I wait alone each lonely night for the 14th of February 1991 edition of Top of the Pops!
Young hearts
14-2-91: Presenter: Gary Davies
(3) NOMAD feat. M.C. MIKEE FREEDOM – (I Wanna Give You) Devotion
Getting this Valentine's Day edition underway and the tune went up one more place.
(6) KYLIE MINOGUE – What Do I Have To Do (video)
At its peak.
(12) THE SOURCE feat. CANDI STATON – You Got The Love (video)
Peaked at number 4.
(16) 808 STATE – In Yer Face
Inthe studio with what became thier fourth and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 9.
(17) FREE – All Right Now (video)
Had originally peaked at number 2 in 1970, twenty-one years later this remix made it to number 8.
(28) THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – Every Beat Of The Heart
This little bit of proto-Britpop was their only top 40 hit and it went up four more places.
(21) CHRIS ISAAK – Blue Hotel
In the studio performing what became his second of three top 40 hits when it peaked at number 17.
(4) PRAISE – Only You
A second studio performance but their only hit was now at its peak.
(1) THE SIMPSONS – Do The Bartman (video)
First of three weeks at number one!
(24) JIMMY BARNES & INXS – Good Times (video) (and credits)
Peaked at number 18.
21st of February is next.
Free - All Right Now - what a fantastic all-time classic to grace the history books of pop music. From 1970 in its first outing to 1991 on re-release. It should have been released again in 2012. Forever a classic, and can never get fed up of such a top tune.
ReplyDeleteChris Isaak - I have a feeling this studio performance was recorded at the same time as Wicked Game a few weeks earlier in January, as he was playing on the same small side stage, but this time the two female backing singers had gone after the first tune, or had not got on yet if Wicked game was performed after Blue Hotel.
Jimmy Barnes & INXS - Brilliant rock 'n' roll classic that I have a feeling was also done by Meat Loaf at some point, as it sounds so Meat. Anyhow, the video playout seemed to be in full, which it may not have been shown in that much amount on the original TOTP broadcast in 1991. Anyone know?
Gary goes to town with the Valentine's day sentiments this evening. In the middle of heavy snow and the Gulf War latest, a nice gesture.
ReplyDeleteNomad;. Sorry Gary I'm not getting any romantic feelings with this one. However I do have quite a lot of nostalgia for it. It was on so much at the time. East 17 and others (including Harry Enfield's 'Republic of Soul AD') probably got their image together after seeing and hearing this. Mikee could now afford a hat that costs more than a pound.
Kylie Minogue; The video again and pretty much starting and ending at exactly the same place as last week. Great song and visuals so no complaints. A girl in our year had a black bob very like the one Kylie sports in this video. She was scary to approach.
The Source feat Candi Station;. 30,000 and 1st time I've heard this and it still feels as thrilling as the 1st time. Just sounds perfect to me and I think the £50 video actually suits it. One of the singles of the year and an early strike in a year of fabulous dance records.
Some great stuff in the lower part of the Top 40. Milltown Brothers and Jellyfish side by side! The latter were featured prominently on 'The 8.15 From Manchester' either that summer or the summer before. I remember a feature and interview with them. A great bunch of characters. MBV 'To Here Knows When' at 29! Go on totp, show the video I dare you!
808 State; A good bit of doomy fun from a band whose appearances on the show must be getting near the end. The backing for this is essentially 'Olympic' re-worked.
Free; Another advert leading to a re-issue. In this case spearmint gum which I've never liked but the single used is a true classic that I bought straightaway. Then rarely played when I realised they'd put a horrible modern drum sound onto it. B side is great though. A radio 1 version of 'She's a Mover' from 1969. Still any release of this is a good thing and an early example of a move to a more hippiefied outlook in the charts. It's also great to see a clip of the band at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970. We come in after the 1st verse where I think Paul Rodgers forgets most of the words.
The Railway Children; Oh good song! The snow must have been around during that week as it's one I always associate with that winter. Surprised it didn't make the Top 20. Very catchy, kind of up tempo Del Amitry. Maybe a certain indie glumness stopped it getting any higher.
One of the band's fathers didn't emerge from the dry ice at the end then, ho ho.
Chris Isaak; That is quite a suit! Looks like it's been made from a very pricey shower curtain. Another fine piece of '50s style escape from Chris. I can hear a bit of "Rock Lobster' in that riff.
Praise; A nominee for most dated performance since April 1976. Those dancers behind the singer at the start! Actually I was a bit distracted by the woman on the right for the rest of it. Yes I think you could say without any prior knowledge that that was from the early '90s!
The Simpsons; No problem with the programme but what a dreadful thing to come from it. The raps are exactly like when you'd get an improvised rap on 'Whose Line is It Anyway' only without a great payoff at the end by Tony Slattery or Mike McShane. 4 weeks of this crud at the top.
Jimmy Barnes and INXS; Gazza and Lindisfarne were easier on the ear.
Correction: B side to 'All Right Now' re-issue is 'I'm a Mover'. Got it confused with 'She's About a Mover' by Sir Douglas Quintet. It's originally on the 'Tons of Sobs' album and features on Island records' legendary 'You Can All Join In' sampler.
DeleteSummers Magic by Mark Summers stalled at No.27 this week at peak position, but had no showing on TOTP even by this third week in the Top 40. It's basically a reworking of The Magic Roundabout in dance music style, and further down the chart at No.74 there was another Magic Roundabout reworking for dance music 1991 style by Badman.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the two tunes are here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kExc635O9tg&t=87s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PVcHabWo3w
Summers Magic will be best known now for appearing in all nostalgic 80s/90s kids' favourite science fiction comedy The World's End.
DeleteLoved that Mark Summers track at the time. Very clever working of Magic Roundabout and old radio samples "It's that man again!"
DeleteNever heard the Badman version before, bit more raving than clubbing. Prefer Summers version
Trumpton and Sesame Street also getting the Top 40 treatment soon.
Roobarb too, which will give me an opportunity to get on my high horse about something.
DeleteThree repeats to start with, although technically Nomad is a new performance. Look how many new entries there were this week, too! Don't have much to add, so onto 808 State, continuing their run of excellent dance singles with this harsh little number, even if the band themselves look like typical synth boffins. They do try to energise the TOTP audience, to their credit.
ReplyDeleteThen Free with this week's oldie, not in the studio for obvious reasons, but if you like raspy rawk then this is for you. Sounds very dad rock now, though.
The Railway Children, this was more like it, an expansive, wistful indiepop ditty that sounds very wintry, but in a good, contemplative way. Not the most charismatic stage presences, but they had the tunes and would have been bigger a few years later, in a Bluetones way.
Chris Isaak and Hoo Ho-heh, this was the song of his I heard first, and I do prefer it to his others, it rollicks along checking the staples of the style with its lonely highway.
Jeez, Praise are back, somebody liked it I suppose. Maybe it was the lyrics. Addition of interpretive dancers doesn't improve it much.
Kids rule OK as The Simpsons clinch the top spot, then to end on what seems to have been a video made to promote teen vampire movie The Lost Boys, a raucous bit of uninspired bloke rock that sounds like a pub band. Which some would say INXS were.
A couple of interesting songs peaking outside the top 40 this week that we would never see of course:
ReplyDeleteNo.64 - My Love Is A Fire - Donny Osmond
To think that the one of the Osmonds from the 70s were trying to make a successful solo career in the 90s was quite heartwarming to say the least. A sexy video for the 90s kept Osmond on par with Kylie Minogue and the like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4Byt7nkg3E
No.65 - Baby Please Don't Go - Them
A group called Them with a 60s classic by Van Morrison's original band, and one that everyone would have heard at some point, even if they don't know the name of the tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wah7MqEHFg
Gaz getting into the romance and charity vibe there with his brooch.
ReplyDeleteMicky Freedom still dressed like a knob. Decent groove but give me Rebel MC rapping over this any day.
Next we see the embryonic stage of what some of the music papers called SexKylie. Growing up in public here. A bit of a rave going on in the middle of this tune.
Early mugshots – My Bloody Valentine (on Valentine’s Day!), apparently one of the loudest and most eardrum aching bands ever due to their use of loud high pitched feedback.
Dancy yet clunky backing next with that awful Source video.
808 State get the highest new entry with some techno testcard music, but – rave with a drumkit. Blimey!
The next track is the favourite song of a close family member I can’t stand right now, so it’s FFFree.
The Railway Children’s bassist’s had his Weetabix. Pleasant Britpop if a bit repetitive tunewise.
NO, Gaz, Chris Isaak isn’t here. Christ, what a suit! Elvis meets The Shadows and, sadly, no frumpy out-of-synch backing voclaist in an outfit two sizes too small this time round.
Just when you thought Praise’s slop couldn’t be presented any worse, we get Alternative Car Park and his female mate doing “Vision On” style movements.
FF the chart topper only to find INXS with some bloke who looks like a failed extra from “Crocodile Dundee” trying to be AC/DC but they short circuited.
Jimmy Barnes is actually Scottish-Australian and born in Glasgow, so by coincidence on the Crocodile Dundee comparison, you're spot on, and apparently ACDC are also Australian.
DeleteThis collaboration with INXS who are also Australian, coupled with the fact that the original of Good Times was by the Australian band The Easybeats in 1968, is there any more coincidence?
The Barnes/INXS cover of Good Times was for the movie soundtrack of The Lost Boys which the movie scenes on the pop video are from.
Thanks Dory. I had no recollection of where Jimmy was from or what film this was. Consider me enlghtened.
DeleteI forgot to say, who was that dopey cow who forcibly pushed Gary forwards during his outro just to get her mush on screen and say "Wooh"?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWith the playout this week being Jimmy Barnes & INXS, Meat Loaf released a single four years later in 1995 called Runnin' For The Red Light, as the third single from the album Welcome The Neighbourhood, where the song's chorus was lifted from this Jimmy Barnes & INXS cover of Good Times which goes back to the original by an Australian rock band called The Easybeats.
ReplyDeleteMeat Loaf reached No.21 in the UK in 1995 with his cover Running For The Red Light, and apparently did not perform it live until his Mad Mad World Tour in 2012, but I think does just as good as Barnes & INXS in 1991 on our current chart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut3QA0JpKJU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPoxpiNcfyM
Lot of repeats…
ReplyDelete808 state - bit of a mish mash of tunes - did nothing for me
Free - top tune. Everyone but the drummer looks ‘out of their tree’ …
Railway children - pleasant ditty. Thought I remembered this, but only recognised the guitar riff in the chorus. No one appeared to be mining the solo :-)
Chris Isaak - good toon, very early 60s Shadows…
Jimmy Barnes with INXS - darn sight better than INXS solo. Reminded me of Dead Ringer For Love [pre post look at comments - interesting someone else mentioned Meat Loaf!]
Charlie, I would recommend you get the 1995 Meat Loaf album called Welcome To the Neighbourhood, as it has the above mentioned cover of Good Times by Barnes/INXS, but renamed for 1995 by Meat as Runnin' For The Red Light, but most of the lyrics are the same.
DeleteDory, I have Welcome, so that explains why it sounded familiar! In fact I have everything meat Loaf and Steinman released, and quite a lot they didn’t! :-)
DeleteThe ITV Chart show following this episode had its Top Ten video rundown with videos from Kim Appleby at No.9, and Oleta Adams at No.8, and bearing in mind that TOTP didn't play the videos cos the performers came to the TOTP studio, it's a good chance to have a look at how these ladies perform
ReplyDeleteed on their videos in main slots on The Chart Show Top Ten:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkHkG2npxTY
Gary’s back…I’m late, so brief highlights…
ReplyDeleteFree ! Wow never thought they’d show such a good live clip showcasing Paul Kossoff’s guitar solo. Taken too young…son of David.
Railway Children – Loved the film! Made me cry at the end. This was OK.
Chris Isaak – Blue Hotel – Missing the backing singers and another bright suit for Chris! Song is OK but not in the same league as the other one.
Praise – Only You – Flight of the Condor with vocals. But not too bad considering.
Jimmy Barnes and INXS – Good Times - …better times I said everyone’s coming up roses… OK so it is not that, but better than I expected given the band. Great video too.
The less said about the no1 the better, so I won’t.
The Railway Children is one of those classics I can't watch, like The Snowman, because they upset me too much. Must be getting sentimental in my old age...
DeleteIts Ooh-Gary Davies for Valentine's Day! Who else?
ReplyDeleteNOMAD feat. M.C. MIKEE FREEDOM – (I Wanna Give You) Devotion
Back again and now Top3. Great dance track.
KYLIE MINOGUE – What Do I Have To Do
On her world tour so it's back to the dressing up box video.
Lots of new entries in the Top 40 that we will probably never see.
Living Colour one of my favourite tunes ever and Chris Reas' best tune as well
THE SOURCE feat. CANDI STATON – You Got The Love
Another video we've seen already..
808 STATE – In Yer Face
Some serious clubbing action up next. Not sure it works on TV. Is the drummer cold, he's got his big coat on. Maybe they thought their 15 minutes would be over soon. It's a decent club tune though, found myself dancing in my chair 😂
FREE – All Right Now
Will it better it's 1970 peak? Well this is obviously an old recording but the actual single was a remix. Nice car driving tune but not a classic for me.
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – Every Beat Of The Heart
Time for some Indie (what a mixed show tonight). I like this. Very happy tune. Best of tonight's live acts. Shame it wasn't a bigger hit.
CHRIS ISAAK – Blue Hotel
After Wicked Game (which I didn't like), comes Blue Hotel which I love. Go figure. Proper rock n roll tune. Excellent. Clearly pre-filmed when he was here last time
PRAISE – Only You
This song outstayed it's welcome in 1991. And again in 2021. Next
THE SIMPSONS – Do The Bartman
Why? Why? Why?
At least it's not Mr. Blobby!
I've just noticed the dog goes "Bart Bart" instead of "Bark Bark". Help me...
JIMMY BARNES & INXS – Good Times
I had no idea who Jimmy Barnes was in 1991 and I must admit I'm none the wiser now 😜
A fun rock n roll tune to playout. Was this from a movie?
Having read above I have now been enlightened into Good Times and Jimmy Barnes.
DeleteThanks.