Bottom of the Pops
02/03/89 (Gary Davies & Anthea Turner)
Living In A Box – “Blow The House Down” (17)
Getting us underway with a catchy number that I feel would have quite suited Jason Donovan, and it went up seven more places to peak at number 10.
Sam Brown – “Stop” (4) (rpt from 16/02/89)
At its peak.
Jason Donovan – “Too Many Broken Hearts” (9) (video)
Will be number one next week.
Tyree featuring Kool Rock Steady – “Turn Up The Bass” (16)
Live in the studio - couldn't tell if the mic was live or not? And it went up four more places.
Depeche Mode – “Everything Counts” (live) (23) (breaker)
Went up one more place.
Deacon Blue – “Wages Day” (26) (breaker)
Peaked at number 18.
Donna Summer – “This Time I Know It’s For Real” (30) (breaker)
Became her first top ten hit for ten years when it peaked at number 3.
WASP – “Mean Man” (28) (breaker)
Peaked at number 21.
Gloria Estefan – “Can’t Stay Away From You” (10) (rpt from 16/02/89)
Went up three more places.
Texas – “I Don’t Want A Lover” (8)
Back in the studio with a terrific live vocal but the song was at its peak.
Simple Minds – “Belfast Child” (1) (video)
Second and final week at number one.
Poison – “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (14) (video/credits)
Went up one more place.
March 9th is next.
Gazza has the misfortune to be lumbered with the Shouty One for the second show in a row - did nobody else want to present with her, I wonder? She perhaps wasn't quite as annoying this time, but I could sense Gazza's patience reaching its limit when she talked over him in one link, and she also messed up the title of Jason Donovan's soon-to-be number 1.
ReplyDeleteIt looks as if Living in a Box may have gone shopping for their jackets at the same emporium as Bruno Brookes. It's unusual to hear a song of theirs that isn't called Living in a Box, but this is good energetic pop-rock with an anthemic feel to it. After Gazza pretends that Sam Brown is really in the studio (I do wish they wouldn't try to insult our intelligence like that), Jason comes to us on video. He is chopping wood in a manly way, pretending he can play totally inaudible guitar while strolling through the back of beyond and looking admiringly at a Kylie lookalike on horseback. There's a song playing here too, but this feels like one of SAW's more generic and simplistic efforts, and while the chorus is reasonably catchy it leaves me cold overall.
The Tyree record sounds to me like a zillion other rap/dance creations, and is very much in one ear and out the other as a result. Nice they turned up to the studio, I suppose, but they didn't put on much of a visual spectacle. Depeche Mode are the only breaker we won't see more of, though of course we have already heard the original recording of this fine song back on the 1983 shows. As live versions go, this sounds pretty good.
Texas really are back in the studio but give us an identikit second performance of their first hit, and we once again get the same bit of the Belfast Child promo, with a little bit extra added on to the start. The song actually lifts a bit of the melody of the old folk tune She Moves Through the Fair, the definitive version of which was recorded by Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention for the classic album What We Did On Our Holidays in 1969.
All About Eve did a version of She Moved Through the Fair about the same time as Belfast Child, not sure why there was a revival of the tune, though.
DeleteGreat hosts! They work well together I thought and not too much shouting. We didn’t get Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine however…
ReplyDeleteLiving in a Box – Blow the House down – No longer in that cardboard box, this isn’t bad actually. Felt I was going to FF but quite enjoyed it.
Sam Brown – Stop- Just too shrill for my taste. Prefer the Spice Girls song of the same name.
Jason Donavan – Too many Broken Hearts – The archetypal SAW song this. Lots of wandering about with his guitar on high peaks with stunning views you can almost lose yourself in the scenery and forget this rode off the production line. He doesn’t even get the girl who was also, um, riding. Ah well, not the worst chart topper of 1989.
Tyree etc – Turn up the bass – Turn down everything more like.
Breakers – Depeche Mode – I don’t see the Basildon boys as stadium rockers; their sound is just too weedy. Deacon Blue – stunning make up on the girl singer. Donna Summer – more SAW and it shows! Not bad however. WASP – someone has been listening to too much Iron Maiden.
Gloria Estefan – Can’t stay away from you – Singing live….but not at the same time however. I do miss that second verse.
Texas – I don’t want a Lover – I agree with Gary, this is fabulous and has aged really well.
Simple Minds – Belfast Child – Again, we’re denied the first part of this song, but no denying the quality nor the fabulous video. Never a SM fan me, but this one really hit the mark.
Poison – Every Rose has its thorn – Surprised they played out with this and not Dusty.
…..was Jacko really no2 with that?
i think it was the release of this depeche mode single that prompted john walters (previously producer of the john peel show, but doing his own radio 1 spot by now) to query their latest presence in the charts by uttering the now-immortal comment "i thought they were past their sell-by date?"
DeleteAnthea really taking up Bates' mantle as the mangler of song titles, now. And what did she mean in the Breakers where she said she didn't get a wages day? Was she doing this for free?!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, on with the music, and Living in a Box with a forgotten hit inspired by the wolf from the Three Little Pigs fairy tale, oddly. Anyone remember Green Jelly doing the same? Thought not. They certainly make quite a bit of noise, but the cod American accent on the singing gets grating pretty quickly.
Sam Brown, still looking like a ghost, except this is a performance we've seen on a previous show - did you think we wouldn't notice, Gaz? Because I bet everyone did.
Jason Donovan about to take his position at the top, and rightly so as this is one of the SAW numbers that's a truly great slice of plastic pop, helped by a great, soaring chorus that manages to stay within his limited range: very smartly written.
Tyree featuring... KRS-One?! No, it's a different KRS, with a basic put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care bit of dance rap. I like he has his name on the back of his jacket - customised, perhaps?
Breakers, just mention Depeche Mode, a pointless rerelease when it just sounded like the record only with cheering etc. But I suppose it was doubling as an advertisement for their burgeoning stadium shows as they became massive in the US and other places.
Repeat show from Glo, still wondering why she showed up for half the song which is presumably why they showed it twice.
Texas also back, but not on tape, that's a lot of product in Sharleen's hair, reminds me of the 90 degree angle set in The Goes Wrong Show last week, the way it sticks out to one side. I'll say this for it, that's a sprightly keyboard solo.
Staying Scottish with ver Minds, and now this will never be played on TV ever again.
Poison with their terrible lyrics and actual scissor kicks and posturing to show they're hard rockin' dudes really. Mercifully cut short.
The Tyree Featuring Kool Rock Steady number was much more fun with the video than this studio performance. We got a clip of the video on the Breakers I think in the show preceding this one, and just had to watch the video in fuller form:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG2HpZGgzmI
The 1980s decade of fun music videos was not over quite yet....just love this one, and one of the videos of the year so far. Brilliant stuff.
Except as I've already noted, Tyree's video was the same as Steve Silk Hurley's only with a different soundtrack, so you've seen it before, last year.
DeleteBlimey, I do my critique two days after transmission and still make number 7 date/timewise in the comments. To almost quote a Joe Jackson hit, something’s going wrong around here.
ReplyDeleteTurnoff’s back. Poor Gaz. Poor us. Anyone got Susie Mathis’s number?
Oh so 80’s livery and production for a forgettable effort there by the Box boys. Not boxing too clever.
Taking the piss re ’they’re in the studio’ number 1 re Sam Brown. Still love that “am I really on the show?” smile in the chorus. Some lovely half-rasps in the vocals too.
In the mugshots, the Womacks are happy so I guess Linda’s finally paid that parking ticket.
“Too Many Lonely Hearts”, Anthea? FFS. Neat video and decent vocals by Kylie’s then squeeze, I have to admit.
A pointless live release of a Depeche Mode classic, though “Enjoy The Silence” just smashes everything else they recorded.
“Wage Day”, ay, Anthea? Can you actually pronounce your own name properly? As for the song and video, meh.
An okayish Donna Summer song accompanied by a fit-inducing video.
Crap metal number number 1 by a band whose full name is We Are Sexual Perverts. Nice. Bring them home to your parents.
Oh Christ, not that “woo-hi” sample used yet again in Tyree’s effort. Never mind ‘Zulu’ on his top, I’d have preferred Lulu.
Taking the piss re ’they’re in the studio’ number 2 re Gloria Estefan and her remarkable eyebrows.
First two TOTPs, live vocals on each by Sharleen. That gal’s got chutzpah.
Quick FF over the horrible chart topper, to Gaz saying next week’s show will be great. I’ll be the judge of that, Davies.
We finish with crap metal number number 2 with Poison To My Eardrums.
Our comments may have dwindled since our heyday, but the Friday 9pm repeats of TOTP are now the most popular music shows on British TV. Not that there's a whole lotta competition...
DeleteHaving both episodes playing on the same night probably doesn't help with the number of comments but neither did the content on this edition - with a few exceptions it wasn't the best.
DeleteOooh Gary and Anthea Turnoff tonight and she hasn't got any less shouty yet has she..
ReplyDeleteKicking off with a belter from Living In A Box. Nice 3 minute edit of “Blow The House Down”, much better than just cutting away halfway through as they normally do. Gatecrashing the follow up didn't make the Top 40 I recall but I bought it (and this one as well).
Sorry Gary but no matter how hard you look Sam Brown is not over there...it's a repeat.
Jason Donovan on video next with his signature tune. “Too Many Broken Hearts” is actually a good little pop song, don't mind it all. Cheesy "pretty boy in stunning landscape" video although how long is that electric guitar lead???
Woo..Yeah..it's Tyree featuring Kool Rock Steady. “Turn Up The Bass” must have sounded awesome in the clubs so I can see why it did well. As for the performance I got distracted by the woman in the red blouse on the stairs jumping up and down...
Breakers:
Depeche Mode – I think this live version of “Everything Counts” was my introduction to The Mode. Always liked this and I think the live version is better than the original (which I didn't hear until years later)
Deacon Blue – Fabulous stuff from The Blue. “Wages Day” another top tune. Big fan of this lot.
Donna Summer is back thanks to SAW and “This Time I Know It’s For Real” is one of their better numbers. I know the album she recorded with them has quite a few fans but I think it was all downhill after this fantastic number.
WASP – Utter shite...
No Anthea, Gloria can stay away from you as she was here a couple of weeks ago with her criminally cut-short live vocal.
Song of the night (well 2/3 of it) from Texas with another live performance of “I Don’t Want A Lover”. Pure quality.
Simple Minds still at the top. I gave in this week (on a long bus journey) and gave the full 6+ minute version of “Belfast Child” a listen.
Admirable sentiment and I can see what they were trying to do but the whole thing is just so pretentious and dull....never again I'm afraid.
A bit of the Poison video to playout this week. Unlike others here I don't mind “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” but the video is terrible.
Comic Relief next week...oh joy of joys...
Living In A Box - The edits to this song are absolutely atrocious, with bits chopped out of verses, choruses AND the instrumental break. A real shame as it's a good pop song.
ReplyDeleteJason Donovan - Deservedly a big seller as it's one of SAW's best tunes.
Tyree - "Awesome super-dooper trooper" indeed. I love this one, the 12" mix is over 10 minutes of entertainment.
Breakers - The Depeche Mode song helped to relaunch the career, and after some distinctly average singles in the mid to late 80s a returnt o form was just around the corner.
All the rest we've seen before I think? And in the case of Poison, I never wanted to see again.
A lot of repeats...
ReplyDeleteLiving in a box - didn’t realise they had a second single, but on hearing it I did recognise it...
Breakers - ok, ok, very good, bog standard hard rock to finish
Scratch scratch turn off the bass FF