Strictly Come Dad Dancing
08/11/84 (Simon Bates & Richard Skinner)
Limahl – “Never Ending Story” (10)
Limahl (and Mandy Newton) get us off to a dreamy start this week, and the song went up to number 4.
Status Quo – “The Wanderer” (7) (video)
Wandering around in the back of a truck here, but the song wandered no higher in the charts.
Depeche Mode – “Blasphemous Rumours” (29)
Peaked at number 16, but edited out of tonight's 7.30 showing.
Alison Moyet – “All Cried Out” (8) (video)
At its peak and also edited out of 7.30 tonight.
Billy Ocean – “Caribbean Queen” (9)
We get the first of a mini 1976 invasion now, with Billy showing off his smoothest moves in the studio,and the song went up three more places.
Chicago – “Hard Habit To Break” (21) (video)
And then Chicago with their fifth and final top ten hit, taken from their top 30 album Chicago 17, it peaked at number 8.
Gary Numan – “Berserker” (32)
Gary's suit had more colour than this song, which got no higher in the charts.
Eugene Wilde – “Gotta Get You Home Tonight” (22)
It went up four more places and was Eugene's biggest hit.
Chaka Khan – “I Feel For You” (1) (video)
The first of three weeks at number one for Chaka..Chaka...Chaka Kkan
ZZ Top – “Gimme All Your Lovin’” (11) (audience dancing/credits)
Went up one more place.
Before his performance on tonight’s #TOTP, watch @Limahl_Official reveal his haircare secrets to @MikeReadUK on Saturday Superstore in 1984. pic.twitter.com/LTcaUdPTqc— BBC Four (@BBCFOUR) November 2, 2017
Limahl talks hair on Saturday Superstore
Next up is November 15th.
Dickie and Master Bates are back together, the former's sensible approach helping to balance the often unhinged loquacity of the latter. Some classic goofs from the headmaster on this occasion, notably his implication that it is somehow unique for a Spurs fan to be able to sing, and his later assertion that Eugene Wilde has 6 brothers who are all exactly like him - what exactly was he driving at there?
ReplyDeleteThe biggest blunder, of course, comes with referring to the opening track as "The Neverending Song." Limahl and Mandy get intimate again (no doubt the cheering crowd thought they might be an item), and are either singing live or are miming to rerecorded vocals. It's also notable that Limahl is the only person in the studio who appears to be wearing a poppy, which simply would not be allowed to happen these days. Quo take a leaf out of Howard Jones' book and go sightseeing around London, but unlike him they don't bother to walk. I actually agree with Bates that it's a fun video, though I'd be interested to know just how spontaneous and genuine the passer-by reactions are.
Only a couple of songs we haven't heard before on this show, of which the first is Depeche Mode, still pursuing their industrial sound. This is quite a good song, moody and atmospheric, and the mournful synth combined with the hammering noises reminded me a bit of the classic OMD album track Sealand. A fairly low-key performance from the band, with Martin's weird spinning wheel the main point of interest, as well as Bates' claim at the end that Martin sang the b-side in the nude! Alf's video continues the subdued mood, as she mopes over lost happiness in various different locations - I like the spooky way in which the faces of the backing singers are presented.
Billy is back in the studio for the first time since 1980, though unsurprisingly his attempt at coming up with his own moonwalk failed to catch on! While I am not a great fan of American AOR, or particularly of Chicago's saccharine ballads, I am prepared to make an exception for this one, which is both extremely well produced and blessed with a powerful chorus. Bill Champlin's tougher vocals also help, ensuring that the song isn't completely dominated by Peter Cetera's whining - Cetera would leave the band not long after this.
Gary Numan was very much on his last legs chart-wise by this time, but this understated little number isn't bad at all, underpinned by a strong rhythm section and backing vocals. The all-white look is also very striking, and bearing in mind who else was in the charts that week I think Gary and co should have called themselves the Daz Band! Given how forgotten his song has become, Eugene Wilde did well to get two TOTP appearances out of it. This is largely an identikit performance to the previous one, down to dropping on his knees near the end, but I do hope he hadn't been using that handkerchief before he threw it away...
We get the full Chaka video as she hits the top, and then ZZ Top provide a lively playout. Sadly, once again the director prefers to concentrate on the annoying cheerleaders rather than encouraging the audience to rock out.
john that's a good spot regarding the poppy thing - it really irks me that nowadays the pc police ensure that anyone who appears on the telly is forced to wear the bloody things, regardless of if they support the cause or not
Deletewhen i go shopping, if i have them in the change then i usually stick a copper or two in charity boxes at the tills. but i refuse to give even a penny to this particular one (surely most if not all the recipients the charity was set up to help are now no longer with us anyway?), nor the likes of "children in need" where mega-rich slebs urge the unwashed to donate from their measly means despite not publically submitting a penny of their own!
Jon Snow (the newsreader, not the Game of Thrones character) caused a furore a few years back when he complained about "poppy fascism" on TV, but I think he had a point. Those who died in the two world wars were fighting for our freedom, and if people choose not to wear a poppy, that is their right. I also think the poppy has become trivialised in recent years by the emergence of sparkly "fun" varieties, which to me undermine its poignancy as a symbol. Having said that, I still donate to the annual appeal because it is still doing good work for veterans of conflicts in both the distant and the recent past.
DeleteThe backing singers, is that just ghostly lighting in All Cried Out or do they have some kind of pale creepy makeup on their faces?
DeleteJohn G, the Limahl effort reminded me of the intimacy with Dollar on TOTP, i.e. David Van Day and Teresa Bazaar, that left the music scene in 1982 with their last hit that failed to make top 30. Even Dollar were not this intimate in the TOTP studio.
DeleteIt's a shame that only the film-clips video of Never Ending Story is up on UTube, as the official (original) video is the one with Limahl and Mandy in it only and Mandy with fishnet stockings feeling very happy with Limahl. Suffice to say that I was able to get it from iTunes a few years ago for my pop video collection, and this original version is still up there for those interested, as it has Limahl get more feely with Mandy in a back yard / playground sort of setting.
Starry - not sure how they achieved the look for the backing singers, but it is certainly effective.
DeleteDory - interestingly, Mandy did not actually sing on the record. Beth Anderson is the real vocalist, but she recorded her part on the other side of the Atlantic from Limahl.
hosts: dickie really must have been the nicest DJ on the block to keep allowing himself to be teamed up with the most obnoxious and reviled one. even by his standards, slimey's intro for limahl and chum was neaseating - i'd like to think it was spontaneous bollocks at least, but i somehow suspect it wasn't
ReplyDeletedepeche mode: i don't usually bother watching them, but did so this time purely out of curiosity to see if martin gore was now wearing his leather mini-skirt. and that appears to be the case, although the way he's (deliberately?) been shot it's hard to tell. the music on this isn't actually isn't too bad at all, and i like the musique concrete (literally in the case of alan wilder wholeheartedly hammering away on that breeze block - did he actually break the thing in two?) effects. but i still have no time at all for dave gahan's hobsons
gary numan: sporting newly-dyed hair in a fetching shade of puce (and probably new hair as well - wasn't he known for his transplant attempts at this point?). like depeche mode this isn't too bad musically, but as soon as gazza opened his gob to start his usual tuneless groan i couldn't help but start smirking. and he's still using the same trademark vocal/synth riffs that were featured on the likes of ""me, i disconnect from you" five years earlier, so no wonder he's very much now down to the faithful and struggling to find new converts as far as his chart chances are concerned
Wilberforce, did you like the lyrics on Depeche Mode that goes,"but I think that dog's got a sick sense of humour"? I could not find anything else of note on that performance.
DeleteThe Gary Numan song reminded me of the WWE wrestler called The Berzerker with a Z (not S), who in 1992 inflicted the heaviest defeat of The Undertaker, and putting a sword through the canvas at the end. Even the commentator said 'finally someone has destroyed The Undertaker."
One of the Undertaker's most embarrassing and best forgotten moments I would say, but I loved watching it at the time for its entertainment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbmFm7fZXXw&t=1s
The Depeche Mode chorus goes, "I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours but I think that GOD's got a sick sense of humour", not "that dog"! It ties in with the suicidal hard luck cases discussed in the verses.
DeleteGood Lord, all these years whenever I hummed the tune to myself, I thought it was 'dog'.
Deletestrangely enough the "god's got a sick sense of humour" lyric was the only bit i noticed (and i heard it as "god" and not "dog" as well, so i don't suppose it will be found on any of those misheard lyrics website a la "scuse me while i kiss this guy"?). that apart i was more interested in the breezeblock bashing than me gahan's drone
DeleteTwo people with blue hair this edition, come on Dickie, dye your hair aquamarine instead of boring brown!
ReplyDeleteLimahl and the now-named Mandy to start, she sporting rival to her co-singer's 'do and a singular dress sense. This doesn't strike me as a romantic song, but that's the way they're selling it here.
Status Quo, well this was never going to rival the Beatles in Let It Be, but it was an amusing enough video for spotting the variety of London's pedestrians. Song remains stodge.
Laugh-a-long-a-Depeche Mode, there was a fad for hitting bits and pieces of metal and brick at the time, or noises that sounded like it, but this song has a stop-start quality that is difficult to appreciate. Lyrics miserable. Least welcome bits of trivia ever from Simes.
Alison Moyet with one of those cheapo videos where they took a camera and had the star go walkabout around a park or whatever, sort of the budget version of Quo's efforts earlier. Bit odd to see her laughing and smiling with these lyrics.
Billy Ocean looking very dapper, but is the laugh here sampled from Vincent Price on Michael Jackson's Thriller? Sounds like it, or a decent impersonation.
Chicago, managing to be weedy and muscular at the same time. There's a bare naked lady in this video! Well into the soft rock era, not my favourite.
Gary Numan, who had a top ten album in the UK this year, so congrats on your staying power, Gaz. Not so keen on this, it's a bit underpowered.
Eugene Wilde, more of the same, literally if Simes' claim he's one of septuplets is accurate.
Yeah, Chaka Khan, great number one and a great dance video to go with it, brimming with energy and good vibes.
Then ZZ Top to end on, with the director much taken with this week's other blue-haired person (no, not Molly Sugden).
Maybe the brief part where she was smiling was meant to be harking back to some earlier time when she was happier? It's only brief anyway.
DeleteThe smiling is contrasting to her throwing some flowers down angrily later on in a savage kind of montage.
DeleteYeah, Alison (or her director) was being artistic, but still a bit jarring.
DeleteThe Status Quo video was no doubt set on Tower Bridge in London, and a pity that TOTP pulled away from the video just as the night scenes got underway during the video.
DeleteIt's amazing to think that Billy Ocean's last appearance in the TOTP was in 1977, and that it took him so long to return to the fold, like 7 years! But this was indeed a great song to make a surprise comeback with, that was to last until 1988 with some film soundtrack work with Danny Devito and others during this second phase of his career.
Actually, Simes just said Eugene had six other brothers. No mention of sextuplets.
DeleteDepeche Mode – “Blasphemous Rumours” - has atmosphere but doesn't have the power of Master and Servant. Decent listen though.
ReplyDeleteGary Numan – “Berserker” - not too convinced, the percussion might be the best part, not much of a hook for me.
Status Quo probably the best video, I still don't mind this cover.
Hard Habit to Break includes alcohol and cigarettes in the video, appropriately for some I guess.
Considering what was around in the music biz in the 80s, we should be glad Chicago stopped at fags and booze.
DeleteAlcohol and cigarettes? Good Lord, are we forgetting the sheer brilliance of the Chicago mid-career era that we are now enveloped in, in 1984? I just loved the new video, and one of the interesting elements of this was John G noting that Peter Cetera shared the lead vocals with Bill Champlin for the first time in the Chicago catalogue of hits, which I admit I found surprising, as Cetera had that famous voice used throughout the 70s with such good success, mainly over in the USA, and as Bates and Skinner correctly said "for 14 years with 17 albums, and only their 6th hit in the UK". Good Lord, what was the matter with the British public?
DeleteI also liked they way that TOTP featured the Nos. 7,8,9,10,11 in the charts this week like a 5-card sequence in a pack of cards, i.e., a good chunk of the higher end of the charts, including the brilliant ZZ Top to play us out in such style. Gimme All Your Lovin!
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DeleteOK, I figured out the alcohol and cigarettes theme in the video. The song title Hard Habit To Break is in relation to a man singing about his girlfriend, and comparing it to two other hard habits to break, i.e., smoking an drinking. The lyrics "I'm addicted to you babe" is like being addicted to smoking or drinking, hence the band, and the video, are comparing these hard habits to break by showing people smoking heavily, for example.
DeleteIt's really quite logical when you think about it, although it took me a couple of days to get to figure it out, but now it makes sense, and I'm ready for the second showing of this video on the 22.11.84 edition to watch it with a fresh perspective and understanding of the video of course.
Continuing a run of pretty good editions I really enjoyed this one.
ReplyDeleteLimahl – Never ending Story – I just can’t get this tune out of my head this week! The 12” mix is well worth a listen too. Love the slow dance between Limahl and Mandy during the beautiful instrumental break where I keep thinking the guitar is Brian May. On the single sleeve the female vocalist is credited as Beth Anderson (pointed out above by John G) which somewhat confused me as Mandy Newton was doing the promo appearances on both occasions. Reminds me of Alan Williams from the Rubettes miming Paul Da Vinci’s vocals.
Status Quo – The Wanderer – I was a little harsh on this cover the other week. Maybe it’s the lure of the 1984 London locations in the video (echoes of Howard Jones) but it’s not so bad really. As Simon points out, it’s a video full of fun. I spotted Tower Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge but couldn’t make out any others.
Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours – Hmmm experimental or what? The guys bashing the pile of breeze blocks and tinkling the cycle wheel is certainly different. I don’t know what the other side of this double A Side is like but for me this is an album track.
Alison Moyet – All cried out – The third time on the show for crying out loud! FF
Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen – The boy can dance! A great record for doing so too.
Chicago – Hard habit to break – The second highlight of the show for me. This was released as the second single off the ‘17’ album after the quite dreadful ‘Stay the Night’ bombed. I can only assume that they wanted a Cetera/Foster composition released first as this great song is not a band original. A duet really from Cetera and Bill Champlin, we get fleeting glimpses of other band members along with sultry women, some smoking (hard habit to break?). Bates tells us Chicago have had just six hits from 17 albums previously; well admittedly there’s a live album and two compilations amongst the 17, but we had missed some real gems in the UK; ‘Saturday in the Park’, ‘Old Days’ and ‘Wishing you were here’ (featuring the Beach Boys) to name but three.
Gary Numan – Berserker - Wow! Not heard this before and I must admit it was really good. Change of image was remarked upon by Numan himself in a 1985 interview “It’s hard to say how much the image worked for or against it: it was rather strong the blue and white one, a little over the top perhaps. One of my best songs”. Who was the female vocalist? Tessa Niles or Tracey Ackerman?
Eugene Wilde – Gotta get you home tonight – Speed on FF
Chaka Khan – I feel for you – This was huge at the time. Still like it.
ZZ Top – Gimme all your loving – What a song to play out with! A real one to get everyone on the dance floor. We get a large chunk of it here with an extended shot on a group of girls with one wearing all blue in the centre and one giving us waves which I’ve never seen before! Surely this was not broadcast?
Imagine if we had Neil B's original copy every week, even when BBC4 do show the 2017 broadcast? We could then see how much of the playout we never saw in 1984, and that has only been seen now for the first time in all its glory. And yes, I admit seeing the ZZ Top playout in full on the late night repeat was nothing short of tremendous.
DeleteI think those kind of banging sounds in Depeche Mode would relate to 'industrial' style music.
Deleteof course people using "non-musical" objects on recordings was nothing new in the mid 1980's, but i suppose at least partly due to the new technology such as sampling it certainly became a vogue thing then - not just with the likes of depeche mode, but more hardcore exponents such as SPK and einstürzende neubauten (i seem to remember one or both of these appearing on "the tube" around this time). that reminds me: i must make an effort to listen to throbbing gristle's "20 jazz-funk greats" album some time... even though i'll probably regret it!
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Deletealso: is anyone else aware of a
Deletebarbara streisand track called "the world is a concerto" which features various household appliances? a spectacular live performance of it can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Abn47YIgq0
The best example of pop music made from household objects, was this one called Popcorn by The Muppets which was released as a single, and using kitchen utensils:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7UmUX68KtE
I'll go of tangent here with "Blaze Away", a completely vocal impersonation of a brass band by Me, Myself & Me Again (studio producer Vivian Fisher) released in 1978.
DeleteDress down Thursday for Limahl, but an interesting idea to wear that poppy.
ReplyDeleteA cute nodding girl and scary blue hair number 1 in the intro to Quo who, at one stage, were very close to Broad Street. I hope they gave their regards.
I think even Leonard Cohen would have found Depeche Mode’s song too dark. It sounded like two songs to me, with the cheerier chorus bolted on. Impressed by hard man Wilder. Nice handcuffs, Martin. Way too much info, Slimes! Keep to timechecks.
My guess is that Alison Moyet’s backup singers were meant to represent ghosts of love. Ahem.
Why a “Thriller” rip-off laugh instead of a tiger roar to match the lyrics there for Billy Ocean? Les scrubbed up well. No mustard yellow trousers like back in ’77.
Chicago were too smooth and slushy for me, and that’s all I can say about the song.
Scary blue hair number 2 with way too many people trying to replicate three synths. This was Gary Numan’s first single and the fourth in total on his own Numa label (which released at least 23 singles by various artists), which saw him almost replicate the record sleeve for his previous hit with three different pairs of releases.
It’s Ronald Broomfield – er, Eugene Wilde – again. He could’ve phoned in his previous performance for all the difference with this one.
Who did that idiot think he looked like in Chaka Khan’s video? Tweety Pie?
We finish with ZZ Top’s excellent blues groove ruined visually by some knobs on podiums.
Turns out the first release on Gary Numan's label was a posthumous single by his ex-bassist who'd died of a heroin overdose.
Deleteand don't forget that gazza mentored 70's model/actress/pin-up caroline munro (in my opinion this is actually a lot better than most of his own stuff!):
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTQZVSY1AM4
Ah, the Lamb's Navy Rum pin-up! I remember Caroline barely cooing on a single called "You Got It" which got a decent amount of daytime play on Radio 1 in the mid 70's. The act was called Judd and Miss Munro, Judd being Judd Hamilton, her husband... and later ex-husband. Caroline also released at least one solo single as far back as 1967.
DeleteThis was the first edition for quite a while that got the 'delete' treatment. Lots that we've already seen, and Bates in verbal diarrhoea mode.
ReplyDeleteNeither Bates in his link nor Dickie in the chart rundown seemed to acknowledge that this was a double 'A' side single. As with most mid-80s Mode, it's alright but nothing special.
The Gary Numan song was a pleasant surprise, his most tuneful for a long while and with some nice bass.
Slimon said Somebody was the B-side. Dickie mentioned that they had performed the other song on Whistle Test.
DeleteLearned something on QI last night: Billy Ocean has THREE lungs! He can probably blow out a candle from six feet away.
ReplyDeleteOh no it's Slimey teamed up with poor Dickie in a dad jumper again and Slimes's checking his watch (again)
ReplyDeleteRotten luck to kick off with Limahl and his curiously uncredited partner clad in leather but wearing a seasonal poppy. That poppy fascism is everywhere, they're even adding them to old shows now! Slightly distracted by the 8 foot tall guy dancing in the background who looks like he's being slowly electrocuted and also by a person wandering across the other stage in the background. What's he doing? If I say Limahl looks like he's got cockatoo hair I know someone's going to make that joke, so I won't.
Next up more averageness in the shape of Status quo but it's not a bad video with the band traveling round London on the back of a truck. Great shots of 1980s London including what looks like Grenfell tower at one point.
Blimey Depeche Mode are straying into Einstürzende Neubauten territory what with hitting concrete blocks with a metal hammer and bike wheels. I had forgotten how this is and it's great to hear it again. And I like the uber fans slow dancing in the background. I think they were with the band last time. But do we need to know that they have been suffering from food poisoning?
Next Alf wandering round the bits of London that the Quo weren't in (mainly Primrose Hill) and guzzling coffee in a cafe moaning as usual. She's a bit of misery isn't she. Good video though.
Brilliant Billy Ocean "live" in the studio in his double breasted business suit complete with overdubbed grunts and backing vocals. And, oh look, two dancers on a podium, how original.
Chicago I always had mixed feeling about. while I liked their early stuff their later hits strayed to much into the MOR arena for my liking. This is a good 'un though with some great vocals and a slick arrangement slightly messed up in the middle.
The Charts and there are still 5 number ones in there this week which proves how well certain singles were selling back in 1984.
Gary Numan's peak had long passed but he kept trying didn't he. This was the point where he died his original hair blue to match his lipstick and his politics. Not much of a song, just a groove with chanted words and no real tune but it's better than I remember from the time. Lots of mullet action in his band. And is that Ruby Wax doing backing vocals.
Eugene Wild creeping up the chart. This one of those songs that grows on you the more times you hear it. Good laid back performance and nice snatches of guitar played in octaves. Pretty, pretty good.
I Feel For You - I am already a bit bored with the video. Play out with ZZ Top, a great track to dance to. Even the lads can dance to this one including the electrocuted bloke and another two of Hurll's favourites cheerleaders on a podium.
A few videos I've not seen there.
ReplyDeleteI seem to be in a minority in thinking the Numan 'song' was merely three minutes of noise - must be getting old :-)