Words: Chris Arnsby
Bruno
Brookes: “Yup, absolutely. Bros and Sonia and a brand new number one coming
later. First of all a climber of ten places to number thirty here are the FPI
Project going Back To Their Roots.”
A blog about new and old culture + photo posts + more. / Website: www.johnconnorswriter.com / Instagram: johnconnors100 / X (aka Twitter) @JohnConnors100 / Also visit my alt blog : thiswayupzinealt.blogspot.com
Words: Chris Arnsby
Bruno
Brookes: “Yup, absolutely. Bros and Sonia and a brand new number one coming
later. First of all a climber of ten places to number thirty here are the FPI
Project going Back To Their Roots.”
Phil
Collins’ prowess as a drummer is less discussed these days than his incredible
Eighties ubiquity, his ever turbulent private life and, more recently, health issues. So
it is refreshing to find that as the name suggests Phil Collins: Drummer First aims to place that side of him foremost in his
long career. He has always described himself as a drummer who sings rather than
vice versa and over two hours the breadth of his musical endeavours is
explored.
Words: Chris Arnsby
Nicky
Campbell: “Welcome to Top of the Pops. We have got the best shirts on
television. We're going to start with Rob and Raz featuring Leila K. A bit of
Swedish house music. And every Swedish house has a sauna and like this, like a
sauna, it's hot, steamy and enervating. Got to give it.”
As most people are aware the so called Christmas traditions we follow each year were actually only created during the Victorian era,. Xmas imagery and festive staples like Xmas trees, cards, Xmas dinner, carol singing and even marking it with a bank holiday only started in the mid-1800s. So what happened in England before then?
Words: Chris Arnsby.
Mark Goodier: “Hello. Good evening. Welcome to Britain's favourite pop show. We have the charts and we have Britain's number one and all the new entries and it's all in stereo on Radio 1FM. Let's start tonight with a huge Top 10 smash. Here comes Big Fun. Can't Shake The Feeling.”
[8] BIG FUN: can't shake the feeling. Big Fun are on the Main Stage and it doesn't look like it did last week. The wings of the stage are back where they usually are. Clearly the unusual placement last week was a one off.
When
Top of the Pops starts, the camera cranes up to find Mark Goodier in the
Crow's Nest over the main stage. Stanley Appel doesn't like doing that, has
Paul Ciani returned? Nope. This week's Producer (and Director) is Brian
Whitehouse, not seen since 22/12/1988.
The thing about ongoing television series, especially when they reach what these days is a rare sixth season, is that they can never quite match expectations. On the one hand the viewers want more of what they liked before yet on the other they want something different. Caught in the middle showrunners and writers often try to meet both these criteria but the results satisfy neither. Cobra Kai has never lacked heroics and excitement as well as some mad twists but even the biggest fan would have to admit that it’s plots have recycled similar tropes across the previous five seasons. When you reach a point wherein characters are discussing how to get two people to fall out to increase their fighting prowess you know the show is eating itself! So the first batch of episodes, dropped in the summer, seemed to lack the tournament vigour required though they had their moments.
Words by Chris Arnsby
23/11/1989
Jakki
Brambles: “Hello and welcome along to the UK's top music show. Amongst others
tonight we've got three great British bands and Jenny Powell.”
Jenny
Powell: “Yeah pleased to meet you Jakki...
Jakki
Brambles: [overlapping] “You too my love...
Jenny
Powell: “… put it there. [They shake hands]. First things first. Three lovely
lads. They're called Big Fun. Song's called Can't Shake The Feeling. And
they're at number twenty seven this week.”
There is not that much
footage of landmark musical moments being made in the studio because acclaim
and legend come much later. Yet when you gather a clutch of an era’s pop stars
in one place to work together one time only the cameras are going to be there
and for the recording of `Do They Know It’s Christmas` in November 1984 they
certainly were. Eight film crews and a phalanx of photographers, (some of whom came with their own step ladders) were present to
capture the recording and some of that footage has never been
seen until now. Recently debuting on iPlayer, this making of documentary plays
like its 1984 without any contemporary perspective or additions and if you
remember the era (or even if you don’t) it is fascinating.