The drool notes
04/04/85 (Simon Bates & Richard Skinner)
Glenn Frey – “The Heat Is On” (17)
Glenn get this week's show off to a flying start and his song moved up five more places.
Phyllis Nelson – “Move Closer” (14)
Will get to number one next month.
ABC – “Be Near Me” (36) (breaker)
Went up ten more places.
Bryan Adams – “Somebody” (35) (breaker)
Got no higher.
Pat Benatar – “Love Is A Battlefield” (29) (breaker)
Became her biggest hit when it peaked at number 17.
REO Speedwagon – “Can’t Fight This Feeling” (28) (breaker)
Their third and final hit, making it to number 16.
The Cool Notes – “Spend The Night” (18)
Their biggest hit, peaking at number 11. And Simon obviously had his eyes on those figure hugging dresses.
David Grant & Jaki Graham – “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love?” (12)
A second and final top ten hit for David, the first of three top ten hits for Jaki, the biggest hit for both of them, it peaked at number 5.
The Top Ten Videos:
Stephen Tin Tin Duffy - "Kiss Me" (10) (video clip)
Nik Kershaw - "Wide Boy" (9) (video clip)
Jermaine Jackson - "Do What You Do" (8) (video clip)
Paul Young - "Every Time You Go Away" (7) (video clip)
Go West - "We Close Our Eyes" (6) (video clip)
Tears For Fears - "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" (5) (video clip)
Alison Moyet - "That Ole Devil Called Love" (4) (video clip)
Sarah Brightman & Paul Miles-Kingston - "Pie Jesu" (3) (video clip)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "Welcome To The Pleasure Dome" (2) (video clip)
Philip Bailey & Phil Collins – “Easy Lover” (1) (video)
Third of four weeks at number one.
Third World – “Now That We’ve Found Love” (22) (audience dancing/credits)
At its peak.
We couldn't let David Cassidy's #TOTP go without sharing this ace clip of @RealSarahGreene fangirling in 1985. Watch the performance via @BBCiPlayer. https://t.co/1mcUYX2JUe pic.twitter.com/C46V4q79gY— BBC Four (@BBCFOUR) February 9, 2018
Sarah meets David
This concludes our Top of the Pops weekend marathon!
Next up is 11th April.
First of all, many thanks to Angelo for his devotion to duty in getting all these shows blogged and posted over the last 24 hours - much appreciated. Thankfully next week there will just be the one BBC4 show, followed by another Smiffed edition, to deal with - I think after this week I need a TOTP detox! Master Bates is back in beige this week, with regular sidekick Dickie sporting a peculiar triangular pocket on his shirt. Nice to see that they clearly get on, but there is a classic moment from the headmaster early on when he firmly pushes a flag out of the way that was getting between him and the camera. I was pleased to see that the crowd member waved it in front of him again almost immediately...
ReplyDeleteGlenn Frey follows Don Henley into the studio in what must qualify as another coup for the show, though he looks a bit exposed all alone on that small stage. Another successful film tie-in, this sounds very different indeed to Frey's work with The Eagles, and again for me is a something of a triumph for sophisticated production over any real depth or emotion - in the battle of the ex-Eagles, I think The Boys of Summer was the better song by some distance. Like Frey, Phyllis Nelson is sadly no longer with us, though this much-loved smoocher has assured her a modest form of immortality. It's one of those that I used to quite like, but would happily never hear again now. Even so, I liked the way she engaged the audience in this performance, and I also rather admired her for not having had her teeth done, a very unusual thing indeed for an American singer.
Out of these breakers only Pat Benatar will appear again, but interesting to see that the ABC video uses the vertical 360 degree camera pan that U2 would also adopt a few years later for the Even Better than the Real Thing promo - I wonder if they got the idea from here? The song itself is new to me, but it definitely still has elements of The Lexicon of Love sound to it. Bryan Adams was seemingly looking to create a stadium anthem with this one, and it's a not a bad tune, though clearly British record buyers were not that taken with it. Pat goes for urban grit in her video, REO Speedwagon for bad hair in theirs.
The Cool Notes' singers do look quite glamorous in their shiny dresses, though I'm sure they would have put something more casual on if they had known Bates would be perving over them! Our hosts both seem very taken with this, but it sounds very generic to me, and there are strong echoes of Shalamar. It looks as if David Grant hadn't quite given up hope of being mistaken for Jacko at this point, though that would become an increasingly hard ambition as his idol began his physical transformation! This bright and breezy Detroit Spinners cover is perfectly respectable, and the two singers have good on-stage chemistry. Big-haired Jaki looks twice the size of Grant close up.
The Top 10 reveals the Frankie video to be typically tasteful and understated, before we yet again have to endure the two Phils' annoying promo. Third World round things off with their reissue, after Dickie rather prematurely suggests that nuptials are impending between two of his Radio 1 colleagues...
It's a shame the full ABC video doesn't get shown then I find it fun.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhAgQMqVxiE
It starts off in black and white as if it will be like one of the earlier ABC videos, you seen get a shock though.
john i had to laugh out loud at a couple of things you wrote regarding slimy - the pushing the flag away that was getting in his way only for it to immediately return incident, and the thought of the cool notes ladies being tempted to wear costumes less enticing as a result of his leering!
DeleteSlimes' perving was getting a lot of 'love' on Twitter during the 7.30 broadcast. The lady with the flag deserves a medal for attempting to shield viewers from the full horror of the Bates.
DeleteThere was another incident where he attempted to get down with the kids with his 'right on, Richard' comment, which Peel might have got away with in an ironic way, but certainly not Bates.
Thinking of Bates leering, could you imagine him pulling a Cosmo Smallpiece-style face? It really does not bear further contemplation...
DeleteDefinitely not! Mind you I bet there were a few people who had nightmares every time he appeared on TOTP.
DeleteIt's astonishing that the likes of Bates, Smitty and Wright managed to stay on the presenting roster so long when they had litle or no interest in the music they were introducing.
I hope nobody minds me inserting these YT links on here as they have just appeared this week and are essential viewing. These will make your weekends folks (sorry about the host in three of them):-
ReplyDeleteChristmas 1974 – Alvin Stardust, Stephanie de Sykes, John Denver, George Macrae, Karl Douglas and the Rubettes are the highlights for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb1D73bd1_Q
Some real treats from 1972....there are so few shows and clips from this year. Checkout Chuck Berry…sheesh, I remember this film and the explanations given about the song before and after. Hot Chocolate, Gladys Knight, Slade, Shangri La (cartoon film which I recall) and Gilbert. Shame Lieutenant Pigeon aren’t on this one. NB it’s in two parts with the Osmonds missed out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1fDkhmyU9g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ_xLJwleKY
Back to 1970 and some great sounds (two later covered by Bananarama), Pickettywitch, White Plains, Kenny Rogers, Dave Clark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Sij58DSpk
Finally (with silent links) from 1968…Cilla Black, Equals, Rolling Stones and the first single I ever bought whilst on holiday in Cliftonville – Young Girl by Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett, and yes I even remember the distinctive film with the blonde girl walking around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkQMz-6jt6k
Enjoy!
sct thanks for the 70's totp show links - looks like some good stuff there, although i have to point out that unlike jaki graham and nik kershaw (see my review below) mr douglas used a "c" in his forename rather than a "k"
Deletei'm old enough to remember the oft-shown chuck berry performance clip for "my ding-a-ling", although not old enough to get the euphemisms at the time! instead i was just thinking "iv'e heard this guy is a legend who invented rock n roll, and yet all he's doing here is silly nursery rhymes"!
despite having already submitted several reviews in the last couple of days, thanks to sct i've felt compelled to give the xmas 74 show one as well (i'm a glutton for punishment ha ha)
Deletehosts: presented by a loathsome and detestable man with a beard... and DLT!
rubettes: an excellent start to the show with what has now become for me an all-time classic, even though i wasn't actually that keen on it at the time. it's well-known that the front man didn't actually sing on the original recording, although apparently he did play some guitar on it. as usual an entertaining performance, although for some reason they aren't all dressed identically as was usually the case in their early days
john denver: like phyllis nelson on the latest 85 show a true one-hit wonder, although unlike her he of course was well-known for many years, not just as a songwriter and entertainer, but even occasional actor. i never liked this syrup though, and still don't
alvin stardust: ah, back to the good stuff with mr stardust, his brooding persona and fiercesome fake sideboards. i love the way he pushes one of his guitarists out of the way before taking up the usual unique stance with the microphone. the general consensus was that this was just a carbon copy of "my coo ca choo" but not quite as good, and it should have been the former that got to number one instead of this. however although i (still) love both i think this has the edge myself, and a great b-side in "guitar star" to boot. but why was there some guy on stage playing air piano, when there's plainly none of that to be heard on the record?
george mcrae: following the rubettes, more falsetto gymnastics from george on what is definitely not the original backing track for this ground-breaking disco classic as conceived by harry casey (aka kc of sunshine band fame) and partner rick finch (now a convicted pedo!). the story that george only did this when wife gwen failed to turn up for the recording is fairly well known, but he was also apocryphally reported to be the victim of his record company boss (henry stone, who had a reputation for ripping off his mainly-black clients), by showing up and demanding to paid and being persuaded to take stone's car parked outside his office in leiu instead... that he then informed someone else present was just a rental!
stephanie sykes: and now some lightweight/light entertainment british fluff, the like of which was sadly all-too familiar in the early 70's. with three male backing singers in tank tops providing fitting visual accompianment. otherwise this is notable only in that ms de sykes later had a toy-boy lover in the form of disgraced "have i got news for you" host angus deayton (why haven't the beeb released all the episodes he presented on dvd? i'm sure that unlike the show nowadays, they would still be hugely entertaining)
pt ii...
Deleteg*ry gl*tter: strangely enough despite being a big fan of his at the time, i have no recollection of this at all. probably because i was not as impressed with it as i was his previous stuff. thankfully he's spared us his hairy chest this time
sylvia: once more into cheeseland with this cod-flamenco drivel (wasn't she actually swedish or something?). i went to spain on holiday several times in the mid/late 70's, and rather tragically i got to hear this quite regularly there
queen: was this the only studio performance for this? i certainly can't remember freddie performing it in anything else other than his fur jacket. something i never mind hearing in passing, but have never liked it enough to own
ray stevens: cashing in on that year's breaking sensation of course. but if you look beyond the novelty aspect of the lyrics and party streamer noises, there's actually some excellent banjo plucking and fiddle-scraping going on. and after this ray applied much the same bluegrass formula very successfully to an otherwise-straight reading of the jazz standard "misty"
suzi quatro: not as hard-hitting as "can the can", but on the other hand she doesn't screech quite as much on this either. i like the way the pianist (who unlike on "jealous mind" is actually audible on the recording) and drummer take turns to leave their posts and dance along with suzi and the brutish and rather cumnbersome len tuckey
carl douglas: another classic that i never really appreciated at the time but now love. sadly though this is an awful totp orchestra version, with carl completly missing his cue for the first verse. i may have mentioned this before, but a mate of mine once played this in a boozer... with the man himself (who would apparently always carry a headband around in his pocket and put it on at request) guesting on vocals!
terry jacks: i did like what i think was a jacques brel tune at the time with it's sad lyric and twangy guitar, although i think i preferred the not-so-successful and lesser-remembered follow-up "if you go away". which is not only the best thing brel ever wrote, but one of the best things anybody ever wrote in my opinion
mud: and now the icing on what has generally been a pretty tasty (christmas) cake. this will always be a contender for my top 100 of all time, even without the fantastic visual entertainment the band (and their helpers) provided. a nice touch to have a reprise with all the other performers joining les & co on stage as the credits roll
i'm not bothering with the 68 and 70 editions of the show that sct has brought to our notice as they are "before my time" (and i don't care much for 60's pop anyway). but i thought i'd at least have a look at the 72 show (if not review it) as that was around the time i remember starting to watch it on a regular basis as a 10 year old. however, be warned it's now already been removed from youtube - presumably for copyright violation reasons? so if you're reading this then try and watch the xmas 74 edition asap if interested, as that might disappear soon as well!
DeleteShame the 1972 video has gone already. The Hot Chocolate song 'You'll always be a friend' is one of my favourites but I never realised until watching this that Errol Brown didn't sing the verses. It's a nice live performance too. Gladys Knight also sings live with the ever moving and much covered (even by Les Patterson!) 'Help me make it through the Night'.
DeleteYou hardly ever hear Gladys' version of Help Me Make It... these days. A shame, as she packs so much emotion to it - her finest hour for me.
DeleteThe copyright police do seem to be very active at the moment in taking full shows down on YT, though I notice a number of shows have reappeared in recent days - bet they don't last long...
Christmas 1972 is on there at the momement...
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKYtb-PHBYc
Regarding the Rubettes on the 1974 show. The lead singer does seem to be singing some bits as it sounds different to the record, but not Paul da Vinci high pitched bits!
thanks for the xmas 72 link sct (aah - the good old days... before pedos were invented!)
Deleteregarding ray stevens cashing in on what was the phenomenon of 1974 (streaking), there was a french guy called jean claude pelletier who devoted a whole album to that sensation - even though the tracks were instrumentals! they're pretty funky though, as this example shows:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BDC1hGHsXI
It's interesting that the Lieutenant Pigeon performance on this complete Christmas 1972 showing is a 'live' version. When ToTP2 showed it, for some reason they dubbed over the 'live' ToTP performance with the recorded version. Admittedly the pennywhistle player mucks up the bit at the end on here, but that adds to its attraction in my opinion. Here is the ToTP2 version:-
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO5GWJJP3FM
Wilberforce - I was a bit startled when you said John Denver was a one-hit wonder, but checking his discography on Wikipedia I can see that he indeed was, in the UK anyway. It does seem quite remarkable, given his popularity over here and the familiarity of some of his other songs, that he didn't have more, though of course some songs he wrote were hits for others.
Deletehosts: now that peelie has made it clear to the producers he'll only do the show with janice long now his mate kid - sorry david jenson has moved on, poor old dickie is once more saddled with the odious one as a co-presenter. but despite that, as ever the richard briars of radio 1 jocks just gets on with the job without complaint
ReplyDeleteglenn frey: i loved the way he transformed himself from handlebar-tached hippy denim-clad dude in the eagles to clean-shaven matinee idol solo act (blowing former bandmate and current chart competitor don henley away in the process). and he takes the honours in the ex-eagles tune stakes as well, even though he didn't write it. unlike "the boys of summer" i've got this this in my mp3 collection, although like the first two frankie hits i don't i've ever actually played it!
phyliis nelson: a true one hit wonder who really came out of nowhere and disappeared again just as quickly - in fact i had to look her up on discogs to find out if she ever actually released anything else (she did in fact put out a couple of albums, plus a duet single with none other than french film star and the world's coolest dude ever alain delon). i suppose the success of this was down to being played as an end-of-night disco smoocher (which i still think happened back in those days). i didn't care much for it at time as it felt somewhat sluggish and cumbersome, and failed to benefit from the contemporary heavy-handed production techniques of the day that were applied. but it now falls into the "bohemian rhapsody" category i.e. something that's now so ingrained in me thanks to constant exposure that i've grown to sort-of like it, or at least respect it
cool notes: alongside loose ends, another (mainly) black british soul/dance/r&B act that has been furiously listening to and making notes on the patented jimmy jam & terry lewis production technique. this is by far the best of the the three such acts on the show tonight, but still not a patch on change's "let's go together" that alas has now peaked at no. 37 so won't be seen or even heard on the show. i have to admit the two ladies fronting the band look very alluring as they wriggle about in their shiny and tight-fitting fishtail dresses, although the sadly the more attractive one in blue/purple (who i have discovered had a son with one of the male members, who was in millenium teeny band S club 7) is relegated to backing/harmony vocals here
grant/graham: as i say, no change given. but instead we get short-changed by this poundland and redundant cover of a middling 70's soul/disco tune by a couple of people who unlike change lived near enough to jump on a train or bus to perform in person on the show. however one has to tip their hat to ms graham's decision to join a certain mr kershaw of this parish in trying to eradicate the similarly-redundant letter "C" from the english language (like their letter "k" replacing the hard version, the soft version could just as easily be replace by the letter "s"), even though their valiant attempts failed!
Straight into April we go on BBC4 and Richard and Simon in particular manage to fight off some flag waving audience members. Janice Powell haha!
ReplyDeleteGlenn Frey – The Heat is on – Glenn’s obviously slipped a word about his correct surname pronunciation and like, Don Henley a few weeks ago, treats us to a nice studio appearance. What would we have given eight years ago to have seen the Eagles in the studio performing ‘Hotel California’?
Phyllis Nelson – Move closer – Well I do like this one as my wife and I chose it as the second dance at our wedding (the first dance was Dan Hill’s ‘Sometimes when we touch’). A deserved slow moving no1.
Breakers – ABC I don’t recall at all and the video makes me slightly giddy! Brian Adams’ ‘Somebody’ was an OK song. Pat Benatar’s song ‘Love is a Battlefield’ was originally released in January 1984 reaching no49 but was re-promoted in a different sleeve (used on the chart rundown) and was a deserved hit on the back of ‘We Belong’. The B Side ‘Here’s my Heart’ was penned by Giorgio Moroder / Pete Bellotte who wrote ‘Son of my Father’ for Chicory Tip in 1972. Finally it’s the clip of REO Speedwagon that I remembered the other week; travesty we never saw this in full.
Cool Notes – Spend the Night – Urgh! FF
David Grant & Jaki Graham – Could it be I’m falling in love – I recall thinking at the time as to whether this was meant to be taken seriously? Original wins hands down for me.
Top10 rundown – That Nik Kershaw video makes me giggle every time whilst TFF is a tantalising glimpse. I recall being relieved when Frankie failed to outdo Gerry and the Pacemakers by making it the first four singles in a row at no1. Cue Spice Girls….
Phil Bailey & Phil Collins – Easy Lover – Gave the 12” a spin on the back of this as I hadn’t played it for years. Great remix of a great song.
Third World – Now that we’ve found love playout – gosh what a long playout!
Can I add my thanks to Angelo for keeping up with the deluge this week!
Hotel California is ok, but my favourites are New Kid in Town and One of These Nights.
DeleteRandy Meisner's Try and Love Again, from the Hotel California album, is probably my favourite Eagles tune, followed by Journey of the Sorcerer (later of course adopted as the Hitchhiker's Guide theme). The Last Resort is also very classy.
DeleteJourney of the Sorcerer is Bernie Leadon's finest hour with the Eagles. 'The Last Resort' is just sublime and probably my favourite Eagles track.
DeleteIndeed the playout with Third World was a long one, around three minutes, so bravo BBC4, if this amount was not shown first time round in 1985.
DeleteReally liked the way the studio audience were dressed in some nice summer outfits already, considering the clocks had moved to British summer time only days before this show went out in April 1985. They were probably putting behind them a long cold winter, and the Third World lyrics really seemed to spruce up the audience for a hopefully long hot summer ahead.
1985 did not turn out to be a long hot summer, unfortunately. June was very unsettled, as I remember all too well as I was violently seasick while travelling on a storm-tossed ferry to Ireland for a family holiday. Having said that, Live Aid day in July was warm and sunny.
DeleteAbove and beyond the call of duty this week, Angelo.
ReplyDeleteGlenn Frey with this week's movie tune, funnily enough although Eddie Murphy was probably the biggest film star in the world at this point, his own (non-stand-up) records proved a flop with the public. Anyway, this power pop rocker did its job, advertised the movie and lifted the bit on the soundtrack where it was played. We'll see another such effort soon.
Phyllis Nelson with a smoocher that crawls along, mimicking its incremental rise to the top spot. Got to hand it to her, she was committed to it and you can't really criticise her success because it's a nice story. Bates' introduction makes her sound like a crazed drug addict.
ABC ripping off Cabaret Voltaire's Sensoria video from the previous year, though that was a better tune and this new lineup was a bit of a letdown. Then Bryan Adams going all stadium rocker, it's OK but no more, Pat Benatar with her overearnest pop rock, slick video anyway though she seems narked by something, and whiny REO Speedwagon which amusingly they cut off before it gets to the chorus!
Is it cocktail hour? No, it's The Cool Notes slinking their way through a bit of light soul, nothing too offensive but I wouldn't be too upset if I never heard it again.
Then the not-dissimilar Dave and Jaki with a disposable cover that doesn't improve on the original, but doesn't insult it either.
I watched the Phils this time, and the video was as self-satisfied as I remembered, so calculating that it reeked of corporate product. I could say the same about the song, very high singing over slick to the point of robotic backing. My youthful suspicion of Phil Collins began here, I suspect.
Third World to end on, doesn't seem that long since we saw its first release.
I looked at the Sensoria video and certainly it uses a couple of techniques ABC uses (the camera movement and also the stop-motion).
DeleteHowever I find it quite different otherwise. That song is dance (more energy) whereas ABC is pop (and I'd say more of a melody).
And ABC have lots of humour in their video and use that in various ways, including arguably more invention with the techniques that Cabaret Voltaire used.
It was the snazzy camera move I meant.
DeleteIs this Jaki Graham's first appearance in the charts?
ReplyDeleteI noticed that this edition was all black performers in the studio, apart from the opening track with Glen Frey. Even the no.1 on video had black performer Philip Bailey joining Philip Collins. A very ebony TOTP edition you could say. I wonder when the last time such a thing happened on a TOTP show?
DeleteHaving said that, I just loved the dresses of the Cool Notes, so it was not just Simon Bates who liked that attire. I wouldn't mind having those two girls with me for a ball in those gowns, and taking up their offer to spend the night.
I wonder if those figure-perfect dresses unzipped easily and could drop to the floor easily too? The perfect nightcap. The prettier one in the blue dress looked very tasty. Reminds me of the last time that a pair of girls performed in the TOTP studio in ball gowns, it was the ones singing Last Night A DJ Saved My life, in a famous 1983 edition of TOTP.
And then there was Janice Long presenting a 1983 edition of TOTP wearing a ball gown, in her first year presenting on the show. Errm, perhaps let's not remember that one.
Yes, Westy, this was indeed Jaki's chart debut and maiden TOTP appearance.
DeleteDoes anyone else watch this with the subtitles on? Ineresting that for Third World, they changed the opening lines from 'make daddy shoot' to the meaningless 'make naddy shook'. They didn't do that for the original release.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I think the media/tv world are afraid of the past, and try to erase history as though there was something wrong with people in the 70s and 80s, and forget that without those people they would not be here today.
DeleteWhen is this hiding away from the past going to stop? It is important for the new generation to understand how the previous generation lived with no technology and how they talked and sang and saw the world, to open the way for the wired-up young generation coming through now, who have no idea of how people lived then with different forms of recreation that have largely got lost in laptop/mobile phone world of today.
More likely to be crap software/poor typing/mishearing than erasing the past.
DeleteOh ok, let's not put the world to rights then.
DeleteAnyone notice that the all three showings were in the 16:9 ratio with black bars burned in at the side, rather than in 4:3 (as every TOTP edition has been previously)
ReplyDeleteIt probably doesn't make a difference to anyone watching on HD (I think it HAS to be that way on that channel), but on the SD broadcast (which is all I have), it must make the image quality slightly poorer (as some bit-rate is wasted on the black bars)
Hopefully just a mistake, and not a permanent move to fix everything in a 16:9 frame.
Are you watching on SKY SD?
DeleteAdjust the picture settings to 4:3, if you are recording to DVD, then remember to change them back to 16:9.
How you would get round it on Freeview, god knows!
Thanks, unfortunatley, I'm not on sky - just old clockwork freeview.
DeleteI used to be able to record it with a 4:3 'centre cutout' setting (which would remove any forced black bars), but about a year ago the BBC channels introduced some sort of sabotaging technology - which means if I use 4:3 setting on a 16:9 show I get black bars ALL the way round - with a teeny tiny image in the middle.
I'm sure they thought they were being helpful with this forced 16:9 image 'thing', thinking people weren't watching the shows properly - but I'd like to be the judge of that, thank you very much!
I haven't watched the SD version for years - only ever watch in HD these days - but if they have switched the AR to 16:9 then presumably this would also have had the effect of moving the BBC Four DOG to the black bands on the side rather than over the image? So I suppose you could argue there is a positive side to it.
DeleteBut yeah, HD is pretty much always in 16:9. I believe even on BluRay older movies in 4:3 are always window-boxed at the sides with black bands rather than native 4:3. Of course if you're watching on a 16:9 display then it makes very little difference, as on a format like that bitrate is unlikely to be an issue anyway.
No, the BBC FOUR dog was still within the 4:3 image - so probably just a cock up.
DeleteIs it over to the side on the HD channel version then?
(to be honest, I think having the logo over to one side against a black background, glowing proudly like a fluorescent penis, would probably be more distracting to me than having it in the middle bit!)
Nope, still in the 4:3 area. Although I've noticed in some instances the DOG is completely removed on the HD version, but it's still there on the SD channel.
DeleteBelated thanks to Angelo for sterling work last week. Due to life getting in the way I've still only caught up with three of the five editions!
ReplyDeleteNow then, here's a question for you... what do The Cool Notes and Deacon Blue have in common? They both had a singer called Lorraine McIntosh. In Deacon Blue's case she was lead singer Ricky Ross's girlfriend and in The Cool Notes she was the (more attractive to me) singer in bluey mauve to the right in the above photo.
It’s the TOTP Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Beige and Mr. Navy, complete with the most jovial chart rundown yet (Mugshot alert! No picture for Madonna at number 11!) and another dopey mis-naming of poor Paul Miles-Kingston. I bet he was right royal fecked off at that.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad Slimes only said “Right on, Richard” when he did. He could have blurted “Dig it, Dickie”!
Quite a coup to get Glenn the Eagle in. Did he frey under those lights? The sax player reminded me of the Belle Stars for some reason.
I LOVE Phyllis’s tune and her Deniece Williams “Free” era vocals (that single made the top of the UK charts too). Grinning throughout like a Cheshire cat and I agree, full marks for keeping those choppers au naturel.
An unusual video for ABC. Not their best track by any stretch, but I loved their early stuff and the greatest hits and minor hits compilation’s a dandy.
A stadium rock video for Bryan Adams, obviously not wanting to go down the downpour / snow / wind tunnel video route again, and who could blame him?
An enjoyable vid for Pat Benatar. I wonder how many in that street scene were bemused onlookers?
REO Speedwagon there with the very definition of mullets. Great chart forecast by Slimes...
Followed by a great career forecast for The Cool Notes! He’s on fire, that lad. Those dresses made me hungry for some Quality Street.
It’s the soul lite Kylie and Jason, complete with matching baby pink shirts. An okayish yet corporate take on a classic if ever there was one.
Naughty Dickie at the end there! I’m surprised he didn’t dedicate “Now That We’ve Found Love” to the future Mister and Missus Powell. Er...
(I wonder if Pete new Janice had David Cassidy on her bedroom wall? Ooer!)
Finally reached the end of the marathon line, after most other runners it seems...like others, I have to thank Angelo for managing all of this so the rest of us could get on the starting blocks in the first place!
ReplyDeleteGlenn Frey - I sound like a broken record, but anyway...another Commercial Radio staple that I've heard enough. Next!
Phyllis Nelson - Ah, that's unfortunate. A song I really hate, even though I acknowledge that it's very well made and sung.
Breakers - For once, these are mostly decent. The ABC song is one of many minor and non-hits that they had during this period even though most of them were top notch. The Bryan Adams song is one of his best, the Pat Benatar one I can take or leave, and REO Speedwagon is a definite pass for me.
The Cool Notes don't do anything for me and Grant / Graham is merely OK. So not much for me on this show sadly.
I didn’t realise “Move Closer” was Phyllis Nelson’s thank you to her younger boyfriend who helped raise her two children from previous relationships. I also didn’t realise Phyllis sadly died 20 years ago at just 47 years old.
ReplyDeleteFinally made it to April 85.. and this one looks a cracker and slightly longer as well...so here goes
ReplyDeleteGreat start to the show - RS one of my fave TOTP presenters introduces a storming song from Glenn Frey (one hit wonder? -as a soloist obviously)
Amazed this wasn't a Top Ten hit.
Bates having to move the flag out of the way - do you think she did that deliberately?
Phyllis up next with a classic song and a future Number One, didn't realise it got that high. Lovely record... Just reading the post above about her early death, so sad. great voice, talented lady.
Breakers time:
ABC - Hooray they are back - new line up? Have to look that up. Not as good as previous efforts but still a good song.
Bryan Adams - This is another great song from BA. Typical north-American concert video again, they must have been cheap to make.
Pat up next with her big record (but only Top 20). Bit of effort with the video thankfully.
REO - Number 1 in the USA - they have no taste. Not a patch on their last effort.
The Cool Notes - Wasn't impressed with this on the breakers last week but it's not bad. Were they poured into those dresses? Did they "spend the night" with a box of Quality Street?
OMG Billy Connolly - Supergran! Hated that show..
Quite a few new entries last week and this that might not get a play so going to digs some of them out for a listen, surprised we haven't seen The Smiths.
David and Jaki with another of last weeks breakers - They seem to move much more chemistry than Ashford/Simpson who were married. I like this song, happy to admit.
Nice bit of over-acting from David towards the end.
Nice to see the 2 Phils video on the BBC4 repeats.
Another ex-breaker plays us out..Third World (still not loving this) and then on to Janice and John next week,
Phew...made it...thanks Angelo, Neil B and all...
See someone beat me to the Quality Street gag...oh well..
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