REM Orange Crush on Top of the Pops

REM perform Orange Crush on Top of the Pops in 1989. Listen out for the inappropriate comment by the presenter after the song.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• rem
• orange
• crush
• top
• pops
• 1989
• green
• stipe

[AndyAufAnglo]

He covers his mouth with the megaphone everytime he 'sings' because his miming was so poor he couldn't make it look convincing. Must be true because I read it on wikipedia.

[vordman]

I'm surprised people on here are bemoaning the fact it's not a live performance. The producers expected bands to lip sync on TotPs, even accomplished bands like REM. The show had a high turnover of acts and it wouldn't be practical to play live for just one song. TotPs was a cheaply made entertainment vehicle reflecting current single sales. There were rare exceptions, New Order and, I think, Nirvana.

[Greg93x]

@DerseyLaBoosh he said "Especially nice on a hot day, Orange Crush" apparently the band took extreme offense to this,seeing as the song is about the chemical Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War. They didnt go on Top Of The Pops again until 1995.

[tyronerodgers]

wow. never knew they did this

[DerseyLaBoosh]

what does the guy say at the end?

[PeasantRepublic]

They were forced to mine. Look at them Micheal is completely taking the piss out of it. There are times he isn't even facing the mic or even opening his mouth

[peterbuckisgod]

jeez who cares if they mimed in this ONE performance. We all know they were bloody amazing live anyway!

[rorrt]

@vordman

I think i remember hearing from Pete Waterman, who had loads of acts on TOTP.

And he basically said that it was the decision of the record label. But as it happens, all of his acts mimed, as it was a matter of CD sales...No one wants the live performance to sound different from the studio version.

Its rarely a decision the actual acts make, i mean thats why MUSE always take the piss whenever they are asked to mime, as its not their decision.

[paul150365]

@AndyAufAnglo HI Andy its been a year since your post and like me, you probably did it after a few beers. But the point I am making is that the more accomplished Bands would happily sing live, as a way of sorting the wheat from the chaff, one memorable performance when playing and singing live was Simply Reds holding back the years from 1985 which stood out to me because compared to his fellow peers he actually could and did sing live and sounded like his released recording,

[757american767]

@AndyAufAnglo 'read it on wikipedia, so it must be true' 

[757american767]

@AndyAufAnglo must be true lol

[elmsyrup]

Hang on, what does the presenter say at the end? It cuts off too soon to hear, I think.