Tom Robinson: War Baby on Top Of The Pops 1983

[@ccrider3435]

I've been listening to this since before I had wrinkles and bulging eyes. 🌹

[@michealkelliher8428]

Sublime song from such an underrated band. Grants superb guitar playing and soulful voice. Scottish music ruled in the 80s. Love that keyboard combo with that Scottish gritty guitar riff 80s style.

[@andydavies1810]

Still makes me weepy Tom ! Probably now for the thoughts of when I was a younger man, happy memories, good luck Tom! Fantastic track, it will be with be with me till I croak .

[@gaw67]

Ditto

[@nancykirk3931]

One of my favourite TOTP performances of all time. Genius lyrics. And at a time when style was sometimes overblown, Tom was everything that was chic.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Sounds as good today as it did then. Timeless.

[@TheNick279]

I had the honour of speaking to Tom on a radio phone-in. Lovely guy. This song is as relevant now as the day it was penned and many more generations will hear this because it is more than just another "great" song. It is a relevant and beautiful piece of art.

[@Facherty]

I too was honoured by Tom Robinson. I wrote to him out of the blue to ask what the chords were to "War Baby", and he told me that he was coming to a town near me (Aylesbury), and if I wanted I could come to the soundcheck and he would teach me the song. Absolutely lovely man, and he enjoyed the fact that I had seen him in Edinburgh (upstairs at The Pleasance) when Nigel Kennedy did the solo from War Baby on the violin! When somebody special makes you feel special... well, that's a talent.

[@welshieallovertheplace]

@@Facherty What an amazing story and it really sums him up in a nutshell. I interviewed him for Radio Solent around this time, and many years later I was his 'uber' for a couple of days in Amsterdam when he was there solo and he needed a ride. I wish I could say I was his roadie, or even better tour manager, but he only had a guitar and one show so I can't pull that one off. But I just wanted to add that he is an absolute gentleman and a really lovely bloke. He loves and cares about his fans, I've seen him do shows in Belgium then, after the show, do another impromptu one for a few fans who stuck around. I think he sang "Major Tom" for them after a show in Wetteren, Belgium one time. Tom is a true musical icon who never seemed to let his success go to his head.

[@GeorgieGorman]

It's a great song to sing live with a band. We covered it for many years. Never gets old never really heard anyone else sing it where I come from but I've always loved signing it and the audience always enjoyed it ... These were great days in popular music. Songs were well written . Today a song is written while the kettle boils and is out on the radio before the ink drys but they don't last to long a good song lasts forever. War Baby is one of the all time greats thanks Tom

[@anderwneale5239]

Great, my favourite Tom Robinson song

[@dabstheleo1967]

I love this song, i remember taping it and playing it in our 6th form room in the summer and even the teachers were suprised an Asian teenager liked this song. But i had taste. Dabs from Derby..X

[@DougStarman]

First gig I ever went to was TRB in 1983. It was sold out when we got there, so Tom invited 12 of us to sit round a table on the stage as “extras” - good man, good music - thanks Tom

[@andrewwheeler8591]

Summer 83 fond memories 🤗

[@saradonnelly8582]

Just a really nice tune..and then the lyrics are just something else...x

[@kevinbrown5224]

When I listen to this man and then have to suffer Ed Sheeran being hailed as a songwriter.

[@facialeyes]

I love this song too, but that doesn't mean that Ed Sheeran isn't also a musical force to be reckoned with !!

[@WaitingforGodot]

The older I get the more reassured I am that in 30 years time someone will be coming on here having a go at music then & longing for the days of Ed Sheeran. That's good.

[@TomRobinsonMusic]

In my opinion Ed's one of the most outstanding songwriters of the 21st century, up there with Pharell Williams. But hey - thanks for the compliment -)

[@scottlee2832]

Tom is excellent, but Ed is too.

[@richardspratley3000]

@@TomRobinsonMusic He's shite. This song is great but even better live.

[@cathykilcoyne6577]

Great song of my young days. Lovely

[@andrewwheeler8591]

My thoughts exactly

[@alanfox7312]

Heard this first on radio 📻 Luxembourg 🇱🇺

[@jenniferreid6577]

This vinyl was never off my turntable, it's special!

[@michaelisherwood9787]

Tom Robinson, flash and the Pan , Roman Holiday, Rod Stewart, Doturveeta , Ryan Paris, Lotus Eaters , Joe Boxers, Elvis Costelo and many more which i can't think of at moment . My first year at work on building sites sith my wireless that had two batteries. What a summer

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Same here .! Grass cutting all summer for local.council . Life stretching ahead full of possibilities. A magic time.... Time passed and none of the dreams came true. But ,we're still here though many have fallen. Youth IS wasted on the young. But every generation has to find that out for themselves..?!

[@logicalnetwork1611]

This is absolutely beautiful

[@dazpearce2096]

what a fucking tune....

[@kaimcburnie9542]

I’m 20 and saw this live at the rewind festival 2016 when I was 18 absolutely brilliant!!! Love the 80’s x

[@sandymack9345]

♥️

[@mozboywi]

1983 I played the fuck outta that 12" in my bedroom at my parents house in a small town in the Midwest USA

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Yep ! Some songs unite us across all Frontiers.!! 👍 🇬🇧 !

[@gmaccruyff55]

Seen it last night on BBC4. Remember it well from my final year at school(1983). Probably Toms best ever single.

[@ajs41]

This is good but I absolutely love Atmospherics (Listen To The Radio) from later on in 1983.

[@juliejoannebevan6617]

@@ajs41 - I love both songs. Tom should never have been reduced to playing Butlins.

[@paully1969]

A fantastic song and superbly performed x

[@trickygoose2]

One of the few songs that works both as an impassioned, meaningful piece of music and as a mellow soother.

[@robertcotgrave5920]

This song is so cool and laidback. Toms a cool dude. Love it.

[@gaw67]

Lovely record. Yet another underrated

[@gordonpadua9515]

Tom, You were the sound track to to my late teenage years . I am a straight female and never new you were gay ,all good , no judgement here ! but my friends back then didn't get why I was into you so much. I just loved your catchy lyrics and classy composures of your songs . Atmospherics in the Dark got me hooked at 18 , been in love with this song and War Baby ever since. I am now 57 so will always be a Tom Robinson fan x

[@ozzie-sk9dh]

This is one where I have to watch the video. Love it.

[@denisewheatley9137]

utterly brilliant and takes me back

[@kevinstoneham1245]

Sensational. Makes me tearful.

[@TomRobinsonMusic]

thanks Kevin - much appreciated :-)

[@kevinstoneham1245]

Tom Robinson My pleasure Tom.

[@peteandurnot]

@@TomRobinsonMusic could I ask who the bassist in this totp performance is? He's a left-handed bassist like me lol. Is he still gigging today?

[@MrKarl1285]

@@TomRobinsonMusic just heard this on the radio today and boy it took me right back to 83, so sought this out in KZbin .. I remember loving this at the time. Great words.

[@ricciasa3536]

my favorite song of all time

[@sidewindergoogle1295]

Just beautiful. Painfully written and poignant

[@Daniel-f1m2e]

play it every night before i go to sleep,

[@bendylives]

My favourite song of all time!

[@joese5]

Love the glasses🤓! (And, obviously, the song 😎)

[@andrewwheeler8591]

Just lovely 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@peterherring9454]

Great song Tom! Thanks for the helpful „Creative Writing“ course on Skyros, August 2000. 🙏

[@Michelle-ki3lj]

Love you Tom Robinson. Xxxx

[@MichiganPeatMoss]

Thanking CBC Radio in 1989 for finding this tune and Shazam in 2018 for helping me id it from old muddy cassette audio. Thanks!

[@happyal1000]

What a song

[@trainsify]

Can’t beat 80s music or the sound of vinyl for that matter.

[@michaelpalmer5351]

"Will Question-Mark" is my favourite percussionist of all :D

[@welshieallovertheplace]

When this came out it seemed like an absolute lifetime since Tom had had his last hit. Now, amazingly, 39 years later, it seems like only yesterday that it came out! This was such a great 'Tom' era, "Hope And Glory" what an amazing LP! The shows live from a Faulkland Islands petrol station, Alison Limerick on backing vocals begging Ricardo, the 'tame Argie' not to lose that number, and of course ending every show with those humble and modest words "...and here's the song I wrote with Elton!" Memories of having a heated discussion with the people sat next to me whether it really was Prince Charles that they had pointed out to me in the audience at the Dominion Theatre or not; I finally convinced my neighbours that it was, in fact, Peter Hugo when I pointed out to their stubborn arses that their 'Prince Charles' was happily clapping his hands and singing"Glad To Be Gay" in a very 'non-royal' manner! Happy days!!!

[@luluzulu8947]

Beautiful xxx

[@luluzulu8947]

Is this a reply from Tom Robinson my god im going to keep this message forever xxxxx

[@richardharris9788]

Genius Lyrics.

[@cyrilrogan4069]

Simply superb.

[@fearlessstudios1]

Big Wreck does a great cover💖

[@sallee7577]

Excellent 😘😘💜💙💚

[@MadBiker-vj5qj]

Fantastic. :-)

[@danielranson1528]

Great song

[@janeiro436]

Love it

[@frank290862]

Amazing song writer and performer. Whatever happened to Tom and his music?

[@ianbrocklebank3258]

aah memories......

[@user-rp8pz9sj2s]

class song

[@milliewilliams7976]

So sad that you made a loss financially on this song tom I can understand completely why you may feel bitter it should have been no 1 in the charts in my opinion it reminds me of my sister valerie when we were children and trying to help her before I realized that we both were diagnosed as mentally I'll I did my best to keep her independence from the mental health system but I failed and it backfired on me and she no longer wants to be in touch with me it has been over four years since I last heard from her I saw her on my 50th birthday june 23rd day of the referendum vote the worst birthday present I have had in my lifetime my favourite version of your song sing if you glad to be gay must be the amnesty international version on the secret policeman's other ball which I have on vinyl you are tops Tom and I hope one day our paths may meet again without me freaking you out the last time I saw you was a gift from my man but he kept it as a surprise for me which actually freaked me out as I was not prepared for it but what a great concert it was at the 100 club I hope one day soon we will be able to meet up and will be invited to one of your amazing parties again or post covid I'll see you perform again live until that time I will continue listening to you on 6 music you have so much inspiring music and great musicians that I wouldn't have known of without you playing them Regards Millie x

[@andydavies1810]

Seen Tom Grand Theatre Wolves, mid eighties, superb! Kick another out Tom, just for the hell?

[@GauravGRocks]

Hey I have one question for you. Have you read 𝑇𝑜 𝐾𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑎 𝑀𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑑 by Harper Lee before?

[@johngogarty945]

Excellent hot 🔥 summer 83

[@meunierc]

Big Wreck does an amazing cover on their Ghosts album.

[@darrenwalshe8513]

When music had dept n meant something

[@accadoza]

🌟

[@allisnotwhatitseems.]

You should fucking see my friends band cover this. Sublime.

[@sandymack9345]

♥️

[@dorothyorr1537]

War baby gun fodder

[@lndnflms484]

Great song, but what was Tom thinking of with this performance on TOTP? The programme was a pantomime in which you had to look either fun, glamorous, cool, dangerous or comical to promote your record. Wearing a grey jacket and looking earnest does not cut it.

[@sergiom5907]

I was wondering why he was strumming his guitar so oddly, it looks like he's reeling in a fishing rod

[@iainwallington474]

Great song ! The sax player is beyond cool he has 2 instruments not one people ! Clarinet also but not 100 percent sure.

[@electrocolourfield2200]

Alto sax and soprano sax

[@pasqualedavino8911]

ciao

[@WSMDSA]

Great song. Terrible mining

[@mattrishton]

Soundz like MI5 to me mate!

[@ravenhill_the_crusader_1968]

I always thought he was singing "whore baby, you were a whore baby"

[@pugwasherbloke]

Apparently not gay anymore, good on him

[@markofsaltburn]

He still refers to himself as a gay man who fell in love with a woman - very good on him.

[@Michelle-ki3lj]

You would have been more real about your cause if you weren't pretending to play a guitar. I wish you had stood in front of a mic without a prop. I am guessing BBC stopped you from being real.

[@andrewbrook5056]

Was a pile of shi** then, and still is today. I lived in the 80,s with stupid totp,s miming. Can't believe he is still performing live today FFS.

[@michealkelliher8428]

Each to their own, most agree, the 80's was the best, even this song would kick the fucking shit out of any music today.

[@michealkelliher8428]

And name a song better than this today in 2023? Answer, none. Name any music show better than TOTP today? Answer none. So there you have it lad, 1980’s 2 - 0 v 2023. There's was rubbish too back then, of course there was, TOTP was not always brilliant. I lived in the 80s too. The problem with music today is, it's fucking bollocksology, no depth, no writing skill, it's retarded for the most part. 80's music kick the living shit out of music since 2000 and before that.