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

What the fuck was that Michael Jackson video?

"Look there's The Incredible Hulk!"

Basically all MJ's LA mates.

neither seen nor heard that norman cook song before.

I don't remember that Eartha Kitt / Bronski Beat song.
Uhgh it's late '89 as evidenced by the sudden chart dominance of Jive Bunny.

The Eartha/Bronski B-side, "My Discarded Men", was fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYjmYRo_0JU

Strong shameless rip-off but fun vibes on that Norman Cook song, and another hip-house track in the same show, one-day that genre will make a glorious comeback!

Earliest example I've seen on the show of someone rapping with a pronounced UK accent. There've been plenty of British rappers of course, but they've all been beset with a plague of faux-Americanisms.

Yeah, I thought that

A New Flame by Simply Red is...actually kind of a banger?

They weren't completely useless.

Video is gross tho

It's more Mick Hucknall's general air of smugness that pervades everything.

which is 100% the active ingredient in the grossness of the video just to clarify

who pissed on betty boo's chips?

doin' the doo-doo

Yeah A New Flame is great, i always thought it sounded a bit Bond theme-y.

I have a lot of time for Betty Boo, this track and the Boomania era

There was a rap song on the other night where the guy had genuinely sick flow, but I can't remember what it's called.

readhead kingpin and the fbi? very daisy age.

Yeah that's the one.

game of two halves tonight - didn't know half of it and the half i did know i've always hated (black box especially).

second episode was no better

so much crowd noise again

and it needed an epilepsy warning

Had the second ep on, the chart rundown had lots of artists I remember all doing songs I don't!

Black Box is a classic, loved it, such an awesome sounding crossover record. I have had no memory of these numerous Fuzzbox appearances. I keep wanting to like them, but nah.

Their Thunderbirds song was kind of almost fun.

But yes I have literally zero memory of them from first time round (I was 11 in 89 and more into Warhammer and 2000 AD than pop music).

'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.