Did anybody else watch this wonderful 90 minute programme last night? I started watching, and enjoyed it so much the 90 minutes seemed to go in a flash. I enjoyed the artists featured, all major 80s names in chronological order, with amusing comments from Mark Radcliffe and great graphical observations. (Though a few mistakes such as claiming Ant Music was Adam and the Ants 3rd single - it was their 6th).

Wonderful. Can we have the same for the 60s, 70s and 90s. (No chance for the 00s, as the BBC won't have a complete archive of footage).

And didn't I read them say Jimmy Somerville is now an ordained minister? Wrong Communard surely?

JK2006 wrote:
And didn't I read them say Jimmy Somerville is now an ordained minister? Wrong Communard surely?

Yes, Richard Coles, wasn't it? he did an Archive Hour on R4 recently. It was a fun show. (I didn't get what Sunday's Radio One bits and pieces was supposed to be 'for,' but that had its moments too, especially that execrably hammy Bannister-Dann double act and the weirdly frosty Wogan repeat!) No doubt Stephen Fry was too busy in a mosh pit somewhere and missed it!

Though a few mistakes such as claiming Ant Music was Adam and the Ants 3rd single - it was their 6th).


Ant Music was the 3rd single (or at least the 3rd entry in the singles charts) by Adam Ant.

DJones wrote:
Though a few mistakes such as claiming Ant Music was Adam and the Ants 3rd single - it was their 6th).


Ant Music was the 3rd single (or at least the 3rd entry in the singles charts) by Adam Ant.

First single was Young Parisians on Decca, then he had two singles on Do It Records, Zerox and Car Trouble. (First 3 singles). Then they signed to CBS and released Kings of The Wild Frontier followed by Dog Eat Dog and then Antmusic. That makes Antmusic the sixth release. TOTP2's graphics stated that Antmusic was their 3rd single. It wasn't, even though it was their third release to make the Top 75.

I was in record retailing at the time and remember the releases well. I also saw Adam & The Ants at Friars Aylesbury around the time of Dog Eat Dog release.

Just a thought.

As Adam & the Ants were on Decca originally, were you involved with them in any way, JK?

Nope; not my era Dixie.

dixie wrote:
DJones wrote:
Though a few mistakes such as claiming Ant Music was Adam and the Ants 3rd single - it was their 6th).


Ant Music was the 3rd single (or at least the 3rd entry in the singles charts) by Adam Ant.

First single was Young Parisians on Decca, then he had two singles on Do It Records, Zerox and Car Trouble. (First 3 singles). Then they signed to CBS and released Kings of The Wild Frontier followed by Dog Eat Dog and then Antmusic. That makes Antmusic the sixth release. TOTP2's graphics stated that Antmusic was their 3rd single. It wasn't, even though it was their third release to make the Top 75.

I was in record retailing at the time and remember the releases well. I also saw Adam & The Ants at Friars Aylesbury around the time of Dog Eat Dog release.

Aha. Am I right in thinking that Young Parisians was re-released/re-hyped after Adam got 'hot,' or have I misremembered?

You are right, Dixie.

I was relying on "The Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles" were all releases (including the ones by Adam And The Antz) are filed under Adam Ant.

According to my record collection, there was another single, "Deutscher Girls" on EG/Polydor, released in 1978. But probably only in Germany.

I could have seen Adam And The Antz at the Marquee in late January 78, but instead I went to the Nashville were Ex-Pistol Glen Matlock played with Midge Ure & Co as the Rich Kids.

The Ants first hit was Dog Eat Dog, October 80, quickly followed by Antmusic, #2 around Xmas 1980. Into New Year and things go into overdrive, Young Parisians went Top Ten as Antmusic was going down the chart and the re-released Kings Of The Wild Frontier was heading up to #2, and Car Trouble also made the Top Thirty around this time too, Adam came staright back with Stand & Deliver and then Prince Charming, and the rest as they say is history.
TOTP2's researchers are notoriously slap-dash, they also said Madness Our House was a #1 last night, and buggered the date order up by wrongly stating Shergal Farkey was April 85 (in actual fact October 85)

Chris Retro wrote:
The Ants first hit was Dog Eat Dog, October 80, quickly followed by Antmusic, #2 around Xmas 1980. Into New Year and things go into overdrive, Young Parisians went Top Ten as Antmusic was going down the chart and the re-released Kings Of The Wild Frontier was heading up to #2, and Car Trouble also made the Top Thirty around this time too, Adam came staright back with Stand & Deliver and then Prince Charming, and the rest as they say is history.
TOTP2's researchers are notoriously slap-dash, they also said Madness Our House was a #1 last night, and buggered the date order up by wrongly stating Shergal Farkey was April 85 (in actual fact October 85)

Sorry Chris, you are wrong. Dog Eat Dog was the 4th single - but the first to chart. His previous 3 releases were re-issued and subsequently charted, but were released BEFORE Dog Eat Dog.

dixie wrote:
Chris Retro wrote:
The Ants first hit was Dog Eat Dog, October 80, quickly followed by Antmusic, #2 around Xmas 1980. Into New Year and things go into overdrive, Young Parisians went Top Ten as Antmusic was going down the chart and the re-released Kings Of The Wild Frontier was heading up to #2, and Car Trouble also made the Top Thirty around this time too, Adam came staright back with Stand & Deliver and then Prince Charming, and the rest as they say is history.
TOTP2's researchers are notoriously slap-dash, they also said Madness Our House was a #1 last night, and buggered the date order up by wrongly stating Shergal Farkey was April 85 (in actual fact October 85)

Sorry Chris, you are wrong. Dog Eat Dog was the 4th single - but the first to chart. His previous 3 releases were re-issued and subsequently charted, but were released BEFORE Dog Eat Dog.


Er...without being a pedant, that's why I referred to it as the 'first hit' (not 'first single'), and went on to mention 're-releases'

Chris Retro wrote:
dixie wrote:
Chris Retro wrote:
The Ants first hit was Dog Eat Dog, October 80, quickly followed by Antmusic, #2 around Xmas 1980. Into New Year and things go into overdrive, Young Parisians went Top Ten as Antmusic was going down the chart and the re-released Kings Of The Wild Frontier was heading up to #2, and Car Trouble also made the Top Thirty around this time too, Adam came staright back with Stand & Deliver and then Prince Charming, and the rest as they say is history.
TOTP2's researchers are notoriously slap-dash, they also said Madness Our House was a #1 last night, and buggered the date order up by wrongly stating Shergal Farkey was April 85 (in actual fact October 85)

Sorry Chris, you are wrong. Dog Eat Dog was the 4th single - but the first to chart. His previous 3 releases were re-issued and subsequently charted, but were released BEFORE Dog Eat Dog.


Er...without being a pedant, that's why I referred to it as the 'first hit' (not 'first single'), and went on to mention 're-releases'

Sorry, my mistake. I was in a hurry yesterday, and was still thinking about the TOTP graphics error.

I loved this show too, but didn't really take much notice of the graphic.

However at the end of the show Mark Radcliffe said there were some great tunes and then on the next programme "The grumpy guide to the 80's" he claims that 80's music was "crap". A bit hypocritical.