We open (at least I think we do, my TiVo started a bit late) with a Blondie video for Atomic. On the unedited version I may have missed Shakin Stevens making his debut with Hotdog. Lots to enjoy with Blondie. Debbie literally looks great in a bin bag. There’s interpretative backing dancers, and some metal squares hung from the ceiling in a kind of Andy Warhol vibe. Then The Beat are in the studio with Hands Off She’s Mine. Has Saxa lost twenty years or is that not him on the sax? A repeat of the Buggles studio clip playing Plastic Age – that marigolds wearing keyboard player is a right wag isn’t he. It’s not a bad pop song. Then a dull Tourists song on repeat – so Good To Be Back Home. Now hide behind your sofa. First sighting of Fern Kinney with the monstrously catchy We Are Beautiful. Yet another repeat of a cliff video for Carrie. It’s a good programme – The Ramones are next with Baby I Love You. How cool do they look? Very. Jeans, leather jackets, fringes and colour coded t-shirts. The editors insert some lovely cutaways to the Totp orchestra playing along, cardigans and moustaches prominent. There’s an ambitious three way shot of drumming, string playing and studio audience dancing late on in the clip. Wikipedia tells us the song was used in a US commercial for man problem drug cialis, but alas not which version. Like to think it was this one. legs and Co go black and white to The Whispers, then it’s the Totp Debut (in the full version) of Iron Maiden with Running Free. . Under some very low level red lights, the Maiden live act behind original front man Paul di Annio – pirate pants, long hair, West Ham shirts – is already in place. Kenny Rogers is still number one. Try to ignore Peter Powell, he’s mostly harmless. make sure you watch the longer version as Shakey and iron maiden I think are the ones to be chopped from the 30 min.
Your weekly Top Of The Pops Update
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Man Problem Drug – TMFTL
I love the descriptions here – I remember these shows very well, because TOTP was watched at the time with heightened awareness – taking in as much as you could because you’ll probably never see it again. I remember the Ramones clip really well. Of course far-too-serious-punk-mate at school declared it to be a sell out.
I even remember Hot Dog by Shaky quite well because he had appeared with his band “Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsetz” on kids TV on ITV. Even as a tot myself, I found his Elvis-based act a little sad but good for him etc. When he appeared on TOTP, it occurred to me that people actually buy this kind of stuff.