First shown 29 January 1981
Presented by Tommy Vance
Full chart
here
Despite his 'rock' tendencies I've decided Tommy Vance is quite a good presenter and certainly one of the best of a bad bunch (up their with Powell and a still absent Jensen), so good to see him back again.
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| NB: actually says "ROCK on.." |
Slade -
We'll Bring the House Down
Having said that, I hope he wasn't the one responsible for getting this on the show. True, Slade were already somewhat of a British institution but they have no place in the 1980s and this is crap. Still, it's still technically panto season so I'll let them get on with it.
John Lennon -
Woman
It would be interesting to know how this would have fared had Lennon not been assassinated in December although I would like to think it would have done as well if not better than Just Like Starting Over. I must say Yoko was pretty quick to have it released as a single and even botched together this video clip showing herself both with her man, filmed in Central Park in November, and at the same (now snowy) location as a widow, cut with various pics of them together. Chilling. Already at no. 2.
Stranglers -
Thrown Away
Very much a 'seventies post-punk' band here's their attempt at being 80s friendly with a catchy little number complete with keyboard riff. But
Enola Gay it ain't and this one went from 44 to, er, 42 and was never heard of again. They'll have to get their act together if they want to survive in the eighties (They will do next year. For a bit.)
Madness -
The Return of the Los Palmas 7
This lot never seem to be away and here they are in a suitably nutty promo vid which depicts the band members japing about in various locations/guises indispersed with various aspects of modern of pop culture, including a pic of Ronald Reagan, who had just been elected US President, dressed as a cowboy. Poignant. Nice tune.
Sheila Hylton -
Bed's Too Big Without You
Much as I liked and still do like the original on The Police's
Regatta de Blanc album, I have no recollection of this version which takes the song back into it's black reggae roots making Sting & pals' rendition seem like a cover version. Pleasant enough but smacks a little too much of the 70s. Destined for oblivion.
Ultravox -
Vienna
Good to see that this studio performance gets a repeat as we missed its first airing last time (in 2016). Now at no. 6, the track was already several months old having been released on their debut album last summer, but happily it was rescued as a single and rightfully became an eighties "anthem". Their all electronic line-up seemed out of place with last year's
Sleepwalk but this time they've got their fingers right on the button. Well, "drummer" Warren Cann has anyway:
The Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me
And from the sublime to the ridiculous (again). The Oops Upside Your Head criminals are no. 26 with this.
Diana Ross - It's My Turn (Legs & Co.)
So it is Diana, although Legs & Co. have raided the BBC wardrobe dept. just to give us their 'representation' of your latest hit m'dear. Is it just me or is it that Legs are a bit rubbish this year?
Chart countdown 30-21
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
Another one which first aired two weeks ago and got swallowed up in the time vortex, but luckily we get to see it again. And a bit of a classic it is too. Odd to think that if Lennon hadn't been killed this would've made number 1. As you can see he's borrowed Warren Cann's rhythm thingy to put his paint pot on.
Charts 20-11
Susan Fassbender - Twilight Café
Another one which was on two weeks ago and gets another chance despite not doing particularly well. I think I may well have 'missed' it in 1981 too as I have absolutely no recollection of it whatsoever. Susan would seem to be a kind of bouncy music teacher type who after the drudgery of teaching unwilling secondary school kids about the clasics, used to get her Moog out at weekends and do a few 'pub' gigs with some like-minded mates (some of which may also have been teachers). I'm sorry your song meant nothing to me, Miss, and that after reaching 21 for two weeks, fell into total oblivion. I can't even find a decent copy of this on the trillion 80s compilations there are out there or even on Spotify. I was also sorry to learn that Ms. Fassbender (née Susan Whincup) committed suicide in 1991. There's a 'demo' compilation album out there if anyone's interested.
Top Ten countdown...with moving number!
John Lennon - Imagine
Last week at no. 1 although Woman was of course hot on its heels. Popularity of Woman obviously also helped the Double Fantasy album which would soon topple Adam & the Ants off the top spot. Unsurprisingly Lennon had all of two albums in the Top 10, But then again so did Barry Manilow.
Heatwave - Gangsters Of The Groove (playout)
That's all. See you next week-ish!
