Friday 25 March 2022

Top of the Pops of Love

 We got to stop the pain and put the wars on hold for the 10th of September 1992 edition of Top of the Pops!


Good clean fun


10-9-92:   Presenter:  Tony Dortie

(15) EAST 17 – House Of Love
Making their studio debut with what became their first of twelve top ten hits when it peaked at number 10.

(34) THE CHRISTIANS – What’s In A Word  (via satellite)
Went up just one more place.

(3) UNDERCOVER – Baker Street
A third time in the studio and the song went up one more place.

(37) FREDDIE JACKSON – Me And Mrs. Jones
Performing what was his third and final top 40 hit and it peaked at number 32.

(20) INXS – Baby Don’t Cry  (video)
From their number one album Welcome To Wherever You Are, but this single peaked at number 20.

(22) SINEAD O’CONNOR – Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home  (video)   (Breakers)
Peaked at number 18.

(21) THE SMITHS – How Soon Is Now  (video)   (Breakers)
Had made number 24 in 1985, this time it peaked at number 16.

(14) MICHAEL JACKSON – Jam  (video)   (Breakers)
Went up one more place.

(13) EXTREME – Rest In Peace  (video)   (Breakers)
Got no higher.

(40) DEL AMITRI – Just Like A Man
From their number two album Change Everything, this single peaked at number 25.

(NEW) BOY GEORGE – The Crying Game
Performing this Dave Berry cover and it peaked at number 22. 

(1) SNAP – Rhythm Is A Dancer  (video
Sixth and final week at number one. 


17th of September is next.

8 comments:

  1. Not much to write about this show except for the fact that it will be sad to see the Snap video for the last time at No.1 on this show. I wonder why Snap didn't come to the TOTP studio to perform it, considering there was 8 weeks between the first and last showing of the video on TOTP. Perhaps they were really proud of the rocket launchers at the beginning of the video, as without them they may not have got to No.1?

    Del Amitri - surprised to see this jump the queue over other artists higher up than them and only getting Breakers slots or nothing at all on the show. I would have preferred that they showed Belinda Carlisle at a peak position of No.28 this week with Little Black Book, so that Del Amitri could wait their turn, as they were only at No.40 this week! Carlisle didn't even get a Breakers slot ahead of Del Amitri with a main slot!

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  2. Wow, what was going on in the charts this week for us to get so many low-placed songs in an episode?

    And what a dire episode it is. (Plus a very male heavy one)

    E17 with a strong opening number. Yes the lyrics are dumb, but the energy is great and they have better singles coming.

    Then we hit a big snooze with a dull Christians song, and it doesn't pick up much from there.

    Undercover being described as 'drum and bass' is a choice. But what we'll come to know as drum and bass hasn't yet made its impact on the charts yet. Must be soon? I remember it being huge in 94-5 especially but I think some tracks predate that? Anyway, Undercover has received way more TOTP attention than Luther and Janet who were in the top 10 for a similar amount of time. I guess it pays to come into the studio.

    Freddie J - This was a racket, and there are many better versions of this. Happily never hear that again.

    INXS - alright, bit repetitive.

    Del Amitri - I always quite like them but this song isn't my favourite of theirs. I like the chorus better than the verses.

    Breakers - a bunch of stuff that was previously exclusive, plus another Smiths re-release, this time my favourite of theirs.

    Boy George - an OK cover, but not doing too much to liven up this show.

    Snap! - Will miss it a bit.

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  3. If only we'd listened to East 17! Just hear those lyrics - they had it all sussed back in '92! But no, their wisdom was ignored and now look what's happened. Anyway, though the audience seem to think they look like berks, this is a well-meaning bit of dance pop.

    Christians, past their prime though managed to muster a little Top 40 action, I'd lost interest by this time and I can hear why.

    Tony, Undercover are not drum 'n' bass! They use drums, they have a bassist, but it's not what Fabio and Grooverider would be playing, is it?

    Freddie Jackson with a cover of the adultery-tastic standard, and nothing he does her prevents me suspecting it's one of the most boring ballads around no matter who is performing it.

    INXS, could have done without the giant spider in the video, but this is really good, big sound, sweeping chorus, good show all round. Just a pity about that album cover.

    Breakers we've seen, Extreme ripping off Norman McLaren in their video for some reason.

    Derek Amitri back to bore us once again, pretty jammy to get a slot on this episode at No.40, but doing nothing to justify it with their usual blues rawk plod.

    This week's song from a movie, and for a change it's a really excellent film, The Crying Game. The cover's bog standard, but interesting to hear Tony credit the source as "A Soldier's Life" which must have been the original title.

    Snap about to git gawn, and still cut off before they get complaints.

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  4. A look at the line-up revealed just one act or song I might like. Even that turned out to be a duffer.

    East 17 make a Bold move to follow Vic Reeves’s laundry with their washing. This transmitted clearly on my Ariel but the song wasn’t a Comfort to my ears.

    “What’s In A Word”? The word dull summed that up completely.

    Drum, bass and, erm, sax for Undercover’s undercooked cover.

    Why was Freddie Jackson’s track so topical according to Dorky? Snoozesome Casio-programmed ‘soul’.

    Clever invisible stairs for INXS’s video. Shame the band wasn’t invisible too. And silent as well.

    I remember when a newspaper listed the hit albums and accidentally (I hope) added an ‘n’ to the title of Del Amitri’s “Waking Hours” in exactly the wrong place. This track wasn’t their best for sure.

    Another exclusive clogs up the next show.

    The Smiths with one of theirs I couldn’t stand.

    Hooray! Not the ful ten minutes of Wacko’s navel gazing. Well done!

    I wish Extreme and their fir-inducing video would rest in peace.

    “Welcome to one of Britain’s most original artists...” with a sappy cover. Jesus Loves You didn’t work out as big as you hoped then, ay, George?

    You’re on hols, Dorky? Great! Take the rest of the year and take your f#cking ‘Laters’ with you.

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    Replies
    1. I meant to say Extreme's video was fit inducng and not prone to a conifer epidemic.

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    2. Mic, 1, 2, 1, 231 March 2022 at 12:25

      Very funny those words about East 17!

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  5. East 17 - was that one of their mums clapping along at one point? :-)

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  6. East 17 have arrived. Take That for bad girls and boys and there was a fair bit of rivalry. I must admit this has more energy than all of TTs performances so far. What's with the launderette vibe.

    Bonsoir Paris. A tune not in the Top 20. We are blessed. All very worthy and dull though from The Christians.

    This Undercover tune shifted some units didn't it.

    Another lower chart tune from Freddie Jackson.. the gossip must have passed me by as I don't recall where this tune is from. Standard cover from what I can see. Great voice though.

    INXS on video with one of their best tunes. I like the video to this.

    Don't remember this Del Amitri tune. Quite funky for them. Enjoyed that.

    Breakers:
    Sinead: Dull
    Smiths: Classic
    MJ: Funky
    Extreme: Still going?

    Boy George back on TOTP and this is a gorgeous cover version. Big fan of this at the time.

    Sharon and Grant still Number One (or something like that). Summers out! See you back in School…

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