REMEMBER WHEN - 19TH MAY 1979

TW	LW
1	1	Art Garfunkel	Bright Eyes
2	2	M	Pop Muzik
3	3	Boney M	Hooray Hooray It's A Holi Holiday
4	4	Abba	Does Your Mother Know
5	6	Peaches And Herb	Reunited
6	9	Amii Stewart	Knock On Wood
7	20	Roxy Music	Dance Away
8	21	Gary Moore	Parisienne Walkways
9	11	Eruption	One Way Ticket
10	NEW	Blondie	Sunday Girl
11	7	Dickies	Banana Splits
12	18	Police	Roxanne
13	10	Supertramp	The Logical Song
14	8	Wings	Goodnight Tonight
15	5	Racey	Some Girls
16	13	Bee Gees	Love You Inside Out
17	24	Undertones	Jimmy Jimmy
18	12	Jacksons	Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
19	15	David Bowie	Boys Keep Swingin'
20	17	Kandidate	I Don't Wanna Lose You
21	19	Gonzalez	Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet
22	14	Milk & Honey	Hallelujah
23	25	Monks	Nice Legs Shame About Her Face
24	30	Earth Wind And Fire & The Emotions	Boogie Wonderland
25	34	Sparks	The Number One Song In Heaven
26	NEW	Shadows	Theme From The Deer Hunter (Cavatina)
27	26	Damned	Love Song
28	22	Mike Oldfield	Guilty
29	NEW	Donna Summer	Hot Stuff
30	36	Linda Clifford	Bridge Over Troubled Water
31	28	Siouxsie And The Banshees	The Staircase Mystery
32	16	Squeeze	Cool For Cats
33	NEW	E.L.O.	Shine A Little Love
34	31	Angelic Upstarts	I'm An Upstart
35	NEW	Clash	I Fought The Law
36	38	Child	Only You
37	NEW	Lene Lovich	Say When
38	35	George Benson	Love Ballad
39	39	Cheap Trick	I Want You To Want Me
40	27	Three Degrees	The Runner

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.

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".

I won't describe this as rubbish because I don't think that it was meant to be taken as a creative work of art. It's a song written and performed with the intention of appealing to children. Taking it in that context, yes, they did a good job of it, it was extremely popular with children and reached number three.
Now, if you want to look at it in a serious light - - - - -

Abba's 14th hit was the first to feature the men (Benny and Bjorn) on lead vocals. They had previously sang vocals on quite a few tracks, including some on their "Greatest Hits" album, but none of them had been issued as singles and/or become UK hits.
I thought that it was quite a good track, but the B Side "Kisses Of Fire" was even better. It reached number 14, and was quickly followed into te chart by more tracks from the wonderful "Voulez-Vous" album. Yes, that's right, I'm praising an Abba album. Aside from "Chiquitita", I still think that this was one of the best albums of a year that produced more than it's fair share of great albums.

This classic duet reached number four and spent ten weeks in the chart. I love it, but a friend of mine claims that this is one of the worst five records ever.
Anyway, this was their second hit following their other '79 hit "Shake Your Groove Thing". I do have an earlier single by them called "Down Where It's At", but that didn't chart and neither did any other releases by them.

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.

And the comeback was complete. Roxy Music had split in 1976, but after three solo albums Bryan Ferry was starting to experience difficulty in selling his music. So the band reformed, but the first single "Trash" was considered just that by many people and struggled to number 40. But then "Dance Away" was quickly released and became their biggest hit to date spending three weeks at number two, and signal the beginning of the most successful period in their history.

Nice tune by Gary that was enhanced by the vocals of Phil Lynott. It was one of two occasions that Gary's name appeared in the top ten listings. This one reached number eight, then in 1985 he hit number five with "Out In The Fields" (also with Phil Lynott).
At this time I was working with Bramwell Jones maintaining the grass and shrub beds in the Hightown and Hermitage estate areas of Wrexham. Bram was in his mid 50s at the time and was convinced that the Shadows had originally recorded this song. I disagreed with him once, he wouldn't have it, so I left it at that. They did record it later though.

I already knew this song, as it was on the B Side of one of my Mum's Neil Sedaka singles. It was a song that was almost entirely made up of song titles, quite clever really. And this was a very good cover of it. Or was it just that singer Precious Wilson's legs were good to look at ?
It reached number nine and that was the last we heard of them.

This was the fourth single to be pulled from the 'Parallel Lines' album. This was still quite unusual at the time (Michael Jackson hadn't started his comeback yet), but even more unusual was that it spent three weeks at number one, and wasn't actually very good really. This was one of those rare occasions in the 70's when an act reached number one due to their popularity rather than the actual content of the single. Of course Blondie would start to give us good stuff again with their next single release.

While Boney M had recorded a new song especially for children, the Dickies had taken a children's song and turned it into a punk thrash. It was amusing the first couple of listens, but when it really comes down to it, the Boney M single was better whichever way you took it. Somehow it reached number seven.
"Banana Splits" was a childrens TV show that was broadcast on Saturday mornings in the early seventies. It was one of the worst children's shows of the time, and I only used to watch it for the 'Arabian Nights' cartoon (remember "Size Of An Elephant"), and that 'Mysterious Island' serial. I'm sure there was another cartoon on it too, but I can't remember.

They'd been around for a couple of years and even many people not following the music scene with enthusiasm were aware of them. But it wasn't until 1st May 1979 that they finally entered the UK top 40. This was a full year after it's original release, and much of it's belated success was down to it being an American top 40 hit. It reached number 12 and set the scene for the huge success to follow.
It reached number 17 a year later as part of the "Six Pack" release, and the same position when remixed in 1997.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This was Hudson Ford, the one time 'Strawbs' members who'd had a couple of hits in their own right in 73-74. It was a novelty hit that reached number 19, but still doesn't seem too bad even today.
I can't think about this song without remembering one Saturday night in Ruabon's Railway Club. A drunk who looked remarkably like the man who would become my supervisor two years later (and my best man five years later) Andre, seemed obsessed with the song and sang along with it all night. Even as he left the pub he shouted "Shame about the boat race".

This was the first single of the first successful comeback by Sparks. It reached number 14 to become their first hit in three and a half years, and their biggest since 1974. There was a really good longer version on the B side, but I think that was more down to Giorgio Moroder ( a member of the band for five years) than the Mael brothers.

Like Edwin Starr, the Shadows were also making a brief comeback. This was their last top ten hit ever. This track was featured on their highly successful 'String Of Hits' album. The other version was the only hit for Classical Guitarist John Williams who peaked at number 13 with his accoustic version. John should not be confused with the American orchestra leader with the same name.

After managing to release a single before the Sex Pistols in 1976 ("New Rose"), following it with two albums and three more singles, the Damned split in February 1978 without a hit single to their name. Later that year, they reformed as 'The Doomed' with Lemmy of 'Motorhead' on bass, only for him to quit after after one gig to be replaced by Henry Badowski of 'Chelsea'.
In 1979 three quarters of the original line up (Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible & Rat Scabies) recruited Algy Ward (ex-Saints), and decided to be called 'The Damned' again. At last a hit single !
Fully deserved too, this was a very catchy song (seems like they went out to have a hit). It reached number twenty and they didn't better that position until 1986.

Donna reached number 11 with this wonderful track from the 'Bad Girls' album. Such was Donna's workrate that during this period she seemed to be releasing a new album every six months (most of them double albums). This album could have spawned at least eight hit singles had they been released. But that didn't happen and by the time the second single was charting, she was probably already hard at work on her next project.

You're probably not going to like this, but I love this cover version AND prefer to hear this to the original. Linda had such a great voice and the recording has a big happy feel to it (despite the opening lyrics). It reached number 28 and the 12 inch version is available on 'The Greatest 70's Album Of All Time part 2' on 'Dressed To Kill' records (www.dressedtokill.co.uk).

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.

This was also their best year for commercial success. This was the first single from the 'Discovery' album, and had been their fourth consecutive (official) single release to peak at number six. Many of their diehard fans seemed to have abandoned them by this stage due to their commercial approach. But, I still liked them, and 'Discovery' is my favourite E.L.O. album.

"I'm an upstart hey, what ya gonna do about it"
Says it all really doesn't it ?
A select few bands sounded convincing doing the angry punk thing. Some were ok, but seemed uncomfortable with it. Bands like this seemed as though they were trying to come across as nasty bovver boys. Only the stupid were convinced, it reached number 31.

Another commercial cover by so called 'bad boys'. This actually sounded very good and they made it sound as though it was a true Clash original. But it climbed no higher than number 22, maybe due to it costing more than the average single (It was ironically called 'The Cost Of Living EP'). It was re-released in 1988 when it reached number 29.

Another song that I knew from my mother's record colllection. She had the Platters version on a 78 with a blue label. That version was double A side with "The Great Pretender" and reached number five in 1956, and was promoted as the sole A side when it went to number 18 six months later. But the highest charting version in that ere was by the Hilltoppers who reached number three. The song was later taken to number 38 by Mark Wynter in 1964 and number 40 by Jeff Collins in 1972. And the version that I bought was the one by Ringo Starr, a number 28 hit in 1974.
This one only reached number 33 for Child, but at least they were safe from the Stranglers while in their Top Of The Pops dressing room this time.

I often prefer the lesser known songs by certain acts as is the case with this number 19 peaking hit by Lene. The reason is likely to be a a case of the smaller hits not being overplayed on the radio. She had previously hit number three with the stupid "Lucky Number" in March of this year.

I already knew this track from one of those free albums that one of the music weeklies gave away in exchange for collecting tokens over a number of weeks. It had originally been a track on their 1977 album 'In Colour' and an unsuccessful single at that time. But this was a live version from their album 'At Budokan', and gave them their only UK top 40 hit, peaking at number 29. There was anotehr good single from that album later in the year, their cover of "Ain't That A Shame". The band were still recording in the late '90s.

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.

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.

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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26		Shadows		Theme From The Deerhunter (Cavatina)
00		John Williams		Cavatina