REMEMBER WHEN - 4TH JULY 1981

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1981
Week 27
WEEK ENDING 4TH JULY 1981

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	1	Michael Jackson	One Day In Your Life
2	6	Specials	Ghost Town
3	18	Bad Manners	Can Can
4	5	Odyssey	Going Back To My Roots
5	2	Smokey Robinson	Being With You
6	9	Elaine Paige	Memory
7	11	Imagination	Body Talk
8	3	Kate Robbins	More Than In Love
9	4	Red Sovine	Teddy Bear
10	7	Champaign	How 'Bout Us
11	8	Ultravox	All Stood Still
12	20	Bob Marley	No Woman No Cry
13	12	Bucks Fizz	Piece Of The Action
14	30	Tom Tom Club	Wordy Rappinghood
15	NEW	Starsound	Stars On 45 (Volume 2)
16	26	Quincy Jones	Razzamatazz
17	28	Randy Crawford	You Might Need Somebody
18	15	Kool And The Gang	Take It To The Top
19	10	Hazel O'Connor	Will You
20	31	Evasions	Wikka Wrap
21	23	Linx	Throw Away The Key
22	40	Kirsty MacColl	There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis
23	17	Phil Collins	If Leaving Me Is Easy
24	14	Toyah	I Want To Be Free
25	27	Third World	Dancing On The Floor
26	13	Adam And The Ants	Stand And Deliver
27	NEW	Depeche Mode	New Life
28	16	Shakin' Stevens	You Drive Me Crazy
29	29	Rainbow	Can't Happen Here
30	21	Vangelis	Chariots Of Fire
31	32	Gillan	No Laughing In Heaven
32	22	Siouxsie & The Banshees	Spellbound
33	33	Beat	Doors Of Your Heart
34	NEW	Sheena Easton	For Your Eyes Only
35	35	Bruce Springsteen	The River
36	25	UB40	Don't Slow Down / Don't Let It Pass You By
37	19	Enigma	Ain't No Stopping
38	24	Jam	Funeral Pyre
39	34	Dave Edmunds & The Stray Cats	The Race Is On
40	NEW	Kid Creole & The Coconuts Presents Coati Mundi	Me No Pop I

Michael Jackson

One Day In Your Life

This was one of the final tracks that Michael recorded for Motown in 1975. Since Michael had found considerable success with his 'Off The Wall' album, Motown decided to cash in. They certainly did that, as this became Michael's first solo number one single, and as it displaced Smokey Robinson at number one, it gave Motown two consecutive UK number ones for the first time ever.

Specials

Ghost Town

This eerie three week number one, summed up the Summer of '81 in Britain. Inner city riots all over the country, and I don't think most of us knew the cause of them. It seemed to me, that most of them were started for the sole reason that they were happening elsewhere, particularly the ones in Liverpool. Still, it gave the hooligans an excuse to have a go at the police. But enough of the politics. This was the seventh and last hit for the Specials, of which all seven made the top ten. I had been collecting the entire Two Tone catalogue, but it's fortunes declied rapidly after the Specials split up, and it became increasingly hard to keep up with the releases.

Bad Manners

Can Can

Rather silly single from Bad Manners (weren't they all ?), that stormed up the chart to number three. And who can forget the sight of Buster Bloodvessel doing the "Can Can" on Top Of The Pops ?

Odyssey

Going Back To My Roots

They never disappointed me. Another pleasureable single, and one of the big sounds of that summer. It reached number four.
FPI Project took their cover of this song to number nine in January 1990.

Smokey Robinson

Being With You

This was Smokey's first top ten hit since 1970. It reached number one for two weeks but he then had to wait nine years for another top 40 hit. This was another one from the restaurant jukebox, and it's B side "What's In Your Life For Me" also got played a lot.

Elaine Paige

Memory

If it wasn't for the birth of Rock & Roll in the fifties, then we wouldn't have most of the types of music we like listening to, so it was quite a good idea on the whole. But the downside of it is, talented singers like Elaine Paige hardly ever make the charts. And when they do, they tend to get slagged off by half-wit music journalists (LeAnn Rimes 1998).
In Elaine's case, this was the only song to give her a solo top 40 hit. It was taken from the musical "Cats", and reached number six. She re-recorded it in 1998 when it reached number 36.
Of course, she did hit number one in a duet with Barbara Dickson in 1985 with "I Know Him So Well". She also once remarked that she doesn't wear any knickers under her dress when performing. Whether she meant performing on stage or in the bedroom is left to our imaginations.

Imagination

Body Talk

This first of nine hits for Imagination reached number four and spent 11 weeks in the top 40, but it spent 18 weeks in the top 75. Imagination were very much an 'Earth Wind and Fire' copycat band (except there was only three of them !). Most of their singles were very good anyway, but they were embarrassing to watch.

Kate Robbins

More Than In Love

This was another hit from the TV soap 'Crossroads'. I think it was sang at the wedding of Jill Richardson and Adam Chance (but don't quote me on that, it could have been Meg and someone). "More Than In Love" reached it's peak of number two just two weeks after debuting. Kate is now better known as an impressionist comedian, but this hit kept up the McCartney connection with the popular soap. Paul McCartney had recorded his own version of the theme to the show for his "Venus And Mars" album, and this was used for the end credits when it was deemed compatible with the ending. Kate is Paul's cousin.

Red Sovine

Teddy Bear

It had all the elements of a country song, even the artist had died. It was a talky thing about a truck driver on his CB radio to a sick little boy using the handle "Teddy Bear". I found CB radio to be almost as annoying as I now find mobile phones, so you can imagine how much I loved this record. It reached number four, and my Mum wasn't one of the people who bought it, but I bet your's was !

Champaign

How 'Bout Us

This peaked at number five and was their only hit. It was another favourite from the jukebox in the Chinese. I could reveal who used to select this every night, but he was a big bloke, so I'd better not say anything except that he was a big married bloke named John who fancied a younger woman.
In the promo for this, the group were gathered aaround microphones as if they were recording the track. But I always thought that the woman looked quite frightening.

Ultravox

All Stood Still

Yes, these were bloody good weren't they ?
After the massive hit "Vienna", we expected "Vienna pt2", but instead we got something totally different. A much faster paced single about turbines crackling or something, and Midge wanting you to remember to mention him. Cracking single, reached number eight.
BTW: We got "Vienna pt2" in 1983 when they released "Visions In Blue".

Bob Marley & The Wailers

No Woman No Cry

Bob had passed away on the 11th May this year, and the sick joke about him going to heaven and not getting anything to eat because Bobby Sands had eaten all the sandwiches was still doing the rounds.
This single had been Bob's first hit and reached number 22 in 1975. I was quite surprised that this had been chosen as the cash in release, it's hardly a dynamic song, but that's just my opinion. I would have chosen "Waiting In Vain" or one of his 1978 singles.
It gave him his fourth top ten hit by reaching number eight, and he would have four more by the end of the century.

Bucks Fizz

Piece Of The Action

I hated this song. I couldn't understand why people had boughgt a second Bucks Fizz record. Surely they'd disappear after this one. As we know, they got better and they didn't vanish.
Now, I like this song, it sounds much better twenty years on, much better than "Making Your Mind Up". It reached number 12.

Tom Tom Club

Wordy Rappinghood

Very catchy single from this Talking Heads spin off that was better than most of the singles issued by the Heads, though that's probably because David Byrne's vocals couldn't be heard on it. It deservedly reached number seven, didn't seem to stay around for very long, but was actually in the top 40 for eight weeks, which is of course better than a poke in the eye with a pointed stick.
One thing that I didn't like about this was the part in the video where there's a drawing of a cowboy with a speech bubble saying "Howdy Pals". I just didn't like it, that's all, but I don't like cowboy films much either.

Starsound

Stars On 45 (Volume 2)

Following their first hit with the Beatles medley, Starsound put together a medley of Abba songs for their second hit. Just like the first one, this went all the way to number two, and they weren't finished yet.
This is at it's best on the second Star Sound album, and the 12 inch version was particularly good too.

Quincy Jones

Razzamatazz

This time Quincy enlisted Patti Austin to handle the vocals, and it gave him his biggest UK hit by reaching number eleven. This is one that you tend to forget about, and then when you hear it, you wonder just how you could have forgotten, damn fine track.

Randy Crawford

You Might Need Somebody

Aww, didn't young Randy seem nice ?
Strange name for a woman though, and let's be honest, you couldn't imagine her actually feeling randy, far too nice for that kind of nonsense.
I always think of this as being a top ten hit, but despite it's nine weeks in the chart, it stopped one place short of the top ten. It was the first single to be taken from the hugely successful "Secret Combination" album.

Kool And The Gang

Take It To The Top

I forgot all about this one, yet it was one of my favourite Kool And The Gang singles. It reached number 15.

Hazel O'Connor

Will You

This was Hazel's third and final hit. "Will You" was the big ballad from the 'Breaking Glass' film (and the best song in it). It gave Hazel another top ten hit in reaching number eight.

Evasions

Wikka Wrap

We didn't really get much rap in the chart in the early '80s, so it seemed a little odd that a novelty rap record should chart. This was someone sounding like T.V. presenter "Alan Whicker" talking about dance music over a dance track. It worked, it was quite amusing. It reached number 20, but they didn't follow it with any more hits.

Linx

Throw Away The Key

The funk seemed to have gone as Linx decided to just make pop records, good pop records though it has to be said. This sounded like a top ten hit to me, but you all thought otherwise. Only reached number 21, but had seven weeks in the forty.

Kirsty MacColl

There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis

I always thought that this sounded like a Country song, but apparently not because the Country version was on the B.Side. It was a lyrically good song from one of the most undersold acts of our time and reached number 14. Three and a half years later, she would have her second hit.

Phil Collins

If Leaving Me Is Easy

Very tedious Third solo hit from Phil. I think it was supposed to make us cry, it made me switch off. It reached number 17.

Toyah

I Want To Be Free

Toyah was having her second hit, and her second top tenner too, "I Want To Be Free" peaked at number eight. Very Shortly afterwards, Tracy Ullman did a very amusing parody of the video for this on the TV show 'A Kick Up The Eighties' (Tracy was funny in those days).

Third World

Dancing On The Floor (Hooked On Love)

A welcome return to the top 40 for Third World after a two and a half year gap. This equaled the number ten placing of their first hit "Now That We've Found Love", but they had no more hits (apart from a re-issue). I think that's a great pity as Third World (as well as Inner Circle) were producing some great stuff during the late 70's/ early 80s. They did look a little silly in the video though, strolling over sand dunes in a line.

Adam And The Ants

Stand And Deliver

Adam And The Ants had burst onto the scene with five top 40 hits in the previous six months. So, it was no real surprise when "Stand And Deliver" crashed straight in at number one. It's five week stay at number one was the longest for a single in 1981. It was also the third single to enter the chart at number one in just over a year.
The promo for this was highly entertaining, and the Space Invaders machine in the medieval banqueting hall was a nice touch.

Depeche Mode

New Life

First hit for the boys from Basildon (well, everyone else makes a point of mentioning Basildon, so why not me, even if I was involved in a traffic accident there in 1995 ?), and they went as high as number 11. This was the first of 30 odd successive top 40 hits to date (not including an import).
Incidentally, I've been in the home of a woman in Essex who's son grew up with Dave Gahan, and Dave was often around at the house, so there.

Shakin' Stevens

You Drive Me Crazy

Shakin Stevens spent four weeks at number two with this. If Adam And The Ants were the band of 1981, then Shaky was easily the solo artist of the year.
From May 1981 until February of the following year, I did a little bit of waiting tables and washing up in the evenings at a small Chinese restaurant in my home village of Ruabon. It wasn't so much for the money (I already had a day job), but more for the money I saved from having something else to do instead of going to the pub every night. Going to the pub had started to become a tedious affair once the initial euphoria of being legally old enough to consume alcohol had died down. For no apparent reason, non UK citizens have a very romantic view of 'The English Pub'. The truth is, they are usually either particularly dull places, occupied by regulars who sit in the same seats each evening, having the same conversations night after night. But most have now become extremely noisy places where you can't have a conversation with anyone above the knob head Ibiza music unless you're prepared to shout all evening. When the weekend arrives, the conversations take a new slant, namely "How many have you had ?". At this point the men claim to have consumed more alcohol that they actually have in an attempt to give the impression that they can 'hold their beer' and so prove their manhood ! On a Sunday morning, claiming that you have short term amnesia concerning the previous evening marks a highly successful Saturday night. Rather immature really !
Back to the Chinese, Andy and Jane were more friends than employers, and I really enjoyed my time there. The reason I'm mentioning this, is the restaurant had a juke box, and this song was one that was played over and over again, particularly by a contract worker from South Wales who came in early every evening. Incidentally, Andy and Jane left the restaurant to go and live in the Sudbury area of Suffolk early in 1982. I had a phone number for them but lost it before I could phone them. Their surname was Tsui (sp), and the eldest son 'Samuel' would be about 23 or so now, so if anyone knows them, please say hello from me, I'd love to get in touch.

Rainbow

Can't Happen Here

Bye Bye Rainbow.
They'd had their three top ten hits, and this was the final one to make the twenty with a token appearance at number twenty. Very ordinary.

Vangelis

Chariots Of Fire

Vangelis reached number 12 with his only solo hit single , the theme from the film "Chariots Of Fire".

Gillan

No Laughing In Heaven

Gosh almighty, Gillan release a decent single shock !
Yes, after four piles of, well, not very good singles, Gillan released one that I liked. Not only that, but he balanced it out by releasing four that I liked. This one made number 31.

Siouxsie & The Banshees

Spellbound

Siouxsie And The Banshees were back with their first hit in a year. "Spellbound" was an excellent single but only reached number 22.
The video featured Siouxsie messing about in a forest dressed in her trademark black thigh high boots etc. She wore the same outfit when she writhed around the stage on Top Of The Pops (looked quite good actually).

Beat

Doors Of Your Heart

The last of The Beat's seven consecutive top 40 hits at the start of their career. Though it only just qualifies as a hit having peaked at number 33. It may not have even got that far were it not for the controversial sleeve. It depicted various couplets of animals and an arc, the animals were in the process of ensuring that their species multiply. Enough said.

Sheena Easton

For Your Eyes Only

Almost unheard of 12 months previous, here was Sheena being given the honour of recording the title song for the latest 'James Bond' film. Things had certainly moved quick for Sheena, five top 40 hits and one near miss in a year. This number eight peaking single had a good chart run lasting ten weeks, but was her last top ten hit ever. She did a great performance of this at the Oscars.

Bruce Springsteen

The River

Nothing like the best thing that Bruce had ever released, yet it gave him his first top forty entry. This album title track spent two weeks at number 35, and that was it's lot. He had to wait three years for his next hit.

UB40

Don't Let It Pass You By / Don't Slow Down

UB40 were having their fourth hit in just over 12 months, but they couldn't make it four top tens in a row, as this stalled at number 16.

Enigma

Ain't No Stopping

Enigma reached number 11, but do not confuse them with the Enigma of the 90's. This Enigma were another Star Sound, except this band actually had public faces and performed on 'Top Of The Pops'. Rather than stick with one artist, Enigma sang a medley of Disco Favourites from the previous three years. They had a further hit ("I Love Music") and also spawned a spin off act in 'This Years Blonde'. This Years Blonde was the featured Enigma vocalist 'Tracy' and you'll read more about her later. She also returned as featured vocalist with 'Massivo' when they hit number 25 with a cover of Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" in 1990.

Jam

Funeral Pyre

Such was the Jam's popularity that their fan base was enough to send any rubbish they decided to release straight into the top ten. This was a case in point. They seemed to lose their way a little in 1981. They had enjoyed two number one singles in 1980, and I don't know how they could have expected this to give them a third. After debuting at number four, it stuck at the same position the following week before beginning it's descent.
The video wasn't up to much either. It just seemed to feature the band playing in some woods, people marching with flaming torches and building a bonfire. Then again, the Jam never did entertain in their videos.

Dave Edmunds & The Stray Cats

The Race Is On

Dave had done some good stuff since the latter part of the Seventies, and I'd liked all three of the Cats recent singles. But this just didn't do anything for me at all. It reached number 34, after which the Stray Cats had only one more minor top 40 hit, while Dave didn't enter the 40 again.

Kid Creole & The Coconuts Presents Coati Mundi

Me No Pop I

The debut for Kid Creole, though he had appeared in the US charts as a member of Dr. Buzzard’s Original "Savannah" Band in the seventies. This track gace no indication of the treats in store from 1982's "Tropical Gangsters", and was a track that was easy to forget about ten minutes after hearing it (every time). It had a chart life of just three weeks reaching number 32.
Coati Mundi was the little bloke that used to dance around the stage and appeared in the Madonna film "Who's That Girl".

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

Kinks

Better Things

Quite a good single from the Kinks that was in a similar style to "Come Dancing" from two years later, and was also similar in places to a Divine Comedy single from the late '90s. It only reached number 46. Worse still, the superior "Predictable" later in this year didn't chart at all.

Gap Band

Yearning For Love

Complete change of direction from the Gap Band. A smooth song that just didn't work at all, very dreary in comparison to the four previous singles. Reached number 47.

Thelma Houston

If You Feel It

She'd given us the classic "Don't Leave Me This Way" in 1977, and was then out of sight out of mind until now. But I'm afraid that this was just another run of the mill disco single that was never going to completely cross over. Reached number 48.

Some 1981 MP3s

Tony Capstick - Capstick Comes Home
Freeez - Flying High
Roger Taylor - Future Management

Some More MP3s

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
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BACK TO THE 1981 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk

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