Kim suddenly remembers what she's wearing
11/10/84 (Mike Read & Tommy Vance)
Kim Wilde – “The Second Time” (52)
Getting the show underway, despite not even being in the top 50, but she was wearing a rather tight outfit, and the song did get up to number 29.
Sade – “Smooth Operator” (22) (video)
Went up three more places.
Wham! – “Freedom” (3)
Stevie Wonder had replaced George Micheal at number one five weeks prior, and now George was about to return the favour. But edited out of the 7.30 showing.
Stephanie Mills – “The Medicine Song” (29) (video)
At its peak. And also edited out.
Paul Young – “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” (20)
He'd been quiet all year so far, but this would become the first of two number nines for him in 1984. But where were the Fabulously Wealthy Tarts?
Alison Moyet – “All Cried Out” (35)
Became her second top ten hit of the year, reaching number 8. Any more naughty references in this one?
The Style Council – “Shout To The Top” (13)
Became their third top ten hit of the year, reaching number 7.
Stevie Wonder – “I Just Called To Say I Love You” (1) (video)
With his sixth and final week at number one.
Bruce Springsteen – “Cover Me” (38) (audience dancing/credits)
He'd been around for a long time already but just couldn't quite make a breakthrough in the singles chart. This one got no higher for now, but in 1985 it would reach number 16.
TV📺11/10/84 BBC1 6.55:Tomorrow's World 7.20:TOTP 8.0:The Magnificent Evans 8.30:Checkpoint 9.0News 9.25:Morgan's Boy pic.twitter.com/6QN2APBw6g
— Graeme Wood (@woodg31) October 11, 2017
Next is October 18th.
This was the final outing for the occasional Read-Vance partnership, but I think they were trying too hard to be funny this time, the perving over Kim Wilde at the start and the Stevie mickey-taking at the end failing to elicit any smiles from me. Good chart rundown technique from both as usual, though.
ReplyDeleteKim comes dressed like an extra from Blake’s 7 for this performance, and brother Ricky is losing his hair at a rate of knots, but this welcome return to synthpop after her ill-advised dabbling with swing is pretty good, even if not quite in the Kids in America league. No surprise that Sade’s video is set in a nightclub - only a wine bar would have been more appropriate! Ms Adu would go on to dabble with acting in the Absolute Beginners film, but as far as I’m aware that was the extent of her thespian endeavours.
Four minutes of pop perfection from Wham next, as George once again channels the Motown sound to come up with one of his finest songs. The retro feel is enhanced by the black tie dress code observed by all the men on stage other than George, presumably exempted because he was the star, and by the glamorous sparkly Supremes-style dresses adorning Pepsi and Shirlie. After an unfortunate hiatus caused by voice problems, Paul Young returns with both a mullet and a rockier sound. He certainly sounds in good vocal health, but the song is marred for me by one of those horribly cluttered mid-80s production jobs.
Another great singer to follow, as Alf belts out another class tune. Seeing her career unfold again on these repeats has been a salutary reminder of just how good she was, and it seems most unjust to me that she never enjoyed the international sales and stardom gained more recently by Adele, a much more limited talent. Paul and Mick look very much like paid-up members of the yuppie classes in this studio appearance, and Dee C has to move around awkwardly for a long time until the backing vocals kick in - a good, energetic song anyway. I am not much of a Springsteen fan - I think a lot of his music is just too bombastically American for my tastes - but Cover Me makes for a good playout track, and there is some memorable dancing here, especially from the lady with the exposed shoulder who is jiggling her bust around very noticeably! Even more shockingly, the male cheerleader at the front appears to be wearing a snood…
Actually I thought that Kim Wilde and Tommy Vance were wearing similar outfits, just that Kim's had some colour, and also it was Vance's penultimate TOTP, as I think he has only one more show to host the following month in No '84 as he was one of 5 presenters to complete their TOTP careers in 1984. He's had a good run on the show since 1980, that's five years!
DeleteI think the new duo of Pepsi & Shirlie on Wham, wearing the shiny sparkly and colourful evening gowns (but were they retro John in those days?) meant that we needed to take notice that this was ready for the new No.1 after six weeks of Stevie Wonder at No.1. It's little things like that on a show like TOTP that can propel a song to No.1, as we were getting weary of Wonder's now overplayed single.
I think the staging of the Wham performance was deliberately meant to evoke the Motown revues of the 60s, so in this context I would argue that Pepsi and Shirlie's dresses were indeed retro even in 1984. You are right that this was Tommy's penultimate TOTP, but it was also his last with Mike Read, who had become his most regular co-host.
DeleteI always wonder if there is some fashion parallel with the 60s and 80s anyway, it's like bright colours became fashionable again.
DeleteI watched most of the early run – I’ll critique the show more fully later in the weekend.
ReplyDeleteIt’s TV on the, er, TV along with that idiot in the bloody sunglasses again!
I got to the telly late and it sounds like I missed Kim Wilde impersonating Servalan. Looking forward to seeing it.
Poor Wham!, highest new entry but cut from the early show unlike Culture Club’s stupid entry at number 3, and sandwiched between videos of two acts who were non-movers.
Sade’s vid was strange but showed her acting at its best (ahem), while Stephanie Mills was very lucky to get a second airing after going up just four places since the last showing, not that early evening BBC4 viewers would have known.
Had Paul Young ditched the heard but not seen Kim and Maz by this stage? Dreadful poncing about by the guitarist to our left at the end.
I’d never previously noticed that strange red and black Chinese abstract background used for Alison Moyet. Much preferred the sighting of the studio ‘Transmission’ sign during a poorly executed up-close shot.
That Mick Talbot looked sharp, Dee C looked fine, and we had a Captain Sensible lookalike on drums and Captain Mandible on lead vocals. Paul Weller bloody chewing again!
The last two were FF’d for my taste and sanity.
Agreed regarding Sade's video, as strange was indeed the word. I couldn't figure the storyline of the video though. Was it the relationship between the male in the audience and Sade singing in front of him, and now compromised by the attractive waitress who steals him from her at the end, as Sade seems to be producing tears while she is singing in the video, particularly towards the end of it? Someone please fill me in.
DeleteThe problem with the Sade video is that she doesn't look like the kind of innocent to be taken advantage of by a smooth operator. She's the singer giving knowing comments on the situation, and arguably looks more sophisticated and smooth than the smooth operator himself.
DeleteI don't think there's an "arguably" about it, Starry, she looks a definite stiletto-heel-in-the-crotch merchant. Girl power!
DeleteKim Wilde squeezed into what looks like a painted on bondage outfit starts the show, don't recall this single and I'm not really surprised as it is mostly a chorus of two lines repeated ad nauseam. Well, that's a bit harsh, but she had done better, and would do better in the future.
ReplyDeleteSade's titular Smooth Operator looks like he'd be more at home in Nik Kershaw's Wide Boy video. Doesn't she look different with her hair down and not in that screamingly tight braid?
Wham's finest achievement for me, Freedom is an unbeatable 80s glass of full fat pop, exuberant and wonderfully melodious, with a great new idea thrown in every minute. Sadly we don't get that superb trumpet solo. George seems to have been on the Colombian marching powder judging by the way he's flinging himself around the stage. Why couldn't they have released this the week before and truncated Stevie's reign of terror?
Can't beat a video with sound effects, eh Stephanie? Talky bit at the end remains a ramble, but I still like the chorus and the fact she didn't just call the song Medicine.
Paul Young, must admit I always found this song a cacophony of nasty synth stings and wailing guitars, but nice to see him back, even if it's not nice to see his unpleasantly oiled-up backing band. Or his tummy, for that matter.
Alison Moyet brings the melodrama with All Cried Out, all yelled out more like, what a voice and it's used very well here to sell the bitter lyrics.
Style Council, or just who's the lead singer here anyway? Dee was practically elbowing Paul out of the way. Invisible strings time, not a bad tune from them, it has energy, but what does shout to the top mean, then? Was it written on a rollercoaster?
Odd thing about the Steveland video, it featured no clips from The Woman in Red, and all these movie songs seemed to have those bits and pieces from their parent films in abundance in their vids. The soundtrack to that one even includes Don't Drive Drunk for a scene where Gene Wilder is driving sober, proof that Stevie was throwing any old stuff he had lying around at the score. Oh, and he was an answer on Mastermind tonight (got it right!).
Bruce Springsteen with one of his muscular rock-pop numbers to play us out, not too bad from him but I do find his material doesn't travel too well for me, it's very USA-specific. Still, there's worse megastars than The Boss (as long as he's not doing that godawful Christmas cover).
THX, you reminded me of two points I meant to make earlier. I agree Sade looked far more attractive with her hair down, and I couldn't work out why Paul Young's band looked like they'd just finished a shift at the garage or construction works.
DeleteDC Lee's only words were fourfold: "Shout To The Top". The rest of the lyrics were assigned to Weller. Indeed To have Wham and The style Council on the same show must have been interesting in the dressing rooms when DC Lee, formerly one of the Wham girls, now in Style Council's camp, coming face to face with her successor Pepsi as the replacement black girl.
DeleteWas it all amicable, or was there some issues surrounding it? I think more like amicable, as DC Lee was Paul Weller's girlfriend already, and was together with him for 10 years, including two children, and Wham needed a replacement for her, i.e., Pepsi.
At least with no clips from The Woman In Red in the video, BBC FOUR didnt have problems showing it!
DeleteWhats the next big film soundtrack to come out?
Ghostbusters came through ok, videowise.
I'd be interested to see if Billy Ocean's When The Going Gets Tough gets through the rights issues, but there was a pre Number 1 studio appearance for that.
I think it was number 4 from memory when we taped it, but whether it got repeated at number 1 in place of the video one week, I cant remember!
The Billy Ocean video for WTGG Tough is terrific, much better than the film it came from. I seem to remember it on TOTP when it hit the top, don't recall the studio performance.
DeleteI'm really enjoying the new studio set which adorned Kim Wilde and The Style Council this week, and last week Bronski Beat. I think the first time we saw it was on Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 9th week at No.1 with Two Tribes, but it's as much a main stage now as the customary main stage used since 1980, i.e., the one with the resident video screen housing Wham this week with new entry at No.3 - Freedom.
ReplyDeleteThe only other things I could note this week was that Stevie Wonder's first (and only?) No.1 stayed their for a staggering six weeks, so no 'Wonder' Read and Vance did that little sketch at the end of it with their microphones used as telephones to reach out to Stevie to say goodbye on the show, and funnily enough it could also have been a goodbye to being No.1, but we didn't know that for sure at the time of the show!
Also, to have Stephanie Mills video played on the show for a second time, despite still only managing No.29 in the charts, plus the Bruce Springsteen playout being the no.38 in the charts, means that TOTP was scraping the barrel this week, cos there were tons of fallers in the chart rundown. Perhaps the new Meat Loaf video was not ready yet, as he was another new entry at No.34 this week?
I really liked All Cried Out at the time, of course the whole album is good. There's an intensity to her singing, not many steps from operatic intensity maybe.
ReplyDeleteThe Wham song I liked too, though for some strange reason I thought it followed Last Christmas. Retro style, another theme that was in 84 (carrying on from 83). And it was mainly about the 60s, one colourful era reflecting on another. Credit Card Baby features brass too, Heartbeat sounds more like a Spector/Ronettes type beat. Just checking and Make it Big did make it to No1 (for two weeks).
The Style Council again I liked, though I remember liking You're The Best Thing even more. Not sure if this or the Tears for Fears Shout is better.
I wasn't much aware of the Kim Wilde song at the time but I like it now. It has a heavier sound much like a lot of 80s music, some listeners adapt to it and maybe some don't, but it can have a power. Another heavily sexualised song as well, that'a arguably a theme through this period. Apparently she was embarrassed by the promo video.
Springsteen is very US, he did a song called Born in the USA after all. At the time Dancing in the Dark was the one that appealed to me most. Cover Me is less pop, I link it with the J. Geils Band track Centrefold in my head, thought that's more pop too.
The Alf album made it to No1 for one week.
DeleteSome very bassy tunes on this one!
ReplyDeleteKim Wilde – The Second time – Outside the top50 and illustrates my point the other week about Mike Oldfield’s ‘To France’ not tickling the fancy of the ToTP production team; this obviously did. As Angelo points out, Kim’s tight outfit and slinky moves are hard to ignore on this tune that I don’t recall. Some nice bass licks though which Pino Palladino would have been proud of…
Sade – Smooth Operator – Non mover but featured again. FF
Wham! – Freedom – A classy hit again from the duo, although I counted eleven musicians on the stage with the keyboard player much to the fore – who was he? All smartly dressed. Great stuff.
Stephanie Mills – The Medicine Song – Just awful FF. Another non mover. Would have much preferred Meatloaf.
Paul Young – Pino Palladino – Ah love the bass on this one! Here’s Pino! The band look like they’ve just done a spot of car maintenance, perhaps that’s why the Fabulous Wealthy Tarts were not able to ‘push push’ on stage here as they were not covered in grease? Great first single from the wonderful ‘Secret of Association’ album. The single sleeve stated ‘This record must be played loud’ on the back. Indeed.
Alison Moyet – All cried out – Never been able to get into this track myself. It’s ok, but not startling. Preferred the previous single and the next.
Style Council – Shout to the top – No recollection of this at all. It’s not bad at all despite the annoying chewing. Didn’t realise at the time that D C Lee had any association with Weller. Tracie seems to have vanished by now.
Stevie Wonder – I just called to say I love you – Video played right through for the sixth time! Goodness that must be a first. I can recall a friend’s wedding having this as the first dance. It must have been a bad omen as it didn’t last (the marriage not the dance!). I wish I could find the Two Ronnies take off of this (‘I just called to read your meter’), but all I can find is comments that Michael Hurll produced both shows and hence they could use the same graphics and sets (’Crop of the Flops’). Anyway this is their spoof show. Check out the chart rundown:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntYnn4QE5L8
Bruce Springsteen – Cover me – The line “looking for a lover who won’t blow my cover cover me” results in a red underline in MS Word for repeated words! Good dance out track though.
The Tweet at the top is from Graeme Wood – left handed opening batsman for Australia who played in the famous 1981 Test Series?
Indeed, we're going to see Meat Loaf grace the TOTP studio for the first ever time on the next show on Friday on BBC4, and also at the unusual time of 8.30pm I see. Good Lord, how did they manage to get him in there on his fees, and weight for that matter? The studio appearance on the next show probably explains why they did not feature Mr Loaf on this week's show at No.34 ahead of Springsteen at No.38 on the playout!
DeleteWith regard to DC Lee, I also had no idea that she was going out with Weller at the time, let alone staying together for 10 years, and two children to show for it. I only knew about this as we have been seeing her on these repeats with first Wham and then The Style Council. It's amazing what information you can pick now, over 30 years later, which was not known back then.
Wham's keyboard player looked like Noel Edmonds to me...
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deletekim wilde: what the hell's that thing she's got on? what the hell's this rubbish all about? what the hell's happened to ricki's hair? who the hell cares?
ReplyDeletesade: i'm pretty sure the guy with the cine projector is none other than johnny shannon, who spent decades playing cockney gangster types in british films and tv series. it wasn't the first time he was involved with a pop star either, as he appeared in the early 70's children's film foundation movie "hide and seek" along with a pre-fame gary kemp. according to his autobiography when kemp met him many years later he asked if he remembered working on that film. shannon didn't, but i suppose it's not surprising he lost track of how many heavies he played!
wham!: oh dear, more mock-motown. next!
paul young: didn't he have some problems with his hobson's at this time? that's probably not surprising given that he sounded like he gargled with grit. it's more of the by-now standard young sound with slippery bass to the fore, but what a curious choice of cover given it was written from a female point of view. also: 1984 orchestral hit alert!
alison moyet: she certainly does the business vocally (are you listening kim wilde?), but after "love resurrection" this was a real disappointment. as i've said before though, there a couple of excellent groovers on the album
style council: a most appropriate title given the modfather's aggressive vocal style. but his fanbase had obviously dissipated somewhat from his jam days when all he had to do was fart on a single to reach the chart summit. i wonder if he actually does any style council stuff in his sets at all these days?
bruce springsteen: i think this was the first ever time "the boss" had made the show, despite this track coming from his seventh album (is that a record?). one that came back to me once i started listening to it. but it doesn't endear me to him any more for doing so, as like all his stuff it's quite clear that (like the modfather) the guy can't sing to save his life
the end of the above review should read: ... no matter how hard he bellows!
DeleteI was listening to an 80s Genesis concert one night when on holiday with my family (bored with nothing else to do) and they played the support slot with Paul Young. His voice was so bad it brought tears to the eyes, it was painful to listen to so I can't imagine how it must have felt to sing with.
Deletethx are you referring to the genesis wembley stadium gigs of 1987? i was at one of them and paul young was the support act, although his star had waned somewhat by then. i can't remember how good or bad his singing was, but i remember being quite close to the stage as the punters were obviously not that interested in him. and then after he departed there was a surge forward in anticipation of the main event, to the point where myself and my chums had move about 50 yards back to stop getting squashed!
Deletei lived in london at the time and felt i should attend one of the stadium gigs that were then in vogue, just to see what they were like. so i chose genesis for that reason - not because i particularly liked them, but they were preferable to whoever else was big enough to perform there (i wish i'd seen queen in retrospect now though!). i suppose it was interesting as an experience, but once was more than enough for me!
Yeah, that might have been the '87 Wembley gig, but my memory's not that good. I do remember Simon Mayo presenting it and making a reference to Young's voice being terrible. Maybe it's listed on BBC Genome?
Deletebeing at a wembley stadium gig in its heyday of the mid-80's to mid-90's (i don't suppose such things take place now? i remember reading the usual promotor for such events harvey goldsmith being declared bankrupt a few years back) was a valuable experience in terms of saying "i was there" in ciecumstances like this decades later. but in terms of the day itself, it was very much a curate's egg of an affair
Deletethe good things were: that it was a unique sensation to be in the middle of a crowd close to 6 figures strong that were all cheering as one. and although he was no freddie mercury, phil collins used his acting and stage experience to keep the crowd entertained and wrapped around his finger. but the minus side was that thanks to the aggressive (and uncontrolled) throng i saw the whole of the genesis performance from nearly 100 yards away, mainly focusing on the huge video screens either side of the stage than the pinpricks that were phil & co - to the point where i was thinking i might as well have stayed at home and watched it on the telly (thx suggests it actually was broadcast). and the most bizarre thing was that they ended the show with a most ungenesis-like rock n roll medley, and i don't know who felt more embarrassed about that: me watching it, or the band's bookish keyboard player tony banks performing it!
there was one amusing moment i recall from the day: i guy from work i went with popped into a local newsagent after we got off the tube (i worked in wembley for several months around that time, and it always amused me that football stadium and performance arena apart what a dull and insignificant suburb it was). then as we walked along wembley way to the stadium he proceeded to pour most of the bottle into the grass verge. i was just about to ask him what the hell he was doing, when he produced a bottle of vodka and filled it up with that instead so he didn't have to pay exhorbitant booze prices inside the stadium (and then smashed that up!). but regardless of his reasons, it still seemed like a waste of perfectly good lemonade to me!
post script: not surprisingly they did very little of the peter gabriel-era material, which (perhaps unlike others there that day) didn't bother me as even now i am mostly unfamiliar with that. but what did disturb me somewhat was that i noticed many of those i presumed were long-term followers were there with their teenaged children on some kind of family day out... and that the kids knew all the words to the songs as well as the parents did!
DeleteI was at Wembley for one of those balmy four nights in July 1987 when Genesis were on top of the world. The ‘Live at Wembley Stadium’ DVD of the concert misses out the ‘In the Cage’ Medley (the only bit of Gabriel material in the set) as the tape had to be switched at that point which is a shame as it was one of the highlights. The Medley that Wilberforce refers to was tagged on the end of the ‘Turn it on again’ encore and featured 60s hits such as ‘Satisfaction’, ‘Everybody needs somebody to love’ and ‘In the Midnight Hour’ (I believe at one point it even featured ‘Karma Chameleon’!). It can be found on the B Side of the ‘Illegal Alien’ 12” single. As for Paul Young, yep he was vocally shot at that point having released some more minor hits such as ‘Wonderland’. I recall people started throwing bottles and Ian Kewley threatened that the band would leave the stage if it continued. It fortunately ceased I hasten to add.
DeleteI listened to the Genesis concert on Radio 1, no idea if it was on the TV, but have searched in vain for it on YouTube, sad to say.
Delete"YouTube"?! I mean BBC Genome, of course! Sorry.
DeletePaul Young fans might enjoy this:-
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt2PnfdqzTg
Love the eyepatch Stewpot!
Kim Wilde's best vocals might be on her masterpiece 'Close' album from 1988. Earlier vocals like Kids from America are arguably nothing to write home about but they might be alright for those kinds of songs. To me it feels like she developed more power in her vocals later.
DeleteOkay, I’ve now caught up with the full version (having braved a bus to the dark streets of Feltham for my first ever goat curry and 7.5% Nigerian Guinness!) and I’ll flesh out my earlier comments a wee bit.
ReplyDeleteFirstly – I miss Julie already.
Shame Kim Wilde’s voice didn’t match her catwalk look. Was this another ‘get it up again’ song a la “Love Resurrection”? Her balding brother had a weird wrists-together clapping style.
To think ZZ Top were higher up the chart than Kim’s number 52 this particular week. Imagine “Gimme All Your Lovin’” as the show starter.
Sade’s video – the bloke who looks Fred Dinenage’s dad repeatedly barking “That’s Him” at the cine film.
Calm down, George! We’ll check your sugar intake next time. How to tell the band leader – no shirt or bow tie. How to tell the supposedly second in command – he’s rocking the Colonel Sanders look.
To think Stephanie Mills’ previous hit was accompanied by a video with muffled sound and watery imagery. Not as bad as that T-Connection vid for those who remember, mind you.
The T-Connection video! There's one for the old timers. For those who wish to recreate the experience, find it if you can (another 70s soul band would suffice) and play it on a device of your choice after you have smeared the screen with vaseline, put on a pair of sunglasses and some headphones WITHOUT plugging them in.
ReplyDeleteAnyway... 1984. If we must.
Kim Wilde - It's almost a good tune. Almost. But it's missing a certain something. Kim's Krypton Factor outfit isn't helping.
Sade - ZZ. FF.
Wham! - Glorious pop. Look, there's Deon Estus on bass (strangely absent from the mostly good documentary of the same name) and..er...Noel Tidybeard on keyboards? I recognise him from somewhere so who is he really?
Stephanie Mills - Good to see this for comedy value, silly 'pshew!' noises and all.
Paul Young - I'm not keen. It's dated terribly, one of the earliest examples of that type noise that was still around at the end of the decade. One of the guitarists looks like a refugee from The Stray Cats.
Alison Moyet - Not prime Alf but still better than most songs on this show.
Style Council - One of their songs that I actually like! The chewing is still bloody annoying though.
Where did those teddy boys standing next to Read and Vance at the end come from, The Stray Cats again?! Bloody Springsteen - about 3 good songs and this isn't one of them, it's basically 'Glory Days' in a slightly different order.
I don't particularly have a problem with the arrangement of the Paul Young song, there's some interesting screaming guitar sound at one point for instance. But the chorus lacks all of the kind of punch I'd expect. Compare that to All Cried Out where the raw soul effect is more effective. And that raw soul sound contrasts well with the smooth Sade in the same episode, some good variety.
ReplyDeleteVery sad to hear of the death of the legend of rock 'n' roll Fats Domino today at the age of 89.
ReplyDeleteI remember buying a second hand album in the late 70s as a young child with some pocket money, and one of my first records was a 50s compilation with the legendary hit Blueberry Hill from 1956. Fats was lucky to live in a time where there were only a small number of rock 'n' roll starts and performers in the 50s and could be easily known by music fans worldwide. We lost Fats Domino and Chuck Berry in the last year or so, as two of the last remaining survivors of 50s Rock 'n' Roll.
Yes, with Fats gone I think Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis are about the only significant Rock 'n' Roll pioneers still with us, though in the case of the latter that is something of a Keith Richards-style miracle...
DeleteIn fairness, you could add Don Everly to that survivors' club - I am not including Cliff, Marty Wilde or Tommy Steele!
Deletei find it annoying when someone remarks how sad it is when some ancient rock star finally pops their clogs having lived a life most of us could only dream of, with whatever creative spark they might have had long-since disappeared. and for all we know, they might have been so ill and/or infirm (quite possibly as a result of their debauched and priveleged lifestyle) they could well have craving for a merciful release anyway!
DeleteI have some sympathy with what Wilberforce says. I can understand close family of course mourning, fans of such musicians in cases like that should celebrate their life than mourn. Of course some excellent musicians die relatively little known and with no publicity at the end.
DeleteWhat I think this is more about though is people looking at the deaths of the early rock n' rollers as the death of that music somehow. Of course all the recordings still exist. But eventually everyone is forgotten by most people, as people move onto other music. Many big names of pre-war music are little known by most people now despite having produced excellent music in their time.
So so episode. Didn't fast forward (until Steveland) but didn't really pay attention either.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise the Kim Wilde song was so rude... Even she was now addopting that synth dit-de-dee-dee sound which became so prevalent as the next year unfolded.
Wham - The girls didn't have much to do, did they?
These episodes are the reason I love these repeats. Full of songs I don't know or don't remember.
ReplyDeleteKim Wilde. Never heard this before, Kim looking great as usual (very futuristic, has she raided the Dr Who wardrobe) and it's a good upbeat song even if a little throwaway.
Sade. Great song. Dull video. How was this not a Top 10 hit?
Wham! Just watched the Freedom documentry yesterday. Such sadness to come in his life but also such a talent. This is a great record and one I remember well.
Why is Noel Edmonds on keyboard?
Stephanie Mills. Another I didn't know until 2 editions ago. Video is very very 80s... its a good song though. Really growing on me.
Paul Young. Couldn't place this one until the chorus then realised I did know it. A heavier sound for Paul but I liked it. My wife is a big Paul Young fan and I don't think he released a bad single .
Alison Moyet. One of the best pop vocalists full stop. Another great record. Enough said.
Second week in a row we've had that backdrop. Have they got an O level art student on work experience?
Style Council.This is the one song of theirs I remember! And it's rather good too.
Stevie Wonder. This has been around so long my ten year old son is wandering around the house singing it. Sick of it now. Next...
Bruce Springsteen. Not heard this one before. Haven't missed much.
A good show (other than Stevie) and I like both Vance and Reed.
hey morgie, maybe you're the new blood this blog needs to replace all us old hands that will have dropped out by the end of this year?
DeleteAnd that have already dropped out in case you didn't notice, i.e., Shakey Shakerson has been gone for a while, so no more scores on the doors.
Deletemy comment can of course be construed in that sense, as i make no mention as from when people start dropping out!
DeleteAlways watch the repeats just don't always get the time to comment....will try harder.
DeleteDo we know if they are doing 1985 yet ?
Just catching up with these now after a busy week...
ReplyDeleteKim Wilde dressed as a Hasbro Simple Simon game. I wonder who pressed her buttons? Don't remember this at all and it's pretty average really. I see Ricky Wilde had inherited his dad's hairline by this point.
Sade on video which works well because this needs a good video and a nightclub setting is perfect for it. The title might bring to mind a hairless telephone worker (smooth operator, geddit?) but this is an excellent song. The video features Johnny Shannon (the bald guy who played dodgy gangsters in dozens of TV dramas and films including Performance) and another guy I recognise but can't recall his name.
Wham go all Motown at number 3. A superb perfect pop song and a performance to match. The bearded keyboard player is Tommy Eyre who although a bit old to be in the band was a brilliant keyboardist best known for his work with Joe cocker, Gerry Rafferty and countless others.
Stephanie Mills transmographies from sultry nurse to sexy superhero in the video for The Medicine Sing. I remember this from the time, the song's pretty good but the amusing video makes it better.
For some unexplained reason Paul Young's band are dressed as greasy mechanics or was it their day job? Brilliant cover of the Anne Peebles classic dressed up with some superb sixties Hammond organ and 80s effects. With the weird shapes he is making the guitarist (Steve Bolton, formerly with Atomic Rooster) seems to be in his own little world. None of the crowd seem to take any notice. Backing Vocalists The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts are notable by their absence
Weird hearing Rock On Tommy read out he chart and them cutting back to him not clearly not reading it out. How bizarre.
Alison Moyet trots out another okay song but it's still a long way from her Yazoo days
I liked The Style Council a lot at the time and bought this twice (the 7 inch and 12 inch had different covers and different b-sides) but hearing it now I can hear the obvious influences. This is typical, Weller a top tune but with partly incomprehensible lyrics so you half sing along without knowing what the hell it is he is singing.
Stevie still at number one. Yawn.
Odd to end with The Boss which I never had down as a dance track but I suppose it is. This is the first time in ages they've ended with a song so low in the chart.