Friday 4 November 2022

If I Could Only Say Top of the Pops

I remember the day you came into my life, you were the 28th of October 1993 edition of Top of the Pops!


Hoff of the pops



 28-10-93:   Presenter:  Mark Franklin


(4) DINA CARROLL – Don’t Be A Stranger
Getting the show underway and the song moved up one more place.

(12) BJÖRK & DAVID ARNOLD – Play Dead  (video)  (and charts)
Got no higher.

(22) THE LEVELLERS – This Garden  (video)   (Breakers)
Peaked at number 12.

(21) THE GRID – Texas Cowboys  (video)   (Breakers)
Got no higher.

(17) THE CAT – Tongue Tied  (video)   (Breakers)
The Red Dwarf star was at his peak position.

(16) TINA TURNER – Why Must We Wait Until Tonight  (video)   (Breakers)
Got no higher.

(9) THE GOODMEN – Give It Up  (video)   (Breakers)
Peaked at number 5.

(3) BRYAN ADAMS – Please Forgive Me
Performing in the studio and the song went up one more place.

(7) PHIL COLLINS – Both Sides Of The Story  (via satellite)
At its peak.

(NEW) DAVID HASSELHOFF – If I Could Only Say Goodbye
Performing in the studio tonight and the song peaked at number 35.

(1) MEAT LOAF – I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)  (video)
Second of seven weeks at number one.


4th of November is next.

14 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dina carroll - ok but a bit Whitney

    Bjork and david arnold - quite a pleasant bond clone

    Bryan adams - everything we do be do clone

    Phil collins - don’t remember this, went on a bit, but it was ok - he looked like a guy doing karaoke

    David hasslehoff in the Cilla slot. Bring back Cilla… (if only he said goodbye earlier)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bjork & David Arnold - not really a fan of Bjork, but this video was very James Bond like in style and background sound, and came off very well as the chart rundown video this week.

    The Grid - another superb techno track to follow up their recent TOTP studio appearance with Crystal Clear in March. Unfortunately this new one stalled at this week's position of No.21 and not enough for an appearance in the studio for this single.

    The Goodmen - re-release of this track first released in the summer, and now back again for another go, I guess due to the success of it on the nightclub dancefloors over the summer and well into the autumn. Pity they did not get to the TOTP studio, considering it continued to climb up to No.5 after this Breakers slot.

    Meat Loaf - the show decided to chop around two-and-half minutes of the middle part of the video including the hareem of girls, to reduce the video from its full 7-something minutes of last week to only 4:45 for this week's show in order to cut to chase and move as quickly as possible onto the forlorn lonely beauty rescued by Meat Loaf at the end of the video. Still, the fact we got nearly 5 minutes of the video this week on its second week at No.1 was still somewhat generous.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like on the 18th November, we go from 4 episodes to precisely none!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's frustrating when that happens now because of what equivalent week's editions they could've shown. 18/11/82, I've seen, includes a repeat of Wham's classic Totp debut which is always worth repeating on TV. The 4/11/82 appearance couldn't be shown due to it being a Mike Smith edition. Also I missed it when it was repeated so that's another good reason.
      Looking forward to what's coming in subsequent weeks but annoying that they've suspended them for that week. I was peeved that they put Don McLean's shows on hold because of the gymnastics! Still really enjoying the 4 shows a night schedule.

      Delete
  5. Well, this is a mixed bag but better than the previous ep.

    Strong opening with two brilliant tracks from Dina C and Bjork/David and then a good mix of breakers. Levellers my personal fave but all fun enough.

    Then it goes a bit dad rock again. I'd forgotten Please Forgive Me was such a big hit.

    Still happy with the Loaf at the top... for now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Goodmen video clip on the Breakers - was curious to see the whole video, but there is nothing on Utube? Anyone know where to find the video?

      Delete
  6. Four songs peaking outside the Top 40 this week for previous chart regulars, with no TOTP for them:

    No.47 Lindy Layton - Show Me
    Although not a previous chart regular as solo, she was when with Beats International. Since launching her solo career in 1991, she had only four solo singles, with a best position of No.38, so this flop at No.47 was her final single, so it's a goodbye here for the whole Beats International and Lindy Layton output stretching back to 1990.

    No.48 Pat Benatar - Somebody's Baby
    With no Top 40 single since 1988, this was her last single release, so the curtain comes down on a American solo icon, going back to 1984 in the UK with Love Is A Battlefield.

    No.50 Rozalla - Don't Play With Me
    Third single in a row to stiff outside the Top 40, but she would come back in early 1994 with a cover that reached the Top 20, so all is not lost at this point.

    No.53 Tom Petty - Something In The Air
    Not sure if this was a cover of Thunderclap Newman's big 1969 No.1, but Petty was certainly trying wth this his penultimate single before calling it a day, but stiffed outside the Top 50 this time round.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This must be the first edition featuring two singles previously shown as album tracks in the Exclusives slot.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A startlingly trendy looking Mark presents another good edition though very much of one pace. The handful of seconds of The Goodmen was the only thing that upset the serious, very grown up mood.
    Not that I'm complaining as it starts fabulously. Dina Carroll's service to the show gets rewarded with an opening spot for the sublime 'Don't Be A Stranger'. She looks lovely of course, rather more soberly dressed than usual, and gives a standard majestic vocal performance. For the first half anyway. She hits an off note which must've needled her as she sings the hell out of the song for the last couple of minutes. Amazingly good. Why do music docs about the '90s never ever feature her?

    That would be the clear highlight for me but the charts get another classic to go with it. Maybe the single of '93, 'Play Dead' is just stunning and more cinematic than the movie it soundtracks if that's possible. Bjork and David Arnold should've done much more together.
    Oh, Sheep On Drugs at No 40! They were regulars in Melody Maker that year and this I'm sure was a 'Single of the Week' and I recall that they looked as disturbing as their name suggested.

    What's next then?
    Breakers start with The Levellers and the brilliant 'This Garden'. Great chorus, rather clumsy spoken bits though thought provoking. Deserves far more than that brief snippet.
    The Grid; Ok dance and they'll be back soon.
    The Cat; Never liked Red Dwarf.
    Tina Turner; Getting a heavy rock size stage but song underwhelming.
    The Goodmen; Great single that I Iistened to lots on my 'Now' album of the time. Video seems like it was made a few years before.

    Bryan Adams in the studio with a weepy number that my sister bought (the picture sleeve image, I think, was a dog) and I can't deny I've always liked this. I don't think this was ever performed on 'The Word'.

    For variety's sake the satellite link should probably now feature Pearl Jam or someone but we get Phil Collins and his muso friends. More remote than before (well it was by satellite)...sorry....but I still like the melody.

    David Hasselhoff thunders into the studio to sing nothing of any note whatsoever. Goodness that was lame though I wasn't expecting much. A shame that New Order didn't turn up to frolic in swimming trunks in the background.

    Meat Loaf continuing his chart dominance and we get another near full length video clip. I'm sure I remember the great Steve Steen doing a hilarious Meat Loaf impression on 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' at about the same time.

    Mark throws in a quip after the video which he seems to have worked on but mumbles it "Tony next week". Yes I'd guessed that.

    Worth mentioning; Did this week have NO REISSUES and NO COVERS??






    ReplyDelete
  9. An in-vision host intro and a slowie to start for a change. Give me Dina over Whi(t)ney any day.

    Peak of the week. Superb Bjork track and a fantastic bass part by PiL’s Jah Wobble.

    Non-mugshots: only top 40 week for techno / industrial act Sheep on Drugs, and Bitty McLean with a not overly successful follow-up.

    Five more breakers than on the last show, kicking off with the return of the top crusties, with Mark overegging their chances but he meant well.

    Texas and “Texas Cowboys” in the same chart. Without having heard a second of it, I’d prefer Texas.

    A hit single for Danny John-Jules, aka The Cat in clever sci-fi comedy “Red Dwarf”, whose Craig Charles carved out a long career on BBC radio.

    Nice vertical percussion backing Tina’s average track.

    The Goodmen. As mentioned before, this inspired Simply Red’s “Fairground”. Feck.

    Bloody Hell. I FF’d the next two bores but timed them on BBC iPlayer. Five minutes of that Canadian bore and four more minutes of Collins’ dirge which we’d already suffered. Suddenly I want The Grid back.

    The Hoff has a good voice to be fair, but this wasn’t memorable. I was astounded to discover he had a top 3 UK hit in 2006.

    The Loaf again, this time in smaller family economy size.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I did watch most of this one as Phil was on it and I wanted to remind myself just how much of Meat Loaf’s hit they showed (quite a lot).

    Phil’s ‘Both Sides’ album for those unfamiliar with it was a relative flop compared to his previous efforts, if you can call a No1 album a flop. But it only spent 21 weeks in the charts compared to the 50 weeks that the previous ‘Seriously Live’ album spent and the whopping 274 weeks notched up by ‘Face Value’. Phil played all the instruments on the album and recorded most of it at his home. His sleeve notes suggest that this was for the better. The record buyers disagreed. No Daryl Stuermer on guitar and this is evident from this performance showing a completely new backing band also missing Chester Thompson (drums) and the prolific Lee Sklar (bass) also. They all resurfaced on Phil’s sell out tours.

    For my money ‘Both Sides’ features one little known Collins classic – ‘We fly so close’.

    ReplyDelete
  11. David Hasselhoff's ludicrous performance was quite a few years before he became self aware, learned to laugh at himself and started referring to himself as 'The Hoff' (hence the Top 3 hit).

    ReplyDelete
  12. 1993 has had a sudden uplift in quality over the last 2 weeks. Kicking off with still one of my all time favourite tunes from DINA CARROLL. Really strong vocal on "Don’t Be A Stranger" which should have been a number one. Bit Bond tune at the end

    Speaking of Bond DAVID ARNOLD auditions for the musical part with BJORK on the fabulous "Play Dead". No idea what movie this is from but a great song.

    Straight into the early Breakers:
    THE LEVELLERS – Every tune a winner but none of them big hits.
    THE GRID – Of it's time
    THE CAT – Boys from the Dwarf! Fantastic.
    TINA TURNER – Very average
    THE GOODMEN – Give It Up for a storming dance record.

    BRYAN ADAMS – "Please Forgive Me" but I had forgotten this was a Top 3 smash. Really good performance and a nice to hear something that isn't Everything I Do...

    PHIL COLLINS back with a new album and a strong lead single in "Both Sides Of The Story". Good drums on this one.

    Germany's favourite rock god DAVID HASSELHOFF up next. If this was 1987 this would have been a smash hit. Rather annoyingly "If I Could Only Say Goodbye" isn't half bad.

    MEAT LOAF still at the top. Not quite at the stage of skipping this one just yet.
    Second of seven weeks at number one.

    ReplyDelete