(-) DARTS – The Boy From New York City
(-) BONEY M – Rasputin
(53) JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – Summer Nights (danced to by Legs & Co)
(-) WINGS – Mull Of Kintyre (video)
(-) BROTHERHOOD OF MAN – Figaro
(-) FATHER ABRAHAM & THE SMURFS – The Smurf Song (video)
(-) THE BEE GEES – Night Fever (video)
(-) BRIAN & MICHAEL – Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs
(-) BRIGHOUSE & RASTRICK BRASS BAND – The Floral Dance ®
(-) KATE BUSH – Wuthering Heights (video)
(-) SHOWADDYWADDY – I Wonder Why
(57) BONEY M – Rivers Of Babylon ®
(-) THE COMMODORES – Three Times A Lady (danced to by Legs & Co)
(-) ABBA – Take A Chance On Me (video)
(-) ROSE ROYCE – Love Don’t Live Here Anymore (video)
(-) JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – You’re The One That I Want (video)
(1) BONEY M – Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord ®
(-) JAMES GALWAY – Annie’s Song (and credits)
>> After presenting 72 editions, Noel Edmonds makes his last regular
appearance on TOTP.
The opening credits and the wonderful Whole Lotta Love theme is heard once again......
DArts ~ great song but they were never the same after Den left :-(
Boney M ~ love this song and this performance of it! The band got their name from Boney, an Australian TV drama about a part-aboriginal detective called Bonaparte.
Summer Nights ~ so here's the dance routine in its rightful place - but of course we've already seen it many times due to it being edited into the reruns in place of the video clip they couldn't afford to show! The roles of Danny and Sandy in Grease, incidentally, were originally offered to Henry Winkler (the Fonz off Happy Days) and Marie Osmond!
Wings ~ I personally never grow tired of this one ~ its a quality tune and I prefer this video clip to the one where they are wandering around in the field. This song was the UK’s bestselling single of all time for 7 years, until Band Aid's Do they Know its Christmas in 1984. It’s still 4th in the list with 2.07 million sales.
Figaro ~ a new clip - filmed for Swap Shop maybe - as indeed this whole show had a Swap Shop feel about it :-)
The Smurfs ~ absurdly catchy tune ~ liked Noel's references to the Wombles and Kermit in his introduction. Dutch musician Father Abraham’s real name is Petrus Kartner!
The Bee Gees ~ its the naughty but nightie dance routine edited in here instead of the clip from Saturday Night Fever they couldn't afford to show
Brian and Michael ~ always puts a smile on my face this one :-) The duo went on to write & produce 1986 novelty hit It's 'Orrible Being in Love (When You're 8½) by Claire & Friends!
Floral Dance ~ another showing for the brass band number - preferred at Xmas by the Beeb no doubt to the Boom Town Rats.
Kate Bush ~ the first showing on TOTP for this wonderful video. Coincidentally, Kate Bush shares a birthday (30 July) with Emily Bronte, author of Wuthering Heights.
Showaddywaddy ~ They were Christmas regulars by now and altogether had 23 UK chart hits, including ten in the top 10.
Rivers of Babylon ~ the performance from earlier in the year, with the slightly weird percussion. This song is a cover of a 1970 song by Jamaican reggae outfit The Melodians, and is the seventh bestselling UK single of all time with 2.02 million copies.
The Commodores ~ Another routine by Legs and Co ~ they did well out of this show. The Commodores picked their name out of the dictionary at random and almost became The Commodes!
Abba ~ nice clip of them sending a tv greeting to Noel, again is it a Swap Shop thing? And then the video of the song. Singer Anni-Frid married a German prince in ’92. Her full title is Her Serene Highness Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen!
Rose Royce ~ the video of this great song shown for the first time.
You're the One that I Want ~ its Floyd and the Legs again instead of the Grease clip - they must have all made a few bob out of it this year ~ happy Christmas :-) You’re The One That I Want is the fifth bestselling UK single of all time with 2.04 million copies.
Mary's Boy Child ~ Boney M with the Xmas number one ~ originally a number one for Harry Belafonte in 1957 this version is the UK’s 11th best-selling single of all time with 1.86 million sales.
James Galway plays over the credits, with Christmas fairy Sue doing the ballet dancing. Annie’s Song was written by John Denver, as an ode to his wife of the same name. It was a no 1 for him in 1974. James Galway’s wife at this time was also called Annie!
And that's it for 1978, but the good news is 1979 will begin in January :-)
Also, if you watched the new Christmas Day 2013 edition, which included some terrific songs I might add, no matter what you may think of modern pop, you will perhaps have rejoiced like me at the return of the fabulous Whole Lotta Love theme tune :-)
Wishing you all a very happy and top of the popstastic new year!
Hi Angelo, I know my comment is one year on from this blog, but please can you put up the Manorak link for this show, as it contains the original unedited show with the Night Fever and You're The One That I want video clips.
ReplyDelete