1983
Week 9
WEEK ENDING 26TH FEBRUARY 1983

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW ..... LW ......   ......  
1   1   Kajagoogoo   Too Shy
2   5   Michael Jackson   Billie Jean
3   6   Toto   Africa
4   4   Tears For Fears   Change
5   3   Belle Stars   Sign Of The Times
6   2   Men At Work   Down Under
7   7   Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes   Up Where We Belong
8   16   Musical Youth   Never Gonna Give You Up
9   24   Madness   Tomorrow's Just Another Day
10   8   Wham   Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do)
11   14   Fun Boy Three   Tunnel Of Love
12   15   Thompson Twins   Love On Your Side
13   9   Fleetwood Mac   Oh Diane
14   NEW   Bonnie Tyler   Total Eclipse Of The Heart
15   12   China Crisis   Christian
16   23   Haysi Fantayzee   Shiny Shiny
17   34   Icehouse   Hey Little Girl
18   13   Indeep   Last Night A DJ Saved My Life
19   35   Patti Austin & James Ingram   Baby Come To Me
20   11   Laura Branigan   Gloria
21   38   Eurythmics   Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
22   22   Depeche Mode   Get The Balance Right
23   10   Eddy Grant   Electric Avenue
24   33   Spandau Ballet   Communication
25   37   OMD   Genetic Engineering
26   17   Phil Collins   You Can't Hurry Love
27   28   Thin Lizzy   Cold Sweat
28   20   Wah   The Story Of The Blues
29   40   Phil Everly & Cliff Richard   She Means Nothing To Me
30   NEW   Blancmange   Waves
31   25   Central Line   Nature Boy
32   18   Echo And The Bunnymen   The Cutter
33   32   Rockers Revenge   The Harder They Come
34   26   Prince   1999
35   NEW   Forrest   Rock The Boat
36   21   U2   New Year's Day
37   27   Elvis Presley   Jailhouse Rock
38   19   Dire Straits   Twisting By The Pool
39   29   Level 42   The Chinese Way
40   NEW   Bananarama   Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye


1   Kajagoogoo   Too Shy
Discovered/Produced/whatever by Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, this debut single by the band shot quickly up the chart to spend two weeks at number one. Though they have been much derided in later years, this was a great pop single and fully deserved it's success. After two further hits, lead vocalist Limahl left for a solo career and Nick Beggs took over the vocals. But they only managed two hits without Limahl and exactly a year after their debut hit fell out of the chart, their final hit was spending it's last week in the chart.
Now, about what I said above: I may have only liked it because Sue liked it, so it may not have been that great a pop single.


2   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.


3   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.


4   Tears For Fears   Change
The follow up to "Mad World" was nowhere near as good, and for me didn't really sounded too cheerful compared to the rest of 'The Hurting' album (despite the lyrics not being that cheerful at all). It reached number four.


5   Belle Stars   Sign Of The Times
The biggest of the four hits enjoyed by this girl group. They were only around for a year as far as the top forty was concerned, but what they did in that time was fairly good, I really liked the album. They had been around since their debut single "Hiawatha" had flopped in 1981, but before that, they had been members of the Bodysnatchers. They hadn't actually left the Bodysnatchers, it was Rhoda & Nicky that had left after the others refused to sing politics. So, they just recruited a few more members, changed their name to the Belle Stars and made the best music of their career.


6   Men At Work   Down Under
I knew of these through their previous single, the number 45 peaking "Who Can It Be Now?" (much better single in my opinion). This one sounded as I imagine the Police would have sounded had they a sense of humour more often. We thought that they were taking the mick out of Australia, but they claimed that they were taking the mick out of our view of Australia, or was it the other way around ?
It gave them their sole top twenty hit anyway. Oh yeah, it spent three weeks at the very top of the pile. Hardly deserved, so I suppose that it was a trendsetter for what began to occur on a regular basis ten years and a couple of weeks later.


7   Joe Cocker And Jennifer Warnes   Up Where We Belong
As most of us know this number seven peaking single was from the movie 'An Officer And A Gentleman'. It was Joe's first hit since 1970, and only his third top ten hit overall. What I remember most about this song though is the performance where Joe's arms were more animated than I've ever seen them, and I'm sure that watching his limb movements sent Jennifer cross eyed.


8   Musical Youth   Never Gonna Give You Up
The third single from Musical Youth was also their second and final one to reach the top ten. This number six hit featured on the B Side, a song titled "Jim'll Fix It", that they had recorded for the TV show of the same name.
This was the only Musical Youth single that I ever liked.


9   Madness   Tomorrow's Just Another Day
A quick follow up to the excellent "Our House", this was the band's 15th hit in three and a half years, and the 13th to hit the top ten. It peaked at number eight.


10   Wham   Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do)
Much better than "Young Guns", it seemed lyrically quite good at the time. I'm not so sure these days though. Still catchy all the same and still gets my vote as a better than average single. Reached number eight.


11   Fun Boy Three   Tunnel Of Love
After the failure of their previous single "The More I See (The Less I Believe)" to hit the top 40, Terry Hall must have afforded himself a rare smile as this single restored them to the chart, and peaked at number Ten. A little known fact is that the drummer with the band at this time was 'June Miles-Kingston', ex member of the 'Mo-Dettes', and later a replacement for 'Sarah Jane Morris' in the 'Communards'.


12   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.


13   Fleetwood Mac   Oh Diane
After "Hold Me" and the magnificent "Gypsy" had failed to make the top forty, there was no way that this weak effort was going to do it. But after appearing on various TV shows, including a live satellite link-up on 'The Late Late Breakfast Show', it went all the way to number nine. It was only their second top twenty hit with the classic Rumours line up.


14   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.


15   China Crisis   Christian
Good debut hit, though I wasn't too keen on it begin with. It reached number 12 and was the first of only five top forty hits the band achieved in four years. Very under-rated band in my opinion.


16   Hayzi Fantayzee   Shiny Shiny
After stalling at number 51 with the cheerful "Holy Joe", it seemed as though these were destined to remain one hit wonders. But then they bounced back with this number 16 hit. It isn't the best track they ever recorded, but it wasn't too bad. I even found the album 'Battle Hymns For Children Singing' quite a pleasant surprise when I took a chance after finding it at half price a year or so after release.
I remember reading an interview with ex-model singer Kate Garner in the Record Mirror. She said that women used to spit in her face because of her being a model, bloody feminists !
The said album included a book of some of Kate's photographs, and after giving up the music biz, she went on to become a professional photographer. I wonder if she's still doing that.
Jeremy Healy meanwhile, went on to form Bon Ventura and released a strange sounding thing called "When Malindy Sings", and later became a DJ.
What I always wondered was, why the Barry Manilow lookalike in the videos ?


17   Icehouse   Hey Little Girl
I've often wondered if vocalist 'Iva Davies' naturally sounded like 'Bryan Ferry' or was it a conscious effort. This is the only hit single that they had in the UK, and it peaked at number 17. Their big hit in the States came five years later when "Electric Blue" hit number seven on the Billboard chart.


18   Indeep   Last Night A DJ Saved My Life
I liked this one. Yes, I know that it was wrong and I ought to be thoroughly ashamed of myself, but I did. It was just a simple disco song with a bit of a rap in there, but I found it highly infectious. Not only that, but the 12 inch had an a cappela version and also the isolated sound effects of a car screeching, a phone ringing, and a toilet flushing !
This nice little compendium of sounds reached number 13.
There were fairly unsuccessful covers of this by Cold Jam (1990 #64) & SYLK 130 (1998 #33). Boyband 5ive more or less covered it with their 1999 number two hit "If Ya Gettin' Down" (even covered the rap). Finally, Mariah Carey covered it on her 2001 album 'Glitter' and it will no doubt see single release sometime in 2002.


19   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.


20   Laura Branigan   Gloria
This was a continental foreign language hit for someone. Then Jonathan King got hold of it, wrote his own English lyrics, and failed to have a hit with it. Laura then recorded a completely different English version, and she DID have a hit. Great voice, great song and a lot of fuss was made over Laura's tight outfit, especially when she appeared on Noel Edmond's 'Late Late Breakfast Show'. It was the first of only two top forty hits for her, but we live in a far from perfect world anyway. It peaked at number six.
Personally, I think that Mr King's lyrics were just as good.


21   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.


22   Depeche Mode   Get The Balance Right
Not the greatest piece of music to come from Depeche Mode, and their third in a row that failed to reach the top ten. This number 13 peaking single is one of only three DM singles not to appear on a regular album.


23   Eddy Grant   Electric Avenue
It was a real street you know, a street where Eddy grew up in Brixton or something. We have an Electric Avenue here in Nottingham, it leads to Toys'R'us !
All of Edward's previous singles sounded pretty much the same (or maybe that's just a problem that I have with reggae), so this was a nice change and gets my vote for his best ever effort. It also included his original version of the recent Rocker's Revenge hit "Walking On Sunshine" on the flip (but RR's version was better). It reached number two and his next hit came along five years later. And, the one after that was a remix of this one in 2001.


24   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.


25   OMD   Genetic Engineering
After the huge success of their 'Architecture & Morality' album, and the top five placings of all three singles taken from it, it was widely expected that they would go on to further success with their follow up album. But it wasn't to be as this number 20 peaking single was the only one to chart, and it's parent album 'Dazzle Ships', despite being a brave album, was a commercial flop, that they never fully recovered from.


26   Phil Collins   You Can't Hurry Love
This cover of the Supremes hit surprisingly gave Phil the first number one single of his career. But rarely have four words rang more true than the four that make up the title of this song.
I was going out with (dating) Sue when she bought this. I'd first met Sue at the Legion Disco in November. She was the sister of Richard, who was the boyfriend of a girl from the village named Marcia. Sue was short, shy, very pretty, but never wore a skirt. I like women to look feminine, so she wasn't really my type. But I thought that she was really sweet, and liked her a lot. I'd sat and chatted to her and even indirectly asked her out when I had more than a little Dutch courage, but she'd declined, something to do with my hair being too long. So I thought that was that. Somehow on Christmas Eve, I'd found myself leaving the Legion Disco at the same time as Richard, Marcia and Sue. Marcia suggested going to church for midnight mass. It isn't something I would normally do, but I thought "Why Not ?"
I remember the church being packed with people, but not much more about it, except that we didn't stay long. After that the four of us walked down the road towards home. I decided to walk their way down Albert Grove and on to Stanley Grove where Marcia lived (Richard and Sue were staying there for the night). Somehow, Sue and myself ended up linking arms, just messing about really. But we were walking much slower than the other two and soon fell behind. We were laughing and joking as we got to Marcia's gate and I felt a little sad that the night was over. I said to Sue "I'll see you again sometime then, Merry Christmas". I didn't expect what happened next (remember I said that she was shy). She leaned forward and kissed me. A little shocked, I responded and we snogged for a few minutes. I then asked her if that meant we could start seeing each other, she replied "Yes, if you want to". So that was how it started. It was another significant moment, maybe THE most significant moment in my life. It diverted me from which ever road I was taking in life. Things were never the same after this. She lifted me out of the doldrums, made me happier than I'd ever been in my life, but I was left at my lowest ebb when it was over.


27   Thin Lizzy   Cold Sweat
Poor, but their days of major hits was over anyway. Reached number 27.


28   Wah   Story Of The Blues
I wasn't sure about this to begin with, but it eventually grew on me and sounds even better today. Still don't think much of the B side though. It was part 2, and was a daft talking over the music thing, not really a rap, just, a talky thingl, OK ?
After entering at number 34, it climbed to number 6, then 3, and then fell for the remainder of it's eight chart weeks.


29   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.


30   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.


31   Central Line   Nature Boy
This was quite a good cover and it gave them their only top 40 entry. Reached number 21.


32   Echo And The Bunnymen   The Cutter
Didn't like this one bit, I would have put it in the pile with Orville, total annoyance. But I quite like it now, not a bad track at all. It reached number eight.


33   Rockers Revenge   The Harder They Come
Great cover of the Jimmy Cliff song that surpassed the original, yet only reached number 30. I'm glad that this bunch got hold of it before UB40 decided that it may be a good idea. Almost ten years later Madness had a go at it, but only reached number 44.


34   Prince   1999
Prince finally made the top 40 this time around. It was his first top 75 entry since his debut hit "I Wanna Be Your Lover" reached number 41 in 1980. This sounded a big hit all the way, but inexplicably stalled at number 25. But that wasn't the end of it.
Once Prince had finally really arrived, it was re-issued with his other '83 single "Little Red Corvette" on the B side and went to number two in early 1985. He only ever surpassed that chart position once, and that was in 1994 with "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World".
It was re-issued again in January 1999 (11 months early in my opinion) and reached number ten. This re-issue did re-enter the chart 11 months later but failed to even make the top 40. Had it not been for the Jan '99 release, I feel that it would have had a very good chance of being the last number one of the century.


35   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.


36   U2   New Year's Day
U2's big breakthrough, after this single there was no looking back. They'd spent a couple of years on the fringes of success with 1981's "Fire" being their biggest success with a lowly number 35 peak. But this one went all the way to number ten and helped it's parent album 'War' to enter the album chart at the top.
If you're anywhere near a radio at a couple of minutes after midnight on New Year's Eve/Day, flick through the stations and you'll find this playing somewhere. As mentioned in the commentary for "E.T.", I was nowhere near a radio that night, I was in the lounge of the Great Western Inn with Sue. But this song reminds me of that New Year's Day all the same.
Early that afternoon I got on my Kawasaki KC 100 and rode the short distance to Marcia's house. A few minutes later, Sue, Marcia & Richard got into Marcia's Dad's (Dennis) car and I followed them to Sue's home. It seemed a hell of a long way on that freezing cold day, but it was only about six miles to that cottage up in the mountains. I met just about all the (very nice) family (loads of siblings), and there was that nice aroma that you get from those wood stove things. I stayed until about 9pm and we then said our very long goodbyes outside.
We saw each other every day after that (while it lasted). By a week or so later we'd got into a routine. On Monday and Wednesday, I would go to her house and spend the evening there with her and her family until about 10:00pm. That wasn't as bad as you may think, her Dad John, was a really nice man with a good sense of humour. For some reason he liked to call me "Harry Fenton", never quite sure why. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would pick her up approx 5:30pm, take her to my house and then take her home about 10:00pm. On Fridays I would pick her up and we'd spend the weekend together until I took her back home on Sunday evening. So we spent a hell of a lot of time together in this particular New Year.


37   Elvis Presley   Jailhouse Rock
Don't like it. The song is ok as '50s songs go, but I think that his vocals are terrible on it. It entered the chart at number one in January 1958, but only stayed there for three weeks (not long then, a luxury today). This time it entered at 29 and only climbed to number 27.


38   Dire Straits   Twisting By The Pool
It actually sounded as though the band were standing up when they recorded this track, quite different from the usual laid back stuff. It was also surprising that they had released this instead of taking a second single from their 'Love Over Gold' album. There again, the said album only contained five tracks (all better than this one). This was the last new Dire Straits track we'd hear before April 1985, so it's a pity that it was a little disappointing, reached number 14.


39   Level 42   The Chinese Way
I thought that this was very boring. There was nothing here to suggest that they were going to be very successful for the remainder of the decade. Biggest hit to date, reached number 24.


40   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.


Other singles around at this time, but failing to reach the top 40. Comments to follow later.

Evelyn King   Get Loose
.


 

Luther Vandross   Never Too Much
.


 

Johnny Chingas   Phone Home
.


 

Christopher Cross   All Right
.


 

Aztec Camera   Oblivious
.


 

Rocky Sharpe & The Replays   If You Wanna Be Happy
.


 

Randy Crawford   He Reminds Me
.


 

Meteors   Johnny Remember Me
.


 

Cava Cava   Brotehr Bright
.


 

Dionne Warwick   Yours
.


 

Don Henley   Dirty Laundry
.


 

SOS Band   Groovin' (That's What We're Doing)
.


 

Gap Band   Outstanding
.


 

Def Leppard   Photograph
.


 

One The Juggler   Get Loose
.



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 1983 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk


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