Not only was TOTP off air throughout the strike but all live music across bbc1 and bbc2 which included things like Pebble MIll and The Old Grey whistle test. So in effect 2 of 3 TV channels of the day. Radio was unaffected. When it returned it was revamped.

 

Ah thanks, for some reason I always thought it was the summer of 81 this happened. So the studio will be the 80s classic one with the main stage with the lights and the TOTP logo with the tv in the other side. Then the crowd gets more involved and the party begins - Michael Hurll has arrived!!

And then Phil Lynott (and Midge Ure production) for the theme tune. What theme tune did they use before that?

I don’t know the name but could hum it lol! Was a real 70s style intro start!

Looking at some episodes from 1979 they just played a chart track as they ran down the charts with graphics.

19TH JULY

 

 

Sales of the chart topper once again slide under the 70,000 mark this week, but "Xanadu" remains in pole position moving 69,000 copies in the last week, perhaps some are being put off by the savaging the film is currently getting or are investing i the album which slams in at No 7. The tracks total sales now stand at 223,000 not very impressive for a chart topper, and as it's losing sales which means it may be lucky to even break 400,000 mark at the end of the day. Whether or not it can claim a third week is very much up in the air with Odyssey holding at No 2 but they are losing sales to 56,000 too, depressing all around.

 

 

 

Three new hits make the top 10 this week with Kate Bush being the highest 16-7 (32,000) with "Babooshka". It's the second track to be lifted from her forthcoming third album "Never For Ever" which is due in a couple of months after being delayed, the first single "Breathing" peaked at No 16 and sold 123,000 copies in all. It is also Bush's fourth top 10 single, her best seller of course being her introductory single "Wuthering Heights" in 1978.

 

 

 

McCartney's also back in the top 10 with a second single from his second solo album, and a second top 10 hit this year. It has spent a fortnight at 11 looking like entry to the upper echelon would be impossible, however it stumbles 11-9 this week (29,000).

 

 

 

After 7 straight top 10 singles between 1973-77 Leo Sayer had a fine start to his chart career, but he's had a slightly barren period recently having been absent from the top 10 since October 1978 but he hasn't lost the touch as "More Than I Can Say" takes just 3 weeks to make the grade jumping 22-10 this week (28,000). It has a good calibre of songwriter being penned by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison former members of the Crickets who recorded it in 1960 and made No 42 before being covered by Bobby Vee a year later when it went to No 4, Sayer has therefore a little way to go to become the highest charting version of the track.

 

 

In other news Stacy Lattisaw holds at No 3 with sales up to 53,000, the Detroit Spinners don't look like repeating their trick of earlier in the year and getting a No 1 as they move just one spot 5-4 but sales dive to just 44,000, Bob Marley jumps 9-5 to have the biggest hit of his career but his sales increase just 10,000 copies to 43,000, UB40 continue to climb 7-6 though again it loses 10% sales wise to 33,000, and finally Don McLean is a spent force as "crying" collapses 4-8 (29,000)

 

1- XANADU- Olivia Newton-John & ELO (69,000)

2- USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT- Odyssey (56,000)

3- JUMP TO THE BEAT- Stacey Lattisaw (53,000)

4- CUPID/ I’VE LOVED YOU A LONG TIME- Detroit Spinners (44,000)

5- COULD YOU BE LOVED- Bob Marley & The Wailers (43,000)

6- MY WAY OF THINKING/ I THINK IT’S GOING TO RAIN- UB40 (33,000)

7- BABOOSHKA- Kate Bush (32,000)

8- CRYING- Don McLean (29,000)

9- WATERFALLS- Paul McCartney (29,000)

10- MORE THAN I CAN SAY- Leo Sayer (28,000)

 

Kate Bush! 'Babooshka' despite being one of her biggest hits isn't in my top tier of Kate singles but that's because she sets the bar so damn high. Great storyline though which predates the Tindr/Grindr phenomena of using fake profile to catch a cheating partner out by several decades. And oh my at that video! :o

 

Despite being one of her biggest hits in the UK she never performed it live or on a TV promo here but a couple of interesting European TV performances exist on YouTube.

Edited April 20, 20241 yr by Smint

agree love Kate Bush but. Babooshka is meh, not a favourite, one of my least least favourite of hers in fact

 

all 3 newbies kinda cheesy

Edited April 20, 20241 yr by Bjork

Yeah, Babooshka is fine and I can see why it was the biggest hit but I prefer Army Dreamers and Breathing from the album.

26TH JULY

 

 

"Xanadu" takes a fall from the top after just a fortnight as sales fall to 51,000 for the track, the lowest tally needed for the runner up track this year so far- will it even make the year end top 40 at the current rate? Parent album at least lifts 7-3. It is replaced by Odyssey whose "Use It Up Wear It Out" which reverses its trend and improves sales wise to 62,000 copies marking an easy victory for them this week

 

 

Leo Sayer catapults 10-3 with "More Than I Can Say" (42,000)- his biggest hit since he hit the top three years ago. Stacy Lattisaw dips 3-4 (40,000) and Bob Marley holds at No 5 (40,000) but both appear to be a spent force sales wise.

 

 

Diana's back this week! It's been over 4 years since "Love Hangover" became a top 10 hit and in the interim 9 singles bearing her name have been released, none of them reaching higher than No 23, but "Upside Down" hurtles 31-8 (32,000) in just its second week and is the first product of her collaboration with Edwards/ Rogers of Chic. Keep an eye on it it seems to have the hallmark of a No 1 at present!

 

 

 

Speaking of returns to the chart the Rolling Stones are back as well. "Emotional Rescue" rises 19-9 (32,000) and is of course the title of their most recent album which has already topped the album charts for two weeks and currently sits at No 2. Along with Ross and arguably half the top 10 it marks a triumph for Disco which is showing no slacking in its attempt to dominate the charts this year.

 

 

Kate Bush Holds the No 7 spot this week on an increased sale of 37,000 and both the Detroit Spinners and UB40 take tumbles this week of 4-6 (38,000) and 6-10 (31,000) respectively.

 

1- USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT- Odyssey (62,000)

2- XANADU- Olivia Newton-John & ELO (51,000)

3- MORE THAN I CAN SAY- Leo Sayer (42,000)

4- JUMP TO THE BEAT- Stacy Lattisaw (40,000)

5- COULD YOU BE LOVED- Bob Marley & The Wailers (40,000)

6- CUPID/ I’VE LOVED YOU A LONG TIME- Detroit Spinners (38,000)

7- BABOOSHKA- Kate Bush (37,000)

8- UPSIDE DOWN- Diana Ross (32,000)

9- EMOTIONAL RESCUE- The Rolling Stones (32,000)

10- MY WAY OF THINKING/ I THINK IT’S GOING TO RAIN- UB40 (31,000)

 

Chain reaction <3

 

Don't think I ever heard the Rolling Stones song, his vocals sound beyond weird

'Babooshka' appreciation post :wub: wonderfully bonkers and her presence is everything in the video.

Bob Marley was close to getting a Top 3 hit in his lifetime there, and with The Wailers too.

 

Yay for 'Upside Down' entering, the Edwards / Rodgers disco sound worked a treat for Diana - it's shaping up for something special in the coming weeks perhaps?

Babooshka is good but is the one song that is often not really taken seriously in her discography.

 

This #13 hit at the time has become iconic certainly.

 

Edited April 20, 20241 yr by TheSnake

2ND AUGUST

 

 

News that their may be an end to the strike in sight must come as a mighty relief to record companies up and down the land this week as Odyssey hold the top spot and increase sales to 76,000. That's an 8 week period where the No 1 in the land has failed to break the 90k mark, not helped of course by the natural summer slump which has left some chart toppers with disappointing totals, for example "Xanadu" which falls 2-4 (47,000) with a sales total of 369,000 to date, however Odyssey haven't done too badly thus far running up 386,000 to overtake Newton-John/ ELO whilst still at No 1. "Xanadu" the album is at least at No 2 in mitigation.

 

 

Right on cue though their tenure at the top is starting to look shaky given that Leo Sayer moves 3-2 (63,000) and registers a 53% increase in sales and more impressively Diana Ross bounces 8-3 (63,000) a 97% increase and must be fancied to seriously challenge Odyssey next week.

 

 

Meanwhile Dexy's Midnight Runners are back with "There There My Dear" which follows the top 10 debut for their first album "Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" last week, it rises 12-7 (41,000) after just 4 weeks on the chart. It is of course the follow up to "Geno" which remains the biggest selling single of the year so far!

 

 

 

No stranger to the No 1 spot Abba make a sensational New entry at No 9 this week with "The Winner Takes It All" (32,000), the band have had 7 previous UK chart toppers but only two singles have debuted in the top 10, "Take A Chance On Me" in 1978 and "Chiquitita" last year, the latter title the only song to debut higher than "The Winner Takes It All" by one place. It's the first release from their forthcoming (as yet unnamed) album due at Christmas. The lyrics appear to be slightly personal if reviews are to be believed focusing on the inner wranglings of the group.

 

 

Kate Bush is also on the rise this week 7-5 (47,000) whilst fallers include Bob Marley 5-6 (47,000), Stacy Lattislaw 4-8 (32,000) and the Detroit Spinners 6-10 (30,000)

 

1- USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT- Odyssey (76,000)

2- MORE THAN I CAN SAY- Leo Sayer (64,000)

3- UPSIDE DOWN- Diana Ross (63,000)

4- XANADU- Olivia Newton-John & ELO (47,000)

5- BABOOSHKA- Kate Bush (47,000)

6- COULD YOU BE LOVED- Bob Marley & The Wailers (47,000)

7- THERE THERE MY DEAR- Dexy’s Midnight Runners (41,000)

8- JUMP TO THE BEAT- Stacey Lattisaw (32,000)

9- THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL- Abba (32,000)

10- CUPID- I’VE LOVED YOU A LONG TIME- Detroit Spinners (30,000)

 

 

My favourite song from 80s decade debuted at # 70 on this week (Peak position # 25)

 

 

 

oh was rooting for Chain reaction, wasn't expecting Odyssey to hold on, not a fav that one

 

the Dexys one is no Geno but not that bad

 

good entry for Abba, guess they're favourites to climb to #1 next week?

The Diana Ross song is Upside Down, not Chain Reaction.

yes yes always mix those up

The Winner Takes It All really is peak ABBA.

'The Winner Takes It All' is stunning, my second favourite ABBA single only behind 'Lay All Your Love On Me'. :wub: