You'd better hoper and pray that you make it safe back to the 20th of February 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
Sequins with me
20-2-92: Presenters: Mark Franklin & Tony Dortie
(24) BRAND NEW HEAVIES – Dream Come True
Getting the show under way with their first of fifteen top 40 hits, but this one got no higher than number 24.
(21) ROZALLA – Are You Ready To Fly
In the studio and the song peaked at number 14.
(5) THE TEMPTATIONS – My Girl (video)
Peaked at number 2.
(20) JULIA FORDHAM – (Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways
Went up one more place.
(11) BRYAN ADAMS – Thought I’d Died And Gone To Heaven (video)
Peaked at number 8.
(10) OPUS III – It’s A Fine Day
Their only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 5.
(9) SIMPLY RED – For Your Babies (video)
Got no higher.
(7) SHANICE – I Love Your Smile
In the studio with what was to be her only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 2.
(17) MICHAEL BOLTON – Steel Bars (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(15) MADNESS – It Must Be Love (video) (Breakers)
From their number one greatest hits album Divine Madness, this re-issue peaked at number 6.
(14) N-JOI – Live In Manchester (video) (Breakers)
Went up two more places.
(1) SHAKESPEAR’S SISTER – Stay
In the studio to celebrate their first of eight weeks at number one.
27th of February is next.
Rozalla - My favourite song of hers, and sadly her last Top 40 song until 1994, as the follow-ups to this could not break through for a TOTP outing. Still she was looking good tonight, even though we will have to wait quite some time to see her again on the show.
ReplyDeleteBryan Adams - the video gets shown for the second week in a row as main slot, and gone were the days of having to wait to weeks before getting on the TOTP again.
Opus III - best performance on the show tonight by a mile, and we got introduced to a new face, new singer, with cute outfit and cute voice to go with it. Just love this performance, and lucky for us we get to see her two shows later, back in the TOTP studio and on the same night on BBC4 tonight with the 5th March show when at peak position.
Wow, you can almost feel the anti-chemistry between Mark and Tony.
ReplyDeleteBrand New Heavies looking and sounding like they were auditioning for Jools Holland's Later, but lifted considerably by a vibrant performance from lead singer N'Dea. She was really good, and should have been a bigger success on this evidence.
Rozalla, accompanied by indoor fireworks, for a dance tune that's undistinguished compared to her other hits, but it'll do.
The Temptations seem to have rerecorded one of their biggest 60s hits with their umpteenth new lineup. You didn't get Macaulay Culkin grooving to Cloud 9, did you? Last time I saw the "Girl", Anna Chlumsky, she was being victimised by Hannibal Lecter on the Hannibal TV show.
Julia Fordham with her oh-so-tasteful dinner party music, not my cup of tea at all and the audience are more intent on waving at the camera.
Skipping over Bry, we get Opus III and their dance tune constructed out of one of professional weirdo Edward Barton's acapella songs. Which means, that's right, someone singing the sample again, and here's it's the daughter of library music supremo Alan Hawkshaw. Her voice is weak compared to the original, and she's obviously nervous, concentrating more on playing with her balls than singing. Pretty inauspicious.
Simply Red oozes onto video, then Shanice with a song serious musos like to mention as a great pop record, but I prefer to mention as a twee, sickly sweet abomination. Honestly, this makes my teeth itch. How come Julia got the spotlights and you can hardly see Shanice?
Mere seconds of the Breakers (what's Madness doing there?) and then Siobhan and Marcella commence their marathon at the top. Now I'm remembering why the novelty of this one wore off...
'The anti-chemistry between Mark and Tony' - hilarious!
DeleteApparently Madness had just released a Greatest Hits album at this point, and hence the first release was this song from way back in 1981, and same video used 11 years later in 1992.
DeleteThankyou! Their duelling forced grins are quite something.
DeleteThanks for the info, Dory.
DeleteQuite an enjoyable episode overall, this one. Feels like a lot of tracks (funny what happens when you don't dedicate a third of your show to Michael Jackson, eh).
ReplyDeleteThe weird thing with names of artists who have new entries (but not track names) is a step on the way to reinstating the chart. Come on show, you can do it!
BNH - not their best track but a pleasant enough performance. N'Dea looks so young!
Rozalla - Tony D calls her a they, so either he thinks she's a group or she was non binary and he was being very ahead of the times. (But let's be honest, it's not that) I like her though, and a nice performance.
Temptations - I haven't seen My Girl since 1992, I wonder if it holds up?
Julia F - The women are dominating the studio tonight, whilst men dominate the videos Weird. Again another nice performance even if it doesn't hit top 10 like Mark predicts.
Bryan Adams - this video remains annoying and ugly. Sticking some charts over it would have helped!
Opus III - I always got them a bit confused with Sunscreem but a good track and a shame they never took off.
Simply Red - Of all the 92 tracks recently, it's this that has been a constant earworm for me. And given I don't like SR, my brain is clearly teasing me!
Shanice - another great performance from one of the most memorable tracks of the year.
Breakers - nice mix, though that Michael Bolton track is one of his worst.
Shakespear's Sister - Love it (for now... but then we survived 16 weeks of Bry, we can get through this). Probably their best studio performance yet, too.
I loved the Opus III track as well, also the fact that it is the key sample on Orbital’s epic Halcyon track released on an EP later this year. Looks like there are two performances from Sunscreem coming to the studio this year with their similar spaced-out hippie punk dance vibe.
DeleteFour songs peaking just outside the Top 40 this week from previous Top 40 regulars:
ReplyDeleteNo.48 Chic - Chic Mystique
Last ever single release by original 70s disco band Chic, rounding off a 15-year career spanning back to 1977, and this final single mixing 70s disco sound with 90s dynamics. Great way to go out, as we bring down the curtain on a disco legend of a group.
No.49 Public Image Limited - Cruel
Surprised to see this lot still going in 1992, but almost in parallel with Chic, this was PIL's last ever single in a career stretching back to 1978, and peaking on the same week as Chic, and so the curtain falls for PIL also this week.
No.56 Mike & The Mechanics - Everybody Gets A Second Chance
Interesting that this song was released at the same time as Genesis's I Can't Dance, as this group were all part of Genesis, and the Genesis single was still in the same chart this week falling at No.23. I guess in keeping with the song title, it was a fitting back-up to the simultaneous Genesis single, and they had two singles out at the same time across the Genesis-Mike & The mechanics amalgam in case the Genesis one flopped, which it didn't in the end.
No.58 Color Me Badd - Heartbreaker
Following last week's TOTP show opener live from the USA, this song arrives and peaks as a new entry this week at No.58. Two more releases from them in 1993 and 1994 did not break through the Top 60, so I think we have seen the last of them already on TOTP on last week's show.
It’s the Anti-Chemical Brothers with Dorky now looking as stupid as he sounds. Was he wearing that hat for a bet?
ReplyDeleteBrand New Heavies kick off with some fast groove acid jazz funk soul. Not exactly niiiiice but certainly decent.
Dorky does a daft ad for liquorice allsorts before the top ten and – oooh! Tickertape new entries!
Another distinguished oufit for Rozalla (You pronounce it Rozilla, lads). Same this sounds like a slightly slower version of “Everybody’s Free” and that isn’t her best dance routine either.
I’ve heard that Temptations song too many times now.
Julia Fordham’s unusual deep voice provides us with some After Eight mints shuffle.
The return of Bryan Adams’ corny (okay, wheaty) aural and visual dirge.
If ever there could have been a potential UK winning entry for Eurovision under other circumstances, Opus III’s weirdness would have been it. That lass had balls.
“For Your Babies”? For my sick bucket.
I agree with a previous comment. Shanice is tea-with-nine-sugars teeth rotting stuff. “I Love Your Smile”? I hate that song.
Boy Bolton tries to hit mariah Carey high notes and fails miserably.
For Madness, read The Temptations. This video’s so old, the drummer’s with a different group now.
I didn’t N-Joi that next noise.
So, Siobhan manages what the ‘Nanas never achieved and got a number one. Best performance of the song thus far on the show. I still think the keyboardist’s hot.
Christ, Dorky sticks in a “Laters” at the end.
I know they say "Hope Not Hate" and "Hate Won't Win" these days, and fair enough, but I am a little bit pleased to see the hatred for Shanice's hit on here (!).
DeleteFor me it's the fact she sings about obsessively smiling while continually smiling. Not a pleasant combination!
DeleteMark and Tony again. Last time they're together other than Christmas editions?
ReplyDeleteBrand New Heavies; Not a very memorable song but a funky arrival and well sung by N'Dea Davenport. I always enjoyed this band, sound and image, and they were the highlight of Phoenix '95 for me. The bassist I remember wearing lime green flares and he looks very cool here too. 'Dream On Dreamer' my favourite of theirs though their singles in '97 were great too.
Rozalla; In fine voice again but sounds to me like 'Everybody's Free' reassembled.
The Temptations; Nothing can tarnish this all time classic so the video is perfectly watchable and great to see the group in older age and still looking most stylish. Rather like the video for the reissue of 'Stand By Me' you wish they could just stick with a vintage clip. Was the new clip filmed just prior to David Ruffin's death? (he passed away in June '91).
Julia Fordham; This is ok I suppose, drifting sensibly past in a not quite yuppie / not quite new agey manner. Unfortunately for her this would almost immediately be rendered old hat by Tori Amos and her ilk.
Bryan Adams; Again proving soundwise at least that he was always a hair's breadth away from Def Leppard. Also we've seen quite enough of him standing amongst foliage.
Opus III; Wow, way more like it. Just love this single. One of the songs of the year. Beautiful melodic hook, hypnotic arrangement and pulverising dance rhythm. That is so good. Miss Hawkshaw's hand movements being taken up by many of the audience making it look like a new age dance seminar at a festival. Check the girl at the front who is seriously focused in trying to emulate the singer's actions. Great to learn she was the daughter of Alan Hawkshaw. Composer of the Grange Hill theme and so much else.
Simply Red; 'For Your Babies' and yes this is another pretty one from 'Stars'. The video giving Mick plenty of opportunity to show off his hair. Not too smarmy at this point.
I was making my first steps on acoustic guitar at the time and the riff (and solo) was definitely the thing 16 year old players aspired to in '92/'93. '90s retrospectives would try to say otherwise but they'd be wrong.
Shanice; I want to like ..'Your Smile' but no it's just too darned happy and I swear I heard it more times than 'Everything I Do'.
Michael Bolton; Pass
Madness; I'm sure there was once a showing of this on BBC1 when after they mucked about in the pool with their instruments, a gloomy voice over credits informed us not to try a similar thing at home.
N Joi; Gee. Next!
Shakespeare's Sister; Another live appearance and it's still powerful but you can see where the tensions arose. It must've been hard for Siobhan to turn up on national television and get comprehensively outsung week after week. She barely sings the refrain at all while Marcella goes for glory near the end. Still a fantastic record. I think the keyboard player is gorgeous too.
The original revamp pair say a goodbye and Tony now has extended the "Laters" to "Laters, much laters!!!".
Ooh that is annoying.
I must admit the bit of the Madness video that hasn't aged well isn't jumping into the pool with their instruments, it's the captive killer whale. After that documentary Blackfish, it's very uncomfortable to see the orcas in captivity.
DeleteSo before I wip up Rump Steak, Triple Cooked Beef Baisted Chips, Garden Peas and Peppercorn Sauce followed by Apple Crumble and Custard for Valentine's lunch, I have time to dip a toe back into February 1992.
ReplyDeleteOne of last weeks NE that missed out it's welcome to the Brand New Heavies. You don't hear this anymore due to the bigger hit to follow. Quite liked hearing this again and I thought it was a good performance and an improvement on the record.
What's this New Entry thing. It's a bit rubbish and allows Dortie to wiitter on about licorice all-sorts. Good grief.
Rozalla is back! Great news. Looking and sounding great. Decent dance tune as well. Like this one.
My Girl becoming a deserved hit. Proper cheese fest of a movie. I like the video though with them turning up half way through
Anyone else remember The Butcher's Wife? Nope, me neither..hated this Julia Fordham slush at the time but I'm fine with it now. It's nicely sung and a proper love song.
Why do we need to see Bryan again? Poor decision and means someone else misses out.
Video still naff.
Opus III brings us a very striking young lady playing with someone's balls. What is that on her head!
Certainly memorable and a great tune as well, a cover of a 1983 acapella tune by Jane. Loved this at the time and still sounding great.
I do find Kirsty rather attractive I must say.
Mick's love children take centre stage.. absolutely aiming for the slushy valentine's market.
Shanice with the radio hit of 1992. My goodness this was everywhere wasn't it. Got a bit sick of it at the time I must admit. Was she a one hit wonder? I think she might have been.
Good to see Milli Vanilli have got some dancing work.
Breakers:
Michael Bolton. Thought we'd never see this. I like this one.
Madness. Greatest hits to plug..yes, why do you ask?
N-Joi. Umm, no thanks
SS. Number One. Hooray.
Good show. Off to the kitchen. Laters...