Inside my heart is breaking but my smile still stays on, it's the 10th of October 1991 edition of Top of the Pops.
Zippy lady
10-10-91: Presenters: Tony Dortie & Mark Franklin
(24) D.J. CARL COX – I Want You (Forever)
Getting the show underway and the dance tune went up one more place.
(29) MORRISSEY – My Love Life
Straight in at number 29 but it got no higher.
(35) MARC COHN – Walking In Memphis
Singing and playing live, this was his first of two top 40 hits and it peaked at number 22.
(NEW) QUEEN – The Show Must Go On (video)
Their final hit whilst Freddy was still alive, and it peaked at number 16.
(27) CATHY DENNIS – Too Many Walls
Singing live tonight and the song went up ten more places.
(ALBUM TRACK) SIMPLY RED – For Your Babies
From their number one album Stars, and it will be a top ten single next year, peaking at number 9.
(33) OLETA ADAMS – Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(32) MARIAH CAREY – Emotions (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 17.
(22) PUBLIC ENEMY – Can’t Truss It (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(11) KIRI TE KANAWA – World In Union (video) (Breakers)
The official song of the 1991 Rugby Union World Cup, it was her only hit and peaked at number 4.
(19) 2 UNLIMITED – Get Ready For This
Making their studio debut with the tune that became their first of eight top ten hits when it peaked at number 2.
(1) BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
Fourteenth week at number one.
17th of October is next.
Presenters: Dorite can't say Public Enemy he's so hyper! Mark getting the short straw in terms of links again but growing into the role.
ReplyDeleteFormat:Why the hell was Mark in a big TV! Interesting directorial choice. I notice they didn't try to chat to Morrissey.. he'd probably have whacked Dortie with a bunch of flowers.
Tunes:
DJ Carl Cox: So dance tunes with dodgy singers don't make great TV. Who knew? A less enthused audience I have never seen. Track is awful as well.
Morrissey: Is he looking for his credibility in the crowd at the start or is he just bored. This is dull. Two duff tunes in a row.
Marc Cohen: I still can't believe this is a 1991 original. It sounds so 70s and it's fantastic. That piano medley is beautiful. Playing live as well. Enjoy before Cher butchers it in 4 years time.
Queen: Sad as we all know what's coming and why there's no new video. Innuendo a really great swansong and a fitting last single for Freddie…
Cathy Dennis: What flava was she Tony? Strawberry? Sounding a bit like OMDs Then You Turn Away at the start. This is nice enough but her strength lies in pop/dance tunes. At least she can sing.
Simply Red: This weeks album track which will be a Top Ten single next year. From this weeks Number One album and didn't the British public love Stars. I'm OK with this being on the show, it's a nice tune, nicely sung. Not sure about the shirt.
Breakers:
OLETA ADAMS – ok but pointless cover version.
MARIAH CAREY – The tune that launched a thousand high notes.
PUBLIC ENEMY – A tune of theirs I don't hate.
KIRI TI KANAWA – I saw England V Italy at Twickenham in 1991 World Cup. Great tune this. Beautiful voice
2 Unlimited: Gotta feel sorry for Ray and Anita.. Pete Waterman brutally cuts out his rap (from the European Dance version) and cuts Anita out completely. The first of many big hits. The original version is actually worth checking out. This is annoyingly catchy. I think I could of handled the live vocal though.
Bryan Adams: Taking the piss now. Move over!
Britain's first multi-platinum single? Really?
Summary:
Sound quality nowhere near as good as last time but I'm assuming that's the BBCs copy. Show was bit slicker this week.
Although I enjoyed every track last week, this week was hard work at the start. Can't imagine much of the original audience made it past Morrissey. Marc Cohen was amazing though and I enjoyed Simply Red.
For the first time in a long time I watched live tonight. Special dispensation from Wifey for the new look show. She went to bed when Bryan came on the first time..oh well.
What we need is a new U2 tune...next week you say? Must Fly ..
I saw the title of this post and was momentarily confused that we'd time travelled to 1997 :)
ReplyDeleteCarl Cox - Wow the sound quality on this episode is terrible. Did they find it in a skip when they were looking for missing Patrick Troughton episodes of Who? The graphics over the top are very silly and can't decide if it's a fun gimmick or not. Maybe not for a better song but this is kinda dull.
BRING. BACK. MY CHARTS. And at least provide a voiceover of the top 10 for the hard of hearing, you lazy, lazy show.
Moz - I do quite like the neon lights on the new set. He sounds a bit Paul Heaton tonight. Although by all accounts Paul Heaton is a nice guy so he might not be flattered by this comparison.
Marc Cohn - Weird how famous this version of the song becomes despite never charting too high in the UK. Is that the effect of the Cher cover and everyone seeking this version out instead?
Queen - I'm still not into this new release video lark but it's an 'exclusive', it's Queen in late 1991 and it's this song and there's possibly a little something in my eye...
Cathy D - haven't heard this song in an absolute age. The live vocal is OK except for the highest notes.
I still hate Simply Red and I still hate this album track gimmick. (I reserve the right to change my mind if it's ever used for an act I actually like :p ) Obviously this one is going to be a single anyway so I'm super unenthusiastic about us getting an extra play of it.
Breakers (and its unnecessary jingle in-between each track): At least there are four this week, and a diverse set. Oleta is a serviceable but unessential cover. I generally prefer upbeat Mariah to ballad Mariah although I don't think I've ever liked any Mariah song enough to purchase. Not Public Enemy's finest. And finally yet another SPORTS song because it's the 90s and we can't get enough of them this decade apparently. (And we haven't even begun the slew of dodgy 90s Man United singles)
2Unlimited with a sneak peek at what 1992 is going to look like. Fun Fact I once dressed as Anita from the No Limit video for a fancy dress party, with a dress covered in cardboard and foil strips. Ah, the 90s.
Thing to say about that thing 14/16. I got very confused this week when there was all this hoo-ha about Ed Sheeran wanting Elton to go to number one cos he'd already been there for 15 weeks. I don't pay much attention to the charts these days but I remember Drake having a 15 week stint and speculation over whether he'd take the record and I hadn't heard about that for Ed. Turns out it was 15 weeks with different singles. Also I hate Ed Sheeran about as much as I hate Simply Red. But it's not an anti ginger thing, promise!
Carl Cox, nice guy, but the mixing's a bit uninspired. From miming to the samples we go to actually singing the samples, not sure that's an improvement. Psychedelic video effects are puke-tastic.
ReplyDeleteMorrissey, well, who needs a tune, huh? He warbles his way through a big nothing, well, a small nothing that goes nowhere at 2 mph. Still sticking with the see-thru blouse.
Marc Cohn, I haven't seen the audience look so bored since the heyday of the mid-to-late 70s, they just don't know what to do with themselves. Memphis has one of the highest murder rates in America. Because of this song. Unbelievably, there are two terrible covers of this to come!
And so Queen draw to a close, I still remember Freddie's death being a surprise, but this stitched together clip video must have been a big hint all was not well. You admire his can-do attitude, but it's not a very exciting record.
Cathy Dennis goes all balladeer on us, suppose it was inevitable. She either dresses absolutely ridiculously or really well, and this is the latter. Song's a bit whiny, but nice enough.
Gawd save us, the MOR is really staging an assault on TOTP. I don't like to fast forward, but there's no way I'm listening to Simply Red doing this. What a bleegusting concept. Mick doesn't even face the camera for his post-match sum up.
"Public 'Enery?" Good grief, they're getting Henry Cooper on as a celeb endorsement! Oh, my mistake, it's the too short to take in Breakers.
2 Unlimited, I wouldn't have said this at the time, but they were a breath of fresh air on this show, a boost of good time energy for a silly, empty-headed dance track.
Bry clings on like grim death, and er, that's it till next time.
DJ Carl Cox - despite not much love for this week's show opener, I just love the two dancing girls on the DJ Carl Cox studio performance to open the show, as well as the lead singer. They certainly know how to get us going for the rest of the show. I agree the song was not up to much but the girls were quality. I didn't know the group were from Brighton.
ReplyDeleteCathy Dennis - yes indeed, looking very pretty, and always welcome on my evening TV viewing, even though the outfit this week was not one of her best. Her and the two Minogues, with all three around the same age as me were the highlight of 1991 for me, and just couldn't get enough of them on TV and radio that year.
Simply Red - my my, how Hucknall must have felt uncomfortable when accosted by Dortie at the end of the song, towering over him and moving him around, but perhaps Simply Red were not yet the world superstars that they ended up being, and Hucknall didn't ask for this bit to be erased.
The Breakers - Good Lord, a breaker at No.11! I bet Kiri Te Kanawa was shaking in her boots at not being invited to the studio when at such a high chart position, or not having her video shown as a main slot. I think this must have been the highest chart position for a breaker since the breakers were introduced in 1986.
2-Unlimited - Good Lord what a super performance in the studio and check out the array of costumes on the performers on stage. From one girl in hotpants making an effort to dress up for TOTP, to others wearing whatever was in the cupboard, and not necessarily making an effort to dress up for the show, it was truly a strange eclectic mix of people, but they kind of got away with it with such a good sound.
I think The Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield have the highest charing breaker with What Have I Done To Deserve This being at no. 4 on 20/8/87.
ReplyDeleteKicking off the show with legendary, celebrity, perfect(o) gent DJ Carl Cox. Renowned for his use of three turntables in his live sets, although here, as he has already mixed three records in to this tune, he probably only needed the one deck here. As THX notes, slightly barmy to call up a singer to do a live vocal performance of a vocal sample. He was a resident DJ at London’s Velvet Underground club in the late 90s, I don’t recall him mixing in any VU though.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the lively performance from 2 Unlimited. I was aware this was their debut single but they had been in the TOTP studio early in 1990 under the Bizz Nizz moniker. Ploughing a similar techno new beat groove to their Belgian low country neighbours T99 and Cubic 22, but hitting the big time here and on their next run of singles.
An heads-up...no TOTP on the 29th October.
ReplyDeleteFor once... thank goodness!!
DeleteSome tunes missing out on a TOTP appearance and at peak positions this week:
ReplyDeleteNo.38 Alice Cooper - Love's A Loaded Gun
Surprised this one didn't do better, especially coming armed with a good video including the customary hottie, and evolving his sound for the 90s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcEzx5HLYEw
No.44 Color Me Badd - I Adore Mi Amour
Third single in the UK, and first one to fail to make Top 40, but interestingly this one spent two weeks at No.1 in America the previous month in September, and was actually the follow-up to I Wanna Sex You Up, rather than All For Love which was the chosen follow-up in the UK before releasing I Adore Mi Amour now in October 1991, but at least the boys get their girls in this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92NdfSeOLA0
No.56 The Thompson Twins - Come Inside
Surprised to see this lot with new material in the 90s, having been a successful early-80s band, and this one didn't seem to have the same punch as their heyday, but turned up here in 1991 with a good video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUSYTv1VVKk
Thanks Dory for looking beyond the Top 40 this week. I remember the Thompson Twins remix was released in disguise as a white label as the band knew it wouldn’t get a fair airing by trendy DJs, such as Pete Tong. This was that version that I remember and loved at the time… https://youtu.be/pouQoaWraNg
DeleteNew look pt2. More assured this time but with less great music. Still enough to convince that it's on the right track. Even Tony seems to have calmed a little. Mark certainly settling in well. Just get your hair grown lad.
ReplyDeleteI thought one of the main reasons for the new approach was to show up and thus remove people singing samples in the studio. The vocalist for Carl Cox belts out her part and it's not very memorable though the rhythm is pretty blistering. The audience do make an effort to dance and not just clap along.
Top 10 time. If you look round the side of the TV screen you can make out the images. Very disappointing.
Morrissey clearly couldn't give a toss whether or not he's on a new look show. He shows up and does what he has to surrounded by his gang who resolutely refuse to update their image from about 3 years before. The whole performance conveys a message of, "presenters don't come anywhere near!".
Marc Cohn up next and he really puts his all into his performance though not helped by a noticeably flat bottom note on the piano that he hits a few times. Great performance of a song that I still find a little ponderous and middle aged but he looks way younger than I thought he was. Maybe that's because I'm now middle aged myself. A couple of lads have a bored conversation at the front I noticed.
Video exclusive! I've tried to recall whether I had some idea that something was desperately wrong when I first saw Queen's new video but I'm really not sure. Certainly it is a phenomenally powerful montage of band clips all suggesting defiance and rage. Freddie's wink near the end very hard to watch. Just a stunning few minutes.
Cathy Dennis returns in a very fetching Sandie Shaw style suit. Oh my teenage heart! Gorgeous autumnal song, she sways dreamily and I didn't notice any young men having any distracted conversations during that.
Simply Red get the prestigious album track which is fair enough. I've always liked this one and you can literally hear the sound of thousands and thousands of feet heading off to Woolworths to buy the album while this was on. Hucknall is in fine voice as you'd expect and also rather off hand in his interview technique;
Dortie: "You're touring in January?". Hucknall: "That's right". Waves at a member of the audience. Interview over.
Breakers; Mariah about to invade. PE forgettable. Oleta; Of all the things to cover in late '91. Kiri Te Kanawa; We were decorating the living room and kitchen when Ireland lost by a single point to Australia in the World Cup. Needless to say the carpet cutting had to stop for a while.
No 1, yes of course. At least we get the end part this time. Not long now. Robin and Marian embrace. Ahhh.
Another loud excitable farewell from Mark and Tony then the credits. The end slide takes ages to fade out. They could've fitted in another breaker in that time.
Whoops! Forgot 2 Unlimited! One of the highlights. Idiot rave of the finest order. Yeah yeah from me. It'll be back.
ReplyDeleteWith no ITV Chart Show Top Ten available for 12th October on U-tube, I did find the Rage Top 60 singles chart as a video exerts rundown which is Australia's weekly pop show with videos for the 12th October:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3kEnSkxdlA
Notable artists: The Escape Club, Grease Megamix, Color Me Badd, Paula Abdul, The Cult, Technotronic ft Reggie, Dire Straits (Calling Elvis), C&C Music Factory, Right Said Fred, Amy Grant, Salt 'n' Papa, Roxette, Mary Mark, Mariah Carey, Prince (Get Off), Guns 'N' Roses (Don't Cry - video was available by now), at No.11 a group called Icy Blu (doing a cover of Salt 'n' Pepa's Push It, but called Pump It Hard), Heavy D & The Boyz, The Scorpions, and the No.1?.......Martika (Love Thy Will Be Done).
I hate "Walking in Memphis". Imagine how much I like its Frankenstein version "Raving I'm aaving".
ReplyDelete"Raving I'm Raving".
ReplyDeleteSecond new look show and these two chappies I’ve never heard of are back. What do I think of the format? I quite like the segues where the presenters appear alongside the bands. I like some of the live stuff. I miss the chart rundown and feel playing out with the theme tune is a waste.
ReplyDeleteDJ Carl Cox – I want you – This is the one breaker from last week that I could do without, so I skipped it.
Morrissey – My love life – I hope it’s more interesting that this dreary sound.
Marc Cohn – Walking in Memphis – All the way from Memphis? No, Cleveland, Ohio. Not bad I guess but a little horizontal.
Queen – The Show must go on – OK, so the video is just a rehash of most of the ‘The Works’ stuff onwards i.e. 1984. I think we guessed why at the time. Looking at those shots of Knebworth makes me glad I was there even though it took an eternity to get out of the place.
Cathy Dennis – Too may Walls – This is great. A sublime live performance with some sweet strings to accompany the immaculately turned-out Ms. Dennis. Best single of hers for me.
Simply Red – For the Babies – Oh goodness me, we’re into the ‘Stars’ era now. I never bought it…
Breakers – Oleta Adams – Pointless cover… the definitive one will come soon. Mariah Carey – Very shrieky. Public Enemy – Nondescript. Dame Kiri – Marvelous. Gustav Holst’s ‘Jupiter’ never sounded better. Check out Kiri’s version of ‘I’m in love with a Wonderful Guy’ from South Pacific. Still sends shivers down my spine whenever I play it.
2 Unlimited – Get ready for this – The polar opposite to Kiri….and guess what, I love this! Not usually my sort of thing but this one just makes you want to get up and dance. I remember a wedding reception I went to when the dancing started late for some reason and the Groom was getting edgy. This started the dancing and he went mental. The last of the six records held off the top spot at No2 by Bryan…and it’s a damn sight better than what did eventually do the dislodging.
Bryan Adams – (Everything I do) I do it for you – This week Bryan holds off the excellent Scorpions ‘Wind of Change’ from the top spot and how we could have done with hearing that. One reason given for the 16 week No1 stay is that Bryan didn’t release the ‘Waking up the Neighbours’ that featured this track until early October and so until then the only way to get the song was on the ‘Prince of Thieves’ soundtrack album which contained a load of orchestral stuff, hence people bought the single.
Random thought – Walking round Tescos this morning, and over the PA, quite loudly to my bewilderment came Paul Simon’s ‘Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard’, a No15 hit in 1972. My daughter gave me a few funny looks…”what on earth is this?”. I had to explain that nearly 50 years ago it was a radio staple and all the DJs used to say “Me and Julie -O” rather than the correct Spanish pronunciation…even though that was how Paul sings it. Anyone got the 15/05/72 edition that features this? No thought not…shame, cracking line up.
Sct - ha ha! I was at knebworth to see queen as well. Took forever to get there - arrived mid quo, We got onto our coach home at 3am!
ReplyDeleteDj carl cox - as dull as the breaker snippet suggested…
ReplyDeleteMorrissey - last week 2 bangers to start, this week two duds. Borrrrrrrring!
Marc cohn - not one of my favourites, but has stood the test of time. Prefer the Cher cover…
Queen - video well known now, but a bit of a mish mash - hardly surprising considering the circumstances…
Cathy dennis - pleasant enough, but again lacking any energy. Starting to nod off here…
Simply red - so was this a single at the time, or released after the album? Either, way never liked Simply Red so FF. another riveting interview
Breakers
Oletta admas - fairly straight cover…
Mariam Carey - at the risk of repeating myself, boring!
Public Enemy - next!
Kiri te kanawa - is that I vow to thee my country?…
2 unlimited - finally something with a bit of bounce. Must have been up all night writing the lyrics…
Charlie - yes that is 'I vow to thee my country' which is Holst's tune from 'Jupiter' in the 'Planets' suite.
DeleteSct - you learn something every day…
DeleteThat makes it the 2nd appearance of Holst's Jupiter in a Top 10 single. Another section of the suite was used by Manfred Mann's Earthband as the main melody for 'Joybringer', No 9 in late '73.
DeleteGrit teeth and here we go again...
ReplyDeleteI would have preferred carpet samples to Carl Cox.
Put a proper shirt on, Morrissey, and give up.
I think Marc Cohn had been watching Les Dawson playing piano.
The music for one of Bill Bailey’s superb final winning “Strictly” dances. Best I can say about this.
Cathy Dennis “creating a flavour all over the world”? Is Tony Dorky pissed?
Cathy’s track sounded like a Spice Girls ballad, and nothing wrong with that in my book.
Mick Bloody Hucknall again. FF.
Oleta with a pointless and dull cover, bastard Mariah ripping off The Emotions, Public Enemy as useless as the breakers’ ‘bumper’, and that woman I first saw on telly in a paint explosion dress at a royal wedding, with her wonderful voice.
Charlie beat me to it by minutes - must have taken hours for the lyrics for 2 Unlimited’s epic. Most interesting keyboard player on the re-run ths year.
That number one again followed by Dorky saying “Right, we’re out of here”. If only that was true...
I don't know if anyone has noticed a new TV channel called That's TV Gold, which launched a few months ago on Sky TV and Freeview. They've been showing all the Kenny Everett Shows from Thames TV in 1979/80 in the last couple of weeks, and there are pop performers guesting, as well as Hot Gossip dancing to various pop tunes, like last night it was Pink Floyd's The Wall which was the Xmas 1979 No.1, as of course Floyd did not make it to the studio!
ReplyDeleteI think this channel it ITV Gold content, as opposed to the UK Gold channel which is BBC Gold, so it is definitely a welcome addition.