REMEMBER WHEN - 31ST OCTOBER1981

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1981
Week 44
WEEK ENDING 31ST OCTOBER 1981

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	.......	LW	.......		.......
1		1		Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin		It's My Party
2		5		Altered Images		Happy Birthday
3		2		Laurie Anderson		O Superman
4		7		Jam		Absolute Beginners
5		3		Tweets		Birdie Song
6		27		Police		Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
7		4		Toyah		Thunder In The Mountains
8		9		Elvis Costello		Good Year For The Roses
9		19		Squeeze		Labelled With Love
10		10		Shakin' Stevens		It's Raining
11		6		Human League		Open Your Heart
12		16		Barry Manilow		Let's Hang On
13		18		B.A. Robertson & Maggie Bell		Hold Me
14		29		Four Tops		When She Was My Girl
15		8		Godley & Creme		Under Your Thumb
16		11		Bad Manners		Walkin' In The Sunshine
17		12		Depeche Mode		Just Can't Get Enough
18		28		Rod Stewart		Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)
19		15		Madness		Shut Up
20		13		Ottawan		Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)
21		36		Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark		Joan Of Arc
22		26		Fureys & Davey Arthur		When You Were Sweet Sixteen
23		14		Adam And The Ants		Prince Charming
24		21		Japan		Quiet Life
25		17		Diana Ross & Lionel Richie		Endless Love
26		23		Police		Invisible Sun
27		24		Creatures		Mad Eyed Screamer
28		22		Soft Cell		Tainted Love
29		40		Olivia Newton John		Physical
30		20		Alvin Stardust		Pretend
31		32		Exploited		Dead Cities
32		25		Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark		Souvenir
33		NEW		Julio Iglesias		Begin The Beguine (Volver A Empezar)
34		NEW		Rush		Tom Sawyer
35		31		Slade		Lock Up Your Daughters
36		37		Gillan		Nightmare
37		NEW		E.L.O.		Twilight
38		NEW		Trevor Walters		Love Me Tonight
39		39		Gary Glitter		And Then She Kissed Me
40		NEW		Haircut 100		Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin

It's My Party

A cover of the Leslie Gore number nine from 1963, this version went all the way to number one and spent four weeks on top. It was very different to the original, and was recorded in the style that the lyrics suggested. The lyrics depict someone being very upset about their current situation, yet the original was sang as though the singer was the happiest girl in the world. So yes, this cover is one of those rarities that I consider to be much superior to the original.

Altered Images

Happy Birthday

Cute little Claire and her band had the second single with the title "Happy Birthday" to peak at number two in 1981. This one spent thrice as long as Stevie Wonder's one week and was the biggest hit that the band ever had. They had an image that was geared towards appealing to children which was unfortunate as their music not only got classier later on in their career, but they had a fantastic 'punky' single titled "Dead Pop Stars" released before this one. It was a Siouxsie & The Banshees type of song, but that wasn't too surprising, as the band were protoges of Steve Severin. John Peel was also a huge fan.
Claire is now a presenter on Satellite channel 'VH1' and is as childishly cute as she always was.

Laurie Anderson

O Superman

You either loved it, or you hated it, I loved it. It is probably the strangest thing to ever threaten the number position and if it wasn't for "It's My Party", it would have gone all the way. It was also very good value in that the 7 inch single ran at over eight minutes long (only good value if you liked it of course), and the even stranger B Side "Walking The Dog" ran at roughly the same time. It was great to put both sides of it on the jukebox to annoy the hell out of people. I did that a few times in the Vaults one Friday afternoon a few hours before a crowd of us were going on the Legion weekend to Blackpool. It wasn't that successful a trip for me really. On the Saturday, I had drank that much in the afternoon that I was shoved into my room and locked in before 8PM. I remember later crawling around the room while someone named Bob was errm, doing things in bed with a young lady.
I'm not at all proud of my behavior, especially the part where I was lying in a gutter. We all travelled home the following afternoon, I didn't drink that day, myself and a few old ladies were sober when we arrived home.

Jam

Absolute Beginners

Better than the woeful "Funeral Pyre", but still very sub-standard compared to the Jam's pre-1981 recordings. The B Side "Tales From the Riverbank" was quite a good track to be fair, but there it was stuck on the flip. It quickly reached number four, but spent just five weeks in the top 40.

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.

Police

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

In reaching number one for one week, this single peaked one place higher than the much superior "Invisible Sun". It was taken from the disappointing 'Ghost In The Machine' album and it almost seemed as though they were deliberately trying to make a happy song in direct contrast to most of their previous offerings. In America it peaked at number three

Toyah

Thunder In The Mountains

The best single ever from Toyah. Great video too where she rode along on a chariot in 'Mad Max' style, while going on about motorways being monuments. It peaked at number four, after which her music career went downhill.

Elvis Costello

Good Year For The Roses

There seemed to be something about Country music in the air, as even the 'angry young man' Elvis Costello was at it. He recorded a whole album of the stuff, and it wasn't bad either. It became his third and last top ten hit, reaching number six.

Squeeze

Labelled With Love

A change of style for Squeeze with a song that wouldn't have seemed out of place on CMT (A country music TV channel that's popular in the States, but wasn't over here). It was their first top ten hit in over two years ( reached number four), and was also their last. It was to be another six years before they even made the top twenty again.

Shakin' Stevens

It's Raining

After having two number ones and one number two with his previous three singles, it wouldn't have surprised anyone had this gone into the chart inside the top five. Yet, it entered at a lowly number forty. I can only assume that it must have been released towards the end of the week, and so only had a couple of days sales in the week's total. The following week, as expected, it took a huge leap. This took it to number 11. But, it only climbed one more place after that to peak at number ten.

Human League

Open Your Heart

This was the third single from the 'Dare' album. It peaked at number six, and at the time was my favourite Human League single. I particulary liked the piano notes at the end of the lines in the chorus. And, there just happened to be a piano in the lounge of the Legion, so when this song came on the jukebox, well, you can guess the rest. I was told to stop it or get out !

Barry Manilow

Let's Hang On

The 'Four Seasons' and 'Johnny Johnson And The Bandwagon' had both had hits with this song in the '60s. Then 'Darts' had their very last hit with this song in 1980 when they took it to number 11. Now just 18 months later, Barry Manilow had his biggest hit in six years as he took it to number 12. Mildly entertaining video too.

B.A. Robertson & Maggie Bell

Hold Me

This song had originally reached number three for 'P J Proby' in 1964. B.A. Robertson resurrected his flagging career by recruiting former 'Stone The Crows' singer 'Maggie Bell' to sing a duetting cover. It reached number 11, but it was only a short reprieve for B.A., as this was his last ever week in the 40.

Four Tops

When She Was My Girl

This was their first top ten hit since "Simple Game" had reached number three in 1971. It also peaked at number three and was their first hit for 'Casablanca Records'. I thought that it was similar not only in title but also in sound, to the O'Jays hit "Use Ta Be My Girl" from 1978. Over in the States it peaked at number eleven.

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.

Bad Manners

Walkin' In The Sunshine

Quite a good single, even if it is one that's usually forgotten. It was also a little late for sunshine, but it was still a fun video that had the band splashing about in the sea. Just the kind of thing you need as winter begins to set in. It peaked at number ten.

Depeche Mode

Just Can't Get Enough

"New Life" had sounded to me like the kind of thing that would give a band their one and only hit. This one proved me wrong and peaked at number eight. Twenty years later, Depeche Mode were still having hit singles.

Rod Stewart

Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)

Rod's chart positions had been disappointing during the previous three years, but he returned to chart form with this magnificent number eight peaking single. It was accompanied by a 'Look everyone's having fun' video, a video that had a fair few mentions in national newspapers before it was even broadcast on TV.

Madness

Shut Up

Another good one from Madness, and one that was promoted by one of their best promos. It reached number seven.

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.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

Joan Of Arc

Not to be confused with their later single "Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Joan Of Arc)", this third top ten hit in a year for 'OMD' peaked at number four. If you're still not sure of the difference (as this single is often overlooked), this is the one that starts with the line "Little Catholic Girl Has Fallen In Love", and not "Joan Of Arc Had A Heart".

Fureys & Davey Arthur

When You Were Sweet Sixteen

I even surprised myself in liking this single. The Fureys were an Irish folk group and I believe (but I'm not certain) that Davey is Scottish. It spent two weeks at number 14 and although they didn't have any further hits, they paved the way for 'Foster and Allen' to have a few hits with the same style of 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.

Japan

Quiet Life

I still find it difficult to believe that Japan were held in such high regard by so many people (or was it just the Music press ?). I did like their cover of "I Second That Emotion", but that was a great song anyway. This was more than mildly irritating and reached number 19.

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.

Police

Invisible Sun

Looked a sure fire bet to reach the top after crashing in at number nine. But the content of the promo was considered too controversial for TV as it dealt with the troubles in Northern Ireland, so it had to settle for number two. Pity, it was a great single.

Creatures

Mad Eyed Screamer

I thought that it sounded like Siouxsie & The Banshees, then lo and behold, when this was on TOTP, it was Siouxsie and her drummer Budgie. It was actually the lead track on an EP titled "Wild Things". Peaked at number 24.

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.

Olivia Newton John

Physical

This spent Ten weeks at number one in the States, but had to settle for number seven over here. On this track and particularly the video, Olivia seemed to be trying to portray some kind of sexy image. Instead she came across as being about as exciting as February. The song itself was one that drilled into the mind, wouldn't go away and made you feel like cutting your ears off to avoid hearing it again. I can't begin to imagine how much our American friends suffered. The rest of the album was quite good though (my sister bought it).

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.

Exploited

Dead Cities

Mohicans on TOTP in 1981 ?
Yes, it's true. You know that awful Red Sovine hit "Teddy Bear" from June 1981 ?
Well I'd rather listen to that than this load of junk. It reached number 31.

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.

Julio Iglesias

Begin The Beguine (Volver A Empezar)

At the time this entered the chart I was shocked to hear that Julio was CBS-Columbia Records' biggest selling artist in the World at that time (I'd never heard of the bloke !). After hearing it a few times, this single grew on me and I think it was yet another fully deserved number one single (whatever it all meant). Julio's success in the singles chart then tapered off with just the odd hit here and there, but I believe he still sells a colossal amount of albums now.
I don't like his son's music much though.

Rush

Tom Sawyer

After the wonderful "Spirit Of Radio" had become a top twenty hit in 1980, much had been expected of Rush. Instead, when they finally got around to releasing another single, "Vital Signs", it had failed to enter the top 40. They followed that with this live version of "Tom Sawyer" from their 'Exit...Stage Left' live album. The original version had appeared on the disappointing 'Moving Pictures' album (just as "Vital Signs" had), but this live treatment was enough to give them a number 25 hit.

Slade

Lock Up Your Daughters

Not one of my favourite Slade singles, they were going too near the metal scene for my liking, not the Slade I know and love. It quickly peaked at number 29.

Gillan

Nightmare

A hell of a good single from Mr Gillan. Not a big hit though, it only reached number 36. This early '80s metal boom seemed to be coming to an end.

E.L.O.

Twilight

Good but not great track from the 'Time' album. Still thought that it should have climbed higher than number 30 though.

Trevor Walters

Love Me Tonight

OK-ish lover's rock thing, lyrics were a little corny in places (I thought). It took five weeks to reach it's peak of number 27, and he then had to wait until the Summer of 1984 for his second hit, a reggae rendition of Lionel Richie's awful "Stuck On You".

Gary Glitter

And Then She Kissed Me

Nice to see Gary back in the top forty after four years away. Pity about the song though, not a very good cover. Two weeks at number 39 was his lot.

Haircut 100

Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)

Like many others, Haircut 100/Nick Heyward were a victim of the 'Little Girl Syndrome'. Despite recording some great singles they would never be taken seriously, and once the teen fans had moved on to other heartthrobs, there was no-one left to buy their records. This was their first hit and it spent two weeks at number four at the peak of it's short chart run of just eight weeks.

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

Star Turn On 45 Pints

Awful drunken bloke singing Karaoke before the Western world had even heard of the thing. It reached number 45. He returned in 1988 and reached number 12 with "Pump Up The Bitter".

Dukes

Mystery Girl

Sounded as though it should have been released during the summer. It also sounded like Simply Red and reached number 47.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Hollywood Nights (Live)

One of the greatest songs never to have made the top forty. This was the second of three occasions when this song failed to make the top forty for Bob. In 1978, he had peaked at number 42, he was to peak at number 52 in 1995. This time around it was a live version and he peaked at number 49.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Hooked on Can Can

Not as good as "Hooked On Classics", but I quite liked it anyway. It peaked at number 47.

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.

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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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