12th November

1981: Few horn sections grooved like Kool & The Gang's did, and with new matching outfits all round every time, plus a rogue bowler hat. Unfortunately the smartness of the attire does show up the garishness of Zoo's looks at the back, the Eighties cliches already kicking in somewhat. A very different kind of fashion statement - Arran sweaters, woolly hiking socks and plus-fours - somewhat jars against the sort of music Haircut 100 actually made. "Flick Colby's" Zoo make another cameo here before their actual centrepiece to Earth Wind & Fire, which seems to eclectically be set in some sort of Aztec temple.

1987: Presumably there's meant to be loads of those flags a few people are limply holding around The Communards but nobody quite got round to making them or telling the kids what to do with them. We can see that extra keyboard player at the back, so called duo. By contrast Alexander O'Neal, you feel, will never let anybody onto the same stage unless it's absolutely necessary, hence sticking his backing singer up in the stalls.

1992: TOTP 1500, and what spectacular accroutements could we expect? Nothing. At all. Almost inevitably. What there is is a strident En Vogue, though watch the one on the left get the choreography just wrong on the chorus every time. Mark Franklin refers to Vanessa Paradis "still going strong" a marathon four years after her debut, though it's only now she's put some almost sensible trousers on. Jason Donovan's done some of his own growing up too - stool, strings, crooning standard. The girls aren't going to let go that easily, it's not even that long or big a note they go mad at.

1999: Double Spice solo duty, or sort of given Emma Bunton was dragged into Tin Tin Out's (and by extension Edie Brickell's) orbit. Presumably she couldn't bear to look to her left at that big close-up screen too much. Meanwhile Geri Halliwell hires a wind machine and waits a long time before taking the title at its word.