REMEMBER WHEN - 28TH MARCH 1981

1981
Week 13
WEEK ENDING 28TH MARCH 1981
TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	2	Shakin' Stevens	This Ole House
2	3	Kim Wilde	Kids In America
3	1	Roxy Music	Jealous Guy
4	8	Toyah	Four From Toyah (EP)
5	4	Adam And The Ants	Kings Of The Wild Frontier
6	18	Stevie Wonder	Lately
7	5	Coast To Coast	(Do) The Hucklebuck
8	6	Teardrop Explodes	Reward
9	9	Who	You Better You Bet
10	NEW	Tony Capstick And The Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band	Capstick Comes Home / The Sheffield Grinder
11	21	Landscape	Einstein A Go-Go
12	20	Duran Duran	Planet Earth
13	25	Linx	Intuition
14	24	Visage	Mind Of A Toy
15	13	Kiki Dee	Star
16	7	Ultravox	Vienna
17	14	Phil Collins	I Missed Again
18	17	Kool And The Gang	Jones VS Jones
19	30	Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone	What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
20	26	Whispers	It's A Love Thing
21	11	Freeez	Southern Freeez
22	12	Status Quo	Something 'Bout You Baby I Like
23	NEW	Hazel O'Connor	D-Days
24	NEW	Bucks Fizz	Making Your Mind Up
25	10	Joe Dolce Music Theatre	Shaddap You Face
26	28	Jacksons	Can You Feel It
27	16	Talking Heads	Once In A Lifetime
28	23	Kelly Marie	Hot Love
29	35	Nolans	Attention To Me
30	19	Beggar And Co.	Somebody (Help Me Out)
31	33	Sharon Redd	Can You Handle It
32	31	Iron Maiden	Twilight Zone / Wrathchild
33	15	Motorhead & Girlschool	St. Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)
34	NEW	Heatwave	Jitterbuggin'
35	NEW	Ultravox	Slow Motion
36	39	Polecats	John I'm Only Dancing / Big Green Car
37	NEW	Gillan	New Orleans
38	22	Rainbow	I Surrender
39	34	New Order	Ceremony
40	NEW	Elton John Band Featuring John Lennon & The Muscle Shoals Horns	I Saw Her Standing There

Shakin' Stevens

This Ole House

I was never over keen on Shaky, though most of his singles seem much better now than they did at the time. I suppose he did what he did very well, but I didn't like what he did (if you get my drift). I hated this one with a passion, so naturally it became his first major hit and spent three weeks at number one.

Kim Wilde

Kids In America

Most people of my age would not have known of the existence of Kim's father 'Marty Wilde'. I did because my Mum had been a fan of his and had even seen im perform live a couple of times. She had three of his singles "Donna", "Sea Of Love" and his unbeatable version of "Endless Sleep". Marty's son "Ricky" attempted to make it as a singer in the mid '70s, but had failed miserably. So he turned his talents to helping his father write songs for his younger sister "Kim" (Actually, I can think of quite a few talented songwriters who ought to follow his example and give their songs to someone who can actually sing. But people seem to tolerate this, even if they are just looking ).

And so Kim just seemed to explode onto the chart and seemed to be a permanent resident in the chart for well over a year. Naturally, when we all saw what she looked like, we either loved or hated her. The women hated her (at least to begin with) and many wrote angry letters to the Record Mirror letters page. One such letter sticks in my mind as the nasty wench in question wrote "I bet she's never even been to America". As it turned out she was right, as Kim recently revealed in a TV interview. But what did that matter anyway, I bet Midge Ure had never been to Vienna ?
Kim spent two weeks at number two with this and followed it with a further 16 top 40 hits before the decade ended, more than any other British female soloist in the eighties. She is now apparently a gardener, just as I was when she first hit big.

Roxy Music

Jealous Guy

We'd had the John Lennon back catalogue in the chart, and now it was time for the tributes. This was more of a Bryan Ferry solo effort than a Roxy track, but it gave them the only number one single of their career. It spent two weeks on top.

Toyah

Four From Toyah (EP)

She'd had a number one in the Indie chart with "Sheep Farming In Barnet", and it was now time for Toyah to appeal to the majority, have a few hits, well ok, make some money. The lead track from this "It's A Mystery" is the one that most associate Toyah with. It was her biggest ever hit, reaching number four and spending ten weeks in the top 40.

Adam And The Ants

Kings Of The Wild Frontier

I don't think that this deserved to reach number two. It was hard to spot a melody in there, never mind work out what the hell he was on about. Should have given it to Bow Wow Wow

Stevie Wonder

Lately

A third single from the wonderful "Hotter Than July" album, and the second of three top three hits from it. This spent two weeks at number three and spent ten weeks in the top 40.
There was also a reggae cover of this out at this time by Rudy Grant. It only reached number 58, but this was still better than his cover of "Space Oddity" which didn't chart at all.

Coast To Coast

(Do) The Hucklebuck

I hated this and was so disappointed when it leapt from 39 to number 14. But my fears of it getting to number one were forgotten a couple of weeks later when it stalled at number five.

Teardrop Explodes

Reward

They looked ridiculous in the video, but it was a very good sixties sounding single. It was the only single by the band to reach the top ten, and peaked at number six.

Who

You Better You Bet

I saw the Who perform live at Deeside Leisure Centre at the same time as this single gave them their last top ten hit (it reached number nine). They were bloody great and the support band 'Nine Below Zero' weren't bad either.

Tony Capstick And The Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band

Capstick Comes Home / The Sheffield Grinder

The first time that I ever heard this was while travelling on the Barton's bus between Chester and Nottingham. I was with my friend Trevor Pugh and we were on our way to my Mother's in Mansfield. Upon arriving at Nottingham's Victoria Centre (I now live five minutes from there), we had to catch another bus to Mansfield. I was eager for Trev to hear the local accent as it amused me. He had known my Mum for many years, but during the course of the twenty years she'd spent as an 'English Outsider' in North Wales, she had lost much of her accent. So I couldn't wait to see his reaction to being called "Duck" or "Duckie" by a bloke, as in "Ay Up Me Duck". As we sat down on the Mansfield bus, I quietly said to Trev "Listen to this", then asked a man sitting a few seats back if he knew what time the bus left. He gave his reply in very broken English, I think that he was Russian, Polish or something like that. So the duck had to wait.
Back to Capstick, and neither of were quite sure what we were listening to that afternoon. It was someone telling a story about walking forty odd miles home from work after working a 72 hour shift, not being impressed by the brown bread and butter being offered, grabbing his wife by the throat as he called her a "Parrot faced wassack" before throwing her on the fire, and then talking about the old days when you could buy out your local Harrods for a farthing. It went as high as number three, but only remained in the top 40 for five weeks.
Yes it was funny at the time, and my memory of it told me that I liked it then, but wouldn't now. So I had a listen to it, and surprisingly, it still is amusing. So if anyone wants it, I've made an MP3 of it.

Landscape

Einstein A Go-Go

Landscape had been around for a while before this first hit. Their first single "U2XME1X2MUCH" had been released in February 1978, and had been followed by an album and four other singles before they finally achieved this hit. One of those singles "The Electronic Bride" needed a guitar, but none of the band could play one. So they improvised with an electric trombone, and it made a damn good guitar.
This single was taken from the album "From The Tearooms Of Mars To The Hellholes Of Uranus", the first album where a member of Landscape actually sang. Richard Burgess was chosen to handle the vocals as he was the only one with any experience.
This single began with a recording of phone calls they made trying to get in touch with the then US president "Ronald Reagan". It was the biggest of their two hit singles and reached number five.
Thanks to Peter Bibbs for most of the Landscape history.

Duran Duran

Planet Earth

Who would have believed that two years and two weeks after this made it's debut, Duran Duran would be entering the chart at number one ?
When this was charting, it was considered ok to like Duran Duran and they even appeared on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'. It peaked at number 12 and twenty years later they were still around.

Linx

Intuition

Hopelessly catchy single that seemed a world away from their debut "You're Lying", entertaining video too. It was their highest charting single in reaching number 7, and while they had their moments after this, they never matched it.

Visage

Mind Of A Toy

It wasn't "Fade To Grey", but still had quite a pleasant sound to it. It should have been used in the computer games "Seventh Guest" or "Eleventh Hour", it would have fitted in nicely. It reached number 13.

Kiki Dee

Star

A welcome return for Kiki with one of her best songs ever. The times I selected this one on the Jukebox in 'The Vaults', I must have paid for it many times over. It reached number 13, and unluckily for her, it was her last ever solo top 40 hit. I 'think' that it was later used as the theme song for a talent show.

Ultravox

Vienna

One of the best singles to make number two ever. It spent four weeks at number two, three of those it was held off the top by a song that many would consider one of the worst number one's ever, "Shaddap You Face" by Joe Dolce. Some consider the video promo to be something special too, but it means nothing to me ;-)

Phil Collins

I Missed Again

Oh yes, he is using the Earth Wind And Fire brass section isn't he ?
This was already receiving a lot of airplay for weeks before it's eventual release, but I've always considered it to be a very ordinary song, even a disappointment after "In The Air Tonight". It peaked at number 14 after just two weeks.

Kool And The Gang

Jones Vs Jones

This dealt with divorce and Tony Blackburn played it to death. It was his way of reminding us about his split with Tessa Wyatt (she'd gone off with Richard O'Sullivan from 'Man About The House'). But we hardly needed reminding, he'd been going on about it for two years.
Once you got past the Tony Blackburn thing, this was a decent song. Even though it only reached number 17, it did spend eight weeks in the top 40.

Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone

What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted

This was Colin Blunstone's first appearance in the top 40 since 1972, and only his second ever inside the top 30 (with his name on the record). In reaching number 13, it also became his highest charting single.
Dave Stewart was a man with a synthesiser who liked to revamp old songs, and it worked a couple of times including this time.

Whispers

It's A Love Thing

Almost as good as 1980's "As The Beat Goes On", but it fell seven places short of the number two peak enjoyed by their biggest hit. That was almost it for the Whispers. All they managed afterwards was a brief ttop 40 appearance in 1987 with "Rock Steady".

Freeeze

Southern Freeez

I couldn't really get into this at the time, and can only bear it now from a nostalgic angle. It just seemed to be the same all the way through. It reached number eight.

Status Quo

Something 'Bout You Baby I Like

A cover of Tom Jones' number 36 hit from September 1974. They made it sound like one of their own and did reasonably well with it. It spent two weeks at number nine.

Hazel O'Connor

D-Days

Not a terribly good single from Hazel. It reached number ten.

Bucks Fizz

Making Your Mind Up

The Eurovision winner of that year Bucks Fizz, spent three weeks at the top. They were formed especially for the Eurovision song contest, but continued to chart for seven years. Cheryl Baker said in a late '90s interview that having been with Euro hopefuls Coco in 1978, she had given up the music biz and gone back to being a secretary (I think), but then came out of retirement for one last crack. She said that if they had not won the contest, the band would have immediately split. She also said that she hadn't seen former member Jay Aston for many years, and doesn't care ! In my opinion Bucks Fizz were treated very unfairly by the music fascists. They had some brilliant catchy tunes. And so what if they couldn't play instruments, I could name quite a few 'music fascist approved' acts who can't sing (see UK newsgroups circa 1997), and unfortunately do not take the wise option of recruiting session singers *lol*
Anyway, Bobby Gee is the only original member still with the group, I saw them perform at the 'What A Weekend' festival in Wollaton Park, here in Nottingham in May 1998.

Joe Dolce Music Theatre

Shaddap You Face

This entered at number 30, went to number three and then number one for three weeks. It is one of the most hated songs ever for three reasons.
1) It's a novelty song and it reached number one.
2) It knocked John Lennon off the top.
3) It stopped Ultravox's "Vienna" from reaching number one.
I hated it for all three of those reasons, but now, this song by an American living in Australia and pretending to be an Italian (whew !) doesn't seem so bad. Funny how I didn't know anyone who bought it except for someone of Italian descent who obviously didn't really 'get it'. And the B.Side "Ain't In No Hurry" wasn't too bad.
There was another version of this out at the time by Manuel, who just happened to be an Englishman (I think) called Andrew Sachs pretending to be a Spanish Waiter.

Jacksons

Can You Feel It

This was a very slow climber, taking nine weeks to reach number six, and totalling 13 weeks in the chart. If the video had been completed in time for the chart run, it may have reached number one, but it wasn't shown on British TV until well after the single's demise. Such a shame that the 1998 bastardisation of the song peaked higher in the chart than the original, number one actually.

Talking Heads

Once In A Lifetime

This was a very good single, one that made you listen to the lyrics all of the way through. They didn't always make sense to me, but at least they made the song entertaining (as did the video). It had taken four years (I'd been aware of them for three), but they had finally cracked the UK and reached number 14. They still had to wait a further four years before they had a second UK hit though.

Kelly Marie

Hot Love

Those fake bagpipes were horrible. It reached number 22, and has apparently been re-mixed for 2001 !

Nolans

Attention To Me

A year on ffrom their big breakthrough and a fifth top 12 hit. This was the alst to make the top ten though and it made hard work of getting there. It peaked at number nine in it's eighth chart week. It only stayed in the chart for a further two weeks after that.

Beggar And Co.

Somebody (Help Me Out)

This was the horn section from 'Light Of The World' or something like that. It was also an extremely annoying record (meow, meow, me out). It got more than it deserved by reaching number 15.

Sharon Redd

Can You Handle It

The late Sharon Redd did some good disco singles, unfortunately I didn't think that this was one of them. It reached number 31, and then when she revived it with the help of DNA in 1992, it went to number 17.

Iron Maiden

Twilight Zone / Wrathchild

I don't know who was buying Iron Maiden's awful records, but this was their fourth top 40 hit in just over a year. Didn't last long though. After entering at 31, it dropped a place and then vanished.

Motorhead & Girlschool

St. Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)

The lead track on this was a cover of Johnny Kidd And The Pirates minor hit from 1959, "Please Don't Touch". I think that it was the best thig they ever did, and it was indeed their highest charting single, peaking at number five. Girlschool had recently released a superb cover of "Race With The Devil", but had failed to make the top 40.

Heatwave

Jitterbuggin'

Much better than "Gangsters Of The Groove" thought I, but not so everyone else. It spent two weeks at number 34.

Ultravox

Slow Motion

The John Foxx led version of Ultravox were finally getting a hit. Their first three albums had been disected and the seemingly best tracks been compiled as the album "Three Into One". This had been released as a single, and while it was OK, it was also easy to understand why they didn't have any major hits before the arrival of Midge Ure. This made number 33.

Polecats

John I'm Only Dancing / Big Green Car

Very horrible rockabilly cover of the David Bowie hit from 1972. It reached number 35.

Gillan

New Orleans

Tragic rock cover of a classic rock 'n' roll song. It took six weeks to reach number 17.

Rainbow

I Surrender

This number three peaking single was Rainbow's biggest hit, but strangely the one I least liked of their four major hits. It was taken from their 'Difficult To Cure' album, and replacing Graham Bonnet on lead vocals was 'Joe Lynn Turner'. He was the one who wore a stripey T Shirt that made him look as though he was a member of a '70s boy band of the 'Flintlock' variety.

New Order

Ceremony

The first single from the band that used to be Joy Division and not one that I thought was particularly good (though I like it more now). It reached number 34.

Elton John Band Featuring John Lennon & The Muscle Shoals Horns

I Saw Her Standing There

Originally the B Side of Elton's 1975 "Philadelphia Freedom" single, there's no prizes for guessing why this was released now. There's a story behind this that claims Elton was adamant John's "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" single would take the Billboard number one slot, but John wasn't so sure. Elton then made John promise to join him on stage for a few songs if he was proved right. The rest is history.
This spent two weeks at number 40.
Slightly disturbing is the fact that the biggest hit version of this song was by Tiffany in 1988 !

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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