I'd give it all up for you, yes I would, I'd give it all up for the 19th of September 1991 edition of Top of the Pops!
Star man
19-9-91: Presenter: Nicky Campbell
(25) BROTHERS IN RHYTHM – Such A Good Feeling
Getting tonight's show underway with their only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 14.
(3) SALT-N-PEPA – Let’s Talk About Sex (video) (and charts)
Went up one more place.
(10) UTAH SAINTS – What Can You Do For Me
Inthe studio for a second time but the tune was now at its peak.
(19) PRINCE – Cream (video)
Peaked at number 15.
(4) OCEANIC – Insanity
Third time in the studio and it went up one more place.
(18) BRYAN ADAMS – Can’t Stop This Thing We Started (video)
Peaked at number 12.
(16) SIMPLY RED – Something Got Me Started
Singing live, of course, the first single from their massive number one album Stars, which was the best selling album of both 1991 and 1992, and it peaked at number 11.
(7) ERASURE – Love To Hate You (video)
The scond single from their number one album Chorus, and it peaked at number 4.
(21) NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN – Trust (video)
Got no higher.
(38) BROS – Try (video) (Breakers)
Their eleventh and final hit, and it peaked at number 27.
(31) TINA TURNER – Nutbush City Limits (video) (Breakers)
The original version made number 4 in 1973, this re-recording peaked at number 23.
(28) REM – The One I Love (video) (Breakers)
Had peaked at number 51 in 1987, this time around it reached number 16.
(1) BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
Eleventh of sixteen weeks at number one.
(29) JULIAN LENNON – Saltwater (video) (and credits)
Peaked at number 6.
26th of September is next.
Brothers In Rhythm - Such A Good Feeling only gets one appearance on TOTP on its complete chart journey, while Bizarre Inc get three TOTP studio appearances with Such A Feeling!
ReplyDeleteUtah Saints - third TOTP outing, with last two being studio appearances. It's strange that I don't recall this one at the time, but only remember their follow-up hit a year later in the summer of 1992 with Something Good. I wonder how many appearances they got with that more memorable one in 1992?
Prince - the Legend continues with his theme of hot girls with only the best figures coming through auditions for the videos, and it's like a conveyor belt of the most sexy girls since 1985 or so when the spotlight came off Wendy & Lisa when they left his troupe. This new video could have been 1987 all over again!
Oceanic - also a third studio appearance for Oceanic and not getting to No.1. Enough already, please give me Utah saints with another appearance.
Erasure - very colourful, glamorous and interestingly fresh video, unlike their previous videos since first coming onto the scene in 1986 with videos of which were very unappealing I thought. This video reminded me of the 1970s video for The Who's Tommy/Pinball Wizard with Elton John at centre stage in the video.
Julian Lennon - one of the best ways to playout the TOTP show, this song and video had some much of his father's early-70s sound in solo career post-Beatles, coupled with tones of late career of Jeff Lynne & ELO. Just love the video and Julian's style reminding us of the great John Lennon all through the video.
It's almost over. The current format of Top of the Pops that is, not Bryan Adams at No 1. He'll be there for ages yet. I'm ready for the changes, certainly the end of the bloody Wizard but it's sad as each regular face says goodbye. The next to go is Nicky Campbell who will return in '94. He has a good one to end on and to his credit makes no mention at all of the curtain falling.
ReplyDeleteBrothers In Rhythm; Another single I instantly remembered but had no idea it was them. Respect to them for their work on Kylie's two big singles in '94. Good infectious tune this with bits and pieces that have come from other things and will appear in other things. Was I the only one who thought at least one of the dancers was trying to improvise a few moves and cocked them up.
Salt 'n' Pepa; Seen and enjoyed already. Great chart again.
Utah Saints; Another showing of this and I'm inclined to yell 'Bu! gger! Off!!. Ok rave but that's enough for now please.
Prince; More sexy stuff. Great single. Maybe not as fun as 'Get Off' but a better tune and Man he and his crew are enjoying themselves. My favourite is the follow up though.
Oceanic; Seen and heard enough of this as well. The singer dressed like she's realised she's got to stop off at Top of the Pops on the way to the local 7-11.
Bryan Adams; I should hate all things Adams at this point but I really like this single. Heroically half assed video. It looks like the band literally thought of what to do in the nearest pub about 10 mins before the shoot. Very funny. A great song which should've hung around at least a little longer but instead has the oddest accolade of going in and out of the charts while the previous release was at No.1.
Simply Red; I looked up just as this started and thought one of The Muppets was on stage then realized it was Mick Hucknall. Nothing wrong with the single though and I don't mind being fully reacquainted with 'Stars' which was such a part of that time. I've had a mixtape of songs to hear at night since '91 or '92 that has changed over time but the Red's 'How Could I Fall' has always been on there.
An early sign of the changes on the show with a live vocal but I suspect with him it would have been a case of no singing live, no appearance. Nicky mentions how much their previous album sold. Um, yes.
Erasure; I thought I knew the video so well from seeing it so much at the time and I'd never noticed it was filmed in Leadenhall Market!! I just remembered it being in a big nightclub. Amazing! How much did they have to pay to use that place for the evening?
So memorable. Andy looking like the party MC of all time and Vince looking like a mix of Jean Michel Jarre and Eddie from 'Bottom' which by a weird coincidence began on TV just 2 days before this edition.
Ned's Atomic Dustbin; More good humour from the loveable Greebos. The plank gag made me laugh and had the band in hysterics as well.
Breakers; I hope this gets ditched with the new look. That would be an instant plus point. Bros; on for a second. Ditto Tina and R.E.M.
Bryan Adams; My Dad must've been watching 'Film 91' one night because I remember him telling me one morning about how hilarious Alan Rickman was in some new Robin Hood film that was being released.
Nicky says goodbye and bless him makes not a single suggestion of any changes. Just 'See you soon!' and a trademark quip. You did make me laugh. Farewell.
Julian Lennon; Beautiful, haunting song to finish. The moment when he accompanies himself singing 'No friend of mine', it literally is as if his father is right over his shoulder. Extraordinary moment. Will always love that one. Over serious? Then maybe, now definitely not.
Bad news I'm afraid. The Breakers are going to get shorter!
DeleteHa, ha, liked the Muppets comment! Although the Muppets actually have a sense of humour.
DeleteChart rundown - new entry into the Top Ten at No.8 is Guns 'n' Roses with Don't Cry, and bizarrely no showing on TOTP as any feature, never mind main feature. There was definitely a video for it, so really don't know why TOTP ignored it, cos the following week it fell down the chart, so we were never to see it on TOTP, considering what a superb ballad it was.
ReplyDeleteSome tunes peaking outside the Top 40 this week for previous TOTP regulars, and missing out on a TOTP stage:
No.50 OMD - Then You Turn Away
Much anticipated follow-up to Pandora's box, this could only manage a No.50 at peak. Shame really for such a good group.
No.55 Lenny Kravitz - Stand By My Woman
Surprised that Kravitz at the height of his popularity failed to chart with this one.
No. 62 The Beatmasters - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
The Beatmasters featuring nobody for a change, and just purely on their own, did not seem to work for them. They went on to release one more single in 1992 which also flopped, peaking at No.43, and that was just about all.
No.66 Beats International -The Sun Doesn't Shine
Similar fortunes to The Beatmasters, having to go it on their own with no feature, they too were on their penultimate single, and no further Top 40 achievements.
No.67 The Pogues - A Rainy Night In Soho
Fourth single in a row to fail to break the Top 40 since 1988, and not really progressing chartwise, they continued releasing singles up until 1994 with mixed fortunes.
'Then You Turn Away'. Absolutely loved that tune. So beautiful. I remember it being a flop compared to the previous two from 'Sugar Tax'. Had no idea it did that badly. One of the best singles they ever did I think.
DeleteThe Guns N Roses video might not have been ready so soon after the release of the single in the UK.
DeleteOn the US charts singles still had a gradual climb not like the UK where they go in and down so quickly. In the UK this is about the time when the record companies discounted the price of the singles in the first week too.
I think the same thing might happen with the November Rain video too.
Yeah, seems you're right Anonymous, as I just checked out The ITV Chart Show top ten that was broadcast a couple of days after this TOTP show, and Guns 'N' Roses prediction at No.5 had no video, just a mugshot:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBCGtqco-P8
Good to see the Rozalla video, as it wasn't shown on TOTP due to Rozalla ready for a TOTP studio visit on each appearance.
... I was today years old when I learned that Boulevard of Broken Dreams is not just a Green Day song (and Google reveals other things with that name including films, I have been educated!).
DeleteI’d bought the 12” of this Beatmasters release, probably counts as their last single as the following chart entry was a re-issue of their last one. I’d been a fan of The Beatmasters and not just because they were instigators in launching Betty Boo on the world. Their Rok da House had been included on the very eclectic 1988 Indie Top 20 volume 2 which I played nonstop on it’s release. According to Wikipedia they moved on to production including all the new Shamen stuff.
DeleteMy favourite was their debut single Rock Da House which came at the beginning of 1988 at around about the start of the house music revolution, and I remember their video played on the playout of a TOTP show which was classic oldie black & white cartoons, and the trend for early house music videos:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUHToTS4QE4
It's a pity that after their Betty Boo collaboration in 1989, when they decided to go it on their own at the start of the 90s decade without featuring new performers, that they could not break top 40 on three attempts with three singles up to 1992 when they finally called it a day.
So a lot of 1991's key themes at play tonight:
ReplyDeleteThe Year Of Sex is represented by two of its most classic entries, from Prince and Salt'n'Pepa.
The Year Of Rave is in full flow with Utah Saints (whose name always has to be followed with U U U Utah Saints just as Autoglass Repair needs Autoglass Replace), Brothers of Rhythm and Oceanic. I like all three, but even as someone who loves Insanity, three studio appearances in quick succession is a lot. Although not a lot in comparison to his nibs, obviously.
The Year of Indie Rock sees another great REM track, I'm assuming it was re-released to capitalise on the success of Out of Time, and it worked. Ned's are also here with one of their lesser tracks and on video for a change.
The Year of Bryan Adams is also well represented with two tracks again. Thing to say about that thing 11/16 - apparently Brandy did a cover but that seems to have only troubled the charts of New Zealand.
And everything else - I hate Simply Red so that almost got me pressing fast forward. Erasure on the other hand I absolutely love. What a track. Good video too. I like both Tina Turner and Julian Leoon though they're at opposite ends of the spectrum. Oh and Bros are still trying, good for them. Don't remember this one at all though.
Sad to hear of the passing of Fingerbobs presenter Yoffy (Rick Jones) at the age of 84. I remember watching this when I was a few years old in the early 70s, and memories of Yoffy telling stories with his finger puppets. RIP a great children's favourite where now those children are in their 50s.
ReplyDeleteRick was a wonderful gentle presenter who always came across as a really nice guy. He was one of the presenters on 'We want to Sing'...anyone remember that? "We want to sing, who wants to sing? we want to sing"....cue "this old man, he played one, he played nick nack on my thumb...." etc. etc.
DeleteErm, 40s, Dory! I still get the Fingerbobs tunes popping up in my head to this day. Great, simple songs.
DeleteYeah I see what you mean. I just looked it up on Wikipedia, and Fingerbobs was regulary repeated up until the end of 1984, and considering that the one and only series of 13 episodes was made in 1972, you could say it had a fair old run for our generation of children.
DeleteRick Jones was also a member of the band Meal Ticket, who were signed to EMI. He was a mellow kids' TV presenter, and I liked hm. RIP Rick.
DeleteHmmm..more ‘humour’ from the host.
ReplyDeletePretty rotten start to this show with Brothers in Rhythm, Salt n’Pepa, Utah Saints and Prince really not being worthy of any comment. In fact I missed the chart rundown because I couldn’t bear to listen to Salt n’Pepa.
Oceanic – Insanity – Keeping up the energy levels, it certainly is not one for background music!
Bryan Adams – Can’t stop this sing we started – Prefer his other record in the chart.
Simply Red – Something got me started – Stars didn’t shine for me at all. Anymore ‘started’ records out there?
Erasure – Love to hate you – Didn’t hate this….didn’t like it much either despite the glitzy video filmed in Leadenhall Market which I used to walk through regularly on the way the HMV Shop (long gone).
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – Trust – Nobody seems to have picked up that this is the ‘set’ for the whacky series ‘Banana Splits’. “Say what time is it cuckoo?”…I loved the show and of course the Dickies had a hit with the ‘Tra la la’ them tune in 1979 reaching No7.
Breakers – Nothing special – could have done without hearing that Nutbush racket again..drove me mad in 1973 when you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing it.
Bryan Adams – (Everything I do) I do it for you – Usual cut off when the middle eight starts. It is worth noting that Bryan was on A&M (founded by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss – hence A&M) and label mates with the likes of Supertramp and Chris De Burgh as well as the Carpenters and Police back catalogue.
Julian Lennon – Saltwater – I didn’t think Julian looked particularly like his mother Cynthia…he looked and sounded just like his father actually, and never more better than on this great song to close out with.
Speaking of A&M Sct, only two nights ago I was listening to an original copy of Joan Armatrading's self titled LP from 1976. I found it in the local Oxfam for £2.50! Absolutely mint copy. Fantastic album with of course 'Love and Affection' but also some other marvellous songs. 'Save Me' is a fabulous track at the end of side 1. Has anyone else found great albums for very little money in charity shops?
Deletesct, you forgot Joe Jackson on A&M. New wave meets Steely Dan. A few hits, then a career as a film soundtrack writer.
DeletePaid £1 for Claptons 'Time Pieces' compilation CD recently in Oxfam. Played it through and when it got to a track called 'Promises' it was one of those "oh I know that but I didn't know what it was" moments.
DeleteI think you missed the joke regarding Julian looking like his mother..!
DeleteIt's always worth popping into a charity shop that sells records. They have no sense of an album's value it seems. From the same shop I also got Island's 'You Can All Join In' sampler LP from '69. £2! Looked on eBay and there was one for about £40.
DeleteAlso can't think of any 'started' records but the No 1 when I started primary school in 1980 was appropriately 'Start' by The Jam.
Starting Over by John Lennon went to No.1 in December 1980
Delete'I started a joke' by the Bee Gees.
Delete"Come Back And Finish What You Started" by Gladys Knight and the Pips, and "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" by The Smiths!
DeleteBrothers in Rhythm, yeah, you still hear this one, it has plenty of energy but I find it by the numbers overall. Said Brothers appear not to have been arsed to visit the studio, and have sent three representatives.
ReplyDeleteSalt N Pepa and Utah Saints we've seen a few times now, so onto Prince - did you know he was gay? Only joking! You'd never have been able to tell his main interest in life from this video, would you? I mean playing guitar, obviously. Decent enough mid-table single from the man, but I like others of his output more.
Oceanic again, the rave Celine singer evidently saw Rozalla the other week and decided to whip her top off too.
Bryan Adams, could they not have just swapped this one for the Number 1 for one week? Now we know where he spent his royalties: this video (how much did the rodeo guitar cost?). Eh, it's OK, and at least it's not Everything I Poo.
Simply Red, urgh, those talky bits are so cringe. Very repetitive single, and by now I was an avowed Simply Red h8r, so this does nothing for me. I remember the late Kevin Greening pointing out he thought the ruby in Mick's tooth was a bit of sundried tomato.
Erasure, cheekily lifting the middle eight from Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive for one of their better tunes, with Andy getting to show off his range again. Not sure that audience appreciated being splashed!
Yes, Sct, I recognised Ned's Atomic Dustbin were "doing" The Banana Splits! Surprisingly accurately too, maybe this was around the time of the Channel 4 repeat run in early mornings? As for the song, despite the ker-ay-zee antics, they always had a streak of melancholy and that's well to the fore here. Maybe more self-pity in this case.
We'll see the Breakers again, just as well for their management after three seconds each, then the inevitable, then Julian has a go at his own Imagine with cloying results. It's about the environment, we get it, Jules. Is that George Harrison on guitar?
mick hucknnall was so up his own arse at this point, that he thought he could now write songs without the help of people who actually knew the nuts and bolts of musical theory (his bandmate fritz, lamont dozier, joe sample), and it showed on this effort. as a friend more-or-less said to me at the time: something got him started, but not finished as far as constructing this tune was concerned!
DeleteNice to see Nicky is his usual unfunny self for his last appearance.1,2,3,4 it's BROTHERS IN RHYTHM – Such A Good Feeling
ReplyDeleteStalking Such A Feeling up the charts, this is far superior. Another sampled tune rather than sung in one take. Great dance record though. And the singer very stylishly dressed.
SALT-N-PEPA – Let’s Talk About Sex
Great fun and cheeky video.
UTAH SAINTS – What Can You Do For Me
Amazed and delighted this made the top ten. Nice plug for StudioHire. Bet they did a roaring trade with these bedroom dance bands.
PRINCE – Cream
From the marvellous Diamonds and Pearls album which was the first Prince record I owned. This is a huge improvement on Get Off. Smooth and silky number, best played after dark. Love this.
OCEANIC again (I get tired just watching this). Wonder what chart position they are? Great club tune, always loved dancing to this.
Then onto BRYAN ADAMS part one. Definitely a fan of this one. Video a bit shit.
SIMPLY RED – Something Got Me Started
As easy as it is to hate Hucknall (and he does get a lot of stick) his band have produced some fantastic music and Stars is a quality album. As mentioned already the biggest selling album 2 years in a row and that doesn't happen by luck.
This is probably my favourite tune from the album.
Great performance and live vocals tonight.
ERASURE – Love To Hate You
They'll be in the studio in a couple of weeks to open the new era but we have the video for now which is loads of fun. Decent tune as well, the first 20 hits could do no wrong really.
NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN – Trust
Nice kooky video. Rubbish tune.
Breakers:
BROS – Still Trying
TINA TURNER – Poor remix
REM – Great tune
BRYAN ADAMS 11 - He co-wrote songs and lyrics for Pretty Woman the musical that premiered on Broadway in 2018.
JULIAN LENNON – Saltwater
What a record. Just so emotional and heartfelt. An easy comparison to his Dad's music but I wasn't aware of John's music that much in 1991.
Arch dyson a new name as Director? I think he's on board for the relaunch.
Oh well, one good thing coming out of Year Zero. We get rid of the unfunniest presenter of the lot.
ReplyDeleteA very 60’s black and white look for the latest rave tune to start the show. “Such A Good Feeling”? Not my bag but a catchy chorus.
Sound down for the charts and FF the act after that.
Filming those Prince videos must have been a real chore. I could have done without that phallic guitar posing by that other chap, mind you.
Someone behind the scenes at TOTP must have liked Oceanic. The singer’s early top clothing showing the song’s chart position.
A ‘fun’ video for the Bryan Adams song in the chart I can tolerate.
I don’t like Mick Hucknall but he was always up for a live turn on the show. Excellent mane throw before he sings.
Erasure using a snippet of “I Will Survive”, which would probably be in my top five most hated singles. The watery catwalk reminded me of the J Geils band “Centerfold” snare drum skin which was actually milk. Pre-Lockdown, I worked round the corner from Leadenhall Market, which is gorgeous. Its other pub, “The Lamb”, was once used in a film for a John Wayne fight scene.
The Neds with what starts out like a ballad for them. Shame it’s not very good. Oh well, maybe it’s just sour grapes (bunch). See what I did there?
Bros straight in at 38! Give up, lads.
A dreadful remix for Tina, followed by one of REM’s best.
We finish with someone using the “Strawberry Fields Forever” backing and imitating John Lennon. Sorry, sounds like a rip-off to me.
Bye, Soupy. Don’t call us.
I didn't like the Erasure video for the bit where the lead singer splashes dirty water with his dirty boots onto the faces of young girls around that water stage. Quite disgusting when you think that the rest of the video had charming ladies in charming Swiss-looking colourful dresses.
DeleteHey wait, that Julian Lennon song you are referring to happens to be John Lennon's son, so surely he of all people had the open door and a good reason to use his father's musical influence for his new song Saltwater. I mean the terms 'imitating' and 'rip-off' are hardly fair Arthur. I thought the song and video were a breath of fresh air for a 1991 full of rave music.
I was being a bit unkind to Julian, admittedly. I think if there'd been a different keyboard refrain to make the backing more disctinctive I would have appreciated the actual song more.
DeletePrince - very smooth, but I think it might be a bit rude…
ReplyDeleteOceanic - my first view of this. It is ok, but the miming is dreadful…
Bryan Adams (1) - my first viewing of this in full. Chugs along quite nicely.
Erasure - starts off like I Will Survive. Strange video, but I enjoyed - very Abbaesque…
Neds Atomic Dustbin - cut from the Wonder Stuff cloth, with a touch of early PWEI. I liked it…