Reviewed by
Chris Arnsby.
This is a live edition
(kindly supplied by commentator Billy Smart, who is keeping these write-ups on
life support by sending me the relevant episodes to download) so there's some
pre-show chatter over the countdown clock. The talk starts in media res with
someone briefing the crowd.
[The two voices
jumble over each other]
Male voice:
“Somebody catch me... [giggles from the crowd]... no one.”
Carmella Milne:
“Good luck everyone.”
Male voice:
“Sorry about that... [inaudible]... look Dennis the Menace top... ”
Carmella Milne:
“Here we go ten, nine, eight...seven... six... five... four... three... ”
Titles roll.
Gary Davies: “Hello, good evening, we are live on BBC1 and Radio 1FM we have five bands live in the studio tonight including Roachford, Fuzzbox, The Cult, and The The.”
Bruno Brookes:
“Okay we start on Europe's number one TV pop show at number sixteen, Pat and
Mick I Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet. Right down here.”
[16] PAT
& MICK: i haven't stopped dancing yet. This is the first live show since the All About Eve
incident on the 04/08/1988 edition. Mike Felton is credited with Sound this
week and presumably he's watching the dials like a hawk to make sure that every
moment of every song goes out correctly. It does although the hosts sound very
murky. I initially transcribed Gary Davies opening remarks as “mumble
mumble live on BBC1...”
Only after
repeated listening at loud volume (how the cat suffered) did I work out what he
was saying. Presumably every pearl that fell from Gary and Bruno's lips sounded
crystal clear in Mike Felton's headphones.
It's been a
year since Capital FM DJs Pat Sharp and Mick Brown were in the studio with
their charity record Lets All Chant, 28/04/1988. They're back again raising
money for Capital's annual Help a London Child appeal. Do they need it this
badly?
Pat and Mick
have come along with a handful of backing dancers. And also on stage are a
handful of audience members who have been lined up along the back of the stage
and look simultaneously delighted and embarrassed by their moment of glory.
New camera
angle. We get a couple of shots from the studio ceiling looking straight down
on to the top of everyone's heads. Presumably this is a lightweight camera hung
from the lighting grid.
[13]
BANGLES: eternal flame. On
video.
CHARTS FROM
40 TO 31.
[25]
ROACHFORD: family man. A
live performance. There's a bit of variation in the lyrics across different
formats. The single ends the first verse with the line “poncing all your money
off some poor bitch.” Top of the Pops tames this slightly to “stealing
all your money off some poor bitch.” The official video goes for “stealing all
your money off some poor chick.”
BREAKERS:
[34] BROTHER
BEYOND: can you keep a secret
[30] PAUL
SIMPSON featuring ADEVA: musical freedom
[33]
TRANSVISION VAMP: baby i don't care.
[26] THE
THE: the beat(en) generation. “Fabbo,”
is the verdict of Bruno Brookes.
[6] GNUS 'N'
ROSES: paradise city.
On video.
CHARTS FROM
30 TO 11
[11]
FUZZBOX: international rescue. Not
a repeat of the 16/03/1989 performance, although there's so little variation
you could believe it was reused.
Mike Manning,
on Lighting, has got hold of a new toy, a strobe light which casts repeated
star shapes across the stage; I think the filter that casts this is called a
gobbo, I don't care if that's not right. I like the term so I'm going to use
it. Red flood lights fade in and out and colour the perspex bars at the side of
the stage. The red stripes and flickering white stars gives a nice US flag
effect.
[22] THE
CULT: firewoman. Live
in the studio, not that you'd realise it with the hard cut from Bruno Brookes
to the band.
TOP 10:
[1] MADONNA:
like a prayer. Third
time out for the BBC's version of the video.
[10] KON
KAN: i beg your pardon. On
video. Simon Mayo and Anthea Turner next week.
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