Like the crack of the whip I snap attack, front or back in this thing called the 29th of March 1990 edition of Top of the Pops!
Bird of Paradise
29-3-90: Presenter: Nicky Campbell
(22) BIZZ NIZZ – Don’t Miss The Partyline
Getting the party started tonight with what was their only hit and it peaked at number 7.
(23) HEART – All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You (video)
Peaked at number 8.
(3) CANDY FLIP – Strawberry Fields Forever
A second trippy into the studio but they were now at their peak.
(14) INSPIRAL CARPETS – This Is How It Feels
Also a second trippy into the studio and also at their peak. Does it remind you a little bit of That's Entertainment by the Jam?
(26) JIMMY SOMERVILLE – Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)
He's in the studio with his 18th top 40 hit so far altogether but this was another song at its peak.
(24) THE FAMILY STAND – Ghetto Heaven
In the studio tonight with their only hit (although a re-mix did chart again eight years later) and it peaked at number 10.
(21) JAM TRONIK – Another Day In Paradise
Also in the studio and this Phil Collins cover went up two more places. But where was their tin of paint?
(1) SNAP – The Power (video)
First of two weeks at number one.
(18) QUEEN LATIFAH & DE LA SOUL – Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children (video) (and credits)
Peaked at number 14.
April 5th is next.
Campbell is at his most insufferable, wearing another terrible shirt and annoyingly floppy side-parting, while regaling us with unfunny and overlong links. The opening track isn't that great either, a tinny-sounding slice of Belgian dance music, and why dress the two girls in those awful spotty swimming costume and hoodie combos?
ReplyDeleteMuch better follows from Heart, a powerful story song with a brilliant lead vocal from Ann Wilson, though sadly it gets cut before she really lets rip. The video helpfully illustrates the key moments in the lyrics, but in the best possible taste. Candy Flip and the Carpets both return to the studio, but there is nothing especially different about their new performances. Wee Jimmy, meanwhile, dutifully puts on his ACT UP sweater for a lively turn, with old mucker June Miles-Kingston ensconced behind the drum kit. It's a definite grower, this one.
Rather like the Bizz Nizz record, The Family Stand's effort sounds a bit muted and uninteresting, and the long piece of fabric dangling off the singer's shoulder is both out of place and distracting. Jam Tronik's long and lithe lead singer avoids such a fashion faux pas, and certainly has much more visual appeal than Phil Collins. I am never going to like the song, but at least this version does have a more interesting arrangement.
Snap hit the top, and we get to see their costume-swapping video, complete with the podium we saw in the studio last time. Queen Latifah and De La Soul to finish, with a promo that combines what seem to be the latter act's two obsessions, brightly coloured backgrounds and lots of people dancing. This sounds to my ears like the same old same old from DLS, with Latifah adding some undistinguished rap. "It's good for the tummy" is such a classic hip hop line, isn't it?
Lot of repeats, but it had its moments...
ReplyDeleteBizz Nizz - low fi Jan Hammer meets white lines. Don’t be cool, don’t be shy, come on, FF the track on by...
Heart - still a great song, and a blow by video worthy of flick colby...
Family Stand - once again a dance track that failed to take a tune into the recording studio. FF
I’m afraid I was NOT reaching a frenzied height at this point... the girl to Nicky was getting on my proverbials...
Queen Latifah - hmm... this was ok. Sounded a bit like Public Enemy...
I count 16 hits from Jimmy at this stage, not 18. Are they including Band Aid 2, and his backing vocals on FYC’s Suspicious Minds?!
ReplyDeleteOne of the cheapest-sounding hits of all time to start with, these mayonnaise with chips eaters simply looped a sample of crowd cheering, plinky plonked out a basic tune on a keyboard, and got their mate in to do a shonky rap. Et voila: a hit in 1990! The rapper looks ten feet tall!
ReplyDeleteFrom a DIY effort to an effort with all the stops pulled out, a power ballad from Heart with some of the wrongest lyrics ever heard in the charts to that point. What did the lady tell her kid about her father? "No idea, I just picked him off the roadside for a shag and you popped out nine months later. Happy the rest of your life!" What a creep (or female equivalent).
Candy Flip and the Inspirals we've seen, the latter's love of Bully Beef and Chips in The Dandy well on tonsorial display.
We've seen Jimmy as well, but not in the studio for this one, so he accommodates us with a mime along to his charity hit. It's not bad as these things go, it could have been a lot worse is what I mean, and you can imagine it being a feelgood tune at GAY or wherever.
The Family Stand, very decent, moody bit of 90s dance soul, just overdoes with the James Brown sampled grunt which anchors the song in its era, when otherwise it might not have sounded so dated. But this is a very respectable one hit wonder, don't have a problem with it.
Unlike this cash-in next, with apparently Keren from Bananarama after she'd been through a stretching machine whining through one of the whingiest Phil Collins songs imaginable. Jam Chronic, more like, ha ha ha... ahem.
Then Snap take their place at the top, we get the video for that, and to play us out, according to Nicky, it's De La Soul and Queen Lafferter. Brilliant research, guys. Anyway, loved this at the time, a winningly bonkers team-up full of energy and offbeat lyrics, plus some frenzied samples as the cherry on top. Song of the episode.
I did think the male lead in the Heart video must have felt very used by the female driver picking him up off the street, and dumping him after a night in the motel, getting pregnant in the process. Lyrics and storyline like these in the Heart video were the last remnant of the pre-technology era which would nowadays never allow this sort of story on a record, but in those days were just about acceptable.
DeleteI thought the same as you about Jam Tonik's lead singer when watching it, thinking it was a lookalike of Karen from Banaramama, but maybe it was Karen, having a break from Bananarama to sing with Jam Tronik? Come to think if it, nah, the girl on Jam Tronik had a way better singing voice!
I thought the Jamtornik singer looked a bit like Nicola Bryant from Dr Who
DeleteThey’re hard work some of these shows these days, not helped by an OTT presenter – Rrrrrrrrebel MC indeed.
ReplyDeleteBizz Nizzz – Don’t miss the party line – Forgettable debut.
Heart – All I want to do is make love to you – The absolute highlight of this show for me. At around 5 minutes we were never going to get the whole video, but it’s one with a storyline to it so it cries out to see the rest….so I did on YT. Written by Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange and edited from the ‘Brigade’ album, this is virtually the last sizeable hit for Heart in the UK charts…bar ‘Will you be there (in the morning)’ no19 in 1993 which was also written by ‘Mutt’. However, one other single from ‘Brigade’ is one of my favourite Heart tracks, but didn’t too well ‘Secret’.
Candy Flip – Strawberry Fields Forever – No ‘Penny Lane’ on the B Side thank goodness!
Inspiral Carpets – This is how it feels – Gave it a miss.
Jimmy Sommervile – Read my Lips – Not a bad effort from Jimmy.
Family Stand – Ghetto Heaven – FF
Jam Tronik – Another Day in Paradise – I’ve not seen any quote from Phil as to what he thought of this cover of his classic song. Next up from Jam Tronik…. ‘In the Air Tonight’….
Snap – The Power – Totally unworthy no1
Queen Latifah – Mama gave birth to the soul children – FF
RIP Dominic Grant. Singer with Guys n’Dolls and married to Brucie’s daughter Julie. I always felt that their version of ‘You don’t have to say you love me’ was right up there with Dusty’s with a stonking vocal from Dominic on the first verse and some nice guitar work and harmonies. I don’t know if we saw their ToTP appearance singing that from 1976 on these runs (if it is available, perhaps anonymous could post a link please?). This is a nice performance however. RIP Dominic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wH3ZVlzVxw
Dominic had an amazing voice and was one of the last of the true gentlemen of a generation now slipping away. My favourite was his performance as lead couple on "There's A Whole Lot Of Loving" which reached No.2 for Guys & Dolls in 1975, and this clip of the song from a 70s TV show was legendary, and turned out to be one of the most romantics chart hits of the 70s:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuGgLOQkjoY
Thanks Dory....the 12/02/76 show is the one I am after please anonymous... a live rendition where one of the girls steps in and helps Dominic out with the high notes near the end of the song.
Delete... and it's rumoured "There's A Whole Lot Of Loving" didn't have a single member of the six-piece troupe singing on it. For those of us with very long memories of this re-run, let's remember the success of Guys 'n' Dolls caused their mentors to put together a legendary five-piece girl vocal group called Glamourpuss!
DeleteAnonymous, if you've got these three, it would be great:
Delete12.2.76
26.2.76
25.3.76
Yes here they are, all previously wiped and are off air recoveries.
Deletehttps://we.tl/t-qsYqgL6kfz
Many thanks anonymous. Will enjoy these more than the 1990 shows!
DeleteHi Anonymous, that is interesting. The Popscene website lists these three shows as intact, and not among the 1976 wiped shows, so I assumed that there is a BBC archive version of each of these, but thanks for whatever is available.
DeleteNo originals exist.
DeleteThanks again for these 1976 shows anonymous. As predicted, it was a treat. I like the way that most of the performances were not the same as the actual record.
DeletePresumably these weren't shown as part of the BBC4 reruns? I don't recall seeing Lesley Judd dancing with Pans People on the Manuel and his Music of the mountains record, but watching this jogged my memory from 44 years ago.
The BBC4 reruns began with April 1976, as I presume this was the startpoint of where the shows became available in the archives with any regularity, which is why I was intrigued to see if there were originals of the Feb & March 1976 shows not wiped, i.e., the three shows I asked for above.
DeleteIt is interesting that only the TV video VCR recordings of these exist. We had to watch the last 10 minutes of Tomorrows World at the beginning of the 25.3.76 TOTP edition sent by Anonymous, but hey, if that is all that exists, it's better than nothing, so thanks again Anonymous.
The reason that two out of the three shows here were retrieved is because David Hamilton had kept the copies of his shows and sent them to the BBC. Also available is 22/01/76, which I asked Anonymous for on the latest blog. When the BBC got around to showing 1977's shows on BBC4 Hamilton sent his copy of 31/03/77 in, which the BBC cleaned up before they deemed it acceptable quality for transmission.
DeleteFascinating Brie, it's a shame that the other TOTP presenters didn't send copies of their shows to the BBC, or perhaps they didn't record them from the television as Hamilton did?
DeleteYes Dory, I think that Hamilton is the only one to do it. Noel Edmonds wouldn't let UK Gold show any of his appearances when they repeated TOTP in the 90's, but BBC4 showed them all when they repeated them.
DeleteI find it amazing how much influence the presenters had on whether or not these shows were repeated. The Mike Smith scenario is the other case in point. Interesting to hear the Hamilton history - thanks brie.
DeleteI know we're getting mightily off piste here with these 1976 shows, but I have to comment on the 22/01/76 show that I have just watched. It appears to be taped over the previous week's DLT show - does ths one exist in the archives?
DeleteAlso, my memory was that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was always shown in full but on this DLT edition it cuts off at May's guitar solo. It just shows that your memory does cheat!
These early 1976 shows are just fascinating, I haven't seen them since broadcast, so thanks again anonymous.
There are probably many other wiped 70s shows that were recorded from BBC1 on people's old VCR tapes that still exist in people's homes, and could be sent to the BBC as David Hamilton did with his.
DeleteIt just needs some amnesty campaign to get people to clear their attics and find them and send them in! Shame that the DLT 15.1.76 show was taped over by the following week's show, as you are right, it is the one ending with the Fatback Band on the credits following Bohemian Rhapsody at No.1.
Our house still had a black & white TV, so a VCR was an impossibility at that time, as we hadn't moved up to a colour tv, let alone buying a more expensive VCR at the time.
A rarity here, as Soupy grates from the first sentence but improves considerably during the show.
ReplyDeleteA superb night for the studio audience. Regardless of act quality, they’ve got six captive turns there!
WTF is this first outing? I could fart a top five hit back then on this evidence. Arguably the worst track of the re-run thus far. Diarrhoea of the highest order.
Those saucy minxes in Heart, though they didn’t write the tune - Shania Twain’s ex did! “I offered him a ride” – two types there in the song’s content, obviously. “I am the flower, you are the seed?” Bee, surely, if you’re talking about pollination.
The return of Trevor and Simon next. “Which one’s the walrus?” – at this stage, Soupy’s still being a prick, but he redeems himself soon. Give him time.
Early mugshots: a Jackson Pollock style photo for a third successive Stone Roses single, and no less than five apostrophes in the title of the Jungle Brothers track. I bet it’s shit.
Baggytastic! Very nice Peelie mention and band intro by Nicky. Move up six squares. The Inspirals are back with an organic belter, two pairs of shorts and one stage wobbler. Go Bungle!
Jimmy Somerville acting up in a good way. A decent track with admirable sentiments which, sadly, doesn’t have enough (is enough) in its tank to move any higher. Good mention of the AIDS charity afterwards by a rapidly improving Nicky, who turns into Thomas The Vance with his intro info for the next act.
Take away those stupid self-obsessed James Brown grunts as they detract from a nice, mellow, mid-pace part-rap groover by The Family Stand. I liked the singer’s dyed ginger hair one side and ginger scarf the other, but that’s just me. Extra points for the keytar with a piano keyboard strap. Not just thrown together, that.
I wasn’t as thin as Jam Tronik’s singer when I was six! Nice mention of an increase in Phil Collins’s bank account Soupy in his intro.
Snap’s lectern had more oomph in the TOTP studio if you ask me. Go on, ask me! What with Cher’s recent hit, Jesse James gets two chart mentions within a couple of months, making Ned Kelly furious.
Will you screaming women shut up before the outro? What’s wrong with you? Have Bros just turned up? Poor Soupy!
Oo, Latte and Our Soul to finish. Not my usual bag but I’ll take this. Good groove and t’ing, as Althia and Donna might say.
Your referral to the flower and the seed pollination on Heart, reminds me of one of the tunes on the 1982 movie Grease 2 called Reproduction, where this song by the class high school students ends "where does the pollen go?":
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6honxJ2uzwo
I really didn't realise there were so many Stone Roses releases in such a short time. It makes me think of the time just after The Jam split. I have to confess it wasn't Fools Gold or any of these recent releases when I first properly picked up on them. It was a spoof pop star interview featuring Trevor and Simon on 'Going Live'. I think they were dressed exactly like Candy Flip!
DeleteThe Stone Roses releases were all old singles that hadn't been deleted - I hadn't realised that they all charted in 1990, I bought them on original release. An old track 'Sally Cinnamon' was also re-released from an old label, resulting in the band paint-bombing their offices.
DeleteThe Stone Roses were notoriously difficult to interview: nice as pie before the microphone was on, but once recording the word "reticent" barely covered it.
DeleteI enjoyed Nicky Campbell's stint this week although he did of course have to begin with the camera at his feet looking up at him. That won't prepare you for 'Central Weekend Live' old chap! The woman to his right was, er, excited.
ReplyDeleteBizz Nizz; Disposable dance of the weakest kind to start with. The title probably sounded very hip for about a week after it was thought up but of course now sounds completely meaningless and hopelessly dated. The music? A rap that sounds like it's stuck in 1982 and a banal keyboard riff to keep you uninterested. Perhaps the only worthwhile thing about this record is that it gives you a chance to hear a mobile ringtone about 8 years early.
Heart; Another reliably beautiful single from the Wilson sisters.
Does anyone here have any favourite 'Old Grey Whistle Test' performances? Heart's 'Dreamboat Annie' from 1976 would be one of mine and 'These Dreams' is an all time favourite pop memory. No high kicking moves or guitarists crashing up through grand pianos here. Just a good romantic story. Lovely to hear this again.
Even now, without seeing them, I still wouldn't know which voice is Ann's and which is Nancy's.
Candy Flip; Careful boys. You don't want to be mistaken for fashion victims or anything. I still like your single though.
There was only one kid in our year that wore flares. He was hard to talk to.
Inspiral Carpets; Back to the studio come the Inspirals as well and just as fine as before. Always liked seeing bass playing in close-up.
Jimmy Sommerville; Great man and a good single. Love that chorus. Obviously leaning heavily on the Summer/Streisand song but he does a fine thing with it. Uplifting but with a serious message.
The Family Stand; It's been so good to be reaquainted with certain singles and this is another one. More of the Soul II Soul 98 bpm that was such a part of that Spring. The title phrase dates it I suppose but then you remember that this scene actually didn't stay around too long, taking its leave just before it started to get over-familiar and leaving behind a handful of soulful gems like this one. I agree that the James Brown samples are a bit needless.
Jam Tronik; With a group name like that they could've done anything and made the Top 40 at the time but I like this. It's a good tune and the words sound better from an icy eurodance act.
Nicky's comment about 'a few more bob for Phil Collins'. Ouch!
What was that Nicky? Queen Lattifer? I think you'll find Lattifer is a hamlet near Amersham.
Snap; 'The Power' may not be the single of the year. It may not even be the No.1 of the year. But for me it is the defining single of the year. I was on a school trip to Paris when this was at No.1 and its sound just seemed to echo everywhere.
It was the one everyone in my year agreed on, the one we all united round.
A lot of it sounds cliched now but to my memory it really did crash out of the blue at the time. That awesome wordless vocal, Turbo B's summit raps set at an imperious half distance (you just didn't do that at the time), the ominous chords and what sounds like a miniature mantelpiece bell being madly shaken like a pisstaking alarm.
And such a great video, so totally NOW and which gets cut off as abruptly as if a technician has tripped over a cable. No intro? Ah well. Brilliant.
De La Soul feat Queen Latifah; This will be on again so will comment next time.
I always thought that Ann Wilson did all the vocals on Heart, and sister Nancy was purely on guitar, so some clarification needed here.
DeleteIn the 80s, wearing flares was a massive social faux pas where I was, so it's amazing how quickly that changed in 1990. I still only knew one person who wore them, though, it was mostly on TV you saw such breeks.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteJust checked on the sleeve of the 'Heart' album and it confirms that Nancy sung lead vocals on 'These Dreams'.
DeleteGood Lord, I'm dreaming of Nancy already.
DeleteHi Dory, yes Ann Wilson was the main lead singer. Nancy sings lead on 'These Dreams'. I only knew that after seeing the video on the repeats. I went on Wickipedia and it said that it was Nancy's first lead vocal on a Heart single and she had a cold at the time! They do sound very similar, Ann's voice maybe just a little deeper.
ReplyDelete'These Dreams', fantastic. I can still see my Dad going 'wow!! Yes!' or such like when the video was shown, on its original release, on 'No Limits'. I remember it well because it was one where all of my family, even my Mum, agreed that it was a brilliant song and would be a huge hit in this country. Then it vanished without trace. I think all four of us had a smile when it finally made the top 10.
Totally agree Mic. Always prefer the longer version with an extra verse which is on the album rather than the single edit. Co-written by Bernie Taupin.
DeleteI didn't know it was a longer version on the album. Thanks for letting me know that! Its just one of those perfect little moments. Tune, chord changes, words, the keyboard sounds. That intro would stop me in my tracks whatever else I would be doing. And 'No Limits'. Jen and Tony! They were often ahead of the rest I think in picking a hit. 'Allo, we're in Carnforf!' '
DeleteAs was discussed a couple of years back on these blogs, Ann Wilson had the better voice, and sister Nancy the better looks. Nancy any day for me!
DeleteAlthough the pretty lead singer on Jam Tronik in the picture on the top of this episode's blog, is not far behind Nancy!
DeleteTurns out the lovely JamTronik beauty's singing name is Nikita Warren, but her real name is Anja Lukaseder & she was a judge on Pop Idol Germany.
Deletehttps://www.eurokdj.com/search/eurodb.php?name=Warren_Nikita
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSo we will have to wait till 1991 to see her next, as Nikita Warren, with song title aptly named I Need You!
DeleteWow, they are overplaying De La Soul/Queen Latifah, aren't they? It's not as strong a track as I remembered.
ReplyDeleteAll I Wanna Do tends to get a bit lost in the mix when you think of Heart songs but nice to see them still having hits at this point.
This is How it Feels is one of my all time fave indie tracks, and I am that rare heretic who prefers Candy Flip to the original...
This show was broadcast on my 18th Birthday, but I don't remember watching it. Just as well, as I wouldn't have regarded it as much of a present. For one thing, Nicky Campbell was smackable throughout.
ReplyDeleteBizz Nizz - Not one of the more memorable dance tunes of the era but I remember it being played a lot so I guess that's why it was a big hit. At least - for once - the dancers seem to be in time.
Heart - Not a patch on their late 80s hits.
Jimmy Somerville - I've always really liked this and I'm surprised that it didn't get very high in the chart at all - for one thing it's miles better than his uninteresting Sylvester cover!
The Family Stand - A hit only because Jazzie B remixed it and made it sound a bit like Soul II Soul, but it's aged fairly well.
Jam Tronik - Hilariously cheap cover version, but as the original is so awful I never cared....
Queen Latifah / De La Soul - I think I enjoyed this more at the time. Unfortunately it's obvious that De La Soul didn't show up for the video.
Suddenly I have 4 episodes to watch - OK here goes...
ReplyDeleteNicky Campbell his usual self (not a funny as he thinks he is)
BIZZ NIZZ – Don’t Miss The Partyline
Average dance tune.
HEART – All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You
So pick up a random hitchhiker in the rain, don't bother to ask his name, take him to a hotel and shag him. Terrible behaviour. Nice 80s love song though.
CANDY FLIP – Strawberry Fields Forever
Still like this
INSPIRAL CARPETS – This Is How It Feels
Best song on the show tonight, nice haircuts
JIMMY SOMERVILLE – Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)
Enjoyed this one - I'd forgotten all about it.
SOUL II SOUL - sorry, THE FAMILY STAND – Ghetto Heaven not as good a tune as I remember but pleasant enough.
JAM TRONIK – Another Day In Paradise
Really like this cover version.
SNAP – The Power (video)
Deserved number one - rudely cut off.
QUEEN LATIFAH & DE LA SOUL – Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children
Video a bit of a mess of other videos, as is the tune