Top of the Pops BBC4 Thursday/Friday 7.30pm

I didn't hear True for the first time until many years after PM Dawn's Set Adrift On Memory Bliss was a hit, so that was an education.

As for birthday number ones - Geno by Dexy's Midnight Runners. Oh dear.

 

There There My Dear!

 

In regards to birthday number ones..


I was truly blessed.

 

Yeah alright, you young 'uns!

 

Haha, having just turned 31, even better when told last week only look about 24!

 

Mine is a G*ry Glit*er song :(

 

Mine is also a GG song. But a good GG.

Spoiler

[Spoiler/]

 

I'm sure someone here was born when Ooh Ahh Just A Little Bit was #1.

 

Mine was 'Save Your Kisses for Me' by Brotherhood of Man, which I think we can all agree is a TUNE.

 

Apparently it remains one of the biggest-selling Eurovision winners ever, and the biggest such seller in the UK.

 

Best thing they ever did!

 

Judging by all these Number Ones - we've got a lot of birthdays to be celebrated this month (May!)

 

I'd agree it's a great track but it doesn't quite have the edge and versatility that Jam & Lewis were able to bring to the table.

It's also shamelessly modelled on this (not a bad thing to model a song on, I might add!):

 

Besides the same people popping up again and again (please, no more Skin), it's becoming clear that your summary of this rash of documentaries really is as you describe …

The Story Of 1997 mentioned the ratings slipping … well, no ****, Sherlock, when TOTP is shunted against Coronation Street on a Friday evening! Instead, it was all 'I'm the new producer and I wanted to make it more exciting and appointment--to-view TV'. I'm guessing that is because we are hitting a point where many of the people involved in the show are still alive, the critical gaze that was cast over the show in The Story Of 1976 etc has been put away.

Which is unfortunate, because what we get is a 'best of who's available to speak on camera' and not the same analysis of a year's music that these documentaries have given us in the past (not always, though – Five Star's omission from The Story Of 1986 was unforgivable … yeah, I know, I need to let it go!).

The piece on Eternal was great and long overdue but watching the following compilation really hammered home how Esther clearly thought she was Beyonce and the rest of them got saddled with being her backing singers. No wonder it all ended badly …

I have to add that I didn’t realise Eternal completely failed to score in the US. I recall there being talk of them not being accepted because the original mixed race line-up, but I would have thought they should have got a look-in after Louise left. ‘Power Of A Woman’ was so close to ‘Emotions’, as well!

 

These are no better than the C5 docs now. Which is not to say they are unwatchable, but that is the standard from the BBC these days.

 

Plus c5 have the added bonus of Katie Puckrik!

 

I'm sure she watched TOTPs religiously each week as well - she did everything associated with Pop Music you know!

 

If only she married Uncle Pete! Imagine their combined power!

 

Yeah but - he hadn't invented marriage yet - that was the problem!

 

Stay went top 20 in the US didn't it?