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 The BMRB Years- Top 10 sales, 1980 |
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 Wednesday, 09:17 AM
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#281
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 Break the tension
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 89,016 User: 51 
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'Morning Train' is such a huge guilty pleasure of mine.
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Wednesday, 07:00 PM
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#282
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 Ciao, 911? E 'Quagmire. Sì, è preso nella finestra di questo
Joined: 25 March 2011
Posts: 17,959 User: 13,341
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23RD AUGUST
 The Story of Major Tom continues to provide commercial gold for Bowie as he grabs his second UK No 1 single this week. The promo vid is reportedly the most expensive ever made coming in at £250,000 and includes some key movers in the new London club scene centring around the Blitz Club in Covent Garden which has been hitting the headlines in recent months. As one of the primary influences on the new scene it is no surprise that Bowie has utilised the "movement", "Ashes To Ashes" sold 111,000 copies last week to easily power to the top spot (and record the 6th highest tally of 1980), no shame to ABBA though as they may drop 1-2 but they added 94,000 to their total which now stands at 302,000 a month after release.  There's a little bit of chart history created this week as for the first time since the chart went to a top 50 a record debuts in the top 10 in successive weeks. Following Bowie into the top 5 The Jam return with "Start" which debuts at No 3 and sells 91,000 into the bargain though it actually slacked off sales wise toward the end of the week and was initially neck and neck with Bowie! Some have said it that it seems to bear more than a passing resemblance to the Beatles "Taxman".  It may not be the muso's favourite single but Kelly Marie is finally in the top 10 after gliding 16-8 (53,000). It was released some months ago and was something of a cult hit on the Scottish club scene which prompted a re-issue and it is finally a hit breaking her in this country, it is worth noting that she has hit the big time in several countries with other tracks most notable in France and of course she won opportunity knocks four times in a row a few years ago. The track itself was written by Mungo Jerry frontman Ray Dorsey and originally offered to Elvis Presley but was not recorded by him before his death, It's ended up with Marie who turns it into a hit  First championed by DJ John Peel Brighton's punk band The Piranhas finally slip into the top 10 moving 13-9 (42,000). "Tom Hark" is of course a cover of the 1958 hit by Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes which spent 4 weeks at No 2 so it has big boots to fill if it's to match the original. Elsewhere Sheena Easton continues to set records as she now records the highest sales for a No 4 track in 1980 with "9 To 5" selling 88,000 and almost overtaking The Jam- it's shaping up to be one of the biggest hits of the year so far. Dropping this week are Diana Ross 2-5 (73,000), Roxy Music 5-6 (64,000) Gap Band 6-7 (54,000), but are No 1 on the album charts again, and George Benson 7-10 (40,000) 1- ASHES TO ASHES- David Bowie (111,000) 2- THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL- Abba (94,000) 3- START- The Jam (91,000) 4- 9 TO 5- Sheena Easton (88,000) 5- UPSIDE DOWN- Diana Ross (73,000) 6- OH YEAH- Roxy Music (64,000) 7- OOPS UPSIDE YOUR HEAD- Gap Band (54,000) 8- FEELS LIKE I’M IN LOVE- Kelly Marie (53,000) 9- TOM HARK- The Piranhas (42,000) 10- GIVE ME THE NIGHT- George Benson (40,000)          
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Wednesday, 07:06 PM
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#283
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 Alone and wounded
Pronouns: She/her
Joined: 18 January 2011 Posts: 60,191 User: 12,810 
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Ahhhh another brilliant #1 in a row with 'Ashes To Ashes'
 I recently finished a book all about the New Romantics and it was interesting to learn about Bowie's Blitz Club visit and the creation of the music video. Unsurprisingly both him and Bryan Ferry were name-checked a lot in the book as influences for many acts from that scene who blew up in the 80s.
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Wednesday, 07:10 PM
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#284
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Ciao, 911? E 'Quagmire. Sì, è preso nella finestra di questo
Joined: 25 March 2011
Posts: 17,959 User: 13,341
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Aired on 18th of August "World In Action" shone a light on chart rigging which had the ultimate outcome that Record companies ended its practice of trying to "bribe" record shops in an overt way and instead moved toward offering free gifts with tracks for the record buyer (T-shirts, free gifts, posters etc) which was also then regulated in 1983 when Gallup came along and stipulated that any free gist should have a value less than the record itself was being sold for. |
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Wednesday, 07:54 PM
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#285
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 Say that hiss with your chest, and...
Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 18,472 User: 23,308
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'Start' is quite good but not among the best Jam songs imo.
The Piranhas song I know and its good fun, probably an influence on the band Modern Romance who we saw in the 1983 thread. The Kelly Marie track I know well and it is absolutely joyous in my opinion. Perhaps an influence for the Pet Shop Boys - Heart with its synth 'heartbeat' sounds. QUOTE(Jade @ 24th April 2024, 08:06 PM)  Ahhhh another brilliant #1 in a row with 'Ashes To Ashes' I recently finished a book all about the New Romantics and it was interesting to learn about Bowie's Blitz Club visit and the creation of the music video. Unsurprisingly both him and Bryan Ferry were name-checked a lot in the book as influences for many acts from that scene who blew up in the 80s.Its a pity the Roxy Music song at the charts at this time 'Oh Yeah' is rather boring. Don't know many Roxy Music song but their song 'Love Is The Drug' is fab and can hear its influence on New Romantic music and early 80s Britfunk. This post has been edited by TheSnake: Wednesday, 10:10 PM |
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Wednesday, 10:00 PM
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#286
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 21 February 2021
Posts: 3,574 User: 124,514
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Can't believe I've never actually watched the 'Ashes to Ashes' video. It's amazing - so so weird and wonderful. Bowie such an innovator.
Never blown away by the Jam but 'Start' with that riff is amongst their best. Agreed with TheSnake about Kelly Marie being joyous - that, Liquid Gold, Stacy Lattishaw, Lipps Inc etc So much infectious happy disco music around (as well as the darker stuff) makes 1980 a classic year. |
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Thursday, 08:46 AM
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#287
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,851 User: 17,376
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Start is def Taxman inspired, I liked it a lot but not enough to buy it like Going Underground. 9 to 5, meh, always preferred Modern Girl, the TV show was fascinating and Sheena would move to the USA in a couple of years. John Peel had a small record-case of precious 7" singles, and I read he had 3 copies of 9 to 5 in it along with Teenage Kicks and a single by unknown band The Legion Of Super-Heroes, named after my all-time DC comics future-set super-heroes. I think John had a soft spot for Sheena, he introduced Machinery on Top Of The Pops in 1982 as her best record since 9 to 5 (which it clearly was).
Kelly Marie is pinging fun, those backing dancers costumes' were quite eye-catching at the time. It was hard not to see... Topless oiled-up Pirhanas also stood out. |
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Thursday, 12:28 PM
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#288
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 Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 35,316 User: 54
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I quite like the Kelly Marie track too - it is what it is, not something I'd normally choose to play at home but good fun if it is played whilst you're out and very catchy
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Thursday, 07:26 PM
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#289
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Ciao, 911? E 'Quagmire. Sì, è preso nella finestra di questo
Joined: 25 March 2011
Posts: 17,959 User: 13,341
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30TH AUGUST
 The charts have a bit of a summer slump this week as almost all the tracks in the top 10 have a sales dip. Bowie holds onto the top spot with "Ashes To Ashes" though sales dip fractionally to 109,000 (cumulatively 283,000) and on paper The Jam look to be serious challengers as "Start" rises 3-2 but its sales are only up 8% to 98,000. Further progress may rely on the collapse of Bowie, the rest of the top 4 won't be a threat, Sheena Easter bounces back to No 3 but sales dive 22% to 68,000 marginally ahead of ABBA's "Winner Takes It All" which relents 2-4 (65.000). Total sales of "9 to 5" are now 326,859  Meanwhile records continue to be broken as for a third week in a row a track debuts in the top 10, this time its the return of Gary Numan who turned the trick earlier this year with "We Are Glass" which debuted at No 10, he goes two better this time around with "I Die: You Die" on sales of 48,000, four thousand more than its predecessor. Lyrically about the harsh press the star received this year, it heralds a new album "Telekon" which is due next month though indications are that it won't be on that album.  Further down the charts Mike Berry returns with "Sunshine Of Your Smile" which rises 13-10 (36,000), it dates back to 1913 but its the first time the song has charted. The actor, who is better known for his role in "Worzel Gummidge" recently, was a pop star back in the early 60s as part of Mike Berry and the Outlaws whose biggest hit was in 1963 with "Don't You Think It's Time" which peaked at No 6, this song is produced by Chas from" Chas & Dave" who made the top 20 themselves last year with "Gertcha". There are two climbers not mentioned so far in the top 10, Kelly Marie, who sashay's her way 8-5 (64,000) and The Piranhas who move 9-6 (50,000), and in neat symmetry there are two fallers not mentioned as well, Diana Ross who dips 5-7 (49,000) and the Gap Band 7-9 (37,000) 1- ASHES TO ASHES- David Bowie (109,000) 2- START- The Jam (98,000) 3- 9 TO 5- Sheena Easton (68,000) 4- THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL- Abba (65,000) 5- FEELS LIKE I’M IN LOVE- Kelly Marie (64,000) 6- TOM HARK- The Piranhas (50,000) 7- UPSIDE DOWN- Diana Ross (49,000) 8- I DIE: YOU DIE- Gary Numan (49,000) 9- OOPS UPSIDE YOUR HEAD- Gap Band (37,000) 10- SUNSHINE OF YOUR SMILE- Mike Berry (36,000)  
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Yesterday, 07:24 AM
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#290
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 November 2015
Posts: 33,294 User: 22,665
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really like Kelly Marie and the Mike Berry too all very retro
Start from The Jam is good too |
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23 hours ago
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#291
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,851 User: 17,376
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The Mike Berry comeback was sweet (Are You Being Served drafted him in as a cast member replacement around this time or shortly after), nice to see an ancient song work in a modern format. I Die You Die was great and Gary Numan was another example of press hostility (see The Monkees), so not at all surprising he made a song out of it. The music press back in those days (there isnt a music press anymore, yet the music biz manages to carry on somehow) often acted like packs of hounds where what mattered was being currently cool, and they decided what was cool or not. That said, this was Gazza's last real solo pop hit, he moved into darker waters in 1981 and stuck with it for oooh, 43 years so far, bar a fab collab with Bill Sharpe and reissues/remixes of the 2 number ones, not to mention samples galore.
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14 hours ago
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#292
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Ciao, 911? E 'Quagmire. Sì, è preso nella finestra di questo
Joined: 25 March 2011
Posts: 17,959 User: 13,341
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6TH SEPTEMBER
 By one of the quirks that makes chart watching entertaining the Jam climb to No 1 this week with "Start" despite falling sales, it's a case of the last one standing really. It sold a further 81,000 copies to bring its total to 270,000 after 3 weeks, that dip of 17% is outstripped by a 29% drop for Bowie as he falls to the No 2 spot (77,000) perhaps buyers are waiting for the parent album due in a fortnight's time. The Jam become only the second act in the 80s to grab two chart toppers though on current evidence it will struggle to add many more weeks to its reign. Sheena Easton is also down 3-4 (58,000), and falls behind a still rising Kelly Marie 5-3 (60,000) but next week's chart topper could be anyone as they all cool at retail.  Garnering glowing reviews for its release this month is the movie "Breaking Glass" which stars Hazel O'Connor as the lead character Kate. Featured as a song in the film "Eighth Day" storms into the top 10 this week 13-5 (55,000) which is another good omen.  Cliff's back with a new album "I'm No Hero" and a lead single "Dreamin" which rises 14-10 (28,000) giving him back to back top 10 hits for the first time since 1969 and a 44th top tenner in total! The song was co-written by none other than Leo Sayer. Good climbs for Gary Numan this week 8-6 (47,000) and Mike Berry 10-9 (39,000), but falls for The Piranhas 6-7 (47,000) and ABBA 4-8 (45,000) 1- START- The Jam (81,000) 2- ASHES TO ASHES- David Bowie (77,000) 3- FEELS LIKE I’M IN LOVE- Kelly Marie (60,000) 4- 9 TO 5- Sheena Easton (58,000) 5- EIGHTH DAY- Hazel O’Connor (55,000) 6- I DIE: YOU DIE- Gary Numan (47,000) 7- TOM HARK- The Piranhas (47,000) 8- THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL- Abba (45,000) 9- SUNSHINE OF YOUR SMILE- Mike Berry (39,000) 10- DREAMIN- Cliff Richard (28,000)  
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13 hours ago
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#293
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Alone and wounded
Pronouns: She/her
Joined: 18 January 2011 Posts: 60,191 User: 12,810
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Great that 'Ashes to Ashes' was a multi-week #1. 'Start!' is pretty good but I do find that the 'Taxman'-style riff does quite a bit of heavy lifting.
'I Die: You Die' is another fab Gary Numan single  I knew that Chas Hodges was in the Outlaws (read a biography all about Joe Meek and those he worked with) but didn't realise he was still working with the front-man until as late as the 80s. |
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12 hours ago
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#294
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 21 February 2021
Posts: 3,574 User: 124,514
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'Eighth Day' by Hazel O'Connor is absolutely amazing - spacey, quirky, arresting but so catchy. Reminds me a bit of the 1979 wonder 'Lucky Number' by Lene Lovich.
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