I was born long ago. I am the chosen. I am the 18th of February 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!
Sting That
18-2-93: Presenter: Mark Franklin
(19) STEREO M.C.’S – Ground Level
Getting the show underway but the song got no higher.
(5) WHITNEY HOUSTON – I’m Every Woman (video) (and charts)
Went up one more place.
(11) LENNY KRAVITZ – Are You Gonna Go My Way?
In the studio tonight and the song peaked at number 4.
(14) STING – If I Ever Lose My Faith In You (via satellite)
Live from New York but the song got no higher.
(22) REM – The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 17.
(21) METALLICA – Sad But True (video) (Breakers)
Went up one more place.
(17) ROD STEWART – Ruby Tuesday (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 11.
(2) TAKE THAT – Why Can’t I Wake Up With You (via satellite)
Also live from New York but the song couldn't quite make it to number one.
(NEW) PAUL McCARTNEY – C’Mon People
Performing the second single from his top 5 album Off The Ground, but it only made it to number 41.
(1) 2 UNLIMITED – No Limit (video)
Second of five weeks at number one.
25th of February is next.
Re soneone comment earlier about number of contributors, I have been watching but just so bored with then all that I havent been commenting, this is the first one I have watched in ages without Ffing most of it…
ReplyDeleteNot sure if anyone else commented on this…
ReplyDeletehttps://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/kate-bushs-running-up-that-hill-is-official-charts-number-1-single-singer-becomes-3-x-official-charts-record-breaker-with-stranger-things-success__36605/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=17-06-2022%20-%20The%20Official%20Word&utm_content=17-06-2022%20-%20The%20Official%20Word+CID_4c7a0d5daee108065ecafe1190d1ad7c&utm_source=CampaignMonitor&utm_term=See%20which%20records%20she%20broke
Yeah, I heard on the BBC News last night (Friday) with Hugh Edwards mentioning that Kate Bush was at No.1 this week (yes in 2002) with Running Up That Hill, cos there was a promotion of her 80s work and videos by Netflix, which was enough to get loads of people streaming her songs to get her to No.1 in these download days of working out chart positions.
DeleteIt's the use of her song in the horror show Stranger Things - a massive hit on Netflix around the world - that has catapulted Running Up That Hill to number one.
DeleteI remember at the time in 1985 when it first came out, that her video was shown as an exclusive on one of the tv shows, as it was her first single for a few years since 1980 or 1981, but was never in the talk about possible future No.1, as it was not that great, but interestingly, any talk of future No.1 would have meant 37 years later in 2022. Who would have thought?
DeleteSting in a caption with Take That at the start of the show introducing their song from abroad. Not sure if they were in Europe or USA from that caption??
ReplyDeleteWhitney Houston - no sooner had she abandoned the No.1 position, but two weeks later she is back with a main slot on the show with yet another cover - this time Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman - trying to give it the same grandeur boxing ring MC intro as I Will Always Love You. Was Whitney now totally reliant on covers for her future singing career, as this week's Top 5 had her at No.4 and No.5 with two different covers. Enough Whitney please.
Sting and Paul McCartney in the studio this week with their new singles - Good Lord, TOTP must have had a big appearance fees to pay for this show to cover these two millionaires fees if they had any. I did like Mccartney's gang of youngsters around the piano with him, who would have only just been born at around the time McCartney started out with Wings in the early 70s. This new single also sounded more like early Wings material of 1973, let alone solo in 1993!
Top Ten rundown - apart from the obvious gasp at Whitney being at No.4 and No.5 with two different covers, it was interesting that TOTP didn't chop out the mention of Rolf Harris at No.7, despite skipping the whole of the previous week's show of 11th Feb.
Dory, deffo New York as the lads introduce the show from there before the first tune.
Delete@Dory I suppose it'd be too hard/weird to remove the no7 in the chart. Draws less attention to it to leave it there, really.
ReplyDeleteStereo MCs with one that isn't their best. A serviceable and fairly faithful cover from Whitney. Lenny Kbthe clear highlight.
Sting and TT, what a weird combo. Sting looks like he's performing on the set of soon-to-be-hit Friends.
Breakers - I can never hear Sidewinder without thinking of womeone (in Smash Hits, I think) saying it sounds like 'Calling Cheryl Baker up'. An OK Metallica track and a horrible Rod Stewart cover that I have no memory of.
I'd completely forgotten Why Can't I Wake Up With You, and what on earth are TT wearing? The sound quality ia dreadful and the song is whiney. Blech.
Macca - It's no Common People.
2 Unlimited - Giving this episode a good shot of oomph.
At first I thought that "Sidewinder" line was "Colin went to try Jamaica rub"!
Delete“NYC” on the show in consecutive weeks – the song first, then the place and Lenny Kravitz’s birthplace to boot the next week.
ReplyDeleteStereo MC’s, always good value show starters but, PLEASE, Rob, do your shirt up for once!
You again? So soon after boring us for ten weeks, with yet another crap cover? Feck off!
Chart rundown: Wendy James!!! Her only solo week in the top 40 with a track from her album written for her by Elvis Costello. Peter Polycarpou? He appeared in “EastEnders” and “Birds of a Feather”, had a very successful stage career, and managed a top 30 hit with the theme tune of a BBC comedy-drama starring Zoe Wanamaker and Adam Faith.
It’s Vanessa Paradis’ boyfriend. A flying V! What hair on that stage. Blimey, that was loud and good. The previous year Lenny had a top 40 hit in The Netherlands with “What The Fuck Are We Saying”. Just saying.
Bit of a comedown next. They really should have had Jason Orange mime “If I Ever…” with Sting taking his place in Take That’s slot for a laugh. Oh well.
REM with yet another arty vid which looked like the TOTP opening film near the end.
Metallica, for those who like their metal loud and gruff.
Needless useless cover on TOTP number 93 from not so Hot Rod.
We get it, Mark, you have a thing for Tasmin Archer.
No chance of Take That usurping 2 Unlimited with that rubbish.
Macca starts ”We’re going to get it right this time”. Erm, not even a chart tickertape effort. Sad way for Paul to end his TOTP career but the song was a duffer. Oo, a five-string bass! Good thing Rolf was on the previous week, what with all those kids on stage.
Yeah! Rave with a fun side at last. Top score.
Macca would make a return to the charts four years later in 1997 with three Top 30 singles, so I guess you are saying that he didn't appear in the TOTP studio for this comeback?
DeleteSorry, that's what I meant. Pretty sure I read somewhere this was Macca's last stage outing on TOTP.
DeleteBBC iplayer has this episode as 27 minutes - have we been edited?
ReplyDeleteFour singles at peak position this week further down the charts with no TOTP for them this time round:
ReplyDeleteNo.23 INXS - Beautiful Girl
Nothing less from INXS with such a song title, but could also say that Prince's future No.1 next year in 1994 also had these two words in the song title, but of course both INXS and Prince had lots of beautiful girls in their videos in the 80s and 90s!
No.40 Genesis - Tell Me Why
Still producing new singles in 1993 after solid comeback in 1992 with some good videos.
No.53 T'Pau - Valentine
Well it was Valentine's Day that week, so no surprise this reissue sold a few records to get to No.53, but I think T'Pau were already washed up as a group by now, as their last new material was in 1991 which is when we last saw them on TOTP.
No.65 Leo Sayer - When I Need You
Another single released for the Valentine's Day market? Can't think why else Sayer was reissuing this in early 1993.
Someone on the Digital Spy forum mentioned that Channel 5 has a programme called Top of the Pops: Secrets and Scandals on Sat July 2 from 9-10.30pm. Could be worth a watch.
ReplyDeletehttps://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2425402/top-of-the-pops-story-of-big-hits-1990s-bbc2/p77
Ive seen a couple of these. I will watch this one for interest but don’t expect secrets and scandals, its mostly things that didn’t quite go to plan
DeleteFinal schedules have replaced this with Morecambe and Wise: 30 Greatest Moments
Delete(8:30 - 10:30pm)
Fabulous performance from Macca at Glastonbury! 80 years young!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, and just to think that 29 years earlier in Feb 1993 we have recently seen his last TOTP studio performance at the age of 50 as an exclusive with C'Mon People, which failed to make the Top 40 in the weeks following, with a peak position of No.41.
DeleteGreetings from NYC y'all. Stereo MCs are back with a very similar stage line up to their previous hit. No recollection of this tune at all. It's missing a killer hook but it's pleasant enough.
ReplyDeleteContinuing the hugely successful Bodyguard release schedule it's Whitney with a rather fine cover of Chaka Khan's big Disco hit. The vocal on this is just great and nice to see Chaka in the video.
Mr Paradis next with his signature tune and what a riot of guitar this is. So fresh and funky. Awesome tune. Mr Kravitz I am definitely going your way… An Englishman in New York up next with Sting hoping we will never lose faith in this tune which we've seen before.
Breakers:
REM: come on in Cheryl Baker
Metallica: Stranger things have been hits.
Rod Stewart: No thanks to this pointless cover
Tamsin gets another name drop (do you think Mark likes her) and then onto the first of Take That's BIG hits. Not a fan of this one, they will do much better ballads than this, it's all just a bit dull.
Macca having something of a revival. Audience struggling to find any rhythm. Macca struggling to find anything relating to a catchy tune. Bit lively with the confetti at the end.
No lyrics hanging on the top…but for how long? I do rather like this video.
It's Covid filled Morgie btw. No idea why I was anonymous
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