Japan's Ghosts was a masterpiece. When that featured on the TOTP repeats it was great to see so many Tweets from people who didn't know the song saying how much they liked it.

Ashes to Ashes got me into that song and band; it was used in the end credits of one of the season 1 eps.

I like Blind Vision from them, it is one of the danciest synthpop songs with the percussion, and a real sign of the way things would go by the middle of the decade with the likes of Bronski Beat's Why.

On the Ceiling was good also, even if it appeared on that advert which was an OK Go video rip off! :lol:

I am surprised the Hi-Nrg genre didn't have more hits before house came along and took its place as the dominant dance trend. There are a few in 1984 and 1985 but not a huge amount.

 

Is HNG just disco with a beat on it?

 

Also what happened Peal and the Kid?

Most SAW stuff was Hi NRG, so there would have been quite a lot of hits

 

Kid Jensen went to Capitol Radio, where from September he hosted the Network Chart for 9 years.

Edited September 1, 20177 yr by fiesta

Just watching the totp episode now - sounds like Spin Me Right around by Dead or Alive!

 

So the Kid was the guy who started an alternative chart before Dr Fox came along in the 90s!

Only one episode this week of totp 1984 and The Bluebells start with an absolute classic I didn't know who it was by until now - I hear it'll be no1 in 9 years?!

 

That Sritti Politti band are being played ALOT on the show - they're so rubbish like Kagagogo from 1983 - they would have been unique in 1981 but sound like everything else in 1984!

Yes,Young At Heart eventually got to no.1 after being used in a TV ad. It's actually a cover version of a song by Bananarama.

 

The episode before this one was missed out because Gary Glitter was on it. The presenters were Simon Bates and Gary Davies so I don't know why he couldn't have been edited out. He was on first,so I suppose they would have had to cut the introduction to the programme out as well. The next episode will also be missed out as it is a Jimmy Saville one so we won't see OMD or Ultravox. What a mess.

There have been some fairly clumsy edits before so cutting Gary Glitter would just have added another one.

 

By the time Young At Heart was number one, one of the members had left the music industry and was the golf correspondent for the Guardian.

I thought Saville ended in 1983? We haven't had a skipped episode for him in ages. Thought they were showing Gary Glitter as I was surprised to even see him in the chart run down! I assume this is his last batch of hits and chart relevancy ending with Another Rock n Roll Christmas in Dec 84? Did a totp performance help its chart peak?

Yes GG was always on TOTP at every opportunity. I presume the change of heart (they showed his 1977 chart appearance) is due to pending trials...

 

I caught half the episode on Thursday, seemed a good one (bar the appalling Art Company thing) and great to Frankie on top, Human League actually appearing instead of being on a banned show, and with Phil's new unshaved look, and with actual hair.

 

My theory is all the gel hairspray and perm products on 80's male popstars made them prematurely bald. That's my excuse anyway...

I assume GG hasn't had an appearance since the 70s at this stage or they've just banned them all. Be gutting if this years xmas edition got cut due to Another Rock n Roll Christmas!

No Top of the Pops on Thursday this week, anyone know if it's on tomorrow?

Yes,on tomorrow with John Peel & Tommy Vance.

Peel and The Kid broken up at last :(

John Peel is back this week but with a new sidekick. David Jensen has gone and he is now accompanied by Tommy Vance. On the day this was shown Gareth Gates was born.

 

We start with Shakatak. I thought we’d seen the last of them.

 

Tina Turner is next. She would have been about 96 at the time.

 

Nigel Planer (aka Neil) has been dropped - a wise choice.

 

Some quality at last with Alison Moyet. If she made this video today she would probably be questioned at the airport when she arrived home.

 

Phil Fearon & Galaxy bring the quality back down again.

 

The chart graphics have changed again.

 

A great song from Echo and the Bunnymen now. Maybe this is where Flaming Lips got inspiration for their gigs.

 

Back to the chart.

 

The Bluebells are back again.

 

The chart rundown ends with Frankie Goes To Hollywood still at number two and number one.Two Tribes still sounds great.

 

Peel gets a chance to boast about playing Two Tribes two years earlier before the closing credits accompanied by a (justifiably) forgotten Jackson 5 song.

Thought Shakatak had gone by now too - remind me of a 70s cheesy hangover (music wise of course lol)

I was sorry to see Neil edited out of yesterday evenings edition of TOTP.

If they need to edit a song out for timing purposes, I wish they'd pick a video instead of a stage performance.

In any case, I like the Neil song

Glad they played the Turner video though as it's a classic tbf!

We’ve reached mid-July 1984 and our hosts are Peter Powell and Richard Skinner. Powell’s dress sense is the same as ever.

 

Wah! are back and are now mighty. Not as good as Story Of The Blues but they did set the bar rather high with that one.

 

“An American artist called Prince” next with his first top ten hit.

 

On to Billy Idol so we’re still waiting for the first rubbish of the evening.

 

The Kane Gang have missed the cut. That must be why their tweet only mentioned the late repeat.

 

Next up is a great Abba cover from Blancmange, Twitter is about 2-1 in favour.

 

Charts - the first bit.

 

Ah, it’s rubbish time. Here’s Divine without the Comedy.

 

Chart - the next bit.

 

On to the Thompson Twins. Sisters Of Mercy never did get round to recording a song called Thompson Twins.

 

The top ten rundown ends with another week at the top for Frankie Goes To Hollywood complete with guns.

 

We could have ended on a high with the number one but we get Shannon instead.

OK, here we go again, this time with Simon Bates and Gary Davies in charge. We’ve missed another episode so we’re into August already.

 

The bad news is that we start with Black Lace. The good news is that it cannot possibly get any worse. The introduction - “We’ve got some great music coming up, but first here’s Black Lace”.

 

A Prince repeat. Oh, it’s finished already.

 

After being left out yesterday, The Kane Gang survive the cut this time. I think dull sums it up pretty succinctly.

 

Tina Turner as boring as ever.

 

The “Oh, did they have another hit?” slot is filled by Flock Of Seagulls and their haircuts. Actually, the singer’s haricut is almost normal by his standards. Naff, but almost normal.

 

Chart time. Oh look, it’s Nicola Bryant, aka Doctor Who’s Peri.

 

On to Trevor Walters. We all remember him don’t we? You know, Trevor wotsisface with that thing. No? Me neither.

 

More chart.

 

Time for a George Michael classic and a world exclusive. Was that Andrew Ridgeley saying “Thanks George” I heard just now?

 

And, guess what? Frankie Goes To Hollywood are still at number one.

 

Oh dear, Divine is in the uncuttable playout slot.