Nice article. The funniest thing for me was that Ella Fitzgerald did a version of 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead???

Edit: Just had a listen. It's actually not bad. I'd only ever heard the Munchkins singing it.

I would pay a great deal of money to hear a Munchkin's version of "Maggie"

Sorry, could not resist that one.

That was a classic. Over 500 000 downloads in a week for the Christmas No.1.

and Radio 5 playing it in full, including the expletives.

Just have to share those few seconds of 'Ding Dong....' before I find a way back on topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHJoj9IqeKg

I'd probably give tonight's editon a 6.5 out of 10. Difficult to live up to the March 18th show.
Highlights for me were Altered Images, Bucks Fizz, Killing Joke (for being way ahead of 1982), Chas and Dave with a brilliant track and of course The Associates.

or maybe he was that crap in bed, they didn't want to stay around for seconds?

I will have to investigate - thank you!

I heard that too. Weren't they being interviewed beforehand and were asked not to swear when they sang it but went ahead anyway?
I remember when 'Bullet in the Head' charted in 1993 and they accidentally played the expletives on the Top 40 on the Sunday night. I think I still have that recording somewhere.

Why do I recognise that name? Maybe the same one as the person who crashed his plane at the Shoreham Air Show last year.

According to the usual rules of TOTP we should have got another showing of Classic by Adrian Gurvitz. Still climbing in the charts and hadn't been on for two weeks. Lucky escape.

I wasn't sure what they'd be like but they were excellent, it's a shame they're written off as just a Eurovision group. Yep Bobby McVay is a brilliant addition but they're not allowed to call themselves Bucks Fizz as the original Bobby owns the name. Run For Your Life, I Hear Talk, You And Your Heart So Blue, all great songs.

If we go through to 1983 with the repeats on BBC4, which I think we will, we'll get some good stuff from Bucks Fizz.

Anyone noticed the chart rundown is slightly different this week?

The border is missing around the still of the artist!

That's the problem with gaps in the editions. It feels an age since we last had 'Classic'. Glutton for punishment to have to go through that again from 'attic' man.

Was that what happened? What I heard was that they played the record itself and played it just that bit too long, and that was when "The Naughty Bits" occurred.

But you may well be right Ian. I am relying on my memory of the tabloid reaction at the time, so it could have been a live performance and RATM decided to be a bit rude.

that was what made the 80s great,wide variety of music

You got me thinking now Dermott. I was sure it was live because the female presenter was p****d off at the end and made some comment along the lines of 'I should have known they would do that even though we asked them not to'. I could be wrong though. Maybe someone else might remember.

I know. I think the lyrics on it are really daft. Having said that, I heard it on the radio a few weeks before it appeared on TOTP and, to be honest, it was not as bad as when I remembered it first time round.

No, Ian, you are right, and here's the proof.

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

https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...-singer-swears

My memory is def getting worse the older I get / the more red wine I drink.

It's a weird one. I think 'Classic' is a great example of marmite and I usually dislike that analogy. It really is a love or hate song.
There are loads of songs that I disliked when I was younger that I've grown to really like as the years pass by. The same in reverse. Some songs I thought were great at the time I don't have a lot of time for now.

I just never warmed to 'Classic' as I loath it as much now as I did when I was 13..sorry Adrian.

Great find Dermott. I'm glad I'm not imagining things!

This edition turned out to be less good than I thought it might be. It would be interesting to know how on earth footballer Garth Crooks ended up being offered a co-presenting role on TOTP. After an initial bit of hesitancy, the boy done good, however.
Altered Images' offering was pretty unremarkable. My favourite of theirs comes next year with 'Don't Talk to Me about Love'. Julio with a very mediocre, Radio 2 housewives' choice number.
The Fizzers were hitting their peak with two cracking number 1 singles in a row. My Camera Never Lies is a perfect bit of pop. I also like 'If You Can't Stand the Heat'. 'London Town' is a good one of theirs but coming out in the autumn of 83, their popularity was on the wane a bit by then and it didn't do that well. Killing Joke completely out of time and space with that number- doesn't sound early 80s to me at all.
Have zero recollection of Pluto from the time, but catchy. Chas and Dave come up with a radical change in style and produce a classic. Goombay Dance band though repetitive is very catchy in its 'Auld Lang Syne' way. I remember actually liking this at the time but then I was a lot younger. I think I will go and hide in shame under a gazebo now.

Well, my dad was a teenager in the 60s, yet he favours pre rock 'N' roll music like the big bands. Maybe I get it from him? My mom loved the 60s and her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. I heard thrilling recollections of the Beatles early tours, following the Stones around and seeing The Walker Brothers and Hendrix on the same bill. Together we sang along to sunny afternoon, Mt tambourine man, hole in my shoe, mellow yellow, lazy Sunday. The 60s seemed sooo groovy!
I do favour the 50s or 50s styles of music and yes I was probably introduced to 50s styles by shaky, mud and er Jive Bunny! I remember Dirty Dancing being popular too. Elvis and Doris Day films always seemed to be on TV during the holidays. There was also that Elvis 1990 tv series which i really enjoyed. I needed to stay at home and revise for my Gcses, so I decided to borrow my Aunts collection of Elvis 78s and LPs and combine both activities. The sound of those records was quite a contrast to the chart music of the late 80s. The 78s, including Heartbreak Hotel, were so scratchy but it didn't seem to matter much. It was great looking at the album covers too. I was really struck by the raw sound and emotion. It was part of my social life too. I would go to 50s and Elvis nights to hear the music at full blast and meet like minded people. I'm like Carl perkins I can't keep still when I hear Rock 'n Roll and I agree with Keith Richards .... 'when in doubt, put Buddy on'.

Any guesses as to the number one when chas and Dave made it into the top ten in April 1986

Taking a guess and saying 'The Chicken Song' from Spitting Image, as I am sure that was a number 1 in 1986 and that was pretty unique!!