Pretty sure it was produced by Midge Ure. It's definitely my favourite TOTP theme.
Midge Ure co-wrote the song and the original version was produced by Phil Lynott and Kit Woolven. Midge Ure remixed the track for its release as a single.
Top Of The Pops producer Michael Hurll heard the remix and approached Lynott to ask if he could write something similar to 'Yellow Pearl' to be used as the new Top Of the Pops theme. Lynott suggested that Hurll could just use the song itself.
The musicians on the single consist of a mix of Thin Lizzy, Ultravox and Visage members. At the time the track was originally recorded Midge Ure was in all three bands.
Midge Ure co-wrote the song and the original version was produced by Phil Lynott and Kit Woolven. Midge Ure remixed the track for its release as a single.
Top Of The Pops producer Michael Hurll heard the remix and approached Lynott to ask if he could write something similar to 'Yellow Pearl' to be used as the new Top Of the Pops theme. Lynott suggested that Hurll could just use the song itself.
The musicians on the single consist of a mix of Thin Lizzy, Ultravox and Visage members. At the time the track was originally recorded Midge Ure was in all three bands.
Midge Ure has been involved with so many bands & different projects over the 70s & 80s!!! He was like the Phil Collins of his day!!
I still can't believe he had that No 1 Slik single Forever & Ever back in 1976 too!!
Ah the Zed Zeppelin one will always be mine!! It's like favourite Dr Who's!! ;-)
Yes, it is mine too. The version used for the Top Of The Pops theme wasn't based on Led Zeppelin's original, but on the cover recorded by CCS. I believe the group were made up primarily of session musicians which also included Alexis Korner, who played a key role in the early careers of a number of British blues musicians of the 60s, like the Rolling Stones.
"Yellow Pearl" wasn't a bad theme, and i remember it being introduced to Top Of The Pops like it was yesterday. It was around this time, though, that the Top Of The Pops presentation no longer represented my personal taste. However, it did reflect the rather more ephemeral type music that had come more to the fore at around this time. I often think Michael Hurll anticipated the changing musical climate really rather well. I did like some of the changes he made initially in 1980, like the news features and interviews he introduced. It is a shame he didn't keep some of them on a little longer.
I had a wee smile at this bit from Wikipedia, Phil talking about 'Yellow Pearl':
Lynott later said, "It has made me a fortune; every time I see Top of the Pops the cash register in me head starts ringing." When pressed about the actual value of the royalties, he answered, "About 2p, I don't know. I wish I'd written the theme tune to Coronation Street."
LittleGirl - a great clip !! I think John Peel often represented the thoughts of most people, although many wouldn't always like to say - and especially fellow Top Of The Pops DJs included !!
I remember watching that episode at the the time and i'm sure i have a recording of it somewhere in my collection. I really like many of those Top Of The Pops shows from the early months of 1983, and this one included. I really thought JoBoxers were going to carve out a huge career for themselves, but following ''Boxerbeat'' i can only remember them having one more sizeable hit (''Just Got Lucky'' i believe), and then they faded. Orange Juice's ''Rip It Up'' was another very memorable song. I remember Edwyn Collins saying he had initially refused to do the show because he didn't want the dance group Zoo performing alongside them some tacky routine involving tearing up paper. However, obviously he was pursuaded to go along with it eventually.
Duran Duran with ''Is There Something I Should Know?'' were number one that week, but i really do think the single was one of their weakest up to that point. Duranmania really was at its peak during the early months of 1983, in pretty frenzied proportions, and i believe anything they released at that time (providing it was half decent) would very likely have made the no 1 spot. The problem a little was by the time Duran Duran did release the follow up single and album in late 1983 (''Union Of The Snake'' and ''Seven And The Ragged Tiger'') their popularity had already peaked, and was beginning to level off somewhat. That obviously didn't prevent them though from having plenty more huge hits and another number one (''The Reflex'') in the next year or two.
Nick Heyward's ''Whistle Down The Wind'' was a great debut solo single, and also included the great bass playing of Pino Palladino, who would join Paul Young's backing band that same year, and many years later, stand in for John Entwistle as bass player for The Who. On the subject of Nick Heyward, i reckon he must have been one of the worst mimers to ever grace the top of the pops studios. Check out his studio appearance of ''Blue Hat For A Blue Day'' sometime, amongst others !
I feel a bit like I'm cheating postining in here, when my relationship with the 1979 thread, although coming to the end, is not offiially over yet, but I can't resist! Can't wait for the new decade to start and look forward to some new blood presenter-wise - regulars Steve Wright, Richard Skinner and Tommy Vance plus the various guest presenters. Not forgetting the acts, of course. Debuts for Dexys, OMD, Human League, Shaky, Spandau,. Adam and The Ants to name but a few.
Totally agree about John Peel. His and Janice Long's shows are my fave - great chemistry and they'd often give double meanings to the chart positions they were reading out.
As for TOTP themes, it's a tie between Yellow Pearl and the Wizard for me. Hearing both, you know you're usually in for a good edition of TOTP.
It was funny someone posted a link to a 1983 show. I have a copy of the edition that corresponds with the 1983 chart that was featured on Pick Of The Pops at the weekend, so dug it out for a watch for the first time in ages. After all the fuss over the Barron Knights sketch, I was a bit worried when there was a link with Mike Read and a Chinese man. Luckily there was nothing said or done that would need it cutting should we reach that far in the repeats!
Just been having a look on BBC 4's upcoming schedules.
I'm sure most of us have already got next Friday night earmarked.
Some of the more eagle eyed will already know, but in case others don't, we have on Thursday January 8th the delight that is January 3rd 1980 to watch.
Thursday January 15th is a Sky at Night week.
I'm looking forward to seeing the 1980 episodes again. I watched a load of them on Youtube a few years back. I'm particularly looking forward to watching things like New Musik, more from The Beat and UB40'S debut amongst others.
Just been having a look on BBC 4's upcoming schedules. I'm sure most of us have already got next Friday night earmarked.
Some of the more eagle eyed will already know, but in case others don't, we have on Thursday January 8th the delight that is January 3rd 1980 to watch.
Thursday January 15th is a Sky at Night week.
I'm looking forward to seeing the 1980 episodes again. I watched a load of them on Youtube a few years back. I'm particularly looking forward to watching things like New Musik, more from The Beat and UB40'S debut amongst others.
Wasn't aware of this until your post, so thanks for the tip off!
I also adore two of New Musik's 1980 tracks, This World Of Water and also Living By Numbers. :cool:
They are great. The album From A to B was worth buying in my case a few years ago for those. I have heard Living By Numbers on Radio 2 once or twice, and I think Steve Wright even played 'This World of Water' one time, but that's about it. They are overlooked early 80s classics in my opinion.
What's your take on Nick Straker Band's 'A Walk in the Park,' whiich featured one Tony Mansfield and a few others from New Musk?
They are great. The album From A to B was worth buying in my case a few years ago for those. I have heard Living By Numbers on Radio 2 once or twice, and I think Steve Wright even played 'This World of Water' one time, but that's about it. They are overlooked early 80s classics in my opinion.
What's your take on Nick Straker Band's 'A Walk in the Park,' whiich featured one Tony Mansfield and a few others from New Musk?
Love it lots, and have it on the iPod too!
Didn't realise the New Musik connection and know little about Nick Straker to be honest.
You sure don't hear it on radio anywhere nowadays. A large number of good hit songs just seem to vanish within weeks of charting it seems, yet the same collection of oldies forever get played over and over again.
It had the interesting nerdy fact that it managed to peak at No20 for 3 straight weeks too.
Hello all and this is my first post on digitalspy.
Im lookin forward to the totp 1980 episodes and will watch 'the story of 1980 and big hits' with pleasure this friday night on BBC4.
My favourite singles of 1980 were
The jam - Going underground
Motorhead - Ace of spades
OMD - Enola gay
Madness - Baggy Trousers
The specials - Too much too young
Dexys midnight runners - Geno
Thin lizzy - Killer on the loose
Blondie - Call me
The undertones - My perfect cousin
Queen - Another one bites the dust
David Bowie - Ashes to ashes
Boomtown rats - Banana republic
The clash - Bankrobber
The skids - Circus games
The beat - Mirror in the bathroom
Ultravox - Sleepwalk
Phil lynott - Kings call
Hello all and this is my first post on digitalspy.
Im lookin forward to the totp 1980 episodes and will watch 'the story of 1980 and big hits' with pleasure this friday night on BBC4.
My favourite singles of 1980 were
The jam - Going underground
Motorhead - Ace of spades
OMD - Enola gay
Madness - Baggy Trousers
The specials - Too much too young
Dexys midnight runners - Geno
Thin lizzy - Killer on the loose
Blondie - Call me
The undertones - My perfect cousin
Queen - Another one bites the dust
David Bowie - Ashes to ashes
Boomtown rats - Banana republic
The clash - Bankrobber
The skids - Circus games
The beat - Mirror in the bathroom
Ultravox - Sleepwalk
Phil lynott - Kings call
Welcome Ryan. Look forward to reading your posts during the year.
Hello all and this is my first post on digitalspy.
Im lookin forward to the totp 1980 episodes and will watch 'the story of 1980 and big hits' with pleasure this friday night on BBC4.
My favourite singles of 1980 were
Boomtown rats - Banana republic
Yes, ''Banana Republic'' by the Boomtown Rats will be one of my choices too. It's their first single release that features that sort of reggae-ish direction, which they would pursue further, but with less success as time went on.
''Never Knew Love Like This Before'' by Stephanie Mills, ''Funky Town'' by Lipps Inc and ''Spirits Having Flown'' by the Bee Gees are a few more (those last two songs were both originally released as album tracks the previous year).
Comments
Pretty sure it was produced by Midge Ure. It's definitely my favourite TOTP theme.
Top Of The Pops producer Michael Hurll heard the remix and approached Lynott to ask if he could write something similar to 'Yellow Pearl' to be used as the new Top Of the Pops theme. Lynott suggested that Hurll could just use the song itself.
The musicians on the single consist of a mix of Thin Lizzy, Ultravox and Visage members. At the time the track was originally recorded Midge Ure was in all three bands.
Ah the Zed Zeppelin one will always be mine!! It's like favourite Dr Who's!! ;-)
Midge Ure has been involved with so many bands & different projects over the 70s & 80s!!!
I still can't believe he had that No 1 Slik single Forever & Ever back in 1976 too!!
"Yellow Pearl" wasn't a bad theme, and i remember it being introduced to Top Of The Pops like it was yesterday. It was around this time, though, that the Top Of The Pops presentation no longer represented my personal taste. However, it did reflect the rather more ephemeral type music that had come more to the fore at around this time. I often think Michael Hurll anticipated the changing musical climate really rather well. I did like some of the changes he made initially in 1980, like the news features and interviews he introduced. It is a shame he didn't keep some of them on a little longer.
Or favourite Sunday roasts.*
I do love him ripping the piss out of the dancing audience at the end of the 23rd March 1983 edition...
Skip to 10:50...
* Getting in before Rich Tea.
Anyone know at all what this song may be?
LittleGirl - a great clip !! I think John Peel often represented the thoughts of most people, although many wouldn't always like to say - and especially fellow Top Of The Pops DJs included !!
I remember watching that episode at the the time and i'm sure i have a recording of it somewhere in my collection. I really like many of those Top Of The Pops shows from the early months of 1983, and this one included. I really thought JoBoxers were going to carve out a huge career for themselves, but following ''Boxerbeat'' i can only remember them having one more sizeable hit (''Just Got Lucky'' i believe), and then they faded. Orange Juice's ''Rip It Up'' was another very memorable song. I remember Edwyn Collins saying he had initially refused to do the show because he didn't want the dance group Zoo performing alongside them some tacky routine involving tearing up paper. However, obviously he was pursuaded to go along with it eventually.
Duran Duran with ''Is There Something I Should Know?'' were number one that week, but i really do think the single was one of their weakest up to that point. Duranmania really was at its peak during the early months of 1983, in pretty frenzied proportions, and i believe anything they released at that time (providing it was half decent) would very likely have made the no 1 spot. The problem a little was by the time Duran Duran did release the follow up single and album in late 1983 (''Union Of The Snake'' and ''Seven And The Ragged Tiger'') their popularity had already peaked, and was beginning to level off somewhat. That obviously didn't prevent them though from having plenty more huge hits and another number one (''The Reflex'') in the next year or two.
Nick Heyward's ''Whistle Down The Wind'' was a great debut solo single, and also included the great bass playing of Pino Palladino, who would join Paul Young's backing band that same year, and many years later, stand in for John Entwistle as bass player for The Who. On the subject of Nick Heyward, i reckon he must have been one of the worst mimers to ever grace the top of the pops studios. Check out his studio appearance of ''Blue Hat For A Blue Day'' sometime, amongst others !
Hi Dan, it's All You Need is Rock n Roll.........and it's White Lion. (Glam Rockers)
....or your favourite biscuit! Which in my case, it may come as a shock, is a fig roll!
Totally agree about John Peel. His and Janice Long's shows are my fave - great chemistry and they'd often give double meanings to the chart positions they were reading out.
As for TOTP themes, it's a tie between Yellow Pearl and the Wizard for me. Hearing both, you know you're usually in for a good edition of TOTP.
It was funny someone posted a link to a 1983 show. I have a copy of the edition that corresponds with the 1983 chart that was featured on Pick Of The Pops at the weekend, so dug it out for a watch for the first time in ages. After all the fuss over the Barron Knights sketch, I was a bit worried when there was a link with Mike Read and a Chinese man. Luckily there was nothing said or done that would need it cutting should we reach that far in the repeats!
Ha - yes!
Just been having a look on BBC 4's upcoming schedules.
I'm sure most of us have already got next Friday night earmarked.
Some of the more eagle eyed will already know, but in case others don't, we have on Thursday January 8th the delight that is January 3rd 1980 to watch.
Thursday January 15th is a Sky at Night week.
I'm looking forward to seeing the 1980 episodes again. I watched a load of them on Youtube a few years back. I'm particularly looking forward to watching things like New Musik, more from The Beat and UB40'S debut amongst others.
Wasn't aware of this until your post, so thanks for the tip off!
I also adore two of New Musik's 1980 tracks, This World Of Water and also Living By Numbers. :cool:
They are great. The album From A to B was worth buying in my case a few years ago for those. I have heard Living By Numbers on Radio 2 once or twice, and I think Steve Wright even played 'This World of Water' one time, but that's about it. They are overlooked early 80s classics in my opinion.
What's your take on Nick Straker Band's 'A Walk in the Park,' whiich featured one Tony Mansfield and a few others from New Musk?
Love it lots, and have it on the iPod too!
Didn't realise the New Musik connection and know little about Nick Straker to be honest.
You sure don't hear it on radio anywhere nowadays. A large number of good hit songs just seem to vanish within weeks of charting it seems, yet the same collection of oldies forever get played over and over again.
It had the interesting nerdy fact that it managed to peak at No20 for 3 straight weeks too.
Im lookin forward to the totp 1980 episodes and will watch 'the story of 1980 and big hits' with pleasure this friday night on BBC4.
My favourite singles of 1980 were
The jam - Going underground
Motorhead - Ace of spades
OMD - Enola gay
Madness - Baggy Trousers
The specials - Too much too young
Dexys midnight runners - Geno
Thin lizzy - Killer on the loose
Blondie - Call me
The undertones - My perfect cousin
Queen - Another one bites the dust
David Bowie - Ashes to ashes
Boomtown rats - Banana republic
The clash - Bankrobber
The skids - Circus games
The beat - Mirror in the bathroom
Ultravox - Sleepwalk
Phil lynott - Kings call
Welcome Ryan.
Yes, ''Banana Republic'' by the Boomtown Rats will be one of my choices too. It's their first single release that features that sort of reggae-ish direction, which they would pursue further, but with less success as time went on.
''Never Knew Love Like This Before'' by Stephanie Mills, ''Funky Town'' by Lipps Inc and ''Spirits Having Flown'' by the Bee Gees are a few more (those last two songs were both originally released as album tracks the previous year).