REMEMBER WHEN - 21ST FEBRUARY 1981

1981
Week 8
WEEK ENDING 21ST FEBRUARY 1981
TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	3	Joe Dolce Music Theatre	Shaddap You Face
2	2	Ultravox	Vienna
3	1	John Lennon	Woman
4	5	Rainbow	I Surrender
5	4	Phil Collins	In The Air Tonight
6	7	Fred Wedlock	The Oldest Swinger In Town
7	10	Madness	The Return Of The Los Palmas Seven
8	12	Dire Straits	Romeo And Juliet
9	14	Stray Cats	Rock This Town
10	17	Slade	We'll Bring The House Down
11	28	Pretenders	Message Of Love
12	13	Visage	Fade To Grey
13	8	Blondie	Rapture
14	39	Coast To Coast	(Do) The Hucklebuck
15	NEW	Motorhead & Girlschool	St. Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)
16	19	XTC	Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)
17	6	John Lennon	Imagine
18	9	Adam And The Ants	Ant Music
19	11	Yarborough And Peoples	Don't Stop The Music
20	16	Cliff Richard	A Little In Love
21	NEW	Roxy Music	Jealous Guy
22	15	Adam And The Ants	Young Parisians
23	34	Freeez	Southern Freeez
24	18	Spandau Ballet	The Freeze
25	21	Susan Fassbender	Twilight Cafe
26	29	Jam	That's Entertainment
27	23	Heatwave	Gangsters Of The Groove
28	26	Passions	I'm In Love With A German Film Star
29	24	Gap Band	Burn Rubber On Me
30	22	Diana Ross	It's My Turn
31	20	The Look	I Am The Beat
32	27	Boomtown Rats	The Elephant's Graveyard (Guilty)
33	32	Gillan	Mutually Assured Destruction
34	NEW	Beggar And Co.	Somebody (Help Me Out)
35	38	Talking Heads	Once In A Lifetime
36	31	Barbara Jones	Just When I Needed You Most
37	40	Barry Manilow	I Made It Through The Rain
38	NEW	Kelly Marie	Hot Love
39	NEW	Adam And The Ants	Kings Of The Wild Frontier
40	33	Adam And The Ants	Car Trouble

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.

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 ;-)

John Lennon

Woman

This is the one that completed John Lennon's record breaking hat trick of number ones. In fact, he knocked his own single ("Imagine") off the top with it and spent two weeks on top. This is the one that John and Yoko nicknamed 'The Beatles track' while recording the 'Double Fantasy' album. I thought that it resembled a 'Bee Gees track' more myself. This was also available as a cassette single, and I bought that version just for the hell of it. I don't think that many other's bought that version, and I feel quite comfortable with myself that I did not contribute to the popularity of the cassette single, as that didn't happen until quite a few years later.

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.

Phil Collins

In The Air Tonight

Once I'd got over the news that the lead singer of Genesis was working with Earth Wind And Fire, I thought that this was a good song. But I didn't expect it to climb up the chart from number 36 to number 4 in it's second week. The swine looked likely to knock John Lennon's "Imagine" off the top, and prevent John's "Woman" from hitting number one. But it didn't happen like that, Phil moved up a place for the next two weeks and stopped short at number two. There really was a big buzz about Phil's "Face Value" album at the time though, especially the thing about the horn section from 'EWF', and the album did make number one. A re-mix of "In The Air Tonight" went to number four in 1988, and the song got a name check on Eminem's 2000 number one "Stan".

Fred Wedlock

The Oldest Swinger In Town

I always thought that this was quite a well written song, even though I probably shouldn't like it. It isn't a song that makes you burst into laughter, but it's still quite amusing. It peaked at number six.

Madness

The Return Of The Los Palmas Seven

I knew all the words to this (Waiter). It was one of those tunes that you were sure you'd heard before, yet they claimed to have composed it themselves. Anyway, there were seven members in the band, it was their seventh hit single and it peaked at number seven. And how many weeks was it in the top 40 ?
Nine of course !

Dire Straits

Romeo And Juliet

When Dire Straits were bad, they were really bad. But when they were good, they were excellent and this was one of those occasions. Not only that, but Side One of their 'Making Movies' album is one of the best sides of vinyl ever to see the light of day. I remember hearing someone comment on how this sounded like Bob Dylan, but I could never really hear the likeness myself, Mark Knopfler is a much better singer. This peaked at number eight and still gets regular airplay today.

Stray Cats

Rock This Town

Not too different from their previous hit ("Runaway Boys") even down to peaking at the same position of number nine. But there was a gem here, the B Side featured a great cover of "You Can't Hurry Love", so much better than the one Phil Collin's would treat us to two years later.

Slade

We'll Bring The House Down

Great comeback by Slade, even if I didn't like it as much as their Glam days. When it peaked at number ten it became their first top ten hit since the summer of 1975.

Pretenders

Message Of Love

Quite a disappointing single by the Pretenders after almost a year away from the top 40. It peaked at umber 11 in it's second week and only had a total of five weeks in the chart.

Visage

Fade To Grey

Very original track, don't know what the hell it was all about, but that woman speaking a few lines sounded so darn sexy. It had to be a hit. It quickly stormed up the chart to number eight before surprisingly falling to number 13. And then after it clibed back up a place to number 12, something even more surprising happened, Top Of The Pops played the video. This was surprising for two reasons. Firstly, Top Of The Pops had already featured the video once and they had a rule that any video could only be shown once, unless a song is at number one. The exception to this was of course the 10-20 seconds of each video in the current top ten which was being shown each week at the time.
The other reason is that the song had already dropped, so again, Top Of the Pops rules were being broken. Once a single had dropped, it was not supposed to be featured on the show again unless it rose to a new peak position. So the chances are, it was all a major mistake and they didn't realise what they were doing, or was it a bung ?
These days of course, they don't seem to have any rules concerning which songs can be featured on the show. The same can be said about the presenters really, I mean who are these people, what has Gail Porter got to do with music ?
But of course, just as the chart doesn't really matter anymore, neither does what was once the BBC's most watched programme. That's why it is now broadcast at exactly the same time as the only programme that could beat it in the ratings twenty years ago.

Blondie

Rapture

One of the most over-rated songs ever spent two weeks at number five. I do sort of like it, but don't think it's that brilliant, that's all. Neither do I agree that it had a massive influence on rap music. The only real influence I can see is the fact that Grandmaster Flash sampled it on "Grandmaster Flash's Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel".

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.

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.

XTC

Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)

I liked this much more than their previous single, and the live version of "Generals And Majors" on the B Side was a nice bonus. It reached number 16 to make it their biggest hit up to that point.
The thing about XTC, I think that they're the most over-rated under-rated band. Yes, I think that they are under-rated, but they were/are not really anything special.

John Lennon

Imagine

Just under five years after it had left the chart, it was back again. But this was always going to return wasn't it ?
Originally a 1971 album track that had belatedly seen single release and a number six peak in 1975, this is THE classic John Lennon song. This time it got it's deserved number one status and remained there for four weeks before being knocked off by John's "Woman". For the first two weeks of it's stay at the top, John held three of the top five places.
This time around, "Working Class Hero" was replaced as the B Side by "It's So Hard".
"Imagine" returned to the top three at Christmas 1999.

Adam And The Ants

Ant Music

Even before "Dog Eat Dog" had fallen out of the chart, Adam And The Ants entered with this follow up. It was a much catchier single and spent two weeks at number two in January '81 (behind Lennon's "Imagine") as well as sparking 'Antmania' in a big way.

Yarborough And Peoples

Don't Stop The Music

A great disco single, and also a good song to listen to, except for one thing. It's those irritating squeeky voices that keep repeating "You Don't Really Wanna Stop". But we do, those voices make us want to take up making plastic plant pots. It went to number seven anyway.

Cliff Richard

A Little In Love

A reasonable enough single from Cliff, even if it did resemble a few of his other recent singles. It peaked at number 15.

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.

Adam & The Ants

Young Parisians

It was cashing in on Adam & The Ants time, and why not, as this was a much better track than his singles taken from the 'Kings Of The Wild Frontier' album. It spent a couple of weeks at number nine which gave the once mighty Decca label a rare top tenner.

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.

Spandau Ballet

The Freeze

I didn't like this, almost to the point of hating it at the time. But I came to like it in time, much more than "To Cut A Long Story Short" in fact. But after debuting at number 24, it only managed one more climb and peaked at number 17.

Susan Fassbender

Twilight Cafe

Great single just right for the time. Well, it would be just right for now too I suppose, I don't really get that expression "It sounds dated". Of course it's dated, it's two decades old. A single that came out a year ago is dated (by a year). Whenever I hear a song being described as dated, it usually means that it was a great song at the time, and much better than anything current, they just can't make music that good anymore.
"Twilight Cafe" was Susan's only hit peaking at number 21. This was despite trying to move up market with "The Outer Bistro" and "Restaurant Of The Unexpected".

Jam

That's Entertainment

This was actually a German import and not intended for British release. This would explain it only reaching number 21. It was finally given an official release by 'Polydor' in 1983 when it made number 60, and once more in 1991 when it scaled the dizzy heights of number 57. It was taken from the album 'Sound Affects'.

Heatwave

Gangsters Of The Groove

A comeback for Heatwave after two years away from the top 40. This was an average dance track and the British public got it just about right by deciding that it should peak at number 19.

Passions

I'm In Love With A German Film Star

A excellent track that spent six weeks in the top 40 and peaked at number 25. I wonder what happened to these, does anyone know ?

Gap Band

Burn Rubber On Me

I always thought that this was a great track and worthy of achieving at least the same level of success as "Oops Upside Your Head". But it appears that rubber is a slow burner and despite seven weeks in the top 40, it could only climb as high as number 22.

Diana Ross

It's My Turn

A change of pace for Diana after the 'Chic' produced trio of hits. A nice ballad this time that couldn't fail to hti the top twenty. Many who remember it will no doubt be surprised to learn that it only reached number 16.

The Look

I Am The Beat

This lot must have really got the poor old 'Beat' confused, they must have been wondering whether they would need to change their name on their UK releases too.
This sounded nothing like the Beat of course, it was a simple pop song, similar to the singles that dominated the chart during the mid '70s. It was quite ordinary really, the only thing that set it apart was the runout groove. For this they employed the Chris Hill technique of actually recording onto it. In this case, it was the word "Beat". They reached number six and had no further hits.

Boomtown Rats

The Elephant's Graveyard (Guilty)

I liekd this, it had an energy that had been missing from Boomtown Rats singles since 1978's "She's So Modern". I ought to know what this song is all about, and should go upstairs, dig out the album and look at the lyrics to remind myself. But I can't be bothered, so I'll leave it for now. After nine consecutive top twenty hits, this was the first not to make it, it peaked at number 26.

Gillan

Mutually Assured Destruction

I think I tried hard to like this, but it just didn't do it for me. It peaked upon entry at number 32.

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.

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.

Barbara Jones

Just When I Needed You Most

A very pointless cover. Barbara had recorded a reggae version of Randy Vanwarmer's 1979 hit, and done a pretty poor job of it. She peaked at number 31.

Barry Manilow

I Made It Through The Rain

A second single from the 'Barry' album, and this was a cover of the title track from Gerard Kenny's album of two years previous. Decent cover, but I still prefer the original. This peaked at number 37.

Kelly Marie

Hot Love

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

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

Adam And The Ants

Car Trouble

More cashing in on the success of Adam And The Ants. This fairly average track was certainly better than the other single released on the 'Do It' label at this time, but it wasn't that good. It reached number 33, but did manage to stick around for five weeks.

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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