Glove out of hell!
18/10/84 (Gary Davies & Janice Long)
Spandau Ballet – “Highly Strung” (25)
Almost four years after their debut on the show, Spandau Ballet get us underway with Highly Strung, which peaked at number 15.
Paul McCartney – “No More Lonely Nights” (4) (video)
Went up two more places. And edited out again from the 7.30 showing!
Julian Lennon – “Too Late For Goodbyes” (30)
His first of two top ten hits, and featuring his invisible harmonica, Too Late For Goodbyes peaked at number 6.
Chaka Khan – “I Feel For You” (22) (video)
This Prince cover, featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica and rapping by Melle Mel, would become Chaka's only number one hit.
Jonathan King – US chart rundown: Edited out of course.
The Pointer Sisters – “I’m So Excited” (video clip)
Chicago – “Hard Habit To Break” (video clip)
Billy Ocean – “Caribbean Queen” (video clip)
John Waite – “Missing You” (10) (video)
Went up one more place.
Meat Loaf – “Modern Girl” (26)
Making his Top of the Pops studio debut, and Modern Girl went up to number 17.
Ultravox – “Love’s Great Adventure” (23)
Their final top 20 hit, re-issues aside, and it peaked at number 12.
Wham! – “Freedom” (1) (rpt from 11/10/84)
First of three weeks at number one.
Giorgio Moroder & Philip Oakey – “Together In Electric Dreams” (5) (audience dancing/credits)
Went up two more places.
Tonight on BBC1
Two banned shows coming up next, the first from October 25th featuring DLT, and the second from November 1st featuring Mike Smith.
Off we go with the ever present Spandau Ballet….
ReplyDeleteHighly Strung – Steve Hackett? Nope a pretty ordinary tune from the Spandaus led by an increasingly Teddy Boy like Tony!
Julian Lennon – Too late for goodbyes – He did sound like his Dad I thought when this came out. Released on the Famous Charisma label it was one of their last hits not by a Genesis related act. Cod reggae perhaps?
Paul McCartney – No more lonely Nights – not on the earlier showing – assume it was the video again.
Chaka Khan – I feel for you – Yvette’s finest few minutes helped by Stevie Wonder (better on this than you know what…) and Grand Master Melle Mel who finally gets heard on ToTP! I actually bought this when it came out; not my usual genre at all!
John Waite – Missing you – Waite’s haircut reminds me of early 70s Bowie in this video. Never knew about the Britt Ekland connection though.
Meat Loaf – Modern Girl –...this is definitely not the Sheena Easton song! A surprise to see Marvin in the studio and he’s brought his whole entourage along with him. I guess they were over here about to commence their November tour so did some promo appearances. It’s powerful stuff as we’re told by Gary but not one of his best I would say.
Ultravox – Love’s great Adventure – Hey this sounds good! Released to coincide with the compilation album ‘The Collection’ it was not on an album hitherto. Interesting outfit worn by Chris Cross and Warren Cann on drums looks like he’s enjoying himself even though this would be his last appearance on an Ultravox track – the final album ‘U-Vox’ was a three piece. Wonder if we get to see the video in a later edition?
Wham – Freedom – At last, a decent no1!!
Oakey & Moroder – Together in Electric Dreams – Fabulous dance finale.
At this point the iPlayer Edition I was watching ran into a compilation 1977 edition with ‘Mull of Kintyre’ at no1 starting off with Boney M and ‘Daddy Cool’ – and they’re singing live! Followed by Thelma Houston, Heatwave and then something truly amazing from Barclay James Harvest – ‘Rock n’Roll Star’. A heavily made up Rod Stewart also featured with ‘The first cut is the deepest’ (we never did see the other half of this great double A Side on the show) and Queen’s rerecording of ‘Good old Loverboy’. A few naff hits from ’77 were also there!
The Ultravox video is on the Smiffed 1st November edition, which somebody will hopefully upload for us in the next few days.
DeleteI love the video, though I probably only really knew it much later in the 2000s through the internet. Another fave video I discovered later was The Riddle which is released in November, so it may be featured soon.
DeleteGazza and Janice are both sporting big hair here, with Gazza showing off his unappealing hairy chest and medallion too. They have a good chemistry, but I could have done without the cringey flirtation - I wonder what PP made of it, as he was going out with Janice around this time.
ReplyDeleteThe Spands are keen to compete with the hosts in the hair stakes, particularly Tony with his ludicrous high-volume style. In image terms the band seem to be reconnecting to their New Romantic routes in this performance, but the music is safe and bland (though not unpleasant), and a world away from their experimental early singles. The male dancer down the front had presumably been taking fashion tips from the Green Goddess!
We get a nice segue from Macca to Lennon, as Julian makes his TOTP debut. I remember this song very well from the time, and indeed being just 5 then I knew about Julian before I had ever heard of John. Now of course it is obvious to me how much he both looks and sounds like his old man, though I can't help wondering if he was leaned on by his record company to sound as much like John as possible. This is still a good song anyway, and bounces along very nicely; although Julian's subsequent musical output would be erratic, he did record some other decent tunes later on.
I Feel For You seems to have inaugurated that irritating trend, which became more pronounced in future years, of a guest rapper name checking and bigging up the principal artist. I've always thought the song was a bit insubstantial, relying on the rap parts to sell it, but I suppose at the time it sounded a bit different; the video tries hard for some urban cred, but doesn't really succeed. We get to see John Waite's promo in full this week, and his rather mean look is quite suited to the various bouts of anguished petulance he displays during the course of it...
Although estranged from Jim Steinman at this point in his career, Meat manages to come up with another song that sounds as if it could have been written by the maestro, even if it is not in the same league as Steinman's best work. Mr Aday also makes his first ever appearance in the TOTP studio here, and delivers a typically bombastic performance - was the incongruous lacy glove inspired by Madonna, I wonder? Oh no, Midge has only got himself a pony tail, and Chris Cross was presumably either feeling very cold or had suffered bad sunburn while making the video for this song in Kenya, given his elaborate headgear! Unlike most of their stuff, this is a pleasingly upbeat, jaunty tune, and I like the sudden climax - a worthy way for them to conclude their Top 20 career. Together in Electric Dreams makes a good choice of playout, with "Duncan Norvelle" and the Green God both featuring prominently, as Gazza and Janice do a little dance together.
I like more of the later Spandau of 83/4, though The Freeze made an impression on me in the repeats. I wouldn't say they were experimental to me it was just a more raw sound compared to later.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was impressed by The Freeze, which I don't think I had ever heard before prior to these repeats. Definitely up there as one of their best, in my view.
DeleteSpandau really lively song, appropriately tight and tense. Not familiar with it at the time, Spandau had less prominence this year it felt yet the music was still fine I feel. Another solid single off Parade (Round and Round) to come in December.
ReplyDeleteJulian Lennon - never liked this that much, felt quite repetitive even if it has a decent hook. There would have been some buzz around him at the time, but although I can like a couple or so later songs he did I don't think he really reached the kind of success some thought he would have. Obviously very tough to follow his father and The Beatles legacy he was linked to.
Chaka Khan - I liked this, though White Lines made an even bigger impression on me I think.
Ultravox, this was a favourite too. The break has a nice soaring line, and appropriately features paragliding in the video.
Hard to Say I'm Sorry, up there with If You Leave Me Now - classic
Caribyoun Queen - we'll see more of this I expect, really catchy though the way he sings (though it may be actually the producer's fault) Caribbean still annoys me.
You mean Hard Habit To Break, cos Hard To Say I'm Sorry was in 1982. I guess a lot of people get these two songs muddled up, cos of the common word Hard.
DeleteCouple of crackers though eh Dory? the first hit writen by Peter Cetera/David Foster and the latest one by Steve Kipner/John Lewis Parker. The same team also gave us the very different 'Take Me' on Laura Branigan's 'Self Control' album. Kipner also co-wrote 'Physical' by ONJ and (um) 'Genie in a Bottle' by Christine Aguilera.
DeleteHard To Say I'm Sorry was Chicago's finest moment, and Hard Habit To Break comes a close second. However, I think Cetera's finest composition was the duet with Amy Grant called The Next Time I Fall In Love It Will Be With You which made top 3 in the USA, but failed to chart in Britain:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQKqp_rZbVk
Suffice to say that generating a song title like that is a surefire success for a man to secure his love. Absolutely brilliant!
i get those chicago songs mixed up because they're equally nondescript!
DeleteCetera's duet with Amy Grant made no1 in the States. Another great Chicago moment was 'Song for you' which bombed everywhere....
DeleteYes I got them mixed up, they are a similar style too.
DeleteHard To Say I'm Sorry is a very classic melody, I could imagine it as an Air Supply hit after All Out of Love. Hard to take a note from it.
Hard Habit To Break has a nicely done long melody (something I like to appreciate). The jittery energy of the middle section at 2.57, which comes back at the end, adds a different character to the song and is definitely a highlight to me. It rocks more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsDAEWBuiWo
spandau: i suppose we should be grateful that as one of the biggesxt draws around at this point, they still made the effort to visit the totp studios when they could easily have made excuses they were too busy and phoned in one of their self-indelgent videos instead. i had half-memories of this one, but certainly remembered the sax riff in the breakdowns at the end of the choruses. actually not that bad in terms of danceable melodic pop (even if it goes on for far too long), and certainly the best of the singles from "parade" (even if that's not saying too much). but more importantly on the barnet front: martin kemp is now way ahead of the rest in the mullet stakes, but spiny has edged past the foghorn into silver position
ReplyDeletelennon jr: so julian, now did you get your break in the music biz? all that's missing is the nhs specs! mind you, being the son of a beatle doesn't necessarily guarantee you success as a pop star, as one james mccartney can attest to. sct has beaten me to the "cod-reggae" punch. but otherwise this tune is pleasant enough if somewhat flimsy. and had he been called julian jones then i certainly would have preferred it to anything by howard jones (actually i did anyway, despite the nepotism!). a bad mistake on his part to pretend to play a keyboard rather than a guitar though
chaka khan: i loved this so much at the time, i thought it was one of the very few credible number ones in living memory. and then i went off it in a really big way not that long afterwards - maybe because it was so of its time with the kitchen-sink-and-all production and the special guests (although if i was forced at gunpoint to choose one rapper to listen to, then melle mel would be the only contender) and thus dated really quickly? i recently come across it on an 80's compilation CD, and am now beginning to quite like it once again!
meat loaf: mr loaf may have parted company with songwriter jim steinman, but it sounds just as unlistenable to me (well, the few seconds i listened to, anyway)
ultravox: blimey, a second post-shark-jumping single in a row that i've actually found myself quite liking having listened again on these re-runs. i'm never going to add it to my music collection, but the song is well-written and arranged (i was particularly impressed with the ending) and midge's vocals are reasonably restrained for a change too
Modern Girl sounds vaguely familiar to me, not bad at all really. You certainly can't say it doesn't have a hook, and the more lyrical verse adds a contrast to the power of the rest. Well better I think than that Warrior song we had a clip of the other week.
ReplyDeleteVer Spands turn therapist on their latest single, not a bad little number but not exactly front rank material. Is that a cravat, Gary? Like the brief reprise at the end where you think they're starting over, then they stop!
ReplyDeleteMacca next, still sounds great so I watched it again, even if the "futuristic" look from that concert clip near the end of the movie is one of the worst ever.
Then Julian, looking curiously like Jennifer Ehle. Liked this at the time, it has a bouncing rhythm that makes it stick in the mind, but there was a huge shadow over his career he would never escape. Summed up for me by his appearance in the Chuck Berry movie Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll where he joins some rock legends onstage and Chuck introduces him by saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, John - uh, Julian Lennon!"
Chaka Khan, this was irresistible at the time, and I still think it sounds great now, the production sets in a very specific era to the year, almost the month, which appeals to me hugely. A worthy number 1 to be.
John Waite trying a few comedy stylings, with the patented hit the nose on the door mime, etc. My aching sides, pray cease, John, for I fear I may do myself a mischief. Definitely one of those songs that sounds better than it looks, if you see what I mean.
Meat Loaf makes it to the studio with a song that mostly consists of the same line repeated over and over. Way over the top, as his fans demanded, but not much to win over the unconverted.
Loved this Ultravox tune back in '84, though I suspect that was because of the video. It sounds all right all these years later, nice to hear them shake off the gloom poses and get happy.
Wham make it to the top, fully deserved, but they still cut off the soaring trumpet solo, pity.
Liked seeing the audience singing along to Giorgio and Phil, even a bit of air guitar in there.
Speaking of Ultravox videos, the fabulous 'Visons in Blue' is now available to view in all its glory on YT:-
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2bf-I_z3pU
Anyone watch Sounds Like a Friday Night, then? I thought it was all right, maybe the music wasn't to my taste these days but it wasn't offensive to mine ears, though I would have preferred a bit more of it. Jason Derulo was a canny choice for co-host, he's very much the all-round entertainer, and Jessie Ware's single is nice enough. Even laughed at some of the comedy, which I didn't expect. Maybe a bit undistinguished, but ideal Friday viewing if you can't be bothered with Corrie.
ReplyDeleteGot about 20 minutes in before giving up, Derulo was good though I agree.
DeleteFull show with JK and mention of DLT in the final link available here, courtesy of Neil B:
ReplyDeletehttps://we.tl/AszKS8EBPB
Nothing much to say about JK's bit, as all the songs featured will be on the show properly very soon, but I thought the mask he sported at the end was marginally preferable to his own visage...
What a year of 1984 for the Pointer Sisters. After three years in the wilderness following the 1981 hit Slow Hand (which is still my favourite), the avalanche of disco hits in 1984 from Automatic to Jump to I'm So Excited was just phenomenal for them, and I remember liking all their big dance floor classics of the year 1984.
DeleteInteresting from Neil B's link, that on the original showing in 1984, the playout was not shown in full back then, but in the BBC4 repeat this week, it got played to the last note and balloon pop, so it has taken all these years to see the Together in Electric Dreams playout in full for the first time!
Neil B has uploaded the full 18th October edition with the JK section included at WeTransfer ~ https://we.tl/AszKS8EBPB
ReplyDeleteLooks like we've crossed messages again, Angelo!
Deletetotp 25th October 1984 is here:https://we.tl/1JheoT56mL
ReplyDeleteAahh, the very last TOTP for Dave Lee Travis after about 10 years or so hosting the show. I'll wait to put my comments till the blog goes up.
DeleteThank you :-)
DeleteSpandau Ballet - Their last single was great, everything from now on much less so. This one's not terrible, but hits that average mark very well.
ReplyDeleteJulian Lennon - I feel similarly about this one. Nothing to get excited about, but not bad.
Chaka Khan - I must have started watching TOTP and / or listening to the radio again briefly at the time as I remember liking 'Freedom' and this one an awful lot. While not a housewife song as such, it has become a bit boring to me over the years.
JK segement - Ah, now HERE's a housewife song (Pointer Sisters) together with a tedious rock ballad and a dull Billy Ocean song. So we're missing nothing.
Meat Loaf - Because and not despite of it being a non-Steinman effort, I really like this. In fact, it's probably my favourite single of his.
Ultravox - And another really good one! A shame that it went rapidly downhill from here.
For once they have a good playout, and on the late edition you get the whole lot!
Good Lord Noax, Modern Girl was better done by Sheena Easton, and this coming from me, a big Meat Loaf fan! The Meat Loaf effort (and completely different song of course) was the first single release from his new album Bad Attitude in 1984 which did not release any more songs from this non-Steinman album as Meat was then on a no-talking terms basis with Steinman.
DeleteMeat Loaf got his own back by pinching a Steinman song called Nowhere Fast from the Streets Of Fire soundtrack released at around the same time in the US, and singing his own version of it on this new Bad Attitude album. Suffice to say that no further songs from Bad Attitude were released as singles after Modern Girl!
If “Sounds Like Friday Night” is the equivalent of Meat Loaf’s line “Gimme the future”, I think I’ll stay stuck in the past, thanks.
ReplyDeleteJanice and Gary were a good pairing, though Janice’s hairstyle and colour would be best suited to an older woman in a midlife crisis. As for Gary, put a proper shirt on to spare us!
What on Earth is that behind Paul Young in the mugshots? An elephant? After Jon was ditched from band duty in the studio last time out, Mikey’s been dumped from the Culture Club photo. Roy awaits his turn to be ditched with a lump in his throat.
That bloke’s laughable green outfit actually reminded me of Mister Methane, an ‘after the watershed’ turn from 25 years ago whose act consisted of farting tunes and propelling ball bearings through a paper bag hoop using wind power. Ahem, sorry for that.
Ah, it’s the Ballet with their hilarious “diplomat / laundromat” coupling, almost drowned out by that appalling crowd screeching. They try to be meaningful but the song was as transparent as Gary’s guitar. As for Martin’s Doctor Who coat…
After Paul, we get the inspiration for “Hey Jude” (it was originally called “Hey Jools” after Lennon junior). Julian certainly looked and sounded like his dad, but this cheerily disposable song sounded more like the sort Macca would churn out instead.
Too much time given to the dancers in the video for the gorgeous Chaka Khan and not enough of the lady herself. I assume Yvette was only shown from the midriff up as she has rather a voluptuous shape for her height, especially her thighs from memory. Not that I’m complaining – and yes, I was another who bought this single.
Last time John Waite was on he kept moving about irritatingly, this time it’s the lightbulb doing the same. Poor show for having him sitting down when delivering the line “I’m standing here”. I loved the “what the Hell’s going on?” look of the folk on the pavement as he sauntered past them.
I’d have paid good money to hear Meat Loaf rework Sheena Easton’s “Modern Girl”, much as I’d have loved to hear Russ Abbot’s take on New Order’s “Atmosphere”. An expectedly bombastic tune, let down by Marvin not wearing a biker’s leather glove.
The Ultravox video stops the song at one point for Midge to catch his breath and it worked well. The lads appeared to enjoy themselves here, with Billy “Loving the Mirror” Currie on usual form, though Chris Cross (in a criss-cross patterned top… anyone else notice that?) still smouldered angularly. From his choice of headgear I thought he’d driven the band to the studio in a tank.
A fine choice for the outro tune, though Phil’s vocals sounded a bit low in the mix. I wished they’d turned those up and toned down Gaz’s chest hair.
That's a darn good observation about Julian's tune, it is Macca-esque, now you mention it.
DeleteI remember Mr Methane! Presumably he's still farting away at student unions to this day, along with Stevie Starr the Regurgitator and Chesney Hawkes.
McCartney's done some classic pop melodies, he's very prolific so they aren't all great. But you do get that comment sometimes, a bit like how Lionel Richie is defined by most people with Hello, even though not all songs he did (even slower ones) actually sound like that. And John Lennon is always defined as the serious writer even though he did some throwaway stuff himself sometimes.
DeleteThere's a smoothness to Too Late For Goodbyes that reminds me of John's later music anyway.
DeleteArthur, the Ultravox performance on this particular show was the TOTP studio performance, not the video.
DeleteI was answering someone else who I think asked about the video, and I knew this would be the studio performance.
DeleteAtmosphere joy division per chance?
ReplyDeleteYes, correct, sorry. Joy Division released it as a posthumous tribute to Ian Curtis. I tend to get it mixed up with another Joy Division song I'd have paid good money to hear Russ Abbot have a crack at, "Transmission".
DeleteOoooh Gary D and Janice (a fave of mine) so should be a good show...here we go.
ReplyDeleteFour years worth of Spandau Ballet. Could probably have named 4 songs before these repeats. ..and now. ...4 songs..They can be a bit forgetable these minor hits. ..They look like they are having fun though. Hadley has quit now I believe. Superstar DJ on Absolute 80s. I wonder if he plays this one?
Put the chest hair away Gary..putting me off my lunch, ,
Bloody awful Macca record, I don't remember it at all. Next.
Julian Lennon. This is a good song. Remember it well from the radio at the time. Don't really know why he didn't have more top ten records.
Chaka Khan. 2 great tracks in a row. Just a classic 80s sound. Don't think I've ever seen the video before. Not sure how I've managed that but it's a good video. Had no idea it was a number 1.
Nice edit into John Waite. Another one that got a lot of airplay when I was growing up. Wouldn't pick it as a fave but always sing along when it come on the radio now. Like others I assumed he was American until he was on a couple of shows ago.
Can I just say for the record I HATE this guitar version of the theme behind the chart rundown. Thank you,
I see Lionel is back. Will TOTP ignore him again?..
Meatloaf. He knows how to put on a performance doesn't he. Used to work with a meatloaf superfan . Never really seen the appeal but his songs are ok. I was tapping my foot along to this,
Bye Ultravox . Tried listening to one of their albums a while ok (worked my way through classic pop mags Top 100 80s albums on my commutes to work for 6 months ) and it was awful. Won't miss them I'm afraid.
Wham! Hooray a new number one, one of the 80s classic songs. Wham were great weren't they. They just get better with every release.
Great play out song and a good shoe. Enjoyed that one..☺
I see Don't Wait Up is on next. Used to watch that with my Mum. Remember I really liked it but I was 10 at the time.
Janice looks truly awful here. She never did know what to do with her hair (if it was her hair and not a wig). And Gazza still reminds me of Animal from The Muppets although I'm not sure Animal ever wore a very with his chest hair poking out.
ReplyDeleteI see the Spandex boys have found their old dressing up box again. Will they never learn. This is another okay single but nothing special.
Macca on video again which was worth seeing twice. I kinda want to see the film now but I don't suppose I will. I remember Broad Street Station in London.
Then Julian Lennon in the studio. I quite liked this at the time although I didn't buy it. He looks shy and nervous here and small wonder with such big shoes to step into. I recognised his drummer from Wings and it turns out I was right, his name is Steve Holley. Apparently it's Jean "Toots" Thielemans playing the harmonica on the recording but here Jools mimes it.
Melle Mel finally gets to appear on the show albeit on video with Chaka Khan. This is an all time classic and it's hard to criticise it but it is over played. I never cared much for all the dancing in the video - the lads are doing all the hard work body popping and the like while the girls just stand legs akimbo and sway their skirts about much in the same way Stevie Nicks did.
Yet another video with John Waite. This works a lot better when you see the video but it's still not my cup of tea.
The charts and The Boss is wrongly labelled as a New Entry when it was an non-mover at 38. And poor Stephanie Mills still at number 29 for the third week.
Meatloaf seems to have bought the whole show with him - what a performance! This is very much like a mid 1990s TOTP performance with a light show, smoke and more. Very much ahead of its time in many ways and knocks spots off some of the other acts. I had forgotten just how good this song was.
Ultravox. Liked this at the time and especially the video which Gary mentioned. Billy Currie seems to be playing his own version of the Dr Who theme at one point and is for some reason dressed like a mime artist. Not sure he should be dancing like that.
Wham make it to the top. Impressive though this is it does wear out its welcome very quickly.
Playout with Electric Dreams which is a good choice and give Hurlly an excuse to focus on more dumb dancing couples on podiums (when in doubt show a couple dancing on a podium).
Meat Loaf turned 70 a couple of months ago and only retired last year with his (supposedly?) last ever album and with Jim Steinman, released in Sep 2016 called Braver Than We Are.
DeleteThe energy given out on this week's TOTP with Modern Girl was one of a young 36 year-old, and suffice to say, his voice on the Braver Than We are Album in 2016 is struggling and just just gets over the line somehow, with a voice of a 69-year-old ready for retirement.
Restored BBC4HD version of 18/10/84 with JK (plus final link) added back from Neil B's upload:
ReplyDeleteTOTP 18/10/1984
Full list of restorations:
https://drykid.github.io
Thank you for making this blog!
ReplyDelete