The Rolling "Top of the Pops" BBC4 Revival thread.

Oh, is the cat still depping for the Red skins?

OK

How many of the players were still in the team?

What's this 1995 business?

Keith also had a hand on Vindaloo iirc

(It was 1995 night on bbc4 and they showed Xmas totp)

Could've sworn he said MFP was Christmas number one, they closed the show with it (unless they'd already played the real #1)

They had played MJ twice, both with his sister and solo (and played the aforementioned creepy video message), so maybe they back-announced that as the Xmas number one and then rounded off with wonder wall. Wasn't paying too much attention at that point tbh.

Keith also had a hand on Vindaloo iirc

He was 1/3 of the band and the lead singer on three of their four singles. He also co-wrote and sang on Black Grape's football record England's Irie, which led to Joe Strummer's only appearance on Top Of The Pops, still drunk/etc from going out after rehearsal the night before.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Jx0v9Look

Mike Flowers cover of Don't Cry For Me Argentina complete with a Macarena interpolation was even worse, obviously I love it

'84 christmas was full of bangers (and jim diamond), with each act introducing the next. lots of repetition though - frankie on 3 times, durans twice, wham twice (iirc) and a live "do they know it's christmas?" with pretty much everybody as a finale

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jc3k1

Elton's first #1. Also Chris Lowe would like his hat back.

wtf bob geldof?

yes, that Geldof song was so shit, ot a good couple of shows at all.

Elton's first solo number one, I should pedantically point out.

"Don't go breaking my duck"

the evidence against geldof. you won't thank me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1wbsKergpk

I really hate Elton John.

xp. fuck me that's bad

Craig McLachlan and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - welcome to Summer 1990.

Elton John's appearance with Jaki from a weeks back is some real "taken loads of drugs before the bouncers catch me" energy

the thing that's rolling my eyes this evening is madonna

I wonder which performance was Elton’s last before his big clean up. Must be coming up soon as he knocked it all on the head in 1990.

Elton John's appearance with Jaki from a weeks back is some real "taken loads of drugs before the bouncers catch me" energy

Jaki Liebezeit played with Elton John?

Man, LFO sounded goooood coming straight after Partners in Kryme.

LFO sounded beamed in from another planet. Also feeling Blue Pearl tonight and that's my favourite Technotronic

Just caught up on a load and yes, that Geldof one was shit. To be honest, a good 90% of it is either shit or blandly forgettable at the moment.

the thing that's rolling my eyes this evening is madonna

August 1990. Family holiday in a farm cottage in Wales. My dad takes me and my brother to a pub in the middle of nowhere so we can have a game of pool. We're clearly the only non-locals in there. My dad decides to break the tension by putting some music on the duke box. He's not really down with the kids, but he recognises the name 'Madonna' and knows that she's popular. A minute later and everyone in the pub is staring at us as Madonna announces that there's nothing like a good spanky.

Well, it could have been a request to justify her love..

My dad was a synth hater and under the impression that they were "trying to pass as real instruments", watching the amount of performances from around this time featuring someone with a guitar onstage in a clearly all-electronic track makes me understand where this misconception came from.

I remember Strawberry Switchblade totp, Rose playing guitar, clearly the right chords, but also clearly not on the record/track.

It's been said upthread but LFO is a fucking tune.

A bit spun out by the NKOTB Casio Beatles pastiche...

Tricky Disco sounding much, much better than I remember. I bought it totally on spec because it was the plain purple sleeve WARP single after LFO (which, to repeat those who have come before, is still a fucking banger).

Does Timmy Mallett actually sing on this song at all?

Tricky Disco very slightly spoiled by the ubiquitous early 90s 'oh... yeah...' sample that Timmy Mallett's song hammers (pun not intended) into the ground.

Does Timmy Mallett actually sing on this song at all?

This hasn't been officially confirmed, but I have heard that it's a session singer from a few places now.

The 'oh... yeah...' was a pointed dig at the ubiquity of that sample at that time, though rather than bring a sample it is voiced by one of the duo, Lee Newman, and then pitched up.

Does anyone know if there will be a "The Story Of 1990" this year?

x post

referring to Tricky Disco there in case not clear.

I think they usually do the 'Story of...' at the start of a new TOTP year.

Just went down a Google wormhole trying to find who sang Itsy Bitsy (apparently A guy called Paul Everton, now a teacher) and discovered it was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber as a bet with his wife lol

I thought they were usually shown around January.

Itsy Bitsy is a sleazy record for kids, which should not be a thing.

Does anyone know if there will be a "The Story Of 1990" this year?

They showed it already, a few months ago - was a good one!

Adamski was in it, he had a very memorable look.

Good anecdote about him and Seal meeting as well.

Adamski was in it, he had a very memorable look.

Oh, i saw it! I am patently losing my mind.

I thought they were usually shown around January.

They were, but because we had a few blank months over the summer (presumably because of COVID) we didn't finish 1990 in December.

1990 only started in september. we talked about the 1990 documentary then:

The Rolling "Top of the Pops" BBC4 Revival thread.

(hope that works)

ah, thanks. sorry for thread derail.

no prob. it was a bit weird with the break. it was also the first overview show i watched.

and they do repeat them towards the end, i think, or just randomly - story of '77 is on on thursday for instance. big hits 89 on bbc2 tonight.

it was also the first overview show i watched.

You've missed out. The overview shows are much better than the actual episodes of TOTP.

Well, yeah but you get more context with the episodes.