TOTP81.34 27/08/81

Repeated on BBCFour 21.04.2016
Presented by Richard Skinner
Full chart here

Startrax – “Startrax Club Disco” (18)

Cliff Richard – “Wired For Sound” (27) (video)

Soft Cell – “Tainted Love” (2)

The Nolans – “Chemistry” (26)

The Rolling Stones – “Start Me Up” (28) (video)

ELO – “Hold On Tight” (5) (Legs & Co)

Ultravox – “The Thin Wall” (19)

Genesis – “Abacab” (12)

Aneka – “Japanese Boy” (1) WATCH

Modern Romance – “Everybody Salsa” (29) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.18 07/05/2016

Not Repeated on BBCFour
Full chart here
Presented by Peter Powell

TOTP debut: Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup Final Squad, Starsound

This show actually went out live, which is apparently why there is no longer any 'broadas quality' recordings to be repeated. Shame becuase it was quite a cracker of a show. Anyway thanks to Popscene for the listing and handily bracketed chart positions.

Kim Wilde – Chequered Love (32)
Follow up to Kids in America and the Wilde family just keeps on getting better. Work on debut album in progress.

Stray Cats – Stray Cat Strut” (26) (video)
Another follow-up single, and one which would become their signature tune in years to come. Third one from their debut album.

Shakin’ Stevens – You Drive Me Crazy (5)
Yet another follow up! And after his no. 1 smash, Shaky's already up at no. 5.

Keith Marshall – Only Crying (12)
This one's a bit more familiar and seems to have been hanging around for yonks. At its peak now and a TOTP adieu for Keith and his teeth.

Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup Final Squad/Chas & Dave – Ossie’s Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way To Wembley) (45)
Another newbie with the Spurs FA Cup squad following that all British tradition of football teams doing pop songs. This one might be a bit of a novelty though as they got some professional mates in to give them a hand. FA Cup final was played two days later. Spoiler here.

Eddy Grant – Can’t Get Enough Of You (13)
Again like Keith MArshall seems to have been doing the rounds for quite a bit, and like MArshall's effort the record buying public say 'no more!' to this one too. But he'll be back.

Starsound – Stars On 45 (2) (Legs & Co)
The 'starsound' medley records were one of those aspects of 1981 music that are often forgotten, and perhaps understandably so. Annoying then as now, but boy did they shift the units.

REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You (21) (video)
Yawnsome American AOR although perhaps their best known tune, and Top 10-bound.

The Nolans – Attention To Me (9)
Speaking of the Top 10, the nations best loved siblings are on again, and at their peak this time around.

The Undertones – It’s Going To Happen (36)
Ooo some daring post-punk bands still getting through even though they've tarted up their sound somewhat with trendy horns and things. All the more daringly the song was actually about the Maze prisoners hunger strikes led by Bobby Sands, and even more ironically sands died just two days before the show went out, hence black arm band worn by one of the song's writers Damian O'Neill.

Adam & The Ants – Stand & Deliver (1) (video)
And yet another follow up yet this one beats them all going straight in at no. 1, a feat achieved at a time when it really was a, er, feat to achieve. Not in the studio but flashy new video to show off in all its panto glory, Diana Dors included.

Starsound – Stars On 45 (2) (audience dancing/credits)
Again? Oh well....

See you "next week".

TOTP81.15 16/04/81

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

TOTP debut: Department S, Girlschool (without their mates), Ennio Morricone.

Hello and welcome to another Top of the Pops. It's nearly Easter in 1981-land but there's not a creme egg in sight as Pete Powell takes us into The Pops with The Jacksons' Can You Feel It stomping away in the background. Go Pete, go!


Bad Manners - Just a Feeling
They're back again although it does feel like they haven't even been away, but that might be just a feeling. By rights they shoul've been on last week but they were obviously otherwise Fattily engaged. Now at no. 15.

Spandau Ballet - Musclebound (video)
And after all that fat, time for a bit of muscle. Ver Spans themselves are obviously otherwise engaged asit's their grainy video that gets an airing this week. As I've said before it was a kind of 'double A side' with Glow - wish they'd come on to do that one instead. Would've given Bad Manners a run for their money. Now at 18 but there's time to improve.

Girlschool - Hit & Run
After having been given a bit of a leg up (oo-er) by big brother types Motorhead, Girschool after another try at going it alone (after failing last year) with this one. HEavy metal fans obviously still prefer their men rather than women in leather as they don't hals as well as Saxon, the abovementioned Motorhead et al. New at 32 and it won't get much better.

Sugar Minott - Good Thing Going (We’ve Got A Good Thing Going)
Well imagine going into a record shop in 1981 and asking for that. Mind you at this point you probably could've just picked it up off the racks at Woolworths or Boots or somewhere similar, which is what a lot of punters obviously did, as it's up to 7.

Department S - Is Vic There?
About time we had something new and a bit weird, and here indeed are Department S who fit the bill perfectly. They even have a singer who holds the mike like Alvin Stardust used to. This was probably first heard on John Peel's late night weirdo radio programme or some such but somehow theymade their way into the mainstream, and had their one and only hit. Amazingly (according to wiki) they are going to release an album in 2016. Can we wait?

The Beat - Drowning
And here's a combo who did rather well out of 1980 with all those chart singles. this is nice enough although you do get the feeling they are a bit last year's thing warmed up. Not drowning but slowy waving goodbye? Aother double A side with All Out to Get You which was actually a lot better. New at 53.

Whitesnake - Don’t Break My Heart Again
Allegedly caught by BBC cameras (yeah, we believe you Pete) in this faux-live performance, Whitesnake are another one of those macho testosterone-charged heavy metal bands much favoured by fans over girlies in T shirts. Album Come an' Get it (ooo-err!) just out and this is from it. Just made it into the Top 30 at 29.

UK Subs - Keep On Running (Till You Burn)
No strangers to The Pops where they always seem to get the chance to appear and sell a shed load of records afterwards although that never seem to happen. Agian, like Dept. S they are also still going and amazingly have an album out this year and even more amazingly it's their 26th, each one with a title beginning with a consecutive letter of the alphabet.

Ennio Morricone - Chi Mai (Legs & Co.)
Better slow things down a bit after all that post-punk malrkey, and this is where Pete's voice goes all soft and sincere which I really like.... Anyway it's the 'oddity' of the moment with Maestro Ennio Morricone's theme to BBC TV's Lloyd George period-costume drama series thing. You'd be forgiven for thinking that Morricone's pièce sounds a bit dated as it has its origins in one of his film scores from the early 70s, somewaht re-purposed here by Aunt Beeb. Legs rise to the Edwardina occasion by dressing up as Sufragettes putting on thier best BBC drama series serious faces to do a little dance. A nation snoozes off in the armchair.
Coincidentally, thirty five years on, and at the grand old age of 87, Morricone has just been given an Academy Award for his film score for Tarantino's The Hateful Hate. So now you know.

The Cure - Primary
But don't switch off just yet Pop Kids as it's time for a Legendary Post-Punk Moment on Top of the Pops as those weirdos The Cure suddenly appear and 'do' their latest single Primary. Not their first time on the show as Pete would have us believe, as they already had their first pop at chartdom with A Forest a year hence, making it all the way to 31. Primary would fare even worse than that, but no matter - they'll be writing songs about cats and caterpillars and being locked up in wardrobes soon.

The Nolans - Attention to Me
So how do follow up a little known doom and gloom proto-Goth band on The Pops? Why, with the all-singing all-dancing all-smiling Nolans of course! Mind you they have dressed up in their best Gary Numan black jumpsuits for the occasion. Even the Cure had a bit of eighties colour about them. Anyway, like the gals say it's all attention to them as they climb up to no. 14.

Top Ten countdown

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
I suppose there were no prizes for guessing that The Fizz would've been this week's new number one, just pipping Shaky and indeed Stevie Wonder to the post. It would've been a laugh if Ennio Morricone had made it instead though eh? Again, they're probably off galavanting over Europe somewhere as this is a repeat showing of oen of their previous jigs.


The Jacksons - Can You Feel It
And we finish as we started with the Jacskon's record on heavy rotation in The Pops studio to see us all out.

So until next week, byeeeeeeeee!

TOTP 80.1 8/1/81

First broadcast: 8th January 1981
Repeated on BBCFour from: 14/01/2016
Presented by: Richard Skinner
Full chart here

It's eight-one-eighty-one, and welcome to 'the home of the hits' as an unashamedly buoyant Richard Skinner tries to convince us. So on with the first show proper of 1981...and no 'preview' thing, that's soooo 1980.

Racey – “Runaround Sue”
And racey they are indeed, at least by 1978 standards which is probably where this belong, plus they're doing a cover of a 'retro' rock n roll thing which makes them all the more odious. This is really bad but they had 70s music 'guru' Mickie Most as producer who may possibly have given them a, er helping hand to get in the charts.

Adam & The Ants – “Antmusic”
Now at no. 4 although they were probably still too hung over from the festive festivities to make it to the studio again, so here's a repeat. Either that or they were doing panto - dressed as themselves. Oh no they weren't!

The Look – I Am The Beat
"Finally" in the Top 30 Skinner informs us becuase it's been kicking around nowhere much since last October. Mote jaunty late 70s/throwback pop-blues pub band who struck lucky with this their only hit. Fairly deep metaphysical subject matter, an all singing all musical manifestation of a, er, beat. "..in heaven and hell they know me too..". Wow. Annoyingly catchy.

Barry Manilow – Lonely Together
And they're back although looking rather world-weary and sorry for themselves doing this slow number in their petticoats. Cheer up girls, and make the most of it while you can. There are worst thngs to life than having to 'dance' to an abysmal record which had been hanging round the top 30 for seven weeks and was now at the giddy heights of no. 21. After this, it bombed.

Chart rundown 30-20

The Beat – Too Nice To Talk To 
Oh here's the real Beat, not that rubbishy heaven and hell stuff. This is a repeat of the performance they did afore Xmas and now doing just slightly better than Barry Manilow at no. 20. Unlike Baz, this one would rocket into the Top 10 after this week's show. Hurrah!

Sad Café – I’m In Love Again
Oh no. Not this lot again! After Top 20 success with My Oh My early last year they've since had two flop singles (including one called Nothing Left Toulouse - cringe) although someone has obviously thought it fit to give them another chance even though they're at number 58. And the singer bloke really fancies himself as a kind of Mick Jagger innit.

Matchbox – Over The Rainbow/You Belong To Me
More of last year's left-overs and this tastes very much of one of those mince pies you just found in the pantry, having initially opened the box on Christmas Day. Stale. No. 18 this week, no. 15 next week, and pretty much the end of the road for Matchbox.

Countdown 19-11, where we find....

Chas & Dave – Rabbit
This must have gone down a bomb at Christmas office parties, knees-ups and general "merry" get togethers over the past couple of weeks. As such it's continued to go up a few places although this is the last we'll see of it in Popsland. Don't forget it's 'back to work' week.

The Specials – Do Nothing
Enough of the left-overs already, but this unruly crowd are at no. 15  and somehow will manage to shoot up to no. 4, its highest position, after this repeat performance. Good track.

The Nolans – Who’s Gonna Rock You?
Another repeat from pre-Christmas with the nation's fave siblings struggling a bit with this one at no. 24. That said, much like the Specials, tonight's showing gave them a kick up the collective backside (sorry girls) and got them up to no. 12.

Bad Manners – Lorraine
And speaking of panto, Bad Manners are back in their full fancy-dress gear and featuring a, er, blow up doll front stage. For soem reason the lead singer Buster something has dressed up as Henry VIII although not a bad choice given his stature. Much hilarity and horn-blowing ensues. To be honest I have no recollection whatsoever of this song. Probably still too busy listening to Gary Numan.

Top 10 countdown: Queen, Madness, Abba, Police, Winifred's, John Lennon, Ants, Jona Lewie, Lennon/Yoko, and..


John Lennon – Imagine
..and without further ado here's Lennon again at the top spot with his most iconic song Imagine, in the charts for the second, but not the last, time. Seems amazing that the song hadn't even been released as a single in the UK when it first appeared on the eponymous album in 1971, whereas in other countries it had. 7" buyers had had to wait until 1975 to get a copy of it (when released in conjunction with the Shaved Fish retrospective LP) getting it all the way to no. 6 in November. Like Lennon himself, it disappeared again in early '76. But its message of peace and harmony and all that rang only too deeply after the star's brutal and senseless assassination and so it hit the nation's, and indeed the world's, heart once more in 1981. Lennon himself once described it as Working Class Hero with sugar on it, unknowing that it would somehow become his own epitaph. So here it is: iconic promo film, iconic white living room, iconic white piano.

Anyway ver kidz ain't bovvered about all that world peace stuff, all they want to do is to get on the telly!

Queen – “Flash”
...to fade....

See you next time.