I'm too sexy for BBC4, too sexy for BBC4, and too sexy for the 1st of August 1991 edition of Top of the Pops!
Too sexy for this blog
1-8-91: Presenter: Simon Mayo
(12) RIGHT SAID FRED – I’m Too Sexy
Getting tonight's show off to a sexy start with what became their first of four top ten hits when it peaked at number 2.
(26) D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE – Summertime (video) (and charts)
Became the duo's first of two top ten hits when it peaked at number 8.
(24) VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE – Monsters And Angels
In the studio in their biggest skirts and the song peaked at number 17.
(15) DEACON BLUE – Twist And Shout
Also in the studio with this catchy song and it went up five more places.
(27) COLOR ME BADD – All 4 Love
The studio is a busy place tonight, and this song became the boy band's second and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 5.
(25) MORRISSEY – Pregnant For The Last Time
Also making into the studio with this hillbilly style tune but it went up no higher.
(14) BOMB THE BASS – Winter In July
Completing an impressive studio line-up tonight to perform their fourth and final top ten hit and it peaked at number 7
(38) BEVERLEY CRAVEN – Holding On (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 32.
(36) MARILLION – No One Can (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 33.
(35) DE LA SOUL – A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’ (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 22.
(33) YOUNG DISCIPLES – Apparently Nothin’ (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 13.
(1) BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
Fourth of sixteen weeks at number one.
(28) SEAL – The Beginning (video) (and credits)
Went up four more places.
Not much to comment on this week, but the highlight of the show for me was Bomb The Bass ft Loretta, and the group's first single for three years since having three Top 10 singles in 1988 in their debut year.
ReplyDeleteWinter In July was an about-change in style when compared to Beat Dis and Don't Make Me Wait, which were at the peak of the house music invasion of 1988, but now in 1991 where house music had evolved, this new one seemed to be in a class of its own, and well, Loretta was just superb on that stage and in that beautiful dress.
Morrissey - after having his last few singles recently given the cold-shoulder by TOTP despite getting well into the top 40, there seemed to be no controversy with this one for a change, despite an unusual song title.
Chart rundown - two non-movers - Cathy Dennis at No.13, and Londonbeat at No.23 could consider themselves unlucky not to get a second appearance with their singles, and when you consider that on next week's show The Shamen get a second appearance when as a non-mover at No.4, there seems to be no algorithm going, but rather the show producer's fancy. I would have had Cathy Dennis on as a main slot this week instead of the two songs in The Breakers section of the show.
Also I noticed Color Me Badd had two singles in the chart - their new one at No.27 featured on the show with a main slot, and also at their former chart-topper falling at No.31, so the summer of 1991 was as much about Color Me Badd, as it was Bryan Adams and Right Said Fred.
Right Said Fred, no idea why they picked the Cribbins-referencing band name, but this was one of those summer novelty hits that somehow developed into a proper career. They're all ardent anti-vaxxers now, despite Richard contracting the virus and nearly dying he still won't get the jab, which makes the model they're spoofing in their song sound positively genius level in comparison.
ReplyDeleteDJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince with a tune you can't get away from any time any sunny day shows up after about May, and it always sounds awfully smug to me, plus I'm a bit sick of it. All a bit slick and overproduced.
Voice of the Beehive in the studio, pretty little tune and the band always put on a good show, one thing, though - what's the difference between peacefulness and peace? Why not just say peace? Would save you a couple of syllables.
Deacon Blue with a slightly annoying zydeco (?!) number, well it sounds like something they'd be performing near a swamp somewhere, Lorraine doing her "just stepped on an ant's nest" dance. Also annoying to use the previously claimed title.
Color Me Badd, obviously filmed when they were over to celebrate their Number 1, and my aren't they excited to be there. Probably expected to do better with it, but the dumper beckoned. This is actually better (or less skeevy) than their biggie, but maybe that's not saying much.
Moz in the studio for his rockabilly ditty, wonder if he'll do this in his Las Vegas residency? He seems to have bumped his head, or is the plaster another affectation? Overenthusiastic on the tambourine.
Bomb the Bass with a proper song! Caused a few ripples at the time. It's a bit mournful and sorry for itself, but nice enough, although surely if it was winter in July you'd be in Australia or South America?
Breakers, the student music teacher is back for a non-hit, Marillion resort to walks along the beach, De La Soul - is this a rerelease? Love it anyway - and Young Disciples with a stumbling bit of rap soul.
Then the end of the Bry video before Seal shows up giving it the full Julie Andrews in the video. Did he pick his titles out of a hat, like David Bowie used to do with his cut-up lyrics? Song, eh, it's OK, but it sounds like he's treading water.
This week's "Call My Bluff" word of the week goes to 'skeevy'. Never heard of it before and I had to look up what it means!
DeleteSome classics tonight, along with a couple of songs that time has faded for good reason (looking at you Color Me Badd especially).
ReplyDeleteRight Said Fred - It's a classic party tune and Richard was a great popstar but now he's gone anti vaxx mad I just... sigh.
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - Easily their best track and probably my favourite thing Will Smith has ever done. Although I had the subtitles on today and 'with a pen and pad' makes a lot more sense than what my brain always assumed was 'wear the panty pad'. (11 year old girl brain ahoy!)
Voice of the Beehive - Really good to see them in the studio cos I love this.
Deacon Blue - Another great track, no duds so far.
Color Me Badd - Except this one. Bleh. And for a boy band, they were all quite unfortunate looking.
Mozza - Can get in the bin with Richard Fairbrass, Ian Brown and co.
Bomb the Bass - Another fave from this year and quite different from their other stuff (my second fave of theirs is Bug Powder Dust which has pretty much the opposite vibe).
Breakers - Beverley Craven's second single which I had forgotten all about until now and yes I remember that. Not so much Marillion or De La Soul. But the Young Disciples will become an enduring classic.
Thing to say about that thing 4/16, a Back To School special: I was in junior school when this hit number one and secondary school when it was toppled.
Seal - one of the duller tunes this episode.
Does that mean you are 41 now? When I was in that phase between junior school and secondary school it was the summer of 1979, and in the equivalent position in August of that year, I had to endure The Boomtown Rats with I Don't Like Mondays, but by the time I started secondary school in September, we were graced with Cliff Richard's We Don't Talk Anymore which toppled the Rats, so Cliff was my sort of Back To School Special.
DeleteI am indeed. I Don't Like Mondays is definitely better school vibes than Cliff I think! (I mean I know the story behind it is tragic but Cliff's song is more like a soundtrack for Friends Reunited RIP)
DeleteWho would have thought thirty years on that Right Said Fred and Mozza would be singing from the same songbook. While watching the Badd I came to a similar conclusion, your “unfortunate looking” quote cracked me up though!
DeletePS. Apologies for saying that twice, it seems an accidental back page caused that second reply.
DeleteThree tunes that peaked outside the Top 40 this week from previous Top 40 regulars, and unlucky not to get to the TOTP stage:
ReplyDeleteNo.53 - The Cookie Crew - Secrets Of Success
It turned out to be the opposite of success for this single for the two girls from South London still going at it for chart success, after having first been introduced to us by The Beatmasters in 1988 as a 'featuring' entity on their record Rock Da House during the house music invasion. Turns out that this new single was to be the last Cookie Crew adventure, and we would never hear from them again.
No.57 - Julian Cope - Head
Having first arrived on the scene in 1983, he persevered with a solo career throughout his career right up until 1996, with not much in the way of going deep into the top 40 with anything, although quite a few rested outside the Top 20.
No.58 - The Primitives - You Are The Way
Always liked this group, especially the pretty lead singer, but just like The Cookie Crew, they started in 1988, and finished here with their last single in August 1991, and we never heard from them again in the charts.
Weren't The Cookie Crew on one of the Story of... shows?
DeleteJulian Cope might not make the Top 40, but he has been making music ever since, doing concerts with his psych rock and folk and releasing albums of it.
The Primitives reformed, but I think the pandemic got in the way of their concerts, sadly.
Yeah Julian Cope is definitely an albums bloke. Head was off his 7th album, Peggy Suicide, which me and my flat mates played to death (no pun intended) at the time. He is now on album 34 (plus his 4 with Teardrop Explodes) not to mention his many published books. I saw him a few years ago live although he spent the whole time ranting instead of playing his songs.
DeleteRanting? I dunno, you give some people an audience and out comes the soapbox!
DeleteAnyway, re: Cookie Crew - am I getting them mixed up with The Wee Papa Girl Rappers on the Story of...?
I guess it's easier to carry on trying as a solo artist than as a group. All three of these acts had some great tracks in their short lived careers so hopefully they've made some royalty money (you hear the Cookie Crew less but World Shut Your Mouth and Crash still seem to get played a lot on nostalgia radio stations)
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, I see that there is no TOTP at all next week, as BBC4 have instead opted for a Everly Brothers tribute night following the Proms. Sheez, it seems that Bryan Adams will be with us at No.1 for much longer than expected at this rate, and goodness knows if we will ever get The Story of 1991 and Big Hits 1991 which BBC4 owes us TV licence-payers.
ReplyDeleteAs a viable alternative to TOTP on the same evening, I see that Talking Pictures will be showing Dr Who & The Daleks, the original 1965 pilot film with Peter Cushing, which was the launchpad for the famous Dr Who TV series the following year with William Hartnell at The Doctor.
Also I see that Talking Pictures is showing the Laurel & Hardy classics that the BBC abandoned at the turn of the 90s. The old Runaround slot on Saturday mornings at 9am on Talking Pictures is now the Laurel & Hardy weekly slot, as well as every weekday morning between 7-9am. Makes a pleasant change from BBC Breakfast every morning when getting ready for work!
Doctor Who started in 1963, and the two Cushing films were spin-offs from the first two Dalek stories on TV.
DeleteSteven Moffat was going to put in the 50th anniversary episode (and I think did in the novelisation) that the Cushing films were an in-Whoniverse set of films based on The Doctor.
DeleteYes, Chris Chibnall seems to have had the same idea for his tenure, though now he's been given the elbow (or gave himself the elbow) I don't know if that idea will go anywhere.
DeleteMust admit, I'm getting a bit tired of multiverse franchises, Into the Spider-Verse was great, but don't do it with everything.
Right said fred - not a great fan, but played to death even today so they must be doing something right (not quite up there with Divinyls!)
ReplyDeletedJ jazzy Jeff - again doesn't rock my boat, but anotheR one still played these days. Think Will Smith made the right decision to change career...
Color me badd - repetitive and dull…
Bomb the bass - nice vocals but backing a bit dull. Sounded like a reject Disna Ross song…
Breakers
Beverley craven - ok, but sounded like a dozen other songs of this ilk
Marillion - again ok, but not very marillionish..
De la soul - pass!
Young disciples - again, nothing to distinguish from the pack…
This was another one that I wasn't that excited about seeing but turned out to be a good half hour. It would've been even better if one song had been on for more than a fifth of a second. Simon on his penultimate edition. He looks and sounds like he'd rather be surrounded by an audience.
ReplyDeleteRight Said Fred; Starting off the show with a single that I could easily offer up if told, "name a UK No 2, NOW!". Oddly enough 'Question' by The Moody Blues would be another one, shown just before this repeat.
I still love this one after all these years and endless plays. Richard's (oh dear dear) singing of, "I'm disco dancing" still cracks me up. I vividly remember sitting with Mum hearing Simon Bates playing it possibly for the first time on Radio 1 and declaring as only he would that it would be all conquering in a short time.
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince; A summer perennial that I don't actually recall hearing much at all that summer. I must've been out everytime it was on. Very good natured and charming, qualities completely lacking in the one that got to No.1 a couple of years later.
Voice of the Beehive; Great to see them in the studio again and getting their share of success with the charts going generally more sunny and colourful. This one has approximately 36 less chords than 'Dont Call Me Baby' and is just as addictive. They'll be back for the first revamped edition.
Deacon Blue; Oooh Lorraine!....sorry. Not my favourite of theirs but good to hear the accordion in it which I don't think I'd ever actually noticed before. Ricky knows his folk of course and was a very good stand in for Mark Radcliffe on 'The Folk Show' a couple of years back.
Color Me Badd; Tragic that almost all of 'Colour Me Pop' has been wiped yet every overgrown randy teenager movement of Color Me Badd is doubtless preserved on videotape for all of eternity. This is a horrible plonky number that is presumably supposed to be funky. I'm deeply embarrassed to say that I bought exactly the same jacket as they're all wearing that summer and a photo above my parent's mantelpiece serves as permanent proof.
Morrissey; Banging a tambourine. Er, good.
Bomb The Bass; Agree with you Dory, this was the highlight of the show for me as well. Rave/Soul/Psych classic and Loretta looking fabulous. A real standout as so often ended too soon.
Breakers;
Beverley Craven with a lovely slightly anguished sounding single that I much prefer to the big one. Fine one by Marillion with a gorgeous, "oh that was by them?" chorus that is on just long enough for us to notice that it was included. De La Soul and Young Disciples both with brilliant singles that will be thankfully on again.
Bryan Adams; Video again. Already I can't be bothered to calculate how many times. Something to say about it. Erm, I always liked the horse coming through the door.
Seal; He liked his birds of prey did this guy. Great song, the New Age 'Countryfile' video not the most exciting of playouts.
Woah, Boom Shake the Room is a hundred times better than Summertime to my ears!
DeleteThe Question is also a good example of a song without the title in the lyrics, I think?
You're right, 'Boom Shake The Room' is a great sounding single. I just always found it a bit boorish although maybe the two rappers were acting out some hip hop fantasy with it. I didn't watch 'Fresh Prince of Bell Air' at the time. Always loved Question. I really like that it's two completely separate songs stuck together without any kind of linking device. Mike Pinder gave good tache at the time as well! No.2 behind 'Back Home' I think.
DeleteThe ITV Chart show immediately following this TOTP had unusually put Cathy Dennis as a new entry into their Top Ten video rundown when you consider that she was a non-mover and at a peak of No.13 this week on the official chart, and which I can only imagine was because they were itching to show the video somehow:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2LAqa3tPCA
Also on this ITV top ten was OMD at No.6 and The Shamen at No.3, which were each one place higher than than their peak on the official TOTP chart.
RIP Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud, only 39. I was a bit of a fan of them, they were an excellent pop act from that mini post-millennium golden age for pop. I guess we'll see them if the repeats continue.
ReplyDeleteVery sad to hear about the death of Sarah Harding. Taken so terribly early. The new releases from Girls Aloud from around 2007/2008 will remain some of my favourite pop memories of the last 20 years. They had a sparkle and a personality that was all their own. 'Call The Shots' and 'The Promise' are just wonderful pop records.
ReplyDeleteOnly 12 or so years on, their singles seem from a whole other, much more fun and uncynical age.
ReplyDeleteIf you could concentrate Girls Aloud into an EP, I'd go for "Sound Of The Underground", "Can't Speak French", "Love Machine" and "The Promise", the last track seeing the gone way too young Sarah namecheck her pet bulldog Primrose.
DeleteMeanwhile, some new tracks by an upcoming group called Abba appear to be causing a bit of a storm....
RIP Sarah Harding. Girls Aloud were a great pop band with some quality pop songs. Something Kinda Ooh, Love Machine, Biology and Something New my faves.
DeleteFinally made it!
ReplyDeleteYou’re safe, Si. No Divinyls this time. Ah.
Boy Mayo has a second failed attempt at announcing the sound of ’91. Give up, lad! Mind you, RSF’s stupid, corny, fruity, catchy hit was more deserving of 16 weeks at number one to me.
Ah, a mellow groove next. Seeing Will Smith looking that young made me feel ancient. Okay, I’m 60 next February but you get the gist.
Woody from Madness with a ponytail?! Voice Of The Beehive give us a monster track. Should have gone higher.
Deacon Blue wth arguably their best apart from “Digity”. Good to be able to hear Lorraine on the track more than usual and she owned that stage.
Colour Me Shite with some KNOB lite and that isn’t meant to be a compliment.
Oh dear, Mozza, cover up more! Stray Cats would have laughed at this attempt at rockabilly. Hopefully I’ve heard that for the last time.
Bomb The Bass – gorgeous singer, gorgeous vocals, gorgeous track. Tim Simenon happy to take drummer position at the back and soak it all in.
Beverley Craven gives us “Holding Back The Years” with new lyrics.
Marillion impersonating Crowded House. Had the rest of the band gone down the pub?
De La Soul, boomy and not their best.
An appropriate song title for Young Disciples.
Seal gets the outro with his Basement Jaxx style chorus and another worthy, verbose, in the end rather boring offering.
Just popping in because it's my Saturday routine. I missed TOTP today. Do you think they're actively trying to make us relive 16 weeks of Bryan Adams rather than getting it done in 8 as we might have expected?
ReplyDeleteIt's just an unfortunate consequence of The Proms and The Paralympics in consecutive weeks taking over TOTP's slot on BBC4. Two shows this week so we'll start suffering that tune as quickly as possible!
DeleteThis episode (specifically RSF's performance) was reviewed on Celebrity Gogglebox yesterday.
ReplyDeleteRIP Patti Hammond out of Legs and Co.
ReplyDeleteOh no! My second fave after Cherry.
DeleteWow, that's really sad, she couldn't have been that old! Can't find any details online, either, just the odd RIP.
DeleteI think Patti was only 71, and this came only a week after Maria Mendiola, one of the two girls on the vocal duo Baccara, died in Spain at the age of only 69. Two great girls from the 70s disco era in dance and song have left us so suddenly.
DeleteBoy Mayo with possibly the best show of the year.
ReplyDeleteRight Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy
nineteen nighty one
missing out on number one
With my sexy song
It's all a bit of fun
In twenty twenty one
What will i become
King of the anti vaccers
And talking out my bum
D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE – Summertime
Ultimate summer tune. Pure class and a great video. Fire up that BBQ. Timeless.
VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE – Monsters And Angels
Groovy baby. It's the beehives with a stomping tune that is one of the standouts of 91 for me.
DEACON BLUE – Twist And Shout
On a roll tonight with another great tune. Huge fan of Da Blue and and this is a lively summer tune.
COLOR ME BADD – All 4 Love
Standby - the world's ugliest boyband produce very good pop tune. Forgotten for their cheesy "Sex you up" tune but I really like this catchy little number. Clearly filmed several months ago.
Us Number One.
MORRISSEY – Pregnant For The Last Time
What's going on tonight? Even the Morrissey tune is good. Attitudes and dress sense ©1950s.
BOMB THE BASS – Winter In July
And one of 1991s finest tunes makes an entrance. Enchanting.. just sounded like nothing else in the charts at the time. A joy from start to finish.
Breakers:
BEVERLEY CRAVEN - Nice
MARILLION - OK.
DE LA SOUL – Like 👍
YOUNG DISCIPLES – soulful..
BRYAN ADAMS – I went on a tour of the outback with a girl called Bryan. It was a nickname (her surname was Adams) but I'm getting desperate for things to say...
SEAL – The Beginning at The End of the show?
More quality from Mr Seal
I'm off to Newquay….