Our group declare to be trueGreetings, all. Welcome to #TOTP, welcome back to 1996.
"Sunshine" by Umboza, the perfect soundtrack for whatever the weather was around this time.
Gotta love the bold and bright shades on the lads' shirts, slabs of solid colour were so 1996.
"Bad actress", Terrorvision had evolved from their drinking songs to their grunge phase, complete with baggy jumper and overlong sleeves.
It's like [another Yorkshire group who we'll meet in a #TOTP year] in reverse.
And then another chance to see Mullen and Clayton's theme to "Mission: Impossible", coming soon to this intermission.
The repeats continue with "Don't stop moving" from Living Joy. There's probably a dropped G somewhere in there.
"Reaching out" by Rock Therapy, a charity supergroup featuring Sir Brian May, Baroness Sam Brown of the Kissing Gate, and others.
Made number 126 on the charts, and apparently sampled by Eminem on an album track in 2009.
Don't recall hearing this before. Or expect to again. #TOTP
"Wannabe" by The Spice Girls. Filmed during the day at a location in Japan.
Who are these people? Geri's in the blue top, Melanie Brown in the jeans, Melanie Chisholm in the Liverpool strip, Victoria in the black top, and Emma in the little pink dress.
They're well-drilled, the song is fun and invigorating - but what wouldn't be after that last dirge - and the setting is exotic. They could be fun.
From the flush of youth to Los Del Rio, two chanters who could reminisce with Jimmy Young.
"Macarena" is the song, in a remix by The Bayside Boys - they've added the beat, sped it up, and invented the dance.
Still don't know quite why it sounds like "It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"...
"Woman" by Neneh Cherry, an interpretation of "It's a man's world".
We'll all remember her for "Buffalo stance", and for "Manchild"; this little gem stands with both of them, sad it's rather been buried under some of the pop classics around at the time.
"Forever love" by the nicely-cut Gary Barlow. Wanted to be the new Elton John so much that he (gasp!) included some same-gender couples in the video. This was groundbreaking for ITV's The Chart Show in 1996, but even they couldn't not show the Barlow vid.
Playout video is "Krupa" by Apollo 440, if I'm not very much mistaiken.
For 26 July, #TOTP moved to BBC2, so that the main channel could show some of the many successes at the Atlanta Sports Event. Lisa I'Anson is the host.
"Groovin'" from Pato Banton, a rather disposable cover from the Birmingham toaster. Glad to see that he's still doing his thing in the area.
"Crazy" by Mark Morrison, the follow-up to the song he wrote after his computer was fixed behind the scenes at the Genuis Bar.
Told you '96 was a year for bold colours, a striking yellow macintosh to wear.
He was the token R&B nominee for that year's Mercury prize, which would be won by Pulp.
Top 40 to "Higher state of consciousness ('96 remixes)" from Wink. It had been a significant hit in autumn '95, but Josh wanted even more success.
"Missing you" got a cover by Tina Turner.
She was touring to support her "Wildest Dreams" album, and had played three dates at Wembley the previous week. Didn't bother to record a performance for this show...
"Hit me off" from New Edition, their first single of the 1980s, and first hit in more than a decade.
It's exactly what American pop radio went for in 1996, a chilled funky groove with harmonised choruses and semi-rapped verses.
Went down like a lead balloon over here.
"Rush hour" from Joyrider.
"Play Belinda Carlisle" said someone earlier. Will this do; a cover of Jane Wiedlin's 1988 powerpop song, with added guitar scuzz.
Compare to the original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAxScPP7CUk
The band's only hit, they went their separate ways before the end of the year.
Jane Wiedlin - Rush Hour (TOTP 25th August 1988)
"Freedom", Robbie Williams makes a Statement.
Does he want to be the new Wham!, with a massive backing band, lots of backing singers, too many guitarists?
The feeling that he's having the time of his life up on stage and wants to share that energy with us?
It's a cover, it's a George Michael cover, it'll be interesting to hear some of his own work.
The new number one, "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls.
New performance, this one's filmed at night. Still bags of energy.
Melanie Brown's in a yellow top and red trews, Melanie Chisholm's in yellow top and blue trews. Geri's still in a blue dress, Emma's still in a pink dress. Victoria's clothing budget stretches to top and trousers.
You know, these names are cumbersome. Can someone invent some suitable nicknames?
Get to it, Smash Hits! Do your best, #TOTP mag!
The first #TOTP Mystery Year is hosted by Lady Janice Long and Dixie, the Marquis of Peach.
Depeche Mode bang the gong on "It's called a heart", and we seem to spend more time with the gong than Dave Gahan spends looking at us.
Alan "Wild"er calls this his least favourite single, and he has a point. Still, it's good to see the Mode branching out from the industrial period, working here in the Aztec zone.
Lord Billiam of Idol with his signature song, "Rebel yell". Video.
Jennifer Rush does "The power of love".
Always room in the charts for a good power ballad, this one's not too far from Foreigner earlier in the year.
Mostly-black outfit, leather miniskirt, pink flashes on one shoulder and down the other arm, same shade of pink on her lipstick.
Jennifer knows where the camera is, and how to engage with it: a sideways glance, a long stare. This is a bit good.
#TOTP Top 40 breakers.
First video we've seen for Five Star, "Love take over" is filmed in a holiday villa somewhere, presumably the third country where they were successful...
The Damned deal with stage invaders for "Is it a dream?"...
Dead or Alive let their flags hang out on "My heart goes bang", another re-tread of their one song. Give your audience what they want - well, as best you can at 7.15 on BBC1.
The Style Council are straight in at 17 with "The lodgers".
A duet between Paul Weller and D C Lee, it's more left-wing consciousness-raising from the group. Love the casual French styling of their outfits.
Reports at the time said that Paul Weller had Sharp Words with Martin Gore, as Weller took offence at Gore wearing a dress earlier in the show. Hope Weller's considered his views in the years since.
Bonnie Tyler is in the studio to give "Holding out for a hero" another push to reach the top.
A hero camera looks up at Bonnie from floor level, so she can tower over it. One of the backing vocalists shares a microphone with the guitarist.
It's another strong performance from start to finish, blasting out the power like there's no tomorrow.
It's still number one! David Bowie and Mick Jagger are "Dancing in the street".
The song was recorded in one night for Live Aid, the video shot in a Docklands warehouse in about two hours. The choreography's naff, the spirit is wonderful.
Maria Vidal had three things going for her.
1) "Body rock" is an awesome song, major key optimism and a fragile lyric.
2) She put in a hell of a performance last time: lime green dress, prowling around the stage like a seductress, doing pirouettes like Kate Bush. Talk of the First Form on Friday morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8bkiusraPw
3) The record company bought saturation airplay on Laser 558, the pirate radio station everyone in the south and east listened to.
Maria Vidal - Body Rock - TOTP - 1985
The first #TOTP Mystery Year was 1985.
Your bonus feature from this week: "Fingermouse".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INY_01fpbg4
Fingermouse: Guitar (1985) - FULL EPISODE
Our second Mystery Year is hosted by Sybil Ruscoe and Jenni Powell, the first time they'd let two women present Top of the Pops.
"Lead-free Radio 1" refers to the station's campaign to convert as many cars as possible to lead-free petrol.
Sydney Youngblood starts the show tonight with his top five smash "If only I could". Plenty of hip-swivelling. Plenty of shots of his bare chest coz the lad's forgotten to put a shirt on, the clod.
On video, "The sensual world" from Kate Bush.
The NME said, "Like it now, love it tomorrow, and adore it in a few weeks."
Looks like she's traipsing through an autumn forest, all breezy winds and leaves rustling past her face.
Lyrically, it's deep, recounting part of the plot of James Joyce's Ulysees, specifically Molly Bloom's desire. The over-educated girl becomes woman, perhaps referring back to the hearty Romantic indulgences from Bush's own earlier work.
The Beautiful South are in the studio for "You keep it all in".
Three vocalists in this band, the woman is Briana Corrigan, all red hair and mouth and a very effective counterpoint to Paul Heaton's crooning. For this performance, he's come dressed as Mr. Hankin from Grange Hill.
Dave Hemingway is the other vocalist, a more laid-back performance, smoking jackets to Paul's tracksuits.
On video, Technotronic featuring Felly with "Pump up the jam".
The woman is, we assume, Felly; the bloke on the keyboards might be Mr. Technotronic, but we know not and we're not sure we care.
Rap is actually by Ya Kid K, she'll get a proper credit on future releases.
Not on this edition: Tina Turner with "The best".
Here's the performance she gave two weeks earlier, an era when she did deign to come into the #TOTP studio.
Tina Turner - The Best - TOTP - 1989 [Remastered]
Wet Wet Wet "Sweet surrender".
Mark Shaw of Then Jerico reviewed this for Smash Hits.
Is this a cover version? It sounds like one. If it's not then they've borrowed it from somewhere - I can't spot which songs they are but they've definitely ripped off two old soul songs. It's a bloody good record that will definitely be a hit. Wet Wet Wet disappoint me because their choice of song is so obviously commercial. They could wipe the floor with loads of bands if they really tried.
#TOTP Breakers!
Billy Joel has "We didn't start the fire", a sung-spoken performance piece talking through his memories of life. Video's in the same vein, a nostalgia household and calendars and Billy appearing in front of some bad CGI flames
Curiosity return with "Name and number" with Ben Volpierre-Pierrot still sporting his trademark hat. Lots of attention on him - the rest of the band are mostly in silhouette. Jazzy and brassy song, later sampled by De La Soul.
Erasure sent an apology (we're working on a tour) and a video, "Drama!" is straight in at 6.
Andy and Vince are in a garage, with grubby walls, a broken car, toys raining down from the ceiling, and a cat wondering what all the fuss is about.
I'm with the Smash Hits reviewer, who called this "woefully predictable"; mercifully, the rest of the Wild! album will be surprise after surprise.
Gloria! Estefan is back, "Oye mi canto (hear my voice)" in the studio - pre-recorded last week, ahead of her dates at Wembley.
Gloria! wears a sleveless bolero jacket, showing her midriff and looking demure at the same time. The camera is at waist height, framing Gloria!'s frizzy hair in the middle of the shot.
A ham-fisted #TOTP edit removes the first chorus and second verse, so we can actually get the title line which only appears in the extreme Latin jazz bit.
Karyn White has the playout,
"Secret rendezvous" sounds a lot like Janet Jackson, because it's yet another Jam and Lewis production. In fairness, Karyn was married to Mr. Lewis, so probably got the production done at mate's rates.
And for all we carp about this sounding a bit predictable, it's got a lot of bite, and Karyn sells the tale of a naughty tryst well.
The second Mystery Year was 1989.
That was Sybil Ruscoe's last appearance on #TOTP, she's moving from Breakfast Show Weather Girl to Radio 1's forthcoming News 90, and serious journalism is not really compatible with TOTP
She'll then move to Radio 5, hosting the lightweight afternoon programme Ruscoe and Co, then Channel 4's cricket coverage, the official book of the 2012 Sports Day, Farming Today, and is now the agricultural and rural advisor to Radio 4's The Archers.
Girl about village
Ian K Tindale