Put on my blue suede shoes and I boarded the 19th of October 1995 edition of Top of the Pops!
Cher has entered the building
19-10-95: Presenters: Stewart Lee & Richard Herring
(11) WILDCHILD – Renegade Master
Getting the show underway but the record got no higher.
(3) SMOKIE – Living Next Door To Alice
A fourth studio performance, but where had Chubby gone? And the song was now at its peak.
(14) ASH – Angel Interceptor (video) (and charts)
Got no higher.
(16) 2 UNLIMITED – Do What’s Good For Me
Anita and Ray are here tonight to perform their thirteenth and final top 40 hit together, and it got no higher.
(NEW) EAST 17 – Thunder
Performing their latest song and it will peak at number 4.
(NEW) QUEEN – Heaven For Everyone (video)
The first single from their number one album, Made in Heaven, and it will peak at number 2.
(5) ETERNAL – Power Of A Woman
With their first post-Louise single and it was already at its peak at number 5.
(NEW) CHER – Walking In Memphis
In the studio tonight to perform her new song and it will peak at number 11.
(1) SIMPLY RED – Fairground (video)
Fourth and final week at number one.
(TOTP2) THE BOOMTOWN RATS – Looking After No. 1 (clip of TOTP 25-8-77) (and credits)
Their debut hit and it peaked at number 11 in 1977.
TOTP2 21-10-1995 https://we.tl/t-R7u7DQu3c6
ReplyDeleteBig thumps up! Thanks
DeleteThis was some TOTP2 show.
DeleteIt was good to know how the Queen new single Heaven For Everyone came to be released as part of a new 1995 album of collectibles of old material. The video reminded me a bit of Radio Gaga from 1984 with the various old movie footage from the early 1900s.
In the first time section, Bob Geldof's first appearance on TOTP in 1977. Hard to imagine he is already 70 this year!
The Video Stir section with U2 & Pavarotti collaborating on Miss Sarajevo was quite a moving song and video, and the TOTP2 caption at the beginning had the group as The Passengers rather than U2 & Pavarotti, so not sure how that came about.
Then on to the chart predictions, with Jonnie Walker mentioning a sales battle for the No.1 slot between Coolio and Meat Loaf, with clips from both videos, with Walker predicting that Meat Loaf will be No.1, but it was in fact Coolio that would just edge it for the top spot.
Thanks Rob!!!
DeleteSmokie - Good Lord, I make it their fourth TOTP studio appearance without getting to No.1. This number of invites to the studio is very rare, as after one or two invites, TOTP tends to just repeat them, but this number of separate appearances is a throwback to the 70s where this was much more commonplace on TOTP, but then Smokie was 70s. Also, no Roy Chubby Brown this time but hardly surprising.
ReplyDeleteChart rundown - Good Lord, I noticed five new entries this week in the Top 40 from previous TOTP regulars, and at peak positions, so none of them would get shown on TOTP, so Soul II Soul, Cliff Richard, The Shamen, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Motiv-8 all missed out on TOTP on their current singles. Also M-People were at a peak of No.32 with Love Rendezvous which also missed out.
2-Unlimited - Do What's Good For Me
13th single since coming on to the scene in 1991, with only one more single to come in 1998 called Wanna Get Up which only managed No.38, but this one this week on TOTP was effectively their last hurrah chartwise, and I will kind of miss them.
Queen - I didn't think there was any more after the 1993 Five Live EP which of course went to No.1, but this was their first single since then, and did well to get to No.2, showing that their fan base was still very active a few years after Freddie Mercury's passing.
The 2-Unlimited song from 1998 was a different line-up, Anita and Ray had left by then.
DeleteMore like 0-unlimited then?
DeleteApparently Wildchild died not long after Renegade Master was a hot, such a shame. And has to be the only dance track about roleplaying dice? (I mean that's absolutely what D4 damage is referring to, right?)
ReplyDeleteSmokie - oh do bleep off already.
Ash - love this track but no studio performance?
2 Unlimited - Literally no memory of this one whatsoever. Not surprising given how bland it is..
East 17- One of my favourites of theirs though three exclusives is way too many.
Queen - yeah, this is good.
Eternal - I know there have been so many horror stories about what the sisters were like and how bad things were for Kelle and Louise which colours things a bit, but they did have some great tunes.
Cher - Spotify ALWAYS tries to play me this track and I don't know why. I don't hate it but I'd never seek it out.
Simply Red - simply ready for a change. Although is that change going to be Robson and Jerome again? Cos if so forget I said that.
More comedians on then but no complaints about these two (as indeed I didn't have about Hale and Pace whose Jed and Dave characters I always thought were funny). Loved Lee and Herring back in the day and they still made me laugh in 2024. Both with great jokes. Rich loveably confused and Stu dry and urbane although with a noticeably ever so slightly too old for the teenager hairstyle look about him. The top 10 rundown alone was worth booking them for.
ReplyDeleteWildchild; Good single to start. That's aged very well. The entourage are channelling M*A*S*H in their dress sense but laughs are absent.
Smokie; Rich introduces this by saying exactly what I thought in 1995 about the single and still do. Why was Roy Chubby Brown not featured? As much of a question as why he was for me. So we get just the old song but with Smokie members with worse hair than in 1976. Ah but we don't, because of course the sweet cherubs in the audience do the 'funny' part. I bet there was some seriously stern talking from floor manager to crowd before that started.
Ash; Back already. They were certainly hard workers this bunch. I'm hoping 'Kung Fu' gets an appearance in the studio. 'Angel Interceptor' makes little sense but sounds great. Nice shirt Tim.
2 Unlimited; Are we saying goodbye finally to the duo? If so that's a fantastic way to bow out. Classy tune which I don't remember at all (I don't think 2 Unlimited was high on any playlist by this time) and what can I say. Anita. Wow! She looked stunning and sounds it too. A true pop star who probably has never had the respect she deserves. Ray being Ray to the end. Joint highlight of the show
East 17; A funny link to East 17 who do have a bit of menace about them here. Tony almost right in the faces of the front row and Brian shaven headed. Good tune and always liked their fire and brimstone lyrics.
Queen; A lot of attention paid to this at the time, the first single from 'Made In Heaven' featuring songs recorded when Freddie was in his final months. This one I found very touching at the time and in my memory it was in the running for the Christmas No.1. It must've been their next single. It still sounds poignant and the video very eye catching though it's more a classic silent film with Queen clips peaking through occasionally. Extraordinary scenes for the 1900s and for 1995, and 2024. Poignant to see such an extrovert band taking a back seat to other images. Amongst the fantasy a real sense of sadness.
Eternal; Oh Rich, never mind Louise, what about Vernie! Down to a trio and quite a change though I do prefer the more sedate group of before. Storming lead vocal and an image bomb for the eyes. Thanks camera for taking in studio decor and the back of the furthest back audience members heads for large parts of that. Wonderful to watch but could've been more so.
Cher; 'Walking In Memphis' gets a cover from Cher and I much prefer that to the middle aged blokedom of the original. She moves her head dreamily and smiles benignly at the crowd but it's rather flat as a performance. She'll make up for that.
Simply Red; Top 10 rundown as witty as you'd expect. Then finally the video for 'Fairground ' which is a visual extravaganza and not just Mick's hair. Still really enjoying this at No.1.
The Boomtown Rats debut appearance to finish. Amazingly due to the clip's appearance on the St.Patrick's Day TOTP2 special, it appeared 4 times on BBC4 yesterday. That must be a record. Certainly that's a lot of jerky camerwork for one night.
Four new entries peaking outside the Top 40 this week and worth a mention:
ReplyDeleteNo.55 Rednexx - Wild 'n' Free
Third and final single for Rednexx following two top 20 singles earlier in the year, including the No.1 Cotton Eye Joe. Turned out that their whole chart career was around only 10 months or so from start to finish.
No.56 Boy George - Same Thing In Reverse
Last throw of the dice for Boy George, as all three new singles released in 1995 were flops outside the Top 40, with his last Top 40 single as far back as 1993, so the curtain comes down on a solo chart career going back to 1987.
No.84 Chumbawamba - Ugh! Your Ugly Houses!
Third single since 1993 to flop outside the Top 40, and it would not be until 1997 that they finally made it with their eventual No.2 achievement with Tubthumping.
No.94 Big Mountain - Caribbean Blue
After a more successful 1994 with only one Top 40 single which turned out to be Top 2 with Baby I Love Your Way, this final effort in late 1995 did not even make the Top 75.
Wildchild. Annoying. Catchy. Repetitive. And Brilliant. Will also be back in 98 and Top 3.
ReplyDeleteThis smokie song had some serious legs didn't it.
4 performances and not one swear word. Impressive.
I seem to recall liking Angel Interceptor at the time but it's one of Ash weaker tunes in hindsight.
Making a very little go a very long way it's the Dutch Duo 2 Unlimited. Tunes have become a bit dull though, lacking any originality now.
Put the cap back on Brian. Not a millionaire as Tony has all the dosh as he wrote all the tunes. This is quite dull by E17 standards.
Queen next and even the cast offs are decent tunes. Loved watching the old film material in the video. Simpler times.
Eternal have shed a few pounds and sexed up their image and tunes. Like this one. Nice live vocal unlike Louise.
Gold mic for mimimg Cher. Dreadful version of walking in Memphis making her more of a Las Vegas turn.
I must say I really liked the 2-Unlimited song called No-One which was earlier in the same year 1995, but it's a little sad that this latest single is their final Top 40 tune with Anita fronting the band, and it is the last time we see them on TOTP.
Delete