Maybe I should change my opinion because thinking about it there were more original singles around in 1982 than 1983 from bands like the Associates. I probably have a soft spot for 1983 because that's the first year I can remember in terms of pop music.

We had that on TOTP with All About Eve- I hope they show that if the runs get to 1988!

If you enjoy the music of 1983 more than some other years then that's perfectly fine. You don't need to change your mind on the music you like just because someone else says they're not keen on it for their own reasons.

Viva 1983.

Viva 1984.

Viva 1987.

Viva 1981.

Viva 1989.

Viva 1986.

Viva 1980.

Viva 1982

Viva 1985.

Viva 1988.

Viva any music from any year you enjoy.

The first half of 83, i like more than the second half. There were a few really good singles about (I always had a soft spot for The Belle Stars ''Sign Of The Times'', Orange Juice's ''Rip It Up'', and The Style Council's ''Speak Like A Child'' etc). I thought the charts started to take a dive, though, from around September of that year onwards. Billy Joel's ''Uptown Girl'' being No 1, irritated the hell out of me, and that included the video. Same with Lionel Richie's ''All Night Long''. Things really began to get very slick in terms of music, and video presentation around that point, and i found that all an instant turn off. Of course, there were always exceptions, but in general i felt pop was becoming corporate like never before. The Story Of Top Of The Pops preview for 1983, seemed to stress 1983 was the rise of indie, and especially with The Smiths, which may be true, but what i remember most vividly is those acts, like The Cure with ''Lovecats'' and Siouxsie And The Banshees with their cover of The Beatles ''Dear Prudence'', edging ever further into the mainstream. Conservatism, for me, on the whole summed up the musical sounds of 1983.

I'm of the opinion there's good and bad singles & albums in anyYear since the inception of the charts.

I'm sure you don't limit your listening experiences to a number of specific Years or Genres as it would mean excluding a lot of good music along the way, and for yourself to miss out on some yet-to-be-discovered classics.

I'd agree with Jedikiah in that 1983 onwards was beginning the slow insidious corporate domination of the charts & the packaging of artists to become a commodity that's so prevalent in 2016, but I think to maybe a lesser degree that's always gone on in the history of music.

I don't think it necessarilymeans the quality suffers, & to deny yourself listening to tracks between a certain period of time would mean you're missing out on one hell of a lot of good stuff.

We all have musical preferences, but discover what works for you & have fun in the process would be my advice....

My favourite era is 1979 to 1984, approx age 11 to 16.

I think from that age just growing up, starting secondary school, meeting new friends, becoming more aware of music, developing my own taste and finding put about different bands and genres.

It was a great time to be a young teenager, and I agree with Jedikah that the mid to late 80s were more corporate and somehow more bland, but maybe that's because I was getting older (well 17-21!) and the shine of being excited by the charts etc had worn off a little.

On that cynical note, I can say that 82 is a particular favourite due to the 4 Jam tracks in the charts.

Interesting.


As is that.


Love it. Never seen that before.

I was quite looking forward to a Pops tomorrow, but nope, seems we'll have to wait 'til Friday.

BIB - Adrian Gurvitz had a hand in writing 'England, We'll Fly The Flag' on the flipside of the single recorded by the 1982 England World Cup Squad (which he also produced) but had no such involvement with 'This Time (We'll Get It Right)' which AFAIK was the only song from the Double A sided single shown on TOTP and written by Chris Norman and Pete Spencer of Smokie.

Although I clearly recall watching his second appearance with 'Classic' on the next Simon Bates edition, the record completely passed me by at the time - however on hearing it played on Radio 2 a couple of years later I appreciated the song and still like it to this day (which I think makes four of us on here ).

Adrian Gurvitz's corkscrew "mullet" has apparently all fallen out now, judging by this recent clip of him promoting audio equipment in which he gives a potted history of his musical career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoL9MdMNsL4


I saw the 'Nobody's Fool' video for the first time in 2011 on Vintage TV but it won't be shown on BBC Four as it featured on a Jimmy Savile episode albeit in truncated form; the video quality in the TOTP link below is not brilliant but better than the grainy picture in the earlier post and you can see Patsy Kensit who at the time was dating Nick Heyward (her first celebrity boyfriend) more clearly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdibfHZ3zwA


Don't know about you but this is not my idea of heaven.

http://media.breitbart.com/media/201...pe-640x480.jpg

This is in response to Faversham saint who had commented just above on one of my posts from earlier in the thread. If you're not keen on a bit of off-topic politics then feel free to skip it.



Using such a propagandist image just shows how deeply one single issue shadowed much of the campaigning in the run up to the referendum. It meant the bigger picture was completely lost.

The UK leaving the EU doesn't solve the migrant crisis. If anything, it'll make it harder to manage as resources and policies will now be split. This will put more people already suffering great hardship into further and prolonged difficulty. This is a humanitarian issue and not something that magically goes away just because the UK is no longer in the EU.

In terms of economic/skilled migrants here, the levels of entry into the UK will either remain the same or increase as we live in a country with its economy based in the network of globalisation. Equally, UK citizens will go to live and/or work in other countries around the world at similar levels but have now lost certain freedoms awarded them by being EU citizens in a number of countries across Europe.

Rather than take the thread further off topic (and because I want to go to bed) you can read what I said down in the politics section of the forum a couple of weeks ago and respond there if you wish...

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...54&postcount=1

I've found an interview with one of the members of Zoo, Jeanette Landry, who performed on their final appearance on TOTP on 27th September 1983. I think she's already appeared with Zoo in 1981 and 1982 although I'm not sure.

http://www.post-punk.com/artwork-of-...lus-interview/

Ooh - sounds good!

I'm just back off my holidays today & I thought I would be back in time for this Thursday's TOTP - only to realise it's on tomorrow instead!! - Oh well - it will give me time to catch up on this week's forum posts!

Yes - changed for the worse! (in particular the end of 1983)


True!


Same here - except I would swap 1983 for 1984 as being my least favourite year!


I agree!



...I was at a school reunion recently, where 80s music played an important part of my school days. Unfortunately, I was reminded that very few of my school friends were enthusiastic about pop/rock music - let alone the music I was into.

Thank goodness for University & like minded people on the internet!

If i were to be pinned down, i'd say 1979, from beginning to end, is the most consistent year, of these Top Of The Pops repeats, with so many great songs. I just really love the Post Punk/New Wave sounds, like Gary Numan, The Police, Elvis Costello, Blondie, Squeeze, and also there was some fine disco/soul, in the shape of Earth, Wind And Fire, The Village People, Chic, and Sister Sledge (and a whole lot more!). For me, all these acts seemed to reach an absolute peak in this period, although of course, i would extend it to include a period of 1978, and the first part of 1980, too, as being exceptional (can't forget Kate Bush, The Boomtown Rats, The Jam and Dexys, Two Tone and the Mod revival).I tend to think there was just an extra sparkle in this period, and the Post Punk/New Wave sounds still had a rawness and vitality to them, which i loved, which would begin to fade a little by 1981, when synth pop/electro pop took over. However, watching these repeats, 1981 has proved much better than i remember at the time, and 1982, although i don't think overall is as consistent as 1981 week in, week out, there do seem more individual standout tracks i enjoy, perhaps, than 81. I still find it difficult, mind, to compare 1982 favourably with 1979, although i think it would be wise of me to shut up in that regard, until we've reached the end of the year where we've viewed all the available episodes!

Ursula, I have noticed of late this forum is rather quieter than it used to be. It might be partly down to you being away, although Rich Tea has been rather inconsistent in his posting of late, and starry, who's posts i always enjoy, and who i like a good exchange of views with, has been quiet too. I hope 1982 isn't proving a bit of a turn off!

No - I wouldn't think it is about 1982. I just think it is the Summer period in general, when we are all out & about more and not online as much. TOTP nights are still usually quite busy on here. - Also remember over July & August, TOTP is usually off air (for the Proms etc) so less people may realise it's still on now.

I hope you had a nice break, by the way!

You may be right about the summer months. A week or two back, i'd say it was definitely the referendum, which had taken up everyone's attention, and although there have been more posters writing in the last week or so, it still seems a little quiet.

That's a great find, not least the clip of her dancing to Unique's 'What I Got Is What You Need' (one of the last chart singles for Prelude Records, as I recall) … which must have taken place around the same time she was collaborating with the Banshees' Steve Severin and The Cure's Robert Smith on The Glove album.

One for The Story Of 1983, if we get there!

Yes, it think I know what you mean about 1979. For me, it was the year I started Secondary school and my main memory of that era and into 1980 was the two tone/mod era. I think because I had never heard that style before and it just fitted the social/economic time.

Kate Bush is my favourite female artist, love The Man with the Child in his Eyes.

Me too, actually prefer it to Wuthering Heights.

Me three (regarding Kate) - but Wuthering Heights will always be the more unique & original, superior song to me!

I think if TMWTCIHE was released first, it would've been lost amongst the other new releases of the time or at the the very most been a minor Top 30 hit.

Thanks - it was planned so I would be back in time for TOTP - which isn't on tonight!

I went to one in 2004, it was fantastic. I saw Bananarama, Go West and Neville Staples and some good tribute acts including Fakin' Stevens

Top of the Pops 4th February 1982

Our head Zoo-keeper for tonight's entertainment is the unflappable & sardonic John Peel, an absolute legend who's presentation style is both relaxed, authoratative and understated. No jigging whatsoever as JP doesn't need to, so without further ado..

Item 1 on the agenda

(40) THEATRE OF HATE – Do You Believe In The Westworld?

This always sounded to me like a slightly speeded up & modernised version of Crazy Horses by the Osmonds with the track's driving guitar, but by comparison this one had little horse power.

I like tracks a little bit out of the ordinary & remember this one well, but the Great British Record buying public agreed the track was so out of the ordinary they didn't buy it.

I think if you had to put a case forward as a teenager, nagging your parents to watch Top of the Pops for the first time this definitely wasn't the best opener to persuade them to permanently change from Emmerdale Farm. Kirk Brandon carries his performance with a swagger a bit like Joe Strummer, but doesn't have the most varied tone, the yelping not helping half way through which might be irksome but nowhere near the irritation factor of the wooping & hollering from the infernal Zoo.

More of that later unfortunately. Decent stab but probably more at home on "The Tube".

We cut back to JP introducing the next turn with a bestockinged lady decked out in a Legs & Co. cast-off from the rootin' tootin' Ottawan routine. Yeeeeeee-haw!

(6) ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK – Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Joan Of Arc)

The intro of the track & the sight of the "McCluskey Flail" couldn't have put many people off as this single & the superb Architecture & Morality album were really burning up the charts. A highlight for me but pretentious for some, it's hard to resist not tapping a foot to the driving rhythm when it winds up & a near impossibility not to sing along with the "Der Der Der....Der Der Der....Der Derrrrr....Der Dee Derrrr" of the melody if it comes on the radio.

There's no point denying it, we've all done it!

Full marks also to the audience member doing some 'air drumming' (In time too, unlike the real one) & Andy McC not demolishing the mic stand mid-flail. I enjoy most of OMD's material, but suspect like many I suffer from overfamiliarity of tracks in their catalogue such as "Locomotion" (slightly unfairly), but that's only down to lack of imagination by Radio playlisters. I suspect however OMD don't mind the PRS cheques!

Their lesser known tracks "So In Love" and "Secret" I have a particular fondness for their melodic content...

OMD "So In Love"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD8TApX3btM

OMD "Secret"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtYre1GABao

JP introduces us to some rudimentary Frenglish, thankfully not whilst wearing a horizontally striped jumper & a string of onions whilst impersonating the accent with "Hau-hee-hau-hee-hau", which I suspect our resident Cliff Richard impressionist Mike Read would've almost certainly done.

(47) THE JETS – Love Makes The World Go Round

I used to have one of those jacket/cardigan combos, but not in that shade of yellow visible from space & sponsored by Fyffes bananas the Jets are wearing which are more No-De-No than Hi-De-Hi. Mine was pastel blue as I remember & washed very well indeed at lower temperatures, but I digress.

I quite like some different takes on tracks & think the Jets gave this one some beans compared to the Perry Como original, but the band & concept were a one trick pony, albeit an enjoyable toe-tapping one.

Fair play for the effort trying to make this one more distinctive by featuring an accompanying hand-jive complete with a sedentary booted Fairbrass, many of whom on here would agree he looks more than capable of 'holding his own' in any hand-jive competition

I enjoyed it & overall a good job, but "I'll have a copyright claim please Bob"

(click)....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z_uqL8opW8

Next up....Ruddy hell, its....

(20) SOFT CELL – Say Hello Wave Goodbye (video)

Torch I suspect was in seventh heaven along with almost all other forumites for this barbed tale of a relationship gone wrong for a bachelor visitor to a dodgy cocktail bar with an even dodgier (only in the 80's) title of the 'Pink Flamingo'. What kind of establishment could that possibly be? It's possible it could be the same one Susan Sulley from the League developed her waitressing skills before Phil Oakey picked her up, shook her down & turned her around, presumably in a Rover SD1 as it's only down the road from Leeds to Sheffield.

The gent in the lyrics should've known the lass he met wouldn't be a match made in heaven due to the company she keeps and the lyrical hints at her occupation, but the pay off for us is a truly fantastic track.

Bleak and unpretentiously honest, and one I suspect will make many forumites Top 10's. And rightly so.

(25) GILLAN – Restless

It's a risky business being a member of a rock band on TOTP as there's constant friendly fire courtesy of the Pyrotechnics Department. Gillan unwisely trusted them to get the cordite right and the audience are treated to a 3-minute recreation of the Battle of Waterloo. Thankfully the shrapnel never reaches the audience & a PTSD claim from the Gillan drummer proved unsuccessful.

Hang on, I knew I'd forgot something... the music! The cover of "New Orleans" was a Top tune in '81 and although this one won't reach the same heights, personally I thought it was a pretty decent track, Ian Gillan giving it raucous vocals and backed by a solid & dependable band.

For some reason I thought the bald guitarist has the look of one of them dodgy geezers you have to see to get overpriced tickets for New Years' Eve in a pub, but I digress (again)(R).

(12) SHAKATAK – Easier Said Than Done

A mate of mine I used to work with referred to his toiletry activities as 'going for a Shakatak'. I suspect the activity he was referring to was going for the runner up position in the Top 40 rather than 'hitting the top spot', but I didn't want to delve further so this mystery remains mercifully unsolved.

A second turn on the Pops fell fortunately for JP as 'me old mate' & ex-BBC studio manager Bill Sharpe appeared, although a few Years later Gary Numan would seemingly develop an extreme allergy whilst working with Sharpe, when Numan's hair turned blue and he began to look like a negative.

Exhibit A
https://www.discogs.com/Sharpe-And-N...release/403973

The cameraman obviously got bored filming Shakatak & focussed his attentions on Greco-Roman Zoo #27, as presumably he was admiring the quality of stitch finishing on her dress. I was concentrating on Sharpe's 'ivory tinkling' & it's no word of a lie.

Lookout for the bloke at the back with the 'tache & the party hat near the screen, a recent successful graduate from the McCluskey School of Dance.

Shakatak for me are at the tolerable end of the Jazz spectrum as they sway more towards soul, so this one gets the thumbs up.

Nnnnnnnnice.

(14) AC/DC – Let’s Get It Up (video)

Ah, love is a sweet and tender flower which carefully nurtured can blossom and bloom into perfect shared unity. Or you could be AC/DC & therefore your intentions may be less than gentlemanly & the end result is a shotgun wedding as a result of going for a quickie with a groupie behind a kebab shop.

AC/DC have some fantastic licks courtesy of Angus Young & inhabit gravelly-voiced Rock nirvana with Brian Johnson, but on occasion drift into becoming a parody of themselves. This is such an occasion, as on close inspection this track would seem to be the inspiration for Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom".

Let's examine the lyrical evidence...

Loose lips sink ships
So come aboard for a pleasure trip
It's high tide, so let's ride
The moon is rising and so am I
Cruising on the seven seas
A pirate of my loving needs
I'll never go down, never go down
So let's get it up
Let's get it up, get it right up
Let's get it up, right to the top
Let's get it up, right now

Mills & Boon it ain't & I'm amazed Angus Young's head hasn't fallen off by now.

(15) XTC – Senses Working Overtime

XTC I thought would fit in beautifully as top billing at the Trumptonshire Music Festival over at Windy Miller's gaff, such is the unique Englishness vibe they exude. A great British band. As previously mentioned it's not a favourite of mine due to the Partridge nasally slow whyyyyyyyy-nyyyyyy bits contained within, but XTC do an excellent confident stompy performance on the show nonetheless.

As a bonus, Andy P states all the world is biscuit shaped which I'm sure will please Rich Tea no end when he returns.

(21) GEORGE BENSON – Never Give Up On A Good Thing

It's that time of the show folks we all look forward to, but the chap & chapesses do a decent routine, nicely done with the lucky bloke getting 'close but no cigar' with Sidney Haywoode. The track is classic soul/dance & I like most George Benson's material c. Give Me The Night, although this one's nay bad either.

Unfortunately, the whole song is ruined by what sounds like a pack of screaming hyenas being chased by rampaging Red Indians, with random Tourettes un-subtitleable shouting thrown in for good measure.

That'll teach George Benson not to make a video or get his arse on a plane.

(7) CHRISTOPHER CROSS – Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) (video)

A Wika-dee Wika-dee Wika-dee Wack!

He might not be one of the world's most handsome or charismatic performers, but I find Kris Kross' voice a tonic even though by some he's regarded as a bit dull. This track for me I find just 'OK', benefitting hugely by a leg up from the Arthur film.

His self-titled album with Michael McDonald's backing vocals seem more evocative of the sound he aimed for. You can almost smell the seaweed of West Coast America, or it could be bullshit.

“Sailing” & “Ride Like the Wind” are my highlights of his back catalogue (R).

(1) KRAFTWERK – The Model (video)

Unbelievably 3 Years old by this point, Kraftwerk finally got the recognition they deserved with this stunning piece of electronica, together with the equally good flipside Computer Love.

"The Man Machine" album, along with the much sampled "Trans-Europe Express" still remain IMO a blueprint for most modern music even after nearly 40 Years, and are rightly lauded. For officionados of Electro, the Francois Kevorkian 12'' Remix of "Tour de France" takes some beating (R).

Clickety...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV1Qmd07NmQ

(5) MEAT LOAF – Dead Ringer For Love (crowd dancing)

Presenting's no job for a claustrophobic in these adverse conditions, but JP makes it to the end despite no obvious exit strategy.

The WMD laser in Herr Hurll's arsenal looks like it's had a major upgrade from last Week's test kettling of Alton Edwards, so much so it now looks more like the prototype for the latest planet-destroying Death Star than a weapon of entertainment in the studio arena. The lights dim in the studio any time it's used in anger so it's probably not too effective, apart from on Alton Edwards which is a good thing.

More forensically analysed foibles coming to a forum near you soon & an 8/10.

JP a refreshing change & there was no "bomber for your ears and eyes as well" which is always a bonus...

Nos da pop pickers

Ha ha love it!

I hope he sang "This New House", "It's Early" & my personal favourite, "Cold Dog"

What about "Red Door" and "Oh Judy"?