TOTP81.9 5/3/81

Presented by Mike Read
Full chart here

TOTP debut: Duran Duran

Mike Read doesn't seem to have been on for a long time - he's probably been writing a book about British Hit Singles or something, while still keeping his daytime job as Radio One DJ of course.

Anyway Mike's off to a cracking new start with an important debut...

Duran Duran - Planet Earth
Yes - here they are, a band which basically now have 'eighties' written all over them even though that's a bit unfair as they have continued to write, record and perform throughout the decades and right up to this day. But it wasn't an easy start for these Brummies in (literally) girls' blouses: this their first single proper, was released just over a month ago and was even now just a 'breaker' at no. 47. This opening spot for Planet Earth complete with, er, planet earth, made quite an impact though and these "new romantics looking for the TV sound" never looked back. Well, almost never.

Talking Heads  - Once in a Lifetime (video)
What's this? More art-rock? After faffing about a bit on the (American) noo wave fringes, these native Noo Yorkers (I think) were enjoying a hit with this rather odd track made all the more appealing by a very odd video. Leaping up from 24 to 14 this week.

Toyah - It's a Mystery
We're on an "eighties" role here with Toyah (the band) with lead singer Toyah (Wilcox, the singer) likewise leaping up to no. 16. Unlike the heads however Toyah (the band or the singer) would go on to enjoy a string of Top 20/30 hits for a few years to come, although not as many as Duran Duran.

Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
A bit too much of this new romantic/avant-garde/art college stuff going on, we'd better get back to some 1950s nostalgic dressed in denim and trying to look a bit like Elvis. Totally catchy stuff, which the Great British public adore so look out world here comes Shakey again. I must admit it never occurred to me at the time that Stevens had a lot of that 'sex appeal' stuff which may also explain his overwhelming success in the face of (literally) girls blouses.

Headgirl (Motorhead & Girlschool) – Please Don’t Touch
Ok let's add a bit of leather to that denim shall we? Plus a healthy dose of patchuli oil (mostly in the hair) and it's those heavy metal boys 'n' girls giving it their all at getting hot and sweaty (but treading water) at no. 54. Don't touch? Wouldn't go anywhere near!

Phil Collins - I Missed Again
No point in hiding to the world that Phil's debut album Face Value remains one of my guilty pleasures and features a number of excellent tracks, although this isn't one of them. A disappointing follow up to the minimalist In the Air Tonight, Phil preferring to show off his horns and his funkier side. Nice Ronnie Scott sax solo, but Phil still not playing the drums. New at 45, although abovementioned album already at no. 1.


Kool & the Gang - Jones vs. Jones (Leg & Co.)
Kool & the Gang seem to be one of those bands that crop up just occasionally, issue a single and get a hit every time. That may not necessarily be the case as I don't have a detailed knowledge of their discography but anyway here they are again with a woeful tale of divorce set to a dance beat. Legs take it all literally of course and hals are Mr Jones and the other half Mrs, but notwithstanding the sexy stockings and saucy cross-dressing, legs really don't seem to be cutting the mustard this year. trouble afoot?

The Teardrop Explodes - Reward
Sadly we don't get to see a repeat of their studio debut from a couple of weeks back (yewtreed out in 2016) but instead get this rather gritty amateurish film/video with the Teardrops arseing about in a jeep in Liverpool docklands or some such place no doubt. Luckily all this does not deter from this being a totally brilliant song. Struggling a bit at no. 25 but hang in there - all is not lost.


The Who - You Better You Bet
The Who? They're still around? Some of you may remember Daltrey's guest "presenter" appearance in a revamped post-strike Pops format last year, but now he's back on stage wiv 'his maytes and wiv a new record, and some trendy haircuts and posh clobber too. Not half bad this song though and if I'm not mistaken Daltrey is also singing live. I wonder if they met Duran Duran in the dressing rooms? Anyway, new at 35 and glad to see that Pete Townsend is still doing this:

What? Top Ten countdown already? All in all we've enjoyed a really good show tonight. Plenty to talk about at school in the morning.

Joe Dolce Music Theatre - Shaddapa You Face
Third and final week at no. 1.

Coast to Coast - Do the Hucklebuck (credits & crowds dancing)
Hucklebuckin' up to no. 7 this week.



See y'all next time with a bit of a surprise....

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!

TOTP81.7 19/2/81

First shown Thursday 19 February 1981
Presented by DLT
Full chart here

TOTP debut*: The Teardrop Explodes, Girlschool (with Motorhead), Toyah, Talking Heads.

* a new feature as there were quite a lot of new and important acts who appeared on TOTP for the first time in 81 so I thought it would be worth noting.

This one not repeated in 2016 so we can get through it pretty quickly, although I've added some record sleeves instead of video still to make it a bit more interesting (ta discogs).

The Teardrop Explodes - Reward
Indeed their first time on the Pops and not quite in the Top 40 but things will get better for these erstwhile "underground" scousers.

Rainbow - I Surrender
Promo film repeat  - now at no. 4

Fred Wedlock - The Oldest Swinger in Town (with Legs & Co.)
Not sure if I'm relieved or sorry we didn't get to see Legs doing their thing to this one, but given their pretty performances up to no, perhaps it's just as well. Poor old Fred now at no. 6.

Motorhead/Girlschool - Please Don't Touch
AKA 'Headgirl' as this collaborative effort was also known. The St Valentine's Day Massacre EP was straight in at 15.

Toyah - It's a Mystery
Another debut and another EP 'Four From Toyah', of which this was the lead track. Pity we didn't get to see this band* on their first TOTP but they'll be back.
* subtle eighties anorak comment.

Stray Cats - Rock This Town
Second and final time for this one, now in the Top Ten. Someelse described them as the link between rock and roll and the New Romantics so I won't use that one again.

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
First time for this one and perhaps one of Legs' better performances which we don't get to witness first hand but which by a strange quirk of fate we'll get to see again. Once in a Lifetime just outside the Top 40 at 35 but will get higher n higher.

Visage - Fade to Grey
Odd in more ways than one - it went down last week but then back up again so given a second chance -  and it's that video again. Not complaining mind.

Adam & The Ants - Kings of the Wild Frontier
Perhaps it's because I never was an 'antperson' that it's surprising for me now just to see how big they were in late 80/early 81, and indeed beyond. This one (originally released last year) in at no. 39 and said 'antpeople' really couldn't get enough of it with old single Car Trouble one place behind, another two singles still in the Top 20 and yet another one Zerox at 59. that's more than Sheena Easton ever achieved.

Joe Dolce - Shaddapa Your Face
The Hateful One now at the top, the first non-Lennon related no. 1of the year and keeping Ultravox and indeed Rainbow off the top. No comment-o.

Madness - Return of the Los Palmas 7
Credits play-out.

TOTP81.5 5/2/81

Fist shown 5 February 1981
Presented by Simon Bates.
Repeated on BBCFour from
Full chart here

It's February already, and 1981 starts to get into some kind of swing although don't get too excited this is still a pretty poor show with lots of repeats and some rubbish. And Simon Bates is wearing a bloody awful jacket.

Stray Cats - Rock This Town
You may remember The Cats' debut last year with Top 10-er Runaway Boys. Now they're back with their new one which would do equally as well. Album coming soon. . .and there's some pretty wild-cat dancing going on the studio I'm pleased to say.

Blondie - Rapture
Blondie were stuck at no. 5 with this one and with all the jostling for the top going on, it never got any higher. Album Autoamerican had a slight recovery though in its eleventh week on the chart. Amazingly also this week the Yanks still had The Tide Is High at no. 1 although Rapture would also get to the top of the Billboard 100, making it the first single to feature "rapping" to achieve such a feat.

Spandau Ballet - The Freeze
A repeat of the performance from three weeks back. "Difficult second single" The Freeze was flailing a bit at no. 17 and indeed wouldn't get any higher - rather a disappointment after To Cut a Long Story Short. But they also had an album coming out pretty soon, and a cunning plan for their next single.

Fred Wedlock - The Oldest Swinger in Town
But of course this being Great Britain we can easily pass from the 'futurist' avant-garde (a clue) pop of Spandau Ballet to the ridiculous folk-pop songery of Fred Wedlock (real name Peter Frederick Wedlock). Bristol born Fred had been doing the rounds as a folk singer for ages before becoming Britain's latest pop sensation (cough), with this his one and only hit. One wonders about what the term 'swinger' actually refers too (oo-er), and in fact this one was edited out of the early evening repeat. It's all Noel Edmonds' fault of course. RIP Fred who passed away in 2010.

Rainbow - I Surrender
A healthy slice of Anglo-American c*ck-rock from Rainbow, who had recruited some new guys for the new album Difficult To Cure, including singer Joe Lynn Turner (real name Joe Lynn Turner). Already stonking its way up to no. 12 and would go on to do even better. Heavy metal for the 80s.

Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
Another repeat from a couple of weeks back and now Knopfler and pals were up to no. 11. Fun fact: the song itself, written by Knopfler, was inspired by his failed romance with Holly Vincent, lead singer of the short-lived band Holly and The Italians. Thank you wikipedia for that.

XTC - Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)
Much like Spandau, XTC also were struggling a bit although au contraire this repeat would  give them a good boost up the cahrts - or was it the special 7" fold out sleeve that helped them along a bit? Who cares...it remains a great track!

Cliff Richard - A Little in Love
A belated release form last year's I'm No Hero album which had already spawned Top 10 single Dreamin' last summer. Somebody obviously wanted to go with the success of Suddenly with ONJ and rush released this one. For me, nowhere near as good as anything and it peaks here at no. 15.

The Passions - I'm in Love With a German Film Star
Something really really great at last. Absolutely loved this since I first heard it and always remember this epic TOTP performance too, not least due to the fact that I fell in love with singer Barbara Gogan on the spot. It's a lovely song full of adolescent ennui which was right on my wavelength at the time. It's a shoe-gazing song even before the term 'shoe gazing' had been invented. I've read that there have been plenty of cover versions made of this song over the years but I really don't want to hear any of them. This is already perfection.

Joe Dolce - Shadappa Your Face
Oh dear. Never has the term 'from the sublime to the ridiculous' been more appropriate. This is irritating, racist and downright crap. Needless to say the next time we hear it it will be at no. 1.

John Lennon - Woman
Imagine gets knocked off the top spot only to be replaced by Lennon's new single Woman which had been biding its time for a couple of weeks. Phil Collins and indeed Ultravox left very disappointed, although the latter will certainly have to get used to it.

The no. 1 video plays out over the credits - was this a TOTP first? Answers on a postcard and I'll see you next week...