People can be as arty as they want, but if a tune isn't memorable it is unlikely to be remembered.

Fair enough. Horses for courses or whatever the cliche is.

It is interesting to see how much debate and opinion music/TOTPs inspires here on the forum. I know I haven't commented for ages but I have still been watching TOTPs and discussing the shows away from the forum! I watched a lot of the 1982 shows at the time but I was only 8. This post made me think about how I appreciate music and I think I am such a fan of early rock 'n' roll because it's good to dance to and I engage with it in a different way than if I just sit and listen. I suppose I engage more with the beat etc and it releases different chemicals in my brain (whatever?). Anyway I've particularly enjoyed Adam Ant and his pirate image!! I thought he was entertaining when I was 8 and that judgement still stands!

BIB - referring to a large crowd of African migrants who plan to enter Britain illegally rather than apply through the correct channels as "this lot" is racist?

Seems a bit hysterical if you ask me.



Hello Dermott.

Just to check, with that link, are you implying that I am a racist?

If so, then you and I have both very different opinions of what a racist is.

Just saw an article saying that Colonel Abrams died. He's probably best remembered in the UK by his 1985 hit 'Trapped'. Sounds like he had a sad end to his life.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38129229

Colonel Abrams: 'Trapped' Top of the Pops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNtjnoZmu84

They're playing at my local Pizza Express next week!

No this was Dave Bickler, who left before Burning Heart. Then re-joined. Then left. Then.....

The lead singer of Burning Heart, Jimi someone, passed away a couple of years ago.

SORRY -just realised someone else posted this. At least we said the same thing!

Add his duet with Charlene (of I've Never Been to Me fame) called "Used to Be" to that list....

Interesting to see Asia creeping in at 74 with their second (and best) single. They were the original "supergroup" with members of King Crimson, Yes and ELP, and were huge for a while in the US with number one single and album. Yet they never replicated that success here. Strange.

Thanks for that though Rolling Stone. I was sure one of the band had died but wasn't sure if it was the singer of 'Eye of the Tiger' or 'Burning Heart'. 'Burning Heart' is a great song.

McCartney. It helps that he's so prolific and had a big influence on later Beatles albums. I do like a classic ballad and a tune. Of course if I put my favourite McCartney songs v my favourite Lennon or Harrison it wouldn't be very easy to pick. And The Beatles albums can work well with their mix.

I think if you have a preference for something you're just likely to like more of it, and are more indulgent to pretty good but not necessarily amazing songs. Maybe that's the main difference. As well as it being the kind of go-to music when you want some immediate gratification.

But sticking to one or a very few things can get less interesting eventually and some I think need more variety to make things fresh again. Over time some people's musical palates can become more diverse. But most will start off with whatever pop was around when they were young as that's what gets the promotion.

Radio now I don't bother with and haven't for years. There's plenty of resources to explore independently now, and you mentioned two (youtube and spotify). Never was it better for anyone to explore and expand their taste in music.

I still think you should tune in to radio Starry. Not to some of the Commercial day time stations, but to some radio shows that still play a lot of new or alternative songs that you wouldn't necessarily hear.
I must admit, apart from listening to my older brother & sister's records whilst growing up, radio played an important part of learning about & exploring music for me. I would say about 70% of my musical knowledge came from the radio. Unfortunately we don't have the great music shows to go with it, that we did back in the 70s & 80s such as TOTP (obviously), The Tube, Whistle Test etc, which were also really informative.

I forgot to ask the other night, after seeing Frida being interviewed by Simes; but was it around this time in 1982 that ABBA appeared on the 'Late Late Breakfast Show' saying the famous words they weren't going to split!!? - I think that may well have been their very last interview in the UK!!

I think so, too - and I was struck also by Frida still insisting here the group hadn't split, when that's exactly what they had done … was this a public statement designed to prevent any 'ABBA SPLIT' headlines, or was it the group (or certain members) keeping their options open?

As for Frida not appearing on TOTP - CBS should have done their job properly and got her over to the UK sooner, when her single was eligible to be featured … clearly promoting her was not a priority for them in 1982.

And then Martin Fry stole his trench coat!

I think ABBA always tried to keep their personal business & private lives private. They certainly didn't milk the attention like celebrities of today do.
I remember Agnetha or possibly Bjorn saying years later in an interview, that when they split, the public didn't really know anything about it until after the divorces, so even when they were all having difficulties privately, they still kept up the glossy 'two happy couples' Abba image for the public.

Starry, one of the great things about watching these Top Of The Pops repeats, is the breadth and variety, that existed in the charts during the late seventies/early eighties period, and although i believe many of us have particular sounds we are especially partial towards, on this thread many of us remain very open minded to much of what crops up from week to week. I don't feel such a strong animosity to the music critics and media that you seem to, and although i don't always like the things they do - they are only doing their jobs, and yes i agree there is a lot of hype surrounding certain acts/songs etc. but i think everyone here is intelligent enough to use their own discretion with what is worthy etc. which i think comes across time and time again. I don't think many forms of pop, and especially those songs in the singles charts are really that hard to decipher, and if an individual decides they don't like something, it is certainly their right. Sometimes it comes across a little that you have a perversity, of going against the grain of critical/popular opinion, as to appear not to be contaminated by the environment, so to speak. However, we are all very much acting as amateur journalists on this thread, with our points of view and episode reviews etc. so this isn't perhaps a good form of escape, except if you always want to make a contrary argument. Not that you do, especially, starry.

I did notice both Paul Weller and Martin Fry had similar coats! It must have been a fashion item in 1982 for gents who were unlucky in love.

The discussion around people's preferred Beatle has reminded me of Alan Partridge's opinion:

"Wings. The band the Beatles could have been".

As a fashion item, it sure as hell beats the string vest or the head band (or varying widths) that are everywhere on TOTP 1982 at the moment …

"What's your favourite Beatles album?" "Tough one. I think I'd have to say The Best of The Beatles"

At this rate, I am going to have to do some overtime

http://static3.comicvine.com/uploads...-lionann82.jpg

http://static2.comicvine.com/uploads...tigerann82.jpg

Along with pop music and football, I was a comic-nerd in '82!

There are quite a few "observers" (is that the right word) from that period who say that for all of Lennons pronouncements about peace and sharing stuff, he was not the best at acting out what he preached. Last year I listened to an Archive Hour programme about the last few days of Lennons life, where he was still preaching peace, but was surrounded by a cupla bodyguards sporting heavy artillery type firearms to keep him safe. It is sad that even though he had this type of protection, he was still shot dead, in the end.

I also saw a documentary about Harry Nilson, which kind of said that he was very friendly with Lennon about 1972, but that both of them were off their tits on the hardest drugs imaginable (sorry again ) , which created some paranoia in Lennons mind about this and that.

When I was a teenager, I went with Lennons Peace and love mantra, but when I hit my twenties, I did get a little bored with it, and started to question the hate stories that were being put out about Paul McCartney. McCartney is no saint, but I do not think that he deserves the hatred that some Lennon Beatle fans throw at him - these people do not reflect the peace and love that John preached to all.

It is nice nowadays to meet a Beatles fan, who craps on about John was great this and that and how he was set up in the last few years. When you say that you do not really give a toss about JL and actually think that GH was the greatest Beatle, their eyes mist over a little and they become a little confused. Guerilla warfare on my part, may be one description for it.

And yes, Ringo was not a bad drummer at all. Not brilliant, to be fair, bur certainly held his own within the Beatles, which is something I would certainly put on my own CV.

i love the quote attributed to John Lennon "Is Ringo the best drummer in the world" "Ringo isn't even the best drummer in The Beatles" . It might be apocryphal but it always make me giggle.

Thank you for standing up to the racist nonsense on here. Lately it's turned into a cliquish, back slapping Rotary Club where any diversity is looked upon with great suspicion and scorn and derision are poured on anyone with a differing view.

I've followed a similar path to you! McCartney was my favourite from '80 to '84, after I first heard 'Coming Up'. I bought that single, and also 'Waterfalls', 'Ebony and Ivory' and 'Take It Away'.
From '84-ish till when I saw the 'Living In The Material World' film, I was firmly in the Lennon-camp, but since then George has been my favourite. As I've got older, I've found his more spiritual take on the world more appealing.
George would've been my age in 1990, so I should be going through a Travelling Willburys phase!