Do not click it if you wish to avoid Jimmy Savile.
That awkward moment when you realise your toothbrush is actually a microphone.....
7-10-82: Presenter: Jimmy Savile
(39) KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS – Annie I’m Not Your Daddy
Their biggest hit, peaked at number 2.
(4) CHICAGO – Hard To Say I’m Sorry (video)
At its peak.
(16) SIMPLE MINDS – Glittering Prize ®
At its peak.
(42) BAUHAUS – Ziggy Stardust
Their only top 20 hit, peaked at number 15.
(2) FAT LARRY’S BAND – Zoom (video)
At its peak.
(28) SPANDAU BALLET – Lifeline
Reached number 7.
(3) CULTURE CLUB – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?
On its way to number one.
(19) THE ANIMALS – House Of The Rising Sun (danced to by Zoo)
Originally the band's only number one hit, from 1964, this re-issue made it to number 11.
(14) KIDS FROM FAME – Starmaker (video)
Second and final top ten hit for the Kids, peaking at number 3.
(1) MUSICAL YOUTH – Pass The Dutchie (video)
Second of three weeks at the top.
(7) EVELYN KING – Love Come Down (crowd dancing) (and credits)
At its peak.
We are back to BBC4 next with the edition from October 14th 1982.
This was clearly one of the best shows of the year, with the lucky Jimmy Saville getting to host it.
ReplyDeleteKid Creole - good to see Creole could come to the UK and the TOTP studio for his third consecutive hit in 1982. Probably the best US traveller so far to the UK and the TOTP studio, as I don't recall any of his videos needing showing on TOTP, thanks to his appearances in the studio.
Chicago - at last, that glorious video that we all know and love (I hope). I just love this classic ballad which failed to emulate their last single release in our charts in 1976 getting all the way to No.1, although I thought this new one was far superior but could only get to No.4 at its peak this week. The unique vocals of Peter Cetera, could leave no-one in the 70s & 80s in doubt as to who was singing on this. With this quality of music, it's hard to believe that it took Chicago six years to follow up their 1976 No.1 called If You Leave Me Now, considering there was no change in the band's line up for their return in 1982.
Fat Larry's Band - wow, already at No.2, and I remember at the time willing this, please, please, to get to No.1 after Musical Youth had bombed out, but alas it was not to be for either Fat Larry or Chicago, the other contender worthy of No.1.
The Animals - welcome back to Foxy on Zoo, she had been away for at least a couple of months from our screens, but back to her best on this one. I wonder what was the reason for the re-release of this 1964 No.1 from the Animals? Was there a new TV ad in 1982, which is usually why these songs get re-released with a new makeover, or was there another reason?
Certainly the appearance of Zoo in sexy lingerie was in itself worthy of re-releasing the song in my opinion. A big wolf-whistle all round this week for Zoo, and who needs Legs & Co when you got sexy girls like these?
The Kids From Fame - ballad of the year in my opinion, and I remember for at least a decade on from this, it was one of the best end-of-disco smooch songs at house parties, certainly when I DJ'd from about 1989 onwards, I was playing this one at the end of the night for the long-awaited slow-dance. This was was easily in my top three records of the year, along with Chicago's Hard To Say I'm Sorry, and Meat Loaf's Deadringer For Love.
Dory - it was strange how Chicago 'went quiet' during 1977 - 1981. I reckon that they released one of their best ever singles 'Song for You' (not to be confused with 'I'm a Man')in August 1980. However, it must have sold poorly; 45cat only shows the promo version of the single and there's no official video that I can find. This is a pretty good presentation of a great, underplayed song; the bit at 2:15 where the drums come in is amazing as is the vocal performance from Peter Cetera:-
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE3SHMGb9bY
Dory - there had been a major change in Chicago's line-up in 1978, when singer/guitarist Terry Kath (interviewed by Noel Edmonds on one of the 1976 repeats we saw), killed himself while playing Russian roulette. Peter Cetera's apparently developed that weird singing style after a period when he had his jaw wired shut after being involved in a fight.
DeleteJohn, did that Cetera jaw incident happen before or after 1976 when they were at No.1 with If You Leave Me Now? His voice in 1982 seems similar but I cannot be entirely sure.
DeleteThe jaw incident apparently happened in 1969, at an LA Dodgers game, around the time the band's first album was released.
DeleteWow, so by 1982, Chicago were already 13 years in the music business, and had spanned three separate decades! Did they also release any new music in the 90s, to make it four different decades?
DeleteChicago have continued releasing albums into the current decade, and are still going today, though Peter Cetera left in 1985.
DeleteChicago is not Chicago without Peter Cetera. Some years back I bought the greatest hit DVD called The Heart Of Chicago: The Videos 1982-1991 (yes I just realised that they did produce new material in the 90s), and the only one I like that was post-Cetera, was the 1988 hit called Look Away which was a much bigger hit in the US not surprisingly.
DeleteDid Bryan Ferry also have his jaw smashed? He seems to sing in the same way with a fixed grin on his face
Deletei would guess that the sultan of suave's rictus-style grimacing is merely what he considers a way of stylishly emoting...
DeleteThe blog title of Pass The Top Of The Pops is another excellent one Angelo, as it could be pass the remote control so that I can watch TOTP, or pass the popcorn so as I can enjoy TOTP with the sweet honey popcorn flavour of Zoo, being largely the only female act on the show.
ReplyDeleteCould you imagine if they showed the Animals on video, and not Zoo, then every act on the show would be male, which I don't think has happened before, or has it? Let's not count Kids From Fame as any female input on this show, as it is just as much male. Nor can we count Evelyn King on the playout, as she did not appear as main act on the show, so please.
And just one more edition to pass around of this run of four! I do hope they go back to just one edition per week next year!
DeleteI know - four in one day is murder!
Deleteer dory, i don't know the chicago video... and i certainly don't love the music!
DeleteJust wait until Christmas. The shows from 18/11 and 2/12 are apparently due to be shown on the 23rd, and those from 9/12 and 23/12 on the 30th. If you add in all the Yewtreed shows down to the end of '82, including both Christmas ones, we will have 8 editions to wade through during the festive season...
DeleteGood Lord, I don't know if I need to book extra time off just for this blog, if there are really 8 editions to go through over Xmas.
DeleteWeren't Kid Creole's Coconuts female Dory?
DeleteYeah, how could I forget those tasty coconuts
Deletedory i think you'll find that popular music has been very much male-dominated from the start. i haven't done any statistics on this kind of thing, but i would be very surprised if the male:female ratio of the top 30 chart acts on any given show is anything more even than 75:25...
DeleteThe 15/02/68 show is entirely male, reflecting the very male dominated chart at the time.
DeleteThey started off with the best thing on the show, Kid Creole, terrific song exhibiting his talent for a clever lyric and catchy melody. The Coconuts' dance routine is great here, and Coati Mundi's antics with the Annie doll are highly amusing.
ReplyDeleteWe then get the video for Chicago, wondering what happened to their famed brass section on this track. Overblown and blaring, curious for a romantic tune, but that was the eighties for you where everything went BIG.
Bauhaus with one of the most pointless covers of all time, and annoyingly doing better than Dame Dave was in the charts at the time. Note for note guitars, Peter does his best impersonation and coming off second best: Bela Lugosi's Dead was a lot more worthwhile than this.
Spandau Ballet with a pleasant ditty, probably what they were best as at the decade moved forward, I've no problem with this. Does remind me of the Sunday charity show on BBC 1 that seemed to run for ages with Gavin from That's Life sympathetically presenting, not what they had in mind, I'd wager.
Oh dear, this is a bit dodgy, what are the girls dressed as, exactly? I half expected them to get 'em orf halfway through for the rank of trilby-sporting whoopers down the front. I'd prefer something a bit more wholesome on a family show. As for the song, well, heard it so many times it has no effect. If you want to hear the epitome of the word "bitter", ask Eric Burdon about this hit, and Alan Price in particular.
Kids from Fame, basically inventing the 80s charity single where everyone gets a line and all join in on the chorus. They all look sad because the tearful actor they were singing to was dying in real life, so this was their farewell to him. Ironically, Lori Singer isn't a very good singer. She should have busted out the cello.
Funnily enough, Three of a Kind did spoofs of Fame and Musical Youth about this time. I can't look at the little kid going "bom-de-biddly-bom!" and not be reminded of Lenny Henry taking the mickey out of him.
It could be that The House Of The Rising Sun was referring to a 60s brothel, judging by the lyrics, but I'm not entirely sure. That could explain the Zoo girls dressed in a 'get em orf' manner, as you say.
Deleteyes, it is about a brothel. but it's an ancient tune that was around long before the animals got their hands on it. so old in fact that no one gets the credit for writing it (see my comments below)
DeleteBob Dylan did a much more traditional version of House of the Rising Sun on his first, eponymous album. Apparently it was hearing The Animals' version that helped inspire him to go electric.
DeleteSomething I noticed about the is show; virtually every song reached its end, or very near-to. None of that 'fade it at the bridge' nonsense that semed prevelent just a few short months ago.
ReplyDeleteFirst beneficiary of this is the really rather wonderful Kid Creole, with possibly one of the best studio performances in the show's history. Tick off all the good bits with me. The song; brilliant, infectious and great lyrics ( cos if I was in your blood then you wouldn't be that ugly)The girls; a nailed-on dance routine, they looked sexy and they never missed a line. Coati Mundi; a hyperkinetic little sod adding much amusement and interest. And up-front the effortlessly cool Kid himself. *standing ovation.
A first showing of the Chicago vid. A simple stage performance ruined by glaring colour washes. That guitarist has piled on a bit of beef since the 'If You Leave Me Now' days.
Bauhaus. A note for note copy performed by people who are less than a tenth as talented as Bowie and Ronson - although, in fairness to them, they did give it a right royal go.
Spandau have one last tickle of the Shakey tastebuds before they and I part company. Shames, I was a huge fan of theirs in the beginning, and was saddened to see them go down a more poppier route.
Culture Club. In a twist to the usual group positions, Roy Hay plays guitar whilst sitting and Jon Moss plays drums whilst standing. George is becoming a more and more charismatic frontman with each passing tv appearance.
Kids From Fame. I thought this was going to be Hi Fidelity again, but no, in an effort to cash-in another single has been rushed out, and its Starmaker. I instantly grimaced when I heard this. This is the one where they all gather round one of the old teachers who is leaving or retiring or something, isn't it? Yup -and it's worse than I remembered. This is pure 'We're Sending Our Love Down A Well' territory. I had sick in the back of my mouth and. . . oh God, thy're holding hands and swaying now. There are tears - of course there are tears. My skin is crawling in hideous embarrassment for everyone concerned with this - not least those actors who can't sing but have to have at least one line. Horrible. Awful.
Kid Creole scores 10 - the rest can share 5 between them.
He Who Cant Be Shown. Not as hideous as he has been recently. His countdown is still dull and uninteresting, but at least he was mostly talking in sentences. 4
Starmaker un-did all the good work of Hi Fidelity - what a MASSIVE stinker!
DeleteNot sure of the actual plot here, but I take it the awkward bloke in the chair is an ex-Nazi Commandant on the run - hiding in plain sight as a piano tuner in Fame HQ - about to be exposed by old Ginger Nut over there on the end (clearly an undercover agent - given that he can't carry a tune in a bucket).
The plot was that Mr Crandall (Michael Thoma) was being let go from the school and they were all saying goodbye. The reality was that Thoma was nearing the last stages of terminal cancer, which is why they are all in tears. The emotion is real. Although he wasn't a big part of the show, he had been a big help behind the scenes. So it's a tribute to that.
DeleteI seem to recall the episode after he'd died in real life, he appeared as a "ghost" in a dream (actually old footage), but I could be wrong.
Shaky - re your comment about Culture Club, surely they are all playing their own instruments in the same stage positions as last time, they haven't swapped places in any way. I couldn't imagine control freak George letting them do that.
DeleteNo, Bama. I was referring to the fact that Jon Moss was STANDING (drummers usually sit) while Roy Hay was playing guitar sat down.
Deleteyet another show to mull over in the same day, and even i'm beginning to find it more of a duty than a pleasure now. but fortunately in the context of supplying critique it's another yewtree special, so no actual observation on the show itself is necessary...
ReplyDeletekid creole: this is a true classic of the age, and one you can't stop moving to the moment it starts. nuff said!
bauhaus: an utterly redundant cover, but i suppose they had to do something to get their mugshots in the countdown as their own stuff was patently not making it. i have to admit though that they all looked rather good in a wasted way, and vocalist peter murphy was so visually striking that he was used in an iconic maxell (?) ad even before their commercial breakthrough
the animals: what the fuck are they doing here!?! seriously, for what good reason was this re-released? i always thought it was vastly over-rated even when i heard originally heard it as a kid in the 70's ("we gotta get out of this place" is far superior in my opinion). i don't think it was due to an advert as that kind of thing didn't catch on until the nick kamen/jeans event a few years later. hopefully someone can come up with an explanation, even if it's not a justifiable one. on a trivia note: alan price was credited as sole arranger of what is a traditional tune (and thereby pocketed all consequent royalties, thus causing much angst within the band) - not because of his organ playing that tends to dominate the recording, but apparently because his name was first alphabetically and the only one that fitted on the label!
i'm actually feeling quite ravenous having disected several shows over the course of what must have been several hours, so i'm off for my tea now...
The Animals formed in 1962 and ten years after in 1972 they re-issued their number one hit House Of The Rising sun. They must have a thing about anniversaries because ten years later re-issued it again to celebrate 20 years and it was also available on picture disc.
DeleteThree down and one to go Angelo. Looking forward to the second John Peel show in two days on BBC4, and the work debut of, wait for it......Tears For Fears......and thank goodness the final week at No.1 for Musical Youth.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone got this full John Peel version of 14.10.82 with the JK slot, or was it shown on UK Gold, so that I can see the other new debut on our screens of Men At Work in the US charts with JK, as well as John Cougar at No.1 with Jack & Diane, as we will not see this section on BBC4 tonight?
Jim'll is back in the customary gold tracksuit, and is clearly more interested in the breasts of one of the blondes around him than he is in the music. Still, he does at least correctly predict that Culture Club will get to number 1.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other comments that this is a fantastic performance from Kid Creole, and it's a brilliant song too, though I'm surprised that the lyrics were not more controversial at the time. Perhaps the sheer joyfulness of the music meant people didn't pay attention to the words! A dull video from Chicago follows that matches the interminable song, and Peter Cetera is as irritating to look at as he is to listen to...
I can only echo others in wondering what the point of this Ziggy cover was, so close in every way is it to the original. Peter Murphy works the stage and interacts with the audience as if he is a big star, but credit to him for making the effort, as it does at least make things more interesting. In this Spandau Ballet performance, Tony Hadley looks like an Edwardian gentleman off for a weekend's shoot at a stately pile. Lifeline is a pleasant enough tune, but does suggest that the blanding out of their sound was now underway...
Culture Club return with a more assured performance of this great song - George is clearly loving the camera, and the camera loves him. I don't think it's been mentioned yet that Do You Really Want to Hurt Me was actually their third single, the previous two having reached the dizzy heights of 114 and 100 respectively. I think a record as seminal as House of the Rising Sun could have done without a Zoo routine, and this one definitely falls into the category of "wouldn't be allowed to do this now." In fairness, it does reflect the sleaziness of the lyrics, but it's a bit too obvious that the dancers are meant to be whores, and the presence of all those whooping pervs in hats and macs around the stage doesn't help matters...
The video for Starmaker makes for similarly uncomfortable viewing, both because of the knowledge that the actor they are all singing to was dying, and because the whole thing is so vomit-inducing - it also looked to me like My Family's Kris Marshall was among the crowd! The musical youths then have their day in court once more, before we get some half-hearted shuffling to Evelyn King to play us out.
As this is the one and only time we see the Chicago video for Hard To Say I'm Sorry, this official video for the song, according to the posting on YouTube, is from a Spanish TV show, and this clip shows it in its entirety, where at the end you can see a quite pretty Spanish presenter calling time at the end of the song.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEwNcnklcsk
There's a clip of the them doing uptempo coda (AKA Get Away) live here:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWXrPNgycb4
Fantastic Bama, that clip has just made my day. What I would do to be a part of that Chicago band with such quality of sound, but I was only 14 in 1982, and as always the case, in the wrong era.
DeleteBama - that 'Get Away' really rocks. That must be fabulous live. Would love to see Peter Cetera back with the band and singing this right through live. Awesome.
DeleteWikipaedia says that Cetera posted on his website in February 2016 that a reunion with Chicago would not materialise, despite all his efforts. What a cruel industry this can be.
Deletei'm gutted dory! maybe the rest of chicago (the band that is - not the city!) have still not forgiven mr cetera (who by the early 80's had become their public face) for quitting for a solo career in the first place. in fact, if he's wondering the reason why they'll be no chicago reunion, perhaps he should give another listen to the lyrics of his own song "if you leave me now"...?
DeleteIndeed Wilberforce, that no.1 song title in 1976 was certainly a prediction of the future that no-one could have foreseen at the time, not even Cetera.
DeleteNice to see Howard from Last of the Summer Wine making an appearance in that cringeworthy Kids from Fame video. Jesus wept.
ReplyDeleteThanks again to Neil B. I do wish Jim’ll had worn a singlet one size bigger, though!
ReplyDeleteSaving the best for first, a superb song, a wonderful routine from The Coconuts, an effervescent display by Coati Mundi, and Kid Creole looking suave as ever. As we probably all recall from way back, the line “Oh no, oh no, I don’t wanna be a …” also sounded like “Oh no, oh no, onomatopoeia”.
I preferred Leo and Libra’s routine to Chicago’s video ,which appeared to start with a Steve Strange mural. Didn’t know that fact about Peter Cetera’s jaw, though. I wonder if he ever released a solo album called “Et Cetera”? Harrumph.
Here come the second best known band from Northampton after Coast To Coast, the band originally called Bauhaus 1919 who’d already murdered “Telegram Sam” before this pointless Maxell-style copy. At least Peter Murphy gave it the full works. Bauhaus managed two singles in the 50’s and two in the 40’s plus a mugshot tickler with “She’s In Parties”.
And here we see Spandau Ballet’s transition from new romantics to Radio 2 Romantics. Tony Hadley’s get-up made me think he was about to ask “Fast Show” Ralph about the drainage in the lower field.
You remembered your cue this week, George. Nice one! Culture Club’s bassist needed to be perched on a stool to complete the full set of band positions.
No idea why that Animals cover was re-issued. As for Zoo, where were the poles? They were all that was missing. I remember a much more subtle and sensual Legs & Co routine using chairs where they sat astride them in provocative fashion to “Chanson D’Amour”. Deep sigh.
Kids From Fame reminded me of the Grange Hill cast’s “Just Say No”, as in please stop, coupled with an incredibly painful video – and I meant that emotionally, not in terms of its content.
I wonder if there was ever an Italian cover of Musical Youth’s hit called “Pasta Dutchie”? I’ll get my coat.
It seems no-one likes the Kids From Fame video for Starmaker. Yes, I know comes across a bit soft, but remember, this was 1982 where young and old were still mixing, and the old were still carrying the young. Fast forward now 34 years later in 2016 when parents don't know where their kids are doing, or even what they are doing, in their 'personal space' of which there was little of way back then.
DeleteI like it Dory, I'm a sucker for a corny drama. I watched the show back then although had completely forgotten about this song.
DeleteRespect to that "Fame" track, used in the final episode as a thank you to Michael Thoma who, it appears, sadly died before the song was shown on TOTP....
Deletehttp://www.fameforever.com/series/interview36.php
the comments made about the various culture club stage positions reminds me of the hilarious "standing, sitting and leaning" game on "whose line is it anyway"!
DeleteLoved this Kid Creole song to bits at the time danced to it many a time. I have seen this clip before and remembered the dancing clown lady on the right who was standing next to our creepy host at the start.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the Chicago track even though they had become a staple of MOR or is it AOR radio by this point. Nice teardrop guitar Peter Cetera is playing.
Repeat of the Simple Minds then a pointless cover of a Bowie classic. A song about Hendrix by a fictitious band, by Bowie, covered by Bauhaus. Why? What was the point? Singer Peter Murphy even copies Bowie's arm round the neck of the guitarist movie. Roll on the Maxell tape ads.
Zoom zooming up the charts then the Spandex boys, this time Hadley has been sartorially inspired by Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes look, the Kemp brother doing that annoying shared mic backing vocals trick and getting confused when there are two sets of backing vocals playing at the same time. Why did I so much want to punch the sax players fat smug face? A: because it was fat and smug.
Is it a bird? Is it a bloke? Yes it's Boy George, the walking wardrobe and his mates. Note the backing singers have ben well and truly dumped but replace by some bloke in specs operating a spotlight. While I like the song, even if its appeal has worn off with time, it always annoyed me that the main hook of the song, the descending scale after the chorus , is played on what sounds like a xylophone and a keyboard of some kind and yet neither instrument is represented on stage. You don't get that with Haircut 100. If there's a sax on their record you'll see a sax, if there's bongos, you'll see bongos, etc.
House Of The Rising Son - a girl's song performed by a man and yet acted out by women. Confused? I know I am. Very strange choice for Zoo to "dance" to, why not show an old film clip?
While it's undoubtedly cheesy they is something undeniably appealing about the film clip of Starmaker from The Kids From Fame. If only life was like a musical. This reminds me of the end of the film White Christmas where Bing Crosby and co honour their old army captain. You can see why the TV show was popular and why people bought this.
The Youth and the top spot and then play out with Evelyn King. Not a bad show with a lively atmosphere but I could have done without JS, the Spandeaus and Bauhaus.
bama that's not true about haircut 100 - their last single featured loads of trunpet playing, yet there were none seen on the totp stage. in contrast to those bloody saxophones that were practically non-existent on the recording!
DeleteThanks again Neil B and UK Gold….
ReplyDeletePatchy show again for me. I am surprised that JS was wheeled out to present again at this point in time but I guess he was still very popular. His chart rundowns are a joke though; nearly all are devoid of song titles and then at the end we get pass the ‘Dutch-ee’ as in Duchy of Cornwall….
Kid Creole – Annie I’m not your Daddy – Classic Creole and some surprisingly restrained outfits for the wonderful Coconuts in this rendition.
Chicago – Hard to day I’m sorry – You can’t fault ToTP for their diverse promotion of this classic. After the JK slot ‘movie’ clip and the wonderful Zoo duo dance routine we get the full video with the segue into ‘Get Away’ being almost complete. Pete Cetera looks very fresh faced after the long locks we saw in ‘If you leave me now’. Wonderful record and video and the highlight of the show for me.
Simple Minds - Glittering Prize – Another one like ‘So here I am’ and Saddle up’ that keeps popping up every other week. Didn’t particularly wish to see it again so FF.
Bauhaus – Ziggy Stardust – Not for me. Not even one of my favourite Bowie tracks.
Fat Larry’s Band – Zoom – Great to see the whole video of this live performance this time. I thought this hit must have been huge in the US but when I checked it didn’t even chart. Big surprise.
Spandau Ballet – Lifelife – An OK song and performance but not one their best.
Culture Club – Do you really want to hurt me – Next…..
Animals – House of the Rising Sun – Zoo antics aside, this is still, after all these years a mighty powerful production from the late Mickie Most. This release was a three track EP with ‘I’m Crying’ and ‘Don’t let me be misunderstood’, so I think this is why it got back in the charts.
Kids from Fame – Starmaker – I’m a sucker for ballads at the best of times but I’m afraid this just makes me cringe. I watched it through just to see if the memory cheats and it wasn’t as bad I as I remembered but it is, and like the old man in the chair, I was nearly reduced to tears at the end. Clearly Bob Geldof was impressed as a couple of years later he pinched the idea of different people singing a line of the verse and hey presto, ‘Feed the world’!
Musical Youth & Evelyn King – this coupling at the end meant my viewing rapidly FF’d.
Agreed that Chicago was the highlight of the show, broken jaw or no broken jaw on Peter Cetera! To think he was already 38 on this performance. Apparently he is 72 now, and enjoying life in America out of the limelight.
DeleteWith regard to Starmaker, it does, as you say, make one think that this could have been the spark for the 1984 Band Aid's Feed The World, and then the US contribution the following year in 1985 with We Are The World. Thanks Kids From Fame!
i like of lot of bowie's output from the 70's, but like sct i never really understood the appeal of "ziggy stardust". even though i've grown to sort-of like it now a la "bohemian rhapsody" (i.e. as a result of having heard it so many times now), it's still not a patch on the other rockers from the eponymous album it came from: "hang on to yourself" and "suffragette city"
Deletethe latter reminds me of when i once played in a bowie tribute band. we had a teenaged female drummer, and when we worked on the song in a rehearsal she came up to me as we were packing up and asked in a slightly embarrassed way "what's a suffragette?". cue the sound of mrs pankhurst spinning in her grave...
I'm trying to pace myself with all these editions, with the result that most of the things I was going to say have already been said, and I'm particularly gutted that Arthur pipped me to the Kid Creole 'onomatopeia' comment!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Kid, his Coconuts and Coati Mundi were the best thing on the show. It's amusing when you still occasionally hear people say what a 'feel good' song this is - ummm...take a listen to the lyrics!
Bauhaus - It's OK, if entirely pointless. Whoever compiled the Chart Hits 82 compo (a Christmas present!) loved it though as it opened Side 2.
Spandau Ballet - Most people look silly holding those pencil mics but Tony Hadley looks absolutely right with one. In other news, Gary Kemp still highly smackable and the song? Well, I quite like it!
The Animals - Nice to see the recreation of the 'knocking shop' referred to in the lyrics. Ahem. I assume that they performed this on at least one 60s TOTP which had been wiped.
Kids From Fame - Blimey, this one really is Marmite, isn't it? For my part, having watched the show at the time, I totally got the emotion. I like the fact that it's real and so I love the tune. Mrs Noax does too, and whenever they mention the 'star baker' on Great British Bake Off, this tune gets an airing...
According to Popscene, The Animals made three appearances on the show performing House of the Rising Sun in 1964 - all wiped now, natch.
DeleteThe Animals House of the Rising Sun was issued a three track EP and a picture disc. I believe it was issued to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's formation.
DeleteI got the Kid Creole onomatopoeia thing at the time which always made me smile. The same with Freeze's IOU which lyrically steals the vowels chant we learned at school - A E I O U and sometimes Y.
I learnt the vowels first from Sesame Street, which tended to teach better than my school.
DeleteJust got back tonight from my local Tuesday night karaoke in North London, and seeing as you can have a maximum of two songs per person, I'm generally picking from this week's TOTP, so that my karaoke choices follow the same week's TOTP.
ReplyDeleteSuffice to say my two choices tonight were Chicago and Fat Larry's Band, and I must admit that Fat Larry came off much better, and easier to sing than Peter Cetera's broken jaw on Chicago. I had a great time all in all.
WeTransfer video deleted again. Drat.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I missed the WeTransfer too. Any chance of a re-upload?
Delete