That time Top of the Pops went ‘acieed’…. [October 1988]

This week saw the passing of Gary Haisman, the singer/rapper best known for providing the “acieed!” yelps during D-Mob’s October 1998 hit We Call It Acieed.

At the time D-Mob smashed the pop charts, Haisman was a well-known figure on the London clubbing scene – it was he that brought the young Terry Farley to Shoom for the first time, as Farley recently recalled to Rolling Stone magazine.

“[Gary] was standing there screaming “Acieeed!” really loudly, which was quite frightening at first. It was very intense. I remember really liking the vibe. And then at the end they played the U2 record “With or Without You.” Now, I hate U2. I f**king hate Bono with a vengeance. But it sounded absolutely amazing.”

Haisman’s efforts D-Mob also led to one of the finest moments in Top of the Pops history, as presenters Steve Wright (wearing a Smiley face t-shirt) and Caron Keating (also gone too soon, RIP) enthusiastically introduced the song at the top of the 20 October 1988 show… with Keating also contributing an “acieed” of her own.
 

Within days, the British tabloids had proclaimed the ‘horrors’ of the acid house scene, meaning that Auntie BBC’s flirtation with the nascent youth movement would be fleeting…

RIP Gary Haisman, 29 January 1958 – 28 November 2018.

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