11

Inner City/Good Life

HCP:4/1988

 

Ah yes! One of house musics evergreen classics. "Good Life" is maybe a victim of overplay, but I for one never tire of hearing it. Such a feel-good, breezy, summer sort of track (even though it was released right in the middle of winter!). Inner City hailed from Detroit and were part of the development of techno. It was however Paris Greys gorgeous, easy-on-the-ear voice that helped keep the momentum going - 7 top ten hits in total, a rare feat for a dance act. You know when Paris advises "Let me take you to a place I know you wanna go - it's the good life" - you're already there! Not just a great house track - a great 80s classic still getting continuous airplay to this day.

 

http://chartarchive.org/artwork/10236-raw.jpg

 

 

I'm Not Scared is possibly one of my fave's from the 80s- Patsy Kensit looks amazing in the video before the botox! And of course the PSB'S were on top form 86-89 so what better combo!

I'm Not Scared is possibly one of my fave's from the 80s- Patsy Kensit looks amazing in the video before the botox! And of course the PSB'S were on top form 86-89 so what better combo!

 

Agreed! Never really gets played much, which is a good thing in a way. Anyway... Top ten time!!! How exciting!!!

10

Hazell Dean/Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)

HCP:4/1984

 

You can laugh all you like, "Whatever I Do.." is a choon! It's basically a gay/diva remix of "Blue Monday". SAW's breakthrough hit was Divine (see number 47), but this was their first top ten hit. Hot on heels of Searchin' (see number 63), Hazell Queen urgently required a follow up - and a big hit to boot. This was originally known as "Dance Your Love Away", however a change to the chorus resulted in a song title change and a track I regard as SAW's SECOND best single of the decade (yes, there is another SAW 7" left!). The urgency of the erratic synth, the pounding beat and a typically strong vocal from the queen of Gay Prides up and down the country ensure a personal favourite.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Whatever_I_do.jpeg

 

9

Patrice Rushen/Forget Me Nots

HCP:8/1982

 

Now, this may not ring many bells on song title alone but within, say, 2 seconds of play it becomes instantly recognisable to even the most casual music listener. Patrice was considered a child prodigy, playing the piano, percussion and writing what I consider to be the single greatest soul/funk track of the decade. Those hand claps, funky bassline and organ stabs would go on to be responsible for 2 chart toppers in 1996 and 1997 respectively (I'm sure I don't need to tell you which!). A track whenever I hear I just HAVE to move! Will Smith however can do one!

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Forget_Me_Nots_single.jpg

 

8

Sterling Void

It's Alright/Runaway Girl

HCP:53/1989

 

Oooh bit of an obscure one! Unless of course you're an old-skool house music devotee like myself, that is. This was a double A aide (remember them?!) on the FFRR label and, well, there's an element of cheating here as I'm basically getting 2 songs for the price of 1! "Runaway Girl" is a quick blast of piano house - and it's great! But what I'm more interested in is "It's Alright". hTe song was produced in 1987 so production-wise, it's primitive, yet rarely have I ever heard a song with such emotion and optimism, such a profound vocal it can almost convince one that world peace is on the horizon. It's certainly one that raises the hairs on the neck! It's criminal this failed to get mainstream recognition - proof that music injustice is not a new thing. Pet Shop Boys however DID turn it into a hit just 6 months later, dumping their frankly appaling version high in the top 5.

 

http://chartarchive.org/artwork/10326-raw.jpg

 

7

Bananarama/I Heard A Rumour

HCP:14/1987

 

WAHEY!! THE ultimate f*** YOU track of all time! There is 11 SAW tracks in this countdown, but what is exactly is it about "I Heard A Rumour" that is just so bloody brilliant? Well, Waterman has said many times how difficult Sarah, Siobhan and Karen were to work with (which basically means they wouldn't just do exactly what they were told to, eh Pete?) but Waterman still regards this as one of his personal faves. Song writing between the two parties was tiresome and taxing, refusing to use cliched lyrics meant having to think a little out of the box. This stuborn attitude thankfully paid off and what resulted was a masterclass in orgasmic 80s pop. The faux horn siren at the start is enough to get me a little over excited along with that typical zingy SAW production and electric guitar riff in the middle. It also pains me that I never got to see 2/3 of the finest girl band of all time do this live in Hyde Park!

 

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My thoughts on the top 10:

 

10 HAZELL DEAN- Love this song though I don't recall it at the time (too busy playin transformers I suspect) but a great piece o pop/ Hi N-RG though as it's S/A/W I'd doubtless love it anyway.

 

9- PATRICE RUSHEN- Not a fan of this one, I love "Fastlove" (which is obviously based heavily around it) but this is no more than OK in my book.

 

8- STERLING VOID- I was such a chart Ho in the late 80s that I never heard the original of the PSB's track until years later, I agree it probably does shade their version (which is probably my least favourite single of the 80s from them).

 

7- BANANARAMA- Obviously loving this as well though it isn't my fave Rams song from their S/A/W days (that's the sublime Love Truth & Honesty) but still it's a pop gem!

6

Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle/Your Love

HCP:59/1989

Without little doubt, the sexiest song of the 1980s. Frankie Knuckles is a familiar name, but the song perhaps not... Until you play it, that is. Yes, "Your Love" is fundamentally responsible for The Source & Candi Statons legendary anthem "You Got The Love", which was a mash up between an old Candi Staton Track and this complete beauty. Although getting a release in October 1989, it's been said "Your Love" was originally produced as far back as 1985! While there is no denying "You Got The Love" is a titanic sized house anthem, "Your Love" oozes a new depth that is so rarely heard in electronic music - or music full stop. Not a hit as such, but has since been a track that is constantly being revisited all these years later and introduced to new generations.

 

http://www.discogs.com/image/R-507193-1151097992.jpeg

 

5

Inner City/Big Fun

HCP:8/1988

 

"We don't really need a crowd to have a party...". No truer word said. We've already heard from the Detroit's finest at Number 11, however it's their debut smash "Big Fun" that does absolute wonders for me. House music was in its infancy in '88, however Inner City made a track which bridged the beefy sound of techno and the soulfulness of vocal house to make a big, chunky ecstatic dance classic! Reverse cymbals, frantic synths and a truly joyous vocal from the lovely Paris Gray. "Big Fun" hogged the charts long enough in '88 to eventually become the 6th best selling dance hit of the year and a pan European hit to boot!

 

http://www.discogs.com/image/R-239021-1284033716.jpeg

 

4

Jocelyn Brown/Somebody Else's Guy

HCP:13/1984

 

Some tracks just refuse to die. They show up time and time again - at weddings, work functions, your Mothers birthday do's. And so this leads us onto very nicely to 1984 and a then relatively unknown soul diva from North Carolina. Already lending her vocals to an array or underground Salsoul tracks in the late 70s/early 80s, the incredible Ms Brown would get her break in '84 with this soaring anthem. I'm a massive Jocelyn fan, loving the tracks she did in the mid 90s with Todd Terry however, thanks to my mother who introduced me to this, it opened up a new found love for 80s soul. But this is the money shot, a knock-out vocal and dramatic acapella-like intro and then BOOM! I was at a dodgy work function and, in the midst of a lot of rubbish played, this came on and for nearly 4 minutes I was in a trance! A truly stunning vocal almost impossible to top.

 

http://chartarchive.org/artwork/7420-raw.jpg

 

Edited July 30, 201212 yr by ScottyEm

3

Evelyn Thomas/High Energy

HCP:5/1984

 

I don't consider myself particularly camp, but we're down to the final 3 and on reflection of this rundown, I may need to reconsider this self-observation! "High Energy" is very possibly the gayest track of the 80s! Like I've said already, 1984 was the year British Music came LEAPING out of the closet! I accidentally discovered this when youtube recommended me this and, as the first lady of Hi NRG cries in this very track, "there was no turning back!". It's all so gloriously 80s, pounding beats, dazzling snyth work and somewhere along the way - Hi NRG was born! Although Ms Thomas was born in Chicago, "High Energy" was produced by Ian Levine - a music producer from Blackpool! While "High Energy", a hit all over the continent (it sold 7 millions copies!), is his pension song, he has worked with an array of artists and kept many fingers in pies over time. Evelyn meanwhile never managed to even come close to topping this, her second biggest hit following this reached just No. 60!

 

http://chartarchive.org/artwork/7415-raw.jpg

 

 

2

Lil Louis/French Kiss

HCP:2/1989

 

If there is one common denominator in this rundown, it's a great female vocal and strong melody. So, it's ironic when we come almost to the top to find a track which is almost completely absent of both! Well, the great vocal is up for debate I suppose... Anyway, "French Kiss" is one of the most unusual and surprise hits of the 1980s. My other half disregards this as a daft novelty record - I however think it's quite the opposite. I think it's bloody genius! How a track so bare and simple can be so stupidly addictive and hypnotic. From the spiral up-down xylophone intro and then BANG! I'm engrossed! And then... a proper WTF?! moment! As a kid, I'd snigger at the groaning female but now some years older, I appreciate the track for what it is. Just a shame I wasn't around in 1989 to see how exactly this went down in the clubs... ;)

 

http://www.discogs.com/image/R-99646-1139776448.jpeg

 

Edited July 30, 201212 yr by ScottyEm

1

808 State/Pacific State

HCP:10/1989

 

We've made it! And with, what is maybe a tad surprising in contrast to the other 79 entries - an instrumental! For those that have been following this, I hope it isn't an anti-climax either! "Pacific State" is a work of art. It gives me goosebumps and for that, it rightfully earns its place as my personal greatest hit of the 1980s! I say 1980s, it was released on the 7th to last week of the the decade so it almost didn't make it at all! 808 state were fundamentally a dance act, but thanks to their geographical status, the group got caught up in the baggy/indie Madchester sound which would become prominent as the decade drew to a complete close. "Pacific State" was bizarrely enough picked up by 80s radio DJ and presenter Gary Davies and quickly crashed into the top 10! It's a blindin track! The gorgeous pads, the ad-lib flute and chugging percussion... I could go on for a good while why I love this track so immensely but sod it - just play the damn thing and freak out!

 

http://www.discogs.com/image/R-3492-1168686544.jpeg

 

My thoughts on the top 10:

 

 

7- BANANARAMA- Obviously loving this as well though it isn't my fave Rams song from their S/A/W days (that's the sublime Love Truth & Honesty) but still it's a pop gem!

 

"Love Truth & Honesty" - interesting choice. Yes, it's rather good. I also love "Only Your Love", post SAW track - bloody fab!

Top 6 opinions.....

 

6- FRANKIE KNUCKLES- OMG I have Never heard this song (version) before! For the music this deserves No 1 alone though it does sound weird when Candi Staton doesn't come in! :lol:

 

5- INNER CITY- This is probably my least favourite single from their debut album (the best is clearly "Aint' Nobody better"

 

4- JOCELYN BROWN- OK but no great shakes in my book I'm afraid

 

3- EVELYN THOMAS- Fantastic- Obviously!

 

2- LIL LOUIS- you know my thoughts on this!- It offended my pure pop ears in 89

 

1- 808 STATE- I actually Like this more now than I did at the time but I wasn't into dance music until the mid 90s really but it's grown in my affections

Thanks for doing this!- A thoroughly good read (I know you don't get many comments in this part of the forum) amybe one day I'll get around to do something in a similar vein!

Brill thanks very much for your input! It's much appreciated.

 

Regarding Frankie Knuckles "Your Love", it does sound a little odd when being so used to Candi Staton but, believe me, you'll be coming back to this one more and more!

 

"French Kiss" is a bit of a marmite one, in some ways I shouldn't like it but I just find it so hypnotic and funky. I stuck this on my aunties 60th birthday at the weekend and cleared the floor (I should never be left alone near the docking station!).

 

Yes I'd love to see you do something similar, we appear to have relatively similar tastes so would be very interesting to see!