What with BBC Four repeating two different shows per week (on consecutive nights to boot) and Yewtree giving the axe to so many shows, it might be a tough job for TOTP81 to keep up, so please bear with me if I get too far behind.
Here's the rundown of the first 'not repeated' show proper of '81, which is a pity as we missed three of four classic songs/performances, the likes of which we may never see again.
Presented by: DLT
Full chart here.
Susan Fassbender - Twilight Café
I have no recollection of this track whatsoever, and with good reason, I believe, having since checked it out on Spot-i-fy over here in the 21st century. No Pops footage available of it on youtube, sadly. This was a 'newie' at no. 63 but would do better. Maybe we'll see her again.
Gary Numan - This Wreckage
Repeat of the studio performance from before Christmas. This rather dour single had dragged itself up to no. 20 in the meantime. Time for Gary to get back to the studio with something more exciting, methinks.
Light of the World - I Shot the Sheriff
Another one from the nether reaches of the charts, and being at no. 68, probably meant it had sold about 156 copies to get on this week's show. Made it to no. 40 the following week, but that will be all thank you
Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet (promo)
The eternally out of fashion Dire Straits get their first chart success since '79's Sultans of Swing. Not a bad song and the soft focus video certainly brought them neatly into the eighties.
Stevie Wonder - I Ain't Gonna Stand For It (Legs & Co.)
Wonder doing well at no. 17 although what Legs actually did with this we shall never know.
2020 edit: we have footage!
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
Gross injustice that this wasn't shown again (was it on the 1981 Big Hits show?) as it really is/was one of those jaw-dropping Top of the Pops moments, at least as far as I'm concerned, and certainly a milestone in Collins' career. One man in a tank top, with a keyboard, a drum machine and a paint-pot. I'd really liked the 1980 Genesis Duke album and so this was a sort of logical progression from that. Should be repeated in a couple of weeks (in 1981), or maybe even next week (in the year 2016).
UFO - Lonely Heart
Someone must have thought this would be the week to give a leg-up to those in the lower reaches of the charts as this is the the third track 60-70 bracket to be featured. Rubbish, naturally, although the red vinyl 7" would be a key 1981 artefact.
Mac Davis - It's Hard to be Humble
Another one I have no recollection of. Probably more rubbish.
Ultravox - Vienna
Classic TOTP appearance no. 2 of the night, and again it's very sad we didn't get to see this studio performance of another "eighties" classic, but anyway it should be on again unless they've made the video in the meantime. This single had been taken from their eponymous 1980 album which was already quite a few months old and had already spawned two not so successful singles (although readers may recall their classic performance of Sleepwalk on TOTP in the summer of 1980 - I certainly do). But what with the New Romantic/Blitz Kids scene now fast going mainstream, this one had a new lease of life and become an unlikely hit. Anyway you can see this particular performance here, as featured in the wonderful BBC Synth Britannia docu/special of a few years ago.
Queen - Flash (promo)
This feels like this has been around forever already. Stuck at no. 10 but the 'soundtrack in the making' promo film gets an airing.
John Lennon - Imagine
Second of four weeks at the top, as a nation continues to mourn.
Yarbrough & Peoples - Don't Stop the Music (playout)
More about this and them next time.
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