The future's in the air, you can feel it everywhere on the 26th of September 1991 edition of Top of the Pops!
Bye bye Gary
26-9-91: Presenter: Gary Davies
(25) P.J.B. feat. HANNAH & HER SISTERS – Bridge Over Troubled Water
Gary's last ever show gets underway with a cover that peaked at number 21.
(19) THE SCORPIONS – Wind Of Change (video) (and charts)
Their only top ten hit, and it peaked at number 2.
(7) ROZALLA – Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)
Singing live in the studio and the song went up one more place.
(20) REM – The One I Love (video)
Peaked at number 16.
(23) TINA TURNER – Nutbush City Limits (video)
Got no higher.
(14) BIZARRE INC – Such A Feeling
Their first of seven top 40 hits and it went up one more place.
(24) MARC ALMOND – Jacky (video)
Peaked at number 17.
(8) SABRINA JOHNSTON – Peace
Back in the studio and singing live for a second time with her only top 40 hit (except for a re-mix of this one)) but it got no higher.
(37) FISH – Internal Exile (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(35) OZZY OSBOURNE – No More Tears (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 32.
(32) BELINDA CARLISLE – Live Your Life Be Free (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 12.
(1) BRYAN ADAMS – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (video)
Now a record breaking twelfth week at number one.
(33) BROS – Try (video) (and credits)
Their final hit and it peaked at number 27.
3rd of October is next.
Angelo, I see what you've done with this edition's heading and key lyric. Clever and haunting at the same time. Dreading next week.
ReplyDeleteThe curtain comes down on TOTP with this last show broadcast from the TV Centre studios in West London ever since 1966, ending 25 years of the same journey, venue, dressing rooms and Radio 1 DJs presenting the show.
DeleteThe same venue dating back to when the show was presented in black & white in the late 60s by Alan 'Fluff' Freeman, and danced in by Pans People, Legs & Co, and Zoo who came out to entertain us when there were no videos to show when the chart act could not come to the TOTP studio.
It really is sad to see it go, and we now move on to the Elstree Studios outside London, in Hertfordshire for the future of TOTP, and for the next 15 years until closing time in 2006. Very fitting that Gary Davies was chosen to present the final show at TV Centre in London, here in late 1991 when the curtain came down on the original TOTP studios.
Don't forget the Go-Jos!
DeletePJB ft Hannah & Her Sisters - Good Lord, a lot of people on the artist title, and sounding more than what was on stage, this cover of Simon & Garfunkel's ballad turned into a dancefest, and didn't really seem in order.
ReplyDeleteThe Scorpions - how poignant that their song title fitted into the final TOTP show at TV Centre in London. Get the drift?
Rozalla - now I know that there are the skinny types, but Rozalla must have been a size 4 on this appearance, and I was worried about her extraordinarily thin waist on this appearance.
Bizarre Inc - from their two previous outings in the TOTP studio, we have, thanks to this blog, determined that one of the two side dancers is a bloke, thanks to the previous blogs on recent shows, give me Fire Inc any day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eln48BCELk
Goodbye TOTP and the Radio 1 DJs. See you next week in Elstree and the new-look show, and of course the new duo that will be presenting the next few shows at the new venue.
As others have said, incredible timing on that Scorpions track, huh?
ReplyDeleteUgh the change coming next week just makes me even more annoyed we never got the story of 1991. The rise of grunge and indie rock, the dominance of rave,the longest number one ever, the massive format changes... and none of it covered when much less interesting years have had their story told. I know Covid but come on, they could have used videoconferencing like every other TV show the last 2 years.
Anyway. This episode was quite eclectic and not exactly full of classics.
PJB - I don't remember this at all. And I don't know what the point of it was.
Scorpions - Feels a bit dated but there is a good hook to it and the eerie whistling gives it a bit of something different. Not surprising it did so well worldwide.
Rozalla - from a top 10 pleasingly full of female fronted records. Like the Scorpions, its hook is the key to how it became so big. Kind of a similar vibe to the lyrics, too.
REM - Ah, it's re-released for the Greatest Hits. Which probably is also cashing in on Out of Time. No complaints though, I love this one.
Tina Turner - Vanity Fair published an interview with her yesterday where she says she's happy being retired and doesn't really miss performing. Good for her.
Bizarre Inc - another revisited rave track that's the weakest of tonight's batch. It's fine but it's not a standout and Playing with Knives is better.
Marc Almond - he sure does love a cover very, huh? This is more Something's Gotten Hold than Tainted Love, I kind of enjoy it for the campery,but not one I'd go out of my way to keep listening to.
Sabrina Johnston - another one on about peace and unity and all that jazz. Subliminals from the Beeb as a preemptive call for peacefulness before next week?
Breakers - full of old faces this week.
Fish - Is it a deliberate parody? Ugh anyway, it's not for me.
Ozzy - I do like this, but we only got 6 seconds so...
Belinda Carlisle - I like her but this one isn't as good as her best moments and the chorus is the kind of thing you get in a Tampax advert.
Thing to say about that thing 12/16. There's an article on BBC News about thr making of the video and its director, Julian Temple, says he prefers the Errol Flynn version to Prince of Thieves. Piping hot 30 year old tea, right there. Also I notice we're seeing less of it this week, guessing they were fed up of it. Weren't we all, though?
Bros - Oooh environmental Bros is a different one. But so is God Bros. Not sure either fit the brand, so unsurprising this doesn't do w
too well. I guess it fits the theme of peace and unity of several songs this week.
Just had a thought - Marc Almond's wrong spelling of Jackie (here as Jacky) could have been inspired by The Prodigy first starting this trend with their wrong spelling of Charlie as Charly for their debut single. Seems to be too much of a coincidence.
DeleteAgree about REM, it was originally their first single in the UK I think, and the first of theirs that I remember, but by far their best. That image of the man distraught with his head drooped on his girlfriend's lap is original and unforgettable.
The One I Love was something like the tenth UK single released by REM in the UK. My favourite music blogger (after Angelo of course), the Vinyl Villain, recently ran through every REM single with a dedicated post each Sunday.
DeleteDocument, their 1987 album that The One I Love was lifted from, was my intro to the band. They then left their original record label IRS for Warner Bros. and worldwide fame and fortune ensued. Hence, IRS releasing a cashing in best of compiled from the period of their first five albums and a couple of re-issued singles.
Interesting idea about Marc Almond Dory, I was also wondering why Jacky and not Jackie as performed by Scott Walker. Turns out that the original Jacques Brel composition was actually La Chanson de Jacky so Marc was going back to the original.
Delete@Dory: Jacky was a cover of the 1960s Scott Walker hit, as Gary said, and before that it was a Jacques Brel song (name three famous Belgians - Herge, Plastic Bertrand and Jacques Brel), so I think it's safe to say it was a coincidence!
DeleteBeat me to it, Sid!
DeleteRe REM, type in "Radio Free Europe" on YouTube and enjoy. REM at their hitless hungry debutant best.
DeleteI agree Arthur, Radio Free Europe is for me REM’s finest song. So often a band’s first offering turns out to be their greatest work. All those ideas, ambitions and youthful energies coming together for that initial statement of intent.
DeleteGreat minds @THX!
Chart rundown - new entry at No.39 and at peak, with no chance to go up further for a TOTP invite the following week was Electronic with Feel Every Beat. This evolution of New Order into Electronic looked like it could get no momentum since their successful debut top ten hit in 1989 when they invited Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys onto the debut single which no doubt bolstered its success.
ReplyDeleteThree tunes peaking outside the Top 40 this week from previous Top 40 regulars who could find no traction this time:
No.44 River City People - Special Way
Penultimate single of their relatively short career, and their final single a few months later just about managed a Top 40 spot at No.36, but that was pretty much it for RCP.
No. 54 Whitney Houston - I belong To You
This flop was her last single release in her first phase, and she would now take a year off before coming back with in late 1992 for phase two of her career with her comeback single that was a huge No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic, called I Will Always....
No.57 Chesney Hawkes - Secrets Of The Heart
First single for Hawkes not to make top 40, and only one more single to come in 1993, before one final single in 2002, both of which also failed to make Top 40, so we have already seen the last of him on TOTP.
Siobhan from River City People was also a TV presenter, think she was on The Clothes Show at the time? Maybe kids TV too. Presumably that was doing better for her than the singing?
DeleteShe should've considered being a presenter on Top of the Pops around this time.
DeleteSiobham was on But First This... kids TV on school holiday mornings in 1989/90 and I think he was on The O Zone as well
DeleteA surprisingly low chart position for Electronic’s third single considering the previous one went top ten. However, it still performed better than the other New Order side projects at this time, the Other Two and Hooky’s Revenge.
DeleteBuried in the Feel Every Beat lyric is a protest about the attempted criminalisation of the rave culture sweeping across the UK. Rave was certainly making its presence felt in the charts this week, give or take the odd film tie in and novelty party record!
PJB - it started and I thought ‘insipid cover’, then the biff biffs started and I thought ‘rubbish cover’…
ReplyDeleteScorpions - one of those tracks still played today. They were sure lucky with their timing…
REM - another one still played today - and why not, it is jolly good
Tina Turner - ah, been a while since we had a useless remix. Why, when the original is so good? (No royalties for Ike maybe)
Marc Almond - the original jacque brel recording is fantastic, the Scott walker remake is fantastic, and this version is… fantastic. It appears that the song cannot be broken.
Breakers
Fish - why.. I mean why?…
Ozzy osbourne - hard to comment on this snatch of track
Belinda carlisle - ditto
Bros - didn’t realise they went on for so long. Not very exciting - could have been michael Jackson…
It's the end... but the moment has been prepared for... Nice that they picked Gary to close out the DJ era, the epitome of the safe pair of hands. Fortunately he's doing just as well on Sounds of the 80s these days, in an Autumn years career comeback.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the beginning of the end starts with, oh gawd, they really would subject anything to the rave treatment, wouldn't they? This doesn't fit at all, and the backing singers going "Like a bridge!!!" are ridiculous. Happy 80th, Paul Simon!
Top Tip: Unless you want to "assist" the police with their enquiries, don't Google Scorpions album covers. One of them gave me quite a fright as a little kid in the local record shop. Anyway, now the subject of an urban myth that it was a CIA plot, this was a sentimental dollop of eyes to the horizon sludge. They loved it on the Continent, mind you.
Rozalla, ooh, she teases us but the top stays on this time. Also, a live vocal, testing the waters there.
REM, always preferred Can't Get There From Here and some of the other early stuff to this, but it has an epic quality, I suppose. Video directed by one Mr M. Stipe, yeah?
Tina Turner sold her back catalogue this week, so that's her set for old age, which everyone was joking she had reached already back in 1991. This is, frankly, horrible, replacing the rockin' fuzz guitar with a synth bleat and if I had bought her songs, I would have given this version back with a firm thanks, but no thanks.
Bizarre Inc, not as exciting as last time, even with the mime gloves on bloke dancer.
Marc, well, nothing beats the Scott version for drama, but if anyone was up for the challenge it was this guy. It's OK, but too many twiddly bits and I notice TOTP join the song after the line about "authentic queers and phony virgins" (!).
Sabrina Johnson, my goddam ears! At least she's dressed up for the occasion this time. Synchronised backing dancers doing the visual heavy lifting, however.
I believe we see Belinda again in the Breakers, but not the others. Fish - was he Scottish, at all? Can't remember. Ozzy - too short to make anything out.
Bry then Bros giving us a right telling off about matters spiritual and environmental, sort of like that Julian Lennon record but not as successful. Actually, a bit like Whackson's Earth Song, ironic seeing as how Luke (or was it Matt?) emulated his style.
It's The End....Nice Who quote THX
Deletei know it would be considered un-pc and they wouldn't get away with it now, but the cover for scorpions' "animal magnetism" album still makes me snigger at the back of the class
DeleteSo we've reached the end of the show in its guise that has stretched all the way back to Jan 1966 and unbroken since Nov 1969. Goodbye from Television Centre and (for now) the Radio 1 DJs. Hello to live vocals, regular satellite links and, well, less established presenters.
ReplyDeleteIt's fitting that Gary Davies should be the last man standing as he is, by some distance, the longest serving of the presenters, having first appeared alongside Janice Long on the 20th Jan 1983. He gives us some info on the revamp like the ever affable pro he is, being rather subdued at the end.
PJB feat Hannah and Her Sisters; You would think this was a pretty unruinable song. Not with a bontempi rave setting it bloody isn't. Good voice but the choice of chords really jar. Certain chords get chosen for a reason you know.
That was awful!
The Scorpions; Yes very appropriate for this edition this one. A still beautiful anthem to the extraordinary changes of the previous two years, and a heartfelt performance by people who clearly know of what they sing. Sentimental soul I am, I still find the line about being, "close like brothers" very moving. The video makes the subject completely clear for anyone that might possibly have missed the song's meaning. Only now have I noticed that while the song is pure Euro rock anthem, the guitar during the whistly bits sounds just like Graham Coxon's playing on 'There's No Other Way'.
Rozalla; Ahead of the big revamp, another live vocal. I'm looking forward to next week! What a voice she had. Great record. That's two freedom anthems then.
R.E.M; The tone of freedom takes a hit with the next video though. Agitated male psychosis from a band who were capable of far more. Great tune and powerful video but a little obvious by their extraordinary standards.
Tina Turner; I reached my limit with this within about 10 secs of hearing it.
Bizarre Inc; The little melodic hook has really grown on me.
Marc Almond; I suppose he was always going to cover Scott Walker sooner or later. Extravagant version of a brassy and (I didn't know till now) pretty risque song. Enjoyed it but his next, a cover of David MacWilliams' pirate radio classic, 'Days of Pearly Spencer' is really strong.
Sabrina Johnston; Live again. She wasn't going to mime. She's dressed up for the occasion and made me think a little of Phyllis Nelson in appearance though certainly not in voice. Not the fabulous video in full then. Oh well. I can't take all this positivity!
Breakers; Perhaps the end for the 'Name That Tune' section. Fish does Peter Gabriel does Andy Stewart. Ozzy Osbourne; No more thanks. Belinda Carlisle; Yes! More of this please. Live in the studio next week, an instant plus point.
Bryan Adams; Around this time, following on from mentions of all the records this single was busy shattering, Radio 1 was broadcasting spoof factoids voiced I think by Tommy Vance. He would dramatically say some esoteric chart fact then follow it by saying, "This has nothing at all to do with Bryan Adams!". Made me laugh a lot on the way to school.
Bros; "And it's from the old..." Gary brings the curtain down with a smile, some info that doesn't include the new presenters and a rather rueful goodbye. Will miss him. It finishes with Bros who are also on for the final time and with them go any boy band from the show I think until a certain bunch from Manchester show up the following summer. The video plays on a few seconds after the music fades as if reluctant to let it go.
P.J.B. feat. HANNAH & HER SISTERS – Bridge Over Troubled Water
ReplyDeleteA rather unnecessary and forgotten cover of the S+G classic. Its OK, my foot is tapping, but forgotten for a reason
THE SCORPIONS – Wind Of Change
A huge European and US hit it almost made Number One in country number 20. Wasn't a fan of this at the time but I have grown to appreciate it more. At least it's not More Than Words.
ROZALLA – Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)
Still loving this and a sort of live/echoed vocal. Nice
REM – The One I Love
Classic REM tune. Glad this got a single release here. I was fast becoming an REM fan at this point.
TINA TURNER – Nutbush City Limits
In 1991 I remember liking this. Looking back I have no idea why, it's a terrible remix. I bought the Greatest Hits album though which was great. She made a video for it though, fair play.
BIZARRE INC – Such A Feeling
The lesser feeling tune. Not a great performance either.
MARC ALMOND – Jacky
Now this is more like it. First of 2 Marc Almond singles that I adore. Big on production and flair.. Just fantastic.
SABRINA JOHNSTON – Peace
Quality dance tune. Great vocal. Just fabulous all round really.
Breakers:
FISH – Scottish Sh*te
OZZY OSBOURNE – Not as bad as I feared.
BELINDA CARLISLE – Absolutely wonderful pop tune
BRYAN ADAMS 12 - He had a tree planted for every ticket sold on his 2019 tour to offset all the travel...
BROS – Try
I actually quite like this. There I've said it.
So long then to Gary, TV Centre and The Wizard. This run from early 1986 to 1991 coincided with my senior school years and holds really strong memories for me. Along with the Radio 1 Chart Show and Doctor Who, TOTP was a big part of life. By Autumn 1991 I had left school, started work, Dr Who jad been cancelled and life was changing so it seems kind of apt that TOTP had changed too,
Onwards….
End of an era perhaps….not sure how profound this change will look compared to (say) the switch from the classic 70s / 80s format. Reserving judgment. Gary was good value as always.
ReplyDeletePJB/Hannah and her Sisters – Bridge over troubled water – There should be a law against this..
Scorpions – Wind of Change – The fifth of the No2 hits held off by Bryan and for me the very best of the sextet. Great lyrics and theme and a stonking tune. The Scorpions could belt them out with the best of them with ‘Still loving you’ being my favourite of theirs.
Rozilla – Everybody’s free – Surprised me by not removing her jacket this time.
REM – The one I love – OK song…where did it come from? Oh yes…released in 1987 reaching No51. So not a great hit.
Tina Turner – Nutbush City Limits – Hideous. FF
Bizarre Inc – Such a feeling – Off the tables this time out enabling mre freedom for prancing about. Not too struck on the song though.
Mark Almond – Jacky – Queen fans will be more familiar with this song in the earlier version recorded by Peter Straker (called ‘Jackie’) and produced by Freddie and Roy Thomas Baker. Peter starred in ‘Destiny of the Daleks’ in 1979 as Commander Sharrel. Leader of a robot race called the Movellans who had reached an impasse with the Daleks who needed the help of Davros who they exterminated in ‘Genesis of the Daleks’, so they dug him out of his underground tomb and revived him as you do. Anyway, Marc does a decent job here. Even further off piste, Jacky always conjures up the ‘White Horses’ them to me; now I love that.
Sabrina Johnson – Peace – (and quiet)…that would be nice.
Breakers – Fish – Gone all folky and less proggy. Ozzy – Enough is enough! Belinda Carlislie – Never struck on the follow up material to the ‘Runaway Horses’ album.
Bryan Adams – (Everything I do) I do it for you – So we’re finishing the old era and staring the new with record breaker Bryan. Listened to Whitman’s effort which reached the top in July 1955 and it’s really awful. Sort of Frank Ifield with frequent lurches to high notes, it certainly didn’t deserve to hold that accolade. 1955 saw songs like ‘Stranger in Paradise’ and ‘Unchained Melody’ at the top and also ‘Rock around the Clock’…all of which are better remembered these days than ‘Rose Marie’.
Bros – Try – I can only say that this is about the most un-Bros sounding record they’ve done. Bizarre collage video
I wonder if the most profound change in its history actually came with the revamp in January 1970. I think the shows were longer with more lesser known acts that were further down the charts (Rare Bird appear on an early surviving edition). Also only two presenters alternating for nearly 2 whole years. Actually I've noticed that only Mark and Tony do the honours for over a year.
DeleteRight, on with the black armband.
ReplyDeleteGary hints at the bad news early doors. This was exactly like when you were an avid comic reader and one week the front page said “Great news for all our readers”, which basically meant your comic was being merged with another and most of the features you enjoyed were being ditched.
The comic new wave band Half Man Half Biscuit once released an album called “Trouble Over Bridgewater”. It’s much better than that Hannah hash.
Never liked “Wind Of Change” so, once again, it was sound off for (sob) what I didn’t realise would be the very last chart rundown. Anyone else notice they got number 21 wrong and showed Jacky as the artist and Marc Almond as the song title?
As Simon Mayo predicted, Gary Davies mispronounces Rozalla, and she hits a slightly off key note near the start of her live vocal. Nothing compared to what we’re going to get in the next few weeks, though.
REM with a great song spoilt by another of their arty poncey videos.
FF TT and on to this week’s Oceanic-style gym rave turn.
Marc Almond (or is it Jacky?) with a real old kitchen sink disco number which sounded dated but I much preferred it to that shouty rave stuff. Oh-oh.
The honour of being the last studio turn at TVCentre goes to a live vocal by Sabrina Johnston. Shame I can’t stand this bellowing effort.
Oh God, it’s Fish the professional Scotsman again. Next.
Ozzy Ozbourne uses the tag line for Johnson’s baby shampoo for a right old dirge.
Not one of my fave Belinda tracks there, but better than much of the previous fayre tonight.
FF the number one again, and we see Bros getting a video outing for a colossal jump of five places to 33. Dear oh dear. That’s not Ken!
Bye, Gary, and thanks for everything. What a contrast to the future. He even had the grace to not mention the new presenters taking over. Mind you, maybe he couldn’t bring himself to.
Next up... the Private Fraser moment.
Buster an Cor!! Merging...that was a killer!
Deletearthur surely the most-professional scotsman in the music biz was jesse rae, who used to pose in ancient celtic costume (complete with claymore) and proudly proclaim to never go south of hadrian's wall?
DeleteAh, Jesse Rae, the chap who wrote "Inside Out" and who used to bring a suitcase full of Scottish food with him when he had to work in England!
DeleteWith all the farewells we've had to make of late can I offer a very, very belated RIP to Patti Hammond of Leg's and Co. I had no idea she'd passed away until looking back over a couple of blogs this evening. If there was one dancer from the time that I recall it was probably Gill but Patti was certainly my favourite from these repeats.
ReplyDeleteOn an old blog called 'One For The Dads' that I chanced on several years ago, there was an interview with one of the girls. I think it was Rosie. She summed up each of her compatriots with one or two words. For Patti she just said, "stunning".
She was.
Agreed. Patti was my second fave TOTP dancer after Cherry.
DeleteThey were all nice. Cherry Gillespie went on to appear in a Dire Straits video called Private Investigations, and Rosie went on to join a revamped Guys 'n' Dolls following a number of line-up changes after the departure of David Van Day and Theresa Bazaar who went on to form Dollar.
DeleteDidn't know about Patti. Very sad. You saw these girls week in and week out and felt you knew them. Cherry also featured in the Bond film Octopussy.
DeleteCherry was also in a BBC music and dance series called "The Hot Shoe Show" and she released two solo singles.
DeleteGosh, yes, that is so sad about Patti. I knew she'd been ill for quite a long time.
DeleteA bit of a chart career contrast for our two live vocalists tonight. Rozalla had three more top 20 and two top 30 hits (one of the latter being a re-mix of "Everybody's Free...") while all Sabrina Johnston managed was one week in the top 40 with a split single re-mix of this and Crystal Waters' 'la da dee' howler.
ReplyDeleteMore Rozalla facts. She was actually born in Zambia, and if you use the pronunciation of her first name as given by Simon Mayo, her name is Rozilla Miller!
ReplyDeleteAnyone watch the Hitlist with Rochelle and Marvin? I quite enjoy it although I am hopeless at the years above 2000. Views anyone?
ReplyDeleteSame here. I enjoy it, but don't even the know the post-2000 songs after they give the answer! Astounded by how quick some of them are though - especially with the dance tracks that I think 'all sound the same'.
DeleteIt's quite a good show for early Saturday evening I think. And there aren't many pop shows around these days. The 70's and 80s I'm on firm ground, start to get dodgy in the 90s, no chance after 2000!
DeleteMe too
DeleteI thought Peter and Peter were unlucky not to get through to final round but the two Ladies who did were superb and well deserved to walk away with a shed load of cash!
DeleteWish there was a 60s aspect to it! I'd get a lot of those!
Doesn't seem to be much love here for Bridge or Nutbush. So I'll say that this version is, marginally, an improvement on the desecration committed by Linda Clifford in 1979. As for Tina, the only conceivable explanation is that it was a deliberate attempt to offset royalties against otherwise inaccessible tax losses - there can't be any artistic reason for this atrocity.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone been watching The Specials on the BBC Red Button this week, in a new BBC6 Music set, where they perform some of the oldies like Do Nothing, Message To You Rudy, and have new guest lead vocalist Hanna Hoo on their cover of a Talking Heads single?
ReplyDeleteI recommend watching it while it is still on the Red Button. Norval is 70 this year, and Terry Hall a mere 62, and the group is still in superb form and relishing playing any live sets wherever possible.
A close mate of mine, who produced Hard-Fi's two number one albums, recent played a festival in Halifax supporting The Specials. A little bit guarded but decent fellas, apparently.
Delete