1982
Week 21
WEEK ENDING 22ND MAY 1982
TOP 40 SINGLES
0
1982
Week 21
WEEK ENDING 22ND MAY 1982
TOP 40 SINGLES
| TW | ....... | LW | ....... | ....... | ||
| 1 | 1 | Nicole | A Little Peace | |||
| 2 | 7 | Yazoo | Only You | |||
| 3 | 3 | PHD | I Won't Let You Down | |||
| 4 | 4 | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | I Love Rock 'N' Roll | |||
| 5 | NEW | Adam Ant | Goody Two Shoes | |||
| 6 | 5 | Scotland World Cup Squad | We Have A Dream | |||
| 7 | 9 | Hot Chocolate | Girl Crazy | |||
| 8 | NEW | Madness | House Of Fun | |||
| 9 | 2 | Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder | Ebony And Ivory | |||
| 10 | 11 | Patrice Rushen | Forget Me Nots | |||
| 11 | 15 | Tight Fit | Fantasy Island | |||
| 12 | 6 | Bananarama with Funboy Three | Really Saying Something | |||
| 13 | 26 | ABC | The Look Of Love | |||
| 14 | 18 | Junior | Mama Used To Say | |||
| 15 | 8 | England World Cup Squad | This Time (We'll Get It Right) | |||
| 16 | 10 | Spandau Ballet | Instinction | |||
| 17 | 12 | Depeche Mode | The Meaning Of Love | |||
| 18 | 13 | Simple Minds | Promised You A Miracle | |||
| 19 | 22 | Rocky Sharpe & The Replays | Shout Shout (Knock Yourself Out) | |||
| 20 | 35 | Duran Duran | Hungry Like The Wolf | |||
| 21 | 24 | Blondie | Island Of Lost Souls | |||
| 22 | 30 | Associates | Club Country | |||
| 23 | 14 | Haircut 100 | Fantastic Day | |||
| 24 | 19 | Tottenham Hotspur F.A. Cup Final Squad | Tottenham Tottenham | |||
| 25 | 16 | Shalamar | I Can Make You Feel Good | |||
| 26 | 33 | Iron Maiden | The Number Of The Beast | |||
| 27 | 17 | Pigbag | Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag | |||
| 28 | NEW | Japan | Cantonese Boy | |||
| 29 | 20 | Monsoon | Ever So Lonely | |||
| 30 | NEW | Genesis | 3X3 EP | |||
| 31 | 40 | Fun Boy Three | The Telephone Always Rings | |||
| 32 | 25 | Kim Wilde | View From A Bridge | |||
| 33 | 21 | Bardo | One Step Further | |||
| 34 | NEW | UB40 | Love Is All Is Alright | |||
| 35 | 38 | Candi Staton | Suspicious Minds | |||
| 36 | 23 | Shakin' Stevens | Shirley | |||
| 37 | 27 | Barry Manilow | Stay | |||
| 38 | 28 | Elton John | Blue Eyes | |||
| 39 | NEW | New Order | Temptation | |||
| 40 | NEW | Charlene | I've Never Been To Me |
| 1 | Nicole |
A Little Peace |
This was the German winner of the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest, "A Little Peace" by Nicole. It spent two weeks at number one, and was the 500th single to reach number one in the UK. I remember a follow up titled "Give Me More Time" that was on a Ktel compilation I bought called 'Chart Heat', but she never made the top 40 again. But, when channel surfing in the late 90s, I caught her performing on a German TV show, so she's still around. |
| 2 | Yazoo |
Only You |
| Yazoo hit number two with this debut hit. Yazoo were of course Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke. It was the first ever hit of Alison Moyet's career, but not so for Vince. Vince had been a member of Depeche Mode for their first two top forty hits ("New Life" & "Just Can't Get Enough"). For some 18 months, this song was associated with it's original hitmakers. But since December 1983, most would associate it with the Flying Pickets who took their a'capella version to number one. |
| 3 | PhD |
I Won't Let You Down |
| This was their only hit, but a brilliant song, with an amusing video that peaked at number three. The vocalist on this hit was Jim Diamond who was to later have solo success with "I Should Have Known Better" & "Hi Ho Silver". |
| 4 | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts |
I Love Rock 'N' Roll |
| Joan Jett And The Blackhearts were having their first and only UK hit with "I Love Rock And Roll", and peaked at number four. This song was one that I'd heard many years before. The Arrows had two UK hits in 74/75, and someone thought that was good enough to give them their own TV show. They performed this song on that show (they could have performed it every week, I can't remember) which was broadcast weekly around 1976. On the strength of this hit, Joan and the boys were second on the bill when Queen played Elland Road Leeds at this time (can you believe Heart were bottom of the bill, behind Teardrop Explodes ?). They played the hit, Crimson And Clover, and a couple of Gary Glitter songs. I can't remember whether she sang any Suzi Quatro songs. I think she did, but that could be because she sounded so like Suzi, that they would have fitted in perfectly. |
| 5 | Adam Ant | Goody Two Shoes |
| Adam Ant's first solo hit went straight into the chart at number five, looking a sure fire number one for the following week. Since his "Prince Charming" (with the Ants) had entered at number two the previous September, only one single had entered the top 40 inside the top five ("Town Called Malice" by the Jam at number one), until now. But the Madness single that had entered at number eight in the same week as this one debuted, surprisingly leapfrogged Adam to number one. But after a second week at number two, this single finally stepped up to the top for a two week residency. It's second week was Adam's last ever week at the top of the charts. Something else worth mentioning about this, is Adam's performance on Top Of The Pops. He used three stages for his performance, with an array of props and dancers. It was better than the video (and THAT was one of the best promos of 1982). |
| 6 | Scotland World Cup Squad |
We Have A Dream |
| The Scotland World Cup Squad (featuring B.A. Robertson) peaked at number five with this. Very different for a football song as I recall (something about howling winds I think), but not one that comes easily to mind twenty years down the road. This was of course the year of the World Cup in Spain. For the record, England returned home unbeaten but not Champions, while Scotland were left dreaming again as they made their usual first round exit. Northern Ireland reached the second phase (beating Spain on the way), and their single failed to chart. |
| 7 | Hot Chocolate |
Girl Crazy |
| Hot Chocolate reached number seven with their first top twenty hit for almost two years. Again, their Top Of The Pops performance sticks in the mind. It was of course a typically cheeky performance from Errol and the boys in which they enlisted many girl dancers in varied stages of undress. |
| 8 | Madness |
House Of Fun |
| "House
Of Fun" was 'Madness' 12th hit in 2 1/2 years, and
their only number one. It was quite a surprise to me when
it hit number one, after debuting at number eight. I
thought that they had released many singles that were
better than this, but no matter, it was quite clever and
was was the one that gave them a number one. Despite it's success, it seemed that most people didn't really 'get it' as far as this song was concerned. Despite the obvious lines like, "Welcome to the house of fun now I've come of age" "This is a chemist not a joke shop" "Pack of party poppers with the coloured tips" Most still seemed to think that it was about a fairground ! |
| 9 | 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. |
| 10 | Patrice Rushen |
Forget Me Nots |
| Patrice Rushen made number eight with "Forget Me Nots". Patrice had released a big disco hit titled "Haven't You Heard" in 1980, but it had failed to cross over into the national chart. I preferred it to this one, but this was still quite good. Most of the younger music fans would have known "Forget Me Nots" from the sample that was featured in George Michael's huge 1996 hit "Fast Love" even before Will Smith decided that it would work for him too with "Men In Black". Regular readers will know what I'm thinking, so I'll refrain from commenting on that |
| 11 | Tight Fit |
Fantasy Island |
| A peak of number five for Tight Fit with "Fantasy Island". Strange how just as the popularity of Abba was finally diminishing, that one of the most airplayed songs of that summer sounded just like them. Tight Fit were comprised of male model type 'Steve Grant' and two young women who were more physically attractive than the Abba women. They looked to have a great career ahead of them. They had previously hit with two medleys in 1981 (probably not sang by them on the actual record, but session musicians). It was surprising when they hit again in early 82 with a cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", even more so when they hit number one with it. There were again rumours about whether it was them at all, the biggest being that Steve didn't do the vocals. "Fantasy Island" was the only one without such rumours, but it stood up on it's own as a brilliant pop record. Sadly, it was to be their last hit, as the follow up "Secret Heart" stalled at number 41 three months later. I don't know what happened to the women, but the last I heard of Steve Grant, he was the live in lover of Eartha Kitt (she must have liked his cha cha heels ! ) |
| 12 | 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. |
| 13 | ABC |
The Look Of Love |
| With
this number four peaking single, ABC were having their
third and biggest ever hit. Like Madness and Adam Ant,
ABC had realised the power of the Music promo, and used
it to good effect. But this would have been a big hit
even without the promo, it was perfect pop. Pity that it
took them so long to come up with another album anywhere
near as good as 'The Lexican Of Love' That was certainly their best album, but 15 years later they were still around, and released their best album since 'The Lexican Of Love" in 'Skyscraping'. |
| 14 | Junior | Mama Used To Say |
| Junior peaked at number seven with another one of those heavily airplayed singles of that summer. In fact, "Mama Used To Say" received a lot of airplay for a number of years afterwards. I particularly remember Radio One's Steve Wright still playing it quite regularly in 1984. Well, I suppose it was a good track after all. |
| 15 | 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. |
| 16 | Spandau Ballet |
Instinction |
| After a great start to their career with four top 20 hits including two top five with their first four releases, Spandau Ballet must have thought it was the beginning of the end when "Paint Me Down" had struggled to number 30, then "She Loved Like Diamond" failed to hit the top 40 at all. In what could have been a last ditch attempt by Chrysalis records, "Instinction" was the fourth single to be pulled from the 'Diamond' album. The gamble paid off as it soared to number ten and became the first of eleven consecutive top 20 hits for the band. Personally, I thought that it was very ordinary compared to what had been and what was to come. |
| 17 | Depeche Mode |
The Meaning Of Love |
| Depeche Mode made number twelve with this. It was quite different to their previous singles, but the smallest of their hits so far. At this point I thought what they were doing was ok, but not enough to rush out and buy their latest album. But in the summer of 1997, I rediscovered this bands '80s work thanks to the recommendation of a friend called Shawn Champagne. I went out bought all the albums that I didn't already have in the space of a few weeks. Quite ironic though that I bought 'Black Celebration' containing the lyric "Princess Di is wearing a new dress" less than 12 hours before she died. |
| 18 | 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). |
| 19 | Rocky Sharpe & The Replays | Shout Shout (Knock Yourself Out) |
| Rocky Sharpe And The Replays were having their third and last hit. Their songs were not gifted with the best of lyrics. Their biggest hit held the immortal line "I know a girl, her name is Rama Lama Ding Dong" ! This one was called (and repeatedly sung) "Shout Shout Knock Yourself Out !" To be taken at face value, a fun song, reached number 19. |
| 20 | Duran Duran |
Hungry Like The Wolf |
| "Hungry Like The Wolf" peaked at number five. It was their fifth hit, but the 'Real' beginning of their megastardom. Before this release, they had reached varied positions in the chart, high and low. From this single onwards, they were big time and the album from which it came ('Rio') was one of the biggest albums of the 80's. |
| 21 | Blondie |
Island Of Lost Souls |
| WHY
???????????? Almost 18 months waiting for a Blondie single and we get this one. It was really bad and the video was embarrassing to watch (why would any woman wear red tights while strolling around a sunny island , much less an international sex symbol ?). It was their last new top twenty hit for almost 17 years and peaked at number 11. It was taken from the album 'The Hunter'. Although I wouldn't class it as the best album by Blondie, the rest of it was certainly very under-rated. However, it was to prove their last album until 1999 |
| 22 | Associates |
Club Country |
| The
Associates peakedat number 13 with this second hit. It
wasn't as big as their first "Party Fears Two",
but it was still pretty impressive for a band with Billy
McKenzie as a vocalist. Incidentally, when commenting on
"Party Fears Two", I claimed that Billy
couldn't sing. I was wrong, I had forgotten about 1985's
"Take Me To The Girl", his vocals were
excellent on that track. While I don't like the song "Country Club" (almost makes me physically sick actually), the title does give me a 'good feeling'. Between 1980 & 1982 I used to frequent a certain nightclub. I can't remember the name of the club, but it was in the countryside, a long way from anywhere. Some called it the 'Erbistock Club' (because that's where it was), but most of us called it 'The Country Club'. It was just like (most of) the music of the time, GREAT. |
| 23 | Haircut 100 |
Fantastic Day |
| Not as strong as "Love Plus One", but still good catchy pop music all the same. It reached number nine. |
| 24 | Tottenham Hotspur F.A. Cup Final Squad |
Tottenham Tottenham |
| Hate the club, hate their records, especially hate the fact that the cheating sods went and won the cup again in 1991. I like Arsenal winning the league because it upsets this lot. Number 19. |
| 25 | 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. |
| 26 | Iron Maiden |
The Number Of The Beast |
| Iron Maiden had come a long way since they first hit with "Running Free" in early 1980. Original vocalist ' Paul Di'Anno' had left the band to form 'Lone Wolf' at the end of 1981. His replacement was ex 'Sampson' vocalist 'Bruce Dickinson', and a top ten hit had immediately followed in early '82 with "Run To The Hills". This title track to their latest album peaked at number 18. |
| 27 | 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. |
| 28 | Japan |
Cantonese Boy |
| Japan
were hailed as a class act by critics. I think that
people who actually bought records seemed to think
otherwise. In an 18 month period, they had nine top 40
hits. Just two of them made the top ten, while the
highest of the others made number 19. Vocalist David
Sylvian sometimes sounded like a drunken Bryan Ferry, and
rarely appealed to me. In short, I think that they are
one of the most over-rated bands of all time. Cantonese
Boy was one of their 'biggest' hits peaking at number 24,
but I can't make any comment about it as I can't actually
remember it. Maybe I would like it if I were to hear it
today, I've found that's the case with many disliked
songs from the past, especially if I listen to a
selection from todays top 40 beforehand. The conclusion: If I'd thought it was good, I'd remember it, if I thought it was terrible, I'd remember it. So, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Probably one of their better singles. |
| 29 | 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. |
| 30 | Genesis |
3X3 EP |
| A number ten peak for this one. Lead track on this EP was "Paperlate", not bad, but not very exciting either. It seemed that the success of "Follow You Follow Me" four years previous had persuaded Genesis that it really was worth not only releasing, but promoting singles. I liked just about all the singles that they released between 1978-1987, but this has to be my least favourite. |
| 31 | Fun Boy Three | The Telephone Always Rins |
| The Fun Boy Three never seemed to be out of the top 40 during the first three quarters of 1982. This week saw no exception as "The Telephone Always Rings" was on it's way to number 17. As this single dropped out, the next one was on it's way |
| 32 | Kim Wilde |
View From A Bridge |
| Great hook to this one, and Kim was finally letting us have a good look at her legs in the video. So a number one looked quite possible. But despite it's early promise, it became her lowest charting single to dat by stalling at number 16. But it was four and a half years later before she charted higher. |
| 33 | 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. |
| 34 | UB40 |
Love Is All Is Alright |
| UB40 peaked at number 29 with this effort. The band seemed to have lost their way a little, and were going through a two year period in which their singles would struggle to chart. But that was purely down to the fact that the said singles weren't very good. |
| 35 | Candi Staton |
Suspicious Minds |
| Candi
Staton was having her first hit for five years with a
cover of the Elvis hit "Suspicious Minds" and
peaked at number 31. Candi would have to wait nine years
for her next hit, and that would be a remix of her own
1986 recording, "You Got The Love" (followed by
another remix of the same song in 1997). If you want to
hear her at her best, check out her 70's albums. There was another good cover of this song released during 1982. It was by Gary Glitter and featured on the British Electric Foundation's 'Music Of Quality And Distinction' album. This album was more or less Heaven 17 with guest vocalists doing cover versions. The Paula Yates cover of "These Boots Are Made For Walking" is probably best forgotten, but Paul Jones' "There's A Ghost In My House", Tina Turner's "Ball Of Confusion", Bernie Nolan's "You Keep Me Hanging On", and Glen Gregory's "Perfect Day" are well worth a listen. Many would also like Billy Mackenzie's "Secret Life Of Arabia" & "It's Over". |
| 36 | Shakin' Stevens |
Shirley |
| I thouht "Oh Julie" was bad, but this was even worse. I had an initial fear that it would give Shaky a fourth number one, especially when it jumped from it's number 22 debut position to number six. But it then surprisingly dropped to number eleven and only spent a total of five weeks in the forty. |
| 37 | Barry Manilow | Stay |
| I'm not one of these people who slag off Barry Manilow for no reason. In fact, most of what he's done is quite enjoyable when in an easy listening mood. But I have to say that I wasn't very keen on this one, neither the studio or live version. It peaked at number 23. |
| 38 | 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. |
| 39 | New Order | Tempation |
| New
Order were having their third minor hit with
"Temptation". It became their biggest
commercial hit to date when it peaked at number 29. There
was so much going on with guitars and synths, you just
had to sit in wonder and ask how did they do that ? They were already having long running number ones in the Independant chart, and their mainstream big hits would start with their next release. This was of course one release too late, as this should have had something near the success enjoyed by "Blue Monday". It would have helped if Radio One had played it a little more often in the daytime (like more than once a week), but anyway, we know it was good don't we ? |
| 40 | Charlene |
I've Never Been To Me |
| This
was another one of those unexplained hits. "I've
Never Been To Me" by Charlene had apparently been
recorded some years previous, but released in 1982. There
were reservations at Radio One concerning the lyrics, but
it still managed to spend a week at number one. Another
odd thing about this single was the fact that it was
released on Motown records and although she wasn't
exclusive in this respect (remember Kiki Dee ?), it was
still unusual that Charlene was 'white'. .Also strange was that when this entered the top 40 at the bottom position, two other future number ones also debuted that very same week (both in the top ten). It's difficult to believe that this will ever happen again. |
In the top 50 this
week, but failing to reach the top 40.
| Band AKA | Grace |
| Stopped just one place short of a top 40 entry. They would later be telling us to get some joy inside your life. But this time they were telling us that life would sometimes get us down, but we should live our life with Grace. I didn't even know anyone named Grace at the time. The type of thing that would invoke a conversation about anything other than music until the next song came on. |
| Level 42 | Are You Hearing (What I Hear) |
| Musically good, but Mark King's vocals could grate at times so the actual song had to be well above average before a Level 42 song would appeal to me. This wasn't, it reached number 49. |
| Goombay Dance Band | Sun Of Jamaica |
| Had a little of the "Rivers Of Babylon", oh sorry, "Seven Tears" humming at the beginning. It then became err, "Seven Tears" all over again. I've stated elsewhere that I knew their previous single would be a number one. I knew that this one wouldn't be a hit. It peaked at number 50. |
| D Train | Walk On By |
| Cover of a song that has been covered far too much without the covering act actually doing anything to make it interesting. D Train made it sound not disimilar to "You're The One For Me", threw in that finale bit from Donna Summer's "Macarthur Park" (as later used by the Pet Shop Boys in "New York City Boy", and the vocals were good. But it was still missing something and stalled at number 44. |
| Rah Band | Perfumed Garden |
| A little similar to Shakatak and nothing like their debut hit "The Crunch". Quite a good track if you like this kind of thing, but after a while, you get to realise that it's going nowhere. It reached number 45. |
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.
THIS
WEEK IN 1973
THIS
WEEK IN 1974
THIS
WEEK IN 1975
THIS
WEEK IN 1976
THIS
WEEK IN 1977
THIS
WEEK IN 1978
THIS
WEEK IN 1979
THIS
WEEK IN 1980
THIS
WEEK IN 1981
THIS
WEEK IN 1983
THE
REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN
DAYS INDEX
Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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