Our group declare to be trueEvening all. Two classic Top of the Pops editions from 1996 - including the Christmas Day special, which I haven't seen before.
Then two Mystery Years take us through to 9.30.
"Australia" by the Manic Street Preachers starts off the 13 December edition.
Slightly weird to see the singer wearing a hoodie, don't recall them being fashionable for a few years yet.
"Live like horses", Elton John and Luciano Pavarotti.
A fundraiser for AIDS research, because back in 1996 things like PREP and PEP were absolute pipe dreams.
"It's in your eyes" from Phil Collins and the Dancing Paintpots.
Can we have that Damage band back? They were better than we thought six minutes ago.
Prince continues his commercial rehab with his cover of "Betcha by golly wow".
"Don't marry her" sing The Beautiful South.
Now, Hennimore, this is the daytime radio edit, in a brown bag with red stripes. And this is the lewd post-watershed edit, in a red bag with brown stripes. Don't mix them up!
Say! "Snoop's upside your head", Snoop "Doggy" Dogg.
Snoop had a couple of weeks in the spotlight this summer as Roving Ambassador for LA28.
I wonder who the BOC could have sent to gatecrash the Peking 2008 sports day? Slightly short of ideas...
A new number one, "A different beat" from Boyzone.
Ten out of ten for trying something a bit different: this song went miles beyond where I'd expect boybands to go, bringing some elements of world music to the best-seller's circle.
And absolutely love the camera work, swoops and cranes and clever lighting choices.
We don't get to see the #TOTP episode from 20 December - it was hosted by Shaun Ryder, who spent it doing impressions of some complete perv we don't see for Editorial Reasons.
Highlights: "Salva mea" from Faithless...
Faithless - Salva Mea - Top Of The Pops - Friday 20 December 1996
Also on the lost #TOTP:
The Smurfs - Your Christmas Wish (video, look it up yourself)
"Horny" - Mark Morrison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fmk7COBTlc
Céline Dion - All By Myself (video)
"Loving every minute" - Lighthouse Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ODFES8SMQQ
Performances by No Way Sis, Robert Miles and Maria Naylor, Toni Braxton, and the number one from the Dunblane campaign.
Mark Morrison - Horny - Top Of The Pops - Friday 20 December 1996
Coming up in three minutes, the Christmas Day #TOTP presented by The Spice Girls.
First, a bad dream of what could happen if you eat too much cheese, don't tie your shoelaces, and pull a face while the wind's blowing.
"Spaceman" - Babylon Zoo.
Remember: records can go down as well as up.
"Children" - Robert Miles.
The tune I must have heard most this year, never grew old or tiresome without having some different element come to the fore.
Note how the string orchestra are all wearing Dame Edna dark glasses, as though they're saving the world from runaway possums and then wiping our memory of the threat.
"Return of the mack" - Mack Morrison
I *hope* there's a #TOTP fire warden standing by with a fire extinguisher, because burning birdtables and velvet curtains shouldn't be that close together without a full health and safety assessment.
Loads of energy and warmth from the performance: as much as we love to hate him, we just know Mark will be back.
"Ooh aah (just a little bit)" - Gina G
It's now ten months since the BBC viewers voted this as their song for Oslo. Although it wasn't Irish enough to win the Eurovision, the song has become a massive international hit - and looks set to race up the American charts in the new year.
Chalk this up as One for the Granddads, who can now drift off for a nap till 3.10.
"Killing me softly" - The Fugees
The definitive #TOTP studio performance of this song, far more comprehensible than whatever it was they showed in the summer.
Recorded in the same session as "No woman no cry", which we saw last week.
"Killing me softly" would emerge as the year's best selling single, but only after every last sale had been counted.
We're watching Christmas 1996 on #TOTP: the usual Mystery Years begin at 8.35.
"Wannabe" - Spice Girls
They can't re-create the video in the studio, but they can re-create the atmosphere: fast cuts, the way they can go absolutely anywhere on the puny little diamond stage.
Even Mel C's cartwheel. Absolute classic.
"Freedom" - Robbie Williams
The George Michael cover implies that Robbie wants to be considered on his own merits, not by reference to his previous works. But then why do a cover and not your own work?
Whenever it comes next year, his new single is going to get a hearing. But will it be any good? Has the Robbie bubble burst?
"Say you'll be there" - Spice Girls
The first single was their mission statement: we are the Spice Girls, we are powerful young women, watch us rip up the form book.
Here's their utopian dream: we are the Spice Girls, this is the world we can construct, fantastic and playful and sensual, drenched in endless sunshine.
Change.
Girl about village
Dr Alice Violett@daweaver having watched the Boybands Forever series, I'd say that wasn't what Damage themselves wanted at all 😅