TOTP on BBC4

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

We can also blame Gordon Smith for that short episode tonight.

Don't think Powell is a football fan, he variously referred to the forthcoming match as "the repeat" and "the replay FA Cup Final".

[Gangster Octopus]

TOTP on BBC4

Best thing about last week's episodes was an appearence by Rotherham resident Will Gaines...

[Squarewheelbike]

TOTP on BBC4

Thoroughly enjoyed tonight's Peel/Kid Pension effort. Contrast of Shakataks lazy smug plinky plonky followed by Big Country's Celtic wall of sound was a stand out moment, as was Peel's "Big Country, putting the tree back into Big Country" quip!

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

We skipped an episode between last night and tonight, it's appeared on Youtube. Missing a few videos, Kajagoogoo with "Hang On Now", Bucks Fizz with "When We Were Young" and the Police still at number 1. Also includes Mike Read in short shorts and the debut of Marillion.

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

Blimey, Peel sort of pre-empting my NMTB gag by something like fifteen years?

longeared wrote: ...includes Mike Read in short shorts...

I'll give that a miss, cheers.

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

Oh good lord, another European chart.

Peel "There's Simes in West London, and I'm in Amsterdam. You win a few, you lose a few"

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

Fucking hell, the Dutch number one "Comment Ca Va" by the Shorts. "What a little corker, eh?"

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

Actually, the Swiss number one is even worse. "Brutto Sozial Produkt" by Geier Sturzflug.

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

Well it's not often I look forward to hearing Shakatak, but I'll make an exception here after the European charts were rounded off by a Yugoslavian named Daniel singing "Julie". A hit all round Europe, except the UK. Think we got that one right.

[Jon]

TOTP on BBC4

More appalling lack of DJ sporting knowledge displayed by Simon Bates during his interview with Dennis Lillee. "Good luck in the World Cup" says Bates. How sporting of him, I thought, to wish England's great rivals well. Turns out he hadn't a clue - Lillee answered, "Well, actually we've been knocked out now."

Still, props to Bates for not missing a beat after this faux pas, despite the distraction of a lady behind him fondling his hair.

[Satchmo Distel]

TOTP on BBC4

Was Lillee the most pointless celebrity cameo ever or some belated Men At Work tie-in?

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

Jon wrote: Still, props to Bates for not missing a beat after this faux pas, despite the distraction of a lady behind him fondling his hair.

Radio 1 DJ in reverse-interference incident. More at eleven.

[Benjm]

TOTP on BBC4

I.O.U.! What a tune. Arthur Baker and John Robie are gods.

As for Zoo's interpretation of the track, well, you wouldn't necessarily lose a great deal by listening with your eyes closed.

The Walk sounds alright - I'd always had it down as a lame Blue Monday rip off. It's actually a reasonably catchy Blue Monday rip off.

Jimmy The Hoover invent Vampire Weekend 25 years early, while looking even sillier than Zoo.

[Benjm]

TOTP on BBC4

It's very hard to disentangle the irritation caused by this Eurythmics performance in and of itself from the vast retrospective conditioning to find it so.

[Benjm]

TOTP on BBC4

The Rod-ness in the Baby Jane video is so powerfully distilled it should carry a health warning.

[KGR]

TOTP on BBC4

Just watched the last four televised episodes on the trot, fast-forwarding most of it.

Observations:

Pills and Soap by the Imposter. I'd say that was one of Elvis Costello's finest moments. The night before the 83 election, getting away with pretending it was an animal rights song so that he could sing it on TOTP.

That first verse is BANG! Straight into it.

"They talk to the sister the father and the mother
With a microphone in one hand and a checkbook in the other
And the camera noses in on the tears on her face
The tears on her face
The tears on her face
You can put them back together with your paper and paste
But you can't put them back together
You can't put them back together".

And that last verse, well, I don't need to say any more...

"The sugar-coated pill is getting bitterer still
You think your country needs you, but you know it never will
So pack up yer troubles in a stolen handbag
Don't dilly dally boys, rally round the flag
Give us our daily bread in individual slices
And something in the daily rag to cancel any crisis"

Looked and sounded sinister, with great piano work and macabre percussion. I'd not remembered the song at all, shameful work. It's brilliant.

But you know what the biggest surprise of those four episodes was? I'm in serious danger of losing what little cred I have here, but When We Were Young by Bucks Fizz was incredible! I mean, it was ridiculous in terms of their act, all poses and pouting and Cheryl trying to be sexy, but what was that song? I had totally forgotten it. It was wholly uncommercial and very of-its-time, but I really enjoyed it. If I had heard and not seen it, I would never have guessed who it was by. I'd love it to get a cover, especially by someone like Arcade Fire!

[longeared]

TOTP on BBC4

Bucks Fizz was quite something, sounding like Abba, looking like New Romantics, which reminded me of Spearmint Rhino's fascination with artists following a trend long after it had faded away. Couple of other fine songs in Thursday's episode, Heaven 17 (which got disgracefully relegated to the late repeat) and the terrific War Baby, with Tom Robinson stood very still.

One notable thing about 1983 is the increasing effort that was clearly going into videos by now, they're much slicker presentations and clearly a lot of resource is being expended on them. No longer do we see the old style "band wanders half heartedly around a park in London" stuff.

Not watched Friday's episode yet, saving that treat for later tonight.

[Satchmo Distel]

TOTP on BBC4

Robert Wyatt's version of Shipbuilding had been in the Top 40 two weeks before Pills and Soap entered, but I dunno if it got a TOTP play ("too political"). Money Go Round by Style Council was also Thatcher-themed in that chart. Buffalo Soldier had all these celebs in the video IIRC.

Walk Out To Winter (Aztec Camera) amazingly stalled at #64

Robert Smith denies that "The Walk" was based on "Blue Monday". I prefer the hypothesis on some websites that both records rely heavily on Sylvester's "(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real."

[The Red Max]

TOTP on BBC4

Tonights episode features the TOTP debut of The Smiths, 24th November 1983.

Without wishing to be over-dramatic, it proved to be a defining moment in my life as it shaped my musical tastes from that point onwards, introducing me to a new set of like-minded friends, thanks to whom I met my wife.
I may well be watching with a small tear in my eye tonight.

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

Satchmo Distel wrote: Walk Out To Winter (Aztec Camera) amazingly stalled at #64

Robert Smith denies that "The Walk" was based on "Blue Monday". I prefer the hypothesis on some websites that both records rely heavily on Sylvester's "(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real."

Can't say I've ever heard that much in The Walk that brought to mind Blue Monday - on the other hand, Divine's Love Reaction was very obviously influenced by the latter.

Viz Aztec Camera, they were scarcely known outside Scotland before the reissued Oblivious made the Top 20 later in 1983, so Walk Out to Winter probably did well to make the Top 75 at all.

[Satchmo Distel]

TOTP on BBC4

The Red Max wrote: Tonights episode features the TOTP debut of The Smiths, 24th November 1983.

Without wishing to be over-dramatic, it proved to be a defining moment in my life as it shaped my musical tastes from that point onwards, introducing me to a new set of like-minded friends, thanks to whom I met my wife.
I may well be watching with a small tear in my eye tonight.

Similar for me too, except that I had given up on TOTP at that point was listening to Jensen and Peel and heard This Charming Man that way. It took another 8 weeks or so (through the Festive Fifty, session repeats and then the next single) before it fully sank in that this was a new phase in my relationship with music.

Johnny Marr's autobiography had a good account of that TOTP appearance.

Did Frankie Goes To Hollywood ever get on TOTP in this period? I know that "Relax" was on The Tube, with (IIRC) a ruder version shown in the late night slot. I have a dim memory of Frankie being interviewed late night on Channel 4 alongside Paul Morley and Trevor Horn.

The first Smiths I saw on The Tube was Mozza writhing about on the floor doing Still Ill. Billy Bragg also had a Tube debut around this time with A New England.

I also don't recall The Cocteau Twins doing TOTP although they had a Top 40 entry in 1984.

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

FGTH appeared on TOTP performing Relax in January 1984 - which for the majority of people would've been their first exposure to the band/song. It promptly vaulted from 35-6 in the following week's chart, received 'that' ban and wasn't heard again on the show. Which, with five weeks at number one, didn't sit terribly well.

Pretty sure that the Cocteaux never appeared on TOTP - they certainly didn't with Pearly Dewdrop's Drops.

[Sean of the Shed]

TOTP on BBC4

Paul Weller looks as awkward as I do dancing in that Style Council video.

[Various Artist]

TOTP on BBC4

Wow, how did you end up dancing in a Style Council video Sean?

[Jah Womble]

TOTP on BBC4

On his arse, probably.