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)

TOTP81.31 06/08/81

Not repeated on BBCFour in 2016
Presented by Jummy Saville
Full chart here

TOTP debut: Lobo

Dexys Midnight Runners – “Show Me” (16)

Sheena Easton – “For Your Eyes Only” (8) (video)

Tenpole Tudor – “Wunderbar” (36)

Lobo – “The Caribbean Disco Show” (27) (Legs & Co)
More info on Lobo (in Dutch) here.

The Human League – “Love Action (I Believe In Love)” (29)

REO Speedwagon – “Take It On The Run” (25)

Gidea Park – “Beach Boy Gold” (20)

Tight Fit – “Back To The ‘60s” (10) (rpt from 23/07/81)

Shakin’ Stevens – “Green Door” (1) (video)

Visage – “Visage” (21) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.21 28/5/81

Repeated on BBCFour 10/03/2016
Full chart here
Presented by Simon Bates 

TOTP debut: Champaign (video)

A rather lacklustre show tonight, which is what seems to happen in TOTP-land after you've had a couple of good 'uns. To make things worse it's presented by the forever-irritating Simon Bates in his beige jacket. Here's the line-up with a few comments although time is tight so if you're looking for more insight (that ryhmes) go over to SOTC80s, who do it all so much better.

Polecats – “Rockabilly Guy” (36)
Follow-up to their cover of John, I'm Only Dancing and did equally as badly, both reaching no.35, which is quite an achievement in itself.

Champaign – “How ‘Bout Us” (11)
mis-spelling? Yeah, Cham-pain more like.

UB40 – “Don’t Let It Pass You By” (16)
Multi-cultural Brummies quietly continue with their string of hits, and even more to come.

Tenpole Tudor – “Swords Of A Thousand Men” (6) (rpt)
Is it just me who thinks the singer looks like the latest Doctor Who? Maybe it was him. Inexplicably at no. 6.

Vangelis – “Chariots Of Fire” (25) (video)
Now doing well at the box office, and so likewise in the record shops (remember those?). In 2016 Vangelis' timeless theme and 'classic' video contrast with a rather dated and dour film.

Enigma – “Ain’t No Stopping” (17) (Legs & Co)
More US disco-leftovers from the 70s, but Legs lap it up.

Hazel O’Connor – “Will You?” (23)
And more 'leftovers' as Hazel gets another hit with an old song from last year's Breaking Glass she probably didn't want to do anymore. But this sort of thing will happen quite a lot from now on. Japan (band), get ready.

Coast To Coast – “Let’s Jump The Broomstick” (30)
Enough rockabilly-revivals already. But I think I already said that a few months ago. Will get to 28 but it's the end of the road for this lot.

Kim Carnes – “Bette Davies Eyes” (10) (video)
America's idea of 'the eighties' and compared to a lot of other dross it's doing deservedly well over here too.

Adam & The Ants – “Stand & Deliver” (1) (video)
Fourth week at the top and it still ain't over.

George Harrison - "All Those Years Ago" (13) (audience dancing/credits)
This was actually the week's highest new entry, and some indication that John Lennon hadn't quite been forgotten yet. The record also features the other two remaining Beatles.

TOTP81.19 14/5/81

Repeated on BBCFour 04/03/2016
Full chart here
Presented by Tommy Vance

TOTP debut: Kim Carnes (video)

Shorter edition due to Spurs vs. Man City FA Cup replay scheduled on the same night. Interestingly it was Tomorrow's World that got the chop on the night and TOTP was brought forward, testament to its importance in the BBC palimpsest at the time.

pic. and listing source Popscene

Anyway here are the songs that were featured:

Thin Lizzy – Are You Ready? (24)

Sheena Easton – When He Shines (23) (repeat from 30/04/81)

Department S – Is Vic There? (22)

Kim Carnes – Bette Davies Eyes (20) (video)

Tenpole Tudor – Swords Of A Thousand Men (10)

Adam & The Ants – Stand & Deliver (1) (video/credits)


No Legs & Co, of course and Kim Carnes was the only new thing, and quite rightly as she had entered the Top 30/40 at n. 20.

Had it not been for the short edition then The Human League would have featured again as they had entered the Top 30 but no matter as they were up to no. 15 the following week, presumably just on the strength of radio play. Their 2016 TOTP jinx starts next week though as it's DLT at the helm.

Madness were up to no. 4 which may have warrnted a studio appearance this week. Alas they were down next week though so Grey Day was never seen again.

..and of course Spurs and Chas n Dave were riding high and thanks to tonight's result go even higher next week but again not shown in 2016 due to DLT ban.

Anyway, speaking of which, we're off to see the football. T'ra!

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