Danny Wilson Said
13/07/89 (Jakki Brambles & Bruno Brookes)
Danny Wilson – “The Second Summer Of Love” (27)
It's mainly videos tonight but at least Danny Wilson are in the studio to get us underway with what would be the band's final top 40 hit and it peaked at number 23.
Bette Midler – “Wind Beneath My Wings” (9) (video)
Despite the rather dull video this song became her first of two top ten hits when it peaked at number 5.
De La Soul – “Say No Go” (22) (video)
Went up four more places.
Michael Jackson – “Liberian Girl” (18) (video)
Now this video was a bit more interesting to say the least! This ninth single from his Bad album (which only had 11 tracks on it in total) peaked at number 13.
Waterfront – “Cry” (25)
Here are the only other act in the studio tonight to perform the duo's only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 17.
Gloria Estefan – “Don’t Wanna Lose You” (30) (video)
Peaked at number 6.
Norman Cook – “Blame It On The Bassline” (31) (video)
The proto-Fatboy Slim with his only top 40 hit under his own name and it peaked at number 29.
Kirsty MacColl – “Days” (28) (video)
The original had peaked at number 12 for the Kinks in 1968, and this colourful cover also peaked at number 12.
LA Mix – “Get Loose” (29) (video)
The duo's second and final top 40 hit and it peaked at number 25.
Simply Red – “A New Flame” (33) (video)
Peaked at number 17.
Soul II Soul – “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” (1) (video)
Fourth and final week at number one.
Bobby Brown – “On Our Own” (8) (video/credits)
From the movie Ghostbusters 2, and it peaked at number 4.
20th July is next.
Good Lord, you're right Angelo, the show was on the whole just videos, with only two songs in the TOTP studio. I reckon there was some competition between TOTP and The Chart Show on the other side which by this time was taking away viewing audience figures from TOTP, so perhaps TOTP were getting their own back, but who knows the real reason? Any experts, please let on.
ReplyDeleteIt also seemed to be a show that had to go further deep into the top 40 because of a lot of fallers or those played the week before in the higher reaches of the chart, so playing number 28, 29, 30, 31 as main features was something also really unusual.
The only video I could pick out for commenting on was Liberian Girl, with Jackson teasing the viewer of the video by featuring famous faces like John Travolta, Lou Ferigno (The Incredible Hulk) in normal human attire, Don King who was manging Mike Tyson in 1989, Whoopi Goldberg, Debbie Gibson, and one of the Ghostbusters crew. Eventually in a strange ending, Jackson appears as the video producer instead of being in the video. Weird or what?
An impressively confident and knowledgeable debut from the artist these days known as Jackie Brambles, who became in the process the last new TOTP presenter of the 1980s and also (I think) the last to make their debut before the infamous Year Zero revamp of 1991 swept away the Radio 1 DJs. So assured is she that I got the distinct impression she would much rather have presented the show on her own and not had Bruno hovering at her elbow, but he raises his own game for this one and does a respectable job.
ReplyDeleteA packed show, though sadly for the audience just two acts in the studio. Danny Wilson must have hoped this song would be their equivalent of Scott McKenzie's San Francisco, but it would not endure in the same way. It's nice to have an acoustic-based, folky track on the show in this era, and it's jaunty enough, but ultimately too repetitive. I assume Gary Clark was going bald, but he would have done better to wear a hat than a beret. Not sure why the two tambourine players/backing singers were wearing gloves, which would be more understandable if they were doing this performance now! Somewhat remarkably, given her career stretched back two decades by this point, the Divine Miss M had never had a UK hit single prior to this dreary tearjerker, which came to rival My Way as a favourite at funerals. As Angelo notes, the video doesn't exactly add any joie de vivre to the song.
The De La Soul single has a more colourful promo, but doesn't sound particularly different to their previous hit, Hall and Oates sample excepted. Jacko finally releases his last single from Bad, nearly two years after the first, but you can barely hear the rather bland song above the nattering in the video of all his showbiz mates, some of whom I didn't recognise at all. A somewhat nauseating ego trip, anyway. Back in the studio, Waterfront turn up with their wine bar pop-soul, which sounds a couple of years out of date by this point and is also deeply dull. The drummer's hairy look seems rather out of keeping with that of the pretty boy duo themselves.
Glo returns with one of her best ballads, but also with a bizarrely washed out and blurry monochrome video which is too abstract to suitably reflect the song. You can see why the future Fatboy soon decided that he was better off releasing singles under aliases than under his own name, as Norman is never going to sound rock 'n' roll. This sounds like an early attempt to create a distinctly British version of rap, though that doesn't mean it is much good. The video is quite entertaining, though with all due respect to Janice and Lofty from EastEnders, it somewhat lacks the star power of Jacko's effort! Kirsty is dressed like an adult Alice Liddell, drifting lazily downriver in an Oxford-style setting while poorly animated animals dart inexplicably across the screen. A gentle, wistful version of the Kinks classic, though I prefer the more dynamic original. I have already mentioned funeral songs, but last year the Kinks' version of this was played at the funeral of a close work colleague who died of cancer, so it has extra poignancy for me now.
Part 2, the first time I have needed one for a while: LA Mix serve up a forgettable noise, and promo, so on we go to Simply Red and an excellent song that probably ranks, with Holding Back the Years, as the best thing Hucknall has ever done. I like the tango tempo of the verses, and the key change is also very well executed. This should have been the lead single from the parent album, as I am sure it would have climbed much higher if it had been - the "new flame" herself is certainly very attractive, and far too good for Mick, if you ask me. The odious Bobby Brown once again has the playout track, a decent upbeat number for the Ghostbusters sequel, but one which does not have the memorable hook of Ray Parker Jr's song for the first film. The clip montage in the video means that Dan Aykroyd, rather improbably, makes two appearances in the same show. Ghostbusters II hadn't actually been released in Britain at this stage - I remember going to the cinema to see it in December that year.
DeleteAckroyd's appearance in the Michael Jackson video, followed by another appearance in the Bobby Brown video on the same TOTP show, was something of a rarity on the show, and this does not often happen, but it was cool, and made easier in a video-heavy show like this one.
DeleteNorman Cook's real name isn't Norman - it's Quentin!
DeleteHow bad (see what I did there?) were "Speed Demon" and "Just Good Friends" to become the only tracks not lifted off "Bad" to become singles?
I don't know about "Liberian Girl", but the only Liberian I can think of is talented footballer and now the country's president, George Weah.
Oops, I didn't realise that re Mr Cook! Presumably he adopted the "Norman" to fit in with the "ordinary" northern ethos of the Housemartins, but then decided it wasn't a name to get him too far as a solo act?
Deletein the early 90's i used to hang out in a trendy wine bar over the road from work on a fairly regular basis, and if i had been given a pound the number of times simply red's "a new flame" album was played in its entirety it would probably have halved my bill ha ha
Deletenot surprisingly it was well-suited for its surroundings, although on the whole i found it a bit dull. however there were two really excellent tracks that i was fortunate to hear as a result, that were never released as singles: "turn it up" and "enough", where hucknall collaborated with motown legend lamont dozier and the crusaders' keyboard whizz joe sample respectively. sadly though after that he deluded himself that he could write songs all on his own without the guidance of experienced musical practitioneers, although his audience didn't seem to care less as the next simply red album sold a hell of a lot more copies than this one!
ps john i think you're right about norman cook - as a southern softie up in tough tyke country, he might actually have changed his given forename simply to save himself from regular ridicule and intimidation and if not worse!
Believe me Arthur, the two Jacko tracks that didn't hit the 7" format were 'bad'. One was a flippin' duet with Stevie Wonder!
DeleteThe glove wearers in the Danny Wilson performance were replicating what they did in the video.
DeleteRe the Jacko tracks that weren't selected as singles, and I'm not sure why Jakki kept insisting there had been 7 when the total was 9 - I wonder which 2 she'd forgotten? - I actually rather like 'Speed Demon' though the Stevie duet is garbage.
Two More Shows Like This Which Are 7/9/89 and 16/11/89 (Debut Of 808 State).
ReplyDeleteWell this episode means something with Norman Cook now making dance house records, this was the first of many with him in the name then later Beats International and his alias Fatboy Slim, as he was previously drummer of The Housemartins despite the other 'Martins have had already been part of The Beautiful South.
ReplyDeleteMJ's 'Liberian Girl' promo video has a lot of celebrity A-listers and film stars and Bubbles making a cameo as we'd see the last of the King of Pop until the autumn of 1991 when 'Black or White' is the first in the Dangerous era despite Janet Jackson takes over in his absence in the charts with 'Miss You Much' which is coming up in the September '89 episodes, as Bobby Brown's 'On Our Own' is a great song and sadly it reached runner-up in the United States as he was held out of the top spot by Richard Marx's hit ballad 'Right Here Waiting' which was going to become a hit in Britain and reaching the runner-up position being held off by Black Box...
Also De La Soul's 'Say No Go' is a sample of the Hall & Oates' 'I Can't Go for That' and Kirsty MacColl covering The Kinks' 1968 classic 'Days' which was previously used a few times in EastEnders during 2016.
A star-studded show, but does it really count if the stars are all on video? Jakki shows up on Radio Scotland now, as a stand-in presenter. I was never that keen on her, she was a bit of a smartypants in a sneery way behind the mic, but I must admit she wasn't too bad here.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Danny Wilson apparently deciding that hiring dedicated tambourine players is a good use of their income. This is a nice little tune, much like their bigger hit, a lightweight but amusing trifle though they were never the most photogenic bunch.
Urgh, Bette Midler who went through her career as a notorious showbiz monster until she realised that being nice to people who liked her was a far more sensible way to go through life. This song is from Beaches as Jakki says, a total girls' film and at least suits this tune as a none more mawkish effort. I'd rather have heard Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.
De La Soul deliver their Just Say No anti-drugs message and manage to be cooler than Nancy Reagan and the Kids from Grange Hill combined - yes, that cool! A chunkier cut from the Three Feet High and Rising album, but it was all good from that platter.
Urgh part 2 with Whackson's irksomely smug and self-satisfied showbiz pals love-in, where all the misguided love is directed at the Smooth Criminal himself. Although Whoopi's suggestion to Carl Weathers that they should have teamed up on a sequel to Action Jackson is a good one, because there should have been a sequel to that movie, dammit! Weathers was great in it! Anyway, the song, not sure why he's so excited about a librarian girl anyway. The reason isn't conveyed here at all.
Waterfront with about as much flavour as your average glass of tap water, a bland as you like nothing of a tune though I guess they scrubbed up better than Danny Wilson so broke the Top 20. The girls scream, predictably.
Glo without ver Machine, and one of her slowies which did nothing for me but which she would increasingly pursue. Black and white video? But of course!
Norman Cook makes his first chart foray into his dance mixes, more of a move towards a hip-hop record but he'd ditch that in favour of picking two or three bits off a song and pressing repeat for three minutes. As with The Beautiful South, I preferred the Housemartins material. Oddly, I remembered that chap in the bottom right hand corner miming "Woo! Come on, now!"
Kirsty back with one of her biggest hits, though it is a cover. Kite was a fantastic album, but I did prefer her originals, Free World should have been a big hit. Anyway, a nice enough version of the Kinks' classic, with a silly, frilly video.
LA Mix with the epitome of bog standard house rap, barely remembered this while it was playing, never mind now two hours later. Don't think cycling shorts suited everyone, did they?
Simply Red with a stumbling hymn to new love, sounding like the band are tripping over their feet (or their instruments) throughout. For some reason Charlie Drake's new flame turns out to be Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoons.
Soul II Soul about to be deposed but hanging on, then Reasons Ghostbusters II is Not as Good as Ghostbusters Part 58: the theme song was not as catchy. I suppose these are supposed to be famous New Yorkers, but was anyone clamouring to see Sally Kirkland or D*n*ld Tr*mp in a pop video?!
Agreed, "Free World" was a belter and deserved way better than number 43, though I guess the lyric "You gotta get it up and shag it" may have hampered airplay somewhat.
DeleteChalk me up as another who loves that song, and 'Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim' which was also a non-hit from that album is another good'un, if less obvious as a single.
DeleteAfter such a promising start to their career with the magnificent 'Mary's Prayer', Dundee's Danny Wilson fell as meteorically as they had risen. 'The Second Summer of Love' is a blatant, diluted copy of Queen's hymn to time travel, '"39" - which in turn is derivative of Lindisfarne's 'Meet Me On The Corner', as covered in 2006 by The Modfather at a charity concert.
ReplyDeleteFrom my point of view, the highlights of this week's repeat were the late, great Kirsty's highly respectful cover of 'Days' - which I actually consider to be an improvement on the original - and Simply Red's 'A New Flame', which deserved to climb a few places higher than it did. Meanwhile, Norman Cook's years of glory were not too far away.
Well what a fabulous debut from Jakki Brambles. I really like her style, voice, knowledge and overall professional presentation style. None of that hysterical shrieking. The show is a series of highs and lows.
ReplyDeleteDanny Wilson – Second Summer of Love – After the ‘acid’ ban of 1988 I am surprised that they featured this. Sort of pub folk rock singalong Lindisfarne style song.
Breakers – Wind beneath my Wings – Bette Midler – Simply wonderful, although I am definitely underwhelmed by the video and the chopping out of the first part of the song. But this is right up there for me in the very best of 1989. For those who missed my ‘London’s Burning’ link to Steve Houghton’s excellent rendition in an ‘in plot’ talent show, here it is again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdK9Nsvvqyk
De la Soul – Say no go – Truly awful in comparison to Bette.
Michael Jackson – Liberian Girl – What on earth possessed people to keep buying this stuff? Surely this was hyped into the charts?
Waterfront – Cry – Just an average song.
Gloria Estefan – Don’t wanna lose you – Like Bette, they chopped the first part of, for me, Gloria’s finest single. One of those songs where the vocals come in immediately with no intro and builds to a nice climax with the drums coming in at 0:50. Powerful. Video? Yeah, not the best, but any video with Gloria in it is fine by me.
Norman Cook – Blame it on the bassline – OK, that’s whose fault it is. Don’t do it again bassline.
Kirsty MacColl – Days – I was about to say Ray Davies when Jakki informs everyone. This is a great song and the video is very sweet too.
LA Mix – Get loose – next…
Simply Red – A nooo flame – Actually, one of their best despite the hilarious
pronunciation of ‘new’ by Mr ‘look at me’.
Soul II Soul – Back to life – Still at no1? 4 weeks… just baffling.
Bobby Brown – On our own – Also baffling is the appeal of Mr Brown. Handily placed at the end so I quickly skipped it.
I missed some shows for a few weeks and hence was unable to enthuse about one of my other 1989 favourites that is now heading down the charts. U2 and ‘All I need is you’. Their best ever song in my view, and an excellent CD single as well, featuring ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘Everlasting Love’ (the song that topped the charts for The Love Affair and was revived by Cast of Casualty….ah, another in plot song like London’s Burning!)
My favourite U2 song has always been The Unforgettable Fire, but All I Want Is You is definitely right up there with their very best offerings, and definitely my second favourite of theirs.
Deletei have a musician friend who trod his local cabaret circuit with a female singer for several years before she retired to start a family. then a few years after that she started doing it with him again - but on the condition that certain songs she was sick-to-death of singing be exorcised from the repertoire. so perhaps not surprisingly, one of those was "wind beneath my wings"!
DeleteWind Beneath My Wings, however liked or disliked, the fact of the matter is that it went to No.1 a month earlier in the US on the Billboard Hot 100. I also personally didn't like it, as it was too crybaby and drawn out for my liking, but it seems that the record-buying public considered it as must-listen stuff.
DeleteJakki Brambles, the best of the recent influx of female hosts in the re-run – assured, informative and with a boomy voice rather than a shouty one. Trev’s just annoying as always.
ReplyDeleteA raw deal for the audience, with just two acts in the 20’s to swoon over. Must be the summer hols.
Hmmm, it’s Danny Spencer to start. “Love all over me”? Sounds messy. The gloved tambourine players are the other two in the official trio, with tambourine bloke surely needing to bend to get under an average doorframe. The crowd peaking too early at the end there. Tsk.
A lot of action, Trev, but most of it on video as we soon find out.
Bette Midler with “The Wind Beneath My Trousers”. I hate this song. Best bit was the BBC-added winged bird graphic leading into the start.
Jakki nearly nutting Trev in the intro to De La Soul. Good girl! Try harder! Really good medium pace rap by the lads, but I could have done without the on-screen lyrics.
Mugshots: Is Sylvia Tella smaller than Sonia? Judging by that number 40 photo she could be in The Krankies.
Wacko at ‘number 18 this work’ according to Trev. There’s some fourth rate album track going on behind that ostentatious row. “Okay, everybody, that was crap”.
Next it’s Waterfront. “Cry”? More like Shrug if you ask me. Tofu has more texture and flavour than this forgettable drivel.
Gloria Estefern, according to Trev on Turnoff form tonight. The return of Those Eyebrows with a nice mellow ballad and an arty farty monochrome vid.
Poor old MC Wildski hasn’t had a mention yet in any of the mugshots, intro or outro to this minor hit. This was shite, mind. Blame it on the FF in my case.
A nice cover by Kirsty with a video part ”Downton Abbarey” and part “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”.
The late Les Adams returns. Replace LA with FF for me.
You’ve got the best view up there, Trev? Of a video? Charlie Drake singing the word ‘new’ in a style never heard in a Manchester suburb before or since. I loved the earlier Olive Oyl jibe about the flame – spot on. More like a matchstick!
Back to life, back to reality soon, Jazzie. Enjoy that last week at the summit.
Oh dear, it’s Bobby Dogshit Brown again with more midpace mush for the outro. Couldn’t you just repeat Danny Wilson for us?
I'm roaring at the 'part Downton Abbarey and part bedknobs and Broomsticks' analogy Arthur! Hilarious and spot on!!
DeleteA hot hot day brings us a rather hot Jakki Brambles & Mr Charts himself Bruno Brookes presenting Top Of The Clips... whatever happened to the live acts this week? Was no-one available.
ReplyDeleteKicking off with The Levellers (sorry, a couple of years too soon). It's Danny Wilson. “The Second Summer Of Love” bounces along doesn't it. Perfectly harmless pop tune and very summery.
Bette Midler video number 1. “Wind Beneath My Wings” became her signature song and it kinda grows on me as I listen to it. Bloody awful video though.
Video 2 - De La Soul with the rather funky “Say No Go” Enjoyed that.
Video number 3 is the 77th single from BAD! Been so many videos MJ has decided to phone some friends. “Liberian Girl” is the soppy ballad from the album that everyone forgets. Good reason too. It's a bit naff. Can anyone name all of them?
A live act! Hooray! An what a corker from Waterfront. “Cry” may be their only hit but it's a great one.
Video 4 is Gloria and her missing Sound Machine with “Don’t Wanna Lose You”. Big fan of this and the Cuts Both Ways album. Beautiful stuff.
Video 5 is Norman Cook featuring Janice Long and Lofty from EastEnders. “Blame It On The Bassline” easily the worst thing he will ever do. A sample of course from Blame It On The Boogie which will get a bit more of an airing courtesy of Big Fun very soon...you have been warned!
Video 6 is the best of the night. The wonderful Kirsty MacColl with a lovely cover of “Days” that stomps on the original.
Video 7 is LA Mix – Utter crap. Nicest thing I can say about it.
Video 8 (glad u had a good view Bruno) from Simply Red. Funky little tune this. “A New Flame”? Does that refer to his hair?
Video 9. Soul II Soul with their final week at Number One. “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” (1) easily one of the highlights of the year.
Video 10 - TEN!!! is the theme from Ghostbusters II. Terrible video but I do rather like this Bobby Brown number. Was a bit miffed when it faded out as I was quite enjoying it.
Wow - that was exhausting...
Top of The Clips! Brilliant!
DeleteMC Wildski looked a bit like Nick Frost to me.
ReplyDeleteArsenal's classy midfielder Paul Davis was also in the Fatboy video. Not a lookalike...it was really him.
As the show was mostly videos, we get lots of tracks. but not a lot to comment, very dull
ReplyDeleteDanny Wilson - mentioned before, pleasant tune
Liberian Girl - blatant person placement to cover a boring tune....
Waterfront - reject George Michael...
Gloria Estefan - losing the will to live here. This manages to be the dullest track so far, in a crowd of dull songs
Kirsty McColl - stand out track tonight, but a cover. Like the video.
LA Mix - back to the identi-rap
Simply Red - not a fan, and this didn’t change my mind
Strange that TOTP decided to do a tribute to The Chart Show - although they at least showed most of the videos they played. Crazy idea - they could've chopped one video out of this show and played more of the rest!
ReplyDeleteDanny Wilson - A nice little pop song, the video was one of those where they recorded everything backwards, so it must have taken ages to film.
Bette Midler - HOUSEWIFE SONG! I can't tell you how much I hate this.
De La Soul - This is much better, as ever there are plenty of samples here (not just Hall & Oates) to spot.
Michael Jackson - Not the most interesting song in the world, it's probably more entertaining to play spot the celeb given that I don't recognise some of them.
Waterfront - His singing style and voice are incredibly similar to George Michael's, and you can see why they did much better in the US as this song has the kind of sound that always does well in that market.
Gloria Estefan - Dull, though not as excruciating as Bette Midler's dirge.
Norman Cook - I love this, in fact I used to know MC Wildski's rap off by heart! It was a double A side though thankfully Billy Bragg singing 'Won't Talk About It' didn't get aired very often. That would be a hit the following year as a Beats International release with someone who could actually sing (Lindy Layton)
Oh, and I also like MC Wildski's solo effort that just missed the Top 40 called 'Warrior' which sampled Tears For Fears' 'Shout'
Kirsty MacColl - It's alright, but as others have said, it's a real shame that she never seemed to get big hits with her own material.
LA Mix - Not very good, and I usually enjoy this kind of stuff. A few years ago Jazzi P turned up on Big Brother - the standard version, not the celebrity one, even Channel 5 wouldn't go that far down the Z list.
Simply Red - One of the best songs they ever did, certainly one of the few I can listen to now.
Bobby Brown - Average fare.
I quite liked the 'spot the celebrity' time in the Michael Jackson video, I mean it must have been the only time on video that Lou Ferrigno, the original Incredible Hulk from the late 70s TV Series with Bill Bixby as his alter ego David Bruce Banner, appeared without his green skin colour for the TV series. Now that is a rare find, so thanks to Michael Jackson for getting him on to the video for Liberian Girl!
DeleteLou isn't green in plenty of things, I suggest documentary Pumping Iron, where Arnold Schwarzenegger is a dick to him, and Hercules, one of the funniest bad movies of the 80s.
DeleteI clearly need to watch more television
Delete