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BuzzJack Music Forum _ 20th Century Retro _ Top of the Pops on BBC4
Posted by: Suedehead2 6th January 2018, 10:06 AM
As the last thread was almost up to 50 pages the move into 1985 seems to be a good time to start a new thread.
The regular Story Of and clips show were shown last night (I haven't seen them yet) and the first 1985 repeat is on Friday. The good news is that Friday's early evening show is the full 40 minutes. Whether that is a permanent change remains to be seen.
Posted by: fiesta 6th January 2018, 11:37 AM
watched the story of 1985, didnt realise Holding out for a hero was released in 1984, just checked it was released in April 1984 and didnt chart until August 1985, without a reissue- so it took 16 months to chart that must be a record..
as for Dead Or alive I have found a Big Ben Mix, Performance mix and a Murder mix...but no TDF mix? funny story though
Posted by: The Snake 7th January 2018, 03:39 PM
So many songs I like from from 1985 just from looking at the top 10 singles of the year. Tarzan Boy is probably my favourite of the top 10 hits from the year!
Posted by: Steve201 11th January 2018, 01:48 AM
Why was there 2 episodes of totps 1981 on BBC 4 tonight??
Are we officially having one episode per week now or two? I assume Mike Smith introduces a lot of episodes this year? So we miss out on the final months of Peter Powell? 
Posted by: King Rollo 11th January 2018, 11:00 AM
They've been showing 1981 episodes all week. A bit of spare airtime to fill I suppose. I think 1985 episodes will only be on Friday nights.
Posted by: Steve201 11th January 2018, 11:24 PM
Good so they must be only showing one a week and we will hopefully get a full year, although I'm aware there's a lot of Mike episodes this year. I was quite surprised to see a clip of him in The Story of last week!
Posted by: house.martin 12th January 2018, 01:41 PM
Was in two minds about following TOTP from 1985 onwards.
I started to find a fair bit of pop music that came out from 1985 onwards, to be somehow less exciting. I don't know why, I can't quite put my finger on it. And it seemed to happen almost overnight.
Perhaps it's just me 
Posted by: King Rollo 12th January 2018, 02:36 PM
It's not just you. 1979 to 1984 was the golden era for top 40 music. While the rest of the 80s were still very good,there was less innovation.
Posted by: Steve201 12th January 2018, 07:20 PM
I know what you mean - the beats just got harder as the years went by, but there still life in it yet.
Watched a 1981 episode this week and the changes in the studio were huge in just 4 years!
Posted by: Suedehead2 12th January 2018, 08:06 PM
Yes, the TOTP repeats are back and were are in to 1985. As a special treat we get the full 40-minute version this evening. John Peel gets the new year started along with Richard Skinner.
Smiley Culture gets things under way. A later encounter with a police officer proved more controversial.
The first part of the chart rundown already. Apparently we will be told why soon.
Up next is Sal Solo, away from Classix Nouveaux with a rather lovely single.
Second bit of the chart. Oh, now we get clips from the whole of the top ten - by popular demand apparently. What a shame it starts with a dirge from Foreigner.
The rundown pauses at number nine for the whole of Paul Young’s song. He’s on again later.
Tears For Fears time now as they are at number eight. Not their best song by any means, but still a good ‘un.
Back to top ten clips with Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Ray Parker Jr.
From the (relatively) sublime to the ridiculous with The Toy Dolls at number five. The word trump has a rather different meaning now.
Next up is Madonna at number four. Like a virgin? I’m not convinced. I think we’d soon get bored of a modern- day TOTP devoting most of the programme to the top ten today.
Clip time again with The Frog Chorus.
Here’s the cunning part of Wham’s double a-side ploy. Now that Christmas is over, they can just play the other side. You know, the one everybody has forgotten.
Not content with breaking all sorts of records, Band Aid are still number one.
We play out with Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five. I wonder if they’ve calmed down by now.
Posted by: The Snake 12th January 2018, 10:27 PM
I do think there was innovation certainly in pop looking at the chart archives, any cheesy dated sounding tracks from the early 80s such as the Bucks Fizz type stuff had gone and there was more sensible tracks like If I Was, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tarzan Boy, Don't You Forget About Me etc.
Then of course in about two years or so the Stock Aitken Waterman cheesefest would begin
But the early songs they produced like 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)' are good.There seems to be less electronic dance tracks than 1984 though in the chart which is disappointing, although there was arguably the danciest song up to that time to make the chart at the end of the year with 'Hit That Perfect Beat'.
Electronic music innovators Depeche Mode also seemed to away from electronic dance and more towards indie later in 1985 too.
Posted by: Steve201 12th January 2018, 11:17 PM
We skip 10/1/85 and next week have 17/1/85 - think there will be a lot of this in 1985 due to Mike Smith unfort - has DLT totally left by this stage?
Posted by: King Rollo 13th January 2018, 10:24 PM
I do like that Sal Solo song. I wonder how many of the boys choir were watching themselves last night. They would be in their 40s now.
Posted by: The Snake 13th January 2018, 10:27 PM
Why can't they just cut out the Mike Smith bits and just show the performances without introduction.
Posted by: Steve201 14th January 2018, 03:43 PM
They showed a Mike Smith clip in the story of last week as well which makes it stranger. By all accounts there's a lot in 1985 with him in it!
Posted by: Suedehead2 14th January 2018, 03:58 PM
I assume that is not covered by the rules governing repeats - in the same way that they were able to show clips of his work when he died.
Posted by: King Rollo 21st January 2018, 07:33 PM
There are two episodes this week,one on Thursday,one on Friday.
Posted by: Steve201 21st January 2018, 10:09 PM
That'll speed things up along with the missing episodes we could still do two years this week!
Posted by: fiesta 26th January 2018, 08:28 PM
Cant believe skinner said springsteen was usa's answer to russ abbott!
Posted by: Suedehead2 26th January 2018, 09:12 PM
I think (hope) it was just a feeble attempt at John Peel-like humour.. Hard too believe looking at them that Abbot is only two years older than Springsteen (almost to the day).
Posted by: Brett-Butler 26th January 2018, 09:20 PM
I laughed out really loudly at that line!
Posted by: MvG501 26th January 2018, 11:33 PM
That is one very unlikely comparison. Made me laugh out loud there.
Posted by: Steve201 28th January 2018, 11:28 PM
Anyone ever heard that song in the 1985 top 5 Close by Art of Noise? Pretty good, haven't heard it before but sounds early House?!
Posted by: Suedehead2 28th January 2018, 11:34 PM
Yes, I remember it very well from the time. Hearing it again in 2018 certainly shows it to be ahead of its time.
Posted by: Steve201 28th January 2018, 11:42 PM
Hard to define and as you say really unique for back then! You know a genre was becoming old when Russ Abbot releases a single like Atmosphere which sounds like a Hi NRG track from 18 months previous!!
Posted by: The Snake 28th January 2018, 11:43 PM
Close to the Edit? I don't think its quite house (it doesn't have enough of a beat to it) but like Paul Hardcastle's 19 it kind of paved the way for more underground sounding electronic dance tunes to become hits later in the decade.
I was reading recently that the early house producers in the UK went for a different sound with sampling instead of the soulful vocals of house in America so it actually seems possible they were inspired by stuff like Close To The Edit and 19.
Another electronic dancey song that sounds ahead of its time on terms of production imo that made the charts in 1985 is Depeche Mode - Its Called A Heart. I really like Depeche Mode's industrial music phase, they should have continued with it a bit longer rather than going alternative rock imo.
Posted by: King Rollo 28th January 2018, 11:48 PM
I bought the cassette single of Close (To The Edit) by Art Of Noise at the time which was 20 minutes of different mixes of the song all segued together to make a continuous piece of music. It still sounds incredible today.
Posted by: Steve201 28th January 2018, 11:48 PM
Yeh Close (To the Edit) - def sounds like house or early house as it's hard to define what it is as there seems to be a move away from Hi-NRG which defined late 83/84 and the New Romantics just became pop from 1983 onwards. Of course Hi-NRG still dominated with You spin me round next week but it was for more no1 pop artists whereas the random artists were more experimental like Art of Noise!
Posted by: The Snake 29th January 2018, 12:33 AM
Its interesting because Hi-NRG was still around a bit in the charts as late as 1989 with The London Boys, Kon Kan and also Erasure's Drama. So the dominance of house didn't completely kill it off.
As for 1985, apart from Dead or Alive's songs, HI-NRG strangely didn't really make the charts much compared to 1984 although Bronski Beat still provided the dancier HI-NRG with Hit That Perfect Beat at the end of 1985. As for Dead Or Alive, Spin Me Right Round and Someone In My House are the danciest sounding of their songs I would say.
HI-NRG would eventually become mostly more poppified and cheesy towards the end of the decade especially in the Stock Aitken and Waterman productions. The only dancey SAW single in the late 80s I would say would be Sabrina - All Of Me which does sound a bit like a precursor to the early 90s eurodance sound, especially the sound of the synths in it.
Posted by: MvG501 29th January 2018, 08:50 AM
Just out of interest, why are Mike Smith episodes not shown?
Posted by: zenon 29th January 2018, 05:57 PM
He refused to sign a piece of paper that would have allowed his episodes to be shown and his estate is continuing to respect his wishes.
Posted by: Suedehead2 29th January 2018, 07:31 PM
It's the BBC who have chosen to respect his wishes. They could show the episodes if they wanted, but have chosen not to. Of course, Sarah Green (his widow) could still give her permission. Whether she does or not may depend on Mike Smith's original reasons for withholding consent.
Posted by: MvG501 29th January 2018, 10:43 PM
Oh OK. Thanks for clarifying that for me.
Posted by: Steve201 30th January 2018, 10:27 PM
Its interesting because Hi-NRG was still around a bit in the charts as late as 1989 with The London Boys, Kon Kan and also Erasure's Drama. So the dominance of house didn't completely kill it off.
As for 1985, apart from Dead or Alive's songs, HI-NRG strangely didn't really make the charts much compared to 1984 although Bronski Beat still provided the dancier HI-NRG with Hit That Perfect Beat at the end of 1985. As for Dead Or Alive, Spin Me Right Round and Someone In My House are the danciest sounding of their songs I would say.
HI-NRG would eventually become mostly more poppified and cheesy towards the end of the decade especially in the Stock Aitken and Waterman productions. The only dancey SAW single in the late 80s I would say would be Sabrina - All Of Me which does sound a bit like a precursor to the early 90s eurodance sound, especially the sound of the synths in it.
The novelty track by Russ Abbott sounded a bit like Hi-NRG in 1985!
Posted by: The Snake 30th January 2018, 11:07 PM
Oh my, you are talking about All Night Holiday? It is HI-NRG although not as Hi-NRG as the likes of Hit That Perfect Beat. Just listened to it now and it actually reminds me a bit of the Vengaboys from 14 years later in terms of style
Posted by: The Snake 31st January 2018, 11:36 PM
Listening to it now - A-ha's Cry Wolf which charted in early 1987 sounds quite housey or house inspired, particularly in the instrumental bit about halfway through it.
Posted by: Suedehead2 1st February 2018, 10:13 PM
Only just seeing tonight's episode. The highlight has to be my favourite Smiths song.
Posted by: King Rollo 3rd February 2018, 12:08 AM
Yes,it's easily the best song The Smiths did. From Thursday's programme,I also liked the Killing Joke and Colourfield songs.
Posted by: The Snake 3rd February 2018, 01:22 AM
If you are talking about their first hit in the year 1985 yes that is great, definitely one of their best imo.
Posted by: The Snake 4th February 2018, 01:34 PM
I do like 'Atmosphere', it gets a lot of criticism I know, but it does have an excellent chorus, and I liked it when I first heard it when I was younger. Never really saw it as a novelty song up until I saw the video for it/realized Russ Abbott is a comedian. Just saw it as a disco song tbh.
Posted by: Steve201 6th February 2018, 11:34 AM
That Smiths track sounds so ahead of its time - sounds like a brit pop song from 1992-94!
Your boy in Colourfield didn't stay in bands too long did he??
Must be Bowies first lead single in a while not to debut top 10??
Posted by: The Snake 6th February 2018, 03:31 PM
Indeed it does sound very ahead of its time. Amazing song.
Whilst I love The Smith's music, the influence of The Smiths did arguably stop the innovation in electronic music that had been occurring in the early 80s as some formerly electronic groups such as Depeche Mode went alternative rock.
Posted by: Steve201 7th February 2018, 08:09 PM
Electronic music still was the major genre as from what I could see in the general chart - most indie rock in the chart was from one hit wonders like heavy metal long haired bands like Europe and the new indie from the Stone Roses and earlier groups like The Cure/Souxsie & The Banshees in the late 80s. Dance still ruled until at least 1993/94.
Posted by: Steve201 8th February 2018, 08:41 PM
Tonight's totp is from 7/3/85 then we skip another month to 4/4/85 due to two Mike Smith editions and another destroyed by the BBC archives 😭
Posted by: The Snake 8th February 2018, 10:02 PM
Yes but the previously credible sounding synthpop mostly seems to have been replaced in the charts by the cheesier Stock Aitken Waterman type variety by about 1987. 1987 isn't a great year for electronic music in the charts imo, mostly just a few credible (non-cheesy) electronic songs from A-ha, The Communards, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and the Dead Or Alive song at the start of the year and a few early house hits.
Oh no!
Posted by: Mack. 8th February 2018, 11:27 PM
Pete Burns- what a shame how his later life turned out.
Posted by: The Snake 8th February 2018, 11:38 PM
You Spin Me.... is a great dance record but they get a little bit too cheesy pop after it (blame their producers Stock Aitken and Waterman for this change in musical direction!) imo until they are back to great 80s dance music with Something In My House!
Still have to watch the episode on iplayer but apparently Go West - We Close Our Eyes is on it, great track, especially that chorus!
Posted by: Steve201 10th February 2018, 06:47 PM
Happy days thought Go West was on the cut episodes!
Yeh I suppose the early 80s saw the fine tuning of the new synth sounds with unreal songs by the big electronic bands whereas by 1984-87 pop producers were making generic reproductions of them hence the increasing move towards house music!
Posted by: The Snake 10th February 2018, 06:58 PM
Yep particularly by 1987 there seem to have been a lot of rather cheesy pop songs in the chart.
Posted by: Steve201 10th February 2018, 11:36 PM
Yeh that symbolised the electronic era but there we always cheesy pop for example in the early 80s that was symbolised by the likes of Dollar and Bucks Fizz.
Posted by: fiesta 11th February 2018, 02:31 PM
I like the Loose Ends song Hangin On A String. They were the first British group to top the US R&B charts with that song. Paving the way for other UK R&B acts in the USA like Soul II Soul and Lisa Stansfield etc
Posted by: The Snake 11th February 2018, 03:04 PM
Yeah but in 1987 the cheesy stuff seemed to take over more of the top 10, the Stock Aitken and Waterman produced stuff and also stuff like Spagna. The only one of the cheesy songs I really like from 1987 is Never Can Say Goodbye, because its more dancey than the rest. Thank goodness for the Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Hue and Cry etc. for apparently providing at least some decent less cheesy songs that year. Still 1987 is probably my least favourite year of the 80s for chart music. Too many power ballads that year too making the charts imo, although I do like some of them.
Posted by: Steve201 16th February 2018, 09:49 PM
Haven't watched tonight's episode yet just finishing last weeks - how did Phil Collins become soooo big by mid 1985?
Eaaaassssyyyy Lovvvvverrrr!!!
Posted by: Suedehead2 16th February 2018, 11:13 PM
Eaaaassssyyyy Lovvvvverrrr!!!
One of life's great mysteries
Posted by: Steve201 17th February 2018, 10:03 PM
Ha I like him (apart from his politics) but seemed like one minute he was performing with a tin of paint of totp in 1981 then by live aid he was performing on both sides of the Atlantic on the same day!
Seems like the first 6 months of 1985 all the cheesy classic sounding 80s pop all of a sudden hit the top 40 including Tears for Fears/Glenn Frey/Go West!
Posted by: The Snake 18th February 2018, 02:30 PM
I don't find any of them cheesy tbh, 1987 seems to have been the year for cheesy pop tbh.
In 1987 you have Rick Astley (multiple songs by him), Spagna (Call Me is particularly cheesy sounding), Sinitta, Taffy with her Midnight Radio, and for cheesy rock ballads the likes of T'Pau, Heart and Starship.
1985 on the other hand just has a lot of great pop/rock songs making the chart! Hopefully The Cars, Baltimora, Midge Ure, A-ha, Kate Bush and Colonel Abrams won't be on the cut episodes as we head towards the late summer/autumn of 1985 being covered.
Posted by: Steve201 18th February 2018, 04:03 PM
Yeh cheesy probably is the wrong word to use but classic pop tracks with the typical big 80s beats in comparison to the earlier years of the decade when bands like Tears for Fears etc produced more alternative less obvious 'pop' music. Not that that's a negative comment.
Posted by: The Snake 21st February 2018, 03:39 PM
Heard Jennifer Rush - Power Of Love being played when I was at the supermarket today. I am sure that will be coming very soon on these TOTP runthroughs. It really is like the Ed Sheeran - 'Perfect' of 1985, quite a few weeks at number 1, cheesy ballad and love song.
Posted by: Suedehead2 21st February 2018, 04:11 PM
Perfect is inoffensive; Power Of Love is dreadful in every way.
Posted by: Steve201 22nd February 2018, 03:45 PM
More of a power ballad than the Sheeran acoustic effforts. Jennifer is no1 in Nov 1985 I think!
1985 as I've said before started the power ballad success with Foreigner, Jennifer Rush and others. But there were some signs of it before - Hello/Against All Odds(this seems bigger now than back then, even tho it charted well)/What's Love Got to Do With It/Drive/
Posted by: The Snake 22nd February 2018, 07:07 PM
1985 as I've said before started the power ballad success with Foreigner, Jennifer Rush and others. But there were some signs of it before - Hello/Against All Odds(this seems bigger now than back then, even tho it charted well)/What's Love Got to Do With It/Drive/
'If I Was' (number 1 in October 1985) (if it counts as a power ballad) is definitely my favourite power ballad of 1985, and one of my favourite songs of that year.
1987 seems to have been the peak in power ballad popularity! Just looking at the list of UK top 10 singles that year there are quite a few!
Posted by: Steve201 22nd February 2018, 09:52 PM
Who is If I Was by?
Posted by: Suedehead2 22nd February 2018, 10:17 PM
If I Was was by Midge Ure.
They got the highlight of tonight's show over at the beginning with Marc Almond and Jimmy Somerville. Don't suppose Marc will be performing that at the one-off Soft Cell reunion later this year.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 23rd February 2018, 09:51 AM
I think predictive text must have changed "insipid" for "inoffensive" accidentally. So annoying when that happens
JRush had some nice synths and a hook to help alleviate the ploddingness. Quite popular with older women at the time I seem to recall....whereas Ed OTOH errr...
Posted by: The Snake 23rd February 2018, 12:10 PM
They got the highlight of tonight's show over at the beginning with Marc Almond and Jimmy Somerville. Don't suppose Marc will be performing that at the one-off Soft Cell reunion later this year.
If I Was has one of the best choruses ever I think.
Oh the I Feel Love medley!
It is good enough, I like the fact it suddenly speeds up from a slow start! I do prefer Bronski Beat's next song 'Hit That Perfect Beat' though with its crazy sounding production though at the end of the year.Another dancey electronic song with excellent production I hope won't be on the cut episodes is 'It's Called A Heart' by Depeche Mode in August 1985.
Posted by: Steve201 23rd February 2018, 07:01 PM
Ah thanks, looking forward to hearing this next year on totps!
Posted by: Doctor Blind 24th February 2018, 03:20 PM
I saw the excellent 19 by Paul Hardcastle at #1 on the latest edition (when pop songs used to be educational and you learnt that the average age of a solider during WWII was 26 and in Vietnam was 19).
Of course he went on to produce the theme tune to TOTP later in the decade - which also charted and climbed to #15.
Posted by: The Snake 24th February 2018, 04:55 PM
19 is brilliant, and really opened up the way for more underground dance music to start making the charts eventually from 1987 onwards.
His follow up to 19, 'Just for Money' really doesn't sound that far in style from the sample-using house tracks of early 1988.
The Wizard is good too, and charted at a time in August 1986 when quite a bit of electronic dance music in various forms was making the chart, Don't Leave Me This Way, Love Can't Turn Around and A Question Of Time also making the charts at this time.
Posted by: Steve201 24th February 2018, 11:33 PM
Didn't know it was Paul Hardcastle who made that totp theme!! When does it become the theme?
Posted by: The Snake 25th February 2018, 12:44 PM
3 April 1986, an appropriate theme considering it sounded much more modern, less poppy and dancey, showing the direction a lot of electronic music would go towards in the late 80s.
Posted by: Steve201 25th February 2018, 08:27 PM
Yeh it does - I love Yellow Pearl too tho and will be sad to see it change!
Posted by: Steve201 4th March 2018, 09:04 PM
Depeche Mode were the highlights of this weeks episode presented by Steve Wright - the band have changed ALOT since their first performance in early 81 - and so has the show itself!!
Thought they would have avoided totp by this stage - anyone know when their last appearance is?
Posted by: The Snow ❄️ 4th March 2018, 09:12 PM
Thought they would have avoided totp by this stage - anyone know when their last appearance is?
I prefer their following single 'It's Called A Heart' and its weird techno production to 'Shake The Disease', although it is still a very nice song imo.
Maybe they will still have TOTP appearances in the early 90s when they had a bit of a singles chart position revival?
Posted by: Steve201 4th March 2018, 09:22 PM
From what I can see of the chart history they consistently returned to the chart each album even with lower peaks and shorter chart runs - so I imagine they didn't have totp performances for these.
No more 40 min shows for 11 years now as I seen Zenom confirm on twitter this weekend!
Posted by: The Snow ❄️ 4th March 2018, 09:27 PM
No more 40 min shows for 11 years now as I seen Zenom confirm on twitter this weekend!
No they did better in the 90s in the singles charts again, went top 10 in the UK singles chart with 5 singles and an EP in the 90s.
Posted by: Steve201 6th March 2018, 11:22 PM
Cementing their legendary status in the annals of British music!
Posted by: The Hissmobile 10th March 2018, 05:57 PM
Just watching that latest episode now on the iplayer
'In The Fields' by Gary Moore and Phil Lynott which kicked off that latest show I haven't heard before but is a good bit of 80s stadium rock!
That Propaganda song 'Duel' is nice but not a patch on Dr Mabuse.
As for the snippets of new entries they played, that Sister Sledge song Frankie is so cheesy but nice enough Madonna's 'Crazy for You' is a lovely song.
Its a pity that Marillion weren't able to perform Kayleigh live, and the video had to be played.
The version of 19 at the end sounds slightly different in parts to the one I know, maybe its just me thinking that though! Excellent though!
Posted by: Suedehead2 10th March 2018, 06:39 PM
There were several remixes of 19 released. That's what helped keep it at number one for five weeks.
Posted by: King Rollo 10th March 2018, 07:04 PM
Marillion performed Kayleigh in the studio last week which is probably why the video was shown this week. I agree that Duel by Propaganda isn't as good as Dr Mabuse. It's still a great song though with several different remixes.
Posted by: Suedehead2 15th March 2018, 10:35 PM
TOnight's episode featured UKIP's Mike Read failing to understand how radio works by telling us that we had seen his co-presenter on Radio 1. It also saw a shortened version of the number one - The Crowd's You'll Never Walk Alone - because it featured contributions from Rolf Harris and Dave Lee Travis.
Posted by: The Hissmobile 16th March 2018, 02:45 PM
'Frankie' really must be one of the cheesiest chart hits ever. Fun though.
The Billy Ocean song was nice enough, no 'When The Going Gets Tough The Tough Get Going' though. The Scritti Politti one that started the show has a good chorus but the rest of the song is a bit boring for me though sadly
Yes for 'Axel F' being a new entry, and 'Johnny Come Home', a great song that a snippet was played from will be on tonight's episode apparently, looking forward to it!
Marillion finally got to play their most famous song live on TOTP!
Obsession was a great song to play out! Sounds a bit more dancey than the average synthpop song at the time!
Posted by: Suedehead2 16th March 2018, 04:57 PM
I look forward to Johnny Come Home tonight then! I have to disagree over Scritti Politti - I love the whole song.
Posted by: The Hissmobile 16th March 2018, 05:03 PM
Pity Madonna wasn't there to perform 'Crazy for You', another song that started the power ballads trend that would continue into the early 90s. I think they mentioned before on there she was touring, so maybe that's why.
Crazy for You and Get into the Groove are her best singles from the 80s, and Frozen the best from her 90s singles imo.
I hope it's a performance and not just a video play! Great funky song anyway!
Posted by: The Hissmobile 17th March 2018, 11:44 AM
Very good episode, most of the songs I really liked.
Fine Young Cannibals started the show in style with their funky tune "Johnny Come Home", Sting's song, while it isn't one of his best known ones, sounded very good, then it was Mai Tai with their disco tune "History" a song I didn't really like when I first discovered it, but really like now. The China Crisis song was a good enough new wave song and then it was a live performance of the iconic Axel F, another less poppy sounding electronic piece to make the charts following the success of '19'. Paisley Park was a good playout but isn't one of Prince's best songs imo.
Posted by: Suedehead2 20th March 2018, 04:39 PM
Fine Young Cannibals started the show in style with their funky tune "Johnny Come Home", Sting's song, while it isn't one of his best known ones, sounded very good, then it was Mai Tai with their disco tune "History" a song I didn't really like when I first discovered it, but really like now. The China Crisis song was a good enough new wave song and then it was a live performance of the iconic Axel F, another less poppy sounding electronic piece to make the charts following the success of '19'. Paisley Park was a good playout but isn't one of Prince's best songs imo.
The Mai Tai song still sounds terrible to me
Posted by: Popchartfreak 20th March 2018, 05:02 PM
I loved it then I love it now,
"gonna burn your letters you were sending me (thumb gesture) our love is HISS-TORE-REE!"
It was a political comment on the Hiss-Tories you know? Would I lie....?
fab!
Posted by: The Hissmobile 20th March 2018, 09:04 PM
"gonna burn your letters you were sending me (thumb gesture) our love is HISS-TORE-REE!"
It was a political comment on the Hiss-Tories you know? Would I lie....?
fab!
Political song?
We will have a proper political song once the repeats get to 1987 of course, 'Labour of Love' by Hue and Cry.
The over the top vocals of History put me off it a bit at first, but I really like it now after a few listens, the verses sound a bit dark and atmospheric. Very good disco track. That and Obsession by Animotion have been my two recent songs that as a result of them being on the totp reruns I have grown to like
Posted by: Steve201 20th March 2018, 10:29 PM
Anyone watching the repeats of 1982 that are on late at night during the week?
Posted by: Popchartfreak 21st March 2018, 08:49 PM
fraid not, lack of time - I'm mostly recording TOTP to hard disc in the hope that I can burn them to bluray one day and watch them as I'm dribbling in my dotage wheelchair to keep me going....
There's a fab new 3-CD series for each year covering 1974 through 1986, there are some real gems never popped up on CD before in amongst the usual compilation suspects (I mean some tracks I have at LEAST a dozen times on vinyl single, album, compilation vinyl, CD & download....who needs streaming! It would take the rest of my life just to play the music I own once more)
Posted by: Steve201 21st March 2018, 09:37 PM
Ha indeed but it's the collection that counts!!
I record on sky + and watch at weekends, there were some changes even in the 3/4 years between then and the 1985 repeats, really modernised after 1983 I find. Also they seemed to skip slot of episodes in the summer of 1982 so wanted to check if anyone was having the same issues.
I mainly have On the go playlists on my iPhone where I add the biggest hits per year as a best of list and listen when I want. Must check the cds out tho!
Posted by: Suedehead2 23rd March 2018, 08:00 PM
Not exactly a vintage show tonight. Eurythmics (complete with Annie pretending to be Stevie Wonder) were great of course, but the rest was mediocre at best. The least said about Tina Turner gone to seed the better. As shown in the credits, this episode was shown just a couple days before Live Aid.
Posted by: The Hissmobile 25th March 2018, 12:22 PM
That Conway Brothers song sounded good, really shows how American dance music was moving closer to the eventual sound of house music that would soon emerge. I like the use of guitar in it too.
All Night Holiday by Russ Abbot (which does remind me of the style of The Vengaboys 'We're Going To Ibiza' ) had a snippet played of it.
The Eurythmics really moved away from electronic music by this stage and were just pure pop, which is a bit disappointing, but 'Must Be An Angel' is still a very good song.
And that Sister Sledge cheesefest at #1. It is a rather cute song though.
Posted by: Steve201 25th March 2018, 04:38 PM
Must Be an Angel, one of THE songs of the 80s! Agreed more Sweet Dreams would have been fun too!!
Posted by: The Hissmobile 25th March 2018, 08:05 PM
Must be An Angel is a lovely song but I do prefer their earlier synthpop stuff, although I do really like 'Thorn In My Side' from 1986.
Posted by: Steve201 25th March 2018, 10:23 PM
Have to say Johnny Come Home by the Fine Young Canninbals is a fine track, possibly one of my personal favs of 1985!
Posted by: The Hissmobile 26th March 2018, 10:42 AM
I think I prefer 'She Drives Me Crazy' from 1989 but 'Johnny Come Home' is still very good.
Posted by: Steve201 26th March 2018, 07:11 PM
Great to hear they will still be around in 1989 
Posted by: Popchartfreak 30th March 2018, 06:58 PM
I'm actually watching this live (missed the beginning) for a change, so a few comments for novelty value:
Money For Nothing, and that showstopping video debut from Sting. I mean Dire Straits. Brothers In Arms spearheaded the CD revolution, I mean I liked a couple of the tracks, but over-rated as an album. This one has dulled with over-familiarity a bit, but is still good.
Princess wants me to say she's my number one: Well, not actually, Prince, Queen and King all take priority, but it was a decent enough bit of smooth 80's soul.
Simon & Richard give us a chart rundown, and then some chart breakers - gosh clips of risers Maze (pleasantly forgettable), Phil Collins (the under-rated Take Me Home), UB40 & Chrissie (I saw them tour together - but it's not Sonny & Cher).
Go West saying they are doing the Rocky IV soundtrack. Must have missed that one. Still a going concern live and in fine fettle, but this one was always dull.
Top 10 rundown, and it's Madonna on top with Into The Groove - amazing to think that this Summer of 85 dance anthem was never a single in the USA. I most remember the video for Madge drying her armpits Desperately Seeking Susan - who hasn't done that at work...? Just me then?
Double Madonna as the top 10 debut hit from 1984 Holiday plays us out - much more of anthem live than Into The Groove, as I can brag I've seen her do it in the 80's the 90's and the 00's, and always a great inventive show.
Posted by: Suedehead2 30th March 2018, 07:08 PM
I'd say dull was rather understating just how bad that Go West song was. The Princess song was dire too.
I assume that the South Pacific soundtrack was, in some ways, the 1950s equivalent of Brothers In Arms. Brothers In Arms was often one of the first CDs people bought after getting a player. I suspect South Pacific may have been one of the first vinyl LPs many people bought. Of course, I could be completely wrong
Posted by: Suedehead2 30th March 2018, 07:09 PM
BTW, I saw The Pretenders at Poole Arts Centre in around 1980 or '81.
Posted by: Queef's Throne 30th March 2018, 07:20 PM
Money For Nothing is very good, that shameless promo of MTV in the song though! . Into The Groove is one of Madonna's best songs, I especially like the buildup to the chorus.
Say I'm Your Number 1 was Stock Aitken Waterman produced apparently and is much different to the kind of production they used for Dead or Alive! Nice track though!
Posted by: Mack. 30th March 2018, 11:33 PM
1985 probably knwon for being dominated by Madonna!
Posted by: Queef's Throne 31st March 2018, 12:26 AM
Double Madonna as the top 10 debut hit from 1984 Holiday plays us out - much more of anthem live than Into The Groove, as I can brag I've seen her do it in the 80's the 90's and the 00's, and always a great inventive show.
So Into The Groove was seen as dance back then, interesting to see how the boundaries between dance and pop were blurred, much like has happened recently in the charts with tracks like "The Middle".
I don't like Holiday much at all
Into The Groove and Crazy For You are much better imo. Posted by: Popchartfreak 31st March 2018, 06:59 AM
Was that the one where the Lights went out and she did a song by torchlight?
Posted by: Queef's Throne 31st March 2018, 10:46 AM
A few episodes seem to have been cut before the last episode, so unfortunately the quirky Living On Video by Trans X fell victim to the cut episodes.
Just listened to the Go West song and it sounds to me rather like a boyband song song from the 90s, so perhaps it was ahead of its time
Posted by: Suedehead2 31st March 2018, 10:51 AM
If it was, I've forgotten it
Posted by: Suedehead2 31st March 2018, 10:52 AM
Just listened to the Go West song and it reminds me of a Boyz 2 Men type song from the 90s!
There was only one missing since last Friday's - a Mike Smith one.
Posted by: Queef's Throne 31st March 2018, 10:56 AM
Well then there must have been a few missing from just before that then (As 'Frankie' by Sister Sledge was only at #1 for 1 week on the played rerun episodes iirc).
And of course, in just less than 10 years, the iconic singer for the Eurythmics would have one of THE songs of the 90s imo (although it was apparently a cover of a 1986 song I found out recently
).
Posted by: Popchartfreak 31st March 2018, 07:56 PM
And of course, in just less than 10 years, the iconic singer for the Eurythmics would have one of THE songs of the 90s imo (although it was apparently a cover of a 1986 song I found out recently
).Yes, I loved that original version of No More I Love You's - I think they toured with Eurythmics at the time...
Posted by: Mack. 1st April 2018, 12:43 AM
Frankie now looks very outdated. A bit weird now.
Posted by: Dancing Queef 1st April 2018, 01:00 PM
I think 'Frankie' by Sister Sledge might have been aimed at the kids/teenage market, considering its cutesy bubblegum pop sound and considering some of the lyrics 'You were 15, I was 12', which maybe helped it be #1 for 4 weeks.
Just realized Opus must have been on the cut episodes too
Love that song 'Life Is Life', very different!
Posted by: Steve201 2nd April 2018, 08:19 AM
Anyone remember why the Beatles hit the top 10 with rerelease in late 1982?
Posted by: Popchartfreak 2nd April 2018, 10:28 AM
20th anniversary reissue campaign of all their singles one by one as the original release dates came up
Posted by: Dancing Queef 2nd April 2018, 11:57 AM
Weird the number of rereleases in the 80s and 90s! For example, just noticed recently that Thomas Dolby's Hyperactive from 1984 (which wasn't even a massive hit originally (#17) ) recharted at #23 in 1994! Thought initially it must have been a 90s house/eurodance remix (which would have worked well imo because the high tempo of that song) but apparently it wasn't.
Posted by: Steve201 2nd April 2018, 04:45 PM
Yeh was thinking it may be because of release via cd etc - but as you say there were loads. The Animals House of the Rising Son was in the top 30 too. Then Reel Petite, Stand By Me and The Clashs big 80s hits got rereleases due to tv ad use although we all knew they were too good not to be top 10s just at the time The Clash refused to promote on totp!
Posted by: Suedehead2 2nd April 2018, 05:55 PM
Re-releases were common before downloads. They gave new people the opportunity to buy singles that hadn't been obtainable for a while. That meant that some songs such as A Whiter Shade Of Pale and Free's Alright Now were a hit several times within a decade or so.
Posted by: fiesta 2nd April 2018, 06:33 PM
Sister sledge & frankie goes to hollywood both had the most re-releases due to remixes
Posted by: Dancing Queef 2nd April 2018, 06:41 PM
Of course arguably the most successful one (due to an advert) was Young At Heart by the Bluebells in 1993. I wonder why they didn't follow up with another single after that re-release went #1 for 4 weeks, the Bluebells still sounded relevant enough for the early 90s indie scene! Big missed opportunity!
Posted by: Steve201 2nd April 2018, 11:56 PM
And did radio play the rereleases?
Posted by: Dancing Queef 3rd April 2018, 09:49 AM
I assume they did! I know Young At Heart continued to be frequently played by my local radio station in NI in the mid 90s/late 90s. Probably because of the popularity of country/folk type music there! It is one of the tracks I remember most from my childhood as a result.
Posted by: Suedehead2 3rd April 2018, 04:32 PM
Yes, they did.
Posted by: Steve201 3rd April 2018, 08:23 PM
Cool!
Posted by: Dancing Queef 4th April 2018, 12:26 PM
Hopefully a performance of one of my 1985 faves coming up very soon won't be on a cut episode. Oh-ah-oh-ah!
Posted by: Steve201 4th April 2018, 06:58 PM
A-Ha?
Posted by: Dancing Queef 4th April 2018, 07:00 PM
Nope, although that's a good one too.
I was talking about Tarzan Boy by Baltimora of course.
Posted by: Steve201 4th April 2018, 10:29 PM
Haven't heard that before, looking forward to it!
Posted by: Suedehead2 5th April 2018, 07:01 PM
Not a great show tonight. It would have been a lot better if they'd played Kate Bush in full - preferably on repeat for the whole half-hour.
Posted by: Mack. 5th April 2018, 08:14 PM
Decent playout record for a distinctly average show.
Posted by: Steve201 5th April 2018, 08:15 PM
Would you say this was past your fav era Suedey?
I'm enjoying the 82 repeats a lot more these days. Xmas 82 was when they first had stairs up the sides of the stages I noticed. Strange but I like following the studio changes.
Posted by: Suedehead2 5th April 2018, 08:25 PM
It's going into a bit of a decline at the moment but we still have the 90s to look forward to. Bring on Suede
Posted by: Dancing Queef 5th April 2018, 08:41 PM
I'm enjoying the 82 repeats a lot more these days. Xmas 82 was when they first had stairs up the sides of the stages I noticed. Strange but I like following the studio changes.
Well I am guessing Suedehead liked the mid 90s for the Britpop boom!
There are still some great songs I think amongst the mediocrity to go in 1985, including a few well known classics.
Should have played more of The Cars - Drive, what an amazing song!
Yes not the best show, Take Me Home is nice enough but isn't one of Phil's best songs. The Total Contrast song sounded quite good though.
What, the cheesy Stock, Aitken Waterman-type-sound domination hasn't come yet!
Posted by: Steve201 5th April 2018, 10:28 PM
Does anyone know the full current totp lineup for 1985? Seen the episode where they introduced new presenters in dec 1982 with Greg Davies, Janice Long and Pat Sharpe introduced by Simon Bates I think it was and was thinking I haven't once seen Sharpe present an episode.
Posted by: Mack. 6th April 2018, 08:51 AM
I think the main problem at the moment is putting the 40-11 countdown, the breakers, and the top 10 videos next to each other, so you have a very long time without a performance. Just my thought from the show.
Posted by: Mack. 19th April 2018, 06:35 PM
I Wonder If I Take You Home by Lisa Lisa, Black Eyed Peas sampled this on 'Don't Phunk With My Heart ' in 2005 I'm sure they did.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 19th April 2018, 06:58 PM
just catching the 7.30 show:
Steve Wright looking quite svelte in those days and Gary Davies less orange than celebrities tend to these days.
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - thank heavens for that letter L - seemed quite revolutionary at the time, in terms of song structure and sound ie the lack of chorus - but a bit twee these days. Very 80's fashions there.
Drive, The Cars, classic video, so shortened to reduce the emotion in order to stick Baltimora on. Why have mental illness video commentary and post-Live Aid-boosted angst when you can have dancing men in gorilla suits and buxom women in bikinis... Jolly enough, but y'know...
Dan Hartman getting his first moment since This Is It on TOTP, 6 years earlier, Mai Tai are History (the follow-ups just not a patch on the first), Marc Almond has some Stories Of Johnny - decent, and there arent enough songs referencing John or Johnny these days IMHO. I had Big Bad John, Johnny Remember Me, and many others growing up, these days nothing! Fire and Higher and swearwords take priority as lyrics. Pah!
Goddess Kate on her last but two 'live' TOTP appearance (just Hounds Of Love and a minor 1994 lipsynch to go) Classic anyways.
Rundown with Gazza until Princess wants me to say she's my number one. If I was Suedey I'm sure the response would be to suggest more of a number two would be appropriate (Hi Simon), but I rather liked it, at least it was part of the Britfunk-inspired 1985 UK soul scene, and she clearly needed the cash, poor dear could only afford her bikini and an incorrectly-coloured novelty bowler hat - probably on sale as Seconds.
Top 10 rundown, and rather good it is too, so many classic toons. Madonna still on top with the non-US single (doh!). Still never seen the film. I liked Madonna right from Holiday, but didn't see her as anything outstanding for another year - though 1985 was hers by quite some distance.
Amazulu get Exciteable. Pleasantly Forgettable would have been more accurate...
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 20th April 2018, 04:38 PM
Yeah they should have played The Cars video in full.
I know the set up in the studio (and the official video) was cheesy, but Tarzan Boy itself is a great song I think.
The Kate Bush performance was great. Glad to hear there might be a Hounds Of Love performance that might escape the cut episodes, Hounds Of love is my favourite Kate Bush song!
Marc Almond seems to have been obsessed with Johnny, whoever he is in 1985. He also did that Johnny Remember Me/I Feel Love medley with Bronski Beat earlier in the year.
The Princess song is good, Stock Aitken and Waterman thankfully weren't too cheesy at this stage!
Madonna and her airdryed armpits at #1 then Amazulu which despite being on trend at the minute tropical dance, does sound rather dated and cheesy, albeit fun enough!
Posted by: Suedehead2 20th April 2018, 05:11 PM
Steve Wright looking quite svelte in those days and Gary Davies less orange than celebrities tend to these days.
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - thank heavens for that letter L - seemed quite revolutionary at the time, in terms of song structure and sound ie the lack of chorus - but a bit twee these days. Very 80's fashions there.
Drive, The Cars, classic video, so shortened to reduce the emotion in order to stick Baltimora on. Why have mental illness video commentary and post-Live Aid-boosted angst when you can have dancing men in gorilla suits and buxom women in bikinis... Jolly enough, but y'know...
Dan Hartman getting his first moment since This Is It on TOTP, 6 years earlier, Mai Tai are History (the follow-ups just not a patch on the first), Marc Almond has some Stories Of Johnny - decent, and there arent enough songs referencing John or Johnny these days IMHO. I had Big Bad John, Johnny Remember Me, and many others growing up, these days nothing! Fire and Higher and swearwords take priority as lyrics. Pah!
Goddess Kate on her last but two 'live' TOTP appearance (just Hounds Of Love and a minor 1994 lipsynch to go) Classic anyways.
Rundown with Gazza until Princess wants me to say she's my number one. If I was Suedey I'm sure the response would be to suggest more of a number two would be appropriate (Hi Simon), but I rather liked it, at least it was part of the Britfunk-inspired 1985 UK soul scene, and she clearly needed the cash, poor dear could only afford her bikini and an incorrectly-coloured novelty bowler hat - probably on sale as Seconds.
Top 10 rundown, and rather good it is too, so many classic toons. Madonna still on top with the non-US single (doh!). Still never seen the film. I liked Madonna right from Holiday, but didn't see her as anything outstanding for another year - though 1985 was hers by quite some distance.
Amazulu get Exciteable. Pleasantly Forgettable would have been more accurate...
How did you guess?
Posted by: King Rollo 20th April 2018, 10:55 PM
When I saw Kate Bush was on the bill,I assumed it was the video. I don't remember her performing the song in the studio so that was a pleasant surprise. Tarzan Boy is very good and I recorded it from the radio onto a blank cassette at the time.
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 21st April 2018, 06:15 PM
Yes I think the standard of songs in the charts is starting to pick up now again by this point, quite a few songs in late 1985 to come that I really like!
Posted by: Steve201 21st April 2018, 08:04 PM
That Tarzan Boy track is good, I've def heard it before. Haven't seen the gorilla suits since 1982 in totp lol.
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 21st April 2018, 08:14 PM
Its a pity TOTP stopped long before Bruno Mars - Lazy Song or Coldplay - Adventure Of A Lifetime were released....
Its quite well known, it was good that certain big European hits like it could occasionally cross over and become UK hits in the 80s, although it was more common in the 90s, especially from eurodance acts.
Posted by: Steve201 22nd April 2018, 01:18 PM
Life is Life is in the chart then too!
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 22nd April 2018, 01:23 PM
I was going to mention Life Is Life, love that song, very different too to anything else in the charts at the time, with its live crowd singing!
We will have 'Brother Louie' too for europop in September 1986, which is a great tune imo! Looking at September 1986, it had so many classics in the top 10, one of the best months for chart music ever imo.
Posted by: Steve201 22nd April 2018, 02:06 PM
The 80s really saw the beginning of Euro songs charting late summer as people returned from European holidays!
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 22nd April 2018, 02:41 PM
Of course there will also be Sabrina in 1988! The kind of Whigfield of the 80s (her voice even sounds like her a bit imo)
Posted by: Steve201 24th April 2018, 11:00 AM
Watching totp 1983 and we've had three number ones as follows - Bonnie Tyler Total Eclipse of the Heart, Duran Duran Is there something I should know & David Bowie Let's Dance!! I mean that's unreal, so good they stopped Sweet Dreams by eurthymics hitting no1, imagine as good a quality nowadays!?
Posted by: Steve201 25th May 2018, 11:37 PM
What happened the lights on totp tonight??
Posted by: King Rollo 26th May 2018, 10:00 AM
I didn't notice any lights. Were they different?
Posted by: Steve201 31st May 2018, 07:04 PM
They just had them off on the main stage in the first half of the show for some reason!?
Posted by: Suedehead2 31st May 2018, 07:13 PM
Budget cuts
Posted by: Queef Of Peas 31st May 2018, 07:36 PM
Fab top 5 there was on the first week of 1986 actually:
1. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
2. Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You
3. Shakin Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone
4. Bronski Beat - Hit That Perfect Beat
5. A-ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV
hopefully that will not be in the cut episodes!
Plus September 1986 's top 10 throughout the whole month has some great quality too.
Posted by: Steve201 31st May 2018, 08:08 PM
Shaky must have been lucky enough to sneak a week at the top in Xmas 85 with West End Girls on the horizon!!
Posted by: Steve201 31st May 2018, 08:09 PM
They did it with the old white light background which was in place between 80-83 as well i noticed!!
Posted by: Steve201 2nd June 2018, 03:53 PM
Take on Me just never gets old, the video still looks class. Nikita was another great track by Elton!!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 7th June 2018, 06:57 PM
just actually turned the TV on as TOTP starts:
What a fab record A Good Heart is, Maria McKee song about her ex - and Feargal must have a great sense of humour as he covered her ex's song about her for the follow up You Little Thief.
Nikita is still lovely, though Elton knew perfectly well that it's a man's name, not a girl's, video notwithstanding.
Georgie Fame up next with some 60's jazzpop. Oops I mean Matt Bianco. yeh yeh! Where's Basia? Presumably some early Brexiters ganged up on her and forced her back to Poland. Either that or it was her solo career. Matt Bianco without Basia is a bit mundane.
Chart rundown with Simon & Janice.
Breakers: oh that career-best Siouxsie song Cities In Dust, awesome video and sounds SO exciting on full blast at Duckies club. Cloudbusting, Donald Sutherland, Kate Bush, ambitious, epic, and sampled for the brilliant Something Good, Utah Saints. UB40's second best ever record Don't Break My Heart (Kingston Town was the best), just gorgeous, and I am so in love with the charts of this time, so much class.
King, pre-VJ MTV days for Paul, and the OK Taste Of Your Tears. I mean it's not brilliant or owt, but it's not bad either. Mildly pleasant, nice tune. Needs a haircut. All of 'em. Bet all that gel and perms left them with premature baldness....
Top 10 video clips, Level 42 impresses, Duran Duran are incognito, TV & film themes dominate, and a-ha are still brilliant. On top? The Power Of Love. Not Frankie. Not Huey. No, it's the anthem of middle-aged women at the time, and one I grew to love. Eventually. Jennifer Rush. If only she'd followed up with a cover of Spirit Of Radio! For non-believers I suggest before passing judgement you first listen to Celine Dion's 90's hit version, and JR's rather restrained vocal (in comparison) seems quite emotionally subtle....
Plus she wrote it, so fair's fair, she should have the definitive version. It's a Shaky fade-out. Lipstick Powder & Paint. Not one I admired much at the time. Errr sounds actually OK now. Oops.
Posted by: Steve201 7th June 2018, 07:30 PM
Shaky just building up for the classic in December of this year!!
Posted by: Suedehead2 7th June 2018, 08:57 PM
Matt Bianco could certainly do a decent Georgie Fame tribute act A Good Heart is a decent song as well. Of course, not every performance of You Little Thief went entirely to plan...
Take On Me remains one of the greatest pop songs ever written - even if it did require some fairly drastic remixing before it became a hit.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 8th June 2018, 06:58 PM
Steve Wright' moustache and Peter Powell's extra-tight jeans get us underway, and let's start with a big bang:
Take On Me, a-ha in the studio, giving Scandinavian falsetto a cool name and hair gel a bad one. It's a good thing it became a hit as Morten could afford some new jeans and chuck away the ones with all those holes. I also had jeans with holes, but that was an accident with some barbed wire.
Up next it's Led Zep on TOTP, they said it would never happen! Stairway To Heaven (edited severely). I must say Robert Plant's vocals don't seem as dynamic as I recall, and all those 80's synths must be a remix. Ooh the ending is much better but he seems to have morphed into a Scouser ("calm down calm down"), fashion-wise. Why oh why they didn't release this as a single in 1971 instead of getting all sniffy and holier than thou - kids like me couldnt afford albums but we could have bought a fab epic single.
Level 42, for some hot bass action now and a great song. Always better than music critics gave them credit for. Then again who cares what music critics think, trend-chasing cynics. Trusted my own judgement thank you very much, always have, always will. Ace Of Bass taught me that.
Chart rundown: So much big hair! Followed by an advert for a bland BBC show, at least judging by the theme.
Eurythmics and Aretha: Sisters are indeed doing it for themselves (with Dave Stewart), and it's a Road To Nowhere for Talking Heads. Nice to have the accordion back, and the band with a big goodie.
UB40 Don't Break My Heart. So good they couldnt exist as one band, and now we have two so the universe can survive, one brother in each to provide balance. Fab record. Doesn't Ali look young! What a cutey he was. Still buying his records with Astro and Mickey.
Top 10 video rundown, and Steve Wright outrageously calling Madonna a sleazebag. Well at least it was less offensive than the time he though AIDS was hilarious and a topic for fun. I don't listen to his shows on radio 2 if I can avoid it (not always successfully), I have better judgement than he did in those days. Mr. Angry never forgets!
Jen on top again. Such hair! Still enjoying it. Sorry! FGTH > Jen > Huey.
Fade to paul hardcastle getting to n-n-nineteen. Not making that up. Totally did.
Posted by: Suedehead2 8th June 2018, 07:14 PM
That Stairway To Heaven cover was truly horrific. The only thing in its favour is that it wasn't Jennifer Rush. Perhaps it would be a good idea to lock Johnson, Gove and Farage in a room together and play those two abominations on a permanent loop. I would suggest doing the same to anyone who wants to abolish the Human Rights Act. They'll soon change their mind.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 8th June 2018, 07:27 PM
you've clearly never heard the Celine Dion version of Power Of Love, or the Rolf Harris version of Stairway To Heaven. He had to ask for the sheet music as he'd never heard it
I think those on loop would produce a quicker result, I'd lay odds that trio would quite like Jennifer Rush, probably the only pop music from 1985 they'd buy.. hah!
Posted by: Suedehead2 8th June 2018, 07:47 PM
Oh ,I've heard Rolf's version of StoH and it is indeed terrible. I'd rather not hear Celine Dion's version of TPoL if that's OK
Posted by: Queef Of Peas 8th June 2018, 08:08 PM
Yep the A-ha performance was good. The Stairway To Heaven cover was good, not really familiar with it.
Something About You is a great pop song. Both the UB40 and Elton songs were nice enough, and then it was Jennifer Rush at #1, perhaps ushering in a trend of rather over the top slushy power ballads making the charts that would continue into the early 90s.
As for the outro, Just For Money is great. It is a bit more energetic than '19' and really sounds like an early sign of things to come for chart dance music by 1987/1988.
Posted by: Steve201 8th June 2018, 11:15 PM
Foreigner says hello from Jan 85!!
Good episode overall and good to see Suedey and Pop commenting again. Feargal Sharkey song is great, a classic and A-Ha just behind Tears for Fears as my fav studio performance of 1985 so far!!
Posted by: Steve201 8th June 2018, 11:52 PM
We don't have many episodes of 1985 to go? Only one being shown in December all Mike Smith presenting!! Prob miss Shaky too!!
Posted by: frank james 10th June 2018, 02:37 PM
Smith hosts 2 episodes in December but Shaky appears on the 1 he didn't. Neither Smith or Shaky appear on Christmas Day and the video is shown on the Long/Peel first episode in 1986.
Posted by: Queef of Screech 10th June 2018, 03:03 PM
So hopefully the Pet Shop Boys, the brilliant A-ha follow up and some crazy Hi-NRG from Bronski Beat will be on the next episode, along with Shaky.
Speaking of Shaky I did really enjoy his very catchy 1987 tune 'A Little Boogie Woogie (In The Back of My Mind)' upon discovering it recently, but unfortunately I found out it was a cover of a Gary Glitter song recently which kind of ruined my enjoyment of the song a bit Still Shaky's version is far better than Gary's upon listening to both.
Posted by: Steve201 12th June 2018, 09:31 PM
Nice one, so what's the date of the next episode?
Posted by: Steve201 16th June 2018, 07:11 PM
Who has Paul North replaced?
Posted by: Steve201 16th June 2018, 11:49 PM
Top of the Pops 21/11/85
Madness Uncle Sam
Wham I'm Your Man
Dee C Lee See the Day
Lionel Richie Say You Say Me
Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew The Show
Ferghal Sharkey A Good Heart
Midge Ure The Certain Smile
Presented by Janice Long & Paul North
Posted by: Steve201 30th June 2018, 08:48 AM
I've said this before and someone mentioned it on twitter while watching totp on the thread but there some difference in 2-4 short years the music and look of totp had changed massively. The tweet said watching Nig hits 1982 was like watching your mates all coming along for a party whereas the 1985 episode is so corporate and commercial looking!
Posted by: The Snake 1st July 2018, 05:43 PM
The last episode of 1985 I have just watched on the iplayer. It was broadcast early this morning at 1:00am apparently, don't know why it was on so early 
Bronski Beat were a great choice kicking it off, Hit That Perfect Beat perhaps was inspired by Dead Or Alive's You Spin Me... but takes it even more high energy and it almost sounds like an early taste of 90s high energy eurodance such as 2Unlimited or Motiv8. The Madonna song 'Dress You Up' was then on (of course Madonna couldn't turn up again and the video was played) is not once I know very well but good anyway, especially the chorus. The verses remind me a bit of Jane Weidlin's Rush Hour for some reason.
Then came on Cameo, 'She's Strange' is nice enough but definitely no 'Word Up' sadly A bit of a new entry was played from Iron Maiden 'Run To The Hills' is epic! 
Princess' new entry 'After The Love Has Gone' sounded rather good.
Then it was Steve201 fave Shakin Stevens with his fab Christmas song live. What else can be said, an absolute classic! Shakin Stevens was indeed shaking from side to side in rather dowdy looking jumper!
This might be the first time I have head Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin's Separate Lives but from the snippet that was played it sounds a bit boring tbh Then a snippet was played of Dee C Lee's amazing 'See The Day' at #3.
Whitney's rather lovely 'Saving All my Love For You' was at #1 and the video was played. Wham's Last Christmas played out the episode.
Posted by: King Rollo 1st July 2018, 09:48 PM
It's a shame we missed Pet Shop Boys making their TOTP debut the week before. In the same programme,Nik Kershaw made his final appearance.
Posted by: The Snake 1st July 2018, 09:57 PM
And the 90s shows are probably very different still, will be interesting to see if there is a big change in the look of the show between decades when that comes!
Posted by: Suedehead2 1st July 2018, 10:38 PM
Bronski Beat were a great choice kicking it off, Hit That Perfect Beat perhaps was inspired by Dead Or Alive's You Spin Me... but takes it even more high energy and it almost sounds like an early taste of 90s high energy eurodance such as 2Unlimited or Motiv8. The Madonna song 'Dress You Up' was then on (of course Madonna couldn't turn up again
and the video was played) is not once I know very well but good anyway, especially the chorus. The verses remind me a bit of Jane Weidlin's Rush Hour for some reason. Then came on Cameo, 'She's Strange' is nice enough but definitely no 'Word Up' sadly
A bit of a new entry was played from Iron Maiden 'Run To The Hills' is epic! Princess' new entry 'After The Love Has Gone' sounded rather good. Then it was Steve201 fave Shakin Stevens with his fab Christmas song live. What else can be said, an absolute classic! Shakin Stevens was indeed shaking from side to side in rather dowdy looking jumper!
This might be the first time I have head Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin's Separate Lives but from the snippet that was played it sounds a bit boring tbh
Then a snippet was played of Dee C Lee's amazing 'See The Day' at #3.Whitney's rather lovely 'Saving All my Love For You' was at #1 and the video was played. Wham's Last Christmas played out the episode.
I would prefer the words "utterly dreadful" in place of "rather lovely".
It was rather weird seeing Christmas songs on a very hot evening.
Definitely a shame to have missed Pet Shop Boys' debut
Posted by: The Snake 1st July 2018, 11:50 PM
Well Whitney's SAMLFY is OK I think. My fave single from her is probably 'It's Not Right But It's OK'.
'See The Day' from Dee C Lee is great but rather weird for 1985 as it sounds more 60s than 80s to me!
Posted by: fiesta 4th July 2018, 05:55 PM
Just recently learned that Stuart Coleman, producer of many of Shakys hits passed away in April. RIP
Posted by: Steve201 6th July 2018, 04:35 PM
It was rather weird seeing Christmas songs on a very hot evening.
Definitely a shame to have missed Pet Shop Boys' debut
Some of the greatest Xmas lyrics and songs were written in July Suedy - White Christmas and Merry Xmas Everybody!! Just think a future classic we will be singing at the end of the year could be being written from the band of Drake as we speak 😐
Posted by: Steve201 6th July 2018, 07:10 PM
Building the Story of 1986 as the end of New Wave/New Romantics here!
Posted by: Steve201 6th July 2018, 07:18 PM
The next change is in 1986 with the titles and logo soon followed by the main stage changing completely which is very 86-90 before another change to lights in the background with a minimalist stage again from 90-95!
Posted by: The Snake 6th July 2018, 07:59 PM
Looking at the chart archives King seem to have been the last New Wave sounding act to get chart hits, so I would say 1985 was really the end of New Wave rather than 1986.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 6th July 2018, 08:18 PM
'See The Day' from Dee C Lee is great but rather weird for 1985 as it sounds more 60s than 80s to me!
Yes I agree on both counts, I'll think of Suedey when I see the new Whitney biog tomorrow at the cinema
I'm not generally a fan but she had some good stuff here and there and especially 1998-ish and her George Michael duet, now both dead too young.
Posted by: Steve201 6th July 2018, 08:49 PM
What actually is New Wave in your opinion?
Posted by: Steve201 6th July 2018, 10:44 PM
I'm watching tonight's totp the Xmas day 1985 episode and it's an hour long. Thankfully Mike Smith took a week off after doing most of December!
I see they have got the old white Xmas trees from 1981 out again!
Posted by: The Snake 7th July 2018, 01:21 PM
Well it has a sound but it is hard to define. While late 70s New Wave is more punk sounding, I would say 80s New Wave though often is rather fast, disco/funk influenced and with some electronic elements.
Wikipedia often gets it wrong though, Furniture's 'Brilliant Mind' in 1986 is defined as New Wave but it definitely sounds more alternative rock to me. Same with Altered Images' 'See Those Eyes' in 1982.
Posted by: Steve201 7th July 2018, 02:33 PM
Yeh I always look at it as post punk bands that list the punk for the main part and produced pop music!
Are they seperate from New Romantics?
Posted by: Steve201 7th July 2018, 02:53 PM
https://episodecalendar.com/en/show/top-of-the-pops-uk/season/13
Good website to follow the episode guide and performers!
Posted by: The Snake 7th July 2018, 03:08 PM
Are they seperate from New Romantics?
I wouldn't consider most early 80s New Wave as being 'pop' as such (a lot of it still had some 'alternative' qualities), but definitely by 1985/1986 the likes of Level 42 were going more poppy and away from New Wave.
Good website to follow the episode guide and performers!
So now we will be into 1986! 1986 seems to have been a mostly pop dominated year with some dance too. September of that year in particular has a lot of classic songs in the top 10.
Posted by: Steve201 7th July 2018, 04:13 PM
Did you watch the Story of last night? Made out the year to be terrible as the original New Romantic and New Wave bands of the early decade split or stopped producing hits and there was not much to replace them apart from US artists who didn't always come over for totp and music made huge by movies and novelty! Rounded off perfectly by Jackie Wilson beating the majestic Caravan of Love!
Posted by: The Snake 7th July 2018, 04:23 PM
I didn't watch it, but 1986 doesn't seem to be a great year for chart music. It is good in January and in August and September but the rest of the year doesn't seem to be great. Having said that it is better than 1987, which is probably my least favourite year of the 80s chart-wise. 1988 and the cheesy SAW type dancepop domination isn't the best either but that year is somewhat saved by the underground dance explosion. 1989 is a good year though!
Posted by: Steve201 7th July 2018, 05:05 PM
They did mention the 'new sound' coming out of Chicago - House! And showed the first ever house song to chart in the top 40 but can't remember it's name!!
Posted by: The Snake 7th July 2018, 05:32 PM
'Love Can't Turn Around' by Farley Jackmaster Funk which made #10. Almost as camp and fun sounding as The Communards' Hi-NRG tune at #1 at the same time (probably why 'Love Can't Turn Around' became at hit tbh) , but hits from the house genre in UK would start to become much more underground sounding through 1987 and 1988.
House would become much bigger than Hi-NRG in the long run (although Hi-NRG did kind of come back to the charts in about 1993 in the form of eurodance such as Cappella's U Got 2 Let The Music).
Posted by: Steve201 7th July 2018, 07:27 PM
Yeh that was the one! Some amount of changes socially and culturally that are reflected so well by these totp repeats - as I said by late 83 things became a lot more like modern times imo!
Posted by: Steve201 15th July 2018, 10:48 PM
2/1/1986
Some great dry humour on totp this week from John Peel - he was clearly getting bored - Wham exclamation mark!!
Also Shakys last week at no1 ever, although not the final time we would hear the track I think!!
Posted by: Steve201 21st July 2018, 09:20 AM
30/1/86
6 Billy Ocean When The Going Gets Tough
4 Madonna Borderline
22 Talk Talk Life's What You Make It
17 James Brown Living in America
13 Simple Minds Sanctify Yourself
15 Grace Jones Pull Up to the Bumper
8 Fine Young Canniballs Suspicious Minds
No1 A-Ha The Sun Always Shines on TV
Kurtis Blow If I Ruled the World
Posted by: Pus 21st July 2018, 10:45 AM
'When the Going Gets Tough' is great and of course a classic!
And oh my, the Talk Talk singer has adopted a much cooler looking appearance after his rather geeky early 80s style! Another good track from Talk Talk, they had moved to alternative rock from the synthpop, new wave and dance of their early 80s material. I do however still prefer their two 1982 hit singles.
The 'Suspicious Minds' cover is OK but definitely not the best from FYC (my fave from them is 'She Drives me Crazy' and I am not sure if the singers vocal style works with the track.
'Pull Up To The Bumper' is OK but nowhere near as good as 'Slave To The Rhythm'.
The 'Sun Always Shines on TV' is brilliant, better than 'Take On Me' imo.
Posted by: Steve201 21st July 2018, 01:19 PM
Why did FYC move to this cover after their amazing first top 10 single?! I like the contribution Jimmy Somerville in the background, least I think it was him! The lead single of FYC has brillant vocals!
I personally think Take on Me is their best but this one is a classic too!
Posted by: Suedehead2 22nd July 2018, 09:14 AM
I personally think Take on Me is their best but this one is a classic too!
Yes, it was Jimmy Somerville. Twitter opinion was divided on Suspicious Minds. I’m on the side of those who approved of it.
Posted by: King Rollo 22nd July 2018, 10:01 AM
I'm a bit behind. I watched Thursday's show last night. There were three classics. Broken Wings by Mr Mister still sounds good,The Sun Always Shines On TV is my favourite by A-Ha and West End Girls in its second week at no.1 on video. All three of the studio performances by the Pet Shop Boys were on Mike Smith shows so we never saw them. I've also noticed that they've got rid of the unnecessary top 10 video countdown.
Posted by: Steve201 22nd July 2018, 01:53 PM
They keep coming and going from that and the breakers!!
March will see a lot of on set changes including the classic 80s totp light sign in the background of the main stage!! Also by 1987-89 we will get a lot of new presenters including Anthea Turner/Bruno Brooke's/Campbell!
Posted by: The Snake 22nd July 2018, 02:11 PM
So 'Its A Sin' won't be shown when we come to 1987
One of the few musical highlights of that year!'Broken Wings' is amazing, wonderfully atmospheric with the production.
Indeed, also the vocalist for Londonbeat sounds quite similar (hopefully 'I've Been Thinking About You' will be shown when it comes round to 1990)!
Posted by: King Rollo 22nd July 2018, 03:17 PM
I meant they performed 'West End Girls' in the studio three times. I'm sure we will see them many times in coming episodes,including 'It's A Sin'.
Posted by: Steve201 30th July 2018, 07:59 PM
Anyone watch the 1971 Christmas special at the weekend?
Posted by: Mack. 31st July 2018, 10:40 AM
I'm so pleased that they did show the 27/12/71 edition in full. I never expected I'd enjoy it so much.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 31st July 2018, 07:51 PM
Missed it, doh! Have seen it since I first saw it though - in 1971. Loved it then love it still....
Posted by: Steve201 31st July 2018, 11:00 PM
Some great hits from Diana Ross/Slade/George Harrison/T-Rex/Rod Stewart - the famous performance of Maggie May with John Peel and Ronnie Wood!
Posted by: Gríma Wormtongue 2nd August 2018, 03:02 PM
Will have to watch it on the iplayer! Would be interesting to see what a full TOTP episode was like from the 70s compared with the 80s, as I don't think I have watched a full 70s TOTP episode before!
Weird showing a Christmas special at this time of year, but I assume because so many early 70s TOTP shows can't be shown now for obvious reasons they have few choices available from the ones that can be shown!
Posted by: Suedehead2 2nd August 2018, 03:48 PM
Weird showing a Christmas special at this time of year, but I assume because so many early 70s TOTP shows can't be shown now for obvious reasons they have few choices available from the ones that can be shown!
It's not just the Savile issue. A lot of early episodes were wiped so no longer exist.
Posted by: Gríma Wormtongue 2nd August 2018, 04:41 PM
Watched the 1971 Christmas special and it was very good, all the songs were excellent, with the exception of that rather cheesy New Seekers track which was just OK. My favourite song was the Slade one 'Coz I Luv You', I do like some folky violins!
Posted by: Steve201 2nd August 2018, 06:45 PM
I watched totp since they started the repeats with the 1976 episodes but only really watched it every week from 1981 onwards - the 70s is like a different world compared to what we are watching now in 1986 studio/musically/fashion wise, never seen such social and cultural changes in such a short period.
Think they showed 1971 because it was a Rolling Stones night or something on BBC 4!
Posted by: Gríma Wormtongue 2nd August 2018, 07:25 PM
Indeed the TOTP style is much different to the 80s! The 90s is much different too judging from the clips of TOTP performances I have seen from that decade.
Musically I think a lot of the late 80s stuff (apart from the dance music and the likes of New Order/Pet Shop Boys) sounds more dated than a lot of the early 80s stuff.
Posted by: Mack. 3rd August 2018, 11:24 AM
Five Star were one of those bands where only one did most of the singing and the others very little. They always looked like they weren’t really enjoying themselves.
Posted by: Suedehead2 3rd August 2018, 11:45 AM
I certainly didn't enjoy listening to them, so why should they have any fun?
Posted by: Danny89 3rd August 2018, 05:23 PM
Love 'System Addict' the middle 8 bit of the song is pure pop heaven! Stay out of my life is criminally underrated.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 3rd August 2018, 06:28 PM
Their dad made them do it. Blame him
I'll also defend System Addict and Rain Or Shine as great pop records
Posted by: Mack. 3rd August 2018, 06:43 PM
Wow, never knew Su Pollard had a Top10 hit with Starting Together.
Posted by: Brett-Butler 3rd August 2018, 06:48 PM
Great timing for TOTP2 to play a pro-Robert Mugabe song the week that Zimbabwe's been back in the news.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 3rd August 2018, 06:56 PM
It's been a while, so here's a quickie review:
Belouis Some up first, loved Imagination at the time, right from before it belatedly took off, though his bleached blonde career never really took off sadly. I still like it, but don't quite rate it as much as I did
Whitney's pop funfilled video of How Will I Know, the film biog is stark and dark and not at all fun and poppy. The track is OK at best, never loved it, never hated it, just sort of pop-by-numbers.
Radio Africa, another one I got into first time round. Latin Quarter were good, still sounds good, but was more of a fan at the time than now. 1986: when every other records was a flop from previous years. Tells you something about the pop scene running out of steam after years of bursting with creativity.
Su Pollard. Hi De Hi! Ooh, Mr Fairbruther can ah bicum a yellercohwurt? Notts lass, endearing, can hold a tune, but this is a christmas novelty bit of tat oddly late.
Chart rundown from Steve n Gary. Breakers, the fab Carol Kenyan (her of awesome Temptation Heaven 17) on a lead vocal for Paul Hardcastle. No "featuring"s for vocalists in those days, even when she's the best thing about the forgettable dance track. Bit of Survivor. No not the good one, the rubbish one. Chain Reaction, Diana Ross' last truly great pop record, courtesy the Bee Gees. Love the 60's video bits and the go-go dancing, using her own pop history as inspiration.
Shakin Stevens. No I don't remember it either. This has been pulled over from an alternate dimension. Better than Su Pollard and Survivor. Not as bad as I probably thought it was at the time, and quite listenable. Ah, Dave Edmunds on guitar, that'll be why. Hero.
Top 10, Billy Ocean on top. saw him literally sing this last summer, literally 300m from our house at a country park festival. The going got tough as he reached his encore, so I got going early. Still a great singer. Still think of Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, who I saw today in Antman & The Wasp. Life is so circular...
Posted by: Suedehead2 3rd August 2018, 07:03 PM
And I once stood in for their singer, Steve Skaith
Posted by: Brett-Butler 3rd August 2018, 07:06 PM
As a singer, or as a body double?
Posted by: Suedehead2 3rd August 2018, 07:07 PM
Survivor had a good song? I must have missed it.
Posted by: Suedehead2 3rd August 2018, 07:09 PM
As a singer, or as a body double?As a teacher of English to foreign students in Bournemouth
Posted by: zenon 3rd August 2018, 09:29 PM
Am I the only one who can hear the similarity between Radio Africa and Rudimental and Anne Marie's new one Let Me Live?
Posted by: Gríma Wormtongue 4th August 2018, 01:18 PM
That's the problem, I agree, the production isn't dancey or energetic enough compared to '19' or 'Just For Money' and sounds more early 80s electro funk/post-disco. A bit of a step backwards production wise, thankfully his next one The Wizard is better. Carol Kenyon's vocal however is great.
Posted by: Mack. 7th August 2018, 10:41 AM
It was great to see Billy Ocean in the studio, one of the better number 1s of the mid-80s for me.
Posted by: Steve201 7th August 2018, 09:55 PM
There are literally dozens of great 80s no1s, so many are sing-a-long anthems now and absolute classics!
Posted by: Steve201 11th August 2018, 12:28 AM
DEpeche mode back on totp tonight with their wonderful new single at the time Stripped!! Seeing them and Shaky on made me think - how many more appearances do they make?
Posted by: King Rollo 13th August 2018, 11:25 PM
Just watched it now. Depeche Mode and Public Image Ltd were both very good.
Skaky had a few more hits so we'll see him again. And Depeche Mode as well in the 80s. I can't remember if Depeche turned up in the studio in the 90s.
Posted by: Gríma Wormtongue 14th August 2018, 06:07 PM
Depeche Mode will be back in 1987 for the rather good 'Strangelove', hopefully it won't be on the cut episodes.
They had started to change their sound this point, away from the industrial influences of their mid 80s stuff and more towards their electronic rock/indie sound, which I don't like quite as much sadly, although it is still good.
Posted by: Mack. 16th August 2018, 11:45 AM
Double TOTP2 next Friday according to the BBC Schedule site
Status Quo and TOTP2 Presents the 90's.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03j113z
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0480lzx
Posted by: Mack. 19th August 2018, 09:04 AM
Decent episode that was which was shown back on Friday.
Posted by: Steve201 19th August 2018, 10:08 AM
We seen every episode of Billy Ocean being number 1 lol. Seems like it's been at the top for an age!!
Posted by: The Hiss. 19th August 2018, 10:43 AM
Good song from Billy Ocean. I also like his 'Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car' song from 1988 that was on the ASDA advert a while back.
Love Missile F1-11 by Sigue Sigue Sputnik song is a great dance tune, a unique mix of glam rock and HI-NRG. I like he weird effects in it. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder, and you can definitely hear his influence there!
Posted by: Shaky Fan 19th August 2018, 12:59 PM
Quite a few performances still to come from Shaky, right up to 2005 (albeit with a gap of almost 15 years...)
13/11/86 Because I Love You
09/07/87 A Little Boogie Woogie (in the back of my mind)
23/07/87 A Little Boogie Woogie (in the back of my mind)
01/10/87 Come See About Me clip
26/11/87 What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For
28/07/88 Feel The Need In Me
18/05/89 Love Attack
01/03/90 I Might
13/12/90 The Best Christmas Of Them All
24/06/05 Trouble
Posted by: The Hiss. 19th August 2018, 01:13 PM
I really like Shaky's 'A Little Boogie Woogie', it sounds very different and much more fun and dancey than anything else around in the charts at that time, but it might not be shown, as it is a cover of a Gary Glitter song. Shaky's version is far superior I think though.
Posted by: Suedehead2 19th August 2018, 01:19 PM
Love Missile F1-11 by Sigue Sigue Sputnik song is a great dance tune, a unique mix of glam rock and HI-NRG. I like he weird effects in it. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder, and you can definitely hear his influence there!
There wasn't a lot of love for Sigue Sigue Sputnk on Twitter
Some people seemed to overlook the fact that they never claimed to be musical geniuses.
Posted by: The Hiss. 19th August 2018, 02:21 PM
Some people seemed to overlook the fact that they never claimed to be musical geniuses.Sad to hear there wasn't much love for it
Perhaps its a bit raucous for modern tastes! You don't often hear it being played on radio these days either.You need to change the subtitle of this thread too, Suedehead2, as of course we are now into 1986 in the rerun of the show!
Posted by: Steve201 19th August 2018, 08:44 PM
13/11/86 Because I Love You
09/07/87 A Little Boogie Woogie (in the back of my mind)
23/07/87 A Little Boogie Woogie (in the back of my mind)
01/10/87 Come See About Me clip
26/11/87 What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For
28/07/88 Feel The Need In Me
18/05/89 Love Attack
01/03/90 I Might
13/12/90 The Best Christmas Of Them All
24/06/05 Trouble
Thanks for this. Sort of thought the final peak Shaky appearance might be the Best Christmas of them all! Strange that he randomly appeared in mid 2005 again? Must have been out of kilter with the other acts lol.
Posted by: Shaky Fan 20th August 2018, 05:45 PM
He had a new hits compilation out in April of that year and as there were fewer programmes to promote it on he took part in the reality series Hit Me Baby One More Time where acts from the 70s, 80s and 90s performed one of their biggest hits along with a contempory cover. Shaky went with Pink's Trouble and won the final. The "prize" as such was a double A side single featuring the 2 tracks. His loyal fanbase went out in the first week and nudged him into the Top 20.
The promotion also did wonders for the hits album as well - 4 weeks in the Top 10 peaking at number 4 and 10 weeks in the Top 75.
Posted by: Steve201 20th August 2018, 09:15 PM
Didn't realise that!!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 21st August 2018, 12:00 PM
Some people seemed to overlook the fact that they never claimed to be musical geniuses.I loved it! Since when has pop music had a "musical genius only" policy
I mean that would discount the whole of Punk Rock for starters, where the whole point was you didn't have to be a musical virtuoso to be creative and have something to say! Plus, fun is not a bad word....
Posted by: Hide&Seek 22nd August 2018, 01:48 PM
I remember seeing Sigue Sigue Sputnik in the teen mags but I think this is the first time I've heard the song. I found their look so distracting that I didn't pay much attention to the actual song.
Audrey Hall - I loved Smile, and always thought it was her debut single, and the only one I'd ever heard. Wikipedia tells me that Smile was the follow up to One Dance Just Won't Do, and that she released several singles in the 1960s. She looks too young for that ! I wanted to love the song she performed on TOTP, but it was a bit weedy.
Alexander O'Neal - I love all his 80s singles. Great voice. Matt Goss had a minor hit (#23) in the 90s with a decent cover of If You Were Here Tonight. He didn't make all those distinctive/annoying ''grrr'' sounds on it, like he did all over the Bros singles, so that was something.
Colonel Abrams - I remember seeing his singles and thinking how handsome he was, but never actually heard his songs before. I immediately loved I'm Not Gonna Let You, but wish he had been there to perform it, instead of showing the audience dancing, which I always found cringey.
Posted by: The Hiss. 24th August 2018, 04:52 PM
I mean that would discount the whole of Punk Rock for starters, where the whole point was you didn't have to be a musical virtuoso to be creative and have something to say! Plus, fun is not a bad word....Plus it was one of the few dance tracks around at the time too.
Posted by: Steve201 26th August 2018, 12:27 PM
Totp 6/3/1986
Mike & The Mechanics Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)
Kate Bush The Hounds of Love
Frank Sinatra Theme from New York
Jim Diamond Hi Ho Silver
Prince & The Revolution Kiss
Whistle Just Buggin
Diane Ross Chain Reaction No1
Huey Lewis & the News The Power of Love
Posted by: Mack. 30th August 2018, 06:35 PM
They managed to mess up the sound at the start for some reason.
Posted by: Mack. 30th August 2018, 06:46 PM
Cliff and the Young Ones that was interesting.
Posted by: Mack. 30th August 2018, 06:58 PM
I've found my 'Chain Reaction' listening limit, was that The Bee Gees on backing vocals?
Posted by: Suedehead2 30th August 2018, 07:02 PM
My Chain Reaction listening limit was passed many years ago. Yes, it was the Bee Gees on backing vocals. After all, they wrote it.
All these years after last hearing Cliff & The Young Ones I still have fond memories of the "Fies my soul?" line.
We now say a fond farewell to Yellow Pearl. That was the last episode to use Phil Lynott's tune.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 30th August 2018, 08:34 PM
All these years after last hearing Cliff & The Young Ones I still have fond memories of the "Fies my soul?" line.
We now say a fond farewell to Yellow Pearl. That was the last episode to use Phil Lynott's tune.
Well, Midge Ure's tune probably, and Phil's lyrics, it sounds very Midge
At least they waited till Phil was dead before dumping it for a worse theme tune. That was very much a trend in TOTP theme tunes, each not as good as the previous until just before the show got axed and they reverted back to Whole Lotta Love.Even my Chain Reaction listening limit was passed many years ago and I loved it....! It hasn't sounded fresh since it was a 90's hit again, at that point overdose set in.
Posted by: TheSnake 31st August 2018, 09:05 AM
Listening to Yellow Pearl in full, it sounds great, yes it is very Midge Ure with the synths.
It's kind of appropriate that 'The Wizard' by Paul Hardcastle would soundtrack the late 80s TOTP episodes as that kind of underground sounding sampled dance music would become very popular in 1987 and especially in 1988. I still prefer 'Yellow Pearl' though by Phil Lynott as a theme tune, it is more emotive.
Chain Reaction does sound a bit dated for 1986, it sounds more late 70s or 1980 than 1986, it is high energy disco but doesn't have much of an electronic element to it unlike what we will see from the Communards soon.
But it is a very good song, good fun and Diana's vocal is great.
Will they even bother showing the reruns after about 1999 I wonder? Did many people watch TOTP after then?
Posted by: Mack. 31st August 2018, 11:28 AM
The other significance of tonight's episode is that it marks ten full years of the re-runs on BBC Four.
Posted by: Mack. 31st August 2018, 10:49 PM
Rock Me Amadeus reminds me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2E1m90YSpA
Posted by: Steve201 31st August 2018, 11:20 PM
Def prefer Yellow Pearl as it coincides with the best years of totp and it's good timing as the standard of hits reduces.
But Paul Hardcastles theme sounds very late 80s as Snake said and it's one I remember from my childhood!
Posted by: Steve201 31st August 2018, 11:20 PM
Did they not just start in Jan 1976?
Posted by: TheSnake 1st September 2018, 11:11 AM
Did they not do the rerun of episodes earlier in the 70s that weren't deleted or didn't feature Jimmy Savile or Dave Lee Travis? Or were there so few of those as to be pointless to rerun?
As I said September 1986 seems to have quite a few good songs in the top 10 at once, some of them being classics! Also November 1986 too.
Posted by: Steve201 1st September 2018, 09:47 PM
Yeh there's loads more to come over the next 32 years lol but the changes and music in the 1977-84 period were huge and led the way for nearly everything after for me apart from proper rap/grim/urban which was still to come in the late 90s
Posted by: Steve201 1st September 2018, 09:49 PM
As I said September 1986 seems to have quite a few good songs in the top 10 at once, some of them being classics! Also November 1986 too.
I think they thing was that a lot have been lost etc plus the Saville stuff mean they couldn't have had a proper series. Tony Blackburn/Noel Edmunds and others presented plenty of shows!
Posted by: TheSnake 2nd September 2018, 12:21 AM
I see where you are coming from, the late 70s saw the development of disco (influential in dance) and punk rock (influential in indie/alternative music). Synthpop and electropop of course of course have remained popular since they were started in the late 70s/early 80s. The likes of Shannon, Art Of Noise and Herbie Hancock in 1983/84 paved the way for house music and Hi-NRG kind of paved the way for 90s eurodance. The whole new wave scene (especially the more guitar based New Wave in the late 70s and 1980) also paved the way for indie and Britpop. Iron Maiden arrived in the early 80s to evolve heavy metal. Hip hop of course also developed in the early 80s.
The only genre I think you are missing out is breakbeat hardcore/rave in 1991-1992 which doesn't really sound like much that came before and led to drum and bass and dubstep.
Posted by: Steve201 2nd September 2018, 12:33 AM
Yeh and I suppose Happy Mondays/Stone Roses and to a lesser extent Prodigy were a mesh of dance and indie/new wave/Punk.
Thing about this new era is the big new wave pop groups who dominated so much in the 1980-85 period literally nearly disappeared! E.g. Duran Duran/Spandau/Human League! And also the dominance by cheesy SAW nonsense which was the sound which was great in the early part of the decade becoming so basic and money orientated. The cleverness and creatively disappeared.
Although there were equilivants in the late 70s/early 80s too such as Dollar/Bucks Fizz
Posted by: Shaky Fan 2nd September 2018, 11:18 AM
Always loved the Sigue Sigue Sputnik album (Flaunt It!) with the commercials between the tracks. By a strange coincidence I managed to find a vinyl copy of it in a local shop yesterday.
Posted by: fiesta 3rd September 2018, 06:16 PM
The charts for 3/4/1986 & 1/8/1959 both have cliff livin doll & duane eddys peter gunn at numbers 1 & 9 respectively!
Posted by: Suedehead2 3rd September 2018, 06:47 PM
Chart stat of the year
Posted by: Mack. 6th September 2018, 06:57 PM
They seem to have repeated the 3/4/1986 tonight. They showed this last Friday.
Posted by: Suedehead2 6th September 2018, 08:03 PM
Yes, I don't know why they've done this. It's in line with the BBC website and my EPG, so it seems to have been a deliberate decision rather than a cock-up.
Posted by: zenon 6th September 2018, 11:19 PM
Presumably as this was the first show of The Wizard era, they wanted to repeat it at a decent time.
Posted by: Mack. 28th September 2018, 09:16 AM
How fitting that we get a double showing this week of the Match Room Mob with Chas And Dave's Snooker Loopy, after the recent sad passing of Chas. Love Chas and Dave and love the snooker players from the 80s - They were real personalities.
Posted by: Steve201 30th September 2018, 05:01 PM
Ironically a 150-1 player would win in 1986 - Joe Johnston!
Posted by: Suedehead2 30th September 2018, 05:26 PM
It didn't make the song any better. Sadly, there was rather a lot of dross in this week's double bill.
Posted by: Steve201 1st October 2018, 07:41 PM
Welcome to 1986!
Posted by: Suedehead2 1st October 2018, 10:49 PM
I don't remenber 1986 being quite this bad
Posted by: The Pus 👽 2nd October 2018, 08:33 AM
Unfortunately possibly the worst number one ever is probably coming soon on the re-runs
At least it does get better musically from about September to the end of the year, quite a few classic songs in this period.
As for 1987 it seems to be like 1985 really, loads of well known 80s pop songs, some on the cheesy side will appear.
Posted by: Steve201 3rd October 2018, 09:42 PM
I'm interested in the new house sound appearing soon tho!
Posted by: HeadlessJockey 5th October 2018, 09:53 PM
Did the Doctor from Doctor and the Medics inspire a certain famous scene in 'There's Something About Mary'?
Posted by: The Pus 👽 6th October 2018, 05:54 PM
The first big house hit 'Love Can't Turn Around' will appear in August 1986, and doesn't sound much like the 1987/1988 style of house, it sounds more fun and disco influenced which is probably why it did so well at the same time that 'Don't Leave Me This Way' was #1!
Posted by: Steve201 12th October 2018, 09:19 PM
I take it back the current top 10 on totp tonight had a lot of classic tracks in there - the last of Bucks Fizz, Venus by Bananarama, The Edge of Heaven by Wham, Madge Papa Don't Preach!
Posted by: Blisterpus 👽 17th October 2018, 02:24 PM
OK watched the latest episode. The Housemartins track 'Happy Hour' is good too, I didn't know who that song was by, sounds a bit Fine Young Cannibals actually! Anyway it sounds like a precursor to the sort of upbeat alternative songs like 'Sit Down' and 'Two Princes' that would be popular in the early 90s. The Gary Numan song 'I Can't Stop is good too ', a rare New Wave/new romantic-y song at this stage of the 80s. The Samantha Fox song was rather good too, better than 'Touch Me' imo.
The Bucks Fizz song was good. Sly Fox's 'Let's Go All The Way' is a bit of an anthem! The Art of Noise song was good but bizarre, the video for it is a bit creepy though. Wham's 'Where Did Your Heart Go' sounds nice enough, I didn't really know it before I saw it on this TOTP re-run.
Posted by: KingOfRolloween 17th October 2018, 03:31 PM
I think the Wham song was new to most of us as the other A Side 'The Edge Of Heaven' got most of the airplay. The Art Of Noise song was an instrumental on their album. They added Max Headroom for the single version. He had his own show on Channel 4 at the time. 'Happy Hour' is a great song. You may have spotted Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) as one of the Housemartins. Two of the others formed Beautiful South.
Posted by: Blisterpus 👽 17th October 2018, 07:49 PM
Yes Norman Cook didn't move to dance music until 1988. 'Blame It On The Bassline', his first hit away from the Housemartins is good fun.
The Beautiful South's songs I remember hearing a lot on the radio when I was younger in the late 90s. I was discussing on the shoutbox a while back about how I only realized recently that 'Perfect 10', a song I remember innocently hearing a lot on the radio when I was younger has some rather rude references in the lyrics!
Posted by: Suedehead2 26th October 2018, 06:56 PM
Good to see plenty of love for Camouflage on Twitter this evening, although there were also a fair few who hated it. I always rather liked its utter weirdness. Opinion on Lady In Red was pretty much unanimous.
Posted by: Steve201 26th October 2018, 10:31 PM
At least Lady in Reds success led to A Spaceman Came Travelling being a top 40 hit in December 1986 after it was released in 1973 firstly!
Posted by: Suedehead2 27th October 2018, 12:59 PM
Yes, I've always been rather fond of A Spaceman Came Travelling. The same cannot be said of Lady In Red.
Posted by: Tedward 3rd November 2018, 12:51 AM
Not been watching these much as 86 was a crap year but just caught one- was alright, some decent stuff from Depeche Mode, Human League, Bruce Hornsby and the Range. Terrible #1 though
Posted by: Suedehead2 3rd November 2018, 09:16 AM
The number one wasn’t great, but it was better than the dirge it replaced. Certainly some of the recent episodes have been a bit of an endurance test.
Posted by: Steve201 4th November 2018, 05:40 PM
Tbf the Story of 86 even stated this. Said it was like the end of the big 80s pop bands and the wait for decent dance in the later decade had begun!
Posted by: Blisterpus 👽 7th November 2018, 12:14 PM
I do think 1986 seems to be decent on the dance/dance-pop side of things. The Modern Talking and Communards songs are good fun I think! And Jaki Graham's Set Me Free is great I think, it really should be a classic!
'The Way It Is' is a sad song but indeed brilliant. I don't mind the Boris Gardiner slow-dancing classic at #1 it is quite nice I think if rather cheesy. Perhaps though there were too many ballads in the chart at this time though with Lady In Red and The Glory of Love there too.
Posted by: Tedward 9th November 2018, 08:10 PM
Holiday Rap performance fell into the so bad it's good for me. Farley Jackmaster Funk + Frankie were great tonight though!
Also noticed they hadn't got any breakers on- definitely was a bit better without them.
Posted by: Steve201 9th November 2018, 09:44 PM
I'm at the end of June 86 myself and I've noticed that they've gotten rid of the dancing at the end of the show while the camera scans the crowd for the first time since the show began in the 60s? Correct me if I'm wrong?! Must be the end of zoo then!
Posted by: Tedward 9th November 2018, 11:50 PM
Apparently Zoo stopped being used in 83 from looking at wikipedia- there are still hired dancers or cheerleaders in the audience, but less as there was before.
Posted by: Steve201 10th November 2018, 01:48 PM
Yeh there's a guy who wears white trousers who has literally been there for 5 years from around 81/82 until this year and he's def a dancer!
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 14th November 2018, 04:24 PM
Good episode indeed, music was finally picking up a bit at this point (with Eurythmics' excellent 'Thorn In My Side' hopefully in the next episode shown). 'You Give Love A Bad Name' by Bon Jovi is a great anthem!
The two iconic dance tunes of The Communards/Sarah Jane Morris and Farley Jackmaster Funk/Darryl Pandy were good to see, and of course nobody knew how pioneering the latter would be! The Frankie Goes To Hollywood song 'Rage Hard' is great, but I prefer 'Warriors of the Wasteland' from later in the year.
Posted by: Mack. 15th November 2018, 11:20 PM
The most famous codpiece there from Cameo tonight.
Posted by: Steve201 18th November 2018, 12:57 PM
Just watching the 21/8/86 edition, DEpeche Mode still coming onto perform at this stage - impressive!!
Posted by: Steve201 18th November 2018, 01:17 PM
Boris GArdiner - I wanna wake up with u
One of the more random no1s of the year!
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 18th November 2018, 03:04 PM
One of the more random no1s of the year!
It's a nice enough song I think. It does seem though that there were a bit too many romantic ballads around at the same time though with this, 'The Lady In Red' and 'Glory of Love'.
Posted by: King Rollo 18th November 2018, 03:13 PM
And we've still got Nick Berry to come. 
Posted by: Popchartfreak 18th November 2018, 03:24 PM
One of the great TOTP moments for me, the way Larry has his back to the camera for 30 seconds before the reveal, then the OMG moment and the hot, cool dancing to sustain it.
Posted by: Tedward 18th November 2018, 06:13 PM
We'll get to see the whole run of Every Loser Wins at #1, unfortunately none of the episodes it is featured in are Mike Smith editions! Nick doesn't even bother to show up in the studio for it...
Anyway this weeks couple of shows weren't very good imo, Loose Ends and Cameo are probably the best out of a not very good selection of songs.
Posted by: Steve201 19th November 2018, 04:47 PM
Even the artist himself - previous hit was in 1970!
Posted by: Mack. 19th November 2018, 11:44 PM
Simon Mayo tweeting about TOTP in the run-up to his first episode being shown on BBC4 on Friday:
https://twitter.com/simonmayo/status/1063728807746637824
Posted by: Steve201 19th November 2018, 11:51 PM
Didn't realise Simons era started this week and we only got Bruno along the last few months!!
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 22nd November 2018, 06:44 PM
Just listened to it now out of curiosity as I don't think I know it, I suppose in style it reminds me of the Glenn Medieros #1 we will get in 1988, 'Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You', but sadly I don't think it's quite as good as that song!
Posted by: AcerBen 22nd November 2018, 08:48 PM
Anyone interesting in trading TOTP shows? Send me a PM
Posted by: Steve201 22nd November 2018, 10:58 PM
What you mean by trading?
Posted by: Steve201 24th November 2018, 11:26 AM
Watching the 9/11 edition with The Communards first totp performance of DLMTW 
Posted by: Steve201 24th November 2018, 11:31 AM
That was folllowed by holiday rap lol.
A lot of quality though thereafter with Frankie returning with a bit of a flop after the first album! And Bon Jovi and Farley Funk with something revolutionary for 1986 with house making its first appearance in the U.K. Mainstream - first of many hits right up to today's chart!
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 24th November 2018, 01:16 PM
Great fun yes, definitely needed after the overload of ballads that has been mentioned
. Didn't know it was a cover until quite recently, same with Yazz's 'The Only Way Is Up'.The next house hit is Mel and Kim's 'Showing Out' at the end of 1986 (Stock, Aitken and Waterman decided a house track would go with their personalities), and then at the start of 1987, Steve Silk Hurley's 'Jack Your Body', probably the most unlikely and unpoppy #1 hit since Paul Hardcastle's 19.
Posted by: Steve201 24th November 2018, 05:53 PM
Looking forward to it!
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 24th November 2018, 07:42 PM
Yep but unfortunately despite the first few house hits appearing in the chart in late 1986/early 1987 along with other dancey stuff like The Communards' DLMTW and Man 2 Man it wouldn't be until the start of 1988 that dance music would really start getting going as a chart force.
Posted by: Steve201 25th November 2018, 10:03 PM
The Communards record was the biggest seller of 1986 with 745k sales
Posted by: Suedehead2 25th November 2018, 10:15 PM
I wasn't referring to the Communards record. I love their version of DLMTY.
Posted by: Steve201 26th November 2018, 12:03 AM
Which one do you mean then?
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 26th November 2018, 05:10 PM
Looking at the list of top 10 singles of 1986 now and I assume he was referring to 'Lady in Red', the number 1 before Boris Gardiner. Although to be fair, 'Lady In Red' kept the first song in what would be a trend for cheesy dance-pop in the late 80s: 'So Macho', off the top spot, and 'Lady In Red' is definitely a better song than that I think (although 'Cruising', the other side of the 'So Macho' single is a good tune I think.
Posted by: Steve201 26th November 2018, 10:25 PM
Yeh So Macho was awful trash. Cowells first love affair in pop!
Posted by: Suedehead2 27th November 2018, 08:11 AM
No, I was referring to Boris Gardiner. Lady In Red was the dirge it replaced.
Posted by: Steve201 27th November 2018, 11:08 AM
Haha needless to say SH isn't enjoying totp 1986!!
Posted by: Gezza 28th November 2018, 11:08 PM
Sales for the last top 10
1- TRUE BLUE- Madonna (84,000)
2- RAIN OR SHINE- Five Star (83,000)
3- DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY- The Communards (68,000)
4- EVERY LOSER WINS- Nick Berry (63,000)
5- YOU CAN CALL ME AL- Paul Simon (44,000)
6- WORD UP- Cameo (42,000)
7- THORN IN MY SIDE- Eurythmics (40,000)
8- I’VE BEEN LOSING YOU- A-Ha (36,000)
9- IN THE ARMY NOW- Status Quo (32,000)
10- SUBURBIA- Pet Shop Boys (28,000)
Five Star may rue the day they booked a tour over this period as “Rain Or Shine” led the way through the week and even into Saturday the track looked like it could make the top, but it ends just over 600 short of “True Blue” in what amounted to the closest chart race of the year. Both tracks got video promotion on TOTP but a live performance by the Essex fivesome may very well have made the difference…….
Posted by: Steve201 28th November 2018, 11:32 PM
Cool, thanks for the sales Gezza!
Nice to see quality won out in the battle for no1!
Posted by: Suedehead2 29th November 2018, 12:13 AM
There have been better years
Posted by: The Snake 🐍 29th November 2018, 04:57 PM
Nor is Tedward apparently! 1987 is a bit better overall I think, there are quite a few classics from that year.
1- TRUE BLUE- Madonna (84,000)
2 - RAIN OR SHINE- Five Star (83,000)
This song is a bit boring and not that great imo compared to her previous single 'Papa Don't Preach'
And listening to that Five Star song it sounds over-cutesy and cheesy and I am not a big fan of it Posted by: Tedward 29th November 2018, 05:54 PM
1987 in comparison is so much better than 86- SAW domination is starting to creep in but it's tolerable, and there's a fair few personal favourites of mine in that year.
Tonight's looks pretty mediocre besides Pet Shop Boys and maybe Paul Hardcastle
Posted by: Suedehead2 29th November 2018, 08:00 PM
Tonight's looks pretty mediocre besides Pet Shop Boys and maybe Paul Hardcastle
Those two songs were definitely the highlights. The rest varied between mediocre and diabolical.
Posted by: Steve201 29th November 2018, 09:21 PM
Musnt be much episodes left as Xmas sees the story of 87 which I'm oooking forward to!
Posted by: Tedward 1st December 2018, 08:43 PM
Last night's was better but not by much. Only really one quality song (True Colours) but everything else was at least average, besides Every Loser Wins of course. How did people let that get to #1 for a few weeks, let alone at all? Terrible terrible singer
Posted by: King Wencesrollo 1st December 2018, 08:54 PM
It only got to to number 1 because it was featured on Eastenders which was much more popular in 1986 than it is now. Nick Berry's character Simon Wicks sang it on the piano in the Queen Vic. I think it was part of a storyline involving Michelle Fowler and Lofty.
Posted by: Tedward 2nd December 2018, 02:51 PM
Doesn't excuse his horrendous singing though, did anyone know what decent vocals were back then
Posted by: SnowflakeSnake❄️ 4th December 2018, 05:53 PM
Just found out Nick Berry is the same person who sings the Heartbeat theme tune (and his cover of Heartbeat made #2 in 1992). His vocal is very good in that one I think (not as good as Buddy Holly's in his original though)!
Posted by: Christmasteve201 4th December 2018, 11:27 PM
Yeh I like the Heartbeat theme tune!
Posted by: Christmasteve201 6th December 2018, 11:06 PM
No totp tonight 😐
Posted by: Tedward 7th December 2018, 02:36 AM
Double bill of it next week though looking forward to Story of 1987 in a few weeks time as well
Posted by: Christmasteve201 7th December 2018, 06:20 PM
Same here - the highlights of the series when they're on every 6 months!!
Posted by: Christmasteve201 11th December 2018, 11:33 PM
Just thought I would ad Paul simon Call Me Al is the best top 10 song of 1986!
Posted by: Suedehead2 11th December 2018, 11:37 PM
A great comeback from Paul Simon after a long period with little success.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 11th December 2018, 11:39 PM
When was the last Simon&Garfunkel album?
Posted by: Suedehead2 12th December 2018, 12:18 AM
S&G only released five studio albums. The last was Bridge Over Troubled Water in 1970.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 12th December 2018, 12:58 AM
That long before!?
That was a classic album!
Posted by: Suedehead2 12th December 2018, 01:08 AM
That was a classic album!
It was a fantastic album. A classic example of going out on a high.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 12th December 2018, 11:41 PM
Yes reminds me of my dad listening to it when I was younger!!
Posted by: SnowflakeSnake❄️ 13th December 2018, 09:41 PM
Now it is Christmas I am reminded of how vastly better 'A Spaceman Came Travelling' is to 'Lady In Red'! It's like a completely different artist!
Posted by: Suedehead2 13th December 2018, 10:26 PM
A Spaceman... has suffered the stigma of being by Chris de Burgh ever since Lady In Red came out. It made it very hard to be open about liking the song. That just made me hate LIR even more at the time.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 13th December 2018, 10:47 PM
I take it the 39 peak for A Spaceman Came Travelling was simply on the back of the success of Lady In Red and we don't have a totp performance in the coming two weeks to look forward to?
Posted by: Suedehead2 14th December 2018, 08:23 AM
It was. It had been released a few years earlier without success. I suppose the one advantage of LIR’s existence was that it gave me a chance to buy Spaceman. I can’t remember whether it was on TOTP. It’s been on TOTP2, hasn’t it?
Posted by: Suedehead2 14th December 2018, 08:23 AM
It was. It had been released a few years earlier without success. I suppose the one advantage of LIR’s existence was that it gave me a chance to buy Spaceman. I can’t remember whether it was on TOTP. It’s been on TOTP2, hasn’t it?
Posted by: Christmasteve201 15th December 2018, 12:18 AM
I think Chris actually wrote the song in 1973!
Posted by: King Wencesrollo 20th December 2018, 12:10 AM
I've just watched the second of last Friday's episodes. John Peel was in great acerbic form. The Bon Jovi,Europe and Berlin songs are all still played a lot now. I saw the singer from Swing Out Sister interviewed on one of those BBC4 music docs recently and she still has exactly the same hairstyle.
I also saw the Madness performance from the missing Mike Smith episode on youtube which was their final TOTP appearance. They had already decided to split up so they lined up at the end of the song and two of their guitars were turned around with "The End" written on them. One of them looked as if he was about to cry. At least they got back together eventually.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 20th December 2018, 12:24 AM
Haven't watched it yet but take advantage of Peelie, won't be long til he's gone
Must watch the missing Madness performance, they were on 4/5 times a year between 1979-84
Posted by: Tedward 20th December 2018, 11:35 PM
There's only one more John Peel episode left from February 1987, looks like a good one so looking forward to it. The Christmas 1986 ep doesn't look too great though, both Chris De Burgh and Boris Gardiner have performances in that one 
not a good representation of that year at all
Today's was pretty lacklustre, no real standouts to me. Definitely a downslide from last weeks, hope tomorrow's is better.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 21st December 2018, 08:41 AM
Oh cool I wasn't sure if Chris would perform so glad he is!! Mike Smith must have had a lot of shows this year missed out plenty.
Didn't realise Peelie went as soon as Feb - sad times!!
Posted by: Tedward 21st December 2018, 01:35 PM
Mike Smith was the presenter with the most appearances in both 1985 and 86, so it has been really annoying. Was checking the episode guide for TOTP in 87 and it does look like Gary Davies has more episodes than him that year so we should get a few more shown next year, especially with MS finally leaving in April 88-ish!
Posted by: fiesta 21st December 2018, 03:26 PM
Cant wait to see the reet petite video if they show it
Posted by: Christmasteve201 21st December 2018, 11:28 PM
Didn't realise Mike left as early as April 1988. Did he leave radio 1 as well?
Do you have a link to the episode guide again? I lost mine.
Sorta feel like we are moving into the modern era a lot more especially when people like Mike and John peel leave. Nearly into the time I can remember which is bad. Wish they'd show the repeats late at night like they did this year!
Posted by: Tedward 22nd December 2018, 10:52 PM
Do you have a link to the episode guide again? I lost mine.
Sorta feel like we are moving into the modern era a lot more especially when people like Mike and John peel leave. Nearly into the time I can remember which is bad. Wish they'd show the repeats late at night like they did this year!
Zero clue on what he did at R1 mate but he was very on/off with it iirc. He leaves TOTP around the same point Michael Hull stops producing so thinking those two could be related!
Here's the episode guide I always use for TOTP, not many inconsistencies from what I've seen on it. All years covered + Christmas editions listed under extras!
https://episodecalendar.com/en/show/top-of-the-pops-uk/season/43
Posted by: Christmasteve201 23rd December 2018, 01:54 AM
Thanks that's the one I was looking for!!
Yeh Simon Bates and Steve Wright seem to go on until 1990 or so and them along with Peter Powell seem to have been there since 1977/78 which is a long time music wise and by the look of the show!
Posted by: Tedward 23rd December 2018, 06:00 PM
Yeh Simon Bates and Steve Wright seem to go on until 1990 or so and them along with Peter Powell seem to have been there since 1977/78 which is a long time music wise and by the look of the show!
Gary Davies, Simon Mayo, and Bruno Brookes also hang on until the 1991 relaunch of TOTP, in fact the latter two return in 1994 after Ric Blaxill takes over as producer!
Posted by: Christmasteve201 23rd December 2018, 07:40 PM
Doesn't surprise me about Simon Mayo and Bruno as they were only really starting to present around 1985!
Posted by: SnowflakeSnake❄️ 23rd December 2018, 08:34 PM
'Break Out' is really the start of the cheesy pop sound that would dominate the late 80s that would culminate in the likes of Boy Meets Girl, isn't it! Good song though.
'Reet Petite' followed by 'Jack Your Body' at #1 at the start of 1987 though....both very random and unexpected #1s
Posted by: Christmasteve201 26th December 2018, 10:51 PM
Things like Five Star are quite cheesy which started in late 85 are similar too imo!
Posted by: Tedward 27th December 2018, 12:42 AM
I do quite like Five Star's run of singles from Silk & Steel, yes they're all cheesy but great pop songs imo. Don't care much for everything else that they did though, can definitely see why they started going down after 86!
Posted by: Danny89 27th December 2018, 08:23 PM
"Stay out of my life" is criminally underrated, Denise Pearson doesn't get enough credit as a great vocalist. Also the middle-8 from "The Slighest touch" is just pop heaven!
Posted by: Tedward 27th December 2018, 11:32 PM
Christmas edition, as I thought, was terrible. 1986 wasn't a completely terrible year for chart music, but it certainly was for #1's, and it was reflected by that episode. Lady In Red and that Boris Gardiner song are shite, When The Going Gets Tough is average at best + incredibly overplayed, and Spirit In The Sky is an average at best cover of the original imo. I only really liked West End Girls (which wasn't even released in 86) and Holding Back The Years (wasn't a #1!). Way too many songs only shown on video as well, surely they could've gotten some more acts in.
It's a shame they weren't doing the new years episodes at this point, if there was one this year it could've been great with lots of records that missed out on #1, was a lot of good ones that only peaked at #2.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 28th December 2018, 11:50 PM
Christmas edition 25/12/1986 presented by Peter Powell, Simon Bates, Janice Long & Gary Davies
Songs performed
Billy Ocean When The Going Gets Tough
The Communards Don't Leave Me This Way (Video)
A-Ha The Sun Always Shines on TV (Video)
Europe The Final Countdown (Video)
Dr & The Medics Spirit In The Sky
Cliff Richard & The Young Ones Livin Doll (Video)
Spitting Image The Chicken Song (Video)
Boris Gardiner I Wanna Wake Up With You
Diana Ross Chain Reaction (Video)
Berlin Take My Breath Away (Video)
Simply Red Holding Back The Years
Nick Berry Every Loser Wins (Video)
Falcao Rock me Amadeus (Video)
George Michael A Different Corner (Video)
Pet Shop Boys West End Boys
Madonna True Blue (Video)
Madonna Papa Don't Preach (Video)
Chris De Burgh Lady In Red
The Housemartins Caravan of Love (Video)
Jackie Wilson Reel Petite (Video) **Christmas No1**
Wham! The Edge of Heaven (Video)
Posted by: The Snake 29th December 2018, 08:43 PM
Speaking of great 80s pop songs, there is a certain eponymous song I am looking forward to on TOTP 1987 which is one of my faves!
Posted by: Christmasteve201 30th December 2018, 03:13 AM
Do we have to wait until next Thursday to see the next episode? And is it the Story of episode?
Posted by: Christmasteve201 3rd January 2019, 11:23 PM
Looking forward to starting 1987 tomorrow evening 
Posted by: Mark. 4th January 2019, 05:26 PM
1987 begins tonight on BBC4 with The Story Of and Big Hits regular episodes begin next week.
Justin Lewis on Twitter has made a 1987 playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4bzoDGxosUqjC7V2qMIQPZ?si=5tPZKQvOS0WcTDuLYyuPdQ
Posted by: Christmasteve201 4th January 2019, 09:03 PM
About to watch here - very excited!!
Posted by: Christmasteve201 4th January 2019, 09:19 PM
So sad about Mel & Kim, didn't realise one of them died so young
Posted by: Christmasteve201 4th January 2019, 09:44 PM
Also interesting the scenes showing Michael Hurll having to go on discussion shows to defend the music on totp and this effectively seen a change in the style of the show with regards to less backing dancers etc.
Moving into the 90s now - they also argued that it led to more alternative acts using The Jesus and Mary Chain on alongside SAW acts. Always thought totp were decent at this from watching through the 80s!
Posted by: The Snake 5th January 2019, 04:03 PM
Indeed
And another dance-pop duo, the London Boys who got two top 10 hits in 1989 both died young too. I really like 'London Nights' from them - great fun track. 'Requiem' is very good too!'Showing Out' by Mel and Kim is technically the second house hit to make the charts.
There seems to have been an change from predominately synth based alternative acts in the early 80s to guitar based alternative acts in the late 80s and into the early 90s. Synths had obviously become much less cool, probably because so many pop acts were using them.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 5th January 2019, 11:37 PM
Yeh and one of the reasons why the sounds of the mid 80s changed as synth pop diluted the sound down so much to achieve a hit. One of the reasons why I enjoyed the 1979-84 period much more - it's just full of more legendary and longevity based acts compared to the quick quid acts from 1985 onwards. Thank goodness for house music
Posted by: Danny89 6th January 2019, 10:22 PM
At the end of TOTP - The Story of 1987, there was a teaser for 1988 which included Yazz and Kylie.
When BBC4 get to The story of 1988, I hope that they mention the chart battle between them and how Kylie almost made chart history by nearly becoming the first female soloist to enter at No.1 with "The Loco - Motion".
It was very close that week:
On the WK Ending 6 August 1988:
Kylie was on course to enter in at No.1 with "The Loco - Motion" and of course make chart history. She was pipped to the post by Yazz and the population's "The only way is up".
Yazz was at No.10 the previous week, and leapfrogged Kylie at the last minute, jumping nine places to the top spot, selling 54,000 copies. Kylie sold 52,000 copies that week, losing to 2K. So so close! Poor Kylie.
Posted by: Tedward 7th January 2019, 04:13 PM
The Only Way Is Up is a far better song though tbf
Posted by: Crazy Chris 7th January 2019, 05:25 PM
When BBC4 get to The story of 1988, I hope that they mention the chart battle between them and how Kylie almost made chart history by nearly becoming the first female soloist to enter at No.1 with "The Loco - Motion".
It was very close that week:
On the WK Ending 6 August 1988:
Kylie was on course to enter in at No.1 with "The Loco - Motion" and of course make chart history. She was pipped to the post by Yazz and the population's "The only way is up".
Yazz was at No.10 the previous week, and leapfrogged Kylie at the last minute, jumping nine places to the top spot, selling 54,000 copies. Kylie sold 52,000 copies that week, losing to 2K. So so close! Poor Kylie.
I remember that week well. I actually loved both tracks and loved Kylie and her cover was very good.
Posted by: Christmasteve201 7th January 2019, 09:46 PM
Did the Locomotion ever reach no1 then? I seem to remember Yazz bejng no1 for a while!
I assume Kylie entered so high due to the anticipation for her single following being in neighbours!?
Posted by: Danny89 8th January 2019, 12:38 AM
I assume Kylie entered so high due to the anticipation for her single following being in neighbours!?
Not in the UK it didn't. The only time it had a proper chance against Yazz was it's first week. Although Kylie's sales did increase the week later, it was too late to catch up with Yazz.
The following week "The only way is up" exploded in sales:
Kylie spent four weeks behind Yazz at #2. Here are the sales for two hits.
Yazz... #1... 54,000... #1... 98,000... #1... 149,000... #1... 126,000... #1... 91,000
Kylie...#2... 52,000... #2... 79,000... #2... 68,000... #2... 54,000... #3... 38,000... #9... 23,000
Posted by: The Snake 8th January 2019, 03:43 PM
Locomotion is good but yes I prefer Yazz's version of The only Way is Up. I like the way its kind of halfway between Communards-style Hi-NRG and acid house.
Posted by: The Snake 8th January 2019, 03:44 PM
-
Posted by: Steve201 9th January 2019, 12:19 AM
The following week "The only way is up" exploded in sales:
Kylie spent four weeks behind Yazz at #2. Here are the sales for two hits.
Yazz... #1... 54,000... #1... 98,000... #1... 149,000... #1... 126,000... #1... 91,000
Kylie...#2... 52,000... #2... 79,000... #2... 68,000... #2... 54,000... #3... 38,000... #9... 23,000
Great thanks for the sales - where do you get them all?
Yazz must have been a huge selling single, as I know there were no more millionsellers after 1985 due to the downwards single sales as people moved to albums and cd sales started to rise!
Posted by: Danny89 9th January 2019, 01:00 AM
Yazz must have been a huge selling single, as I know there were no more millionsellers after 1985 due to the downwards single sales as people moved to albums and cd sales started to rise!
I found them all in the link below! I didn't compile any of it.
It was a very long and fascinating read. This page contains a more detailed chart analysis of the Yazz/Kylie battle.https://forum.popjustice.com/threads/80s-top-10-sales-week-by-week-1988-1989.60497/page-20
This website contains week by week sales for the UK top 10 singles chart from 1980 onwards till the end of 1992 at the moment.
At the start of page 1 there are links that are helpful for finding individual years.
It also reveals the best selling acts of the year, after each year has been compiled.
The only way is up sold 704,000 copies, and was the UK's 2nd best selling single of 1988.
You're right about single sales decreasing from 1985, you will notice a stark difference from sales between 81-84, & 88-89.
Also Kylie frustratingly missed out AGAIN on making chart history with her single "Hand on your heart" because of a huge cock-up from PWL.
This link below explains it more in further detail - WK Ending 6 May 1989:
https://forum.popjustice.com/threads/80s-top-10-sales-week-by-week-1988-1989.60497/page-47
Posted by: Tedward 10th January 2019, 10:11 PM
Wasn't a good one tonight, only real highlight was Is This Love, and its the second time we've seen it as well!
Looking at the episode guide, there's another pretty crap edition tomorrow with only two performances, but things will pick up next week with a decent one featuring Dead Or Alive (didn't think we'd be seeing them again!), Curiosity Killed The Cat, and a noteworthy #1, Jack Your Body- the first house record to go to the top, then John Peel's last episode the week after that.
Posted by: Steve201 11th January 2019, 01:06 AM
It was a very long and fascinating read. This page contains a more detailed chart analysis of the Yazz/Kylie battle.https://forum.popjustice.com/threads/80s-top-10-sales-week-by-week-1988-1989.60497/page-20
This website contains week by week sales for the UK top 10 singles chart from 1980 onwards till the end of 1992 at the moment.
At the start of page 1 there are links that are helpful for finding individual years.
It also reveals the best selling acts of the year, after each year has been compiled.
The only way is up sold 704,000 copies, and was the UK's 2nd best selling single of 1988.
You're right about single sales decreasing from 1985, you will notice a stark difference from sales between 81-84, & 88-89.
Also Kylie frustratingly missed out AGAIN on making chart history with her single "Hand on your heart" because of a huge cock-up from PWL.
This link below explains it more in further detail - WK Ending 6 May 1989:
https://forum.popjustice.com/threads/80s-top-10-sales-week-by-week-1988-1989.60497/page-47
Thanks for this
Posted by: Tedward 11th January 2019, 08:15 PM
The two studio performances aside (Swing Out Sister and Gap Band) that was pretty forgettable.
Posted by: The Snake 11th January 2019, 08:41 PM
The Genesis song and video is great closing the 08/01/1987 episode! Pity they weren't there to perform it live though.
The Swing Out Sister follow up is certainly much cooler sounding than Break Out I think. Very good song.
Posted by: Crazy Chris 12th January 2019, 09:15 AM
I remember buying the Swing Out Sister debut album It's Better To Travel and it was good.
Posted by: Crazy Chris 12th January 2019, 09:19 AM
Looking at the episode guide, there's another pretty crap edition tomorrow with only two performances, but things will pick up next week with a decent one featuring Dead Or Alive (didn't think we'd be seeing them again!), Curiosity Killed The Cat, and a noteworthy #1, Jack Your Body- the first house record to go to the top, then John Peel's last episode the week after that.
Is This Love is a great single. Yep Jack Your Body was a good No.1. Shouldn't have really been a No.1 though as it broke some chart rule I think so some sales were counted that shouldn't have been.
Posted by: Steve201 12th January 2019, 02:55 PM
What was that?
Posted by: The Snake 12th January 2019, 04:57 PM
Interestingly it wasn't the only house track that was in the top 40 in January 1987, there was another one, Jack the Groove by Raze, which is more minimal sounding than Jack Your Body, more of a deep house song.
According to its wikipedia page, the running time of the 12" single should have, according to the OCC rules, been too long to have counted for the charts apparently.
Posted by: Crazy Chris 12th January 2019, 06:40 PM
Yes that was it but they mistakenly counted them. He sold a lot on 12" too so if those hadn't been counted he wouldn't have been No.1 at all.
Posted by: Tedward 12th January 2019, 10:04 PM
The repeats are going to miss that, it's on a Mike Smith episode. Though hopefully by the time house is in full force, he will be gone!
Posted by: Danny89 12th January 2019, 11:15 PM
No problem at all! Some of the sales figures from 81-84 are Jaw-dropping!
And some exciting chart battles too, and close races.
Madonna's "True blue" almost lost out to Five star's "Rain or shine" by 600 copies.
Speaking of 1987, Madonna's "La Isla bonita" almost missed the No.1 spot thanks to Judy Boucher's " Can't be with you tonight" by 800 copies
Posted by: Crazy Chris 13th January 2019, 10:26 AM
I much prefer the album version of True Blue to the single version. It's slower and quite different.
I love the Judy Boucher track. Remember my mum buying it. Her follow-up You Cught My Eye was good too.
Posted by: The Snake 13th January 2019, 03:22 PM
It doesn't go into 'full force' until very late on in 1987. Despite the success of Jack Your Body, most of 1987's charts seem to be dominated by pop, cheesy ballads, cheesy dance-pop, early R&B, the odd alternative or rock hit, and not house or any form of credible dance music.
Radio 1 didn't tend to playlist many of the early house hits apparently (I was reading that even S'Express' first hit wasn't (until it reached #1). Jack Your Body just relied on play in clubs to become popular, which makes it even more incredible that it was so popular and got to #1 (even Paul Hardcastle's 19 was playlisted I believe).
The first half of 1988 sees house really become a big force in the charts. It's laughable how dated many of the other hits sound in the chart from 1988 compared to the house hits!
Posted by: Steve201 16th January 2019, 05:10 PM
Just watching the 1/1/87 - funny how in the 80s they regularly played Xmas songs in January such as Spitting Image in this episode, Paul MCCartney in 1983, David Essex in 1983 and various songs in 1984/85!
Posted by: Steve201 20th January 2019, 12:22 AM
Watching lastnyts totp - why were Freez IOU and Hot Chocolate You Sexy Thing in the top 40 then??
Posted by: Sausage Rollo 20th January 2019, 12:38 AM
They were both remixes. We'll get quite a lot of remixes of earlier songs in the chart from 1987 to 1989.
Posted by: The Snake 20th January 2019, 03:08 PM
Just listened to both 1987 remixes on YouTube. The Hot Chocolate song doesn't sound that different apart from having a slightly more prominent drum, but 'IOU' is definitely different. I still prefer the original 'IOU' I think, great dance track from 1983 which sounds proto-housey in parts, the remix is a bit of a mess tbh.
The highlight of the last episode was Dead Or Alive kicking off the show with 'Something In My House'. One of the last 'proper' Hi NRG hits before the genre turned mostly into cheesy dance-pop.
Rat in Mi iamspamspamamiis great fun, and that Randy Crawford ballad was nice enough, she has a good voice. That 'Curiosity Killed The Cat' band I haven't heard much before but they sound much like Hue and Cry or early Wet Wet Wet in style (both of which we will be seeing later in 1987). The song was quite good.
'Wheel's On Fire' was quite good too, guitar based alternative music was clearly really starting to become popular ahead of the 90s boom in the genre.
And a number one that really paves the way to the future, 'Jack Your Body' which sounds absolutely nothing like anything else in the chart at the time.
Posted by: King Rollo 23rd January 2019, 12:29 AM
The whole of the Mike Smith episode from 29/1/87 is on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcLi3kW6e58
Posted by: Steve201 1st February 2019, 10:22 PM
How many times did Curiosity play that hit single on totp?? And how did it not reach no1?
Some amount of NEs and chart entries on the Thursday episode this week!!
Posted by: Steve201 1st February 2019, 10:32 PM
Also the last top 40 entry for legendary 80s band Spandau Ballad I noticed too!
Posted by: King Rollo 1st February 2019, 11:01 PM
That's three times for Curiosity Killed The Cat. I wasn't expecting Eric Clapton to turn up in the studio. Behind The Mask is a good song and I also like that Carly Simon one.
Posted by: Steve201 2nd February 2019, 02:16 AM
Yeh two legendary artists for totp in 1987, the Bee Gees were to come as well; late 87 had some fantastic songs to look forward to as I feel the year started slow then from now got better with so many huge new releases a lot of which flopped such as Duran Duran/Frankie/Bananarama etc!
Posted by: fiesta 2nd February 2019, 03:45 PM
In 1987, Curiosity's album outsold George Michaels Faith album. Who'd of guessed!
Posted by: Steve201 2nd February 2019, 11:40 PM
That is wild considering Faith was George's first post Wham album!
Posted by: The Snake 3rd February 2019, 04:25 PM
1987 is like 1985, loads of well known 80s pop classics seem to come at once, particularly by about April of that year.
Posted by: Steve201 23rd February 2019, 09:03 AM
Did anyone see the TOTP hits of 1982 last night? Some difference in 5 years on that show musically and production wise!
Posted by: Mark. 3rd March 2019, 10:58 AM
Looks like we won't be seeing Michael Jackson on TOTP repeats anymore
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/michael-jackson-music-banned-bbc-14080612
Posted by: T'Snerk 4th March 2019, 09:16 AM
Did he ever actually perform on Top of the Pops after his early songs?
Is anyone following the 1987 reruns, it seems it has reached May now of 1987, I am just catching up with the episodes on iplayer.
'Living In A Box' I am a big fan of, that's an example of late 80s pop music done well I think. I used to be a big fan of the Starship song but on reflection it does sound a bit dated for 1987 I think. I still like it though. Also 'La Isla Bonita' is such a great holiday tune from Madonna. Also a new discovery for me on one of the video snippets, Fleetwood Mac's Big Love is a great funky tune!
Unfortunately neither of these songs seem to have been performed live at least on the surviving broadcast reruns am particularly disappointed at the absence of 'Living In A Box'.
The live performance of Whitney's I Wanna Dance... is very good.
And that Wet Wet Wet debut 'Wishing I Was Lucky' is brilliant I think. It's a very unique sounding pop song I think. Pity they wouldn't release anything quite as interesting again
The Level 42 song is nice enough but a bit cheesy, not one of their best I think.
And oh my at Male Stripper live on one of the February episodes, it is a great dancetastic song production-wise, not sure whether I like the lyrics though. Good fun though!
Posted by: King Rollo 4th March 2019, 11:23 AM
Snakey,all the missing 1987 episodes are on youtube. This one is worth watching as it has Living In A Box,Strangelove by Depeche Mode,Never Take Me Alive by Spear Of Destiny and Boops (Here To Go) by Sly & Robbie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=685-O0e9E2o
Posted by: T'Snerk 4th March 2019, 04:17 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=685-O0e9E2o
Thanks I am watching that now!
Living In a Box by Living In A Box, what a tune! I have thought for a while that it reminded me of Colonel Abrams' Trapped in terms of production style, turns out they have the same producer! Brilliant 80s production anyway!
Strangelove is a great song too, I like the verses particularly. 'Never Take Me Alive' is very good too, alternative rock was really starting to become more popular ahead of the 90s.
Posted by: T'Snerk 4th March 2019, 05:12 PM
A snippet of Donna Allen's Serious is played as a new entry in the most recent episode. You may recognise a part of it which was sampled in another song
Posted by: Steve201 4th March 2019, 11:18 PM
Last fridays episode was an absolute classic with the legendary duo of Peter Powell and Simon Bates (2 old hands by 1987) presenting and NE performances from Whitney with arguably her most famous track and many more.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 5th March 2019, 12:49 PM
Is anyone following the 1987 reruns, it seems it has reached May now of 1987, I am just catching up with the episodes on iplayer.
'Living In A Box' I am a big fan of, that's an example of late 80s pop music done well I think. I used to be a big fan of the Starship song but on reflection it does sound a bit dated for 1987 I think. I still like it though. Also 'La Isla Bonita' is such a great holiday tune from Madonna. Also a new discovery for me on one of the video snippets, Fleetwood Mac's Big Love is a great funky tune!
Unfortunately neither of these songs seem to have been performed live at least on the surviving broadcast reruns
am particularly disappointed at the absence of 'Living In A Box'.The live performance of Whitney's I Wanna Dance... is very good.
And that Wet Wet Wet debut 'Wishing I Was Lucky' is brilliant I think. It's a very unique sounding pop song I think. Pity they wouldn't release anything quite as interesting again
The Level 42 song is nice enough but a bit cheesy, not one of their best I think.
And oh my at Male Stripper live on one of the February episodes, it is a great dancetastic song production-wise, not sure whether I like the lyrics though.
Good fun though!I adore Living In A Box and La Isla Bonita, future chart-toppers for me (when I catch up!)
wet Wet Wet's debut was fab - nothing they did subsequently was as good, though Goodbye Girl, Cold Cold Heart and a couple of others were good.
Posted by: T'Snerk 9th March 2019, 02:51 PM
The subtitle of this thread needs changed, still says 1986 oops.
Goodnight Girl was my birth day #1 so I do have a bit of a soft spot for that one I suppose...
Posted by: Steve201 14th March 2019, 08:30 PM
Just watching the 11/6/1987 show here and hip hop seems to really have hit the mainstream in 1986/87 with big hits for Run DMC & Beastie Boys!
11/6/1987 Presented by Peter Powell & Simon Bates
John Farnham You're The Voice
Beastie Boys No Sleep Til Brooklyn (Video)
Run DMC It's Tricky (Video)
Whitesnake Is This Love (Video)
Tom Jones It's Not Unusual
ABC When Smokie Sings (Video)
JohnnyLogan Hold Me Now
**No1** Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Video)**
Jody Whatley Lookin For a New Love (Video)
Posted by: Popchartfreak 15th March 2019, 10:11 AM
Whatever I thought about them at the time (eg I rated Whitney's top 10) in retrospect, err 2 classics (Tom Jones is a 60'S classic leaving only ABC as "new"), a goodie in John Farnham, the rest merely meh and a step down from the early 80's. Roll on Pet Shop Boys, U2, Fleetwood Mac, Jacko, Bee Gees and other veterans to save the day!
Posted by: fiesta 15th March 2019, 09:52 PM
John Farnham was streaming long before everyone else started doing it. He used to be in a group called The Little River Band!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 16th March 2019, 10:48 AM
arf!
I have fond memories of Little River Band, Lonesome Loser was a big radio track when I did a South-West USA fly-drive tour, and Reminsicing is sweet...in fact doing it now!
Posted by: Tedward 17th March 2019, 09:15 PM
Not posted in here for a while, have still been watching the repeats though. Favourites from recent episodes for me have been Cameo's Back And Forth, JAMC's April Skies, and the brilliant It's A Sin which deserved the #1 spot we'll be seeing it at next week- though the current song at the top is utter dogshite
The episode from 5th March 87 that was shown a while back is probably the best one from this year so far- Forgotten Town, It Doesn't Have To Be, Respectable, Manhattan Skyline, all great songs performed on that ep. I do miss John presenting with Janice though, her shows with Gary Davies and Simon Mayo haven't been the same!
We have also been missing some pretty good Mike Smith editions, the episode previously mentioned with Depeche Mode was a great one. At the moment the repeats are at a point in the year where he doesn't present an episode for three months (June all the way through to August), probably the longest stretch of consecutive shows BBC4 has had since Yewtree happened!
However Smithy comes back with a vengence in September and presents a whole month of episodes- where we'll miss Pump Up The Volume's entire run at #1. This is also the point at which the American version was launched, and I've heard all of Gary's links are left over on the UK master tapes- if true, will be interesting to see some on the Smith editions he co-presents if we keep getting ones taken from the BBC Archive. There was a recent live episode he presented, with left over footage in which you could hear him speaking to the audience.
Posted by: Steve201 18th March 2019, 12:26 AM
Must be why we've seen the return of Peter Powell with avengence!!
Posted by: Steve201 19th March 2019, 11:44 PM
Top of the Pops
18/06/1987 presented by Janice Long & Simon Mayo
Samantha Fox Nothings Gonna Stop Me Now
Whitesnake Is This Love? (Video)
Tom Jones It's Not Unusual
ABC When Smokie Sings
Chris Rea Lets Dance (Video)
Janet Jackson The Pleasure Principle (Video)
Curiosity Killed the Cat Misfit
**No1** The Firm Star Trekkin **No1**
Broken English Comin on Strong (Video)
What a random no1, where did it come from? Seems to be the Spitting Image of 1987. I distinctly remember watching that video as a 4 year old when it was on totp, don't know why just do!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 20th March 2019, 12:40 PM
I think it was the equivalent of a Klingon - something you just stepped in and couldn't scrape off Still, at least it was funnier than Sam Fox's hit....
On future episodes, outrageous if they miss out MARRS entirely, a groundbreaking record!
Posted by: T'Snerk 20th March 2019, 03:24 PM
I am usually not that into ballads much but 'You're The Voice' is brilliant. It often appears on compilation albums with fellow big 80s rock ballads Foreigner's 'I Want To Know What Love Is' and Toto's 'Africa', but I certainly prefer 'You're The Voice'.
I see what you mean Steve and everyone else here about the theme tune, I do like 'The Wizard' but it is getting rather irritating now hearing it at the start of every episode, the calmer one before makes a better theme tune.
RUN DMC - It's Tricky was good fun!
ABC - When Smokey Sings is a very nice song even though it is rather cheesy and poppy compared to 'Look Of Love' or 'Poison Arrow'.
The recent novelty hit 'Baby Shark' certainly reminded me of 'Star Trekkin' with the style of vocal used in the song.
Posted by: Jester 20th March 2019, 05:06 PM
Excuse the ignorance, but who is being edited out/the reason why episodes are missed?
Posted by: Tedward 20th March 2019, 09:37 PM
Mike Smith didn't agree to have his Top Of The Pops episodes re-shown when he was still alive, supposedly due to a falling out with the BBC or something, most likely about his bad treatment by them after appearing in the infamous Ghostwatch programme which someone killed themselves over.
The Beeb is now "respecting his wishes" after his death, and hasn't included any of his shows in the repeat run since he started in November 1982. Even though this has meant missing out on a sizeable chunk of episodes, as after appearing in 12 over the course of 1982-84, he presents 16 each year for 1985, 86, and 87 (where we won't be seeing the Christmas show and a whole month of episodes from September- he co-presented those with Gary Davies).
So nothing Yewtree related- frustrating though, when you think that after banned presenters like Savile and Dave Lee Travis stopped in 1984, Smith became one of the hosts with the most appearances for the next few years afterwards until he leaves after March 88!
Posted by: Steve201 20th March 2019, 10:16 PM
Least he's leaving soon enough then, no doubt there'll be some reason not to show other episodes thereafter tho!
Posted by: Steve201 24th March 2019, 11:45 PM
TOTP 25/6/1987 Presented by Simon Bates & Peter Powell
Chris Rea Lets Dance
Bruce Willis Under The Boardwalk (Video)
Pet Shop Boys It's a Sin
Terence Trent Derby Wishing Well
Prince If I Was Your Girlfriend (Video)
Simple Minds Promised You a Miracle (Video)
Cliff Richard My Pretty One
**No1 The Firm Star Treekin **No1 (Video)
John Farnham You're The Voice (Video)
Posted by: Mack. 29th March 2019, 07:36 PM
Under The Boardwalk not sure what to think from Bruce Willis.
Posted by: Steve201 30th March 2019, 01:42 AM
It seemed to be absolutely huge back then, the video was shown a lot on totp for around a month. It's actually quite decent like a 50s soul song!
Posted by: King Rollo 1st April 2019, 03:47 PM
Last week's episodes were shown in the wrong order. The Thursday episode was 23/7/87 and Friday's was 16/7/87.
Posted by: Tedward 3rd April 2019, 06:05 PM
Yes, that was weird, 16/7/19 only got moved to Friday due to an issue with the video quality of the Madonna playout apparently.
Been a mixed bag in terms of the editions on recently, 9/7/87 with Black, The Christians, and Pet Shop Boys at #1 was a pretty decent one, but 23/7/ was pretty dire, not one song I really liked on that- only saving grace being Simon and Janice as hosts. Though not on the same level as with John Peel, I thought they worked pretty well together, which is a shame as Janice only did one more with him after this about a year on from now in 1988, one of her last episodes in fact.
Posted by: Steve201 3rd April 2019, 09:42 PM
When does the new generation of presenters come into it?
Seem to have moved to the traditional presenters this year - who do we always miss with Smithy?
Posted by: King Rollo 3rd April 2019, 11:04 PM
From February 1988,Mark Goodier and Nicky Campbell join as presenters. Then Anthea Turner later in the year. Most of the current batch will keep going for a while but not be seen quite as frequently.
Posted by: Steve201 4th April 2019, 07:33 PM
Yeh Powell leaves in Sept 88 I think - he goes back a long time and has lived through some huge uk chart history lol. He started around 1977/78 I think and looked a lot different back then. Same with simon bates, Steve Wright and a few others.
Posted by: Steve201 13th April 2019, 07:56 AM
Just watching the 16/7/87 episode and Under the Boardwalk video being shown yet again - how many times?? Must have been one of the longest runners of the year!
Posted by: Steve201 13th April 2019, 08:16 AM
16/7/87 TOTP presented by Peter Powell & Simon Bates
Bananarama I Heard a Rumour
Bruce Willis Under the Boardwalk (Video)
Hue & Cry Labour of Love
Kenny G Songbird (Live Sax Performance)
Mel & Kim FLM (Video)
Los Lobos La Bamba (Video)
The Cure Catch (Video)
Boogie Box Jive Talkin (Video)
Freddy McGregor I Just Don't Wanna Be Lonely
***No1*** Pet Shop Boys Its A Sin ***No1***
Madonna Who's That Girl (Video)
Posted by: Tedward 14th April 2019, 01:51 AM
Couple of okay editions on recently, Friday's (13/08/87) probably being the best of the bunch. Do have a soft spot for Def Leppard and their album Hysteria from which Animal is from, and most of the breakers shown were great (Bridge To Your Heart, Just Call, Happy When It Rains, all favourites from this chart). Plus a third showing for Labour Of Love, yet it still not being tiring- good song that. And a good job Jacko hadn't made a video for his #1, or BBC might've had to drop this episode.
Also some interesting points, with Rick's debut and arguably the beginning of the SAW domination, an obscure Australian band Pseudo Echo- giving us Bates' surprisingly truthful prediction for Aussie acts crossing over, as well as the banned version of Wet Wet Wet's Sweet Little Mystery. They were sued by Van Morrison over stolen lyrics in this song after it charted, and the one shown on TOTP recently is the version with the unaltered, plagiarised lyrics, which aren't heard on their album or any music channels showing the video!
Looking ahead to next weeks episodes, its the last couple before Smith comes back and messes everything up with presenting 4 in a row Some of the songs we won't be missing out on before he returns include T'pau- Heart & Soul, Then Jericho- The Motive, and the great PSB'S & Dusty Springfield's What Have I Done To Deserve This, as well as some of last week's breakers in full (Wax + Sherrick), and another live vocal performance from Black, with their biggest hit Wonderful Life.
Posted by: TheSnake 14th April 2019, 11:35 AM
Def Leppard's best song easily for me is 'Love Bites'. Not that big a fan of any of their other singles tbh.
'Labour Of Love' is great and a very different pop hit, pity Hue and Cry, like fellow Scottish bad Wet Wet Wet never had another song that was nearly as good as their debut (in my opinion at least).
Just watched the most recent episode now. Rick Astley is on it, the SAW cheesy dance pop bandwagon is starting! Also for cheesy dance pop, Spagna is at #3 with Call Me, its like the sort of equivalent of Jonas Blue of 1987 I think with the combination of the instrumental 'drop' in place of the chorus (it even sounds a bit 'tropical') and sentimental lyrics. I rather like it though.
We now seem to be at the height of the 80s stadium rock era with Def Leppard swiftly followed by Motley Crue. The Wet Wet Wet song 'Sweet Little Mystery' is nice enough if a bit cheesy (rather like ABC's 'When Smokey Sings' also from 1987). Sweet Little Mystery has become a radio favourite over the years though.
Posted by: Steve201 14th April 2019, 02:49 PM
Was this Def Leppards big break through? Their chart history seems to show top 75 hits back until 1979!
Posted by: TheSnake 15th April 2019, 04:18 PM
Yep it does seem to be (they were more an albums than a singles act until 'Animal'), and the second half of the 80s seems to see more hard rock in the charts than the first half - I suppose as new wave mostly died out by about 1985, hard rock took its place in the charts, along with the growing success of guitar based alternative rock (with Jesus and Mary Chain making top 10 in 1987)
Posted by: Steve201 15th April 2019, 06:50 PM
Or hard rock acts creating stadium pop/rock anthems!
Posted by: TheSnake 17th April 2019, 09:08 AM
Yep a lot of them went a bit more chart friendly in the late 80s.
Labour of Love sounds more early 80s than late 80s I think, more in common with the alternative pop/new wave of the early 80s than the more polished pure pop of the late 80s, and that's why i like it, it sounds a lot 'lighter' than most of the stuff around the charts at the time.
Posted by: Steve201 17th April 2019, 11:11 PM
The chart seemed very slow between May-Aug 87, seems some of the biggest hits had been around for ages!!
Posted by: King Rollo 21st April 2019, 11:13 PM
I've just watched Friday's episode. Apart from the breakers section,there were no videos. We saw six studio performances. I think it might be a while since that happened. Bridge To Your Heart by Wax is a great pop song. That would have been Graham Gouldman's first appearance on TOTP since Dreadlock Holiday was no.1 for 10cc in 1978.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 22nd April 2019, 07:07 AM
Yes a great single, so was Right Between The Eyes though not a big hit sadly that one.
Posted by: Mark. 28th April 2019, 03:30 PM
Posted by: Mark. 28th April 2019, 03:30 PM
Edit
Posted by: Steve201 29th April 2019, 07:46 PM
Thanks for posting Mark, I was just about to watch the 10/9 episode when I saw this. We really do miss some quality episodes of Totp when Mike Smith presents - i mean when was the last time Squeeze appeared? 1982?
Here's the episode preview
Totp 3/9/87 Presented by Mike Smith
Squeeze Hour Glass
Levert Casanova
The Housemartins Me & The Farmer
Cliff Richard Some People
The Cult Wildflower (Video)
Johnny Hates Jazz I Don't Wanna Be a Hero
***Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up ***No 1
Fat Boys with the Beech Boys Whipe Out (Video)
Posted by: Steve201 6th May 2019, 03:20 PM
Big jump to to the 15/10/87 on totp this weekend!
Posted by: Steve201 6th May 2019, 03:55 PM
Top of the Pops 15/10/1987 Presented by Gary Davies & Peter Powell
UB40 Maybe Tomorrow
Five Star Strong As Steel (Video)
The Alarm Rain in the Summertime
Terence Trent Derby Dance Little Sister
Los Lobas Come on, lets go (Video)
Banarama Love in the First Degree (Video)
Fleetwood Mac Little Lies (Video)
Was (Not Was) Walk the Dinosaur (Video)
The FatBack Band I Found Lovin
****No1 The Bee Gees You Win Again No1****
Billy Idol Mony Mony (Video)
Posted by: Steve201 7th May 2019, 12:42 PM
Top of the Pops 22/10/1987 Presented by Gary Davies & Simon Bates
Was(Not Was) Walk the Dinosaur
Los Lobas Come On, Lets Go (From TOTP USA)
Pet Shop Boys Rent
Kiss Crazy Crazy Nights (From TOTP USA)
Erasure The Circus
The Cure Just Like Heaven (Video)
Ray Parker Jnr I Don't Think That Man Should Sleep Alone (Video)
George Michael Faith (Video)
***Bee Gees You Win Again *** No1 3 Weeks
Bananarama Love In The First Degree (Video)
Posted by: TheSnake 7th May 2019, 03:47 PM
Shocked we have nearly finished 1987. I haven't really been following the re-runs though, need to catch up now. We will see how completely different things are in early 1988 to what they were in 1987 as house really starts to become a big trend in the chart.
'You Win Again' is brilliant kickstarting their later era revival. I also really like 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' in 1993.
'Rent' is one of the Pet Shop Boys best I think, the production is great and quite atmospheric.
Faith is OK but a bit cheesy and too teenage pop for my liking, George Michael would get a lot better in the 90s imo.
Love In The First Degree swiftly following Never Gonna Give You Up - well that's definitely the Stock Aitken Waterman era in full flow now!
I don't like the new graphics we see in 1987 on top of the pops with the song titles without capital letters. It just looks like the BBC were trying to be too trendy with the graphic presentation!
Posted by: Steve201 7th May 2019, 10:27 PM
Think we lose the main stage of the set soon as we move to the late 80s/early 90s set!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 8th May 2019, 11:24 AM
The new bee gee sound and beats was due to maurice gibb who based it on depeche modes more industrial synth period. It worked beautifully...
Posted by: King Rollo 9th May 2019, 11:02 AM
I've been watching the four missing episodes over the last week on youtube. Mick Jagger made his first appearance since 1970,taking over the studio and using all the stages in the same way that Adam Ant did a few years earlier with Goody Two Shoes. 'Let's Work' was only number 41 that week so TOTP broke their own rules but they were obviously eager to have him on the show. We also had some other veteran male singers. Gary Numan performing his remix of Cars,Steve Winwood singing his remix of Valerie (later sampled by Eric Prydz on Call On Me) and Cliff Richard with what I think is his best song 'Some People'.
Other highlights were Karel Fialka performing the wonderful Hey Matthew (without Matthew) and what I think is ABC's final TOTP appearance with The Night You Murdered Love. We also had the launch of TOTP America so we will now see American acts in the LA studio rather than on video if they are not in the UK. This started with LL Cool J's I Need Lurve,memorably rhyming huddle with puddle.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 9th May 2019, 05:01 PM
Some people is prob the final great cliff single. Katel fialka also fab, i also charted his 1980 track the eyes have it. Abc can do wrong for me. Just caught them yet again with a ful orchestra and still a brilliant back catalogue which they did, including recent lexicon of love 2 tracks and night you murdered love. They sound so much more full bodied, powerful and romantic with the south ban sinfonia. Highly recommend!
Posted by: TheSnake 9th May 2019, 06:33 PM
The Karel Fialka track production does sound a bit Ace of Base-esque. Very good track anyway, I like the 'drop' in it!
Posted by: Steve201 9th May 2019, 08:26 PM
It's turning into my fav BGs track as I've overplayed the others I think!
Posted by: Tedward 15th May 2019, 08:29 PM
Very surprised that 1988 is very near already, guess that's what the missed Mike Smith editions do. Speaking of which, we should be getting more episodes than ever after his exit in early '88 after presenting just 4 episodes from January to March, so to wrap that year up we should be getting back to back episodes in one night more often! Definitely looking forward to house becoming a bigger thing in the charts, on the last one of 87 we'll be seeing House Arrest by Krush, one of the first proper British-made house hits, good song.
The Story of 1988 and 1988 Big Hits look likely to be shown in early June, as the December episodes will be shown next week and the week after. Will be weird seeing Fairytale of New York and other Christmas songs in summer, but the actual Christmas show will sadly be skipped due to Smithy. I have the episode downloaded already, not watching until the editions leading up to it are done and over with.
One of the best episodes on recently has been 27/08/87, a very strong line-up indeed (PSB's, Then Jericho, Black, T'Pau, Prince + Sheena Easton- all great songs), the one before that was decent as well (Wax, Sherrick, Spagna, good stuff), surprisingly no videos besides a couple of breakers! Disappointed that we missed 01/10/87 due to Smith though, another pretty strong episode with only Shaky being the weak track in there.
Posted by: Steve201 16th May 2019, 09:04 PM
Is the Xmas episode on you tube?
Posted by: Tedward 16th May 2019, 09:18 PM
Not yet, but should be soon. There are a few performances from the show on there already though (PSBs, T'Pau, Bee Gees).
Posted by: Steve201 16th May 2019, 10:43 PM
I hope it's on in time as it's always a shame to miss it!
Posted by: Serhat Mack 17th May 2019, 06:37 PM
I suspect that 1988 will be coming next month.
Posted by: Serhat Mack 17th May 2019, 10:02 PM
China In Your Hand has that sort of plucky electronic sound on it that Enya's Orinocco Flow has about a year later.
Posted by: Steve201 18th May 2019, 03:47 PM
Top of the Pops 1987 12/11/1987 Presented by Peter Powell & Gary Davies
The Communards Never Can Say Goodbye
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes I've Had (The Time of My Life) From TOTP USA
Mirage Jack Mix IV
Alexander O'Neil Criticize
Donna Summer Dinner With Gershwin (Video)
Marillion Warm Wet Circles (Video)
Witney Houston So Emotional (video)
***No1 T'Pau China in your Hand ***No1
Nina Simone My Baby Just Cares For Me (Video)
Posted by: Common Sense 18th May 2019, 04:56 PM
I've never really like it and never understood why it spent 5 weeks at No.1
Posted by: Common Sense 18th May 2019, 04:57 PM
The year of Kylie mainly for me.
Posted by: Steve201 18th May 2019, 07:34 PM
It's one of the classic 80s ballads for me!
Posted by: Steve201 19th May 2019, 12:59 PM
Anyone know if Paul Wellers performance with the Style Council last week is his last on totp?
Posted by: TheSnake 20th May 2019, 08:44 PM
The Communards Never Can Say Goodbye
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes I've Had (The Time of My Life) From TOTP USA
Mirage Jack Mix IV
Alexander O'Neil Criticize
Donna Summer Dinner With Gershwin (Video)
Marillion Warm Wet Circles (Video)
Witney Houston So Emotional (video)
***No1 T'Pau China in your Hand ***No1
Nina Simone My Baby Just Cares For Me (Video)
Will have to catch up with the episode but that is a good tracklist. Not a big fan of power ballads usually but China In Your Hand is one of the few I really like, its a brilliantly constructed song I think, its great how it builds up. Not sure it needs the over the top sounding saxophone for the last third of the song though.
'Criticize' and its production is great, it deservedly has become a classic.
I do like the Communards' version of Never Can Say Goodbye, their final big hit sadly. The production I don't find as cheesy as the Stock Aitken Waterman tracks of the time like 'Love In The First Degree'.
Posted by: TheSnake 20th May 2019, 08:48 PM
Yes 'House Arrest' really starts the trend properly for house tracks making the charts regularly. I first discovered 'House Arrest' last year and was blown away by how incredible it sounds for 1987.
Posted by: Steve201 20th May 2019, 09:47 PM
That Mirage Jack Mix IV seemed to show how popular it was becoming it being a house mix of 4/5 mainly disco hits.
Posted by: King Rollo 21st May 2019, 09:39 PM
I've just watched last Friday's episode with Barry White and Donna Summer both making rare appearances in the studio. They said it was Donna Summer's first time on the programme and even when Barry White was having hits in the 70s,I don't remember seeing him turning up too often.
Posted by: Steve201 22nd May 2019, 09:54 PM
I assume during Donnas hayday in the mid 70s she was too busy in America! Looking forward to watching that now though that they're in the studio. Is it right to say we see The Proclaimers have their first appearance?
Posted by: King Rollo 22nd May 2019, 10:54 PM
Yes,it was the Proclaimers debut. Simon Mayo and Steve Wright predicted Letter From America to be the Christmas no.1. They weren't far out,it got to no.3.
Posted by: Steve201 22nd May 2019, 11:35 PM
We didn't know a classic from a lesser know Celtic band would ring down through the ages to sell more than them!
Posted by: Jester 23rd May 2019, 06:38 AM
Who?
Posted by: Popchartfreak 23rd May 2019, 06:58 AM
Big American acts were quite rare on TOTP in those days, unless they were on tour here or flown-in especially with much hoo hah, they usually had Pans People or videos later on. I remember Donna had a video for I Remember Yesterday and Barry Just The Way You Are - but I dont recall seeing them much before those videos!
Posted by: fiesta 23rd May 2019, 05:48 PM
Love The Proclaimers, sunshine on leith is a classic album
Posted by: Steve201 23rd May 2019, 06:30 PM
Fairytale of New York!
Posted by: Jester 23rd May 2019, 07:04 PM
Oh yeah. Duh!
Posted by: Steve201 24th May 2019, 12:44 AM
I thought I had made a mistake lol
Posted by: Steve201 24th May 2019, 01:10 AM
Top of the Pops 19/11/1987 Presented by Steve Wright & Simon Mayo
Maxi Priest Some Guys Have All the Luck
Witney Houston So Emotional (Video)
The Proclaimers Letter From America
Barry White Sho You Right
Boy George To Be Reborn (Video)
The Smiths I Started Something (Video)
Donna Summer Dinner With Gerkswin
***No1 T'Pau China In Your Hand (Video) ***No1
Whitesnake Here I Go Again (Video)
Posted by: Mack. 24th May 2019, 11:43 PM
One more edition left for 1987
December 17, 1987 - Gary Davies & Mike Read
Then on to 1988, the year of Kylie.
Posted by: Steve201 25th May 2019, 08:56 AM
And Bros...
Mike Read hasn't done it in ages? Or has he been doing all the Smith episodes?
Posted by: TheSnake 26th May 2019, 07:23 PM
Haven't been watching all the episodes....was Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion performed on any of the TOTP episodes, that's a great top 10 single from late 1987, and it still has a touch of the early 80s post punk/new wave vibes to it I think.
So onto 1988 very soon then....1988 is not as good in terms of chart music as 1989 in my opinion though. But some good stuff I like though Def Leppard - Love Bites, Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love (better than Tell It To My heart imo), Jane Weidlin - Rush Hour, Eighth Wonder - I'm Not Scared, Pet Shop Boys - Heart, Climie Fisher - Love Changes Everything, Aztec Camera - Somewhere in My Heart, Heart - These Dreams, Kim Wilde - Never Trust A Stranger, Erasure - A Little Respect and of course the house hits, acid and otherwise!
And I do quite like Bros - I Owe You Nothing - but thought it was a Wham song until quite recently, it sounds quite Wham-esque in style.
Posted by: Steve201 29th May 2019, 10:07 PM
Yeh Bros are pure cheese but in that awful take yourself too serious way. Their Silent Night single in December 88 was awful too!
Posted by: Popchartfreak 30th May 2019, 07:35 AM
1988 def went off the boil a bit compared to the rest of the decade, Bros & the rise of manufactured pop acts didn't help, plus a lot of big-hitters of the time were notably absent during the year, bar Pet Shop Boys, with George M and Jacko mining their big 1987 albums for singles. Kylie stood firmly in the manufactured pop star groove at the time - and then shocked us all at her staying power and good taste in career choices and pop direction from Better The Devil You Know onwards.
Posted by: TheSnake 30th May 2019, 03:54 PM
Well 1986 doesn't seem to have been a great year for music either. For the 1980s, 1982 is probably my favourite year for top 40 music from the decade, although a lot of my faves from that year didn't make the top 10.
Better The Devil You Know is when SAW started to use more Italo-house influenced productions, so that's probably why it sounds less cheesy than her earlier stuff.
Well I don't like 'Drop The Boy' much but 'I Owe You Nothing' I quite like and don't think it sounds quite so cheesy and dated as some of the SAW stuff.
Posted by: Steve201 30th May 2019, 06:54 PM
Yes I Owe You Nothing is a good song imo!
Posted by: Steve201 30th May 2019, 06:56 PM
Anyone else noticing the studio is changing again - losing the classic stage with the TV screen in the background - certainly starting to look more 'late 80s early 90s' now. Just need Anthea Turner to start presenting now.
Posted by: Steve201 31st May 2019, 07:35 PM
Top of the Pops 26/11/1987 Presented by Gary Davies & Simon Bates
Blue Mercedes I Want To Be Your Property
Boy George To Be Reborn (Video)
The Communards Never Can Say Goodbye
Shakin Stevens What You Wanna Make Those Eyes At Me
The Hooters Satellite (Video)
Paul McCartney Once Upon A Long Ago (Video)
The Housemartins Build
No1 ***T'Pau China In Your Hand ***No1
George Harrison I Got My Mind Set On You (Video)
That Blue Mercedes track sounds exactly like IOU by Freeze!
Posted by: TheSnake 31st May 2019, 07:52 PM
It reminds me more of Mel and Kim (especially with the backing singers in the chorus) tbh especially in terms of production - a mix of house and SAW type dance pop.
Posted by: Steve201 31st May 2019, 08:41 PM
Yeh very upbeat and Camp. Does anyone know if that's the studio changed for good now?
Posted by: King Rollo 31st May 2019, 09:46 PM
I've just watched last Friday's episode with Paul McCartney performing what would turn out to be his final solo top 10 single,'One Upon A Long Ago',a very good song. When did we last see him in the studio? I don't remember seeing him before on any of these re-runs.
Also 'Satellite' by The Hooters is a great song. Good to hear that one again.
Posted by: Steve201 1st June 2019, 01:13 AM
Didn't realise that was his last solo top 10, it's a good track. McCartney had plenty of videos on totp such as Mull of Kintyre and Pipes of Peace, good to see a legend in the studio. Was this Shakys last top 10 as well?
Who's the longest running Presenter by this stage? Simon Bates?
Posted by: King Rollo 1st June 2019, 09:41 AM
Yes,it was Shaky's last top ten single. Peter Powell is the longest running presenter,making his debut in January 1978. Simon Bates didn't appear until December 1979. I suppose the producers picked Peter first out of the Radio 1 line-up because he was young and cool and more familiar with the new wave groups that were coming through at the time.
Posted by: Popchartfreak 1st June 2019, 11:23 AM
A decent-ish track, best is When Will I Be Famous until a couple of their more minor late hits which I liked, around I Quit era, especially Madly In Love which was under-rated but all the weeny boppers abandoned them.
Posted by: Steve201 1st June 2019, 12:37 PM
Top of the Pops 3/12/1987 Presented by Janice Long & Gary Davies
The Hooters Satellite
Alexander O'Neil Criticize (Video)
The Proclaimers Letter From America ❤️
Def Leppard Hysteria (Video)
Cutting Crew I've Been In Love Before (Video)
Jelly Bean Who Found Who (Ft Elisa Fiorillo) (Video)
Paul McCartney Once Upon A Long Ago
*** No1 T'Pau China In Your Hand No1 ***
MAxi Priest Some Guys
Posted by: TheSnake 1st June 2019, 04:33 PM
Now that's a fab song, and like Living In A Box's eponomous song from earlier in the year, fab production and late 80s pop at its best!
Posted by: Steve201 4th June 2019, 11:11 PM
Yeh, I was saying how cheesy it is to my wife when it was on and she agreed, but that's not necessarily a criticism.
Posted by: Shaky Fan 5th June 2019, 05:51 PM
Yes! Although Merry Christmas Everyone has sneaked back in again in both 2017 (when it got to 10) and in 2018 it peaked at 9. That appearance in 2017 was exactly 30 years to the week since his previous appearance when What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For was also at number 10.
Posted by: Steve201 5th June 2019, 08:26 PM
Ah of course he would re-enter with the Christmas classic. Does he make any further totp appearances?
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