Top Of The Pops 1978 - BBC4

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  • The GathererThe Gatherer Posts: 2,723
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    Servalan wrote: »
    'A Love Like Yours' was the lead single from Dusty's comeback album, It Begins Again ..., produced by Roy Thomas Baker - the man who produced 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. And no, I haven't invented that ... ;)



    I agree that 'Ghosts Of Princes In Towers' is a much stronger song - but, unfortunately, the production on that track and its parent album (by Mick Ronson) sold short its potential ... and, in any case, the group was on the point of splitting by then - something EMI must have been aware of when they decided not to bother promoting either the album or the single.

    I didn't realise at the time that it was a cover version - I've since obtained versions by Ike and Tina Turner and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, but not sure which was the original.
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
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    I didn't realise at the time that it was a cover version - I've since obtained versions by Ike and Tina Turner and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, but not sure which was the original.

    I think it's Martha Reeves and the Vandellas ... ;)
  • 1fab1fab Posts: 20,052
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    Servalan wrote: »
    At the time, Ultravox were moving towards a much more synthesiser-dominated sound, recording their third album with Kraftwerk associate Conny Plank in Germany. By the end of 1978, they had been dropped by their record company - but, in hindsight, and rather like Japan, they were ahead of their time.

    Aye, Ultravox released their classic Systems of Romance album in 1978, which they never bettered, in my opinion. They were never as good without John Foxx as lead singer.
  • Phoenix LazarusPhoenix Lazarus Posts: 17,305
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    1fab wrote: »
    Aye, Ultravox released their classic Systems of Romance album in 1978, which they never bettered, in my opinion. They were never as good without John Foxx as lead singer.

    I remember John Foxx. I liked his one hit single, Underpass. That wasn't until 1979. Looked not unlike Bryan Ferry, or Martin Fry from ABC, as I recall.
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
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    I remember John Foxx. I liked his one hit single, Underpass. That wasn't until 1979. Looked not unlike Bryan Ferry, or Martin Fry from ABC, as I recall.

    'Underpass' charted in January 1980 - by which time the dozy music industry had realised that electronic music wasn't a niche thing (thanks to Gary Numan's success in 1979) ... hence Virgin snapping up Foxx as a solo artist. To Virgin's credit, they were at least consistent, having signed The Human League and OMD also ...
  • Mrs MackintoshMrs Mackintosh Posts: 1,870
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    Servalan wrote: »
    'Underpass' charted in January 1980 - by which time the dozy music industry had realised that electronic music wasn't a niche thing (thanks to Gary Numan's success in 1979) ... hence Virgin snapping up Foxx as a solo artist. To Virgin's credit, they were at least consistent, having signed The Human League and OMD also ...

    We used to sing "Underpants", oh the rapier wit of a 2nd year high school pupil.

    I remember some older friends were fans of pre Midge Ure Ultravox and couldn't give their Vienna era success the time of day. One of them nearly punched me when I naively suggested that John Foxx was a Gary Numan "rip off", little did I know then it was actually the other way round.
  • The GathererThe Gatherer Posts: 2,723
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    Servalan wrote: »
    I think it's Martha Reeves and the Vandellas ... ;)

    Thanks :)
  • Phoenix LazarusPhoenix Lazarus Posts: 17,305
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    We used to sing "Underpants", oh the rapier wit of a 2nd year high school pupil.

    I actually thought that was what he was singing, until my dad put me right! Well, I was only ten!
  • smilliekyliesmilliekylie Posts: 3,661
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    John Foxx actually appeared on Top Of The Pops with 'Europe after the rain' when it scraped into the top 40.

    Really love this track

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZjYw12Buao
  • chemical2009bchemical2009b Posts: 5,250
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    Erithian wrote: »
    just a year older than most of Brotherhood of Man.

    Can't believe Brotherhood of Man were only in their late 20s in last night's performance, they looked like they were in their early 40s.
  • jake1981jake1981 Posts: 5,713
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    Just catching up with last night's edition and also Sounds of the Seventies which I also recorded last night
    The edition was the disco one with an extended link by DLT !

    How is this any different to Top of the Pops ?

    Enjoyed the Stranglers track the best on totp
  • UrsulaUUrsulaU Posts: 7,239
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    I know this isn't really relevant - but I wonder if ITV are going to cut out all the "Kevin Webster" episodes (after the actor's arrest) just like the BBC cut's off TOTP!! :eek:

    - After all - Coronation St is a lot more mainstream than TOTP!!.....we shall see :confused:
  • TUCTUC Posts: 5,105
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    Which worked in as much as at least one person bought it - me! :)

    Two-I bought it too! :)
  • TUCTUC Posts: 5,105
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    Servalan wrote: »
    At the time, Ultravox were moving towards a much more synthesiser-dominated sound, recording their third album with Kraftwerk associate Conny Plank in Germany. By the end of 1978, they had been dropped by their record company - but, in hindsight, and rather like Japan, they were ahead of their time.

    Except for the usual trap of trying to sound too arty rather than more commercially accessible,
  • alcockellalcockell Posts: 25,160
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    jake1981 wrote: »
    Just catching up with last night's edition and also Sounds of the Seventies which I also recorded last night
    The edition was the disco one with an extended link by DLT !

    How is this any different to Top of the Pops ?

    Enjoyed the Stranglers track the best on totp
    TOTP is all the episodes in their entirety in chronological order. SOTS is a pick'n'mix bag. A taster.
  • jake1981jake1981 Posts: 5,713
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    alcockell wrote: »
    TOTP is all the episodes in their entirety in chronological order. SOTS is a pick'n'mix bag. A taster.

    Sorry, I didnt mean that
    What I meant is how is it any different to have DLT doing links on that but we cant see him doing the same kind of links on Top of the Pops
    (Thanks for the reply anyway..)
  • Glenn AGlenn A Posts: 23,794
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    Hi everyone, not a bad show, but a bit hit and miss in parts. I like the way they don't just repeat old performances now like they would have done a year ago, they get the act back to perform it again, like Yellow Dog and BHOM. Looks like they cut LINDA RONSTADT – Blue Bayou from the early showing. Best songs were Abba Take A Chance On Me, ELO Mr Blue Sky and Yellow Dog One More Night, one of those songs that has been forgotton for years but is brilliant. Thats what's great about these repeats, unearthing forgotton classics that you thought you would never hear again! Nice to see Dusty Springfield but this wasn't one of her best. Her next comeback is better when she duets with the Pet Shop Boys. Looking forward to a better show next week, and the first performance of Kate Bush!!
    1978 got better from that moment on. It is a vintage year for music and later in the year we'll have The Boomtown Rats destroying John Travolta posters on the show.
  • CreamPuffCreamPuff Posts: 248
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    Hi everyone, not a bad show, but a bit hit and miss in parts. I like the way they don't just repeat old performances now like they would have done a year ago, they get the act back to perform it again, like Yellow Dog and BHOM. Looks like they cut LINDA RONSTADT – Blue Bayou from the early showing. Best songs were Abba Take A Chance On Me, ELO Mr Blue Sky and Yellow Dog One More Night, one of those songs that has been forgotton for years but is brilliant. Thats what's great about these repeats, unearthing forgotton classics that you thought you would never hear again! Nice to see Dusty Springfield but this wasn't one of her best. Her next comeback is better when she duets with the Pet Shop Boys. Looking forward to a better show next week, and the first performance of Kate Bush!!

    BIB Even though I have seen this performance umpteen times I am excited about seeing it after so many years in the context of a whole TOTP. The only problem is I always get irritated at the audience who just don't seem to understand (or care) whose presence they are in!:mad:
  • alcockellalcockell Posts: 25,160
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    CreamPuff wrote: »
    BIB Even though I have seen this performance umpteen times I am excited about seeing it after so many years in the context of a whole TOTP. The only problem is I always get irritated at the audience who just don't seem to understand (or care) whose presence they are in!:mad:
    At the time, Kate's routine for Wuthering Heights was mercilessly lampooned... by pretty much everyone.

    Like most avant-garde stuff, really...
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
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    TUC wrote: »
    Except for the usual trap of trying to sound too arty rather than more commercially accessible,

    I don't think Ultravox's failure to succeed first time round was anything to do with them being 'too arty' when you consider that many other artists around that time ploughed their own furrow without any consideration for what would be commercially successful (Kate Bush and Siouxsie & The Banshees spring immediately to mind). I'd say it was more about them not really being identifiable with any of the punk/new wave groups come through then, which left them rather out on a limb.

    If Systems Of Romance had come out at the same time as 'Are Friends Electric?' was climbing the charts, I'd wager it might have fared differently ... And Japan did succeed, on their own terms - it just took several years for everyone else to catch up with them.

    Conversely, Ultravox didn't have much success initially when the new line-up signed to Chrysalis and released a single that both they and their record company thought sounded commercial: 'Sleepwalk' was played heavily on Radio 1, but couldn't get higher than number 29, and its follow-up didn't even make the Top 40. It took the distinctive but quite uncommercial 'Vienna' to catapult them to the big time.
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
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    alcockell wrote: »
    At the time, Kate's routine for Wuthering Heights was mercilessly lampooned... by pretty much everyone.

    Like most avant-garde stuff, really...

    I think she's had the last laugh, though ... ;)
  • CreamPuffCreamPuff Posts: 248
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    Her first showing (if I have got it right, black dress, big hair and pouty red lips) was actually pretty restrained. Even at the such an early point in her career I knew I was witnessing someone very special and would have been glued to her performance, not idly gazing round the studio like some of them. I am a huge fan:).
  • Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,417
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    Glenn A wrote: »
    1978 got better from that moment on. It is a vintage year for music and later in the year we'll have The Boomtown Rats destroying John Travolta posters on the show.
    The Rats tearing up the Travolta posters is one of the all time highlights of TOTP for me. During the October half term school holidays in 1978 my mum said she would take both my sisters and myself to see Grease at a major cinema in Newcastle. I opted out and was given a pound instead - some of which I used to buy 'Rat Trap'. I still think I made the right choice... and when I saw the Rats rip up those posters a few weeks later I was over the moon :D
  • Torch81Torch81 Posts: 15,411
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    I remember John Foxx. I liked his one hit single, Underpass. That wasn't until 1979.

    I used to love (still do) a single by John Foxx called 'Burning Car' which I remember buying as a kid. I don't remember him ever performing it on TOTP, but I thought it done well in the charts and was a decent sized hit?
  • Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,417
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    Torch81 wrote: »
    I used to love (still do) a single by John Foxx called 'Burning Car' which I remember buying as a kid. I don't remember him ever performing it on TOTP, but I thought it done well in the charts and was a decent sized hit?
    I bought 'Burning Car' on 7" picture disc. I loved the song but the sound quality on the picture disc was poor, with too much surface noise.

    It peaked at number 35 the week that TOTP returned after being off air for several weeks due to the Musicians Union strike and TOTP had a lot to cram in that week so it was (sadly) overlooked. Ironically, the following week Ultravox made their TOTP debut, performing 'Sleepwalk'.
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