Roam around the world the trip begins with the 24th of May 1990 edition of Top of the Pops!
Roam with a view
24-5-90: Presenter: Anthea Turner
(20) THE B52’S – Roam
Making their studio debut and getting tonight's show on the road with this second single from their top ten album Cosmic Thing and it went up three more places.
(10) MANTRONIX feat. WONDRESS – Take Your Time (video)
Got no higher.
(5) EN VOGUE – Hold On
A very impressive studio debut from the girls but the song got no higher.
(32) MOVEMENT 98 feat. CARROLL THOMPSON – Joy And Heartbreak (video) (Breakers)
Their only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 27.
(33) BETTY BOO – Doin’ The Do (video) (Breakers)
Will peak at number 7.
(34) LITTLE ANGELS – Radical Your Lover (video) (Breakers)
Their first of ten top 40 hits but number 34 was a high as this one got.
(35) TALK TALK – It’s My Life (video) (Breakers)
Surprisingly this terrific song only made number 46 when first released in 1984, but this re-issue will do much better and peak at number 13.
(9) BEATS INTERNATIONAL – Won’t Talk About It
In the studio for a second time was this but the song was now at its peak.
(11) MICHAEL BOLTON – How Can We Be Lovers
Went up one more place.
(12) DON PABLO’S ANIMALS– Venus
This sample laden Shocking Blue cover was his only hit and it peaked at number 4.
(1) ADAMSKI – Killer (video)
Third of four weeks at number one.
(25) WAS (NOT WAS) – Papa Was A Rolling Stone (video) (and credits)
Peaked at number 12.
31st of May is next.
A decent amount of songs that I like on this episode, all catchy and It’s My Life always a pleasure to listen too, shame it wasn't a studio performance.
ReplyDeleteTHE B52’S – Roam
EN VOGUE – Hold On
BETTY BOO – Doin’ The Do
TALK TALK – It’s My Life
BEATS INTERNATIONAL – Won’t Talk About It
ADAMSKI – Killer
WAS (NOT WAS) – Papa Was A Rolling Stone
The B-52's with the best single from Cosmic Thing, a splendid slice of peripatetic pop boosted by Nile Rodgers on producer's duties which creates a shimmering soundscape the girls trill over divinely. Meanwhile Fred stand there with his tambourine like a lemon.
ReplyDeleteThe Mantronix video is as bog standard as the tune, it could have been by any number of similar outfits.
En Vogue bring close harmonies and a slinky look to their debut performance, you can see where Destiny's Child (and umpteen others) got their ideas from, can't you? Song's still pretty good, shows off their vocals to good effect, but better was to come.
Breakers, two we'll see again, the others making barely an impression, aside from Little Angels' ill-advised brass section. What is that title supposed to mean, anyway?
Beats Int back with more or less the same performance as before, Anthea mentions Lindy's solo career - did anything come of that? I guess she's still singing, judging by the Story of 1990 doc.
Michael Bolton, again, much as before, then a bunch of hangers on pretend to dance to a remix of Shocking Blue. Not sure which of them, if any, is Don Pablo. Sounds like a bunch of none more 1990 cliches.
Ah, the video for Adamski's Killer is finally ready, which looks like it was shot in some twisted version of the then-current TOTP studio, apart from the Seal's head in a microwave bits.
To end on, the bastardisation of the Temptations classic from Was Not Was, jampacked with bells and whistles that do nothing for the elegant, soul-searching class of the original. Don't know what they were thinking, but this is a terrible cover.
THX, Lindy Layton released at least seven singles, the first a cover recorded with the original artist which almost made the top 20 and that was as good as it got. Another single scraped the top 40, three others peaked at 42, 47 and 71 and the others missed the target.
DeleteThanks for that, so she did plug away at the solo career. Can imagine one of her concerts would be a case of waiting around for one song in particular, however.
DeleteAnthea's presenting is now a real highlight of these shows. Affable and assured. There was a chance to compare and contrast with the repeat of the xmas '88 show last night. Yes. Exhausting.
ReplyDeleteThe B52s; What a fantastic start! For me along with 'Topaz' the highlight of 'Cosmic Thing' and it still sounds like a young teenagers invitation to no conditions fun. Fantastic guitar riff and a rowdy bighearted chorus with lyrics you will always take with you. Fred bashes a tambourine and looks cool so its all about the girls here and Cindy Wilson for me is definately the winner this time. I'm sure they weren't competing.
I remember seeing the B52s perform 'Roam' live on the Arthur Smith presented stand up comedy series 'Paramount City'. I checked the 'Pop Diaries' website and it showed that they also performed this on 'The 8.15 From Manchester' on the same day. That performance is on youtube but the 'PC' one is not so all I have is a precious memory but wonderful to see them do it here.
Mantronix feat Wondress; Way more time and effort put into the video than the record. I wonder if the visuals were an influence on Pet Shop Boys when they did the vid for 'Where The Streets Have No Name'.
En Vogue; Good to see them in the studio but for me they look and sound like they're still to find their identity. Man will they find it but for now a case of kind of funky but no divas.
Movement 98; Didn't do much for me though enjoyed the Satie Gymnopedie No.1 chords used again for the song called, I think, 'I'll Bring You Flowers'.
Betty Boo; Great single here and gone in a flash as we've come to expect from them breakers.
Little Angels; This is ok. Pretty down to earth for that style of music. Liked the smoky barroom video. Hopefully they'll be back soon (the venue I mean).
Talk Talk; Classic single, one of my favourite bands. More of it next time.
Beats International; Still nicely understated. Fatboy Norm still a little on the smarmy side.
Michael Bolton; Right stop that! Before it becomes a guilty pleasure.
Don Pablo's Animals; They aren't quite the colourfully presented menagerie I remember them as being but I do still like this. Far better than Bananarama's version which sounds like glass being smashed in your ear for 4 minutes. This is more like a hippie classic affectionately re-worked for the rave generation. The (drop me for this) 'whoo yeah'! sample actually works here.
Adamski; Yes the video! I do remember jumping slightly when I first saw Seal's diembodied heads revolving on tv. I now wonder if it was a deeply buried trauma from seeing the 1978 BBC1 christmas ident when I was 3 (if you've never seen it, approach with caution. It really is terrifying!). This is still classic in every way.
Was (Not Was); Good luck trying to cover this. But if anyone is equipped to give it a go it's surely Was (Not Was). They do a good gritty job but the arrangement can only ever be inferior to the glorious original. Next edition looks a really good one.
Anthea really made me laugh, she's so cheerily naff it's endearing.
DeleteFlowers was by Sweet Female Attitude, and happened along ten years later.
Oh yes, that's the name, thankyou! More of a tune that one.
DeleteTend to be in agreement with you with regard to Don Pablo's Animals. It was perfect for its time, i.e., 1990 and the dance music trends of the time, meaning that you kinda of had to have the 'whoo yeah' in your tune if you wanted to go places in the music charts!
Deletethe 1978 BBC1 christmas ident
DeleteWhat was this thx?
Try this...
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eIJ4HTRQ5s
Scary isn't it. No ident would've been better for littluns. The '80 ident however is really charming.
DeleteGood grief, I don't remember that at all, maybe it didn't register. What was the one Noel Edmonds blew up on The Late Late Breakfast Show because everyone hated it?!
DeleteOn the same note, the BBC2 ident for xmas '78 was thought lost forever until a piece of tv footage was rediscovered last year.
DeleteThanks Arthur. Blimey that was weird!
DeleteThanks Arthur. Blimey that was weird!
DeleteThanks Arthur. Blimey that was weird!
DeleteSeeing the songs listed for this show I felt it could have been so much better, but I was left feeling shortchanged. Anthea’s dreadful outfit didn’t help, and her style on this one seemed to have regressed to her earlier more shouty days.
ReplyDeleteB52s – Roam – Or should I say ‘Rrrrrrr-oam’ as Nicky Campbell introduced it? Surprised to see the B52s in the studio since they didn’t appear for their most famous song. This is not a song I recall at all but its catchy and yes, the caption ‘roam with a view’ sums it up nicely!
Mantronix – Take your time – A complete nonevent for me.
En Vogue – Hold On – Very slinky performance in the LBDs but the song has very little substance really and that long intro which reminded me of Freddie’s ‘Lo------o---ove’ at the end of ‘Somebody to Love’ makes one shout ‘get on with it!’.
Breakers – Well, Talk Talk back indeed and agree with Angelo’s sentiments about surprising this didn’t get higher before. At least this song got a second crack unlike so many others that fell by the chart wayside when they should have been massive!
Beats International – Won’t talk about it – Pleasant enough follow up…only three keyboards this time.
Michael Bolton – How can we be lovers – Was this a repeat? Surely he didn’t rock up to the studio with his band twice?
Don Pablo’s Animals – Venus – Well I am not surprised this was Don’s only hit on this very disappointing showing. A bit like that flipping FPI Project cover, I kept waiting for the vocals to come in…but they never did. Five of them on the stage doing what? I loved the original and the Bananarama cover but this finishes a very distant third….lapped around the track even. Rubbish.
Adamski – Killer – Fortunately after Don Pablo, we’re rescued by this superb offering from Adamski and Seal. Great to see the video even if it is not the best I have ever seen.
Was (not Was) – Papa was a Rolling Stone – OK so when the Temptations original came out in 1973 I was quite young and thought it was referring to ‘Papa’ being a member of Mick and Keith’s band! Not too struck on this as a cover however, so give me the Temps or indeed the Stones any day.
There have been many other examples of artists not coming to the TOTP studio for their biggest hit, but coming for the next and less successful one, so here it was the B52s where I'm sure everyone would have wanted them in the studio to do Loveshack, but the no-show meant that the three weeks at No.2 got no play on TOTP, and last played when at No.6 by means of their video.
DeleteThe other famous one I was thinking of was Meat Loaf's I'd Do Anything For Love, which was No.1 for 7 weeks at the end of 1993, but no appearance in the TOTP studio, however he did appear for Objects In The Rear View Mirror a few months later, but had to be allowed to also host the show in order to get him on!
Good Lord, there seems to be a difference in opinion on the Was Not Was cover of Papa Was A Rolling Stone which graced our playout this week, so I thought I would watch the video in full to see what all the fuss was about either way.
ReplyDeleteWell, firstly we didn't see the superb saxophone intro leading into Sweet Pea Atkinson's lead vocals, and also I think people may have been shocked by the rap middle-section of the song to see rapping on the record by three other vocalists aside from Sweet Pea who stayed well clear of the rapping section.
However, the song redeemed itself with the superb acapella finale which the TOTP viewers were also not exposed to, so all things considered, including the fact that it was their first top 40 single in nearly three years since Walk The Dinosaur.........its a big thumbs up from me, and another superb record from Was Not Was!
Throwing everything but the kitchen sink at a cover is not often the best route to take, and the Was Not Was Temps cover sounded pretty horrible to me. But if you prefer it, I'm not going to argue, it's all personal taste.
DeleteTie Dye Anthea takes us through a show with more obvious highs than lows for me.
ReplyDeleteThe B52’s first, with the female vocalists reminding me of Betty and Wilma who, of couse, they’d be involved with later in their career. Couldn’t Fred have at least tried to mime a guitar? That “hip to hip” line’s very hooky. The guitar instrumental lifted a bit from the band’s seminal very minor hit “Give Me Back My Man”.
The second ‘not quite as good as their big hit’ next. Mantronix with an okayish track and a thoroughly anonymous video.
Anthea forgets that our first studio act also flew over from the USA, and I had to rewind to check she mentioned En Vogue in her intro. Interesting gospel a capella harmony leads us into a smooth bit of new style R’n’B and a right old Paul Abdul strength choreographed display of vogueing.
Another of those cheap white background videos for Movement 98’s mellow but not high octane groove.
Woah! Betty Boo looking lush (as I believe the Welsh say) and giving us some great comic Stylie rap. I bet it wasn’t just that lad’s hair that went up and straight!
The weird title of Little Angels’ track reminded me of a close mate who worked for British Gas, where they do radicals – overtime boiler checks with a fixed amount per boiler added to their paycheck. Apart from the fact the chorus of this lifted from “Dude Looks Like A Lady”, nothing to see or hear here.
Talk Talk with a brilliant yet muddy sounding track and a weird facial set-up for Mark Hollis.
So, Norman tells Lindy how to act for their first hit and acts like a right prick for both showings of this.
“Venus”, sounding more like the last two syllables of Uranus. Talentless chancers.
Seal’s obviously got a head for the heights of the chart summit. Ahem. I was half waiting for a microwave ding or beep at the end.
I was quite enjoying that cover by Waz Not Was (as they pronounce it) until that horrible rap. It was going so well.
Yes, I was quite taken by surprise by the rap on the playout tune, but you gotta see the whole video to make your mind up, as I think it redeems itself big-time once the rap is over, especially the smooth finish.
DeleteGawd, you could not get away from that B-52's Flintstones cover at the time, it was everywhere. You don't get that so much now, the tie-in record for a movie that guarantees free advertising.
DeleteNice to see The B-52's and En Vogue in the studio at last. Roam is still one of my all time favourites.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even realise It's My Life hadn't made the top 40 in the 1980s, I feel like all those 80s compilations messed with my memory!
Betty Boo - I loved her back then, even got the VHS of Boomania for my birthday. It only had videos for the four singles if I recall (24 Hours was my favourite), which seems such a weird and ripoff thing in hindsight but I remember it was really common for acts to do that at the time (might also have had the Snap! World Power VHS. In my defence, I was what they'd call a 'tween' these days).
Lots of songs that have been on before. Don Pablo's Animals was always a bit of a weird one but it reminds me of the Smash Hits Rave compilation I had on cassette which I suspect had little to do with actual rave music...
Lot of repeats - all of them dull as ditchwater...
ReplyDeleteB52s - very different from Love Shack, but very listenable.
Breakers:
Movement - video more interesting than the song, and that wasn’t up to much
Betty Boo - remember this. Really liked what little we heard
Little Angels - Bob Jovi lite
Talk talk - why was this reissued? (Mind you, its a good tune)
Don Pablo - cover version time again. Fairly forgettable loop of the best bits that went nowhere - Did the singer forget to turn up?
Was not was - fair effort but original version wins... (just finished typing this and the rap came in - fair reduced to poor)
Howdy Anthea...happy new 98.2!
ReplyDeleteLove this B52s track. Less played and just as good as love shack with a really catchy, swaying chorus. They look great as well don't they. Although looking at their facial expressions blondes have less fun. Poor Fred with nothing to do.
Anthea mumbling again..no idea what she is saying half the time.
Mantronix with the lesser Wondress single. Very average all round.
Talk Talk a re-entry surely.
The wonderful En Vogue. Love this one. A very sixties style with a modern beat and some added sex appeal. Classy.
Breakers:
Movement 98: Don't remember this at all. Not very inspiring.
Betty Boo. 15 year old me about to fall head over heels for this one..
Little Angels: As with Faith No More, don't mind this at all. One of my brothers bands.
Talk Talk. Terrible sound quality on this old video. Fantastic song though and glad they got a second bite at this. New to me in 1990.
Beats and Lindy for the last time apparently. I do like this one and lovely to see it again. Lindys' solo career didn't come to much unfortunately. Just the one hit I think. Mind you the Beats disappear fairly quickly as well..but not Norman of course.
SNAP! caption still the wrong way around!
And straight into the better (but lesser selling) of Bolton's 2 big hits. Much prefer this. So 80s it hurts.
Don Pablo's Animals. I bloody love this dance tune. One of 1990s highlight for me. Amazed me at the time that this is the same song Bananarama covered. Both versions rock.
Miming lady has one word and still misses her cue 😂
Ooh the wonderful Killer video. That rotating Seal head is really well done, even if it does look like a bad episode of Casualty+. Then he's in that tube from The Buggles video.
Was Not Was with a very classy cover of Papa (until the rap) to finish off a very decent show.