Top of the Pops 16 April 1987

 

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby. Peter Powell: “Hello! It's Thursday evening which means it's another edition of Top of the Pops!” Janice Long: “And here we are the Fine Young Cannibals this week at number nine, Ever Fallen In Love. 
[9] Fine Young Cannibals: Ever Fallen In Love. Remember two weeks ago? When Fine Young Cannibals' guitarist David Steel (yes, leader of the Liberal Party) was forced to stand trapped behind a keyboard while he gazed with envious eyes at (other Fine Young Cannibal's guitarist) Andy Cox who roamed the stage doing all his silly knees bent dancing about? Well those days are gone. David is back where he belongs, free range. Watching him and Andy shimmy around the stage is like a symphony written for elastic bands. I guess we just have to pretend the keyboard is playing itself.

Roland Gift feels left out. During the instrumental he – okay. I'm going to interrupt myself here. I've just done a quick search for synonyms for the phrase “bust some moves” because I'm sure I've used it to death over the years. The website https://www.phrases.org.uk/ tried to convince me that a good alternative is “Jack Palancing” which it claims is Cockney rhyming slang. This is plainly nonsense. No one has ever said, “I'm going out Jack Palancing tonight” and if they have, they should be taken away by the Civil People.

Interruption over. Roland Gift starts dancing but Vision Mixer Angela Wilson is committed to a slow crane shot panning in to David Steel's guitar. So for the first ten seconds or so we can only hear audience whoops of appreciation and have to imagine what's going on out of camera shot. We cut back to Roland mid-air, as if he's just burst out of a cake; this segues into a brief mock-Irish jig; and finally a Walk Like an Egyptian type 4 variation.

FYC: Guitarist on the right does not look impressed by the `dancing`

[17] David Bowie: Day In Day Out. “Your first chance to see the video on BBC Television,” is Janice Long's qualified announcement. What ITV franchise dared trump Michael Hurll's mighty empire? (John- This single has its best moments in the opening wobbly synth drone but there is some fun in seeing Dame David rollerskating around the shops.)

[10] Living In A Box: Living In A Box. Visual Effects Designer Andy Lazell has found a box of BBC issue thunderflashes behind a cupboard in the VFX department. They're about to expire so why not use them all? Living In A Box perform to a backdrop of miniature mushroom clouds rolling up to the studio ceiling. We're into the 1987 financial year now, so presumably these were paid for out of last year's budget.

[19] Herb Alpert: Keep Your Eye On Me. On video.

Top 40 Charts. Brace yourself, Glen & Chris are at [30].

Top 40 Breakers: [20] Kim Wilde & Junior, Another Step [14] Five Star, The Slightest Touch [13] Bon Jovi, Wanted Dead Or Alive.

Rikki: Only The Light. “And now on Top of the Pops! With the complete support of the British record industry! Representing Great Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest! In three weeks time! Here's Rikki and we wish him a lot of luck with the song, Only The Light!”

After sensibly ducking the 1986 entry, Ryder with Runner In The Night, Michael Hurll throws his support behind the so far uncharted Rikki.

Sadly Rikkki might be the weak link in his own group. The backing singers are great. Enthusiastic, energetic, lightly blow-dried. The drummer and keyboard player are fine. They can all stay. But Rikkkki? There's a lot of sadness behind his eyes. And he keeps dropping into a slow-motion shoulder roll which makes him look like someone doing a parody of cheesy pop singer. And the song. Rikkkkki keeps going on about the light that follows and glows, and spirits that move him, it's like being accosted by someone on the top deck of a bus. I worry he'll start rambling on and on about the light and how it keeps shining on his legs, before being sick down his trousers.

Still it's not what I think of Rikkkkkki that matters, it's how he goes down in Eurovision. 13^th out of 22, you say. Oh well, I'm sure he did better in the charts. [96] for one week, you say.

After Rikkkkkkki finishes there's one of those pauses as Janice and Peter share a look. “Well... good luck in Brussels!” is Powell's response. It's a step down from the deathless prose of his introduction before he'd seen Rikkkkkkkki in all his glory.

Rikki moments after he first heard this song..

Top 10 Charts.
[1] Ferry Aid: Let It Be. On Video, before fading back to the Top of the Pops studio for the audience to join in en masse on the “let it be”s.

[2] Madonna: La Isla Bonita.  “Happy Easter,” say Powell and Long. Easter was weeks ago, you idiots. Gary Davies hosts next week.

Performance of the week: Living In A Box: Living In A Box