There's still a lack of news as to when exactly Top of the Pops 1990 will commence on BBC4. My guess is either the 18th or the 25th of September. But nevermind because that gives us plenty of time to vote for a new name for the blog! Vote by putting your preferred name from the list below in the comments. Here are the ten candidates:
1. A Little Time.
2. Nothing Compares 2 U.
3. All Together Now.
4. Show Me Heaven.
5. Doin' the Do.
6. The Power.
7. Step On.
8. There She Goes.
9. I've Been Thinking About You.
10. Step Back in Time.
The voting is now open!
You appear to have forgot “1990-World in motion”.
ReplyDeleteI think it's got to be Step Back in Time, hasn't it? My hunch is also that 1990 will start in late September, once the Proms are done, so not long to wait to see if we are correct or not...
ReplyDeleteAgree on this one, as Kylie Minogue was at her very best in 1990 with a tribute to the 60s and 70s music and fashion trends in her video for Step Back In Timeand much better than S-Express doing the same in 1988, so a big thumbs up from me!
DeleteMy preference would be All Together Now, to reflect the sense of community on here!
ReplyDeleteOf your ten, Step Back In Time would be appropriate but I thought Unbelievable would have been a cert!
ReplyDeleteSo the way things stand at this early stage of the voting is three votes for Step Back in Time; one vote for All Together Now; and no votes for any of the others as yet.
ReplyDeleteStep Back in Time does seem the most obvious choice, Kylie in her imperial phase around this era too.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot TOTP?
ReplyDeleteI am obviously joking....
It's got to be Step Back in Time for me, Angelo. Meanwhile I'm on to ask Anonymous for some original shows. I've gone back to re-request the shows that you didn't have before. This week they're all from 1977 and are 20/01, 17/03, 28/04, 26/05, 28/07 and 10/11. I won't be on for a couple of weeks as I'm going away, so you won't be pestered by me for a change! Cheers!
ReplyDeletebrie yes here all are : https://we.tl/t-SGCId5F7Mt
DeleteBrilliant stuff, mate. Many thanks!
Deletehi anonymous, do you by any chance have an archive copy of 14/07/1988,wasn't shown last year cause of audio issues of course cheers if so mate
Deleteyep here it is https://we.tl/t-HYAKivfbb7
Deletethanx pal
DeleteNothing Compares 2 U
ReplyDeleteClassic song when I hear it it says 1990
Step Back In Time ��
ReplyDeleteHi folks! Back after quite a sojourn. Another one in the hat for "Step Back In Time".
ReplyDeleteWhile we're waiting for TOTP to return, take Dory's advice and tune into the Runaround repeats on Talking Pictures TV, 9am on Saturday and Sunday. This week we saw Tears for Fears in their nascent form as Graduate, a shire horse shitting on the studio floor, and epic Scalextric.
DeleteThe Runaround repeats on Talking Pictures TV have been a great summer filler during the current TOTP summer break on BBC4, and a great way to enjoy your Saturday and Sunday morning lay-ins.
DeleteLooks like Step Back in Time is going to be the runaway winner unless one of the other runners stages a late rally?
ReplyDeleteYou missed 1990: Time for the Guru!
DeleteStill no date yet for 1990, but it won't be in September. Looks like BBC4 are repeating various Big Hits from the 80's till the end of the month. So October 2nd is now the earliest possible date for 1990 to begin.
ReplyDeleteThe way things are going I wonder if they'll start again in January?
DeleteThat is what I was thinking, so that they can be back in tune for the new year to do both 1990 & 1991 in 2021. It also gives them a chance to have a long earned break, as they have been churning out these repeats without pause since 2011!
DeleteRIP Ronald Bell, founding member and songwriter for Kool and the Gang. He was 68. We've seen him a lot on these repeats. Says in his obit he was a self-taught saxophonist - bet his neighbours loved him!
ReplyDeleteHe was one of the 11 members of the group, a big pop group by numbers on stage. I remember when they appeared in TOTP studio in 1982 to do Oo La La La Let's Go Dancing, and there seemed to be as many of them as the studio audience.
Deleteif you knew anything about 70's funk groups, then that was the average-sized membership. however by the time they started appearing on totp they had ditched funk in favour of insipid pop/dance shite as it paid the rent far easier. although unlike many of their peers i.e. cameo, fatback etc they didn't ditch the excess members as well
DeleteYawn..........
DeleteToday's Runaround episode featured a studio appearance by The Photos with Irene, which peaked at No.56 in May 1980, but they did not get on to TOTP, as generally new releases would need to be inside the top 50 to get a play on TOTP, as TOTP don't go down as far as No.56 to show any singles.
ReplyDeleteSo this is a sort of bonus for upcoming groups invited to ITV kids shows like Runaround, as they do not know at that stage if they will be top 40 or so, in order to get invited onto TOTP.
Didn't The Human League and Heaven 17 both get on the same show with songs outside the Top 40 that year (or possibly 81)?
DeleteIt was only really from 82 onwards that the non-Top 40 singles became extremely rare, but even then it happened occasionally with Howard Jones getting his chart debut when 'New Song' was just outside the 40.
'..TOTP debut', that should say. Out of practice with this commenting lark...!
DeleteNoax, re your first point, yes, the seventies TOTP shows would have a new group well outside the top 30 or 40 to open the show, a bit like showcasing a new band to help them get noticed to the record-buying public, but from the 80s onwards, you would have to be inside the top 40, or possibly be lucky to get on the show inside the top 50, which occasionally happened, but this particular record by The Photos peaking at No.56 had no chance to get on the show.
DeleteThe only other avenue for new groups was the BBC's Whistle Test, or kids shows like Runaround or Cheggers Plays Pop, so it's quite timely to have two shows of Runaround every weekend while there is no TOTP, as I'm seeing groups on there that I have never heard of, but the lower reaches of the charts do feature them in the top 75 sometimes.
From multiple twitters: BBC four provisional schedule - Friday 2nd October:8.00pm Top of the pops: Big Hits 1990 9.00pm Top of the pops:The Story of 1990
ReplyDeleteYes, looks like it's all systems go for the 2nd October!
DeleteMUSIC: Top of the Pops
On: BBC Four HD (106)
Date: Friday 2nd October 2020 (starting in 17 days)
Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
Big Hits 1990
Musical recap of a new decade and a new era as hip-hop, dance and indie flavours began to find a place in the mainstream charts. Top of the Pops continued to cater the best performances every Thursday to the British public with lots of dry ice, handheld cameras and a small but noisy studio audience. This compilation celebrates with some of the best studio performances of the biggest hits including break-out appearances by Adamski featuring Seal, Vanilla Ice, Beats International, EMF, the KLF, Primal Scream and Snap! Plus, plenty of girl power from Betty Boo, Sinead O'Connor, Maria McKee, En Vogue, Kylie Minogue and Tina Turner.
MUSIC: Top of the Pops
On: BBC Four HD (106)
Date: Friday 2nd October 2020 (starting in 17 days)
Time: 21:00 to 22:00 (1 hour long)
The Story of 1990
A look back at the musical tastes of the early 1990s, when the new pop grammars of hip-hop and dance bewildered the old school institution that was the BBC's weekly chart show. Adamski, Orbital, 808 State and Snap! struggled to translate their brand of cool beats to the BBC's need for musicianship and random dancers, while the likes of Betty Boo, MC Tunes and Beats International brought the British take on hip-hop to the studio. In a year in that even saw footballer John Barnes embrace rap, these breakthrough hip-hop artists had to share the limelight with big balladeers including Sinead O'Connor and Maria McKee.
Yippee...
DeleteThere's so much excitement for this all over the internet. Don't think BBC Four fully understand or realise the cult following there is for these repeats and the hit they have on their hands.
ReplyDeleteWe will watch and then rewatch these episodes and relish all the good and even the bad in them. The 90's were my era and I can't wait to time travel back into my early 20's and hear songs I had forgotten about and tunes I still play today.
These 90's episodes have mostly never been seen since their original broadcasts as UK Gold stopped their repeats at 1989. Can't wait to see them all again!
I remember a 1994 episode of TOTP where by that time the presenters were pop musicians, and one episode that year which was presented by Meat Loaf, he presented Reel To Real in the TOTP studio with I Like To Move It Move It, and at the end of the song, one of the sexy girls in the group on stage lifted up the back of her miniskirt at the final note of the song, with Meat Loaf having a good view. Good Lord!
DeleteI've been off the site for a couple of weeks and have just seen the vote. 'Step back in time' does seem to fit the bill for 1990.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed last night's 'Celebrity Pointless' with Patsy Kensit pulling a blinder with a pointless answer to a Beatles song not written by them - 'Money'. I was shouting 'Act Naturally' and 'Matchbox' at the screen...I'm sure most people wouldn't have known them and they would have been similarly pointless, but credit to Patsy.
Yes, I was impressed with Patsy too, she was the only one to recognise Billy Corgan as well.
DeleteI got a pointless answer in the Beatles finale too - I said Only a Northern Song for a George Harrison one. I also said Money and Baby It's You - Money was pointless, but they didn't mention the other one. Anyway, I was pleased with myself! Got to take your victories where you find them!
Actually, Dan Donovan was on the week before - will Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher be on it this week?!
DeleteDid anyone catch Guy Garvey: From The Vaults on the now free Sky Arts on Friday. Had some great performances from some ITV regional shows from 1979. Kate Bush, PiL and The Police were on the first one among others. 1982 next week. It was pretty good but I thought it could've done with a bit less commentary
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I'm sure he's a nice guy and everything, but I find Guy Garvey really annoying so I won't be watching this, especially if you say he does too much commentary.
DeleteIt was quite an interesting watch, especially when they showed the debut TV performances of Teardrop Explodes and Echo and the Bunnymen, with Messrs Cope and McCulloch looking notably different to how they would just a few years later. Unfortunately, someone thought it would be a good idea to have Guy Garvey talk over the performances, which quickly became annoying.
DeleteHi Anonymous! I'm back after my two week break to request more 70's originals. This week I'm after 14/07/77, 11/01/79, 24/05/79, 11/10/79 and 15/11/79. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteyes mate, here they all are:
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-B2HUZgecjk
Great stuff, pal! Many thanks.
DeleteI can recommend all three episodes of Soul America on the iPlayer, it's been a very good watch and might be the last chance to see some of those soul survivors interviewed.
ReplyDelete1st episode totp 1990 4/01/90 on BBC Four 9th October 19.00pm
ReplyDeleteInteresting they are only showing one episode that week - I wonder if that will go back to being the norm?
DeleteHi Anonymous! I'm back with this week's request. I'm after 12/02/76, 18/08/77, 19/01/78, 9/02/78, 20/07/78, 24/08/78 and 14/12/78. Cheers!
ReplyDeletehere they are
ReplyDeletehttps://we.tl/t-0RHgCzfslw
Many thanks as usual, mate. See you next week!
ReplyDeleteChange to to schedule on BBC4
ReplyDeleteFriday 9th October
7.00pm-7.30pm - 04-01-1990
7.30pm-8.00pm - 11-01-1990
Friday 16th October
7.00pm-7.30pm - 18-01-1990
TV guides showing just 4.1.90 on 9th as they are doing a Lennon at 80 night
DeleteRIP Helen Reddy who has died aged 78. Always more popular in the States where she enjoyed three no1 hits - 'I am Woman', 'Delta Dawn' and 'Angie Baby', just the latter was a sizeable hit over here, reaching no5 in early 1975. 45 years ago....sheesh.
ReplyDeleteA notable absentee from the Beeb's compilation of Aussie stars the other night, along with ONJ and The Seekers.
DeleteI watched the Story of 1990 last night - on the strength of that, it won't take long to get through each of 1990 episode - 10 minutes max I suspect :-)
ReplyDelete