Presented by Peter Powell
Full chart here.
One of my 'legendary' TOTP shows here, one of those I would remember for many years to come. One of those TOTPs where you could remember where you were and want kind of state of mind you were in...
Apart from the opening act and couple of others it's pretty much all killer no filler, including the appearance of John Foxx and the very wonderful Europe After the Rain (it bombed), OMD performing Souvenir for the first time (it went on to be a big hit and an 'eighties' classic) and Gary Numan with his new one, the slightly pervy She’s Got Claws (it's sort of 'classic' Numan, but ofetne forgotten now). Apart from that there's plenty more chart wonderment. Oh and a new no. 1 ..
To celebrate this rather special episode we're posting all of the original studio performances as lovingly captured by Mr Lee Nichols on his y.t. channel, something he's been doing for yonks now, and very grateful to him we are.
OK so you've had your tea, Tommorow's World has nearly finished so better get settled down for tonight's edition of...TOP. of the. POPS!
Modern Romance – “Everybody Salsa” (16)
Well after all that praise and anticipation we're off to a pretty cheesy start with one of the cheesiest bands of 1981 with more cheese than a group of cheese makers making cheese at a cheese convention in Cheddar in Cheeseshire. That said...what better way to get the party started! Sal-sa! Sal-sa!
The last time we saw Sir John of Chorley on The Pops he was mostly standing still in front of the camera droning on about an 'underpass' and that 'no-one was driving' looking like he wished he was somewhere else such as in a disused warehouse playing with a tape recorder or reading a J G Ballard novel. Not so in shiny new 1981, just over a year on, as our John has been to The Continent, chilled off, warmed up and is now jumping about "playing" an acoustic guitar (shock! horror!), "swaying" and singing about "fountains, squares and colonnades". Amazing what that Mediterranean diet and a few bottles of Chianti can do. Foxxy puts his all into this performance (although the posh looking lady in the posh frock could have made a bit more of an effort) and is obviously glad to be back on national telly and in the charts. Sadly though, this one slipped down the following week and we shall never see him on The Pops again. His new album The Garden was out soon and would spend a whole three weeks in the Top 40. Never mind Mr Foxx, you'll be inspiration for a new generation of electronica kids in years to come.
UB40 – “One In Ten” (7)
But enough of that Continental rubbish! Better get back to the Top 10 and a bit of harsh social reality in Thatcher's Britain, as the UB40 brothers continue to rise with their smash hit about UK unemployment figures, with one in ten now apparently unemployed. "..a statistical reminder of a world that doesn't care.." Strong stuff, now at its chart peak.
Bucks Fizz – “One Of Those Nights” (32)
The Fizz are back with another try at repeating their Eurovision success, at least at a national level. Certainly not their most memorable effort. They can do better, and will.
The Fizz are back with another try at repeating their Eurovision success, at least at a national level. Certainly not their most memorable effort. They can do better, and will.
TheTeardrop Explodes – “Passionate Friend” (33)
Getting a bit too glitzy round here, better get back to grass roots kids' music from up North eh? The Teardrop's last single, the snappily titled Treason (It's Just a Story), did quite well chart-wise although sadly in 2016 we didn't get to appreciate its wondrousness due to a certain yew tree getting in the way. Here's another stab at the charts from Cope & Co., somewhat reminiscent of psychedelic 60s pop which wasn't back in fashion yet. Might've done even better in, say, 10 or 12 years time. Despite slow chart progress this one will get a good run for its money Pops-wise so we'll see y'all again soon, Jules.
Getting a bit too glitzy round here, better get back to grass roots kids' music from up North eh? The Teardrop's last single, the snappily titled Treason (It's Just a Story), did quite well chart-wise although sadly in 2016 we didn't get to appreciate its wondrousness due to a certain yew tree getting in the way. Here's another stab at the charts from Cope & Co., somewhat reminiscent of psychedelic 60s pop which wasn't back in fashion yet. Might've done even better in, say, 10 or 12 years time. Despite slow chart progress this one will get a good run for its money Pops-wise so we'll see y'all again soon, Jules.
The fourth new single on tonight's show (count 'em) although unlike the others Gary obviously couldn't make it to the studio and, not wishing to be outdone by young upstarts like Visage, has sent along his arty new video instead. By rights this should've been on last week when it entered the charts but no matter, it's already doing very nicely at no. 6. "She’s Got Claws" was all part of Gazza's new 'look' and 'sound' by the way after he'd announced he was never gonna tour again, preferring to stick to the confines of the studio only. Like John Foxx, he also has a new album waiting to be released forthwith! Anorak moment: this particular song features the late Mick Karn of Japan on sax and bendy bass, whose sound Numan had taken to on hearing the Gentlemen Take Polaroids album.
Dollar – “Hand Held In Black & White” (31)
It seems amazing that we haven't seen Dollar on The Pops since they were on a few times in early '80 with their version of I Wanna (sic.) Hold Your Hand. Reliable sources (wiki) tells us that they had an album out in 1980 but it wasn't really up to much and it looked like they'd gone down the dumper already. But despair ye not - enter Trevor Horn, he of The Buggles and budding mega-pop record producer, to pick them out, shake them up and turn them into something new. Plenty of polish not only on the teeth and peroxided hair here as this song has all the Horn-y glitter and pop appeal of tracks by another British band who will be enjoying a string of hits also produced by Horn in the not too distant future. Watch Dollar rejoice in re-found pop glory here and look out for Trev modestly playing bass guitar in the background.
The Pointer Sisters – “Slow Hand” (29) (Legs & Co)
Not much to say about this one except that The Legs seem to be on top form, despite the fact their days are apparently already numbered. Here they don some pretty scant shiny "dresses" and prance round a stage shaped like a polo mint, except that rather than having a hole full of air in the middle, this one has a bunch of Pop kids trapped in the middle. It must have done The Pointer sisters some good however as they would continue their ascent up the charts in coming weeks.
OMD – “Souvenir” (23)
And the new ones just keep on coming... Unlike Dollar OMD (which actually stands for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, kids) had started to hit the big time in 1980, not least with Enola Gay which had already become a bit of an eighties 'classic' even when the eighties had only just got started. Like Dollar, Foxx, Numan and others they've been locked up in a dingy studio somewhere writing new stuff and planning world domination. To their credit OMD just about achieved it too with this single, a couple more to come and the parent album Architecture & Morality which would go on to represent their creative and commercial peak. Souvenir has the slightly wimpier band member Paul Humphreys on vocals, which is fair enough as he basically wrote it himself togther with Martin Cooper, also appearing here "playing" sax. It's a dreamy, sloppy thing but it was a dreamy, sloppy thing for geeks and wimps like me who'd enjoyed bopping about to their previous hit about the Hiroshima bombing but could totally relate to this one with its enigmatic lyrics and slightly ethereal sound, while still conatining a thing our mums and dads would call a 'tune'. Anorak points on this one for spotting temporary band Mike Douglas ("playing" the xylophone thing) who left the band shortly after.
And after being totally blown away by all that magnificence at last we can get to enjoy seeing Soft Cell at no. 1 (instead of Shaky Stevens or that stupid "Japanese" thing ) and quite possibly the first completely electronical music sort of thing ever to make it to the top spot. The triumph of synth-pop even before the term 'synth-pop' had been invented, perhaps? Hurrah! (video this time uploaded by 80smusicdude - ta.)
Well Gary Numan must have heard our comment about not being able to make it to the studio because surprise, surprise here he is! In his new 'gear' and with his arm around a very short young girl...careful there Gazza! You're nearly strangling her!
Not sure how many times it's happened that we've actually had a group performing in the play-out. Gone are the days of the song playing over the credits with a single camera pointing into the studio lights with a few 'special effects'. New ways, new ways....
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