Insomnia is bloody awful, especially when you have a clock which gives out a clunk on the hour. The cuckoo's been poorly for a long time but I haven't the heart to put it out of it's misery , but whilst awake the lure of the Backlit screen is hard to resist which inevitably makes matters worse.


Crikey Ramraider back with a bang. Welcome back Sir!

I appreciate the comments from forumites who have written re the 'Countdown Capers'. Another one is on the way shortly but it's a struggle to keep up as there's plenty of material to be mined, especially on a Bates episode

I'd agree with your first statement RR, life's way too short to get bogged down in semantic argument. That's what politicians do and it's roll-eyes dull.

Spread the 'good love' baby!

I know.. - Remove all clocks from the bedroom - that can help - well sometimes!

I always wanted a Cuckoo clock - but in the summer you hear enough birds singing come the break of dawn! - Wasn't there a song out with just the Dawn Chorus once? - Or maybe I'm imagining it? Or maybe it was The Birdie song!

I remember David Baddiel talking about his suffering with Insomnia. He said that it's the only illness condition where if you tell someone you've go it they always say 'Really? I never have any problem falling asleep...'

He described as being like going up to someone in a wheel chair and saying 'Look at my ability to walk!'

Ha - that's very true!! - Unless you suffer from it - you cannot really see how annoying it is for the sufferer.

John Lennon & Toyah Willcox were/are insomniacs I believe.

Your first sentence reminds me of one of the famous scenes from Four Weddings, but if the WH Auden poem is read as my bedtime story I'd be worried about more than insomia!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_a-eXIoyYA

As a handy hint, I've heard the Birdie Song's a brilliant cure for constipation

Think I'd prefer the constipation!!

I trust you had an opportunity to read LGof7's meticulous explanation of erotic asphyxiation before it was censored by the DS moderator.

Oh, so it has.

Seems a bit odd given it was merely a factual explanation to answer someone's question.

Maxi Jazz out of Faithless too. And Mrs Thatcher. Hopefully she never dreamed of 'tearing off tights with her teeth...'

Re 4: you mean years, not months? 'Being Boiled' is from 1978 ...

Re 16: I'd almost agree with you if it wasn't for 'In And Out Of Love', which is just too close a retread of 'Body Talk' for me ... But then I also rate 'In The Heat Of The Night' and 'Changes', so what do I know ...?!?

Re 19: yes, and to that you can add Patrice Rushen, Rockers Revenge, Evelyn King and Cheri, plus (sadly not featured on TOTP) Vicky D, War and Sharon Brown. Some great dance/disco tracks from 1982!

Hi Servalan - to be honest I couldn't be a**ed looking up when Being Boiled was originally released. Was surprised it was as early as 1978 : still only 30 months difference between the 2 tracks.

The dance acts you quote all produced wonderful tracks in the summer of 82. I bought Patrice, Sharon, Evelyn, RockersR back in the day. To your list I would add Sharon Redd, Boystown Gang and Grandmaster Flash.

Regarding Imagination's In and out of love - I would rate it the poorest of their opening 5 singles - but I still love it. I'd have to admit to a similarity to Body Talk though.

Finally ... back to Being Boiled. Not only did it inspire Monsieur Ure et al 2 years later but it also had an impact on whoever wrote the track below for Kelly Osbourne.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXctSjshB1M

Lean on Me -
Bill withers (1972)
Mud (1976)
Club Nouveau (1987)
Michael Bolton (1994)
Any more

It was Ian Gillan who as lead singer of Episode Six recorded and released 'I Hear Trumpets Blow' in April 1966 - here is a link to him performing the twee number live on stage in 1967.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE8rqjlwsFk

'I Hear Trumpets Blow' was written and first released as a single by The Tokens - here's a link to their version also from 1966.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXRtQyt9nZI

Gary had a number of these made for him over the years, this one the most famous of course, was by the Kane Gang.

I remember when Thunder released a version of Gimme Some Lovin' it turned into Gimme Gary Davies, Gimme Gimme Gimme Gary!!

Anyone remember any others?

I really enjoyed Party Fears Two by The Associates. Billy Mckenzie sang with passion! I also like The Divine Comedy's cover version of the song recorded in more recent times. I can just about remember the early 80s Top of the Pops. I remember The Lion Sleeps Tonight being number one. The Stiff Little Fingers the other week reminded me of Britpop bands. It was good seeing John Peel make his 80s debut because he had a dry sense of humour. Shaky was also good. I was a fan of his at the time. You can't knock him, he appealed to everyone (all ages!). He did a great impression of Elvis in the musical If you are interested he did a BBC Wales documentary recently on his Welsh/English family roots which is worth a look. Looking forward to getting into 83 and beyond with these repeats to relive The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, Psychedelic Furs, Aha, Scritti Politti and Prefab Sprout to name only a few.

Good tune. Both versions have their merits. Thanks for the tip off.

Unlucky Sandalf - beat you to it - see one page back.

What about ....

Baby I love you - Ronettes 1964
Dave Edmunds 1973
Ramones 1980

Warm welcome to the TOTP thread "lurs_pops" with a nice debut post. Hope you're going to become the newest regular on here. What's with the username? I'm always curious how names come about on here.


Nice to see you back tonight Ramraider. You will be pleased to know I tend to agree with you about the fantastic first five Imagination singles. Also it's hard to disagree with your list of fab dance singles coming up later in '82 such as the absolutely great Love Come Down by Evelyn King. I think she had dropped the "Champagne" bit in the middle by then. Tracks like that have not dated one single day from then to now.

Infact would anyone care to name a single or list of singles they think have dated very badly from 1982 to now?

Hi Rich !

Good question. Irene Cara and Fame immediately came to mind. The production on the track sounds so out-dated. A track I loved at the time but never play these days is Centrefold : J Geils Band. The track isn't even on my pod. Time must have caught up with it. Rosanna by Toto would fall into the same category. Shy Boy Bananarama I loved back in 1982 - but these days file along with Centrefold! Finally, Come On Eileen would fall into this category. Over exposure certainly has not done the track any favours.

Welcome to the forum Lurs. Very eclectic taste you have in music : Shaky and the Bunnymen ! Now what I'd give to hear that combo on TOTP.

Appreciate your positive views on both the Associates and John Peel. The latter is an absolute legend and master of the art of DJing. We have our very own John Peel equivalent on this forum : look out for Andy1302's eloquent reviews of the week's TOTP. ( that's another compliment by the way Andy!). The forum does not as yet have its very own Simon Bates but any poster who thinks there are months between Fade to Grey and Being Boiled has to be a contender for the vacant post.

Stiff little Fingers EP from which they played Listen on TOTP a few weeks ago I did actually buy. However as it was a 33rpm track it meant that I had to dismantle my turntable to play the wretched single as my turntable was set for 45s. Hence it is probably one of the least played tracks I ever bought. You're right about Listen - there certainly is an element of Britpop about it.

Like you, I'm looking forward to hearing The Cure, Scritti and Prefab Sprout - though not sure how often they appeared on TOTP.

As I was typing the question out I was immediately thinking of the music from Fame. Not so much the title track which is still a great listen but more the Kids From Fame singles like Hi Fidelity and Starmaker. Both singles I adored at the time as a 13 year old. Neither is on my iPod though, but Irene Cara's Fame certainly is.

You mention Centrefold. I haven't got that on my collection either, but I do have a J.Geils Band single on the Pod, the far better Freeze-Frame, also from 1982 but which failed to be anything like as successful, only just creeping into the thirty and vanishing.

I detested Come On Eileen back then and still do now. Often songs I disliked in the 80's very strongly I have later appreciated, but not that Dexy's one. Hello by Lionel Richie is my most obvious one I fully changed opinion over.

Love the Bunnymen. Even their more familiar stuff is really underplayed, let alone the likes of this..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hGcJA8fXvU

Blimey. A few days away and a lot to catch up on again in here as ever. Nice though.

There's dozens of posts I could comment on, but I'll restrict it to a few.


Each to our own as ever and exactly as it should be, but, that deserves another. Good grief. The two you mention have absolutely both written some fantastic songs in their time but, IMO at least, they're some what let down by their respective monotone vocal deliveries. Personally I'd take an expressive and emotive vocalist like Billy or Almond (from that time at least) over those two any day!


Wow, nice find! And what a very interesting performance from Numan, I don't think I've ever seen such an expressive one from him before. That deserves another 'shocked' face, but I'm possibly running out of them.

I wonder what that was from? I see a 'Top Pop' type logo thing at the front, which I think was the Dutch version of TOTP? Could be wrong though.


Ooh yes, as ever.


Very much agreed. Well put Mr J.


I'm not going to comment on that. But, you can one of these.

Nice to see you back though rr.


Indeed. And saying something like that in your first post in here is always going to merit a nod of approval from me. Welcome along!

Actually, I quite like Love Come Down, but I would class that as a single that hasn't aged well. Compare that to her previous hit Shame which is a timeless classic. After seeing it on TOTP last week, another single that has dated badly is It Ain't What You Do.

Most of them! (Well from 1983 onwards that is!!)

Actually I find songs from the 60s & 70s have aged a lot more than most 80s & 90s songs. Even though I prefer the late 60s & 70s music generally.


- Hello to lurs too & Ramraider again!