REMEMBER WHEN - 22nd December 1979

1979
Week 51
WEEK ENDING 22nd DECEMBER 1979

THE CHRISTMAS CHART
TOP 40 SINGLES

No.	LW
1	1	Pink Floyd	Another Brick In The Wall
2	21	Abba	I Have A Dream
3	2	Police	Walking On The Moon
4	26	Fiddlers Dram	Day Trip To Bangor
5	4	Tourists	I Only Want To Be With You
6	3	Sugarhill Gang	Rappers Delight
7	20	Paul McCartney	Wonderful Christmas Time
8	6	Gibson Brothers	Que Sera Mi Vida
9	10	Three Degrees	My Simple Heart
10	30	Pretenders	Brass In Pocket
11	5	Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand	No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)
12	7	Michael Jackson	Off The Wall
13	23	David Bowie	John I'm Only Dancing (Again)
14	13	Blondie	Union City Blue
15	11	E.L.O.	Confusion/Last Train To London
16	18	Status Quo	Living On An Island
17	24	Rose Royce	Is It Love You're After
18	14	Moody Blues	Nights In White Satin
19	9	Madness	One Step Beyond
20	31	Beat	Tears Of A Clown
21	8	Dr. Hook	When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman
22	19	Matchbox	Rockabilly Rebel
23	15	Gary Numan	Complex
24	27	Skids	Working For The Yankee Dollar
25	NEW	Elvis Presley	It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You
26	12	Queen	Crazy Little Thing Called Love
27	16	Boomtown Rats	Diamond Smiles
28	35	K.C. & The Sunshine Band	Please Don't Go
29	NEW	Clash	London Calling
30	40	Mike Oldfield	Blue Peter
31	28	Ramblers	The Sparrow
32	29	Chic	My Feet Keep Dancing
33	37	Sheila B. Devotion	Spacer
34	39	Diana Ross	It's My House
35	NEW	M	Moonlight And Muzak
36	NEW	Kurtis Blow	Christmas Rappin
37	36	Storm	It's My House
38	NEW	Boney M	I'm Born Again
39	NEW	Dollar	I Wanna Hold Your Hand
40	32	Lena Martell	One Day At A Time

Pink Floyd

Another Brick In The Wall

This five week number one single was the last number one of the seventies and the first of the eighties. Quite an unusual single to be the Christmas number one considering the type of singles that usually achieve the honour. It had been Pink Floyd's first single release in the UK for 11 years, and their first hit single for 12 years. They weren't eager to follow it either, as they didn't release their next single until August 1982.

Abba

I Have A Dream

When the 'Voulez-Vous album had been released the previous May, this track always looked a probable single. But by the time October arrived a single release looked unlikely, as six of the album's ten tracks had already been lifted as singles and b.sides. Then came December and a rush release in time for Christmas saw it spend four weeks at number two. Funny the afore mentioned album was the only one by Abba to produce four hit singles, yet not one of them reached number one.
Twenty years later, this song finally made number one when covered by Westlife.

Police

Walking On The Moon

A little daft really wasn't it ?
"Giant steps are what you take, walking on the moon,
I hope my legs don't break, walking on the moon"
Somehow, they got away with it and spent a week at number one. The B side "Visions Of The Night" wasn't bad though.

Fiddlers Dram

Day Trip To Bangor

This had been the novelty hit of the Christmas period, but it wasn't what it seemed. The Bangor in question is a small city in North Wales that doesn't have ferris wheels and the like. All it has is a University and a couple of nice bridges. Apparently, the song was really about another North Wales coastal town called Rhyl, but changed to Bangor for the sake of Rhyme. Coming from that area myself, I can see how that could in fact be true. I went to Rhyl on daytrips so many times as a child that I now don't care if I never see the place again. Shortly after this hit had charted my local newspaper 'The Wrexham Evening Leader' ran an article about a band from Rhyl who had decided to get their own back by releasing a single called "Rhylsville", it sank without trace !

Tourists

I Only Want To Be With You

This was the first top ten hit to feature the talents of 'Annie Lennox' and 'Dave Stewart'. Just like the two previous hit versions by 'Dusty Springfield' & 'Bay City Rollers', this single had peaked at number four. A later cover by 'Samantha Fox' in 1989 didn't keep up the success though, and peaked at number 16.

Sugarhill Gang

Rappers Delight

Back in the early days of rap I was a big fan and in the minority. In fact I liked all this stuff until the latter part of the eighties when they decided to just start shouting unintelligible lyrics and throw in a few "Everybody In The House"s and "Put Your Hands In The Air Like You Just Don't Care"s (and start shooting each other of course). "Rappers Delight" is credited as being the first Rap hit in the UK (though there had been a few singles that weren't far away from rap in the past, including the recent "Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt. 3" by Ian Dury), and had shot quickly up the chart to a number three peak.
This genre has never been far away from controversy, and there was a problem back then too. This single had used the bass line from "Good Times" by 'Chic', and the Chic organization were not too pleased about it. Eventually a compromise was reached and the label credited Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards as writers, with no mention of Sylvia Robinson who'd written the rap. The label also clearly stated "Based on the song Good Times by Chic". As well as the regular 7 inch single with 3 minute and 6 minute versions, a 12 inch was released with a mammoth 15 minute version. That version is so good that I still listen to it in it's entirety very often.

Paul McCartney

Wonderful Christmas Time

Even some die hard McCartney fans would dismiss this as seasonal rubbish. Not me though, I love Christmas singles and have a box full of them. Christmas songs always bring back memories of childhood Christmas's. Waking up some 30 minutes after my parents had gone to bed, waking up my brother and sister, sneaking downstairs with our Bolster (sp) pillowcases full of presents. Taking it in turns to open a present each, right down to the apple, orange and nuts at the bottom of the 'sack'. From 1973 onwards, any records received would be listened to and then the radio would be switched on for Ed Stewart's 'Junior Choice'. My Mum would eventually get up and cook breakfast (always a good one on Christmas day), while telling us to clear away the wrapping paper. My Dad would then get up with the most enormous hangover. The TV would then be switched on and would remain on for most of the day. That massive meal called Christmas Dinner would be eaten at around One O'Clock (the time northerners call Dinner time), and eaten just in time for Christmas Day Top Of The Pops. This was of course the highlight of Christmas and one of the most watched TV shows of the whole year. All of the year's number ones would be featured between this show and part two which would sometimes be broadcast on Boxing Day, and other times on New Years Day. Some number two hits would occasionally feature on these shows too.
Another massive meal would follow at tea time (5-6ish), it's amazing that I didn't grow up as big as Barry White. Soon afterwards, both BBC 1 and ITV would have a programme called something like "Christmas Night With the Stars". These shows would have specially recorded 5 minute versions of the most popular programmes from the past year. This would be followed by something like "A Val Doonican Christmas" or something similar on on ITV, while BBC would have Morecambe And Wise. The "Mike Yarwood Show" would follow later, but by then I'd be fast asleep in bed. But it didn't end there, I loved the whole thing right through, and thought it so unfair if I had to go back to school on the 11th day of Christmas.
Yes, Paul McCartney knew what he was singing about, and don't you just hate people who try and put a dampner on it by saying things like "I'll be glad when it's over" ?
Paul hit number six.

Gibson Brothers

Que Sera Mi Vida

An extremely catchy single that quickly reached a peak of number five to become their biggest ever hit. I remember hearing this a couple of times in the last few hours of the '70s.

Three Degrees

My Simple Heart

A number nine hit, this was the last single that the Three Degrees ever placed on the chart. It was their tenth hit in six years, but it sounds very much as though they are singing "Bicycle Part" and not "My Simple Heart".

Pretenders

Brass In Pocket

The two previous singles by the Pretenders (Stop Your Sobbing & Kid) had peaked at numbers 34 & 33. When this single climbed just three places from 33 to 30 in the middle of December, it looked as though it wasn't going to fare much better. But it then amazingly climbed 20 places to number ten, before kicking off the New Year by climbing to five, to three and then finally to number one. As was the case with the first five number ones of 1980 (and with a further nine of that year's number ones), it stayed on top for two weeks. It then quickly dropped down the chart and it's last week on the chart was at number 19.

Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand

No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)

Put two talented women together and this is what you get. Because of them not being signed to the same record company, the seven inch single was released on Donna's label 'Casablanca' and backed with Donna's "Lucky". While the Twelve inch was released on Barbra's 'CBS' with her "Wet" on the B Side. I thought this was quite strange considering that Donna's songs were more suitable for twelve inch.
Whatever label it was on, this 12 inch was a classic. It began just as it's seven inch cousin did, it built up, seemed as though it would subside a little, then just carried on. The "It's raining" bit came on again but in time with the faster beat. At times it seemed like a duel between the two as to who could hold a note the longest. Absolutely brilliant. Two weeks at number three.

Michael Jackson

Off The Wall

For some reason that I can't fathom out, this reminds me of New Years Eve from that year. This is strange, because on New Years Eve 1979, Radio One came on air at 6:00am with the 100th best selling single of the decade ("See My Baby Jive" by Wizzard), and for the remainder of the day counted down the remainder of the top 100 selling singles as well as the top 100 albums of the decade.
So, the only way that I could have heard this song that day, was if I had heard it at the New Years Eve disco in the Wynstay Arms. But I don't thnk I did.
It was the title track and second single release from Michael's big solo comeback album. Not as 'disco' as "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", but it did seem to be a much more interesting song. It peaked at number seven.

David Bowie

John I'm Only Dancing (Again)

David was ending the seventies with a song that had first charted in 1972 when it made number 12. This was a version recorded during the 'Young Americans' sessions in early 1975 and was very different to the original. I prefer this version myself. The B Side was an alternative take from the 1972 sessions. This version also reached number 12.

Blondie

Union City Blue

This is the Blondie single that almost everyone seems to rate highly, but didn't go out and buy. This peaked lower than any of their previous seven singles (which included two number ones and a number two from earlier in 1979) and only got to number 13.
I've often heard it said on TV and Radio and read in books that this was from Debbie Harry's film 'Union City', but it wasn't.

E.L.O.

Confusion/Last Train To London

A swift follow up to their biggest hit to date ("Don't Bring Me Down") was this double A Side. "Confusion" was typical E.L.O. in the same manner as "Evil Woman", while "Last Train to London" was E.L.O. in "Sweet Talking Woman" mode. Almost the best value E.L.O. single ever (the honour of best value belongs to the 1978 E.P), but considering how big the album 'Discovery' was, it's something of a surprise that a single containing two tracks from that album went to number eight.

Status Quo

Living On An Island

A very strange choice of track to be given a single release considering their usual output. A much more gentle track that for some reason had penguins on the picture sleeve. It Reached number 16.

Rose Royce

Is It Love You're After

This is the one with 'that intro', the one that was sampled, ripped off, whatever by S Express eight years later. This was the seventh hit for the band and also the last (apart from a 1988 re-issue). It took eight weeks to reach number 13.

Moody Blues

Nights In White Satin

Another attempt by the Moody Blues to capture the Christmas number one spot with this song. In 1967 they were too late and didn't break into the top 40 until the first chart of the following year, climbing slowly to a number 19 peak in February.
The 1972 release charted in good time in the first chart of December, and reached a number nine peak in the first chart of 1973.
This time it entered the chart in the last week of November and spent 2 weeks at number 14 just before Christmas.

Madness

One Step Beyond

The second hit for Madness was their first on the Stiff label (the first was a one off on Two Tone). The video for this was our first glimpse of them living up to their name. Their first single "The Prince" had been a tribute to their Ska idol 'Prince Buster', while this was one of their favourite Prince Buster compositions. It gave them a top ten hit peaking at number seven.

Beat

Tears Of A Clown

Another release from the 'Two Tone' label, and one that peaked at number six. This was of course a Ska cover of the Smokey Robinson And The Miracles hit, and was the first of seven top 40 hits for the band in an eighteen month period. Rather annoyingly they had to change their name to 'English Beat' for the release of their records in the States to avoid confusion with another band.

Dr. Hook

When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman

This single by Dr. Hook had been around for about six months before finally becoming a hit over here. I remember hearing it every week on Paul Gambaccini's US chart show, and wondering why it had done nothing here. It finally got released and hit the top for a three week stay making it the band's biggest ever hit. It also launched the bands most successful spell in the UK.

Matchbox

Rockabilly Rebel

I thought Showaddywaddy were getting annoying, but they did nothing as bad as this. It was the first of five hits for Matchbox and easily the most tiresome (they did actually get a little better during the course of 1980). This peaked at number 18.

Gary Numan

Complex

An extremely depressing song by Gary Numan had no chance of giving him a hat trick of number ones. His swiftly gathered fan base pushed it to number six in it's second chart week, but six weeks was all it spent in the top 40.

Skids

Working for The Yankee Dollar

The Fourth hit inside a year for the Skids, and the last one to reach the top twenty. It was another single with very slow chart movements as follows, 34-32-28-27-24-24-23-21-20-28. Lead vocalist Richard Jobson is now better known for being a movie critic on Sky TV and for presenting shows on VH1.

Elvis Presley

It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You

Elvis had now been dead over two years, but the hits still kept on coming. This was actually quite good and was a grand showcase for his vocals. It peaked at number 13.

Queen

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

This was Queen's first top five hit for two years, and the fourth of six singles by Queen to peak at number two. It was a slight change of style for the band with a song that wouldn't have seemed out of place in the '50s. It was a good single but all the same, I'm glad that it wasn't a sign of things to come. A nice coincidence is that I saw Brian May at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall the night before I updated this commentary in 1998, and got more than I bargained for. Being such a big Queen fan, I was terrified of being disappointed with Brian out on his own. But I had no need to worry at all, he was ten times better than I expected. Not only did he perform a great selection from the Queen back catalogue, some of his solo stuff, a tribute to Cozy Powell (including the playing of "Dance With The Devil" as he came out on stage), but he's still one of the greatest guitarists in the world.

Boomtown Rats

Diamond Smiles

I like this a lot, just as much as "I Don't Like Mondays". It's entry position of number 35 seemed strangely low, as after all, it was the follow up to a single that spent four weeks on top. Even odder is the fact that it climbed no higher than number 13.
Many forget that the Boomtown Rats embraced the medium of video before many others that are credited with being amongst the first. After the rather basic effort for "Rat Trap", they had put a considerable amount of effort into the one for "Mondays", enough to make it one that stuck in the mind after seeing it just once. And now, they had taken it one step further. This one actually had a story to it that went with the song.
At the time, these 'promos' (as they were then called) were just something that the accompanied the occasional single. But within three years, everyone seemed to be doing them. As predictable as ever, it became trendy to knock the medium. The most commo gripe was that the videos took something away from the song, they didn't let a person make their own mind up as to what the song was about. This was of course complete rubbish. Music is entertainment, anything that adds to the entertainment can only be good. Besides, if you don't like the video, you can always look away.

K.C. & The Sunshine Band

Please Don't Go

This was Howie and the boys' biggest hit to date. Completely different sounding to their eight previous hits, which was a good move for them as people seemed to be tiring of their brand of disco music judging by the chart positions of their last four hits (and the ones that were not hits). Even so, they would have to wait over three years before they hit the chart again, and that was with their number one smash "Give It Up". "Please Don't Go" was revived and given the dance treatment by KWS in 1992 and taken to number one, but it isn't the only KC song to have been revived over the years. "That's The Way (I Like It)" was taken to number 22 by 'Dead Or Alive' in 1984, and was charting again early in 1998, courtesy of a cover by 'Clock'. At the same time, a cover of "Get Down Tonight" renamed "Bamboogie" was taken to the upper reaches of the chart thanks to 'Bamboo'.

Clash

London Calling

This track had the honour of being the first song heard on Top Of The Pops in the Eighties. They didn't actually appear of course, but it was played as the chart was counted down at the beginning. In reaching number 11, it also held the honour of being the Clash's highest charting single until the re-release of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" in 1991. It's parent album (also titled "London Calling") was released in time to feature on the last Album chart of the '70's and is many people's choice as the best album of the '80's (others choose it as their best of the '70's). Personally, I don't find it to be anything more than an average album, I much prefer the first two albums.

Mike Oldfield

Blue Peter

Hardly a stunning piece of work from Mr. Oldfield. It was a reworking of the theme from a children's TV show that most kids hated, but the parents liked watching. Mike reached 19 and the show lives on.

Ramblers

The Sparrow

A little early for the silly season, but it was still around at Christmas anyway. It got as high as number 11 during it's 11 week run and thankfully, this school choir didn't bother us again.

Chic

My Feet Keep Dancing

The last of seven hits for Chic (OK, OK, I know about the '87 remix of Le Freak), and one that I thought deserved a higher placing than it's number 21 peak.

Sheila B Devotion

Spacer

Two years on from the disco cover of "Singing In The Rain", the beautiful Sheila was back with a more polished sound courtesy of the 'Chic' organization. This single was a very slow climber and took nine weeks to reach it's peak of number 18, take a look at it's chart run, 35-37-33-33-33-28-22-20-18-19-30.

34		Diana Ross		It's My House
37		Storm		It's My House

Rather weak track from the otherwise excellent "The Boss" album. In it's second chart week, Diana's version was overtaken by the reggae version of the song by 'Storm'. But that version didn't go higher than it's debut of number 36, while Diana took 7 weeks to make number 32.

Moonlight & Muzak

It was a long time coming, but here at last was the follow up to the smash hit "Pop Muzik". I always preferered this one, found it a much more interesting song. Sadly, it only reached number 33.

Kurtis Blow

Christmas Rappin'

Hot on the heels of the Sugarhill Gang, here was Kurtis with the second rap single to hit the UK top 40. It only reached number 30, but at least I wasn't led to believe that the old school rappers had sex with their own mothers. It was all quite innocent back then.
The B Side of this was an instrumental track called "Do It Yourself Rappin' ", and yes, I had a go. But a better track for doing that was the B Side to Chic's "I Want Your Love" 12 inch, a track called "Funny Bone".

Storm

It's My House

see number 39

Boney M

I'm Born Again

A very Christmassy single in the vein as "Mary's Boy Child" and I expected it to be at least a top ten hit. But no, it surprisingly stalled at number 35. It was actually a double A side with "Bahama Mama", but that track was a little silly. This was the last of their 11 consecutive UK top 40 hits, but not the end of all their chart activity.

Dollar

I Want To Hold Your Hand

I always had a soft spot for Dollar, and this cover of (what was at the time) the second biggest selling single in the UK, was done in such a way that it barely resembled the Beatles original. After entering the chart at number 39 just before Christmas and obviously still there in the week that no chart was published, it then dropped out in the first new chart of the year. It then re-entered at number 30 and just two weels later had made it to number nine. But that was as far as it got. It was Dollar's fourth hit in the space of a year, but they would have to wait until August 1981 for their next one.

Lena Martell

One Day At A Time

Three weeks at number one for Lena with this Kris Kristofferson song. Lena had been around for a number of years without ever entering the chart before now, and has been around since then without having any further hits. A true one hit wonder our Lena. Lena must be respected as a decent singer and she sure deserved at least one big hit in her life (just a pity that it was this one).

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

Earth Wind And Fire

Can't Let Go

Another great track from the "I Am" album, and it didn't sound too much like the previous three either. Thing is, us record buyers weren't mugs too often then. So we weren't going to buy a song that we already had, it peaked at number 46.

Barron Knights

Food For Thought

More fun from the Barron Knights, but unfortunately not too many heard this as it only reached number 46. On this occasion they parodied Lena Lovich's "Lucky Number", M's "Pop Muzik" and the best of all, Bellamy Brothers' "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me" as "If I Jump Into The Back Of Your Lorry Would You Take Me To Finchley", which evolved into "If you jump into the back of my lorry, you'll be frozen by Watford". It's parent album "Teach the World To Laugh" also included their takes on "The Logical Song" (The Topical Song), "Leaving On A Jet Plane" (Heaving On A Jet Plane) and McCarthur Park (Arthur Clarke the gardener in the park), as well as a version of E.L.O.'s "Telephone Line" where the call is made from a call box and the money keeps running out.

No chart next week due to Christmas.

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.

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Email: nige@innotts.co.uk