This docu that's on now makes grim viewing.
― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Friday, 1 April 2011 21:18 (twelve years ago) link
The docu made some interesting points, and for all that I'd have loved if they'd started in 1964 (or whenever), 1976 is a good year to kickoff from.
The big point made was that the charts had become a 'variety' show source, as opposed to the 'teen hit parade' of the sixties. So, loads of Mathis, Roussos, BroMan, Abba and Radio DJs having comedy send-up hits.
It'll be like this for a while, but one I do remember being somewhat of a life changing moment was when Eddie and the Hot Rods did "Get out of Denver",and I went straight out and bought the (expensive) ep the next day.
I know, thesedays peopple decry the rods as being "not as seminal as Dr Feelgood", but I saw a repeat on TOTP2 and it was as good as I remembered. So, soon come, that show which showed the juxtaposition of this band against the other acts on that night.
(also, it means that the quality of dodgy Punk TOTP compilation DVDs are going to shoot up. If they get that far, of course)
― Mark G, Monday, 4 April 2011 09:27 (twelve years ago) link
What tickled me most was the former TOTP producer saying that they didn't get the Pistols on for "Anarchy In The UK" (which peaked at #38) because it didn't chart high enough, very important that we always stuck by the rules etc etc... followed by an April 1976 show featuring two (useless) acts which never charted at all.
The Hot Rods did well to get a TOTP appearance for "Get Out Of Denver", as a) the Live At The Marquee EP peaked at #43 and b) it was the lead track on the B-side.
― mike t-diva, Monday, 4 April 2011 09:43 (twelve years ago) link
It was track 2 on the a-side, but yeah.
Also, the funny was having Dave Bartram saying "yeah, a TOTP appearance guaranteed you a top 10 hit" and demonstrating this with a screening of their massive top (fillinasecond) hit "Trocadero"...
― Mark G, Monday, 4 April 2011 10:08 (twelve years ago) link
32
― Mark G, Monday, 4 April 2011 10:09 (twelve years ago) link
xpost - Aaargh, so it was!
― mike t-diva, Monday, 4 April 2011 10:25 (twelve years ago) link
Am I misunderstanding? cos the 60s had big hits for Ken Dodd, Englebert Humperdinck, the Barron Knights etc etc
― Boobage Dirtbag (Noodle Vague), Monday, 4 April 2011 10:32 (twelve years ago) link
Oh sure, but the theory being that those were in the minority, show-content wise.
― Mark G, Monday, 4 April 2011 10:42 (twelve years ago) link
oh on the show. yeah probly fair enough. chartwise it was variety a-go-go
― Boobage Dirtbag (Noodle Vague), Monday, 4 April 2011 12:00 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I don't think the point was that the charts had become (more) like a variety show, but that TOTP had.
― in a wonderful balloon! (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Monday, 4 April 2011 12:09 (twelve years ago) link
fuck Noel Edmonds and his 'comedy' links
― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Thursday, 7 April 2011 18:37 (twelve years ago) link
I know, what a dick. Still we had the Four Seasons doing "Silver Star" this week. Also Eric Carmen's "interview" with Noel Edmonds, where you couldn't hear a word he was saying, don't be shy Eric!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 8 April 2011 08:50 (twelve years ago) link
Interviews on TOTP? that's a rarity...
― Mark G, Friday, 8 April 2011 09:12 (twelve years ago) link
"Inteview" not really the word.
"You wrote a song for Dana didn't you?""Mumble mumble mumble""What's the best song you've ever written?""Mumble mumble mumble All By Myself""Well all the best with the new single""Mumble"
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 8 April 2011 09:15 (twelve years ago) link
Don't know what song he wrote for Dana
Oh and Noel was saying what a good album "Eric Carmen" was: a rare display of good taste from Edmonds there!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 8 April 2011 09:17 (twelve years ago) link
Noel had to say he liked it cos he didn't want to blow a raspberry.
― ridic beau (NickB), Friday, 8 April 2011 09:21 (twelve years ago) link
My god that it horribly formed.
― ridic beau (NickB), Friday, 8 April 2011 09:22 (twelve years ago) link
*is*
OK so Google tells me Dana covered "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" from the aforementioned "Eric Carmen" album
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 8 April 2011 09:26 (twelve years ago) link
Is Dana the one who did some religious kids programme called 'Wake Up Sunday'?
― in a wonderful balloon! (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Friday, 8 April 2011 10:18 (twelve years ago) link
Sounds likely
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 8 April 2011 10:23 (twelve years ago) link
10CC, "Mandy Fly Me" was on too. Fantastic!
― Tom D (Tom D.), Friday, 8 April 2011 10:34 (twelve years ago) link
NEdmonds always had his love of singer-songwriters, to be fair.
― Mark G, Friday, 8 April 2011 10:48 (twelve years ago) link
Big fan of Harry Chapin, yer Edmonds.
― mike t-diva, Friday, 8 April 2011 14:40 (twelve years ago) link
Balderdash certainly describes droll Noel's career.
― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Friday, 8 April 2011 15:04 (twelve years ago) link
This was easily the most WTF song on this week's show:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iISUroWbu2U
― in a wonderful balloon! (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Saturday, 9 April 2011 22:17 (twelve years ago) link
I watched last night's 1976 episode, it was amazingly and compellingly bad. Lots of odd-looking folks I've never heard of awkwardly performing novelty songs, and one of Pan's People doing some remarkably gratuitous ass-shaking in the direction of the camera. I need more.
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Friday, 22 April 2011 14:22 (twelve years ago) link
70s was the golden age for ugly blokes, you could still end up in a band on TOTP with groupies galore. Rubettes' (sans caps) song sounded more like the Beatles than the Rutles!
― None'll come and then a lot'll (Tom D.), Friday, 22 April 2011 14:27 (twelve years ago) link
I'm watching this now. LOL at the male members of the Vagabonds miming the female backing vocals. Something massively depressing about second tier disco groups though, like they're trapped in time, it's as if they're composed entirely of all the bits of late 70's disco that don't influence music today.
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Friday, 22 April 2011 14:57 (twelve years ago) link
Shoeless and carrying a walking stick with a bicycle bell on it? Fucking hell, Harpo could teach Lady gaga a thing or two.
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Friday, 22 April 2011 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
Sheer Elegance one of the most misnamed bands ever judging by what they were wearing, the uglyness of the Rubettes & their overcocky drummer, the utter WTFness of Harpo. mandatory viewing from now on!
― /人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ (zappi), Friday, 22 April 2011 15:23 (twelve years ago) link
I'm sure Punk would never of happened if Sky+ would of been available in 1976...ended up fast forwarding most of last night's show...bring back Noosha Fox...become a little obsessed with s-s-single bed...
― sonnyboy, Friday, 22 April 2011 16:27 (twelve years ago) link
^^^ same goes for watching it on iPlayer. I don't know if 'compellingly bad' is the term, or just 'bad'.
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Friday, 22 April 2011 16:50 (twelve years ago) link
the uglyness of the Rubettes & their overcocky drummer
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx-aH0oBscw
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 22 April 2011 16:51 (twelve years ago) link
definitely 'compellingly bad' for me. and Fox lady really reminded me of Alison Goldfrapp which is a Good Thing.
― /人 ◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ (zappi), Friday, 22 April 2011 17:10 (twelve years ago) link
Noosha F missing link between Clare Grogan and Goldfrapp. Love that record.
― Michael Jones, Friday, 22 April 2011 17:16 (twelve years ago) link
Ah, been catching up via good old iplayer on the wii.
Old enough to remember these episodes quite clearly in some cases.
Sad that they haven't gone back far enough in time to have Sparks on.
Still, don't recall that Gilbert O'Sullivan song though I must have heard it then.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 11:30 (twelve years ago) link
Oh, last I heard, they are definitely doing this run for a year.
After that? Who knows...
He was long gone as commercial proposition by 1976. That song sounded like a demo, did artists have to re-record tracks? I know they had to re-record vocals, hence the ubiquity of the Ladybirds. But then other acts obviously just mimed to the record.
― None'll come and then a lot'll (Tom D.), Tuesday, 26 April 2011 11:37 (twelve years ago) link
They did 'have' to.
A lot of them switched the tapes post-session, apparently.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 11:59 (twelve years ago) link
ooooooo-oooooooooooooh Vienna it's Slik
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:32 (twelve years ago) link
It's Midge Uuuurrrr...
― sonnyboy, Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:35 (twelve years ago) link
And Paul knickerless
― sonnyboy, Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:36 (twelve years ago) link
Jesus Christ, superstar?
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:37 (twelve years ago) link
DLT looks like Badly Drawn Boy.
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:47 (twelve years ago) link
This is sooooo much better than last weeks....
― sonnyboy, Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:50 (twelve years ago) link
Only one novelty act so far.
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:51 (twelve years ago) link
Shit Brotherhood Of Man are still number one...
― sonnyboy, Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:52 (twelve years ago) link
They were there for 6 weeks.
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:57 (twelve years ago) link
The guy without the 'tasche wants to die.
― grill 'em bake 'em fry 'em burn 'em (snoball), Thursday, 28 April 2011 18:58 (twelve years ago) link
He was after some lunch action
― kiwi side-eye specialist (Matt #2), Sunday, 8 October 2023 22:26 (five months ago) link
Jim Kerr trying to out-twunt Bono here but it's not working.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 13 October 2023 18:23 (five months ago) link
Holy crap that recap of Song For Europe candidates...
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 13 October 2023 18:30 (five months ago) link
First episode not great, but second is making amends. U Sure Do builds such a great pop dance tune out of that Donna Allen sample.
― Chewshabadoo, Saturday, 14 October 2023 07:48 (five months ago) link
so much screaming in the 95 shows, is that new?
original(?) of the first spiritualized single later.
― koogs, Friday, 27 October 2023 21:11 (five months ago) link
ha, not even close
― koogs, Friday, 27 October 2023 21:13 (five months ago) link
A lot of great stuff tonight. And that's probably the most I've enjoyed Some Might Say in years - it really cut through. Poor old Tony cracking a smile.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Friday, 27 October 2023 21:48 (five months ago) link
I guess he already knew Noel was going to sack him a few days later.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Saturday, 28 October 2023 13:12 (five months ago) link
I'm a bit behind - that Keith Allen turn was truly repugnant.
I do wonder if a young Sacha Baron-Cohen was watching?
― chap, Saturday, 28 October 2023 14:18 (five months ago) link
Nightcrawlers trying to reproduce the magic of the MK mix of ‘Push The Feeling On’ with the follow up single but missing the point completely
― Agnes, Agatha, Germaine and Jack (Willl), Friday, 10 November 2023 20:34 (four months ago) link
pj harvey looks a lot like naboo
― koogs, Friday, 1 December 2023 20:27 (three months ago) link
What is naboo?
― Eyeball Kicks, Saturday, 2 December 2023 00:29 (three months ago) link
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music/clubs-boosh-fans-party-away-129255
― koogs, Saturday, 2 December 2023 04:17 (three months ago) link
Fascinating! No recollection of this whatsoever
https://x.com/archivetvmus71/status/1731614276559704378?s=46&t=bJOqpCuQneT7ju08y55VSA
― piscesx, Monday, 4 December 2023 10:06 (three months ago) link
Two acts in and I'm more or less certain the most exciting thing about this week's first episode is that it's hosted by Dale Winton.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 8 December 2023 19:05 (three months ago) link
but the first act was Jinny. Keep Warm what a record.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 9 December 2023 00:07 (three months ago) link
Why is Craig Mclachlan cosplaying as Hard Gay?
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 15 December 2023 19:08 (three months ago) link
Christmas 1977 edition on at 7pm if anyone can stand it.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Tuesday, 19 December 2023 18:41 (three months ago) link
Since they went to the trouble of filming Kenny Rogers in a bar, I was hoping that they'd at least stop the song when it gets to the line "for a minute a thought I was dead" and just have Rogers staring up at some huge dude for a full 60 seconds before continuing.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Tuesday, 19 December 2023 19:40 (three months ago) link
Xmas 1977 made it seem like the most depressing year that ever existed, I wasn't born until 11 years later but everything seemed so brown and maudlin. Also that bar Kenny Rogers was singing at had far too many lamps at it, it would have been a nightmare to work at.
Xmas TOTP isn't til Thursday and New Years Day, eventually it's just not going to happen at all
― boxedjoy, Monday, 25 December 2023 11:21 (three months ago) link
Well, the Christmas special from 1969 got rebroadcast comparatively recently (jsav presented so not hugely recently) but I did recall from the original broadcast how terrible it was!
― Mark G, Wednesday, 27 December 2023 22:25 (three months ago) link
some of the listings mags have entire nights of totp repeats
5th jan, 10 episodes of either totp, big hits or story of
12th jan, same, but with two hours of snooker in the middle
― koogs, Friday, 29 December 2023 15:20 (three months ago) link
Christmas 1983 TOTP - better that 1984 because the big records of 1983 haven't been played over and over as much since?
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 29 December 2023 19:03 (three months ago) link
I'll say it again - I have absolutely no memory of JoBoxers.
I once saw JoBoxers supporting Gary Glitter, and that right there is the unfortunate story of my 1980s
― 1980 Jackanory spinoff (Matt #2), Friday, 29 December 2023 19:56 (three months ago) link
ive been watching the 80s xmas specials and i could have lived the rest of my life happy without knowing who "shakin stevens" is (this dude DID NOT make it to the us)
― kurt schwitterz, Friday, 29 December 2023 20:10 (three months ago) link
joboxers did make it over here tho. just got lucky got played on kroq a lot.
― kurt schwitterz, Friday, 29 December 2023 20:11 (three months ago) link
one of joboxers did a lot of interesting stuff - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_McLusky
― stirmonster, Friday, 29 December 2023 23:18 (three months ago) link
Normal service resumed tonight from 7pm.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 2 February 2024 18:20 (one month ago) link
Agent Smith from The Matrix takes a break from chasing hackers to perform a cover of The Beatles' 'I'm Only Sleeping'. Or it might by Suggs (Suggs... Suggs...). The album this track is taken from ('The Lone Ranger') is actually pretty good.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 2 February 2024 19:21 (one month ago) link
Oh yes, the h-h-h-h-hilarious performance of 'Roll With It' where Noel and Liam swap places.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 2 February 2024 19:53 (one month ago) link
just catching up and lol what happened in that Tina Arena perf? Voice insanely louder than the backing track, feels like she's doing karaoke of her own song
― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 5 February 2024 22:08 (one month ago) link
all Steve Wright all of the time
― koogs, Friday, 16 February 2024 19:07 (one month ago) link
Couldn't the BBC have picked an episode without Black Lace?
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 16 February 2024 19:33 (one month ago) link
Tonight's first programme, starts with Roy Chubby Brown, ends with Mick Hucknall.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 23 February 2024 19:30 (one month ago) link
Did no-one tell you we would over-act this way?Our show's a hit. It's shit. You watch it anyway...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exe7T9TpJZo
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 23 February 2024 19:47 (one month ago) link
The Rembrandt's singer looks like Guy Pearce in Memento. No wonder he wanted to forget.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 23 February 2024 19:48 (one month ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9IDDLXcrMA
BEAT ft General Levy - Incredible - TOTP - 1994
― corrs unplugged, Monday, 26 February 2024 08:40 (one month ago) link
Would love to know how Iron Maiden ended up thrashing through ‘Man on the Edge’ on top of an ancient hill fort in Israel
― Agnes, Agatha, Germaine and Jack (Willl), Friday, 8 March 2024 20:33 (three weeks ago) link
The pieces are beginning to slowly drift into place as we approach Spiceageddon. The shiny metallic look of the studio bathed in big washes of colour from the lights. Bryan Adams turning up to do odd duets with various people. East 17 looking like they might actually win the war of the boybands against Take That. Somehow even fewer people in the studio audience than before, and they have enough space to all do this non-commital sway-y/shuffle-y dance. Suggs keeps popping up either as the presenter or performing a song.
― you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Friday, 22 March 2024 19:20 (one week ago) link
I'm behind. Hale & Pace's attempt at satire in their presenting capacity was hugely confused, to be charitable.
― chap, Saturday, 23 March 2024 00:45 (six days ago) link
Camp ageing rockers in Blur and Oasis tees, for some reason? Still less loathable than Keith Allen's joke presenting a few months back.
― chap, Saturday, 23 March 2024 00:49 (six days ago) link
Fairground's a pretty odd number one really. I kind of like it, Hucknall's obvious off-putting qualities aside. Nice groove in the verses, huge chorus drop.
― chap, Saturday, 23 March 2024 01:02 (six days ago) link
Were they pre existing H&P characters? That would make more sense.
― chap, Saturday, 23 March 2024 01:05 (six days ago) link
As much as I despise the human rodent that is mick hucknall, I really love 'fairground'
― Bernard Quidbins (NickB), Saturday, 23 March 2024 01:06 (six days ago) link
It's a good song! Actually come across more decent 'Red tracks than expected over the TOTP repeats.
Next episode, Ant & Dec invent electroswing.
― chap, Saturday, 23 March 2024 01:09 (six days ago) link
Enjoying the well curated TOTP2 snippets at the end
― chap, Saturday, 23 March 2024 01:24 (six days ago) link
My longstanding in-joke with a friend was that jazz was a genre floundering until PJ & Duncan dropped "Krazy Katz" in the autumn of 1995, at which point sales for jazz records increased 100,000% overnight, much as sales for Western classical music did in the wake of the Toy Dolls' Orcastrated earlier in the year, and luminaries like Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Dexter Gordon were disinterred and paraded in celebration of the new music.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 23 March 2024 01:29 (six days ago) link