1995 will return after the Last Night of the Proms. In the meantime...
Top banana of the Pops
17-8-78: Presenter: Noel Edmonds
(5) BONEY M – Brown Girl In The Ring (and charts)
(27) THE STRANGLERS – Walk On By
(6) JUSTIN HAYWARD – Forever Autumn
(11) CERRONE – Super Nature (danced to by Legs & Co)
(14) CHILD – It’s Only Make Believe
(4) DARTS – It’s Raining ®
(18) 10cc – Dreadlock Holiday
(20) THE WHO – Who Are You (video)
(21) THE NEW SEEKERS – Anthem (One Day In Every Week)
(NEW) MR. BIG – Senora
(1) THE COMMODORES – Three Times A Lady (danced to by Legs & Co)
(8) CITY BOY – 5-7-0-5 (and credits)
(5) BONEY M – Brown Girl In The Ring (and charts)
(27) THE STRANGLERS – Walk On By
(6) JUSTIN HAYWARD – Forever Autumn
(11) CERRONE – Super Nature (danced to by Legs & Co)
(14) CHILD – It’s Only Make Believe
(4) DARTS – It’s Raining ®
(18) 10cc – Dreadlock Holiday
(20) THE WHO – Who Are You (video)
(21) THE NEW SEEKERS – Anthem (One Day In Every Week)
(NEW) MR. BIG – Senora
(1) THE COMMODORES – Three Times A Lady (danced to by Legs & Co)
(8) CITY BOY – 5-7-0-5 (and credits)
Somehow only one song was edited out to fit into a 30-minute slot, and Mr Big was the unlucky one with a new release at the time called Señora.
ReplyDeleteHighlight of the show for me was Cerrone's Supernature danced to by Legs & Co, despite there being a video available, but considering that this tune was the most famous Hot Gossip routine on the Kenny Everett show that year on the other side ITV, it was a great chance for the BBC rivals Legs & Co to get just as hot, and it came off very well.
This was the TOTP edition with a new number one finally after Travolta & Newton-John topped the charts for 9 weeks that summer with You're The One That I Want, and Noel Edmunds was at pains to mention his return from Afghanistan that week to find that there was a new number one, and yes it was Legs & Co for a second time on the same show to dance it through.
26-8-76: Presenter: Noel Edmonds
ReplyDelete(41) MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND – Blinded By The Light
(6) THE BEE GEES – You Should Be Dancing (danced to by Ruby Flipper) ®
(NEW) ROBIN SARSTEDT – Let’s Fall In Love
(50) CAN – I Want More
(12) THE STYLISTICS – 16 Bars (video)
(34) ACKER BILK – Aria
(9) THE CHI-LITES – You Don’t Have To Go (video)
(27) JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY – Morning Glory (danced to by Ruby Flipper)
(26) CLIFF RICHARD – I Can’t Ask For Anymore Than You
(NEW) GALLAGHER & LYLE – Breakaway
(1) ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (danced to by Ruby Flipper) (and credits)
Not sure why there is a leaning towards Noel Edmonds presented shows on these 70s repeats, but it seems that no other presenters are getting a look in.
DeleteAll the performances on the show are now looking very outdated, except for the two disco hits danced to by Ruby Flipper with would soon become Legs & Co a couple of months later, and also the No.1 single again with Ruby Flipper taking part. Those hotpants are just very cool.
Yes Noel really has been featured a lot recently. The '78 edition this week is a brilliant one but that means that Paul Burnett has once again been passed over as his sole edition of that year was the following week. I have really enjoyed the Edmonds editions however, bad puns and all.
DeleteHi all, hope everyone's enjoying the remarkable Indian summer we're having at the moment. Suitable weather to take a look back to 1976 which I thought I'd do. Thanks Angelo for putting this up and thanks BBC4 for going back to those days. Enjoyed it particularly as I didn't watch many from this year when first repeated. Great to see plenty of Ruby Flipper and the very '76 set dominated by what looks like a giant novelty cheesegrater. Noel especially rambly but enjoyably so.
ReplyDeleteGood chart for this week. Good pictures as well. Bryan Ferry looks like he could've come from an entirely different epoch compared to the rest.
Managed Mann's Earthband; A caption? No just Manfred's keyboard and a great start to the show. Brilliant song and I love the sudden changes on this. The singer looks remarkably like John Lennon.
The Bee Gees; A 1st time in an age showing for Ruby Flipper dancing appropriately to 'You Should Be Dancing'. Lively and fun with just the odd mid '70s close up on a hot pant or two. A nice routine and Floyd very charismatic front and centre. His hairstyle worth noting considering punk is at this point in a galaxy unknown by this programme.
Liked Noel's schoolteacher like comment at the end.
Robin Sarstedt; Mid '70s lounge schmaltz to follow from a man clearly still in his 20s. Pleasant and phenomenally polite. To think what crashed onto 'So It Goes' just 2 days later! He looks the spitting image of a female celebrity but frustratingly I can't think who it is.
No Can. WHAT?
But there is...
Acker Bilk; Er of course. Patti dances beautifully to accompany him and at one point he appears beside some starry lights making a striking visual effect. He however remains resolutely Acker Bilk and it's not the most essential few minutes lovely as his playing is. Noel refers to Patti as Sidney. I didn't understand that.
The Chi-Lites; Top of the Pops unexpectedly goes 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' all of a sudden with some stock ancient animation. Fine.
James & Bobby Purify; Good to see this duo get a play and of course all sorts of old names came back in the charts this year. I prefer the 'Morning Glory' sung by Tim Buckley. The full Ruby Flipper here with the lovely Cherry Gillespie and the 2nd guy who's dressed as a sort of disco faun.
Cliff Richard; 'I Can't Ask For Anymore Than You', an appropriate title for a performance that seems to end very early. Very forgettable song and Cliff has dispensed with the shades he wore for 'Devil Woman'. Presumably a repeat clip (from a lost TOTP?) the set resembles a stomach on the point of throwing up.
Gallagher & Lyle; Some cheery sarcasm from Noel for a song that's a fave of that period and the clear highlight of the show. Aww that guitar solo! A beautiful take on the country rock sound with the most blissful of tunes. A fine very professional performance with a curious ending where one by one the band go into darkness.
Elton John and Kiki Dee; Weird link with some rehearsed protestations when Noel says the video for the No.1 isn't going to be shown. No we don't want to dance we want to see two singers in a grey recording studio!! Great single and many early memories associated with this. Noel interrupts the merriment to say goodbye then back to the dancing. Good Times.
7-9-78: Presenter: Peter Powell
ReplyDelete(24) FRANKIE VALLI – Grease (and charts)
(26) THE JAM – David Watts
(NEW) LEO SAYER – I Can’t Stop Loving You (Though I Try)
(2) BONEY M – Brown Girl In The Ring (video)
(13) THE MOTORS – Forget About You
(65) DEE D. JACKSON – Meteor Man
(5) DAVID ESSEX – Oh What A Circus (video)
(25) HERBIE HANCOCK – I Thought It Was You (danced to by Legs & Co)
(30) SYLVESTER – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (video)
(NEW) MANHATTAN TRANSFER – Where Did Our Love Go
(9) HI-TENSION – British Hustle ®
(50) ARTHUR MULLARD & HYLDA BAKER – You’re The One That I Want
(1) THE COMMODORES – Three Times A Lady (video)
(29) CROWN HEIGHTS AFFAIR – Galaxy Of Love (and credits)
Haven't started 1995 yet as I knew I'd be taking a break anyway due to the Rugby World Cup and quite a few weekends away in Aug/Sept. I will be back commenting and catching up late October. See you all then.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason that posted anonymously. Its Morgie...
DeleteThis was another really enjoyable show and again thanks Angelo for putting it up for comment. Peter Powell in his groovy haired early days as a presenter. Which means tons of bounciness and grins and a curious tendency to cheerily mutter whole sentences before the canned applause goes quiet. It's good though. No one else has the same ability to talk directly to you the viewer. Great singles on this one and it's the period where my faintest memories of pop start to kick in.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant chart as you'd expect. 'Grease' mu favourite single from the movie and one of my singles of 1978. I love the fact that at the exact moment Frankie Valli's picture crops up, Frankie Valli start singing!
The Jam; No complaints with this as a start up. Brilliant cover of The Kinks classic with a lead vocal from Foxton. Certain images sum up that pop period which I can only vaguely recall. Bruce Foxton's haircut and facial expression is always one of them. To the left of the camera a bloke who looks like he couldn't give less of a toss about The Jam stands with his back to them and talks to his friend about something or other. Maybe the size of his new bedsit.
Leo Sayer; Aw, beautiful record and a magnificent live vocal from Leo all while sitting down and smiling benignly at his audience. Such a graceful tune though this live version is lacking the spectacular dual Leo harmony in the chorus. Fair enough. Even Leo wouldn't be able to manage that on his own.
Boney M; A comically breezy link from Peter to another favourite. I've heard 'Rivers of Babylon' enough for several lifetimes thanks but haven't heard 'Brown Girl In The Ring' that often and it's still a lovely surprise to hear it. Great lead vocal of course. They all look very stylish and a marvellously exotic solo dance routine in there as well.
Herbie Hancock; Some vocoder jazz funk means one of those anonymous Legs routines where they swirl about in half darkness in front of an equally bleary back screen. Nice costumes, when the superimposed shaking hair doesn't get in the way. A pretty dull few minutes.
Sylvester; An iconic video for an iconic disco song. Always great to see this.
Manhattan Transfer; Ridiculously talented group if you've seen their 'Old Grey Whistle Test' show from 1977 and this is a fine cover of 'Where Did Our Love Go'. They will always be a precious memory for me because of 'Walk In Love'. The lead singer must've been a formative influence on George Michael. His moves are so similar.
Hi-Tension; Another favourite of that year and any disco I'd organise would have this playing. I've always loved the way the vocals fade up so casually on this. I bought the LP some years ago and it's a fine album and included a huge poster of the band as well. Was that Kid Jensen dancing at the side before walking off camera? It's a small crowd they play to but a very happy and involved one. A girl in a floral skirt shimmies fabulously. Lots of audience smiles and handclaps. With Leo my other highlight of the show.
Arthur Mullard & Hylda Baker; Then the quality has a slight drop. Thanks 'Grease' for this. Peter summons all of his '78 cheeriness to give a smiling introduction though I can't believe he would've enjoyed the ensuing few minutes. There is some appreciation of the daftness of this particularly from Hylda and you have to admire their nerve. The audience stare icily or look away icily apart from a couple at the front who seem quite amused.
Arthur Mullard did star in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (not singing) which like 'Grease' also ends with a car flying into the sky.
The Commodores; First time I've seen the video for 'Three Times a Lady' and an enjoyable one with the group strolling into a record shop presumably to check their album was prominently on display. I noticed Leonard Cohen's 'Song Of Love and Hate' was also in the racks.
A heavily dance oriented show due to Arthur and Hylda and others ends with a decent bit of disco from Crown Heights Affair.