84-515: Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin' ", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to Life ". They have won two Grammy Awards , and have been nominated for five Brit Awards —twice for Best British Group. The group initially attracted attention as
168-541: A sound system some years prior to 1988 run by founder Jazzie B , playing at nights including their own at the Africa Centre, London . By 1988, the official lineup was Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler , Nellie Hooper , Simon Law , Doreen Waddell , Rose Windross , Daddae , Aitch B, and Jazzie Q. They released their first single, "Fairplay", with Rose Windross on lead vocals, recorded at the Africa Centre. where
252-575: A change which placed the programme up against the soap opera Coronation Street on ITV . This began a major decline in audience figures as fans were forced to choose between Top of the Pops and an episode of the soap. In 1997, incoming producer Chris Cowey phased out the use of celebrities and established a rotating team of former presenters from youth music magazine The O-Zone including Jayne Middlemiss and Jamie Theakston , as well as existing Radio 1 DJs Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball . The team
336-553: A different guest presenter each week, such as Rufus Hound or Richard Bacon . On a number of occasions, however, Reggie Yates would step in, joined by female guest presenters such as Lulu , Cyndi Lauper and Anastacia . Viewing figures during this period averaged around 1 1 ⁄ 2 million. Shortly after the move to BBC Two, Peters resigned as executive producer. He was replaced by the BBC's Creative Head of Music Entertainment Mark Cooper, while producer Sally Wood remained to oversee
420-476: A few selected dates over the course of their hiatus. In March 2002, Doreen Waddell , who had been living in Hove following her departure, died at 36 after being hit by three cars while she was fleeing from a shoplifting incident. In July 2002, Lamya released her solo debut album Learning from Falling , which spawned the number-one Dance chart single " Empires (Bring Me Men) ". In 2007, Soul II Soul reformed at
504-493: A few singers he had performed with in the past. This led to the brief addition of Kym Mazelle , Lamya , and Victoria Wilson-James to the new lineup. With a new official lineup, the group released their second album, Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade , which peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart . The album's second single " A Dream's a Dream ", which features Victoria Wilson James on lead vocals, performed well on
588-566: A monthly basis until May 1991. Ciani had to step down due to illness in 1991, when Hurll returned as producer to cover for two months (and again for a brief time as holiday cover in 1992). From 1967, the show had become closely associated with the BBC radio station Radio 1, usually being presented by DJs from the station, and between 1988 and 1991 the programme was simulcast on the radio station in FM stereo (that is, until BBC's launch of NICAM stereo for TV made such simulcasts redundant). However, during
672-658: A total of 87 (the first was with " Pictures of Matchstick Men " in 1968 and last with " The Party Ain't Over Yet " in 2005). Special editions were broadcast on Christmas Day (and usually, until 1984, a second edition a few days after Christmas), featuring some of the best-selling singles of the year and the Christmas number one . Although the weekly show was cancelled in 2006, the Christmas special continued annually. End-of-year round-up editions have also been broadcast on BBC1 on or around New Year's Eve, albeit largely featuring
756-471: The BBC and broadcast weekly between 1 January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its history, it was broadcast on Thursday evenings on BBC One . Each show consisted of performances of some of the week's best-selling popular music records, usually excluding any tracks moving down the chart, including a rundown of that week's singles chart. This
840-406: The BBC that the show was going to move, again, to Sunday evenings on BBC Two , thus losing the prime-time slot on BBC One that it had maintained for more than forty years. This move was widely reported as a final "sidelining" of the show, and perhaps signalled its likely cancellation. At the time, it was insisted that this was so the show would air immediately after the official announcement of
924-587: The Lovebox Festival in Victoria Park, London . The lineup consisted of Caron Wheeler, Jazzie B, Aitch B, with the new addition of MC Chickaboo . In December 2008, a radio programme about Soul II Soul was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 . In January 2009, Lamya died of a heart attack. The Soul II Soul Sound System featuring Caron Wheeler toured Australia nationally in February 2009. They performed at
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#17327835670761008-406: The roots reggae dub reggae album "I n I Deal With Roots" under the collective monikor, The Truth, which was successful with Jah Shaka followers. The album reworked drum and bass structures and production techniques from King Tubby , Prince Alla , Yabby You , Big Youth 's iconic Screaming Target album, as well as sampling bass lines from The Palmer Brothers Step it Out of Babylon In 1998,
1092-734: The 'Year Zero' revamp was quickly undone and the arrival of Ric Blaxill as producer in February 1994 signalled a return to presentation from established Radio 1 DJs Simon Mayo , Mark Goodier , Nicky Campbell and Bruno Brookes . Blaxill expanded the use of "via satellite" performances, taking the acts out of studios and concert halls and setting them against landmark backdrops. As a consequence, Bon Jovi performed Always from Niagara Falls and Celine Dion beamed in Think Twice from Miami Beach. Blaxill also increasingly experimented with handing presenting duties to celebrities, commonly contemporary comedians and pop stars who were not in
1176-562: The American music scene with Jonathan King was introduced in November 1981, and ran every few weeks until February 1985. In January 1985, a Breakers section, featuring short video clips of new tracks in the lower end of the Top 40, was introduced, and this continued for most weeks until March 1994. Although the programme had been broadcast live in its early editions, it had been recorded on
1260-555: The BBC, later taking up a new contract at MTV. The show continued to be hosted by Reggie Yates and Fearne Cotton (usually together, but occasionally solo) on Friday evenings until 8 July 2005. On 30 July 2004, the show took place outside a studio environment for the first time by broadcasting outside in Gateshead . Girls Aloud , Busted , Will Young and Jamelia were among the performers that night. Figures had plummeted to below three million, prompting an announcement by
1344-627: The BBC; Top of the Pops went out of production between 29 May and 7 August 1980. During the Musicians' Union strike, BBC1 showed repeats of Are You Being Served? in the regular Top of the Pops Thursday night time slot. Following the strike, Nash was replaced as executive producer by Michael Hurll , who introduced more of a "party" atmosphere to the show, with performances often accompanied by balloons and cheerleaders, and more audible audience noise and cheering. Hurll also laid off
1428-628: The Hollies with " Stay ", the Swinging Blue Jeans with " Hippy Hippy Shake " and the Beatles with " I Want to Hold Your Hand ", that week's number one. Throughout its history, the programme proper always (with very few exceptions) finished with the best-selling single of the week, although there often was a separate play-out track over the end credits. Later in 1964, the broadcast time was moved to one hour later, at 7:35 pm, and
1512-612: The Playground Weekender Festival near Sydney. Soul II Soul performed live at the Yasalam free concerts in conjunction with the 2009 Formula 1TM Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix celebrations in October 2009. In 2010, Soul II Soul reunited for their reunion tour with the lineup consisting of Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler, Rose Windross, Kym Mazelle, Charlotte Kelly, Aitch B, and MC Chickaboo. The group toured until
1596-535: The Pops with Ford performing lead vocals. In August 1995, Soul II Soul released their fourth studio album, Volume V Believe . The album's second single "I Care", which features Charlotte on lead vocals, charted at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. In August 1997, the group released their fifth studio album, Time for Change . The album featured the singles "Represent" and "Pleasure Dome". In 1997, Daddae teamed up with Joey Jay and Norman Jay to produce
1680-775: The Soul II Soul "Classics" Collection at Harvey Nichols in London, England. The Classics Collection features T-shirts and sweatshirts with Soul II Soul's Funky Dred logo. In the same year, Kelly left the group again and Wheeler rejoined the group. In 2014, Soul II Soul performed at the Lovebox Festival. In 2016, Soul II Soul released a single, "A New Day", credited to Caron Wheeler, which features production from Jazzie B and Louie Vega . Soul II Soul released their live album Origins: The Roots Of Soul II Soul on 9 December 2016. In May 2017, Soul II Soul performed at Electric Brixton , with Caron Wheeler and Charlotte Kelly as
1764-494: The Top of the Pops Orchestra, which was introduced at this time to provide live instrumentation on some performances (previously, acts had generally mimed to the records). In November 1969, with the introduction of colour, the show moved to BBC TV Centre , where it stayed until 1991, when it moved to Elstree Studios Studio C. For a while in the early 1970s, non-chart songs were played on a more regular basis, to reflect
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#17327835670761848-468: The UK Singles Chart earlier in the day. The show ended with Savile ultimately turning the lights off in the empty studio. Fearne Cotton , who was the current presenter, was unavailable to co-host for the final edition due to her filming of ITV 's Love Island in Fiji but opened the show with a quick introduction recorded on location, saying "It's still number one, it's Top of the Pops ". BARB reported
1932-487: The Year Zero revamp were replaced on 2 February 1995, when a new set, title sequence, logo and theme tune were introduced (the logo having first appeared on the new programme Top of the Pops 2 , which had debuted five months previously in mid-September 1994). TOTP was traditionally shown on a Thursday night, but was moved to a Friday starting on 14 June 1996, originally at 7 pm, but then shifted to 7.30 pm,
2016-429: The ceremony. In August 2012, Soul II Soul (Jazzie B, Jazzi Q, Aitch B, Caron Wheeler, and MC Chickaboo) performed at Channel 4's "House Party". In December 2012, Soul II Soul performed "Keep on Movin ' " and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" on Later... with Jools Holland with Caron Wheeler as the lead vocalist. They also confirmed to be working on a new album. In April 2013, Jazzie B and Charlotte Kelly launched
2100-479: The chart. Tracks could be featured in consecutive weeks in different formats. For example, if a song was played over the chart countdown or the closing credits, then it was acceptable for the act to appear in the studio the following week. These rules were sometimes interpreted flexibly. It was originally based on the Top 20. By the 1970s, the Top 30 was being used and the show was extended from thirty to forty-five minutes duration and songs that were featured outside
2184-677: The chart. The album's third single " People ", featuring Lewis on lead vocals, garnered moderate success on the charts but managed to achieve success on the Dance charts . The album's final single " Missing You ", featuring Kym Mazelle on lead vocals, also performed well on the charts. In the mid-1990s, the group toured throughout the United Kingdom. One of their concerts at Brixton Academy was recorded live and released in September 1990, titled A New Decade: Live from Brixton Academy . After
2268-485: The charts at that time. In an attempt to keep the links between acts as fresh as the performances themselves, the so-called "golden mic" was used by, amongst others, Kylie Minogue , Meat Loaf , Chris Eubank , Damon Albarn , Harry Hill , Jack Dee , Lulu , Björk , Jarvis Cocker , Stewart Lee and Richard Herring . Radio 1 DJs still presented occasionally, including Lisa I'Anson , Steve Lamacq , Jo Whiley and on one show only Chris Evans . The last remnants of
2352-427: The charts were chosen according to Dorfman and his fellow producer's Melvyn Cornish's personal taste and judgement. The rules were more formally relaxed from 1997 when records descending the charts were featured more regularly, possibly as a response to the changing nature of the Top 40 (in the late 1990s and early 2000s climbers in the charts were a rarity, with almost all singles peaking at their debut position). When
2436-530: The collective hosted a regular Sunday-night residency. The song charted at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart , while their follow-up single "Feel Free", which featured Doreen on lead vocals, charted at number 64. The weekly club night, having grown ever more popular, moved to the much larger The Fridge Nightclub in Brixton , South London, where it would remain well into the 1990s. The collective used
2520-519: The conclusion of the tour, Wilson-James, Mazelle, Lewis left the group to pursue solo careers. In 1991, Soul II Soul was in need of lead vocalists for the recording of their third album. During recording sessions, Jazzie B recruited guest singers Richie Stephens , Kofi , Penny Ford , Rick Clarke, along with the re-addition of Caron Wheeler to record on the album. In April 1992, Soul II Soul released their third album, Volume III Just Right . The album's lead single, " Joy ", performed by Stephens, reached
2604-521: The day before transmission for many years. However, from May 1981, the show was sometimes broadcast live for a few editions each year, and this practice continued on an occasional basis (often in the week of a bank holiday, when the release of the new chart was delayed, and for some special editions) for the rest of the decade. The programme moved in September 1985 to a new regular half-hour timeslot of 7 pm on Thursdays, following wider reforms to BBC TV scheduling by then-controller Michael Grade . With
Soul II Soul - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-412: The end of 2011. Following the tour, Kelly and Wheeler performed on-and-off as the featured vocalists for Soul II Soul. In 2012, Soul II Soul performed at the Lovebox Festival in which Kelly performed as the featured vocalist. In June 2012, Soul II Soul received the honorary PRS Heritage Plaque award. Jazzie B, Wheeler, Daddae, Mazelle, Kelly, Aitch B were among the members present. They also performed during
2772-528: The exception of special editions, this saw the end of its longer episodes, which had ranged between 35 and 45 minutes in previous years. Coupled with an emphasis on video clips via features such as the aforementioned Breakers section, fewer studio acts could appear due to this, leading to renewed general criticism from both viewers and performers, and occasionally putting the show at a slight disadvantage to other music television programmes (alongside later dedicated channels for music videos) such as The Tube and
2856-418: The final show's viewing figures as 3.98 million. As the last episode featured no live acts in the studio, the last act to actually play live on a weekly episode of TOTP was Snow Patrol , who performed " Chasing Cars " in the penultimate edition; the last act ever featured visually on a weekly Top of the Pops was Girls Aloud , as part of the closing sequence of bands performing on the show throughout
2940-470: The first edition premièred to improved ratings, the All New format, hosted by MTV presenter Tim Kash , quickly returned to low ratings and brought about scathing reviews. Kash continued to host the show, but Radio 1 DJs Reggie Yates and Fearne Cotton (who had each presented a few shows in 2003, before the revamp) were brought back to co-host alongside him, before Kash was completely dropped by
3024-466: The first of the two shows was broadcast prior to Christmas Day, airing on 23 December, followed by the traditional Christmas Day show two days later. The 1978 Christmas Day show was disrupted due to industrial action at the BBC, requiring a change in format to the broadcast. The first show, due to be screened on 21 December, was not shown at all because BBC1 was off the air. For Christmas Day, Noel Edmonds (presenting his last ever edition of TOTP ) hosted
3108-459: The group officially disbanded with each member pursuing solo careers. Following their disbandment, several members including Wilson-James, Mazelle, Lamya, and Kelly would release solo albums which would each garner success, respectively. Marcia Lewis and Kym Mazelle would also go on to become educators. In 1999, Kelly released her self-titled debut album, which spawned the number-one Dance chart single "Skin". The group often reunited and performed for
3192-512: The group's previous tour, was also recruited to join the group. Melissa Bell and Lamya also contributed vocals to the forthcoming album. In January 1995, Soul II Soul and Isaac Hayes also performed " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone " live on French TV show Taratata , with Kelly on lead vocals. In June 1995, Soul II Soul released the single "Love Enuff". The single retained the use of Wheeler's pre-recorded background vocals and Penny Ford on lead vocals. The song invited Soul II Soul to perform on Top of
3276-467: The group's single " Keep on Movin' " , featuring Caron Wheeler on lead vocals. The song became a success and also sold over one million copies in the US. The following month, the group's first album Club Classics Vol. One was released. The album peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold over four million copies worldwide. The group's next single, " Back to Life ", became their biggest hit, hitting
3360-488: The group. The single " Get a Life ", which featured Lewis on lead vocals, charted at number three on the UK Singles chart. The song also sold over 60 thousand copies in the United Kingdom. Lewis' debut performance came on Top of the Pops when she performed alongside Caron Wheeler and Jazzie B. In early 1990, Wheeler officially left the group to pursue her solo career. To fill out the group's dynamic, Jazzie B turned to
3444-646: The history of the show were included in between acts performing in the studio, which included Cliff Richard , Engelbert Humperdinck , Lulu , the Four Tops , David Essex , Mud , Status Quo , Shakin' Stevens , the Tremeloes and from the very first edition, the Swinging Blue Jeans . Sandie Shaw , the Pet Shop Boys and Wet Wet Wet were billed in the Radio Times to appear, but none featured in
Soul II Soul - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-465: The last few years of the 1980s the association became less close, and was severed completely (although not permanently) in a radical shake-up known as the 'Year Zero' revamp. Following a fall in viewing figures and a general perception that the show had become 'uncool' (acts like the Clash had refused to appear in the show in previous years), incoming executive producer Stanley Appel (who had worked on
3612-523: The lead vocalists. On 28 August 2017, Melissa Bell died after suffering from kidney failure . The group appeared on Jools' Annual Hootenanny on New Year's Eve in 2017. Musical collective Musical collective is a phrase used to describe a group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared. The concept is distinct from that of a traditional band in that musical collectives allow for flexibility in their rosters, and members are free to rotate in and out of
3696-572: The line-up. Collectives may exist in almost any genre of music, although they have been especially prominent in indie rock and hip hop . A musical collective is distinct from a musicians collective , such as the London Musicians Collective , which is an organization with more general aims and larger membership. Top of the Pops Top of the Pops ( TOTP ) is a British music chart television programme, made by
3780-417: The name Top of the Pops . Cotton, Johnnie Stewart and Stanley Dorfman devised the rules which governed how the show would operate: the programme would always end with the number one record, which was the only record that could appear in consecutive weeks. The show would include the highest new entry and (if not featured in the previous week) the highest climber on the charts, and omit any song going down in
3864-488: The new millennium. A plaque now commemorates the collective's significant influence on the original venue, which closed in 2010 but which was subsequently renamed and reopened as the Electric Brixton During the late 1980s, Jazzie B and several other members of the group became involved in the local pirate radio station movement. Jazzie B hosted a show on KISS-FM . In March 1989, their label released
3948-446: The new top 40 chart on Radio 1 , as it was thought that by the following Friday, the chart seemed out of date. The final Top of the Pops to be shown on BBC One (barring Christmas and New Year specials) was broadcast on Monday 11 July 2005, which was edition number 2,166. The first edition on BBC Two was broadcast on 17 July 2005 at 7.00 pm with presenter Fearne Cotton . Following the move to Sundays, Cotton continued to host with
4032-449: The orchestra, as the Musicians' Union was loosening enforcement of the 1966 miming ban. Guest co-presenters and a music news feature were introduced for a short while, but had ceased by the end of 1980. The chart rundown was split into three sections in the middle of the programme, with the final Top 10 section initially featuring clips of the songs' videos, although this became rarer over the next few years. An occasional feature showing
4116-451: The perceived growing importance of album sales; there was an album slot featuring three songs from a new LP, as well as a New Release spot and a feature of a new act, dubbed Tip for the Top . These features were dropped after a while, although the programme continued to feature new releases on a regular basis for the rest of the decade. During its heyday, it attracted 15 million viewers each week. The peak TV audience of 19 million
4200-399: The production of the album. This ultimately led to Wheeler leaving the group again during the recording of the song "Love Enuff". Now without an official lead singer for the group, Jazzie B was left to recruit a few singers once more. Penny Ford, background vocalist on the group's single "Move Me No Mountain", officially became a member of the group. Charlotte Kelly , a background vocalist from
4284-454: The programme since 1966 as cameraman, production assistant, director and stand-in producer ) introduced a radical new format on 3 October 1991, in which the Radio 1 DJs were replaced by a team of relative unknowns, such as Claudia Simon and Tony Dortie who had previously worked for Children's BBC , 17-year-old local radio DJ Mark Franklin, Steve Anderson, Adrian Rose and Elayne Smith, who
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#17327835670764368-456: The programme's format changed in November 2003, it concentrated increasingly on the top 10. Later, during the BBC Two era, the top 20 was regarded as the main cut-off point, with the exception made for up and coming bands below the top 20. Singles from below the top 40 (within the top 75) were shown if the band were up and coming or had a strong selling album. If a single being performed was below
4452-457: The revived Whistle Test (though both would end in 1987). The end of 1988 was marked by a special 70-minute edition of the show broadcast on 31 December 1988, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first show. The pre-recorded programme featured the return of the original four presenters (Savile, Freeman, Murray and Jacobs) as well as numerous presenters from the show's history, anchored by Paul Gambaccini and Mike Read . Numerous clips from
4536-593: The same acts and tracks as the Christmas Day shows. In a change of format, the festive specials did not return in 2022 or 2023 and were replaced by an end-of-year review show on BBC Two. It also survives as Top of the Pops 2 , which began in 1994 and features vintage performances from the Top of the Pops archives. Though TOTP2 ceased producing new episodes from 2017, repeats of older episodes are still shown. The Official Charts Company states that "performing on
4620-449: The schedule, but initially regularly on 26 December. The first was shown on 26 December 1965. In 2022, the Christmas show was moved to BBC Two and broadcast on 24 December, with no usual studio-based live performances included in the broadcast. In 1973, there was just one show, airing on Christmas Day. In place of the traditional second show, Jimmy Savile hosted a look back at the first 10 years of TOTP , broadcast on 27 December. In 1975,
4704-421: The series from 1964 until 1971, then continued for five years thereafter as an executive producer . In the first few editions, Denise Sampey was the "disc girl", who would be seen to put the record on a turntable before the next act played their track. However, a Mancunian model, Samantha Juste , became the regular disc girl after a few episodes, a role she performed until 1967. Initially acts performing on
4788-423: The show from the 'TOTP Production Office' with clips taken from various editions of the show broadcast during the year and new studio footage performed without an audience. The format was slightly tweaked for the Christmas Day edition in 1981, with the Radio 1 DJs choosing their favourite tracks of the year and the following edition on 31 December featuring the year's number 1 hits. The second programme
4872-409: The show moved from Wednesdays to what became its regular Thursday slot. Additionally its length was extended by 5 minutes to 30 minutes. For the first three years Alan Freeman , David Jacobs , Pete Murray and Jimmy Savile rotated presenting duties, with the following week's presenter also appearing at the end of each show, although this practice ceased from October 1964 onwards. The show
4956-441: The show on a weekly basis. On 20 June 2006, the show was formally cancelled and it was announced that the last edition would be broadcast on 30 July 2006. Edith Bowman co-presented its hour-long swansong, along with Jimmy Savile (who was the main presenter on the first show), Reggie Yates , Mike Read , Pat Sharp , Sarah Cawood , Dave Lee Travis , Rufus Hound , Tony Blackburn and Janice Long . The final day of recording
5040-533: The show on air in Germany, France, the Netherlands , Belgium and Italy by 2003. Finally, the programme returned to its previous home of BBC Television Centre in 2001, where it remained until its cancellation in 2006. On 28 November 2003 (three months after the appointment of Andi Peters as executive producer), the show saw one of its most radical overhauls since the ill-fated 1991 'Year Zero' revamp in what
5124-412: The show other than Shaw in compilation clips. Paul Ciani took over as producer in 1988. The following year, in an attempt to fit more songs in the allocated half-hour again, he restricted the duration of studio performances to three minutes, and videos to two minutes, a practice which was largely continued until May 1997. In July 1990, he introduced a rundown of the Top 5 albums, which continued on
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#17327835670765208-412: The show was considered an honour, and it pulled in just about every major player". The show has seen seminal performances over its history. The March 1971 appearance of T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan wearing glitter and satins as he performed " Hot Love " is often seen as the inception of glam rock , and David Bowie 's performance of " Starman " inspired future musicians. In the 1990s, the show's format
5292-458: The show would mime (lip-sync) to the commercially released record, but in 1966 after discussions with the Musicians' Union , miming was banned. After a few weeks during which some bands' attempts to play as well as on their records were somewhat lacking, a compromise was reached whereby a specially recorded backing track was permitted, as long as all the musicians on the track were present in
5376-423: The show. At the BBC in the 1960s and early 1970s, producers and directors did both jobs simultaneously. From 1964 to 1969, Stewart and Dorfman took it in turns to produce and direct, but each spent five days a week getting the show together. At the end of 1969, Stewart left, and was replaced in early 1970 by Melvyn Cornish, Stewart returned as an executive producer in 1971 until 1973. Dorfman directed and produced
5460-401: The single "Wish", which featured the new addition to the group Melissa Bell on lead vocals. In 1994, Soul II Soul prepared to record their fourth album. Despite her career as an established solo artist, Caron Wheeler once again joined the group and committed to the recording of the group's upcoming album. During the record sessions, Wheeler and Jazzie B struggled with creative difficulties for
5544-411: The song's instrumental introduction. Short informal interviews were also conducted on stage with the performers, and initially the Top 10 countdown was run without any voiceover. Rules relating to performance were altered, meaning acts had to forcibly sing live as opposed to the backing tracks for instruments and mimed vocals for which the show was known. To incorporate a shift towards USA artists, more use
5628-467: The studio. As a result, Stewart hired Johnny Pearson to conduct an in-studio orchestra to provide musical backing on select performances, beginning with the 4 August 1966 edition. Later, vocal group The Ladybirds began providing vocal backing with the orchestra. With the birth of BBC Radio 1 in 1967, new Radio 1 DJs were added to the roster – Stuart Henry , Emperor Rosko , Simon Dee and Kenny Everett . Local photographer Harry Goodwin
5712-603: The top 40, just the words "New Entry" were shown and not the chart position. The show was originally intended to run for only a few programmes but lasted over 42 years, reaching landmark episodes of 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 in the years 1973, 1983, 1992 and 2002 respectively. The first edition of Top of the Pops was broadcast on Wednesday, 1 January 1964 at 6:35 pm. It was produced in Studio A at Dickenson Road Studios in Rusholme , Manchester. The first show
5796-478: The top five on the US Hot 100 and number one on the UK Singles chart. The single went on to win the group their first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1990. The group would continue to see some UK success but "Back to Life" would be the second and last US hit for the group. In late 1989, Waddell and Windross departed from the group. Marcia Lewis, a cousin of Jazzie B, joined
5880-446: The top ten on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single " Move Me No Mountain ", performed by Kofi on lead vocals, achieved moderate success in the UK. The third single, "Just Right", suffered the same fate, relegating the album to limited and moderate sales figures. The group toured for a brief time throughout 1993. In November 1993, the group released their greatest hits album Volume IV The Classic Singles 88–93 . The album spawned
5964-512: The venue to test their musical composites on the dance floor. Together with an eclectic mix of “Funki Dredd" – "A happy face, a thumpin' bass, for a lovin' race!" – themed club classics that combined British, Caribbean, African, and African American influences. One night in 1988, the residency hosted a personal appearance by the nascent rap group N.W.A . who were briefly in the UK promoting their album Straight Outta Compton . At The Fridge nightclub, Soul II Soul helped cement club culture and lay
6048-550: The visual and musical template for the 1988 Second Summer of Love in the UK and Ibiza. Together with the nascent UK Dance Music movement originating both there and at venues like The Haçienda in Manchester, and Cream in Liverpool and on to the massive 1990s legal rave scene at club nights, venues and festivals all across the UK, Ibiza and Europe. Ultimately leading to the global electronic dance music (EDM) explosion of
6132-652: Was 26 July 2006 and featured archive footage and tributes, including the Rolling Stones – the very first band to appear on Top of the Pops – opening with "The Last Time", the Spice Girls , David Bowie , Wham! , Madonna , Beyoncé , Gnarls Barkley , the Jackson 5 , Sonny & Cher and Robbie Williams . The show closed with a final countdown, topped by Shakira , as her track " Hips Don't Lie " (featuring Wyclef Jean ) had climbed back up to number one on
6216-486: Was discontinued after 1984. The year 1980 marked major production changes to Top of the Pops and a hiatus forced by industrial action. Steve Wright made his presenting debut on 7 February 1980. Towards the end of February 1980, facing a £40 million budget deficit, the BBC laid off five orchestras as part of £130 million in cuts. The budget cuts led to a Musicians' Union strike that suspended operations of all 11 BBC orchestras and performances of live music on
6300-528: Was hired to provide shots of non-appearing artists, and also to provide backdrops for the chart run-down. He continued in the role until 1973. After two years at the Manchester Dickenson Road Studios, the show moved to London (considered to be better located for bands to appear), initially for six months at BBC TV Centre Studio 2 and then to the larger Studio G at BBC Lime Grove Studios in mid-1966 to provide space for
6384-415: Was later augmented by Kate Thornton and Gail Porter . Cowey additionally instigated a wider set of 'back to basics' changes when he took over the show. On 1 May 1998, a remixed version of the classic "Whole Lotta Love" theme tune previously used in the 1970s was introduced, accompanied by a new 1960s-inspired logo and title sequence. Cowey also began to export the brand overseas with localised versions of
6468-479: Was made of out-of-studio performances, with acts in America able to transmit their song to the Top of the Pops audience "via satellite". These changes were widely unpopular and much of the presenting team were axed within a year, leaving the show hosted solely by Dortie and Franklin (apart from the Christmas Day editions, when both presenters appeared) from October 1992, on a week-by-week rotation. By 1994, much of
6552-496: Was originally the Top 20, though this varied throughout the show's history. The Top 30 was used from 1969, and the Top 40 from 1984. Dusty Springfield 's " I Only Want to Be with You " was the first song featured on TOTP , while the Rolling Stones were the first band to perform, with " I Wanna Be Your Man ". Snow Patrol were the last act to play live on the weekly show when they performed their single " Chasing Cars ". Status Quo made more appearances than any other artist, with
6636-493: Was presented by Jimmy Savile , with a brief link to Alan Freeman in London to preview the following week's programme. The producer Johnnie Stewart based the show's format on Savile's Teen and Twenty Disc Club on Radio Luxembourg . The first show featured (in order) Dusty Springfield with " I Only Want to Be with You ", the Rolling Stones with " I Wanna Be Your Man ", the Dave Clark Five with " Glad All Over ",
6720-478: Was recorded in 1979, during the ITV strike , with only BBC1 and BBC2 on air. A year-end Christmas show featuring a review of the year's biggest hits was inaugurated on 24 December 1964, and has continued every year since. From 1965 until 2021, the special edition was broadcast on Christmas Day (although not in 1966) and from the same year, a second edition was broadcast in the days after Christmas, varying depending on
6804-462: Was replaced by Femi Oke in 1992. A brand new theme tune ("Now Get Out of That"), title sequence and logo were introduced, and the entire programme moved from BBC Television Centre in London to BBC Elstree Centre in Borehamwood . The new presenting team would take turns hosting (initially usually in pairs but sometimes solo), and would often introduce acts in an out-of-vision voiceover over
6888-534: Was sold to several foreign broadcasters in the form of a franchise package, and at one point various versions of the show were shown in more than 120 countries. Editions of the programme from 1976 onwards started being repeated on BBC Four in 2011 and are aired on most Friday evenings – as of 2024 the repeat run has reached 1996. Episodes featuring disgraced presenters and artists such as Jimmy Savile , Dave Lee Travis , Jonathan King , Rolf Harris , and Gary Glitter are no longer repeated. Bill Cotton devised
6972-402: Was taped 52 weeks a year with no breaks. The chart came out on Tuesday mornings and the show aired live on Thursday evenings. This led to a process of difficult weekly planning, rescheduling, booking, and rebooking, as well as pre-recording of acts, particularly of American artists who might be advancing up the chart the following weeks, to ensure that each weeks top 20 would be able to appear on
7056-410: Was widely reported as a make-or-break attempt to revitalise the long-running series. In a break with the previous format, the show played more up-and-coming tracks ahead of any chart success, and also featured interviews with artists and a music news feature called "24/7". Most editions of the show were now broadcast live, for the first time since 1991 (apart from a couple of editions in 1994). Although
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