Near of far I will be with the 23rd August 1996 edition of Top of the Pops!
Simply the vest
23-8-96: Presenter: Bear Van Beers
(10) ANT & DEC – Better Watch Out
The duo get the show underway with their first single not as PJ & Duncan, but the song got no higher.
(13) BRYAN ADAMS – Let’s Make A Night To Remember
Here tonight and the song went up three more places.
(8) PET SHOP BOYS – Se A Vida É (That’s The Way Life Is) (video) (and charts)
At its peak.
(3) BACKSTREET BOYS – We’ve Got It Goin’ On
In the studio but the song was now at its peak.
(2) 3T & MICHAEL JACKSON – Why (video)
At its peak.
(5) OMC – How Bizarre
A second studio performance but the song was now at its peak.
(NEW) REM – E-Bow The Letter (video)
Will peak at number 4.
(NEW) DONNA LEWIS – I Love You Always Forever
Performing what will become her only top ten hit when it peaks at number 5.
(1) SPICE GIRLS – Wannabe
Back again for their fifth of seven weeks at number one.
(18) GLORIA ESTEFAN – You’ll Be Mine (Party Time) (video) (and credits)
Got no higher.
14-10-76: Presenter: David Hamilton
ReplyDelete(18) TAVARES – Don’t Take Away The Music (video)
(4) SHERBET – Howzat ®
(13) SIMON MAY – Summer Of My Life
(23) WILD CHERRY – Play That Funky Music (danced to by Ruby Flipper)
(46) LIVERPOOL EXPRESS – Hold Tight
(42) DAVID ESSEX – Coming Home
(21) J.A.L.N. BAND – Disco Music (I Like It)
(1) PUSSYCAT – Mississippi (video) (and credits)
I happened to notice that this Top 30 chart in 1976 had only 6 positions with female artists, and the other 24 places in the chart were male. Good Lord!
DeleteTavares - TOTP rarely started a show with a video, but this was one of those shows, and thank goodness the show itself is not rare, but I just love this tune, and so iconic of the optimistic 70s and its love for music.
Pussycat - what a gorgeous song and video to end the show with. It was really one of the best No.1's of the decade, and unfortunately I wasn't into pop music yet, as I was only 8 at this point, and only started following the charts a couple of years later in 1978, so the first time I saw the video was on the first year of the BBC4 repeats in 2011 when they started off with showing the 1976 episodes.
Hello all, I'm probably not going to continue reviewing the ongoing repeats after this week as I'm afraid 1996 hasn't really engaged me much lately and I haven't followed them as avidly as before. I may comment here and there and probably blog on the Christmas show but I'll bow out of weekly posts. Thank you all and Angelo enormous credit for such a fantastic job all these years.
DeleteAnyway I will carry on reviewing the pre '79 repeats as I find them endlessly enjoyable and here's my annoyingly jaundiced 21st century put down of Oct '76. Not really. Loved it as always. David Hamilton back with his endearingly purposeless fingerpointing to something or other. Up goes the finger to a pretty good chart with a cracking Top 3.
Why the sailors?
Tavares; The great thing about shows pre Summer '77 is that you automatically assume the opening number is just going to soundtrack the chart rundown then you realise of course not; you get a performance. Or a video as here. One that's been dropped in a janitor's bucket of water it would seem but still very neon and '70s. Sparkly jackets, formation half lost in fog dancing and one of the best lead voices of the decade. Fine tune too. And in an era of bands consisting of the participants
surnames, what a bonus to have a surname like Tavares! It actually sounds like an elaborate '70s lighting device. Brilliant shimmering start.
Loved how the camera cuts back to Diddy and he's got his finger pointing in the same direction as when he started as if he's been holding it there for the last 5 minutes!
Sherbert; An odd pronunciation of Cricket's most well used phrase from Diddy, done apparently as a stray voice coming in through CW McCall's CB radio. Doubly curious as Test Cricket wasn't exactly the most fringe of sports that year. Great single though which sounds like Toto about 2 years early. I'll forgive the lead singer's dreadful Paul Nicholas meets Abba attire because of his fine voice.
Simon May; Was 'Summer Of My Life' meant to be a homage to the unrelenting baking summer just gone? It doesn't sound it. A beaker of tepid water that one even with Lulu dancing around. Put the collars down.
Wild Cherry; Ruby Flipper bow out with no Cherry (!?) to the ever brassy, bonkers and fabulous 'Play That Funky Music'. Sounds like a cliche from start to finish and I love it. No mention whatsoever of their demise. just a comment about their costumes.
Part 2;
DeleteLiverpool Express; The lead singer possibly making another sporting reference by styling his hair a lot like James Hunt. Or possibly J K Lever. The bassist gets the fancy hat this time. Beyond that nothing else to comment on.
David Essex; A female fan of which there must've been more than a few in the audience gets to say something about her favourite pop star. Did she win a competition? Sweet all the same and a song of his I've never heard before which has a moment that sounds like Kate Bush's 'Babooshka' to these ears. Good song and a diverting presentation with the camera lurching arthritically to the left for a bit then to the right fo a bit then staying at a 30 or so degree angle like it's 1972.
J.A.L.N Band; Not as good a name as Tavares is it. I looked at the original blog for this edition and someone did moment that the set looked like 'Blockbusters'. A guy singing in a low voice off key appeared to be the main hook.
Pussycat; An excited Diddy introduces the new No.1 and the kiss from the girl at the end did look spontaneous. 'Missippipi' replaces 'Dancing Queen' then making I 2 consecutive foreign chart toppers. A first and only occurrence? I do love this single and Totp seems to as well dispensing with the usual lights and going with the video. I think they did this quite bit for a time in late '76 but the way the logo bursts on to the screen with the 2nd chorus suggests the show thought this was definately one to get behind. So did I. A great singalong finish.
Presenter Bear Van Beers introduction at the beginning of the show with a sexy Flintstones outfit just made this show for me, never mind who was going to be performing on it. As the show progressed, it was getting like a Macarena effect. Good Lord!
ReplyDeleteOMC - back in the studio for the second week in a row, but considering that the last show was a repeat of their first outing on TOTP, now here at No.5 was an opportunity for a fresh performance.
Pet Shop Boys - nice chart rundown video this week, and back to their familiar black&white video preference.
Chart Rundown - Gloria Estefan at peak of No.18 with You'll Be Mine, and Squeeze with their last ever single, a remix of This Summer were notable entries. Squeeze finally calling it a day in 1996 since coming on to the scene with Cool For Cats in 1979.
Also with their last ever single and peaking just outside the Top 40 was Snap! featuring Einstein with The Power '96, and 808 State without a Top 40 achievement since 1992 and still trying, could only manage a No.79 peak this week with Azura.
So they're officially Ant and Dec now. Lyrics are a bit 'naughty' for them.
ReplyDeleteBryan Adams - eh.
PSB - really nice summer tune.
I always think this BSB song sounds a lot like MN8 I've Got a Little Something For You.
EBow the Letter is great and Gloria E has been in my head all day. Donna Lewis is an OK track but she did well to be an exclusive!