One more edition left for 1987 :(

 

December 17, 1987 - Gary Davies & Mike Read

 

Then on to 1988, the year of Kylie.

 

And Bros...

 

Mike Read hasn't done it in ages? Or has he been doing all the Smith episodes?

Haven't been watching all the episodes....was Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion performed on any of the TOTP episodes, that's a great top 10 single from late 1987, and it still has a touch of the early 80s post punk/new wave vibes to it I think.

 

So onto 1988 very soon then....1988 is not as good in terms of chart music as 1989 in my opinion though. But some good stuff I like though

Def Leppard - Love Bites, Taylor Dayne - Prove Your Love (better than Tell It To My heart imo), Jane Weidlin - Rush Hour, Eighth Wonder - I'm Not Scared, Pet Shop Boys - Heart, Climie Fisher - Love Changes Everything, Aztec Camera - Somewhere in My Heart, Heart - These Dreams, Kim Wilde - Never Trust A Stranger, Erasure - A Little Respect

and of course the house hits, acid and otherwise!

 

And I do quite like Bros - I Owe You Nothing - but thought it was a Wham song until quite recently, it sounds quite Wham-esque in style.

Edited May 28, 20196 yr by TheSnake

Yeh Bros are pure cheese but in that awful take yourself too serious way. Their Silent Night single in December 88 was awful too!

1988 def went off the boil a bit compared to the rest of the decade, Bros & the rise of manufactured pop acts didn't help, plus a lot of big-hitters of the time were notably absent during the year, bar Pet Shop Boys, with George M and Jacko mining their big 1987 albums for singles. Kylie stood firmly in the manufactured pop star groove at the time - and then shocked us all at her staying power and good taste in career choices and pop direction from Better The Devil You Know onwards.

1988 def went off the boil a bit compared to the rest of the decade, Bros & the rise of manufactured pop acts didn't help, plus a lot of big-hitters of the time were notably absent during the year, bar Pet Shop Boys, with George M and Jacko mining their big 1987 albums for singles. Kylie stood firmly in the manufactured pop star groove at the time - and then shocked us all at her staying power and good taste in career choices and pop direction from Better The Devil You Know onwards.

 

Well 1986 doesn't seem to have been a great year for music either. For the 1980s, 1982 is probably my favourite year for top 40 music from the decade, although a lot of my faves from that year didn't make the top 10.

 

Better The Devil You Know is when SAW started to use more Italo-house influenced productions, so that's probably why it sounds less cheesy than her earlier stuff.

 

Yeh Bros are pure cheese but in that awful take yourself too serious way. Their Silent Night single in December 88 was awful too!

 

Well I don't like 'Drop The Boy' much but 'I Owe You Nothing' I quite like and don't think it sounds quite so cheesy and dated as some of the SAW stuff.

 

Yes I Owe You Nothing is a good song imo!

Anyone else noticing the studio is changing again - losing the classic stage with the TV screen in the background - certainly starting to look more 'late 80s early 90s' now. Just need Anthea Turner to start presenting now.

Top of the Pops 26/11/1987 Presented by Gary Davies & Simon Bates

 

Blue Mercedes I Want To Be Your Property

Boy George To Be Reborn (Video)

The Communards Never Can Say Goodbye

Shakin Stevens What You Wanna Make Those Eyes At Me

The Hooters Satellite (Video)

Paul McCartney Once Upon A Long Ago (Video)

The Housemartins Build

No1 ***T'Pau China In Your Hand ***No1

George Harrison I Got My Mind Set On You (Video)

 

That Blue Mercedes track sounds exactly like IOU by Freeze!

 

It reminds me more of Mel and Kim (especially with the backing singers in the chorus) tbh especially in terms of production - a mix of house and SAW type dance pop.

Edited May 31, 20196 yr by TheSnake

Yeh very upbeat and Camp. Does anyone know if that's the studio changed for good now?

I've just watched last Friday's episode with Paul McCartney performing what would turn out to be his final solo top 10 single,'One Upon A Long Ago',a very good song. When did we last see him in the studio? I don't remember seeing him before on any of these re-runs.

 

Also 'Satellite' by The Hooters is a great song. Good to hear that one again.

Didn't realise that was his last solo top 10, it's a good track. McCartney had plenty of videos on totp such as Mull of Kintyre and Pipes of Peace, good to see a legend in the studio. Was this Shakys last top 10 as well?

 

Who's the longest running Presenter by this stage? Simon Bates?

Edited June 1, 20196 yr by Steve201

Yes,it was Shaky's last top ten single. Peter Powell is the longest running presenter,making his debut in January 1978. Simon Bates didn't appear until December 1979. I suppose the producers picked Peter first out of the Radio 1 line-up because he was young and cool and more familiar with the new wave groups that were coming through at the time.

Yes I Owe You Nothing is a good song imo!

 

A decent-ish track, best is When Will I Be Famous until a couple of their more minor late hits which I liked, around I Quit era, especially Madly In Love which was under-rated but all the weeny boppers abandoned them.

Top of the Pops 3/12/1987 Presented by Janice Long & Gary Davies

 

The Hooters Satellite

Alexander O'Neil Criticize (Video)

The Proclaimers Letter From America ❤️

Def Leppard Hysteria (Video)

Cutting Crew I've Been In Love Before (Video)

Jelly Bean Who Found Who (Ft Elisa Fiorillo) (Video)

Paul McCartney Once Upon A Long Ago

*** No1 T'Pau China In Your Hand No1 ***

MAxi Priest Some Guys

 

Alexander O'Neil Criticize (Video)

 

Now that's a fab song, and like Living In A Box's eponomous song from earlier in the year, fab production and late 80s pop at its best!

Edited June 1, 20196 yr by TheSnake

Yeh, I was saying how cheesy it is to my wife when it was on and she agreed, but that's not necessarily a criticism.

Was this Shakys last top 10 as well?

 

Yes! Although Merry Christmas Everyone has sneaked back in again in both 2017 (when it got to 10) and in 2018 it peaked at 9. That appearance in 2017 was exactly 30 years to the week since his previous appearance when What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For was also at number 10.

 

Ah of course he would re-enter with the Christmas classic. Does he make any further totp appearances?