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...

Yeah, it's one of their better songs. Watching this performance of 'Build' feels strange to me from a 2019 perspective, if only because it feels like two of the singers from the Beautiful South jamming with Fatboy Slim. It'd take 11 years to get from that to 'Perfect 10' and 'Right Here, Right Now' ...

Yes you all heard that right. The Tams ‎single is called "There Ain't Nothing Like Shaggin'". The Shag being a dance.

Also The Proclaimers are name-checking Wester Ross in the Highlands, not Westeros.

Oh it's just Michael Jackson harrassing a woman in the street nothing unusual wait what?!

Here's Mick Hucknall in an ill-fitting suit (quite an achievement in a perverse way for this part of the 80s) making a pompous drawn out mess of this song. There was a story that he was in a restaurant where they played some other singer's version and he threw a massive strop.

Shane McGowan so off his face that he can't even walk mime to this song and chew gum at the same time.

The camera really doesn't know what to do with the rest of the band here. Conspicuously move a camera operator (dressed entirely in white!) in underneath the penny whistle player and then only show the feed from that camera for a few seconds before cutting to something else?

Level 42 - 'Children Say Why Are Mark And The Other Singer The Only Two Band Members In This Video?'

PSB's 'Always On My Mind' probably my favourite cover version ever, precisely because it doesn't even try to sound like Elvis. SPOILERS it's THIS single that was Christmas #1 in 1987.

Hahaha! 'Children Say When Are Level 42 Gonna Fuck Off'? and the answer is "Not long now"!

You can tell this is still quite early PSB by the lack of outlandish costumes, but above all, the fact that Chris can still be arsed to mime.

I like how Neil was trying hard to look casual but couldn't stop tapping his foot in time to the music.

Ha, you just knew he wanted to cut loose!

Climie Fisher with their other big hit single that isn't 'Love Changes Everything'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9M_bqIB6EU

I'd enjoy this Wham!-on-TOTP programme a heck of a lot more if Mark 'Mark from Mark & Lard' Radcliffe shut the fuck up.

Indeed. Ooh, there's a Kate Bush doc on next!

Loved the 1988 documentary last night which I allowed myself to watch even though I'm a whole year behind on the weekly shows (and had to binge watch a whole load of 1986 ones the other week just to get that close).

Dude from S-Express was the best on that.

Yep. Also good to hear from Coldcut. And Aswad (not that I was a fan, but the first ever gig I went to was a free concert in my town's park by Aswad in the summer of 88). And just a couple of weeks ago I had a conversation where I seemed to be the only person who remembered the Wee Papa Girl Rappers' 'Heat It Up', so it was nice to see it wasn't just a figment of my imagination. I could have done without the reminder of just how much I hated Cliff Richard doing Mistletoe & Wine, though.

I actually turned it off after the acid house/S-Express segment as I was watching the 1.30 edition, was knackered, and didn't think they'd top it. I'll catch up with the end another time, maybe.

even though I'm a whole year behind on the weekly shows (and had to binge watch a whole load of 1986 ones the other week just to get that close).

I admire your meticulousness!

Dude from S-Express was the best on that.

― chap, Saturday, June 8, 2019 10:59 AM (one hour ago)Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, totally!

Fittingly the first TOTP of 1988 is shaping up to be very 1988.

And what could be more 1988 than Terrence Trent D'Arby?
(also LOL at him miming "baby" instead of "lady" in the video)

Must have made quite an impression on 14-year-old me this week's one, as I bought all four singles they had on live in the studio (Krush - House Arrest, Terrence Trent D'Arby - Sign Your Name, Climie Fisher - Rise To The Occasion and...er...Morris Minor & The Majors - Stutter Rap).

Oh, I just love when the remix makes the debut chart entry, and the act have to mimeperform the samples..

When "Injected with a poison" made it on, they had to do the line live for real. It was rub.

lol, so because of Wimbledon tonight's episode of TOTP was first postponed by 15 minutes and then cancelled.

Nothing changes (much)

It's a two-fer tonight starting at 7:30pm unless, I don't know, someone hits/doesn't hit a small yellow ball across a net in a certain way or something.

"Screaming Blue Messiahs I Wanna Be A Flintstone" excuse me?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGZenzfg3A0
Yeah me neither. This looks like the kind of thing that Beavis & Butthead would have taken the piss out of for 30 seconds.

Is Gary Davis cosplaying as Columbo?

The exuberance of Billy Ocean's performance really makes 'Get Outta My Dreams' work where in someone else's hands these lyrics could be a bit of a crepe-fest.

Talking of crepe-fest lyrics, here's Was (Not Was) with 'Spy In The House Of Love'.

In French class at school we had to translate the lyrics to Vanessa Paradis' 'Joe le Taxi' and boy is it bobbins.

Line two isn't actually "Mars bar and Soda", is it?

It's "Y marche pas au soda" which Google translates as "Do not walk in soda" which doesn't make any sense, although at the time our class thought it was "mange un soda" / "eats a soda" which started an argument about eating a soda being weird.

I think my version makes more sense: taxi driver grabs a quick snack..

“He doesn’t run on soda.” Just like his car, he needs something stronger (like that rum).

Oh that makes sense.

Meanwhile here's racist piece of shit Morrissey.

Rick Astley is such a bad dancer, it's no surprise they nearly always showed him from the waist up.
Sisters of Mercy's 'Dominion'! They appeared on TOTP in late March 1988.

God. I remember loving that when it came on TOTP. I was 10. Never really embraced Goth after that.

Apart from the Temple Of Love remix. Which rules.

No, it shines like thunder

xp Andrew Eldritch would claim that he never really embraced Goth either...

I wonder if the Sisters and Erasure met in the BBC canteen?

It's easy to feel sorry for the bass player from Bros, but boy (pun not intended) does he look like a complete tool here.

Heart cosplaying as Jem & The Holograms here. Also the de riguer hair-metal-drummer-spins-a-drumstick-at-the-camera-shot.

I liked Patsy Kensit's version of 'I'm Not Scared' at the time, but the PSB version is much much better.