TOTP81.14 9/04/81

Repeated on BBCFour 25/02/2016
Full chart here
Presented by Mike Read

TOTP debut: Keith Marshall

Welcome back and we're in for a good show with a good balance of hits, mid-way hits, breakers, stuff you can dance to, stuff you can rock to and some stuff which is just plain bonkers. According to Mike we're gonna see some of the best acts of 1981, which is unsurprising as this is 1981. On with the show.

Linx - Intuition
Well after having their video shown twice, they've made it to the studio at alst although basically doing what they do in their video, and even all dressed the same as far as one can tell. Up to no. 7 and pretty much the end of the road for this dynamic debut. They'll be back!

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
Well they've just won Eurovision and here they are again doing that routine. Can't work out if this is a repeat or a live in the studio sort of thing but who cares? The Fizz certainly don't as they're at no. 2 and on top of the world. Well, on top of Europe anyway.

Saxon - And The Bands Played On
I keep forgetting that aswell as the year of synth-pop, new romantics and all that 1981 was also a big year (again) for greasy heavy metal type acts such as Saxon. They had a couple of biggish hits and misses last year and now they're back. Not a lot of difference between them and Linx when you think about it. Play on!

Keith Marshall - Only Crying
And here's one to keep your girlfriend happy. Sloshy Keith used to be in 70s glam-pop band Hello (thanks for reminding us of that Mike) and now he's on a solo thing with big hair and big teeth and that way of rolling his head which is just so annoying, as is the rest of this song. Outside the Top 30 and this will be around for a bit longer yet.

David Bowie - Up the Hill Backwards
The fourth single off last year's Scary Monsters album (count 'em) and stuck at no. 32. Legs do a decent enough routine thankfully not involving them going up a hill backwards, instead doing a 'Spanishy' sort of dance when that castanet sound comes in. Wonder what His Bowieness thought of it? Again it's the end of the road for Scary Monstrs period releases but of course he'll back later in the year after having a bit of  a session with Queen.

Quick interlude as it's Rosemary-from-Legs-&-Co.'s 21st birthday! So young! So innocent! Some sub-rate champers (read obviously used to drinking the real thing) to celebrate although make the most of it Rosemary as you'll be out of a job within 6 months.

Graham Bonnet - Night Games
Repeat of studio perf. of two weeks ago. Now at no. 12. Nothing more to add.

Public Image Ltd. - Flowers of Romance
Talk about 'variety' on The Pops! Kiddie choirs, greasy heavy metal types, blokes in girls' blouses, blokes whipping off girls' skirts - you had in all in '81. Plus this lot: a ginger ex Sex Pistol dressed like a vicar (sort of) and his 'friends' miming to a totally weirdo 'tune' which had probably only been played by John Peel on a Tuesday night at 11.40 pm. Involves a gal palying/sawing a cello, some other bloke in a lab coat banging on some drums, a keyboard that nobody uses and quite a few 'special effects'. Whatever next? PiL now at no. 31 and the hits just keep on coming.

Eddy Grant - Can't Get Enough Of You
Better get back to the pop kids. Here's Eddy Grant and a whole bunch of mates with his new one just outside the Top 40. The (predominately white) kids in the studio are loving reggae-ing along to this one and with all this inter-racial bonhomie it's hard to believe that the Brixton Riots are only days away. Eddy lived in Kentish Town anyway.

Gillan - New Orleans
See Graham Bonnet (above). Now at 24.

Charts 30 - 21

The Whispers - It's a Love Thing
More American blandness. A black male vocal group basically doing the same thing as The drifters were probably about seven or eight years ago. Legs danced to it a couple of weeks back but now we see the real thing in a performance video. Those flares.

Charts 20 - 11

Hazel O'Connor - D-Days
Which lead us neatly to Hazel O'Connor at no. 10 this week. repeat performance of two weeks ago of Haze jumping around in her bra and tights.

Top 10 countdown.

Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
Last of three weeks at no. 1. repeat again. he'll be back, and again and again and...

Ad lib to fade.

TOTP81.12 26.03.81

Repeated on BBCFour 11/02/2016
Full chart here

Presented by Richard Skinner

TOTP debut: Polecats, Graham Bonnet, Tony Capstick

Last show of March and Spring has sprung and Skinner is slowly abandoning the Geography teacher look in favour of a trendy new shirt, but still keeping the rowdy kids at bay.

Polecats - John, I'm Only Dancing
Now here's a thing - a poignant cover of a David Bowie song. Also quite funny as it had only been a hit just over a year ago, although the original dates back much further of course. (Further reading here). Appropriately the lead singer is thin and white. As indeed they all are. Despite 'rockabilly mania' this would only get one place higher than this week's 36.

Kim Wilde - Kids in America
So much for the new guys, better get a hit on: Kim Wilde now at no. 2 (video)

Graham Bonnet - Night Games
Always thought he was an American although I just discovered he was born in Skegness. He's been around a bit has our Graham and fresh from a successful album  and a couple of hit singles with Rainbow he decided to go it alone. This is his one and only UK solo hit, but he's still going apparently.

Hazel O'Connor - D-Days
Can't quite work out how she released her album Sons and Lovers last year, yet this is only the first single from it. Anyway we're all hungry for a bit of TOTP Hazel action and this is what we get! Haze is in full-on post-punk theatrical mode, perhaps trying to go one up on Lene Lovich? Or on Toyah (the singer) even. (Enjoy the full performance here)  Anyway good to see her back, now at no. 23

Tony Capstick - Capstick Comes Home
Oh no it's one of those Great British Novelty Singles isn't it? We do seem to have to have one now and again. Tony was a folk singer from Yorkshire who spent a lot of time as a radio deejay, cum comedian, cum bit-part actor.  One of the year's highest new entry's so far in a no. 10.

Gillan - New Orleans
OK so after a quick snooze, let's get the party going again with some pretty serious hard rock cover version stuff. From the new album Future Shock. According to wikipedia band member Bernie Tormé "left just before the band were due to fly back to the UK to appear on Top of the Pops". So obviously not here tonight then.

Linx - Intuition (video)
Another showing of the video premièred by Tommy Vance a couple of weeks back. Doing well at no. 13

Lene Lovich - New Toy
We haven't seen Lene on The Pops for almost two years now - last appearance was with Bird Song in November '79, which wasn't even a hit. As this one won't be either. Much like O'Connor it's a late seventies post-punk throwback thing although Lene was obviously too scary to appeal.

Bad Manners - Just a Feeling
Just one place below Ms Lovich are Bad Manners. The 'joke' seems to be wearing a bit thin, although this won't be the last we'll see of them. Fatty wotsit lead singer also very scarey, possibly trying to out-scareHazel and Lene at this point?

The Whispers - It's a Love Thing (Legs & Co.)
Dreary American disco music which still sounds so 'seventies'. And Legs are down to five? It's even too dark in here to tell really

.

Landscape - Einstein a Go-Go (video)
Thnakfully some proto synth-pop to modernise things up a bit. Still going strong at 11 although it's still that video.

Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
New number one, and Shakey's first of four. A repeat of the studio knees-up from a few weeks back, rather than the rather dour video, and so Legs are back to 6...hurrah!


Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up (over credits)
Extra plug for The Fizz about to go live from Dublin in ten days time with their Song for Europe now at 24.