Dress You Up by Dannii Minogue: Young Talent Time, 1986

Danielle Minogue, now known as Dannii, joined the Young Talent team in 1982 after first appearing as a talent contestant in 1979 on her 8th birthday. She stayed with the show until 1988.  

Madonna was one of the world’s biggest recording artists of the 1980s, so she is a natural choice for Dannii to emulate here. ‘Dress You Up’ was written by Andrea LaRusso and Peggy Stanziale and comes from Madonna’s 1984 album Like A Virgin. 

Dannii’s hairstyle and costuming pays homage to Madonna’s iconic ‘Material Girl’ music video. In another nod to the clip, tuxedo-clad team members Vince Del Tito (1983–88), Beven Addinsall (1983–88) and Mark Stevens (1985-88) play the role of back-up dancers.

Vince and Dannii perform a series of lifts in the bridge of the song highlighting the pair’s dancing chops. 

The multicamera shooting style and set design (including having her name written in lights) utilises conventions established in music videos and concert coverage.

The studio audience creates a live feel which compensates for Dannii miming her vocals over a pre-recorded vocal track. 

Like the Young Talent Time cover of Wham!’s ‘Edge of Heaven’, the original lyrics have been sanitised for a family audience.

For example, instead of ‘Feel the silky touch of my caresses / They will keep you looking so brand new’ Dannii sings ‘Feel the silky glow that love possesses / It will keep you looking so brand new’. The song is also half the length of Madonna’s original. 

This excerpt comes from episode 86/42 which was recorded on 13 October 1986. 

Notes by Beth Taylor