Chart Music #73: March 4th 1993 – Frank Bald

Chart Music #73: March 4th 1993 – Frank Bald

Author: Chart Music January 7, 2024 Duration: 6:53:24

The latest episode of the podcast which asks; do we really have to hug? And rub-a-dub?


The Chart Music time sofa descends upon March of 1993, Pop-Crazed Youngsters – the Forgotten Nineties, if you will. A time where the only options available to The Kids were having their heads filled with rubbish by trampy Americans, or being exploited by Ian Beales in Hypercolor t-shirts who can’t play real music and want you to take loads of drugs. Your panel – ligging their way around London, ensconced in an Isleworth love nest and dealing with the misery of Gym Knickers, respectively – look back upon this strange perineum between Rave and Britpop, and have a tentative sniff at it

As for Our Favourite Thursday Evening Pop Treat, it’s currently weathering it’s 27th crisis under the stewardship of Stanley Appell, two years removed from its Year Zero clearout. The good news is he’s been given carte blanche to put on whoever he likes. The bad news is, he’s only a few months away from his 60th birthday, and there’s soon to be a new BBC1 controller in town who – according to rumour – is thinking about letting Janet Street Porter have a go. 


Musicwise, it’s a reminder that everything is still up for grabs in the post-Neightnies musicsphere: Right Said Fred get the wind of BBC Star Power at their backs, which can be a bit uncomfortable when you’ve cut the arse out of your trousers. Lenny Kravitz is SuperMuso. After Some Rap, Brett Anderson gets dragged to the front of assembly to explain why he’s let the school down by singing too violently. Then it’s over to Hawaii to drop in on the Lower-Case Canadian, before she gets a shave off Cindy Crawford. Runrig make their TOTP debut, then Rage Against The Machine, fresh from getting Bruno Brookes suspended for a week, kick off the run of blipverts that passes for the Breakers section these days, which also takes in Bryan Ferry, The Jesus Lizard and Dead Madonna. Diana Ross and a Sexy Saxman appear on the set of a school play of Escape From New York, and we end with some sexy Belgian pinball action, all hosted by Mark Franklin, who was probably younger than you at the time, and still is.  

Sarah Bee and Simon Price join Al Needham for a rummage under the sewn-on cushion on the Mastermind chair of 1993, veering off on such tangents as being mithered by members of Suede and Elastica at a student disco, why all snack wafers of the Eighties sound like Bryan Ferry LP titles, the Lesbian Elephant, Jonny Sex-Cat and the Accessible Gamesdog, Paintballing with Ride, and Al’s Secret Terror. SWEAR SWEAR, SWEAR-SWEAR SWEAR SWEAR, SWEAR-SWEAR SWEAR SWEAR, SWEAR-SWEAR THERE’S SOME SWEARING.


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Chart Music: the Top Of The Pops Podcast is a deep, often hilarious dive into the archives of the iconic BBC television show. Each episode focuses on a single, random broadcast of Top of the Pops, subjecting it to a forensic and affectionate analysis that only a panel of former Melody Maker critics could provide. Hosted by Al Needham alongside creators Sarah Bee, Neil Kulkarni, Taylor Parkes, Simon Price, and David Stubbs, this podcast dissects the performances, fashion, and cultural moment of each show with a unique blend of expertise and nostalgia. Listeners will hear detailed commentary that treats pop history with both seriousness and irreverence, uncovering the stories behind the hits and the oddities that defined Thursday night viewing for generations. It’s more than a recap; it’s a critical reappraisal of a pop institution, exploring how music, television, and memory intertwine. The conversation is insightful, witty, and packed with the kind of context only insiders can offer, making each episode a time capsule opened with care and a sharp eye. For anyone fascinated by the evolution of pop culture and the specific alchemy of a weekly chart show, this podcast provides an endlessly engaging listen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Chart Music: the Top Of The Pops Podcast
Podcast Episodes
#63 (Pt 2): 28.12.1972 – Thank God For Belgian World In Action [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37:01
Taylor Parkes, Neil Kulkarni and Al Needham begin their submergence into Top Of The Pops ’72, and discuss the less-than-immaculate interplay between Tony Blackburn and his foul nemesis Edmonds. Mike Leander (and his sing…
#63 (Pt 1): 28.12.1972 – Thank God For Belgian World In Action [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:41
Neil Kulkarni, Taylor Parkes and Al Needham frenziedly lay out the most spanglfierous buffet of Pop ever witnessed on Chart Music, as we go all the way back to late 1972 and the dawning of the Golden Age of our weekly Th…
Chart Music #62: November 3rd 1977 – WHOO! HEY! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:12:29
The latest episode of the podcast which asks; if David picked potatoes on Jack Heap’s playing field for one hour, how many Fumanchews would he able to cram into his gaping maw? Once again, Pop-Crazed Youngsters, Team Cha…
#62 (Pt 4): 3.11.1977 – WHOO! HEY! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:44
Taylor Parkes, David Stubbs and Al Needham finish off this episode of The Pops in fine style. David Bowie watches his mate cheat on his missus up against a wall. Showaddywaddy nick some girl’s silver top hat with ‘VOTE F…
#62 (Pt 3): 3.11.1977 – WHOO! HEY! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:44
David Stubbs and Taylor Parkes join Al Needham for further larks and japery in a classic slice of Jubilee-era Pops. The Barron Knights advance the theory that Irish people are stupid and homosexuals are amusing. Freddie…
#62 (Pt 2): 3.11.1977 – WHOO! HEY! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:01
Taylor Parkes, David Stubbs and Al Needham get stuck into this episode of The Pops, but not even they can match the bundle of frizzy energy that is Peter Powell, who makes his debut and hits the ground running. He likes…
#62 (Pt 1): 3.11.1977 – WHOO! HEY! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:14
David Stubbs, Taylor Parkes and Al Needham are planning a journey into the dark heart of late 1977 – a treacherous odyssey through a land strewn with gargantuan chart acts, shape-shifting monstrosities who can change fro…
Chart Music #61: July 25th 2003 – The Arsethropocene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:39:53
The latest episode of the podcast which asks; has Al ever been tossed off by a robot? Yes, Pop-Crazed Youngsters; after putting it off for ages, it’s finally time for another rare excursion into The Most Rubbish Century…
#61 (Pt 4): 25.7.2003 – The Arsethropocene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:32
Simon Price and Sarah Bee join Al Needham to finish off this episode of The Pops from the Poochie Era. Benny Benassi pitches up with some Oven Ready Women, The Coral are suddenly a big deal, Beyoncé reduces everything we…
#61 (Pt 3): 25.7.2003 – The Arsethropocene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:40
Sarah Bee, Simon Price and Al Needham gasp in horror as this episode of Top Of The Pops is derailed by a massive plug for Fame Academy, and look on as poor D-Side get ambushed by a leathery headmaster. Thankfully, Super…