TOTP81.16 23/04/81

Not repeated on BBC Four in 2016
Full chart here
Presented by Dave Lee Travis

TOTP debut: Level 42, Roger Taylor (as solo artist).

Like we said, this one wasn't repeated in The Future so just a quick rundown of what was on:

Level 42 - Love Games
And indeed one of the 'victims' of Yew Tree policy in 2016 as we don't get to see the debut of these Isle of Wight funk-poppers with their soon-to-be first hit, now bubbling under at no.48. Plenty of chances of seeing them again though (we hope) when 1983 is repeated (which may or may not be sooner than you think).

Matchbox - Babes in the Wood
Enough modernity already, back to rockabilly nostalgia again with The Box's new one just a place below Level 42, ie. 49. A bit of a non-starter though and another lot to which we bid adieu.

Eddy Grant - Can’t Get Enough Of You
Eddy and pals are doing rather well on the other hand up to no. 22, and counting.

Roger Taylor – Future Management
Another new one, but from an old face. Why it's Queen's drummer Roger Taylor who obviously thought "Well if Phil Collins can do it, so can I" and has made a solo album / single. Rodge hardly manages to pull off the same trick however: in at no. 55 and destined to do not a lot better.

Gillan - New Orleans
Repeat of the hairy one (not the cornflake) and hairy friends at a hairy no. 18.

Barry Manilow - Bermuda Triangle 
An speaking of yacht rock, it seems amazing that Barry Manilow was still popular in 1981. What happened to Adam & the Ants? Where are The Human League? Stay tuned for answers to all of these questions... Meanwhile Legs & Co. dance away to this one from Baz, and believe it or not it's perhaps one of their best of the year as they splash about a bit in their bikinis, so what bad luck chaps that it doesn't get a repeat in the 21st century. But then again, there's always this...


Saxon - And The Bands Played On 
Repeat from 09/04/81. Enough said.

Keith Marshall  - Only Crying
Ditto

Freeez - Flying High

Back to the new Brit-funk with Freez's follow-up to Southern Freeez, but with a new vocalist. Flying High didn't quite live up to its name though and only got to no. 35. But again, stick around for '83 and a brand new Freeez sound.

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up

Second week at no. 1. But for the record....

Ennio Morricone is up to no. 2, Sugar Minott up to no. 4, The Jackson Sisters are at 7, at The Nolan Brothers at 10.

..and speaking of records, we play out with Starsound - Stars on 45. 

Night!

TOTP81.10 12/3/81

Repeated on BBCFour from 04/02/2016
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...)

TOTP81.8 26/2/81

Well while the rest of the world speeds ahead in the TOTP-Tardis with BBCFour already landing in April, we here at TOTP81 prefer the Luddite approach and take it all in our stride week by week.

Presented by Peter Powell
Full chart here
TOTP debut: Kim Wilde

A couple of good new things this week, but not much else besides I'm afraid so we should make swift progress. Take it away Pete

Status Quo - Something ‘Bout You Baby I Like
Well The Quo are back, and straight in at no. 19, no less, and hot on the heels of last year's double-whammy and album. Quo were on such a roll that this new one and the imminent parent album Never Too Late were in fact recorded at the same time as last year's stuff. This was a cover version, as you all know.

Roxy Music Jealous Guy 
Speaking of cover versions, here's as fitting a tribute to a dead artsist as any: take one his lesser known songs and do your own version which turns out to be miles better than the original. Roxy being Roxy and this being 1981 they also make a smooth, expensive looking promo video to go with it. Result! Up to no. 6 already, so watch out Ultravox.

Beggar & Co - (Somebody) Help Me Out
Second time for this one and it's a repeat of the previous one with them dressed up as tramps. Now up to zweiundzwanzig.

Kim Wilde - Kids In America
I can't quite remeber if this was the first ever time we'd seen / heard sultry peroxide blonde Kim Wilde's debut single but in any case it probably made quite an impact, whether the comments were 'oh she's just trying to be Debbie Harry' or 'Phwaoaar!!". Whatever it was Kim and her bruvver and the rest made their mark and it was what we now know to be the start of an illustrious career as a TV gardener.

The Passions  - I’m In Love With A German Film Star
Anothe repeat although we shall never tire of this. Now struggling back up to no. 25 and als the last we shall see/hear of them/it.

Madness The Return Of The Los Palmas 7
This '7' now up to no. 7 and that's about as far as it goes. Full marks for pulling off a studio performance of an instrumental track, although it does help to be 'nutty'.

Kelly Marie - Hot Love
This was on as a 'breaker' a couple of weeks ago, and not really much more than that two weeks on. Slow progress but believe it or night she'll be given another chance soon enough.

Coast To Coast  - (Do) The Hucklebuck
Another tiresome 'novelty' song and (repeated) performance although Hucklebuck fever was no doubt sweeping the nation getting this one up to no. 8.

Ultravox Vienna (video)
The fourth time this one has been featured, and it's Studio Performance 2, Promo Video 2 at this point. Appropriately at no. 2 as it was last week and 2 weeks ago, and...

Freeez - Southern Freeez
Third repeated performance of the night, although I suppose you could get away with repeating stuff week after week in the days before youtube and i-player. Freeez now Top 10-ers.

Kiki Dee - Star
Another new one, and for those who are counting the fifth female chanteuse of the night. Kiki (née Pauline Matthews - snigger) was perhaps still living off the interest from her '76 hit with Sir Elton although this was a decent enough stab at trying to have the mike all to herself.

Joe Dolce Music Theatre - Shaddap You Face
Second of three weeks at no. 1. Promo video with credits over the end. Hey!

TOTP81.6 12/2/81

First shown Thursday 12 February 1981
Presented by Richard Skinner
Full chart here

For some reason BBC Four is racing ahead with the Pops repeats, and they're already one month ahead. But who cares? We're taking our time here on TOTP81 and posting our reviews week by week, as they happened sort of. Richie Skinner's turn this week and he's done very well up to now but will have his work cut out with this mostly hit-less line-up.

Pretenders - Message of Love
First time we've seen this lot since the follow up (Talk of the Town) to their no. 1 (Brass in Pocket), and they're already doing well straight in at no. 28. Success was short lived for this particular single however and sadly we won't be seeing/hearing Chrissie Hynde going "I love ya I love yaI love ya I love yaI love ya I love yaI love ya I love ya..." again.

Ultravox - Vienna
It seems to be the trend to have a really successful single early on in the schedule so let's go straight to no. 1 and see the 'Vox with their new video for Vienna now up to no. 2. Pretty seminal stuff it is too with lots of real (?) fog, horses, decadent palatial building, smart clothes and thin 'tashes - all in grainy black and white-ish. Ah Viennnuuuuh!

Barbara Jones - Just When I Needed You Most
...and whooosh back down the charts again to no. 31 where we find, er, Barbara Jones and another one of those soft reggae songs I have no recollection of whatsoever. Probably because it got nowhere. Sad to report that Babs passed away in 2014. Awww. Next!

Coast to Coast - Do the Hucklebuck
Oh dear. No sooner than having got Matchbox out the back door, then this lot come storming in without so much as a ring on the door knocker. yes, it's another one of those "zany" faux-1950s rockabilly choons which we written especially for embarassing school/college/wedding parties for years to come. In at no. 39 and I fear the damage is going to be even worse.

Gillan - Mutually Assured Destruction
Blimey! Talk about contrasts ...after the poofy rockabillies, better get the greasers in! And quite an odd bunch they are too, and with a very odd song indeed. Has the edge slightly over last year's Trouble although, like Ms. Jones' effort, this didn't get any higher than this week's no. 32 spot.

George Benson - What's On Your Mind? (Legs & Co.)
We do seem to be scraping the barrel a bit this week and now we've got right down to no. 50 where we find Benson's rather poor follow up to last year's hits, accompanied by a duly lacklustre performance from the leggy Legs. Oh dear.

Chart countdown 30-21, with six out of ten records going down and one stable. New entry That's Enetrtainment by The Jam blatantly ignored.

Freeez - Southern Freeez
And something a bit interesting at last. Together with the 'new romantic' and nascent synth-pop scenes, mostly around the London area, Brit-funk was also taking a bit of a hold and here's a prime example right here on the Pops stage t'night! Not to be confused with Spandau Ballet's The Freeze, this one is a pleasant enough funk-fest fronted with the icy (geddit?) Ms. Ingrid Allmann who manages to sing throughout without even pretending to use a microphone (but thereby hangs a tale...). Up at no. 34 but will do deservedly better.

Slade - We'll Bring the House Down
Oh God. For those who thought Slade were just a 'glam' '70s' band, think again. Total rubbish of course, but surprisingly not the worst thing there is around.

Charts 20 - 11: Visage, Straits, Cliff, Spandau, The Look all going down.

Beggar & Co. - Somebody Help Me Out
And back to the Brit-funk thing with this ramshackle bunch who, in true Legs & Co. tradition, have dressed according to the 'theme' of the song - ie. tramps begging for help. They're a lively bunch and on stage seem like a cross between the Specials, Madness, Earth Wind and Fire. We're in the deep and darkest nether regions of the charts again (no. 53) but we've caught a big 'un this time and it's a cracking start for these nutty boys of brass! And a darn better "dance" performance than Legs & Co.

Kelly Marie - Hot Love
Wee Kels did great last year with her no. 1 Feels Like I'm In Love (doo-dooh, doo-dooh), although the follow-up not so great. Now she's back with those dancers. This one too will fail to set the charts alight  although it will hang around for like ages.

Top 10 countdown

John Lennon - Woman
Well Skinner's done really well this time, considering he's had a show with only one top ten hit apart from this, and only one other Top 20 song (Slade fer Chrissakes). Anyway here's Lennon again and that video again played over the credits again.

We'll see you next week, hoping there will be a few more Top 20 tunes to be heard. Byeee!