Come on Barbie let's go the 24th of October 1997 edition of Top of the Pops!
Guy and doll
24-10-97: Presenter: Jo Whiley
(15) TINA MOORE – Never Gonna Let You Go
Had already peaked at number 7.
(2) AQUA – Barbie Girl
Making their studio debut with what will soon become their first of three number ones hits.
(10) ASH – A Life Less Ordinary
Here with their third of four top ten hits but it got no higher.
(9) BRAND NEW HEAVIES – You’ve Got A Friend
At its peak.
(13) JIMMY RAY – Are You Jimmy Ray?
Performing his only top 40 hit but it got no higher.
(11) CLOCK – U Sexy Thing
At its peak.
(19) SMASH MOUTH – Walkin’ On The Sun
In the studio with their first of two top 40 hits, and this was the biggest but it got no higher.
(1) SPICE GIRLS – Spice Up Your Life (video) (and credits)
Just the one week at number one for this year's blog title song.
21-4-77: Presenter: Tony Blackburn
ReplyDelete(46) EDDIE & THE HOTRODS – I Might Be Lying
(25) O.C. SMITH – Together
(9) STEVIE WONDER – Sir Duke (danced to by Legs & Co)
(3) BERNI FLINT – I Don’t Want To Put A Hold On You
(15) TAVARES – Whodunnit (video)
(19) LYNSEY DE PAUL & MIKE MORAN – Rock Bottom
(18) LEO SAYER – How Much Love (video)
(47) DELEGATION – Where Is The Love (We Used To Know)
(16) ELKIE BROOKS – Pearl’s A Singer ®
(29) DAVID DUNDAS – Another Funny Honeymoon
(7) DEAD END KIDS – Have I The Right ®
(4) DENIECE WILLIAMS – Free
(1) ABBA – Knowing Me Knowing You (video)
(23) PETER GABRIEL – Solsbury Hill (and credits)
I continue to enjoy these older episodes. The audience during legs and co were remarkably still - were they uninterested or under orders?…
DeleteI thought they might have changed this episode to 30-10-80, as a tribute to Colin Berry who died this week. RIP
DeleteThat was a fantastic edition. A few duds but altogether made a brilliant and evocative 40 mins and thanks again beeb for showing it all.
DeleteTony was very bubbly and affable not that it had much effect on the audience who must've been the most unenthusiastic lot I've ever seen on these repeats. Seriously, why do they attend these evenings? They get an energetic thing to start with but seem determined to be unmoved.
Eddie and the Hot Rods; Yeah, good start with a strong, new wave foreshadowing song and Barrie Masters whizzing back and forth across the stage like he's on wheels. A degree of nonchalance on show as opposed to when he was on for 'Do Anything You Wanna Do' where he regarded the camera like an 8 year old in a fairground room of mirrors. He seemed to be reining it in a bit here but it made for an exciting performance. The guitarist in the shades looked like a definite sign of things to come.
O C Smith; The crowd rush to this chap though they didn't seem to be rushing away from the opening act. Whatever, once in position most of them just look confusedly around. O C Smith is an imposing presence but also kindly and 'Together' is a fine deep voiced smoother of a song. I really like the chorus to that.
Stevie Wonder; So the audience sit for Legs & Co. Surely they were given some direction on how to be for Legs' routine as surely it isn't possible for an entire crowd of onlookers to be genuinely bored shitless to something from 'Songs In The Key Of Life'. I liked the way that the camera shows a half in focus Pauline forced to grin at the camera for ages. She must've thought; "this is going to be a tough one!" Still sod them; what a single 'Sir Duke' is and the dance is delightful and joyous and I can forgive Patti's absence because Sue once again from this period, looks so cute. Nerves of steel those ladies.
The applause appeared somewhat canned there.
Berni Flint; Lovely song that one and a pretty charismatic performer. Good finger picker too. A few girls presumably right at the front were obviously very taken with him and a "yeah!!!" before the applause starts up is a charming end to a charming number.
Tavares; I think the arranger got mixed up between a whodunit and a ghosts and ghoulies story for this single's introduction but it settles into a delightful soul/disco tune with the lead singer as always total class. From 'Top Pop', the logo of which looked like 'Fob Bob' whenever it appeared.
Lynsey De Paul and Mike Moran; The UK entry for Eurovision 1977 which was notably beset by all sorts of technical glitches. At least Angela Rippon presumably didn't have an audience like this to have to keep on side. It was great to see Lynsey De Paul motion the audience to join in. A few in the front row visibly retreated at this. Still a really good performance.
Enough for now. I'll do a part 2 this evening if that's OK. Night worker.
@Mic,1,2,1,2 the look of disdain by Tony after the hot rods number showed what he thought of ‘punk’… 😆
DeleteYou're right Charlie, I didn't stop that initially! There seemed a sudden change of expression from Tony as the ceiling lights faded back to him. Curiously from two years before, when Chris Spedding's proto punk single was on (or Mike Spedding as I'm sure I heard him say under the applause), he seemed very enthusiastic. Maybe he'd heard enough stories about punk by now.
DeleteHello, pt.2;
DeleteLeo Sayer; I always enjoy some Leo on the repeats and there's plenty of him here. Yes, good to know that he didn't seek to capitalise on his new found romantic hero status in the wake of the massive success of 'When I Need You ' and threw himself into at least flirting with looking a bit of a wally. Good Tyne which shows off his range but it's all about the jokey, hi tech (?) video. I thought the silhouetted Leo's was a little off putting; like a child's nightmare where the icon above the gents toilet has suddenly come to life and gone rogue. Bless him. Good fun but it couldn't have helped maintain any cred he may have hoped for.
Delegation: I really took to this cheery mope when it first got repeated and it's good to hear again. Possibly unique purveyors of the art of non-formation formation dancing and not helped by a dreadful mix where the drums are way too much to the front, this is still a really charming number which the crowd rouse themselves just enough to sort of get into.
Ellie Brooks; One of the two best things of the edition for me. Elkie is just effortlessly brilliant doing 'Pearl's a Singer' and the set is a delightfully cheap approximation of elegance with a bit of fauna and blokes in formal attire. The keyboardist both in look and mannerisms is at times the absolute doppelganger of John Lennon. During the 2nd verse, a giggly sound from some girls in the audience gets picked up, so obtrusive that it could've been an overdub on the record. Elkie seemed to acknowledge it with a look downwards but it didn't phase her. Maybe in the future there'll be songs eulogising Elkie Brooks.
David Dundas; Very posh delivery. OK song. Rather like Peter Skellern at his most pop but without the charm.
Dead End Kids; Dreadful stomping cover of the zany classic 'Have I The Right' sung by a human microphone in braces and drainpipe jeans. The rest of the band join in cheerfully especially the drummer. At the end Tony comments that he remembers The Honeycombs original "a while ago" and breezily blows a hole through your whole comprehension of the key years of pop history.
Deniece Williams; The other highlight for me. A full flight live performance of the soon to be chart topper. I wonder if this clip sent 'Free' up to No.1. Even without the dreamy keyboard parts it sounds breathtaking and our gloomy friends in the audience don't smile but neither do they look around wondering where that noise is coming from. She herself looks alternately joyful and imperious and probably didn't care what they made of it. Romantic and sultry as this era of the show is ever going to be.
Abba; Could watch the video of 'Knowing Me Knowing You' a million times and never be bored. Maybe it's due to Frida or the way it just blasts off. Fabulous single.
Play out to 'Solsbury Hill' (not referred to) and sounds a perfect poignant way to accompany the lights. Spring '77 seemed to be a real heyday for the old lights. Bursting and tumbling to dazzling effect. Maybe Robin Nash viewed this part as official special effects time. It also whizzes past the stage which catches Tony contemplating it's height or something.
Have to admit I liked the Kids version of 'Have I the Right'. Little known fact was the single version faded early, but it seems the full version is used on all compilations that the track appears on.
DeleteGabriel's 'Solsbury Hill' suffered the same playout fate as 'Match of the Day' by Genesis. Tom Browne was much more enthusiastic about both tracks on the Sunday Radio Top 20 Show.
totp2 25th october 1997
ReplyDeletehttps://fromsmash.com/totp2-25th-october-1997
Thanks Rob!!!
DeleteThanks Rob!!!
DeleteCheers!
Deletecheers Rob
DeleteRIP Clodagh Rodgers. Would be nice to see the episode from 6th January 1977 as a tribute, also has anyone got the 22nd December 1977 edition please (BBC4 won't be showing that one).
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete22 dec 1977 expires in 3 days https://we.tl/t-sB8j5IOY1S
DeleteThank you so much Charlie. I have got it.
DeleteForgetting the host, what a great edition! Some unique showings there with Godley and Creme and Yannis Markopouos - with the theme music from that wonderful series 'Who Pays the Ferryman?'. We also got to see far more of the 'Mull of Kintyre' video than they normally showed. Thanks again Charlie!
DeleteHi Charlie, could you repost this 22 Dec 1977 show, as it has already expired by a few hours, and I have been out of action for a week without my computer which broke down and had to buy a new one, so I am only just catching up since before Easter..
Deletereloaded https://we.tl/t-lz7Rz1UPce
DeleteWho pays the Ferryman is a clip from episode 5 where the boat race takes place for a wager. Jack Hedley and Betty Arvaniti were great in that series.
Delete