A-ha New Year!
02/01/86 (Janice Long & John Peel)
A-ha – “The Sun Always Shines On TV” (27)
Getting this live show underway with what would soon become their only number one.
Paul McCartney – “Spies Like Us” (13) (video)
Going a little bit gracefully grey here is Paul, but the hair dye will soon put a stop to that! This song was now at its peak.
Level 42 – “Leaving Me Now” (23)
With Mark sporting his coat of many colours, this song rose up to number 15.
Bronski Beat – “Hit That Perfect Beat” (11)
A second studio performance helping this fourth and final top ten hit reach number 3.
Jennifer Rush – “Ring Of Ice” (29) (breaker)
Success was hard to come by after the monster hit Power of Love, and this song was her final top 20 hit when it peaked at number 14.
Sting – “Russians” (25) (breaker)
This was the fourth single from his top 3 solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles, and it became the most successful of them when it peaked at number 12.
Sophia George – “Girlie Girlie” (14)
Her only hit and it peaked at number 7.
Shakin’ Stevens – “Merry Christmas Everyone” (1) (video)
In the company of some scary looking elves and probably the real Santa, this was the second and last week at number one for Shaky's final chart topper.
Elton John – “Wrap Her Up” (19) (audience dancing/credits)
Peaked at number 12.
January 9th is next but its our first (of 16) Mike Smith edition of the year and won't be shown on BBC4.
Good choice of blog title for the new year, Angelo - it was the obvious one to go for, really. A decent first show of the year too, as apart from the number 1 it didn't feel as if we were being fed stale festive leftovers. The junking of the Top 10 video countdown also made the show feel more balanced within the half-hour time slot, with an increase in songs getting a full play from 5 to 6, and a substantial amount being played of both the featured breakers. Janice and John were their normal enjoyable selves, with Peel in particularly waspish form as he denigrated Black Lace and Mark King's coat, and then at the end described Smitty and Wrighty as "retards." I suspect that even if he hadn't mentioned Smitty that bit would still have been cut by BBC4...
ReplyDeleteA-ha start things off very nicely indeed, returning to the studio to perform what for me is comfortably their best song. The dramatic intro is sadly cut here, but at least we do still get the frantic part before the singing starts, and also the moody conclusion. Someone at TOTP must have really liked this slight Macca tune, and we are subjected to the whole video this time - we will of course be seeing Chevy Chase again in another promo later in '86...
I didn't think Mark King's attire was that bad, and this stately ballad is certainly another winner from a band who were on a definite roll at this time - just surprising it got no higher than 15. The Bronskis all seem to be enjoying themselves on this epilepsy-inducing second performance, before the breakers section gives us two songs that we will be hearing more of very shortly - in her video, Jennifer Rush appears to be wandering through a field of neon tubular bells, rather than a ring of ice.
Peel seemed to be very enthusiastic about Sophia George, for reasons I can't quite fathom - it's a nice enough performance, but hardly the greatest in TOTP history, and it looks as if she is dressed for a shooting party. Good bouncy bit of pop reggae, though, which sounds like something Musical Youth should have recorded. Shaky next with his rather odd video, featuring a horrible jumper, a creepy Santa, a spaced out female elf and a bunch of kids who understandably don't look all that thrilled to be in Santa's workshop. Elton brings things to a close with this tune-free George Michael collaboration, which perhaps unsurprisingly I don't remember at all from the time. Still, the cheerleaders manage to bust some decent moves to it...
Incidentally, I was always convinced as a kid that Sophia George was singing about a "flash of curly wurly." Sadly the correct words are the more prosaic, if still baffling, "you jus a flash it round the worldie."
DeleteThe beauty about these re-runs looking back over 30 years after, is that we can see what we missed out on, as well as what we remember distinctly.
DeleteFor example, I only remember seeing Chevy Chase in the video for You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon, but I had no idea he appeared on the Spies Like Us video by Paul McCartney until seeing it now in 2018!
Certainly the common link with Chevy Chase seems to be the name 'Paul'. I wonder if Chevy appeared in any other pop videos apart from these two in 1986? I wouldn't be surprised. Come to think of it, wasn't he also in the Ghostbusters video of Ray Parker Jr in 1984?
John Peel was a big fan of Jamaican music, but when he visited the place to soak up the atmosphere he was dismayed to find all the black Jamaicans would hiss at him as he walked by!
DeleteThe cut final link can be seen in full here, from about 7.47:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSuxrjW4TlU
Well we’re 1986 already! What were you folks doing then? It doesn’t seem that long ago really. Thanks to Angelo for continuing the blog. The hosts are great as usual but what’s on offer musically is a mixture of highs and lows for me.
ReplyDeleteA-Ha – The Sun always shines on TV – One of the best number ones of 1986 with a stonking production by Alan Tarney. Here in the studio we’re shorn of the wonderful intro and the track sounds like a re-recording with live singing. Anyway, the single release omitted the wonderful ‘huh!’ near the start of the intro that was on the album cut, and fortunately featured on later compilations. Look forward to seeing the video.
Paul McCartney – Spies like us – Never liked this one at all and maybe Macca wasn’t so keen on it either as the definitive ‘All the very best’ compilation released in 1987 didn’t include it.
Level 42 – Leaving me now – One of their best, although like A-Ha this sounds re-recorded and lacks the punch of the definitive cut. Oddly the 12” version puts ‘I sleep on my heart (remix)’ on the A Side.
Bronski Beat – Hit that perfect beat – FF
Breakers – Jennifer Rush – Ring of Ice – CBS goofed with the B Sides of ‘The Power of Love’ in that they put what are for me, the next two best tracks from the ‘Jennifer Rush’ album on the B Side – ‘I see a Shadow (not a fantasy)’ (brackets again Wilberforce!) and ‘Come give me your hand’. ‘Ring of Ice’ just hasn’t got the same hook although a third single which didn’t chart ‘Madonna’s Eyes’ was pretty good. Sting – Russians – Gordon goes all serious and dreary here and I couldn’t get excited.
Sophia George – Girlie Girlie – I’d forgotten all about this track and frankly am cross at being reminded of it! FF
Top10 – Where’s the video clips gone????
Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Christmas everyone – What is there to say about this that has not already been said? Perfect seasonal pop for December but in July seems even more out of place than some other Christmas hits. Nice video though.
Elton John – Wrap her up – For me one of his worst single releases despite George accompanying. Just cannot get into this track. From the patchy ‘Ice on Fire’ album, I really liked the third single release ‘Cry to Heaven’ which didn’t get very high in the charts. It’s one of Elton’s underrated gems although the video is kind of disturbing having watched it for the first time ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuhsEbWXTa0
The demise of the top ten video rundown could only be cherished by the fact that if the Beeb were insistant of keeping the show down to only 30 minutes, well, it had to go then. Had the show been kept at the glorious 40 minutes we enjoyed from the 1970s up to 1984, then it would not have mattered too much.
DeleteThe salient point here is that in a 30-minute confined show, the top ten video rundown was taking the space of playing one song in full, and the public could be feeling short-changed, so personally I am pleased that they dropped this video rundown. I would've been even more pleased if the beeb saw its shortcomings and put the show back to 40 minutes, but hey, that was never to be.
Actually....on the subject of favourite Elton John tracks, I watched a 'Nation's favourite Elton John Songs' show a short while ago. Whilst a lot of the songs I totally agreed with their inclusion in the top20, I would certainly have rated 'Cry to Heaven', 'Empty Garden' and, best of all, the very moving 'The Last Song' ahead of some of those songs. Personal taste obviously!
Deletesct in answer to your question "what was i doing in 1986"? i was renting a room in nurses' quarters in a north london hospital whilst working in an nhs office. sadly it was nowhere near as good as it sounds!
DeleteIn January 1986, I was still just about 17, a month away from my 18th birthday, and embarking on my A-levels coming up that summer, and just getting into rhythm for them. I remember having bad constipation around the beginning of the year, with all the stress surrounding the exams and the what-ifs if I didn't do well.
DeleteProbably my most difficult year of the 80s, but I made sure to keep watching the pop charts and TOTP, in order to keep a positive mind, and with a humdinger of a No.1 in West End Girls at the beginning of the year, how could anyone not keep a positive mind?
Been trying (and failing) to find Spies Like Us for my Spotify playlist but no joy - he must really hate it.
DeleteCompletely agree about the great intro to the A-ha song. The full 5 minute version is the only version worth listening to - a masterpiece of pop.
The 9 January show is available below, courtesy of James2001 this time:
ReplyDeletehttps://we.tl/8ENelFKEej
also on my new vimeo page for those who just want to look without having to download - Meer2
Deletelink would be handy - sorry
Deletevimeo.com/279941423
James2001, JohnG and Meer, what can I say but happy new year 1986 to you, and thank you for keeping us fully entertained while the Beeb have an issue with Mike Smith's legacy.
DeleteThanks for all the links ~ good work!
Deletea ha: i remember thinking at the time that this was superior to their debut hit, and that there was no gimmicky video responsible for its success either. but despite that i never really understood what the fuss was about. listening again now for the first time in manby years hasn't changed that opinion, and watching guitarist pal jig about with an acoustic is highly irritating given there doesn't appear to be one on the recording. didn't they do a bond theme after that? like the rest of their stuff though, i have no recollection of how it goes
ReplyDeletelevel 42: incorrectly introduced by janice long ("leave me now"), this is a solid slower effort of theirs if not the best of that ilk ("lying still" and "it's over" vie for that title in my view). why on earth doesn't mark king have his bass with him (unlike pal's acoustic guitar, it can actually be heard on the recording)? one is reminded about the saying taking a crutch away from a cripple, as he's reduced to distracting handclapping and making other fidgety gestures with his free hands as a result. this used to he a highlight of their live shows, as at the end the rest of the band would drop out as mike lindup carried on playing the central piano riff alone to great effect and acclaim
sophia george: i seem to remember totp going through a phase of having female singers in the studio peddling reggae-lite a few years back. despite the gap since then, this does not make me yearn for those days again. and ms george does herself no favours with her gary player look either. the only thing remotely interesting about it is the "flash of curly wurly" misheard lyric - i used to like eating them as a kid (despite the chocolate inevitably crumbling off before it got ate), but they are probably a prime reason i have very few of my own teeth left these days (i always liked the ads for them as well by the way, with terry scott playing an overgrown schoolboy to my recollection)
reg: not one i remember of his, and nor am i going to go to the effort of reminding myself. yesterday i was sorting through some CD's a chum gave me to sell off for him, and i had the misfortune to see his ugly mug with ludicrously ill-suited syrup atop of it on a recent one he made with the late leon russell - it fair made my stomach turn, i can tell you!
I recall seeing a Level 42 concert on the TV and yes, Mike Lindup's solo keyboard piece at the end was moving. My Dad happened to be watching and it even grabbed his attention.
DeleteI've just checked out 'Lying still' on YT (as I haven't heard it for years) and someone else has commented and concurred with your observation that song and 'It's over'. I'm quite fond of 'Take a look' in terms of Level 42 slow songs too.
yes the mike lindup piano showcase for "leaving me now" was a real show stopper, perhaps inevitably with a solo spotlight on him at that point. unlike the studio recording which was just the riff repeated until fadeout, for live shows he added a little coda that actually modulated on the very last chord! i have to admit that it inspired me to come up with somthing similar on the piano myself at that time, but sadly 30 years on it still remains nothing but a raw demo - perhaps the working title ("forever") was prophetic?
DeleteA-ha did work with John Barry on the theme for the next Bond film, The Living Daylights. I think the producers hoped that it would replicate the success of the Barry/Duran Duran collaboration for A View to a Kill, but it's nowhere near as good in my view.
Deletei read somewhere that barry's antipathy towards a ha was the reason he finally quit scoring the bond franchise, having done most of the movies from the very start. even now there is controversy over whether it was him or the mysterious monty norman - who unlike barry practically disappeared after doing the soundtrack after "dr no" - wrote the "james bond theme". my view is that yes, norman came up with the basic idea. but barry's arrangement made it the iconic piece it became. sadly though arrangers never got songwriting royalties in those days!
Deleteanyway, it was probably just as well he pulled out at that point (whatever the reason), with the franchise reaching its shark-jumping moment with "licence to kill" (featuring the totally miscast and humour-free timothy dalton as bond) as far as i was concerned anyway!
Dalton's two Bond films are probably the least appealing to me with a couple of unmemorable theme songs too.
DeleteAs for A-Ha, we've some more treats of theirs to come soon with 'Train of Thought', 'Hunting High and Low', the wonderful 'I've been losing you', 'Cry Wolf' and 'Manhatten Skyline' to come first. My word they were good.
A-Ha's late 2000's return "Analogue" was a ripper too.
DeleteAgree to some extent about Dalton lacking the charm and warmth of his predecessors in the Bond role.
DeleteLiving Daylights is not a great movies (and the A-ha theme is OK) but Licence To Kill is an excellent film. Maybe not the best "Bond like" film but well worth watching and one of the best bond themes full stop from Gladys Knight,
I don't care much for their theme tunes, but I like both of the Dalton films, Licence to Kill especially. The franchise had got very flabby by the end of Roger Moore's time, and Dalton's harder edge was both a welcome change and a sincere attempt to bring Ian Fleming's original vision of Bond to the big screen. Unfortunately audiences at the time were not very receptive to "serious" Bond films, and so Dalton missed out on the success and acclaim Daniel Craig would later enjoy for ploughing a similar furrow.
DeleteI remember Gladys Knight's Bond theme was one of those songs people like Tidybeard Edmonds used to harp on about regarding misheard lyrics, as the backing vocals in the chorus do make the title sound like "Licence To Kilt"!
DeleteA-ha to start with a worthy follow-up to what should have been a number one, only this was when it's not quite as good. Neither are my favourite from the boys, but a decent slice of dramatic pop nonetheless.
ReplyDeletePaul McCartney - hmm, somewhere another Paul saw Chevy Chase and made a note for later. Bit of an irritatingly wacky video, for an irritatingly wacky film.
Level 42 with one of their lesser-spotted ballads, not bad, nicely mournful melody though lyrically as usual they piled on the self-pity. They could at least have given Mark a kazoo or something, he looks naked without his bass.
Bronski Beat make a return with their Hi NRG dancing in the dark dance hit, and I mean that most sincerely. Incidentally, in Danny Baker's latest autobiography he said Hughie Green was the sweariest man he ever met.
Only two breakers, but more of them, which begs the question, why bother with the Breakers tag and instead show a couple of videos in (almost) full?
Sophia George, a little ray of sunshine with her infernally catchy admonition to a womaniser, though after Arnold Schwarzenegger a "girly man" is something completely different now. I always thought she was singing "You're just a fascist Curly-Wurly" and was consequently baffled.
Merry Christmas, Shaky, but don't kiss children, they're unhygienic. Santa's face is too small for his head. Rather this than Gary Shitter's Rock 'n' Roll Christmas, I suppose.
Then Elton to end on, not much to this, is there? Can't imagine he performed it in Vegas. But you never know.
Agreed fully regarding the Breakers, as we could instead have had one more song or video in full, but hey, at least they made some sort of start by dumping the top ten video rundown in favour of another song in full. The dumping of the breakers would certainly allow a second extra song to be played in full, in the now (unfortunately) permanent 30-minute format, but we were not quite there yet it seems.
DeleteSophia George seemed to arrive in between the Musical Youth (1982-1983) era, and the Chaka Demus & Pliers (1993-1994) era. However, I don't recall Sophia George in our charts at all in 1985-1986 in between the other two similar sounding bands. Now that is Girlie Girlie!
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ReplyDeleteFifty something here.
ReplyDeleteAs we're not going to see Starship in full I'd just like to share a comment I found on a website about the meaning of the song. You may think a song about a city by a band from San Francisco with references to the Golden Gate Bridge might be about San Francisco but who are we to argue with this deeper insight....
As for the deep meaning of the song - it's clearly about the second coming of Christ. The "city" is Christ's Shining City, sort of like Ronald Reagan's famoius "city on the hill" reference. Instead of a single "city," they are talking about America, God's country, which Christ will come to rule after His return, with all the attendant angelic "hoopla." The "wrecking ball" is God's Truth, which the band is spreading through their glorious music. It wrecks the evil of sins, like homosexuality ("playing the mamba" is a term for gay intercourse, and as for "Marconi," it's clearly a homosexual name).
I'm sure Guglielmo Marconi, father of five as well as the father of radio, would be surprised to learn he was homosexual.
Deletei don't get the marconi homosexual reference either, but there seems to be some confusion about whether he plays the mambo (which is a latin dance rhythm, and thus makes more sense) or a mamba (which is a snake, which doesn't make sense to me. and i can find no reference on the internet regarding "playing the mamba" being a euphemism for gay intercourse either). apparently reg's mate bernie taupin wrote the lyrics, but maybe even he wrote mamba when he meant mambo (which would be a common error for anyone not too well informed on latin music!)
DeleteI think the point is that ignorant Godbothering maniacs can twist anything to suit their small-minded agenda, including a song that is about actually building a city on actual rock 'n' roll to everyone else's ears.
DeleteThis edition was pretty good, very little fast-forwarded here, only the No.1 (not surprisingly) and Elton's drivel.
ReplyDeletea-ha - Glad that they got a chart topper with this, which I think is more interesting than 'Take On Me' although I actually prefer the pair of singles released later in 86.
Macca - Kept watching because the video was mildly entertaining, as the song remains badly dated garbage.
Level 42 - Quite possibly their best ever song, I love the piano refrain at the end (though I've never heard the live version) which was later nicked by Strike for their song 'I Have Peace' in the 90s.
Breakers - The Jennifer Rush song is OK, though not memorable enough. I quite like the Sting one, a University friend of mine loved it and played it quite a lot so maybe that's why.
Sophia George - A fun song, and you can flag me as another who always assumed it was 'a flashy curly wurly'. Not sure why she's dressed for the golf course though.
level 42 were recorded live by radio 1 several times in the 80's, and i always used to tape the shows whenever they were broadcast. i kept the best of it when i transferred my tape collection to digital, including "leaving me now" with its extended coda - which is why i appear so be so knowlegable about it!
Deletethey did release a double live album in 1985 called "a physical presence" that was excellent in parts, including a song called "follow me" that as far as i know was never recorded in the studio. however "leaving me now" wasn't on it, and as far as i know a live version of that has bever been released commercially
BBC4HD restoration (thanks as always to Neil B for the missing bit):
ReplyDeletehttps://we.tl/sTAG0qaD7i
Back after an unwanted gap due to life getting in the way, but here I am, you lucky people.
ReplyDeleteIt’s our favourite duo! I can’t believe no-one’s pointed out the unexpected cut to Janice pretending to throw up in response to Shaky just before they showed his video!
Dreadfully grubby mugshot for Princess there. She deserved better.
A superb start for A-HA’s telly song according to Janice. I don’t know about the TV, but the sun always shines on Middlesex at the mo –rain last seen here on May 21st. A-Ha go down the King route of a hired hand drummer.
A quick (Chevy) chase for the FF button for the next song. See what I did there?
It seems weird seeing Mark King sans bass and avec poncy camouflage jacket. He should have worn that tartan jester’s outfit. A very introspective song with deep lyrics but none the worse for that.
Trying to dance to that Bronski Beat song, complete with prototype Andy Bell, would have left me knackered after about 15 seconds, even in my youth.
It’s Jennifer Rush with what should have been a ring of vice. I wonder how many takes they did before she didn’t walk into one of those poles?
Followed by ring of arse, the multi-pretentious Sting – and the Russians loved the World Cup too.
Sophia George, rated higher than The Undertones on TOTP by Peelie? Blimey! She should have climbed to number FORE in that garb. Interesting artist, actually – Sophia was a teacher of deaf kids when she cut this 11-week Jamaican chart topper, she later married her manager and their son won the Superbowl as a New England Patriots player.
Following Janice's wretch over Shaky, surprised she didn’t do the same for the song which wrapped up the show. Wrap up, see what I…never mind.
Well hello 1986...let's see what you have in store for us.
ReplyDeleteI am just starting my second full term at senior school and annoyed that there is no new Doctor Who for me to watch this Winter..
LIVE! JOHN PEEL! JANICE! A-HA!
What a cracking start to the show with what might be the best song of 1986. I will state that up front and see if I change my mind.
Denim overload here, but a great performance and the audience having a great time as well.
A cheesy number from Macca. Fits the tone of the movie which seems quite a fun 80s romp. Great to see some effort with these movie videos now rather than just shoe-horning in clips. The song isn't really up to much unfortunately. However better movie themes are to come..
Wifey faves Level 42 up next. If you ever needed and example of how stylised fashions the 80s became this is a great example. All tailored within an inch of their lives and they all clash.
Not hugely familiar with this song but I quite like it. Very chilled out...
Bronski Beat Mk II next. Sound hasn't changed at all but the lead not as charismatic as Jimmy. Song gets quite annoying, quite quickly. Remember this annoying me at the time.
Breakers:
Jennifer "I had 2 songs" Rush - Nice Liverpool connection Peelie. Not much to say about the song though.. insipid
Sting - I like Sting and I had his Greatest Hits in the early 90s. This is a very good record. Should have been a much bigger hit IMO.
Sophia George - I had forgotten all about this until a couple of weeks ago. Must have done Blue Peter and all the Saturday morning shows. Song is a great bit of pop-reggae. Surprised this doesn't get more airplay now - probably seen as more of a novelty hit but it's much better than that.
Bye bye Video Show...I will miss you but in the 30 minute show you had to go...
Shakey - getting off to a shakey start. FF
Elton plays us out. A great show. So good to have Peelie back with Janice. This is the fun TOTP I know and love..