Scritti Politti's 'Word Girl' on Friday is a nice track. Prior to the original TOTP performance of the song in 1985, lead singer Green Gartside collapsed due to illness and had to be revived with vitamin injections. He was then able to record the performance.
Green, from Wales, changed his surname from Strohmeyer to Gartside. I'm not sure what his real Christian name is though - he's never revealed it!
Green's a tall fella, well over 6ft, and his clean-cut looks seemed to appeal to many females in the 80's.
In total I think he made five appearances on TOTP - 'Absolute' and 'Wood Beez' in 1984, 'The Word Girl' a year later, Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry for Loverboy) in 1988, and his final performance was with Shabba Ranks in 1991 with a track called 'She's a Woman'.
My favourite was 'Oh Patti' - a fine track with some saxophone on it.
Green seems to have disappeared from public view now.
The Nick Heyward record on Thursday: "Blue Hat for a Blue Day" is another nice track to be featured on the show this week.
As for Spitting Image's dreadful "Chicken Song" - which was on Monday's TOTP2, I had to press the mute button when it was on!
