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 The BMRB Years- Top 10 sales, 1980 |
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 27th March 2024, 07:27 AM
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#61
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 November 2015
Posts: 33,299 User: 22,665 
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for what I recall, Annie and Dave were not writing songs in Tourists, the main songwriter was someone else
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27th March 2024, 10:59 AM
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#62
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,856 User: 17,376
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fond memories of my final year at uni here, taping them onto cassette to play loudly which sometimes annoyed Bev in the room upstairs if she wasnt out on Teaching Practice. Most of them I love and they sound wonderful in the clubs, a lot of them I was dancing to the other week in London on a night out. I was not however dancing to Kenny Rogers which I hated, as a non-violent person, the idea that you had to take revenge to be a "man" was and still is morally wrong while pandering to macho stereotype bullsh*t.
The Specials on the other hand were making socially aware songs, and Too Much Too Young is pretty much good advice fighting against the working class stereotype that you leave school at 16 get a job, get pregnant, get married - it might come over as judgemental, but that was society prior to the 80's when things started to change a bit. It's an attempt to say "enjoy being young, get some cash first, plan ahead". My mum and my Aunty Norma (who I saw yesterday) both married at 18, and I was shortly on the way, so I'm obv very grateful they did - but we were poverty-stricken in the old-fashioned sense of the word, as in had the clothes you had passed down and nothing much else beyond inexpensive food until dad joined the RAF and escaped the poverty-trap of Northern coal-mining town living. Not just pop music then 
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27th March 2024, 01:41 PM
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#63
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my mind is ready for fun
Joined: 28 August 2017
Posts: 10,725 User: 38,591
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That's also my impression of 'Too Much Too Young', it's discourse on the working class male fear of women, rather than The Specials advocating misogyny themselves. This sort of social commentary mostly disappeared from popular music later in the 1980s.
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27th March 2024, 04:07 PM
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#64
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 Ciao, 911? E 'Quagmire. Sì, è preso nella finestra di questo
Joined: 25 March 2011
Posts: 17,961 User: 13,341
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9TH FEBRUARY
 A week of consolidation as The Specials remain on top with "Too Much Too Young" on a strong sale of 109,000 returning the chart topping single to six figure sums for the first time in the decade and brings its accumulated total to 228,000. It should be noted that the track borrows from a 1969 track "Birth Control" by Lloyd Charmers which wasn't a hit here but is certainly getting a second chance in the limelight now, and whole package is only the 2nd EP top the charts following in the footsteps of Demis Roussos in 1976. Rising at an alarming rate and showing distinct signs of a future No 1 is Kenny Rogers whose "Coward Of The County" accelerates 10-2 on sales of 62,000, that's an increase of 49% over last week, suddenly that Specials winning margin looks less secure now! The Nolans and Madness swap places at No's 3 & 4 respectively, but both records are now in decline saleswise- The Nolans off 13% to 58,000 and Madness slide 19% to slip behind the Irish sisters by a matter of 300 sales. Also reaping a sales benefit (though not chart positions) is Joe Jackson who holds at No 5 on an improved tally of 55,000 but Styx's "Babe" bounces 7-6, also with 55,000 buyers.  The sole new entry to the top 10 comes from the Boomtown Rats with "Someone's Looking At You" selling 38,000. That's a good improvement on their last outing "Diamond Smiles" which peaked at No 13 before Christmas and was a marked comedown after a couple of No 1 hits, it's now their fourth top 10 hit from 8 releases. Everything else moves south, former No 1 "Brass In Pocket" tumbles 2-7 (40,000), Billy Preston & Syreeta drop 3 (6-9, 35,000) and Booker T & MG's drop a place (9-10, 33,000) 1- TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG- The Specials (109,000) 2- COWARD OF THE COUNTY- Kenny Rogers (62,000) 3- I’M IN THE MOOD FOR DANCING- The Nolans (58,000) 4- MY GIRL- Madness (58,000) 5- IT’S DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS- Joe Jackson (55,000) 6- BABE- Styx (55,000) 7- BRASS IN POCKET- The Pretenders (40,000) 8- SOMEONE’S LOOKING AT YOU- Boomtown Rats (38,000) 9- WITH YOU I’M BORN AGAIN- Billy Preston & Syreeta (35,000) 10- GREEN ONIONS- Booker T & The MG’s (33,000)          
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27th March 2024, 07:39 PM
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#65
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 November 2015
Posts: 33,299 User: 22,665
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Really like the Boomtown Rats one, great band even though I'm not a fan of Bob Geldof
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27th March 2024, 08:09 PM
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#66
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Say that hiss with your chest, and...
Joined: 24 May 2016
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'Someone's Looking At You' is very good.
This #31 hit at the time has become a quite iconic early electronic tune, certainly sounds great for its time. Only made #23 Thought it was a top 10 hit in the UK, its pretty famous as it made #1 in the US. Don't like it much myself some of the lyrics are a bit patronising. And what the hell, this only made #32 in the UK? I have liked this song for a long time, used to be popular on disco night on The X Factor! This post has been edited by TheSnake: 27th March 2024, 08:41 PM |
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27th March 2024, 10:00 PM
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#67
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 21 February 2021
Posts: 3,574 User: 124,514
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I absolutely love Boomtown Rats breakthrough in 1978 'Like Clockwork' and,of course, the legendary 'I Don't Like Mondays'. This track isn't quite as good as those two but still a corker.
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27th March 2024, 10:15 PM
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#68
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
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They were on their way downwards by this stage only had one more top 10 I think!
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27th March 2024, 11:18 PM
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#69
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 26 January 2021
Posts: 7,068 User: 122,344
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The Pina Colada Song is for sure one of those "I can't believe that peaked so low" tracks.
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28th March 2024, 08:47 AM
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#70
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 21 February 2021
Posts: 3,574 User: 124,514
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Well like many cases when comparing UK and US charts I think we got it right with 'Pina Colada' (or even better if flopped completely)
Didn't know it but it's awful on first play.  Great having the non top 10 tracks too - great stuff both Gezza and TheSnake! |
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28th March 2024, 11:12 AM
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#71
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,856 User: 17,376
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loved The Boomtown Rats, the critics always had it in for them as not being "proper punk", possibly due to Bob being a gobby opinionated eloquent journo just like them. Went to see then after the hits dried up and they were still cracking. The only reason band Aid/Live Aid/charity records in general became a thing was due to Geldof being pushy and badgering busy pop stars to develop a conscience for a day, so that all worked out pretty well.
I loved Pina Colada, witty and amusing laid back story pop of 2 wanna be adulterers Rupert Holmes had an early flop I bought late 1974 called Our National Pastime, all about dating in America set to the tune of the US national anthem. Quite cute. Havent heard it in decades, but I will later this year when I get to my late 1974 re-reviews... 
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28th March 2024, 11:37 AM
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#72
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 Mansonette
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 35,316 User: 54
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Underpass! My first ever entry to the retro forum song contest
 There was a remix (not majorly different but updated in terms of sound quality) a few years back that I really enjoy - there's three different lengths of it but this one is the edit |
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28th March 2024, 01:41 PM
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#73
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Say that hiss with your chest, and...
Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 18,473 User: 23,308
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QUOTE(Smint @ Mar 28 2024, 08:47 AM)  Great having the non top 10 tracks too - great stuff both Gezza and TheSnake! There just seems to be quite a few non top 10 iconic hits in the first two months of 1980 don't think it will happen every week on the chart. I was very surprised the Pina Colada song, On The Radio and Spacer didn't go top 10. |
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28th March 2024, 04:35 PM
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#74
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Ciao, 911? E 'Quagmire. Sì, è preso nella finestra di questo
Joined: 25 March 2011
Posts: 17,961 User: 13,341
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16TH FEBRUARY
 1980 keeps on turning over the No 1 hits with The Specials failing to make it three weeks at the top as they slide to No 2 on sales of 72,000 a decline of 34% which suggests its appeal is more fleeting that 15-1 surge a fortnight ago might hint, at any rate it has a solid healthy total of 300,000 since its release 4 weeks ago. That means that at the top is Kenny Rogers who becomes the first act to score top 2 hits in the 60s, 70s and 80s as "Coward Of The County" becomes the new UK No 1 single with a further increase of sales of 41% to triumph by 15,000 copies and that DESPITE no TOTP performance this week implying that it could explode at retail in 7 days time. A good week for Bob Geldof and the boys as "Someone's Looking At You" moves 8-4 (65,000) with an outside chance it could make the top, even the Nolans profit from another TOTP performance as their sales swell to 72,000 this week losing out to the Specials by under 700 copies- are there legs left on the track at this late stage?  An intake of 3 tracks to the top 10 this weeks allows for plenty of discussion this week. First up is Keith Michell is much more famous as a serious actor but he lends his voice to some poetry by Jeremy Lloyd which was first put to music three years ago by Jim Parker and spawned a successful album. With Volume II imminent Michell voices "Captain Beaky" the lead character in the poems and finds himself in the top 10 climbing 15-5 (61,000). The track actually appears on Volume I which has been championed by Noel Edmunds who gets his reward by becoming narrator on a couple of tracks on Volume II later this year.  Next up are the Whispers who have been going since the mid 60s with only middling success in the US and virtually nothing here, but all that changes this week with "And The Beat Goes On" which rises 18-6 (47,000) and maybe worth watching over the next couple of weeks- who says disco is dead?  The last new entry comes in from 12-8 (43,000) for Jon & Vangelis. Jon is of course lead vocalist with the band Yes and this is the first fruits of the collaboration with Vangelis who he met when considering him as a replacement in the band for Rick Wakeman 6 years ago. With Jon Anderson now confirming he has left the group this may become his vehicle of choice for chart success based on this hit. Those tracks not mentioned yet include Joe Jackson (5-7, 45,000), Styx (6-9, 42,000) and Madness (4-10, 42,000) who could all be looking at their last week In the top 10. 1- COWARD OF THE COUNTY- Kenny Rogers (87,000) 2- TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG- The Specials (72,000) 3- I’M IN THE MOOD FOR DANCING- The Nolans (72,000) 4- SOMEONE’S LOOKING AT YOU- Boomtown Rats (65,000) 5- CAPTAIN BEAKY- Keith Michell (61,000) 6- AND THE BEAT GOES ON- The Whispers (47,000) 7- IT’S DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS- Joe Jackson (45,000) 8- I HEAR YOU NOW- Jon & Vangelis (43,000) 9- BABE- Styx (42,000) 10- MY GIRL- Madness (42,000)   
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28th March 2024, 04:52 PM
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#75
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Say that hiss with your chest, and...
Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 18,473 User: 23,308
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I absolutely love 'And The Beat Goes On' just disco perfection
My dad likes the band Yes so I know of them and singer Jon, I assumed up to recently that their better known I'll Find My Way Home was a one hit wonder for Jon and Vangelis. This post has been edited by TheSnake: 29th March 2024, 01:25 AM |
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28th March 2024, 05:24 PM
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#76
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 Break the tension
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 89,022 User: 51
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Echoing the Whispers love
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28th March 2024, 05:37 PM
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#77
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 3 January 2017
Posts: 10,165 User: 23,961
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And The Beat Goes On is a good one. I Hear You Now by Jon and Vangelis is a great chilled out synth tune, the vocal doesn't come in until it's almost halfway through. I've not heard that live version before, it's sounds a lot different with piano and clarinet. It's a bit of a shock that Trevor Horn from Buggles has been chosen as Jon's replacement as lead singer of Yes, I wonder how long that will last?
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28th March 2024, 06:11 PM
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#78
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BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 21 February 2021
Posts: 3,574 User: 124,514
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'Captain Beaky' is definitely one of the most unusual top 10 hits ever. Maybe Baz Luhrmann's 'Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreem)' is the most similar. Do like the brass bits though.
'And the Beat Goes On' is a track thought would be covered many times but according to Polyhex it hasn't been a hit. Was heavily sampled by Will Smith in 'Miami' 'I hear you now' is atmospheric and mesmerising. Love these early electronic hits so so much. This post has been edited by Smint: 28th March 2024, 06:11 PM |
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28th March 2024, 07:35 PM
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#79
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 November 2015
Posts: 33,299 User: 22,665
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that *thing at #1 :/ how did he brainwash the uk buyers? :/
not the bestest top 10, don't really like any of the songs |
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28th March 2024, 09:11 PM
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#80
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 26 January 2021
Posts: 7,068 User: 122,344
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Abysmal #1.
Good entry from The Whispers though. |
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