REMEMBER WHEN - 22ND MARCH 1980

1980
Week 12
WEEK ENDING 22ND MARCH 1980

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	NEW	Jam	Going Underground
2	1	Fern Kinney	Together We Are Beautiful
3	3	Marti Webb	Take That Look Off Your Face
4	8	Vapors	Turning Japanese
5	14	Liquid Gold	Dance Yourself Dizzy
6	4	Peter Gabriel	Games Without Frontiers
7	2	Blondie	Atomic
8	20	Detroit Spinners	Working My Way Back To You-Forgive Me Girl
9	5	Rainbow	All Night Long
10	7	Captain And Tennille	Do That To Me One More Time
11	6	Police	So Lonely
12	16	Gibson Brothers	Cuba / Better Do It Salsa
13	9	Beat	Hands Off She's Mine
14	25	Brothers Johnson	Stomp
15	21	Martha And The Muffins	Echo Beach
16	23	Rush	Spirit Of Radio
17	10	Whispers	And The Beat Goes On
18	15	Kenny Rogers	Coward Of The County
19	11	Cliff Richard	Carrie
20	18	Stiff Little Fingers	At The Edge
21	13	Michael Jackson	Rock With You
22	12	Elvis Costello	I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
23	36	Siouxsie And The Banshees	Happy House
24	31	Shakin Stevens	Hot Dog
25	35	Genesis	Turn It On Again
26	27	Squeeze	Another Nail In My Heart
27	28	Lambrettas	Poison Ivy
28	40	Secret Affair	My World
29	NEW	Barbara Dickson	January February
30	39	Dooleys	Love Patrol
31	NEW	Bodysnatchers	Let's Do Rock Steady
32	17	Shadows	Riders In The Sky
33	24	David Bowie	Alabama Song
34	37	Narada Michael Walden	Tonight I'm Alright
35	NEW	Leon Hayward	Don't Push It Don't Force It
36	26	Jefferson Starship	Jane
37	19	Tourists	So Good To Be Back Home Again
38	30	UK Subs	Warhead
39	33	Jon Pertwee	Worzel's Song
40	NEW	UB40	King / Food For Thought

Jam

Going Underground / Dreams Of Children

This was the first single to enter the chart at number one since Slade had done it in 1973 with "Merry Xmas Everybody". With the exception of the very first number one in 1952, this was the very first time that a new entry at the top had been by a band that had achieved no previous number ones at all. Having said that, this was only the tenth single to enter the chart at the top since the UK charts began, and the Jam were only the seventh act to do it. The first eight Jam singles had all failed to reach the top ten, while the ninth had made number three, this was the tenth.
So why did it go straight into number one, after all there always used to be a very good reason when a single did that ?
The popular theory would be that the Jam were loved by the 'new mods', and so were hugely popular enough to get all those mods running to the shops at the weekend to send it soaring straight to the top (the extra disc with the live recordings may have helped too). This would be partly true, but there is a bigger reason. It was common practice for singles to be released towards the end of the week, Thursdays & Fridays. So, they only had 2-3 days sales in their first chart week. That's why so many big hit singles entered at a low chart position and then took a massive climb the following week, look at how many of Abba's top five singles entered below number 20.
Polydor normally released all of their singles on Fridays, but switched to Mondays at the time of this release. This ensured optimum first week sales and a higher chart debut debut. I doubt that they expected a debut so high though. At the time, Music Week, BMRB, Polydor, and the daily newspapers and TV all reported that this single was the first to enter at number one since Gary Glitter's "I Love You Love Me Love" in November 1973. Very embarrassing for Polydor considering that the Slade single in December 1973 had been released by them !
These events seemed to be quickly forgotten about, but I assure you that they are true, even down to Record Mirror (who got their facts right) predicting that Monday releases would become standard procedure.
Anyway, it spent three weeks at number one, which was still at that time the minimum number of weeks that any number one debuting single had stayed on top.
In fact, the Jam themselves would have the dubious distinction of having the first new entry at number one not to last longer than two weeks, with the fourteenth single to debut at the top.
Three years later it was back with a more modest debut at 37. It reached number 21 that time.

Fern Kinney

Together We Are Beautiful

Always reminded me of Janet Kay's "Silly Games" this one did, even though it was nothing like it really. It was a cover of a song that Steve Allan had taken to number 67 just over a year previous, but believe me, Fern's cover was much better. She spent a week at number one with it, but can be considered very unlucky to be deposed so soon by the first new entry at number one for over six years.

Marti Webb

Take That Look Off Your Face

I liked this a lot, it had a certain quality about it. It was from a musical titled "Tell Me On A Sunday", and I may be wrong about this, but I seem to recall it being a Television Musical rather than a stage show. It spent three weeks at number three.
Marti later blotted her copybook with me when she took her cover of Michael Jackson's "Ben" to number five in 1985, it wasn't very good.

Vapors

Turning Japanese

This song is said to be about masturbation, but not too many people noticed at the time. Indeed the BBC obviously didn't notice as they played it to death. The Vapors had been very lucky in that they got their big break by supporting the Jam on tour. This single spent nine weeks in the top 40 and peaked at number three. A few more singles followed, including the excellent "Jimmie Jones", but they never made the top 40 again.

Liquid Gold

Dance Yourself Dizzy

Liquid Gold peaked at two with "Dance Yourself Dizzy", the first of two top ten hits for them this year. They were very much towards the pop end of disco, and had been completely forgotten about 12 months later (despite some of their later singles being included on a few K.Tel compilations).

Peter Gabriel

Games Without Frontiers

Very different and very good was my opinion of this single. It took a while, but finally reached number four. In turn this helped his third album to (titled 'Peter Gabriel', just as the previous two were) reach number one.
Am I the only person to think that when he sings the name "Lottie" on this, he sounds like 'Ken Dodd' ?

Blondie

Atomic

After the failure of "Union City Blue" to make the top ten, it came as something of a surprise when this entered the chart at number three. Naturally it then went to number one and spent two weeks there. On first listen to this track, I thought that it sounded like something the Shadows would have done (until Debbie began singing of course).
This was the fifth consecutive number one to reign for two weeks in 1980 (the first by Pink Floyd had also clocked up three weeks in '79). A further ten singles spent two weeks on top during 1980, and only three dropped after one week on top.

Detroit Spinners

Working My Way Back To You - Forgive Me Girl

I was surprised to learn that this was The Detroit Spinners, it was a big change in direction for them. It gave them their only number one hit (2 weeks of course) with their first top 40 entry in three years, and first top ten hit since 1973. They would soon be back in the top five with yet another disco styled cover.

Rainbow

All Night Long

A second good single from what I think was the first heavy album I bought 'Down To Earth' (well, people called it heavy at the time). It had a slow start to it's chart run, but eventually peaked at number five.

Captain And Tennille

Do That To Me One More Time

This was the hit that "You Never Done It Like That" should have been in 1978. But this was the only one of their singles that even came close to repeating the success they enjoyed in the States, it reached number seven.
It was ok, but sounded as if you had heard it before.

Police

So Lonely

This had failed to chart when originally released in October 1978, but just like "Roxanne" & "Can't Stand Losing You" it had been re-issued. This time it went to number six and gave them an excuse to film a pointless video on a train in Japan.
Yes, I know about the Sue Lawley thing !

Gibson Brothers

Cuba / Better Do It Salsa

A re-release of their number 41 hit from a year previous coupled with a similar sounding track called "Better Do It Salsa". It wasn't as good as their recent two hits, that's probably why it wasn't a top 40 hit first time around. This time it peaked at number 12.

Beat

Hand's Off She's Mine

The second hit for the Beat, and the first to be released on their own 'Go Feet' label. It kind of sounds better now than it did then, it reached number nine.

Brothers Johnson

Stomp

A classic disco song that couldn't fail to become a big hit. If I remember correctly, it was on top of the disco chart for six weeks. As for the pop chart, it peaked at number six.

Martha And The Muffins

Echo Beach

I've always thought that this sounds like a track Blondie decided to drop from the 'Plastic Letters' album. That's not to take anything away from it, I thought that it was a really good single and still do. It quickly reached number ten, but only stayed on the top 40 for seven weeks.
Toyah covered it in 1987, but failed to make the top 40.

Rush

Spirit Of Radio

Rush had already released eight albums, but I'd heard nothing at all by them until this single entered the chart. It was different to most of the rock music of the day, it sounded as though a lot of thought had gone into it. It was a winner with me straight away and is still one of my all time favourites.
It also reminds me of the time I turned 18 in April 1980, as it was on the jukebox at the Duke Of Wellington. I almost always selected both this and it's excellent B Side "The Trees".
It went to number 13 giving them their only UK top 20 hit, and by the summer I had four of their albums in my collection.

Whispers

And The Beat Goes On

Long before Will Smith was "Going To Miami", that tune was this classic disco single. The Whispers had been having hits on the other side of the Atlantic since 1970, and their cover of the Bread hit "Make It With You" had turned up on one of my compilation albums 'Disco Direction'. But as well as being their first single to rise above number 50 in the US (reached number 19), this was their first British hit. It spent a week at number two.

Kenny Rogers

Coward Of The County

A very worthy number one, and this highly listenable song spent two weeks there. It was Kenny's first major hit since his 1977 number one "Lucille", but he'd only have to wait 10 months for his next hit (his last solo).

Cliff Richard

Carrie

This was a great start to the decade for Cliff. This was the best song he'd done in ages and fully deserved it's number four peak. Trouble with this song is that 'Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds' pops into my head everytime I hear it - - - - When I reached their little brick house, Carrie and her father were gone - - - - know what I mean ?

Stiff Little Fingers

At The Edge

"Back when I was younger they were talking at me".
So growled Jake Burns at the beginning of this, Stiff Little Fingers' biggest hit, a number 15 peak. For some reason, two months later, a friend of mine (Tony Waters) thought it highly amusing when I walked into the pool room of the Duke Of Wellington just as Jake uttered those immortal words.
The B.Side featured a rotten live version of "White Christmas" and a live version of Johnny Preston's "Running Bear" that was at least worth a listen.

Michael Jackson

Rock With You

This was the one we were waiting for. The best track on the 'Off The Wall' album had already been to number one in the US, and it was finally getting it's UK release. But it was too late, many had already taped it off the radio or bought the album, so it peaked at number seven. Had this been the first single to be released from the album, I'm sure that it would have been number one (which would have meant that Buggles and Lena Martell would not have been number one the previous Autumn).

Elvis Costello

I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down

This was the second of Elvis' three top ten hits, and this cover of a Sam & Dave song was easily his most 'poppy' sounding yet. It was originally meant to be released on 'Two Tone Records'. This situation came about because Elvis had been recording for 'Radar Records', but it had been closed down by it's parent company 'WEA'. Elvis did not want to sign to 'WEA' and felt so strongly about it that he said that he's rather not release any records at all. Elvis had recently produced the Specials' debut album, so Jerry Dammers offered to repay the favour by releasing an Elvis single on 'Two Tone'. It was about to be released when 'WEA' won an injunction which stopped the release (some copies got out and are worth a bit if you're daft enough to pay). It was eventually released on Elvis' own 'F-Beat' label and quickly went to number four. It's parent album 'Get Happy' contained twenty tracks and was, in my opinion, better than '79's 'Armed Forces' LP.

Siouxsie And The Banshees

Happy House

It seemed to take a long time to reach number 17, and they wouldn't get that high again with an original song until 1988. It was OK, but nothing special.

Shakin' Stevens

Hot Dog

If Shaky was going to be the decade's most successul act, he sure started at the right time. This was his first hit, but wasn't that big, it only reached number 24. His next 22 hits all climbed higher before "Come See About Me" matched this peak in September 1987.

Genesis

Turn It On Again

Another one that reminds me of 'coming of age'. On the jukebox at the Duke, those new fangled Dry Roast Peanuts made by 'Planters', thinking you're ok on a Saturday afternoon until you leave the pub, hit the sunshine and then feel giddy and begin slurring as you speak. The lads in their early twenties who thought it highly amusing that anyone would select a Police song on the jukebox, let alone buy their records.
Genesis were a different proposition, everyone liked this one. I was surprised by this one. I hadn't heard much by Genesis, but what I had heard, wasn't as lively as "Turn It On Again". It peaked at number eight, and from here on Genesis were commercially big right into the early nineties.

Squeeze

Another Nail In My Heart

After the previous seven singles, I was a little disappointed with his one. I still quite liked it, but not enough to buy it until it hit the bargain bin. It peaked at number 17.

Lambrettas

Poison Ivy

The Lambrettas peaked at number seven with their revival of "Poison Ivy". It has been alleged that this song is about 'Veneral Disease', but not having had the symptoms I can't comment. They were to later release a single about page three girls. But they were a bunch of tits anyway.

Secret Affair

My World

The final part of Secret Affair's trilogy of top 40 hits came six months after the first. A very good song with a smoother sound than the previous two, and it reached number 16.

Barbara Dickson

January February

Barbara Dickson, ahhh, this number 11 peaking single brings back memories. Both of my divorced parents listened to the easy listening 'BBC Radio Two' and it was always playing when I got up in the morning. This song ALWAYS seemed to be on in the mornings. I was sick of it. In later years though, I've come around to the idea of liking it. Even more to the point, I myself have now become a Radio Two listener. I just can't get over how GOOD that station has become. Many of the better Radio One presenters have made themselves at home there during recent years including 'Steve Wright', 'Alan Freeman', 'Johnny Walker', 'Andy Peebles', 'Paul Gambaccini', 'Bob Harris', 'Janice Long', 'Ed Stewart', and even 'John Peel' and 'Jools Holland' have presented shows on Radio Two. My work means a lot of late night driving and in the mid-90s I gave up with late night Radio One and had to content myself with tapes, but then the radio enjoyed a new lease of life thanks to Radio Two's late night programming.

Dooleys

Love Patrol

The Dooleys top twenty days were now behind them, in fact this was their last ever top 40 entry. Slightly different from their previous couple of singles, but it was never going to be a big hit. It peaked at number 29.

Bodysnatchers

Let's Do Rock Steady

The debut hit from Two Tone act the 'BodySnatchers'. Their "Let's Do Rock Steady" went as high as number 22. Their follow up single "Easy Life" failed to make the top 40 (even though it was pretty good),and they were never heard of again. At least the name 'Bodysnatchers' wasn't heard of again. But they did return as 'Amazulu', and had greater success.

Shadows

Riders In The Sky

Nine months after the release of the second single from the 'String Of Hits' album, came this, the third single. It was the song you know as "Ghost Riders In The Sky" but naturally without the singing. It seemed to be around for much longer than it's seven charting weeks (during which it peaked at number 12). It was the Shadow's last ever top 40 hit.

David Bowie

Alabama Song

I remember hearing this for the first time on Radio One's 'Round Table' and couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was a song from the '20s (or maybe '30s) that went on about the Moon of Alabama and the need to find a whisky bar. Unbelievable, even from Bowie. Still, I thought it was the best thing he'd done for five years. It peaked at number 23, and gave us hope that David was moving away from the stale sound of his previous four albums, and he did.
This single featured a Guitar only version of "Space Oddity" on the B Side.

Narada Michael Walden

Tonight I'm Alright

I quite liked this one, but it hardly caught the imagination of the rest of the population. It peaked at number 34.

Leon Hayward

Don't Push It Don't Force It

Leon Hayward was someone else having his one and only hit, with "Don't Push It, Don't Force It". He peaked at 12 with yet another good disco sound, but lyrics that didn't tax the mind too much.

Jefferson Starship

Jane

Not only was this a great single, but it was a big surprise too. In the time that they had been known as 'Jefferson Airplane', they had released some great singles ("White Rabbit" & "Somebody To Love") that had failed to capture the imagination of the British public. Their albums didn't do much over here either. They became 'Jefferson Starship' in the mid 70s, but still UK success eluded them for the remainder of the decade. That wasn't too surprising though, Grace Slick had left in early 1976. Then came the 1979 recording sessions for the 'Freedom At Zero Point' album when Grace came into the studio and sang uncredited on some of the tracks. That was it, the album was their highest charting in the UK ever, Grace re-joined as a full time member, and they got this hit single too. It only reached number 21, but hell, that was better than a poke in the eye with a pointed stick.
They had no more hits after this until they were forced to drop the Jefferson by original member Paul Kantner, and became known as 'Starship' in 1985. They then had two further hits, one of which "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" gave them a number one. In the late '80s it got complicated. Grace left again, to join Jefferson Airplane. That's right, the classic line up from the late '60s reformed, while the other band continued using the name 'Starship'. In 1995 came 'Jefferson Starship (The Next Generation)' !

Tourists

So Good To Be Back Home Again

I've always thought that the 'Tourists' reached a peak before they became commercially successful. Having said that, this was certainly a big improvement on their cover of "I Only Want To Be With You" (Why did they do that ?). It reached number six and was from 'Reality Effect' which was the second of three albums they released in a 16 month period.

UK Subs

Warhead

I don't really remember this one, but I suppose what I should really say is that I don't recall this being any different from their other singles. It entered at a peak of number 30 and was gone two weeks later.

Jon Pertwee

Worzel's Song

"A Wur with a W and a Wur with an O", yes I remember how it goes, consider me unlucky if you like. Worzel Gummidge was of course the scarecrow star of a Sunday teatime TV show, fortunately this only reached number 32.

UB40

King / Food For Thought

Over two decades later and UB40 have still not released a better single than this one have they ?
Even though "King" (about Martin Luther) was listed first, and was a damn good song, "Food For Thought" was the one that had most of the airplay. It took a while to decipher the lyrics (Ali Campbell has one of those voices, usually sounds as though he's crying), and discover that he wasn't singing "I Believe In Donna", but it was worth it in the end.
After entering at number 40, it halved it's position for the next three weeks and then climbed one place to number four for a two week stay (Now that's what I call a real chart run).
UB40 remained quite good for about three years, but they then went into the dodgy cover version business. As a result, their original material seemed to suffer and I don't like any of the original songs that they've released since 1986.

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

Betty Bright

Hello I'm Your Heart

It reached number 50 and I think it was someone trying to sound like a very poppy version of Siouxsie Sioux, but I'm not certain.

April Wine

I Like To Rock

This number 41 peaking single was the nearest that April Wine ever got to the top 40. They had a very similar sound to Saxon, and this was quite a good single. I don't know why they felt they needed to use the Beatles' "Daytripper" riff to end the song though.

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

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