Prowl off, jump an prance, oh watch di 18th of March 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!
Top Oh the Pops
18-3-93: Presenter: Mark Franklin
(25) HUE & CRY – Labour Of Love
Getting the show underway with a song that had peaked at number 6 in 1987, this time number 25 was as high as it got.
(8) SNOW – Informer
Performing their only top 40 hit and it peaked at number 2.
(4) RIGHT SAID FRED – Stick It Out (video) (and charts)
At its peak.
(9) THERAPY? – Screamager
In the studio with their only top ten hit but it got no higher.
(24) BIG COUNTRY – Alone
Making their comeback tonight but the song got no higher.
(27) THE GRID – Crystal Clear
In the studio bit it got no higher.
(31) HOT CHOCOLATE – It Started With A Kiss (video) (Breakers)
Went no further.
(26) ALICE IN CHAINS – Them Bones (video) (Breakers)
Got no higher.
(22) SYBIL – When I’m Good And Ready (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 5.
(13) UGLY KID JOE – Cats In The Cradle (video) (Breakers)
Peaked at number 7.
(18) MONIE LOVE – Born 2 B.R.E.E.D.
Perfoming in the studio but the song got no higher.
(1) SHAGGY – Oh Carolina
A new studio performance for his first of two weeks at number one.
25th of March is next.
A flurry of 80s groups back again in 1993 with successful Top 40 placings, and two of which were invited to perform again in the studio:
ReplyDeleteHue & Cry - Labour Of Love
I remember the video from 1987 being much better than the TOTP studio appearances in that year and now again in 1993. Not sure why this was rereleased in the 90s.
Big Country - Alone
At first I thought this would be a cover of the heart single of the same name, but no, this was new material from Big Country, and it must have been quite a few years since they were last on the show, as the last few years they struggled to make the top 40 with most of their singles. Their best success was of course in their debut year of 1983, and gosh it was now 10 years on and they were still going.
The Grid - best song on the show, and just love the background riff on this single, as it just gets you in a buzz for the whole weekend. I don't recall this one at all at the time, but hearing it now, it was somewhat sad that the week after this studio appearance, the song fell badly to No.39. Should have been Top 10 at least!
The Breakers - Hot Chocolate with their original video from 1982, and like Hue & Cry at the start of the show, I'm not sure why this was re-released in 1993, but at least it got a Breakers slot as low down as No.31, which was like the old days of The Breakers before the 1991 TOTP revamp.
Hmm I wasn't aware of the Chocs re-releasing this track. Seems it was one of those two part CD singles that were popular at the time where you bought the first and it contained housing for the second "available next week" to complete the 'collectable' set. Similar trick Dire Straits' record company employed later in 1993 for the 'On the Night' live album which contained housing for the 'Encores' CD single (I bought 'em both!). cunning marketing ploy indeed.
DeleteWas it too soon for the "is started with a crisp" TV advert? Might have been the reason?
DeleteI'm not sure why Hue and Cry were back, either, Dory, except it's 1993 and everyone was rereleasing things with a slight dance edge.
ReplyDeleteThis was quite an enjoyable show. Snow is daft but so reminiscent of this year (see also Shaggy) I love a lot of the 90s Therapy? singles, including this one. I don't remember this Big Country track but I liked it. The Grid is a good track too but their biggest moment is still to come. Great stuff in the breakers, RSF daft fun and even a lesser Monie Love single is lifted by a studio appearance. Much better than last week.
Two songs at peak position further down the chart this week with no TOTP play for them:
ReplyDeleteNo.37 Michael Bolton - Reach Out I'll Be There
Was this a remake of the classic title by The Four Tops I wonder? Certainly don't recall that Bolton had such a song title among his catalogue of hits.
No.42 The Hollies - The Woman I Love
Was this new material from this 60s group growing old in the 90s, or was it a re-release of one of their 60s singles? Also don't recall this one at all.
Micky Bolton was indeed bellowing the Four Tops track. The Hollies single, possibly their last, was released to commemorate 30 years in the business. The A-side was written by Nik Kershaw, the B-side was a live version of "Purple Rain"!
DeleteRe The Hollies; This was included on yet another greatest hits compilation for the band 'The Air that I Breathe' as a 'bonus' new track placed at the very end after all the usual suspects.
Delete'The Air that I Breathe'....ah yes, one of those songs that only reached No2 in that era of the 70s when some lesser offerings ("Hi there Ray Stevens!") made it all the way to the top.
1993 is likely to be the final year that groups from the 70s and early 80s release new singles, as I believe 1993 was the final year of vinyl singles, which is possibly why we are still getting new singles from The Hollies and Dire Straits as late as 1993, but I can't imagine that by say 1995 we will still be seeing these sorts of groups peaking outside the top 40.
DeleteI remember holding out as long as possible before buying CD singles, and I finally had to towards the end of the year when the vinyl finally ran out, with my first CD single therefore was Meat Loaf's I'd Do Anything For Love, bought towards the end of the year, as you could not get in on vinyl in late 1993.
Interesting. I bought "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies in April 1994. It was the last single I bought in my hometown's sadly lone gone Woolworths.
DeleteMy first ever CD single was 'Land of Confusion' by Genesis. Was knocked out by one of the other tracks 'Feeding the Fire'.
DeleteTraditional record shops were likely to have been selling their last vinyl singles at around this time (1993) before moving totally on to CD singles. I certainly don't remember any more vinyl singles being sold in the shops after 1993, but would be interesting know if anyone knows when the last vinyl singles were cut for the shops.
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DeleteGood Lord, just seen that we will only be getting one episode of TOTP on Friday, and even then at 10pm cos of the World Athletics Championships being shifted to BBC4.
ReplyDeleteIt’s Mark Franklin with his constantly serious eyebrows this time.
ReplyDeleteI loved the piano work on the original “Labour Of Love”. This remix was arguably the worst rehash of the current rubbish tip of remixes. Always thought Hue and Cry’s singer was a tad too aware of himself.
Canadian white boy rap with out of key backing next. Hmm, lovely.
Sound down to avoid the sub ”Chicken Song” slop and just focus on the charts.
As I think I mentioned before, Therapy? had a question mark at the end of their name solely to use up a gap in the lettering on the sleeve of their debut single. Good energy here. Liked it.
Stuart Adamson looks different facially to the old days, when Big Country singles were gems instead of loud and just okay.
Bongo noises on that Grid track, and bongos on stage, so use them! Sequencers but inconsequential.
Why was Hot Chocolate re-released, without a dopey re-mix to boot?
“Them Bones” was bone dry inspiration-wise.
Sybil with a fine song and a video which they must have spent pounds on.
Ugly Kid Joe with a cover sounding better than their ugly big hit.
Excellent groove for and from Monie Love, wearing a hat which is non-PC now as it’s advertising the recently renamed Washington Redskins gridiron team.
Good costume match-up for Shaggy and his prancers.
We finish with Mark virtually giving the entire line-up for the next show. Booo!
Radio 4 this Wednesday morning at 11.30 has a new programme called Music Made In The Middle, where singer Jamelia explores the West Midland's rich musical identity and history, and talks to musicians from different genres, including Bev Bevan of ELO. Should be interesting, as Bevan himself regularly presents a Sunday afternoon show on BBC Radio West Midlands.
ReplyDeleteBeen listening all week to The Grid's Crystal Clear, as I don't remember it at the time in 1993, and apparently they were already on their second album since 1990, and they had already released four singles between 1990 to 1992 which all flopped, not making Top 40, with a best position of No.50.
ReplyDeleteNow at last on their fifth single they come in at No.27 and get a TOTP invite to the studio, with no video made I guess because they hadn't proved any success until this single, but the version played in the TOTP studio was from the 7-minute Prankster Prophet Mix which includes the sax on the single, as the shorter versions on the CD single don't have the sax contribution that we saw in the TOTP studio.
Suffice to say that two singles and one year later in 1994 they reached No.3 with the brilliant Swamp Thing which featured ukelele on it, and yes there was a video for it naturally, as 1993 was their breakthrough year in the pop charts, so The Grid really proved themselves in 1993, and we're really only at the beginning of this success for them.
The Grid stealing the show for me this week. First time I’ve seen this performance. I bought the 12” clear vinyl at the time, still have it (worth a few quid, as in four quid, what I’d have paid for it!). Following up from Dory’s comment, I had a friend who introduced me to The Grid a few years earlier. Their 1990 Floatation tune is still a song that evokes so many happy care-free memories from the time.
ReplyDeleteAlso peaking at 59 this week were Fluke and their track Slid. They had five top 40 hits over the next few years but, unlike The Grid, never had a TOTP appearance. They also started off slowly if judged by record sales. Similar sound to Underworld at this time as well I reckon, who would also become massive in a few years time.
Couldn't really get into Floatation, as it sounds like a diluted form of Sadeness Pt 1 by Enigma released a few months after The Grid. Interesting that The Grid started out chartwise before Enigma, and Enigma seems ages ago in these reruns, while we only get to see The Grid for the first time at single number 5 in their catalogue in early 1993.
DeleteI have never heard Ugly Kid Joe's rendition of Harry Chapin's 'Cats in the Cradle' before but have just given it a spin on YT.
ReplyDeleteWow...it's quite good isn't it? Such a great introspective 'story' type song which the late Harry Chapin was noted for producing. The song topped the US charts in December 1974 whilst we were enjoying Mud, and bombed completely over here for some reason. Harry did manage a minor hit with another 'story' type song - 'W.O.L.D.' and the two were released on an 'Old Gold' single which I snapped up some years later.
Any, for me a rare highlight from 1993.
Hue and Cry had a greatest hits? Did they pad it out with remixes? They've nicked that beat from The Beloved. Not sure this needed a remix. Mind you, if it's good enough for Sister Sledge…
ReplyDeleteIt's been 40+ degrees this week so it's nice to have some Snow and his leaky bum bum (listen again, that is what he's saying!). Never got the love for this one outside of the catchy "informer" bit. He can rap though, fair play.
Jolly hockey sticks it's the Freds with the charts.
A short sharp shock next from Therapy. I think I need some after this racket! It's certainly a show with a lot of variety tonight. I'll pass on this one thanks.
Back to the 80s again and Big Country are back and they've found some serious rock from somewhere. I quite enjoyed that. Best tune on the show so far tonight.
Dance next with The Grid before their massive "swamp thing" hit. Red trousers are clearly where it's at. A generic club tune played early doors before the punters turn up.
Breakers:
Hot Chocolate: It Started With A Crisp!
Alice In Chains: Tuneless
Sybil: I'm ready for this one. Tune.
Ugly Kid Joe: Always liked this version.
Monie Love sounding a bit like Betty Boo in the verses. This is rather funky but not very memorable. Enjoyed it but not in a hurry to hear it again.
Now this was the point my Dad declared the charts and music in general had lost it and went back to his Eagles CDs. Good for Shaggy getting this to Number One, something new and fresh. I should say my Nan always used to see the Number One each week as she always turned on 5 minutes before EastEnders, and she liked this one. God bless her.