Top of the Pops 1 March 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Jakki Brambles: “Well hello. Good evening and welcome. It may well be a windswept Great Britain but we have got a sizzling show for you tonight and you can hear it loud and clear, crystal clear, on Radio 1FM in stereo. Starting tonight's show with a man who's had more hits than I've been on diets. We're into the thousands here. Welcome Shakin' Stevens.”

[29] SHAKIN' STEVENS: I MIGHT. The winter of 1990 was blustery with high winds (no more curried eggs for me, no wonder I can't go to parties any more, etc). I remember the Burns' Day Storm of 25th January but I don't recall what Wikipedia calls Storm Vivian, 25th -27th February, which is what Jakki Brambles is referring to here. The wind must have been howling outside as this edition was recorded on Tuesday.

Shakin' Stevens is unaffected by wind. His roots are strong like the oak. They have held him aloft since 1980 and his first Top of the Pops appearance on 22/02/1980 (Hot Dog, if you were wondering); so this is basically his tenth anniversary. It's also basically the end of his hot streak. The hits are getting further and further apart and despite releasing another four singles in 1990, only one of them is going to trouble the Top 20.

[10] ROD STEWART: DOWNTOWN TRAIN. Promo VT.

CHARTS: 40 TO 31

[27] JAMIE J. MORGAN: WALK ON THE WILD SIDE. I do not warm to Jamie J. Morgan. For one thing, he uses the letter J too many times in his name; once is enough. Secondly, for my tastes, he's a bit too much in love with the idea of being a pop star. There's way too much hip thrusting, bum waggling, and louche arm waving. This is his first time on the show and these things have to be earned. Have I taken an irrational dislike to someone for little reason? No. It's Jamie J. Morgan who is wrong. (John- The world as a whole did not seem to warm to JJM either. This version of Lou Reed's song proved to be his only chart moment and it rose no higher than the number 27 it sits at this week. After releasing one album and a couple more singles he became a filmmaker and photographer) 

For the second week, Rod Litherland chooses not to colour the neon stage with lights. He clearly likes the grey industrial look and so do I.

BREAKERS:
[31] INNOCENCE: NATURAL THING
[32] MARC ALMOND: A LOVER SPURNED
[33] B52's: LOVE SHACK
[34] DAVID A. STEWART featuring CANDY DULFER: LILY WAS HERE
[23] ELECTRIBE 101: TALKING WITH MYSELF. Electribe 101, three blokes who occasionally press buttons on keyboards and a woman doing all the singing and dancing. That seems like an unfair division of labour.

Singer Billie Ray Martin has a fabulous sixties revival look going on, Her hair has been styled in a Cilla Black-ish graduated bob, and she's wearing an overshirt of shiny square chain mail (sort of) on top of a black bodystocking, set of with white calf length boots. It's a good look although not one I'd wear to take out the bins. Her three boring companions are just wearing dark blue shirts and black trousers.

CHARTS: 30 to 11

[7] VARIOUS ARTISTS: THE BRITS 1990. Promo VT. Want to buy a megamix but worried you're too cool to buy a Jive Bunny megamix? Don't worry, The Brits 1990 have the answer. Watch out, or don't, for the moment the BBC4 editor fails to spot an appearance by J-n-th-n K-ng.

[3] MICHAEL BOLTON: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU. Thematically this is exactly the same song as Nothing Compares 2 U, but rubbish.

TOP 10

[1] SINEAD O'CONNOR: NOTHING COMPARES 2 U. No it isn't.

[1] BEATS INTERNATIONAL featuring LINDY LAYTON: DUB BE GOOD TO ME. Beats International do what Technotronic couldn't. They unseat Sinead O'Connor from the top of the chart where she has been for the past month.

TrouserWatch: Everyone has forgotten to bring their Dub Be Good To Me tracksuit bottoms. What was the point of buying them? No. Wait! The keyboard player next to David  John-Baptiste has remembered. Well done.

[22] J.T. AND THE BIG FAMILY: MOMENTS IN SOUL. Promo VT. Next week on Top of the Pops, “it's Bruno”.

Performance of the week: Electribe 101, Talking With Myself.