Has he put his clothes back on yet?
Top of the Pops 28-2-80: Presenter: David Jensen
(21) JEFFERSON STARSHIP – Jane (and charts)
A second outing on the chart rundown for Jane, now at its chart peak
(5) ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS – I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down
Elvis literally takes off in the studio for the second of his three top ten hits.
(6) MARTI WEBB – Take That Look Off Your Face ®
A repeat showing of Marti's debut performance here ~ I hope they are not going to leave in lots of things we've seen before and edit out stuff we haven't yet seen....
(34) THE VAPORS – Turning Japanese
Looks like Keith Michell has been busy with his drawings again! Turning Japanese became the band's only top ten hit.
(7) MICHAEL JACKSON – Rock With You (video)
The third of four top ten hits from his album Off the Wall. And edited out of the 7.30 showing.
(47) LIQUID GOLD – Dance Yourself Dizzy
A quick sip of champagne for singer Ellie Hope before performing Liquid Gold's big breakthrough single and first of two top ten hits in 1980. And I think the drummer really wanted to be noticed!
(40) THE GIBSON BROTHERS – Cuba
With a catchy song that just failed to make the top 40 for them a year earlier, but this time, and with a little help from a carnival of Legs & Co, it made the top 20.
(17) PETER GABRIEL – Games Without Frontiers (video)
So is it Kate Bush singing the 'Jeux sans frontieres' part? Well we'll have to wait for the later showing because astonishingly it was edited out of the 7.30 slot.
(25) STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – At The Edge
Also edited out of the 7.30 showing.
(28) DAVE EDMUNDS – Singing The Blues ®
A repeat of the Rockpile boys from a couple of weeks back, with Singing the Blues now at its chart peak for them.
(19) Legs & Co – dance to So Lonely by The Police, a third single from their 1978 debut album Outlandos d'Amour, despite having recently released their second album, Regatta de Blanc.
(22) RAINBOW – All Night Long (video)
The second of Rainbow's three top ten hits. And another one edited out of tonight's 7.30 show.
(12) THE SHADOWS – Riders In The Sky
Hank and the gang smile their way through this cover of the Ramrods top ten 1961 hit, though number 12 was a high as it got for the Shadows, and it was also their final top 30 hit.
(1) BLONDIE – Atomic (video)
Blondie blow Kenny Rogers out the number one spot. Was this the single mix - it seems to have quite an extended instrumental break?
(23) DAVID BOWIE – Alabama Song (and credits)
Bowie plays us out this week with his cover of Alabama Song, made famous by the Doors, at its chart peak.
Next week then should be the 6th March 1980, but here we meet our first obstacle of the year, as this is a DLT edition and it would seem he's still off limits as far as BBC4 goes, so instead we skip to the 13th March hosted by Steve Wright.
DLT hosted six editions in 1980, seven if you include the New Years Day special on January 1st 1981. Jimmy Savile hosted four editions which includes the Christmas Day special.
Wow, so many goodies on this show.
ReplyDeleteThe Vapours - all I can say is this was VERY different to what we normally see in the charts, so hats off to The Vapours, and well done on raising the tempo of TOTP in early 1980.
Liquid Gold - I remember at the time, once the disco swing of the late 70s was over, the first two months of the 1980 year got off to a slow start, but Liquid Gold and Blondie, and The Gibson Brothers soon changed things by raising the tempo back to 70s style somewhat, and Liquid Gold did deserve their eventual No.2 with this, cos it's so fresh and tasty.
Promo videos were still in their early days and there was no promo video for this, so the TOTP studio performance was the only way to see them, but it did seem to upstage the other acts appearing on the show. A true 80s classic that has stood tall even in 2015 in my opinion.
The Gibson Brothers - this was by far their career best single, because it was playing on the disco dance floors regularly throughout the 80s and 90s, and had a good 20-year longevity, until the new millennium where the new generation of DJs did not remember it or were not born in 1980 when it came out the first time, and so we never hear it now 35 years on in the discos.
I think Legs & Co on this performance must have loved dressing up in those carnival outfits, cos they looked amazing in them, but most of all so much fun in the TOTP studio this week, what with Liquid Gold, Blondie at No.1, The Gibson Brothers with Legs & Co all in the same show. I'm still dancing on Friday morning!
Thought Elvis Costello was looking a bit muted in comparison to his bandmates, then I saw why as he took to the skies like Peter Pan for about thirty seconds. But surely jumping up in the air is the opposite of falling down?
ReplyDeleteMarti Webb, I know it was a Sir Andrew ditty, but was it from a stage show?
You know, TOTP, I don't think this song is about actual Japanese people. Anyway, a storming record, and a remarkable hairdo on Mr Vapor.
Then Whackson in his spangly pyjamas, should have put a strobe warning on the start of this. That laser tunnel effect was all over 1980, wasn't it?
Next the piece of resistance, Liquid Gold. They look like they're having such a good time! It's been a while since we had a nearly naked drummer on the show. Do you think they were miming?
More disco goodness with The Gibson Brothers, but what was being thrown at the stage? I didn't hear any booing, so it must have been in the spirit of "fun". Wacky drums 'n' tom-toms visual trickery too, and then Legs & Co show up as carnival dancers for fifteen nanoseconds, bet they were glad they dressed up for the occasion.
Peter Garbiel, yes, the pretentio-video era was well and truly upon us. So many questions about this one. Don't think that was a real turkey. Imagine what this would have been like with actual It's a Knockout footage instead of the black and white facsimile.
Stiff Little Fingers with this week's "Is my telly playing up?" performance. They looked a bit more serious this time.
Legs & Co dancing to the Police's Sue Lawley, this really should have been a solo number considering the lyrics, and Lulu was pulling some extraordinary faces. Now I want to see them dancing to the Nationwide theme.
Rainbow, one of the most persistent rumours in rock is that Richie Blackmore's luxurious crowning glory is in fact a wig. This video neither confirms nor denies that rumour.
The Shadows for their hundredth appearance, with Hank apparently wearing his lounge curtains recut into suit form.
I suppose it's appropriate Blondie should be kicking off the 80s obsession with nuclear Armageddon. Trailblazers, see. The drumming on this is brilliant, so crisp.
Jolly good show this week, I thought, and to see us out in party mood... er....
these days richie blackmore wears some kind of pointy peasant hat for his pseudo-medieval group "blackmore's night".it would be far easier to sustain the illusion that your hair is real when you're wearing some kind of titfer, so maybe he started that band up for that reason?
DeleteBy now Rainbow had established themselves in UK living rooms as regular top 10 charting status, thanks to TOTP.
DeleteThis contribution eventually went to No.5, and one place better then their earlier hit in 1979, called Since You've Been Gone. They were to go even better the following year in 1981, all the way to No.3 with I surrender.
'Take that look off your face' was from the 'Song and Dance' stage show that I believe also featured Wayne Sleep dancing. Great live performance from Marti here as she varies the high notes a bit at the end.
DeleteThanks for that, must admit I've never heard of Song and Dance, though the only Webber musical I've seen in the theatre was the inevitable Joseph.
Delete"Take That Look Off Your Face" was originally in "Tell Me On A Sunday", which then metamorphosed into "Song And Dance" when combined with some other material.
DeleteThis week we are in safe hands with The Kid.
ReplyDeleteOff we go then with Jefferson Starship and a hard rockesque 'Jane'. Don't remember this; never really liked Starship/Airplane; and would never be unduly concerned if it and I never crossed paths again.
A studio performance of 'I Can't Stand Up' with Elvis 'hilariously' rigged up to a high-wire flying thingamabob. Quite clearly there are two recordings here; the beginning and ending filmed straight and the middle bit with Elvis all rigged up. Sadly the shockingly blatant edit between the two made it all too obvious. The song still sounds great by the way.
Shop-window mannequin Marti Webb with a repeat showing of Take That Look Off Your Face.
Then we have the debut hit and debut ToTP performance of The Vapours and their ode to self-pleasure Turning Japanese. The lead singer has a look of comedian Paul Foot about him - especially in the hair department. And well done Kid for refraining from any racist actions in his intro.
Michael Jackson - Rock With You. On video this, despite the best attempts of the show's producers to try and make us think he was in the studio what with that slow pan from Kid off to a darkened stage.
Liquid Gold and a typical piece of British disco.They seemed to have a lot of fun though. And I'm sure they are nice to their mums.
Gibson Bros and Cuba - which boasted a couple of fairly lengthy piano sections. Unfortunately for the piano player the show's director decided to concentrate on the guitar and drums. Maybe the miming wasn't good enough to fool us?
Peter Gabriel up next in a typical Gabriel video. One of favourite songs of the year this and - like many on here- I too had difficulty in deciphering the lyrics. SHE'S SO FRUMP-IER, I think, was my best effort.
The second - and final?- ToTP appearance for Stiff Little Fingers. It was years after this that I came upon the background for their name as a reference to the cult 60s sci-fi show The Invaders.
Legs dancing to Sue Lawley from the days when Sting was a proper rock star and not some Quinoa munching, tantric-sexing up-his-own-backside tosspot.
Rainbow on vid with All Night Long - a proper 80s AOR song.Is this the start of Poodle rock/ stadium rock? Whatever, its hardly what Kid described as hard rock is it?
The Shadows featuring Cockney Rebel's bassist on, well, bass. And who was the disinterested bod on keyboards - Rod Argent?
An unusual - to my ears - mix of Atomic at number one. I don't remember the drums being so high in the mix as that, nor that extended opening before the recognisable guitar riff comes in, and that is the end of the singing as the track goes off on an extended 12 inch meander that would have done sales no end of damage.
Bowie with a musical lowpoint here which he released to get out of some contract or other, if memory serves. It is a rather large stain,on what is an otherwise superb body of work spanning fully half a century.
Kid gets a solid 7 for his presenting of a show which was a proper mixed bag of musical styles. Lets be generous and give it a 5 - thanks in main to the Vapours, Elvis,and Stiff Little Fingers.
regarding the gibson brother's keyboard player, ivory tinklers in general got short shrift this week - the liquid gold guy was practically completely ignored, whilst don airey got by my estimate 2 shots of around a second each in the rainbow video. i don;t think too much was seen of blondie's jimmy destri either. i used to play keyboards in bands, but when i realised it was the least glamourous/"bridesmaids" instrument to play i switched to bass!
DeleteShaky, I would go further to say that the Peter Gabriel song was one of the best songs of the entire decade of the 80s, never mind songs of the year.
DeleteThe video shown here on TOTP was just brilliant, using similar graphics work/effect to the Blondie video on this same TOTP show, but I thought Gabriel's video was somewhat more memorable than Blondie, but alas Blondie was a bit of a cult at the time, and could get to number one by just breathing.
Stiff Little Fingers appeared once more with their follow-up single, after which I think they were banned for life...
DeleteSLF made five TOTP appearances. They also had a later single deleted by others' request on its day of release due to the controversial subject matter - "Beirut Moon" was about the then kidnap victim John McCarthy.
DeleteLiquid Gold is one of those tracks that I didn't like when I was younger, but now quite enjoy hearing. A 35 year grower...
ReplyDeleteWasn't 'Sue Lawley' a rerelease? Think that was why it charted after the second album released.
This is categorically NOT the 12" mix of 'Atomic'. I bought that at the time and it was the same version as the 7" (but also included 'Heroes' live on the other side). Instead, TOTP, with no explanation, showed what I believe was the only video made for 'Atomic' which is the longer mix from the album 'Eat to the Beat'. It must have bamboozled the record buyers to hear something not replicated on the piece of plastic they had purchased from their local Our Price! Especially when it was cut short before the vocal reprise "Tonight, make me magnificent....". For me it's the definitive version. Funnily enough, when I heard a 'Pick of the Pops' rundown a few years ago on Saturday afternoon R2, it was this version that they played; again without distinguishing the fact that it wasn't the single version (but, hey-ho...I could wax lyrical about another certain Blondie single that never gets played in its 'pure' form these days!).
ReplyDeleteQuestion for anyone; were just four no.1s in 1980 never featured on TOTP during the strike? I guess we'll find out later this year....
I assume the other Blondie single you are referring to is Heart of Glass? I love the fade-out on the single version, and it makes my blood boil when radio stations play the alternative version, as they almost always do these days. I like the album version of Atomic, though, it has a real epic feel.
DeleteIn answer to your question, I think we miss three chart toppers during the strike: Crying, Xanadu and Use it Up and Wear it Out.
Thanks John...yes 'Heart of Glass' it is, that I was referring to!
DeleteI wasn't sure whether The MASH made it onto TOTP as no.1 before the hiatus?
The MASH theme was number 1 on the last show before the strike, according to the Popscene website.
DeleteThough we don't see them at number one, all three are featured in the post strike shows (chart positions in brackets) :
DeleteXanadu (13)
Use it Up and Wear it Out (3)
Crying (13 - pre strike) & (63 - post strike)
Yes, what a shame that Xanadu was off air as the No.1 during the TOTP strike of the summer of 1980. It was only No.1 in the career of ELO, and they needed Olivia Newton John to get them there, as on their own they could only manage a career best of No.3 in 1979 with Don't Bring Me Down.
Deleteit really is a pity that for the only one occasion the boys made it to No.1 in 1980 for such a world class rock/pop phenomenon, they got caught up in the middle of the BBC strike, and were blacked out thanks to this 1980 strike on TOTP / BBC when they reached their peak.
It would have been interesting to have seen what would have been served up for 'Xanadu' had TOTP been on the air. It seems unlikely that Olivia and ELO would have been seen together. Aside from Olivia's vocal, this song is sooo ELO compared to the her other songs on the 'Xanadu' album that were produced by John Farrar.
DeleteIt would certainly have been the movie clip footage served up, because ELO were only doing backing vocals to ONJ who took lead vocal, and I doubt very much that Jeff Lynne would appear live doing backing vocals to anyone other than the Travelling Wilburys. I mean ONJ is hardly in the same league as George Harrison.
DeleteAlthough ONJ was not averse to covering Harrison songs, her What is Life? isn't too bad, if not a patch on the storming original.
DeleteDory - I expect you are right. I've just watched the video on Youtube and, sadly for Jeff and Co, their contribution would have most probably remained unseen (but definitely not unheard!). I expect, had the TOTPs been made (and hence repeated on the BBC4 run), we'd have the same dilemma about whether BBC4 would have been able to broadcast the full clip as with the 'Bright Eyes/Watership Down' saga.
Deletebtw. I think it is fairly certain that the 'roaring fire' video would have been shown for Don McLean's 'Crying'. As for the third 'unseen' no.1; 'Use it up and wear it out' by Odyssey. Well, frankly who cares; not one of my favourites by a long stretch?! Probably a 'Legs and Co.' job.
Don't quite get the drift of this -
Deletewe WILL see what will be served up for Xanadu (and the other two missed number one singles) - popscene lists all three as being shown on the show after the strike.
OK, didn't realise that...certainly don't recall it, and I was watching every week in 1980!
Deletea much better show than last week, although much of my observations have already been mentioned despite my arriving to the party quite early (sue lawley!)...
ReplyDeleteelvis costello: i thought the whole point about this guy was his songwriting. so why is he doing a cover of someone else's music? mark king and mike lindup of level 42 used to do the "flying" thing in their live shows - can anyone think of anyone else?
liquid gold: always a contender in my view for worst disco record of all time - it seemed to get played relentlessly in virtually every disco i went to at the time, which is probably why i hated it so much. i'm not going to agree with charlie cooke about it being a grower, but watching now i didn't feel the antipathy i had for it in my youth (and i don't think i'm mellowing in my old age!)
gibson brothers: i was really pleased this got a re-release thanks to the success of the singles that followed its original (flop) showing. i remember a friend impersonating the singer, which always cracked me up. i then tried to do it myself, but although my impression was quite good it played havoc with my throat! why didn't the legs dancers appear until the thing was practically over? maybe in spinal tap-style they got stuck in the lift on the way to the stage or something?
rainbow: ozzy osbourne could only dream of singing some of those notes that graham bonnet effortlessly reaches. and yet he's a global legend whilst graham is probably hanging around in some bar somewhere wondering where it all went wrong. a classic example of musical talent being no barometer of success
bowie: just who exactly went out and bought this bizarre racket in sufficient quantities to get it into the charts? presumably bowie die-hards, unless anyone can come up with alternative theories. although not a disciple i was quite keen on bowie at the time, but i thought this vile (ho ho) then and think no better of it now (give me the doors version any day!)
I believe Earth Wind and Fire's guitarist would fly out over the audience as his party piece.
DeleteAnd of course Madness made use of it in videos sending Lee Thompson skyward on more than one occasion.
DeleteWilberforce, The Gibson Brothers other performance of Cuba was this rare one:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZKOjuh-cTs
It was never seen in this country for nearly 20 years until it was found in the late 90s when VH1 featured it on their regular disco slots, and I never knew it had existed until then. It really is something special, and I think much better than this week's TOTP performance, despite Legs & Co giving it some lift.
I had the "pleasure" of seeing Bon Jovi in the late eighties at Wembley arena. Jon Bon himself flew in on a wire to open proceedings.
DeleteIt seemed as if the Michael Hurll party era had already begun on this show, five months before the man himself took the reins. I thought the atmosphere was great on both the Liquid Gold and Gibson Bros performances; the former was cheesy beyond belief (particularly that champagne business at the start), but I actually quite enjoyed the song despite myself!
ReplyDeleteAs Elvis Costello has always struck me as someone who takes himself way too seriously, I wonder how much persuading he needed to do that bungee routine? As mentioned above, a poor edit spoilt the effect somewhat, but I was more interested in the bass player, who looks like he could be Tom Petty's twin brother. I really like that Rainbow song, a far superior effort to Since You've Been Gone, though inevitably it got cut a bit short, as (annoyingly) did Peter Gabriel and Blondie - why on Earth did PG get cut out of the early showing?
Some interesting hair on display too this week, courtesy of the Vapors' singer and Jacko. I think this is the first time we have seen the latter on these reruns without his afro, and he is now looking much more like he did in the Thriller era - just a shame that the changes to his appearance weren't confined to his hair...
All in all, a very entertaining show, apart from that terrible discordant Bowie mess at the end - at least there is much better to come from him later in the year. I did like the Legs routine, even if a solo turn would have been more appropriate for the song. Despite this, I am sure Sue Lawley must have been proud of the girls...
Yes, it does appear that the Hurll era had started here. The balloons on The Gibson Brothers set, was the first time on TOTP that balloons were put in, outside of the Christmas shows, and it would pave the way for the rest of the decade to have balloons in the studio on TOTP every week for most of the rest of the decade.
DeletePerhaps Liquid Gold and The Gibson Brothers can take the credit for for instilling the fun that TOTP desperately needed at the start of a decade, where promo videos were still depicted nuclear bombs, like The Jam with Going Underground, and Blondie with Atomic, both looking at the other extreme end of fun vs catastrophe.
Has anyone uploaded the 06-03-80 edition?
ReplyDeleteIt does not appear so. Both Neil B & Steve H who kindly produced the goods in 1979, have not yet come forward to upload the DLT show of 6.3.1980.
DeleteIt does now appear to have been uploaded by Neil B
Delete"file removed due to complaints"?
DeleteDon't know, but this edition was not shown on UK Gold, and it would be the first repeat of it since 1980, had BBC4 decided not to ban the DLT shows.
DeleteWorking now, ignore last comment.
ReplyDeleteI'm having trouble getting the 6th March 1980 edition uploaded by Neil B to play. The video just won't appear on the page
ReplyDeleteSame here. All the other Neil B uploads can be viewed, but for some reason the 6.3.1980 is listed, but not viewable for some unknown reason
DeleteI know, its really annoying. I'm hoping that Neil B will notice and hopefully will re upload it
DeleteI notice that Neil B uploaded the show as an m4v file rather than as an mp4, as he has previously. Perhaps that is causing the problem? Hopefully he will upload it again.
DeleteI have managed to track down most of the 6th March studio performances, including a few of DLT's links, on Youtube - the exceptions are the Lambrettas and Tony Rallo and the Midnite Band. I also uncovered the Legs routine to Fern Kinney - even by their standards that is a weird one!
The Leg & Co routine to Fern Kinney is indeed one of the most bizarre performances I've seen from them.
DeleteCan someone please post the 06.03.80 link?
Deletehttp://www.4shared.com/file/wumXf9-_ce/TOTP_060380.html
DeleteAnybody else getting 'MplayerX.dmg' thing automatically downloaded from Neil's page - hope it's not a virus!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm getting that too, and I don't understand it. Does anyone know what MplayerX is, and if it is safe?
DeleteNot sure, but I've binned them just in case.
DeleteIf you can manage to get past that (and keep the page open long enough) the download link DOES work (the small one - next to the 'share' and 'add to my account' buttons).
After downloading I was able to just replace the .m4v with .mpg - and it played fine.
Hope that helps, and good luck!
This was not Ellie from Liquid Gold's TOTP debut; she is the cleaning lady who buts in on Mud's performance of "Oh Boy" five years earlier.
ReplyDeleteMarti Webb caked in foundation and blusher and showing a little downy moustache in close up; felt like I was watching in HD.
Never heard Alabama Song before and what an aural mishmash it was, as others have commented. Was this from an album or one of his many unofficial releases. Baal's Hymn from 82 is his great forgotten track, for me.
I'm fairly sure Liquid Gold had been on before, not with a hit as big as Dance Yourself Dizzy, though. Anyone care to confirm or deny my memories?
DeleteYes, that Marti Webb performance wins the award for 'unflattering close-up'. Even when viewing on a computer it's obvious that she was no spring chicken (she was 36 at the time).
DeleteYou're quite right I had forgotten "Anyway you do it" from 78
ReplyDeleteSo, intrigued by Alabama Song, I have listened now to the Doors original which is by contrast very good, much more coherent and clearly the Stranglers borrowed from it for Waltzinblack. Bowie certainly rips the guts out of it.
ReplyDeleteerr shaky, the doors version of "alabama song" is a cover too - the song was written by bertold brecht and kurt weill in 1927 and originally recorded by lotte lenye (mrs weill), who some here may be familiar with as the sour-faced bond villain rosa klebb in "from russia with love"
DeleteThese re-runs are revealing that chart music was at a personal high during early 1980 - so many quality items on this show including an all-time fave from the Vapors! And it's also assisted by a presenter who is quite clearly enjoying what is on offer. Just a shame that the BBC was obviously going through a 'mood lighting' phase at this time, so some of it tended to be a bit hard to see.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that Elvis Costello was playing a clearly less expensive guitar than his monogrammed one, and then I realised why when he started 'flying'! Incidentally, the other day I heard another, earlier, record which had the bass and drums mixed at a higher level than the vocals like this one. I wish I could remember what it was.
Well if the BBC didn't know what Turning Japanese was really about then neither did the picture sleeve designer - that's what was shown at first, even namechecking the rather good 6½ minute B-side.
I wonder what was at the beginning of the Michael Jackson video that the BBC didn't want us to see?
Ah, lovely Ellie, just so 1980.... I mean, when was the last time you saw a woman who looked like that? I've got this performance on the TOTP2 VHS recordings and yes, you really do have to look hard to realise that they were actually a five-piece band.
Looks like it was the Gibson Brothers' turn to have the lion's share of the show's budget spent on them (although EC was also afforded more than a straightforward 'as live' performance) - I take it this was a mash-up of two performances, otherwise there were rather more Gibson Brothers than I thought!
It's fascinating to see things which were 'ahead of their time' - the Peter Gabriel video was one of these.
A dimly-lit SLF with the drummer now relegated to the back of the stage (I wonder why?) - you could see towards the end that a cymbal stand had gone over but it wasn't caught on camera.
And a dimly-lit Legs & Co with the infamous 'Sue Lawley'. I was going to say that AM radio has a lot to answer for, but it still sounds like the esteemed lady's name on CD...
Good song from Rainbow, although I would rather have seen a straight live clip instead of disparate live footage over the record version. But they probably knew what they were doing...
This is the Shadows performance I remember, with Brian at the front and giving it rather more 'oomph' than previous efforts. But I'm sure I can remember him standing up and playing flams (double stick whacks) on the syndrums. Perhaps it was another TV show.
Just a shame, then, that the show had to end on a bit of a downer with David Bowie in maximum weirdness mode. Still, I suppose it's a testament to the guy's talent when he can veer between some of the greatest pop records ever made (and The Laughing Gnome) and inaccessible avant-garde arhythmic claptrap like this...
OK, I will bite. Whats with all the Sue Lawley references please??
DeleteIt's how the words "So Lonely" sounded on muffled 70's / 80's radio. A bit like Hot Chocolate's "I believe in milko (miracles)" at the start of "You Sexy Thing".
DeletePS - Sue Lawley was a presenter on the 1970's / 80's BBC1 nationwide midweek news programme called, er, "Nationwide".
DeleteIf you do get to see Neil B.'s very good upload of 06.03.1980, keep watching at the end for a sneak preview of this weeks BBC4 show. Keyboard Dooley's skintight outfit is certainly worth seeing, and Steve Wright agrees that it really does sound like the Police are singing Sue Lawley!
DeleteAha! Thanks Arthur, I remember her, but now I know what you mean. Sulaw/lonely it is then!
DeleteStill haven’t seen this week’s show, but I’ll butt in for now with a personal memory of The Vapors’ finest (which I may have told you already?).
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a monthly club night called Punk Rock Karaoke, held upstairs at “The Garage“ in Islington and run by DJ Steve Lamacq, a really friendly and down to earth guy who loves Colchester United and cider. Acts were accompanied by a three-piece band, Spiteful Handjob, which included Sleeper’s drummer. Having read about the club in “Metro”, I turned up for the first time and put my name down to sing “Turning Japanese” during the first set. My name was fifth on the list, so I thought I had enough time for some Dutch courage beforehand. Little did I know that the band organised the set list how they wanted. Sure enough, Steve introduced the show and said “First up, it’s a song about masturbation, and here to sing it….”! Cue first pint downed in 10 seconds! Unsure of what to do during the song’s instrumental break, I improvised and sang the chorus of “Japanese Boy”. It became my trademark medley whenever I went!
At last, a few random thoughts on the show from me.
ReplyDeleteDeep sigh – as mentioned before, AC/DC finally get their chart mugshot but Bon didn’t live to see it.
A smiley Elvis with a track taken from “Get Happy”, a strange album for me because I loved all of one side and didn’t like anything on the other. Get half happy, I suppose.
Great Cliff Richard method acting by Kid when taking that look off his face prior to Marti Webb.
Liquid Gold epitomised a band having the time of their life. Ellie’s short outfit almost eclipsed the drummer’s garb – judging by its design, surely someone in the audience would have liked to get up at the crack of sunrise. Boom boom tish! Shame to think that, not many years hence, Liquid Gold would end up as failing Song for Europe also-rans.
So, six Gibson Brothers (wonder if they ever got instrument sponsorship from said company?) and six Carmen Mirandas. Were those static un-partylike balloons glued in place?
Peter Gabriel with an ultra “Pretentious? Moi?” video which included essence of “Hi De Hi”.
Stiff Little Fingers win this week’s “Beat” award for band playing in almost complete darkness, and the award for dance troupe in almost complete darkness goes to…
Strange mixture of what looked like promo video and live video for Rainbow. Did anyone else notice Graham Bonnet splayed over the mic stand with his jacket off during the middle of this sublime track?
And so, from a rock guitar legend and drumming icon to another such pairing! You see, SLF drummer? Play properly and you get the glory up front. Well done, Golf Club Dad!
Talking of clubs, David Bowie took one to the outro song and beat it into a hideous cacophony. No doubt had we had today’s technology then, Alabama Song” could have been described in eight letters – OMG WTF BS.
Arthur - you raise a very good point here regarding Graham Bonnet's jacket coming off midway through the video. Now this is really sneaky. If you watch the full promo clip for 'All Night Long' on Youtube you will spot something not seen in the versions shown on TOTP. There is a very sexy lady dressed in a black crop top and white shorts. She appears at various occasions during the video dancing in the wings. The BBC obviously decided that this kind of thing was not suitable for early evening viewing and edited the video, substituting some more distant shots of the band, mainly of Ritchie Blackmore to cut out any bits that this lady appeared in. Hence, they goofed with the shot of Bonnet sans jacket. It makes sense when you watch the uncut clip as to why Bonnet looks to his left when he sings the line "You didn't come just to see the show..." as in the wings is this lady strutting her stuff! Funny, it's really no worse than a lot of the Legs & Co. outfits and dance routines.
Delete'Dance Yourself Dizzy' is one of the cheesiest songs ever released - and yet there is something about it that makes it utterly irresistible. It was actually produced and co-written by Adrian Baker, a prolific songwriter and producer who would score two Top 30 hits during the following year's medley craze under the name Gidea Park. BTW, did you know that Liquid Gold evolved from a later line-up of cult hard rock band Babe Ruth?
ReplyDeleteThe Police's 'So Lonely' was one of several early unsuccessful singles reissued after the band had found fame; another was their very first single, 'Fall Out', which featured their Corsican-born original guitarist Henri Padovani. His sacking - which may well have been due to language difficulties as well as creative differences - could have caused him a great deal of heartbreak, but he has enjoyed a rich and lucrative career in the industry. He had a long spell as Vice-President of IRS Records and then as manager of 90s Italian pop star Zucchero, before going freelance as a session guitarist, solo performer and composer of film scores. He was also a judge on the French version of 'X Factor'.
in a case of life imitating art, after mr baker had some success imitating the beach boys and the four seasons in "stars on 45" medley style he was actually asked to sing with said bands. as for the name gidea park, i always assumed that was a leafy suburb somewhere in sun-drenched california, but some years later when i moved to the north london area i discovered it was actually a district in the decidedly less-glamourous environs of romford in essex!
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