Full chart here
Presented by Tommy Vance (no audience)
TOTP debut: Landscape (video)
"...a very special edition" says Tommy and in an effort to detract us from the fact that some TOTP staff are on strike again so there's no "live" audience/performances, he convinces us that tonight's show is packed with "amazing" music .. Let's see if you're right, eh Tommy?
The Teardrop Explodes - Reward
This is a repeat studio performance from 19 Feb which is just as well since that got yewtreed out in 2016. Apparently Julian Cope was off his face with some substance he certainly didn't get from the BBC canteen, but that doesn't really matter cos he was always off his face anyway and has been ever since. Well done to the 'Drops though, now up to no. 13.
Kim Wilde - Kids in America (video)
Another good 'un with Kim and her bruvver and the rest now up to no. 6. We also get to see the video, which had probably already been shown on Swap Shop. Love the way she goes round when she sings ".. the music go roooound" - has somebody made a gif of that?
Linx - Intuition
Now if you hadn't been on before TOTP before or hadn't bothered to make a video chances are you wouldn't have got on tonight's show. Thankfully Linx had made the latter investment. Nice little video it is too, part Madness kitchen-sink in Brixton type thing, and part slick studio "live" routine with the lead singer doing his best Michael Jackson impression. They'd had a hit last year with You're Lyin' and this is the first of three hits in '81, now bubblin' under at no. 41
Kelly Marie - Hot Love
Don't sit down just yet as there's some more dancin' to be done with Kelly and her mates. Don't forget the 'Scottish' bit during the bridge the noo. Struggling a bit at 22 and I suspect the last we'll see of her for a wee while. Is it only me that can hear a bit of Abba's Take a Chance on Me in this?
Freeez - Southern Freeez
..and more dancing! This is getting to be hard work and soon your Dad we'll be moaning you're making too much racket jumping up and down. "the second of three great soul bands tonight" says Tommy. Frozen, sorry, stuck at no. 8 which is as high as this one goes. They'll be back in some form in a couple of years once they've learned the art of hip-hop and bubbly perms.
Status Quo - Something 'Bout You Baby I Like
Well if you're not The Quo type you can take a breather now and just take Tommy's advice and watch the latest Quo video. If you really must. It's the ordinary tale of an ordinary greasy car engineer youth, leaving his greasy job, going to a greasy record shop, before getting home and (mercifully) having a bath before joing his greasy mates before going to a greasy Quo gig. Something we can all relate too I'm sure. Just behind Freeez at no. 9 and similarly stuck there since last week.
Beggar & Co - Somebody Help Me Out
And again, like Freeez, this is the third time we've seen their studio debut. They were obviously too poor even to make a video. Another one stuck, at no. 15 this time. Have they met Spandau Ballet yet?
Landscape - Einstein a Go Go
Something new at last. Although not really, since this band had been treading the boards for quite some time now, eventually going jazz-funk in 1980 and now more synth-pop, even before synth-pop had been invented. Front-man Richard Burgess had also been busy producing Spandau Ballet's debut album (and all the singles of course) but has also found time to get into electronics in a serious and interesting way in order to come up with Einstein a Go-Go. Like Linx they'd had the good sense to make a video, and also like them are bubblin' under at no. 38 but slowly and surely that pied-piper-esque tune will soon get into the nation's brain and take them higher.
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (Legs & Co.)
I trust you haven't tried dancing along to Landscape but you might try to be a bit avant-gardey with this one's start/stop jerky beat, maybe even imitating David Byrne in your attempts. Otherwise just enjoy Legs & Co., again, who were obviously on the picket-line with the cameramen and lighting people as this is a repeat from last month. Like The Teadrop Explodes, this was yewtreed out in '16 so 35 years later the strike seems like a damn good idea.
Chart countdown 30 - 21
Kiki Dee - Star
This one has made it up to no. 17 and will go a bit higher next week, but not much. It's the last we'll see of Kiki until 1993, when someone finally convinced her she'd only get a big hit if she does a song with Elton John.
Chart countdown 20 - 11. (Is it that time already?)
Coast to Coast - Do the Hucklebuck
Hucklebuck fever continues to sweep the nation, along with Shakin' Stevens who quite frankly does the rock n roll thing a lot better.
Top 10 - with clips, and rotating numbers.
Roxy Music - Jealous Guy
And a new number 1 at last with Smoothy Roxy's cover version of an ol' Lennon song, done as much as a tribute as a way of getting rid of that other rubbish that's been at no. 1 for too long. As Tommy says, it's their first (and only) no. 1 "in this country". Its reign will be sadly short lived but it's possibly the first decent no. 1 of the year so far.
Roxy video over credits.
See you next time! (wanders off, whistling...)
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