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17/03/2023

Top of the Pops 25 February 1988

 

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby. Peter Powell: “Hello! Welcome to another edition of Top of the Pops! We've got some wonderful tracks on the show tonight! We've got Vanessa Paradis, we've got, er, Eddie Grant, we've got The Mission, and making his debut, Mark Goodier!”

Mark Goodier: “Thank you very much indeed Peter! Here's a band from Coventry who make their first appearance on Top of the Pops tonight! It's the Primitives and Crash!”

[29] PRIMITIVES: crash. Eric Wallis is on Lighting and he takes an early opportunity to shine. Look how the studio lights are shut down in the first seconds of the camera pan from the hosts to the Primitives. By the time the camera reaches the band the stage is in darkness apart from a couple of strategically angled white spotlights and a few pulsing red lights. It looks great when all the lights burst back into life as the song begins.

Down at the far right of the screen someone chucks a handful of glitter as the lights come back on. It's too small a moment to be part of the performance. If Paul Ciani had organised it as a moment to start the show then more people would be taking part. So who is it? A member of the audience trying to make their mark on the show? Someone from the record company or band being silly? We'll never know.

 


And, two new hosts in two weeks. Nicky Campbell last week and now Mark Goodier who stands all scrubbed and neat in his shiny suit and radiating bland enthusiasm. Looking at Mark Goodier standing next to Peter Powell is weirdly like watching footage from bring your son to work day. The pair aren't related, obviously (lawyers for P.Powell and M.Goodier put their pens away, disappointed) but they share a similar vibe.



[6] MORRISSEY: suedehead. On video. The past couple of weeks have seen the second slot of the show used for repeat performances; Billy Ocean last week and before that a repeat of Debbie Gibson singing Shake Your Love. The week before was the Top of the Pops “exclusive video” for I Should Be So Lucky. The last time a “proper” music video was shown in the second slot was 28/01/1988, Billy Idol and Hot In The City.

TOP 40 FROM 40 TO 31. The Top 40 is split, is this a permanent format change? Michael Hurll's chair is still warm. Mark Goodier and Peter Powell alternate on chart voiceover. Is this because last week's countdown, given over to new bug Nicky Campbell to do solo, was... not very good?

[14] VANESSA PARADIS: joe le taxi. Brace yourself for a Proustian Rush. I've got a clear memory of watching this performance, mainly because I remember the two saxophonists doing the silly sideways dance in time to the flatulent rump-a-pump-pump of their instruments. Also, for reasons which never became clear my younger brother hated this song. For a while it became a running joke that I could squeak “Joe Le TaxI! Joe Le Taxi! Joe Le Taxi!” at him and he would pretend to get annoyed. Ah nostalgia. Eric Wallis really leans into the orange and blue colour scheme to light this performance. Everything is orange, except for the third saxophonist who is lit blue and remains stationary. POP FACT: Translated to English, Joe Le Taxi means Ian Le Taxi.



TOP 40 BREAKERS: With scrolling captions.

[NEW ENTRY no 9 RICK ASTLEY together forever]

[NEW ENTRY no 17 THE SISTERS OF MERCY dominion]

[19 EDDIE COCHRAN c'mon everybody] with almost frightening levels of gum chewing from Eddie's audience. I think only one kid isn't chewing gum. He must be one of those Commie-unists they had in the fifties. He starts pretending to chew gum when he realises the camera is on him but it's too late. Senator Joseph McCarthy has got that kid's number.

[25 GEORGE HARRISON when we was fab.] Now with added Ringo Starr!

[12] THE MISSION: tower of strength. Back for a second performance but this time The Mission aren't allowed to hang up their double-headed eagle banner.

TOP 40 FROM 30 TO 11

[8] EDDY GRANT: gimme hope jo'anna. “A quite wonderful track! With a great message!” is how Peter Powell introduces the song. Eddy, and The Mission, both appeared first on the 11/02/1988 edition. Top of the Pops reuses the Eddy Grant caption from last time, the one with the stick figure representations of people of all nations.

“A really worthy song to be a hit for Eddy Grant!” is shiny Mark Goodier's verdict. What is it with BBC presenters feeling the need to give their political opinions? Dear Points of View...

TOP 10.*

[1] KYLIE MINOGUE: i should be so lucky. Top of the Pops has worn out it's exclusive video, so here's a chance to see the official one. Weirdly it's not as good. The pace is quite slow and it's surprisingly dull.

[20] BANGLES: hazy shade of winter. Simon Mayo and Gary Davies next week.

 PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Primitives, Crash.

 The Roxy Playlist, 23/02/1988: Studio Performances; Cold Cut and Yazz, Doctorin' the House; Vanessa Paradis, Joe Le Taxi; Alexander O'Neal featuring Cherrelle, Never Knew Love like This; Bryan Ferry, Kiss and Tell; Bomb the Bass, Beat Dis. On video; Morrissey, Suedehead; Kylie Minogue, I Should Be So Lucky.

 *from 10 to 1, in case you were wondering

 

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