I can't remember nothing, no, no, no, but the good times we used to share on the 28th of January 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!
In at the deep end
28-1-93: Presenter: Tony Dortie
(4) 2 UNLIMITED – No Limit
Getting the show off to a techno techno techno start with what will soon become a blockbuster number one.
(7) USURA – Open Your Mind (video) (and charts)
At their peak.
(3) WEST END feat. SYBIL – The Love I Lost
A second studio performance but the song was now at its peak.
(12) EAST 17 – Deep
Diving into the studio tonight and the song peaked at number 5.
(ALBUM TRACK) DINA CARROLL – Don’t Be A Stranger
From her number 2 album So Close, this first single peaked at number 3.
(19) DEF LEPPARD – Heaven Is (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 13.
(15) THE CULT – She Sells Sanctuary (Remix) (video) (Breakers)
Had peaked at number 15 in 1985, this time around it did the same again.
(13) BON JOVI – Bed Of Roses (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(11) DURAN DURAN – Ordinary World (video) (Breakers)
Went up five more places.
(14) LULU – Independence
She's gone all 90's and the song went up three more places.
(1) WHITNEY HOUSTON – I Will Always Love You (video)
Ninth of ten weeks at number one.
STING – All This Time (video)
STING – The Soul Cages (video)
STING – An Englishman In New York (video)
(Guess who's in the studio next week?)
4th of February is next.
Usura - wow, now this was just awesome at the start of 1993, and I didn't know it was sampling a Simple Minds track until Dortie brought this fact to light on the show. What was the original single then? It couldn't have been anywhere near as good as Usura. Slightly controversial video though with Mrs Thatcher 's face being superimposed on one of Stalin, but just gotta love this motivational theme of a tune!
ReplyDeleteChart rundown - did anyone notice that at No.18 on the rundown, The Shamen were mis-spelled as The SHAMAN? Good Lord, is there no spellcheck by the TOTP production team??
The Breakers - very disappointed that Leila K at peak position this week at No.23 could not even get on the Breakers, let alone a main slot, as there was nothing lower than No.19 on the whole show this week, including The Breakers!
I would like to stamp my feet in protest, so here is Leila K's video for Open Sesame at peak at No.23 this week, which in my opinion is her best ever single, and an outstanding video for the time, including one of the best rap performances you will ever see, and in the middle of the video by her male guest, and this Leila K masterpiece beats anything by Two Unlimited by a mile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GV_5dRrWH4
"Abracadabra me say Open Sesame, easy.......Zongazon Zongazongaze......"
We're only four weeks into 1993, and already Usura and Leila K have given an energy in January alone that was worthy of the whole 1993 year of chart music!
Yes, I think Usura kick off a fine year for dance singles. Anyone that owns Now 25 and 26 I'm sure would agree. Great stuff from Captain Hollywood Project, The Goodmen, Leftfield /Lydon, Urban Cookie Collective etc. Even the cheesier things like 'What Is Love' and 'Mr. Vain' are just great pop singles.
DeleteI was a big fan of Rapination and Kym Mazelle with Love Me The Right Way. Not sure we are gonna see this on the Pops though, Number 24 this week
DeleteDory, I noticed that Shamen thing, too! They only had a massive number one a few months ago!
ReplyDelete2 Unlimited heralding the (eventual) end of Whitney. Loved their talking head on Story of 93, they were among the most interesting interviewees.
Usura - decent track but the video is too trippy for me.
Sybil - Good performance, quintessentially of this era.
E17 - Another good one from Story Of was them talking about how baffled they were by the choice of staging. I like this one, it isn't as instant as House of Love but hints at where they're going to be next year with Thunder and You Know What.
Dina Carroll - I loved this song back then but a very weird choice as a pre release given she had only had moderate hits at this stage, even though she was #2 in the album chart. This one wasn't a single until the Autumn though, if I remember right? I associate it so strongly with being in year 9 at school which was Autumn 93. Kind of weird to perform it here so many months before it comes out.
Some rawky breakers. I love She Sells Sanctuary but what a weird remix. DL is better in short blasts than full, one of Bon Jovi's least good, and 'we had hits in the 90s, we had Ordinary World'.
Speaking of We Had Hits in the 90s, here's the Bloody Lulu revival just prior to Relight My Fire. Get used to her kids, she'll be on TOTP plenty with that. This one is fine but screechy.
If they're playing a lot of Whitney tonight is it a) they think it might be the last week at the top or b) they've run out of songs ? (As Dory says, could have whacked on Leila K or given one of the breakers some more space). Was it really only 10 weeks at the top? Felt a lot longer back then!
2 Unlimited energetic as ever, this washed over me at the time, but looking back it was a bit of fun.
ReplyDeleteUsura sample a Simple Minds instrumental and stick it over a very repetitive video. Ho hum.
Sybil we've seen before and this is little different, then East 17 wearing their dad's suits in a swimming pool set. Seems very adolescent.
Dina with one of her better tunes, it's quite pretty but I don't know if she ever broke America as Tony says, maybe someone can correct me.
Briefest of Breakers, then gawd help us it's Lulu trying to stay relevant. Much hyped at the time, it sounds like a big nothing now.
Nearly got rid of Whitney. We can do this!
Dory, The Simple Minds track sampled was "New Gold Dream".
ReplyDeleteTHX, Geraldine Carroll (to give her proper name) only managed one very minor US Hit, "So Close" peaking at number 95.
“Easy!” taking a turn to host this time.
ReplyDeleteWahay! It’s “No Lyrics”! 2 Unlimited about to sweep the summit clean, and they won’t techno for an answer. See what I did there? (Oops, a catchphrase of someone whose presence means a banned show next week.) A crowd pleaser and then some. Most energetic use of a keytar on the re-runs. Always had a soft spot for Anita, delighted she’s fought the demon three times and won.
USURA, apparently named in tribute to one of the lads’ mums called Ursula. Chart rundown: Sugar! Dinosaur Jr!
At last, a well sung and sympathetic cover. What was Easy waffling on about before it started, though?
East 17 with clothes four sizes too big and, sadly, the pool not filled with water.
The return of Attractive Large Mouth with a second album track slot, so soon, but a song I’d have preferred at number one for ten weeks.
NO, Easy, not one of the Defs’ finest, not by a long chalk.
Dreadful din of a re-mix for the (Southern Death) Cult’s best track.
This lot again as well? Bon Jovi with one of their comatose slow ones.
Duran Duran are back with their ordinary song.
WEEELLLL! I recommend the “Phoenix Nights” Stars in Your Eyes act episode to see how a Lulu impersonation should be done. I can see why Take That thought “Hmm, why not?”
FF the number one to encounter needless promos for one of the biggest heads in rock. Could have had Sugar or Dinosaur Jr instead of this shite.
Interesting how the 90s gave us two well-known female singers called Geraldine who went by the distinctive nicknames of Dina and Geri.
ReplyDelete2 Unlimited kick things off with a tune that I love now but will probably hate in a months time. Still sounds like banging your own head repeatedly with a tea tray. The production team treat us to a couple of special things; a trip on board a keytar, late '80s / early '90s slides and it's good fun. Another 'yeaaahhhh!!!' then. For now at least.
ReplyDeleteThe charts with something original? Crikey, what's happening? Usura with more dance, this one a little more thought provoking. The video with its rogues gallery (perhaps some a little more roguish than others?) looks like it could've been conceived by a not particularly open minded 16 year old but it was an entertaining couple of minutes. Forgotten how good that sounded.
West End feat Polly sounding nice again then a return for East 17. Yes, I can imagine them being a bit non plussed by the choice of set, being pure 1976. The white jackets must've been thier idea though making them look (apart from silent member 2 on bass) like ferry entertainers. Brian sporting Bert from Sesame Street hair for the little passengers. The mermaid at the back is an attractive addition though she does look rather like an audience member who's stood in completely the wrong place and can't move till the performance has finished.
Not their best but with a casually great chorus that they did do well and that, for me, Gary Barlow never quite managed.
I'm noticing a return to an earlier presenting format with Tony doing the 'surrounded by bevy of lovelies' thing like Mark did in the previous edition.
The rusty handbrake on the revamp wagon appears yet again but this evening's album feature is very welcome. Dina Carroll with the sublime 'Don't Be a Stranger' and, yes, I have it on Now 26 that didn't come out till around Oct '93. I really like the empty restaurant set-up, slightly spoiled by the guy at the grand piano miming a synth string part. Dina clearly very popular with the show and that's certainly something they've got right.
They love Dina. Someone clearly also loves Def Leppard unfortunately. Only a breaker so not too annoying. The Cult; That doesn't work. Bon Jovi still inexplicably relevant then Duran Duran invite us to Europe's most pretentious wedding reception. Like it.
Lulu in the studio with a very Lulu thing that is pretty good, mainly for the big note in the chorus. I wonder if Jarvis Cocker saw that set and made some notes.
Tony does the chart rundown very well now I think.
Kevin Costner on video for the 8 billionth time then Tony signs off with a montage of video clips for a VERY special appearance next week. Bob Dylan? Frank Sinatra? Sting actually. Like the single however but it's not that good.
One day I'll master this new comment as set up!
DeleteFor the info of the seven or eight still clinging onto the side of the lifeboat here, no TOTP next week due to Glastonbury.
ReplyDeleteBut there are three shows this week, cos of the Rolf Harris 11th Feb show that BBC4 are skipping out.
DeleteNo No No No No No No No No No No No There's No Lyrics! Awesome tune to open the Pops tonight. Remember that pinball video as well. Iconic and so 90s. Move over Whitney. 2 Unlimited are coming through….
ReplyDeleteThe great dance tunes continue with the rubbish Usura video (must have been a GCSE project) followed by the fabulous Sybil. Can anyone understand what "Laters" is pratling on about tonight? Anyway thankfully The Love I Lost is another great 93 dance tune. Great start to the show.
East 17 going as deep as BBC One will allow them at 7pm on a Thursday night. Probably my favourite East 17 song. Naughty Boys.
Don't Be A Stranger is one of my all time favourite love songs. Number One all the way for me. Dina has such a gorgeous voice and this is an astonishing ballad. ❤️
Don't think she's gonna get many tips singing to an empty restaurant though. They could have put some of the audience there.
Breakers:
Def Leppard: Heaven or Hell?
The Cult: Unnecessary remixes
Bon Jovi: Powerful
Duran Duran: Sublime
Where have they dug Lulu out from? Suddenly she was everywhere again in the 90s wasn't she. To be fair she's had a decent stab at sounding up to date and it's as good song. Good set of lungs on her, as the saying goes.
Nine Weeks. Count em. And the FULL video as well. What have we done to deserve this!
2 unlimited - monotonous and lyrically challenged, but perversely I still like it
ReplyDeleteUsura - monotonous and lyrically challenged and I hate it. No pleasing some people…
Sybil - oh wonderful, another pointless cover version
East 17 - sorry, time to pull out ‘monotonous’ again…
Dina carroll - pleasant enough, but enough with the covers already!!!
Lulu - preferred relight my fire… next
Oh SORRY, I should have said, EJECT