And when I get that feeling I can no longer hide the 17th of January 1997 edition of Top of the Pops!
Texy lady
(12) THE LIGHTNING SEEDS – Sugar Coated Iceberg
Getting the show underway but the song got no higher.
(3) EAST 17 – Hey Child
In the studio tonight but the song got no higher.
(4) LISA STANSFIELD versus DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS – People Hold On (video) (and charts)
At is peak.
(10) NO MERCY – Where Do You Go
Performing their first of two top ten hits and this one will peak at number 2.
(7) TEXAS – Say What You Want
Performing their first top ten hit for eight years, and their second of thirteen top tenners, and it will peak at number 3.
(5) MADONNA – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (video)
Went up two more places.
(2) BACKSTREET BOYS – Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
In the studio but the song could get no higher.
(NEW) PLACEBO – Nancy Boy
Performing what will become their first of three top ten hits when it peaks at number 4.
(1) TORI AMOS – Professional Widow (It’s Got To Be Big) (video)
Just one week at the top for her only number one.
(TOTP2) ALVIN STARDUST – My Coo-Ca-Choo (clip of TOTP 15-11-73) (and credits)
Number 2 in 1973.
13-3-75: Presenter: Noel Edmonds
ReplyDelete(20) THE RUBETTES – I Can Do It
(8) DANA – Please Tell Him I Said Hello
(29) DUANE EDDY – Play Me Like You Play Your Guitar ®
(47) TAM WHITE – What In The World’s Come Over You
(24) ELTON JOHN BAND – Philadelphia Freedom (danced to by Pan’s People)
(10) JOHNNY MATHIS – I’m Stone In Love With You (video)
(42) THE SWEET – Fox On The Run
(4) FOX – Only You Can
(NEW) PETER SHELLEY – Love Me Love My Dog
(2) BAY CITY ROLLERS – Bye Bye Baby
(31) GLORIA GAYNOR – Reach Out, I’ll Be There
(1) TELLY SAVALAS – If (video)
(13) BARRY WHITE – What Am I Gonna Do With You (and credits)
I liked the way Noel Edmonds did an impersonation of The Queen at the end of the Dana song when confirming the song title. The Sweet - I always thought this was their finest single, even though it was before I got into pop music.
DeleteFox on the Run was written by the band themselves, instead of the usual Mike Chapman/Nicky Chinn. Personally I think it’s their best one too
Delete20-3-75: Presenter: Tony Blackburn
ReplyDelete(8) KENNY – Fancy Pants
(4) GUYS & DOLLS – There’s A Whole Lot Of Loving
(23) THE GOODIES – Funky Gibbon WATCH
(NEW) THE TYMES – Someway Somehow I’m Keeping You
(5) BARRY WHITE – What Am I Gonna Do With You (danced to by Pan’s People)
(6) AVERAGE WHITE BAND – Pick Up The Pieces (video)
(NEW) CLIFF RICHARD – It’s Only Me You Left Behind
(29) WIGAN’S OVATION – Skiing In The Snow
(NEW) LULU – Take Your Mama For A Ride
(9) THE MOMENTS & THE WHATNAUTS – Girls
(34) MIKE REID – The Ugly Duckling
(1) BAY CITY ROLLERS – Bye Bye Baby
(28) THE OSMONDS – Having A Party (video) (and credits)
Kenny - you couldn't get better pants/trousers than those on stage. Absolutely amazing and probably worth quite a a lot today.
DeleteGuys & Dolls - one of my favourite 70s songs, and nice to see David Van Day and Teresa Bazaar as support couple on this single to the main couple, and who would have thought that three years later in 1978 they would emerge on their own as Dollar with their debut single Shooting Star.
Hello all, I hope everyone had a fine and peaceful Christmas. I've come back on to offer some comments on the '75 editions. A very big thanks to BBC4 for showing them and noticed today that 28th August '75 edition is also being shown. Each the full length versions and they're repeating the full length one from 24th January 1980 in a couple of weeks as well.
DeleteI loved the Christmas Day '75 show and the two March ones were never going to be as strong but they've still been great to watch. I thought Tone was very dapper this evening and cheery although the lighting seemed fairly gloomy at times, like the studio was missing one vital bulb. Enjoyed the schoolmasterly link telling viewers to stop applying for tickets for now. The kids were clearly desperately clamouring to be in the presence of......
Kenny; I thought I hated 'Fancy Pants' and sort of do but this was a fun and energetic start. For some reason almost every family wedding or big party had a playlist which included 'The Bump' and that was as late as 19 bloody 90! The lead singer I assumed would've been an insufferable grinner but he spends the whole performance looking surly with a "what are you staring at?" expression. Well, top half, a kids tv presenter and bottom half a court jester. More voice ranges on that than on 'Bohemian Rhapsody' I would imagine.
Guys and Dolls; A 2nd airing of this tune in the last couple of weeks, this time without David and Thereza singing to each other and without the hillarious mass of hairy chest from the lead crooner. This still makes me think of Alan Partridge and Gina Langland doing their Abba medley though it is a fine tune.
The Goodies; Good fun from my comedy heroes when I was very small. It's also pretty funky, all on 'The One' and everything and it has a wonderful daft ending. They probably weren't going to get a call to join Parliament/Funkadelic anytime soon with those moves and vocals but I still loved that. Graeme Garden's "is that enough then?" expression at the end was a joy.
The Tymes; This group actually appear on a saved edition of Top of the Pops from 1969 then I think nothing till Ms-Grace in Dec '74 and then this number which charges along breathlessly. Enjoyed that.
Barry White; Pan's People in elegant garb for my favourite Barry White song. I just love the strings to this and the battering rhythm. It could go on another 10 minutes and still be thrilling. The dance routine is attractive if a little unimaginative. Lots of superimposed Pan's ladies sashaying around though it's good to see Babs in the line-up again.
Very '75 I say, having no idea.
Pt.2;
DeleteAverage White Band; A grainy, live beardscape of a video for the classic 'Pick Up The Pieces' for me one of THE singles of that year. Almost proto hip hop when they shout the title phrase, not that you could hear it very well. Brilliant tune and some great high wire fills from the drummer.
Cliff Richard; Average comebackish single from Cliff wearing a jacket sporting a flamboyant lapel either that or it was a napkin made from an extra strong bin liner. That's not the most striking fashion wear on show during this half hour. He dances about cheerfully and the song is passable. Very noticeable the two mates that stand to his left looking like they've wandered in from a night at CBGBs.
Wigan's Ovation; Apparently a hugely disliked record by the Northern Soul purists feeling it was a bland cash-in. I should ask someone I work with who as a young girl danced at the Wigan Casino. For me it's OK though what 'Skiing In the Snow' had to do with doing fiendish dance moves all over the floor in giant flares is frankly lost on me. Sorry I haven't heard the original. The performance is a bit dull save for the guitarist who clearly couldn't be bothered to brush his hair. For NS classics I would much rather the beeb had kept an edition from a few weeks later with Pan's dancing to the Four Seasons magnificent single 'The Night' given a re-release thanks to its popularity in those clubs.
Lulu; It's a nice coincidence that The Tymes and Lulu appear on this same show as they both did in that saved edition from March '69, back in the BBC archives thanks to Lulu herself. More funk then. Lulu dressed unfortunately in the same two shades as the set behind her and there's lots of hip thrusting but it's not very memorable.
Share the joke, lad at the front.
The Moments and The Whatnaughts; What is a whatnaught? Even for the mid '70s that doesn't make any sense. 'Girls' is a great funky tune and quite eerie particularly as the chorus doesn't seem to go with the rest of the song. I think the original has a drum beat and sounds like it was taped underwater but this much clearer studio take sounds very good. Everyone grooving along to that which makes the sight of a cameraman in the background
arduously pushing a big camera like he's pushing a car, even more funny.
Mike Reid; Yes, well. Mike Reid doing 'The Ugly Duckling' as you can imagine he would. No Mike the Whistle and flute doesn't look good! Humorously ribald take on the song which the audience don't look too disinterested in. I'm assuming this made the charts thanks to 'Junior Choice' a clip does survive that features the song as a request and was played as part of the Radio 1 Vintage programmes in 2017.
The Bay City Rollers; Never thought much of this.
Overall a decent and certainly very eclectic show. Playout with poignant timing to The Osmonds and switching from credits and Atomium shaped lights and the group giving it their all and in great voice with Wayne sadly now gone.
These two episodes had some truly excellent performances, and some equally dire. Enjoyed most of the recent older transmissions.
ReplyDeleteReady for TOTP2 Rob, as we must be coming up to the last few months or so of Johnnie Walker presenting these shows. I won't be watching them the following season later in 1997 when Steve Wright takes over in the autumn.
ReplyDeleteTOTP2 18-01-1997 https://we.tl/t-k3dY5tq7lA
ReplyDeleteThanks Rob!!!
DeleteNice one!
DeleteAs ever. thanks Rob!
DeleteMuch Appreciated
Really liked the Bjork video on The Video Stir section, and also Ultravox with Vienna on The Video Classic section, playing nearly 5 minutes of the video on TOTP2, despite it not being a new single in 1997!
DeleteGlad they reached 1997.
ReplyDeleteFor me that year is the start of a new musical era with a complete different sound compared to the years before.
Lots of classic tunes from that year.
That being said, are Lisa Stansfield and Tori Amos the exact same song with just different lyrics?
There were some fantastic albums that year and the singles chart had some brilliant things too. I've still got a lot of music programme things on vhs from '97.
DeleteNice to see The Lightning Seeds with Angie Pollock on keyboards. I was at college with Angie for a short time back in '92. In the same class also was a girl whose uncle was Roger Chapman the lead singer of Family!
ReplyDelete