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

Because, the first one (tonight) is 1976, where we get :

01/04/1976
With Abba, the Brotherhood of Man, the Beatles, Fox, John Miles, Diana Ross and Sailor. (R).

Then after that they are on Thursday night, 7:30pm, and basically are running weekly, each
episode being from (exactly) 35 years ago (near enough)..

Until BBC4 sack it.

Brilliant idea. I can relive my childhood. My earliest musical memories (from pre-school days) are stuff like Abba, The Wurzels, Showaddywaddy and Hot Chocolate.

This docu that's on now makes grim viewing.

The docu made some interesting points, and for all that I'd have loved if they'd started in 1964 (or whenever), 1976 is a good year to kickoff from.

The big point made was that the charts had become a 'variety' show source, as opposed to the 'teen hit parade' of the sixties. So, loads of Mathis, Roussos, BroMan, Abba and Radio DJs having comedy send-up hits.

It'll be like this for a while, but one I do remember being somewhat of a life changing moment was when Eddie and the Hot Rods did "Get out of Denver",and I went straight out and bought the (expensive) ep the next day.

I know, thesedays peopple decry the rods as being "not as seminal as Dr Feelgood", but I saw a repeat on TOTP2 and it was as good as I remembered. So, soon come, that show which showed the juxtaposition of this band against the other acts on that night.

(also, it means that the quality of dodgy Punk TOTP compilation DVDs are going to shoot up. If they get that far, of course)

What tickled me most was the former TOTP producer saying that they didn't get the Pistols on for "Anarchy In The UK" (which peaked at #38) because it didn't chart high enough, very important that we always stuck by the rules etc etc... followed by an April 1976 show featuring two (useless) acts which never charted at all.

The Hot Rods did well to get a TOTP appearance for "Get Out Of Denver", as a) the Live At The Marquee EP peaked at #43 and b) it was the lead track on the B-side.

It was track 2 on the a-side, but yeah.

Also, the funny was having Dave Bartram saying "yeah, a TOTP appearance guaranteed you a top 10 hit" and demonstrating this with a screening of their massive top (fillinasecond) hit "Trocadero"...

32

xpost - Aaargh, so it was!

The big point made was that the charts had become a 'variety' show source, as opposed to the 'teen hit parade' of the sixties. So, loads of Mathis, Roussos, BroMan, Abba and Radio DJs having comedy send-up hits.

Am I misunderstanding? cos the 60s had big hits for Ken Dodd, Englebert Humperdinck, the Barron Knights etc etc

Oh sure, but the theory being that those were in the minority, show-content wise.

oh on the show. yeah probly fair enough. chartwise it was variety a-go-go

Yeah, I don't think the point was that the charts had become (more) like a variety show, but that TOTP had.

fuck Noel Edmonds and his 'comedy' links

fuck Noel Edmonds and his 'comedy' links

I know, what a dick. Still we had the Four Seasons doing "Silver Star" this week. Also Eric Carmen's "interview" with Noel Edmonds, where you couldn't hear a word he was saying, don't be shy Eric!

Interviews on TOTP? that's a rarity...

"Inteview" not really the word.

"You wrote a song for Dana didn't you?"
"Mumble mumble mumble"
"What's the best song you've ever written?"
"Mumble mumble mumble All By Myself"
"Well all the best with the new single"
"Mumble"

Don't know what song he wrote for Dana

Oh and Noel was saying what a good album "Eric Carmen" was: a rare display of good taste from Edmonds there!

Noel had to say he liked it cos he didn't want to blow a raspberry.

My god that it horribly formed.

*is*

OK so Google tells me Dana covered "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" from the aforementioned "Eric Carmen" album

Is Dana the one who did some religious kids programme called 'Wake Up Sunday'?

Sounds likely

10CC, "Mandy Fly Me" was on too. Fantastic!

NEdmonds always had his love of singer-songwriters, to be fair.

Big fan of Harry Chapin, yer Edmonds.

Balderdash certainly describes droll Noel's career.

This was easily the most WTF song on this week's show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iISUroWbu2U

I watched last night's 1976 episode, it was amazingly and compellingly bad. Lots of odd-looking folks I've never heard of awkwardly performing novelty songs, and one of Pan's People doing some remarkably gratuitous ass-shaking in the direction of the camera. I need more.

70s was the golden age for ugly blokes, you could still end up in a band on TOTP with groupies galore. Rubettes' (sans caps) song sounded more like the Beatles than the Rutles!

I'm watching this now. LOL at the male members of the Vagabonds miming the female backing vocals. Something massively depressing about second tier disco groups though, like they're trapped in time, it's as if they're composed entirely of all the bits of late 70's disco that don't influence music today.

Shoeless and carrying a walking stick with a bicycle bell on it? Fucking hell, Harpo could teach Lady gaga a thing or two.

Sheer Elegance one of the most misnamed bands ever judging by what they were wearing, the uglyness of the Rubettes & their overcocky drummer, the utter WTFness of Harpo. mandatory viewing from now on!

I'm sure Punk would never of happened if Sky+ would of been available in 1976...ended up fast forwarding most of last night's show...bring back Noosha Fox...become a little obsessed with s-s-single bed...

^^^ same goes for watching it on iPlayer. I don't know if 'compellingly bad' is the term, or just 'bad'.

the uglyness of the Rubettes & their overcocky drummer

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx-aH0oBscw

definitely 'compellingly bad' for me. and Fox lady really reminded me of Alison Goldfrapp which is a Good Thing.

Noosha F missing link between Clare Grogan and Goldfrapp. Love that record.

Ah, been catching up via good old iplayer on the wii.

Old enough to remember these episodes quite clearly in some cases.

Sad that they haven't gone back far enough in time to have Sparks on.

Still, don't recall that Gilbert O'Sullivan song though I must have heard it then.

Oh, last I heard, they are definitely doing this run for a year.

After that? Who knows...

Still, don't recall that Gilbert O'Sullivan song though I must have heard it then.

He was long gone as commercial proposition by 1976. That song sounded like a demo, did artists have to re-record tracks? I know they had to re-record vocals, hence the ubiquity of the Ladybirds. But then other acts obviously just mimed to the record.

They did 'have' to.

A lot of them switched the tapes post-session, apparently.

ooooooo-oooooooooooooh Vienna it's Slik

It's Midge Uuuurrrr...

And Paul knickerless

Jesus Christ, superstar?

DLT looks like Badly Drawn Boy.

This is sooooo much better than last weeks....

Only one novelty act so far.

Shit Brotherhood Of Man are still number one...

'Pink Sunshine' and that Thunderbirds track is the extent of my memory of them. Also I don't remember this Cliff Richard song. Starlight - you'd think they'd have made a proper video. A bit of a precursor to the ITV Chart Show videos from random dance acts who unexpectedly have a hit.

Then Jericho's singer - a preening cockwipe. At least with Mick Hucknall I get the sense that he's at least partially aware that he's a clown.

Black Box - it's a great song regardless of the miming controversy. At least they got a black person to mime to Loleatta Holloway's sampled vocals.

Then Jericho's singer - a preening cockwipe. At least with Mick Hucknall I get the sense that he's at least partially aware that he's a clown.

― Being cheap is expensive (snoball),

Yeah what a nob. Also Hucknall wrote better songs and had a better voice.

The Chart Show! I hadn’t thought about it, but this is now the era of that show too.

I would love to be be able to see a repeat of those shows on the same week too.

If we lose BBC4 befoee we get to the 90s episodes that I grew up with I am going to be so disappointed

xp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs-MrHNGBQM

Just a taste! That will do though, I guess there may be full episodes some weeks.

Gary Davies says "live" then immediately afterwards introduces Black Box in the studio.

My favourite bit of TV magic this week was when Alyson Williams was introduced as being “over there”. Abrupt cut to a clip from a previous week.

Jive Bunny's aesthetic really was revoltingly cheap and ugly wasn't it? No one putting in any effort on any level.

It would be my nomination for worst uk number 1 of all time

The third Jive Bunny #1 is the worst one, easily.

Also within a year we have Timmy Mallett.

Abrupt cut to a clip from a previous week.

Same trick with tonight's two episodes - except this time more fittingly with Black Box.

Good to see Technotronic (or their single representative).

Probably the hardest kick drum to feature so far, right?

I've definitely found a new respect for London Boys after their appearances. Maybe 50/50 between the tunes and those dance routines.

BRITISH POLITICIAN SEX!

The mood whiplash there going from Chris Rea to Jive Bunny. 'The Road To Hell' is an odd song because for me it sums up a lot of late 1989, before suddenly the Berlin Wall fell and things changed drastically.

'Oh Well' by Oh Well???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z1aP74rtHA

There's a Pet Shop Boys interview where they're in the studio trying to make a 12" mix of 'Discotecha' and with some degree of amused disgust decide that it sounds like Jive Bunny's 'That's What I Like'.

The mood whiplash there going from Chris Rea to Jive Bunny.

Mood whiplash was fundamentally the beauty of TOTP and I miss it.

It’s always entertaining to see forgotten songs by artists remembered for bigger hits. E.g. the 'beautiful song' (boring ballad) by Living in a Box, or Bros and “Whoaaaaaaahhh… Chocolate In The Boxxx. Yeah!”

The singer of Living In A Box fails spectacularly at miming guitar.

I had forgotten quite how shit Living In A Box were.

Their self titled debut single is really good but they fall off hard.

I've said this upthread but Milli Vanilli are crap even in their music videos, which someone must have at least tried to edit to make them look somewhat competant. How did anyone think that these guys sang on their records? Fab looks bored and Rob looks like he's trying to read a Burger King menu while holding in what he fears will be an enormous shart.

Makes me sad seeing Milli Vanilli tbh.

I find Girl I'm Gonna Miss You really poignant, genuinely great single IMO.

Pretty much everything on the first episode tonight had already been on last week, I thought I was watching a repeat-repeat

I'd've bet money the Tina turner song was "simply the best" when it's just called "the best". Its chart career looks surprisingly short given its longevity as a song.

(It's another record, like ride on time, that I never need to hear again)

That queen track, I have never heard.

I had no idea until someone mentioned it on Twitter last week that Bonnie Tyler released The Best as a single the year before Tina Turner. Always thought it was an original Tina Turner song.

That's when you know you're over.

Queen's 'Scandal' is nothing to do with the movie of the same name that came out earlier in 1989, despite the aethetic of the video suggesting otherwise. They look so bored, especially Roger Taylor, drumming while looking off to the side like he was wishing he was off somewhere doing just about anything else. John Deacon's jaunty neckerchief seems oddly out of place in all of that.
In theory there's a lot I should like about Queen, but there are many problems with them that outweigh the good parts. Not least that any humour in their music seems forced and underneath that there's this dull determination to be taken seriously. In a mid 70s interview Brian May said that their original intention was to be "kind of like a heavy group but with good melodies and good harmonies", and if you take away the costumes, props, and videos that's what's left - kind of a heavy group with a few interesting riffs.

Nicky Campbell comparing an italo house producer to SAW is approaching Smashie & Nicey territory.
Janet Jackson looking like a character from Sylvester Stallone's movie version of Judge Dredd.

Janet Jackson looking like a character from Sylvester Stallone's movie version of Judge Dredd.

I thought that! A compellingly dystopian performance.

Nicky Campbell is a smug prick.

The thing is that on his Radio 1 late night show at the time he sounded completely the opposite.

don't remember a lot of this. war of the worlds remix? nope.

but it does appear to be the legendary roses / mondays episode.

(ffwds through happy mondays...)

I taped both roses/Mondays on VHS with the stereo broadcast input from radio 1fm backthen.

I guess now that tape is redundant

interesting viewing tonight, the past month or so has been deeply nostalgic, now it's the 1989 other people remember suddenly. 808 State were brilliant, Roses forgettable, Mondays rhythm section = where the action is.

The Jimmy Summerville song was the other thing I'd never heard. And he was dancing way more enthusiastically than the song warranted.

(As I said above, in 1989 I'd just started my first job and was fed up of chart music so this might be the first time of seeing a lot of this)

I’ve not watched the show yet, but the Mondays always seemed to understand what druggy, dancey, music needs - a solid groove with a lot of repetition. A little bit like a version of The Fall if they took E rather than speed.

One of the tunes that surprised me the most of the recent episodes was the Deboarah Harry track which I kind of recall vageuly from the time, but it’s been a bit of an earworm recently. Written and produced by a couple of members of The Thompson Twins.

Two solid episodes then Queen and Simple Minds do a big shit on proceedings.

Was that the bloke from black adder in the Kate Bush video?

(I ffwd'd through most of the episode tbh, double speed through the Tina turner)

Lol at the 4 new stereo transmitters, see ceefax for details.

Just got to the Queen / Simple Minds cess pool.

Nothing so far that didn't get the ffwd treatment.

(xps) Yes it was Tim McInnerny.

Kate Bush was in a Comic Strip episode with him in it too.