The Story of 1982 Top of the Pops


The Story of 1982

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Transcript


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Hello, and welcome to the Scout.

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A little later on, Mrs Thompson will be telling us

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about her holiday in Sardinia, but first, some music.

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MUSIC: Don't Go by Yazoo

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1982, the year statement hair and the look-at-me generation

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took over Top Of The Pops...

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..while the show itself went into overdrive.

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Suddenly, you see this man's got the whole studio.

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If you watch it, it's just a live take,

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one shot, and I don't think that had been done before.

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The kids from Fame embraced the show...

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-ALL:

-Hi to everyone on Top Of The Pops!

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..and inspired the cheerleaders.

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And a featured dancer walked on the moon.

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They didn't know if something was pulling me backwards,

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if I had oil on the floor or if I had wheels on my shoes.

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# Said he was a killer! #

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It was a golden year for new pop.

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Top Of The Pops crammed with transformation,

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conceptualisation

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and aspiration.

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# Don't go! #

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They were very dour, grey times back then.

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So, Thursday night, 7.30, blam, you know.

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And it was capped by the stunning debut

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of the biggest new icon of the decade.

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# Don't go! #

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I did hear stores and people having cups of tea literally dropping,

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going, "What is that?"

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# Can't stop now, don't you know?

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# I'm never going to let you go Don't go. #

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MUSIC: O Superman by Laurie Anderson

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The brave new world of '82 saw the launch of the first CD player

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and the first voice-activated remote control.

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-Channel.

-OK.

-Four!

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-Repeat.

-Four!

-OK.

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This year would also see the arrival of Channel 4

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and the first real rival to Top Of The Pops.

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Walk to your television set and turn it up.

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It's November 5th and we're going to do something now that's going to go

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in the annals of television history.

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But it was also the year Britain went to war...

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..8,000 miles away in the Falkland Islands.

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While at home, unemployment hit a shocking high of 3 million.

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There have been many voices in the past few weeks calling on us

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to spend our way back towards a higher level of employment.

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Mr President, that is not what this government was elected to do.

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And a household phrase

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and a heartbreaking drama of life on the dole gripped the nation.

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-Gizza' job. Go on, gizz' it, go ahead.

-A job?

-Yeah, gizz' it!

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And this was reflected at TV Centre, home of Top Of The Pops,

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by the writers of chart hits, including a Christmas song

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that became the first new number one of '82.

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# Run for the sun, little one

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# You're an outlaw once again

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# Time to change, Superman

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# Will be with us while he can

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# In the land of make believe

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# Run for the sun, little one... #

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Land Of Make Believe is a fairy story.

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It was written by a guy

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called Pete Sinfield.

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He used to be in a band called King Crimson.

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MUSIC: 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson

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And I think he probably wrote it sitting on a cushion

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with a spliff in his hand, playing his guitar.

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# Blood rack, barbed wire

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# Politicians' funeral pyre... #

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I'd learned how to write weird songs.

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Now I had to write weird songs

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that were going to be bought by 12-year-olds.

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I was trying to write a Christmas song.

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But I wanted to suggest that spooky, scary side of Christmas.

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# Shadows tapping at your window

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# Ghostly voices whisper, "Will you come and play?" #

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It was just in the beginning of the Thatcher era.

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# Or the corn in Carolina... #

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There was a lot of greed in the air and it was quite an evil atmosphere.

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Toby!

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# They're running after, you babe

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# Run for the sun, little one

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# You're an outlaw once again

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# Time to change, Superman... #

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It's a magical song, it came at a magical time of year

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when every little boy and girl, you know,

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is looking forward to Christmas.

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# In the land of make believe. #

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But look at any good fairy story and there's always a dark side,

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there's always a wicked witch.

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There a few lines we're talking about Thatcher,

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I referred to it as there being something nasty in your garden

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waiting till it can have your heart.

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# Something nasty in your garden's waiting

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# Patiently, till it can have your heart... #

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I mean, actually that's a bit creepy, it's a bit scary.

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# Don't you know it's out to get you running?

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# Keep on running

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# They're running after you, babe

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# Run for the sun... #

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On Top Of The Pops, there was a sort of false bonhomie

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which went with the spookiness.

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Though everything else is jolly merry

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and you've got your tangerine in your Christmas stocking,

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there's something that gets you between the shoulders.

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I didn't see that.

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Perhaps because I look at everything through rose-coloured glasses

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and I just saw it as a fairy story.

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# Aha... #

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Hidden message or not...

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# Aha... #

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..one thing Bucks Fizz enjoyed in this year...

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# Aha... #

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..was a step up in the staging of Top Of The Pops.

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# Da, da, da

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# Da, da, da... #

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In the music business, the show was the golden ticket.

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# Da, da, da. #

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And ambitious producer Michael Hurll

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dialled into the competition

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amongst record pluggers to push standards of presentation.

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# You don't love me Da, da, da... #

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I would go in to Michael and suggest, "Look, I've got an idea."

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And I would do it very respectfully because obviously,

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he was the producer, he's the director.

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-Erm, Spandau. Available, right?

-Yeah.

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-And that is a rehearsal tonight, correct?

-Yes.

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Right, rehearsal tonight in the studio.

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Whether it be Madness, where I was going in and suggesting the car

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or let's build a house in the middle of the studio and what do you think?

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# Our house In the middle of our street

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# Our house In the middle of our

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# Our house Was a castle and our keep

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# Our house In the middle of our street

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# Our house... #

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These were ideas that I think were very useful coming from us

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because from Michael's point of view,

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they helped and he was able to say, "I like that, let's do it."

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Driving My Car with Madness was really interesting.

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It was one where we brought in the Morris Minor,

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the Maddie car, the Maddiemobile

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# I've been driving in my car

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# It's not quite a Jaguar

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# I bought it... #

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And there was a huge amount of issues

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because you can't bring a vehicle into a BBC studio that has fuel

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and you have to empty all the fuel and all that kind of stuff.

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# It was made in '59... #

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There was a skeleton behind it which the boys were

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using as kind of a xylophone or a percussive instrument.

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# It says Morris on the door The GPO owned it before

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# I drive in it for my job The governor calls me a slob. #

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I think it was very important creatively to kind of bring things

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and to gently nudge the BBC into allowing us

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to do things that looked visually much more exciting.

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Quite early on in 1982,

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Michael Hurll tried to create a circus atmosphere in the studio.

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MUSIC: Invitations by Shakatak

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And there were people on trapezes.

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There was this one girl hanging from her mouth from the trapeze.

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There was a merry-go-round.

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I mean, it was just extraordinary to have all this in Top Of The Pops.

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# And her fingers touch your hand below the lace... #

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And in May, the king of the pop video joined in

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at a Top Of The Pops

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that was becoming less about pretending to play

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and more about entertainment.

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Not so much mime as pantomime.

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I split the band up and I went solo.

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So, Goody Two Shoes was a very important critical record for me.

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I had a call from Michael Hurll saying,

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"Can we do something a bit different?

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"I'd like to try and open it up a little bit."

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I suggested, "Why don't we try and do a live video with the set?"

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I did some watercolours and I had a meeting with him.

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He just looked at it and he just said, "Yeah."

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# With the heartbreak open

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# So much you can't hide

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# Put on a little make-up, make-up

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# Make sure they get your good side, good side... #

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The first set was ancient Greece

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and girls in their kind of flowing robes.

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# Don't drink, don't smoke What do you do?

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# You don't drink, don't smoke... #

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And then to the Paris and the French maid.

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# There must be something inside

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# We don't follow fashion... #

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Suddenly you see this man's got the whole studio!

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# Don't drink, don't smoke What do you do? #

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He had freedom.

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# What do you do?

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# Subtle innuendos follow... #

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We went to Dick Turpin and the Puss in Boots road to London.

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And then all coming onto a circular stage at the end.

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# What do you do? You don't drink, don't smoke

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# What do you do?

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# Subtle innuendos follow

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# Must be something inside... #

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Definitely helped me get to number one.

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Because I was up against Madness with Our House on that one.

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# Subtle innuendos follow

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# Must be something inside. #

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If you watch it, it's just a live take,

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one shot, and I don't think that had been done before.

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MUSIC: Walking On Sunshine by Rockers Revenge

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In just three years, the circulation has overtaken

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all competition to become Britain's number one pop magazine.

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2 million readers rely on the pen-chewing editorial team

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to come up with the goods.

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In the '80s, what was happening at Top Of The Pops was in sync

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with the dynamic use of the media by a new breed,

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as a self-aware new pop

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moved on from the old ways of the music press.

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Bands back then, obviously, they were very defined.

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Every band was like its own movie.

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When you look at Dexy's and The Human League and Duran Duran.

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The music scene was changing, definitely,

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and the way people wanted to present themselves was changing,

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and it was getting more and more glossy.

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The print technology was changing,

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so it went from the black inkies towards Record Mirror,

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towards Smash Hits, which was colour photography.

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And I mean, that affected how bands presented ourselves.

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There was a whole world of colour to play with.

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It was like that moment

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in The Wizard Of Oz when it kind of...

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One minute it's black and white, and then, boom, it's colour.

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# Walking on sunshine! #

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Smash Hits' cover picture was very bright, lots of eye contact.

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It was smiley, it was active, you know. It was kinetic.

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Whereas, you know, the NME's brand values at the time

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were detached, were serious, were furrowed brow.

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But after a while, the NME thought,

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"We can't compete with this. This is a new generation."

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We started to get a new emphasis on the look.

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And so, people tended to turn up

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with a new single or a new band with a new look.

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And so, it was very often represented by a picture

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before it was represented by a sound.

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And in spite of coming from Sheffield's streets,

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hit by massive closures and lay-offs,

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one group emerged from the city's earnest post-punk scene...

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..with the most self-aware and Technicolor concept of them all.

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In magazines,

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videos

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and on the floor of Top Of The Pops.

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Does appearing on Top Of The Pops

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affect your image in any way?

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It just means a lot more people get to know the group,

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and that's why we enjoy doing it so much.

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It's like introducing yourself personally to everybody,

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you know, through the television set.

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Top Of The Pops would always be taped on a Wednesday

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and it would go out Thursday.

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So Thursday, by about eight o'clock, you were famous, you know?

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Everybody had their own little visual shtick,

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so ours was definitely,

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even though we were walking down West Street signing on the dole,

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and like The Full Monty, we had aspirations of playing Las Vegas.

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# Who broke my heart? You did, you did... #

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For us, it was about building a whole separate universe,

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an imaginary world to live in.

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Because the real world was tough, yeah. It really was.

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# Shoot that poison arrow to my heart

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# Shoot that poison arrow

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# Shoot that poison arrow to my heart

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# Shoot that poison arrow. #

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I had a gold lame suit, which was kind of,

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walking around Sheffield in a gold lame suit was kind of dangerous.

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You'd walk in and the guys playing dominoes

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would kind of stand up and try and push you out the door.

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# Shoot that poison arrow. #

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With Poison Arrow, we were on Top Of The Pops.

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And we kind of came onto the show.

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We had the keyboards, the drums, the bass and the guitar.

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When we came to present The Look Of Love,

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we kind of wanted to play with the medium a bit, and we loved

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Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, the whole tradition of Motown.

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# Whoa, whoa, whoa!

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# When your world is full of strange arrangements

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# And gravity won't pull you through... #

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We decided to present it as I'm there singing,

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and there's David Palmer, Mark White, Stephen Singleton

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and they're doing the moves,

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you know, choreographed moves.

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That was probably one of the toughest

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TV performances we ever did, yeah.

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# You know it's true

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# All I mean now

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# There's one thing, yes, one thing

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# That turns this grey sky to blue... #

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On Top Of The Pops, it was like going into the ring.

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You know, you put your gloves on and you're in there with your chorus

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and your verse, battling it out.

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# That's the look, that's the look Hip, hip hooray!

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# That's the look, that's the look # Yippee yi-yay

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# That's the look, that's the look

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# Be lucky in love

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# Look of love! #

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Some of our enjoyment, fear and idiocy is in that performance,

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but I think it's what makes it very entertaining, even today.

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MUSIC: Only You by Yazoo

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But ABC shedding instruments on Top Of The Pops

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was part of another trend,

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towards a freedom of presentation and line-up.

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# Sometimes when I think of her name When it's only a game

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# And I need you

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# Listen to the words that you say

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# It's getting harder to stay

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# When I see you... #

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There certainly was a huge amount of duos coming through.

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I think Soft Cell, Blancmange that I was working with...

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..Yazoo that I was working with.

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# And all I ever knew... #

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And back in those days, we were using things like Fairlights

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and Synclaviers, which were cutting-edge technology

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and able to play huge amounts of sounds at one go.

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So, you don't need to deal with what is traditionally

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the most difficult to thing to deal with in pop music,

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which is the drummer.

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In terms of doing a performance, it was all focused on those two people.

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# All I needed was the love you gave

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# All I needed for another day

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# And all I ever knew

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# Only you. #

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Cos it wasn't getting kind of watered down

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by other members of a band.

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It was just focusing on two people for the whole

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two and a half minutes.

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That's kind of quite powerful.

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I think a lot of people were visually expecting to see

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a drummer, they were expecting to see a guitarist.

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And they found it quite strange just to see two people,

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one person playing a keyboard and one person singing.

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And I think what the duo did is kind of ask us to re-evaluate

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what it is we're hearing with what we're seeing.

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And actually think, "No, this is fine, this is cool,

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"this is really good."

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-KIDS:

-Oh!

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And one teenager duo made their debut with

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a Home Counties take on New York rap.

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And a take-no-prisoners manifesto for success.

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I got a call to go do a session at a studio

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and work with this band called Wham!

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There was this kid called George Michael, he was 18 maybe.

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He was extraordinary.

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He was so focused, he knew exactly what he wanted from this record.

0:17:550:18:02

I did all the BVs of, "What the hell's gotten into you?"

0:18:030:18:08

All the, "Get back, hands off, go for it!"

0:18:080:18:12

And "Young Guns," all that stuff with him.

0:18:120:18:15

And then I had to do the rap.

0:18:150:18:17

"Hey, tell this jerk to take a hike,

0:18:170:18:19

"there's something about that boy I don't like."

0:18:190:18:21

And then he couldn't find the last two lines and I was like,

0:18:210:18:25

"Oh, my God, I've got to do a Pal dog food commercial next,"

0:18:250:18:28

and I'd already been there five hours,

0:18:280:18:30

I didn't want to be late for Pal.

0:18:300:18:32

So, I helped him with the last two lines.

0:18:320:18:35

"Shut up, chick, that's a friend of mine.

0:18:350:18:37

"Watch your mouth, babe, you're out of line."

0:18:370:18:40

Those two lines are straight out of Chicago.

0:18:400:18:42

But this isn't just the story of a duo and one backing singer.

0:18:440:18:48

In keeping with presenting more freely,

0:18:480:18:51

you were who you pretended to be.

0:18:510:18:53

At the time, I was still living at home with my mum

0:18:550:18:57

in Stratford, East London.

0:18:570:18:59

Was working as a singer

0:18:590:19:00

and occasionally doing a sort of little office job.

0:19:000:19:03

I met Wham! They're just like, "You interested in doing some

0:19:050:19:08

"Top Of The Pops stuff?

0:19:080:19:10

"And it's basically Andrew and I, Shirlie's his girlfriend

0:19:100:19:13

"but we want two girls in the band.

0:19:130:19:15

"So she's going to be one, we want somebody else

0:19:150:19:17

"who looks cool, looks good."

0:19:170:19:18

I thought, "Oh, thank you, thanks for thinking of me.

0:19:180:19:21

"Yeah, you fit the bill."

0:19:210:19:22

And they were trying to be very polite, then basically they're like,

0:19:220:19:25

"Yes, we'd just like you to kind of mime over these things."

0:19:250:19:28

I was like, "Oh, I can't do that, I can't be miming. I'm a singer.

0:19:280:19:33

"OK then, if I don't sing on the track, I have to walk."

0:19:330:19:37

"OK then, we'll put you on the track." And I recorded something.

0:19:370:19:41

But I just got washed out.

0:19:410:19:43

# Young guns, having some fun Crazy ladies keep 'em on the run

0:19:440:19:48

# Wise guys realise there's danger in emotional ties

0:19:480:19:53

# See me, single and free

0:19:530:19:55

# No tears, no fears What I want to be

0:19:550:19:57

# One, two, take a look at you Death by matrimony! #

0:19:570:20:01

When we performed Young Guns, finally,

0:20:030:20:05

when the audience were there, it was absolutely electric.

0:20:050:20:09

Went down so well.

0:20:090:20:11

# Hey, sucker! #

0:20:110:20:12

If you watch that first ever performance by Wham!

0:20:120:20:15

on Top Of The Pops, you can see

0:20:150:20:17

George choreographing his friends as he went along.

0:20:170:20:21

So, he's pulling Andrew out to the front, he's arranging the girls.

0:20:210:20:24

As well as giving his own performance everything he's got.

0:20:240:20:27

# A married man? You're out of your head

0:20:270:20:30

# Sleepless nights on an HP bed

0:20:300:20:31

# A daddy by the time you're 21... #

0:20:310:20:34

George already knew he definitely wanted something

0:20:340:20:37

a bit more flashier.

0:20:370:20:38

You know, statement, statement hands, showbizzy.

0:20:380:20:40

# ..the good old days

0:20:400:20:42

# Well, this young gun says Caution pays! #

0:20:420:20:44

You know, the pointing and the going around.

0:20:440:20:46

# Young guns having some fun

0:20:460:20:48

# Crazy ladies keep 'em on the run... #

0:20:480:20:50

That's the sort of thing that looks really good on the TV.

0:20:500:20:52

# There's danger in emotional ties... #

0:20:520:20:54

The night that this was on Top Of The Pops,

0:20:540:20:57

I was living above a dry cleaners.

0:20:570:21:00

I was desperate, poor, scrubbing my floor.

0:21:000:21:05

And I just remember the smell of Pine Flash coming up at me.

0:21:050:21:10

And I look up, Top Of The Pops is on and there it was.

0:21:100:21:15

My big voice coming out of little Shirlie's mouth.

0:21:150:21:21

# Hey, tell this jerk to take a hike... #

0:21:210:21:23

# There's something about that boy I don't like. #

0:21:230:21:25

# Well, sugar, he don't mean the things he says

0:21:250:21:27

# Get him out of my way cos I'm seeing red... #

0:21:270:21:29

# We got plans to make We got things to buy. #

0:21:290:21:31

These people can't talk like this!

0:21:310:21:33

# Hey, shut up, chick That's a friend of mine

0:21:330:21:36

# Just watch your mouth, babe You're out of line. #

0:21:360:21:38

You know, that's how I talk. Not her!

0:21:380:21:40

# Get back, hands off, go for it! Get back, hands off

0:21:400:21:44

# Get back, hands off, go for it! Get back, hands off. #

0:21:440:21:48

The whole thing is kind of funny, knowing that this was

0:21:480:21:52

going to be a huge success and there was nothing I could do.

0:21:520:21:57

# Young Guns, having some fun

0:21:570:21:58

# Crazy ladies keep 'em on the run

0:21:580:22:01

# Wise guys realise there's danger in emotional ties... #

0:22:010:22:05

After we did that Top Of The Pops performance,

0:22:050:22:07

we were like, "Yeah, we've got it, we've nailed it."

0:22:070:22:09

We were very drunk with success and power and all the rest of it.

0:22:090:22:13

Their performance was just fantastic.

0:22:190:22:21

That first performance on Top Of The Pops

0:22:210:22:23

just set everything alight.

0:22:230:22:25

MUSIC: Fame by Irene Cara

0:22:250:22:29

But Wham! weren't alone.

0:22:380:22:39

Their naked ambition was echoed across the Atlantic

0:22:390:22:42

in a Hollywood film whose theme tune shot up the charts.

0:22:420:22:46

# I've got more in me

0:22:480:22:51

# And you can set it free

0:22:510:22:54

# I can catch the moon in my hand

0:22:540:22:58

# Don't you know who I am?

0:22:580:23:01

-# Remember my name

-# Fame! #

0:23:010:23:03

Not only did Fame go to number one,

0:23:030:23:06

but the spin-off TV show Fame was scheduled to run

0:23:060:23:10

in tandem with Top Of The Pops.

0:23:100:23:12

Just before we go to the number one, which is Irene Cara and Fame,

0:23:140:23:16

our film director, Gordon Elsbury, was in Los Angeles this week

0:23:160:23:20

and he met up with the cast.

0:23:200:23:21

He heard their record was number one, and this is the message

0:23:210:23:24

they have for you.

0:23:240:23:25

-ALL:

-Hi, to everyone on Top Of The Pops!

0:23:250:23:28

Stay tuned for the newest episode of Fame,

0:23:280:23:30

coming up next, after Top Of The Pops.

0:23:300:23:33

-ALL:

-Bye!

0:23:330:23:34

And the "Baby, look at me" ethos of Fame

0:23:370:23:39

found its Top Of The Pops equivalent

0:23:390:23:42

in Michael Hurll's squadron of audience cheerleaders,

0:23:420:23:45

whose numbers got bigger and antics even more extrovert in 1982.

0:23:450:23:51

# Some guys get all the fun

0:23:510:23:53

# Some guys have all the luck All the luck

0:23:540:23:59

# Woo, what you gonna do? #

0:23:590:24:00

The atmosphere in the studio at Top Of The Pops was insane, yes.

0:24:000:24:04

You can see it.

0:24:040:24:05

They're revving that audience up, to a point of hysteria.

0:24:050:24:10

The audience, if you look back,

0:24:110:24:14

were obviously not your average boy and girl on the street.

0:24:140:24:17

Because they'd stand on podiums and do this extravagant dancing.

0:24:170:24:21

# It's good! #

0:24:210:24:23

And the regular Joes would just be doing what everybody does.

0:24:230:24:26

# Don't say you shouldn't do that. #

0:24:270:24:29

If enthusiastic's there, they were kind of there.

0:24:290:24:32

You know what I mean?

0:24:320:24:33

# Say, I don't miss you every day

0:24:330:24:36

# Don't need you anyway

0:24:360:24:38

# Can take your love away. #

0:24:380:24:41

And if you were a jazz funk band without a singer, times were tough.

0:24:410:24:46

There's always somebody in front of me on the podium,

0:24:460:24:49

pretty much all the time.

0:24:490:24:50

There was a time when I think we were all thinking,

0:24:500:24:53

"Wish they'd get rid of those bloody dancers."

0:24:530:24:55

As the musicians found themselves outnumbered and upstaged,

0:24:550:24:59

Michael Hurll also brought in strategically placed models

0:24:590:25:03

and Page 3 girls.

0:25:030:25:05

For Flick, the choreographer, it was...

0:25:050:25:09

She's got a vision of what the dance is going to be like.

0:25:090:25:12

So then, Michael then superimposes these beautiful girls

0:25:120:25:17

that may have legs for days but have no dance ability.

0:25:170:25:21

Women had tried to get so far and then with one shot,

0:25:260:25:30

they were put down to a pair of tits and fuzzy hair.

0:25:300:25:34

The Stranglers had two great hit singles this year.

0:25:340:25:37

One was called Strange Little Girl, the other live, Golden Brown!

0:25:370:25:41

THEY CHEER

0:25:410:25:43

If things were tough for a jazz funk group,

0:25:430:25:45

God help you if you were an ageing punk band with a world-weary waltz.

0:25:450:25:50

The party atmosphere on Top Of The Pops was great

0:25:510:25:53

for a lot of bands that were on there.

0:25:530:25:56

But some bands really didn't enjoy the balloons and the streamers

0:25:560:25:59

and the shouting and everything else.

0:25:590:26:01

# Golden brown, texture like sun

0:26:010:26:05

# Lays me down With my mind, she runs... #

0:26:050:26:08

Like The Stranglers, for example, hated that kind of

0:26:080:26:12

good-time party atmosphere because their music was serious.

0:26:120:26:15

# Golden brown... #

0:26:150:26:17

And at the Christmas show when they performed Golden Brown,

0:26:170:26:19

which was supposedly, who knows, about drug-taking,

0:26:190:26:24

part of my job at that point was to go round with a pin

0:26:240:26:27

and try and burst as many balloons as I could

0:26:270:26:29

and to keep the streamers away from them

0:26:290:26:31

and stop the frivolity that was going on hitting the stage.

0:26:310:26:34

# Never a frown with golden brown

0:26:400:26:47

# Never a frown with golden brown. #

0:26:470:26:52

THEY CHEER

0:26:520:26:56

Seriously, on behalf of, particularly Gordon Elsbury

0:26:560:26:58

and Michael Hurll up there, also the production crew and crew down here,

0:26:580:27:02

thank you. That's one of the best audiences we've ever had

0:27:020:27:04

for a live Top Of The Pops, so thank you so much.

0:27:040:27:06

But perhaps inevitably, the world of cheerleaders developed

0:27:060:27:10

a pecking order, and certain dancers started to climb the ranks.

0:27:100:27:14

Craig Fairbrass was on a few times and got letters.

0:27:150:27:19

And people would count them.

0:27:190:27:22

And that would be taken note of.

0:27:220:27:24

I mean, Craig was a stunning guy.

0:27:250:27:28

6'2", very slim, snake hips.

0:27:280:27:33

# Oh, Mickey, what a pity you don't understand

0:27:330:27:36

# You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand

0:27:360:27:40

# Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty, can't you understand?

0:27:400:27:43

# It's guys like you, Mickey! #

0:27:430:27:45

So, Toni Basil comes up dressed like a clown.

0:27:450:27:48

# Don't break my heart, Mickey! #

0:27:480:27:50

And Craig has a feature.

0:27:500:27:51

# Oh, Mickey, you're so fine

0:27:520:27:54

# You're so fine, you blow my mind... #

0:27:540:27:56

She bounced off him, she kind of rebound off him. It was very smooth.

0:27:560:27:59

# Oh, Mickey, you're so fine You're so fine, you blow my mind

0:27:590:28:01

# Hey, Mickey! #

0:28:010:28:03

And he looked good.

0:28:030:28:04

And that's worth, you know, a million dollars.

0:28:040:28:06

See him now, he frightens the life out of me.

0:28:090:28:13

You're going to regret that.

0:28:130:28:15

He is now, I would call him, an action man.

0:28:150:28:17

Quite rugged, tough.

0:28:200:28:21

And doing really well in Hollywood.

0:28:250:28:26

Argh!

0:28:280:28:29

He's totally 360 degrees. But, hey, he's a professional.

0:28:340:28:38

MUSIC: The Message by Grandmaster Flash

0:28:380:28:41

# It's like a jungle sometimes

0:28:480:28:49

# It makes me wonder how I keep from going under. #

0:28:490:28:52

'82 was a big year for a new American sound

0:28:520:28:54

known back then as electro.

0:28:540:28:57

As the first records crossed the Atlantic, the cheerleaders

0:28:570:29:00

and dancers of Top Of The Pops treated them

0:29:000:29:02

as they would any other dance record.

0:29:020:29:05

Until Shalamar entered the charts.

0:29:050:29:07

The band's singer, Jody, was pregnant and couldn't make the show.

0:29:080:29:12

But Michael Hurll took a chance

0:29:120:29:13

on guitarist and street dancer Jeffrey Daniel's offer

0:29:130:29:16

to demonstrate a whole new set of dance moves, alone.

0:29:160:29:21

I'd gotten to my hotel room and I just listened to the song

0:29:210:29:25

and I just worked out a routine that I wanted to do.

0:29:250:29:28

So, I began it as preparing myself to go out.

0:29:300:29:34

So, I'm like in the mirror, I'm fixing myself up, I'm doing my hair.

0:29:340:29:37

So, I'm kind of like re-enacting the theme of the song.

0:29:370:29:41

# When you love someone, it's natural, not demanding... #

0:29:410:29:44

I go back, I do the wall climber.

0:29:440:29:47

# And that's one thing I'm proud to say I found in you... #

0:29:470:29:50

Then I go back and I put my coat on.

0:29:500:29:52

I had someone holding my jacket for me.

0:29:520:29:55

And then I slip into my jacket,

0:29:550:29:56

OK, I'm ready, let's go.

0:29:560:29:58

# Gonna make this a night to remember... #

0:29:580:30:02

And then that's when I went into the back cocking,

0:30:030:30:05

where I cock back, like that.

0:30:050:30:07

# And there's nothing in this world to come between me and you... #

0:30:080:30:13

And then, bring myself back up again.

0:30:130:30:16

# To think of what the power of love can do... #

0:30:160:30:20

I knew that there was a music breakdown in the middle

0:30:230:30:26

of the song with the bass... # Boom, boo-boom-boom, boom-boom. #

0:30:260:30:30

So, there's a music breakdown,

0:30:300:30:32

so I saved that part of the song to do the backslide.

0:30:320:30:37

And so, I set it up, and when I knew it was coming...

0:30:370:30:40

So, all the kids are going, "Wow!

0:30:470:30:51

"That looks great, how do you do that?"

0:30:510:30:54

# Gonna make this a night to remember... #

0:30:540:30:57

And that's the first time I believe it had been shown on British TV.

0:30:570:31:02

I even got one of the dancers to handcuff me at the end of the song

0:31:020:31:06

and drag me into the backslide across the floor.

0:31:060:31:09

The impact that it had on the public was that

0:31:130:31:16

they didn't know if something was pulling me backwards,

0:31:160:31:19

if I had oil on the floor, if I had wheels on my shoes.

0:31:190:31:22

They couldn't work out how I was doing this backslide.

0:31:220:31:26

So, we flew over to Amsterdam to continue our promotion.

0:31:260:31:30

While we were in Amsterdam, the record company

0:31:300:31:33

came banging on my hotel door.

0:31:330:31:35

Said, "Jeffrey, Jeffrey, everyone's looking for you."

0:31:350:31:38

I said, "What's happening? What did I do?"

0:31:380:31:40

He said, "No, we have to go back to the UK.

0:31:400:31:42

"That performance you did on Top Of The Pops yesterday

0:31:420:31:45

"has everybody buzzing."

0:31:450:31:47

A couple of weeks ago,

0:31:470:31:48

Jeffrey Daniels from Shalamar danced his way onto the programme

0:31:480:31:51

and we've had hundreds of letters of people asking for him back.

0:31:510:31:54

Well, he is back, moving to his music, A Night To Remember.

0:31:540:31:56

Then he was brought back, which is a really unusual phenomena,

0:31:560:32:00

through public demand.

0:32:000:32:01

Public demanded to see this man dance.

0:32:010:32:04

MUSIC: A Night To Remember by Shalamar

0:32:040:32:07

And so, the song was used as a backdrop to him.

0:32:080:32:12

Normally, dancing is used as a package for the product.

0:32:120:32:15

He became the product.

0:32:150:32:16

# Let's make a toast to those who helped me this occasion

0:32:160:32:20

# They turn their back on love, but that's what drove you straight to me

0:32:200:32:25

# Now to you, I make a lasting dedication

0:32:250:32:29

# I'll show you all that love... #

0:32:290:32:31

Because of my performance on Top Of The Pops,

0:32:310:32:33

somebody else was watching me.

0:32:330:32:35

So, Michael actually wanted to learn a lot, all of the dancing.

0:32:420:32:45

MUSIC: Billie Jean by Michael Jackson

0:32:450:32:47

He wanted to learn popping, you know.

0:32:470:32:50

He wanted to learn waving.

0:32:500:32:52

Ticking - tck, tck, tck!

0:32:520:32:54

And of course, after we taught Michael Jackson the backslide,

0:32:570:33:01

so he names it the moonwalk.

0:33:010:33:03

And once again, he waited for the breakdown.

0:33:030:33:06

HE HUMS THE GUITAR RIFF

0:33:060:33:08

When he did it on the Motown 25th, that was 1983,

0:33:100:33:13

and that's the first time he did it.

0:33:130:33:15

AUDIENCE SCREAM

0:33:150:33:19

And I was in the audience and I was watching.

0:33:190:33:21

# She says I am the one

0:33:210:33:23

# But the kid is not my son

0:33:230:33:26

# No, no, no! #

0:33:260:33:28

So, it was the beginning of this new dance revolution,

0:33:280:33:32

which was going on with the graffiti artists, which was going on

0:33:320:33:36

with the DJs scratching and break-beating everything.

0:33:360:33:40

That was the groundwork which is now called hip-hop.

0:33:400:33:45

RADIO STATIC

0:33:460:33:49

In '82, if you were after something different from pop,

0:33:550:33:59

there was one person you could trust above all others

0:33:590:34:02

for a taste of the alternative.

0:34:020:34:04

And that's the end of tonight's programme on which you heard

0:34:050:34:07

The Desperate Bicycles, The Slits, The Mekons, Alternative TV,

0:34:070:34:11

the UK Subs and Sham 69.

0:34:110:34:12

More of the same unpleasant and disorientating racket

0:34:120:34:15

on tomorrow night's programme.

0:34:150:34:16

Until then, from me, John Peel, good night and good riddance.

0:34:160:34:19

John Peel had only ever hosted Top Of The Pops once back in 1968.

0:34:210:34:26

Apparently, he used to tell me that it was such a mess,

0:34:270:34:30

he had one of those admonishments along the lines of,

0:34:300:34:33

"You'll never work in TV again!"

0:34:330:34:34

But this year, in spite of turning Top Of The Pops

0:34:360:34:39

into a three-ring circus,

0:34:390:34:41

Michael Hurll invited John Peel back.

0:34:410:34:43

This is from John Peel's diary.

0:34:450:34:48

"To TV centre in a highly nervous condition.

0:34:480:34:51

"I was rather thrown when I saw

0:34:510:34:53

"how many kids there were in the studio.

0:34:530:34:56

"I was introduced to them and left to say amusing things,

0:34:560:34:59

"which I was quite clearly incapable of doing.

0:34:590:35:02

"This rattled me.

0:35:020:35:04

"I messed up takes two and three,

0:35:040:35:06

"completely forgetting the spontaneous drolleries

0:35:060:35:10

"I'd been working on for months and started sweating unpleasantly."

0:35:100:35:14

Howdy, partners, and welcome to Top Of The Pops.

0:35:190:35:22

This is my first Top Of The Pops in 14 years,

0:35:220:35:25

but it's consistency that counts,

0:35:250:35:27

so you can watch me again in 1996.

0:35:270:35:28

And in case you're thinking to yourselves, "Who is that twerp?"

0:35:280:35:31

I'm the bloke who comes on the radio late at night

0:35:310:35:34

and plays you records by lots of sulky Belgians.

0:35:340:35:36

These people are not Belgian. Theatre Of Hate.

0:35:360:35:38

I mean, he genuinely was really chuffed to be asked to be on it.

0:35:380:35:42

Cos I don't think he thought he'd ever do it again.

0:35:420:35:45

Back to number 24, Renee and Renato coming up.

0:35:450:35:47

See if you can guess which one's which.

0:35:470:35:50

John Peel was a natural because as you heard John Peel

0:35:500:35:53

and saw John Peel, that wasn't John Peel all the time.

0:35:530:35:56

Love makes the world go round, and interesting philosophy,

0:35:560:35:59

and those were The Jets.

0:35:590:36:00

Three brothers, I'm advised, and I see no reason to disbelieve that.

0:36:000:36:03

Now, Soft Cell. Last time I saw them, a rather squalid gig in Leeds.

0:36:030:36:06

Now on Top Of The Pops.

0:36:060:36:08

When Peel was on, he just didn't really smile,

0:36:080:36:12

he didn't dance, he just stood there, he did it.

0:36:120:36:14

We're going to play you out tonight with Shakatak.

0:36:140:36:16

The fella in the dreadful shirt is my mate Bill Sharpe. Good night!

0:36:160:36:20

It was great because it just gave it a different feel.

0:36:200:36:23

In case you're a latecomer and you were thinking that was Motorhead,

0:36:230:36:26

you're wrong, it was Dollar, Give Me Back My Heart.

0:36:260:36:28

A rather surgical title for a family programme, in my view.

0:36:280:36:31

This is Leo Sayer.

0:36:310:36:33

There were occasions on Top Of The Pops

0:36:330:36:35

where you were asked by Michael, the producer, to do an interview.

0:36:350:36:39

And the interviews were, you know, quite quick

0:36:390:36:42

and really not meaningful in the slightest.

0:36:420:36:45

Well, that's the Duran Durans and she's still here.

0:36:450:36:48

I think it's my jumper she's after.

0:36:480:36:49

Debbie, do you have any particular favourites of your own

0:36:490:36:52

-in the top 30?

-Well...

-While you're thinking about that,

0:36:520:36:54

here's a chance for you to enjoy me doing the countdown.

0:36:540:36:57

Michael Hurll, I think, was concerned that maybe

0:36:570:36:59

some of the presentation on Top Of The Pops was getting a bit

0:36:590:37:02

too unctuous and so eager to please and maybe a little bit bland.

0:37:020:37:05

So, by introducing Peelie to the proceedings,

0:37:050:37:07

you've got somebody who brought with him an edge.

0:37:070:37:09

She made this herself in remedial needlework.

0:37:090:37:11

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I'm not so sure, myself.

0:37:110:37:14

John Peel developed this act that he ran for years

0:37:140:37:18

of pretending that he wasn't keen on being there.

0:37:180:37:21

He LOVED being there.

0:37:210:37:23

This is the first time I've managed to get my mother into the studio.

0:37:230:37:26

We're going to go back to number 16, Soft Cell.

0:37:260:37:28

I know that he would have been aware that maybe some of his credibility

0:37:280:37:31

might have been diminished because he was so happy doing it.

0:37:310:37:35

But he really didn't care.

0:37:350:37:36

I mean, he was quite happy to mix with the young kids

0:37:360:37:40

and the bands and the artists and things like that as a fan would.

0:37:400:37:43

He really had that kind of mentality when he did it.

0:37:430:37:45

It was like being part of - well, for both of us - a big party.

0:37:450:37:49

If Peel became the court jester who refreshed the show,

0:37:540:37:58

not everyone from his world of indie

0:37:580:38:00

was buying into the Top Of The Pops party.

0:38:000:38:02

Pigbag, we were fairly chaotic, disorganised,

0:38:050:38:09

kind of anarchic, punk free jazz funk band.

0:38:090:38:14

We didn't really play by the rules.

0:38:160:38:18

Weren't really interested in being pop stars.

0:38:180:38:22

We liked playing saxophones and trumpets and congas

0:38:230:38:28

because we didn't need electricity.

0:38:280:38:30

We could play in the park.

0:38:300:38:32

Well, all our songs were 20 minutes long.

0:38:340:38:36

We tended to just jam until we wanted to stop.

0:38:360:38:39

You didn't know what to expect.

0:38:410:38:43

And there was just this anarchy.

0:38:430:38:45

But among the anarchy was definitely these cool little tunes.

0:38:450:38:49

MUSIC: Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag by Pigbag

0:38:490:38:53

I mean, the early Pigbag sets were basically we'd play

0:38:540:38:57

Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag for most of the set.

0:38:570:39:01

20 minutes, 30 minutes.

0:39:010:39:03

The single had been in the indie charts for,

0:39:100:39:13

I suppose, almost a year.

0:39:130:39:15

When they reissued it, it shot straight into the chart

0:39:180:39:21

and we got invited on to Top Of The Pops.

0:39:210:39:23

But a few of us felt kind of like...

0:39:230:39:25

..this is, "Why are we doing this kind of show?" You know?

0:39:270:39:30

It didn't seem the right programme for us.

0:39:360:39:39

Hi, folks. Welcome to Top Of The Pops.

0:39:390:39:41

A great big party tonight, stacks of interest.

0:39:410:39:43

Lots of bands and lots of action.

0:39:430:39:45

You had some people in the band who didn't really

0:39:450:39:49

think of it as something that would perhaps be that cool to do.

0:39:490:39:53

You know, there was this hangover from punk, you know, The Clash.

0:39:530:39:57

They said, "We're not going to do Top Of The Pops."

0:39:570:39:59

And Roger Freeman, who played trombone,

0:39:590:40:02

just said, "I'm not doing it."

0:40:020:40:05

Roger said, "I ain't turning up, I ain't doing it, I've left."

0:40:050:40:09

Join us on Radio 1 over the Easter holiday if you can

0:40:090:40:12

for the marathon music quiz, all through Friday and into Saturday.

0:40:120:40:15

Meantime, we'll say good night with Pigbag.

0:40:150:40:17

Have a great Easter from Top Of The Pops.

0:40:170:40:19

MUSIC: Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag by Pigbag

0:40:220:40:26

Doing Top Of The Pops for the first time,

0:40:260:40:29

it was kind of a bit of an anti-climax, really.

0:40:290:40:31

You know, our song was instrumental, we didn't have a singer,

0:40:310:40:35

we didn't have that natural focus.

0:40:350:40:37

So, I think they overcompensated with us with the dancers

0:40:370:40:40

and the cheerleaders.

0:40:400:40:42

It almost looked like they're part of the band, but they're not

0:40:430:40:46

part of the band, they're like just hired Top Of The Pops cheerleaders.

0:40:460:40:51

So, after the first two appearances later in the year,

0:41:040:41:07

we were on the New Years' show, and it went out live.

0:41:070:41:10

Which means BBC producers become Nazis, really.

0:41:100:41:14

It's live television, it's got to work smoothly.

0:41:170:41:20

And we made it not work very smoothly that day.

0:41:200:41:23

Lots of drinking went on and I suppose I imbibed too much.

0:41:230:41:30

I mean,

0:41:300:41:32

surprisingly drunk.

0:41:320:41:33

Beyond any sort of capacity to almost stand up.

0:41:330:41:39

MUSIC: Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag by Pigbag

0:41:400:41:44

He goes on stage with a false beard, a raincoat,

0:41:450:41:49

stuff we hadn't actually even seen ourselves.

0:41:490:41:52

He was spinning his trumpet around, he wasn't miming properly.

0:41:540:41:58

To me, the track's all about being anarchic, and it's a dance track.

0:42:000:42:05

And I was trying to put that across.

0:42:050:42:07

And the camera has basically moved away from us.

0:42:080:42:11

And we just carried on.

0:42:140:42:15

I mean, you can see us laughing and looking around and thinking,

0:42:150:42:18

"What's going on?"

0:42:180:42:20

At the end of the show, it's kind of deathly quiet.

0:42:270:42:30

All just suddenly, you know, it's like...

0:42:300:42:32

Thank you very much indeed, everybody.

0:42:320:42:34

We are off the air.

0:42:340:42:36

There was a producer shouting.

0:42:360:42:38

Like we were school kids and he was the head master,

0:42:380:42:42

saying that we'd ruined the show.

0:42:420:42:44

And certain drunk parties decided to shout back.

0:42:440:42:48

Which he obviously didn't like,

0:42:480:42:50

being sworn at in his Top Of The Pops studio

0:42:500:42:53

by some upstart band.

0:42:530:42:55

And we were taken to our dressing room,

0:42:550:42:57

told by somebody or other to get ready to leave

0:42:570:43:01

as soon as we possibly could

0:43:010:43:02

and we were escorted completely out of the building.

0:43:020:43:05

MUSIC: When You Were Sweet Sixteen by The Fureys and Davey Arthur

0:43:070:43:10

In the early '80s, in spite of IRA violence reaching a peak

0:43:160:43:20

and the Irish as a whole having the finger pointed at them...

0:43:200:43:24

..curiously, traditional Irish music had its moment.

0:43:260:43:29

The Fureys and Davey Arthur and then Foster and Allen,

0:43:320:43:36

nurtured by Terry Wogan, found their improbable place in the top 20.

0:43:360:43:41

The British audience just took to it

0:43:440:43:46

and it went right up to number 18 in the charts

0:43:460:43:49

and got us on Top Of The Pops.

0:43:490:43:50

So, we went from Dublin to London. Stayed in a guesthouse in Kilburn.

0:43:500:43:56

All the Irish bands used to stay there.

0:43:560:43:59

So, you know, there could be six beds in a room.

0:44:030:44:07

But, you know, you could have your breakfast at one o'clock on the day.

0:44:070:44:10

There was no such thing as breakfast was over at nine or 10.

0:44:100:44:14

So, it was serious fun.

0:44:150:44:17

Here's a traditional song from Foster and Allen.

0:44:190:44:22

They come from Westmeath, it's in Ireland,

0:44:220:44:24

and they do it in their own impeccable way.

0:44:240:44:26

# Come, ye maidens young and fair

0:44:260:44:32

# All you that are blooming in your prime... #

0:44:340:44:40

When we went on to do Top Of The Pops,

0:44:430:44:45

we were wearing the 18th-century Irish gear.

0:44:450:44:50

Everybody thought we were dressed as leprechauns,

0:44:520:44:55

but we had been wearing those suits from 1975.

0:44:550:44:58

# For thyme, it is a precious... #

0:45:010:45:05

The media, they tore into us because, you know,

0:45:050:45:08

for daring to dress up as leprechauns for Top Of The Pops.

0:45:080:45:12

# And thyme brings all things to my... #

0:45:120:45:14

The suits were probably more help than the actual song.

0:45:140:45:19

# Thyme with all its flavours... #

0:45:190:45:21

People mightn't remember our names.

0:45:210:45:23

But they all remembered the suits.

0:45:250:45:27

# Thyme brings all things to my mind. #

0:45:270:45:32

Really, it was a programme that, I suppose if you want to be

0:45:350:45:40

really down to earth about it, we shouldn't have been on.

0:45:400:45:43

So, you tell us!

0:45:430:45:45

We weren't a pop group by any...

0:45:450:45:48

No matter how much imagination you had, we weren't a pop group.

0:45:480:45:52

MUSIC: Geno by Dexy's Midnight Runners

0:45:520:45:56

But the irony for the real Irishmen with a perceived phoney image

0:46:010:46:06

was that in the same studio

0:46:060:46:08

there was a band from Birmingham without a big hit for two years

0:46:080:46:12

who re-emerged with a surprising new image.

0:46:120:46:16

Ladies and gentlemen,

0:46:180:46:20

I give you the Celtic Soul brothers and Strong Devoted.

0:46:200:46:23

It was an affectation, really. The whole Irish thing was fake.

0:46:280:46:32

When we were talking about incorporating the strings,

0:46:350:46:38

Kevin came up with the idea to call them the Emerald Express.

0:46:380:46:41

-# Celtic Soul Brothers! #

-They were very English.

0:46:410:46:45

They all changed their names.

0:46:450:46:47

Helen Bevington went to Helen O'Hara.

0:46:470:46:49

Steve Shaw, which is a pretty Irish name anyway,

0:46:500:46:53

got renamed to Steve Brennan.

0:46:530:46:55

And there's a guy called Roger who became Roger Macduff.

0:46:550:46:59

And collectively, they became the Emerald Express.

0:46:590:47:02

# Seemed it, dreamed it, scheemed it. #

0:47:020:47:04

When Helen joined the band,

0:47:050:47:08

she came out of the Birmingham conservatoire

0:47:080:47:10

as the lead violinist with an orchestra.

0:47:100:47:14

Kevin asked us to play as hard as you can.

0:47:140:47:17

You had to really lay your bow into the fiddle,

0:47:170:47:20

use all the open strings you can, don't use any rubato.

0:47:200:47:24

Play with the same phrasing as the brass.

0:47:240:47:26

And that created a unique sound.

0:47:260:47:28

# You see, I know this to be true

0:47:280:47:31

# Now, would I lie to you?

0:47:330:47:36

# And I'm not waiting for approval from you... #

0:47:400:47:43

While first single Celtic Soul Brothers

0:47:450:47:48

didn't make the top 30, the next single took off

0:47:480:47:51

and came with a memorable tweak to Dexy's reinvention.

0:47:510:47:55

# How do you do? #

0:47:550:47:58

We were talking about what could be wear to go with the new sound.

0:47:580:48:03

Going into Birmingham Central Library,

0:48:030:48:05

you know, doing a bit of research,

0:48:050:48:07

looking up what Romany Gypsies would have traditionally worn.

0:48:070:48:12

Kevin went down to Kings Road and he brought loads of

0:48:120:48:16

massive oversized dungarees back to the rehearsal.

0:48:160:48:19

And the look on some of the band's faces were priceless.

0:48:200:48:23

# Come on, Eileen Oh, I swear what he means

0:48:260:48:29

# At this moment You mean everything

0:48:290:48:34

# You in that dress My thoughts I confess... #

0:48:340:48:38

It was this seriousness and commitment to the point where Kevin

0:48:380:48:43

would want us to wear our stage clothes around often in the street.

0:48:430:48:46

We were quite intense. Very serious about what we did.

0:48:480:48:52

# These people round here... #

0:48:560:49:00

You know, even when we went to Top Of The Pops,

0:49:000:49:03

there was a lot of the dos and don'ts in Dexy's, if you like.

0:49:030:49:07

# No, not us No, never!

0:49:070:49:10

# We are far too young and clever

0:49:100:49:13

# Remember

0:49:130:49:14

# Too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye, aye... #

0:49:140:49:20

It was understood from the rest of the band that you didn't talk

0:49:200:49:23

to any other bands, you know, if you were at Top Of The Pops.

0:49:230:49:25

And you kept yourself completely separate.

0:49:250:49:27

# Come on, Eileen Oh, I swear what he means

0:49:270:49:30

# Aah, come on let's take off everything

0:49:300:49:35

# That pretty red dress, Eileen Tell him yes

0:49:350:49:38

# Aah, come on, let's Aah, come on, Eileen... #

0:49:380:49:42

You didn't argue. You didn't argue with Kevin or the rest of the band.

0:49:430:49:47

You did as you were told.

0:49:470:49:48

If you wanted to be in the group, you did as you were told, really.

0:49:480:49:51

Come On Eileen was the most successful single of the year,

0:49:530:49:57

topping the charts for four weeks running.

0:49:570:50:00

But the follow-up would lead to one of the most notorious moments

0:50:000:50:03

of Top Of The Pops,

0:50:030:50:04

when producer Michael Hurll went along with a whimsical

0:50:040:50:07

staging suggestion of Kevin's for a special edition of the show.

0:50:070:50:12

And welcome to a special edition Top Of The Pops.

0:50:120:50:14

Today, it's Radio 1's 15th anniversary.

0:50:140:50:16

And to help celebrate,

0:50:160:50:17

all my Radio 1 colleagues are here to help introduce the hits.

0:50:170:50:20

And we kick off with Dexy's Midnight Runners

0:50:200:50:22

and Jackie Wilson Said.

0:50:220:50:23

An in-joke within the band was to call it Jocky Wilson.

0:50:230:50:27

I think someone said at rehearsal one time,

0:50:270:50:30

"Jocky Wilson said I'm in heaven when you smile."

0:50:300:50:33

# Jackie Wilson said, "It was great news to see

0:50:330:50:36

# "I kind of love you, baby"... #

0:50:360:50:37

And at Top Of The Pops, Kevin said, "I wonder if they'll go for this."

0:50:370:50:41

# Oh... #

0:50:420:50:43

And I saw this big picture of Jocky Wilson, the darts player,

0:50:430:50:46

and I thought, "That's a bit odd." And I thought, "Wait a minute."

0:50:460:50:49

One dart could give him the world championship, double 16.

0:50:490:50:52

Yes!

0:50:520:50:54

And that's to Jocky Wilson! 1982.

0:50:560:51:00

It's not Jocky Wilson, it's Jackie Wilson.

0:51:000:51:02

# I'm in heaven

0:51:020:51:05

# I'm in heaven... #

0:51:050:51:07

Later that week, a couple of the newspapers started saying,

0:51:070:51:10

"How could the BBC make this ridiculous mistake?"

0:51:100:51:13

# When you smile, when you smile

0:51:130:51:15

# I'm in heaven... #

0:51:150:51:17

When the BBC saw the negative press they got,

0:51:170:51:20

we heard via the record company that they weren't happy

0:51:200:51:24

that they'd been made to look foolish.

0:51:240:51:27

And that that might reflect on any more chances

0:51:270:51:30

to play on Top Of The Pops for us, you know.

0:51:300:51:32

We never went on Top Of The Pops again after that!

0:51:370:51:40

But the biggest new star of '82 was yet to arrive.

0:51:460:51:50

Only a year ago, he'd been a cheerleader

0:51:520:51:54

in a Top Of The Pops studio audience.

0:51:540:51:57

And now, he had a band.

0:51:570:51:58

But Culture Club's first two singles flopped.

0:52:000:52:05

Their last chance rested with the next single.

0:52:050:52:08

And the record label's choice, a slow reggae song,

0:52:080:52:11

seemed a huge risk.

0:52:110:52:12

George was really not sure about it.

0:52:140:52:17

You know, this is a really difficult track to release.

0:52:170:52:21

It's a very unusual flavour.

0:52:210:52:23

It is a reggae track,

0:52:230:52:24

but it's not a sort of authentic reggae track.

0:52:240:52:26

It's our interpretation of reggae.

0:52:260:52:30

# Give me time... #

0:52:300:52:34

We did have some absolutely dreadful reviews.

0:52:340:52:38

I mean, they weren't just bad reviews, they were spiteful.

0:52:380:52:41

Including one that said it was like third-rate reggae or something.

0:52:410:52:44

But within days of it being released,

0:52:480:52:51

it was clear something had changed.

0:52:510:52:53

I remember just turning on the radio of my car one day going,

0:52:560:52:59

"They're playing Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?"

0:52:590:53:01

And it was Radio 2.

0:53:010:53:03

Very sort of like that,

0:53:040:53:05

"Good morning, I hope you're having your coffee.

0:53:050:53:07

"We've got a record here to make you feel better."

0:53:070:53:10

-It was that kind of thing.

-# Inside... #

0:53:100:53:12

Nobody had seen George in the flesh, and yet I felt in my heart,

0:53:120:53:16

as did Virgin and everyone else, if the world could see George -

0:53:160:53:19

and the only way to see George in 1982 was Top Of The Pops -

0:53:190:53:24

it would make all the difference, and it worked.

0:53:240:53:27

# Do you really want to hurt me?

0:53:280:53:31

# Do you really want to make me cry?

0:53:320:53:36

# Precious kisses Words that burn me

0:53:370:53:42

# Lovers never ask you why... #

0:53:420:53:44

The immediate reaction was, "Oh, my God."

0:53:440:53:48

# In my heart, the fire's burning

0:53:480:53:51

# Choose my colour... #

0:53:510:53:52

What is George? Is he male or is he female?

0:53:520:53:55

And yet, this beautiful voice.

0:53:550:53:57

# Precious people always tell me

0:53:570:54:01

# That's a step, a step too far... #

0:54:010:54:04

I did hear stories of people, I know it sounds ridiculous now,

0:54:040:54:07

of people having cups of tea and literally dropping them

0:54:070:54:10

in their lap, going, "What is that?"

0:54:100:54:11

# Do you really want to make me cry?

0:54:110:54:15

# Do you really want to hurt me? #

0:54:150:54:19

That was the thing about him, because the record was so beautiful

0:54:190:54:23

and it was so delicate, and sort of like a flower, you know.

0:54:230:54:25

And George, you know, he was so light on his feet.

0:54:250:54:28

And George's make-up is fantastic.

0:54:330:54:35

Women would go, "I wish I could do mine as good as that."

0:54:350:54:38

# You've been talking but believe me

0:54:380:54:41

# If it's true, you do not know... #

0:54:430:54:45

He did, he looked unbelievable.

0:54:450:54:47

It's why I fell in love with him.

0:54:470:54:49

You know, it's like, "Shit."

0:54:490:54:51

I'm serious, I met George, I was like, "Oh, my God, I've got a crush.

0:54:510:54:54

"Looks like a girl. It's not a girl, it's a man."

0:54:540:54:56

# If it's love you want from me

0:54:560:55:00

# Then take it away

0:55:000:55:03

# Every thing... #

0:55:050:55:07

Also, there were few multicultural groups at that time.

0:55:070:55:11

George had the kind of big coat and the sort of Hasidic Jew vibe

0:55:130:55:18

with the hat.

0:55:180:55:19

And a lot of that imagery came to him through Jon Moss,

0:55:190:55:22

because Jon Moss was from a Jewish family.

0:55:220:55:24

Mikey, of course, has the Afro-Caribbean heritage,

0:55:240:55:28

his family are Jamaican.

0:55:280:55:29

Roy, you've got the quintessentially British,

0:55:300:55:33

Essex working-class British iconography.

0:55:330:55:36

People felt there was something really happening,

0:55:360:55:39

I think that was the main thing.

0:55:390:55:40

People looked at him and went, "Blimey, what is this?"

0:55:400:55:43

Hi, nice to meet you.

0:55:430:55:46

Culture Club.

0:55:460:55:47

-You're at number two at the moment, aren't you?

-Yes.

0:55:470:55:50

-So, don't look at me like that!

-THEY LAUGH

0:55:500:55:53

-You've got the wrong idea.

-No, quite.

0:55:530:55:56

-My mum asked me...

-THEY LAUGH

0:55:560:56:00

..would I ask you, "Are you all right?"

0:56:000:56:02

I'm fine. Did she buy my record? She must have bought my record.

0:56:020:56:05

Yes, she's an enormous fan.

0:56:050:56:06

A lot of housewives have bought our record, that's why it's number two.

0:56:060:56:10

Enormous fan of yours. Hope to make it to number one.

0:56:100:56:12

Thank you, Culture Club, and George!

0:56:120:56:14

We were in Edinburgh in a hotel room

0:56:140:56:15

and we had a tour manager who came in,

0:56:150:56:17

and I was with George in the room,

0:56:170:56:19

and he said, "Congratulations, guys, you're number one."

0:56:190:56:21

A brand-new number one. It's Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?

0:56:210:56:24

It's Culture Club.

0:56:240:56:25

And I remember jumping around the room.

0:56:250:56:27

I remember sort of being naked, covered in champagne.

0:56:270:56:30

But the one thing I do remember is we felt invincible.

0:56:310:56:34

And it's a great feeling. People don't get it.

0:56:340:56:36

I hope everybody has it once in their life,

0:56:360:56:38

when you're doing something and you know you're invincible.

0:56:380:56:41

In December with their next single,

0:56:420:56:44

Culture Club were chasing the Christmas top spot,

0:56:440:56:47

in competition with The Jam's farewell.

0:56:470:56:50

But the brand-new number one which I've been promising you

0:56:500:56:53

comes from The Jam - what a way to finish off a fantastic career.

0:56:530:56:55

It looks like they're set

0:56:550:56:57

-for Christmas with Beat Surrender.

-THEY CHEER

0:56:570:56:59

# Beat surrender!

0:56:590:57:02

# Come on, boy Come on, girl

0:57:030:57:07

# Succumb to the beat surrender

0:57:070:57:09

# Come on, boy Come on, girl

0:57:090:57:12

# Succumb to the beat surrender... #

0:57:120:57:15

Until...

0:57:150:57:17

# Save your love, my darling Save your love... #

0:57:170:57:21

Appropriately enough, it's Father Christmas.

0:57:210:57:24

Wait a minute, no, it's not, it's Renato.

0:57:240:57:26

-Congratulations on your success.

-Thank you, thank you very much.

0:57:260:57:29

How are you going to spend your Christmas?

0:57:290:57:31

Me and Renee, for a change, we're going to have a night off.

0:57:310:57:34

# The reddest rose I'll always... #

0:57:340:57:35

But the Italian and the blonde were one-hit wonders. Just a diversion.

0:57:350:57:39

As a new year dawned with more statement hair,

0:57:440:57:48

power duos

0:57:480:57:49

and reinventions.

0:57:490:57:51

Younger DJs frolicked on a new set...

0:57:520:57:54

Hi, good evening, welcome to Top Of The Pops.

0:57:540:57:56

What a great show we've got.

0:57:560:57:57

..as indie made its grand entrance.

0:57:570:58:00

Top Of The Pops, hosting its first live band performance

0:58:000:58:03

in a generation.

0:58:030:58:05

# How does it feel when you treat me like you do

0:58:050:58:10

# And you've laid your hands upon me and told me who you are

0:58:110:58:17

# I thought I was mistaken

0:58:190:58:22

# And I thought I'd heard you speak

0:58:220:58:26

# Tell me, how do I feel?

0:58:260:58:30

# Tell me now, how do I feel?

0:58:300:58:32

# Those who came before me

0:58:340:58:37

# Lived through their vocations

0:58:370:58:41

# From the past until completion

0:58:410:58:44

# Will turn away no more

0:58:440:58:48

# And I still find it so hard

0:58:480:58:52

# To say what I need to say... #

0:58:520:58:55

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