dexys Midnight Runners – “Show Me”
1981 was not as successful a year as 1980 had been for Dexys and Show Me became their only top 20 hit of the year when it made number 16.

(15) Kate Bush – “Sat In Your Lap” (video)
When this song peaked at 11 it closed the chapter on Kate's initial chart career. It would be four years until her next top 20 hit.

(3) Bad Manners – “Can Can” (rpt from 02/07/81)
Stuck at number three, and despite Buster's best dance efforts, of which Legs & Co I'm sure would have been proud, it got no higher.

(18) Spandau Ballet – “Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)”
Featuring of course the brass section of Beggar & Company, Chant No. 1 became their biggest hit to date when it made it to number 3.

(1) The Specials – “Ghost Town” (video/credits)
Second of three weeks at number one.


It's July 23rd next then with Richard Skinner.

No Top of the Pops No Cry

July 9th 1981 marks the 900th edition of Top of the Pops, a live show featuring the four original hosts and many special guests, and the beginning of the Yellow Pearl era. A landmark show if ever there was one. But frustratingly and devastatingly for BBC4 it was hosted by Jimmy Savile and so it can't be broadcast. So a huge thanks here to Darnall42 for making it available on Vimeo. Obviously do not click the link if you want to avoid Jimmy Savile ~

https://vimeo.com/154318401

There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Jona Lewie

09/07/81 (900th edition) (hosted by Jimmy Savile, Alan Freeman, David Jacobs & Pete Murray)

(16) Kirsty MacColl – “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis”
Mr 'Thin Lizzy' is thanked for writing the new theme tune and Kirsty MacColl gets the new Top of the Pops era underway with a song that peaked at number 14. We then get a trip down memory lane with some clips from the 1960's:
The Supremes – “Baby Love” (clip from 07/10/64)
Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas – “Little Children” (clip from 26/02/64)
The Dave Clark Five – “Bits & Pieces” (clip from 26/02/64)
The Beatles – “I Want To Hold Your Hand” / “Twist and Shout” (live clips)

(12) Randy Crawford – “You Might Need Somebody”
A new performance from Randy follows with a song that went up one place higher. This is followed by a whole lotta clips from the 70's (and 80's so far) accompanied to "Pop Musik" by M. Pete Murray then briefly interviews (the still quite young looking) Mary Hopkin and Sandie Shaw before introducing ~

(10) Tom Tom Club – “Wordy Rappinghood”
A particularly energetic Legs & Co routine ~ they made it into the new era, just.

(9) Bob Marley & The Wailers – “No Woman No Cry” (live clip)
David Jacobs introduces the song that charted after Bob's death a few weeks earlier, peaking at number 8. Followed by a short interview with Alan Clark & Tony Hicks of the Hollies.

(14) Motorhead – “Motorhead (Live)” (video)
Became the band's third and final top ten hit when it made number 6. Then its (soon to have a solo hit) Bill Wyman's turn to be interviewed and a clip is shown of his well known band:
The Rolling Stones – “The Last Time” (clip from 04/03/65)

(6) Imagination – “Body Talk”
A third studio performance of Body Talk and this time the boys bring along their own harem.
Alan Freeman then gives us the chart rundown from the very first Top of the Pops and then we discover that the new top ten rundown no longer features snippets from the songs. Finally, Adam Ant introduces the new number one....

(1) The Specials – “Ghost Town”
And before our very eyes The Specials break up and the Fun Boy Three are born. This edition really did ring in the new.

(4) Starsound – “Stars On 45 Volume 2” (Legs & Co/credits)
A quick change then for Legs & Co (not that they had too much to change out of or into) for a routine to the follow up to Stars on 45, which also made it to number 2.


Next up is the 16th July 1981 hosted by Peter Powell.

Throw Away the Top of the Pops

Whole Lotta thanks to Meer for making this 899th edition of Top of the Pops from July 2nd 1981 available on Vimeo, as it is hosted by DLT so won't be shown on BBC4. This show marks the end of the Whole Lotta Love era, the CSS cover of the Led Zeppelin song which had been the show's theme tune since November 5th 1970...

https://vimeo.com/160287237

Is that a new theme tune I hear, just around the corner?

 

 

02/07/81 (hosted by Dave Lee Travis)

(3) Bad Manners – “Can Can”
Already at its peak in the charts.

(25) Third World – “Dancing On The Floor (Hooked On Love)” (video)
Became the band's second and final top ten hit when it made number 10.

(2) The Specials – “Ghost Town”
The first of two final studio performances by the original line up of The Specials for a song that was soon to haunt the number one spot (and the band).

(16) Quincy Jones – “Razzamatazz”
The follow up to Ai No Corrida became Quincy's biggest hit when it made number 11, and Legs & Co also follow up their Ai No Corrida routine with another BBC4 melter....

(53) Barry Biggs – “Wide Awake In A Dream”
Became Barry's final hit peaking at 44.

(21) Linx – “Throw Away The Key”
Now at peak position in the chart.

(29) Rainbow – “Can’t Happen Here” (video)
Ended a run of three top ten hits when it peaked at 20.

(1) Michael Jackson – “One Day In Your Life” (Legs & Co) (rpt from 04/06/81 + credits)
Second and final week at number one.

The next edition is a major one ~ not only is it the 900th show but also the one that introduces the new opening titles and the launch of the Yellow Pearl era. The trouble is that one of the hosts is Jimmy Savile and so won't be shown on BBC4.

There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Top of the Pops

It's the start of yet another very busy Top of the Pops 1981 weekend, with four editions to squeeze in over two days! The first of them takes us to June 25th where we get our first sighting of this year's blog title song....

Can't wait for the New Life blog in (not quite) 35 years time!

25/06/81 (hosted by Simon Bates)

(32) Gillan – “No Laughing In Heaven”
Gillan get us underway with a song that would have been perfect for Halloween. As it was in June it went up just one place higher.

(9) Elaine Paige – “Memory” (pre-recorded insert) (rpt from 11/06/81)
Now just a whisker or two away from its number 6 peak.

(40) Kirsty MacColl – “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis”
Kirsty's Top of the Pops debut as a solo artiste though not, like Simon Bates said, her debut on the show - she was of course last year a member of Jona Lewie's backing group for In the Kitchen at Parties. This song made it to number 14.

(31) The Evasions – “Wikka Wrap”
The group's only hit - I suppose there is only so far you can journey with an Alan Whicker tribute band ~ it peaked at number 20.

(28) Randy Crawford – “You Might Need Somebody” (rpt from 11/06/81)
Climbed all the way to number 11.

(43) Depeche Mode – “New Life”
So our blog song makes its debut on the show, just missing out on the top ten when it peaked at 11. But the band went on to much greater successes throughout the 80's, 90's and 00's charting 14 top ten hits and a further 29 which made the top 30.

(1) Michael Jackson – “One Day In Your Life” (rpt from 04/06/81)
A new routine from Legs & Co this week for One Day in Your Life's first of two weeks at number one.

(26) Quincy Jones - "Razzmatazz"
The credits roll out to what will become Quincy Jones's biggest hit when it reaches number 11.

It's July 2nd next, hosted by DLT so it won't be on BBC4.

Top of the Pops to my Roots

And so after all the thrill and excitement of downloading another yewtreed edition, one that looked like it had escaped us, (the 11th June) we are back on BBC4 with Peter Powell hosting June 18th, at which point we find that we are already at the halfway mark for 1981!

We are going to be big!

18/06/81 (Peter Powell) (rpt UK Gold)

(32) Linx – “Throw Away The Key”
Linx get the show off to a Britfunk start with the follow up to Intuition, though it wasn't as successful, peaking at number 21.

(27) Phil Collins – “If Leaving Me Is Easy” (rpt from 04/06/81)
On its way to number 17.

(6) Odyssey – “Going Back To My Roots”
A lively studio performance of the trio's penultimate top ten hit, now almost at its number 4 peak.

(22) Kool & The Gang – “Take It To The Top” (Legs & Co)
Legs & Co 'are still with us' after their week off, and are sporting a sort of gypsy look for their routine to Take it to the Top, which made it to number 15.

(5) Champaign – “How ‘Bout Us” (video)
At its chart peak now. And edited out of tonight's 7.30pm showing.

(23) Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Spellbound” (rpt from 04/06/81)
Went up just one place more. Also edited out of the 7.30pm slot.

(21) The Specials – “Ghost Town” (video)
Few songs capture their time as successfully as this one ~ the summer of 1981, the riots, the unemployment, the doom, the despair - this record is a time capsule, a reminder of how bleak this period actually was. It would go all the way to number one of course.

(19) Imagination – “Body Talk”
A new and a little more modest studio performance here of Body Talk, still heading towards the top ten.

(1) Smokey Robinson – “Being With You” (video/credits)
Second and final week at number one for Smokey, taken from his top 20 album of the same name.

Next up is the edition from June 25th 1981.

You Might Need Some Top of the Pops

It's June 11th 1981 and here we are with another yewtreed edition that can't be shown on BBC4 ~ the host this time being Jimmy Savile. The very bad news though is that there isn't a copy of this edition in general circulation - not even Neil B has it! All we have is a handful of links to clips from the show, so at least we get a flavour of it ~ obviously do not click if you want to avoid Jimmy Savile:


###Huge thanks to daf, who has now uploaded a copy of this edition to dropbox!###

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/25173419/music/11%20June%201981.mpg

####And huge thanks also to Darnall42 for uploading dafs copy to WeTransfer### ~

  http://we.tl/wwYAiRkWtl

Only a little piece of the action for us tonight I'm afraid!

11/06/81 (hosted by Jimmy Savile)

(25) Bucks Fizz – “Piece Of The Action” YouTube Clip
A quick follow up to Making Your Mind Up, and a fairly successful one too as far as Eurovision winners go, making it to number 12.

(9) Hazel O’Connor – “Will You?” (rpt from 28/05/81)
Her final top ten, indeed her final top 40 hit, almost at its peak of number 8.

(44) Landscape – “Norman Bates”
In the studio to perform the follow up to the hugely successful Einstein A Go Go ~ and the second single from their top 20 album From the Tearooms of Mars to the Hell Holes of Uranus, Norman Bates peaked at number 40.

(34) Elaine Paige – “Memory” (pre-recorded insert) YouTube Clip
From the new Lloyd Webber musical Cats of course, Memory became Elaine's first top ten hit peaking at number 6.

(28) Coast To Coast – “Let’s Jump The Broomstick” rpt from 28/05/81)
Still hanging around the lower reaches of the top 30, but 28 was its peak.

(17) Ultravox – “All Stood Still”  YouTube Clip
The official follow up to Vienna (island records had released the John Foxx fronted Slow Motion which made number 33 in March) - All Stood Still made it to number 8.

(47) Randy Crawford – “You Might Need Somebody”
This follow up to One Day I'll Fly Away made it to number 11.

(11) Enigma – “Ain’t No Stopping”
Now at its chart peak.

(1) Smokey Robinson – “Being With You” (video/credits)
First of two weeks at number one for Smokey.



Next up then and back on BBC4 is the 18th June 1981, with Peter Powell.