Oh really, before release?

Yes,the ad came first. I've found it for you:

 

 

 

Cool, I have vague childhood memories of it. So not a huge shock it ended up as a debut no1!

Top of the Pops 24/11/1988 Presented by Simon Mayo & Andy Crane

 

Tiffany Radio Romance No21

Bomb The Bass Ft Maureen Say A Little Prayer No19 NE

Deacon Blue Real Gone Kid No8

 

 

**Breakers Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal (Video) No12 NE

**Breakers Pet Shop Boys Left To My Own Devices (Video) No7 NE

**Breakers Iron Maiden The Clairvoyant (Video) No6

 

Bananarama Nathan Jones No20

Chris De Burgh Missing You (Video) No3

***No1 Robin Beck First Time ***No1 2nd Week

Hithouse Jack To The Sound Of The Underground (Video) No25

 

 

 

We start with Simon & Andy advising us the frequency you can hear radio 1 on in Oxford & N.Ireland, changed times.

 

Anyway the first performance is by Tiffany who comes to the studio to perform her new catchy Hi-Energy style pop song 'Radio Romance'. Next the quality goes downhill - I live the Aretha Franklin song but this rap/dance hybrid sounds awful, oh these kids and their house experimentation. We get some resbite with the first chart countdown.

 

We have a repeat performance of Deacon Blues current hit now, seems a bit pointless but as a huge fan of the track I enjoyed it. We have the breakers next with three good tracks which are basically hits already which defeats the purpose of breaker except for the first one as Smooth Criminal becomes the 200th release from Bad although it's my favourite track from it, classic MJ. We have newbies from Iron Maiden & the Pet Shop Boys, must be the first PSBs track not performed on totp as they move behind their imperial era phase.

 

Back in the studio we have Banarama long past their best now performing an old Supremes number in their SAW finest. Next we have the second part of the chart rundown followed by the video of the current Chris De Burgh Missing You now in the top 3, smuchy stuff alright.

 

No1 for a second week Is the Robin Beck Coke ad hit 'First Time'. We finish with some piano driven novelty house by Hithouse. Just as well we only get the video for this, not sure what it would sound like in the studio. It does have the famous Prodigy lyric 'You No Good For Me. Didn't realise this was a sample, anyone care to shine a light on where it's from??

 

Edited January 20, 20205 yr by Steve201

Top of the Pops 1/12/1988 Presented by Bruno Brooke's & Mike Read

 

Rick Astley Take Me To Your Heart No12

Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal (Video) No8

 

**Breakers George Michael Kissing A Fool (Video) No24 NE

**Breakers Angry Anderson Suddenly (Video) No16

**Breakers Cliff Richard Mistletoe & Wine (Video) No7 NE

**Breakers PHil Collins Two Hearts (Video) No6

 

Pet Shop Boys Left To Their Own Devices No4

Bros Cat Amongst The Pigeons No2 NE

***No1 Robin Beck First Time No1*** 3rd Week

Stakker Humanoid Humanoid No18

 

 

 

We start with Mike Read back in the studio joined by Bruno Brooke's who introduce the new Rick Astley track Take Me To Your Heart, could Ricks quiff get any higher!!

 

The quality goes up a notch with one of the best cuts from Michael Jacksons Bad album. Those moves are unbelievable, classic Jackson!

 

The breakers are next with a whole four of them unusually with some classics in there from George Michael, Angry Anderson, PHil Collins & Cliff and his biggest Xmas hit Mistletoe and Wine, I wonder will this song be no1 for Christmas Day?

 

Next the quality massively reaches 10/10 with the Pet Shop Boys returning to the studio with the fab Left To My Own Devices with a cool half video half live performance. Things go down a notch with the highest new entry by those modelesque Bros Brothers at No2. Roll on the festive B-Side. And Robin Beck is no1 for an impressive 3rd week.

 

We finish with the really weird psychedelic house of Humanoid and it's even weirder dancing.

Edited January 26, 20205 yr by Steve201

Top of the Pops 22/12/1988 Presented by Steve Wright & Nicky Campbell

 

The Four Tops Loco In Alcapolco No15

A-Ha You Are The One No20

Kim Wilde Four Letter Word No19

 

**Breakers Shakin Stevens True Love (Video) No28

**Breakers Freiheit Keeping The Dream Alive (Video) No27

 

Neneh Cherry Buffalo Stance No13

Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan Especially For You No2

***No1 Cliff Richard Mistletoe & Wine***No1 3rd week Christmas no1 1988

Status Quo Burning Bridges No7

 

 

 

I've lost two episodes from my planner from 8/12 & 15/12 and my fav chart month of the year so I'm not happy!!

 

Anyway we have Nicky Campbell and Steve Wright for the Christmas No1 countdown episode which starts with the wonder Four Tops with their last and final top 40 hit 23 years after the first in 1965. Loco is a classic now too. And don't they look fine in their red suits on totps main stage.

 

Next up is the new single from A-Ha, by this stage they were struggling for top 10 hits but this ones quite good and is familiar.

We have our first chart rundown next ending with a studio performance from the lovely Kim Wilde and her new single which is really nice. I noticed in the 40-31 rundown a hidden gem from Al Green & Annie Lennox Put A Little Love In My Heart, was that the song from the now classic Bill Murray Christmas film

 

The breakers are next and we start with Shaky and another seasonal effort from him, we usually have a studio performance from him. Next it's Freiheit with a Beatles soundalike.

 

Next the quality goes through the roof with some early 90s sounding pop/rap with the first appearance on totp of the legendary Neneh Cherry with the signature Buffalo Stance, one of my favourite appearances of the year. Sounds so modern for 1988.

 

The quality dramatically reduces next with the surefire Christmas no1 of 1988 by SAW with Kylie & Jason dueting at the peak of their powers...what could go wrong? Well Cliff Richard will have a say battling off all comers to get the Christmas no1 for 1988 with the Christmas classic which is hated a lot today and doesn't actually get much radio plays. That symbolises why the uk chart is great. You have Neneh Cherry with her modern sounding new song and then an artist who's been around since the 1950s stopping them all and reaching the top to get his 12th No1 and the biggest seller of the year!

 

We finish off with Status Quo and one of their worst efforts imo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 8th December show doesn't seem to be on youtube but here is the one for the 15th December. Bon Jovi,Petula Clark,Erasure,New Order and Inner City are all in the studio:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz4QEgSyJuM

The quality dramatically reduces next with the surefire Christmas no1 of 1988 by SAW with Kylie & Jason dueting at the peak of their powers...what could go wrong? Well Cliff Richard will have a say battling off all comers to get the Christmas no1 for 1988 with the Christmas classic which is hated a lot today and doesn't actually get much radio plays. That symbolises why the uk chart is great. You have Neneh Cherry with her modern sounding new song and then an artist who's been around since the 1950s stopping them all and reaching the top to get his 12th No1 and the biggest seller of the year!

 

 

To be fair the Kylie and Jason song doesn't get played much these days either.

The 8th December show doesn't seem to be on youtube but here is the one for the 15th December. Bon Jovi,Petula Clark,Erasure,New Order and Inner City are all in the studio:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz4QEgSyJuM

 

Thanks! Wanted to see the Inner City performance!

Edited February 1, 20205 yr by Steve201

Top of the Pops 25/12/1988 Presented by Gary Davies, Bruno Brookes & Anthea Turner

 

S-Express Theme From S-Express No1x2 May 1988

Pet Shop Boys Always On My Mind No1x3 Dec87/Jan88

 

Christmas Crackers Belinda Carisle Heaven Is A Place on Earth (Video) No1x2 Jan 1988

Christmas Crackers Tiffany I Think We're Alone Now (Video) No1x3 Jan1988

Christmas Crackers Kylie Minogue I Should Be So Lucky (Video) No1x5 March 1988

Christmas Crackers Whitney Houston One Moment In Time (Video) No1x2 October 1988

Christmas Crackers Enya Orinoco Flow (Video) No1x3 November 1988

 

Aswad Don't Turn Around No1x2 March 1988

Fairground Attraction Perfect No1x1 May 1988

 

Christmas Crackers Climie Fisher Love Changes Everything (Video) No2 April 1988

Christmas Crackers Bros When will I Be Famous(Video) No2 January 1988

Christmas Crackers Rick Astley Together Forever (Video) No2 March 1988

Christmas Crackers Bobby McFerrin Don't Worry, Be Happy (Video) No2 October 1988

Christmas Crackers Brother Beyond The Harder I Try (Video) No2 August 1988

 

Pet Shop Boys Heart No1x3 April 1988

Yazz & the Plastic Population The Only Way Is Up No1x5 August 1988

 

Christmas Crackers Bros I Owe You Nothing (Video) No1x2 June 1988

Christmas Crackers Glenn Mederios Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You (Video) No1x4 July 1988

Christmas Crackers PHil Collins A Groovy Kind Of Love No1x2 September 1988

Christmas Crackers Robin Beck First Time No1x3 November 1988

 

Wet Wet Wet A Little Help From My Friends No1x4 May 1988

The Hollies He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother No1x2 September 1988

***No1 Cliff Richard Mistletoe & Wine***No1x3 Christmas No1 1988

Bros Silent Night No2

 

 

 

The legendary Christmas Day show with all the years biggest hits is one of my favourites and we get THREE presenters. We start with one of my favourite chart toppers of the year and imo when house went Pop S-Express, how many samples can you count?

 

Next we have the Christmas chart topper from 1987, confused? Me to but I guess it was a January No1 and it's a great song so I'm happy enough.

 

Next we change the chart breakers from the normal editions into Christmas Crackers - see what they did there? Basically it's videos of the years biggest hit singles from artists that couldn't make it and are mainly all American apart from Enya. Some cracker songs like Heaven Is A Place On Earth, One Moment In Time, I Should Be So Lucky & I Think We're Alone Now.

 

We return to the studio with the fantastic Aswad finally getting a huge hit in 1988 and we follow this with Yazz introducing the even more wonderful Fairground Attraction with one of the best No1s of the year Perfect, cracking stuff!!

 

Another bunch of Christmas Crackers next but this time the biggest No2s of the year including some homegrown artists who obviously couldn't be bothered making it into the studio. These include Climie Fisher, Rick Astley, Bobby McFerrin, Bros & Brother Beyond.

 

Next we have the Pet Shop Boys performing for a second time in the show (they must have found it hard getting acts for the Christmas special) and it's become my favourite single from them 'Heart'. It would actually be their final UK no1(so far).

 

Next up in the studio we have the biggest seller of the year from Yazz telling us the only way is up. This sounds fairly cheesy pretty quick when we move into 1989 with the likes of Black Box and even Inner City later in the year.

 

We have another bunch of Christmas Crackers now. You can see how this is panning out. They are number 1s by PHil Collins, Glenn Mederios, Bros & Robin Beck.

 

Next we have Robin Gibb in the studio which is a delight and it goes downhill from there with Anthea introducing Wet Wet Wets charity hit from the spring A Little Help From My Friends a cover of the Beatles classic. The next studio appearance is by Breathe who look very bored but The Hollies coke on to put us all to sleep so no wonder. I am fond of He Ain't Heavy especially The Justice Collective version from Christmas a few years back. But the victor this Christmas was Cliff Richard with his 12th number 1 Mistletoe & Wine. Christmas' future would never be the same again. I do find it funny how at the start of the decade Cliff still *tried* to make inovative pop music but even by this stage he was a parody and not cool at all. But he still rules the charts!!

 

We finish up on another festive note with Bros and their version of Silent Night, its way ott compared to the genius Sinatra version that's best known.

Edited February 2, 20205 yr by Steve201

Top of the Pops 5/1/1989 Presented by Mark Goodier & Andy Crane

 

Erasure Crackers International No2

Kim Wilde Four Letter Word No9

A-Ha You Are The One (Video) No15

 

**Breakers Duran Duran All She Wants Is (Video) No25 NE

**Breakers Boy Meet me Girl Waiting For A Star To Fall (Video) No31

**Breakers Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine Rhythm Is Gonna Get You (Video) No28

 

Climie Fisher Love Like A River No37

Inner City Good Life No4

Neneh Cherry Buffalo Stance No6

***No1 Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan Especially For You ***No1

The Four Tops Loco In Alcapolco (Video) No7

 

 

So we enter 1989 and as Andy Crane said totp is in its 26th year and it's episode 1300. There has been some changes as we enter 1989 with the presenters standing on a podium which makes up the new main stage which gets its biggest changes in a decade as for the first time since 1980 we lose the stage with the TV screen where so many performers and dancers had such fun through the 80s. We have the same Paul Hardcastle theme tune even though Paul himself was left back in 1986 but we have new opening titles.

 

We have a great first performance of 1989 too with Erasure closing on the top spot at 2 with 'Crackers International', great song! Following this the lovely Kim Wilde continues her semi-comeback of the past two years with the rather nice 'Four Letter Word'.

 

Next we have a video of the new A-Ha video for 'You Are The One', it's actually not bad but they are on a downward path with these releases. Particularly avid viewers will have seen as Andy Crane introduced this video the old tv screen is actually hanging from the top wall, so it stays for another while at least!

 

We have the breakers next with a random newbie from Duran Duran, goodness their quality reduced from 1986 on. Then there's Boy Meets Girl with the hit love song Waiting For A Star To Fall and the classic Rythm from Gloria Estefan. Hope the later two climb a lot more, two classics.

 

In the studio and first to perform on the new revamped main stage are Climie Fisher. Status Quo the last to perform on the old set at Christmas.

 

Some great songs performed in the studio next by Inner City & Neneh Cherry, two of the best songs in the top 40 of that era for me. And this weeks no1 is what was meant to be Christmas no1 for 1988 but eventually gets there as the Christmas spirit fades in the first week of the new year and Cliff falls to No5. Its pure cheese but you can't help but enjoy it for what it is. I would have preferred Erasure!!

 

And we end the show with the video of the Four Tops going Loco In Alcapolco!

Edited February 9, 20205 yr by Steve201

Top of the Pops 12/1/1989 Presented by Sybil Ruscoe & Simon Mayo

 

Darling Buds Hit the Ground No33

Will To Power Baby I Love Your Way (Video) No10

Milli Vanilli Baby Don't Forget My Number No32

Duran Duran All She Wants Is (Video) No9

Boy Meets Girl Waiting For a Star to Fall No12

 

**Breakers Marc Almond & Gene Pitney Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart (Video) No19 NE

**Breakers Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock Get On The Dancefloor (Video) No30 NE

**Breakers Mike & The Mechanics The Living Years (Video) No17 NE

**Breakers Roachford Cuddly Toy (Video) No31

**Breakers Fine Young Canniballs She Drives Me Crazy (Video) No8

**Breakers Roy Orbison You Got It (Video) No24

 

Freiheit Keeping the Dream Alive No14

Cookie Crew Born This Way No29 NE

***No1 Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan Especially For You(Video)***No1

Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine Rhythm Is Gonna Get You (Tour Performance) No16

 

 

Starting off with a band I don't know much about 'Darling Buds' it's an nice piece of indie pop. There seems to have been a lot of indie pop bands over the past 2 years on totp, trying to find that authenticity we would only see with the Stone Roses. More of them later in 1989. I quick google of Darling Buds reveals they were indeed named after the novel 'The Darling Buds of May' due to their Welsh origins and yes just as I thought they reminded me of other bands of this era like Transvision Vamp. Why do they have blonde lead singers?

 

Next is the video for Baby I Love Your Way by Will to Power. A nice ballad but no where near as good as the most well known version by Big Mountain in the mid 90s. Next in the studio we have the god awful Milli Vanilli who seemed to be huge at this time, don't know why. They also didn't leave anything to the imagination by their dress wear during this performance.

 

Next we have the new video for Duran Duran All She Wants Is, embracing the deeper beats and electro by this stage of the 1980s. Good to see them with their first top 10 hit since 'Notorious' 3 years before.

 

Next back in the studio we have the best song for the episode by Boy Meets Girl which is a classic, it was big in the film Three Men And A Little Lady in 1990. The song would also receive a remix known by most Buzzjackers by Cabin Crew/Sunset Strippers in 2005.

 

We have a record breaking 6 yes SIX breakers this week and we are bound to find at least one good one amongst that and it's true there are a few Crackers including classics from Fine Young Cannibals, Mike & The Mechanics, Roy Orbison & Marc Almond. I also enjoyed that Roachford track which I've never heard before.

 

Finally back in the studio with the slow riser by German band Freiheit who sound quite like the Beatles. Keeping the Dream Alive also has a classy finish to it. Next up it's Cookie Crew in the studio, maybe I'm getting old but what a racket. Those two girls should slow down and try a nice ballad version later in the year.

 

We have the top 10 countdown and at No1 for a second week it's Kylie & Jason with 'Especially For You' ahh, wonder if they will last. We finish the show with the delightful Gloria Estefan still with her Soundmachine!

 

That was some amount of performances packed into half and hour with five studio performances & ten videos, just need to change that around.

Edited February 15, 20205 yr by Steve201

Keeping The Dream Alive is a wonderful song. It was great to see Freiheit perform it in the studio.

 

It seems appropriate that Roachford followed Mike & The Mechanics on the breakers. In 2010,he joined them as one of their two lead singers and he's still in the group now.

 

Steve,did you know that those two Milli Vanilli boys didn't actually sing on their records? There was a big scandal when the news came out. They had to return the Grammy they won for Best New Artist.

No, who sang for them? I know they didn't sing on totp like lol.

They were managed by Frank Farian who was also the man behind Boney M. He didn't think their vocals were good enough so he got session singers to record all the vocals on their records.

God what a joke of an act!

Top of the Pops 19/1/1989 Presented by Bruno Brooke's & Richard Skinner

 

Roachford Cuddly Toy No11

Roy Orbison You Got It (Video) No7

Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle Wait No22

Marc Almond & Gene Pitney Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart No10

 

**Breakers Ten City That's The Way Love Is (Video) No33 NE

**Breakers Will Downing & Mica Paris Where Is The Love? (Video) No28

**Breakers New Model Army Stupid Question (Video) No31 NE

**Breakers Brother Beyond Be My Twin (Video) No29 NE

**Breakers Natalie Cole I Live For Your Love (Video) No30

 

Mike & The Mechanics The Living Years (Video) No4

Holly Johnson Love Train No21 NE

Fine Young Cannibals She Drives Me Crazy No5

***No1 Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan Especially For You ***3 Weeks No1

Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock Get On The Dancefloor (Video) No17

 

 

 

Richard and Bruno are in the studio tonight and introduce Roachford with his wonderful one hit wonder 'Cuddly Toy'. As King Rollo said above he would go on to perform with Mike & The Mechanics in 2010 who were also in the chart at this time. Next another golden oldie by Roy Orbison is high in the charts due to his untimely death in the previous month at the age of 52, I absolutely love this re-release.

 

Next we go into the first chart countdown from 40-31. The highlights being NEs from Level 42 & Gary Moore.

 

Next in the studio it's a big dancefloor filler 'Wait' by Rob Howard & Kym Mazelle, not one I remember much. Does sound more like piano house rather than the stuff we have been hearing in the last year on Totp. Next in the studio it's great to see Marc Almond and the legendary Gene Pitney with this fantastic remake. It peaked at No5 when he first released it in November 1968, wonder if this can do any better? Anyway for those youngsters out there Pitney had his first top 40 hit in April 1961 28 years before this remake. He went into have 22 top 40 hits, 11 of which went top 10 and 1 number one. He sadly passed away in 2006 aged only 66.

 

We have five breakers this week with my favourite being the Mica Paris song and probably the only one I've heard before, always remember it from an episode of Only Fools & Horses. We also have another dog from the God awful Brother Beyond, hurry up Take That come along and save boy bands!

 

We then have another video for Mike & The Mechanics which is my pet hate showing another video after the breakers but I guess this is a hit in its own right being at no4 and Bruno seems to think it'll be no1 this Sunday, we shall see. Mike Rutherford certainly deserved it as 'The Living Years' is fantastic. The man who had so much success with Genesis, this was only his second top 40 hit with the Mechanics.

 

Next live In the studio is one of He highest NEs from former Frankie Goes to Hollywood Holly Johnsons with his first solo hit, after 7 top 40 singles with FGTH. As Richard Skinner said there's ALOT of old stars on the show today, not sure Holly will enjoy that description but he performed well with the usual gloves on. So we have George Michael from Wham, Boy George from Culture Club & now Holly Johnson from Frankie, we really are in the late 80s!! Next up in the studio is my favourite song of the week by the Fine Young Cannibals!! The drives me crazy too.

 

And following what's a brillant top 10 we have Kylie & Jason continuing their relationship with a third Week at no1, they didn't need that Xmas no1 did they as Cliff has left the top 40!

 

We finish with the video for 'Get On The Dancefloor'. Anyone know if this was Richard Skinners final totp?

Edited February 17, 20205 yr by Steve201

'You Got It' was a new song from an album Roy Orbison recorded with help from some of his mates from the Traveling Wilburys before he died. It wasn't a re-release. Jeff Lynne said recently on Radio 2 that he thinks it's the best song he wrote for another artist.

 

I like She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals and the Holly Johnson song was quite good. It's a shame Mike and the Mechanics weren't available to perform their song in the studio. That might have helped it to get to no.1 As it was the second single from their 1988 album,I'm assuming that they would have been on tour somewhere at the time. At least it got to no.1 in the US which meant that Mike Rutherford managed to emulate his Genesis bandmates Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins in having a no.1 single there. I think The Beatles might be the only other group to do that. In their case,all four of them had solo American no.1s.

Edited February 17, 20205 yr by King Rollo

Ah I didn't realise it was a brand new song, sounds like a classic 60s track from him. It's a great song though.

 

I think Mike & the Mechanics must have performed this track on the Christmas episode because they def were in the studio.

 

I would argue 'She Drives Me Crazy' is the Young Cannibals signature track?

Edited February 17, 20205 yr by Steve201

Yes,just checking youtube,Mike & the Mechanics turned up for the Christmas 1989 episode.

 

And yes,I would say 'She Drives Me Crazy' is the FYC signature song. It still seems to be played quite a lot on the radio.