"The real thing" - Lisa Stansfield
Since melting the snowmen at Christmas 1989, Lisa's released a pair of albums; "Real Love" soundtracked the grey-era 1992, but "So Natural" underperformed.
And now Lisa is back with the strongest album of her career. Never mind the pink suit, "The real thing" is a right earworm, we'll be humming it down the shops tomorrow morning.
"Elegantly wasted" - INXS
A decade since their breakthrough, INXS found the future by looking back - this song, and much of the album, tries to recapture the magic of "Kick". Not sure they succeeded, the dance beats are a bit half-hearted; when they rock, they win.
I don't feel daft comparing Michael Hutchence's stage presence to Aerosmith in the same studio last week. The rock gods are here.
"Love guaranteed" - Damage
Andre, Rashaan, Jade, Noel, and Coree had been friends since childhood.
The slinky soulsters from London had major label backing: they'd supported Boyzone on tour, this song's co-written by Jam and Lewis and hipster producer Cutfather twiddled buttons. For the video, they're joined by the famous actor Christopher Lee.
As for the quality of the song...
"Fresh" - Gina G
Eurovision is not a career-killer, but you've got to have strong contemporary music and a great personality.
Miss Gardner has both of these, and wears a dress short enough to catch the sun in this sunny spring week; the backing quartet have also come (un)dressed for summer.
The album will reveal Gina's affection for Madonna circa 1986: bright, cheery, bouncy uptempo pop.
"Everyone knows (except you)" - The Divine Comedy
The power of marketing: The Divine Comedy released this song on three different CDs, each backed with live tracks.
Glad they did: this light-as-Crunchie song packs an unexpected punch in the lyric. Expertly performed by Neil Hannon and his many friends, as ever.
"If I never see you again" - Wet Wet Wet
Lead single from the Wets' tin anniversary album "10". Completely in their comfort zone: undemanding light soul, with no particular effort to move with the times. And very little energy: it's no "Sweet little mystery", this.
Sooner or later, the Wets will transition to the nostalgia market; this release makes "sooner" more likely.
"Isn't it a wonder" - Boyzone
Third single from "A Different Beat". Completely in their comfort zone: undemanding light doo-wop harmonies, with no particular effort to move with the times. And - even from sunny Buenos Aires - very little energy.
Sooner or later, the Boyzone will transition to the nostalgia market; this release makes "sooner" more likely.
A spectacular juxtaposition from TOTP producer Mark Wells.
"Mama" - Spice Girls
Host Kylie Minouge and Michael Hutchence earlier, now Jade and Emma set the romantic gossip a-flutter.
The song is about the mother-and-daughter bond; having never been a mother nor a daughter, it goes over my head.
Interesting that the Spices adopt the mother role with a bunch of kiddies.
Another chance to see "Don't speak" for the playout.
They're not showing the 27 March episode, which I'll briefly summarise with links.
From the missing 28 March episode:
Sean Maguire - Tegs from Grange Hill - performs "Today's the day".
It's named after his gran's favourite daytime nostalgia quiz hosted by Martyn Lewis.
Caution: may contain Sean Maguire attempting to sing live.
Also from 28 march:
Pet Shop Boys, "A red letter day"
Straight in at number 9, then down with an anvil to number 42.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA19C5PKgqE
Followed by the charts, over a video from Editorial Reasons Kelly.
More from 28 March:
Sash! are back to perform "Encore une fois" again.
Caution: picture quality is terrible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3GxmyDZyLY
Then comes yet another chance to see "Don't speak", and the first chance to miss Michael Jackson's "Blood on the dancefloor" video. We'll get that chance again.
Wrapping up 28 March, hosted by Zoe Ball:
"Blackbird on the wire" from The Beautiful South.
Paul brings his thick hat into the studio. Has he not been outside, it's gorgeous out there! Sunny and warm and picnic weather.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFK3Dwwy9E8
The episode concludes with The Spice Girls' doing "Who do you think you are", and The Backstreet Boys' vid of "Anywhere for you".
4 April is next!
"Gotta be you" - 3T
Taj, Tyrrell and TJ were the commercial face of New Jack Swing, and rode on the coat-tails of their uncle Michael. The song's written by Max Martin, who we'll meet again in later years.
One of the mixes on the CD was (MEH remix).
Here's an interview with Zoe and Jamie on Live & Kicking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btDsAF8_8-s
Next: yet another chance to see the video for "Don't speak". Producer Mark Wells wanted to show hits, not new entries; he took it too far.
"DISCO" - N-Trance
N-Trance had found their niche: crowd-pleasing call-and-response covers of disco classics, including this disco classic "DISCO".
Original members Kevin and Dale again listed Riccardo Da Force to rap new verses, while we all chant along with the familiar chorus.
Solid and unpretentious fun, the Black Lace of 1997.
"North country boy" - The Charlatans
The song is inspired by Bob Dylan's "Girl from the north country", apparently about a man trying to cheer himself up. Blues rock is an unorthodox way of cheering oneself up, but if it works...
The "Tellin' Stories" album is acclaimed as their best, I can appreciate the musicianship even though the songs don't move me at all.
"Bellissima" - DJ Quicksilver
"Future trance" at its most futuristic: the screech of brakes propels us further into the future, deeper into the night.
A forgotten classic, don't think I've heard this on the radio in decades. Sort it out, Johnny Wireless!
#TOTP hosts are Mark "Mark" Radcliffe and Lard "Marc" Riley, from Radio 1's breakfast show. They surpass shortest-running host Mark Goodier next week. And they played "Bellissima".
"Where can I find love" - Livin' Joy
After Quicksilver's demonstration of dance styles, Joy combine a washing commercial with the tallest hat since Isambard Kingkong Brunel.
The video featured singer Tameko walking round a nightclub, and finding something wrong with all the blokes there. Tameko, mate, wait till they invent Tumblr, you'll get a sword there.
It's well within Livin' Joy's established style, slick and fast-moving but a bit empty.
"Block rockin' beats" - Chemical Brothers
Second consecutive number one from "Dig Your Own Hole", hardchore techno and hip-hop shouting and ceaseless basses and it's loud and utterly relentless.
There's a throughline from late 80s sample-collage dance hits like "Pump up the volume" to "Block rockin' beats": the tech has changed, the shock of the new never wears off.
... but we never put up with M|A|R|R|S advertising jammy dodgers.
Playout: another chance to see "Mama".
The next 1997-stream ep on BBC4 is from 2 May; I'll put the missing performances in the hashtag next Friday.
The first Mystery Year follows...
Sir Simon Bates hosts our first Mystery Year, and look at how quickly they got into the music.
Stray Cats do "Rock this town"
A style familiar to the older part of the Tomorrow's World audience, and Tomorrow's World was the show on just before TOTP.
Is that a barn dance I see before me? No wonder primary school teachers loved the style.
Another outing for Blondie's "Rapture" video. Last of their big hits, always amazes me how soon Blondie were spent.
There's no Legs and Co this week, but the spirit of Flick Colby is alive. Spandau Ballet's "The freeze" gets many freeze-frames and some really weird costumes.
Fred Wedlock went top twenty with "The oldest swinger in town". And suddenly "Don't speak" would be welcome.
The ghost of Terry Wogan and Jimmy Young, the biggest scrumpy 'n' western hit since the Wurzels. A one-man tale about growing old disgracefully.
Speaking of growing old disgracefully, it's heavy metal band Rainbow, and their video for "I surrender". Where are Zippy, Bungle, Geoffrey Archer?
Dire Straits are in the studio with "Romeo and Juliet", Mark Knopfler managing to shine his guitar right into the camera.
Sir Simon Bates had begun "Our Tune" the previous autumn, sob stories and listener's lives, told in Simes's simple and undemanding tones. A hugely popular feature, the Popmaster of its day.
Emotion came from the empathetic listener; the reward for listening to the tale was a song requested by the writer.
Something like this.
The Passions perform the icy "I'm in love with a German film star".
As heard on 6 Records every other week, and "Forgotten 80s" every sodding week.
Moody and atmospheric and even the flare from the light adds something.
And if you need to take three minutes away from the telly after this song, *now is a good moment*.
"Shaddap you face" - the Joe Dolce Music Orchestra.
The group who put the fun into swing, and the sin into funk.
Bloke, ukelele, straw hat, open shirt, hairy chest, blackboard with the chorus line: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, shaddap you face.
So simple, even Simon Bates can get it. The N-Trance of the era.
"Woman" - John Lennon
Climbs to number 1, in the wake of his recent assassination. The video is mostly him and Yoko in Central Park.
Our first mystery year was 1981.
The Queen of England Janice Long, here with court jester John Peel. This ep was shown as a Mystery Year in 2023.
The Blow Monkeys - "It doesn't have to be"
Dr. Robert is wearing some Cyrillic writing on his jumper, but the focus of attention seems to be the saxophonist, who tootles throughout the track.
The group somehow manage to look lost on the diamond stage, which is usually packed to the rafters.
Who was that tall bloke next to Janice, snapping to attention?
Randy Crawford - "Almaz".
Very much at the Radio 2 - Richard "Dogsby" Park end of the audience, a mature and sophisticated sound. Radio 1 still catered for the 30something audience, and Steve Wright fell over himself for this track.
It's a fabulous song, performed beautifully.
"No bad language on this show", promised John earlier, not after what the groovy fecker Jools Holland said last weekend.
The Smiths perform "Shoplifters of the world unite". No bad language, but they're happy to platform The Smiths' old singer. You know, before they replaced him with the castle's teaboy, now Baron Richard von Astley.
"Down to earth" - Curiosity Killed the Cat
Ben Volpierre-Pierrot accompanies his trademark black beret with a grey cardigan and sunglasses. He's getting very close to the camera, filling our vision with his face, enough to make some of my classmates quite wibbly at the knees.
The saxophonist hasn't yet made it back from the Blow Monkeys performance, so Ben dances around with a ghettoblaster during the sax solo: as memorable as daft.
Breakers! Five Star ask us to "Stay out of my life", shiny red suits and projecting the band onto brick walls as we drive by.
They'll be named Best Group at the BPI awards later in the month, and I still think that's reasonable.
Here's the studio performance from next week's show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CJbRAUVArQ
Eric Clapton is "Behind the mask", a specially-shot "live" performance on top of an elevated stage.
Michael Crawford & Sarah Brightman - "Music of the night" on video.
Michael is in his candle-lit crypt, wears a long cloak and a half-mask covering the side of his face. It's from Andrew Lloyd Webber's recent musical The Phantom of the Opera.
"Michael Crawford this week won a Variety Club award. Mind you, so did Mike Smith." It was Smitty or Derek Jameson: the right man won.
George Michael and Aretha Franklin - "I knew you were waiting for me"
Watch how George sings to Aretha on a screen, Aretha sings with George on a screen, and we don't see them together until "So we were drawn together...", the ultimate text-painting.
George Michael's eighth number one single from eight releases, and perhaps confirmation that he's moving from pop to soul. And who better to welcome him than the Queen of Soul.
Playout vid: Hot Chocolate - "You sexy thing".
Remixed by Ben Liebrand, all clunk and extraneous sax solo.
The second Mystery Year was 1987.
ABBA night is billed next on BBC4, just like it was last week.
Heartbreakers and Love Songs on BBC2 tomorrow night, and there's a Nat "King" Cole evening on BBC4 on Sunday.
Whatever you're doing this weekend, #TOTP taggers, have a great one!
Our group declare to be true