Top of the Pops BBC4

[CDMCLP]

A couple of interesting 10 minute behind the scenes videos of the making of Top of the Pops in 1988 and 1989 that I hadn't seen before.

Seen at 6:50, the biggest takeaway in this one for me is that the audience gets its own pre-show dance rehearsal!




From 6:25, this is the first time I've ever seen them recording the TOTP chart countdown - simply sitting on the edge of the stage with microphones and a tap on the shoulder as a prompt! Also includes interview with Sonia, The Primitives and Paul McCartney.

 

[Servalan]

This intrigued me so I had a look at the dates and the Todd Terry mix of "Missing" made the Hot 100 at the start of August 1995, which means it must have been at radio and clubs over there a bit earlier than that to make that kind of noise over there to get a Hot 100 entry (I can see the remix was playlisted in some stations in May 1995 but can't find a definite radio impact date). It didn't come out in the UK until the end of October.

No Mercy released their version in September 95, which is enough time to make your own version even then. Maybe the record label were assuming that "Missing" wouldn't be re-released in the UK/Europe and decided to go for a regional cover that no-one would ever know wasn't an original...


Edit: May 23rd, 1995 for "Missing" at US radio, now to find if the remixes were serviced later. I'd no idea it was out over there so far ahead of us, I'd always assumed that song went to America based on its success here.
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The key name in all this isn't EBTG – it's Todd Terry, who was one of a number of big name US remixers being paid top dollar to rework tracks with a view to the dancefloor by the mid 90s. There were quite a few raised eyebrows at the time that he was using, ahem, quite similar drum/percussion tracks for all his remixes: although he had a profile as a producer in the late 80s (working under multiple different aliases), it was 'Missing' that really made him a go-to remixer, landing him credits for Michael Jackson ('Stranger In Moscow'), the Cardigans ('Lovefool') and this transformation of Garbage's 'Stupid Girl':



So I would say if anyone has cause to cry foul with No Mercy, it would be Toddy Terry – but I would guess he took a very relaxed view about it all, as his early singles were stuffed full of snippets of other tracks (back in the wild west of sampling), plus many of his own work was sampled extensively, like this track, used in 'Wait' by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle, and also 'Get On The Dancefloor' by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock:

 

[heartmightmelt]

The key name in all this isn't EBTG – it's Todd Terry, who was one of a number of big name US remixers being paid top dollar to rework tracks with a view to the dancefloor by the mid 90s. There were quite a few raised eyebrows at the time that he was using, ahem, quite similar drum/percussion tracks for all his remixes: although he had a profile as a producer in the late 80s (working under multiple different aliases), it was 'Missing' that really made him a go-to remixer, landing him credits for Michael Jackson ('Stranger In Moscow'), the Cardigans ('Lovefool') and this transformation of Garbage's 'Stupid Girl':



So I would say if anyone has cause to cry foul with No Mercy, it would be Toddy Terry – but I would guess he took a very relaxed view about it all, as his early singles were stuffed full of snippets of other tracks (back in the wild west of sampling), plus many of his own work was sampled extensively, like this track, used in 'Wait' by Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle, and also 'Get On The Dancefloor' by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock:

The Todd Terry mix of "Stupid Girl" was the one that went to Top 40 radio over there and even had its own alt version of the video with takes not used in the standard video.

 

[aquaplex]

Credit to Todd Terry, I wonder if The Corrs would have ever been big if it weren’t for his remix of Dreams.

He did a remix of Jan Johnston’s Superstar for single release, she even re-vocalled it for him, though her and the producer were rather unimpressed with the remix!

Speaking of Todd Terry single remixes, one should be dropping next week!

 

[CDMCLP]

Credit to Todd Terry, I wonder if The Corrs would have ever been big if it weren’t for his remix of Dreams.

I'd happily have bought a full Corrs album of Todd Terry remixes. Instead I had to put up with the blue third(?) version of Talk On Corners which had the remix singles mixed in with the more... "traditional" Corrs stuff, and for me the drastic chopping and changing of styles didn't really work as an album.

 

[Servalan]

I'd happily have bought a full Corrs album of Todd Terry remixes. Instead I had to put up with the blue third(?) version of Talk On Corners which had the remix singles mixed in with the more... "traditional" Corrs stuff, and for me the drastic chopping and changing of styles didn't really work as an album.

I think I'm right in saying that the Corrs were one of the projects overseen by Rob Dickins at WEA? He had been at the company for decades and if he wanted an act pushed, then it happened … and the Corrs were promoted very heavily indeed.

 

[WhatKindOfKylie?]

The Todd Terry remix of Dreams, is seriously good. Can see why it broke The Corrs through.

 

[AcerBenII]

Mmm I guess the Todd Terry mix of Dreams is about 25% better than the album version but reckon they'd have made it one way or another anyway.

I hate the original version of What Can I Do though. Those do do dos are so annoying.

I think I Never Loved You Anyway ought to have been strong enough to have got them at least a top 20 hit but it was a bit daft to release that so close to Christmas (8th Dec 97). They did the Lottery on the 10th and Live & Kicking on the 13th, and then it went in at #43. Perhaps if they'd held the single back to January it would have done quite well.

 

[aquaplex]

I think I'm right in saying that the Corrs were one of the projects overseen by Rob Dickins at WEA? He had been at the company for decades and if he wanted an act pushed, then it happened … and the Corrs were promoted very heavily indeed.

Yes but to little reward in the UK up until Dreams

Prior to that their singles charted at 49, 62, 58, 60, 43 and 53 (Runaway even got released twice during that period)

I hate the original of What Can I Do. The start sounds like it should be on an advert for Halifax or something

 

[Spiral]

Yes but to little reward in the UK up until Dreams

Prior to that their singles charted at 49, 62, 58, 60, 43 and 53 (Runaway even got released twice during that period)

I hate the original of What Can I Do. The start sounds like it should be on an advert for Halifax or something

It was used for a bank advert at some point. Lloyds TSB, I think.

 

[heartmightmelt]

"Runaway" being inescapable for a good 18 months kills all the goodwill towards The Corrs songs that I find "not bad". Also I was a 15-year old at the time working with a large contingent of mums who owned only two albums that year (the other album also a relentlessly reissued record whenever there was a new remix) You can (Take a guess!)

 

[ManilaChinchilla]

This Outhere Brothers song is horrible.

 

[Hairycub1969]

As we're on a Todd Terry roll, his album from 1988 "To the Batmobile, let's go" is highly recommended! I purchased it back in the day on cassette and wore it out. His sampling was copied so much in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Also from 1988 check out his remix of The Thompson Twins "In the name of love"
1988 was HIS year as he was the man behind Swan Lake and Royal House - if I remember correctly....

 

[Vasilios]

The key name in all this isn't EBTG – it's Todd Terry

Finally someone said it!

 

[Eric Generic]

I always liked that White Town single, trying to think who the vocal style reminds me of, it was nagging at me the whole time the song was playing!

Depeche Mode in the TOTP studio for the first time in aeons. Better single than I thought it was, though It's No Good and Home have more of a tune.

U2, who were vying for my personal #1 at the time with ver Mode, hasn't aged so well. In a number of ways!

 

[CDMCLP]

I've just remembered watching the BBC's Watchdog with Anne Robinson circa 1998 and someone wrote in to complain about the amount of times the Corrs' Talk On Corners had been re-issued!

 

[Eric Generic]

I've just remembered watching the BBC's Watchdog with Anne Robinson circa 1998 and someone wrote in to complain about the amount of times the Corrs' Talk On Corners had been re-issued!

I keep finding versions of it out there....not only the original, then the "blue" reissue, but a 2CD exists and also a non-UK edition with yet another different sleeve.

(And yes I bought them all).

 

[Spiral]

I've just remembered watching the BBC's Watchdog with Anne Robinson circa 1998 and someone wrote in to complain about the amount of times the Corrs' Talk On Corners had been re-issued!

That reminds me of a show on CBBC that let kids complain about how they felt scammed in the shopping world, and one kid wrote in complaining about how the Big Borvaz album kept getting re-released with new songs after she bought an original copy.

CBBC then got in contact with Big Brovaz label and they ended up issuing an apology for anyone who had brought the original albums. Wild times.

 

[WhatKindOfKylie?]

I've just remembered watching the BBC's Watchdog with Anne Robinson circa 1998 and someone wrote in to complain about the amount of times the Corrs' Talk On Corners had been re-issued!

I wonder if Anne ever had a copy?...

 

[heartmightmelt]

I've just remembered watching the BBC's Watchdog with Anne Robinson circa 1998 and someone wrote in to complain about the amount of times the Corrs' Talk On Corners had been re-issued!

Watchdog would have a field day in the 2020s music industry.