Remember the day you up and left, I nearly cried myself to death, and then I met the 30th of January 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
Getting it off his chest
30-1-92: Presenters: Tony Dortie & Claudia Simon
(12) THE PASADENAS – I’m Doing Fine Now
Getting the show underway tonight with what became their second of two top ten hits when it peaked at number 4.
(13) KICKS LIKE A MULE – The Bouncer
Performing their only hit and it peaked at number 7.
(22) JAMES – Born Of Frustration
Also in the studio and it made it to number 13.
(8) THE WONDERSTUFF – Welcome To The Cheap Seats (video)
At its peak.
(24) DREAM FREQUENCY – Feel So Real
Went up one more place.
(32) JULIA FORDHAM – (Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 19.
(33) THE BLESSING – Highway 5 (Remix) (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 30.
(35) CICERO – Love Is Everywhere (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 19.
(27) MANIC STREET PREACHERS – You Love Us
Making a memorable studio debut and the song peaked at number 16.
(28) D.N.A. feat. SHARON REDD – Can You Handle It
Here tonight performing what became their third and final top 40 hit when it peaked at number 17.
(1) WET WET WET – Goodnight Girl (video)
Second of four weeks at number one.
6th of February is up next.
Couldn't really find anything of interest on this show apart from the excellent video from The Wonderstuff, with those great costumes and colours, along with the great chemistry with Kirsty MacColl, the cool video made for great viewing at No.8.
ReplyDeleteI also found quite funny The Bouncer ringing out 'you're not coming in, you're not on the list.'
And then on The Breakers, three tunes that were not on the show the following week, so the only time we get to see them is here on the Breakers, and their videos looking very good to check out in full this weekend, especially the Julia Fordham one, and who are The Blessing indeed making that nice lady work like that on the video?
Hands up who remembered The Pasadenas had another Top 10 hit? Not me, though my memory was jogged by hearing its bland karaoke sound. Not doing their trademark moves here, because they wouldn't have been able to sing at the same time. Unsurprisingly, never revived (until now).
ReplyDeleteKicks Like a Mule, full marks to the frontman, he was doing his best to gee up the crowd, but this was all very lacking in atmosphere. The only bit of this I really recall is the lines of the titular bouncer. Maybe it would have been more cheerful if he said "Your name's not down, but come in anyway!"
Crunching gear change into the indie pop of James, with Tim howling and fancy instrumentation. It's OK, but I always found them hit or miss, and this is too close to miss.
Wonderstuff and Kirsty on video, Miles is just one top hat away from the Mad Hatter's tea party. One of the best tunes of the episode, but we have heard it before.
Dream Frequency, it's generic dance time again, and not a cover despite the title. Singer does her best but struggles with the high notes, I'll never get used to performers singing the samples.
Breakers, Julia Fordham with this week's song from a movie, in this case the Demi Moore flop The Butcher's Wife (shouldn't have gone blonde, Demi!), then The Blessing, I'd forgotten about this, it was played a lot on the radio but never caught on, maybe because the singer's "rawk" voice was kind of annoying, then Cicero - was that a joke?
Manics make their studio debut, no matter what Richie said (or carved) about being FOR REAL, there was a suspicion of them at the time that they were trying too hard to pose as The Clash for the 90s, and it took a while for that to leave them. I can see why from this performance. Audience are spectacularly uninterested.
DNA back and they have a shouty singer with them, but this is tonight's bland cover part 2. Sharon is upstaged by her hat. Then the Wets video to end on, but I'm not hanging around for that. Get your hand out of your pocket, Claudia!
You could say that Claudia was dressed as a yuppie this week, so there could've been loads money in her pocket to hang on to.
DeleteHad a look at The Blessing's video in full, as we will not see them again apart from this Breakers slot, and I was wondering what the min-dress girl was doing working on a treadmill in that clothing with high heels.
Turns out that she was held captive and not co-operating with some questioning from the lead singer. Apart from that, I couldn't make out any storyline from the video, and what on earth is Highway 5?
I too tried The Blessing's video and actually, listening to the whole thing it's not half bad, just about five years out of date.
DeleteAs for what it means, well, it's obviously... erm... Nope, I couldn't work it out either!
Just guessing, but maybe Highway 5 was referring to that awful treadmill in the video which the nice girl in the minidress and high heels had to exercise on. Certainly looked very uncomfortable for her in evening dress.
DeleteSort of "getting through the daily grind" type thing? She wasn't exactly dressed for it... Maybe we should see if the lyrics are online?
DeleteI thought this was a great episode! Nice mix of genres, some classics and some tracks I haven't heard since 92. Feels like we got absolutely tons in too.
ReplyDeleteOpening with 3 studio performances is a treat, too.
The Pasadenas - I love how Tony Doritie suggested this for a potent number one and the GBP went 'two bland soul tracks in a row no thanks give us yer one from Bananarama being a banshee thanks' (which was absolutely correct, this cover is fine but dull).
Kicks Like a Mule - So ragga is here and ragga/reggae will be a staple until 95. Bot a terrible track but not the most memorable of the genre.
James - Ah, I do like me some James in the sense of they're a band I own the Greatest Hits and a couple of singles of but never needed to own all the albums. And this isn't a single I bought but I'm not disappointed to hear it.
Wonderstuff - Breaks up a studio heavy episode and I don't mind that this is on video as a) we've had a studio performance and b) Cracking video. Jools Holland was certainly taking style notes for the Hootenanny.
Dream Frequency - slightly creaky vocals but I am loving that we've got pop, soul, indie, ragga and dance all in one episode.
Breakers - three! What a treat! And all songs I've not heard in 30 years so nice to meet them again even if none are spectacular (Julia Fordham is probably the best).
Manic Street Preachers: YES TOTP THIS IS WHAT I'M HERE FOR. Apart from the bit where the fireworks make the sound go wonky, but they look good and makes it very memorable. I do always find it slightly hilarious to see James Dean Bradfield trying to look cool though, especially as he's become a quintessential dad type in his image since about 1994.
DNA - Sharon's vocals lift this.
WWW - dull. High on the Happy Side is a close title to one of Urban Cookie Collective (coming soonish to a totp near you)'s other songs, High on a Happy Vibe. Do you think they were influenced by Pellow et al?
Heh, it is odd to see James Dean Bradfield go punk in his early years, nowadays if he tried going topless he'd be back in a cardigan after a minute.
DeleteI wonder if we'll see the balaclava performance on the repeats?
Four tunes at peak lower down the charts from previous TOTP regulars (and one newcomer - Tori Amos), but with no TOTP for them this time round:
ReplyDeleteNo.37 Voice of The Beehive - Perfect Place
Last ever single from this group, as we say goodbye to the Beehive for a fine few years of singles. The song felt like a Wilson Phillips composition, but they did at least get to perform it on stage on the BBC children's show Hangar 17:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc1kcJbAdvs
No.44 Dr Hook - When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman
Re-release of their big 1979 No.1 single for some reason, and this time narrowly missing out on a Top 40 position. Still a good video.
No.51 Tori Amos - China
Second single and second to peak at No.51, so naturally we haven't seen her yet on TOTP, but her third single Winter will finally be her debut Top 40 single in a few weeks time, and no doubt a TOTP debut very shortly.
No.53 The Thompson Twins - The Saint
Last ever single from this legend of an 80's group, as they too end their singles catalogue this week, as the curtain comes down on a 10-year career going back to 1982 with their debut single Lies. This last effort The Saint was a la Pet Shop Boys in style, and equally fantastic video to really go out in spectacular fashion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elJBetkR--A
Decibel Girl and Waffle Boy the hosts for this one, starting off like the trying to be trendy youth TV presenters they had been. Wrong type of show for that routine!
ReplyDeleteWe start with the first of three songs on the show which improved on their first chart placing. The Pasadenas mave have beaten the number 20 peak of New York City but, in comparison, this was a suburb of Kansas. Okay enough, but the other hit version had female backing vocals for more contrast. I always though the song would have worked better story-wise by swapping the verses around.
Who are that bunch of donkeys up next? Listen to this? Kiss my ass! (see what I did there?)
James, and the return of the dickhead trumpeter who, like singer Tim, got dressed in the dark. I like this but not enough to warble on about it.
Ye Olde Wonderstuff next with a waltz-time tune featuring a bit of 5/6 time in the instrumental. Niiice.
Great. More klaxon and whistle stuff with slightly off key vocals? More like Nightmare Frequency if you ask me.
Pre-breakers: Claudia, the camera’s down here, love!
Beverly Craven’s tour mate Julia Fordham gives us some right old Radio 2 fodder.
The Blessing with a re-release of a number 42 from the year before. All I can muster for this.
Cicero trying to be halfway between Brother Beyond and Depeche McMode – check the Heart of Midlothian FC poster on that bedroom wall.
Weird posing by Manics’ Morrissey Lipstick leader. Mums and dads would have loved that tune and the pyrotechnics. What was that called again? For those who don’t get the “4 REAL” reference, Manics guitarist Ricie Edwards once got wound up / carried away in an interview with the NME and slashed the phrase into one of his forearms in characters so huge and deep that he went through at least three layers of skin and nearly slashed an artery.
DNA help Sharon Redd climb higher than the number 31 first time round in 1981. Now that’s what I call a hat. Might have borroed it from Slade.
Please give a medal to whoever came up with the idea of putting snore marks before Wet Wet Wet. Brilliant piece of probably intended comedy.
I remember The Bouncer by Kicks Like A Mule actually sounding better than this. Maybe the studio didn’t do it any favours. Later covered by New Ravers The Klaxons a decade and a half into the future.
ReplyDeleteThe two ponytailed keyboardists apparently worked at the XL Recordings record label at the time with one of them now co-running it. Must be worth a few quid with the likes of Adele, White Stripes, Radiohead, M.I.A., The Xx and of course The Prodigy gaining entry past the doorman onto their label.
I don't think the ragga guy is on the Mule single is he? I don't remember him, anyway, maybe he was on one of the alternative mixes.
DeleteI’ve researched (on you tube) The Bouncer mixes this morning (in addition to Manhattan Transfer) and there were no ragga interludes. As Rad suggests elsewhere you are nobody in 1992 unless you are accompanied by a Ragga MC to the studio. The mixes are all fog horns and breakbeats, it must have been the Housequake mix I had on tape, which isn’t too bad (fewer fog horns and lower bpm).
DeleteClaudia and Tony. Claudia looks very fetching in the suit and fashionably loose tie. Tony is still a little overexcited but maybe that's because he seems to be the only presenter that regularly gets mobbed by the audience. He's game though. Good on him. Enjoyed this edition.
ReplyDeletePasadenas to start, still popular in 1992 and I don't mind anything they've done (really loved 'Riding On a Train' when it was out) and they've picked a perfect cover to do. It doesn't do much with the New York City original but that's fine. Always great to hear this with its subject that's unusual sung by a man to a woman; ie, you left and broke my heart but now I'm happy with someone else so you can get stuffed. Lead Pasadena carries it off with well and it's always a treat to hear live soul. A little off key at times but how often did a genuine soul legend appear in the Totp studio. Not much I would guess.
I think Nile Rodgers said that when New York City did the original on Top of the Pops in 1975 they were preceded or followed by Mike Reid doing 'The Ugly Duckling' so it's fitting that the cover of 'Im Doing Fine Now' gets followed by something equally stupid. Original idea 'The Bouncer' but the backing is so dull the joke gets a little lost. Are you supposed to dance or laugh?
Best thing of the edition with James crowding a big multi instrumental band into a pretty small space. It's like Ian Dury and the Blockheads again. I bought 'Seven' at the time because of 'Born of Frustration' and it still sounds good.
From indie to indie with The Wonder Stuff and a merry song that I assume James' trumpet player would've particularly enjoyed. I did find their Victorian schtick a little condescending but its colourful and fun and always nice to see and hear Kirsty McColl on a video.
Dream Frequency, 'Feel So Real'; Prefer Steve Arrington's (?) song of same title and don't think much of that one either.
Breakers; Julia Fordham, Distinctive but a bit dull. The Blessing; A DJ loved this at the time but forgotten who it was. Cicero; Boy bands are over. For a little while.
The Manics blasting through 'You Love Us' next and it's quite an arrival and maybe it wouldn't have had anywhere near the same effect of on the old format. Great chorus, rather embarrassing 6th form verses, Richey looks really charismatic, Bradfield looks like he has a ferocious itch that can't be scratched till they leave the stage. Nicky Wire (I think) declared in a very early feature that they would set fire to themselves on the show if they appeared. They don't. In fact Sean Moore appears to stop drumming altogether for the last 30 seconds or so. What was that all about?? "Nice shirt" Tony quips at the end. Uncharacteristic. And rather brave.
DNA back with Sharon Reid who is a fine dance/soul singer but that can't cover over the fact that she looks pretty ridiculous. She couldn't possibly have chosen that hat herself.
Wet Wet Wet still at No.1 and I'm clearly the only person here that likes this record! Yes still think it's very charming and great to see the video at last. Delightfully of it's time. More shaggy haired new men, an image that certainly worked for them. I knew a girl in 6th form who fancied the absolute pants off of Marti Pellow while this was out. Still not sure whether the man on the pendulum is an MP or a Tele evangelist. Aaaaahhhh. Aaaaahhhh
And credits.
Sadly, Sharon Redd died less than four months after this performance. I remember Simon Bates announcing it on his radio show, then playing the original of this song.
DeleteNo full Chart Show on mixcloud for me next week so I'm moving on to 30th January TOTP today. Let's see what awaits…
ReplyDeleteOMG. Tony and Claudia compete for the worst dress sense, worst youth talk and loudest voice. God help us all..
The Pasadena's are back. I'd forgotten they suddenly reappeared for 5 minutes with this cover of a 1973 New York City track. Another valentine hit. What happened to all the sharp moves and clothes?
Nice to see Kylie at Number 2.
WTF is this Bouncer crap? I don't remember this at all. Utter rubbish. I thought last weeks show was a new beginning but this week has not been great so far. Audience seem to be enjoying themselves though.
Hooray James are here to provide a decent tune. Never really realised how much of James output I enjoyed until much later when I look back. Another wonderful song from them. Tim has a really distinctive voice that suits this type of Indie/Pop tune well. Sax guy has nicked his Nan's best dress and some of her pills by the looks of it. 😂😂😂
Kirsty adds to her collection of misfits and weirdos by helping The Wonder Stuff go Top Ten again. Quality tune. A very Lewis Carrolll type video.. fabulous stuff
Yeah Boy….Debbie Sharp puts some gloss on this Dream Frequency dance number. Amazing whay a decent vocal will do for a dance tune. Enjoyed this.
Breakers:
Julia Fordham: Ummm, no thanks.
The Blessing: This is good. Like.
Cicero: Who? Where did he come from?.
MSP up next..what a band. Went a bit MOR after Richie departed but still a force to be reckoned with in both incarnations. You Love Us a wondeful Indie/Rock record. Don't they look young…
Highlight of the show and possibly 1992 so far.
Those fireworks made me jump out of my chair they were so loud in my headphones.
Best outfit of the night goes to Sharon Redd helping DNA get another Top 40 hit. Decent cover version of….her own song!
This weeks show has definitely had a better second half.
Were the Z's introduction to The Wets meant to be a commentary on the track? Video this week which isn't great. Honestly preferred the live version from last week.
Bit more hit and miss this week and both presenters were awful. Dortie does bring out the worst in our Claudia.
Time to update the playlists...see you all in February 1992.