You'd told me you'd never leave me baby, but this is the 2nd of February 1990 edition of Top of the Pops all over again!
Buttons up
2-2-90: Presenter: Bruno Brookes
(9) LONNIE GORDON – Happenin’ All Over Again
Getting the show underway in the studio tonight with what was her only top ten hit and it peaked at number 4.
(29) WRECKS-N-EFFECT – Juicy
Making their studio debut but the tune got no higher.
(20) AND WHY NOT? – The Face
This lively Bros-esque song was their biggest hit and it peaked at number 13.
(19) SYBIL – Walk On By
Became her first of three top ten hits when it peaked at number 6.
(32) BIRDLAND – Sleep With Me (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(36) THE BELOVED – Hello (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 19.
(34) EURYTHMICS – The King And Queen Of America (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 29.
(22) HOUSE OF LOVE – Shine On
This very 90's sound was their biggest hit and it went up two more places.
(4) MANTRONIX feat. WONDRESS – Got To Have Your Love (video)
At its peak.
(25) CHER – Just Like Jesse James (video)
Yee- hi! On her way to number 11.
(3) TECHNOTRONIC feat. YA KID K – Get Up (Before The Night Is Over)
In the studio with the follow up to Pump Up the Jam and it went up one more place.
(1) SINEAD O’CONNOR – Nothing Compares 2 U
First of four weeks at number one.
(23) SKID ROW – 18 And Life (video) (and credits)
Their biggest hit and it peaked at number 12
February 8th is next.
Another extended Friday show, with Bruno in charge this week and seeming a bit more engaged than he sometimes is. I have always thought that Lonnie Gordon track sounds like one of Donna Summer’s collaborations with SAW, and lo and behold it transpires it was intended for Donna originally. Lonnie doesn’t make a bad job of it, and it is certainly one of the more tolerable of SAW’s later hits – it looks from this performance, however, as if Lonnie had been spending too much time with her crimpers. Wrecks-N-Effect next, thankfully covering up the vests they were flaunting in the video with some big jackets. As a piece of soft rap, this is listenable, but it’s pretty one-note. The Face are rather more lively, and look pleased to be making their studio debut, but aside from a catchy chorus the song doesn’t have much to offer, and the Matt Goss-esque vocal mannerisms soon begin to grate.
ReplyDeleteSybil is also in the studio, and her top leaves little to the imagination! The much-covered Bacharach/David classic is given a dancey makeover here, to reasonable effect, though Sybil’s vocals sound too high-pitched and weak to me. Two out of three breakers will be on again, but this is all we get of the Birdland track, which didn’t sound particularly special. House of Love look like they take themselves very seriously, but they had had a long wait for chart success; this song had originally been released to general indifference in 1987, and it took a re-recorded version to finally propel it into the charts. It’s a decent tune with some nice guitar, only let down by an insipid chorus, which means it has the opposite problem to The Face’s effort.
Cher was in a real purple patch at this point in her career, and although she has said that this Diane Warren/Desmond Child-penned song wasn’t much to her liking, I think it is one of her best records. I like the sepia-tinted Western scenes in the video as well, though no matter how much work Cher does to her face she still looks too old to be hanging around in nightclubs! Her next single, an excellent version of the Bucks Fizz flop Heart of Stone, bafflingly only got to 43 on the UK charts. Back in the studio, Ya Kid K is, I think, finally allowed to appear in person without having someone mime to her vocals. The audience seem to enjoy this, and it is quite an infectious dance record, which you don’t have to be out on the floor to enjoy.
Sinead deservedly hits number 1, and we end with Skid Row, needless to say nothing to do with the Irish band of the same name in which Phil Lynott and Gary Moore both launched their careers. This lot look and sound like pretty standard American hair-metallers, though they go for a relatively restrained sound here with this tale of extreme juvenile delinquency. Apparently the video includes a murder scene, which led to MTV banning it – TOTP’s solution was evidently just to fade it early...
I dunno, I would dance with Cher in a nightclub, but wait...I haven't been to a nightclub for years, so maybe not.
DeleteThe Bucks Fizz version of "Heart of Stone" is infinitely superior in my opinion
DeleteI'll admit to hearing neither version until checking out Bucks Fizz's rendition following this exchange. Nice song.
DeleteHowever, the title 'Heart of Stone' will for me, always be Kenny. Such a high voice!
I like the BF version too, but Cher gives it a bit more welly.
DeleteThe highlights of this episode follow:
ReplyDeleteLonnie Gordon - Great SAW-inspired dance track, later covered by Tracy Shaw (Maxine Peacock) in 1998 only to coincide with the release of the Corrie TV film 'Viva Las Vegas' and evidently it failed to reach the UK Top 40 and appearing on one of those Non Stop Hits albums, the other cover was by an Australian girl group called Young Divas in 2007, which was their first album inspired by covers of disco hits some of them written by Stock Aitken & Waterman and Giorgio Moroder.
Wreckx-n-Effect - The US rap duo make their debut in the studio, loosely behind a sample of the 'Juicy Fruit' instrumental, four years before Biggie took on the same name with different lyrics referring to 'Time to get paid, Build like a world trade' and by using that same instrumental as at the time that failed to reach the UK Top 40, their other hit 'Rump Shaker' as we'll may be seeing it in over 2-3 years time in the TOTP re-runs.
And Why Not? - Another band makes their TOTP debut, a great pop song i'd refer to as well. Top class.
Breakers - Never heard of Birdland, I've heard of The Beloved, in which they are about to make their TOTP studio debut, with their celebrity name mentions such as the late Leslie Crowther, Kym Mazelle, and many others in the lyric description, and Eurythmics' final hit from 'We Are Too One', the video was filmed in America, this was one of their last singles to be taken from that album.
House of Love - Another indie band makes their TOTP debut, their earlier hit 'Destroy the Heart' charted in 1988 and appeared on The Chart Show twice in that year and the first Indie chart that aired on ITV on the 21st of January 1989.
Mantronix/Wondress - Kurtis never bothered to turn up to the studio or Wondress neither, so another showing of the video was at its highest peak. A different video was shown on the ITV Chart Show review of the year in which had the main collaborator singer Wondress.
Cher - The follow-up to 'If I Could Turn Back Time', her attempt on doing a ballad about the story of an outlaw.
Technotronic - Ya Kid K makes his TOTP debut along with the Belgian act's second appearance as this was the follow-up to 'Pump Up the Jam', already the second single had entered the U.S. charts when the U.K. release came out, there is a sample of 'get on up' by James Brown included in the song.
Sinead O'Connor - The first of four weeks for this ballad, a Prince cover obviously, she's back in the studio again after making her second TOTP appearance since 'Mandinka'.
Skid Row - Their highest charting hit, they reached number four in their homeland in the U.S. and however it led to controversial over MTV banning the video, the BBC's decision not to show the full promo as it faded out on their master tape.
Lonnie Gordon with a very appropriate title for a SAW tune, as it was sounding very formulaic by now. Also, Lonnie looked a little long in the tooth, though the team had had a hit with Cliff Richard, so that was no big deal really. A not bad ditty, but they were on the brink of sounding like yesterday's men.
ReplyDeleteWell, Wrecks-N-Effect were DEFINITELY not gay, and they can't stress that enough. Some absurdly horny lyrics in this one without actually getting 18 rated, but it doesn't half come across as juvenile.
Anyone know if And Why Not? were Barry Norman fans? Or Rory Bremner fans, seeing as how Bazza said he never spoke that cliche on TV? Anyway, as noted, Bros lite, which is very lite indeed, and apparently named after the zeitgeisty style magazine, just to date it all the more.
Just what we needed, Sybil, Walk On By in a very high voice. Sort of the other end of the scale to Isaac Hayes' rendition. Clunky, chunky production threatens to swamp her, but she battles valiantly on. Do not remember her looking like this!
Three Breakers, we'll see two again, but the much tipped for greatness Birdland won't grace our screens any more. Hollow Heart was a better record from them, but didn't do as well, and with their blond mops of hair they had a contrived guise that made them look a bit corporate - indie fans don't like that. Doing a cover of a Patti Smith song with a racist title put paid to their careers, and now they presumably look back and wonder what could have been.
House of Love, I bought their album, but the singles were the best things on it. Still, they were pretty decent, maybe a little ahead of their time so missed the boat when Britpop would have embraced them. As Stuart Maconie said, if you want to look like the lead singer, just get a stapler and examine your reflection in it.
Mantronix we've seen, top tune, then Cher's attempt at country and western which isn't as good as her A Cowboy's Work is Never Done. She does know Jesse James was a bad guy, doesn't she? Not terrible, but self-important.
Ya Kid K makes it to the studio with a perky techno number, though Technotronic would appear to be one bloke with a keytar. She's decided against dressing up for the occasion, but the song speaks for itself, probably their best single.
Bruno points out Prince will be getting the royalties as Sinead hits the top, and hello to the bloke enthusiastically waving at the camera at the start of this repeat performance.
Skid Row will be back...
Lonnie gordon - now familiar SAW - I see from other comments it was intended for Donna Summer. I can well believe that...
ReplyDeleteDull and duller get the FF
Sybil - the most impressive murder of a cover of the year so far. Destroyed! (Feel compelled to pull up the stranglers cover to wash my ears out)
Breakers:
Birdland - best thing so far. sounded very ‘indie’
Beloved - Good as well (bit EMF)
Eurythmics - good tune - bad video
House of Love - we are on a roll! Again a very indie sound (lose one point for my pet hate, biff biff drumming)
Mantronics = oh well it was fun while it lasted...
Cher - we’re back on track. down a notch on her recent rawk, but I love her voice.
Technotronic - shock of shocks, I quite liked this, although it overstayed its welcome...
Skid Row - bog standard ‘hair metal slow track’ - bit Def Leppard..
Much better edition tonight – I liked about half of the acts and no FPI Project!!
ReplyDeleteLonnie Gordon - Happening all over again – Totally don’t get the appeal of this. FF
Wrecks n effect – Juicy – Ditto
And why not ? – The Face – Named after the popular magazine of the time? Nice one this. Sticks in the mind.
Sybil – Walk on by – Worst version of this I have ever heard. Weedy vocals. Nothing compares to the original and I even prefer the Stranglers version to this.
Breakers – Birdland – named after the popular attraction signposted off the M3? Beloved – Not a Lionel Richie cover. Eurythmics – the video looked fun to make – takes your mind off the rather disappointing tune.
House of Love – Shine On – One of my favourite records of 1990 from Guy Chadwick and the boys. Sounds great with the headphones turned up loud and just love that middle eight. I thought this would be huge but really underachieved at just reaching No20. The first track on the album ‘Beatles and Stones’ lead straight into this and if you listen carefully on the single you can just hear a snatch of it. Both previous HoL singles peaked at No41, so we just missed seeing them in the chart rundown.
Mantronix – Got to have your love – FF
Cher – Just like Jessie James – Another cracker written by Child/Warren. The title cried out for a video with cowboys and we got it along with the glamourous Cher. Will have to check out the rest of it on YT.
Technotronic – Get (before the night is over) – Just what was the appeal of this lot to warrant straight in at No3 ? Travesty when I compare to the House of Love and Cher, both of which didn’t even penetrate the top10.
Sinead O’Connor – Nothing compares 2 U – Anyone recall the dramatic return of Steven Beale in Eastenders? It was a dramatic episode with ian Beale being lured to a seemingly empty house where this track was playing loudly. Quite surreal. I can’t find it on YT. Anyway, very worthy No1.
Skid Row – 18 and Life – Young men and their guitars making a lot of noise and not much tune.
the nearest i ever got to being on TOTP was playing in a band with the house of love's drummer (who in my opinion was a great groove player, and as such was wasted on an indie band like that). like many of their moderately-successful peers, they reformed in more recent times to take advantage of the nostalgia circuit in order to pay the rent. which means of course it is far better to be a has-been than a never-was!
DeleteI was really looking forward to this show and it didn't disappoint. It has three of the singles of the year for me.
ReplyDeleteBruno has mysteriously dropped his comedy air force jacket and has chosen to look terribly smart. He's also very enthusiastic about the first number and so am I...
Lonnie Gordon, Happening All Over Again
I just love this record and assumed for years that it was a Chicago masterwork. Wasn't 'Roadblock' thought to be a lost funk classic until people realised who it was? 'Young Hearts Run Free' after two days without sleep, seeing this on screen was always going to be a mild disappointment (the video was, just a bit too smiley and polite) but in the studio Lonnie and her ultra cool dancers look fantastic. Enjoyed the camera endlessly whizzing round and over and past them. That was a party alright.
The tie routine seemed a little staged.
Wrecks 'N' Effect?, Juicy
I like some of the more whispery rap songs around this time, PM Dawn, Ralph Tresvant, but not this. Good to see it performed but a little dull despite some of the words. The guy at the front with the black tie looked very uncomfortable.
And Why Not?, The Face
A school favourite for about a day, this is still pretty good and they look like they're really enjoying themselves in the studio. Sorry to waste valuable space saying the absolutely bleedin' predictable but, the catchiest single Bros never released.
Sybil, Walk On By
Four studio performances in a row? The audience are being really spoiled. You can't go far wrong with this song and more dizziness for the cameraman.
Birdland, Sleep With Me
Videos at last and a pretty contemporary one. All I really know about them to this day is that the Manic Street Preachers in their early years regarded them as particular enemies. Might hear some more of them after seeing this.
The Beloved, Hello
Good to see a fair amount of the video after the blink and you'll miss it appearance, a few months ago, of the classic 'The Sun Rising'. Still makes me laugh (but thoughtfully, man) and I look forward to hearing more of it in the next show.
The Eurythmics, King and Queen of America
Had totally forgotten this one. Great song. Again look forward to hearing more of this.
The House of Love, Shine On
Another single of the year for me, this souped up reissue is in some ways where the '90s truly start with indie bands aplenty turning up on the show.
For years I heard the chorus as 'gigi, gi shine on' which makes an arcane sort of sense. The dry ice doesn't really work here but it's great to see it appear on the show, fresh and revving, Great record.
Mantronix feat Wondress, Got To Have Your Love
This is becoming a favourite show. Another single of the year, I could never tire of hearing this. The faintly mocking bassline followed by the burst of synth strings IS 1990 for me, all sunshine on foreign streets and chic newness. Beautiful. Didn't really see the video as I was watching a saucepan at the time.
Cher, Just Like Jesse James
Not too bad after the classic before, just listen to those accentuated Southern vowels! Nice tune and a video that mixes some cowboy fantasies with bits of the video for 'I Found Someone'. One of those two videos is somewhat more dated than the other. Good song but to hear something really great about Jesse James, go straight to the same year's 'Jordan The Comeback' by Prefab Sprout, one of THE pop albums of the era.
Technotronic feat Ya Kid K, Get Up
Oh yeah, this one. This sounds as poor as it did at the time, taking the posturing of Salt 'n' Pepa but completely missing out the raised eyebrow and sly wit that made their records so enjoyable. Not keen on this.
Sinead O' Connor, Nothing Compares 2 U
Oi, yuppie, stop waving! This is a serious song! Still sounds great. Repeat of the previous week's appearance.
Skid Row, 18 and Life
Some bottles on display I see.
According to Pete Waterman, classic funk fans thought Roadblock was a 1970s record before he revealed it was SAW, but he would say that, wouldn't he? Personally, I'm a lot more sceptical, it does sound very 1980s.
Deletethe giveaway is the drums. or rather, the drum machine. no 70's funk record had that kind of drum sound on it - unlike 80's dance ones!
DeleteI read about it in Bob Stanley's brilliant book about pop, 'Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!'. In it he is actually very complimentary about Pete Waterman. You're right, stylistically it sounds very close but the drum sounds and for me the vocals too, are noticeably '86 ish.
DeleteYes, that Bob Stanley book is a terrific (if very long) read.
DeleteFor the record, I don't think Waterman's a bad guy, as John Peel said, his not-terrible aim was to revitalise the singles charts with records kids would want to buy, and you can't deny he did that.
The return of Trev the accountant, blending in with the kids yet again.
ReplyDeleteGreat start to the show with only the second SAW production I bought, the other being Dead Or Alive’s chart topper. Lonnie giving it some in her cats’ eyes outfit. Shame the dancers didn’t mime the backing vocals for full effect.
All the juice squeezed out of the boring second track. No wonder this was at its peak. Their follow-ups “Bazooka” and “Doublemint” flopped badly.
Never mind your tie, Trev, you’re lucky that inquistive woman isn’t investigating your trousers!
Early mugshots: Finally, the last we see of that silver haired pensioner in Kaoma.
And Why Not? touring with fellow brummies UB40, then. This was so much like Bros with the annoying vocal mannersisms, I assumed the bass player was called Ken.
Sybil with a Soul II Soul groove, an extraordinary outfit and vocals causing dogs to run from a mile away. Unremarkable. Walk on by indeed, love.
Birdland, possibly named after a jazz track, with ridiculous peroxide barnets and a candidate for video of the year (I’m joking!). The riff was a rip-off of “Unbearable” by The Wonder Stuff.
The Beloved namechecking a crap part-of-duo ‘comedian’ who’s done well for himself in the comedy “Not Going Out”. Please put your shirt on, lad!
A comic video from a Eurythmics falling apart behind the scenes. The video masks the so-so-ness of the song.
House Of Love, sticking the band’s name in the lyrics. The gig in Egham would probably have been at Royal Holloway College, a university actually in the neighbouring village of Englefield Green. A proper indie band top 20 hit. Take notes and weep, Birdland.
Great to hear the majestic Mantronix track again. Shame we had to endure the ‘pub night out’ video a second time.
Mid-mugshots: Compare and contrast the legwear of Jazzy B and neighbour Cher. Trev leaves himself no time after announcing the cast to give the title of the number 21 single.
Cher with a strange mishmash of videos – almost a spaghetti Western as it was so convoluted. The song was AOROK.
Oh dear, next it’s “Pump Up The Jam” part 2 but without Felly. Booo! A top 3 travesty.
Sinead deservedly makes the top, followed by a sub-Def Leppard soft metal (alumimium) ballad. What was this called again?
So the New Year hangover is well and truly over and this is the best 1990 show so far (although to be fair the bar is quite low).
ReplyDelete"The Hit Parade" Bruno? It's 1990 not 1960.
LOVE this tune from LONNIE GORDON. "Happenin’ All Over Again" is one of my favourite 90s dance hits. Performance needs more dancers and a different routine. Costume Designer obviously had spare buttons and just kept going......
Second of last weeks breakers from WRECKS-N-EFFECT with Juicy. Nice SING logo on his jacket 26 years before the movie. This is rather flat R&B. Background music at best.
Missing Bros, try this from AND WHY NOT?. The Face has less Denim but sounds identical. Still not sure about this one myself.
SYYYYYYBIIIIIIIL – Wonder what Basil would make of this rather funky version of "Walk On By" Proper Pat Butcher earing as well but she's forgotten her blouse.
BREAKERS:
BIRDLAND – One of Indies lesser successes
THE BELOVED – Hello to a fabulous tune only dated by the name checks
EURYTHMICS – Annie and Dave raid the dressing up box for "The King And Queen Of America" Great video but not sure about the pink hair Annie. Should have been a bigger hit.
From one of Indies forgettable tunes to one of it's finest from HOUSE OF LOVE. "Shine On" a real Indie classic and they are live in EGHAM,SURREY tonight. So Rock and Roll. These indie bands don't dress up for the Pops do they.
Don't remember this MANTRONIX hit doing that well, but I guess the massive radio play won out. Quality tune though.
Yee-haw it's CHER. Country meets rock. Bet American radio audiences lapped up "Just Like Jesse James" Proper 80s rock video as well. Tune packs a punch.
TECHNOTRONIC supported Madonna? 1990 has gone mad. Hello Ya Kid K (what no Felly?). "Get Up (Before The Night Is Over)" crashes straight into the top ten and is a much superior hit to Jam. Really love this.
SINEAD knocking the rest of the show into touch but despite being Number One AND being a longer show "Nothing Compares 2 U" still gets cut off midway. I am writing to Points Of View immediately.
Sounding like an unfortunate accident in your pants it's SKID ROW. "18 And Life" They should get life for this piece of dull AOR.
I notice the copyright symbol has lost the roman numerals. Wonder if this was a TOTP or BBC decision?
As an aside: Ya Kid K enters the chart at Number 3 AND Number 70..her collaboration with Hi Tek 3 "Spin That Wheel" not troubling the top 40 until October when (with added "Turtles Get Real") it rides in the success of one of the summers biggest films Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles..
DeleteSo chart fans..has a singer ever debuted on the chart twice in the same week before?
Ed Sheeran filled up 9 of the Top 10 for a while, but that's because streaming had made the charts a very different animal.
DeleteDidn’t the Jam enter the charts with all their singles one week? Also Elvis and Lennon probably had several new Entries when They died. Admit they aren’t debut singles. Sure someone must have had a non charting single that followed a later chart single.Anybody?...
Deletedon't forget all queen's and U2's old albums clogging up the charts as a consequence of their "live aid" appearances. as far as i know (even 35 years on), not a penny from that windfall ever got donated towards the charity in question!
DeleteOn the subject of Skid Row, during lockdown I finally watched The Gilmore Girls (it's both terrible and surprisingly addictive) and Sebastian Bach randomly turned up. I assumed it would be a one episode cameo, but no, like Carly Simon, he was a semi regular. And there's a really weird episode where Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and Sparks all turn up as well. I can't believe the Beloved song only got to 19! I always group that in my head with the other great 'list songs' of 89/90 (We Didn't Start the Fire and Vogue).
ReplyDeleteI still love Happenin All Over Again, even if, as others have said, it's SAW by numbers.
Sebastian also had the same hairdo as Carly.
DeleteLonnie Gordon - One of my favourite PWL songs, with a great vocal from Lonnie. A shame that she didn't really get as good a song as this afterwards.
ReplyDeleteWrecks'n'Effect - Hmmm...the best bit here is clearly the sample of Mtume's superior song.
And Why Not? - I could never get a handle on this lot, looking like Living Colour but sounding like Bros didn't work for me.
Sybil - Also a PWL song, but nowhere near as good as Lonnie's tune. It sounded pretty poor back then and time has not been kind. Not sure Sybil thought through what she was wearing for long enough either.
Birdland - An OK song, but you can see why they weren't big.
House Of Love - Whereas this is the real deal, astonishing that it took re-records and re-releases to make it a hit. They were really unlucky with their singles actually, the previous 2 (including the brilliant 'I Don't Know Why I Love You') having both got to No.41, and 2 of their singles in 1992 both stalled in the 40s as well.
Cher - Most of her songs I can take or leave but for some reason I've always really liked this one. I think she puts a bit more into the vocal, even if she didn't think much of the song!
Technotronic - Goodness me, the male dancer is awful! It makes me wonder if he's actually the producer Jo Bogaert. Pretty sure that's MC Eric pretending to play the keyboard/guitar thing, we'll see more of him soon. As for the song - not as good as 'Pump Up The Jam' but alright....
Skid Row - Seeing Sebastian Bach always makes me think of Beavis and Butthead: "Hey, he looks like a chick! Yeah, heh heh, heh heh" etc. Certainly more entertaining than listening to this guff.
Surprised no one picked up on Bruno saying that Lonnie Gordon was making HIS debut. Come on lads,you're slipping.
ReplyDelete