Showing posts with label Status Quo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Status Quo. Show all posts

16 December 2016

TOTP81.50 17/12/81

Repeated on BBCFour 10.06.2016
Presented by: Simon Bates
Full chart here

TOTP debut: The Snowmen, Brownsauce



Duran Duran – “My Own Way” (14)

Cliff Richard – “Daddy’s Home” (2) (live clip/audience dancing)

Chas & Dave – “Stars Over 45” (36)

Godley & Crème – “Wedding Bells” (8)

Brown Sauce – “I Wanna Be A Winner” (64) (video)

Rod Stewart – “Young Turks” (23) (video)

The Snowmen – “Hokey Cokey” (40) WATCH

Jon & Vangelis – “I’ll Find My Way Home” (26) (danced to by Sue)

Status Quo – “Rock ‘N’ Roll” (12) (rpt from 03/12/81)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (1) (video)

Altered Images – “I Could Be Happy” (29) (audience dancing/credits)

3 December 2016

TOTP81.48 3/12/81

Repeated on BBCFour 09/06/2016
Presented by: David Jensen
Full chart here

Bad Manners – “Buona Sera” (34)

Soft Cell – “Bedsitter” (4)

Status Quo – “Rock ‘N’ Roll” (27)

Duran Duran – “My Own Way” (26) WATCH

Jonathan King – US chart rundown:
includes:

  • Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing” (live clip)
  • Rod Stewart – “Young Turks” (video clip)
  • Olivia Newton-John – “Physical” (video clip)


Diana Ross – “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?” (5) (Zoo)

Godley & Creme – “Wedding Bells” (21) (video)

Fun Boy Three – “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)” (20)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (9) (video)

Julio Iglesias – “Begin The Beguine” (1) (video/credits)

11 March 2016

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...)




26 February 2016

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!




5 January 2016

TOTP 81.0 1/1/81

Welcome to 1981, in Top of the Pops land.

The first Pops of '81 was actually shown on 1st January but was basically still a review of 1980, carrying on from the Christmas day show. The programme was co-hosted by Dave Lee Travis and Tommy Vance so needless to say it wasn't repeated in 2016, but just for the record here are the songs and acts that were featured.

STATUS QUOWhat You’re Proposing
Quo's comeback single got to No. 2 in November. The follow-up Lies was in the charts at the time but didn't go Top 10.

OTTAWAN D.I.S.C.O. (promoclip)
Feels like this was on forever in 1980, I don't even want to count the times... But here's that clip again to keep the party rolling and keep the disco crowd happy. 10 weeks in the Top 30, peaking at no. 2

MADNESS Baggy Trousers 
The Nutty boys were the first act on TOTP '80 and here they are again in '81 after a very good year with four singles in the year's charts, and another one about to be released. Recorded festive performance of Trahziz sans audience. Watch it here.

THE JAMGoing Underground 
Went straight into no. 1 back in March and stayed there for 3 weeks. In this studio performance Paul Weller is sans pinny but with a rather fetching Whaaam guitar he obviously bought with the proceedings.

BILLY PRESTON & SYREETAWith You I’m Born Again 
Calming things down a bit, here's Bill and Sy giving us more of what they gave us early '80. The pair have never been seen again since.

THE DETROIT SPINNERSWorking My Way Back To You / Forgive Me Girl (Medley) ( Legs & Co.) 
More four on the floor with Legs & Co. showing us how to do it best.

UB40 Food For Thought 
A surprise debut hit for the Brum multi-ethnic band or were a kind of mellow response to the neighbouring Specials. Two more hits followed during the year and there'll be new stuff an' ting in '81.

KELLY MARIEFeels Like I’m In Love 
This wee lass's debut got to no. 1 in September although sadly she failed to come up with a decent follow-up. Dooh-dooh dooh-dooh dooh-dooh.

HOT CHOCOLATENo Doubt About It 
Speaking of the Midlands, here's the late Errol and his mates with their cooool no. 2 hit from May. Like Status Quo they'd been around for years.

THE BOOMTOWN RATSBanana Republic (promo)
These post-punkers were quite successful in updating their sound to match new styles although this recent hit was about as far as they got success-wise. But lead singer Bob Geldof has a cunning plan.... 

STEVIE WONDERMasterblaster (Jammin')
Another no. 2-er (kept off the top by The mighty Police) although that wouldn't have bothered Stevie much. Possibly one of his last great tunes though. We'll see him again in '81.

ABBA The Winner Takes It All (promo video)
We couldn't go through a Pops review without this tear-jerker which had been a hit in the summer, and predecessor to the Super Trouper album, and a story of break-uos and heartaches was to become very much the name of the game (geddit?)

THE PRETENDERSBrass In Pocket 
The first, and perhaps the best, no. 1 of 1980 wraps up the annual review rather nicely. 


My thanks as always to Popscene for providing the rundown info.