Top of the Pops DOUBLE BILL! 23 & 30 October 1986

 

Presented by Chris Arnsby. 23/10/1986 - Gary Davies: “How ya do'in'. Welcome to Top of the Pops. We've got one heck of a programme for you tonight. In the studio we have Cindy Lauper, we also have The Housemartins, on video we have Billy Idol, but first we start with the biggest climber on the chart this week. Don't Get Me Wrong, Here are The Pretenders. 

[14] The Pretenders: Don't Get Me Wrong. I find the cutting between camera angles distracting during this performance. Hilary West is credited as Vision Mixer and because the song has a strong 1, 2 beat (please remember all musical terms are almost certainly wrong) the cuts are all placed on the 1 beat. Effectively what you see on screen is 1- cut to a picture of the drummer, 2,1 -cut to a picture of the bass player, 2, 1- cut to a wide shot of the stage, 2, 1- cut back to the drummer.

The end result is an avalanche of one second cuts. It's a relief when Hilary West holds on shots of Chrissie Hynde for the lyrics before resuming the frantic cutting in the gaps between lines. I know Top of the Pops should be dynamic and exciting but this is too fast*, and it doesn't really work because it's cutting between a series of static shots. The presentation is better during some of the musical breaks when we get some nice moving crane shots.  I realise I'm starting to sound a bit like my nan; “it's too loud”, “why do they have to make the colours so bright?”,”my eyes hurt”, but I promise not to complain about Chrissie Hynde's fringe and talk about how I'd like to give her a haircut.

[10] Midnight Star: Midas Touch. On video.

[22] Housemartins: Think For A Minute. The Housemartins can be seen over Gary Davies' shoulder while he witters on for his introduction. Paul Heaton shuffles awkwardly while Stan Cullimore pretends to trip over something. The clowning around carries on into the song. The band feign bafflement when the trumpet starts playing. They look around the stage for the source of the sound, Norman Cook stands to check if someone is hiding behind his piano, while the camera slowly zooms in on a trumpet abandoned on the top of Cook's instrument.

Ron Bristow is back as Lighting Director. His bright white flashing lights, combined with Hilary West's speed cutting, did my eyes no favours during The Pretenders performance but here he comes up with the goods. The song starts with the studio dark, except for the stage and Gary Davies eyrie overlooking it, and then on the first “think for a minute,” bright red lights are faded up. This coincides with a nice cross-fade between shots by Hilary West and the effect is so subtle you almost don't notice the lights coming on; the colour of the stage is just suddenly different. The stage lights slowly fade between red and white, and then coming out of the trumpet bit, as the drum beat starts to build, the bulbs behind the band start flashing faster and faster while the camera zooms in on drummer Hugh Whitaker.

It's the polar opposite of the amphetamine pace of Don't Get Me Wrong. Slow but working with the song. I prefer Don't Get Me Wrong to Think For A Minute, but on this show the staging makes Think For A Minute the stronger and better performance.

Top 40 Charts.

[27] Billy Idol: To Be A Lover. On video.

Top 40 Breakers: [30] The Mission, Stay With Me; [29] Gwen Guthrie, Close To You.

[12] Cyndi Lauper: True Colours. Cyndi appears as a head marooned in a sea of dry ice. She's crouching down. I hope she hasn't lost her keys in that fug. She'll never find them. Cyndi wanders around the stage squinting and never making eye contact with the camera. It's an odd performance. It's like watching someone who's just woken up with a hangover shuffle around in an unfamiliar kitchen and try to make coffee.

Top 10 Charts.

[1] Nick Berry: Every Loser Wins. Still on video, so (unlike Lady In Red) I can ignore this song.

[6] Bangles: Walk Like An Egyptian. “Janice Long next week”, and the show closes with everyone's dad's favourite band. We are now on week 3 of the background to the closing titles being the still from the title sequence.

Performance of the Week:  Housemartins: Think For A Minute

 

30/10/1986 - Janice Long: “Hello. Welcome to Top of the Pops. Tonight on video we've got Berlin and we've got Status Quo and we've got Nick Berry. And in the studio it's all the girls tonight because we've got Kim Wilde, we've got Gwen Guthrie, Catherine Stock, and over here it's Mel and Kim who are showing out.

 

[24] Mel & Kim: Showing Out. Producer & Director Stanley Appel likes having the host do introductions with the group in shot behind, so the presenter can then turn and point. Unfortunately Mel & Kim have a Five Star-esque dance routine worked out and must stand uncomfortably frozen in preparation for the first move (a sort of exaggerated stepping forward pose) while Janice tests her memory by listing everyone appearing on the programme. Someone who isn't posed uncomfortably is the bloke at bottom left in this picture. He looks very relaxed. I hope that's not a member of the production team slacking off on Licence Fee Payers Cash.

Also, a quick smack on the wrist to whoever's driving the camera crane. During the song's introduction there's a cut to a wide shot of the studio and at the left of picture the snub nose of a camera intrudes into frame, and then pulls back again. Executive Producer Michael Hurll hates that, let's hope he's not watching too carefully.

[7]Berlin: Take My Breath Away. On video.

[17] Catherine Stock: To Have And To Hold. Poor Catherine Stock looks really nervous (and nothing like her extremely glamorous chart picture), her eyes keep darting round the stage like someone assessing escape routes. And who can blame her, right at the front of the stage a group of four women are deep in conversation and ignoring her performance. That's going to knock your confidence.

Top 40 Charts. Shaking Stevens in at [39] after apostrophe removal surgery. The Eastenders cast continue their siege of the charts with Letitia Dean (and Paul Medford) climbing to [26].

[25] Gwen Guthrie: Close To You. Caption shenanigans! Gwen's chart number is missing from the caption at the start of her song, and then -gasp- the caption slides up and off the top of the screen, rather than fading out as normal. I'm not sure if the background light levels are higher than normal, or if everyone is determined to get on camera, but it's a great week for spotting people in the background. You get a nice clear shot of Janice moving into position at the end of the song, and what do you suppose this one in the white shirt and earphones is doing?

Top 40 Breakers: [27] Bon Jovi, Livin' On A Prayer; [16] The Smiths, Ask; [14] Duran Duran, Notorious. I notice Bon Jovi gets an apostrophe for Livin' On A Prayer, is that where the one usually issued to Shakin' Stevens went? Does Top of the Pops only get issued one each week?

[15] Kim Wilde: You Keep Me Hanging On. May 1985 was the last time Kim Wilde appeared on Top of the Pops. Kim is on the same stage as the Pet Shop Boys two weeks ago but the weird triangular column most have got broken in storage, again, as it doesn't get used.

Top 10 Charts.
[1] Nick Berry: Every Loser Wins. Still on video. Please go away soon.

[2] Status Quo: In The Army Now. “Peter Powell and Steve Wright,” next week. Status Quo is the playout song for the second time. They must be cross that Nick Berry kept them off the Number 1 spot. For the fourth week the background to the credits is the still from the title sequence.

Performance of the Week:  Mel & Kim: Showing Out