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16/11/89 (Simon Mayo)
808 State – “Pacific” (20)
Getting the show underway tonight with what became their first of four top ten hits when it peaked at number 10.
UB40 – “Homely Girl” (24) (video)
Became their twelth of seventeen top ten hits when it peaked at number 6.
Jimmy Somerville & June Miles-Kingston – “Comment Te Dire Adieu” (33)
In the studio with his former Communards drummer June to perform this Serge Gainsbourg song which became Jimmy's first of seven solo top 40 hits when it peaked at number 14.
Kaoma – “Lambada” (27) (video)
This naughty little number went all the way to number 4.
D Mob introducing Cathy Dennis – “C’mon & Get My Love” (15) (rpt from 19/10/89)
A repeat showing but the song got no higher.
Iron Maiden – “Infinite Dreams” (live) (12) (video)
Became their fifth of seventeen top ten hits when it peaked at number 6.
Prince & Sheena Easton – “The Arms Of Orion” (35) (breaker)
Became Sheena's final top 40 hit when it peaked at number 27.
Fine Young Cannibals – “I’m Not The Man I Used To Be” (34) (breaker)
Peaked at number 20.
Phil Collins – “Another Day In Paradise” (2) (video)
At its peak.
Lisa Stansfield – “All Around The World” (1) (rpt from 09/11/89)
Second and final week at number one.
Inner City – “Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin’” (28) (video/credits)
Peaked at number 12.
November 23rd is next.
Good Lord, you mean Jimi Somerville has another 6 solo singles after this poor opening single in his solo career? I don't think I can bear any more after this awful one.
ReplyDeleteKaoma's Lambada got a two minute play, not bad considering the one-and-a-half minute video plays earlier in the year. It seems we have turned that awful corner now, and getting two minutes again. Love the sexy skirts in that Lambada video, and also Cathy Dennis's one in the studio, straight after the Lambada.
Poor old Phil Collins had to settle for a peak of No.2 this week, but a month later he would go on to top the American charts with it for a whole four weeks over Christmas, from mid-December until mid-January, and so two fingers up to the British charts for preferring Lisa Stansfield and New Kids On The Block ahead of Collins for the UK No.1. The Americans showed how the Collins single was ha ha!
That's an impressive opening salvo there Angelo - sadly, my French is only good enough to make out about half the sentence! Anyway, young Mayo guides us capably through this rather "meh" edition, beginning with the debut appearance of 808 State, who have really dressed up for the occasion. I quite like the mix of trancey melody and up-tempo dance in this track, but it's what I have discovered from Wikipedia is the sax part that makes it stand out, not that it particularly sounds like a sax, or looks like one in this performance - presumably some kind of variation on the standard instrument? Gary Davies made this a hit, playing it on his show after hearing it in (where else) Ibiza; I like the ironic touch of having "707" in the title too.
ReplyDeleteThe original Chi-Lites version of Homely Girl is a lovely record, but trust UB40 to turn it in to thin-as-gruel reggae-lite, draining all life and emotion from the song. The video feels a bit naff too, with all those lovely ladies in their Christmas cracker disguises. Next, June Miles-Kingston steps out from behind the drumkit to accompany wee Jimmy on this entertaining excursion into French pop, which I remember being very popular on the radio at the time. They look to be enjoying this performance, but could perhaps have done more with the Gallic theme than just sticking a beret on the trumpeter's head.
It seems a bit perverse that a tune as summery as Lambada didn't hit the charts until November, though I suppose it at least allowed people to keep that summer feeling going a bit as the nights drew in. Although this got played to death back then, I have always quite enjoyed it, and the accompanying video is predictably sun-kissed and escapist in tone. Iron Maiden are also on video, with a predictably forgettable racket overshadowed by the Tolkienesque stage set and the bass player disconcertingly miming along to the lyrics.
Phil Collins serves up a predictably depressing promo to accompany his homelessness lecture, and we even get some big meaningful words coming up on screen to make us feel all the more guilty. A second and final week at the top for Gracie, and then Inner City close proceedings with a song that is more sophisticated than it is memorable. The video becomes unexpectedly steamy at the point it fades out...
The Lambada was probably what started the salsa and related dance crazes in Britain which sprung up shortly after, especially in London, and thrived for a further 30 years until coronavirus and social distancing would have stopped this craze in its tracks, and no-one knows how long this pause will continue, as I would think that the salsa dance clubs will have to wait much longer than pubs and restaurants to open up again.
DeleteLast watched this on a DVD-R way back in 2010 and UK Gold repeated this in the mid 90s between 1994/95, with highlights include:
ReplyDelete808 State - Athematic start to the show, a great dance instrumental of 'Pacific-807' or 'Pacific State' as its known and the DJ/dance producer 808 kicked us off to end the 80s and we may see him more in 1990 repeats later this year with 'The Only Rhyme That Bites' (with MC Tunes) and notably 'Cubik'.
UB40 - The reggae band cover the classic 1974 Chi-Lites cover from the first of their 'Labour of Love II' album tracks, the video is 6/10 and superb from Ali Campbell, as its the first time they're back in the charts since 'Breakfast in Bed' with Chrissie Hynde.
Jimmy Somerville - As the ex Bronski Beat and Communards frontman takes his step on a solo career movement starting off with half English and half French language song to a re-make of a old 50s song as its been updated for hi-NRG dance style and this was June Miles-Kingston's only U.K. hit as a featured artist.
Kaoma - The dance craze that was everywhere all over Europe and even you hear it at foreign holiday places such as Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Cyprus during the summer and in the Caribbean, now the song was already a hit in the U.K. and as its the style of the "latin dance" craze with flamencos shaking about, the song was later sampled for Jennifer Lopez's 'On the Floor' in 2011 (both solo and the Armando "Pitbull" Perez collab version)
D Mob / Cathy Dennis - Same repeat performance from four weeks previous now climbing up place to its highest charting position, as Cathy's famous 'red' hair style would remain for her 'Touch Me' era in 1991.
Iron Maiden - Yet again the band didn't turn up to the studio, a live concert performance video was shown instead, as Bruce Dickinson was already on the verge of recording solo material at around this time.
Breakers - Prince and Sheena Easton's last hit of the 80s, with a montage of previous Prince videos as his production team couldn't be bothered to make a music video, at least it's a nice cliché ballad for them from the Batman soundtrack, also FYC's final hit of the 80s had Roland Gift and his band in a monochrome video where he's standing over a wall, as it was also the fourth single to be taken from the Raw & the Cooked album.
Phil Collins - The ex Genesis singer has a sepia video of his own with a montage of homeless people who are begging on the street, the song would be later covered for female vocalist Jam Tronik when it reaches for BBC Four this coming September.
Lisa Stansfield - Her second week at number one, same repeat performance as the week before, the Rochdale singer was now concentrating on recording her next video 'Live Together' which will be on the upcoming 1990 repeats of TOTP over on BBC Four this coming August.
Inner City - The dance production act play us out with a monochrome video to one of their last hits of the 80s for them and yet know they'll continue into the 90s with fewer hit singles including a 'Good Life (Buena Vida)' remake at the end of the decade, which we'll be seeing in over five years time.
Yes, that seems a long time for UB40 to have been out of the charts until now. Didn't know it was two years since 'Breakfast In Bed'. Perhaps it was because of doing a world tour with all their songs up to 1987 as late as 1989 without a new album.
DeleteI think the style of Iron Maiden's music would have been too strong for a family show like TOTP, so it is probably the last group that anyone would have expected to see in the TOTP studio. With song titles like Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter, is anyone at all surprised they never appeared in the TOTP studio?
i'm fairly sure "comment te dire adieu" was originally written and recorded by francois hardy in the mid-60's. but in any event i'll stick with that version rather than jimmy and june's
DeleteBang on, Wilby. Francoise Hardy first recorded the song in 1968.
Delete808 State, or Bob State as certain clueless DJs called them, start us off with one of their best tunes, and a justified hit, the pleasant clarinet (or whatever that is) melody contrasting with the state of the art (for 1989) backing. They might at least have given them a dancer, though.
ReplyDeleteUB40 well into their karaoke phase with a pretty horrible cover of a chicken in a basket soul favourite, not a marriage made in hell, but nothing to be very pleased about. What on earth was on the first girl's nose?!
Jimmy and June, the latter fresh from publishing another Franglais book (or something), with a jolly little French fancy, Jimmy was another one overfond of the cover version, but this bounces along amusingly. He does look as if he's just got out of bed and paused only to put his trainers on, mind you.
Kaoma's dance craze that everyone was too embarrassed to do makes it to the UK, well known for its steamy sexuality, so of course in the video they focus on a couple of little kids at it. What the Hell were they thinking?! I know it's a different culture, but this seems a bit off. Anyway, the tune is catchy enough, but they were no Las Ketchup.
D Mob and Cathy back on repeat, then Iron Maiden have a great idea: how about a concert video?! Brilliant! Difficult to discern much difference from their other concert videos for the non-aficionado, so I'll leave it there.
Coupla Breakers we'll see next episode before Phil's back with his hypocritical shitefest, I bet those homeless folks in the video were delighted they were being used by a millionaire to boost his album sales.
Lisa's a repeat too, then to end on Inner City with a pretty ditty, a bit downbeat but I remember not minding this from the time, they were good to hear on the radio (and still are). Appears to turn into a porn video just as it's cut off.
The Kaoma video only recently came up on iTunes for purchase, so it's a relatively new addition to my music video library. The little girl in the video was probably about 12 years old, so I figure they thought she was old enough to dance Lambada without being told off.
DeleteTOTP didn't show the second half of the video where the man with the cigarette and the stubble with no dance partner of his own slapped the little girl out of jealousy, and then when he was about to confront her a second time, the mature middle-aged singer with the short hair had to calm him down and dance with him. The whole video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyLdoQGBchQ
I don't know, I don't find that very reassuring!
DeleteThey probably grow up more quickly in Brazil
Deletejust to add insult to injury regarding "another day in paradise", there is no mention on wiki of collins donating the money he made off the back of the homelessness towards helping them out. let them eat cake, phil!
Delete808 state - an ok track from the stable of the then-current dance trance tracks, but I wouldn’t buy it - then or noe
ReplyDeleteUB40 - and yet another unnecessary murderous cover version, this time replacing the original tune with a pathetic umchugger reggae beat
Jimmy somerville - .. and finally a cover that respects the original and is very very pleasant indeed. Wouldn’t sound out of place as a soundtrack In Killing Eve
Kaoma - Crikey we are getting an education in languages around the world tonight. very upbeat tune (I could almost hear Carlos Santana playing this...)
Iron Maiden - doing what they do. Slightly slower than usual, but otherwise business as usual....
Breakers;
Prince - a little below par for Prince
FYC - again, slower than their usual fare. Didn’t seet me alight
Inner City - we go out as we came in, with an ok dance trance track...
Monsieur Angelo, you’re spoiling us!
ReplyDeleteRev Mayo on top form as usual for most of the show, apart from one glitch I noticed.
Nice serene rave from 808 State, keeping the theme of acts and song titles including a number divisible by 101 following last week’s opener. Drummer on one, Widow Twankey on one set of keyboards, and unusual electronic woodwind replicating the saxophone on the recording. Good instrument fact in the outro by Simon without mentioning the make of electronic drumkit (Roland).
Absolute shite number one next, as UB40 suck the lifeblood entirely out of the Chi-Lites hit. FF.
Here comes Mayo’s muck-up, in the early mugshots: it isn’t “And Why Not?” by Restless Days, mate.
I wonder if Simon intentionally forgot to namecheck the banned “Je T’Aime (Moi Non Plus)” in the list of French hits? The first singing drummer of the night, along with Jimi dressed as Paul Scholes in training. The duettists look far too happy for a song whose title translates as ”How To Say Goodbye”.
Blimey! Pre-watershed buttocks next, complete with someone who looks like a jealous child botherer at the bar.
Simon mentions FM coming to East Anglia and misses the opportunity of linking that with an intro to Cathy Dennis from Norwich next.
Oo! Iron Maiden with a ballad in comparison to their usual stuff. Pretty sure they have been in the studio, for debut hit “Running Free” when the troublesome Paul Di’Anno was their singer.
Prince and Sheena with a transatlantic ballad and a video phoned in, if you get what I mean.
FYC sombre and mellow in monochrome. Good but not an obvious chart smash.
Absolute shite number two, and singing drummer number two, and FF number two, next.
Top 10 teaser: who else noticed Mixmaster right next to The Mastermixers?
Inner City covering an old Stephanie Mills track. Paris looks very photogenic there. More balls than usual on that snooker table at the end.
I also didn't find the Phil Collins single appealing, never mind at No.2, but you'll tear your hair out to find out it was No.1 for four weeks in America a few weeks later, taking the Christmas No.1 spot for 1989 out there for good measure, while our Christmas No.1 was even worse with Band Aid 2.
DeleteInner City on the playout seemed to have moved from a dance sound to a soul sound after only one year o so since their chart debut at the end of 1988, and I certainly don't recall this one at all, never mind the sexy snooker table in the video.
This edition was actually better than I thought from Mr Mayo…
ReplyDelete808 State - Pacific – Not to be confused with Atlantic Starr or Arctic Monkeys, this was really quite enjoyable. Passed me by at the time. If Gary made this famous then he showed good taste. Saw Gary on ‘Pointless Celebrities’ recently…
UB40 – Homely Girl – I really liked the Chi Lites original no5 hit and this was a surprisingly good cover given past abominations such as ‘I got you Babe’. Worth watching the full video through right from the start…
Jimmy and June – Comment to dire adieu – Usually the mere sound of Jimmy Sommerville is enough to see me scurrying for the FF button, but surprise, I quite like this French duet.
Kaoma – Lambada – Nice tune and video but why it caught on still eludes me, unless it was one of those people heard in those ‘British Pubs’ in Majorca and Ibiza and then returned home asking for it in Record Shops (yes they did exist!) and it then was released ‘by popular demand’. Anyway it certainly was popular, there’s no denying that.
DMob and Cathy Dennis – C’mon and get my love – Can’t get excited by this at all.
Iron Maiden – Infinite Dreams – Straight in at no12! It must be a good tune I thought to myself. A few moments later it’s simply another ‘performance’ video with screaming indecipherable vocals and lyrics from Bruce Dickinson and lots of twiddly guitar from Steve Harris. Surprised it went up to no6 as it appears to be one strictly for the fans. Came with a limited edition ‘patch’ I see; perhaps that was the appeal.
Breakers – Prince and Sheena Easton – Funnily enough I have recently watched ‘For your Eyes Only’ on the TV and it is the only Bond Movie to show the artist singing the theme tune in the credits; in this case Sheena. Anyway, this appeared better than I was expecting. Fine Young Cannibals – I think this is on next week, so I won’t comment here.
Phil Collins – Another Day in Paradise – This wonderful song certainly deserved a week at no1, but no, that Block thing was hammering up the charts. Phil’s video is quite touching but we’re chopped before the middle eight kicks in sadly.
Lisa Standsfield – All around the World – Bored with this already. Surprised they didn’t show the video. Reminds me of Jennifer Rush where they kept repeating her studio performance.
Inner City – Whatcha gonna do with my loving – Pleasant enough playout.
maiden could well have had three guitarists in the band at this point, but steve harris wasn't one of them - he is/was the bass player
DeleteSilly me yes.... getting my Steve's mixed up (Harris and Rothery).
DeleteYou'll be pleased to know that Another Day In Paradise went one position further to No.1 for four weeks in America the following month, including being the Christmas No.1 there, so all turned out OK for you.
DeleteActually thinking about it, ToTP have not shown this PC classic in its best light. For a start they never played the intro which is very Dire Straits for me. Secondly (and not so well known) David Crosby sings backing vocals. However you have to listen carefully to hear him as he’s very low down in the mix. The verse after the middle eight (‘you can tell by the lines on her face…’) he sings harmonies and then on the fade out. A very subtle contribution.
Delete808 State - A brilliant dance track which worked itself into my brain at the time, though there was a reason for that which I will go into on another thread! This is more or less the template for dance acts on TOTP over the next couple of years, like it or not...
ReplyDeleteUB40 - Dreadful. Why do they sing "Beautiful WOMB-MAN"?
Somerville / Miles-Kingston - I think this is a rather jolly tune, though I have to be in the mood for it. She doesn't look convincing as a frontwoman though.
Kaoma - Annoyed me at the time, though I can cope with it now. It stayed in the chart for ages, seemingly the British public wanted a taste of sunshine that Winter.
Iron Maiden - Not one of their best songs.
Inner City - A fantastic song, and the 12" 'Def Mix' (by David Morales & Frankie Knuckles) may be my favourite extended mix of anything ever. It's actually a cover of a Stephanie Mills song, and Inner City do it much better.
An underwhelming TOTP this evening with a few fairly decent tunes but nothing to really get too excited about.
ReplyDelete808 State with “Pacific 707” get the show underway and are lacking somewhat in stage presence, something that will become a problem over the next couple of years with these lyric-less dance tunes.
Decent enough number though with a bit of birdsong thrown in.
UB40 with another cover version which is nice enough. “Homely Girl” with a nice performance video and some girls in odd clown glasses. Bizarre.(24)
Jimmy has turned up in a tracksuit and a Tyson T-Shirt along with June Miles-Kingston who has bothered to dress up for the show. “Comment Te Dire Adieu” is a good little pop song though this performance and Jimmy's dad dancing do nothing for the it.
Kaoma up next with the massive Xmas hit of 89 The “Lambada”. Not one of them dancers has bothered to even put a santa hat on. Poor show. Infectious little number though.
Nice to see Cathy Dennis again. Song creeping very slowly up the chart. Thought it had got much higher.
Iron Maiden churn out a generic concert video and a generic song. They have done and will do much better on both counts.
Breakers:
Prince has had enough of Batman so churns out a naff song and can't even be bothered to make a video. Poor Sheena gets a raw deal.
Fine Young Cannibals with a fine tune next. Hope we get to see more of this.
Phil Collins enjoys “Another Day In Paradise” and Lisa is still going “All Around The World” to find her baby.
Inner City running out of steam. Most interesting thing about “Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin’” was the change of typeface.