Tag Archives: Legs & Co

Soft Cell

“Time just rolls on and on” – Top of the Pops, 13 August 1981

Simon BatesAh, it’s Housewives’ Favourite (“Favourite what?” I hear you cry) Simon Bates, bringing a much needed air of decorum to proceedings in his sensible beige blazer, black slacks and salmon pink shirt which he probably thinks a bit daring. Looking at him now, he still looks like he could be my dad, yet I’m ten years older now than he was then. Glitch in the Matrix? Eddies in the space time continuum? Or is he just the embodiment of bloated, self-satisfied Radio 1 that prevailed for a remarkably long time before being swept away by Matthew Bannister in 1993? I think we all know the answer to that. Seemingly employed by Richard Skinner to make him look fashionable, Bates bids us “Welcome to the summer” in the middle of August – what’s been happening for the past six weeks then? – and with a cheeky tilt of the head, points us in the direction of Duran Duran.


See the full top 75 for this week on the Official Charts Website.
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“Don’t kid yourself you’ve seen it all before” – Top of the Pops, 6 August 1981

The Human League

“Ho-ho! Yes indeed! How about that!” Oops, look out, it’s Creepy Uncle Jimmy™ again, ruining another episode of TOTP with his continued unwelcome presence. This week he’s kitted out in a yellow satin top with “26.2” written on it – … read more

“Always the sound in my brain, can you hear it?” – Top of the Pops, 30 July 1981

The Undertones

It’s Steve Wright – yes it is! You can tell because he’s wearing a huge badge bearing the slogan “YES IT IS”, dating this edition to somewhere in the brief period when he was trying ever so hard to popularise … read more

“All I’ve learned has overturned” – Top of the Pops, 23 July 1981

Tight Fit

“They always say it’s ‘Welcome to Top of the Pops‘ and tonight it’s just the same as ever!” Newsbeat’s Richard Skinner there, opening the UK’s top music show with a confusingly constructed sentence that rather downplays the sense of breathless … read more

“You think you only know me when you turn on the light” – Top of the Pops, 16 July 1981

Dexys Midnight Runners

“Hi folks, welcome to this week’s edition of Top of the Pops, it is jam packed with good music!” Peter Powell there, rudely jabbing his finger into your face to emphasise just how jam packed the show is. As well … read more

“Too much fighting on the dance floor” – Top of the Pops, 2 July 1981

Bad Manners

Finally! After months and months of recycling the same tired joke, the powers that be at TOTP have finally taken my advice and commissioned a proper theme tune and title sequence. Don’t tell anyone though, because it’s still under wraps … read more

“You’ve got to get up to get down” – Top of the Pops, 25 June 1981

Depeche Mode

Rush rush, busy busy, rush rush, busy busy! A combination of a condensed thirty minute show due to Wimbledon fortnight, the continuing lack of a proper opening sequence and a poorly chosen first song with a short intro means that … read more

“I feel my spirit’s getting old” – Top of the Pops, 18 June 1981

Odyssey

“Hi folks! Welcome to Top of the Pops once again!” Well, hello sailor. It’s solid, reliable Peter Powell in charge this week, in a strangely nautical white shirt with navy blue stripes and – yes! – red trousers. A full … read more

“Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance” – Top of the Pops, 4 June 1981

Imagination

“Yes, it’s Top of the Pops with today eleven top acts!” Six months on from Richard Skinner’s first solo hosting gig and Operation Make Skinner Look Less Like A Newsreader And More Like A Human Being is finally seeing some … read more

“You said it all, though not many had ears” – Top of the Pops, 28 May 1981

Hazel O'Connor

Hey everyone, let’s play “good news / bad news”! The good news is, after missing a huge chunk of musical history due to presenters’ off-screen activities and someone’s inability to record a live programme for the archive, BBC Four viewers … read more

“Blow up the TV, blow up the car” – Top of the Pops, 21 May 1981

The Human League

If you had fond memories of late April and early May 1981 and were looking forward to reliving those memories via the BBC Four reruns of Top of the Pops, you’re probably feeling pretty short changed by now. What with … read more

“The devil take your stereo and your record collection” – Top of the Pops, 7 May 1981

Ossie Ardiles

By this stage of the BBC Four reruns the audience has formed itself into two distinct groups. One one hand there’s the casual viewer who isn’t really following the timeline but will greet every deviation from the norm – anything … read more