Queen, Fat Bottomed Girls. A standard Queen track. I don't know much about the story of this song and wonder who he was writing about here? Clearly we were not going to get the promo for the other side of this double A single, Bicycle Race, featuring dozens of naked biking women going around a track in circles.
Brian May wrote this one he said it was basically a track for turning up the guitars and making a lot of noise. I suspect title is like Tie Your Mother Down also written by Brian, just some nonsense that works with the song and guitar riff.
Now imagine someone stepped out of a Tardis and told the TOTP audience that tonight's show included the featured vocalists from what would become the three biggest-selling singles of all time in the UK. They might have guessed Elton and Freddie, but the bloke out of Streetband...?
What an interesting observation! :cool:
In reality you mean Bob Geldof (Do They Know It's Christmas?), Elton John (Candle In The Wind '97) & Freddie Mercury (Bohemian Rhapsody 75 & 91 releases). Paul Young being a side issue a bit. These are the top three best selling UK singles now I believe, so it's amazing those concerned were all on tonight's TOTP.
Geldof may have had the first "new wave" No1 with Rat Trap, but as far as I'm concerned he also has the first "crap charity wave" No1 six years later which opened the flood gates for copycat nonsense at every disaster that struck in the succeeding 5 years or so and led to the inferior later 1980's overall. I mean, a ferry sinks and many perish and it's "ah, let's make a record!" So wrong on many levels, and excruciating to recall what Geldof's big seller led to.
Whether anyone has ever calculated how many actual lives that record might have saved is another matter entirely.
Well after she'd run up that hill, she did rather have to come back downhill I suppose!
Corriander, Hammer Horror was the first single from the next album, Lionheart. The next fantastic single from that album we will see (hopefully) on TOTP1979 is Wow! which makes No14 and should have been top five. A stunning song. Quite astonishing she was already on her second album before 1978 was even close to being out, having debuted only in the spring.
And after Wow came the EP with Rolling the ball on it that was live. I think that went top ten sometime in 1979.:)
In reality you mean Bob Geldof (Do They Know It's Christmas?), Elton John (Candle In The Wind '97) & Freddie Mercury (Bohemian Rhapsody 75 & 91 releases). Paul Young being a side issue a bit. These are the top three best selling UK singles now I believe, so it's amazing those concerned were all on tonight's TOTP.
Geldof may have had the first "new wave" No1 with Rat Trap, but as far as I'm concerned he also has the first "crap charity wave" No1 six years later which opened the flood gates for copycat nonsense at every disaster that struck in the succeeding 5 years or so and led to the inferior later 1980's overall. I mean, a ferry sinks and many perish and it's "ah, let's make a record!" So wrong on many levels, and excruciating to recall what Geldof's big seller led to.
Whether anyone has ever calculated how many actual lives that record might have saved is another matter entirely.
Yes but Bob don't sing it and who sings the first line of the 1984 version.;)
Not read the other posts yet, but here is my response for what it is worth.
I noticed that the audience is much punkier than before. I even may have seen drainpipe trousers. They seemed less embarrassed than earlier audiences. Very British, dancing like bricks and wacky. Many of the songs reflected the Britishness of the New Wave. Let's see.
Buzzcocks: the excellent follow-up to Ever Fallen in Love? was Promises, again with a good lyric and with a dry wit. Thinking here that they must have influenced the Smiths, but Morrissey is way darker.
Elton John: not seen this and a most original performance from EJ. Very gay. Very British and the back-up singers seemed to be having a great time. Hysterical. From a rather obscure period for EJ. This was the first single from A Single Man, which was a sort of coming out album though no one realised it at the time. Now it seems bleeding obvious, and Ben Hardy does not seem miscast for that film.
Blondie: absolutely brilliant. American in its feistiness but New Wave in its freewheeling anarchic feel.
Dean Friedman: first dud. So earnest. So un-funny. This album was highly rated at the time. I expect many may still like it, but I never will.
Streetband: again this British humour. Making fun out of something simple and ordinary. Paul Young later would take himself too seriously as a soul boy, but here he is spot on. Love it.
Queen: I always felt this was a throwaway and was unsurprised at the lowly chart position. It is fun I suppose, but Don't Stop Me Now is the killer track off Jazz and should have been the first single.
Child: dud. Why did they think this wet song would give them another hit? Over-confidence. They already look too old to be a teenybopper band and they already seem like the serious musicians they really are. But Still the One is a middle-aged sentiment. Miscalculation. One more minor hit awaits you guys and then, well, serious musicianianship I guess.
Boomtown Rats: a new performance. Still a great lyric. If only Geldof had concentrated on songwriting he might have had a longer career with the rats.
Rod Stewart: this song seemed so weird at the time and it still seems weird. The central song of Stewart's career really. Before this, everything he did was great. After this everything he did until this year (except for Downtown Train) was a dud. This song, well, great, but odd and it does not seem Rod Stewart, but it confirms that aiming for the US market did for Stewart. He lost his rawness and his edge big time. No wonder the punks did not care for him: he really had been a punker himself but now it was all gone.:(
Now imagine someone stepped out of a Tardis and told the TOTP audience that tonight's show included the featured vocalists from what would become the three biggest-selling singles of all time in the UK. They might have guessed Elton and Freddie, but the bloke out of Streetband...?
Nah you could not have invented it.
All the same, Young was huge in 1983 to 1984 and very popular.
Never quite figured out where it all went wrong, but he made an album in 1986 of all new songs that bombed. Watch out 1D.:eek:
I thought the Rod Stewart record would divide us. it has always divided critics etc.
I am now wracking my brains to think of anything good he did after this. I will agree that Young Turks was great. Never liked Baby Jane (it bombed in the States, but then they have no taste: Love Touch was huge). Downtown Train is great. His uptempo This Old Heart of Mine with Ronald Isley from 1990 is great. The Motown Song. His current album.
None of it comes close though to his first four or five albums.
Great guy though.
Missed the show earlier tonight (catching the late night showing now), but have a cracking excuse. I was meeting British pop music royalty. I was at a chat and signing for Suggs' new book in London.
Interesting point came up during the chat about the difference between pop music in the late 70s/early 80s compared to now. Basically, someone mentioned how Madness's songs, while upbeat, carried some serious messages. 'Embarrassment' was particularly cited with it's theme of family and social reaction to mixed raced relationships and babies. Suggs said that it was seeing The Specials - the first band he had seen with both black and white band members performing together - made them realise they could and should be able write and sing about these issues (their appearances on Top Of The Pops also carried much influence). Many of Madness's songs have a more serious message within them while still being tight little pop songs, and many pop songs in that era had something to say alongside having an engaging melody. But of today's pop, Suggs lamented that there doesn't seem to be that deeper meaning to the songs or social comment like there used to be as the current crop of young pop stars aren't doing that sort of thing now. Either they don't care or simply don't know how.
However, it's kind of funny that he says this now as, while it's an opinion that's very valid when you look at pop music over the last few years, there's been a mini-shift in just the last couple of months with pop taking on more meaningful themes rather than just being purely vacuous and throwaway.
I would argue that songs like Roar by Katy Perry and Work Bitch by Britney Spears are in themselves carrying a social comment and have deeper meaning beyond sounding poppy and dancey. They're very anthemic both in sound and lyrics. Another recent song to check would be Lost Generation by Rizzle Kicks (very smart lyrics). There are some others but these are my particular favourites at the moment.
These examples may just turn out to be spikes in the graph, but if they're a sign of things to come then the next 18 months in "pop" music could be interesting.
^
I'm a bit jealous you've met Suggs! It reminds me of the first night I moved down to London, back in October 1985. I had a job in the Civil Service and was in my first night in what used to be a Civil Service hostel in Belsize Park in Hamsptead. Me and my room mate went out for a drink in one of the local pubs, The George, which was (and still is!) just up the road from Belsize Park tube station. We bought a drink and sat down... right next to all the members of Madness, including Suggs, who were out for a couple of beers. I was a bit star struck! I remember thinking that night that being in London must mean being around famous people!
^
I'm a bit jealous you've met Suggs! It reminds me of the first night I moved down to London, back in October 1985. I had a job in the Civil Service and was in my first night in what used to be a Civil Service hostel in Belsize Park in Hamsptead. Me and my room mate went out for a drink in one of the local pubs, The George, which was (and still is!) next to the tube station. We bought a drink and sat down... right next to all the members of Madness, including Suggs, who were out for a couple of beers. I was a bit star struck! I remember thinking that night that being in London must mean being around famous people!
I'm equally jealous that you were sat near the whole band. Chas Smash once passed me down Wardour Street, but he was off chatting on his mobile before I could do anything about it. He's a fast walker!
Funnily enough, I only met Suggs a couple of months ago at a special recording of Our House. Don't know if you've seen the You Tube video (Madness and their fans singing outside Alexandra Palace). I'm not seen in the video but I'm on the vocals the crowd are miming to. I was extremely lucky to be part of it as there was only one other fan at the studio. The rest were session singers. And bless him, he remembered me when I got my book signed.
Streetband, Toast. How can you not like this catchy little tune? Paul Young, who would have thought what 5 years later would bring? (Paul knocking Rod Stewart's 5th and final No1 off the top spot) when in this edition Rod has entered with what will be his 4th topper to come.
I won't sleep tonight until I rectify this glaring error above that I made earlier. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy was Rod's 5th UK No1 and the one Paul Young knocked off 5 years later, Baby Jane, was his final and 6th No1...to date. I feel better now.
Like the anecdote about Madness, and the one about meeting Suggs tonight. Profound stuff there! My brother once bumped into Simon le Bon at a BP petrol station in his Aston Martin. But that is not surprising when you look left and notice my home town. I think he'd just picked up his new car!
Blondie, again, the main highlight this week along with Streetband a very close second. The latter came to my attention through an advert in the early 90s(?). Think it was Marmite - the advert, not the song. Might be wrong.
On a separate note, I don't think I've noticed Kid wearing a wedding ring before tonight. Did he get married around this time or have I just not been paying attention until now?
Blondie, again, the main highlight this week along with Streetband a very close second. The latter came to my attention through an advert in the early 90s(?). Think it was Marmite - the advert, not the song. Might be wrong.
On a separate note, I don't think I've noticed Kid wearing a wedding ring before tonight. Did he get married around this time or have I just not been paying attention until now?
Get this - David Jensen is apparently a freemason would you believe it. A member of the Chelsea Lodge! Who would have thought it. He doesn't seem the type. :eek:
I think his wife is Icelandic. I know her name is Gudrun. They married in 1975 I think, so ever since he started doing TOTP he has been.
Get this - David Jensen is apparently a freemason would you believe it. A member of the Chelsea Lodge! Who would have thought it. He doesn't seem the type. :eek:
I think his wife is Icelandic. I know her name is Gudrun. They married in 1975 I think, so ever since he started doing TOTP he has been.
You think they'd have a better website, it reminds me of some websites from the late 90s. It's the black website background and the endlessly scrolling to read anything.
So with Chas and Dave last week we've now had appearances in successive weeks by people talking rather than singing throughout their record. Clearly there was no future in that...
Get this - David Jensen is apparently a freemason would you believe it. A member of the Chelsea Lodge! Who would have thought it. He doesn't seem the type. :eek:
I think his wife is Icelandic. I know her name is Gudrun. They married in 1975 I think, so ever since he started doing TOTP he has been.
So with Chas and Dave last week we've now had appearances in successive weeks by people talking rather than singing throughout their record. Clearly there was no future in that...
I'm sure there are more, but the Shangri-Las song, 'Past Present and Future' pre-dates these by a good 12 years.
Missed the show earlier tonight (catching the late night showing now), but have a cracking excuse. I was meeting British pop music royalty. I was at a chat and signing for Suggs' new book in London.
Interesting point came up during the chat about the difference between pop music in the late 70s/early 80s compared to now. Basically, someone mentioned how Madness's songs, while upbeat, carried some serious messages. 'Embarrassment' was particularly cited with it's theme of family and social reaction to mixed raced relationships and babies. Suggs said that it was seeing The Specials - the first band he had seen with both black and white band members performing together - made them realise they could and should be able write and sing about these issues (their appearances on Top Of The Pops also carried much influence). Many of Madness's songs have a more serious message within them while still being tight little pop songs, and many pop songs in that era had something to say alongside having an engaging melody. But of today's pop, Suggs lamented that there doesn't seem to be that deeper meaning to the songs or social comment like there used to be as the current crop of young pop stars aren't doing that sort of thing now. Either they don't care or simply don't know how.
However, it's kind of funny that he says this now as, while it's an opinion that's very valid when you look at pop music over the last few years, there's been a mini-shift in just the last couple of months with pop taking on more meaningful themes rather than just being purely vacuous and throwaway.
I would argue that songs like Roar by Katy Perry and Work Bitch by Britney Spears are in themselves carrying a social comment and have deeper meaning beyond sounding poppy and dancey. They're very anthemic both in sound and lyrics. Another recent song to check would be Lost Generation by Rizzle Kicks (very smart lyrics). There are some others but these are my particular favourites at the moment.
These examples may just turn out to be spikes in the graph, but if they're a sign of things to come then the next 18 months in "pop" music could be interesting.
You won't find much social commentary in the world of X Factor. That is for sure.:(
Could one imagine a 1D song with social commentary? It might frighten the horses?
It would be most interesting if there were to be a revival in newer songs in the coming few years. It may be that current social conditions are stimulating renewed awareness among current stars. This would be great to see.:)
Madness songs always had edge beyond the tunes and so did the Specials. This may have been partly because of the ska roots of their music. However, Madness have more than a touch of the influence of Ray Davies and a song like Dead End Street. This would mean that there is another link--that of Mod, which is regarded as pretty basic to British youth culture these days, and Mod bands like the Who, to name an obvious example (see BBC4 tonight ) got into social commentary. So did the Jam at this time.
It obviously links into punk too which was very political. Perhaps this tradition has died out, and the acts that you name are in other traditions like the singer songwriters.
If we are talking about English writers, you either get cavaliers, who are party animals with something to say like Madness, who I think are amazing; or you get po-faced Puritans like Weller (though I do like and respect him) and Jake Bugg.:cool:
Comments
Brian May wrote this one he said it was basically a track for turning up the guitars and making a lot of noise. I suspect title is like Tie Your Mother Down also written by Brian, just some nonsense that works with the song and guitar riff.
What an interesting observation! :cool:
In reality you mean Bob Geldof (Do They Know It's Christmas?), Elton John (Candle In The Wind '97) & Freddie Mercury (Bohemian Rhapsody 75 & 91 releases). Paul Young being a side issue a bit. These are the top three best selling UK singles now I believe, so it's amazing those concerned were all on tonight's TOTP.
Geldof may have had the first "new wave" No1 with Rat Trap, but as far as I'm concerned he also has the first "crap charity wave" No1 six years later which opened the flood gates for copycat nonsense at every disaster that struck in the succeeding 5 years or so and led to the inferior later 1980's overall. I mean, a ferry sinks and many perish and it's "ah, let's make a record!" So wrong on many levels, and excruciating to recall what Geldof's big seller led to.
Whether anyone has ever calculated how many actual lives that record might have saved is another matter entirely.
And after Wow came the EP with Rolling the ball on it that was live. I think that went top ten sometime in 1979.:)
Yes but Bob don't sing it and who sings the first line of the 1984 version.;)
I noticed that the audience is much punkier than before. I even may have seen drainpipe trousers. They seemed less embarrassed than earlier audiences. Very British, dancing like bricks and wacky. Many of the songs reflected the Britishness of the New Wave. Let's see.
Buzzcocks: the excellent follow-up to Ever Fallen in Love? was Promises, again with a good lyric and with a dry wit. Thinking here that they must have influenced the Smiths, but Morrissey is way darker.
Elton John: not seen this and a most original performance from EJ. Very gay. Very British and the back-up singers seemed to be having a great time. Hysterical. From a rather obscure period for EJ. This was the first single from A Single Man, which was a sort of coming out album though no one realised it at the time. Now it seems bleeding obvious, and Ben Hardy does not seem miscast for that film.
Blondie: absolutely brilliant. American in its feistiness but New Wave in its freewheeling anarchic feel.
Dean Friedman: first dud. So earnest. So un-funny. This album was highly rated at the time. I expect many may still like it, but I never will.
Streetband: again this British humour. Making fun out of something simple and ordinary. Paul Young later would take himself too seriously as a soul boy, but here he is spot on. Love it.
Queen: I always felt this was a throwaway and was unsurprised at the lowly chart position. It is fun I suppose, but Don't Stop Me Now is the killer track off Jazz and should have been the first single.
Child: dud. Why did they think this wet song would give them another hit? Over-confidence. They already look too old to be a teenybopper band and they already seem like the serious musicians they really are. But Still the One is a middle-aged sentiment. Miscalculation. One more minor hit awaits you guys and then, well, serious musicianianship I guess.
Boomtown Rats: a new performance. Still a great lyric. If only Geldof had concentrated on songwriting he might have had a longer career with the rats.
Rod Stewart: this song seemed so weird at the time and it still seems weird. The central song of Stewart's career really. Before this, everything he did was great. After this everything he did until this year (except for Downtown Train) was a dud. This song, well, great, but odd and it does not seem Rod Stewart, but it confirms that aiming for the US market did for Stewart. He lost his rawness and his edge big time. No wonder the punks did not care for him: he really had been a punker himself but now it was all gone.:(
Seven out of ten.:) Two is one too many duds.:(
Fascinating.I have always loved both songs.:)
Nah you could not have invented it.
All the same, Young was huge in 1983 to 1984 and very popular.
Never quite figured out where it all went wrong, but he made an album in 1986 of all new songs that bombed. Watch out 1D.:eek:
I am now wracking my brains to think of anything good he did after this. I will agree that Young Turks was great. Never liked Baby Jane (it bombed in the States, but then they have no taste: Love Touch was huge). Downtown Train is great. His uptempo This Old Heart of Mine with Ronald Isley from 1990 is great. The Motown Song. His current album.
None of it comes close though to his first four or five albums.
Great guy though.
Well done Darnall!
I knew it wouldn't take long for a Kenny link to pop up.
Interesting point came up during the chat about the difference between pop music in the late 70s/early 80s compared to now. Basically, someone mentioned how Madness's songs, while upbeat, carried some serious messages. 'Embarrassment' was particularly cited with it's theme of family and social reaction to mixed raced relationships and babies. Suggs said that it was seeing The Specials - the first band he had seen with both black and white band members performing together - made them realise they could and should be able write and sing about these issues (their appearances on Top Of The Pops also carried much influence). Many of Madness's songs have a more serious message within them while still being tight little pop songs, and many pop songs in that era had something to say alongside having an engaging melody. But of today's pop, Suggs lamented that there doesn't seem to be that deeper meaning to the songs or social comment like there used to be as the current crop of young pop stars aren't doing that sort of thing now. Either they don't care or simply don't know how.
However, it's kind of funny that he says this now as, while it's an opinion that's very valid when you look at pop music over the last few years, there's been a mini-shift in just the last couple of months with pop taking on more meaningful themes rather than just being purely vacuous and throwaway.
I would argue that songs like Roar by Katy Perry and Work Bitch by Britney Spears are in themselves carrying a social comment and have deeper meaning beyond sounding poppy and dancey. They're very anthemic both in sound and lyrics. Another recent song to check would be Lost Generation by Rizzle Kicks (very smart lyrics). There are some others but these are my particular favourites at the moment.
These examples may just turn out to be spikes in the graph, but if they're a sign of things to come then the next 18 months in "pop" music could be interesting.
I'm a bit jealous you've met Suggs! It reminds me of the first night I moved down to London, back in October 1985. I had a job in the Civil Service and was in my first night in what used to be a Civil Service hostel in Belsize Park in Hamsptead. Me and my room mate went out for a drink in one of the local pubs, The George, which was (and still is!) just up the road from Belsize Park tube station. We bought a drink and sat down... right next to all the members of Madness, including Suggs, who were out for a couple of beers. I was a bit star struck! I remember thinking that night that being in London must mean being around famous people!
I'm equally jealous that you were sat near the whole band. Chas Smash once passed me down Wardour Street, but he was off chatting on his mobile before I could do anything about it. He's a fast walker!
Funnily enough, I only met Suggs a couple of months ago at a special recording of Our House. Don't know if you've seen the You Tube video (Madness and their fans singing outside Alexandra Palace). I'm not seen in the video but I'm on the vocals the crowd are miming to. I was extremely lucky to be part of it as there was only one other fan at the studio. The rest were session singers. And bless him, he remembered me when I got my book signed.
Like the anecdote about Madness, and the one about meeting Suggs tonight. Profound stuff there! My brother once bumped into Simon le Bon at a BP petrol station in his Aston Martin. But that is not surprising when you look left and notice my home town. I think he'd just picked up his new car!
Blondie, again, the main highlight this week along with Streetband a very close second. The latter came to my attention through an advert in the early 90s(?). Think it was Marmite - the advert, not the song. Might be wrong.
On a separate note, I don't think I've noticed Kid wearing a wedding ring before tonight. Did he get married around this time or have I just not been paying attention until now?
Get this - David Jensen is apparently a freemason would you believe it. A member of the Chelsea Lodge! Who would have thought it. He doesn't seem the type. :eek:
I think his wife is Icelandic. I know her name is Gudrun. They married in 1975 I think, so ever since he started doing TOTP he has been.
EDIT; Check the website out here www.chelsea-lodge.org.uk/
Scrolling through the pictures I noticed that Rick Wakeman seems to be a mason at the same one too! :eek::eek:
http://www.chelsea-lodge.org.uk/Officers05.htm
Brother Rick Wakeman, he's a Senior Warden!
You think they'd have a better website, it reminds me of some websites from the late 90s. It's the black website background and the endlessly scrolling to read anything.
Ah, I see, so I just hadn't spotted it before.
Goes to show, Freemasonry doesn't have the influence people think it does. Despite his nod and winks to it, that Child song bombed.
I'm sure there are more, but the Shangri-Las song, 'Past Present and Future' pre-dates these by a good 12 years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVMJN0fKJWI
And so it was she.:eek:
It is quite beyond explanation. She must have had a life before Sky.:eek:
You won't find much social commentary in the world of X Factor. That is for sure.:(
Could one imagine a 1D song with social commentary? It might frighten the horses?
It would be most interesting if there were to be a revival in newer songs in the coming few years. It may be that current social conditions are stimulating renewed awareness among current stars. This would be great to see.:)
Madness songs always had edge beyond the tunes and so did the Specials. This may have been partly because of the ska roots of their music. However, Madness have more than a touch of the influence of Ray Davies and a song like Dead End Street. This would mean that there is another link--that of Mod, which is regarded as pretty basic to British youth culture these days, and Mod bands like the Who, to name an obvious example (see BBC4 tonight ) got into social commentary. So did the Jam at this time.
It obviously links into punk too which was very political. Perhaps this tradition has died out, and the acts that you name are in other traditions like the singer songwriters.
If we are talking about English writers, you either get cavaliers, who are party animals with something to say like Madness, who I think are amazing; or you get po-faced Puritans like Weller (though I do like and respect him) and Jake Bugg.:cool: