Richard Skinner is the host for this edition from July 1981. For anyone who thinks DVDs are expensive, the Radio Times entry for the programme also included mention of a Deep Purple video for a whopping £37.95. That’s nearly £150 in today’s money.

 

We start with the “Oh, did they have another hit?” slot as The Vapors perform their number 44 smash. For the record, it was actually their second number 44 hit.

 

Sheena Easton next with her Bond theme.

 

Shakin’ Stevens has ended up on the cutting room floor again, as have REO Speedwagon. The latter would have been the second band this week to fill the “Oh, did they have another hit?” slot.

 

Moving on, it’s Abba as interpreted by Legs & Co. Their clothing budget is higher than normal this week.

 

We’re moving into the medley era now with Tight Fit, more of a concept than an actual band.

 

A break for the first part of the chart, excluding the number 30 which we’ve just endured.

 

Visage join the select band of acts to have had an eponymous hit.

 

Another bit of the chart next.

 

Back to the medleys with Gidea Park. His big brother Simon’s orchestra had a hit with Eye Level.

 

The top ten rundown (no song clips any more) ends with The Specials with the number one, the best song in this week’s programme.

 

We play out with yet another medley from the people who started it all, Starsound and some more Legs & Co. Without Starsound, maybe there would have been no Jive Bunny. Perhaps somebody will now think it’s a bright idea to do a medley of these medleys. Let’s hope not.

 

Same place, same time tomorrow.

mixed bag!

 

Shaky was a rare decent one so thats a pity (You Drive Me Crazy, I think)?

 

Sheena Fab. Abba fabber, pity there was no video and pity it was 12" only, it would have been much bigger. Abba Starsound to end on, I could think of no more appropriate act to follow their Beatles medley, even if I did get sick of both records quite quickly, my number 1 and 2 act of all-time at the time (and now).

 

Tight Fit, not yer actual Lion Sleeps Tonight line-up but nice to hear snippets of classic 60's tracks and see some fab gear mod clothes. Gidea Park aka Adrian Baker, who started his career with a hit Four Seasons cover (Sherry) and then moved on from this Beach Boys medley to actual touring with them. Obviously the lads didn't mind the mash-up..

 

Yes, Specials is special though, only Lay All Your Love On Me is in the same class. This may have been their last-ever appearance together sadly, in this line-up.

 

 

 

The Shaky song was Green Door.

Did they just decide to put all the medley tracks together on one show to get them out of the way? What a load of rubbish they were - a constant thudding beat with snippets of old songs covered badly crashing into each other laid on top...and we didn't learn, happily ushering in Jive Bunny years later.

 

The Specials really did stick out amongst them all.

OK, here we go again. We’re at the end of July, and our host is Steve Wright.

 

The day before this programme was shown, someone who had spent the whole of his life living off state handouts got married to someone much younger than himself. Instead of dismissing him as a scrounging cradle-snatcher, large numbers of people watched the wedding on telly. I went for a walk.

 

Duran Duran get things underway. There is plenty of scope for things to go either up or down from here.

 

We move on to a song by Kim Wilde which I’ve completely forgotten. Oh, I remember it now.

 

Depeche Mode have fallen victim to the editor’s knife again.

 

Back to cradle-snatchers now, although Bill Wyman hadn’t earned that title yet. Who knew Brian Blessed was a drummer?

 

The medleys keep on coming. After three yesterday, now we get a classical one form the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, decades before they “worked” with Elvis. Good grief, they get the Leg & Co treatment. I could call it a car crash but someone might accuse me of a lack of taste.

 

Anyway, it’s chart time.

 

One of The Undertones’ less well-known hits now, but still a real gem.

 

It’s the middle bit of the chart now, taking us all the way up to number four - Stevie Wonder with his tribute to Martin Luther King as part of the (ultimately successful) campaign to mark his birthday with a public holiday. What a shame they can’t edit four candles into the film.

 

Another showing for Spandau Ballet.

 

We even get a clip of Ghost Town, sadly no longer number one.

 

Yesterday the number one was the best song on the show. Today, it’s from Shakin’ Stevens and it’s one of the worst songs on the show.

 

A bit of The Jacksons over the end credits completes the show.

 

'Hooked on Classics' is the worst one yet - absolutely pointless and no redeeming quality at all...not even Legs & Co's strange routine.

Our 1981 nostalgia trips have now reached mid-August and we are in the hands of Simon Bates once again. Just before the programme, some of us had watched Dr Who which had been moved from its traditional Saturday teatime slot to Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

 

We start with Duran Duran.

 

Medley time with the RPO. We get a video this time, although it’s not much of an improvement on Legs & Co. Even as we watch this, perhaps someone is working on Hooked On Bieber.

 

The best song of the night (I say this safe in the knowledge that I am highly unlikely to change my mind later) comes from Soft Cell. When I bought their debut single, A Man Can Get Lost, I can be confident that I wouldn’t have guessed that they would have a million-selling single later that year. Ooh, a split screen. How modern.

 

A repeat from Kim Wilde has been axed but Bill Wyman survives. Now Yewtree for him.

 

Another medley, this time from Startrax doing the Bee Gees. Could it be worse? Yes, we get Legs & Co as well. Can’t we just see Soft Cell again?

 

The first part of the chart actually includes a tie. There’s something we don’t see any more.

 

Some harmless nonsense from Aneka up next. I don’t think you’re really Japanese, love. Fun fact - this is absolutely, definitely not about masturbation. Oh, hang on, wrong song. Ooh, and Bates has a dig at the Scot Mary Sandeman.

 

The next bit of the chart, and Bates still can’t pronounce Depeche Mode’s name correctly.

 

The second orchestra of the show, this time of the Electric Light variety. More black and white - this week’s episode is being done on the cheap.

 

The top eight rundown ends with Shakin’ Stevens still at number one. Are Legs & Co in green supposed to look like doors?

 

UB40 play us out with a political song, one that is directly related to their name.

 

The BBC Young Musician Of The Year has taken up the Friday slot for a period, so we are back down to one show per week - apart from nest week when it’s The Sky At Night. So, there is a two week wait until the next episode.

enjoyed this give or take medleys and Shaky, though Aneka would be hung drawn and quartered these days for dressing as if she were a different ethnic group. Apparently that's racist even for other ethnic groups these days (Hi Beyonce!)

 

Soft Cell. Classic. Still.

 

ELO. Fab!. Still.

 

UB40. They were singing for me, at the time, I was one of the One In Ten for the whole of 1981. Good for them!

 

Wyman, funny old world, rather like this one actually, good-natured and happy it's on, but in terms of BBC morality one has to question how a man who had pre-16 girlfriend can be viewed as acceptable while a DJ who copped a feel of an adult is so evil his name must never be uttered in public again and banished from the airwaves and bankrupted and imprisoned.

 

A bit like poor people getting hammered for nicking a packet of crisps, while it's perfectably accepetable to not pay millions in taxes from cash stashed in offshore accounts if you're rich. One rule for one, one rule for another....

 

 

 

 

 

Our 1981 nostalgia trips have now reached mid-August and we are in the hands of Simon Bates once again. Just before the programme, some of us had watched Dr Who which had been moved from its traditional Saturday teatime slot to Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

 

We start with Duran Duran.

 

Medley time with the RPO. We get a video this time, although it’s not much of an improvement on Legs & Co. Even as we watch this, perhaps someone is working on Hooked On Bieber.

 

The best song of the night (I say this safe in the knowledge that I am highly unlikely to change my mind later) comes from Soft Cell. When I bought their debut single, A Man Can Get Lost, I can be confident that I wouldn’t have guessed that they would have a million-selling single later that year. Ooh, a split screen. How modern.

 

A repeat from Kim Wilde has been axed but Bill Wyman survives. Now Yewtree for him.

 

Another medley, this time from Startrax doing the Bee Gees. Could it be worse? Yes, we get Legs & Co as well. Can’t we just see Soft Cell again?

 

The first part of the chart actually includes a tie. There’s something we don’t see any more.

 

Some harmless nonsense from Aneka up next. I don’t think you’re really Japanese, love. Fun fact - this is absolutely, definitely not about masturbation. Oh, hang on, wrong song. Ooh, and Bates has a dig at the Scot Mary Sandeman.

 

The next bit of the chart, and Bates still can’t pronounce Depeche Mode’s name correctly.

 

The second orchestra of the show, this time of the Electric Light variety. More black and white - this week’s episode is being done on the cheap.

 

The top eight rundown ends with Shakin’ Stevens still at number one. Are Legs & Co in green supposed to look like doors?

 

UB40 play us out with a political song, one that is directly related to their name.

 

The BBC Young Musician Of The Year has taken up the Friday slot for a period, so we are back down to one show per week - apart from nest week when it’s The Sky At Night. So, there is a two week wait until the next episode.

 

It's weird how so many melodies were performed on these weeks - and they charted recently too lol. Love Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Spandeu Ballet and Soft Cell - so many classics!!

 

It seems Shaky was at no1 all year with various rubbish in 1981 lol.

 

Time has slowed down. In the two weeks since the last show, TOTP time has advanced exactly two weeks. We’ve missed a Yewtreed episode and have now reached the end of August. Richard Skinner is on presenting duty.

 

Those medleys haven’t gone away. We start with one from Startrax. I think they are trying to convince us that real musicians were involved in making this rubbish.

 

Cliff Richard hasn’t yet reached peak bland. Pretty naff video though.

 

Soft Cell and the Nolans have both been cut. Possibly the high and low points of the show are, therefore, missing.

 

The Rolling Stones giving Primal Scream an idea.

 

On to the unmistakable sound of ELO with the unmistakable naffness of Legs & Co.

 

A sexist remark leads us into the first part of the chart.

 

Ultravox next with a song that is rather less well-known than Vienna.

 

The next bit of the chart leads us in to Genesis with their song about a Swedish band and a taxi. Phil Collins has left his paint pot at home.

 

With Genesis at 12, we get a top 11 rundown. Aneka is number one with a song and performance that isn’t at all racist.

 

Some Modern Romance to finish.

We’re into the beginning of September, and we are in the hands of Peter Powell once again.

 

It’s a poor start with Modern Romance. The “singer” seems to have modelled himself on Terry-Thomas.

 

John Foxx, UB40 and Bucks Fizz have all been cut.

 

On to Teardrop Explodes with their last top 40 hit. Julian Cope is wearing some interesting trousers.

 

Gary Numan has gone for a radical new image with the addition of a hat.

 

On to Dollar with a song that is down to their usual standard. Trevor Horn is on bass duties.

 

A break for the first part of the chart.

 

More rubbish now, this one from the Pointer Sisters, complete with Legs & Co. Oh dear.

 

Phew, it’s over at last. Time for the next bit of the chart.

 

A massive increase in quality in the form of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. Paul Humphreys gets his turn on vocals and it still sounds fantastic.

 

The top ten rundown ends with a fabulous number one from Soft Cell.

 

Missing the chance to go out on a high, we finish with Funkapolitan. Still, at least there were no medleys tonight.

 

Oh, Gary Numan has turned up, still wearing that hat.

 

Friday is still Young Musician night, so TOTP is back next Thursday.

fab ep including the chopped ones - well give or take Modern Romance. I would have preferred Terry-Thomas' bounder :lol:

 

OMD, Soft Cell, absolute classics. :yahoo:

Teardrop Explodes a band I've really discovered through TOTPs this year :)

Julian Cope's autobiography "Head On" has a really good entry about that particular TOTP performance. The extract is on this blog:

 

http://bristlingbadger.blogspot.co.uk/2009...nd-on-acid.html

Ha! Worth it just for wanting to be in Bucks Fizz tripping. I loved both, fine by me!

We’ve skipped another Yewtreed episode, so we have reached mid-September. Steve Wright is presenting. Later in the evening viewers could see the second episode of an adaptation of Day Of The Triffids. Later still there was the grand finale of Come Dancing in its original incarnation.

 

The day after this show was broadcast David Steel ended his address to the Liberal Assembly by telling members to “Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government”. It took rather longer than he had hoped.

 

Medleys are back as we start with Gidea Park. This time The Four Seasons are the victims.

 

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark should have provided us with our first bit of class, but their (repeat) performance has been cut.

 

After featuring on Spandau Ballet’s Chant No. 1, here are Beggar and Co with Chant No. 2. It sounds like they didn’t finish writing it.

 

Sheena Easton gives people good reason to question their will to live.

 

Tonight’s editor obviously has something against Merseyside (perhaps s/he moonlights for South Yorkshire Police). Teardrop Explodes have also been dropped.

 

This week’s forgotten moment comes from Hi Gloss. More like Bye Gloss. Legs & Co don’t make it any better. I have no idea what that set is meant to represent, but it’s 54p badly spent.

 

The Tweets have also been dropped. I don’t think that will cause riots on the streets.

 

Thankfully, Godley & Creme have survived the axe. Still sounds spooky today. What happened to Lol Creme’s funnier brother Rofl?

 

The first part of the chart rundown leads us into Bucks Fizz, followed by the next bit of the chart.

 

The Pointer Sisters come along to assist anyone trying to get to sleep.

 

The top ten rundown finishes with another number one for Adam And The Ants, heading a rather brilliant top three. Ah yes, that video with one of Swindon’s favourite daughters.

 

Once again they eschew the chance to go out on a high and inflict Dollar on us.

 

It’s Sky At Night time again next week, but the Friday slot is back. So, we’re back on 13 May with a programme first broadcast on a day of some significance to me.

the ones to chop should have been Beggar & Co (never was that great), Tweets and Gidea Park repeat.

 

Other than that, variable OK to classic! (the latter being Godley & Creme, Adam, Bucks Fizz ( :P - hey good enough for spaced out Julian Cope, good enough for me), OMD)

 

Diana Dors being the Swindon link? She was a character! Day Of The Triffids wasn't as good as the book. Or the movie.

 

Come Dancing has always sounded like the moment Tony Curtis described happening to him in his autobiography. The show was godawful. I mean REALLY terrible.

 

So something significant happening in Autumn 1981, hmmm, Happy 21st Birthday! :lol:

 

Ah, you got the event :lol:

 

The Triffids adaptation was OK, but I would agree that it wasn't as good as the book. I can't comment on Come Dancing as I never watched it. That tradition has continued into its revamp.

 

Diana Dors was, of course, the Swindon link. It's hard to believe she died 30 years ago :o She was younger than I am now :(

Ah yes, Diana Dors was fresh from playing the commander in the Two Ronnies' 'The Worm that Turned'.

 

Just two episodes away from the first one I ever saw now. Adam Ant was still number one then too - I loved the video when I was 4.