REMEMBER WHEN - 17TH APRIL 1982

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1982
Week 16
WEEK ENDING 17TH APRIL 1982

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	.......	LW	.......		.......
1		2		Bucks Fizz		My Camera Never Lies
2		4		Chas And Dave		Ain't No Pleasing You
3		19		Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder		Ebony And Ivory
4		1		Goombay Dance Band		Seven Tears
5		7		Dollar		Give Me Back My Heart
6		6		Roxy Music		More Than This
7		5		Japan		Ghosts
8		3		Imagination		Just An Illusion
9		30		Pigbag		Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag
10		13		Status Quo		Dear John
11		17		Altered Images		See Those Eyes
12		11		Classix Nouveaux		Is It A Dream
13		10		Leo Sayer		Have You Ever Been In Love
14		14		Nolans		Don't Love Me Too Hard
15		16		Shakatak		Night Birds
16		NEW		Bardo		One Step Further
17		23		Elton John		Blue Eyes
18		8		Derek And The Dominoes		Layla
19		32		Haircut 100		Fantastic Day
20		27		Shalamar		I Can Make You Feel Good
21		18		Foster & Allen		A Bunch Of Thyme
22		12		Visage		Damned Don't Cry
23		9		Julio Iglesias		Quiereme Mucho (Yours)
24		37		Bananarama with Funboy Three		Really Saying Something
25		35		England World Cup Squad		This Time (We'll Get It Right)
26		24		Boomtown Rats		House On Fire
27		15		ABC		Poison Arrow
28		39		Monsoon		Ever So Lonely
29		25		Elvis Presley		Are You Lonesome Tonight
30		29		Motorhead		Iron Fist
31		20		Tight Fit		The Lion Sleeps Tonight
32		NEW		David Bowie		Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
33		22		Associates		Party Fears Two
34		NEW		J Geils Band		Freeze Frame
35		26		Toni Basil		Mickey
36		28		Pluto		Your Honour
37		34		Rainbow		Stone Cold
38		33		Bow Wow Wow		Go Wild In The Country
39		36		Barbra Streisand		Memory
40		NEW		Simple Minds		Promised You A Miracle

Bucks Fizz

My Camera Never Lies

The third number one from five releases by Bucks Fizz. I'd really began to warm to these after not being very enthusiastic about their first two singles. There were comparisons with Abba, but, during this time, BF were actually releasing better singles than Abba were. I know that there won't be many out there in internet land sharing my feelings on this, but, Yes, I think that Bucks Fizz were ok really. And, there's a hell of a lot of people in the real world who'd agree with me on that.

Chas And Dave

Ain't No Pleasing You

There was actually, this was quite pleasant on the ears, especially after the way most of their previous efforts had assaulted my ears. You can imagine someone singing it in a pub (very badly), but it wasn't like their previous East End singalong ditties. A deserved number two hit.

Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder

Ebony And Ivory

Using the black and white keys of a piano to symbolise different races of people was a pretty neat idea at the time. Nothing complicated about this song at all and there didn't need to be. A well written and performed song which deserved it's three weeks on top.

Funny thing is, much of it was lost on people in my area of the world. This is because there were very few Black people in North Wales (hell, they don't even like the English, so how can you expect to find a black community there). But we did have one black friend who used to hang around with us, a great lad named Phidel. This song will always remind me of him.

Goombay Dance Band

Seven Tears

I knew that this was a number one the first time I heard it. It's one of those that you just knew was going to appeal to kids, parents, grandparents, even anyone from our generation who hadn't fallen into the trap of only liking (or admitting to liking) what they're supposed to. I fell into the latter category (with brackets). A very catchy song that didn't really need the gimmick with the fire-eating, it displaced "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to spend three weeks on top.
My Grandad thought that the title of the B Side "Mama Coco" was very amusing !

Dollar

Give Me Back My Heart

Change of tempo from Dollar and a job well done, another great single. It was the third of their singles to peak at their highest ever position of number four, and their last top ten hit for almost six years.

Roxy Music

More Than This

Personally, I found this to be a very disappointing single compared to the singles that came from the "Flesh And Blood" and album. It just tended to plod along, not getting anywhere, and then end. It reached number six and was the last time they featured in the top ten. It isn't a song that I would have expected anyone to cover. But a woman calling herself Emmie recorded it towards the end of 1998, performed it on some New Year's Eve show, and then hit the chart peaking at number five in early 1999.

Japan

Ghosts

The first of only two top ten hits achieved by Japan, and the biggest. I was very disappointed when this went into the charts at such a high position as number 16. There were five other new entries that week, four of which I still believe are infinitely better, the other just better in the same way that I'd compare The Beatles with Westlife. But there it was at number 16 and it peaked at five two weeks later.
I don't tend to 'go off' songs as they travel into the distant past. Quite the opposite actually, I often like them more than I did at the time, even begin to like some of those that I previously disliked with a passion. But this one, not a chance. Smash it to pieces.

Imagination

Just An Illusion

Their previous three singles were pretty much ok, if not outstanding. This was their masterpiece, the peak of their career. It gave them a richly deserved number two hit. It also meant that Lee John seemed to be appear on every TV show broadcast for the next couple of years.

Pigbag

Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag

I don't know why it was called that, but it was a brassy instrumental that seemed to capture the imagination of the public and reached number three. A cover by Perfecto Allstarz was renamed "Reach Out" and hit number six in 1995.

Status Quo

Dear John

The most disappointing Quo single since, well, ever really, I'd liked all their previous ones more than this number ten peaking effort. But the parent album '1982' was also extremely disappointing.

Altered Images

See Those Eyes

The forgotten Altered Images hit. Indeed it was a much bigger hit than most people realise, it reached number 11. I'm not sure if I would rate it as high as their previous two hits, I suppose it all depends on my mood really. And despite it not beiing a another "Happy Happy" song, I think that Claire sounded even more childlike on this one.

Classix Nouveaux

Is It A Dream

At last, Classix Nouveaux made the top 40. Another one that may have been better as an instrumental, but it was ok as these things go. It reached number 11 and the band then faded into obscurity. Sal Solo of course returned with a solo hit in 1985, but that's another story.

Leo Sayer

Have You Ever Been In Love

And a big welcome back to Leo Sayer with his first hit in almost two years. Another pleasant song that richly deserved to be a hit. Number ten peak.

Nolans

Don't Love Me Too Hard

My favourite from them to date and didn't Colleen look and sound sweet in the video ?
I do think they shouldn't have been hitting that bellboy around the head though, they didn't know where he'd been.
Actually, I was quite excited about this single because the vocals were the best so far. It looked as though they'd have a long hit career ahead of them. So what happened ?
They spent eight weeks in the top 40 reaching number 14, and then the follow up single "Dragonfly" flopped and they had no more top 40 hits. The closest they came was with a re-recording of "I'm In The Mood For Dancing" that reached number 51 in 1995.

Shakatak

Night Birds

Another extremely pleasant tune that eventually became enhanced by the vocals of Jill Sawyard and the other UK Slut. They all sounded the same of course, but that didn't seem to be a problem when it came to Shakatak. If it charted again now, it would be a breath of fresh air. Number Nine peak.

Bardo

One Step Further

Serial 'Eurovision Song Contest' haters would naturally not have a good word to say about this one. But it wasn't bad as these things go, and the echo effect near the end was a nice touch. They were a male and female duo, and she had previously been a member of Prima Donna, who had represented the UK in the 1980 Euro Song Contest only finishing seventh. But it quickly reached number two in the chart before dropping like a hot brick. It spent just six weeks in the chart, an extraordinary short spell for a number two peaking single.

Elton John

Blue Eyes

Another one that I didn't find particularly exciting, another plodder. But it did give Elton his first major hit in over three years by reaching number eight.

Derek & The Dominoes

Layla

This Eric Clapton track was originally a number seven hit in 1972, this 1982 re-issue went to number four. Excellent song of course, can't find fault with it all. But it's subject matter is said to be Patti Boyd, the ex wife of George Harrison who was apparently enticed away from George by his good friend Eric. I wonder if George smacked him one, and I also wonder whether Eric has been feeling any pangs of guilt lately.

Haircut 100

Fantastic Day

Not as strong as "Love Plus One", but still good catchy pop music all the same. It reached number nine.

Shalamar

I Can Make You Feel Good

They could do just that with their snappy disco records. But I didn't find this as good as most of the other singles they'd released during the previous five years. Yet,this was the first of four to make the top ten in just over 12 months and reached number seven. A lot of the credit for this has to be given to their Top Of The Pops appearances in which Jeffrey Daniel showed off his dancing to a massive TV audience at what must have been the summit of TOTP's popularity. Only long running soap Coronation Street was watched by more people.

Foster And Allen

A Bunch Of Thyme

A lot of variety in this chart, and there was room for all, well, most of it anyway. This was a beautiful song in an Irish folk style, and while I may not have liked it the first time I heard it, it was a grower (just like Thyme really). Twenty years later it would have easily been the best single in the top 40. But in 1982 (as I look through my rose tinted spectacles, there, beat you to it :-P) there was stiff competition and it peaked at number 18.

Visage

Damned Don't Cry

The weakest of their singles to date, but still quite good. It almost became their second top ten hit, but stopped short at number 11.

Julio Iglesias

Quiereme Mucho (Yours)

Not as good as "Begin The Beguine", but a whole lot better than the rubbish his son gave us two decades later. It reached number three.

Bananarama with Fun Boy Three

Really Saying Something

I bought the twelve inch of this, but soon got fed up of it. It was a cover of a Motown recording by either Martha Reeves or the Marvelettes (can't recall which). If I remember correctly, the B side was called something like "Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares". It reached number five for them.

England World Cup Squad

This Time (We'll Get It Right)

Early World Cup single, but the first from England since 1970 when "Back Home" had gone all the way to number one. On the other hand, some of the individuals in this squad had featured in the chart before. This includes some of the Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool contingent, as well as Kevin Keegan who'd had a solo hit in 1979. I think that this was actually billed as a double 'A' side with the re-write of an airline jingle "We'll Fly The Flag" on the flip. "This Time" was ok as far as football songs go, and it stopped just one place short of giving them another number one. As for the World Cup campaign, well, they didn't lose. They were knocked out of the competition at the second phase without being beaten (not even on penalties). There was a strange system in place for that tournament in which the second phase consisted of four groups of three teams. England drew both of those matches and so returned home undefeated.

Boomtown Rats

House On Fire

Another disappointing single from the Rats that reached a lowly number 24. They did record much better stuff a couple of years later on their "In The Long Grass" album, but there were no more top 40 appearances apart from a fleeting trip to number 38 with a re-issue of "I Don't Like Mondays" in 1994.

ABC

Poison Arrow

When ABC had their debut hit with "Tears Are Not Enough", I thought that they were going to be one of those bands to release a few singles that don't appeal to me, and then disappear. But no, this follow did appeal to me, very much so. ABC became the perfect pop group of 1982. If you didn't like any of their three top ten singles, then good morning Mr Hangman.
This one came complete with a glossy video and reached number six.

Monsoon

Ever So Lonely

Nice Eastern influenced thing set to an eighties dance beat that may have been described as fairly original by some. But I couldn't help thinking about the Beatles 'Eastern' music when I listened to it. By sheer coincidence, Monsoon later covered the Beatles song "Tomorrow Never Knows", but "Ever So Lonely" was their only hit reaching number 12.

In early 2002, the singer Sheila (something) appeared on what we used to commonly refer to as a cover version, but it's difficult to distinguish the difference between a cover version, a song containing a sample of another song, A re-recording and a song that just happens to sound like another. Anyway, I think that whatever it was made the top ten and Sheila appeared on the once great TOTP.

Elvis Presley

Are You Lonesome Tonight

Elvis mixed his words up and then couldn't stop laughing on this live version of his 1961 number one. I found it amusing but the title of the album "Having Fun On Stage With Elvis" makes me cringe. The single made number 25.

Motorhead

Iron Fist

And so ended Motorhead's chart success. After almost a year away from the top forty, they returned with this. It's number 29 peak was about right and the last time they featured in the top 40 save for a 1993 re-issue of "Ace Of Spades".
Something possessed me to see this band live on the Iron Fist tour at Deeside Leisure Centre. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed it apart from the performances of "Ace Of Spades", "Bomber" and "Motorhead". A few weeks later they played Wrexham Football Ground, and some kind of record was set for noise. Apparently, the bands Budgie, Tank and Twisted Sister (making their debut UK appearance were much better than the headliners).

Tight Fit

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

I thought that we'd seen the last of these after their two medleys of Sixties hits had charted the previous year. But now they were back with a whole song, a song that had reached number 11 for the Tokens in 1961, number 34 for for Dave Newman in 1972, and a bigger number four hit for Karl Denver in 1962 under it's other title "Wimoweh". But this version was even bigger, it unbelievably spent three weeks at number one for Steve Grant and two scantily clad women. Scantily clad women or not, Steve appreciated the more mature woman and took up with Eartha Kitt.

David Bowie

Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

Just five weeks after the debut of his previous hit "Baal's Hymn", David entered the chart with this theme from the remake of "Cat People". It was of course on a different record label (MCA), but there was no danger of Bowie overkill anyway. While the previous hit had only reached 29 and spent only three weeks in the 40, this one spent five weeks on the chart reaching number 26. He did a different version of this song for the 'Let's Dance' album the following year, but it wasn't as good as this one.

Associates

Party Fears Two

This entered at number 38, in the same week that Goomday Dance Band's "Seven Tears" entered at 39. Few have shown any compassion to "Seven Tears" over the years, yet "Party Fears Two" was no better. The Associates were in the unfortunate position of having a lead vocalist who simply could not sing a note. His vocals suggested that he had severe pains in his stomach (My grandad said something like that when he heard it), and that someone should put him out of his misery. I'm sorry if that sounds cold considering that he is no longer with us, but that's what I felt about it (and still do). I think they should have drafted in that Bobby person from Boney M to handle the vocals because the actual melody was very good. You may think I was a sucker for buying the forthcoming Bucks Fizz single, but let's not forget, "Party Fears Two" reached number nine, so there were bigger suckers than me in the world.

J Geils Band

Freeze Frame

I much preferred this to their biggest hit, the number three peaking "Centrefold". But not many others seemed to feel the same as it crashed after reaching number 27. The video was hardly one to draw attention this time though, it was just a bit of jumping around and splashing paint.

Toni Basil

Mickey

Previously recorded by Racey on their album "Smash And Grab", this was a big number two hit for Toni. Much was made of the fact that Toni had taught David Bowie to dance, and also that Toni released a video of her album with promos having been made of all the tracks. It was shown on TV very quickly, but stopped a long way short of being thoroughly entertaining. The only other song I can remember is the track "Nobody", a much better song than "Mickey" but a failure as a single.
The 'Lolly' woman took this to number four in 1999.

Pluto

Your Honour

Much better than his number 1976 hit "Dat", but not as good as his 1976 near miss "Ram Goat Liver". This one was about him hiding in a closet minding his own business, a sort of early version of Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me". It reached number 19 and that was the last we heard from him.

Rainbow

Stone Cold

Very poor single from an album that I didn't want to listen to a asecond time. It reached number 34 and then the hits dried up for Richie Blackmore's band.

Bow Wow Wow

Go Wild In The Country

This is where the law of averages worked out. After all those plant pot contenders, they finally released a single that wasn't half bad. Still not sure about her hair with the mohican though, or the line "Where snakes in the grass are absolutely free".
It was their biggest ever hit, reaching number seven.
Oh yeah, Annabella Lewin was naked in the pic on the sleeve in a pastiche of a painting by Manet titled "Dejeuner Sur L'herbe. But as Annabella (Myant Myant Aye) hadn't quite reached her 16th birthday, it is possibly a criminal offence to have that sleeve in your possession, and you MUST NOT scan it if you intend taking your PC to PC World for repair (at anytime in your life).

Barbra Streisand

Memory

Nice cover of the Elaine Paige hit from the previous year, and it even had "Evergreen" on the B Side. Probably too soon after the original to be the hit it deserved to be, faltered at number 34.

Simple Minds

Promised You A Miracle

After years of trying, Simple Minds were finally having their first hit with the exciting "Promised You A Miracle" and peaked at number 13. The other two 1982 singles from them were also good, but afterwards they tried to sound like U2 (and became quite boring save for the occasional single).

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

Fashion

Streetplayer - Mechanik

This was the follow up to their previous excellent single "Move On" from around the turn of the year. That one failed to chart at all, despite an entertaining video in which the singer looked very menacing. Actually, he looked menacing in the video for this too, so maybe it was just his way. I can't understand why this band didn't have any real chart success, especially considering the success of at least two bands in the chart above (not that they were associated with any of the above, nor a foreign country). This was the closest they ever came to the top 40 when it reached number 46.

Some 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 1982 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk

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