Top of the Pops BBC4

hamicle

hamicle

I’ve been enjoying Tony Di Bart’s dad-dancing.

Also enjoyed the side-eye at the camera from one of the girls in the crowd during Ride. I’m a fan of Ride and I thought that single choice was awful and not really one for TotP.

It’s interesting just how much MOR balladry was showing up on the program in 94.

The stuff that has probably aged best for me in recent weeks has been the dance records.
 
vivalaradio

vivalaradio

CDMCLP said:
I thought Carl of Clubhouse did a good live vocal performance of Light My Fire, especially for a dance/club song which often don't go so well sung live.
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I was about to say this! The circus performers were a bit random though, bar the fire eater.

Shame The OT Quartet at 24 weren't asked to perform Hold That Sucker Down, which was later used remixed in Queer As Folk.
 
InkedDoll

InkedDoll

Loved Skin at the beginning of the double. In 1994, when I had long come to the realisation that hair metal was deeply uncool and ditched my cowboy boots and shiny leggings for tie-dye and Docs, they were unreconstructed rockers. These days I feel a bit disappointed that I binned off such a pure joy because I was concerned what others thought, but that's being 18 for ya. At least I returned to it in later years.
 
idratherjack

idratherjack

Once again the dance tracks saved these episodes for me, song of the show was Gloworm's Carry Me Home with that great live vocal.

Bad Boys Inc were a guilty pleasure of mine, glad they got that one Top 10 hit.

I was very surprised to see Julia Fordham in the mid 90s but enjoyed her performance too.
 
Booers

Booers

I'm just catching up on last week's shows. I also don't remember Skin. Their look seems so dated for 1994, like it's from 1986 - it could fit alongside Living On A Prayer, Final Countdown etc.

I agree that Just A Step From heaven is Eternal's best single. The single version was so much better than the album version (thankfully it was on Now 28!), and I always loved how in the intro the "yo! yo! yo!" bits flit from left to right speaker!

Why was Under The Bridge only a hit in the UK in 1994? I had a feeling it was older and see the album was 1991 and the single was first released in 1992. Was it just the UK being slow in appreciating that kind of rock music? Also, they didn't even get to the second chorus of it!!

The random pop info my brain retains ... Carl who was the featured vocalist on Clubhouse's Light My Fire was also in East Side Beat who had a hit 2.5 years earlier with a cover of Ride Like The Wind.

This Level 42 song is shit. They were kind of past it by then. Speaking of which, Barbara Streisand is up now. I think she is to me what Madonna is to young gays now.

Ride - I recall them being in Smash Hits a lot but know nothing by them. Having heard drivel I'm fine with this.

Now it's Michael Bolton covering Lean On Me. He's no Club Nouveau that's for sure.

A fairly underwhelming episode all in all! Eternal and Clubhouse were the best things.
 
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Booers

Booers

On to the next ep ....

CJ Lewis - I recall him being in the shortlist for Best Male popstar at the 1994 Smash Hits poll winners party! All I seem to recall him doing was covers of old songs with a bit of fast rapping over them! I think he lost out to Sean Maguire!

Dreams by the Cranberries is such a tune. Around this time I went to my first ever gig which was D:Ream. I recall having a hospital appointment and telling the nurse (who was a real Hattie Jacques matron type) that I was going to a gig and she asked who, and when I said the name she didn't know them, so I said they were from Ireland and she thought I meant the Cranberries as she'd just seen them on TOTP the night before. It was probably this episode.

Come On You Reds must be one of the worst number ones ever. It makes Tony Di Bart's The Real thing seem not so bad after all. Lee Sharpe is quite fit in the video though!

Ooh Judy Cheeks! Reach is a bop and she's really cute! I recall in summer 1995 Smash Hits saying You're The Story of My Life was going to be a huge summer smash ... but it got to no. 30.

I don't know this Richard Marx song, but he looks so much better without the bouffant mullet hair.

Is Stiltskin the first of the one hit wonder Levi's advert acts? Previously they'd used classic tracks from the 60s and 70s, yet this was a current act - after this I recall Babylon Zoo, Smoke City and Mr Oizo also. Lolz at the head banging teens at the front.

Big Gay Heart is albout the only Lemonheads song I recall (and a cover of Mrs Robinson?). Evan was quite cute but I wasn't interested at the time - I only had eyes for Peter Cunnah. He looks a bit lonely on the stage all by himself!

If I recall correctly, The Real Thing only gets one week at number 1, so this should be the last time we hear this piss weak song on these repeats. 2 Unlimited's Real Thing is much better! Back on the track, no my name ain't Jack!

Now to this week's ...
 
beautyneverlies

beautyneverlies

InkedDoll said:
Oh god, the Wets are here. It's coming guys, brace yourselves. We survived Bryan, we can survive this!
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Did you notice the lyrics laid out in front of Marti Pellow? I think it was referred to in the documentary.
Also, how many hits did 2 Unlimited have! I didn't fully realise how successful they were.
 
Booers

Booers

EYC's vocals on Number 1 are not great! I vaguely recall the chorus but they sound out of breath having to sing live and do that energetic dance routine. And is it my TV or is there a lighting problem on this one? they seem to be in the dark a lot of the time! One of them is called Trey Parker but is not the South Park creator.

On Joe Roberts' caption it stated "From Manchester" - that'll be why Key 103 in Manchester always used to play him! Lover was absolutely hammered on there. I don't recall this one so well though. But I do recall he married Melanie Williams of Ain't No Love Ain't No Use fame.

East 17 is now reminding me that so much of NOW 29 should have been on NOW 28; Around The World, Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, The Power of Love - actually that should have been on 27!

Michael Bolton. Again. :-(

Marcella Detroit looks beautiful here. Her voice is so amazing. I'm not that fussed on this song though.

I wonder if the Stiltskin singer regretted leaving the stage. The audience was mauling him for some reason.

I liked Jack Dee as the host. I get why Victoria Beckham had a thing for him back then.
 
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