Time for another nostalgia trip as we head back to the end of March 1980.

 

The Vapors over the chart. They were last on last week (over the end credits), and now they are first on this week. That could be some sort of record (apart from when the number one was played over the chart).

 

Liquid Gold are the first studio act. I’m sure things will improve. They seem to have gone to the very back of the costume cupboard for their outfits.

 

Genesis are, indeed, an improvement although this is a long way from their best work. Phil Collins’ shirt must had come from the same cupboard as Liquid Gold’s clothes. Oh, and the producer has been given a new toy to palay with.

 

Legs & Co demonstrate the stomp, accompanied by Brothers Johnson. Not going terribly well so far this week. It will get better, won’t it?

 

The standard remains low with a dreary number from Dr Hook, so the answer to question is “No. Not yet anyway”.

 

This week’s “only on TOTP moment” as Dr Hook are followed by the rather less soporific Judas Priest. This band must have got through a lot of shampoo.

 

Some decent stuff at last from Siouxsie and the Banshees.

 

The Secret Affair song whose existence I had forgotten two weeks ago has been cut, so I’ve still forgotten how it went.

 

On to former Ultravox! man John Foxx. Sounds rather like Gary Numan which is, perhaps appropriate for a song called No One Driving. Maybe Google will use it in an advert for their car. Oh look, another new gadget for the producer. It must have been his birthday recently.

 

The quality dips again with the Detroit Spinners.

 

Saving the best till last, The Jam are still at number one.

 

Leon Haywood over the end credits. I remember the song very well (not fondly), but had completely forgotten who did it.

 

No programme next week as it’s Sky At Night time.

We’re finally into April now for this week’s nostalgia session. Earlier that day, a children’s drama called Graham’s Gang returned with Mel Gibson in the cast. Not that one, this was Melanie Gibson. The cast of the Play For Today that night included a 24-year-old Timothy Spall.

 

The likes of Judas Priest have often been cut. They can’t do that this time as they accompany the chart rundown.

 

Madness are the first proper act tonight, so it’s a good start. Suggs’ outfit comes courtesy of Don Estelle. And, just for the record, fezzes are cool.

 

Barbara Dickson next, still pronouncing both Rs in February. Some people should be made to listen to this song on repeat until they are able to pronounce the second month correctly. Starting with David Jensen. Barbara Dickson’s hair comes courtesy of Brian May.

 

Some classic northern soul from Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Doesn’t Kevin Rowland look young? And normal.

 

More quality from The Pretenders.

 

The quality couldn’t last. It’s time for some rubbish, as Legs & Co strut their stuff to Leon Haywood. Thankfully, this was his only hit.

 

UB40 and The Selecter are somewhere on the cutting-room floor.

 

BA Robertson gets another airing.

 

The Lambrettas in this week’s second fun slot (after Madness). Wow, that outfit is very red. Farage is now phoning the BBC to complain about left-wing bias.

 

Prima Donna fill this week’s long-forgotten obscurity slot with our 1980 Eurovision entry. It didn’t win. Still, their mother, Ma Donna, did OK. The male singer in the middle borrowed some of Brian May’s hair from Barbara Dickson after she had finished with it. The suits come courtesy of Dr Who.

 

And, The Jam are still at number one for a third triumphant week.

 

It’s been mostly a good show tonight. Dr Hook over the end credits is one of the lowlights.

Prima Donna was awful (like a poor Brotherhood Of man) and to think it came third in the contest for us that year, our entry last year was much better and we got nowhere.

 

Loved The Pretenders, Jam and also the Barbra Dickson song is great.

Edited April 24, 201510 yr by fiesta

Back we go to 10 April 1980 (the day Charlie Hunnam was born) for this week’s programme. Later in the evening the cast of Play For Today included Pam St Clement, later known as Pat Butcher (and, presumably, several other surnames). That morning’s programmes included Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set And Go And Do Something Less Boring Instead.

 

Liquid Gold over the credits.

 

The Undertones are the first band in the studio. It’s bound to go downhill from here. Note the mention of Human League (then an unknown band) in the lyrics.

 

David Essex next, with an attempt to move away from his mid-70s-style songs.

 

Now it really is going downhill. It’s Legs & Co dancing to Dr Hook.

 

Will Saxon survive the cut this time? Yes, amazingly, they have. Whether that is a good thing is a matter for debate.

 

On to one of the more unusual “super-groups”, Sky. Classical guitarist John Williams, bass guitarist Herbie Flowers (who played bass on Walk On The Wild Side), percussionist Tristan Fry (who worked with David Essex, among others), Aussie guitarist Kevin Peek and keyboardist Francis Monkman from Curved Air. Monkman and Peek worked together on the soundtrack to The Long Good Friday.

 

Another band who regularly get left on the cutting-room floor, Judas Priest also get an airing on the early version of the show. It looks they may just be cutting some songs short to lose the extra five minutes.

 

Or not. Siouxsie and the Banshees have been cut (a terrible decision) as have Sad Cafe with their third hit (although most people can only remember one).

 

The Bodysnatchers, on the other hand, made the cut for this week’s ska slot.

 

The Buggles with another attempt to come up with a second song people will remember 35 years later. Nope. At least we know why Simon Bates never made it as an actor.

 

After three weeks at number one, The Jam have been toppled. It’s not good news at all. They have been replaced by the Detroit Spinners. And the original was by the Four Seasons, not the Four Tops. Learn your script, Mr Bates. Another reason he never made it as an actor.

 

Secret Affair over the end credits.

 

The next episode is Yewtreed so we reach 24 April next week.

I presume fab Siouxsie makes a later edition as there can be no other justification for not cutting Judas Priest or Saxon or Dr Hook instead. Sad Cafe would also be preferable. The rest I'm very happy with B-)

 

I've always got a bit spitty-venomy at DJ's who should know basic music facts (it is, after all, their chosen profession and one expects professionals to know basic facts) 0 I mean it makes them look stoopid, dunnit!?

Radio DJ''s very rarely know anything about music (with the exemption maybe of Mr Gambaccini), they are hired for their personalities not their music knowledge.

 

This week wasn't as good as last week for me.

 

Thank goodness David Essex didn't get to number one as Mr bates predicted!

BBC 6Music still has plenty of presenters who know about music.

We’ve skipped a week as the previous episode was presented by Jimmy Savile. That means we will get a few repeats (unless they have been cut). We’re now up to 24 April. The Play For Today later that night, The Imitation Game (nothing to do with the recent film), was written by Ian McEwan, now an acclaimed novelist. The cast included Brenda Blethyn and Patricia Routledge.

 

Rodney Franklin (who?) over the chart. And they’ve changed the graphics again. This was played over the end credits of the episode we have missed.

 

Smokie abandon the Chinn / Chapman compositions for a Bobby Vee cover. Their cover of Needles And Pins was better (and more successful).

 

Paul McCartney next. OK, but not exactly a masterpiece. You can even play “Spot who that is meant to be”. Hank Marvin and Ron Mael among others. Apparently John Lennon was a fan of this song, and chose to resume his writing career as a result.

 

The Cure make their debut - they will always be welcome.

 

More quality (hi-fidelity quality, even) with Elvis Costello.

 

Repeats from Sky and Sad Cafe have been cut.

 

On to Cockney Rejects. Hmm, let’s reject this one.

 

Legs & Co strutting their stuff to Bobby Thurston.

 

Bad Manners with the daftest title of the week.

 

First actual :jameela: repeat showing of the week from David Essex.

 

The Undertones have been cut. Note to incoming government (whoever heads it) - make this illegal.

 

Johnny Logan with his first Eurovision winner.

 

A brilliant number one from Blondie. Oh dear, Legs & Co are back. At least it’s not getting the Bright Eyes treatment.

 

And we play out with a great number two from Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Not that we got to hear much of it.

 

It’s Sky At Night next week, so more in a fortnight’s time.

@£$%%$£@$ cutting Undertones for Cockney %$£$% Rejects, I mean, really....! :lol:

 

The US hit version of Coming Up was a Live B Side version - it wasn't very good, but US radio wasn't quite ready for a Beatle going popsynthy. Synth-based British pop music had the last laugh though as it wiped out the bland rockers who set up bonfires of disco records to kill it off a few months earlier. Dance music, of course, always wins out cos people lurve to dance, always will.

 

I went to see Bad Manners in concert, worra laff, and I reviewed it in Record Mirror after contacting the concert review editor. That was the start and end of my music journalist career. Till right now :lol:

Love Coming Up, one of my fave Mccartney songs. It was certainly a big departure from his current move into hip hop with Kanye West.

 

Take Good Care Of My baby is a good song but Smokie's version was a bit dodgy!

Time for Tommy Vance’s TOTP debut. A case of TV on TV, rather than TV on Radio. The story of how Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston became Tommy Vance is well documented.

 

Leon Haywood over the chart. Not an encouraging start.

 

Forgotten follow-up time with New Musik. Oh, it’s Living By Numbers Part II. I remember it now.

 

Narada Michael Walden next. That’s some ‘tache on the saxophonist.

 

Something’s missing from the memory bank as I don’t remember this song from The Chords at all. And what was that sofa about? As for The Chords. They are a bit like The Jam, but from Lidl rather than Waitrose.

 

Legs & Co perform to another song I’ve forgotten, even though it made the top ten. Apologies to Rodney Franklin, whoever he is. This is turning into TOTP - The Sofa Edition.

 

Rock time with Whitesnake and their first hit.

 

The quality remains fairly mediocre with Jimmy Ruffin.

 

A return to rock with Saxon and some psychedelic special effects.

 

The late Errol Brown was up next with the rest of Hot Chocolate. However, that has been left for the late-night repeat.

 

We also miss yet more rock with Motorhead and this week’s “Only on TOTP” moment as Motorhead were followed by The Nolans.

 

Back to the acts that have survived the editor’s knife and some ska from The Beat.

 

Now things get really good with Kate Bush. She almost makes up for some of the dross we’ve endured so far. The video is, of course, not at all weird.

 

Sadly, Blondie’s reign at the top lasted just one week. At least the new number one, from Dexy’s Midnight Runners is a decent song, although not as good as Call Me. The BBC have even blown their budget (about £1.25 of it anyway) with a big number one.

 

The run of three decent songs is broken with Johnny Logan’s Eurovision winner over the end credits. Still, it leads us up to the second Eurovision semi-final.

Wasn't the New Musik TOTP performance, This World of Water and not Living By Numbers?

Wasn't the New Musik TOTP performance, This World of Water and not Living By Numbers?

Yes, but my point was that it sounded very similar to Living By Numbers. Hence the Part II.

Time for another trip back to 1980.

 

Apparently the song over the chart is by Mystic Merlin. It even reached the top twenty but I have no recollection of it whatsoever.

 

Human League kick things off with their TOTP debut, without any cocktail bar waitresses for now. We’d better not mention who had previously had a hit with Rock And Roll.

 

Johnny Logan has, mercifully, been cut.

 

Another one whose existence I have forgotten, this time from Prelude. Apparently, they are still around. Who knew? They are playing in Throckley (wherever that is) on Sunday night.

 

Michael Jackson next. It sounds even more boring than I remember.

 

Matchbox with a song that would see them strike lucky with their biggest hit to date. To quote soemone on Twitter, they are a bit like the Poundland Showaddywaddy. Or Shoddywaddy.

 

Average White Band get the Legs & Co treatment. AWB must have one of the most modest-sounding names, apart from Garbage, of course.

 

Debut time again with the wonderful Jona Lewie, languishing at number 73 this week. Note Kirsty MacColl’s appearance as a backing vocalist (although she didn’t sing on the record).

 

Cockney Rejects would have had another airing, but they didn't make the edit. *Declines obvious joke opportunity*

 

Boney M, with their first song to miss the top forty after a string of hits, have also been cut.

 

On to The Ruts’ latest offering.

 

The best debut of the night (and there’s stronger competition than normal) comes from Wirral’s finest, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. I once worked with someone who was taught by Paul Humphreys’ brother.

 

Time for someone to be sacked. The Undertones have been edited out.

 

Dexy’s Midnight Runners are still number one, giving us another chance to look up Kevin Rowland’s nose.

 

We do get Hot Chocolate this week, but only over the closing credits, and not for long. After all, there are umpteen mind-numbingly tedious trailers to be shown.

fabulous edition, bar the missing (cockney) rejects, (i'll go for the obvious gag, always have always will) :lol:

 

Mystic Merlin was a fab single, when they finally appear watch out out for the magician tricks..

 

Human League (including Heaven 17) and the only version of Rock And Roll you're likely to hear again, just as well it's pretty good!

 

Prelude had a hit in 74 with a terrific a capella After The Goldrush Neil Young cover, I was rather fond of this Platinum Blonde too

 

MJ, boring! Splutter :o Understated and genuinely touching, a great song a great vocal.

 

Matchbox, great gag though it might be, were not a poundland Showaddywaddy. Showaddywaddy were the poundland Showaddywaddy, a rock n roll covers act. Matchbox were more a veteran part of the rockabilly revival scene shortly to be spearheaded by The Stray Cats. They didn't do covers, were great fun, and Kirsty Maccoll featured on one of their later singles - as she did on TOTP tonight with the fab Jona Lewie. The Kirsty seal of approval is good enough for me! I am still bereft that footage of Jona Lewie on TOTP as Terry Dactyl has been wiped!

 

AWB, one of the best (and certainly most soulful) bands to come out of Scotland, love this track

 

The Ruts triffic, OMD OMG! I was mad on this one, still am, faaaab. Ditto Dexy's and Hot Choc. Fab, fab and fab. :yahoo:

 

 

 

 

 

Andy McCluskey has spoken about hearing people in the audience ask each other who OMD were when they made that appearance. I already had their album, so I was well aware of them. It's a reminder that I have been a fan for over 35 years :drama:

Andy McCluskey has spoken about hearing people in the audience ask each other who OMD were when they made that appearance. I already had their album, so I was well aware of them. It's a reminder that I have been a fan for over 35 years :drama:

 

me, too. Their last album but one was fantastic, still got it. I forgive one of them Atomic Kitten, that's how much I love them :lol:

Yes, I prefer to keep quiet about Atomic Kitten :lol:

Bit of a game of two halves really.Everything (bar the human league) in the first half was tedious on the extreme. Including the MJ track which I absolutely hatred then and still do.

 

The run from jona lewie to dexy's was absolute class.

Me and my daughter were laughing at how bad Prelude were!

Human League looked strange in 1980!