Top of the Spots

We love to find examples of Top of the Pops albums cropping up in unexpected places. This one was noticed by Ian Byrne, and featues on the cover of the new album, Office Politics, by Divine Comedy.

Below is the full gatefold record sleeve, inside and outside:

And notice the guy at the bottom, studying his Human League reord?

Next to his right arm is Top of the Pops voume 4, from spring, 1969.

What's it doing there? Not sure - it seems once again that people in high places are secret Top of the Pops fans, just like us!

Top of the Spots

Another in our series of occasional posts, which crop up when a Top of the Pops LP makes a cameo appearance in the media.

This time out, we spotted one of the LPs in the popular British TV show, Hollyoaks, a sort-of adolescent soap opera screened in the early evenings. OK, we don't normally watch the show, and don't know much about it, but our research reveals the following:

Down in "Hollyoaks Village" is an "emporium" (a junk shop) staffed by the character, Liberty Savage. The episode screened on Valentine's Day this year saw Liberty having a tense conversation with her sister, inside the emporium, and here's what we noticed:

There it is - just behind her - Top of the Pops volume 26.

For some reason, they've stuck a big pink label over the model's face. Something's written on it, but we can't make out what!

Here's the original LP sleeve:

Next to it on the shelf is a Contour album, which may well be another budget cover version LP. Impossible to say. We don't recognise the red album sleeve behind it, but then again, it doesn't necessarily belong to the disc anyway.

Watch out for more 'Top of the Spots' - and if you see any yourself, drop us a line.

Top of the Spots

One we've known of for a while, but which fits in with our recent posts about Top of the Pops LPs turning up in various places. This one's a book cover, "Just for the Record" by Alan R Cox. It's about the turntable manufacturer, BSR, and the history the firm and its staff. Here's the front cover, and an enlargement of part of the main image:

You can see, just poking out from behind Elvis, a copy of Top of the Pops volume 42.

The inclusion of the LP was no accident. I once heard from the author, who told me (and I trust he won't mind me quoting), "These albums were an important part of pop and it was one of the many symbolic items placed on the cover."

Great to see a bit more recognition of this iconic series. It's likely that tens of thousands of these albums will have been slapped onto a BSR deck back in the day, so ubiquitous were they when 'suitcase' record players were all the rage. Here's a view of one, just like I remember when I was a lad. I can almost hear "Wombling Merry Christmas" rocking out from the built-in speaker...

Top of the Spots

More television cameos for those Top of the Pops LPs...

This time, it's the short comedy series, The Rebel, starring Simon Callow.

Callow plays an anti-establishment, ex-mod who refuses to grow old and likes nothing more than sticking two fingers to the law. Filmed in Brighton, scene of the most famous mod-rocker showdown in the '60s, episode 2 has him leading a group of pensioners in a riot over improper use of charity shop donations.

Down on Brighton beach, one of his army - an elderly lady in a Zimmer frame - proceeds to produce some Top of the Pops LPs, and, launching one as a frisbee, leads a charge against the enemy, LPs held aloft...

Here are some stills of her in action:

We can spot very clearly, volume 15 (the frisbee) and volume 35.

There's a third LP we don't get to see, the very edge of which is just poking out from behind volume 15. Given the red frame just visible, this must be an upside down sleeve, and the sharp square corner of said frame leads me to think it's volume 21:

If you see any surprise appearances like this, on TV, film, magazine, etc - send them in, and we'll feature them here.

Top of the Spots

Those old Top of the Pops LPs are turning up all over the place! We've recently featured a couple which made unexpected appearances on UK TV, and now we have another case of Top of the Pops pinching a bit of attention in the most unlikely of places.

So, I've decided to start a series of blog posts on this subject and invite readers to send in examples where Top of the Pops (or similar) have been spotted - "Top of the Spots" we'll call it.

And so to this post - music buff Rebecca Garnham has kindly sent us a copy of the front cover of Prog magazine (issue 51, Dec 2014). As the name suggests, this publication deals with prog rock, and ran a special feature on the music of 1974. Check out the LPs pictured:

All prog rock fans will recognise Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and Queen's Queen II. And all prog fans will also recognise the red LP sleeve elbowing its way into shot, with cover versions of prog classics like, er, "Sugar Baby Love" and "Seasons in the Sun".

It is, of course, our very own Best of Top of the Pops 1974:

What's it doing on the front of the mag? We've no idea - unless of course the photographer and editors were closet TOTP fans, which seems overwhelmingly likely. Come to that, as Rebecca pointed out, taking your LPs out for a pint was never really a craze anyway!

Still, once again we have the era depicted with a Top of the Pops LP used to good effect. Top spot from Rebecca - more to follow soon (well, at least one, which I have up my sleeve...).

Send us your examples and we'll feature them.

Top of the Pops - more TV exposure!

A few weeks ago I mentioned the guest appearance of a Top of the Pops LP on UK national TV here. Well it seems the LPs are getting a taste for the limelight ... fellow collector Colin Cannon pointed out to us another small-screen cameo, aired on New Years Eve just gone.

The show is the Scottish comedy, Still Game, which included a flashback scene to a 1970s party, chucking in everything the decade had to offer from ghastly wallpapers to fibre-optic table lamps. And spinning on the "music centre" was none other than "Top of the Pops" volume 25:

Alas, viewers didn't get to hear the LP, for dubbed over the top was "That's The Way (I Like It)" by KC and the Sunshine Band.

Still, great to see one of the old TOTP LPs being used, obviously for its status as a 1970s icon.

Little Jimmy Osmond discovers Top of the Pops!

There I was, casually ignoring the TV set tonight, when my attention was suddenly grabbed by a familiar sight: the sleeve of Top of the Pops volume 28...

What was it doing on BBC TV? You'll never guess - so I'll tell you!

The show was Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. The basic idea is a couple of celebs hook up with a couple of antiques experts, and travel from town to town hunting bargains to sell - hopefully at a profit - at auction. The whole thing is filmed of course. In tonight's gripping head-to-head, (no longer Little) Jimmy Osmond was pitting his wits against fellow popster, Tony Christie.

What happened next was quite unexpected. Jimmy and antiques expert Catherine Southon arrived in a second-hand shop in the town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire. They chanced upon a stack of old LPs, and out of the pile emerged this one. Jimmy Osmond was impressed to see an old Osmonds hit, "Crazy Horses" listed on the sleeve (he didn't seem to know it was a cover version though!):

Of course he had to buy it - and even more so when Catherine Southon pointed out another hit - Jimmy's own "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" also on the LP!

Turns out 'Little' Jimmy is a 'big' deal when it comes to bargaining. He managed to get half a dozen LPs, a vintage Marconiphone record player, and even a wire record rack for a fantastic all-in price of £25. Great bargain lot to take to auction.

And Jimmy had more tricks up his sleeve. He autographed the LP, and then proceeded to lead a chorus of "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" from the auction floor!

Bidding started at £50 and edged up to £56 - a £31 profit on the day. To be honest, if I'd been there I'd have raised the stakes considerably to secure this one - the record player alone was worth the price, never mind that LP.

Some lucky person took this gem home with him, and has a fantastic tale to tell. How often do you see one of the original recording artists proudly holding a Top of the Pops LP, let alone an autographed copy? (If the winning bidder is reading this, please get in touch and tell us about your day!)

If you're quick, you may be able to catch the whole episode on BBC iPlayer