TOTP81.33 20/08/81

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


TOTP debut: U2

Once more The mighty Human League, now at their chart peak to date, are deprived of a repeat showing in 2016 so today's Pop Kids may never know how important they were in the magic year of 1981. Likewise future stadium-fillers U2 had their debut banned from our i-players, but unlike the League they struggled up just one place the following week before going 'down the dumper' albeit temporarily. Indeed we won't be seeing them again until after New Year's Day (see what we did there?) in 1983. Siouxsie and her Banshees are back with a new one although sadly this won't do as well as Spellbound. The rest, as they say, is pretty much rubbish, save for UB40 who continue with their unemployment woes and go Top 10 next week.

Chartwse, your faithful blogger's faves Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Visage,Spandau are all on the way down, but (hurrah!) Duran, ELO and Kim Wilde all going up, and watch out for those Soft Cell Brothers, now climbing a massive 17 places to go into Top 10.

But back to this week's line up (chart placing in brackets)


Enigma – “I Love Music” (25)

The Human League – “Love Action (I Believe In Love)” (3) (rpt from 06/08/81)

U2 – “Fire” (36)

Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Arabian Knights” (32) (video)

UB40 – “One In Ten” (16)

Randy Crawford – “Rainy Night In Georgia” (30) (Legs & Co)

Tenpole Tudor – “Wunderbar” (20) (rpt from 06/08/81)

Lobo – “The Caribbean Disco Show” (10)

Shakin’ Stevens – “Green Door” (1) (rpt from 23/07/81)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – “Hooked On Classics” (2) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.24 18/06/81

Repeated on BBCFour 18/03/2016
Full chart here
Presented by Peter Powell

TOTP debut:

Linx – “Throw Away The Key” (32)

Phil Collins – “If Leaving Me Is Easy” (27) (rpt from 04/06/81)

Odyssey – “Going Back To My Roots” (6)

Kool & The Gang – “Take It To The Top” (22) (Legs & Co)

Champaign – “How ‘Bout Us” (5) (video)

Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Spellbound” (23) (rpt from 04/06/81)

The Specials – “Ghost Town” (21) (video)

Imagination – “Body Talk” (19)

Smokey Robinson – “Being With You” (1) (video/credits)

see: The Sound of the Crowd

TOTP81.22 04/06/81

Repeated on BBCFour 11/03/2016
Full chart here
Presented by Richard Skinner 

TOTP debut: Kate Robbins & Beyond, Imagination.

Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Spellbound” (29) 

Blimey! Siouxsie and crew are back with a bang! Siouxsie all leather clad and stuff, and cracking the mike lead like a whip. Phew! What i want to know though is what happened to the bloke in the light blue T shirt lurching over Siouxsie at the very start, but then who seems to disappear without a trace, engulfed by Pop Kids who ecstatically dance along to this gorgeous post-punk romp. Plus only Siouxsie can pronounce 'entranced' and 'dance' like that.

Shakin’ Stevens – “You Drive Me Crazy” (2) (rpt)

Pink-jacketed Shakey is up to no. 2, engaged in a duel with a dandy highwayman. 

Kate Robbins & Beyond – “More Than In Love” (13)

I have absolutely no recollection of this whatsoever, and probably with good reason. Apparently "actress" and "comedienne" - and indeed songstress - was starring in ITV sitcom Crossroads at the time (Hello, Mum) from whence this totally odious ditty which made it all the way up to no. 2. BAcking band Beyond were still smarting after losing out to Bucks Fizz at A Song for Europe, so horrah for them. Next!

Squeeze – “Is That Love?” (40)

Oh, noooow I get Skinner's little quip about being at a crossroads. Saw what you did there, Rich. Anyway let's move on to something a whole lot better, and ergo way down in the charts. Squeeze band are back, and much like Sioxsie & the Banshees, and UB40 last week and probably loads of others this is new material from upcoming new albums. Note that Jools Holland has already left, replaced by one Paul Carrack, who also left the band after this album. It must be a tough job being Squeeze' keyboard player.

Imagination – “Body Talk” (43) 

But now brace yourselves, and lock up your daughters, as a seminal Eighties-TOTP moment is about to happen. I think when we first saw Imagination on The Pops, nobody quite knew what to make of it. Boney M without the girls? Hot Chocolate with hair? Glam-Bowie-esque sexuality re-invented? Outrageous! Whatever it was it was to become one of the decade's most memorable and influential tracks, and indeed one of the most representative groups. 

The Jam – “Funeral Pyre” (4) (video)

But now for something completely different. Such was the Kids' thirst for all things Jam that this happily entitled little ditty was straight in at no. 4. Bit of a mystery how this one came about as there was no album around, or even on the horizon. Wikipedia people please correct the release date as if it was already in the charts and on The Pops on 4 June, how could have been released on the 6th? Angry Young Jam power-pop at its best.

Michael Jackson – “One Day In Your Life” (12) (Legs & Co)
Like the man says, it's an oldie that's been re-released, although quite why we shall never know. LEgs go to town with a slow, blue thing performed on a redux cast-off Doctor Who set. Excruciating boredom.

Toyah – “I Want To Be Free” (8) (video)
We missed the studio performance this time around cos of DLT, and this time it's the video. Peak position for this one.

Phil Collins – “If Leaving Me Is Easy” (44)
Very much sleepy time here for Collins' third single release off debut album.

Adam & The Ants – “Stand & Deliver” (1) (video)
Last week at the top for this one.

Odyssey – “Going Back To My Roots” (23)
Play-out