Take it or leave it and set it free, it's my 3rd of September 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!
Starring role
3-9-92: Presenters: Mark Franklin & Femi Oke
(24) BANANARAMA – Movin’ On
Getting tonight's show underway with their penultimate top 40 hit, but it got no higher.
(6) THE SHAMEN – Ebeneezer Goode
In the studio and on its way to a contoversial number one.
(NEW) SONIA – Boogie Nights
Here tonight and the song peaked at number 30.
(18) DR. ALBAN – It’s My Life
Performing what became his only top ten hit when it peaked at number 2.
(22) SKID ROW – Youth Gone Wild (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(21) ABBA – Dancing Queen (video) (Breakers)
From their mega number one album Gold, this re-release peaked at number 16.
(13) RICHARD MARX – Take This Heart (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(9) BRIAN MAY – Too Much Love Will Kill You (video) (Breakers)
His second ot two solo top ten hits and it peaked at number 5.
(11) LIONEL RICHIE – My Destiny
In the studio with what became his eighth and final top ten hit when it peaked at number 7.
(25) U96 – Das Boot
Performing their only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 18.
(NEW) SINEAD O’CONNOR – Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home (via satellite)
Became her fourth of seven top 40 hits when it peaked at number 18.
(1) SNAP – Rhythm Is A Dancer (video)
Fifth of six weeks at number one.
10th of September is next.
Bananarama - Good Lord, down from three to two girls for the first time, and no enticing Siobhan Fahey back to the group at this point, I thought the two remaining girls in the group looked oh so dashy in those red ballgowns. When you consider that Bananarama in the 1980s were in their twenties and had more fun in track suits bottoms on TOTP, it's quite refreshing to see they were now in their thirties and being more lady-like in their dress sense.
ReplyDeleteThe Shamen - highlight of the show for me along with Dr Alban. The Shamen asking if we've got any veras, and then if we got any underlay. Good Lord, the girl on the left on stage with the band really had to give us a gawp at her jugs going up and down. Got any underlay, I mean underwear girl! Bananarama for me please, and no strobe lights thank you.
Dr Alban - I remember liking this at the time on the disco dance floors, but once they released their later hit called Sing Hallelujah, it made this first tune look very lame to say the least.
U96 - I had a friend at the time who was raving about this tune, and I think it was linked to a film called Das Boot, so this could have been the theme tune, and a sort of evolved sort of Kraftwerk who would have been proud of these U96 guys.
Hello, sorry I've been away for a bit. House move and things and I hadn't really been that bothered about the repeats lately so I haven't been contributing but I'll come back on and off. I thought this was a good edition and it has a certain significance. The show that would've been from the week I started A Level at college in St. Albans (curious coincidence when you notice who's on) and very much a case of moving on....
ReplyDeleteWhich is what Bananarama claim to be doing and I suppose they are in their elegant dresses but it's actually a move to the exit as I think this is a final goodbye from them. I know I said that about a performance from about a year and a half before. If it's goodbye then the performance is both endearing and a little sad. From the trio gleeful trouping up and down the studio steps for 'Cruel Summer', now reduced to a duo doing slow and complicated hand movements that Sarah at least clearly hasn't rehearsed very well. They look a little awkward like they know this doesn't quite suit them. The song not much to listen to, the only catchy parts a rerun of Jason Donovan's 'Everyday I Love You More'.
Love Femi. She is the best new presenter for me. Sadly only one more appearance after this and it's with him so this is her last on BBC4. Back again with Mark with whom she has some nice chemistry but Mark, what year sartorially do you think this is? New ageism clearly only happened to other teenagers.
To The Shamen and it's enormously catchy but it also has far too much of Mr. C which is the reason I've never been that bothered about it. Too many cackles and clever dickery but the dancer on the far left was very watchable. The cameraman clearly agrees. No Jerry Sadowitz appearance sadly.
Sonia; I should hate this version but it sort of works somehow and I've always thought Sonia had a fantastic voice though again wasted on this material.
Dr. Alban with the 'ladies adverts' song and wearing what looks like a star bought from a card shop. He's cool though and I still like the Euro De La Soulalike conversational rapping. I'm off to the beach.
Breakers; Reassuringly brief and apart from one, pretty hopeless. The exception for me I'm sure is the same for everyone else. Didn't Bjorn Again play Reading festival the previous week at Kurt's request?
Lionel Richie back with a song that was on the album slot a few months before which just so happened to be an obvious future single. No complaints though. I just think this is a fantastic single with a tune as sweet as any from Tamla Motown's heyday. Just love this. Nice also to see a noticeably long in the tooth (and unfit) bloke on bongos, just like the middle aged muso type that would turn up on the show in the early '80s!
U96; Apocalyptic techno gets its weekly airing. Didn't particularly enjoy that imagery at the start.
Mark does his live exchange with a far off performer and well, yes, he wasn't going to be directing the flow of that one was he! Sinead couldn't have been more brusque with the poor lad. I don't know whether he was humoured, humiliated or defiant at that. There wasn't enough time to notice. The highlight of the '92 shows so far! Song not much to listen to. Sounded very angry at the end. 'Universal Mother' era still to come. Looking forward to that. Brilliant she was at that time.
The top 10 right before the No.1. They're getting there.
Snap still at the top. The po faced video frankly deserved it's send up by Mr. Blobby but it still sounds great and I love the moment when the thumping beat comes in.
A nice exchange at the end from Femi and Mark. Baffling that she had to go after such a short time.
Nice to see you again, Mic! I noticed you'd slipped off the commenting radar.
DeleteJerry Sadowitz seems to spend his days trawling YouTube for clips of himself which he then gets taken down, so he's going to be DELIGHTED at the next few weeks of TOTP repeats.
Thanks THX. Good to be here again. I used to love watching 'The People Versus Jerry Sadowitz' on the infant Channel 5, often through my fingers!
DeleteBjorn Again who I mentioned were a great festival act who I saw open Glastonbury in 2009. They did a very faithful version of 'Take a Chance On Me' then in the middle of it 'Benny' came down in shades and medallion doing the ragga part from Erasure's version! Very funny.
Welcome back, Mic. I hope your house move went better than my bathroom overhaul. It'll take nearly three weeks to redo a 10 x 6 ft room!
DeleteThanks Arthur, my studio wasn't that much bigger actually! Still the same old palaver trying to get everything moved and tidy before the moving date. Looking forward to the Totps in '93. Some great music that year.
DeleteNanas: This sounds like MacArthur Park to me in places, but if the now reduced group wanted to go for a more sedate pace, it didn't quite take. They look as if they prefer to be shambling about as in their first appearances. Not sure who this was aimed at.
ReplyDeleteThe Shamen with one of the defining sounds of 1992, for better or worse. Rarely has a band got arseing about down to such a fine art. The Sid James laugh was inspired. The laboured punning less so. One for the "Don't take it seriously" file, but a lot of people did.
Sonia, kind of unsettling to see the innocent Scouse girl go the in yer face cleavage route, but I guess she was there to sell records like anyone else. Alas, this is a nasty, tinny cover of the sort she had been lumbered with by this stage, she doesn't even sing the whole chorus! Bleh.
Dr Alban, now you mention it, that is an African accent he has, isn't it? Don't know why I didn't pick up on that before. It's OK, nothing amazing but catchy to a degree. Not sure why he's wearing a Christmas tree decoration.
Skip lightly over the Breakers, and Li's back with this uptempo (for him) effort now it's a proper hit. Femi seems to be going gradually more nuts the further this episode goes on, exhibit A: her intro here.
U96 with a remix of the 1980s German TV show theme tune, which not one person in Britain can pronounce properly. Not even when the electronic voice here was widely heard pronouncing it properly. Anyway, it's a weird choice other than being an internationally popular TV programme (did they do a remix of Heimat's theme tune?). Also, I know it has classic status, but isn't that one of the worst endings ever on a "serious" TV show? Long way to go for that.
Sinead going all out with the bombast by inviting an orchestra to back up her rather whingey tune, it's a big sound and not a bad coup for TOTP, but awfully earnest. I won't slag it off, though, she's been through enough this year.
Snap, still there, still getting cut off before that line. Talking of lines that should be cut, Femi goes very tasteless for her "joke" at the end. Must have seen her contract was running out.
Mixed bag of an episode this one. Femi has great energy but her jokes were a bit weird. Mark was just there.
ReplyDeleteWeird to think Bananarama have been a two-piece for most of their career now. This song is poor SAW by numbers. They look nice though.
The Shamen with a crazy fast rap. Mr C must have great breath control. I never realised how samey the opening of this and Move Any Mountain are before. Anyway MAM is way better but this is fun and cheeky even though it's going to become grating and repetitive soon.
Sonia looks fabulous but this is a weird exclusive and a weird cover.
Dr Alban - soon to be promoting sanitary protection and to be everywhere. Its overexposure makes you forget it's actually a great tune with another fast rap. Or maybe I'm just too old to keep up with them when I sing along these days.
You all sing along with TOTP, right?
A series of OK breakers although I've never been keen on that Brian May one, maybe cos I could never figure out if it was just about heartbreak or if there was a slightly distasteful AIDS message in there.
Slightly shorter version of My Destiny this time, which was better than the long performance when it was an exclusive.
U96 - don't remember this at all, not my thing.
Sinead - I hate having two exclusives but this is beautiful. I hope she's OK, what a tough time of things she's had in her life, especially with her son passing recently.
Snap - still number one, still a bop, still cutting out before being serious as cancer.
I... don't sing along with TOTP, although I do have perfect pitch so should by all rights have the voice of an angel. Didn't work out that way, however...
DeleteI sing along - I know this as I watch on my PC with headphones on and occasionally Mrs Morgie shouts at me to be quiet!
DeleteThree songs INSIDE the Top 40 this week at peak position with no TOTP play for them:
ReplyDeleteNo.27 Billy Joel - All Shook Up
Not sure if this was an Elvis cover, cos Billy doesn't do covers I don't think, but it was Joel's first Top 40 single for three years since We Didn't Start The Fire which got to No.7 in 1989, and a pity that TOTP had no time for this long-awaited return to the charts for Billy Joel with this new single peaking this week at No.27.
No.30 Sting with Eric Clapton - It's Probably Me
Unusual to see these two pairing up, but interesting how the it is Sting WITH Eric Clapton, and not AND Eric Clapton. Clearly Sting wanted the main attention here.
No.34 Cathy Dennis - You Lied To Me
A bit heavy for a song title, but first Top 40 single for Cathy not to be on TOTP. Hope it's not too long before she is back on the show, cos she's one of my favourites along with Betty Boo, Kylie Minogue and Danii Minogue in terms of sexy female solo artists in the charts at around this time.
It was Cathy Dennis's birthday this week.
DeleteGood Lord, 53 already for her. Bet she still looks good.
DeleteThe Billy Joel cover was from a film crammed full of Elvis songs (Honeymoon In Vegas?)
DeleteWhen future generations look at global warming and carbon emissions they'll focus on the amount of vinyl produced for totally unnecessary cover versions - yes indeed Sonia, Undercover, KWS - I'm talking about you...
It won't please you to know that opening the 24th Sep TOTP show that we will no doubt see on BBC4 in the coming week, is Messiah covering the Donna Summer hit I Feel Love, so the situation will not be improving anytime soon.
DeleteMark looking a prawn. I reckon Femi had been on the Veras judging by her presenting style here.
ReplyDeleteBye bye Jacqui and hello the elegant looking Nanas duo, sadly with a sub-Sonia effort. Key lyric “This is where the story ends”, quite prophetic. I’ll miss Keren eventually.
No, Femi, The Shamen’s song is actually about drugs. Breathless rap from MC Prat with Gerry Sadoldman on the screen behind.
Really exciting news from Sonia, in Nell Gwynne costume mode but a dreadful sub-sub-Sonia cover.
More boring spoken rap from Dr All Bran next. Star medallion probably borrowed from Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav by the look of it.
Skid Row, youth gone wild? Boring old farts, more like.
Strange idea welding part of the “Take A Chance On Me” video to that for a different Abba hit.
Mullet AOR from Richard Marx. You can keep your heart, mate.
No, Brian, this subject matter’s much too soon after Fred’s demise. Tactless.
Not “My Density” again. Femi does some of the link back to front to match the title of Lionel’s album. Not just thrown together, that, you see.
Oo, is it “The Golden Shot”? Left a bit, right a bit... Fire whoever hired this annoying screechy Euro rave. A quick FF to give it the das boot.
Oops, Mark has made a failure of that interview (see what I did there?). A poignant big ballad from Sinead which still left me cold, sadly.
Same old number one and we leave with another snippet from the Femi Oke pamphlet of surreal humour.
When 3 become 2. The Bananas have shed a third of their line-up and entered their current mode. I really like "Moving On" a very catchy tune. Not sure how "live" some of those vocals are..
ReplyDeleteNaughty, Naughty. Here come The Shamen with their drug filled lyrical ecstasy. I'm amazed neither Radio One or BBC One banned this. I seem to remember a bit of a fuss being made. It's a great record though, so much energy.
Fairly useless has done her hair again and Mark introduces Sonia who has another cover version out before Eurovision awaits! Oh Sonia you are better than this rather insipid version of "Boogie Nights". She's pushed those boobs up high as well.
Hold onto your sanitary towels and get those skates out for Dr Alban. I'd been in France this summer and this song was indeed everywhere! I don't think English is his first language.
Breakers:
Skid Row: youth is stretching it a bit.
ABBA: Gold..is that Erasure?
Richard Marx: Bryan Adams lite.
Bryan May: stick to playing the guitar.
Mr Rich Tea next with an odd Back 2 Front introduction. A rather nice tune this one. Possibly my favourite of his
Techno time from U96. I'm guessing it was a submarine. Another great club tune that doesn't quite transfer to the studio although they've made a decent effort.
Sinead gives Mark short-shrift and has dragged out a full orchestra for this effort. I like the orchestral bits, not sure about Sineads' part. Don't remember this troubling the charts much.
Did Femi tip Bryan for Number One just to get that dodgy joke in? Jesus!
Rhythm still dancing at the chart summit and into September we go….
It's spelled Brian, not Bryan. You're thinking of Bryan Ferry or Bryan Adams, but all the other pop singers like Brian May are with the traditional spelling of BRIAN.
DeleteJust a typo. I will proof read next time
ReplyDelete