There's a dream I feel, so rare and real, it's the 24th of October 1991 edtion of Top of the Pops!
Good try
24-10-91: Presenters: Tony Dortie & Mark Franklin
(2) 2 UNLIMITED – Get Ready For This
Making their second studio appearance and getting the show underway tonight but the tune was now at its peak.
(ALBUM TRACK) KENNY THOMAS – Something Special
From his top 3 album, Voices.
(6) VIC REEVES & THE WONDERSTUFF – Dizzy
A zany live performance, with Bob Mortimer too, and on their way to number one.
(19) QUEEN – The Show Must Go On (video)
Went up three more places.
(4) KIRI TE KANAWA – World In Union
Performing the official song of the 1991 rugby union world cup, and it was now at its peak.
(16) CARTER – THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE – After The Watershed (Early Learning The Hard Way)
The duo are live tonight and the song peaked at number 11.
(23) MARIAH CAREY – Emotions
Making her studio debut, and looking quite fabulous, and the song went up to number 17.
(36) SIMPLE MINDS – Real Life (video) (Breakers)
Went up two more places
(28) DON McLEAN – American Pie (video) (Breakers)
Number 2 in 1972, this time around it made it to number 12.
(13) PET SHOP BOYS – D.J. Culture (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(NEW) TIN MACHINE – Baby Universal
Here they are in the studio again, this time performing their final chart single and it peaked at number 48.
(1) BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
So, after fifteen weeks at number one, it seems there were still enough people out there who must have thought to themselves, 'you know what, I think I'll buy that Bryan Adams song I've been hearing for the past four months,' to keep it at number one for this sixteenth and final week!
31st of October is next. Spooky.
2-Unlimited - somehow I prefer their first studio performance a couple of shows ago when at No.19, not cos of the hot pants on the keyboard girl, although that helped, but because this new performance at No.2 was neon-lights-heavy, and sort of dubbed the screen with green lighting on the eyes.
ReplyDeleteMariah Carey - 22 years old on this single and also her debut studio performance on TOTP, as her only other time on TOTP was the video for the first single Vision Of Love in 1990, the next three singles were not even shown on TOTP, as they peaked at best in the 30-40 section of the chart. Suffice to say that this new single Emotions was at also at No.1 in America on the same week as this TOTP show at No.23.
Bryan Adams - if you thought that 16 weeks was a long time at No.1, he was only 7 weeks at No.1 in America with it in the same summer of 1991, but in the following summer in 1992, Boyz II Men had 13 weeks at No.1 with End Of The Road.
There's been some crunching gear changes on TOTP before, but this episode takes the biscuit. Start off with 2 Unlimited with an unnecessary live vocal for a couple of shouted words, and the vomitron effect is as unwelcome as it was last time.
ReplyDeleteThen dialling it right back for three minutes of boredom in the company of Kenny Thomas, doing a snoozesome album track.
Then Vic Reeves and the Stuffies going nuts with Vic getting the words wrong and pal Bob falling over, true to form. This is a rare cover better than the weedy original, they give it a right boot up the arse and it's a lot of fun. I wish I Remember Punk Rock had been a hit, though.
Then Queen to depress us after that elation, followed by Dame Kiri, who can certainly sing, but this adaptation of Holst is beyond banal. Check out those awful lyrics! Maybe it sounds OK if you're a rugby fan. I imagine many things do.
Next, ludicrously mere feet away across the studio are Carter delivering one of their wordy state of the nation lectures. Not my cup of tea, but kudos for trying it live even if its sounds like a dog's breakfast.
Mariah's here with a record which is unpleasantly painful to listen to when she goes for so many of those shrieks, though she's more subdued in this live performance, thank goodness.
Too short Breakers - well, Don McLean isn't short enough, one of the whingiest records of all time, and sadly a look forward to anyone who's gone online to complain music isn't as good as when they were a lad. Booo!
Tin Machine try and fail to have a hit with a rawk dirge missing a tune somewhere. Maybe there were gems on the album, but I like most other people didn't investigate. Is that the C word drawn on the drummer's knuckles at the end?! Charming, no wonder nobody liked these guys.
At last, it's over! Finally we get a new Number 1! *Sobs* We made it. Well done, everyone.
Not quite as MOR heavy as the last few weeks this episode, but still leaning a bit in that direction.
ReplyDelete2Unlimited - Great choice for an opener, bringing upbeat party vibes from an act your dad wouldn't like (Well, in 1991. The average dad of kids/teens in 2021 almost certainly would have been into this back then). The packed stage is fun.
The silent top 10 is still the stupidest part of the revamp.
Kenny Thomas - album track from Mr Permanent Seat in the Studio. Zzzzzzzzzz. He seems like a pleasant man, his voice is OK, but he is so beige and this song is really, really, boring. It's very weird to have this in between two huge fun party performances.
Vic n Bob n Wonderstuff - This is great fun. Vic can't sing for toffee and forgets the words, but this track is the only time for me that he worked as a pop star (the EMF one is OK but a case of diminishing returns). Needs more of Miles and his natty yellow suit upfront. Miles also seems to forget to sing his bits at first. But overall it's the kind of riotous performance we've desperately needed post revamp.
Queen - Lump in throat time.
Kiri Te Kanawa - The decade of sport songs continues apace with this worthy but dull song. The audience look fed up. At least she's in the studio, wearing a very natty sparkly All Blacks feather in one ear.
It's definitely like being at two separate events tonight. Carter are hanging out with 2Unlimited and Vic et al with the lodsz, whilst Kiri and Kenny are at a respectable dinner party with the parents. I'd forgotten this song entirely but I enjoyed it.
Mariah - Actually in the studio and a few years before she becomes the Mariah we know now. She actually looks so much prettier here, more like an actual human and someone who could actually have fun.
Breakers for the dads with sub-par Simple Minds and Don McLean rerelease, but we're back to three tracks this week which is nice. The PSB song is one of their weakest ever though.
Tin Machine with a song that isn't in the chart and also isn't good. Bowie's apparently now in Hi-De-Hi going on what he's wearing.
And it's the end. We're about to be released from its grip. I'm kind of going to miss it in a Stockholm Syndrome kind of way. I kind of wish we'd heard the full thing tonight, or even had another studio visit, but I guess they weren't to know this was the last week. So, thing to say about that thing 16/16: Although in the USA it was number one on Billboard for 7 weeks, apparently on sales only it was number one for 17 weeks!
Anyway, new number one next week, yay. And also... Genesis. Oh.
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DeleteBowie did look like a Yellowcoat, didn't he?! Ha, ha!
Delete*Kids, not lodsz. Although lodsz sounds like a zany 90s word.
ReplyDeleteJust remembered, Vic Reeves was on Adam Buxton's podcast a few weeks ago and recalled being on this show and "meeting" David Bowie. What actually happened was Bowie swaggered in with a lot of obnoxious attitude and pushed his way past Vic (and everyone else). Vic just thought, "Yeah, that's not you, is it?" I wonder if Dame Dave was in a bad place when he was pursuing Tin Machine?
ReplyDeleteI mean you've heard Tin Machine, right? That's not the sound of someone in a good place ;)
DeleteA good point well made!
DeleteWith no chart rundown outside of the Top Ten since the new revamp of the show we can look at some peak positions this week that missed out on a TOTP play:
ReplyDeleteNo.33 T99 - Nocturne
A dance floor classic in 1991 that somehow fell short of the Top 30 and TOTP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUI95EriSeY
No.40 Alison Moyet - This House
First top 40 single for four years since Love Letters got to No.4 at Christmas 1987. A lay off of four years until now, and third single released in 1991, with the first two failing to break the top 40. After this new No.40 hit, there was a further break of two years until October 1993 before her next single, so we don't see her at all on TOTP in 1991 despite three singles released in the year.
No.47 A-HA - Move To Memphis
Their only single in 1991, and second in a row to fail to break the Top 40, this one I never heard of, but a good video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbF2swavgSA
No.49 PM Dawn - Paper Doll
Eagerly awaited follow-up to their No.3 hit Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, they could only reach No.49 with the follow-up here called Paper Doll. Video is another outdoor one and similar in style to their last hit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L51lTppnYe4
Don Estelle and Windsor Davies followed up 'Whispering Grass' with a song called 'Paper Doll' reaching No41. You can imagine what it sounded like....
DeleteCan you imagine PM Dawn doing a cover of Don Estelle & Windsor Davies? They would have to sample them somehow like they did with Spandau Ballet on Set Adrift On Memory Bliss which was hugely successful for them, reaching No.3 in the process.
DeleteHa, ha, what a concept! But in a weird way it might have worked...
DeleteI didn't realise Move to Memphis never charted (I have a friend whose favourite aha song is that one so have heard it plenty) or that T99 didn't make ver Pops! Will be checking that PM Dawn track out.
ReplyDeleteThe ITV Chart Show Dance Chart Top 10 of the same week, had some interesting movers:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VhE9j3OvW0
No.9 Adeva - It Should Have Been Me
Was at peak position on the main chart at No.48 this week, so the video on this Chart Show Dance Chart is the only chance we get to see it.
No.8 T99 - Nocturne
Was at peak position of No.33 on the main chart this week, and no TOTP play.
No.7 M-People - How Can I Love You More
At last the arrival of M-People, and on the main chart it had just arrived this week as a new entry at No.61, and would not get to TOTP until 4 weeks later when finally crawling into the Top 40 at No.31 in late November.
No.2 - 2-Unlimited - Get Ready For This
Apparently there was no video for this, and it still got to no.2 on the main chart, so lucky for TOTP that the group appeared twice in the studio to perform it during its chart run.
No.1 Moby - Go
Moby's real name is Richard Melville Hall according to the caption, and that Moby refuses to travel by car.
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DeleteThe video is here...but there are additional vocals...
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPOmFUid3vA
I would guess that the video with added vocals was made after this point, as The Chart Show would have used it if it was available by then.
DeleteWeren't the 2 Unlimited vocals on the original track and Stock Aitken and Waterman remixed them off it later for the UK release? Something like that. So the video would be the original.
DeleteIt was just Pete Waterman who had the lyrics removed, he was in his dance phase of releasing stuff on PWL. The full version is worth checking out. it's quite good.
DeleteThanks for the info, Morgie! I guess Pete had second thoughts for their next releases.
DeleteWhat can I say about the hosts? Too much of a good thing? Outstayed their welcome?
ReplyDelete2 Unlimited – Get ready for this – As noted a couple of weeks ago, all that time spent writing the lyrics has paid off and I really wouldn’t have begrudged this a week at No1 rather than that buzzy insect we got instead. Great way to start the show.
Kenny Thomas – Something special – It wasn’t, but it was OK I suppose, although I preferred the other song on a couple of weeks ago with the yellow trousered dancer.
Vic Reeves and the Wonderstuff – Dizzy – The original by Tommy Roe had the distinction of interrupting the Beatles at the top of the charts in 1969 (‘Get Back’ spent nine weeks (a mere drop in the ocean) followed by one week of Tommy and then three weeks of ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’). This version I find rough and unappealing.
Queen – The Show must go on – Repeat showing of the montage video. Knebworth 1986 was an experience all right. We had Belouis Some, The Undertones, Status Quo and then Queen. I have to say they were worth waiting for although nobody dreamed it was their last show. We saw the two helicopters arrive some time during Quo I think. One of Quo’s roadies did an impromptu dance above the top of the stage set and I believe got fired for it.
Kiri Te Kanawa – World in Union – What a lovely pure voice she has. Yes, the audience look slightly bemused and bored but I hope they’ll look back fondly on having seen a classy singer with a great tune. Give me this rather than ‘World in Motion’ any time.
Carter – After the Watershed – Pretty awful actually.
Mariah Carey – Emotions – Sheesh! Yes looking fabulous indeed….the lady in red.
Breakers – That Don McLean song is quite something. Time I gave the album of the same name a spin…some nice tracks on there that are lesser known such as ‘Empty Chairs’ which Cliff covered on a B Side of one of his hits.
Tin Machine – Baby Universal – Certainly dispels the Bowie myth. I’ve got the ‘Best of Bowie’ double CD and the fact that most of the tracks are 70s and 80s speaks for itself (and they’re largely great of course).
Bryan Adams – (Everything I do) I do it for you – So what’s happened in the 16 weeks that this has been at the top? Well six songs have been marooned at No2 and we’ve seen summer pass and autumn leaves fall and the clocks went back. ToTP has undergone a slightly dubious revamp where this jury is still out. Has the song stood the test of time? A handy barometer is the smoothFM top500 which is always dominated by Whitney, Jacko and Sheeran. Bryan registers a very credible No19, one behind ‘Dancing Queen’ and one above Sheeran’s ‘Thinking out loud’. The only other record from this era in the top100 is Queen’s ‘These are the Days of our Lives’.
One of Bowie's final singles, I Can't Give Everything Away, was one of his best in my opinion. Really affecting tune.
DeleteAll over the shop this edition and you would think from watching this that either Stanley Appel was chiefly concerned with appealing to all ages or the Top 40 had lost its marbles. I would say it was a bit of both. The chart really was pretty mad at the time.
ReplyDeleteStarting off with 2 Unlimited which is still stupid and brilliant. Like Oceanic I don't recall a video and on 'The Chart Show' it only ever showed a still of the duo whenever it featured.
Album Track; No no no new Top of the Pops! You only feature Kenny Thomas IF YOU HAVE TO!!!!
Vic Reeves and the Wonderstuff turn up with a cover that will soon sit at the top as the 2nd No.1 I think in as many weeks. I need to have a sit down.
It's a pretty shambolic appearance, Vic singing the wrong line while serenading a washing machine and Miles Hunt seems to half goad him and half try to guide him back to some sort of discipline while Bob Mortimer scurries through his legs. I would love to say I was obsessed with 'Big Night Out' but I actually initially refused to watch it as it replaced 'Tonight With Jonathan Ross' in the schedules!
Video time and it's Queen again. Very powerful video but they could've gone with something else. Videos after all appear to be a strange and novel thing in this new format. Brutally cut off in mid flow, it's significance clearly not yet apparent.
Come rave kids and gather under a selection of national flags! Nice that directly behind Kiri and most visible at the start were the flags of three of the nations that were least likely to win the Rugby World Cup. She is in fabulous voice here as if she'd be anything else and it's another little bit of Totp from days gone by with a well lit, mostly bored looking audience gathered around the singer. I think Nicole was the last time I saw that.
One of the only vague memories I have of the Royal Wedding in '81 is Kiri singing in St. Paul's Cathedral so maybe Tom Fleming should've introduced this.
Anything would make sense following that so you might as well follow with Carter USM. Terribly well behaved here though the irreverent rewrite of the Stones lyric in the chorus must've raised a few fortysomething eyebrows at the time.
I still love Mariah Carey's debut single but this is an early sign of the vocal range taking over. Seen and heard this enough times.
Breakers; Simple Minds, Jim Morrison style crooning over suspended chords surprisingly. Don McLean, classic but reason it was out? No idea. Pet Shop Boys, treading water a little before they go completely bonkers.
Bowie and new band back in the studio and with a pretty gripping live performance. Shame it's of something utterly forgettable. Still live Bowie. Can't be too critical of that.
It's over! 16 weeks. Even though it was for the most part on twice a week, it was still the 13th August when that first got shown. I wonder if Bryan's denim jacket is in a museum somewhere.
Tony follows it with a noticeable sense of relief almost certain that it's reign is finally over. Amazingly I still actually like that single.
Mic 12 - pinching the ruby tuesday line cost carter the royalties for this song as stones publishers sued and won. Lets face it jagger/richards need the cash…
DeleteRoyal Wedding 29/07/1981 - Remember the crumpled dress?!
DeleteDame Kiri sung 'Let the Bright Seraphim' during the signing of the register. Earlier in the service one of the hymns was 'I vow to thee my Country'!
Plenty of copies of the chart topping soundtrack LP for sale on eBay...
Pretty reckless of Carter USM. Didn't know that. They should've just stuck with the pop culture references like their previous single.
DeleteThe Verve also found out to their cost that borrowing from the Stones can be costly.
DeleteA lively (drunken?) performance by Vic, Bob and the Wonder Stuff. I’d heard that Vic had originally approached The Fall to be the band involved in this cover. Turned down by the band despite a rumoured offer of cash up front. The Fall were, in my opinion, the best band ever to have existed. However, in their 40 years they not once made it in to the TOTP studio, suggesting I was in the minority in my appreciation. Group leader Mark E. Smith did pop up on TOTPs with Inspiral Carpets in 1994 though.
ReplyDeleteSid - I think the fall were on TOTP in video form for their cover of victoria. I certainly saw the video on something. Others - Anyone confirm or deny?
DeleteThe Fall certainly earned an appearance on TOTP Charlie, with Victoria reaching 35 in the charts. I know they would have been on the Indie Chart rundown of the Chart Show which I think is where I saw the video. They had been on ITV’s The Roxy in 87 with “Hit the North” and did a memorable performance. There is a website out there listing all the acts to appear on that short lived show - I’d forgotten how good it had been (for acts at least!).
DeleteThe Fall had a bona fide top 30 hit - okay, it peaked at 30, but their cover of "There's A Ghost in My House" had climbed from 41 the previous week so deserved a studio turn. I'd have loved to have seen THAT on the show! I'm not as big a fan of the band as Sidders, but I have a Fall compilation which contains all their John Peel era inide hits and it's a cracker.
DeleteA right old bag of Revels this week.
ReplyDeleteKaroake rave to begon with, and what must have been a specially reinforced stage for 2 Unlimited plus about 20.
Kenny Thomas? Again??? The colour beige in note form.
Vic and the bunch were too main and forced for my liking. The first time washing machines had been on a TOTP stage since “Little Does She Know” by Kursaaal Flyers in 1976, just before this re-run started.
The show must go on without Queen in this household.
Poor old Kiri, looking around thinking “Anyone? Please join in?”. Beuatifully turned out, beautiful voice, and another classical piece ruined by Charlie Skarbek, who grafittied over Beethoven for a 1992 European hit for Louise Tucker called “Midnight Blue”.
JimBob swallows a dictionary and Carter’s song is obtuse but well meaning. Not sure about the legs, though, lads.
FF Mariah’s blatant Emotions rip-off.
Simple Minds with another dirge and ‘live’ video. Quelle surprise.
Don McLean with a song I hate, and finally getting shown for a few seconds longer following his number 1 “Crying” getting blitzed by The Great Strike Of 1980 and we got three seconds of him in a round-up during the first show back.
Neil Tennant behind a keyboard for the first time? That song wasn’t cultured. Just dull.
Another pointless new release slot, introduced by Dorky mis-reading his autocue twice and pisspronouncing his words. Give up, boy! Apparently, this was an ‘excusive’ called “Baby Unusual”. Another Tin Machine racket.
Two weeks’ break from the new format and no more Robin Hood rubbish at the top. School bell time! Catch you soon – none of that ‘laters’ shite!
Louise Tucker and Charlie Skarbeck hit the UK charts in April 1983 with 'Midnight Blue' reaching No59. I believe it got a mention on ToTP possibly by JK?
DeleteDon McLean's 'Crying' video was shown on the last ToTP before the strike - 29/05/1980
Apologies for the Officer Crabtree "'Allo 'Allo" mis-spellings above. I did a Tony Dortie with my spellcheck!
ReplyDeleteCarter would have avoided the lawsuit from the Rolling Stones if they'd substituted the words "Ruby Tuesday" in the chorus for Jamie Wednesday, which was the name of a band they were in five years previously!
ReplyDelete2 inlimited - a spirited upbeat opening this week.
ReplyDeleteKenny thomas - ..and back down… yawn…
Vic reeves - and back up. Actually a fairly straight cover if you ignore the theatrics
Carter - so… one of my favourite bands of all time, brilliant live… but not today. [as I have mentioned before, if you DO like Carter, check out Abdoujaparov, Fruitbat’s band]
Mariah Carey - not much impressed with this - a bit like Whitney going up and down for no obvious reason than to show they have the range.
Breakers
Simple minds - hmmmm
Don mclean - revival.
PSB - not one of their best
Tin Machine - ok confession time. Unlike most people, I like the Tin Machine albums (I also like the ‘bad’ albums Stone Roses second coming, clash Cut The Crap, guns n rose chinese democracy, and pink floyd animals so I guess I am a bit odd). However, this is not the best track on the album by a long stretch. [any other offers for ‘bad’ albums you like?]
The Police's 'Zentyatta Mondatta' got slated in the music press at the time of release in 1980. I quite like it.
DeleteYou're right, Carter were great live. I saw them at Brixton Academy Dec '92. Seriously loud and great fun. I remember it ended with Jim Bob rolling around on the stage howling 'Mistletoe and Wine' against screaming feedback but I think his parting words to us were, "Get your Mum something nice for Christmas". Great band.
Delete2 Unlimited get us off to a great start with a completely unnecessary live vocal but a brilliant performance and staging for "Get Ready". Loads of energy and a great start to the show.
ReplyDeleteA bit confused - is Voices the album? It is and this tune is nothing special and would not make me buy said album.
Here come Vic Reeves, not only completely messing up the lyrics but proving he can't sing either. Possibly the single worst TOTP performance since I started watching these repeats in 1979. Such a shame as it's a great record but not even The Wonder Stuff can save this performance.
Queen we've seen so onto a Dame. "It's in the studio"? Bit rude Dortie! At last a decent live vocal though. Love the teenagers staring at Kiri thinking "what the **** is this?"
From Opera to an unstoppable sex machine dressed in EMFs' shorts. Think I thought this was OK at the time but I didn't enjoy this tonight. At least the teenagers appear to have woken up.
US Number One Moose Scary next hitting the high notes and the UK. I don't mind this tune, it's got a bit of a sixties motown feel for me. Dad was a big fan.
Breakers: Simple Minds still plugging the album by releasing ever deteriorating in quality singles. Sing-a-long Pie next, a classic tune and then a rather different sounding PSB tune. Gutted DJ Culture never made the studio as I really like this. Remix version will tickle the Top 40 in Xmas week.
What is Dortie on tonight.....a string of non-sensical words followed by Tin Machine. An awful presenting performance this week. Speaking of awful. Nice coup to get Bowie, shame he didn't bring a tune. Is the drummer in a nappy?
WE MADE IT TO WEEK 16....Bye Bye Bryan..
Have a mega week all....
As if TOTP was not enough on Friday evenings on BBC4, we also get Channel 5 every Friday at 10pm reviewing every year of the 70s in a one-and-a-half hour show, and last night it was 1971's top 30 songs/videos, followed by an hour of 70s novelty songs, so with the absence of TOTP on BBC4 last night because of Halloween TOTP2, there was two-and-a-half hours of 70s videos on Channel 5, and next week they continue with 1972, followed by 70s greatest glam rock hits.
ReplyDeleteDory - yep watched those. Took me back to my youth. The birth of glam rock. Interesting to see what they do for 1973 and ‘he who cannot be named’.
DeleteFabulous show that 1971 Top 30 wasn't it? I was certainly looking forward to that after last week's 1970 opener.
DeleteA few observations:
1) No surprise that 'My Sweet Lord' was No1, but no mention of 'He's so fine' and yet they harked on about how 'The Pushbike Song' borrowed heavily from 'In the Summertime'.
2) A couple of songs I was expecting to see featured in the chart didn't appear; 'Don't let it die' by Hurricane Smith and 'Me and you and a Dog named Boo'. Even if they didn't make the 30, I would have thought worthy of a mention...and yet the Carpenters featured twice?
3) Last week, with Rolf they rightly didn't airbrush it out, but just played one line of the track and showed a picture of a cassette tape, and then moved on. Presumably we'll get the same for 'he who can't be named' in the next few shows as I think he'll feature in 1972, 1973 and 1974 top30s.
4) The footage of Rod Stewart's 'Maggie May' was extremely poor quality - I know it exists in better definition so puzzled by this.
5) Amazed by the sheer diversity of music in this 1971 top30. Not much I didn't like. I think the makers of this programme have done a very good job of showcasing this great era for music and chosen some good commentators including a lot of the artists. Love this show.
One other thing....they featured Judy Collins' utterly peaceful version of 'Amazing Grace' but didn't mention that the single spent 67 weeks on the chart between late 1970 to early 1973. Quite amazing!
Delete...and we've got the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards to come in 1972!
Seemed to me that one of the backing musicians on the Dave and Ansel Collins video was blurred out. Any ideas why?
DeleteI noticed that. I wondered if it was something on his shirt, but TBH it would have been too small to see
DeleteGood spot....he's blurred out in close up but not blurred out on this full clip from the original ToTP show, introduced by the narrator of the 1971 Hits show, Mr Blackburn - "Hot Rex" indeed!
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNPiUuU58Y
Channel 5 music documentaries are basically compilations of YouTube clips the researcher has found, then played on a laptop to a talking head and recorded their immediate reactions. It's incredibly cheap TV you could achieve by following the YT algorithm for an hour.
DeleteHave just noticed BBC4 are not showing the 28/11 episode. Anyone know why? This will dismay many, because it is the episode with Nirvana's Teen spirit in it.
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me The Doors were on that week too!
DeleteNot a technical issue.. could be an Adrian Rose issue..
DeleteJust watched the 70s Novelty songs show, following the 1971 Top 30. Thirteen tracks were featured and only two of them could be described as novelties! Benny Hill with Ernie and The Wombles with The Wombling Song were the only ones in my opinion. Can't believe they featured 10cc with Dreadlock Holiday, Queen's Bicycle Race, Glen Campbell with Rhinestone Cowboy, Squeeze with Cool For Cats and The Knack with My Sharona amongst others. They even showed two Village People tracks, In The Navy and one I'd never heard of, Macho Man. Terrible! Here's a list of ones they should have shown. Clive Dunn-Grandad (1971) Chuck Berry-My Ding-a-Ling (1972) Lieutenant Pigeon-Mouldy Old Dough (1972) David Bowie-The Laughing Gnome (1973) Ray Stevens- The Streak (1974) Jasper Carrott- Funky Moped (1975) Mike Reid-The Ugly Duckling (1975) Billy Connolly- D.I.V.O.R.C.E (1975) Windsor Davies and Don Estelle-Whispering Grass(1975) The Goodies- The Funky Gibbon (1975) Mike Harding- Rochdale Cowboy (1975) Typically Tropical-Barbados (1975) Laurel and Hardy- The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1975) The Wurzels- Combine Harvester (1976) Larie Lingo and the Dipsticks- Convoy G.B (1976) Rick Dees and his Cast of Idiots- Disco Duck (1976) Meri Wilson- Telephone Man (1977) The Muppets- Halfway Down The Stairs (1977) Streetband -Toast (1978) Jilted John- Jilted John (1978) Driver 67- Car 67 (1978) Father Abraham and the Smurfs- The Smurf Song (1978) The Barron Knights- A Taste of Aggro (1978) Fiddler's Dram- Day Trip to Bangor (1979) and Quantum Jump- The Lone Ranger (1979). At least 10 of those should have been in there I reckon. Very poorly researched by Channel 5.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brie. I will have to take a look at that show. I agree that some of those choices you mention are certainly not novelty hits whereas your pretty extensive list (which I am struggling to add to!) contains most that I would class as such. Oh, maybe Dee D Jackson with 'Automatic Lover'?
DeleteGood observation and Very good list. As sct says I struggle to add to that list… at the moment :-)
DeleteBilly Howard with 'King of the Cops'?
DeleteI've thought of several more- The Piglets- Johnny Reggae (1971) Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs- Seaside Shuffle(1972) Hot Butter- Popcorn (1972) Chris Hill-Renta Santa (1975) and Bionic Santa (1976) The Barron Knights- Live In Trouble (1977) The Dickies- Banana Splits(The Tra-La-La Song) (1979) Cats UK- Luton Airport (1979) The Monks- Nice Legs, Shame About Her Face (1979) and anything by Judge Dread , including Big 6, 7 and 8. Plus of course Winker's Song (Misprint) by Ivor Biggin (1978)!
DeleteWell done again Brie!
DeleteI quite like Dactyl's (Jona Lewie) hit - especially the long fade with the laughter at the end. Popcorn was also massive at the time and never considered particularly novelty. The others....yep....all worthy contenders in my book. Judge Dread never played in the chart rundown of course!
Didn't Ray Stevens also do 'Bridget The Midget' a hit in 1971? I'd put that as a novelty single for the bits where Bridget comes in.
DeleteYes, you're right. I'd forgotten that one!
DeleteLooking ahead at the schedules it appears we have an Adrian Rose shaped hole in proceedings. 28/11 not being shown.
ReplyDeleteOh no Morgie, if that’s the case that’s 14 episodes we’ll be skipping for 1991/92 until Adrian left to do other things as Adrian Woolfe (if this is actually true)…
Deletehttps://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/profile-making-millionaire-adrian-woolfe-head-marketing-commercial-affairs-celador/72335
Interesting article. The name change reminds me that we lost Blue Peter presenter Christopher Wenner (now known as Max Stahl) yesterday.
DeleteNo! That's the one with Nirvana on it.
DeleteIf that's the case then there's some great things BBC4 won't be showing. The Levellers '15 Years' by Satellite and The Manic Street Preachers 'Motorcycle Emptiness' to name but two.
DeleteLooking like an hour long slot for 26th November. Which would mean Xmas Day episode airing and 19/12 (Rose episode) skipped..we will know for sure end of the week
DeleteIt does at least look like only the Adrian Rose editions have been pulled. Two Elayne Smith co-presenting editions will be shown, Claudia Simon's and Steve Anderson's first ones too so that's good. Would've been around half a year missing if any one of those were also not part of the repeats. Femi Oke still to appear in early '92. Always liked her. Claudia Simon very shouty but enjoyable. Steve Anderson I have no memory of at all but looked on YouTube and he seems pretty good.
DeleteBBC schedule confirms that 25/12/91 will be on the 26th November.
DeleteBloody Hell, looks like 1992 will be blitzed if Adrian Wolf (his changed name) refuses to allow his TOTPs to be shown. Between November 1991 and September 1992 he hosted 15 editions!
ReplyDelete