August 10, 20177 yr Yeh I know what you mean same happens nowadays. Japan a good example too, impressed with them from what I've heard since watching totps, im new to this era tho!
August 10, 20177 yr Author 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.
August 11, 20177 yr good episode (yet to watch it, I have a backlog of 3 months!) but re: New Romantics, Human League were very influential pre-hits era and pre-New Romantic (pioneers I'd say, along with OMD, Bowie, Numan, after all getting namechecked in song by Undertones pre-New Romantic explosion), and pop-influential post-hits, Visage started brilliantly but that was more of a Midge Ure spin-off project, Steve Strange kinda lost it fairly quickly 18 months later, sadly, as Ultravox joined the fray.
August 13, 20177 yr Watched thursdays episode there - I see the flags were back for OMD - thought we were nearly past that! Human League do look different on Lebanons performance - good track again!
August 19, 20177 yr Blancmange are next. I might be going to see them in a few weeks’ time. 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.
August 19, 20177 yr Author 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. Living On The Ceiling is an archetypal 80s song and Waves is an epic. Their version of Abba's The Day Before You Came is also wonderful :wub:
August 28, 20177 yr guest review as I'm watching the most recent episode while multi-tasking... :) Matt Bianco are up with Peelie & The Kid making French references, presumably some lorry blockading or other, Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed and some jolly Jazz. I think Basia came from Poland, from memory, falling in between the 2 more-fashionable periods for Polish visitors (30's/40's and 00's/10's). Trend-setter! I liked Basia. On video it's Van Halen and their great single, Jump. Dave Lee Roth, in fact, took it literally soon after and jumped into a failed solo career. Eddie of course is one of the most influential rock guitarists - Beat It? Him - though sadly Van Halen singles left me cold after this one. Alexei Sayle having a turn next. Ullo John Got A New Motah, was extremely irritating, and most unseemly for a Marxist-leaning comic. I grew to like Alexei as he matured, but he's got no excuse for inflicting this monstrosity on the UK.... Break Machine, Street Dance, synth-flavoured breakdancing vogue of '84. I'm pretty sure Suedey will love this one. Trust me, he was big on breakdancing back in the day. Decent pop record. Headbands need to make a comeback. I'm not entirely convinced that the band were actually full-time breakdancers themselves...... Chart rundown. Then let's all Wang Chung tonight in those old Dance Hall Days. Two reasons to dislike this one: neck scarves. Just, so NO. It's a bit bland. "Take you baby by the ears, play upon her darkest fears". make it 3 reasons: lyrics. Ooh, nearly forget the band name. 4. Wang Chung. Should have picked any other 2 words in the actual dictionary and not lead me to expect something more-preferably actual Asian. Slade's last rocking anthem to chart highly, Run Runaway, complete with bagpipes, and 13 years of fab singles. Bloody idiot audience clapping over the top of it still annoys though. top 10, and it's ol Nena herself on top, I was newly esconced in unemployment in Poole, in the bedroom I still occupy - though I had actual floorspace then - and 99 Red Balloons hit the Nuclear War fears of the day nicely, albeit a bit more upbeat than the lyrics might suggest. German band of course, setting a trend for (West) Germany being leader of the free world and very much not being in favour of Nuclear War. I wonder what Donald Trump would make of 99 Red Balloons...? Fake liberal elite propaganda? Julia & Company samba out, breaking it down nicely.
August 28, 20177 yr 99 red Balloons reminds me of the series on ch4 from last year Deutschland 83, basically the theme tune to it! Take it your a few weeks behind Pop?
August 29, 20177 yr 99 red Balloons reminds me of the series on ch4 from last year Deutschland 83, basically the theme tune to it! Take it your a few weeks behind Pop? months behind! I thought this was the most-recent episode as it was bottom of the list on my recording HD list - I guess I must have another page of them then, or else I'm going to be seriously pissed off that they haven't recorded! Doh!
August 29, 20177 yr They'll be in catch up - your not too far behind - up to date it's up to Duran Duran Reflek 3rd week at no1 so you have a choice do you want to watch Lionel Ritchie's long 6 week stint at the top lol?!
August 29, 20177 yr Break Machine, Street Dance, synth-flavoured breakdancing vogue of '84 Another track to show how the house sound that would emerge in the late 80s was getting closer. The emphasis on the drop in the song is also like a lot of modern dance and dance pop songs.
August 31, 20177 yr Author We’ve skipped two episodes so we’re now up to the beginnng of June 1984. Our hosts once again are John Peel and David Jensen. Sadly this is their last episode together. When this programme was first shown the continuity announcer probably had very little to say. Nowadys we get a full-length speech. We start with Spandau Ballet so there is plenty of room for improvement. Of course, there is also plenty of scope for worse. The mediocrity continues with Howard Jones. We take a break from the mediocre with some rubbish from Evelyn Thomas. Not even the bassline from Relax can save it. A weak joke precedes the first chart bit. Bananarama are up next with a song I’ve forgotten existed probably because it’s so nondescript. The best of the night os far – and probably altogether – comes from Bronski Beat. Yes, it’s Ian Hislop’s TOTP debut. Panel show regualr (not yet Rev) Richard Coles looks somewhat younger here. The top ten countdown brings us to Wham at number one. Two gay singers in a row. The Daily Mail would have been horrifed if they’d known. A generally poor programme ends on another low note with Sister Sledge. Let’s hope for better tomorrow.
August 31, 20177 yr rubbish from Evelyn ThomasI'd disagree, High Energy is a great tune imo. More electronic dance music starting to appear in the charts now by this point. The best of the night so far – and probably altogether – comes from Bronski Beat. Which one was that, Smalltown Boy I assume. Very good tune of course! My favourite from them though is Why, such a great dance tune!
August 31, 20177 yr i've skipped all the eps Ive missed from the last few months and watched tonight's for a change. Bonus review from a souldiscopopchartfreak fan :lol: Hooray! Also, Boo! No more Peelie & The Kid! Hiss! Best. Hosts. Ever. My mate has been a huge Spandau Ballet fan since I met him in 1984 and we had a deal: I'd go to Spandau gigs with him and he'd go to Pet Shop Boys gigs with me. I got the worst deal.....! Seen them many times. That is all I will say. Howard Jones started off well in his career, then settled down to inoffensive pop. This is the second bit. That Evelyn Thomas HI NRG backing track is total Dead Or Alive (come back in about 3 months and see what I mean), it's still got a good bit of life to it! Rough Justice was one of the Nanas weakest singles, albeit well-intentioned sentiments. Smalltown Boy is still timeless. Fab. My least fave Wham! track, it was all uphill from here, ooeerr missus. Sister Sledge is a classy Chic-tastic 1979 track, so good it survived being a B side and 5 years later gave the gals another lease of life, before getting hit covers in later years.
August 31, 20177 yr That Evelyn Thomas HI NRG backing track is total Dead Or Alive (come back in about 3 months and see what I mean), it's still got a good bit of life to it! 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. Edited August 31, 20177 yr by The Hissmobile
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