February 12, 20169 yr Twitter may have been divided on Stewart / Blunstone, but I think it was largely on my side when it came to Stevie Wonder. Oh Twitter judgement based on one hearing of a subtle record (with Legs & co doing their very best to ruin it) shouldn't be taken as any basis for quality assessment :P :lol: It's been a terrible burden all my life but I've come to accept that I'm always right* :lol: (* except when I'm wrong)
February 12, 20169 yr Roger Daltrey was 37 when that was filmed, yet he looks in his 50s. The 70s must have been tough ;) It was the 60's that were tough. I looked 67 by the time I was 15 :lol:
February 12, 20169 yr Author Oh Twitter judgement based on one hearing of a subtle record (with Legs & co doing their very best to ruin it) shouldn't be taken as any basis for quality assessment :P :lol: It's been a terrible burden all my life but I've come to accept that I'm always right* :lol: (* except when I'm wrong) I think most of the relevant Twitter users are closer to our age than they are to their teenage years :P
February 12, 20169 yr I think most of the relevant Twitter users are closer to our age than they are to their teenage years :P ..and probably all male, and rock fans. Women of our age prob wouldn't bother tweeting, and they were more likely the target audience for Stevie. Women deserve to have opinions too! :lol:
February 14, 20169 yr Feel really sorry for the kids during Shaky's performance. That's a lot of RSI right there.
February 19, 20169 yr Author We’re into April already, with today’s host Simon Bates. We’ve actually managed a reasonable run without any Yewtreed episodes. A nice gentle start from Stiff Little Fingers. A repeat performance from Dave Stewart and Colin Blunstone has been dropped, as have Light Of The World. Whoever they were. Liquid Gold next. This may be a homage to Walmington-on-Sea’s finest, or possibly Douglas Adams. Regardless, it’s awful. Stevie Wonder again. This song is still boring. On to the Jacksons with Legs & Co. Brace yourself. The chimney came later. Hot on the heels of that Grandma rubbish, it’s a song about mums. Here’s a free piece of advice for political parties. At the next election, promise that any school attempting to have a hit with dross like this will immediately be placed in special measures. Ah yes, good old Sugar Minott, followed by the first chart section. Lena Zavaroni has been axed. For that, we should be very thankful. Moving on, it’s Spandau Ballet, conservatively dressed as ever. Time for the middle bit of the chart, featuring someone called Hazel O’Conner. Bucks Fizz again. I wonder how they will do. This time next week, we’ll be selecting this year’s Eurovision entry, so there’s just Thursday’s TOTP episode to look forward to. Shakin’ Stevens is number one. Oh dear. The Nolans bring the show to an end.
February 19, 20169 yr not a classic episode, Stevie Wonder is still fab :P Jacksons is still classic, Sugar Minott still fun, and the rest range from absolutely appalling to not bad. Best Lyrically? Stevie Wonder by some distance. Most exciting? Jacksons by some distance. Most groovy? Sugar Minott. Most nauseating: yes that school measures song. I fear attempts to top-up academy coffers may lead to them all doing it. Be very afraid! :o :lol:
February 20, 20169 yr Don't remember that school choir song at all. Was it a minor hit? Certainly wasn't a big one or I'd know it. Always liked Shaky and This Ole House is great. Far far better than the Rosemary Clooney original. Edited February 20, 20169 yr by Common Sense
February 20, 20169 yr Author I'm afraid I could remember that terrible choir thing. Thankfully, it was only a minor hit, peaking at number 27.
February 22, 20169 yr That's the funny thing - while appearing on TOTP gave St Winifred's a huge boost, it had the opposite effect for this choir who dropped straight out of the charts after appearing on TOTP. I'm guessing they must have appeared on some other show the week before to have even reached no.27 in the first place?
February 25, 20169 yr Author This week’s only episode - it’s Eurovision selection time tomorrow - is hosted by Mike Read. It’s a poor start with some rubbish from Linx. Bucks Fizz fresh from winning Eurovision. Mike Read must have been devastated not to be able to make some complaint about those pesky foreigners not voting for our entry. Looks like the girls left their longer skirts behind in wherever the contest was held. Someone called Keith Marshall has been dropped. Anyone remember him? Saxon also ended up on the cutting room floor. David Bowie with one of his less well-known songs. Now, what might Legs & Co make of Up The Hill Backwards? An appropriate crossword clue might be LLIHEHTPU, which could be somewhere in Wales. Oh, where’s the hill? Fresh from leaving Rainbow (the band, not the children’s programme), it’s Graham Bonnet. It’s back to less well-known hit time, this one from Public Image Ltd. Marvel at the state-of-the-art effects here. I don’t think it will take long to forget this song again. Apparently Eddy Grant can’t get enough of you, but I’ve had enough of this song. Not his best effort. On to the first bit of the chart rundown, taking us into The Whispers. Tonight’s editor doesn’t seem to be a rock fan. Gillan are the final victims of the week. Therefore, we are denied the sight of Mike Read pretending to be a big fan. Hazel O’Connor brings a new meaning to the term D-Day which has nothing to do with war or money. She doesn’t seem to have had time to finish getting dressed. The top ten rundown takes us to Shakin’ Stevens still number one. There endeth another show.
February 25, 20169 yr Enjoyed tonights show, quite a few Ive not heard in yonks, and nostalgically got off on. Linx is fab, Intuition is damn catchy, Caribbean-flavoured sweet Brit-soul from when it was an actual movement. I rise to the challenge of remembering Keith Marshall - Only Crying was big with me at the time, tuneful if insipid in a pleasant way. Saxon - if this is And The Band Played On being cut I need to have a word with the editor, though there's nothing (Gillan apart, and Shaky, who can't, and Bucks Fizz who've been on a few times) to cut. OK there is then :lol: Bowie, great under-rated record, Graham Bonnet, I was there when he was on TOTP back in '68 with a Bee Gees-gifted song, Only One Woman (I was mad on it) and Night Games was good enough too. PIL, got fed up with it at the time, rather enjoyed it now! Eddy Grant, agreed one of his lesser singles but enjoyed it anyway. Whispers also I got bored with at the time, nostalgia works wonders. Hazel O'Connor was the standout though - talk about giving it ya all! Instantly liked it back in 81 and instantly got fed up with it a few weeks later (I was unemployed and had the radio on all day), now full circle I'm back to loving it, hooray! Shaky at the top. Literally.
February 25, 20169 yr Author Maybe I'll remember the Keith Marshall song when I see the uncut version of the programme (probably in a few weeks' time). Hazel O'Connor was definitely tonight's highlight.
March 3, 20169 yr Author A bit late tonight, as I was out when the programme was on. Here we are again, into mid-April 1981. Today’s host is Peter Powell. We start with some Bad Manners. How rude. Still, Mr Bloodvessel is looking very dapper. On to a Spandau Ballet video. A decent start so far. Girlschool, Sugar Minott and a weird hit from Department S have all been unceremoniously axed. The Beat with one of their less well-known hits. Let’s be honest, it isn’t very good. Girlschool were dumped (maybe to avoid Adam Johnson quips breaking Twitter), but Whitesnake have survived. Is that a good thing? Not really. UK Subs’ performance has been sunk. Legs & Co interpret Ennio Morricone’s theme tune for the BBC dramatisation of the life of David Lloyd George. I’m guessing Flick Colby will have declined the opportunity to do a dance interpretation of some of Lloyd George’s more colourful episodes. He became PM in 1916, so a BBC4 repeat of the series would make sense. A lovely theme tune too. Time for the first part of the chart rundown, followed by The Cure making their TOTP debut. Don’t they look young? Time for the middle bit of the chart rundown. Oh dear. it’s The Nolans. Still, I’m watching a recording, so the fast forward button works. The top ten rundown ends with Bucks Fizz at number one. Oh, the long skirts are back - temporarily at least. BTW, good luck to Joe and Jake in Stockholm. A bit of The Jacksons to close the show. We jump forward a whole month tomorrow to mid-May and, for some reason, that episode is only 20 minutes long.
March 4, 20169 yr 20 minutes long? I don't recall that happening, oh dearie me, memory going. Love to know what was the reason, unless it's edited for some 60's videos cos they couldnt get complete performing rights... Just loved that Bad Manners Feeling! How on earth can Department S have been cut, it's the best record on the show and as Vaughan Toulouse has been dead 25 years (AIDS) he's not likely to protest about copyright! I also love that Chi Mai, and am not a huge fan of most of the rest of the show videos and performers (bar Sugar and Jacksons who are repeats), though last time I saw Spandau live (the other year) a couple of them could have done with a bit of working till they were musclebound.
March 4, 20169 yr Author I now have an explanation for the shortened programme. The schedule was changed because of the FA Cup Final replay (remember when they were a thing?). That match included Ricky Villa’s goal which still gets shown regularly.
March 4, 20169 yr Author We leap forward to mid-May and a shortened programme because of the FA Cup Final replay. Tommy “The Slade” Vance is the host. We have missed two Yewtreed editions and one where the BBC have a defective recording. The Thin Lizzy get things underway. Sheena Easton next. Apparently this made the top twenty, but I’ve forgotten it. Events later in the evening may have led Ricky Villa to believe When He Shines was about him. That is, if his English had been good enough. If the BBC were going to have a defective recording, this song would have been a good choice. After being cut last night, we get The Department S this time. It’s been far too long since I heard this gem. It was co-produced by the late Dale Griffin of Mott The Hoople. Sadly, the singer, Vaughn Cotillard, known as Vaughn Toulouse, died in 1991at just 32. There’s still time for the chart rundown. On to a glorious single from Kim Carnes, complete with Eurovision-style wind machine. Slip in the next bit of the chart rundown. A less good song (although far from terrible) from Tenpole Tudor. Just time for some Cup Final predictions, including one vote for Manchester. It didn’t happen. Ossie’s knees went all trembly and Villa scored to bring the Cup to Tottingham. The top ten rundown has rather longer clips this time. That’s not always a good thing. Ooh-err, it’s the start of that medley craze. There’s something to look forward to in the coming months. The programme ends with The Adam And The Ants’ first number one, and what a great number one it is. Da diddly qua qua indeed.
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