It’s Maundy Thursday 1989 and as it’s Thursday it means that we have another TOTP show. The impending Easter celebrations can mean only one thing in the studio – rabbits! The production team have assembled some fairly crappy looking rabbit decorations in the style of those concertina lanterns / bells. Presenter Mark Goodier feels the need to draw our attention to them and no I don’t like your Easter bunnies Mark.
But before all of this comes The Reynolds Girls. They’re back for a second studio appearance and in matching outfits, identical even except for the red handkerchief that the blonde one has hanging out of the back pocket of her cut off jeans. That can’t be so we can tell them apart surely?! Err… the clothes are identical not the sisters whoever styled them. Maybe it’s a Morrissey gladioli style affectation.
Goodier describes their song “I’d Rather Jack” as ‘brilliant pop music’. Hmm. Not sure about that. It’s almost like one of those tribute songs that name checks other artists (like “Nightshift” by The Commodores) but in reverse. Also, I know the nation was still enthralled by house music at this time but did people still ‘jack’ by this point? After all, “Jack Your Body” by Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley had been No 1 a whole two years before (presumably The Reynolds Girls were still in school then). Whatever. I’m guessing this is the last time we’ll see the girls on the show – wherever they are now – a 2013 national search for them to take part in a PWL 25th anniversary concert in Hyde Park failed to find them – let’s hope they’re happy.
Blimey! Alyson Williams absolutely belts out the opening lines of her single “Sleep Talk” next. She gives a very energetic performance, working the studio audience hard all the while wearing a hat that wouldn’t look out of place in Grace Jones’ wardrobe.
Despite Alyson’s obvious talents the song though does very little for me. I can’t really be doing with the jumpy, clunky R’n’B backing track and the lyrics about a lover betraying himself and his infidelity by talking in his sleep. Leaves me cold I’m afraid.
Another outing for the video for Donna Summer‘s “This Time I Know It’s For Real” single again next. I was listening to Gary Davies on Radio 2 earlier (yes I’m at that age where I find Radio 1 unlistenable) and he played “State Of Independence”. Compared to that towering, ground breaking song, “This Time I Know It’s For Real” sounds so twee and lame. From the very start of it when that familiar, formulaic SAW backing track kicks in its fate is sealed and even Donna’s vocals can’t save it from itself. I mean, compared to “I’d Rather Jack” it’s sheer poetry but then so is the massive dump I’ve just taken on a writing break. Even the video is hopeless. It should have come with a warning about flashing lights at least.
“This Time I Know It’s For Real” peaked at No 3.
One of the stories of 1989 next. I knew who Lisa Stansfield was before her collaboration with Coldcut on “People Hold On” due to her stint as a presenter on ITV’s music show Razzmatazz but I didn’t know of her as a singer. I certainly didn’t know about her band Blue Zone who had been releasing material for about five years up to this point but with no commercial breakthrough.
A chance encounter with electronic dance samplers Coldcut was the big break that she needed. The success of the single led to Arista Records signing her on a solo deal and the rest is history. With the endorsement of Coldcut, who were rivaling SAW as star makers by this point after having done a similar job for Yazz in ’88, Lisa became a huge star and would have a No 1 single and best selling album by the end of the year.
She looks like she can’t quite believe she’s on TOTP at the start of this performance but by the end of it her star quality is shining through. I always quite liked this one. It had a strong melody and hooky chorus and it all just sat together really well.
Oh and I’m a bit late to the party on this but that sample in the middle of the song? Guess who…
“People Hold On” peaked at No 11.
Some Breakers now and we start with Pat And Mick‘s version of “I Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet”. Now never mind that this is a heinous crime against music. Never mind Pat Sharp’s hair. What I want to know is how they decided whose name would come first in the act’s name? Did Pat have a bigger profile (as well as bigger hair) than Mick? On the first release “Let’s All Chant” the B-side was credited to ‘Mick and Pat’ so maybe Mick had not been comfortable with second billing and had to be appeased with a top ranking on the B-side. Was it then meant to alternate on future releases? As with all their singles around this time, the royalties went to Capital FM’s ‘Help A London Child’ charity and their cover of Gonzalez’s “I Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet” actually went Top 10 so presumably earned them a few quid. Charity’s gain was pop music’s burden.
See, there is more to Roachford than just “Cuddly Toy”. Follow up single “Family Man” was also a hit (albeit quite a modest one) peaking at No 25. Like its predecessor, this was also a re-release and for me didn’t have the same instantaneous likability as “Cuddly Toy”. It was a bit of a grower though with its very mature bluesy feel.
When Andrew Roachford appeared on TOTP sporting a satchel as an accessory, I claimed that he may have invented the man bag. He (or rather the actor at the start of the video checking himself out in the shop window) is at it again here pioneering the Peaky Blinders look some 24 years before the TV show aired.
One of the most well remembered hits of the entire decade next – it’s The Bangles with “Eternal Flame”. Just about as removed from their usual kooky, psychedelic pop sound as possible, this ballad would become a pop standard and a global hit. Apparently inspired by the eternal flame at the grave of Elvis Presley in Graceland, it was one of those songs that was destined to be a No 1 – it just had that feel about it. Besides, my housemate Ian had confidently predicted it would be – after such an endorsement it was a foregone conclusion!
Composed by the band’s Susanna Hoffs with songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, it is unusual in that it doesn’t really have a chorus as such although it feels like it does. Steinberg attributes the structure to its Beatles influence referencing “We Can Work It Out” as being in a similar vein. The song’s sonic properties are also very Beatles-esque.
I’m guessing that this must be the band’s most played song in their back catalogue as it remains a staple of playlists for the likes of Magic FM to this day. It was covered and taken back to No 1 in 2001 by Atomic Kitten but thankfully their version with its horrible added back beat rarely gets an airing.
From Alyson with a ‘y’ (Williams) to Kym with one! Emboldened by the success of her collaboration with Dr Robert of The Blow Monkeys on recent Top 10 hit “Wait”, Kym Mazelle is out there on her own this time with her single “Got To Get You Back”. As with a few singles that were in the charts around this time, I don’t recall this one at all. Apparently it got to No 29 and although it can’t have come to my attention, it may have been picked up on by Jazzie B as Kym would join Soul II Soul in 1990 replacing the departing Caron Wheeler.
And from Kym with a ‘y’ to Kim with an ‘i’! I’m guessing that this would have been Kim Wilde‘s last TOTP appearance of the 80s what with “Love In The Natural Way” being her last hit of the decade and all. So this blog bids farewell to perhaps the biggest crush of my teenage life. Thanks for everything Kim. Sniff.
“You really should see this again” advises Mark Goodier about the next performance, trying to justify the fact that this is just a repeat of the same clip of Paul Abdul doing “Straight Up” as we have already seen on the show the other week. In a Smash Hits interview, Paula said “I guess someday I’d like to marry a film director or songwriter. Someone who can understand this currazy business I’m in”. And she did. Kind of. She married actor Emilio Estevez in 1992 but they divorced just two years later. Around this time, Emilio was riding high on the back of his performance as ‘Billy The Kid’ in Young Guns and it was also around this time that my friend from Poly Emma asked the question ‘Is Emilio Estevez Gloria’s brother?’
Top 10
10. The Reynolds Girls – I’d Rather Jack”
9. Sam Brown – “Stop!”
8. Guns N’ Roses – “Paradise City”
7. Gloria Estevez Estefan – “Cant Stay Away From You”
6. Bananarama and Lalaneeneenoonoo – “Help”
5. Soul II Soul – “Keep On Movin”
4. Paula Abdul – “Straight Up”
3. Donna Summer – “This Time I Know It’s For Real”
2. Jason Donovan – “Too Many Broken Hearts”
1. Madonna – “Like A Prayer”: With the video deemed far too controversial to be shown in its entirety by the BBC, we get to only see it from about half way in for a duration of less than two minutes with all of the images with potential to offend conveniently removed. As for the song itself, it always sounded to me like it had an awful lot going on in it. There’s the innuendo and mystery of the lyrics, the gospel choir, its very danceable rhythm – hell, there’s even a tiny bit of a guitar solo by Prince in there right at the start of the song. It really is everything but the kitchen sink pop. And it works. Unlike some of her material (girl), “Like A Prayer” still stands up today I think.
After just about every single act on tonight’s TOTP featured female vocalists, here’s a male to end the show. It’s Bobby Brown though. I’d rather have continued the female theme and gone with Sam Brown. I’m not sure that there is one single Bobby Brown track that I have ever really liked and “Don’t Be Cruel” certainly doesn’t make me think otherwise. The follow up to “My Prerogative” and also the title track to his album, it would peak at No 13 in the UK though I think it may have been released before this and not made the charts.
| Order of appearance | Artist | Song | Did I buy it? |
| 1 | The Reynolds Girls | I’d Rather Jack | I’d rather not if it’s all the same – no |
| 2 | Alyson Williams | Sleep Talk | Yawn – no |
| 3 | Donna Summer | This Time I Know It’s For Real | I think it’s on my Best Of CD of hers but I never play that track |
| 4 | Coldcut and Lisa Stansfield | People Hold On | Nope |
| 5 | Pat And Mick | I Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet | Do you have to ask? |
| 6 | Roachford | Family Man | No |
| 7 | The Bangles | Eternal Flame | It must be on their Best Of CD that I have |
| 8 | Kym Mazelle | Got To Get You Back | But you never had me in the first place kym – no |
| 9 | Kim Wilde | Love In The Natural Way | Nah |
| 10 | Paula Abdul | Straight Up | Straight up? No |
| 11 | Madonna | Like A Prayer | No but it’s on my Immaculate Collection CD |
| 12 | Bobby Brown | Don’t Be Cruel | Sorry Bobby but I am cruel – this was horrible – no |
Disclaimer
OK – here’s the thing – the TOTP episodes are only available on iPlayer for a limited amount of time so the link to the programme below only works for about another month so you’ll have to work fast if you want to catch the whole show.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000f8x9/top-of-the-pops-23031989
I make no claim to the rights of this show and all ownership and contents including logos and graphics belongs totally to the BBC or copyright holder(s).
All opinions on the music and artists featured are my own. Sorry if you don’t agree.
Some bed time reading?
http://likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.com/2019/03/march-22-april-4-1989.html
TOTP Rewind - the 80s 