Old TOTP (BBC4) (3 Viewers)

Whatever happened to reggae in the British charts? This episode has Aswad with Yazz as a breaker and full performances by UB40 and Bitty McLean. When did reggae stop being a chart presence?
 
The "Pray" video was a tits-oot affair. Even poor Gaz is forced to get the nips on display.
 
octophone said:
Whatever happened to reggae in the British charts? This episode has Aswad with Yazz as a breaker and full performances by UB40 and Bitty McLean. When did reggae stop being a chart presence?
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Probably when it stopped being FUN. Turned into Dancehall type stuff like Sean Paul in the early 2000s. I know Shabba Ranks was always problematic, but there was far more awful misogyny and homophobia in the later crop.
 
Ellie said:
Probably when it stopped being FUN. Turned into Dancehall type stuff like Sean Paul in the early 2000s. I know Shabba Ranks was always problematic, but there was far more awful misogyny and homophobia in the later crop.
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Of course. That's exactly what happened. It became hideous. What a shame but yes, that Ranks-inspired crop were just appalling.
 
A dance version of "I Will Always Love You" that would have been out of date when Whitney was at #1 with it? Jeez, this is grim.
 
Bad Boys Inc were the most obvious attempt to create a sub-Take That money spinner, surely? Rotten.

You really could be forgiven for thinking that 1993 was an absolute shitter of a year for music but my memories of it are that it was really good!
 
The Shane MacGowan-less version of The Pogues. This is OK, actually, if a wee bit flat. Both Philip Chevron and Darryl Hunt now dead.
 
Again, reggae to the fore - UB40 (with a stinker) and Bitty McLean both in the top 10. McLean's record is actually decent, although it is essentially exactly the same 4 bar sequence the whole way through. However, many were the club hits that did the same so we'll let it go.
 
A brief snatch of The Breeders' "Cannonball" - which has endured way beyond anything else on the programme.
 
Oh, I bought this Therapy? record - there was a 7" on blue vinyl and a clear vinyl 7" that had live tracks and was packaged to look like a bootleg. It was one of the thinnest records I ever owned, bordering on being a flexi disc. 99p each. Probably why this largely forgettable trudge is #13.
 
Ellie said:
It was a weird single to choose, there were 3-4 better and more catchy songs on the album.
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Really? That's interesting because the chorus of Arianne stuck with me over the years but I couldn't remember the rest of the song at all.
 
TOTP camera peep not noticing the Sisters Of mercy's synth player's jacket being embroidered with sperm.

This was their last new recording, IIRC. Not a whiff of a new album in almost 30 years.
 
Can't remember this Ace Of Base song at all - I'd forgotten they'd gone for the "soundalike follow-up to the hit" approach which is likely why. Tuneless.
 
"I Would Do Anything For Love" was as likely a hit as it was unlikely - hilariously overblown, structurally meandering and bordering on the plain silly, it was also a series of very memorable bits and those bits were super-catchy . It could have gone either way but as soon as radio picked it up...well, you all know.
 
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Well, the episode the Beeb advertise on the iPlayer with bloody C*lla has been staring me in the face. Here goes...
 
I don't remember 2 Unlimited's "Faces" at all. It's oddly bleak, maybe that's why it wasn't their biggest hit.

I think I missed quite a few episodes around this time, just because of what was going on in my life at the time.
 
I wish Tina Turner had done Disco Inferno 15 years before this so it wasn't so synthy. Great vocal, flimsy backing.
 
Oh, Carter USM going 'serious' - no more cycling caps, louder guitars and a song about a friend who took his own life. Actually sounds good but it's a tough chew. Don't think they had much chart action after this.
 
Christ, I actually cannot bear this C*lla tune - she sounds like someone throttling a spaniel. No wonder the show was in trouble when non-chart stuff like this was being put on.
 
"Boom Shake The Room" actually alright. I remember the 'heavy metal dude' from one of my old works doing this on karaoke at a work-day-out and he was word perfect.
 
James. "Sometimes". A masterpiece. Imperishable. The line-of-guitarists thing looks good for a mimed appearance too.
 
Stone Temple Pilots were so generic-post-Pearl-Jam-grunge-rawk as to be painful. A real chore, especially coming after the playful delights from Bjork and James.
 
Again, New Order looking like 4 people in their own worlds. I think they knew they were splitting by now and were just fulfilling their engagements. Decent tune tho', better than I remembered.
 
Why did Tony Dortie say "Nerverner" instead of Nirvana? I;d forgotten their video for Heart Shaped Box was late. Never mind.
 
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