Top of the Pops 19 March 1987

 

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby. Simon Bates: “Hello. Welcome to Top of the Pops. We've got Genesis recorded live in concert later on...” 
Peter Powell: “..!”
Simon Bates: “... and Peter Powell.” 
Peter Powell: “... We've also got The Mission! And we've got Erasure! And to start with Respectable at number two! Mel and Kim!”

[2] Mel & Kim: Respectable. I can't decide if Simon Bates is just a bit hopeless at this broadcasting lark or is he actually really quite devious? Observe the way he immediately takes the wind of out Peter Powell's sails by sneaking the “... and Peter Powell,” bit into his introduction and talking over the point where Powell thinks it's his turn to start speaking. This week Mel & Kim have come in two nearly identical outfits. Can you spot all the differences; there's the hat, the belt, the trousers not tucked into the boots, oh and buttons only on one top. What do I win if I spot all the differences? A night out with Simon Bates! Hope I don't get second prize.

What does Bates say coming out off the back of Respectable. It seems to be, “that's Mel and Kim there with a little bit of luck you'll get a BBC duo on Top of the Pops tonight we've got Moonlighting the theme from the television series later on but now here's Bruce Willis the star and that old song Respect Yourself.” Written down it's technically a sentence, but that doesn't convey how odd it sounds in context as one long blaarp of words. What does the “BBC duo” comment mean? Is he talking about the fact that there are two songs tonight connected with Moonlighting?

 [11] Bruce Willis: Respect Yourself. On video.

[25] The Mission; Severina. Are The Mission goths, or merely goth adjacent? Lurking next to one of the amps, on stage right, is Julianne Regan who is just over a year from appearing on Top of the Pops in her own right with the All About Eve song Martha’s Harbour.

Top 40 Charts. Peter Powell does all the announcing. Simon Bates is apparently not trusted to get involved in a count backwards from forty.

[15] Erasure: It Doesn't Have To Be. A second chance to see Andy Bell demonstrate how he clears himself space on a crowded dance floor. Meanwhile Vince Clarke has forgotten to bring the stand for his keyboard. No wonder he looks so grumpy. The silly sausage. The keyboard has to be hung from the ceiling on wires instead.

[19] Genesis: Tonight Tonight Tonight. No Top 40 Breakers this week. Instead we get a year old clip of Genesis singing their boring song recorded at the Montreux Rock Festival, BBC version produced by Michael Hurll. Mr Hurll is once again sitting in the producer and director's seats. Where's Stanley Appel gone? If you check BBC Genome, sourced from the Radio Times, you can see Stanley Appel is credited as Director this week (and last week when M. Hurll, Esq made his reappearance).

Appel's Radio Times credit as Producer and Director takes a break after 19^th March and doesn't resume until May. Was Appel unexpectedly called away two weeks early to deal with a celebrity crisis on his other show, Blankety Blank? Did he just book some holiday after the Radio Times had gone to print? Is he ill? Or did Michael Hurll just turn up unexpectedly in the Top of the Pops office and demand to exercise his droit de seigneur on the programme?

[8] Al Jarreau: Moonlighting. A repeat of the performance from the 05/03/1987 edition. Peter Powell has trouble with his link. “And now from the very successful BBC2 series Moonlighting... the.... track which has... put the whole series alive done by Al Jarreau here on the Pops tonight!”

Top 10 Charts. Once again Bates is a no show and Powell has to do the whole thing himself.

[1] Boy George: Everything I Own. On video

[16] Prince: Sign O'The Times. Peter Powell is overcome. He doesn't so much say “goodbye,” as let loose a rat-a-rat-tat of random words. “Well that's all it..most it..from us.. with Prince to play out and Smithy next week from us all goodnight goodbye.” Simon Bates is deeply amused at the sight of someone else not making sense, for a change.
Merry Christmas VT. Unless you're not making the Christmas tapes any more.