Old TOTP (BBC4) (1 Viewer)

Yes. He was considered quite radical for prime-time but this is largely because no-one knew much about black culture so his characters and characterisations were accepted without much challenge.
 
octophone said:
God, I wanted to be Keren Woodward so much. Kinda still do...
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She was always my least favourite, as much as it pains me to choose. A bit like picking your least favourite Spice Girl, but in reverse.

I always found Siobhan most interesting and captivating, and no pop star ever had the delightful air of insouciance that Sarah did.
 
lolly said:
She was always my least favourite, as much as it pains me to choose. A bit like picking your least favourite Spice Girl, but in reverse.

I always found Siobhan most interesting and captivating, and no pop star ever had the delightful air of insouciance that Sarah did.
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These things are true but I was very much operating on a non-artistic level, more of a "take me to the year 2084, scramble my DNA and pop me back to now looking like that plz" level.
 
octophone said:
Yes. He was considered quite radical for prime-time but this is largely because no-one knew much about black culture so his characters and characterisations were accepted without much challenge.
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Quite. I always thought that his schtick was largely much the same as what white comedians were doing, but he legitimised it. I mean I dare say that's what commissioners wanted and it gave him a way in, but it never really felt FUNNY to me. And certainly not as 'alternative' as the actual alternative movement.
 
'The Story of 1985' on tomorrow at 9.00pm.

1985 sees the 'Big Four' of 80's Pop - Spandau, Wham, Culture Club and the Durans - have a relatively quiet year which ushers in a new generation of Pop talent. The show becomes a barometer for the state of the nation as the ambitious King and A-ha, propelled by the most expensive video of the year for 'Take On Me', compete for attention with passionate politicos Billy Bragg and The Style Council who, fired up by the ongoing miners strike and continuing threat of nuclear war, give the studio audience their all with 'Between The Wars' and 'Walls Come Tumbling Down'.

1985 also sees Electro dance hit the mainstream as Dead or Alive top the charts with 'You Spin Me Round', the first number one for producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and Paul Hardcastle holds the top slot for five weeks with '19', a spoken word single made with new sampling technology and released on the 10th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war.

Meanwhile, movie tie-ins and record companies eyeing a 'housewives' market see a run of power ballads hit the charts from Jennifer Rush to Tina Turner to our very own Bonnie Tyler with 'Holding Out For a Hero' . And back in the real world, the heroic Bob Geldof brings the Pop generations together for Live Aid and Shakin' Stevens marks his 50th appearance on Top of the Pops and lands his first Christmas number one with a song he has waited a whole year to release.

Featuring original interviews with A-ha, Shakin' Stevens, The Style Council, Billy Bragg, Bonnie Tyler, Pete Waterman, Paul Hardcastle, King and Loose Ends.
 
HANGIN' ON A STRING (CONTEMPLATING) pisses all over the ludicrous 'LOVE AND PRIDE'
 
Going back to A POINT MADE EARLIER I always thought the THOMPSON TWINS were shit but only now do I realise JUST QUITE HOW SHIT THEY WERE
 
NAR: OOH I LIKE YOUR MAGIC
JUST A LITTLE TRAGIC
OOH I LIKE YOUR MAGIC TOUCH

 
Just watching The Story of 1985 now. They have shown a little bit of Mike Smith.
 
Bonnie Tyler sitting there and going into Holding Out For a Hero just because she fancied it was something special.

Him from King did not come off well.
 
For reasons I'm UNAWARE of there's four 1981 episodes on iPlayer at the moment.

1) Why?
2) Are they worth watching, since I only started in autumn 1982.
 
Ag said:
For reasons I'm UNAWARE of there's four 1981 episodes on iPlayer at the moment.

1) Why?
2) Are they worth watching, since I only started in autumn 1982.
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They seem to be showing 1981 on BBC4 as well. I don't think I can be keeping up with it.
 
SERIOUSLY avoid this episode at ALL COSTS.

Middle aged men dressing as teddy boys, was such a low point of humanity.
 
I guess the Nolans are a highlight. But it's like picking your favourite dead baby.
 
Ag said:
SERIOUSLY avoid this episode at ALL COSTS.

Middle aged men dressing as teddy boys, was such a low point of humanity.
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I see that was an episode with both RACEY and MATCHBOX. Anyone half decent wouldn't stand a chance.
 
It does just show what was REALLY happening in the charts at the time though, doesn't it? That period is remembered fondly for exciting new romantica and the discovery of synths, but look what people were actually buying.

A bit like Ken Dodd and Engelbert Humperdinck outselling The Beatles and Rolling Stones, I suppose...
 
The Barron Knights were in the fucking charts.

Onto 22/1/81 and thankfully we have Blondie.
 
Holy shit. New Romantic Spandau Ballet. Possibly more interesting than blue eyed soul Spandau Ballet.
 
Ag said:
Holy shit. New Romantic Spandau Ballet. Possibly more interesting than blue eyed soul Spandau Ballet.
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Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that even if they were never really GOOD, they were at least interesting for a brief period.
 
Fade to Grey only to got to #8? What is this sad world we live in?

Don't Stop the Music is brilliant. Not sure why the dancer are wearing sexy kilts?
 
The next episode is again an improvement. Sheila Hylton and Ultravox certainly beat Chas n Dave.
 
Vienna has been described as "a surprise hit" and "a brave single choice"

Without having been there, was it THAT revolutionary?
 
I guess it wasn't overly commercial at that time, and they had been going for a good few years without much success by that point.

To be honest, on the whole I probably prefer Chas n' Dave to Ultravox.
 
I can entirely understand why Joe Dolce got to #1. Watching these episodes has been like a heterosexual man watching a drab Eurovision and then getting to the one about pirates.
 
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