Top of the Pops 9 April 1987

 

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby. Mike Smith: “Welcome to Television Centre's own madhouse, Top of the Pops. Thirty minutes of the best music from charts. We kick off tonight with our special guests from Kansas in the USA. The Rainmakers.”

[28] The Rainmakers: Let My People Go-Go. A good song to kick off this week's edition. The Rainmakers warm up the audience and turn in a good performance. They're not making any great statement or revolutionising the pop industry, but they do have a rockin' good time. Lead singer Bob Walkenhorst puts on a top hat at one point. (John- Not for the first time, see single picture below. It must be his Thing)

 

[6] Club Nouveau: Lean On Me. On video.
[30] The Blow Monkeys: Out With Her. Dr. Robert looks fabulous with an Ostrich Feather Boa wrapped tightly around his neck to protect from drafts* in the Top of the Pops studio. It's a cake-eating performance which manages to be knowingly arch and absurd and cool and poised; all at the same time. He is seated, like Janet Jackson two weeks ago, but that reduced her performance whereas this emphasises it and allows Doctor Bob to stretch and point languorously around the stage.
MD Bobby has also perfected a flick of the head which causes his enormous over-engineered fringe to flick down across his face but there's a problem. Following one flick, a stray feather catches in the side of his mouth and lodges there. A swift flick in the other direction has no effect. The feather is stuck tight. Fortunately a swift roll of the head backwards pulls it away without having to do anything so uncool as pull the feather out on camera, in close up.

Problem solved? No. Suddenly the feather is back and this time it's obviously so irritating there's no alternative for Robert but to push it out of the way with a glide of the hand. Then the instrumental arrives and Robert takes the chance to carefully pat the boa down but the problem still isn't solved. The rogue feather can be spotted sticking out and, guided by malign intent towards the corner of Robert's mouth, it gets stuck for a third or possibly fourth time. Once again it's pushed out of the way, and this time he makes it to the end of the song without further interruption.

The Blow Monkeys being Quifftastic!

Top 40 Charts. Boy George gets an enormous cheer from the crowd in the studio.

[14] Judy Boucher: Can't Be With You Tonight. Designer Bob Cove has filled the stage around Judy Boucher with candles on big wrought iron holders. Unfortunately BBC fire regulations mean the ones at the front of the stage can't be lit in case they topple forwards into the audience and cause a health and safety incident. The result is an odd looking set where more than half the candles remain unlit. But on the plus side no one catches fire.

Mike Smith is not impressed. “Many thanks to Cynthia Payne for the loan of the bedroom furniture,” he says, dropping the name of “Madame Cyn” who was in the news in1987 for  her trial on nine charges of controlling prostitutes at her home in Streatham, London. She was acquitted and got round of applause from the court room. You never saw that on Crown Court.

Top 40 Breakers: [23] Living In A Box, Living In A Box; [17] Bon Jovi, Wanted Dead Or Alive.

[7] Terence Trent D'Arby: If You Let Me Stay. Terence returns, along with his two grungy backing singers; Mr Danny Zuko wannabe, who has remembered to bring his leather jacket with him this week, and Mr Want-to-buy-a-car-mate?

It's all go this week. During the instrumental the bass player leans over and has a go at (pretending) to play the keyboard riff, while the keyboard player strums the bass and puts one of his feet on the keyboard. It's literally anarchy. Meanwhile Terence is busting out fresh new moves; there's a sort of penguin walk across the stage, a jump to air splits, and then the old favourite a drop into the hurdle-splits; and then another; and then another; and then he springs back onto his feet without a wince. His hip flexors must have the texture of mattress springs.
Top 10 Charts.
[1] Ferry Aid: Let It Be. On Video.
[22] Whitesnake: Still Of The Night. Janice Long and Peter Powell next week, but this week we play out with the disturbing groin flexing of Whitesnake.
Performance of the week: The Blow Monkeys, Out With Her.

*I originally managed to write the word draughts here. It still made sense as a sentence but presents an entirely different image.