REMEMBER WHEN - 8th November 1980

1980
Week 45
WEEK ENDING 8th NOVEMBER 1980

TOP 40 SINGLES

No.	LW
1	1	Barbra Streisand	Woman In Love
2	2	Status Quo	What You're Proposing
3	5	Bad Manners	Special Brew
4	13	Adam And The Ants	Dog Eat Dog
5	NEW	Blondie	The Tide Is High
6	4	Matchbox	Whan You Ask About Love
7	6	Odyssey	If You're Lookin' For A Way Out
8	20	David Bowie	Fashion
9	8	O.M.D.	Enola Gay
10	3	Ottawan	D.I.S.C.O.
11	9	Nolans	Gotta Pull Myself Together
12	11	Air Supply	All Out Of Love
13	7	Madness	Baggy Trousers
14	17	Sheena Easton	One Man Woman
15	25	Olivia Newton John & Cliff Richard	Suddenly
16	10	Police	Don't Stand So Close To Me
17	16	Kate Bush	Army Dreamers
18	26	Stephanie Mills	Never Knew Love Like This Before
19	31	Dennis Waterman	I Could Be So Good For You
20	12	George Benson	Love X Love
21	38	Motorhead	Ace Of Spades
22	21	Kelly Marie	Loving Just For Fun
23	22	Showaddywaddy	Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts
24	15	Coffee	Casanova
25	34	UB40	The Earth Dies Screaming / Dream A Lie
26	19	Gilbert O'Sullivan	What's In A Kiss
27	14	Sweet People	Et Les Oiseaux Chantaient (And The Birds Were Singing)
28	18	Linx	You're Lyin'
29	NEW	Roxy Music	The Same Old Scene
30	33	John Lennon	(Just Like) Starting Over
31	29	Jacksons	Lovely One
32	23	Black Slate	Amigo
33	NEW	Kool And The Gang	Celebration
34	24	Stevie Wonder	Masterblaster (Jammin')
35	30	Gap Band	Party Lights
36	32	Teena Marie	I Need Your Lovin'
37	NEW	Rod Stewart	Passion
38	NEW	Liquid Gold	The Night The Wine And The Roses
39	NEW	Young & Co.	I Like (What You're Doing To Me)
40	37	UK Subs	Party In Paris

Barbra Streisand

Woman In Love

Barbra had been around making music and taking it into our chart since she first hit with "Second Hand Rose" back in 1966. It's number 14 peak wasn't bettered until she reached number 3 with "Evergreen" 11 years later. 1978 and 1979 had seen her have two more top five singles with duets (one with Neil Diamond, one with Donna Summer). In 1990 she turned to the successful songwriting and production skills of the Bee Gees, and this single was the first glimpse of the resulting album, 'Guilty'. After entering at number 22, it climbed to number nine and then to the very top, to become her biggest ever hit, spending three weeks on top. Strangely, the promo film seemed to consist entirely of clips from her 1977 film 'A Star Is Born'.

Status Quo

What You're Proposing

Another winner for the Quo in chart terms, but not so in the lyric stakes (they really shouldn't have rhymed "Proposing" with "Runny Nosing")
Anyway, it quickly sped up the chart to number two where it was kept off the top by Ms. Streisand for 2 weeks.

Bad Manners

Special Brew

I think that after their first two hits, Bad Manners were seen as a cheap imitation of Madness by many. Maybe some thought the same after this, but I changed my mind. It was one of the catchiest songs of the year and spent two weeks at number three, spending nine weeks in the top 40, dropping out in the week that the follow up "Lorraine" debuted. Buster Bloodvessel has said that he got the inspiration for this song from a can of the foul tasting 'Special Brew' lager, and composed it in a matter of minutes.

Adam And The Ants

Dog Eat Dog

The first hit for Adam And The Ants had a strangely familiar sound to it. It was not unlike the sound of Bow Wow Wow. The reason for this was soon apparent when it was revealed that Adam's former manager had taken his original Ants, recruited Annabella Lewin and formed Bow Wow Wow. So here was Adam with the second release from his new line up giving him his first top 40 hit. It went all the way to number four and paved the way for a hugely successful 1981.

Blondie

The Tide Is High

Exactly two years after one of their more energetic singles (Hanging On The Telephone) entered the chart, their slowest paced single debuted at number five. Not for the first time Blondie had recorded a cover version. This was written by John Holt and had previously been recorded by the Paragons. It's Ska feel fitted in perfectly with the music scene of 1980, and it became Blondie's Fifth number one spending two weeks in pole position. This wasn't the last we would hear of Blondie, but they would have to wait over 18 years before they hit number one again.

Matchbox

When You Ask About Love

I didn't like the first three hits by Matchbox at all. So, I was pleasantly surprised when they released this cover of a 'Crickets' song. I'm not saying that it was one of the best singles of the year or anything like that, but it was a really pleasant song that peaked at number four and spent nine weeks in the top 40.

Odyssey

If You're Looking For a Way Out

And here's the one that remained on the chart for a week longer than Ottawan. This was a lovely song with beautiful vocals. After spending three weeks at number seven, it took a climb to number six, decided it didn't like it there so dropped back to seven before taking a steady slide down the chart.

David Bowie

Fashion

Another track from Bowie's 'Scary Monsters' album and totally different to the previous single "Ashes To Ashes". Once more a memorable video accompanied the track which was something nearing a dance track. But was it good ?
Yes, I suppose it was really, even if it hasn't dated very well. It peaked at number five and was his last solo top five hit until 1983.

OMD

Enola Gay

A song about a plane that caused so much suffering. Seems sick in retrospect, but not as sick as the act itself. Sad as it seems, most who bought the single probably didn't have a clue what it was about anyway.
Even though O.M.D. had already had a smaller hit with "Messages", this was the one that really broke them and reached number eight.

Ottawan

D.I.S.C.O.

This song did not stay in the top 40 for as long as you may think it did. This 11 week charting single quickly climbed for a three week stay at number two, but wasn't around for too long afterwards. I think one of the reasons for people thinking that it was around for much longer, was that until it started falling, it was played in the background between songs on Top Of The Pops every week. On a Channel Four show called Disco Inferno that was broadcast in 1998, Ottowan were included in a small section of acts that were described as Disco Criminals. I feel that this was completely without justification. This (and their 1981 hit) were perfect disco singles that filled the dance floor every time that they were played. It appears that musical snobbery even found it's way into the place where you'd least expect to find it, the disco scene.

Nolans

Gotta Pull Myself Together

It really bugs me when people ridicule the Nolans. Many of these people would have been humming along to their songs Twenty years ago, but would no doubt deny it now. The Nolans recorded some of the best pop songs of the early '80s, and even though they didn't write their own material, they had the voices that made them such big hits. I have met and chatted to Linda Nolan on three occasions, and she is a lovely person, certainly no prima donna. My wife, as well as meeting Linda, has also met Bernie, Anne, Maureen and Colleen and teels me that they are nice too.
Since the heady days of this reaching number nine in the chart, a lot has happened to the sisters. Linda left soon after the hits dried up and spent nine consecutive summer seasons starring on Blackpool's Central Pier, before moving to the South Pier for a couple of seasons. During that time, she also made regular appearances on James Whale's late Friday night TV show. Since then, she has continued to work the summer holiday circuit at various venues (usually near to her home town of Blackpool), and also appeared in Panto. Bernie and Colleen stayed with the group until the mid '90s, before Colleen retired from the business to be a full time mother. Bernie did some solo shows and appeared in the magnificant musical 'Oh What a Night' alongside Kid Creole (as well as other musicals, I think). Then in 2000 she joined the cast of the popular soap 'Brookside'. Hopefully, this will not be for long and she will get back to singing, as she is one of the best vocalists in the UK.
As for Anne and Maureen, they are part of a new Nolans line up that also includes Anne's daughter 'Amy' and their niece 'Julia Sinclair' (Amy & Julia are also two thirds of a new group called 'Third Base' who are tipped for stardom). I was fortunate enough to see the new look Nolans at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool last Monday evening. The thing is, it was a new new look. Anne was unwell, so Colleen came out of retirement for the night. The new girls fitted in very well, Maureen is as beautiful as she ever was, and Colleen still has that cuteness about her that she had twenty years ago (she's my favourite).

Air Supply

All Out Of Love

A good single that peaked at number eleven was the only hit this Australian band had in the UK, despite massive success in the USA. For some reason, this song reminds me of maintaining the shrub beds at a small housing complex called 'Meifod Place' in the Pen-Y-Bryn area of Wrexham. It also reminds me of Paul Burnett playing it on his Radio One lunchtime show, and then following it with his 'Fun At One' feature where he played a Barron Knights track called "Barron's Fun 40". This was a spoof on Tony Blackburn counting down the top 40, with plenty of "Sensational"s in there, and make believe singles such as "You Need Hands" by the Stranglers, "Turning Japanese" by Paul McCartney, and "Breathing" by Air Supply.

Madness

Baggy Trousers

I was going to be rude about this, but I can't because I like it really. It's just that I got so fed up of hearing it at the time, talk about overkill. It went on to spend two weeks at number three and become their biggest hit so far spending 11 weeks in the 40. If I remember correctly it was the ninth best selling single of the year.

Sheena Easton

One Man Woman

Sheena's third hit in a little over three months, and another great pop song. I thought that it was the best of her singles to date. It peaked at number 14 during a 6 week chart run.

Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton John

Suddenly

There was something that didn't seem quite right about Cliff being all Lovey Dovey in a duet with Olivia. Probably the worst track on the Xanadu soundtrack, I didn't like it at the time, but it doesn't seem so bad these days. It peaked at number 15.

Police

Don't Stand So Close To Me

After all those re-issues, the boys in blue were back with a brand new song. No more sillyness about legs breaking on the moon, being shipwrecked, or even female newscasters (Sue Lawley). This time Sting was having fantasies about going back to teaching, and having a crush on one of his female pupils (whom also had a crush on him). If you thought that was a strange subject for the most popular band in the land to sing about, listen to the B side. "Friends" told how they liked to eat their friends (and make no bones about it).
This single was the second one this year to debut on the chart at number one. It stayed there for four weeks, and was number one of the year on the year end countdown.

Kate Bush

Army Dreamers

Kate's third single to be taken from the 'Never Forever' album, and it was another good 'un. A song that 'got at' people who joined the army. The video caused a little concern to it's explosions and apparent death scenes. Something of a slow climber, it peaked at number 16 and spent seven weeks in the top 40.

Stephanie Mills

Never Knew Love Like This Before

No, it wasn't Diana Ross, it just sounded like her. This was Stephanie's first hit and climbed slowly to peak at number four on it's sixth week. It stayed on the top 40 for 11 weeks. Surprisingly it was almost four years before Stephanie made the top 40 for a second time.

Dennis Waterman

I Could Be So Good For You

Someone told Dennis that he didn't have a bad voice. Someone asked him to to sing the theme to his TV series 'Minder'. Someone decided to release it as a single. Someone should be tried for crimes against mankind.
No one reading this will admit to helping it to number three in the chart.

George Benson

Love X Love

Another song that very much reminds me of the Erbistok club that I used to frequent so often in the early '80s. A good disco single, but I feel that it was a little too similar to the title track of it's parent album "Give Me The Night". It peaked at number ten.

Motorhead

Ace Of Spades

Motorhead were a band that occasionally appeared on Top Of The Pops performing a minor hit single of which you could only make out a few words (eg: "It's A Bomber")
In 1980, for some inexplicable reason they hit the top ten with "The Golden YearsE.P.". They were now following it with a single that wasn't half bad at all. I would even go so far as to say that "Ace Of Spades" is almost a Rock Classic. Surprising that it only reached number 15, but their biggest hits followed soon afterwards. A re-issue of this single reached number 23 in 1993.

Kelly Marie

Loving Just For Fun

Kelly's follow up to the massive "Feels Like I'm In Love", but maybe just a little too similar to "FLIIL" to make a big impact. It only reached number 21, but once again sounded great in clubs, particulary the 12 inch version.

Showaddywaddy

Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts

Yuk !
Showaddywaddy had done a few good singles, particulary in their first two years of hit making. But they had by now become very annoying. Thankfully, it was almost two years since their last top ten hit, and they were never to grace the top twenty again. This one peaked at number 22 and none of their final four hits managed to breach the top 30.

Coffee

Casanova

This peaked at number 13, but I always thought of it as being a much bigger hit. It's probably due to hearing it so often on the radio. To be honest, I found it quite a boring record. I quite liked their follow up "Slip And Dip", but that only got as high as number 57.

UB40

The Earth Dies Screaming / Dream A Lie

It was only eight weeks to Christmas, so those jolly chaps from UB40 decided to brighten up our lives with this ditty about, well, the Earth dying screaming. It's exactly as you'd imagine it sounds and reached number 10.
Almost forgot, I do like it.

Gilbert O'Sullivan

What's In A Kiss

A nice comeback for Gilbert after five years away from the top 40. He'd now broken free from Gordon Mills' management and production, and was also in the process of sueing Gordon for unpaid royalties. This was his only hit on the CBS label and peaked at number 19. Gilbert won his court case, but never made the top 40 again. The closest he came was when his "So What" became a popular club record and made number 70 in 1990.

Sweet People

Et Les Oiseaux Chantaient (And The Birds Were Singing)

This is one of those singles that surprised most by even charting at all. It comprised some of the most gentle music that you are ever likely to hear, with the whistling of birds thrown in. No one of your own age group would have liked it, but your parents and grandparents would have loved it. It's number four peak proves a point that Maizie Williams of Boney M once made,
"In Cold Facts, A Record Sale Is Equally Valid From Anyone"

Linx

You're Lyin'

What a boring song. This was the debut hit for David Grant's band and peaked at number 15. The best was yet to come.

Roxy Music

The Same Old Scene

I can't listen to this song without thinking of the film 'Times Square', in which it was the opening song. This is one of my favourite Roxy Music songs ever and was taken from the excellent 'Flesh And Blood' album. Die hard fans of Roxy from the early days would have probably hated what they were doing in the late '70s/early '80s, but I could live with both phases of Roxy Music's career. Both eras have their merits, and while they released some great singles in the early years, many of the album tracks were iffy. In these later years, the albums sounded complete. "Same Old Scene" peaked at number 12 in it's second week.

John Lennon

(Just Like) Starting Over

"A great loss to music" is a very over used statement. I will not mention any names, but how can this be said about someone who's hardly been on the scene for five minutes ?
Yes, they may have released one good album, but how do we know that any future releases will live up to expectations ?
For example, let's take John Travolta who had four hit singles in 1978. If something tragic had happened to him in early 1979, we may have seen the phrase "A Great Loss To Music" (yes, I know you wouldn't have agreed). But look what happened. He's still alive, yet he didn't have any more hits (save for re-issues), so it wouldn't have been any loss to music would it ?
But when it's said about someone with a long proven track record, yes, they get it spot on. John Lennon is one such person.
During the summer of 1980, a new show called 'Studio B15' began on Radio One on Sunday afternoons. Someone wrote a letter to the show in which he asked what had happened to John Lennon. John had retired five years earlier to spend time with his new born son 'Sean'. Radio One set about finding him and discovered that he had almost completed recording a new album and secured a date for John to be interviewed for the show by Andy Peebles. On the sixth of December, that interview took place.
Meanwhile, this first single from the album had been released and entered the chart at number 30. It had a feel good quality about it and I expected it to be a big hit. Over the weekend of 6th/7th November, I heard three other tracks from the 'Double Fantasy' album, tracks that I liked a lot. So during my lunch break on Monday 8th December, I walked into town and bought the album. At approx 6pm that day I listened to it for the first time, and probably heard it again later that evening. Incidentally, the single had fallen from it's apparent peak of number eight to number the the previous Tuesday.
On December 9th, I got up for work as normal. Didn't put the TV on as there was nothing on in the mornings in those days. I took the five mile journey to work by bus and everything seemed normal. My workmate Laurie and myself were maintaining the shrub beds on the Hermitage estate, and as I remember, It was a dry mild day for the time of year. We didn't have the radio on as the batteries had ran out of power. Around Nine O'Clock he nipped off home for something asking me to say that he's gone to check on his wife as she isn't well if any bosses turn up.
Some 30 minutes later he came back and got back to work. Around ten minutes later he said "Guess who's died ?". I said "Who ?". He said "John Lennon, he's been shot".
I remember smiling a nervous smile (as I sometimes do at being told of a tragedy), and then feeling as though I didn't want to continue the conversation. I thought of one of my best friend's "Chris Squire", who was a really big fan of Lennon (bizzarrely, his first son was born a few hours before the tragedy happened). After a little while, I went to the shop and bought some batteries for the radio. Radio one played his music all day and played snippets from the Andy Peebles interview that had taken place just two days before his death. It was a really sad feeling, not the same kind of sorrow felt whe my grandmother had died four months previous, but the saddest I had felt about the death of someone I didn't know personally. "(Just Like) Starting Over" had now taken on a whole new meaning. No longer was it a 'feel good' song, right from the bell at the beginning to the echoic ending, it was a really sad song. John was starting over in the music business, but it had all ended !
Later that same day, the new chart was announced and the single had fallen to number 21. The following week, Paul Burnett started the new countdown with the words "John Lennon is at number one with "Starting Over" ", before counting down from number 40. It was expected to be the Christmas number one, but was knocked off the top after just one week by a school choir singing about their Grandma (more on this in three weeks time). It still stayed around for a while though. It spent a total of 13 weeks in the top 40, during which time it was joined in the chart by four other Lennon singles. At one point he occupied three places in the top five.
And the long awaited interview ?
It was later broadcast in it's entirety in six weekly parts.
Yes, John was a great loss to music.

Jacksons

Lovely One

One would have expected the Jacksons to have a massive hit with the first track from their new album. But neither of the first two singles pulled from 'Triumph' stormed up the chart. This was a very average run of the mill single that got exactly what it deserved, a peak at it's debut position of number 29. Most will have forgotten this within six months.

Black Slate

Amigo

A kind of psuedo reggae that caught on in discos as the "Oops Upside Your Head" rowing dance could be done to it. It peaked at number nine. The closest they got to charting again was when "Boom Boom" hit number 51 a couple of months later. Though one Sunday they were credited with recording Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" thanks to a mistake by Tony Blackburn on the Top 40 rundown.

Kool And The Gang

Celebration

I liked the two previous singles by Kool And The Gang, but I always found this one somewhat annoying. There's nothing wrong with being deliberately commercial, after all it's what the majority of people like, but for me this just didn't go anywhere. I short, I find it to be a very boring song. It wasn't as big a hit over here as what many may think either. It peaked at number seven.

Stevie Wonder

Masterblaster (Jammin')

After entering the chart at number 30, this single made a massive climb to number four. This didn't normally happen to Stevie Wonder singles, but in this case there is a simple explanation, it's because this song was pure class and just had to happen. A tribute to Bob Marley, this single peaked at number two a fortnight later. This was a great favourite on the jukebox at the Duke Of Wellington in Ruabon.

Gap Band

Party Lights

After the huge "Oops Upside Your Head" with it's novelty appeal, the Gap Band were soon back with a straight disco track. Very good it was too, even though it only reached number 30.

Teena Marie

I Need Your Lovin'

The follow up to her number six hit "Behind The Groove", and another big disco record. I preferred this one, but the public were not so impressed and it peaked at number 28.

Rod Stewart

Passion

A very disappointing single from Rod as he seemed to be continuing the direction he'd taken with "Do You Think I'm Sexy" two years previous. It was taken from his 'Foolish Behavior' album which wasn't a bad album at all. This single struggled up to number 17 and stayed on the chart for 7 weeks.

Liquid Gold

The Night The Wine And The Roses

Oh dear. Their two previous singles had been very catchy and deservedly both reached the top ten. But now they just seemed to write different lyrics for "Dance Yourself Dizzy" and it didn't work. They went to number 32 in their second week before falling.

Young & Co.

I Like (What You're Doing To Me)

A great disco single. You may quite rightly say that this could have been anyone, yes it could have been, but that doesn't alter the fact that this was an extremely popular disco track for a long time. But while it may have lit the fires of the clubbers, it wasn't quite as successful with record buying public. Two weeks at number 20 was it's best.

UK Subs

Party In Paris

Their sixth top 40 hit, and once again it appeared that it was their fanbase pushing it into the chart. Just like the previous five, it peaked in the lower half of the top 40, this time at it's entry position of 37. I don't remember how this sounded, , but I doubt that it was anything to write home about.

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

Deep Purple

New Live And Rare Volume 3 (EP)

This EP featured a live version of the classic "Smoke On The Water". Considering how popular rock music had become in 1980, it's surprising that this didn't go higher than number 48. Or maybe not, it was only three and a half years since the original version had charted.

Tom Browne

Thighs High (Grip Your Hips And Move)

"Funking For Jamaica" had been one of my favourite singles of the year, it sounded so good when played in the atmosphere of a club (or anywhere else for that matter). This follow up was never going to make it. I liked it and even bought it, but it didn't have the same commercial appeal. It reached number 45.

Dead Kennedys

Kill The Poor

The Dead Kennedys were not a very good band. They had a sick name and most of their songs appeared to have sick titles. Apparently the songs weren't as sick as their titles suggested, and were in fact full of political satire. But with the frenzied guitar playing and Jello Biafra's 100 mile an hour vocals, it was difficult to understand a word of them (maybe the Backstreet Boys should record a Dead Kennedys tribute album).
It reached number 49, they would be back !

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
BACK TO THE PREVIOUS WEEK
BACK TO THE 1980 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk