TOTP81.26 02/07/81

Not repeated on BBCFour in 2016
Full chart here
Presented by DLT

TOTP debut: ?


We start July rather somberly, firstly because this show wasn't repeated again in 2016 and secondly because most songs are rubbish, inclusing the no. 1 which is already about 6 years old. The only spark of 'modernity' and 'cheer' is given by The Specials with Ghost Town, as new social unrest erupts in the Toxteth area of Liverpool among others.
Oh dear...roll on the Royal Wedding.


Bad Manners – “Can Can” (3)
No we can't.

Third World – “Dancing On The Floor (Hooked On Love)” (25) (video)
A bit of cheery reggae

The Specials – “Ghost Town” (2)
This is the highlight of the show. Which says a lot.

Quincy Jones – “Razzamatazz” (16) (Legs & Co)
No idea.

Barry Biggs – “Wide Awake In A Dream” (53)
A nightmare more like.

Linx – “Throw Away The Key” (21)
Good one, and suitably gloomy.

Rainbow – “Can’t Happen Here” (29) (video)
It has.

Michael Jackson – “One Day In Your Life” (1) (Legs & Co) (rpt from 04/06/81 + credits)
Not in my name.

The (cheerless) End.


Further reading: "Too much fighting on the dance floor", The Sound of the Crowd.

TOTP81.25 25/06/81

Repeated on BBCFour 24/03/2016
Full chart here
Presented by Simon Bates

TOTP debut: Kirsty MacColl (as solo artist), Depeche Mode.

All in all a very lacklustre show reflecting a very lacklustre chart with all those sloppy American ballads in the top spots and not much else going on. That said, there are a couple of important debuts tonight with the late Kirsty MacColl bursting onto the scene (an straight onto the cover of Smash Hits!), country 'n' western tongue firmly in cheek, and of course Basildon's finest Depeche-ay (sic.) Mode pushing forward The Sound of The New© with their second single just outside the Top 40.


Gillan – “No Laughing In Heaven” (32)
Oh dear. At no. 32 and not going anywhere much, quite rightly. His last one New Orleans got to no. 17 but this one is going to get anywhere near. He'll be featured again for a fourth single much later in the year but that one's crap too.

Elaine Paige – “Memory” (9) (pre-recorded insert) (rpt from 11/06/81)
Cats had just had its premiere in the West End and Ms. Page is obviously doing well on the back of that despite not dressing like a cat at all, at least not for this 'video'. Writers Webber and Nunn will actually go on to win the Ivor Novello Award for the song, which isn't called Memories by the way.

Kirsty MacColl – “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis” (40)
Another kind of lady singer and indeed song now. Kirsty (daughter of a folk-country singer, y'all) had been trying for quite a bit to get a hit single, starting with They Don't Know in '79 which would later become a hit for Tracey Ullmann. This one sort of rides the rockabilly-revival wave but in a very ironic and enjoyable sort of way, out-rockabillying The Polecats, Matchbox et al. It's also got that very British comedy-novelty-song sort of appeal so off you go up the charts then Kirsty. Not her first time in the TOTP studio as you may remember her on backing vocals in Jonah Lewie's kitchen back in '80.

The Evasions – “Wikka Wrap” (31)
Speaking of "British comedy-novelty-song" appeal this one has that too but, like most of its genre, is also totally annoying and a bit rubbish. For those who don't know it's a spoof of Alan Whicker RIP and his Whicker's World programme which was quite popular at the time. TOTP would've done better to have featured Wordy Rappinghood by the Tom Tom Club which was one place higher at 30, but never mind. Wikka Wrap went up to no. 20 after this feature, but then mercifully died a death.

Randy Crawford – “You Might Need Somebody” (28) (rpt from 11/06/81)
Third songstress in a row tonight - talk about Women's Lib! Randy seems to crop up now and then with a very pleasant sounding song, and no-one seems to complain much. Although an American, apparently Randy was more successful here than Stateside, so good for her, even though she wouldn't be earning half as much money.

Depeche Mode – “New Life” (43) video
So here they are for the first time: a brand new ramshackle "new wave" quartet with a daft name, funny haircuts and a few cheap keyboards which they allegedly lugged along with them on the train when they made it up to Shepherd's Bush from Basildon. Barely out of the local comprehensive, the dizzy Deps had been doing the local pubs and clubs, with their synthesizers stacked on beer crates, for quite some time before signing up to indie label Mute and then doing some more pubs and clubs with their synthesizers stacked on beer crates. This was their second single (as we all know) and one which would propel them to fame, an unexpected split, finding their feet again, bashing bits of metal, US stadium tours, S&M cross-dressing, the fall of the Eastern Bloc, heroin addiction, the return from near-death and on to dream-homes in California and New York.  But before all that, please dance along to this one and hail the birth of the synth-pop genre. New life indeed.

Michael Jackson – “One Day In Your Life” (1) (Legs & Co)
After all that modernity and happy-go-lucky abandon, better get back to something boring and irksome, danced to by the Legs. Oh and it's number one would you believe. Originally recorded in 1975, this was only released as a stop-gap after the successful Off the Wall album, included on a compilation album called, er, One Day In Your Life, not to be confused with the other greatest hits album out at the time which was called The Best of Michael Jackson, also originally released in 1975 but which doesn't have One Day In Your Life on it. Woolworths shop assistants were going mad at the time.

Quincy Jones - "Razzamatazz" (26) (audience dancing/credits)
I've no idea about this one and I haven't heard/watched it either so .. see you next week!



This week's Smash Hits

TOTP81.20 21/5/81

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

TOTP debut: (all tried and trusted acts this week)

After last week's super-short show due to FA Cup Final replay (won by Spurs) we're back to 'normal' this week although for obvious reasons this show was not repeated this time around. Shame really as it was another bumper show full of Great British (and Irish) talent performing loads of good music.
Setlist shamelessly ripped from Popscene), with thanks:

The Undertones – “It’s Going To Happen” (21)
Second outing for this one, this time sans armband.

Shakin’ Stevens – “You Drive Me Crazy” (2)
Title probably referes to Adam and his Ants in his Pants , as Shakin' ends up doing a bit of a Vienna by being no. 2 for a very long time.

Smokey Robinson – “Being With You” (23)
Sloppy, smoochy, girlie stuff which should never have made it over to this country. I blame Margaret Thatcher.

Toyah – “I Want To Be Free” (13)
Easy to forget how popular Toyah was/were in 1981. The second of four Top-tenners this year.

Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup Final Squad/Chas & Dave – “Ossie’s Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way To Wembley)” (5)
Obviously gone up because they won. Repeat studio performance.

The Teardrop Explodes – “Treason (It’s Just A Story)” (18)
Julian Cope and co. go up a bit more into the Top 20. End of the road for this one but they'll be back.

Stray Cats – “Stray Cat Strut” (11) (Legs & Co)
If you're wondering what legs did to this then see here (warning: contains DLT getting hot under the collar).

The Human League – “The Sound Of The Crowd” (15)
All too brief world domination by former board game faction The Human League really takes off here with the second, even more brash performance of their first hit. Phil Oakey has forgotten to wear a shirt for the occasion. Watch here.

Kim Wilde – “Chequered Love” (4)
Sadly Kim has remembered to put hers on but an enjoyable promo vid nonetheless. Top 5 but she won't reach such giddy heights again until 1986.

The Beat – “All Out To Get You” (25)
Another repeat and attempt to get a Big Hit out of this, but despite thsi one doing a yo-yo in the coming weeks it's the last we'll see of them.

Duran Duran – “Careless Memories” (37)
Now this is interesting: Duran Duran's follow-up to first hit Planet Earth and nearly one that sent them "down the dumper" as someone used to say. The non-success of Careless Mammaries (sic.)  (off the newly released debut album) nearly meant they went off into New Romantic oblivion (hello Classix Nouveaux) although as we all know that just didn't happen. A bit o a rarity this so have a look here (warning: contains DLT picking his nose). This is also the one famously presented by Tony Blackburn on the Top 40 radio show as by Durran Durran ..

Adam & The Ants – “Stand & Deliver” (1) (video)
Third week at numero uno for the dandy highwayman.

play out to:

Quincy Jones - "Ai No Corrida" (audience dancing/credits)
Up to 14 but that's quite enough thankyou.

TOTP81.17 30/04/81

Not repeated on BBCFour
Full chart here
Presented by Jimmy Savile

TOTP debut: Tenpole Tudor, The Human League (Mk. 2).

For those of you just arriving from another planet, having been away since 2004, we inform you that this show, as well as others, was not repeated by the BBC in 2016 as it was presented by Jimmy Savile (aka Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG9 who has therefore been banished from our screens forever more, along with another presenter and DJ Dave Lee Travis (aka The Hairy Cornflake) . Alas, it's all a bit of shame of course as we don't get to see so many episodes of our fave music TV show which were so fundamental in the course of popular musical history, especially in the magical year of 1981. But of course we must respect the victims of the aformentioned persons' wrong-doings and just take it all as it comes, keeping our rundown and commentary as simple as we can. Except when it comes to The Human League.

Thin Lizzy - Are You Ready?
As this was from a live EP one wonders how this was performed in the TOTP studio. Anyway it obvs worked well as The Lizzy went forward with leaps and bounds after this week's 43 spot.

Madness - Grey Day
In which the Nutty Boys go all Joy Division, cut the whacky crap and give us one of their better, more mature tunes. The video is still a bit 'nutty' though of course as they filmed it in and around their native Camden rather than in a grimy Manchester slum or an a deserted beach. Second week in charts and already no. 5.

The Beat - All Out to Get You
Fellow, or former fellow, ska-based band The Beat seem to be stuck in a bit of a musical rut on the other hand, even though this is better than the other side of the double 'A' side single, ie. Drowning. Struggling a bit at 22 and that's as far as it goes.

Sheena Easton - When He Shines
We haven't seen or heard of wee Sheena for a bit (and we didn't get to hear or see her this time either), not since 1980 in fact, as her last single bombed in February. They're still managing to milk the debut album Take My Time though, with this the fifth single from said opus now at 42.

Dept. S - Is Vic There?
Vic still obviously not coming to the phone, much to the advantage of Dept. S who go up a couple of places to no. 28

Ennio Morricone - Chi Mai
Fighting for the top spot but Ennio's doing a bit of a Vienna hanging round the no. 2 position again this week. A video was shown, apparently.

Spandau Ballet - Musclebound
Another repeat performance. The Spans are up to no. 13 but I still reckon they were wrong not to do Glow on The Pops.

Quincy Jones - Ai No Corrida
We're having had a good run of quality British acts and songs on so far tonight (save for Maestro Morricone), so better have some senseless American rubbish eh? Amazingly however I learn from Wikipedia that this song was nota Quincy original but was co-written by Chaz Jankel of Ian Dury & the Blockheads fame. Intrigued? Read more here.

The Teardrop Explodes - Treason (It's Just a Story)
As with another artist/song we'll be hearing about in a few moments this one suffers in 2016 from the fact that it/they were introduced either by JS or DLT. And again we'll never know if this was the time that Julian Cope was off his head on chemical substances or not. Plus it's a damn good song so it's utterly unfair we didn't get to see it again. Expectations were very high for The Teardrops' follow-up to Reward as they were only at no. 56 and on The Pops already.

Tenpole Tudor - Swords of a Thousand Men
OK well if you enjoyed all that dressing up as American Indians, pirates, and God knows what else in the early 80s then you probably would have enjoyed this lot's faux-medieval costumes, fake armour and the like. Swashbuckling chic was in, and Tenpole were at 37.

The Human League - The Sound of the Crowd

The last time we saw this band on the Pops they were little more than a group of all-male slightly geeky computer-operator types who didn't know whether they wanted to be Kraftwerk or The Glitter Band. Since then things have changed, however. The original band have split and the singer, one Phil Oakey - him with the lop-sided haircut - and his ginger haired, er, slide operator mate Adrian Wright have brought in a slightly more musically savvy other bloke and two dancing, chanting schoolgirls in in order to turn The Human League into something new. After an unsuccessful interim single Boys and Girls (coincidentally released the same day as the also unsuccessful debut single by Depeche-ay Mode), The Brand New Human League have upped their game, put their glad rags on and decided to add their voice to the sound of the eighties crowd, and indeed stand way above it (albeit on high heels). Written by Oakey and new boy Ian Burden, the new single sounded like it had come not from Sheffield but straight from outer space. The lyrics were a call to arms for a new generation of pop kids, a series of imperatives going from the direct - "Get in line now!" "Stay in time with the rhythm and rhyme!" - to the obscure - "Make a shroud pulling combs through a backwash frame", "Stroke a pocket with a print of a laughing sound!" (we had to wait for the lyrics to appear in Smash Hits to get them all), complete with Glitter-esque "Woah-woah-woah"s and resounding electronic hand-claps to punctuate the chorus, and stay in time. Faithful to their all-electronic sonic ethos, The League with the help of producer Martin Rushent, had come up with a single that would pave their way to stardom and lay down the foundations for a plethora of 'synth-pop' hits during the rest of 1981 and beyond. Considering the visual as well as the sonic impact of this crucial debut, more's the pity we didn't get to see this again in 2016. Joanne and Susan, stage front, had famously been taken out of school to appear on the show, while the lads had brought along some slim line keyboards and a couple of reel-to-reel tape recorders to defy the standard guitars and drums set-up, which was still the norm, while not forgetting the lipstick and eyeliner. The result was an explosion in sound and vision as important as that of, say, Gary Numan in 1979, or Adam and the Ants and Spandau Ballet a few months previously. To quote a fellow-tweeter, can you imagine any young UK band in 2016 releasing anything as vital, exciting and essential as this track? Check tonight's performance out on youtube, stay in time with the rhythm and rhyme, and add your voice.

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
Third and final week at the top. (Video + credits). No-one was quite ready for what would come next.

Further reading: Smash Hits 30 April 1981