March 16, 20187 yr 'Frankie' really must be one of the cheesiest chart hits ever. Fun though. The Billy Ocean song was nice enough, no 'When The Going Gets Tough The Tough Get Going' though. The Scritti Politti one that started the show has a good chorus but the rest of the song is a bit boring for me though sadly :( Yes for 'Axel F' being a new entry, and 'Johnny Come Home', a great song that a snippet was played from will be on tonight's episode apparently, looking forward to it! Marillion finally got to play their most famous song live on TOTP! :D Obsession was a great song to play out! Sounds a bit more dancey than the average synthpop song at the time! Edited March 16, 20187 yr by The Hissmobile
March 16, 20187 yr Author I look forward to Johnny Come Home tonight then! I have to disagree over Scritti Politti - I love the whole song.
March 16, 20187 yr Pity Madonna wasn't there to perform 'Crazy for You', another song that started the power ballads trend that would continue into the early 90s. I think they mentioned before on there she was touring, so maybe that's why. Crazy for You and Get into the Groove are her best singles from the 80s, and Frozen the best from her 90s singles imo. I look forward to Johnny Come Home tonight then! I hope it's a performance and not just a video play! Great funky song anyway! :funky: Edited March 16, 20187 yr by The Hissmobile
March 17, 20187 yr Very good episode, most of the songs I really liked. Fine Young Cannibals started the show in style with their funky tune "Johnny Come Home", Sting's song, while it isn't one of his best known ones, sounded very good, then it was Mai Tai with their disco tune "History" a song I didn't really like when I first discovered it, but really like now. The China Crisis song was a good enough new wave song and then it was a live performance of the iconic Axel F, another less poppy sounding electronic piece to make the charts following the success of '19'. Paisley Park was a good playout but isn't one of Prince's best songs imo.
March 20, 20187 yr Author Very good episode, most of the songs I really liked. Fine Young Cannibals started the show in style with their funky tune "Johnny Come Home", Sting's song, while it isn't one of his best known ones, sounded very good, then it was Mai Tai with their disco tune "History" a song I didn't really like when I first discovered it, but really like now. The China Crisis song was a good enough new wave song and then it was a live performance of the iconic Axel F, another less poppy sounding electronic piece to make the charts following the success of '19'. Paisley Park was a good playout but isn't one of Prince's best songs imo. The Mai Tai song still sounds terrible to me :lol:
March 20, 20187 yr The Mai Tai song still sounds terrible to me :lol: I loved it then I love it now, "gonna burn your letters you were sending me (thumb gesture) our love is HISS-TORE-REE!" It was a political comment on the Hiss-Tories you know? Would I lie....? fab! :lol:
March 20, 20187 yr I loved it then I love it now, "gonna burn your letters you were sending me (thumb gesture) our love is HISS-TORE-REE!" It was a political comment on the Hiss-Tories you know? Would I lie....? fab! :lol: Political song? :lol: We will have a proper political song once the repeats get to 1987 of course, 'Labour of Love' by Hue and Cry. ;) The over the top vocals of History put me off it a bit at first, but I really like it now after a few listens, the verses sound a bit dark and atmospheric. Very good disco track. That and Obsession by Animotion have been my two recent songs that as a result of them being on the totp reruns I have grown to like :D Edited March 20, 20187 yr by The Hissmobile
March 21, 20187 yr fraid not, lack of time - I'm mostly recording TOTP to hard disc in the hope that I can burn them to bluray one day and watch them as I'm dribbling in my dotage wheelchair to keep me going.... There's a fab new 3-CD series for each year covering 1974 through 1986, there are some real gems never popped up on CD before in amongst the usual compilation suspects (I mean some tracks I have at LEAST a dozen times on vinyl single, album, compilation vinyl, CD & download....who needs streaming! It would take the rest of my life just to play the music I own once more) :lol:
March 21, 20187 yr Ha indeed but it's the collection that counts!! I record on sky + and watch at weekends, there were some changes even in the 3/4 years between then and the 1985 repeats, really modernised after 1983 I find. Also they seemed to skip slot of episodes in the summer of 1982 so wanted to check if anyone was having the same issues. I mainly have On the go playlists on my iPhone where I add the biggest hits per year as a best of list and listen when I want. Must check the cds out tho!
March 23, 20187 yr Author Not exactly a vintage show tonight. Eurythmics (complete with Annie pretending to be Stevie Wonder) were great of course, but the rest was mediocre at best. The least said about Tina Turner gone to seed the better. As shown in the credits, this episode was shown just a couple days before Live Aid.
March 25, 20187 yr That Conway Brothers song sounded good, really shows how American dance music was moving closer to the eventual sound of house music that would soon emerge. I like the use of guitar in it too. All Night Holiday by Russ Abbot (which does remind me of the style of The Vengaboys 'We're Going To Ibiza' :lol: ) had a snippet played of it. The Eurythmics really moved away from electronic music by this stage and were just pure pop, which is a bit disappointing, but 'Must Be An Angel' is still a very good song. And that Sister Sledge cheesefest at #1. :lol: It is a rather cute song though. Edited March 25, 20187 yr by The Hissmobile
March 25, 20187 yr Must Be an Angel, one of THE songs of the 80s! Agreed more Sweet Dreams would have been fun too!!
March 25, 20187 yr Must Be an Angel, one of THE songs of the 80s! Agreed more Sweet Dreams would have been fun too!! Must be An Angel is a lovely song but I do prefer their earlier synthpop stuff, although I do really like 'Thorn In My Side' from 1986.
March 25, 20187 yr Have to say Johnny Come Home by the Fine Young Canninbals is a fine track, possibly one of my personal favs of 1985!
March 26, 20187 yr Have to say Johnny Come Home by the Fine Young Canninbals is a fine track, possibly one of my personal favs of 1985! I think I prefer 'She Drives Me Crazy' from 1989 but 'Johnny Come Home' is still very good.
March 30, 20187 yr I'm actually watching this live (missed the beginning) for a change, so a few comments for novelty value: Money For Nothing, and that showstopping video debut from Sting. I mean Dire Straits. Brothers In Arms spearheaded the CD revolution, I mean I liked a couple of the tracks, but over-rated as an album. This one has dulled with over-familiarity a bit, but is still good. Princess wants me to say she's my number one: Well, not actually, Prince, Queen and King all take priority, but it was a decent enough bit of smooth 80's soul. Simon & Richard give us a chart rundown, and then some chart breakers - gosh clips of risers Maze (pleasantly forgettable), Phil Collins (the under-rated Take Me Home), UB40 & Chrissie (I saw them tour together - but it's not Sonny & Cher). Go West saying they are doing the Rocky IV soundtrack. Must have missed that one. Still a going concern live and in fine fettle, but this one was always dull. Top 10 rundown, and it's Madonna on top with Into The Groove - amazing to think that this Summer of 85 dance anthem was never a single in the USA. I most remember the video for Madge drying her armpits Desperately Seeking Susan - who hasn't done that at work...? Just me then? Double Madonna as the top 10 debut hit from 1984 Holiday plays us out - much more of anthem live than Into The Groove, as I can brag I've seen her do it in the 80's the 90's and the 00's, and always a great inventive show.
March 30, 20187 yr Author I'd say dull was rather understating just how bad that Go West song was. The Princess song was dire too. I assume that the South Pacific soundtrack was, in some ways, the 1950s equivalent of Brothers In Arms. Brothers In Arms was often one of the first CDs people bought after getting a player. I suspect South Pacific may have been one of the first vinyl LPs many people bought. Of course, I could be completely wrong :lol:
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