It's My Top of the Pops

It's the 6th December 1979, the strike at the BBC is over at last and Top of the Pops celebrates with a confident new presenter....

They're playing our tunes

 

 

6-12-79: Presenter: Simon Bates

(5) THE GIBSON BROTHERS – Que Sera Mi Vida (If You Should Go) (and charts)
(54) DARTS – Reet Petite
(57) DOLLAR – I Wanna Hold Your Hand
(36) U.K. SUBS – She’s Not There
(26) THE THREE DEGREES – My Simple Heart
(64) M – Moonlight And Muzak
(41) THE STRANGLERS – Don’t Bring Harry
(22) MICHAEL JACKSON – Off The Wall (danced to by Legs & Co)
(12) THE SUGARHILL GANG – Rapper’s Delight (footage from Soap Factory)
(46) THE DAMNED – I Just Can’t Be Happy Today
(50) STORM – It’s My House
(42) MOTÖRHEAD – Bomber
(48) MARIANNE FAITHFULL – The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan
(1) THE POLICE – Walking On The Moon (video)
(2) PINK FLOYD – Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) (and credits)

 

 

The Gibson Brothers ~ at their peak now of number 5, play over the charts (in colour!)

 

Darts ~ with the first of three golden oldies, but this wasn't such a glistening version and didn't make the top 50.

 

Dollar ~ fare much better with their slightly odd Beatles cover set to become one of the first top ten hits of the 80's

 

UK Subs ~ a punk 60's cover next but it got no higher than 36 after this performance.

 

The Three Degrees ~ looking sophisticated in their white suits, My Simple Heart would be their final top ten hit.

 

M ~ with their overdue follow-up to Pop Muzik, but edited out of the 7.30 show.

 

The Stranglers ~ didn't bring Harry, and it was just as well because they were also edited out.

 

Legs & Co ~ after a two week lay off the girls return with a performance in front of a more enthusiastic audience than usual, especially one chap who seemed to be leaping out of his seat with excitement. The blueprint for the 80's was here.

 

The Sugarhill Gang ~ the fastest climber of the week, in a time when rap music was still a very new thing, but again the 1980's (and beyond) were arriving now.

 

The Damned ~ were cut from the 7.30 show.

 

Storm ~ another sophisticated group in white suits, Its My House was their only chart hit but it didn't enter the top 30, despite knocking on the door.

 

Motorhead ~ in sharp contrast Bomber exploded from the stage, their biggest hit to date but still not a top 30.

 

Marianne Faithfull ~ Simon informs us that Dr Hook tried and failed to have a hit with this song, which was now Marianne's first chart hit for 12 years, but it got no higher than 48 after this Top of the Pops performance.

 

The Police ~ walked to number one for just this week, because Simon's prediction that they could be replaced by Pink Floyd proved to be correct.

 

Pink Floyd ~ who also happened to be the ones to play out over the credits.

 

 

Next week then, the 13th December 1979, is the last regular edition we will see on BBC4 of the 70's, because the edition from the 20th December is a Jimmy Savile.

 

 

 

 

I Only Want to be with Top of the Pops

It's the 29th November 1979 and the second week of strike action at the BBC, which means that for some reason the chart rundown features black and white mug shots whilst host Peter Powell, like DLT the week before, can only be heard but never seen.....

Now listen, honey......

29-11-79: Presenter: Peter Powell

(25) MICHAEL JACKSON – Off The Wall (and charts)
(12) THE GIBSON BROTHERS – Que Sera Mi Vida (If You Should Go) (video)
(5) THE POLICE – Walking On The Moon (video)
(22) THE TOURISTS – I Only Want To Be With You ®
(36) STATUS QUO – Living On An Island (video)
(21) BLONDIE – Union City Blue (video)
(24) THIN LIZZY – Sarah ®
(34) ROSE ROYCE – Is It Love You’re After (video)
(23) THE MOODY BLUES – Nights In White Satin ®
(32) THE SKIDS – Working For The Yankee Dollar (video)
(3) DONNA SUMMER & BARBRA STREISAND – No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (danced to by Legs & Co) ®
(26) PINK FLOYD – Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) (video)
(1) DR. HOOK – When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman (video)
(14) THE ISLEY BROTHERS – It’s A Disco Night (Rock Don’t Stop) (and credits)


Michael Jackson ~ does the chart rundown this week with the title track from his top five hit album.

The Gibson Brothers ~ are next with the first of eight videos featured on tonight's show.

The Police ~ they might not have quite made it to the moon as such, but they were well on their way to next week's number one.

The Tourists ~ having come close with The Loneliest Man in the World, Annie and the gang finally breakthrough with this Dusty Springfield cover.

Status Quo ~ Rick takes control of the lead vocals for this one, helped out by Francis of course and quite a few penguins.

Blondie ~ are somewhere deep in the New York docks to perform this most atmospheric of songs from their album Eat to the Beat, though the next single from it would be a much bigger hit.

Thin Lizzy ~ another chance to hear Sarah, now at its peak in the charts.

Rose Royce ~ with the tune that was later sampled all the way to number one by S-express, but, 90's remixes of Car Wash excluded, this would be their final top 20 hit.

The Moody Blues ~ were the only act edited out of a packed 7.30 pm show tonight.

The Skids ~ were these video clips so short on the original transmission? Or is this how they fitted almost everything into half an hour tonight? Anyway, a belting tune and video which proved to be the band's final top 30 hit.

Legs & Co ~ with a repeat showing of their Summer and Streisand routine. Maybe the girls were on the picket line?

Pink Floyd ~ with a 'surprise' single release and iconic accompanying video, Another Brick in the Wall was their first single since 1967, choosing instead to release albums only from that point until this.

Dr Hook ~ watch their friends for a final week at number one.

The Isley Brothers ~ at their peak in the charts play over the credits.

Next week we reach 6th December 1979, normal Top of the Pops service is resumed, and a new host makes his debut.

Top of the Pops Rebel

Many thanks again to Neil B for coming to the Top of the Pops rescue by making this unusual edition from 22nd November 1979 available ~ it won't be shown on BBC4 due to it being hosted by DLT, but due to a BBC strike at the time he only appears in the form of a ghostly voice-over. For the chart rundown were are treated to Whole Lotta Love (hurray!) and the only new studio performance, albeit without an audience, comes from The Pretenders.

I'm a Top of the Pops rebel, from head to toe

Top of the Pops 22-11-79: Presenter: Dave Lee Travis

 (26) MATCHBOX – Rockabilly Rebel ®
(4) THE COMMODORES – Still (video)
(23) THE BOOMTOWN RATS – Diamond Smiles (video)
(48) THE PRETENDERS – Brass In Pocket
(17) ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA – Confusion (video)
(10) MADNESS – One Step Beyond ®
(2) QUEEN – Crazy Little Thing Called Love (video)
(20) DYNASTY – I Don’t Want To Be A Freak (But I Can’t Help Myself) (video)
(13) HERB ALPERT – Rise (danced to by Legs & Co) ®
(15) GARY NUMAN – Complex (video)
(30) DAN-I – Monkey Chop ®
(1) DR. HOOK – When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman (video)

A Night at Top of the Pops

The 15th November 1979 is now upon us, and this is the last show where we'll see a presenter until Simon Bates makes his debut on the 6th December!

Now you see me.....

15-11-79: Presenter: David Jensen

(26) DYNASTY – I Don’t Want To Be A Freak (But I Can’t Help Myself) (and charts)
(4) THE JAM – The Eton Rifles
(46) CLIFF RICHARD – Hot Shot
(14) DONNA SUMMER & BARBRA STREISAND – No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (danced to by Legs & Co)
(27) THIN LIZZY – Sarah ®
(43) THE TOURISTS – I Only Want To Be With You
(15) B.A. ROBERTSON – Knocked It Off
(11) SUZI QUATRO – She’s In Love With You ®
(41) THE MOODY BLUES – Nights In White Satin
(16) KOOL & THE GANG – Ladies Night (footage from Soap Factory)
(38) SECRET AFFAIR – Let Your Heart Dance
(13) THE RAMBLERS – The Sparrow ®
(48) SHOWADDYWADDY – A Night At Daddy Gee’s
(1) DR. HOOK – When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman (video)
(24) THE ISLEY BROTHERS – It’s A Disco Night (Rock Don’t Stop) (and credits)

Dynasty ~ play over the charts with their only UK top 20 hit

The Jam ~ are back in the studio for a second performance of The Eton Rifles, the only single to be released from their latest album, Setting Sons.

Cliff Richard ~ hoping to follow up his huge hit We Don't Talk Anymore, but Hot Shot misfired and got no higher than 46.

Legs & Co ~ after some initial high heel balancing issues the girls soon find their feet in the disco part of this top 3 Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand hit.

Thin Lizzie ~ some major 7.30pm culling now, with this repeat showing of Sarah being the first victim.

The Tourists ~ they only want to be on the late edition, this one was also 7.30 chopped!

BA Robertson ~ also found himself knocked off the 7.30 show.

Suzi Quatro ~ was edited out too, with She's in Love with You at her peak in the charts.

The Moody Blues ~ "amazingly it's 12 years ago since they first appeared on the show with this song" says host David ~ and 12 years into the pop past seemed a long long time back in 1979.

Kool and the Gang ~ perform their disco classic in a Soap Factory full of ladies, of course. Ladies Night was the first of a long string of hits for Kool and the Gang over the next 8 years or so.

Secret Affair ~ with the mod follow up to Time for Action, but Let Your Heart Dance didn't make the top 30.

The Ramblers ~ another showing for the girls of Abbey Hey Junior school, now nearing their peak of number 11.

Showaddywaddy ~ this single ended a run of 9 consecutive top 20 hits for the group stretching back to 1976.

Dr Hook ~ finally made it to number one, but it was hard.

The Isley Brothers ~ play over the credits this week, with their last ever top 20 hit.


The next show is the 22nd November 1979. Due to a strike at the BBC at the time, this show was made up mostly of videos and repeats, and presented by voice over. Unfortunately for us, the voice is that of DLT and so BBC4 are skipping it. This means that next Thursday we will see the (still on strike) edition from the 29th November, which was voiced over by Peter Powell.

The 2-Tone Top of the Pops

There doesn't seem to be any Top of the Pops on BBC4 next Thursday, so it's a very timely big thank you again to Neil B for making (most of) this famous edition from the 8th November 1979 available ~ it's the one that features Madness, the Specials and the Selector all in the studio ~ the 2-Tone Top of the Pops. It won't be broadcast on BBC4 because it was hosted by Jimmy Savile, so do not click on the link if you are going to be offended......

er..... haven't we just left 2-Tone for Stiff?

Top of the Pops 8-11-79: Presenter: Jimmy Savile

 (21) KOOL & THE GANG – Ladies Night (and charts)
(44) MATCHBOX – Rockabilly Rebel
(29) IRIS WILLIAMS – He Was Beautiful (Cavatina) (The Theme From ‘The Deer Hunter’)
(2) DR. HOOK – When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman (video)
(51) MADNESS – One Step Beyond
(10) THE COMMODORES – Still (video)
(19) THE SPECIALS feat. RICO – A Message To You Rudy
(3) ABBA – Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) (video)
(50) DAN-I – Monkey Chop
(26) HERB ALPERT – Rise (danced to by Legs & Co)
(5) QUEEN – Crazy Little Thing Called Love (video)
(53) SHAM 69 – You’re A Better Man Than I
(9) THE SELECTER – On My Radio ®
(1) LENA MARTELL – One Day At A Time
(27) DONNA SUMMER & BARBRA STREISAND – No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (and credits)

I'm Only a Poor Little Top of the Pops

November 1979 arrives and this 30 minute edition of Top of the Pops means that nothing needs to be edited out of this week's 7.30pm slot on BBC4....

Don't mess with us, St. Winifreds!

 

1-11-79: Presenter: Mike Read

(3) SAD CAFÉ – Every Day Hurts (and charts)
(45) SPARKS – Tryouts For The Human Race
(26) THE RAMBLERS – The Sparrow ®
(50) DARTS – Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love
(29) THE JAM – The Eton Rifles
(46) LENE LOVICH – Bird Song
(16) EARTH, WIND & FIRE – Star (danced to by Legs & Co)
(43) THIN LIZZY – Sarah
(20) SUZI QUATRO – She’s In Love With You
(42) B.A. ROBERTSON – Knocked It Off
(1) LENA MARTELL – One Day At A Time ®
(8) FLEETWOOD MAC – Tusk (and credits)


Sad Café ~ play over the charts, now at their peak of number 3.

Sparks ~ get the show underway with their own brand of Californian euro-disco, but this particular 45 got no higher than 45 in the charts.

The Ramblers ~ flying up the charts, and playing their own guitars, it's the Abbey Hey Junior School choir tweeting a song written by Maurice Jordan.

Darts ~ Rita Ray takes the lead vocal for this follow-up to Duke of Earl, but it couldn't get any further than number 43.

The Jam ~ Host Mike Read points out that this is their 9th single, but it was to become the first to make it into the top ten, and although The Jam had been Top of the Pops regulars since 1977, this was their big breakthrough, with a song that was just a different level to any of their previous eight.

Lene Lovich ~ continuing the feathered theme this week, a wonderfully eccentric performance by Lene was enough to see The Bird perch at number 39.

Legs & Co ~ go space disco this week for a silver caped routine to Star by Earth Wind and Fire.

Thin Lizzy ~ a more mellow effort than usual here from Thin Lizzy, which perhaps didn't quite pay off for them with Sarah stalling at 24.

Suzie Quatro ~ now here's someone who doesn't really do mellow, it's Suzie Quatro with another raucous performance of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman's She's in love with You.

BA Robertson ~ follows up his unusual hit Bang Bang with something even more unusual, but standing out from the crowd like this knocked him off a second top ten hit.

Lena Martell ~ with a second of three weeks at number one, but we won't see her again on BBC4.

Fleetwood Mac ~ drum us out this week with Tusk nearing its peak of number 6 in the charts.


The next episode, the 8th November 1979, is the famous 'two-tone' Top of the Pops, featuring Madness, The Specials and the Selector! Unfortunately, it was hosted by Jimmy Savile. So that means the next edition on BBC4 will be the 15th November 1979 hosted by David Jensen.

Crazy Little Thing Called Top of the Pops

Sporting a new short haircut, a now slightly more sophisticated Peter Powell hosts the 25th October 1979 edition of Top of the Pops, the last one before Halloween, but Halloween wasn't such a big deal back in 1979, but Grease still was......

Just call me Freddie Travolta

 

25-10-79: Presenter: Peter Powell

(26) THE SELECTER – On My Radio (and charts)
(41) THE SPECIALS feat. RICO – A Message To You Rudy
(16) VIOLA WILLS – Gonna Get Along Without You Now ®
(21) QUEEN – Crazy Little Thing Called Love (video)
(24) CATS UK – Luton Airport
(15) CHARLIE DANIELS BAND – The Devil Went Down To Georgia (video)
(18) CHIC – My Forbidden Lover (danced to by Legs & Co)
(3) DR. HOOK – When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman (video)
(48) IRIS WILLIAMS – He Was Beautiful (Cavatina) (The Theme From ‘The Deer Hunter’)
(7) THE DOOLEYS – The Chosen Few ®
(NEW) JANET BROWN – The Iron Lady
(11) ERROL DUNKLEY – O.K. Fred
(1) LENA MARTELL – One Day At A Time
(6) ABBA – Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) (and credits)


The Selector ~ are selected to be the chart run down song this week.

The Specials ~ completing a two-tone takeover of the beginning of the show, this would soon become a second top ten single of 1979 for the Specials.

Viola Wills ~ was well on her way to number 8 in the charts.

Queen ~ turning up a bit too late for a part in Grease this song nevertheless got to number 2 in the UK and was the band's first number 1 in America.

Cats UK ~ not so cool for them - they were cut out of the 7.30pm broadcast tonight.

Charlie Daniels Band ~ maybe this one got a Halloween mention from Peter? ~ but it was also edited out from the 7.30pm showing on BBC4.

Legs & Co ~ go disco again this week with a routine to My Forbidden Lover by Chic.

Dr Hook ~ another showing for a video that we'll get to see quite a few more times yet.

Iris Williams ~ there had already been two instrumental hit versions of this tune in 1979, now here was Iris adding some lyrics and a lot of vibrato and joining forces with the Top of the Pops orchestra.

The Dooleys ~ another showing for this performance of a song that is seeming to split opinion a little, personally I quite like it.

Janet Brown ~ ok I take it back about Halloween not being so big in 1979 ~ because this was a real horror show which even made Dame Edna's woeful Disco Matilda look good in comparison.

Errol Dunkley ~ a new performance of OK Fred which was now at its chart peak.

Lena Martell ~ not many British acts have ever managed to get to number one with a country song, in fact I can't think of any off hand, but love it or loath it Lena did it and here she is doing it live with the Top of the Pops orchestra, who, as they had for several other performances this year, were once again in full view.

Abba ~ give us give us give us the play out song this week.

Next week then is the edition from November 1st 1979 hosted by Mike Calypso Read.