1983
Week 14
WEEK ENDING 2ND APRIL 1983

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW ..... LW ......   ......  
1   1   Duran Duran   Is There Something I Should Know
2   5   David Bowie   Let's Dance
3   2   Bonnie Tyler   Total Eclipse Of The Heart
4   4   Style Council   Speak Like A Child
5   3   Eurythmics   Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
6   21   JoBoxers   Boxerbeat
7   12   Altered Images   Don't Talk To Me About Love
8   9   Orange Juice   Rip It Up
9   7   Bananarama   Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
10   6   Forrest   Rock The Boat
11   8   Michael Jackson   Billie Jean
12   11   Joan Armatrading   Drop The Pilot
13   31   Big Country   Fields Of Fire
14   13   David Joseph   You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me)
15   26   Nick Heyward   Whistle Down The Wind
16   27   Leo Sayer   Orchard Road
17   24   New Order   Blue Monday
18   38   Tracey Ullman   Breakaway
19   17   Mezzoforte   Garden Party
20   NEW   Kajagoogoo   Ooh To Be Ah
21   14   Bucks Fizz   Run For Your Life
22   15   Ultravox   Visions In Blue
23   10   Modern Romance   Highlife
24   NEW   U2   Two Hearts Beat As One
25   19   Blancmange   Waves
26   25   Band AKA   Joy
27   NEW   Kenny Everett   Snot Rap
28   18   Patti Austin & James Ingram   Baby Come To Me
29   20   Spandau Ballet   Communication
30   36   Mari Wilson   Cry Me A River
31   16   Phil Everly & Cliff Richard   She Means Nothing To Me
32   NEW   Twisted Sister   I Am (I'm Me)
33   28   Foster & Allen   Maggie
34   22   Thompson Twins   Love On Your Side
35   23   Toto   Africa
36   NEW   Dexy's Midnight Runners   The Celtic Soul Brothers
37   39   Wah   Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me)
38   NEW   Tracie   The House That Jack Built
39   NEW   F.R. David   Words
40   NEW   Sunfire   Young Free And Single


1   Duran Duran   Is There Something I Should Know
Duran Duran had their first number one single with this. I personally thought it was weaker than the singles that had been lifted from the 'Rio' album the previous year, and that it was one of those rare pre-90s occasions that an undeserving single entered the chart at the top. But Duran Duran were so huge that whatever new material they released just had to hit number one.

There was something in that title that seemed to relate to me personally. I still didn't know why Susan had ended it with me, save for a suspicion that her friend Joanne had something to do with it. I had began to buy large bottles of Paracetemol and had been taking them regular for headaches I had, and headaches that I pretended to have. I can't remember the exact date that I stopped going to work, but I think it must have been the 28th March. It was probably the 4th April when I visited the doctor and told him that I was having dizzy spells and having trouble sleeping. He very kindly prescribed a course of sleeping tablets for me along with something that I think was called Stematol and some green capsules. My preparations were almost complete.

On April 9th (9 days before my 21st birthday), the Pink Floyd film "The Wall" had been released on video. I just had to see it again before I did what I had to do, and so I rented it out. I watched it in the afternoon, along with my Dad. My brother was visiting us for a few days and he also watched some before he went out to see some of his old friends. He was supposedly staying out that evening. My Dad went out quite early that evening, but just before he went out Susan's brother Richard and his fiance Marcia called to see me. It was now five weeks since I had seen Susan, so I don't think that they thought it would trouble me too much if they told me that Sue was now seeing someone else. I tried to act perfectly normal as though it didn't bother me, but I did notice Marcia looking at the bottles of tablets on the sideboard. I told her that I'd been having dizzy spells and lots of headaches. I learnt that she'd later told Richard she was concerned about all the tablets I seemed to be taking. They left after an hour or so and said they'd call again during the week.

I watched "The Wall" again and then switched to some big concert celebrating 25 years (I think) of "American Bandstand". Then I did it. While Stevie Wonder was performing "Masterblaster", I swallowed over 25 sleeping tablets, 43 Stematol, 18 of the green capsules and 200 Paracetemol. I continued to watch the show for a while before deciding that I was hungry, and so made myself some toast. I normally just had butter or Marg on toast, but on this occasion decided to put strawberry jam (jelly) on it. By now I was feeling quite strange and realised what it was I was feeling. I was feeling "Comfortably Numb", hardly any feeling at all, but comfortable. I lay on the floor and watched as the Beach Boys played a medley of their hits.

There was white everywhere, what had happened ?

Was this where you go when you die ?

Wait, I'm in a bed and they are white curtains around me. There was something on my wrist. It's some kind of band and it says Overton. That's a place about five miles from my home village of Ruabon.
"Am I in Overton hospital ?"

"No, you bloody fool, you're in Overton ward at the War Memorial hospital".

Oops, I'd survived and my Mum was by the bedside with my sister. My sister's boyfriend had driven them from Mansfield to Wrexham through the night. The story goes that my brother had decided to come back to my dad's after all that night. At first, he had sat watching TV, thinking that I had just fallen asleep on the floor with a half eaten Jam sandwich at my side. But after a while, he had noticed all of the empty tablet bottles on the table and realised that I wasn't just asleep. He had knocked on the door of Anne and Dave next door and called an ambulance. Apparently the ambulance arrived as people were walking home from the pub and a crowd gathered as I was taken out on a stretcher. Oh the shame of it !

Upon arriving at hospital, my stomach was pumped out, and as I was taken to the ward, I attacked the doctors and nurses. I have no recollection of that, and other patients later told me that they thought I was drunk.

Continues with Toto's "Rosanna", entry date week ending 16th April.

I realise that some people may come to this page and wonder what the hell has happened and why I'm going through the things that I'm describing. So, I've put all relevant episodes onto one easy to read page here


2   David Bowie   Let's Dance
It was quite a surprise when this entered the chart at number five. His four previous solo singles had failed to reach the top 20. Ok, one of them had been the fourth to be lifted from the 'Scary Monsters' album and one had been a five year old album track. But "Baal" and "Cat People" had been new songs (even if one had been on a different record label, and the other had seemed unusual coming from Bowie, but that was nothing new).

He had now turned to the 'Chic organization' for help and it resulted in not only his most commercially successful album in ten years, but also the first Bowie album to produce three top two singles. In fact, very few (if any) albums by anyone could boast such a feat prior to this. This single reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic and revitalized what many thought was a flagging career. I like it, but I didn't think that it was much better than a very ordinary song. Safe ground from someone who normally took risks.


3   Bonnie Tyler   Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Bonnie had been in the top ten twice before (1976 & 1978), and had last hit the top 40 in the summer of 1979 with "Married Men". But her record company (RCA) had been intent on pushing Bonnie towards Country music, and Bonnie wasn't overjoyed about that, in fact she didn't even like the songs that she'd been recording. She was a fan of JIm Steinman's work with Meat Loaf, and came up with the ridiculous idea of Jim producing an album for her. Jim declined, saying that he was too busy, but eventually gave in. He produced the album, and wrote the two standout tracks himself. What resulted, was one of the best albums of a year that was flooded with great albums. Her decision to decline representing the UK in the Eurovision song contest and to also decline singing the latest James Bond theme had been a good one. This first single from the album sprinted to number one for a two week stay.


4   Style Council   Speak Like A Child
The Style Council were Paul Weller's new creation after the break up of the Jam, and were having their first hit. Such had been the popularity of the Jam that many expected this to be a number one. But after shooting straight in at number six, it surprisingly only climbed a further two places. The Style Council never did make it to number one with any of their singles.


5   Eurythmics   Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
The Eurythmics were finally having themselves a hit after two years of trying, and wouldn't look back from here on. This peaked at number two, and it was Annie and Dave's first journey into the top ten since they had peaked at number eight with "So Good To Be Back Home Again" in early 1980 while with 'The Tourists'. Personally, I think that this song is very depressing. But maybe that's down to it reminding me of a particularly bad time in my life.
For anyone who ever went to see the band live, I sincerely hope that they were ten times better than their awful Brits 99 performance.


6   JoBoxers   Boxerbeat
Jo Boxers were having the first of three hits and quickly reached number three. A year later we had all forgotten about them, and I'm still confused as why this was a hit.


7   Altered Images   Don't Talk To Me About Love
Altered Images were back with a mature image, and with a song that sounded tailor made for Blondie (not surprising considering the Mike Chapman influence).
They'd decided to take a well deserved break after releasing two albums and six singles in six months. During that time, they's spend the bulk of the day in the recording studio, fly to somewhere like Germany to do a TV show, and then fly back to carry on recording the 'Pinky Blue' album. They couldn't say "No" because they had waited so long for recognition that they didn't want to turn anything down. But the pressure told, half of the band left, and was replaced by one new member Guitarist/Drummer Steven Lironi.
Claire was pleased that the single was actually played on the radio a dozen times in the week BEFORE it was released, imagine that !
It reached number seven, fully deserved too.


8   Orange Juice   Rip It Up
This lot seemed to have a thing about giving their songs the same titles as already very familiar songs. This was just one of those very ordinary songs that no one hated, no one particularly liked enough to go out and buy it, but it still hit the top ten, number eight in fact. Lead singer Edwyn Collins decided to write a song called "A Girl Like You" and have a massive hit in the mid 90s (The Troggs version was better even if it was a different song).


9   Bananarama   Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
Bananarama reached a number five peak, with probably their most annoying song. It's not that I have anything against Bananarama as a rule, but this sounded like a group of schoolgirls singing on the back seat of the bus on their way home from a school trip. The same song had peaked at number nine for 'Steam' in 1970.
Bananarama repeated the back of the bus singing with their cover of "Nathan Jones" in 1988.


10   Forrest   Rock The Boat
This remake of the song that is regarded by some as the first disco hit peaked at number four. Not bad, but years later, it's more interesting for the fact that a young 'Sinitta' was in the promo.
On Thursday 3rd March, I recorded the said promo from TOTP and was a little peeved that the picture seemed to be jumping. Years later, I realised that it was supposed to be like that.
The 3rd March 1983 is more significant to me for another reason though. I had seen Sue every single day since New Year's Eve, we'd spent every weekend together, I thought that she was the one. But when I took her home that Thursday evening, I had a nasty shock. She announced that she wouldn't be able to see me the following night, she was going to a horse show with her friend Joanne. What, on a Friday ?
On Fridays I rush home from work, get changed, go and pick her up, bring her back and we spend the weekend together until late Sunday evening. She can't do something else on Friday !
But her decision was final and I left with a lump in my throat. The following day in work I told my friend Chris Squire (No, not the one in Yes) about what had happened and my worst fears. He told me that I shouldn't fear the worst and was sure that everything would be ok when I phone her Saturday morning. He suggested that I buy her something to show how much I missed her. So I bought her a lovely necklace, the most expensive thing that I'd ever bought for anyone. That night was awful, the time dragged, I couldn't sleep, I just knew that things were going to go horribly wrong.
On Saturday morning the time continued to drag as I waited for 11:00am to come, so that I could phone and she would say that it was ok to go and pick her up. The time finally arrived and I walked to the call box. Her Dad answered, she wasn't home yet. I was to and fro to that call box all afternoon. Finally, past 6:00pm, she came to the phone.
"I've got something to tell you"
"What ?"
"I don't know"
"Oh"
Pause.
"Is it what I think it is ?" (why the hell did I say that ?)
"I don't know, what do you think it is ?"
"That you want us to finish" (I deserved shooting for saying that, I may have at least seen her one more time and found out the problem if I hadn't. After all, it seems that she wasn't going to get around to telling me)
"Yes"
"Why"
"I don't know"
Long pause before I said something really really stupid
"Sue, if you ever change your mind, I'll always come back to you"
"OK"
"Better go then"
"OK"
"See Ya"
"See Ya"
The thing is with that stupid thing I said above, I really did mean it for a long time. I don't think I got over her completely until ten years, one marriage and a move across the country later. But that final "See Ya" was the last time I heard her voice. I didn't even see her again until 24 weeks and one day after that Thursday evening goodbye (yes, I kept count). I had three more sightings between '88-'89, but they were fleeting glimpses and there have been no more since.
Back to the night in question. I went home, walked upstairs got hold of the nice big Valentine's Card that she'd given me a few weeks earlier, lay face down on the bed and cried my eyes out. Then I remembered the necklace. If I still got it to her, maybe she would change her mind. So I washed my face trying to cover the evidence and went to Marcia's house to see her and Sue's brother Richard. They seemed a little surprised about what had happened and said that they'd give her the necklace and have a talk to her about it.
I only stayed about ten minutes before leaving, but then felt a little lost. I'd abandoned all of my friends when I started seeing Sue. She hadn't liked going out to pubs etc, so we'd stayed in together all the time. I hadn't minded that as I loved the two of us being alone together all of the time, in fact being with her like that was one of the happiest times of my life. There was one person I could go to, the only (non-work) friend that I'd kept in semi-contact with. I went to Claire's house. Claire was very good and I still say that she's the best friend I've ever had. OK, I started smoking again that night, but even if Claire hadn't smoked, I'd have started again soon anyway. I slept that night on Claire's sofa, and as I walked home early the following morning, along the path at the side of the 'conker field', and across the reck, I had no idea of the significance of what had happened. A dark journey had just began, I was at the entrance to a dark tunnel. I would go down that tunnel and I'd spend a year inside it.
This story continues with Modern Romance's "Highlife" which entered the top 40 in week ending 5th March 1983.

I realise that some people may come to this page and wonder what the hell has happened and why I'm going through the things that I'm describing. So, I've put all relevant episodes onto one easy to read page here


11   Michael Jackson   Billie Jean
Michael Jackson had his second UK number one single with this. His previous chart topper had been "One Day In Your Life" in 1981 (he had also hit the top in 1977 as one of the Jacksons with "Show You The Way"). It was the second single to be lifted from the 'Thriller' album, which after a slow start was now beginning to sell in vast quantities.


12   Joan Armatrading   Drop The Pilot
Ok to begin with, but all the airplay eventually made it annoying. Not only did she want to drop pilots, she wanted to drop monkeys too. An example should have been made of her before she reached number 11.


13   Big Country   Fields Of Fire
Big Country were having their first hit, it eventually crawled to number ten, and two more hits would follow during 1983. Vocalist Stuart Adamson had previously had five top 40 hits as lead guitarist of the Skids.


14   David Joseph   You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me)
David Joseph was having the first of two hits, this peaked at number 13. Very ordinary disco pap (and that's coming from someone who was a big fan of disco music).


15   Nick Heyward   Whistle Down The Wind
Still locked in a court battle with his former Haircut 100 bandmates, Nick Heyward had released this first solo single. Had a nice sound to it and came in a nice gatefold sleeve. Wasn't too bad a start for his solo career reaching number 13. It looked promising for him, but he would never hit the top ten solo, despite releasing some great singles. He did manage to hit number seven in 1987 as a member of 'Boogie Box High' with their cover of "Jive Talkin' ". No, I don't know who the other members of that band were, but it probably didn't include George Michael as many people believe.


16   Leo Sayer   Orchard Road
Leo Sayer had been pretty much a chart regular during the previous nine years, but "Orchard Road" was to prove to be his last hit. It eventually reached number 16. At this time Leo had his own weekly show on BBC TV.


17   New Order   Blue Monday
Were it not for this single, New Order may never have advanced beyond cult status. I'd liked their previous three singles, and even bought "Temptation", but there was nothing there to make me want to go out and buy an album by them. But then came this one. It sounded very familiar the first time I heard it, and that can mean one of two things. Either, it's a cover version or contains elements from another song, or, it's an extremely good song that is going to be massive. I've always had a feeling that both are true of this song, the second one certainly was. It just so happens to be one of my favourite ten singles of all time.
It climbed to number 12, then come back six months later and reached number nine. Some doing, considering that it was only available on 12 inch single, but it is the biggest selling 12 inch single in the UK ever. It finally got a seven inch release courtesy of a 1988 remix that reached number three. Yet another re-mix reached number 17 in 1995, but neither of the remixes could compare to the original.


18   Tracey Ullman   Breakaway
Tracey Ullman had been having a successful career as a comedienne in the shows 'A Kick Up The Eighties' and 'Three Of A Kind', before she decided to try her hand at singing. "Breakaway" was her first hit, and reached number four, and she followed it with five further hits by the end of 1984. She then went back to comedy with the sit com 'Girls On Top'. Unfortunately, she then gave up the UK to star in US sitcoms that I didn't find particularly amusing.


19   Mezzoforte   Garden Party
Mezzoforte with the excellent "Garden Party" were the first act from Iceland to ever chart in the UK, though 17 was their highest position. They released a follow up single called "Rockall" in the summer, but that one stalled at number 75.


20   Kajagoogoo   Ooh To Be Ah
Had it not been for the huge success of "Too Shy", I don't think that this single would have charted at all. It wasn't exactly anything above very ordinary. But, Kajagoogoo were big news, they filmed an entertaining video that featured Kenny Everett and a shadow character following Nick Beggs around and a hit it was. But it peaked in only it's second chart week at number seven. They released their debut album "White Feathers" on April 18th, my 21st birthday.


21   Bucks Fizz   Run For Your Life
Bucks Fizz were having their eighth successive top 20 hit, and the quality of their music was coming on in leaps and bounds since their Eurovision win two years earlier. "Run For Your Life" peaked at number 14.


22   Ultravox   Visions In Blue
Ultravox looked as though they were going to have a massive hit with "Visions In Blue", which was the "Vienna" of the 'Quartet' album. But after climbing from number 30 to number 16, they unexpectedly dropped to number 22 the following week. May have been something to do with the promo video being banned (something to do with a woman in a bath.).


23   Modern Romance   High Life
It was the single following this that caused some to realise that they were deliberately sending themselves up, but I noticed it on this one. I mean they even used the "Woah Woah Woah" from "Best Years Of Our Lives at one point. One critic in particular missed the point entirely when he commented "Another record like this and there'll be as many jokes about them as there are false teeth". It reached number eight.
I bought this on Friday 4th March. I knew Sue liked it, so I suppose I was intending to kind of impress her with it the following day (trying to impress someone with a Modern Romance record !!!!!!!). But as history recalls, I didn't see her the following day.
Another thing I did that Friday was to buy my regular weekly copy of Record Mirror a day later than usual. That was a shame because that week, the first of my messages to Sue ran in the ads section (the first of 20+ weeks that I had paid for). But even though she regularly read my copy, she didn't buy Record Mirror herself, so she probably didn't see any of them.
I was in something of a different world for the next few weeks. I began to take regular doses of Paracetemol when I began to get regular headaches. At first most of my sadness was little more than self pity, but it wasn't long before a real problem had developed (even though it wasn't apparent to anyone, least of all myself).
I continued going to work for a few weeks, and then staying in watching TV or in my bedroom listening to music that we had listened to together, reading her Valentine card over and over again. I even made compilation tapes of music that reflected the relationship from beginning to end and the time following. Yes, I was becoming something of a sad case. My Dad still often went away at weekends, and would sometimes go on a Thursday. One particular Thursday that I was alone, I heard a news report that was calling for a ban on the drug 'Distalgesic' after someone had taken a fatal overdose of it. I had been prescibed 'Distalgesic' for a shoulder injury in 1981, and I still had something in the region of 80 tablets left. An idea struck me, WHY NOT ?
What would I know about it afterwards ?
I'd had almost 21 years on this planet, why have any more when I feel so miserable ?
I put on one of my music compilation videos, got myself a pint of water and took the tablets. After a while, a section of the tape with the Beatles rooftop session from the 'Let It Be' film was playing. I thought it sounded awful and I would have told people so, except that I would never speak to anyone again. It was approx 9:00pm. I blacked out !
I awoke at sometime past 2:00am. I felt weird, a strange distorted feeling, everything in the room began to look distorted. I wasn't sure whether I was enjoying the feeling or not. I needed a drink of water, so I went and got one. I switched off the TV and lay back down on the sofa.
I next woke just after 6:00am and once I got my senses back in order felt surprised that I had woken up. Oh well, I thought, and went to work. I was still working in the Moss Valley at the time and Andre, Alan and Mike all asked whether I was ok more or less straight away, apparently I was as white as a sheet. I said that I hadn't slept very well, but would be ok with some fresh air. So I took the keys for the public toilets at the far end of the valley and walked the mile long path to them. Just after opening them, I was walking across the bottom car park and it just came up, I couldn't stop it. A stream of Yellow vomit errupted form my mouth (strange considering that the tablets were white). I felt a little better for the rest of that day and no one knew anything about it.
So I'd failed, but the intention was still there. More of an intention, it became an obsession with me. And when I heard about someone dying from an overdose of Paracetemol, there was no stoping me.
To be continued with Duran Duran's "Is There Something I Should Know" (week ending 26th March).

I realise that some people may come to this page and wonder what the hell has happened and why I'm going through the things that I'm describing. So, I've put all relevant episodes onto one easy to read page here


24   U2   Two Hearts Beat As One
The second single to be pulled from the 'War' album, and a good choice, the only other real possibility would have been "Sunday Bloody Sunday". I liked this one a lot, and Bono's energetic performance on Top Of The Pops (getting up high on walkways and all that), enhanced my enjoyment of it. Only reached number 18 though.


25   Blancmange   Waves
Blancmange were having their second hit, but would go no higher than number 19. It was quite a departure from the craziness of their "Living On The Ceiling" from just a few months previous. Your Mum would have liked this one.


26   Band AKA   Joy
Getting up early one morning for work. Drinking the poor excuse for an early morning cup of tea that my Dad used to make. I was sinking down fast into that dark hole of depression, my Dad switched on Radio Two and this came booming out,
"Got to put some joy into your life"
I really needed that at 6:30am while I was toying with the idea of suicide.
The Band AKA were one hit wonders who didn't even come close to charting again after this one. They peaked at number 24, but nevertheless they did get a lot of radio airplay at the time.


27   Kenny Everett   Snot Rap
And it was all done "In the best possible taste". Amusing for anyone who regularly watched his BBC show, but possibly confusing for anyone else. Kenny's humour was best described as 'Zany'. Funny if you liked that sort of thing, but nothing more than stupid for anyone else (see 'The Young Ones'). I liked him, but can also see why some would not. It's a similar thing with American sit coms where I sit in the opposite camp (see Tracey Ullman). Kenny reached number nine.


28   Patti Austin & James Ingram   Baby Come To Me
Cold winter evenings by the fire song. A regular on love song compilations, this single peaked at number Eleven. This was James' first UK hit, but he would later chart in duets with Michael McDonald and Linda Ronstadt. Patti had previously charted as the featured vocalist on the Quincy Jones hit "Razzamatazz" which also reached number Eleven in 1981.


29   Spandau Ballet   Communication
Something of a forgotten hit for Spandau Ballet. This under-rated single only reached number 12, but their biggest ever hit was to follow shortly.


30   Mari Wilson   Cry Me A River
Mari Wilson was having her second hit (albeit just a minor one), with her version of the Julie London classic. Julie had sang it in the movie 'The Girl Can't Help It', Mari sang it on Top Of The Pops as she reached number 27.


31   Phil Everly & Cliff Richard   She Means Nothing To Me
We all know about Cliff Richard, but his partner in crime on this hit, Phil Everly reached the top ten for the first time in 18 years with this. It peaked at number nine.


32   Twisted Sister   I Am (I'm Me)
I was well aware of this band for almost a year before they debuted on the UK chart. For a start they had made their live UK debut supporting Motorhead at Wrexham FC's "Racecourse Ground" in 1982. Then they had appeared on the Tube in the previous November performing their rendition of the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock And Roll". I think that they were supposed to be some kind of heavy metal band, but to me they always came across as a Glam Rock band. Still, they weren't bad whatever they were supposed to be. This spent two weeks at number 18 amongst it's seven week top 40 residency. But the burning question is, does anyone else think that lead singer Dee Snider body doubled for Christine Aguilera in the "Lady Marmalade" video ?


33   Foster & Allen   Maggie
This Irish Folk was a style of music that wasn't to my taste at all until the Fureys hit the chart in 1981 with "When You Were Sweet Sixteen", followed a few months later by this duo with "A Bunch Of Thyme". This was their second (and last) hit, and is really quite pleasant. But it climbed no higher than number 27.


34   Thompson Twins   Love On Your Side
At last the three twins (???) had broken through onto the chart. This number nine peaking single was the first of five top ten hits for them in just over a year. It was also the first of nine successive top 40 hits. They haven't hit the top 40 at all since the ninth of those "King For A Day" was a number 22 hit in the Autumn of 1985.


35   Toto   Africa
Toto's only previous UK hit had been four years earlier when they had hit number 14 with their very first single "Hold The Line". They had released a further seven singles since then, but none of them charted. In April of 1982 they released their fourth album, rather lazily titled 'Toto IV', and the first two singles from it had flopped in the UK. But it was this third single that after hitting number one in the USA, finally restored them to the UK chart, and became their biggest hit here reaching number three, and also propelling it's parent album to number four. Toto never hit the top ten again.


36   Dexy's Midnight Runners   Celtic Soul Runners
They released this really good single called "Come On Eileen" in the summer of 1982 and it went on to become the best selling single of that year. We ought to be grateful for that, as it did stop "Eye Of The Tiger" taking the honours. But, the single gave me the impression that the album "Too Rye Ay" would be good, so I bought it and was very disappointed. It's another one that I couldn't have listened to more than twice. But it did include this little gem, a sort of prequel to "Come On Eileen" as it was originally issued as a single in March 1982 when it reached number 45. This time around it reached number 20, though it was a re-recording.


37   Wah   Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me)
Wah were following up their top three hit from the beginning of the year "Story Of The Blues". Hope got no higher than number 37, but I preferred this one. The band would return in 1984 as 'The Mighty Wah'.


38   Tracie   The House That Jack Built
She said that WE own the house that Jack built. I can't say that I care really. I found it a really boring single, and were it not for the Paul Weller connection, I don't think that it would have got as high as number nine. The song's composer 'Alan Price' had taken it to number four in 1967.


39   FR David   Words
One of those Euro crossover hits that I should have found extremely annoying, but instead was just a little indifferent towards. There was another version of it by the Tremeloes that was doing the rounds, but this is the one that hit the top 40, spending two weeks at number two.


40   Sunfire   Young Free And Single
Nice except for one thing, it gave Radio One DJ Gary Davies a catchphrase that I wouldn't be surprised he still uses (wherever he is). Nice summery sound that made number twenty and I have every intention of digging out and playing sometime over the next few weeks. The thing is, I was "Young Free And Single" and not very happy about it at the time !


In the news this week

Thin Lizzy anounced a series of five Irish dates, the last before they were to split up.


The Valentine Brothers smash 1982 dancefloor hit "Money's Too Tight" was finally given a proper release. But it went on to spend just one week in the top 75 at number 73. Two years later, the song gave Simply Red their first hit.


The band 'Divinyls' had a full page ad in the music press to promote their "Desperate" album, and were supporting 'Men At Work' at London's Lyceum. But it would be eight more years before the Aussie band had their sole UK hit with "I Touch Myself".


 

The Maisonettes took on two new girl singers, Carla Mendonca and Elisa Richards. They replaced Elaine Williams & Denise Ward who hadn't sang on "Heartache Avenue", but didi do all the Top Of The Pops sessions. They had gone off to pursue modelling careers.


 

Stuart Adamson of Big Country listed his musical influences as Bill Nelson and Leonard Cohen. He also named his hero as being Stan Laurel, and his first record bought as Dave Davies' "Death Of A Clown".


Other Charts number ones
Album - Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Indie singles - New Order - Blue Monday
Indie LPs - Sex Gang Children - Song And Legend
12" single - David Bowie - Let's Dance
Cassette - Michael Jackson - Thriller
Nightclub - Forrest - Rock The Boat
Disco - David Joseph - You Can't Hide Your Love From Me
Boystown Disco - Azul y Negro - The Night
Video - Human League - The Singles Video
US singles - Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
US LPs - Michael Jackson - Thriller


Some very low down new entries on the singles chart;
76 - Grace Jones - My Jamaican Guy
78 - Toto - Rosanna
83 - After The Fire - Der Komissar
97 - Tubeway Army - That's Too Bad


Big climbers on the Nightclub chart included the following,
8 - David Bowie - Let's Dance
17 - Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know
23 - Kenny Everett - Snot Rap
40 - Donna Summer - Love To Love You Baby (Remix)




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.


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