1980: This blog may have marvelled at Steve Lamacq being judged TOTP presenter material, but that seems obvious compared to Colin Berry, who avers European charts aren't as good as ours. Makes you proud. He doesn't get to introduce Adam & The Ants, in any case. He is though given the music news, seemingly just a list of songs, before Legs & Co, Rosie in glasses, are given David Bowie and immediately disprove its title. The audience does its duty by clapping completely out of time, carrying on their conversations as if they're miked higher than the music and whooping at inappropriate moments. In possible desperation the director throws his whole box of VT tricks at it.
1986: Same colour hats, same colour trousers, same colour gloves, different colour tops. Mel & Kim are evidently lacking some commitment.
1998: Lynden David Hall requests an increase in crowd noise just as Theakston introduces him, which can't be difficult to achieve. Silkily performed, though, which can't really be said of Cher having to commit to a solo performance, Autotuned bit and all, flanked by the kids while wearing silver leggings. Watch the girl in the little black dress behind and to the right of her, who seems to want to dance to it in a way nobody else is willing to join in on.
1 comment:
It's always bad news when you have to ask a guest on a show "what do you do?". Colin Berry's presence here is absolutely bizarre, and I do love the pop news segments in these shows just because they're, as you say, a list of records.
Inevitably you've misidentified a member of Legs and Co, it's Gill in glasses, which I note fall off towards the end. I really like that routine, actually, it seems quite exciting, helped by the set being massive and at least there is an audience present which adds a bit more atmosphere to it. The audience on those 1980 shows are really loud, though, all the time.
Also great - Pete's reference to Odyssey providing "the lighter side of soul".
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