[Welshjingler]

Click here http://geocities.com/supersoundfm/ to download the current TOTP theme. I’ve added another file, this time it’s the theme used from 1997 – 2003.

[TheMagicei]

Has anyone also the old “The Yellow Pearl” theme from TOTP as instrumental version? Must have been around 1893…

[UKJinglesMember]

TheMagicei wrote: Has anyone also the old “The Yellow Pearl” theme from TOTP as instrumental version? Must have been around 1893…

Has Top Of The Pops been going that long?!?!

[tvnutboy]

According to TV ARK, the show has been on since 1964. (There was a 30th anniversary clip dated 1994 there, that’s how I know.)

[JingleMadMember]

Welshjingler wrote: Click here http://geocities.com/supersoundfm/ to download the current TOTP theme.

Thanks for that!
Nice to see a “giver” for a change!
-S

[thehex]

I’ve got “Yellow Pearl” on 7″ single somewhere; will have a look for you.

The theme used after that was Paul Hardcastle’s “The Wizard” – also got that on 7″. Time for some transfering, I think. 😉

[Welshjingler]

Here’s Paul Hardcastle – The Wizard.

http://www.geocities.com/supersoundfm/

[TheMagicei]

thehex wrote: I’ve got “Yellow Pearl” on 7″ single somewhere; will have a look for you.

Great

[thehex]

Found my copy of Yellow Pearl, but it has vocals all the way through. Is that the version that was used on TOTP? Or was it a special instrumental cut? (I’m too young to remember that TOTP – the first incarnation I can remember properly was Paul Hardcastle!)

[TheMagicei]

They used a special instrumental cut. I know 2 “official” versions of this: One was the mix with vocals, there also was an album version which was at least instrumental at the beginning. I have never found a true instrumental version anywhere though.

As fas as I remember they used 2 remixes after Phil Lynotts version, the first in 1986 was from Ultravox (or was it Midge Ure without his Band?), I don’t know anything about the next one. After that it was Paul Hardcastles Turn.

[thehex]

Thanks for clearing that up. I’d mistakenly thought that I had an instrumetnal version; never mind!

Midge Ure is credited on the original copy, so it’s not surprising that he got involved to do a remix.

[Welshjingler]

Before the reworking of Whole Lotta Love in ’97, there was another theme? I’m not talking about the original version to the one they currently use, it’s the one between ’95 and ’97.

I ask because the CBBC UK Top 40 uses an up-to-date version of the tune.

[TheMagicei]

95 to 97? Well, my “TOPT time” ended at the end of the 80’s I always watched this in Germany on British Forces Television, because we haven’t had our own TOTP edition at that time. The transmitter had a range of a few kilometres only, so when we moved a few streets further, I had no chance any more…

[Bigdave]

The theme you’re on about (also known as the “Year Zero” theme) is called “Now Get Out Of That” and was composed for the show by Tony Gibber. A remixed version is being used for the current TOTP .

Year Zero referred to the time where they used virtual unknowns such as Mark Franklin,Tony Dortie,Femi Oke and Beer Van Beers as presenters. Who ? – I hear you cry….

Exactly ! One year later,they were using celebrity presenters and most of the people mentioned were fired ! Why? Well -in a word – they were dire !

[WIRELESSONE]

Yellow Pearl versions as follows:

7” as normal
12” longer version of 7” mixing in with the LP version
LP version (On Solo In Soho) more of a primitive sounding version on a very primitive beat box backing.

As far as I know no instrumetal version was commercially released.

TOTP versions:

on the no’s 30-21 & 10-1 an instrumental version of the 7” without the piercing sound at the start. It also goes on longer before the ‘Attack Attack’ bit comes in.

For the no’s 20-11 a different version which is the same as the end of the 7” version.

Disaster stuck on th 1000th edition when someone covered the tune (BBC session artists possibly) and made a version more akin to test-card music style. This was done I think because the original wasn’t in stereo & the 1000th edition went out also on Radio 1/2 VHF.

If someone has the 2 instrumental versions I would love a copy as the theme tune was often the best tune in a line up typically consisting of Dollar/Shakatak/Cliff Richard etc!!

Regards, Dave

[GrahamCollins]

I have Yellow Pearl on a Thin Lizzy compilation CD and it starts with the SFX – double tracked drums and runs into the attack, attack vocal piece at 33″

My guess is the BBC used this version and some clever bastard with a razor blade cut, stuck and looped the stings and beds together as required.

I will put it on YouSendIt if anybody wants a copy.

[WIRELESSONE]

One last note re Yellow Pearl…

Anyone who has Granada Plus on Sky….

They did 2 skits of ToTP, one in around 1981/2 with Ronnie Corbett famously dressed as Boy George singin Do You really want to squirt me…
Hysterical at the time & Ronnie Barker as Buster Bloodvessel.

This particular skit has a chart run down with the normal instrumental countdown version in the background, but went on for much longer than the 10 tune countdown they do on ToTP.

Maybe worth watching it for this reason, although the other day they were doing a sketch called the Fat & Thin Minstrel Show, so the repeats are in the Mid-70’s at the moment me thinks!

[wiggers]

chalks the yousendit it section no longer works

[GrahamCollins]

A-ha, that’s me outed as to when I last uploaded anything 😮

[Author]

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