Pet Shop Boys Community

canveyboy wrote: Fri 20 Dec 2019, 7:49 pm

y3potential wrote: Fri 20 Dec 2019, 6:49 pm 19:30 tonight. Christmas Day 1988 episode performing Always on my Mind and Heart. Thankfully a Mike Smith free zone..

8pm is the broadcast time

Patrick Bateman wrote: Thu 19 Dec 2019, 12:41 am

Bucky Goldstein wrote: Fri 30 Mar 2018, 9:21 pm Just as an aside to this, anyone with even a passing interest in TOTP, or pop in general, should give the Chart Music podcast a listen...

https://chartmusiccouk.wordpress.com/

It's basically some battle-worn music jornos dissecting, at length, old Top of the Pops episodes. It's profane, insightful, scathing, celebratory and very entertaining. They've yet to cover a PSB episode (though their Blur remix has been given a passing nod of appreciation), but an appearance is bound to crop up soon....

The latest episode covers PSB.....

Yeah, an atypically flat episode of Chart Music - mostly down to one of the contributors being relentlessly negative about everything because he was way too old and way too cool to love the pop music of the time. Always on my mind got some (grudging) love, and some interesting discussion about the Elvis Presley special that spawned it. "Neil & Chris of Finland" made me laugh, but Al's p**s-poor PSB research would wind-up even a casual fan (West End girls got to no2? Fairlights were "retro" at the time? Always on my mind was the next single after What Have I?) It was down to Sarah Bee, the second contributor (and confessed PSB fan) to fly the flag, and her critique of Neil's TOTP performance was lovely... "He positively smoulders at the camera..."

I love this podcast to bits, but it's far better when the participants involved are more engaged with the music of the era (given their ages this is mid 70s to early 80s). Late 80s onwards, and it becomes a bit of a slagging off fest. This can be very amusing, but in this case it was just irritating (get back to your Young Gods, Mr Stubbs)

Bucky Goldstein wrote: Fri 03 Jan 2020, 10:21 am Yeah, an atypically flat episode of Chart Music - mostly down to one of the contributors being relentlessly negative about everything because he was way too old and way too cool to love the pop music of the time. Always on my mind got some (grudging) love, and some interesting discussion about the Elvis Presley special that spawned it. "Neil & Chris of Finland" made me laugh, but Al's p**s-poor PSB research would wind-up even a casual fan (West End girls got to no2? Fairlights were "retro" at the time? Always on my mind was the next single after What Have I?) It was down to Sarah Bee, the second contributor (and confessed PSB fan) to fly the flag, and her critique of Neil's TOTP performance was lovely... "He positively smoulders at the camera..."

I love this podcast to bits, but it's far better when the participants involved are more engaged with the music of the era (given their ages this is mid 70s to early 80s). Late 80s onwards, and it becomes a bit of a slagging off fest. This can be very amusing, but in this case it was just irritating (get back to your Young Gods, Mr Stubbs)

David Stubbs is such a typical NME writer; slagging everything off at the time to appear cool, then realising it was all right after all.

He admits that he isn’t a fan in his book on electronic music, stating that they were too arch and cold. Of course, like the cliche that he is, he prefers the authenticity and sound of early synth-pop pioneers.

I do like this podcast but find it very predictable in terms of what it likes and dislikes. I suppose that’s down to it being former music paper journalists who like to think of themselves as iconoclastic but are actually terribly reactionary in their iconoclasm.

Just watched TOTP the story of 1989, which ends with Band Aid 2. Not that they would’ve considered it, but I was just wondering if the boys were asked to be part of it


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PopKid78 wrote: Sat 04 Jan 2020, 11:15 am Just watched TOTP the story of 1989, which ends with Band Aid 2. Not that they would’ve considered it, but I was just wondering if the boys were asked to be part of it


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I doubt it; It was bloody awful. At least the original version had variety, being essentially the biggest UK pop stars of 1984 (and the Boomtown Rats), whereas Band Aid II is essentially PWL acts - which says a lot about where pop was in 1989.

I did like Al Needham's joke about Kirsty MacColl looking like The Happy Mondays' social worker.

Dusty!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000f1lx

Non-PSB but Anthea Turner is hilariously, atrociously bad in these.

Patrick Bateman wrote:Non-PSB but Anthea Turner is hilariously, atrociously bad in these.

Haha she does seem to struggle reading from the autocue. Just watched last nights episodes, there’s definitely a PSB influence going on with Kon Kan. I beg your pardon, sounds a bit dated, but I loved it at the time, So got a bit of a soft spot for it.


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It's Alright

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h3d8

I saw that too. Did they perform it in the Studio, or is it a full play of the video? If its in the Studio its def one Ive never seen

I saw that too. Did they perform it in the Studio, or is it a full play of the video? If its in the Studio its def one Ive never seen

It's the video. They were on tour in Asia at the time.

Patrick Bateman wrote: Fri 10 Apr 2020, 6:08 am It's the video. They were on tour in Asia at the time.

ah I see, thanks Patrick I thought I'd missed something!

Back when a TOTP appearance made all the difference to how well a Single performed in the Charts, I’ve often wondered about the Singles that weren’t performed live on the show. Obviously it’s something we’ll never know, but I do think that some Singles would’ve benefited from a live studio performance, to help give it that push up the Charts. Maybe not It’s Alright, but I’ve always thought Go West, could’ve got to the top, with a memorable live studio performance.


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PopKid78 wrote: Sun 12 Apr 2020, 10:06 am Back when a TOTP appearance made all the difference to how well a Single performed in the Charts, I’ve often wondered about the Singles that weren’t performed live on the show. Obviously it’s something we’ll never know, but I do think that some Singles would’ve benefited from a live studio performance, to help give it that push up the Charts. Maybe not It’s Alright, but I’ve always thought Go West, could’ve got to the top, with a memorable live studio performance.


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Couldn't agree more..! In fact, when you think about it, there are quite a few singles that weren't performed on Top of the Pops apart from It's Alright.. Off the top of my head.. DJ Culture. Was It Worth It..? Streets. Jealousy. Go West. Yesterday WIWM. Before. Se A Vida E. Single..