REMEMBER WHEN - 19TH SEPTEMBER1981

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1981
Week 38
WEEK ENDING 19TH SEPTEMBER 1981

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	.......	LW	.......		.......
1		2		Adam And The Ants		Prince Charming
2		1		Soft Cell		Tainted Love
3		8		Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark		Souvenir
4		11		Ottawan		Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)
5		4		Cliff Richard		Wired For Sound
6		3		Aneka		Japanese Boy
7		5		Electric Light Orchestra		Hold On Tight
8		26		Alvin Stardust		Pretend
9		7		Rolling Stones		Start Me Up
10		6		Human League		Love Action (I Believe In Love)
11		16		Pointer Sisters		Slowhand
12		9		UB40		One In Ten
13		39		Diana Ross & Lionel Richie		Endless Love
14		12		Modern Romance		Everybody Salsa
15		14		Ultravox		The Thin Wall
16		10		Gary Numan		She's Got Claws
17		23		Hi Gloss		You'll Never Know
18		13		Genesis		Abacab
19		33		Linx		So This Is Romance
20		22		Bucks Fizz		One Of Those Nights
21		18		Randy Crawford		Rainy Night In Georgia
22		31		Imagination		In And Out Of Love
23		17		Lobo		The Caribbean Disco Show
24		24		Dollar		Hand Held In Black And White
25		NEW		Tweets		Birdie Song
26		20		Nolans		Chemistry
27		19		Duran Duran		Girls On Film
28		36		Hollies		Holliedaze
29		32		Teardrop Explodes		Passionate Friend
30		NEW		Godley & Creme		Under Your Thumb
31		15		Royal Philharmonic Orchestra		Hooked On Classics
32		21		Shakin' Stevens		Green Door
33		NEW		Starsound		Stars On 45 (Volume 3)
34		30		Stevie Wonder		Happy Birthday
35		NEW		Gidea Park		Seasons Of Gold
36		27		Ten Pole Tudor		Wunderbar
37		35		Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet		Everlasting Love
38		NEW		Portsmouth Sinfonia		Classical Muddley
39		25		Tight Fit		Back To The Sixties
40		34		Enigma		I Love Music

Adam & The Ants

Prince Charming

I liked most of what Adam Ant did in his successful era, but I thought that this was a little on the weak side. I think that I expected some kind of excitement on an 'Ant' single, and this had none. It entered at number two on the strength of his popularity, so it was no surprise that it took the step up to the top, where it stood for four weeks. If my memory isn't deceiving me, it was number three on the year end countdown.
On the day that it entered the chart (8th September), I went to London with Andy from the Chinese. His son from his first marriage had been staying for a few weeks, and he was now returning to his mother. This was the first time that I'd been to London since the school trip to the Science museum in March 1974, and I didn't go again until a football trip in early 1988.

Soft Cell

Tainted Love

Soft Cell turned this little known Gloria Jones Northern Soul track into the biggest single of the year. It only spent two weeks on top, and 13 weeks in the top 40. But, it was never very far from the top 40 until the following March. In all, it spent 36 weeks in the top 75. It's success in the year end chart defies all belief considering that TEN other singles spent more time on top of the pile. It did re-enter the top 40 in 1991, when it reached number five, but that was in a re-recorded version that just didn't pack the punch of the original.
It was some kind of record breaker in the US, where it reached number eight. Over there, it spent 43 weeks in the Hot 100.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

Souvenir

The first single from OMD's most popular album, 'Architecture And Morality'. It went all the way to number three, a placing that they didn't manage to equal until 1991's "Sailing On The Seven Seas". I don't think that it was their best ever single, but it came damn close.

Ottawan

Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)

I'll own up to this one, yes I did like it and bought the 12 inch, well, it was the same price as the 7 inch, so why not ?
It didn't do quite as well as their previous hit "D.I.S.C.O.", but it did spend two weeks at number three amongst a total of eleven in the top 40.

Cliff Richard

Wired For Sound

This is where Cliff was promoting the use of Sony Walkmans and the like. I think it was a few more years before they finally caught on big time, but while it was obviously easier to walk around with a cassette player attached to your person than a record deck, I'm still amazed that pre-recorded cassettes became as popular as they did and later survived the CD age at the expense of vinyl. I mean why buy a tape, a device so easy to accidentally break, when you can buy a vinyl recording, record it onto a tape and have both ?
I could never understand why people didn't seem to think of that.
This was a big hit for Cliff reaching four. I remember that my Dad made a comment on how bad this song was, which was quite surprising, because even though he often said when he liked something, he rarely said anything about a song that he didn't like.

Aneka

Japanese Boy

This was a Scottish woman (old enough to know better) dressed and made up to look like a Japanese woman, with one of those machines that go "poo, poo, poo,poo", just like the one Kelly Marie used a year previous. But, it was catchy, had novelty appeal, and spent a week at number one. At the time I was still helping out at the Chinese Restaurant that I've previously mentioned, and guess which song some of the punters used to get a kick out of selecting on the jukebox ?
What they didn't realise was that Andy (the Chinaman), liked this song. They probably didn't realise that China and Japan are different countries either.

Electric Light Orchestra

Hold On Tight

E.L.O.'s final top ten hit didn't stall at number six as five of their previous singles had done. This last top ten hit for the band, went on to reach number four, a position that they had only bettered once (not including the ONJ collaboration). It was from their last truly great album 'Time', an album that was full of potential hit singles, all pieced together to form a concept album.
I remember on one of my then regular Mansfield trips being in a town centre pub where this playing on the jukebox. Two men were having an argument about who was performing this song. Eventually, one turned to me and asked who was singing, is it Alvin Stardust or Shakin' Stevens ?

Alvin Stardust

Pretend

Nice comeback for Alvin. It was his biggest hit since his March 1974 number one "Jealous Mind", and his first hit of any description since the Summer of 1975. This number four peaking hit, had reached number two for Nat King Cole in 1953.

Rolling Stones

Start Me Up

Quicker than usual return for the Stones, and a return that saw them achieve their final top ten hit (as of November 2001). It reached number seven, but I preferred every single that had gone before it, and most since.

Human League

Love Action (I Believe In Love)

At last, the Human League were having the success they deserved. They had been trying for three years before they had a number 12 hit with "Sound Of The Crowd" earlier in 1981. They had even got a mention in someone else's hit the previous year when the Undertones referred to them in "My Perfect Cousin". But this was the real breakthrough hit, and was coupled with the equally good "Hard Times" on the b side. It reached number three and spent 11 weeks in the top 40.

Pointer Sisters

Slowhand

Classy song that finally gave them the top ten hit they deserved whwn it hit number ten. They once performed this on Russell Harty's chat show and didn't hit the host, there again they didn't feel the need to as he didn't ignore them (who would ?).

UB40

One In Ten

UB40 were still making good music in those days, and this was one of their best, peaking at number seven. The hits dried up a little for a couple of years after this, until they resorted to cover versions. Eleven years later, they re-worked this song with '808 State', but even though '808 State' were making quite decent music at the time, it just didn't work for me.

Diana Ross & Lionel Richie

Endless Love

The theme from the film of the same name, a film that attracted a lot of publicity at the time, due to it's star, a young (and tall) Brooke Shields. I don't normally mind this sort of thing, but I was never too keen on this. However it spent nine weeks at number one in the States, and reached a creditable number seven over here.
A cover by Mariah Carey & Luther Vandross reached number three here, and two over the water in 1994.

Modern Romance

Everybody Salsa

The first of eight hits for a band who specialized in 'good feeling' songs reached number eleven. They sailed dangerously close to being labelled a 'Wally' band at times, but just about managed to steer clear of the territory that Black Lace would jump straight into a couple of years later.

Ultravox

The Thin Wall

A disappointment after the greatness of their previous two singles, and a number 14 peak. It came from their equally disappointing follow up to the 'Vienna' album, 'Rage In Eden'. I doubt that many non 'Ultravox' fans will even remember this one.

Gary Numan

She's Got Claws

I thought this was a very disappointing single from Gary, and the video didn't do much to ignite my enthusiasm either. I think that Gary ought to consider himself lucky to have made it as high as number six with this.

Hi Gloss

You'll Never Know

Another one with class written all over it, and seemingly easily available for smoochy compilations for many years afterwards. It reached number 12 and spent nine weeks in the forty.

Genesis

Abacab

By now firmly established as a singles band, not just albums, this became one of their highest charting singles ever, when it rose to number nine. This, in a year when vocalist Phil Collins had released his first solo album and had three top 20 hits by himself, including the number two "In The Air Tonight". The singles from the last Genesis studio album to not sound like a Phil Collins solo album, didn't do quite as well though, and this was the only one to climb past number 33. Great track.

Linx

So This Is Romance

Best single they released in my opinion. It was a listening song, one with a story to it, a little like "Intuition" in that respect. It reached number 15 and was the last time that Linx featured in the top forty. Singer David Grant did chart when he slimmed down and launched his solo career in 1983.

Bucks Fizz

One Of Those Nights

And this is where Bucks Fizz showed us that they could do something that didn't sound like "Making Your Mind Up part 2, part 3, part 4 etc". A much better song, and one that seemed all the better when looking at what Jay Aston was almost wearing on TOTP. It spent two weeks at number Twenty.

Randy Crawford

Rainy Night In Georgia

Randy was following up "You Might Need Somebody" with this cover of a classic that had been previously recorded by Brook Benton in 1970. Randy climbed to number 18, and then didn't appear in the top 40 again until the back end of 1986.

Imagination

In And Out Of Love

Very similar to "Body Talk", but a good track all the same. I think we were already coming to the conclusion that we'd always know Imagination singles as soon as we heard them, but they did change their sound after this one. It reached number 16.

Lobo

The Caribbean Disco Show

No, this isn't the same Lobo who hit with "You And Me And A Dog Named Boo", and "I'd Love You To Want Me". This was a gentleman from Holland, and was one of the most annoying records of the good half of the 80's. It was a medley of stuff like
DAYO, DAYO O O O O,
and climbed all the way to number eight, before going down the chart again very slowly.

Dollar

Hand Held In Black And White

Excellent single that began Dollar's brief golden era. Available in a nice big white twelve inch size, it teased a little before spending two weeks at number 19, and eight weeks in the top forty. I always wondered if the Abba references in the lyrics ("Take A Chance" & "Winner Takes It All") were deliberate. This was also the first time that I noticed the mad drummer who seemed to appear with many acts throughout the eighties. Actually he looked not unlike a certain Kevin Turvey from 'A Kick Up The Eighties', later better known as 'Rik Mayall' star of 'The Young Ones' and 'The New Statesman'.

Tweets

Birdie Song

If you know someone who bought the 1997 hit "Tubthumping" by 'Chumbawamba', look at their parents (or maybe their older brother/sister). You are now looking at someone who probably bought this single, helping it to spend two weeks at number two and a total of twenty weeks in the top 40. They probably spent their Summer holiday in Spain that year and did the stupid dance to this record every night of their holiday. They probably woke up every morning and spent time practicing the said dance, so that they would be sure of getting it right that evening. They probably spent the following six months forcing people to view their holiday snaps. They probably got nowhere in life.

Nolans

Chemistry

There's nothing wrong with the Nolans, it's just unfortunate that they were stuck with being named 'The Nolan Sisters' at the beginning of their career. Because of that, they never seemed to get any credibility. Chemistry was their seventh hit in less than two years, and climbed to number 15.

Duran Duran

Girls On Film

This was Duran Duran's third hit of the year, but first to make the top ten, peaking at number five. This is the one with the banned video, even though the only exposure it would have got would have been on Top Of The Pops, Swap Shop and Tiswas anyway (unless The Old Grey Whistle Test was still Duran Duran friendly).

Hollies

Holliedaze

Always ready to jump on a bandwagon, the Hollies caught the medley craze with this compilation of former glories spliced together and foisted on an unsuspecting public. It reached number 28.

Teardrop Explodes

Passionate Friend

This seems a better sing now than it did at the time. Considering how popular this band seemed to be at the time, it's very surprising that this single only reached number 25. It did spend a total of seven weeks in the top forty though. They had no further top 40 entries.

Godley & Creme

Under Your Thumb

This was very different from anything else around at the time, and deserved to be the number three peaking hit that it was. Since leaving 10CC a few years previous, Kevin and Lol ahd released a couple of albums, but had also got into video work, and had directed promos for many acts. Unfortunately, they didn't get around to making a video for their own first hit single. Having said that, it was entertaining to watch Kevin Godley performing this in any case, his expressions were very strange.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Hooked On Classics

You're going to see the word 'medley' mentioned a lot this week. Since 'Star Sound' had kicked it all off in April, the charts had become medley crazy, and the whole thing seemed to be at it's peak in August. This one was different to most of the others in that it used pieces of classical music set to the obligatory drum machine. Conducted by Louis Clark from E.L.O., this spent two weeks at number two, and had a quite amusing video made up of old film clips arranged so that they fitted in with the music 'Old Grey Whistle Test' style.

Shakin' Stevens

Green Door

Shaky had already been around forever before he had his first hit in early 1980. What happened in 1981 was just unbelievable. Considering that Showaddywaddy had been experiencing a decline in fortunes, it seemed that no one wanted 50's style songs anymore. But then, Shaky released "This Ole House", "You Drive Me Crazy" and "Green Door", three of the biggest singles of the year. He also built up a teen idol status, which was surprising considering he must have been near 30 years older than some of those teens. This single spent four weeks at number one. On it's first week at the top, it had the biggest climb up the chart to number one for Twenty years. The only other single to have ever climbed from a lower chart position to the top was Elvis Presley's "Surrender, which jumped from number 27 to number one in in 1961. Even though two singles made bigger jumps to the top in 1982, Shaky's climb from 22 to number one is still the fourth biggest climb to the top ever.
Even though this was far from my favourite single in the chart, I didn't begrudge Shaky his success after all those years of hard work, including his time with the TV show 'Oh Boy' and with his band 'The Sunsets'. In fact, in my most unworthy of opinions, he got better as the 80's wore on, apart from the odd dodgy single here and there.

Starsound

Stars On 45 (Volume 3)

My favourite of all the Stars On 45 singles. This one consisted of intros from familiar hit songs, including "Layla", "Eve Of The War"and "Baker Street". It peaked at number 17 in it's second week.

Stevie Wonder

Happy Birthday

A great song from Stevie that gave him a fourth number two hit as he chased that elusive first number one single. It was the fourth single to be taken from the "Hotter Than July" album. The album had been a huge success, and all four singles had made it into the top ten (the only time that Stevie has ever had four consecutive top ten hits).

Gidea Park

Seasons Of Gold

Better than the Beach Boys medley from him that dropped out of the forty in the week that this one entered. I wouldn't have minded if this one had made the top ten. But it peaked at number 28.

Ten Pole Tudor

Wunderbar

I don't want to seem unkind, but this was the pits, it really was. It's worse than "Tele Tubbies", worse than all of Radiohead's whingy ditties, not worse than "No Charge" but almost there, hell, it's even worse than quite a few of the singles in todays chart. Yes, after "Swords Of A Thousand Men", it was a little disappointing and after it climbed to number 16, they disappeared forever from the top 40 chart. Eddie later re-emerged as presenter of the TV show 'Crystal Maze'.

Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet

Everlasting Love

Rachel was quite a good singer really, but her choice of material and singing partner sometimes left a lot to be desired. I 'think' that Rex was some kind of teen heart throb actor, and he'd had a US top ten hit in 1979 with "You Take My Breath Away". Rachel had a minor UK hit with "B.A.B.Y." in 1978, but hadn't charted since (despite a good cover of "I Go To Pieces" in 1979). This was a cover of the Robert Knight/Love Affair hit that was also around at this time in the medley single "Everlasting" by 'Shampoo', and would later be covered by 'Sandra', 'Worlds Apart', 'Gloria Estefan' and 'Cast From Casualty'. This one reached number 35.

Portsmouth Sinfonia

Classical Muddley

These had already been recognised as the worst orchestra in the UK (or was that the world), and now they were cashing in on the medley craze with this - erm - piece of music. It was very much like RPO's "Hooked On Classics", except they played it all wrong. It sounded awful (like Les Dawson playing the piano badly for those who remember), but that was the whole point. It was a comedy record without any words, yes, very funny.

Tight Fit

Back To The Sixties

Tight Fit's very first hit reached number four but was not really the same Tight Fit who would have a number one in 1982. But, Jive records didn't want you to know that. The medley of song were recorded by session musicians, but when it became a hit, Steve Grant and Co were the faces for the Top Of The Pops appearances. Actually, Steve Grant wasn't really the singer on "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" either, but that's another story.

Enigma

I Love Music

Enigma were one of the few medley merchants to have more than one hit. After the number eleven success of "Ain't No Stopping", they released this follow up, another medley of recent disco hits. It got as high as 25, and they were never heard of again, apart from vocalist Tracy who teamed up with Massivo in 1990, to again peak at number 25 with "Loving You".

In the top 50 this week, but failing to reach the top 40.

Pretenders

Day After Day

Great improvement on "Talk Of The Town" and "Message Of Love", but I don't remember it being played much on the radio. The video did get aired on Saturday morning TV once though. It reached number 45.

Ivor Biggun' And The D Cups

Bras On 45

I must have a dirty mind, because I found this very funny. It was Ivor's medley craze cash in and I even like the two tracks on the B Side "Are Mice Electric" (a kind of Smurfs parody), and "Richard The Third" (pronounced "Richard The Turd"). The latter track was about someone falling down the toilet and swimming his way out through the sewers. Well, as I said, I like it. It reached number 50.

Joan Armatrading

I'm Lucky

Another one that should have made it. One of the best singles that she ever released. Number 46 was all that it managed.

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

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk

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