Football and Music

I should have been doing this since the beginning, it’s only now I’ve realised that there should be video section on the website. I have posted the occasional video inside the normal posts but I’ve never done posts just containing video clips. This then is the first of a what I hope is a regular series of football and musical videos. Beginning with an episode of a long running, much missed TV show.

This edition of Top Of The Pops (first aired on 6th May 1982) was nearly the perfect football and musical storm. It was broadcast just before the FA Cup Final (to be contested by Spurs and QPR that year) and the World Cup Finals a month later. If only John Peel was presenting that week, but sadly it was Simon Bates on the rota and we got some uncomfortable interviews and song introductions as a result.

– The opening to the show and Bates ignores (Scotland’s) Frank Gray to ask Kevin Keegan an inane question:

(I’ll give a mention to the acts performing in between the turns by the footballing groups):
Junior – Mama Used To Say | Depeche Mode – The Meaning Of Love

– Simon gives a mention to Ken Bailey, the red tail-coat/Union flag waistcoat/top hat wearing mascot. If you’ve watched vintage England football matches from the 1966 World Cup Final onwards, you’ll have seen Ken there. He was also at an England rugby union game at Twickenham, this one memorable not for the game but for the appearance (and cover up by Ken) of Erica Roe.

Also in attendance were some British Airways stewardesses because BA were sponsoring the England at the time. In addition their ad agency had somehow managed to get the national team to sing an extended version of a song being used in their current advertising campaign.
Adverts on the BBC ?!

Some terrible miming there. And they wonder why they went home early. Next up on Top Of The Pops was a song which you can still hear in many grounds at half time: PhD – I Won’t Let You Down

– We then have another excruciating mini interview with Ray Clemence in attendance (but ignored) and Bates asking Glenn Hoddle:
“Does your wife know you where you are ?”

Hoddle: “Oh yes”

Bates: “Does she know what you are going to do later on ?”

Hoddle: “Yes”

Tight Fit – Fantasy Island

– It is time for a bit of Chas ‘N’ Dave and Spurs with Tottenham, Tottenham, no-one can stop them:

In fact QPR very nearly did stop them. The final was a 1-all draw and there was a replay in which Spurs won 1-nil. The next song in the line up was Patrice Rushen – Forget Me Nots

– Simon Bates introduces the last football act of the night with a lie: “Ladies and gentlemen they said it couldn’t be done live, but it is being done live…” and then Mr John Gordon Sinclair immediately proves that he is miming:

Still for me the best song that the Scotland squad ever did and one of the best football and music songs ever. After this there’s the top ten rundown with Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder – Ebony and Ivory at Number 1 in the charts. Following that it is back to the studio and there is Linda and Paul McCartney themselves. Finally there is Bananarama and Fun Boy Three – Really Saying Something and the end credits.

See also:

Top Of The Pops – The FA Cup Edition

The FA Cup Final Promo Video