I need a little time to think it over, I need a little room to watch the 11th of October 1990 edition of Top of the Pops!
Beautiful pair
11-10-90: Presenter: Bruno Brookes
(21) SISTERS OF MERCY – More
Warming up for Halloween with a song that peaked at number 14.
(19) CLIFF RICHARD – From A Distance (video)
Peaked at number 11.
(24) THE CHIMES – Heaven
Performing in the studio tonight but the song went no higher.
(16) NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK – Didn’t I Blow Your Mind (video)
This Delfonics cover peaked at number 8.
(9) THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH – A Little Time
In the studio with Briana and Dave performing this duet which will carry on up the charts to become the band's only number one hit in two weeks time.
(25) NENEH CHERRY – I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Also in the studio this evening but the song could get no higher.
(14) MONIE LOVE feat. TRUE IMAGE – It’s A Shame (My Sister) (video)
Went up two more places.
(4) STATUS QUO – The Anniversary Waltz Part 1 (video)
Also went up two more places.
(1) MARIA McKEE – Show Me Heaven
Third of four weeks at number one.
(17) DEPECHE MODE – World In My Eyes (video) (and credits)
At its peak.
18th of October is next.
Sisters Of Mercy - strange to start the show with this one, but when you consider the rest of the lineup on the show, there wasn't a single dance tune in the show's roster to start off the show, which was the customary way on TOTP. Always remember Sisters Of Mercy for This Corrosion, and a very underrated band in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteChart rundown - interestingly no Breakers this week, and the lowest chart position to feature on the show was Neneh Cherry at No.25, so we didn't get Phil Collins in at No.34 for only one week in the top 40, and considering he made an expensive video for it based on a 1912 boat party, I thought I had to give it a mention here, as it fell off the top 40 chart the following week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMSPPY10O2A
Also no plays this week for The Criminal Element Orchestra at No.30, and Pop Will Eat Itself at No.32, as both unusually had no videos for them, and like Phil Collins, also found themselves going down or completely out of the Top 40 the following week!
Neneh Cherry - I liked the cute drummer on this studio performance.
Monie Love - if you didn't watch the video, you would think the rap vocals were sung by Betty Boo, as the voice sounded a lot like on Doing The Do!
Status Quo - enjoying the recent 60s resurgence by Jive Bunny, and prompting a Quo version and fun video to rival Can Can You Party by Jive Bunny which I think also got to No.4?
Top Ten rundown - mistakenly showed The Pet Shop Boys as going up to No.5, whereas they actually went DOWN one place to No.5. Another error not double-checked by the producer, following last week's show where the graphics showed Bobby Vinton as No.31 at the beginning of his clip, when he was actually at No.3 in the chart rundown. Good Lord!
An edition that veered perilously close to being a special covers one. Maybe Paul Ciani had considered doing that during these last couple of months. Not that you would be likely to hear anyone do a chartbound cover of....
ReplyDeleteSisters Of Mercy; Starting things off with some black cloud crooning from the man to whom self doubt will always be a stranger. Liked his shirt. Sorry I have tried but I still find Andrew Eldridge's music about 50 times less interesting than his interviews.
Cliff Richard; Cover 1: Do you think this could possibly have been the finale of a concert? I thought I saw Pete Waterman for a millisecond there looking absolutely bored out of his mind. If Alan Tarney had had any hand in this whatsoever I would feel like someone had burned my teddy bear on a bonfire.
The Chimes; Heaven, cover of The Psychedelic Furs? No an original, apparently out before Still Haven't Found...
Really not very good. The previous release is still one of my favourite covers of that or any other year though. At the end the camera abruptly pulls across to Bruno like an impatient customer.
New Kids; Cover 2: Awful
The Beautiful South; Lovely song headed for No.1. You need to buy a coat with the right length sleeves before you do anything else Dave! And Brianna Corrigan looking like every 6th form girl I can remember sauntering up the stairs outside the dinner hall. Paul Heaton at the piano suddenly stands up presumably to remind us that he's there.
Neneh Cherry; Cover 3: A cover that, as Bruno mentions, is of significance. I definately remember watching 'Red Hot and Blue' on Channel 4 that Autumn. Heard the album again last week. It's a truly fine compilation and this is a perfectly strong opener. Neneh as always owning the Totp stage. Bruno bigs up the album again but mentions U2 and Erasure when he should be mentioning Salif Keita and Lisa Stansfield.
Monie Love; Cover 4: More of the song and video which still sounds great. Just really works for me.
Status Quo; Cover 5: Bruno gets through his link without stumbling which is just as well as the camera appeared to be headed straight up his nostrils! What was that for?
Friendly chugathon which as I've said still brings back nice memories. At the end of the vid a caption says Congratulatuons! What, for 25 years or for being on the show so many times? Probably a mix of the two.
Incidentally would love to know how Michael Hurll reacted when Rick fell into the drums during 'Marguerita Time'. That was talked about in our household for days.
Maria McKee; The live clip again. No complaints from me. Perhaps one last chance to see the guy at the side in the smart white shirt and black tie. Clearly an endangered species at this point.
Depeche Mode; Murky,surly video repeat to end on.
Bette Midler released her own version of From A Distance which came in as a new entry at No.58 on the same chart this week as Cliff Richard now at No.19 with it. Suffice to say that Midler managed only No.45 when peaking at the end of October, so didn't even make the TOTP Top 40!
DeleteIt's strange, cos I only remember Midler's version as she got to No.2 in America with it, and I remember it being played a lot on Radio 1's American charts with Paul Gambaccini in 1990, and with no Cliff Richard version in sight!
I remember Nanci Griffith's original of Distance being all over the 80s chat shows when she was in the UK, presumably because it was tasteful and faux-profound so wouldn't offend anyone like, I dunno, Sigue Sigue Sputnik or something.
DeleteBette Midler’s version of From a Distance reached the Top Ten the following summer.
DeleteA case of second time lucky
DeleteAnother record which had the same effect as Bette Midler, was N-Joi with Anthem that people would associate as a top ten in 1991, but it also comes in as a new entry in the October 1990 and only gets to no.45, the same month and the same peak position as Midler, and both songs got a top 10 positioning on re-release in 1991. Talk about mirroring fortunes!
DeleteUrgh, sincere Bette Midler is the worst Bette Midler - give us a rendition of The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B any time!
DeleteBette Midler's version of "From A Distance" got a second wave. It dropped out of the top 75 for seven months then shot up to number 6.
ReplyDeleteAh, Briana Corrigan. Much preferred her in The Beautiful South to Jacqueline Abbott. Briana eventually left after a disgareement with Paul Heaton about some of his lyrics, Exhibit A being "They say use a condom, I say use a whip".
Yes, I thought it was odd that Midler only got to No.45 on the October 1990 chart, as I remember hearing it a lot on the radio, so now it figures that it came back in 1991 with a top 10 result for her. Thanks Arthur!
DeleteHad a bit of trouble commenting this week, don't know if it was a Google malfunction or what. Anyway, seems to be back now.
ReplyDeleteThe Sisters Gothing it up like nobody's business, they seem to have ditched Patricia but it's more of the same with her three replacements. Not bad, but it was wearing a little thin by this point.
Nanci Griffith's patronising Christ-o-tune gets a Sir Clifford makeover which somehow makes it even more smug and condescending. The video looks like a Festival of Light rally.
The Chimes try some new material instead of their covers and the results are, erm, average, she has a nice enough voice but what it's being applied to is not very interesting.
This week's tepid cover, and what a surprise the New Blockheads have a concert video for us. Nasty falsettos abound here, predictably this adds nothing to the original but does make you wonder if it was any good in the first place.
The Beauts with a bitter breakup tune in he said/she said style, all a bit clever clever but not the worst thing they ever did. Very middle of the road, though, despite the angry lyrics.
Well, it sounds like Cole Porter's words, Neneh, but you've demolished a perfectly good melody to replace it with a lot of nothing. All for a good cause, of course, but the lack of faith in the old standard suggests music wasn't forefront in the mind.
We get the video for Monie, it weaves a tale, then the less welcome video for Status Quid, those dancers have to be hired actors, no way are they actual Quo fans.
Then Maria again, and Fast Fashion again, don't have anything to add to what I said last time.
Bruno Von Brookhausen this week, wearing what looks like lederhosen to begin with.
ReplyDeleteSisters Of Mercy with a goth Slash on bass and what looks like the blonde Bananarama gal on guitar. Bring back Patricia! “More”? Erm, no thanks.
Cliff Richard with a track which is a shadow of his last hit. See what I did there? Its title is exactly how far away I’d like to be when I hear this next time.
Pre-mugshots: Which basketball team does that lad in the red shirt play for?
Mugshots: “Good Morning Britain”, not featuring Piers Morgan.
Intriguing song sequencing tonight, following a God squad romp with “Heaven”. The Chimes go punk Soul II Soul to no great effect. Love Pauline’s jacket, though. Hmm, a gratuitous arse shot there. Try that with Neneh Cherry and she’ll chin you.
The KNOB bastards defacate all over the sublime Delfonics track. Topped off by Bruno crediting the other side of the single instead in his outro. He obviously didn’t watch the video. Can’t blame him.
You’ve got to give Dave Hemingway a hand. Two, actually, as you can’t see his. Unusual chopping of Dave’s last half line of vocals.
Trev asks us to turn the sound up for his mugshot waffle rather than for the music!
Neneh with a slowed down “Buffalo Stance” start followed by a mid-pace catalogue of worries which doesn’t match up to Prince’s “Sign O’ The Times” in my opinion.
That kid wants Monie Love to shut up so he can watch the telly in peace. I can’t believe the Detroit Spinners’ version was never a hit here.
If ever an act had the most apt name, it’s Status Quo with the new hit same as the last. If this Trade Descriptions Act styling was used for all acts, New Kids On The Block would be renamed Shit.
Always worth a re-run of Maria McKee’s excellent live take.
Martin Gore shows us what looks closer to lederhosen gear as The Mode plough their Disco Kraftwerk furrow.
the version of Neneh Cherry's song they used was the Blacksmith "Brixton Bass Remix" instead of the single version linked here.
Deletehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p9MYizva-7o
Looking further down the charts this week, three songs to peak outside the top 40 from well established 80s performers, who could not seem to break through now in the 90s:
ReplyDeleteNo.71 - Heaven Can Wait - Paul Young
No.75 - My Cutie Cutie - Shakin Stevens - second song in a row to flop outside the top 40 following Pink Champagne, and trying unsuccessfully the Jive Bunny/Status Quo tactic to bring back the 50s, and so soon after this he only bothered with the Christmas market for 1990 and 1991 before finally bowing out for good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my-R3in3fjI
No.77 - Soul Provider - Michael Bolton - one of his best if not THE best that Bolton ever did (and we saw a glimpse of the video on the Top 5 albums on last week's show) but clearly the British record-buying public did not think so:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXO7UL84rK0
That was actually Shakin' Stevens' third single in a row to 'stiff'. The immediate follow-up to "I Might", called "Yes I Do", stalled at number 60.
DeleteHaving had a quick listen, that Paul Young song and the first two Shaky flops were duffers, but there was enough about "My Cutie Cutie" for it to have done much
Deletebetter. Just my opinion, though.
Paul Young's 'Heaven can wait' is a pretty good track given a real kick by David Gilmour on guitar - I wonder how many people realised at the time? Sounds so Floyd....
DeleteHeaven Can Wait was more famously a Meat Loaf track on the 1977 Bat Out Of Hell album which I don't think was released as a single, but nevertheless a superb melodic song among other classics.
DeleteMeat Loaf's 'Heaven can wait' was a Steinman song whereas Paul Young's was written by 'P Rutter'. The best song of that name for my money is by Judie Tzuke - the opening track on the 'Shoot the Moon' album....
DeleteSisters of mercy - cowritten with jim steinman for Wuthering Heights, this is classic Steinman. Love it!
ReplyDeleteCliff Richard - snatching sales from Bette Midler (just like UK acts used to do in the early 60s). Not as good - was that Peter Waterman on tambourine ??! [pre post look at comments reveals it wasn’t just me that thought it was Peter Waterman]
Chimes - don’t know why they reissued this (well I do, it was on the back of Still Haven’t found) but still didn’t set the chart on fire.
NKOTB - after a week off, they are back with a new song (finally), this time murdering the Delfonics
Beautiful South - as I said this last week, I really like this.
Neneh Cherry - I had forgotten that this was from red hot and blue. Some great tracks on that, but this isn’t one of them.
All ‘previously on’ for the rest of the show...
Pretty much the same as the previous one i.e. not very good.
ReplyDeleteSisters of Mercy – More – Not the Can song nor Andrea True Connection, so I want less, less, less
Cliff Richard – From a Distance – Well we don’t see much of it! Anyway, prefer Bette Midler’s version which we’ll be seeing soon.
Chimes – Heaven – Next
Block Thing – Didn’t I (blow your mind) – People forget that not only did the Delfonics release this in 1971, so did Redwood.
Beautiful South – A little time – Prefer this to that messy looking video….which won a BRIT award that year! Nice song anyway.
Neneh Cherry – I’ve got you under my skin – Somewhere in there is a tune.
Monie Love – It’s a shame - …FF
Status Quo – Anniversary Waltz- They’re having a good time with Rhino Edwards taken over from Alan Lancaster on bass – Rhino as he likes to crash and bang around!
Maria McKee – Show me Heaven – Another great ending to a not so good show!
Depeche Mode – World in my Eyes -…. And then downhill again. Did this band really give us ‘See you’?
First time Rhino Edwards and Judie Tzuke have been mentioned in the same thread here since Rhino appeared on TOTP backing Judie for "Stay With me Till Dawn". I'll get my coat!
DeleteNice spot Arthur! Ironically on the album 'Welcome to the Cruise', Mo Foster is listed as playing bass on 'Stay with me till Dawn'...
Delete...but he did play bass on 'Heaven can wait' !
DeleteFunny how we never talk about who played bass on hits by the likes of Technotronic, S'Epress etc....
This week's ITV chart show Top Ten had Bobby Vinton at No.1 for a second week, thereby having given Maria McKee only two weeks at No.1 previous to that, whereas the official TOTP chart had McKee at No.1 for all 4 weeks!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azzaA5pC9oc
Mr ex-charts now (Goody Bags has stolen his job) in a snazzy waistcoat with a very professional performance.
ReplyDeleteSISTERS OF MERCY – More
A proper Goth opening to the show with some flowery shirts, a masked ball and some serious guitar. Not my sort of thing usually but I really enjoyed that. Not the first time I've found myself rocking along to SOM.
CLIFF RICHARD – From A Distance
More concert video from Clifford and his baseball 11. Bette did this much better and I didn't like that version much either. Pension him off please.
THE CHIMES – Heaven
First of last weeks breakers now, and it's one of the two I wasn't sure of. Nothing remarkable about this and I won't be in a rush to watch this again. Mind the camera with that guitar.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK – Didn’t I Blow Your Mind
This Delfonics cover is not the worst thing the KNOBS ever recorded. Cartoon and Film? Don't remember them ever being released, maybe they flopped.
THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH – A Little Time
Criminally their only Number One single but this is one of their finest tunes so well deserved.
NENEH CHERRY – I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Another of last weeks average breakers but a decent cause and a decent lyric for this AIDS song. Not sure the "Under my skin" bit really fits or is necessary. Should have written her own chorus.
MONIE LOVE feat. TRUE IMAGE – It’s A Shame (My Sister)
Nice to see the video to this excellent song.
STATUS QUO – The Anniversary Waltz Part 1
A proper school disco rather than rock and roll feel to this "waltz" but the jukebox video is a clever idea. Still a fan of this.
MARIA McKEE – Show Me Heaven
Live version again. Exemplary.
DEPECHE MODE – World In My Eyes
Another quality tune to play out. This did much better than I remember and great to hear it again.