Tonight's episode lasted approximately 15 minutes! Nothing to write home about at all.
Top of the Pops BBC4
- Thread starter idratherjack
- Start date
Ouch. 1983 did take a bit of a dip in late Spring, then the classics come thick and fast.
Before I started this thread it was wall to wall classics like Bonnie Tyler, Eurythmics, David Bowie etc. It has certainly taken a dip!
I remember 1983/4 being great years. Hopefully it will pick up again.
My SinglesLogs for April and May 1983 are definitely weaker than the rest of the year. By October it's ridiculously strong.
Of course it's strong... Colour By Numbers was released in October!
Remembered tonight that Olivia was on the show in November 1983 plugging Twist Of Fate and Two Of A Kind. Then I also remembered she was talking to fucking Dave Lee Travis!
Nooooooooooooo!
I had it on video for years. She was only on for a minute or so but you have to take what you can get! After interviewing Olivia, Travis introduced Duran Duran's Union Of The Snake!
Those missed episodes are going to kill me later in 1983.
I love when random 80s popstars pop up! Agnetha from ABBA was a lovely surprise the other week.
I love the way the DJs are so bad at interviewing that the stars come off as really rude!
Olivia hosted a whole show with Simon Bates in 1980. She was here for the premiere of Xanadu.
Simon Bates really is the worst. I never liked his style at the time, it felt insincere, and his ignorance of music was startling. There's a classic clip in the "Story of 1983" where he's flanked by various pop/rockstars for the 1000th Show and he turns to John Deacon and Roger Taylor of Queen. He asks Roger when the last time was they'd been in the TOTP studio, and he says "probably for Under Pressure", to which Batesy immediately turns to John and says "pity that was your only #1...". Deacon, quick as a flash, hisses back "...and Bohemian Rhapsody too". Idiot.
He knows all about graphic sex scenes and swear words though, I'll give him that.
How did this idiot ever get to last so long on the BBC? Some of the "personality" DJs culled by Matthew Bannister in the early 90s didn't deserve to be so brutally axed, but Simon Bates should have gone years before. Could not stand the man.
Didn't he jump before he was pushed?
I think so, but I can't believe he lasted into the 90s at all. Even by 1983 he was clearly out of his comfort zone.
I suppose the mid-morning slot wasn't as critical as breakfast or drive time, so he was a bit out of the firing line in a way.
On TOTP though he was bit like someone's dad trying to be down with the kids.
I think of all the old skool presenters I've seen so far Janice Long is my favourite.
Not a great show. More of a trailer than a show, really!
The Police was the best song. Didn't mind Big Country either. Never really cared for Hot Chocolate and I think their run of hits were coming to an end at this point. I'd quite forgotten New Edition got to number one as well! Nice to see the clip of 'Man U'!
The Police was the best song. Didn't mind Big Country either. Never really cared for Hot Chocolate and I think their run of hits were coming to an end at this point. I'd quite forgotten New Edition got to number one as well! Nice to see the clip of 'Man U'!
Sod's law that that crap 15 minute episode could be shown!