Disappearing Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops August 25th 1983 will not be shown on BBC4 because one of the hosts is Mike Smith. So a big thanks goes to Calvin Henderson for making it available here at Youtube.

Just what you need for a hot summer night ~ a string vest.....

25/08/83 (Simon Bates & Mike Smith)

David Grant – “Watching You Watching Me” (10)
At its peak.

Rod Stewart – “What Am I Gonna Do (I’m So In Love With You)” (27) (video)
The follow up to Baby Jane peaked at number 3.

Carmel – “Bad Day” (26)
Peaked at number 15.

Jonathan King - US chart rundown :
The Police - "Synchronicity I" (live clip)
Stevie Nicks - "Stand Back" (video clip)
Michael Sembello - "Maniac" (video clip)
The Police - "Every Breath You Take" (live clip)

UB40 – “Red Red Wine” (9)
On its way to number one.

Shalamar – “Disappearing Act” (28)
Peaked at number 18.

Level 42 – “The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)” (14)
Went up four more places.

The Style Council – “Paris Match” (3)
The flip side of the 12 inch of Long Hot Summer, which was at its chart peak.

KC & The Sunshine Band – “Give It Up” (1) (audience dancing/credits)
Third and final week at number one for the band's only number one.


Next we finally return to BBC4 for Spetember 1st 1983.

Top of the Pops Still Standing

Top of the Pops August 18th 1983 features DLT so will not be shown on BBC4. I don't have a link for this one yet at the time of writing, and I'm still on holiday. I'll post any available link when I get back, or if anyone can post one in the comments, that would be most appreciated ;-)

Links? I think they split up last year......

18/08/83 (Gary Davies & Dave Lee Travis)

The Kinks – “Come Dancing” (29)
Their first top 20 hit for eleven years, peaked at number 12.

Wham! – “Club Tropicana” (4) (video)
At its peak.

Kim Wilde – “Love Blonde” (23)
At its peak.

Elton John – brief interview
Elton John – “I’m Still Standing” (5) (video)
Went up one more place.

Modern Romance – “Walking In The Rain” (30)
The band's final hit, it peaked at number 7.

Galaxy featuring Phil Fearon – “Wait Until Tonight (My Love)” (20) (video)
At its peak.

Tracie – “Give It Some Emotion” (24)
At its peak.

Madness – “Wings Of A Dove” (19) (video)
Flew all the way to number 2.

KC & The Sunshine Band – “Give It Up” (1) (rpt from 28/07/83)
Second of three weeks at number one.

Kraftwerk – “Tour De France” (28) (Hula Hoop dancer/credits)
Peaked at number 22.


Next up should be August 25th but would you believe it, Mike Smith.....

Watching You Watching Top of the Pops

Well I'm having to hurriedly blog this show from August 11th 1983 without watching it due to me being on holiday! Normal service will be resumed next week :-)

Edward Scissorhands or Siouxsie Sue?

11/08/83 (Richard Skinner & Tommy Vance)

David Grant – “Watching You Watching Me” (34)
Became the first of two top ten hits for David when it peaked at number 10.

The Style Council – “Long Hot Summer” (8) (video)
The band's biggest hit, peaking at number 3.

Level 42 – “The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)” (33)
The first of six top ten hits for the band, reaching number 10.

Spandau Ballet – “Gold” (12) (video)
Won a silver medal when it peaked at number 2.

The Creatures – “Right Now” (17)
Went up three more places.

The Lotus Eaters – “The First Picture Of You” (21)
Peaked at 15.

Depeche Mode – “Everything Counts” (10)
Went up four more places.

Robert Plant – “Big Log” (11) (video)
At its peak.

KC & The Sunshine Band – “Give It Up” (1) (rpt from 28/07/83)
First of three weeks at number one.

Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” (15) (audience dancing/credits)
Became his only top ten hit, peaking at number 8.



Next up should be the 18th August, but DLT is one of the hosts.....

Wherever I Lay My Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops August 4th 1983 will not be shown on BBC4 because one of the hosts is Mike Smith. So a big thanks goes to Calvin Henderson for making it available here at Youtube

And also available here at WeTransfer

Well, there was enough for everyone......

04/08/83 (John Peel & Mike Smith)

Wham! – “Club Tropicana” (10)
What a great start to the show! Peaked at number 4.

The Police – “Wrapped Around Your Finger” (7) (video)
At its peak.

Kim Wilde – “Love Blonde” (34)
Got to number 23.

Galaxy featuring Phil Fearon – “Wait Until Tonight (My Love)” (37)
Peaked at number 20.

Elton John – “I’m Still Standing” (24) (video)
Made it to number 4.

Tracie – “Give It Some Emotion” (33)
Her final top 30 hit, peaking at number 24.

Bruce Foxton – “Freak” (27)
His only post Jam top 30 hit, peaking at number 23.

Shakin’ Stevens – “It’s Late” (11) (video)
At its peak.

Paul Young – “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” (1) (rpt from 21/07/83)
Third and final week at number one.

Gary Byrd – TOTP rap
Gary Byrd & The GB Experience – “The Crown” (6) (audience dancing/credits)
At its peak.


Back to BBC4 again next for August 11th.

Top of the Pops Summer

It's July 28th 1983, all our bags are packed and it's time for 7.05 million of us to catch our flight to destination Top of the Pops!

I think my band are somewhere in lost luggage......

28/07/83 (Janice Long & Mike Read)

KC & The Sunshine Band – “Give It Up” (19)
Jetting in to start the show and with his eyes already on the number one spot.

Depeche Mode – “Everything Counts” (26) (video)
Surely one of their best singles, but it only peaked at number 6.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Everyday I Write The Book” (30)
A second performance of this song which went up two more places.

The Creatures – “Right Now” (29) (video)
Quite an exotic video here for this Mel Torme cover with Souxsie as Cleopatra for what was their biggest hit reaching number 14.

The Lotus Eaters – “The First Picture Of You” (25)
Janice needs to hold the mic a bit closer I think, either that or I'm going hard of hearing! Here she introduces the Lotus Eaters and their only top 30 hit, but what a good one, peaking at number 15.

Malcolm McLaren – “Double Dutch” (4) (Dynamos skipping)
Went up one more place. But edited out again of the 7.30pm showing ~ somebody at BBC4 doesn't like this one!

Robert Plant – “Big Log” (31)
His biggest solo hit, peaking at number 11. Also edited out, and yet Elvis Costello and Bananrama, who we saw last night, were both left in.....

George Benson – “Feel Like Makin’ Love” (28)
Flick Colby's Zoo are released from their cage for a routine, but this record got no higher.

Bananarama – “Cruel Summer” (10)
They've all had their hair done in the same style, ready for a trip to New York to shoot the video, and the song went up two more places.

Paul Young – “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” (1) (video)
Second of three weeks at the top. And still no sign of a hat.

Heaven 17 - "Come Live With Me" (5) (audience dancing/credits)
At its peak.

Tonight's telly

Next up August 4th 1983, but its got Mike Smith so BBC4 will skip to August 11th.

Top of the Pops Around Your Finger

This edition from July 21st 1983 will not be shown on BBC4 because one of the hosts was Jimmy Savile. So a big thanks goes to Neil B for making it available here at WeTransfer

Obviously do not click if you wish to avoid Jimmy Savile.

It's hot in here tonight, unless you play keyboards it seems....

21/07/83 (Jimmy Savile & Pat Sharp)

Jimmy The Hoover – “Tantalise (Wo Wo Ee Yeh Yeh)” (18)
At its peak.

Eurythmics – “Who’s That Girl?” (4) (video)
Went up one more place.

Shakin’ Stevens – “It’s Late” (23)
Peaked at number 11.

Roman Holliday – “Don’t Try To Stop It” (20)
Peaked at number 14.

The Police – “Wrapped Around Your Finger” (14)
The second single from their number one album Synchronicity, it became their final top ten hit, peaking at number 7.

Freeez – “IOU” (2)
At its peak.

Gary Byrd & The GB Experience – “The Crown” (21) (Zoo)
Their only hit, peaking at number 6.

The Cure – “The Walk” (12)
At its peak.

Paul Young – “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” (1)
First of three weeks at number one.

Clubhouse – “Do It Again/Billie Jean” (29) (audience dancing/credits)
Peaked at number 11.


The story continues on BBC4 next with July 28th 1983.

Everyday I Write Top of the Pops

Once upon a time, in BBC4 land, a wicked scheduler decided he would skip lots of editions of Top of the Pops, meaning that the poor blogger with his old rusty laptop had to blog eight shows in the space of a week. And to make matters worse, that poor blogger was about to go on his holiday, meaning his transmission might go on the blink a little bit for a short while. But not to worry, I'm sure there will be a happy ending. And it all began, with 7.7 million viewers, on July 14th 1983....

To be fair, Paul's got other things on his mind besides his hat right now.....

14/07/83 (Andy Peebles & Peter Powell)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Everyday I Write The Book” (32)
Chapter one begins with Elvis Costello's Everyday I Write the Book, which peaked at number 28.

Malcolm McLaren – “Double Dutch” (10) (video)
Became his second and final and biggest top ten hit, peaking at number 3. But edited out of tonight's 7.30 showing.

Paul Young – “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” (2)
Knocking firmly on the door to number one.

Heaven 17 – “Come Live With Me” (6)
Went up one more place.

Echo & The Bunnymen – “Never Stop” (30)
Halfway to its number 15 peak.

Bananarama – “Cruel Summer” (21)
The second top ten hit of 1983 for the trio, peaking at number 8.

Sylvian & Sakamoto – “Forbidden Colours” (18) (video)
From the movie Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, this was David Sylvian's biggest hit post Japan, peaking at number 16.

Rod Stewart – “Baby Jane” (1) (video)
The final week at number one for Rod's final number one. And the cliffhanger is ~ who's been tinkering with the video?

Donna Summer - "She Works Hard For The Money" (29) (audience dancing/credits)
And so we reach the final chapter of tonight's show, featuring lots of skipping, which is very apt as BBC4 will do doing a lot of skipping over the next week or so. Peaked at number 25.

Next up should be July 21st but one of the hosts is Jimmy Savile, so BBC4 will skip to July 28th instead.