This is the first time I've seen the video too! He makes cools videos as well as songs! 'Whistle Down the Wind' has a nice video also.

I wish I'd taken his advice though - I'm often a fool for too many people!

Phew, the relief of it all, yes it does. Liking all that Ms U and the previous tension I felt has now left my body. I'll probably now sleep much better tonight knowing all that. So thank you!

The Visitors BTW is their best song EVER!!! IMHO.

Yeh, that was the performance I remember. They didn't go overboard on the costume for that robot.

Yeh, I would say that is about right, around 3 years. Like I said, that episode is the last that I remember seeing. Hopefully I'll be to catch some more episodes now.

I'm new to this thread (and Digital Spy in general), obviously they are not showing the Yewtree connected episodes. Which I get, but am I naive to think they could just cut the presenting out of the affected episodes, so that we could still enjoy the performances of that time?

Don't get me started!

The BBC are in dire need of a good shaking up! I notice they are still employing the obnoxious Chris Evans despite the allegations made against him. However, DLT and Tony Blackburn are deemed not fit for broadcast.

How pathetic is that!

Sorry, but I have to disagree - the most beautiful pop star, long hair or short, has to be Sonya Madan (from Echobelly).

Thanks - another one to add to the list.

I thought it was the lass from the a-ha Take on Me video, Bunty Bailey, but apparently she was in Hot Gossip. Doesn't seem to be a lot of information around on Zoo...

The effort on Thursday's show (with just three on) was an improvement on most of their other performances so far...

I would have thought the same, (and there were discussions about this in earlier posts/threads) but the BBC seem to think that the entire programmes have to be c*ns*r*d.

You mean like the early Polydor promo picture of the band? *narrows eyes* YOU didn't work for Polydor, did you?


She was also 15 when she posed nude for a reposing of a Manet painting, "Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe". Which would cause much consternation and clutching of pearls these days, and rightly so.

Watching the late late show, and Dave Gahan still looks like he's at school, like he's wearing his dad's suit! See You, not their best (as an occasional listener), but not bad.

Followed immediately by the video for Centerfold, by J Geils Band... not seen this in donkeys years, and apparently Geils had the US number 1 single and album at the time, according to Tommy. I can see why it was pushed to the late showing, but one of those tunes that just sticks in your head..."na na na na na naaaa"...

And then onto Modern Romance, who look like they've come from a waiters convention... unusually, it doesn't seem to be a novelty song from them! Still not exactly earth shattering either... featuring 'the queen, the queen, the queen of the rapping scene'...


Tommy Vance still pushing the geek look decades before it became fashionable

Well said!!

I possibly didn't like last evening's episode as much as the previous one, although there isn't anything i dislike as much as AC/DC's ''Let's Get It Up'', but there appears a few too many songs, while not disliking, i don't particularly feel strongly about, one way or the other.

I believe Top Of The Pops very much have had a change of policy, or at the very least varied the idea of always going for an uptempo, and excitable opening song. Fun Boy Three/Bananarama's ''Ain't What You Do'' is a pretty laid back mid tempo song, much like the opening song from a few weeks previously, in ''The Lion Sleeps Tonight''. While i like it, i don't feel especially enthused by it. It was good to see Terry Hall and the boys giving Bananarama an opportunity to raise their profile, by supporting them, though, as it was when Bananarama later returned the favour with ''Really Saying Something''.

The next two tracks, i enjoy a great deal more - The Stranglers ''Golden Brown'' and Bow Wow Wow's ''Go Wild In The Country''. The young Annabella Lwin had a real spark to her vocals, and appearances, and it seems a pity she didn't go on to have a much more lengthy career. Those burundi beats had their origins with the ex members of Adam And The Ants, who were convinced by Malcolm Mclaren to become part of the Bow Wow Wow venture, before Adam had recruited his later members. They were very impressive on the evidence of this song.

Adrian Gurvitz song, ''Classic'' may be well conceived, but it is one song, i disliked at the time, and i can't say i like it particularly now. Apparently, Adrian's true forte was as a guitar player. Like i was saying about George Benson earlier, i may have preferred Adrian more in that role, than here. ''Classic'' is too slushy and middle-of-the-road for me to truly appreciate. I'm not sure it is the most inspired song lyrically, either. I have never especially liked Hall and Oats ''I Can't Go For That'' either. Not that the song is especially bad, but the further we get into the eighties, the more it becomes apparent, the development of more of an eighties sound. I know ''I Can't Go For That'' has been credited with influencing hip hop, because it has been sampled, by many from that genre, which i am a little suspicious, because in its original form, i am not sure it sounds especially revolutionary, or a hip hop forerunner, but contemporary in terms of early eighties production, most definitely. Both ''I Can Go For That'' and J Geils ''Centrefold'' have benefitted no end from the American Hits section of the show, which we are not allowed to see. ''Centrefold'', i like, but as with ''I Can't Go For That'', it would be rather a tall order to say i am especially blown away by it.

Depeche Mode's ''See You'' is much better, for me, and sounds distinctly English, which i think is welcome considering the company it is keeping. I think it is amazing how well the group just seemed to carry on unblinkered, after their chief songwriter, Vince Clarke, up and left. Martin Gore took over the songwriting duties remarkably well, and gradually gave the group a darker, sound with slightly more despairing topics. I think, though, ''See You'' is a great little pop song.

Modern Romance's ''Queen Of The Rapping Scene'' doesn't strike me quite so much as their previous Latin American flavoured hits, but i need to give it perhaps a few more listens.

''A Town Called Malice'' by The Jam is possibly their most commercial sounding single, since ''Going Underground'', and perhaps one of their best. Personally, i don't like it quite as much as the best of their singles up to the 1980 period, although the song was a definite breath of fresh air, after all of those dominant synth chart sounds, which had proved hard to escape from, through 1981. The Jam were back with a more accessible soul influenced number, although the old aggression found within their more typical lyrics and sound, hadn't quite been tempered completely.

Not one of the strongest episodes for me, but it was great to see Tommy Vance back presenting after a short absence.

6/10

Given the current No.1 has been there for 13 weeks a new number 1 would be unbelievable and exciting. heh

Loved Zoo's performance to George Benson's 'Never Give Up On A Good Thing'.

'Go Wild In The Country' is another song I also liked.

Am sure I read once either Keren Woodward or Sara Dallin played on the piano to 'Ain't What You Do' and they commented on how badly they played it!

Was Elkie Brooks singing live? It sounded like she was and if she was she's got a great voice live (well she did back in '82).

As for the Yewtree'd episodes it's a shame the BBC didn't find a 'classic' presenter to introduce the acts (i.e. Peter Powell etc) but some of them are readily available online (even if my skin does crawl when I see certain people!!)

I actually had a dream that The Jam reformed and they were on a cover of a Smash Hits style magazine all dressed in white like Westlife. Woke up and felt sad that Weller had sold out by doing this ......

I think I need help .....

I can completely empathise with the BBC over Savile, although it still seems crazy that we can't just see those yewtreed performances. Attempting to completely write him out of history, when he was the first ever presenter of the show, and possibly the significant major figure in the show's early years, is a pretty much impossible task. Wasn't it he who also devised the name of the show to be ''Top Of The Pops?''. I am not sure it was, but i read somewhere it was alleged to have been. It is a wonder the programme hasn't gone under a new title, if that is the case. It is a wonder we haven't been ushered to never use the name ''Top Of The Pops'' again!

Part of me feels the BBC haven't resurrected the programme because of Saville. Granted the man has done a lot of damage but as you (rightly) point out he can't be airbrushed from history.

Going back to Zoo was that Sid Haywoode who went onto to release 'Roses' in '86?

Yes, Heanor, spot on!

OMD's " Maid of Orleans", which was subtitled "The Waltz Joan of Arc" and was of course in the top ten at the same time as *Golden Brown".

Absolutely! Drake's been No.1 for 13 straight weeks when he was only the biggest 'seller' for the first 3 weeks of that run. He's actually just outside the Top 10 on sales yet gets a 13th week at No.1.

does anyone know if murphys law by cheri makes it onto an ep of totp82

It's featured once on July 1st edition but only danced to by Zoo. At least we will get that one as it's presented by John Peel.

ok thanks

I love that track!

No probs.