Top Of The Pops

[Blondini]

Not likely. Mel's had tributes that included the video.

The actual Christmas edition is being skipped because it's Mike Smith.

[CZB]

Are we certain that is the reason Mel and Kim were Cut?
Mel Smith is dead, so the family or estate might have denied permission for him to be shown, rather like Mike Smith's family did with his appearance.

I'm not aware of anything that has been said officially - so I suppose this is just possible. But, in view of the
way certain things even obliquely relating to certain people have been removed from the BBC FOUR repeats in
the past, I strongly suspect that Blondini's deduction that it's the Rolf Harris connection that they have
perceived to be a problem is the correct explanation this time.

I must admit, I half expected the episode billed for tonight to be replaced with another one or something else
entirely, but it has just started. I'll post the details as usual a little later - but for the moment let's just say
that I'm currently intrigued to see how it's going to end.....

[CZB]

Tonight, the last show of 1987:

31/12/87 (Presented by Gary Davies and Peter Powell)
(20) Krush – “House Arrest”
(04) Nat ‘King’ Cole – “When I Fall In Love” (old film clip)
(31) Climie Fisher – “Rise To The Occasion”
(05) Belinda Carlisle – “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” (video)
( Charts 40 - 11 - Peter Powell )
(23) Morris Minor & The Majors – “Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime)”
(21) Cher – “I Found Someone” (video)
(10) Wet Wet Wet – “Angel Eyes (Home & Away)”
( Charts 10 - 01 - Peter Powell )
(01) Pet Shop Boys – “Always On My Mind” (video)
(03) Mel & Kim – “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” (video/credits)

Old film clips have proved prohibitively expensive to include fully or at all in the past, but Nat 'King' Cole's was clearly affordable. Although simultaneous charting of different versions of the same songs had been commonplace decades earlier, "When I Fall In Love" might be the only song that was high in the charts for two different artists at the same time in the 1980s.

As the Chinamen impersonations by the Barron Knights were concluded to be unsuitable for a previous repeat, I feared that "Stutter Rap" might be perceived to be mocking the afflicted and go the same way in these politically correct times - but no, it was there. It was the creation of comedian Tony Hawks - I recall, several years later (but before downloads arrived, which would probably have made the task easier), a series of television programmes in which he took up a challenge to achieve a successful follow-up hit somewhere in the world.

So, I'm guessing that whatever was deemed unsuitable for last night's repeat was earlier in the Mel and Kim video, and that part was cut out from this one.....?

[Blondini]

Confirmed! The briefest clip from the back end of the video!
Don't think they recut it as the ep already over-ran.

[Graham76man]

Sometimes it's not the BBC that are making cuts in old material under their own power, but are forced to by Offcom. Talking Pictures sometime ago got into trouble with them for putting on 40's to 60's films that has offensive language and making no warning. Now you see you see a a caption saying "this film contains outdated racial language that might contain offence". I suspect the BBC had to cut the Barron Knights on those grounds.
I seem to recall the BBC had the debate about the Stutter Rap song at the time. Some people with stutters actually liked it, if I remember correctly. It was talked about on Points of View. Some people even found Ronnie Barker on Open All Hours offensive with his stutter!

[CZB]

Confirmed! The briefest clip from the back end of the video!
Don't think they recut it as the ep already over-ran.

It's difficult to be sure, but it's possible that much more, or even all, of the Mel and Kim was there originally.
With greater flexibility in the New Year's Eve schedule than on a normal weekday, it was in a 35-minute time-
slot - with "A Question Of Sport", not normally longer than 30 minutes either, also in a 35-minute slot just
before it. So there could easily have been two or three minutes more than the thirty-two-and-a-half-minutes
we saw on BBC FOUR:

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedule...don/1987-12-31

[Blondini]

But if they refused to cut the first edition featuring the video it seems unlikely they'd do it to the second. Unless the positioning of the song at the end rather than the middle made it impossible to cut completely. I actually forgot that the video features Mel sticking up his thumb to a photo of Rolf. Not just a mention.

[CZB]

I actually forgot that the video features Mel sticking up his thumb to a photo of Rolf. Not just a mention.

I hadn't even the slightest recollection of what the Rolf issue was regarding this song and video! Indeed, I
wonder if it was only spotted at a late stage by BBC FOUR, as the first repeat could otherwise have been in a
25-minute slot (at least late-night) if they had known the whole video would need to be take out.....

Unless the positioning of the song at the end rather than the middle made it impossible to cut completely.

I believe that was exactly the situation they then found themselves in. I suspect that we can be thankful that
the "offending" part wasn't while the closing credits were superimposed over the video, otherwise they might
not have repeated the New Year's Eve episode at all.

[Graham76man]

Friday's introduction shows to the 1988 repeats of Top of The Pops triggered a good few jumps for the records featured into the live iTunes top 100! It's quite rare that any of the tracks being shown causes sales of records to increase to land them inside the top 100, but some actually did. Most notably Martha's Harbour.

[Madgefan]

Friday's introduction shows to the 1988 repeats of Top of The Pops triggered a good few jumps for the records featured into the live iTunes top 100! It's quite rare that any of the tracks being shown causes sales of records to increase to land them inside the top 100, but some actually did. Most notably Martha's Harbour.

I missed this episode. Was it the one with All About Eve singing Martha's Harbour , where the song started to play and the singer just sat there because she didn't realise it was time to start miming ?

[RayRay]

I loved the episode with all the Wham! performances.

[Blondini]

I missed this episode. Was it the one with All About Eve singing Martha's Harbour , where the song started to play and the singer just sat there because she didn't realise it was time to start miming ?

Yes. They couldn't hear the track. It's interesting that even as early as 1988 we can already see the music charts fragmenting. No set style and cliques forming. Though having Wayne Hussey of The Mission on the programme showed a shortage of interview subjects. Was half expecting Bros to be unintentionally funny but didn't happen here.

[CZB]

It was mentioned in the documentary that several new presenters would arrive in 1988 -
but the year begins tonight with two (especially) old ones:


07/01/88 (Presented by Simon Bates and Mike Read)
(20) Sinitta – “GTO”
(17) Jellybean – “Jingo” (video)
(32) Depeche Mode – “Behind The Wheel”
( Charts 40 - 11 - Mike Read / Simon Bates )
(19) The Stranglers – “All Day And All Of The Night”
Breakers:
- (35) George Michael – “Father Figure” (video clip)
- (34) GOSH – “The Wishing Well” (video clip)
- (29) Terence Trent D’Arby – “Sign Your Name” (video clip)
( Charts 10 - 01 - Mike Read / Simon Bates )
(01) Pet Shop Boys – “Always On My Mind”
(21) Joyce Sims – “Come Into My Life” (video/credits)


Two further top ten hits were on the way later for Sinitta - but "G.T.O", not really that
far removed from "So Macho" and "Toy Boy", was only going to reach a number 15 peak.

The "Wishing Well" charity single was produced by Keff McCulloch, whose version of the
"Doctor Who" theme was the one accompanying the episodes starring Sylvester McCoy
in this year and in 1987 and 1989. Unusually, the wikipedia entry listing its performers is
a bit vague and not necessarily complete:

" Lead vocals were provided by Boy George, Dollar, Grace Kennedy, Hazel O'Connor, Noddy
Holder and Peter Cox. A number of celebrity guests were brought in to perform the chorus
including Bonnie Langford, Sylvester McCoy, Jimmy Nail, Hollywood Beyond, Uriah Heep,
Showaddywaddy, Andy Scott of The Sweet, Busta Jones, Hot Chocolate, EastEnders, Spitting
Image, The Rent Party, Grange Hill, Caron Keating, Shriekback, Roland Rat, Andy Crane,
Simon Potter, Lisa Maxwell, Michael Croft, Dave Joyner, Terry Rice-Milton, Tracey Wilson,
Jodie Wilson, Patricia Conti, Cantabile, Housemaster Boyz, Jenny Day and Kevin O'Dowd. "

I have not the slightest clue who some of the people named later on this list are/were.....but
even more baffling was the opening link in which the presenters noted with approval the
absence of milkmen and window cleaners in the programme?!

[Graham76man]

Leaving out the obvious ones from the list, here's who the rest are:
Cupid's Inspiration Featuring Terry Rice-Milton
Grace Kennedy is a former BBC British singer and television presenter, now luxury wedding and event designer.
Peter John Cox is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the British pop duo Go West.
Michael "Busta Cherry" Jones was an American musician. He is known for his work with Talking Heads and other punk and new wave bands.
Caron Louisa Keating was a Blue Peter presenter died of cancer in 2004.
Andrew Howard Crane is an English television and radio presenter
Simon Potter - children's TV presenter.
Lisa Maxwell is an English actress and television presenter.
John Michael Croft, OBE (8 March 1922 – 15 November 1986) was an English actor, schoolteacher, and writer.
The two Wilson's are both singers I think!
Patricia Conti is an actress, known for Crystalstone (1987) and Casualty (1986) - so that would fit in.
Cantabile - The London Quartet is a British a cappella vocal quartet.
Farley Keith, better known as Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, is a DJ - Housemaster Boyz
Jenny Day - most likely the Radio Sussex DJ.
Kevin O'Dowd - Boy George's brother!!

The only one I don't know is Dave Joyner.

[CZB]

The two Wilson's are both singers I think!

They're the two from later on the list that I do know! They are the Lorells, who recorded both
background and in-vision music for the "Doctor Who" story "Delta And The Bannermen" in 1987,
including this:

Caron Louisa Keating was a Blue Peter presenter died of cancer in 2004.
Andrew Howard Crane is an English television and radio presenter

While those two are among the new 1988 "Top Of The Pops" presenters we should be
seeing in the next few months' repeats!

even more baffling was the opening link in which the presenters
noted with approval the absence of milkmen and window cleaners in the programme?!

It's been suggested elsewhere that this is a condescending reference to "The Roxy", the not
entirely dissimilar programme that had been running for several months on ITV but was then
hitting problems, and coming to the end of the line, according to this article:

" By the beginning of 1988 the show underwent a re-boot. Now re-Christened The Roxy / The Network
Chart Show Dave Jensen was now only to be heard in voice-over while Paul Nolan and Pat Sharp had
joined to co-host with Kevin Sharkey. The Simon May theme is now replaced by Stock, Aitken and
Waterman featuring Bananarama. The show is now produced by Gordon Elsbury with Associate Producer
Dave Jensen, a job presumably given to him as a sweetener. The set and scenery had also been given an
overhaul, but it was too late. On Tuesday 23rd February 1988 ITV announced that the show was to be
cancelled. By this time Thames TV had been showing it at 12.35 am and playing fifteen year old repeats of
Bless This House in its intended early evening slot instead. The final show was broadcast live on Tuesday
5th April 1988. "

One of the presenters there was certainly previously a window cleaner, and later a bankrupt - so maybe
one of the others was a former milkman?

[Graham76man]

I can't find any reference to any of the presenters of the Roxy as being a milkman. Though Kevin Sharkey is described as having a verity of jobs. The rest all seem to have been DJ's since early days. So my money would be on Kevin.
There's a complete list of who appeared on the Roxy, which stopped in April 1988, in the link below.
drunkenness of things being various.blogspot.com

[Thriller]

Mike Read and Simon Bates are beginning to look like fossils on this show now, good job the young wave of new presenters are about to arrive.

Loved the 1988 documentary, lots of great hits again this year!

[CZB]

Tonight:

14/01/88 (Presented by Gary Davies and Simon Mayo)
(10) Climie Fisher – “Rise To The Occasion”
(13) Tiffany – “I Think We’re Alone Now” (US TOTP clip)
(03) Krush – “House Arrest”
( Charts 40 - 11 - Simon Mayo )
(04) Morris Minor & The Majors – “Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime)”
Breakers:
- (22) The Christians – “Ideal World” (video clip)
- (17) AC/DC – “Heatseeker” (video clip)
(8) Terence Trent D’Arby – “Sign Your Name”
( Charts 10 - 02 - Simon Mayo )
(1) Belinda Carlisle – “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” (US TOTP clip)
(11) George Michael – “Father Figure” (video/credits)

I'm not sure that the first and third songs featured tonight were the only ones that used the same "I know you're gonna dig this" sample.....

More clips from the US version of "Top Of The Pops" - in which apparently there wasn't much effort to replicate the sound of the singles as released! It wouldn't last very much longer, although it might just about outlast "The Roxy". I'm not sure whether that was also one of the problems with the Tyne Tees-produced show - I don't really recall much about it except that I found the presenters annoying (one of them once referred to Kylie Minogue as a "dingo"), and I didn't even bother noting down the "unofficial" chart that they used. Although I think I do remember Vanessa Paradis, then aged fourteen or fifteen, performing "Joe Le Taxi" in something so brief and clinging that she might as well have been standing there topless!

[CZB]

"Top of the Pops" 1988 was meant to continue in the usual 7.30pm slot this evening - but that had
to be unexpectedly replaced by tennis. However, the late night repeat has gone ahead as billed:


21/01/88 (Presented by Gary Davies and Steve Wright)
(16) Bros – “When Will I Be Famous?”
(12) AC/DC – “Heatseeker” (video)
(08) Joyce Sims – “Come Into My Life”
( Charts 40 - 11 - Gary Davies )
(15) The Christians – “Ideal World”
Breakers:
- (23) Motley Crue – “Wild Side” (video clip)
- (20) Bananarama – “I Can’t Help It” (video clip)
- (14) The Beatmasters featuring the Cookie Crew – “Rok Da House” (video clip)
(18) Dollar – “O L’Amour”
( Charts 10 - 01 - Gary Davies )
(01) Belinda Carlisle – “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” (US TOTP clip)
(07) The Stranglers – “All Day & All Of The Night” (and credits)


Unusual to end with a "live" performance rather than a video - albeit actually a repeat of a performance
from the show of a fortnight earlier!

My favourite by far from this bunch was the latest hit for Dollar - and the last significant success for them.
The song had originally been recorded by Erasure, but only managed to reach a peak of number 85 two
years earlier for them, spending four weeks in the top 100 (90-85-86-98). But it achieved a much improved
new peak when it was re-released in 2003 - and high entry, rapid downward trajectory had become common.
Its chart run then was 13-36-59.

[CZB]

The first of a double-bill tonight:


11/02/88 (Presented by Bruno Brookes and Gary Davies)
(25) Eddy Grant – “Gimme Hope Jo’anna”
(07) Debbie Gibson – “Shake Your Love”
(10) The Mission – “Tower Of Strength”
( Charts 40 - 11 - Bruno Brookes )
(04) Taylor Dayne – “Tell It To My Heart”
(22) Sinead O’Connor – “Mandinka”
( Charts 10 - 01 - Bruno Brookes )
(01) Tiffany – “I Think We’re Alone Now” (video)
(10) Jermaine Stewart – “Say It Again” (and credits)


The opening link would seem to be inaccurate - it seems that Eddy Grant had appeared in two
1981 editions with the same studio performance of "Can't Get Enough Of You". No doubt whoever
wrote the script had forgotten about this one, even if they correctly remembered that the two
bigger hits since then, "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "Electric Avenue", had only ever been seen
(multiple times) on video!

However, it was correct that this was Tiffany's third week at number one - we missed the first
two, of course, because the two previous week's shows were presented by Mike Smith. Two
further artists later charted with cover versions of "I Think We're Alone Now".....and that would
be a good "Popmaster" question!

Spoiler!

Girls Aloud, and Pascal featuring Karen Parry

[CZB]

And the second of tonight's episodes (I did have this ready at the time,
but kept getting a "The connection has timed out" error message)



18/02/88 (Presented by Nicky Campbell and Gary Davies)
(05) Bomb The Bass – “Beat Dis”
(04) Billy Ocean – “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car”
(09) T’Pau – “Valentine”
( Charts 40 - 11 - Nicky Campbell )
(21) Was (Not Was) – “Spy In The House Of Love”
Breakers:
- (29) Vanessa Paradis – “Joe Le Taxi” (video clip)
- (27) Michael Jackson – “Man In The Mirror” (video clip)
- (30) Bangles – “Hazy Shade Of Winter” (video clip)
(25) Coldcut featuring Yazz & The Plastic Population – “Doctorin’ The House"
( Charts 10 - 01 - Nicky Campbell )
(01) Kylie Minogue – “I Should Be So Lucky” (BBC video)
(26) Alexander O’Neal and Cherrelle – “Never Knew Love Like This” (video/credits)

"Joe Le Taxi" was the first of two very successful singles by Vanessa Paradis,
perhaps equally as well known now for her acting work. The other was "Be My Baby",
four years later - which gave her another top ten hit in the UK and several other
countries. My favourite from many other releases from her, however, was this one
- also from 1992:

Gary Davies mentioned that Nicky Campbell had apparently become engaged to someone called "Linda"
a few days before this episode aired - so I'm sure it wasn't just me who consulted Wikipedia to see
how that turned out.....

Spoiler!

By 1997 they had divorced, and he had married someone else.

[Blondini]

Nicky Campbell already irritating with his "hilarious" impressions.

[CZB]

Tonight:

25/02/88 (Presented by Mark Goodier and Peter Powell)
(29) Primitives – “Crash”
(06) Morrissey – “Suedehead” (video)
( Charts 40 - 31 - Peter Powell / Mark Goodier )
(14) Vanessa Paradis – “Joe Le Taxi”
Breakers:
- (09) Rick Astley – “Together Forever” (video clip)
- (17) The Sisters Of Mercy – “Dominion” (video clip)
- (19) Eddie Cochran – “C’mon Everybody” (video clip)
- (25) George Harrison – “When We Was Fab” (video clip)
(12) The Mission – “Tower Of Strength”
( Charts 30 - 11 - Peter Powell / Mark Goodier )
(08) Eddy Grant – “Gimme Hope Jo’anna”
( Charts 10 - 01 - Mark Goodier / Peter Powell )
(01) Kylie Minogue – “I Should Be So Lucky” (video)
(20) Bangles – “Hazy Shade Of Winter” (video/credits)

After the debut of Nicky Campbell last week (and, unfortunately, the consensus from elsewhere is that he
didn't become any less irritating over the course of many more appearances in the next few years), this
week sees the debut of Mark Goodier - just four days after he had been a stand-in presenter of the
Sunday evening top forty show on Radio One for the first time! But it wouldn't be until the end of
September 1990 that he would take over from Bruno Brookes as the regular presenter there.

Unusual to have so many "breakers" - and, especially, to present them in descending order of their current
chart position - and for the chart countdown to be broken up into more than two parts again, for the first
time in quite a while.

I thought this latest Rick Astley single was by far the best that he did - but of course it wasn't going to
match the massive success of his first hit.

Peter Powell confidently predicted a top three peak for the Eddy Grant hit - which would stick at eight the
following week, then manage a one-place climb to seven, and then fall like a brick, leaving the top forty
after only two more weeks there.....

[Graham76man]

According to Pete Waterman Kylie turned up at the S.A.W. Studios wanting to record a new single. Pete knew nothing about her and new nothing of the success of Neighbours and was very busy at the time. So when one of the others pressed him for a something to record, he just said "She should be so lucky" and that became the outline of the song.

By the way Eddy Grant had appeared on TOTP back in 1968 on the number one hit Baby Come Back singing the lead vocals as part of the Equals.

[Madgefan]

A question for all the TOTP's experts. I just wanted to ask did Michael Jackson ever appear on the show ? I can only ever remember video appearances when I used to watch as a teen.