REMEMBER WHEN - 21ST APRIL 1979

1979

Week 16
WEEK ENDING 21ST APRIL 1979

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	1	Art Garfunkel	Bright Eyes
2	3	Racey	Some Girls
3	2	Squeeze	Cool For Cats
4	9	Jacksons	Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
5	35	Milk & Honey	Hallelujah
6	7	Sex Pistols	Silly Thing / Who Killed Bambi
7	6	Sister Sledge	He's The Greatest Dancer
8	4	Village People	In The Navy
9	5	Gloria Gaynor	I Will Survive
10	10	Three Degrees	The Runner
11	22	Kandidate	I Don't Wanna Lose You
12	8	Dire Straits	Sultans Of Swing
13	28	M	Pop Muzik
14	14	Kate Bush	Wow
15	12	Chic	I Want Your Love
16	26	Neil Diamond	Forever In Blue Jeans
17	27	Showaddywaddy	Remember Then
18	11	Sex Pistols	Something Else / Friggin' In The Riggin'
19	25	Wings	Goodnight Tonight
20	15	Jam	Strange Town
21	13	Players Association	Turn The Music Up
22	20	Sham 69	Questions And Answers
23	24	Supertramp	The Logical Song
24	31	Amii Stewart	Knock On Wood
25	30	Siouxsie And The Banshees	The Staircase Mystery
26	18	Dennis Brown	Money In My Pocket
27	32	Gonzalez	Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet
28	NEW	Bee Gees	Love You Inside Out
29	29	Generation X	Valley Of The Dolls
30	17	Elvis Costello	Oliver's Army
31	37	Members	Offshore Banking Business
32	16	Queen	Don't Stop Me Now
33	19	Lene Lovich	Lucky Number
34	33	Real Thing	Can You Feel The Force
35	34	Pointer Sisters	Fire
36	36	Skids	Into The Valley
37	NEW	Beach Boys	Here Comes The Night
38	21	Thin Lizzy	Waiting For An Alibi
39	NEW	George Benson	Love Ballad
40	38	Gary's Gang	Keep On Dancing

Art Garfunkel

Bright Eyes

Art Garfunkel hit the top and had the biggest selling single of the year with this. "Bright Eyes" was taken from the film 'Watership Down', and spent a total of six weeks at number one. It was Art's second solo hit, and his second number one, his previous being "I Only Have Eyes For You" back in 1975.

Racey

Some Girls

Racey were having their second top three hit in three months as "Some Girls" made it's way to number two. I thought it was ok to begin with, but saturation airplay put paid to that. Barry Manilow later covered this song on his "I Wanna Do It With You" album.

Squeeze

Cool For Cats

Squeeze had waited almost a full year to get their second hit, and did it well by reaching number two for the first of two occasions this year. Despite the vocals being sang by Difford rather than Tilbrook, a man who couldn't sing to save his life (allegedly !), it was still a great pop song and the 'couldn't care less' vocal style suited it perfectly.

Jacksons

Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)

The Jacksons reached number four with "Shake Your Body". Only two of their singles reached higher chart positions than this. This is an excellent single and for me, Michael has never matched it solo, despite coming close a few times. Over the water, this single peaked at number seven.

Milk And Honey

Hallelujah

After debuting at number 35 with this Eurovision Song Contest winner from Israel, Milk And Honey made history the following week when it became the first single to ever rise Thirty places inside the top 40. Strangely number Five was as high as it reached.
I have a cover of Abba's "Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)" by a band named Milk And Honey, I've always wondered if it's the same group.

Sex Pistols

Silly Thing / Who Killed Bambi

The Sex Pistols seemed to be on a roll since Johnny Rotten's resignation from the band and Sid Vicious' death. Before the number three peaking "Something Else" had even fallen out of the top five, "Silly Thing" was rising up the chart towards number six. It was backed by the silly "Who Killed Bambi" credited to 'Ten Pole Tudor'.

Sister Sledge

He's The Greatest Dancer

Sister Sledge were having their first hit in almost four years, and would not get a bigger hit than this number six peaking hit until 1984. They also did well on the billboard chart peaking at nine.This excellent 'tune' has recently been subjected to the 'Will Smith' treatment on "Gettin' Jiggy With It".

Village People

In The Navy

The Village People so nearly made it two consecutive number ones as the tongue in cheek "In The Navy" was kept from the top by Gloria Gaynor for two weeks. It also did well in the US by reaching number three.
Personally I didn't really like it, and had a good reply to the question "What am I gonna do with a submarine ?"

Gloria Gaynor

I Will Survive

This spent four weeks at number one. Gloria also reached number one in the States for a two week stay. This song is considered by many to be the best disco song ever, but I'm not convinced. I can count twelve better disco records that were on the chart when this entered, let alone what had come before and would follow. It's the intro for one thing, it spoils it.
Shortly afterwards 'Billie Jo Spears' just missed the top 40 with her country cover of the song, while Gloria was back with the number five peaking re-sicks in 1993. Three years after that two further covers of the song made the top 20 courtesy of 'Diana Ross' and 'Chantay Savage'.

Three Degrees

The Runner

The Three Degrees were continuing their comeback and peaked at ten with this excellent single, the 12 inch needs to be checked out. Incidentally, I saw Three Degrees lead vocalist 'Sheila Ferguson' in a Blackpool Summer Show in 1996 and she could still belt out all of the old hits including this one.

Kandidate

I Don't Wanna Lose You

Kandidate were having the first of the two hits they would have this year. Sounding very much like Heatwave in their mellow moments, they went to number eleven.

Dire Straits

Sultans Of Swing

It had been the winter of discontent. Not only had it been a time of strikes, but it had been bloody cold too. I'd spent most of it working in Belle Vue Park, clearing snow, salting the footpaths and climbing trees in order to prune and treat them with Arbrex (which I duly got all over myself and my Donkey Jacket).
March came and the snow began to clear. The grass was visible again, and so were the shrub beds, so it was back to gardening. One of my first jobs of the spring was to hoe the beds around the bowling green (NO, this didn't entail getting a loose woman between the sheets, a hoe is a garden tool). So I was there working away with the radio nearby, and I kept hearing this lyric,
"Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene, he's got a daytime job, he's doing all right". It's one of those lyrics that just stuck in my mind for the rest of my life (so far), and is one of the reasons why I never tire of hearing this first hit from Dire Straits.
It was the first of many hits and peaked at number eight. The single had been released the previous May, but as interest in them grew following the chart appearance of their debut album, it was decided to re-release it. Surprisingly, their follow up single "Lady Writer" failed to hit the top 40, despite not being lifted from the said album, but from the follow up "Communique" instead. "Sultans Of Swing" went even higher in the States by reaching number four.
For the next six years, Dire Straits grew in stature before peaking with the "Brothers In Arms" album. They left it far too long before following that album, six years in fact. By then, the public didn't want them anymore. They were sick of the appearances at every benefit concert staged, performing any two from five songs on every occasion (usually "Sultans" & "Money For Nothing". Only one of the four singles lifted from that album made a brief appearance in the top 40, and shortly afterwards the band were no more.
It's no longer fashionable to like Dire Straits, but lets not forget how much we liked this single and the "Making Movies" album (even if we won't admit to liking anything else by them).

Pop Muzik

Pop Muzik by 'M' made it's debut in April 1979 and got as high as number two. It went back to number 15 when re-released ten years later. The original 12 inch single was released as a special double grooved record which is a really weird concept that I still find difficult to get my head around (despite owning a copy). You put the needle down at the beginning of the record and never know whether you'll get "Pop Muzik" or "M Factor".
I preferred the follow up single, the much less successful "Moonlight And Muzak".

Kate Bush

Wow

Kate Bush must have been relieved to be back in the charts after the failure of her previous single "Hammer Horror". This was the second of two singles to be lifted from the 'Lionheart' album and peaked at number 14. "Wow" was of course one of Kate's catchphrases when being interviewed, along with "Incredible" and "Fantastic" which were also used in the song.

Chic

I Want Your Love

This was Chic's highest charting UK hit and reached number four. Don't you just love those bells ?
I felt as though I got ripped off with this one though. I bought the 12 inch single and discovered that it was exactly the same length as the 7 inch. Great instrumental B Side called "Funny Bone" though.

Neil Diamond

Forever In Blue Jeans

One of Neil Diamond's good 'uns. This peaked at number 16 in it's seventh week and Neil has failed to chart that high since.

Showaddywaddy

Remember Then

Showaddywaddy were having their 16th hit, but their previous one had been the last of their ten top ten hits and this stalled at number 17. They continued to hit the top 40 until the Autumn of 1982, and still play live all over the UK. They play gigs in my area of the country frequently, in fact just about everyone in Mansfield (my wife's hometown), seems to have seen them.

Sex Pistols

Something Else / Friggin' In The Riggin'

The Sex Pistols seemed to be on a roll since Johnny Rotten's resignation from the band and Sid Vicious' death. "Something Else" with vocals by Sid went all the way to number three. It was backed by the X rated "Good Ship Venus" renamed "Friggin' In The Riggin". One thing that may have worried Sid had he still been with us, was that my Mum loved his version of "Something Else". She didn't like the other one though ;-)

Wings

Goodnight Tonight

After missing the top 40 with "I've Had Enough" and "London Town", Wings were happy to be back on the hit trail with the disco influenced "Goodnight Tonight". In reaching number five, this was the last Wings single to reach a reasonable chart position, before Paul McCartney went solo. This single took just three weeks to reach number 13 in the States, but it took a further five weeks to reach it's peak of number five, a position it held for three weeks.

Jam

Strange Town

The Jam were still unable to crack the top ten as this seventh single peaked at number 15. Ok song, but they'd done better.

Players Association

Turn The Music Up

The Players Association were one hit wonders, but what a great number eight peaking single. Shame the follow up "Ride The Groove" with their instrumental of "Everybody Dance" on the flip didn't make the top 40.

Sham 69

Questions And Answers

Sham 69 were in the top twenty for the fourth time, but only got as high as number 18. The B Side featured an awful live cover of "With A Little Help From My Friends", it has to be heard to be believed.

Supertramp

The Logical Song

Supertramp were having their biggest UK hit with "The Logical Song", and despite initially climbing quite slowly, it suddenly leapt from number 23 to number seven before starting to drop down the chart.

Amii Stewart

Knock On Wood

This is the highest charting version of this song. It reached number six as opposed to the previous highest, number ten by David Bowie in 1974. This was also Amii's last hit when re-issued in 1985 and peaked two places lower. Her Mother Miquel Brown made her chart debut in 1984, followed by her sister 'Sinitta' in 1986. Amii spent one week at the top in the US with this song.

Siouxsie And The Banshees

The Staircase Mystery

Siouxsie And The Banshees were having their second hit with the weird "Staircase Mystery". It peaked at a lowly number 24, but is worth investing in for the B side, a cover of the T.Rex hit "20th Century Boy".

Dennis Brown

Money In My Pocket

Dennis Brown has been one of the biggest Jamaican singers since the mid-70's. At the last count he'd recorded about 230 lps, the international sales of which would put most artists to shame. Poor old Dennis only had this one hit and peaked at number 14 with it. In the song he sang "Money in my pocket, cos I just can't find no love". At the time I wondered to myself if this song was quite what it seemed (I was at an impressionable age). Instead of him having the money because he had no woman to spend it for him, I wondered if he had the money with the intention of finding a lady of the night !

Gonzalez

Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet

Gonzalez peaked at number 15 with this song. This was another one of those songs that I had first heard on Paul Gambaccini's Billboard countdown on Saturday afternoons, and had bought it weeks before it charted. The trouble with this one, I liked hearing it on the radio and also enjoyed listening to the record. But when I eventually saw them performing it on Top Of The Pops, I was put off it a little. The group looked like understudies for the Dooleys, and nothing like a hot disco band.
However, the highest charting version of "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet" was the awful cover by 'Pat And Mick' 10 years later.

Bee Gees

Love You Inside Out

I liked the "Spirits Having Flown" album, but thought that "Living Together" would have been a better choice of single to follow "Tragedy". And so, their run of top five hits came to an end as this stuttered to number 13. It was a different story in the States though as this became their record sixth consecutive number one single.

Generation X

Valley Of The Dolls

Generation X were having their final hit with the number 23 peaking very average song "Valley Of The Dolls". However, lead vocalist 'Billy Idol' returned in style six years later.

Elvis Costello

Oliver's Army

This was Elvis' biggest hit and reached number two. Elvis only ever had three top ten hits, and on each occasion the follow up performed dismally.

Members

Offshore Banking Business

The follow up to "Sounds Of The Suberbs" had something about it, but not quite enough to turn it into a big hit. It progressed no further than number 37.

Queen

Don't Stop Me Now

This was another one that I wasn't sure should have been released as a single. The record buying public seemed to take a while to be convinced too, as it took seven weeks to reach a peak of number nine.

Lene Lovich

Lucky Number

Lene told us all that her lucky number was one. Then near the end of the song decided that she would change it to two. But her lucky chart position was number three. Utter rubbish lyrics, but we seemed to like it.

Real Thing

Can You Feel The Force

Just when it looked as though the Real Thing were getting past their sell by date (the previous two singles had peaked at 39 + 40), they came up trumps with this classic hit. Full page advertisements to accompany the release of this single, 12 inch, and album didn't exactly do them any harm, and this single gave them a number five hit, their biggest since 1976. It re-appeared in the chart courtesy of a dreaded re-mix in 1986, when it reached number 24.

Pointer Sisters

Fire

The Pointer Sisters were also having their first hit, but would get no higher than number 34 with this Bruce Springsteen song. They did peak at number two in the States though.

Skids

Into The Valley

The Skids had finally got themselves a hit, and in reaching number Ten, it proved to be their biggest. The B Side was an odd thing titled "TV Stars" that consisted entirely of the names of TV Stars, mostly ones from Coronation Street such as Ena Sharples, Albert Tatlock and Annie Walker. But does anyone know if "Into The Valley" really meant anything, or was it just total nonsense ?

Beach Boys

Here Comes The Night

One of the few Beach Boys songs that I like, yet one that is probably amongst the least favourites by many die hard Beach Boys fans. Ok, they'd jumped onto the disco bandwagon, but that's no crime when it's done this well. Pity that it only reached number 37.

Thin Lizzy

Waiting For An Alibi

Thin Lizzy were in the chart with the first of three singles to be lifted from the excellent 'Black Rose' album. This number nine peaking single was their first top ten hit for almost three years.

George Benson

Love Ballad

Uneventful song from George that I wasn't in the slightest bit tempted to buy. It made number 29.

Gary's Gang

Keep On Dancing

There were early rumours that this single was Gary Glitter using an alias, but of course it wasn't. It was a disco track (what else ?) that you either loved or hated. I fit into the former category, especially where the 12 inch is concerned. It peaked at number eight. The follow up "Let's Lovedance Tonight" was also good, but too similar to this one.

These songs were in the top 50 this week, but failed to reach the top 40.

Chris Montez / Lonnie Mack

Let's Dance / Memphis

If I remember correctly, this was issued as a picture disc with a photo of a classic car on each side, and was one of a series that also included Jewel Akens' "The Birds And The Bees". Lonnie Mack's "Memphis" had not charted when originally released, but "Let's Dance" had reached number two in 1962, and then number nine ten years later. This double A side re-issue reached number 47.

Crown Heights Affair

Dance Lady Dance

While I don't know this track, it would probably sound very familiar if I did hear it, and the chances are that I would like it. It reached number 44.

Light Of The World

Swingin'

The very first of their 'nearly' hits came in an unexciting picture sleeve that didn't do do justice to the vinyl contained inside. It only made number 45.

Disclaimer All comments concerning the quality of the songs in this and any other chart, are purely my opinion and not a statement of fact. I believe that we are all equal when it comes to deciding what makes a good song. I do not believe that good songs have to be serious or dull. I am of the opinion that if a single sells many copies, then many people like it, so it must be good whether I like it or not. Good music is everything YOU like, and it's also everything I like.

ON TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK
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BACK TO THE 1979 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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