Zoo were a dance troupe who appeared on the weekly British music series
Top of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, before being moved to Fridays in 1996, and then moved to Sundays on BBC...
between 1981 and 1983.
Like previous dance troupes
Pan's PeoplePan's People were a British TV dance troupe, who are best associated with the BBC TV music chart show Top of the Pops.In an era before pop videos, they danced to songs whose original artists were not available to perform them live...
,
Ruby FlipperRuby Flipper were a mixed-race, mixed-sex dance troupe who performed dance routines to songs in the UK Singles Chart on the BBC television series Top of the Pops between May and October 1976.-Members:...
and their immediate predecessors
Legs & Co.Legs & Co. were a female dance troupe who were mainly associated with their appearances on the BBC television series Top of the Pops between 1976 and 1981....
, Zoo were put together and choreographed by Flick Colby (whose credit on the
TOTP end credit changed from "Choreographer" to "Dance Director" on Zoo's debut). However, unlike the previous troupes, Zoo were formed as a reparatory dance group with an ever-changing line-up, featuring a mixture of male and female multi-racial dancers with backgrounds in classical dance, the circus and the disco dancing scene.
Zoo were credited as appearing 45 times on TOTP between 5 November 1981 and 27 September 1983, although members of the troupe still appeared on the show in this time and beyond their residence outside their capacity as members of Zoo.
Their first appearance on TOTP featured a routine to the
Electric Light OrchestraElectric Light Orchestra, commonly abbreviated ELO, were a British symphonic rock group from Birmingham, United Kingdom, who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop...
's "Twilight".
As they were styled as a reparatory dance group, the line-up for Zoo varied in each of their
Top of the Pops routines.
Zoo were a dance troupe who appeared on the weekly British music series
Top of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, before being moved to Fridays in 1996, and then moved to Sundays on BBC...
between 1981 and 1983.
Like previous dance troupes
Pan's PeoplePan's People were a British TV dance troupe, who are best associated with the BBC TV music chart show Top of the Pops.In an era before pop videos, they danced to songs whose original artists were not available to perform them live...
,
Ruby FlipperRuby Flipper were a mixed-race, mixed-sex dance troupe who performed dance routines to songs in the UK Singles Chart on the BBC television series Top of the Pops between May and October 1976.-Members:...
and their immediate predecessors
Legs & Co.Legs & Co. were a female dance troupe who were mainly associated with their appearances on the BBC television series Top of the Pops between 1976 and 1981....
, Zoo were put together and choreographed by Flick Colby (whose credit on the
TOTP end credit changed from "Choreographer" to "Dance Director" on Zoo's debut). However, unlike the previous troupes, Zoo were formed as a reparatory dance group with an ever-changing line-up, featuring a mixture of male and female multi-racial dancers with backgrounds in classical dance, the circus and the disco dancing scene.
Zoo were credited as appearing 45 times on TOTP between 5 November 1981 and 27 September 1983, although members of the troupe still appeared on the show in this time and beyond their residence outside their capacity as members of Zoo.
Their first appearance on TOTP featured a routine to the
Electric Light OrchestraElectric Light Orchestra, commonly abbreviated ELO, were a British symphonic rock group from Birmingham, United Kingdom, who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop...
's "Twilight".
Members
As they were styled as a reparatory dance group, the line-up for Zoo varied in each of their
Top of the Pops routines. While many dancers appeared regularly during the bulk of the troupe's run on the show, some dancers seemed to appear only once.
However, some continuity from the incumbent
TOTP dance troupe Legs & Co. was maintained. Anita Mahadervan, who had been a member of Legs & Co. for their last six months on
TOTP, appeared on most of Zoo's early dance routines. Another Legs & Co. dancer, Sue Menhenick, who had been part of the various
TOTP dance troupes from 1974 to October 1981, was invited to return for one edition in December 1981 and was credited as a member of Zoo on the show's end titles.
The number of dancers involved in a Zoo routine varied from one (Sue Menhenick, who danced to
Jon & VangelisJon & Vangelis is the collaborative effort between the singer Jon Anderson , and the Greek synthesizer musician Vangelis. Together they released a number of successful albums in the 1980s....
' "I'll Find My Way Home" on 17 December 1981, and Maureen (surname unknown), who danced to
Derek and the DominosDerek and the Dominos were a blues-rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends....
' "
Layla"Layla" is a song by rock band Derek and the Dominos and the thirteenth track from their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, released in December 1970. It is considered one of rock music's definitive love songs, featuring an unmistakable guitar figure, played by Eric Clapton and Duane...
" on 18 March 1982) to twelve (for the 1981 and 1982 two-part Christmas specials, and the 2 September 1982 edition).
Julie Brown and Clive Clarke former World and UK disco dancing and freestyle champions auditioned and danced to
Lets Grove Tonight Kool and the Gang as the first members of the Zoo Experience in the autumn of 81.
Among the regular members of Zoo were:
- "Downtown" Julie Brown
Julie Dorne Brown, also known as Downtown Julie Brown , is an English actress and former MTV VJ.Brown's father Valentine Brown was Jamaican born and her caucasian mother Doreen is English, she has three brothers and three sisters...
- 'Clive Clarke or "Clive Rubber-Man Clarke"
- Sharon "Sid" Haywoode
Sidney Haywoode is an English singer. She used two stage names: Haywoode and Sid Haywoode.-Career:As a child she studied at the Corona Academy of the Arts, and worked in television, film and modelling. She was signed by CBS in 1983 and released her first single, "A Time Like This", which reached...
- Julie Harris
- Jeanette Landry*
- Eddie Kemp
- Anita Mahadervan
- Voyd (Yvonne Evans) also Hot Gossip
- Debbie Fox (Foxy) also Hot Gossip
- Penni Dunlop also Hot Gossip
- Jon Peterson
The total number of dancers who ever appeared as part of a Zoo line-up is uncertain.
Clive Clarke performed in the last ever performance of Zoo with the choreographer Les Child
"Flick Colby's Zoo"
There were at least two occasions where individual members of Zoo choreographed the troupe's dance routine on TOTP in place of Flick Colby. These occurred on 8 April 1982, with a routine to
ShalamarShalamar, , was an American music group of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey . They went on to be an influential dance trio , masterminded by Soul Train TV producer Don Cornelius...
's "I Can Make You Feel Good", choreographed by Radford Quist, and 14 July 1983, with a routine to Gary Byrd and the GB Experience's "The Crown", choreographed by Eddie Kemp (which also featured
Dee IvaDee Iva was a founding member of British dance duo Flex who performed in London nightclubs in the early 1980s.The original lineup was made up of two boys and one girl who took a portable stereo on to the streets of London and choreographed dance routines to an eclectic soundtrack...
of early robotic duo Flex).
These are believed to be the only dance routines by the resident dance troupe featured on TOTP
between 1970 and 1983 which were not credited to Flick Colby. On these occasions, the troupe were introduced by the presenter, and named on the programme's end credits, as "Flick Colby's Zoo", with the member responsible for choreographing the routine given an individual credit.
The end of Zoo
Zoo's tenure as the TOTP
resident dance troupe ironically coincided with the development of the music video. While previous dance troupes appeared almost every week on TOTP
since the early 1970s, the troupe did not appear on the edition broadcast on 27 November 1981, and throughout 1982 it was common for Zoo to appear only once a month on TOTP
as the show chose to broadcast a band or artist's video if they were unable to commit to a studio appearance.
As 1982 drew to a close and 1983 began, Zoo's appearances became less frequent - no credited routines were featured from 30 December 1982 to 24 February 1983.
Zoo's last credited routine for TOTP
was shown on 27 September 1983. Female dancer Jeanette appeared alongside Clive Clarke, Les Child and two female dancers in a routine to Unique's "What I Got Is What You Need". This episode was also the last one to feature Flick Colby's involvement as "Dance Director", rounding off a 15 year association with Top of the Pops
.
A replacement?
The Top of the Pops production team did not directly put together a replacement for Zoo or Flick Colby. Instead, a varying line-up of dancers were individually invited to appear on the programme, many of whom became regular sights on TOTP dancing among the audience during the mid 1980s. This collection of dancers became known to the production staff as "cheerleaders", and they were seen on the programme until early 1986. At least three dancers who were ever credited as a member of Zoo; Pinky, Sandie and Tony; became "cheerleaders".
Life after Zoo
Some of the dancers who appeared in routines by Zoo went on to achieve success after leaving the troupe:
- "Downtown" Julie Brown combined her appearances on TOTP with co-hosting duties on children's series Crackerjack
Crackerjack was a British children's comedy/variety BBC television series. It started on 14 September 1955 and ran for over 400 shows in B&W and later colour until 21 December 1984.-Presenters:...
. In the late 1980s, she moved to the United States to become an MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
presenter and actress. She also appeared as a contestant in the American version of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! is a reality television show produced by ITV Studios for the ITV network in Britain. In it, celebrities live in jungle conditions with few comforts and have to earn human essentials. ABC aired one season of an American version in February and March 2003...
in 2003.
- Sharon "Sid" Haywoode became a singer, best known for her hit "Roses", which reached Number 11 in the UK single charts in 1986. She also provided vocals for Dutch band The Limit's single "Say Yeah!". She later moved to the United States to continue her singing career. Prior to joining Zoo, she appeared on The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show is a British Comedy television show starring Benny Hill and various comedy character actors. It was produced by Thames Television from 1969 to 1989 and was broadcast in over 140 countries....
during the 1980 series as one of the "Hill's Angels."
- Julie Harris joined the line-up of Tight Fit before the release of their UK Number 1 version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and went on to record under the name "Chopper Harris".
- Anita Mahadervan combined her appearances with Zoo with her role in Legs & Co., who continued their dancing career after leaving TOTP in 1981. In the summer of 1982, she appeared twice on TOTP as a member of Toto Coelo. She later joined the band Cherry Bombz.
- Voyd was in the original cast of Starlight Express and continued with the show for years. She was also in the musical version of Kit Williams Masquerade with Sarah Brightman. Appeared in the movies Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, It Couldn't Happen Here, videos for Depeche Mode (Just can't get enough) and Buck's Fizz (London Town). Voyd was a favourite dancer of Arlene Phillips and assisted her for many years.
- Penni Dunlop was part of Hot Gossip and appeared with them on The Kenny Everett Show. She was in the original cast of Chess with Debbie Fox(Foxy). Penni was also in a dance group called "Shock", but was replaced by Carole Caplin.
- Jon Peterson performed on the West End most notably in Cats. Appeared in Duran Duran's Wild Boys video promo with Eddie Kemp.