Old TOTP (BBC4) (2 Viewers)

Madonna really was such an obvious mega star from early on.

I agog we're about to have 4 weeks of Frankie at #1.

I have just clocked why we're getting an edit of The Crowd - Rolf Harris is involved.
 
Madonna really was such an obvious mega star from early on.

I agog we're about to have 4 weeks of Frankie at #1.

I have just clocked why we're getting an edit of The Crowd - Rolf Harris is involved.
Not only Rolf Harris but DLT too! The BBC wouldn't be able to cope with two sex offenders in one video...
 
I had to stop my ironing as I'm AGOG at that Bronski Beat and Marc Almond cover of I Feel Love. Who's ill-advised concept was that?! Utterly dreadful, especially Marc's voice and his "vicar at a disco" dancing.

That Rah Band space themed performance though... amazing.

Yes I'm behind.
 
There are too many random male rock voices in that We Are The World line up that I can't identify. I didn't realise how much Michael ripped the melody off for Heal The World.
 
There are too many random male rock voices in that We Are The World line up that I can't identify. I didn't realise how much Michael ripped the melody off for Heal The World.
Did he? The melody of Heal The World is clearly ripped off from the Jaws end title sequence. True story.
 
Did he? The melody of Heal The World is clearly ripped off from the Jaws end title sequence. True story.
Well maybe not directly but the whole chorus of We Are The World just makes me sing Heal The World over it, especially the latter half.
 
I was just going to slag Jimmy Nail but he's literally no worse than James Arthur. I didn't know he was having hits as early as 85, I'd assumed Ain't No Doubt kicked off his music career.
 
19 feels like it was quite a curve ball #1 at the time? How did it get there? I can't imagine airplay being massive?
 
I saw Five Star in the chart last night. Have I missed their first appearance?
Up to the edition shown last night they were still yet to make an appearance, they had been played as the playout song on the edition from 30/05/85. And they will also be the playout song on the edition from 18/07/85 with 'Let Me Be The One'. That edition won't be shown on BBC4 as Mike Smith is a co-host. Nor will their first performance, which is from 01/08/85 as, you've guessed it, Mike Smith is the co-host. We'll finally get to see them on the edition from 26/09/85 with 'Love Take Over'. Janice Long and Dixie Peach co-host that one so they should be shown.
 
The last episode of TOTP was from 20/06/85, the next one to be shown on BBC4 is the one originally broadcast on 04/07/85. As we'll be skipping an edition it can only mean Mike Smith is co-presenting...

https://wetransfer.com/downloads/6a5da5dcc0ac2e7d02fdb9313ba4337e20180317113303/100f32

It's not the best of editions and features one of the worst number 1s of the 80s but it's worth watching! From Popscene:

27/06/85 (Peter Powell & Mike Smith)
Paul Young – “Tomb Of Memories” (17)
Kool & The Gang – “Cherish” (5) (Montreux clip)
The Commentators – “N-N-Nineteen (Not Out)” (23)
Bruce Springsteen – “I’m On Fire” (11) (video)
Marti Webb – “Ben” (9)
Elton John & Millie Jackson – “Act Of War” (32) (breaker)
The Damned – “The Shadow Of Love” (29) (breaker)
Howard Jones – “Life In One Day” (22) (breaker)
Scritti Politti - "The Word Girl" (10) (video clip)
Marti Webb - "Ben" (9) (video clip)
Mai Tai - "History" (8) (video clip)
Marillion - "Kayleigh" (7) (video clip)
Billy Ocean - "Suddenly" (6) (video clip)
Kool & The Gang - "Cherish" (5) (video clip)
Harold Faltermeyer - "Axelf F" (4) (video clip)
The Crowd - "You'll Never Walk Alone" (3) (video clip)
Madonna - "Crazy For You" (2) (video clip)
Sister Sledge – “Frankie” (1)
The Conway Brothers – “Turn It Up” (30) (audience dancing/credits)
 
I know a lot of you hate Style Council, but Walls Come Tumbling Down is a stomper.

I fucking hate the Style Council and that song especially - the lyric is so patronising. "You can actually try changing it" - oh really, thanks Paul, I'd never thought of that. Shit like that was why Maggie was returned to No. 10 in '87.
 
I'd completely forgotten about that Marti Webb version of Ben. I do remember the child, though.
 
I've said before but 1985 Bruce Springsteen was a DISH.

Who knew or cared the Fine Young Cannibals went back to 1985?

I'm on Fire is the only Springsteen song I really love.

I remember finding FYC quite funny for two reasons.

1) Andy Cox and Dave Steele dancing like they have rickets and 40 volts up their arse and 2) everyone assuming that it was General Public who'd be big after The Beat disbanded when actually, they died on their arse and Cox and Steele had genuine proper success.
 
Madonna really was such an obvious mega star from early on.

"Crazy For You" still sounds amazing to me. The song suited her perfectly at that moment. 2 or 3 years later, it wouldn't have worked. But then, she had "Live To Tell"...
 
So this Is Elton John song with Millie Jackson isn’t on any of his albums apart from tacked onto one box set that came out in 1990. It’s not even on his own DUETS compilation album. What the fuck? You can’t buy it on iTunes either, only Amazon.

 
Was it around this point that 'Madonna' was rebranded and reissued as 'The First Album'?

It really felt like she was farting out hits from every direction in 1985.
 
Was it around this point that 'Madonna' was rebranded and reissued as 'The First Album'?

It really felt like she was farting out hits from every direction in 1985.
She did have quite a few hits in 1985! If I recall she had at least one single in the top 20 for about 9 or 10 months from June 1985. I'm not sure when her first album was rebranded but her second was rebranded with 'Into The Groove' being added in August 1985 which was enough to push the album to the top after it had first been released the previous November.
 
I think 'Like A Virgin' bring reissued with 'Into The Groove' was the first time I experienced the annoyance of the reissue with a hit or more tracks being tacked on. Although I'm guessing in the mid 80s it was still a lot less common than it would become in later years.
 
Yes, that kind of thing was much less common, mainly because bands turned over their albums more quickly - we could still expect an album every 12 to 18 months from most artists in the 80's so a surprise hit could be held over to the next album. I remember when James had a hit with "Sit Down", they were struggling to complete their album so Phonogram did a reissue of their album "Gold Mother" taking two tracks off and adding "Sit Down" and another single, "Lose Control". To stave off criticism, you could actually swap your old copy for a new one in Our Price stores. It wasn't until last year than a vinyl edition with all the tracks was issued.
 
So this Is Elton John song with Millie Jackson isn’t on any of his albums apart from tacked onto one box set that came out in 1990. It’s not even on his own DUETS compilation album. What the fuck? You can’t buy it on iTunes either, only Amazon.



It’s on the original and 1992 CD versions of Ice On Fire, but not the 1999 remaster
 
I didn't realise that Obsession charted so highly over here. Those two Marillion fans were cutting a rug to it at the end there.

Kathy Sledge clearly paid no heed to her sisters' big and blousy dress code for the Frankie performance.
 
I really thought Obsession was one of those eurotrash hits that didn't break over in the UK.

Delighted Kayleigh never got to number one. That awful haircut didn't deserve it.
 
I knew I quietly liked Obsession, but it's going straight on my playlist of lesser 80s classics.
 
Wacky old Sting with those crazy glasses. :manson:

One of his backing singers was quite the performance stealer though. The hair on her...

I don't enjoy Janice Long nearly as much without John Peel.
 
It's a Saturday Morning Octy Catch Up. Clear the area!

1985 Stephen Tin Tin Duffy would have been an amazing drag queen.

He was obviously a bit uncomfortable but it was still a wee bit of a surprise when he became a folkie with The Lilac Time.
 
2 songs in a row with that horrible slap bass. "Obsession" is rubbish.
 
Ugh, white reggae. Never completely "got" Scritti Politti apart from "Absolute". This isn't totally ghastly but it's so cloying.
 
The last couple of episodes I've watched have been a bit poor on the whole.

Pissed that we didn't get to see Five Star's debut appearance.
 
I watched the last two, last night. Annie Lennon chewing the harmonica during There Must Be An Angel was the oddest bit of bad miming I've seen for some time.

The biggest WTF moment was Opus and Live is Life. It was like if DJ Ozti and Love Shine a Light had a baby.
 
Did we see Dead Or Alive's Lover Come Back To Me? I don't remember doing so, and it's far better than the insipid In Too Deep.
 
So so tired of that fucking Fine Young Cannibals song.

Still in love with 1985 Bruce Springsteen, I'm A Fire is just lovely.

I really don't enjoy My Toot Toot. What a nasty bit of trash.
 
Actually "Out In The Fields" is a fucking banger. Was a bit hard on it a coupla weeks back.
 

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