It's Louis Armstrong Meets the Sugar Puff Monster; It's Tom Waits!

Tom Waits - Tom Traubert's Blues - 1977



A young looking Tom Waits here, with that even more unbelieveable deep, gruff and powerful singing voice. This a pretty long song, it's "Tom Traubert's Blues" from Waits' 1976 album "Small Change", and is the opening song on the collection. Tom Waits vocal delivery is indeed inspired by Jazz great Louis Armstrong, I didn't realise that before I did the title, honest!

Welcome, to the Magical World of SAW Land, Still Stuck in the 80s as of This Post

The Hitman and Her at Sheffield, 1989 (intro)



This seems a good time to wheel out "Hitman and Her", a now obscure joy, after Pete Waterman's recent step back into the limelight as the "make-a-hit-song-in-15-mins" powerhouse steps to back to claim why he comandeered the biggest wealth of UK Single No.1's in the 80s! Yep with another 80s song for the Eurovision this year, 2010.

We'll talk about Waterman in a later edit, but let's focus on this long clip from this show in Sheffield. Waterman and children's presenter Michaela Strachan host the show, which tours around different nightclubs each Saturday night. As Waterman was behind a  producing trio of record producers and song writers Stock, Aitken and Waterman (SAW). So no surprise, many of the hits played were played came from SAW, artists as famous as Kylie Minogue to one-hit wonders like "The Reynold Girls". They all appeared, questionably live. We hear a remix of Minogue's "Never Too Late" hit. The feautured dancers are on the stage, who play a role as cheerleaders for the clubbers to follow, and visual entertainment, for the half-stewed audience back home. Denim is everywhere, bleeding denim jackets (with thick perms) and all the women are wearing denim shorts, a la, Daisy Duke, and not forgetting that one vital 80s ingredient...lycra! They are lead by "Wiggy", a black dancer wearing a white wig, all the time, every time. Wonder if he goes to bed in that?

There's some unintentional humour in this clip. Surely the 2 male clubbers interviews are parodies? The first guy, as said in a Youtube comment on the video, talks like and has the sleaziness to be Keith Lemon, a 2000s comedy characters invented by comedian Leigh Francis. The second guy, swirling his hips throughout his on-screen appearance, the Chuckle Brother, really thinks he's a hit with the ladies, or will be. The first woman interviewed, Jeanie a part-time glamour model, who looks like American "The Fly" actress Geena Davis. Very classy looking for a glamour model compared to today, that's shocking that. Today it would be a bucketload of eye liner, and the Grand Canyon screaming at you're face!

"The Hitman and Her" ran continuously on Sunday early,early mornings for 4 years from 1988-1992, on the ITV's "Night Time" schedule.

An 80s Song You Can Still Freely Admit to Liking...

Big Audio Dynamite-E=MC2



Former "The Clash" guitarist and singer Mick Jones made a strong start with his new band "Bad Audio Dynamite", with this bouncy hit from the mid-80s, which apart from the obvious synth chorus, has dated quite well, especially from the period it's taken from. The mid-80s was not only the centre of the decade "That taste forgot", but it was in music terms the softest, mushiest and cheesiest part of the decade. The grittiness of Punk music and ska was fading fast, as the economy grew on both sides of the Atlantic, and there was a hell of a lot to be angry about. Also, it was shortly before the likes of rap and house came to the mainstream. You had light pop music called Euro-disco, coming from the likes of Stock, Aitken and Waterman acts like Dead or Alive and Bananarama. Rock music even at this point, appeared cartoonish and over-blown like faux rock chick "Cyndi Lauper", "Heart" and "Bon Jovi". However, "Bad Audio Dynamite" or "BAD", did not fit into this mid-80s mould.

Mick Jones was fired from "The Clash" after much in-fighting and tension between himself and lead singer Joe Strummer. He never returned. However Jones did collaberate with Strummer on the second BAD album in 1986's "No. 10, Upping St.". However, one of their best songs seen here, "E=MC2" is from their 1985 debut album "This Is Big Audio Dynamite". The original group members, also seen in the video, consisted of Mick Jones, Don Letts(sound effects & vocals), Dan Donovan (keyboards), Leo Williams (bass & vocals), Greg Roberts (drums & vocals).

The song is known as the first example of "highly defined sampling technologies". The song uses talking samples from a a film known as 1970's "Performance" directed by English film director Nicholas Roeg. The music video also contain film clips from various other Roeg movies. The song reached a peak high of No.11 on the UK Singles chart. However the album didn't do as well, peaking at No.27. in the UK album charts. Their second aforementioned album performed better, at No.11. By 1990, Mick Jones reformed his band with a completely new set-up, with only himself the original member. So BAD II, got off to an even better start, with a No.1 hit single in the US charts "Rush", well, only the modern Rock US charts. The feel of the band was more like "The Clash", consisting of Nick Hawkins (guitar and background vocals), Gary Stonadge (bass and background vocals) and Chris Kavanagh (drums and background vocals).

The band slightly changed it's name to "Big Audio" for a short while, but hasn't achieved any real amount of success. In 1998, their record label Radioactive Records, refused to release their "Entering a New Ride" album after disagreements. The band released it for free from their website. Pretty much years before Radiohead or Prince released an album for free.

Last Sighting on TV of a Music Legend...

Freddie Mercury Last Appearance 1990



Good but short upload of the legendary lead singer of British Rock band "Queen", Freddie Mercury (birth name: Farrokh Bulsara) last ever TV appearance, a year and a half before his death from AIDS on November 24th 1991. Queen receive the "Outstanding Contribution" Award at the 1990 Brit Awards, the British Phonographic Industry's celebration of modern pop music. Guitarist Brian May does most of the speaking on behalf of Queen. Freddie handles the award, but only speaks the words "Thank you, goodnight" at the end. The other members of the band present here, were Roger Taylor and John Deacon.

By this point, Freddie Mercury was losing weight since contraction of AIDS in 1987. You can see that now, but at the time, the general public did not know he was suffering from AIDS, but many suspected it, including the newspapers. He was asked himself in an 1987 interview whether he had AIDS and it was denied, claiming to have been tested negative. Mercury was a very private man, but he did not fear people knowing of his sexuality according to some reports. It wasn't until a day before he died, Freddie Mercury released a public statement through Queen's manager Jim Beach.

Mercury, known as one of the most charismatic singers and entertainers in the music business ever. Freddie Mercury and Queen were still producing records and albums into those 2 last years of his life, along with some solo efforts from Freddie including "Barcelona" the official song (and name of Mercury's solo album) for the 1992 Summer Olympics, in duet with Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé. However, the band were still going strong with the album "Innuendo", with the very last poignant single release and music video being "These Are the Days of Our Lives", Freddie Mercury's last performance on film. His final last words, at the end of the song was "I still love you".

Beatlemania Explodes!

The Beatles Mersey Sound 1963



"The Mersey Sound" was a one-off BBC special documentary profiling none other than the legendary 4-man band "The Beatles", and in this clip, well it shows The Beatles singing live a cover of the 1962 "Top Notes" song "Twist and Shout" to an audience of manic, screaming teenage girls, but not only that, fascinating coverage of the masses of people running and wanting to touch any one of the "Fab Four". Unbelieveable. 1963 was The Beatles at this stupendously stage of uber-popularity, reaching not only in their hometown of Liverpool and the UK, but reaching the far corners of the world, including breaking in America. Then we hear one of The Beatles (and Britain's) biggest ever single hits "She Loves You"...along with more hysteria. This live act footage was filmed at the Little Theatre, Houghton Street, Southport.

This documentary was originally shown on October 9th 1963, and was a 36 minute special, not only featuring The Beatles cast of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, but the film also covers 2 much lesser known rock/pop bands, "Group One" who were the opening act for The Beatles, and also "The Undertakers".

As regard to "The Beatles", Lennon and McCartney were the brains of the band, who plied their hand into writing all of their original songs such as "She Loves You". The Lennon/McCartney wrote a whopping 180 songs between the period of 1962 to 1969. However, they mostly worked by their own, writing the music and words, each song more relating to one rather than the two, however a double team effort was always needed to push that song as "all clear" for the band. They had been writing songs together since their teens. There is of course the infamous dispute of in the writing credits of whose name should come first! Naturally Lennon would come first, if in alphabetical order, but in the early days they would be reversed too, but this issue has angered John Lennon's wife Yoko Ono's wife after his death, as McCartney seemed to lean on having his name first on all the Beatles songs, and claiming it wouldn't have bothered Lennon in the first place. Although McCartney now says, he's over it, he still bloody does to this day...

The members of the band each had different roles of course, with McCartney on vocal, I can't say lead vocal, as Lennon was heavily involved with the singing too. McCartney would also be on bass guitar, Lennon on rhythm guitar, while George Harrison was the backing or harmony vocal with the lead guitar, and lastly Ringo on the drums, as we see on the clip.

Pet Shop Boys? Boring? Never!

Pet Shop Boys-Being boring



"Being Boring" is a great little song from the musical duo of the Pet Shop Boys, with this hit at the turn of the decade, after their peak in the mid-late 80s with big hits like "West End Girls" in 1985, Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) in 1986 and an Elvis Presley cover song "Always On My Mind" in 1987.

From their 1990 album "Behaviour", this song witnessed a calm down from the cheery 80s synth, and was a more subdued effort from singer/speaker Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, however it's also a very personal and emotional account of friends and colleagues who are no longer with us, in their case, friends and colleagues who had died of AIDS, which was a sexually transmitted disease that came to the UK's shores in the 1980s. The song conveys an almost chronological history of a life beginning from the 1920s to the 1970s and the 1990s.

In this November 1990 act on TOTP, singer Neil Tennant hosts an inquisitive and detective looking long, leather coat, glasses and a small hat, passing the era when large round hats were in fashion in the late-80s (think Pete Waterman's babes "Mel and Kim").

Attack of the Giant Perm! It's T'PAU!

T'Pau - China in Your Hand (Live on The Roxy '87)



Another post from ITV's favourite short-lived flunky series "The Roxy" (1987-88). This time we get to see the presenters cockpit (grimy looking cocktail bar). Here we see former Top of thr Pops presenter David Jensen and Irish-born Kevin Sharkey. The setting for "The Roxy", what can I say, looks like an Victorian theatre raped by 80s idealism. Ouch.

The clip starts off with a cut-off chart rundown, all fairly good acts there, Shakin' Stevens and The Proclaimers, and then we T'Pau who were No.1 with their big hit "China In Your Hand". Lead singer Carole Decker, with the appropiately large 80s perm, ticking off all the major ingreadients for an 80s power ballad, big earrings, check, shoulder pads, check, big voice, check. It's a great song though.

Also, there's a reference on-screen, to the old "Oracle" which was taken over by "Teletext" a good 4/5 years later.

T'Pau were a British Pop/Rock band with Carole Decker as the face of the band, and only singer. "China In Your Hand" was taken from their debut album "Bridge of Spies", and it lasted 5 weeks as the No.1 Single in the UK. Jensen guarantees, at the end of this episode, that there will be a new No.1 next week. Was he right? Yes, the new No.1 hit the charts 2 days earlier, and it was another famous hit from the 80s. The Pet Shop Boys with a cover version of "Always on My Mind".

T'Pau quickly fizzled out after their first album with success on both sides of the Atlantic, with alternate singles doing well on one side, and unfancied on the other. For the Brits, "China In Your Hand" and for the Americans, it was "Heart and Soul". The band had a string of other hit singles in the UK, but became known as a one hit wonder in the US. After the album flops of 1988's "Rage" and 1991's "The Promise", the band split up in 1991. However the band was re-formed with a new line-up including Decker, for an 1998 album, which didn't release any singles. The band continues, mostly turning up on 80s nostalgia musical compilation concerts, and Decker has appeared in a couple of reality shows.

Help!....Me, From this Dodgy Live Routine!

Bananarama - Help (Live 1989)



Yes, it's another post from the same 1989 Comic Relief Telethon, this time discussing the charity single of the campaign. This, terrible, terrible live routine, featuring the UK's biggest girl's pop band Bananarama, who were in hindsight on their last legs, with the charity single "Help" a cover from The Beatles song of the same title. In Comic Relief's early days, the charity singles were comedy sonfgs featuring some of the big names of that time. The 3 girls of "Bananarama", Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin, and Jacquie O'Sullivan(who replaced original member Siobhan Fahey in 1988), sang alongside comedienne's French and Saunders, along with a relatively unknown Kathy Burke, who interpret Bananarama in their own comedic terms, calling themselves "Lananeeneenoonoo".

The song itself, actually sounds good minus the French and Saunders shouting "DOWN DOOOWWWWNNN" in every chorus, while their talking part are bearable in the studio version of the song. The talking parts don't make sense, unless you have watched or remembered the music video, but still the "I'll a little bit bottom-y, I'm a little bit top-py". It just sounds like complete verbal diarrhea! There is a version somewhere without "Lananeeneenoonoo's" parts but only on mp3, have I found it. However, this live version of the song sounds godawful, and the dancing/choreography, if you can call it that, so cringeworthy, I mean, the dry humping. Please no!

Also one of the bandana men in denims and vests is Rowland Rivron, who has popped up on Television now and again, usually in bit-parts presenting, but mainly passing comment in interviews and countless nostalgia/showbiz documentaries/Countdown shows.

As I said, by 1989, Bananarama were past their peak by this point, the replacement of Siobhan Fahey seemed to be a turning point. Their best-known hits like "Venus" and "Love in the Third Degree" and "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." all came before this era. However, "Help!" was their last ever Top Ten hit in the UK, and reached an impressive 3rd spot on the UK Singles Chart. The song itself does have a catchy beat, and well, if it did send Del Boy and co. in rapture singing along to it in the "Jolly Boys Outing", it did something right!

Kissy Wissy's for the UK from Jacko...

Michael Jackson Christmas Message TOTP 1995



A special message from the late, and of course great "King of Pop" Michael Jackson. This was at the time he was on the recovering side, from the child sex abuse allegation that were made in 1993. Icelandic singer Bjork and English comedian Jack Dee introduce a recorded message from MJ. The music video that features for a few seconds at the end, is the 1995 hit "You Are Not Alone", that features -not shown- Jackson posing almost in the buff, along with similarly unclothed, real-life wife at the time Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of another great and late, Elvis Presley, in a relationship that was mostly criticised for being "all for show" and headline grabbing. The relationship didn't last and they divorced 2 years later.

Jackson at this point, was past his peak in his musical influence, and the recent scandal had much reduced his popularity within the murky proceedings, and this is when he began being regarded as "Wacko Jacko". Although he was still regarded as an icon and legend, it felt at the time, no longer fashionable to quote you're love for Michael Jackson. It's changed very much since then, but maybe it was always meant to be after the death of such a showman. Anyway, in this period, as shown in the clip, Jackson has unusually short, but wavy hair, much like short at the bottom, wavy from the top, rather than the flowing locks of before, or the frizzy perms and afros, he had in the 70's and 80's. Despite what Jackson was portrayed as, since the child abuse scandals, right up to his death, the song "You Are Not Alone" was a No.1 hit in both the US and UK. It actually became one of his best-selling singles, and his album "History" was no dud either, with some other big hit songs. It was to be Jackson's last No.1 in the US, however he hit the top of the UK singles chart again in the same year, with "The Earth Song".

Dreamy, Early 90's House Music of Which Such Beauty Hoisted by Non-Conforming Female Head Gear

Opus III - Its A Fine Day [totp2]



This is one of the more memorable 90's acts on TOTP. The unique looking act was headed by vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw, along with Kevin 'The Fly' Dodds, Ian Munro and Nigel 'Spider' Walton providing the tune. A highlight of the house/techno movement in the late-80's and early 90's, was their huge hit "It's A Fine Day", a No.1 in the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart (in other words, some secondary-tier US chart), and a peak of No.5 in the UK Singles Chart. The song has a liberal and loving feel to it. That's because the members of the group themselves felt strongly about the environment. This was a time when the environment, really did become a big issue. The song came from the debut album of "Mind Fruit". The song is a cover of the 1983 song of the same name, by Jane & Barton.

One complaint of the British music industry in the early 90's was, it was dominated by faceless dance/house acts, with only good/great music but no individual star potential. Oh, not Opus III. Here we see an almost naked Kirsty Hawkshaw....at the top bearing a mohawk, with some truly weird beads/seashells/robot worms resting on her fringe and forehead respectively, and is squeezed into a tight black catsuit, with some jazzy hands.

This wasn't the only Opus III performance of the same song, but it's not on youtube. In this clip, there are a couple of spinning metallic balls in the group of small monitor screen at the the back of the set. Well, in the other performance, she is singing the song as well as spinning metallic balls (2 or 3) in her hand at the same time. Some talent that. Seriously, I thought it was one of the most weirdest but compelling music acts I have ever seen. The success of the Opus III was short-lived, and they broke up after their second album. Kirsty Hawkshaw, now has hair, looooong hair, plus she looks better like that anyway. Hawkshaw did a new remake of the song in 2002, and is still singing to this day.

Late-50's Crooning from a Forgotten Star...

Six Five Special Michael Holliday



Now Stretching the music genre to the 1950's, with a short-lived BBC live music show called "Six-Five Special". Promising British crooner here, Michael Holliday, sings "Love You Darlin'" accompanied by Don Lang and his Frantic Five, the resident band of the show.

The "Six-Five Special", ran from 1957-1958, a good year and a half actually. The reason for the titles, is because the show ran at 5 past six in the evening, hence the snazzy "Six-Five". Presented by radio DJ Pete Murray. This was the first programme to feature between 6pm-7pm on a Saturday evening. You know why? Because in this hour the BBC would shut down, marking the "Toddler Truce", a designated time when the parents should be tucking their small children in bed. Changed times!

The show was only suppoesed to run for six weeks, but it became very popular. However it was short-lived, because of arguments between show producer Jack Good and the BBC over what the content of the show should be, whether it would be purely live music or a magazine-type format. The most known performers on this show, were Petula Clarks, Lonnie Donegan & Cleo Laine. Their was also comedy performers on the show including Spike Milligan and Bernie Winters.

Michael Holliday was a popular British singer in the late-50's and early-60's. He had 2 UK No.1 hits, which were "The Story of My Life" and "Starry Eyed". He arguably, commited suicide from a drugs overdose, in 1963. He was believed to have suffered stage fright, and had a mental breakdown in 1961. So really, he would've probably have been more well-known if not for his tragic circumstances.

Pans People Say Goodbye..Am I Seeing What I am Seeing?

Pans People last dance TOTP 1976



Pans People go out in a blaze of glory, as they present their artistic musical interpretation of the song for the very last time. Are they wearing next to nothing with star glitter on their cajones, or is that craftily skin-coloured gear? This last group consists of Mary Corpe, Cherry Gillespie, Sue Menhenick,Ruth Pearson (the only remaining original member of Pan's People)
and Lee Ward. The group were still in demand despite being dumped by TOTP.

Belated New Year Programming...

BBC2 Continuity into New Year 1997 & Start of Hootenanny



The first edition of the Ident and Continuity section, welcome! It's the turn of the New Year of 1997, when a thinner-looking, almost live Jools Holland presents his annual Hootenanny, the same format as "Later...with Jools Holland", but an extra treat with a bumper assemble of musicians to please us, as well as a variously boozed-up celebrity ridden-audience in some jovial banter segements. A frankly cooler alternative to the BBC 1's tartan-sozzled - and still is, to this day - Carol "Changing Rooms" Smiley, and Gordon "stooooneeybridge" Kennedy, presenting superteam. Other programmes featured in the continuity, were "The O Zone", "Brothers and Sisters" "The Simpsons" and "Singled Out". I remember "Singled Out", it was god awful.

Cheestasm at 1980's music TV Show "The Roxy"

Dollar - Oh L'Amour



Ok, we see dancing here, so bad it's good, but the song is pretty good, which was the music male-female duo's last ever hit, in 1988. David Van Day and Thereza Bazaar infact. They have the music group Erasure, to thank for the song, as it's a cover of their 1986 version. In the background, we see what looks like a dummy getting electrocuted by lightning strikes, well, there are some people who would gladly volunteer to be, in the face of "Dollar". However, seriously, one of my guilty pleasures.

"The Roxy" was a very short-lived ITV music show with live acts, running from 1987-1988. I'm taking a good guess this is from 1988, as although the song was published in 1987, it didn't reach the Singles Chart high of No.7 until early '88. The show, presented by former "Top of the Pops" host David Jenson and Irish actor/artist(?) Kevin Sharkey (no relation to Feargal Sharkey). It was an ill-fated attempt to rival the BBC's TOTP. The lack of regular schedule broadcasting times, and the location being in the far-flung north in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, many mainstream acts snubbed the show.

The show was axed after an industrial dispute which gave them no license to broadcast live performances. A hopeful successor to Channel 4's "The Tube", it wasn't.

Also, slightly off-topic, but back in the late-80's from what I can gather, there were a whole host of nightclubs, named "The Roxy". Seemed to be loads of these. The name was not taken from the show itself, but the well-known, popular "The Roxy" nightclub based in New York City.

Youtube Music Sweepstake

The Tube - Depeche Mode - 'See You' 1982



This was Depeche Mode's first single release after the departure of Vince Clarke in November 1981. Clarke was a highly significant member of the group, having wrote their last 3 hit songs including "Just Can't Get Enough". The departure was to problems over the direction of the band. Well, with this single they did better than ever, and probably their most critically revered era was still to come...

Jimi Hendrix - Top of the Pops 1967 - Purple Haze



Short clip of Hendrix from TOTP, but still classic. Watch out for the smoozy American narrator as he libs sexually suggestive remarks about his action on the guitar.

Old Grey Whistle Test - the Pogues - Streams of Whiskey



Ah, the Old Grey Whistle Test, and this song is a right "knee-slapper". From 1986, near the end of show's shelf life, starring one of the most famous Irish tradional music bands, "The Pogues". The band formed in 1982 under the leadership of singer Shane MacGowan. MacGowan brought great vocal punk energy and vigour to the act. The song is from their 1984 album "Red Roses for Me". The Pogues peaked in 1989, not only for the 1989 album "Peace and Love", but his solo duet (make sense?) with the late Kirsty MacColl for the very timeless and popular "Fairytale of New York". MacGowan split from the group in 1991, then the group broke up in 1996, then they reunited in 2001, but with little success so far.