1st May 1979

 

My TV chart has an important event. Yes, the first In concert performance that impressed me (ELO). There was also a general election 3rd May, a momentous day for the world. It was a major advance for the cause of equality, because it showed that women could be equally as bad as men. In the case of Thatcher, she took it to the stratosphere and changed things so much in favour of the rich and powerful at the expense of the economy and the rest of us that the damage is still being dealt with (unsuccessfully) now. Rather sadly, if it hadn’t been for the bloody Falklands War (which she started by removing the protective British warship, inviting the belligerent Argentine military junta in) she would have gone down in history as one of the most unpopular one-term Prime Ministers. I don’t usually have a lifelong loathing of democratic politicians but she made it SO easy...

 

Anyways, I rated the TV event lower than The Sky At Night and Top Of The Pops. About right, I think...

 

Back in music-land, Supertramp pop back on top as Bright Eyes fades quickly, leaving Wings to get their first top 3 for a year. Oldies meanwhile do well, Chris Montez’ 2nd go in the Top 10 as a reissue, Amii Stewart’s only-just-better-than-Bowie’s-live-version cover of Knock On Wood at 18, The Dickies cover of fab kids show theme The Banana Splits, all-punked-up and in at 28 (I liked Drooper best), Walk On By yet another cover version hit for Average White Band at 65 - not the first, certainly not the last! - and Child covering Only You, which Ringo had already covered. Covers of covers!

 

More 1979, Eruption leap to 9 with a great euro-disco hit, Boney M leap to 21 with a cheesy euro-disco hit, Siouxsie climbs the staircase to 22, and Gary Moore goes top 40 and all French. New hits for Peaches & Herb’s smooth soul follow-up to their top 10 Groove Thing, Roxy get a swift 2nd comeback hit (and proper pop record, albeit it very smooth and MOR for them) with Dance Away at 49, and a hooker enters at 52, bleached-blonde pin-up boy on vocals and The Police reggae-rocking it big time. The Police became the band of the moment for students within months. Hudson-Ford get a comeback, good news after those 3 gem singles in a row 6 years earlier, bad news it’s with an awful novelty song as The Monks. Ugh! Better news, The Tubes are back with a knowingly kitsch mickey-take of pop using TV cliches for lyrics. It was both hilarious and melodically brilliant, a sort of The Turtles of the punk era. I had the white vinyl, TV picture cover single.

 

1 ( 2 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

2 ( 3 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

3 ( 6 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

4 ( 4 ) POP MUZIK M

5 ( 5 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

6 ( 1 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

7 ( 13 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW Abba

8 ( 15 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

9 ( 50 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

10 ( 16 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

 

 

11 ( 8 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

12 ( 7 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

13 ( 17 ) SILLY THING The Sex Pistols

14 ( 9 ) WOW Kate Bush

15 ( 10 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

16 ( 12 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

17 ( 21 ) HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET Gonzales

18 ( 28 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

19 ( 14 ) IN THE NAVY The Village People

20 ( 11 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

 

21 ( 58 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

22 ( 35 ) THE STAIRCASE (MYSTERY) Siouxsie & The Banshees

23 ( 19 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic

24 ( 34 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

25 ( 18 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

26 ( 23 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

27 ( 27 ) I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU Kandidate

28 ( NEW ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

29 ( 40 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

30 ( 36 ) OFFSHORE BANKING BUSINESS The Members

 

 

31 ( 22 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

32 ( 29 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

33 ( 25 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

34 ( 24 ) HALLELUJAH Milk And Honey featuring Gali Atari

35 ( 56 ) LOVE BALLAD George Benson

36 ( 20 ) TURN THE MUSIC UP Player's Association

37 ( 63 ) FEEL THE NEED Leif Garrett

38 ( 48 ) I GO TO PIECES Rachel Sweet

39 ( NEW ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

40 ( 64 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

 

41 ( 32 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

42 ( 26 ) STRANGE TOWN The Jam

43 ( 38 ) REMEMBER THEN Showaddywaddy

44 ( 41 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

45 ( 31 ) SOMETHING ELSE The Sex Pistols

46 ( 37 ) LUCKY NUMBERS Lene Lovich

47 ( 30 ) I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Anne Murray

48 ( 54 ) SWEET LUI LOUISE Iron Horse

49 ( NEW ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

50 ( 33 ) SOME GIRLS Racey

 

51 ( 43 ) OLIVER'S ARMY Elvis Costello

52 ( NEW ) ROXANNE The Police

53 ( 52 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

54 ( 53 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

55 ( 39 ) FIRE The Pointer Sisters

56 ( NEW ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

57 ( 55 ) Y.M.C.A. The Village People

58 ( 42 ) LET'S FLY AWAY Voyage

59 ( 44 ) FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS Neil Diamond

60 ( 47 ) INTO THE VALLEY The Skids

 

 

61 ( 45 ) OVERKILL Motorhead

62 ( 60 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

63 ( 59 ) I LOVE THE MUSIC Freefall

64 ( 51 ) WAITING FOR AN ALIBI Thin Lizzy

65 ( NEW ) WALK ON BY Average White Band

66 ( 46 ) DREAM LOVER/ MAC THE KNIFE Bobby Darrin

67 ( 70 ) DOUBLE LOVE Cracking

68 ( NEW ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

69 ( 61 ) MIRRORS Sally Oldfield

70 ( 73 ) I NEED YOUR HELP BARRY MANILOW Ray Stevens

 

 

71 ( 49 ) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Sham '69

72 ( 62 ) I WAS MADE FOR DANCING Leif Garrett

73 ( NEW ) I'M AN UPSTART The Angelic Upstarts

74 ( 68 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

75 ( NEW ) ONLY YOU Child

 

TV

1 Kenny Everett Video Show

2 ELO at Wembley

3 Mork & Mindy

4 Top Of The Pops

5 Rhoda

6 The Sky At Night

7 Election Coverage '79

8 The World About Us

9 Film '79

10 The Waltons

Edited May 16, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

8th May 1979

 

Surprise! Abba at number one again for the 11th time - actually it’s more of an unofficial double A side as I preferred Kisses Of Fire at the time, and still do, it’s a corking dancerock track, where Does Your Mother Know is cheesy singalong poprock, fun maybe, but flattered without the B side. Wings yet again at 2, and I was clearly feeling quite positive and jolly judging by the pure pop happy toons in the Top 10. Maybe it’s because 4 of my friends and me had been chatting about working the summer for cash enough to hop the new Laker airlines to California for an exciting student holiday. My dream place......!

 

The chart though, not much happening this week, Police jumping up to 20 for the first of a long run 100% Top 10 run of singles. Sparks stop pottering about and rocket from 74 to 29, back in the 40 after a 4-year break. Bowie’s back with a bang. He always was of course, but the cross-dressing video, catchy guitar riffs and synths were irresistible at 33 and highest new entry. At 37 The Undertones were deservedly back in the 40 too, fun new wave, and Cheap Trick slip in for some new wave US rock at 74.

 

 

1 ( 7 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

2 ( 3 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

3 ( 1 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

4 ( 2 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

5 ( 4 ) POP MUZIK M

6 ( 9 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

7 ( 10 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

8 ( 5 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

9 ( 6 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

10 ( 21 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

 

 

11 ( 17 ) HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET Gonzales

12 ( 18 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

13 ( 24 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

14 ( 28 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

15 ( 12 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

16 ( 11 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

17 ( 13 ) SILLY THING The Sex Pistols

18 ( 15 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

19 ( 14 ) WOW Kate Bush

20 ( 52 ) ROXANNE The Police

 

21 ( 8 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

22 ( 16 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

23 ( 49 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

24 ( 39 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

25 ( 27 ) I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU Kandidate

26 ( 35 ) LOVE BALLAD George Benson

27 ( 20 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

28 ( 26 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

29 ( 74 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

30 ( 40 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

 

31 ( 22 ) THE STAIRCASE (MYSTERY) Siouxsie & The Banshees

32 ( 19 ) IN THE NAVY The Village People

33 ( NEW ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

34 ( 32 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

35 ( 23 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic

36 ( 33 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

37 ( NEW ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

38 ( 25 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

39 ( 37 ) FEEL THE NEED Leif Garrett

40 ( 29 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

 

 

41 ( 31 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

42 ( 48 ) SWEET LUI LOUISE Iron Horse

43 ( 44 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

44 ( 41 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

45 ( 36 ) TURN THE MUSIC UP Player's Association

46 ( 30 ) OFFSHORE BANKING BUSINESS The Members

47 ( 46 ) LUCKY NUMBERS Lene Lovich

48 ( 65 ) WALK ON BY Avergae White Band

49 ( 38 ) I GO TO PIECES Rachel Sweet

50 ( 56 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

 

 

51 ( 34 ) HALLELUJAH Milk And Honey featuring Gali Atari

52 ( 45 ) SOMETHING ELSE The Sex Pistols

53 ( 53 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

54 ( 54 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

55 ( 51 ) OLIVER'S ARMY Elvis Costello

56 ( 42 ) STRANGE TOWN The Jam

57 ( NEW ) VALLEY OF THE DOLLS Generation X

58 ( 50 ) SOME GIRLS Racey

59 ( 57 ) Y.M.C.A. The Village People

60 ( 47 ) I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Anne Murray

 

61 ( 68 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

62 ( 59 ) FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS Neil Diamond

63 ( 62 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

64 ( 60 ) INTO THE VALLEY The Skids

65 ( 43 ) REMEMBER THEN Showaddywaddy

66 ( 64 ) WAITING FOR AN ALIBI Thin Lizzy

67 ( 61 ) OVERKILL Motorhead

68 ( NEW ) UNTIL THE NIGHT Billy Joel

69 ( 58 ) LET'S FLY AWAY Voyage

70 ( 55 ) FIRE The Pointer Sisters

 

71 ( 69 ) MIRRORS Sally Oldfield

72 ( 73 ) I'M AN UPSTART The Angelic Upstarts

73 ( 75 ) ONLY YOU Child

74 ( NEW ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

75 ( 67 ) DOUBLE LOVE Cracking

 

TV

1 A Fire In The Sky (TV Film)

2 Soap

3 Mork & Mindy

4 Fawlty Towers

5 Top Of The Pops

6 Happy Days

7 The Birds (film)

8 Tomorrow's World

9 McMillan

10 The Odd Couple

Edited May 17, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

15th May 1979

 

2 weeks for Abba, holding off Pop Muzik at 2. M did eventually reach number one. 10 Years later! Eruption get 2 top 3’s, but not the start of a promising run of hits, more like the end of. The Dickies slip up to 7, Sparks rise to 11, Bowie to 18 and highest new entry is Lene Lovich, saying when, a great follow-up to Lucky Number, not nearly as annoying after overplays. Cheap Trick meanwhile shoot up to 33, Bachman-Turner Overd...oops I mean Iron Horse finally break the 40, and Linda Clifford discofies a classic. Or should that be crucifies...? I charted it purely for the song, I think. Nice to see the Damned go Top 40 too.

 

Cher is back after a gap, and guess what, she’s gone disco. Take Me Home enters at 48, I rather liked it, though the UK buying public disagreed - well, at least not for another 20-odd years and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s cover version. Blondie follow up a monster classic with a French-flavoured melodic pop gem of a single, at 60. Orleans are also back after a couple of years away from my charts, they never did get that UK hit, despite radio airplay exposure for Dance With Me and Still The One. A 2nd Beatle pops into the 75, George at 65, and one I’m going to have to youtube as i’ve not heard it in 35 years. Hope it’s good! Roy Wood’s back at 75 too, not one of his best, and virtually his last barring xmas reissues and rerecordings. Finally, Earth Wind & Fire duet with protogees The Emotions on a funky disco classic. Fab.

 

1 ( 1 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

2 ( 5 ) POP MUZIK M

3 ( 6 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

4 ( 7 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

5 ( 3 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

6 ( 2 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

7 ( 14 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

8 ( 10 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

9 ( 4 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

10 ( 20 ) ROXANNE The Police

 

11 ( 29 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

12 ( 13 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

13 ( 9 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

14 ( 8 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

15 ( 23 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

16 ( 11 ) HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET Gonzales

17 ( 12 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

18 ( 33 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

19 ( 24 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

20 ( 15 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

 

 

 

21 ( 30 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

22 ( 16 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

23 ( 26 ) LOVE BALLAD George Benson

24 ( 18 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

25 ( 19 ) WOW Kate Bush

26 ( 22 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

27 ( 17 ) SILLY THING The Sex Pistols

28 ( 28 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

29 ( 37 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

30 ( NEW ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

 

 

31 ( 25 ) I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU Kandidate

32 ( 21 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

33 ( 74 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

34 ( 27 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

35 ( 42 ) SWEET LUI LOUISE Iron Horse

36 ( NEW ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Linda Clifford

37 ( 34 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

38 ( 36 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

39 ( NEW ) LOVE SONG The Damned

40 ( 50 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

 

41 ( 31 ) THE STAIRCASE (MYSTERY) Siouxsie & The Banshees

42 ( 32 ) IN THE NAVY The Village People

43 ( 43 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

44 ( 38 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

45 ( 35 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic

46 ( 41 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

47 ( 44 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

48 ( NEW ) TAKE ME HOME Cher

49 ( 46 ) OFFSHORE BANKING BUSINESS The Members

50 ( 45 ) TURN THE MUSIC UP Player's Association

 

 

51 ( 40 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

52 ( 39 ) FEEL THE NEED Leif Garrett

53 ( 47 ) LUCKY NUMBERS Lene Lovich

54 ( 53 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

55 ( 54 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

56 ( 61 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

57 ( 48 ) WALK ON BY Average White Band

58 ( 52 ) SOMETHING ELSE The Sex Pistols

59 ( 55 ) OLIVER'S ARMY Elvis Costello

60 ( NEW ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

 

61 ( 59 ) Y.M.C.A. The Village People

62 ( NEW ) LOVE TAKES TIME Orleans

63 ( 72 ) I'M AN UPSTART The Angelic Upstarts

64 ( 63 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

65 ( NEW ) LOVE COMES TO EVERYONE George Harrison

66 ( 51 ) HALLELUJAH Milk And Honey featuring Gali Atari

67 ( 58 ) SOME GIRLS Racey

68 ( 68 ) UNTIL THE NIGHT Billy Joel

69 ( 49 ) I GO TO PIECES Rachel Sweet

70 ( NEW ) CHAINS The Late Show

 

71 ( 64 ) INTO THE VALLEY The Skids

72 ( NEW ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

73 ( 57 ) VALLEY OF THE DOLLS Generation X

74 ( 71 ) MIRRORS Sally Oldfield

75 ( NEW ) WE'RE BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN Roy Wood

 

 

 

TV

1 3 Hungry Wives (TV film)

2 Soap

3 Top Of The Pops

4 South Bank Show

5 Barney Miller

6 Mork & Mindy (Fri)

7 Rockford Files

8 A Shot In The Dark (film)

9 Mork & Mindy (sat)

10 The Odd Couple

Edited May 17, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

8th May 1979

 

Surprise! Abba at number one again for the 11th time - actually it’s more of an unofficial double A side as I preferred Kisses Of Fire at the time, and still do, it’s a corking dancerock track, where Does Your Mother Know is cheesy singalong poprock, fun maybe, but flattered without the B side.

1 ( 7 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

 

Yes, John. :yahoo:

Finally someone said it. "Kisses Of Fire" could replace Dusty Springfield on the top, if albums tracks were available for my retro charts. "Does Your Mother Know" even didn't reach top 10. "Sunday Girl" for the next # 1. Easily best Blondie's song. :)

Edited May 19, 201411 yr by AlexRange

Yes, John. :yahoo:

Finally someone said it. "Kisses Of Fire" could replace Dusty Springfield on the top, if albums tracks were available for my retro charts. "Does Your Mother Know" even didn't reach top 10. "Sunday Girl" for the next # 1. Easily best Blondie's song. :)

 

Thanks Alex, you're right, too about Blondie (Ive given it away!), but how long will it take to get there :lol:

cheers

john

 

22nd May 1979

 

3 weeks for Abba, and Sparks get their biggest hit since This Town... up to 2 with the Number One Song, will they won’t they though..? Police take that red light up to 4, and Roxy get a Top 10 hit again, though to be fair they made the top 10 every year (or solo Ferry) every year bar 1978 since debuting in 1972. Mike Oldfield gets his 6th Top 10, and Blondie shoot up from 60 to 13, 6 Top 20’s in a row.

 

Undertones and Lene Lovich go top 20, and then it’s all about the new entries: ELO highest at 22, with the disco-flavoured Shine A Little Love and never failing to make my charts, with one possible exception in 1974. Donna Summer at 34, going a bit raunchy in a guitar riff sense, and getting huge in the States at long last after being huge in the UK for 2 or 3 years. Elvis Costello is back at 38 with one of his most tuneful poptastic minor hits, Dollar follw-up at 43 with the not-dissimilar Who Were You With In The Moonlight (to Shooting Star), but soooo catchy anyway.

 

The Shads insist on doing another cover (the dreary film theme), The Clash do a more inventive cover (60’s classic I Fought The Law), and best of all, sneaking in at 73 it’s Elton going all Philly disco 5 years late. To be fair, the record was several years old when it came out, oddly, but it was (to be honest) better than most of his records of the last 2 years. You may have heard of it, being as Are You Ready For Love got to Number One. Eventually. There may have been a record that had to wait longer than 24 years to top the chart (Reet Petite) but I’m not sure if it’s the oldest actual RECORDING to do it for the first time or not. Answers on a postcard.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

2 ( 11 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

3 ( 3 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

4 ( 10 ) ROXANNE The Police

5 ( 8 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

6 ( 2 ) POP MUZIK M

7 ( 7 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

8 ( 15 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

9 ( 4 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

10 ( 12 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

 

11 ( 5 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

12 ( 6 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

13 ( 60 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

14 ( 29 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

15 ( 30 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

16 ( 19 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

17 ( 9 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

18 ( 18 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

19 ( 14 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

20 ( 21 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

 

21 ( 13 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

22 ( NEW ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

23 ( 17 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

24 ( 72 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

25 ( 20 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

26 ( 56 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

27 ( 35 ) SWEET LUI LOUISE Iron Horse

28 ( 23 ) LOVE BALLAD George Benson

29 ( 16 ) HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET Gonzales

30 ( 36 ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Linda Clifford

 

 

31 ( 22 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

32 ( 39 ) LOVE SONG The Damned

33 ( 33 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

34 ( NEW ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

35 ( 26 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

36 ( 28 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

37 ( 24 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

38 ( NEW ) ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Elvis Costello

39 ( 25 ) WOW Kate Bush

40 ( 37 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

 

 

41 ( 31 ) I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU Kandidate

42 ( 48 ) TAKE ME HOME Cher

43 ( NEW ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

44 ( 38 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

45 ( 27 ) SILLY THING The Sex Pistols

46 ( 34 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

47 ( 32 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

48 ( 43 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

49 ( NEW ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

50 ( 41 ) THE STAIRCASE (MYSTERY) Siouxsie & The Banshees

 

 

51 ( 40 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

52 ( 44 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

53 ( 46 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

54 ( 47 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

55 ( 54 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

56 ( 55 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

57 ( 45 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic

58 ( 65 ) LOVE COMES TO EVERYONE George Harrison

59 ( 42 ) IN THE NAVY The Village People

60 ( 50 ) TURN THE MUSIC UP Player's Association

 

61 ( 49 ) OFFSHORE BANKING BUSINESS The Members

62 ( 62 ) LOVE TAKES TIME Orleans

63 ( 63 ) I'M AN UPSTART The Angelic Upstarts

64 ( 53 ) LUCKY NUMBERS Lene Lovich

65 ( 51 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

66 ( NEW ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

67 ( 70 ) CHAINS The Late Show

68 ( 61 ) Y.M.C.A. The Village People

69 ( 64 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

70 ( 58 ) SOMETHING ELSE The Sex Pistols

 

71 ( 52 ) FEEL THE NEED Leif Garrett

72 ( 59 ) OLIVER'S ARMY Elvis Costello

73 ( NEW ) ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE Elton John

74 ( NEW ) RUNAWAY Elkie Brooks

75 ( 67 ) SOME GIRLS Racey

 

 

 

TV

1 Soap

2 Mork & Mindy

3 Barney Miller

4 Top Of The Pops

5 The Last Voyage (film)

6 Rockford Files

7 Fantasy Island

8 The New Maverick (TV film)

9 Up The Chastity Belt (film)

10 The Odd Couple

Edited May 19, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

29th May 1979

 

4th and final week on top for Kisses Of Fire, but who’s going to get the spot, Sparks at 2, Blondie up to 3, Bowie up to 6, ELO up to 22...all faves, all former chart toppers, all still fab!? Lene Lovich at 9, Elvis Costello’s fab Accidents Will happen at 13, Tubes fab Prime Time at 14, and even Dollar shooting stars up to 15 could even make it a newcomer topper. Tune in next month to see if it is Blondie after all:)

 

All that activity means the highest new track is Quantum Jump at 34. Whoooo?! Just listen to the first 30 seconds, longest town name in the world at the time (New Zealand), and the record is a 3-year-old slyly gay goodie too finally a hit thanks to Kenny Everett’s TV and radio shows. The Skids follow-up is the equal of Into The Valley, in at 37, and probably the last 2 ever Philly hits in the chart with McFadden & Whitehead’s classic (joining Elton) at 39, ain’t no stoppin them. 64, Tubeway Army, striking dark morose electronic music, people said a bit Bowie, well nothing like Boys Keep Swinging actually, and even better! Sister Sledge 2nd time round keep the disco ball rolling with another Chic classic, We Are Family, so that’s one-up on their Jackson 5 period.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

2 ( 2 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

3 ( 13 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

4 ( 4 ) ROXANNE The Police

5 ( 8 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

6 ( 18 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

7 ( 22 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

8 ( 3 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

9 ( 15 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

10 ( 7 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

 

11 ( 14 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

12 ( 6 ) POP MUZIK M

13 ( 38 ) ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Elvis Costello

14 ( 26 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

15 ( 43 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

16 ( 5 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

17 ( 10 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

18 ( 11 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

19 ( 32 ) LOVE SONG The Damned

20 ( 24 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

 

21 ( 9 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

22 ( 12 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

23 ( 16 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

24 ( 17 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

25 ( 19 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

26 ( 30 ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Linda Clifford

27 ( 33 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

28 ( 21 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

29 ( 34 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

30 ( 25 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

 

 

 

31 ( 23 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

32 ( 49 ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

33 ( 20 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

34 ( NEW ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

35 ( 35 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

36 ( 36 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

37 ( NEW ) MASQUERADE The Skids

38 ( 31 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

39 ( NEW ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

40 ( 29 ) HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET Gonzales

 

 

41 ( 40 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

42 ( 37 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

43 ( 27 ) SWEET LUI LOUISE Iron Horse

44 ( 28 ) LOVE BALLAD George Benson

45 ( 51 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

46 ( 39 ) WOW Kate Bush

47 ( 44 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

48 ( 52 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

49 ( 41 ) I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU Kandidate

50 ( 48 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

 

 

51 ( 46 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

52 ( 47 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

53 ( 45 ) SILLY THING The Sex Pistols

54 ( 55 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

55 ( 56 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

56 ( 53 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

57 ( 50 ) THE STAIRCASE (MYSTERY) Siouxsie & The Banshees

58 ( 42 ) TAKE ME HOME Cher

59 ( 66 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

60 ( 54 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

 

61 ( 57 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic

62 ( 60 ) TURN THE MUSIC UP Player's Association

63 ( 67 ) CHAINS The Late Show

64 ( NEW ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

65 ( 58 ) LOVE COMES TO EVERYONE George Harrison

66 ( 59 ) IN THE NAVY The Village People

67 ( 61 ) OFFSHORE BANKING BUSINESS The Members

68 ( 73 ) ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE Elton John

69 ( 69 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

70 ( 68 ) Y.M.C.A. The Village People

 

71 ( 74 ) RUNAWAY Elkie Brooks

72 ( NEW ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

73 ( 64 ) LUCKY NUMBERS Lene Lovich

74 ( NEW ) YOU AND ME Liner

75 ( 65 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

 

 

TV

1 Soap

2 George Burns 100th Birthday

3 Top Of The Pops

4 Horizon

5 Dave Allan At Large

6 Petrocelli

7 Fantasy Island

8 Mary Hartman Mary Hartman

9 Centennial (Tues)

10 Tomorrow's World

Edited May 19, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

5th June 1979

 

Still at College, towards the end of the second year and plans for a trip to california (after working over the summer to pay for it) were firming up. Meanwhile I became enraptured by a TV mini series called Centennial. Part of my degree involved American Studies - history, geography and literature (I always have had a thing for the USA!) - so this series was quite relevant to me, being as it covered an era I’d been studying, the Native American getting wiped out at worst, relocated onto badlands at best, in the movement West. It pretty much covered generations of settlers with an all-star cast, much-loved actors by me like David Janssen, Lynn Redgrave and new star Gregory Harrison. I loved it so much I wrote a letter of comment to Radio Times when it finished, which they printed, yay! It’s taken 35 years but I have a Dutch DVD version of the series now. Unlike new Glen A. Larson series Sword Of Justice (action-adventure) which I also liked a lot - only to never be repeated or available ever again.

 

Back in pop land Debbie Harry ruled, everywhere it seemed, a pin-up fave of the boys at College, and Blondie duly topped my chart for the third time with the fab Sunday Girl. Ooh la la! ELO were also huge, and go up to 4 with a slightly-below-par single (but only slightly) while the fab Tubes shoot up to 5. Love that melody. Dollar’s synth-poppiness gets them a top 10 for the second time, The Skids shoot up to 11, Mcfadden & Whitehead at 17 prove there’s no stopping ‘em now, The Shads get a rare Top 20 hit and Tubeway Army rocket up to 22 after an enigmatic TOTP performance.

 

Highest new entry is future UK topper Ring My Bell, Linda Ward sounding catchy for a while, and beating out more street-cred disco of The Bombers in at 30. Gerry Rafferty get’s a 3rd Top 40 hit, Night Owl entering at 37, and Edwin Starr gets 2 in a row thanks to some happy radio plays. The Village People get a 3rd hit, a lowly 58 to start with, but future-anthem Go West would eventually top my charts - by Pet Shop Boys and their genius take on this fairly standard gay disco track. Hot Choc make a statement about Mindless Boogie, and get rewarded with a relative flop, but hey they get 9 consecutive years of hits in my charts, big fan was I. Not many new entries though, and the short list of TV shows makes me think I was away somewhere, maybe London with the art or geography shtudents who were my natural crowds of friends. Must check my diary if I ever find it...(you didn’t think my ramblings were from notes did you!?)

 

 

1 ( 3 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

2 ( 1 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

3 ( 2 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

4 ( 7 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

5 ( 14 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

6 ( 4 ) ROXANNE The Police

7 ( 9 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

8 ( 15 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

9 ( 5 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

10 ( 6 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

 

11 ( 37 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

12 ( 20 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

13 ( 13 ) ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Elvis Costello

14 ( 11 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

15 ( 12 ) POP MUZIK M

16 ( 8 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

17 ( 39 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

18 ( 23 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

19 ( 32 ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

20 ( 17 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

 

 

21 ( 29 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

22 ( 64 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

23 ( 10 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

24 ( 18 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

25 ( NEW ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

26 ( 27 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

27 ( 34 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

28 ( 16 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

29 ( 28 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

30 ( NEW ) (EVERYBODY) GET DANCING The Bombers

 

31 ( 72 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

32 ( 21 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

33 ( 24 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

34 ( 30 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

35 ( 25 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

36 ( 22 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

37 ( NEW ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

38 ( 19 ) LOVE SONG The Damned

39 ( 31 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

40 ( NEW ) (H.A.P.P.Y.) RADIO Edwin Starr

 

 

41 ( 36 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

42 ( 35 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

43 ( 41 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

44 ( 38 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

45 ( 26 ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Linda Clifford

46 ( 45 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

47 ( 59 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

48 ( 33 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

49 ( 47 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

50 ( 48 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

 

51 ( 46 ) WOW Kate Bush

52 ( 50 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

53 ( 42 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

54 ( 54 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

55 ( 55 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

56 ( 40 ) HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET Gonzales

57 ( 44 ) LOVE BALLAD George Benson

58 ( NEW ) GO WEST The Village People

59 ( 43 ) SWEET LUI LOUISE Iron Horse

60 ( 51 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

 

 

 

61 ( 52 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

62 ( 56 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

63 ( NEW ) THE WORKER Fischer Z

64 ( 68 ) ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE Elton John

65 ( 60 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

66 ( NEW ) MINDLESS BOOGIE Hot Chocolate

67 ( 53 ) SILLY THING The Sex Pistols

68 ( 61 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic

69 ( 69 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

70 ( 49 ) I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU Kandidate

 

71 ( 57 ) THE STAIRCASE (MYSTERY) Siouxsie & The Banshees

72 ( 62 ) TURN THE MUSIC UP Player's Association

73 ( 70 ) Y.M.C.A. The Village People

74 ( 75 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

75 ( 66 ) IN THE NAVY The Village People

 

TV

1 Centennial

2 Dave Allen At Large

3 Mork And Mindy

4 Top Of The Pops

5 Sword Of Justice

6 The World About Us

Edited June 10, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

12th June 1979

 

2 weeks for Blondie on top, a lot of shuffling abaht, but not much going on, really. Only 6 new entries, top one from Linda Lewis at 39 with a musical track from Evita. It’s fab, and how I wish some of Linda’s early TV performances had survived (circa 1973 she was a singer-songwriter, hitting with Rock A Doodle Do, then a disco diva covering It’s In His Kiss decades before Cher, and eventually morphed into backing singer for 80’s pop stars). She had a unique voice, very girlie, which I loved. At 54 it’s another gem from Squeeze, a whole soap opera in over 3 minutes or so, Glen Tilbrook showing his great vocals this time solo. Patti Smith gets a follow-up in my charts at least (Frederick), John Williams gets his original version of Cavatina in the chart to join the dropping Shads, and The Scorpions debut over a decade before they got that huge hit, making do with 75.

 

Elton's future number one (21st century that is) goes Top 40 (that's one up on the UK Top 40, hooray!), The Skids go Top 5 for the 2nd time in a row, Earth Wind & Fire get their 3rd Top 10 hit, and Anita Ward ding dong dings up to 9. Happily the far better Tubeway Army and Sister Sledge go top 20 along with Donna Summer and Quantum Jump. Centennial still rules on TV for me as Levi Zendt starts to establish the town of Centennial and marry a native Indian girl after being traumatically widowed after just getting married, running away from his Quaker community. It’s not just history, it’s soap drama!

 

 

1 ( 1 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

2 ( 2 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

3 ( 4 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

4 ( 11 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

5 ( 12 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

6 ( 3 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

7 ( 8 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

8 ( 5 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

9 ( 25 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

10 ( 6 ) ROXANNE The Police

 

11 ( 10 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

12 ( 9 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

13 ( 22 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

14 ( 31 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

15 ( 7 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

16 ( 13 ) ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Elvis Costello

17 ( 21 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

18 ( 17 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

19 ( 27 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

20 ( 15 ) POP MUZIK M

 

21 ( 14 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

22 ( 16 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

23 ( 19 ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

24 ( 18 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

25 ( 20 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

26 ( 37 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

27 ( 24 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

28 ( 23 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

29 ( 30 ) (EVERYBODY) GET DANCING The Bombers

30 ( 26 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

 

31 ( 28 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

32 ( 29 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

33 ( 40 ) (H.A.P.P.Y.) RADIO Edwin Starr

34 ( 34 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

35 ( 33 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

36 ( 38 ) LOVE SONG The Damned

37 ( 32 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

38 ( 35 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

39 ( NEW ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

40 ( 64 ) ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE Elton John

 

 

 

41 ( 41 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

42 ( 42 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

43 ( 36 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

44 ( 39 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

45 ( 47 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

46 ( 58 ) GO WEST The Village People

47 ( 43 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

48 ( 45 ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Linda Clifford

49 ( 44 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

50 ( 66 ) MINDLESS BOOGIE Hot Chocolate

 

 

 

51 ( 46 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

52 ( 48 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

53 ( 50 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

54 ( NEW ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

55 ( 49 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

56 ( 54 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

57 ( 55 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

58 ( 52 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

59 ( 63 ) THE WORKER Fischer Z

60 ( 51 ) WOW Kate Bush

 

 

61 ( 53 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

62 ( NEW ) FREDERICK The Patti Smith Group

63 ( 62 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

64 ( 61 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

65 ( NEW ) LET'S LOVE DANCE TONIGHT Gary's Gang

66 ( 60 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

67 ( 65 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

68 ( 56 ) HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET Gonzales

69 ( 69 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

70 ( 74 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

 

 

71 ( 57 ) LOVE BALLAD George Benson

72 ( 59 ) SWEET LUI LOUISE Iron Horse

73 ( 68 ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic

74 ( NEW ) CAVATINA John Williams

75 ( NEW ) IS THERE ANYBODY THERE The Scorpions

 

TV

1 Centennial

2 Rhoda

3 Mork And Mindy

4 Sword Of Justice

5 Mork And Mindy

6 Saturday Night At The Mill

7 Top Of The Pops

8 Space 1999

9 The Odd Couple

10 Fantasy Island

Edited June 10, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

19th June 1979

 

In which nothing much happens music chart-wise. So little in fact that the awful Gertcha sneaks in at the bottom of the charts. hey ho, at least the top end was still fab, Blondie getting three weeks on top and Tubeway ASrmy challenging at 3. Sister Sledge get their first (but not last) Top 10 hit, Gerry Rafferty his 6th Top 20, and Squeeze rocket right up the junction at 16 for their 3rd Top 20. Even the Village People get their third Top 20, and I don’t recall liking it that much at the time - the chart position says otherwise!

 

The Clash at last break into the 30 with the old Bobby Fuller Four 60’s USA hit, while, hooray! New Entries! Nick Lowe gets Cracking Up at 50, he was always pretty decent. Olivia Newton-John enters at 57 with one I rather liked a lot, being as it became an American holiday hit on US radio in 2 months, but which didn’t do much in the UK. Trust me it sounded great cruising down hot sunny Californian desert highways! Deeper Than The Night! Eddy Grant is back, meanwhile! Eh? Back for me, as he was very much a voice and face I knew from Top Of The Pops in the 60’s with the Equals, Viva Bobby Joe especially, and here he was 10 years on with dreadlocks and looking and sounding all Bob Marley. Living On The Frontline was throbbing and fab.

 

TV? A Python revival on TV, Centennial was still gripping me, and new pop show Jukebox Jury outdoes TOTP. I say new. Actually it was another childhood fave which had been revived (pop stars review new releases then get embarrassed for slagging them off when said new record release artist pops out from backstage). It was fun.

 

1 ( 1 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

2 ( 2 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

3 ( 13 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

4 ( 4 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

5 ( 3 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

6 ( 5 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

7 ( 9 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

8 ( 14 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

9 ( 6 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

10 ( 8 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

 

11 ( 10 ) ROXANNE The Police

12 ( 7 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

13 ( 26 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

14 ( 11 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

15 ( 12 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

16 ( 54 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

17 ( 19 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

18 ( 46 ) GO WEST The Village People

19 ( 15 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

20 ( 18 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

 

21 ( 20 ) POP MUZIK M

22 ( 16 ) ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Elvis Costello

23 ( 17 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

24 ( 22 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

25 ( 21 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

26 ( 33 ) (H.A.P.P.Y.) RADIO Edwin Starr

27 ( 23 ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

28 ( 24 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

29 ( 27 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

30 ( 45 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

 

 

31 ( 25 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

32 ( 39 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

33 ( 30 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

34 ( 34 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

35 ( 32 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

36 ( 28 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

37 ( 35 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

38 ( 29 ) (EVERYBODY) GET DANCING The Bombers

39 ( 37 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

40 ( 38 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

 

41 ( 41 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

42 ( 42 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

43 ( 36 ) LOVE SONG The Damned

44 ( 43 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

45 ( 31 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

46 ( 44 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

47 ( 47 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

48 ( 40 ) ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE Elton John

49 ( 50 ) MINDLESS BOOGIE Hot Chocolate

50 ( NEW ) CRACKING UP Nick Lowe

 

 

51 ( 48 ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Linda Clifford

52 ( 49 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

53 ( 51 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

54 ( 62 ) FREDERICK The Patti Smith Group

55 ( 57 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

56 ( 56 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

57 ( NEW ) DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT Olivia Newton-John

58 ( 55 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

59 ( 53 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

60 ( 58 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

 

 

61 ( 59 ) THE WORKER Fischer Z

62 ( NEW ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

63 ( 52 ) PARISIENNE WALKWAYS Gary Moore featuring Phil Lynnot

64 ( 74 ) CAVATINA John Williams

65 ( 63 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

66 ( 65 ) LET'S LOVE DANCE TONIGHT Gary's Gang

67 ( 60 ) WOW Kate Bush

68 ( 64 ) LET'S DANCE Chris Montez

69 ( 69 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

70 ( 61 ) COOL FOR CATS Squeeze

 

 

71 ( 70 ) HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Beach Boys

72 ( 67 ) IMPERIAL WIZARD David Essex

73 ( 75 ) IS THERE ANYBODY THERE The Scorpions

74 ( NEW ) GERTCHA Chas And Dave

75 ( 66 ) HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge

 

TV

1 Centennial

2 Soap

3 Mork And Mindy

4 Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes (film)

5 And Now For Something Completely Different...

6 Rhoda

7 Jukebox Jury

8 The Pythons

9 Top Of The Pops

10 S.W.A.T.

Edited June 13, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

26th June 1979

 

A new Number One, hooray, and the chart comes alive again with great new entries. Tubeway Army gives Gary Numan his first (and last) chart-topper with the awesome Are ‘Friends’ Electric. Gerry Rafferty gets his 3rd Top 5 hit, at 3, Squeeze their 2nd Top 10, and Quantum jump up with that masked man to 10. Highest new entry is Amii Stewart, back with another disco-fied 60’s classic, this one Light My Fire at 14. I had huge love for the Jose Feliciano gentle latin version, which went top 10 in 1968 in my charts, and it was becoming obvious that this great Doors song was pretty indestructible, it can be done in any style, by anyone, and it’s still good, cos the song is just so perfect.

 

Even better, the Beach Boys were back proper, a year ahead of their triumphant reunion tour (I was there Knebworth 1980) with a fab album and a bonafide hit, this time the Bach-based Al Jardine song, the gorgeous Lady Lynda. Wings were back in Old Siam, Sir, rocking it this time at 25 and Supertrtamp’s Breakfast In America nestled next to The Logical Song in at 33. Voyager have a halfway hotel at 35, and The Dooleys change tack, this time giving the two girls vocal duties, with a song that sounded like an Abba album track, and a rather damn fine one at that. It still sounds good, and it still sounds Abba 1979.

 

Toto show their jazzy side, soon to be their only side, as Georgie Porgie kisses the girls at 55. That topnotch popstar Kevin Keegan (and part-time footballer hero of the 70’s) has a pop at a hit at 58 - basically, it’s a Smokie record. Without the harmonies. In at 63, a record that has yet to make the UK top 40, criminally. Another huge American holiday radio hit, Driver’s Seat still sounds marvellous and fresh, and is long overdue being a hit. The annoying thing is they are British, and the USA recognised it as a classic, but in the New Wave climate of 1979 the UK snubbed it.

 

There’s still more: Art Garfunkel’s follow-up to Bright Eyes, a 50’s US ballad classic, the wonderful Since I Don’t Have You, was the first version to chart in my charts, later Guns ‘n’ Roses had a good go, but the best version was never a hit (also the most faithful to the original Skyliners version) - Don McLean - except in my chart. Thin Lizzy are back, starting to sound a tad formulaic, at 68, and the jazzy fab Chuck E’s In Love pops in for Rickie Lee Jones at 75. Phew!

 

 

 

1 ( 3 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

2 ( 1 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

3 ( 13 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

4 ( 2 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

5 ( 7 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

6 ( 6 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

7 ( 4 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

8 ( 16 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

9 ( 5 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

10 ( 17 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

 

11 ( 9 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

12 ( 8 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

13 ( 20 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

14 ( NEW ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

15 ( 18 ) GO WEST The Village People

16 ( 11 ) ROXANNE The Police

17 ( 15 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

18 ( 14 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

19 ( 10 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

20 ( 19 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

 

 

21 ( 12 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

22 ( NEW ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

23 ( 23 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

24 ( 27 ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

25 ( NEW ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

26 ( 21 ) POP MUZIK M

27 ( 32 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

28 ( 25 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

29 ( 26 ) (H.A.P.P.Y.) RADIO Edwin Starr

30 ( 24 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

 

 

31 ( 28 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

32 ( 22 ) ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Elvis Costello

33 ( NEW ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

34 ( 29 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

35 ( NEW ) HALFWAY HOTEL Voyager

36 ( 34 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

37 ( 62 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

38 ( 35 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

39 ( 57 ) DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT Olivia Newton-John

40 ( 30 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

 

41 ( 31 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

42 ( 37 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

43 ( 41 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

44 ( 42 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

45 ( 50 ) CRACKING UP Nick Lowe

46 ( 40 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

47 ( 64 ) CAVATINA John Williams

48 ( 36 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

49 ( 39 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

50 ( 47 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

 

51 ( 33 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

52 ( 44 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

53 ( 38 ) (EVERYBODY) GET DANCING The Bombers

54 ( NEW ) WANTED The Dooleys

55 ( NEW ) GEORGIE PORGIE Toto

56 ( 55 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

57 ( 56 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

58 ( NEW ) HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE Kevin Keegan

59 ( 45 ) HOORAY IT'S A HOLI HOLIDAY Boney M

60 ( 52 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

 

61 ( 58 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

62 ( 60 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

63 ( NEW ) DRIVER'S SEAT Sniff 'n' The Tears

64 ( 46 ) KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Stewart

65 ( 43 ) LOVE SONG The Damned

66 ( 59 ) KEEP ON DANCING Gary's Gang

67 ( NEW ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

68 ( NEW ) DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Thin Lizzy

69 ( 48 ) ARE YOU READY FOR LOVE Elton John

70 ( 49 ) MINDLESS BOOGIE Hot Chocolate

 

 

71 ( 69 ) RAT TRAP The Boomtown Rats

72 ( 53 ) NICE LEGS (SHAME ABOUT THE FACE) The Monks

73 ( 65 ) CAN YOU FEEL THE FORCE The Real Thing

74 ( 51 ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Linda Clifford

75 ( NEW ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

 

TV

1 Rhoda

2 Soap

3 True Grit (film)

4 Top Of The Pops

5 Sword Of Justice

6 Centennial

7 My Name Is Bond

8 Hollywood Greats - Judy Garland

9 Fantasy Island

10 The Odd Couple

Edited June 13, 201411 yr by popchartfreak

4th July 1979

 

Wimbledon coverage pops into my TV chart, which reminds me I used to play tennis a lot at College, School, life, always my preferred game (along with badminton, squash, snooker, pool, darts), though College lunchtimes usually meant a game of pool. College was winding down though, exams over-ish, assignments done-ish, leaving me time for far more important stuff: Top Of The Pops at 2 in TV chart showing the music scene was alive; preparing to work in a hosiery warehouse near Mansfield for the summer for cash to pay for the US trip planned. The previous summer had been the nightmare that was Landers Bakery, now thankfully long-gone. 12 hour shifts 6pm to 6am stuffing rolls in to bags or a production line rush of bread popping out of scorching ovens in skin-scarring tins is still the worst job I’ve ever done. This one was mildly pleasant, moving boxes about, daytime Radio 1 on the factory speakers indelibly printing the songs of July and August 1979 on my mind to the point that I actually got sick of hearing many of the hits around. An old bloke Jim (ie prob my age now) used to give me a lift to work, early morn, and back again. Sorted!

 

Chart-wise, straight in at 1, it’s Abba with a double-A side (official this time) the awesome Voulez-Vous and the poppy Angel Eyes, both from the fab Voulez-Vous album, stuffed with great potential singles, albeit a bit schizophrenic part-disco/dance part pop/ballad. The passionate, dramatic classic disco Voulez-Vous would have had a longer run, had album tracks been eligible, though Angel Eyes is flattered and probably wouldn’t have topped my chart alone, being as it’s a bit too jollypop. That means just the one week for Tubeway Army on top, and The Beach Boys take Lady Lynda into the top 3 for their highest charting new track since 1969. The Dooleys take their Abba-clone into the Top 20, rocketing up more than any previous singles had done.

 

New entries: all summer factory song reminders. The reggae-tastic vocal-range-testing Janet Kay’s Silly Games in at 25; Patrick Hernandez’ sublimely eurocheesey Born To Be Alive at 26; Bonnie Tyler’s movie theme disco Married Men at 29; disco-synth After The Fire in at 32 with One Rule For You (red vinyl, my copy!); space-age disco synths plus farty noises for the fab Space Bass (Slick) at 44; The Ruts dramatic new wave/punk Babylon’s Burning at 53; The USA’s answer to New Wave, the first huge record to top the chart there to fit into the category, the rhythm-tastic My Sharona (The Knack) at 70, another American holiday hit it was impossible to avoid on US radio. Which leaves climbers from Thin Lizzy to 30, and Eddy Grant to 22.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

2 ( 1 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

3 ( 22 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

4 ( 3 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

5 ( 5 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

6 ( 2 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

7 ( 4 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

8 ( 8 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

9 ( 14 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

10 ( 6 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

 

11 ( 15 ) GO WEST The Village People

12 ( 7 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

13 ( 13 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

14 ( 9 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

15 ( 10 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

16 ( 20 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

17 ( 54 ) WANTED The Dooleys

18 ( 11 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

19 ( 12 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

20 ( 16 ) ROXANNE The Police

 

 

21 ( 25 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

22 ( 37 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

23 ( 18 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

24 ( 17 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

25 ( NEW ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

26 ( NEW ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

27 ( 21 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

28 ( 19 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

29 ( NEW ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

30 ( 68 ) DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Thin Lizzy

 

 

31 ( 26 ) POP MUZIK M

32 ( NEW ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

33 ( 33 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

34 ( 23 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

35 ( 35 ) HALFWAY HOTEL Voyager

36 ( 24 ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

37 ( 29 ) (H.A.P.P.Y.) RADIO Edwin Starr

38 ( 39 ) DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT Olivia Newton-John

39 ( 28 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

40 ( 36 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

 

 

41 ( 30 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

42 ( 34 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

43 ( 27 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

44 ( NEW ) SPACE BASS Slick

45 ( 38 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

46 ( 44 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

47 ( 43 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

48 ( 58 ) HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE Kevin Keegan

49 ( 31 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

50 ( NEW ) STRANGLEHOLD UK Subs

 

51 ( 42 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

52 ( 50 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

53 ( NEW ) BABYLON'S BURNING The Ruts

54 ( 41 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

55 ( 32 ) ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN Elvis Costello

56 ( 46 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

57 ( 56 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

58 ( 57 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

59 ( NEW ) C'MON EVERYBODY The Sex Pistols

60 ( 49 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

 

61 ( 48 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

62 ( 67 ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

63 ( 52 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

64 ( 40 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

65 ( 47 ) CAVATINA John Williams

66 ( 60 ) SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits

67 ( 61 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

68 ( 62 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

69 ( 63 ) DRIVER'S SEAT Sniff 'n' The Tears

70 ( NEW ) MY SHARONA The Knack

 

71 ( 51 ) I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick

72 ( NEW ) MAYBE Thom Pace

73 ( 55 ) GEORGIE PORGIE Toto

74 ( 53 ) (EVERYBODY) GET DANCING The Bombers

75 ( 75 ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

 

TV

1 Soap

2 Top Of The Pops

3 Centennial

4 Ask Aspel

5 Sword Of Justice

6 Rhoda

7 Juke Box Jury

8 Wimbledon Coverage

9 The World About Us

10 The Liver Birds

Edited July 20, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

11th July 1979

 

2 weeks for Abba on top, Beach Boys at 2, and The old Doors song disco-fied at 3 for Amii Stewart. The Dooleys prove they are Wanted at 5 and Patrick Hernandez really is Borrrrrrn T Be Aliiive as he leaps 7. Reggae into the 20 for Janet kay and Eddy grant, both fab records, while Christian poprock band After The Fire synth it up to 14, and Supertramp have some Breakfast In America at 20 - something I was working on doing too.

 

Highest new entry, a returning hero, as Dave Edmunds covers Elvis Costello, with Nick Lowe’s assist, and does it even better, Girl’s Talk in at 25 and just marvellous. 10 years on since Sabre Dance, 6 years since last topping my chart, too. Slick and the Sex Pistols (the latter doing another joke cover of Eddie Cochran) join The Ruts and UK Subs in breaking into the 40. 2 of them didn’t deserve to, though. Clue: I like Slick, and Ruts is a late punk classic.

 

In at 34, a hugely-influential Chic record, Good Times, which was to pop up later in the year with the dance bassline underpinning something called “rap”. Bet that was just a gimmick, eh, everyone was saying so at the time....? In at 36, not looking pop stars, but with a melody and harmony to kill for, The Korgis brilliant If I Had You. Donna Summer’s quick follow-up to Hot Stuff is more in a soul vibe, and Bad Girls duly enters at 39 as it shoots up the American charts to make it a double US whammy. At 45, The Police really Can’t Stand Losing You, and like Roxanne a 1978 flop getting a new wind as Sting becomes number one pop male pin-up, but with an uptempo new wave-reggae vibe that appealed to lads as much as girls, if not more so. Finally, Manfred Mann keeps his run of chart hits going, nearly 11 years strong (officially) and 15 years of popchartfreak appreciation:)

 

TV times, Soap was still ground-breaking manic comedy and pushing even beloved Star Trek down to 2. The men’s final at Wimbledon was a goodie as Bjorn Borg won a record 4th consecutive title, against Roscoe Tanner. Joanna Lumley is absolutely fabulous as Sapphire to David McCallum’s Steel, old faves both as Purdey (New Avengers) and Ilya Kuryakin (Man From UNCLE). Both are still working on TV of course, Ab Fab/documentaries, and NCIS, soo hooray for them! It was a mysterious rare ITV sci fi show that I liked a lot when the script was right. Jukebox Jury continued to give welcome exposure to new records in a fun setting, and Australia’s Chopper Squad showed what they had at 15. As I vaguely recall, noticeably.

 

1 ( 1 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

2 ( 3 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

3 ( 9 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

4 ( 2 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

5 ( 17 ) WANTED The Dooleys

6 ( 4 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

7 ( 26 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

8 ( 6 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

9 ( 5 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

10 ( 7 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

 

 

11 ( 8 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

12 ( 11 ) GO WEST The Village People

13 ( 25 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

14 ( 32 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

15 ( 22 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

16 ( 13 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

17 ( 10 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

18 ( 12 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

19 ( 15 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

20 ( 33 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

 

 

21 ( 14 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

22 ( 29 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

23 ( 16 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

24 ( 30 ) DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Thin Lizzy

25 ( NEW ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

26 ( 44 ) SPACE BASS Slick

27 ( 20 ) ROXANNE The Police

28 ( 19 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

29 ( 18 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

30 ( 21 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

 

 

31 ( 59 ) C'MON EVERYBODY The Sex Pistols

32 ( 53 ) BABYLON'S BURNING The Ruts

33 ( 50 ) STRANGLEHOLD UK Subs

34 ( NEW ) GOOD TIMES Chic

35 ( 35 ) HALFWAY HOTEL Voyager

36 ( NEW ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

37 ( 24 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

38 ( 27 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

39 ( NEW ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

40 ( 31 ) POP MUZIK M

 

 

41 ( 28 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

42 ( 23 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

43 ( 70 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

44 ( 40 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

45 ( NEW ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

46 ( 34 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

47 ( 42 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

48 ( 48 ) HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE Kevin Keegan

49 ( 46 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

50 ( 47 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

 

51 ( 38 ) DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT Olivia Newton-John

52 ( 37 ) (H.A.P.P.Y.) RADIO Edwin Starr

53 ( 45 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

54 ( 62 ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

55 ( 41 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

56 ( 52 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

57 ( 51 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

58 ( 75 ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

59 ( 57 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

60 ( 58 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

 

61 ( 36 ) THEME FROM THE DEER HUNTER (CAVATINA) The Shadows

62 ( 72 ) MAYBE Thom Pace

63 ( 43 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

64 ( 73 ) GEORGIE PORGIE Toto

65 ( 54 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

66 ( 69 ) DRIVER'S SEAT Sniff 'n' The Tears

67 ( 56 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

68 ( 49 ) REUNITED Peaches and Herb

69 ( 60 ) LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees

70 ( 61 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

 

71 ( 63 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

72 ( 39 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

73 ( NEW ) DON'T KILL IT CAROL Manfred Mann's Earthband

74 ( 67 ) HOLD THE LINE Toto

75 ( 68 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers

 

TV

1 Soap (Sun)

2 Star Trek: The Squire Of Gothos

3 Soap (Fri)

4 Centennial

5 The Odd Couple

6 Sapphire And Steel (Thurs)

7 Lost Horizon (film)

8 Barney Miller

9 Sword Of Justice

10 Sapphire And Steel (Tues)

11 Rhoda

12 Jukebox Jury

13 Top Of The Pops

14 Match Of The Day: Wimbledon Men's Finals

15 Chopper Squad

Edited July 21, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

18th July 1979

 

3 weeks at 1 for Abba, joined in the top 10 by After The Fire and Slick, both adding some synth delight into the upper reaches, and also the fab Silly Games. The Police almost make it in their second week, too, at 11, and even overhaul Dave Edmunds and his biggest hit since 1973 at 12. Bonnie Tyler’s moody disco track is at 14, while Thin Lizzy’s run of Top 20 hits is 6 years as the rock’n’rollin Do Anything You Wanna Do hits 20, just behind the leaping Good Times of Chic.

 

The Knack take My Sharona into the 40, and Sniff ‘n’ The Tears manage what they did in the USA, but not the UK, and place the brilliant Driver’s Seat behind the Top 40 wheel. British they were, too. Highest two new entries, though, are 2 major pop classics, the epic Boomtown Rats “I Don’t Like Mondays” written as a response to a slacker teenage girl murderer’s quote. It’s brilliant, ambitious, sprawling and has just the right amount of bitterness - not that big in the States for some reason, can’t think why...oh, yes, they worship the gun, that’ll be why (plus to be fair it would have hampered a fair trial).

 

Cliff’s back. Only 3 years since his last critically-well-received batch of songs, and whaddya know, he tops it and kickstarts his pop career for another 5 years run of great singles (courtesy of writer-producer Alan Tarney). We Don’t Talk Anymore pops in at 41, but it’s a pretty good candidate for his best record in a fairly substantial back catalogue. I will have no truck with popular Cliff-bashing opinions, then or now, you don’t last 55 years based on fan-base appeal, you get it by releasing great records, and this one, complete with mature-looking, leather-trouser-clad Cliff, was a biggie, even in the US of A, who only occasionally let him have a big hit.

 

Others: Judie Tzuke’s gorgeous, haunting Stay With Me Till Dawn breaks in at 56; Siouxsie’s Playground Twist is at 60, but not one of my faves of hers, Let’s Playground Twist Again (like we did last summer) would have been more fun; PIL dirge their way in at 62, The Real Thing Boogie Down at 64 and the Doobie’s grab a minute at 75.

 

TV chart, Centennial peaks again, such a great series, Trek repeats the classic sci-fi Frederic Brown short story adaptation Arena episode (which I still think would make a great movie with modern CGI and an as-originally-written naked and vulnerable hero battling to save the human race one-on-one against an equally naked and not-so-vulnerable alien fighting for his species). Suggestions for current hot actors to star welcome! The 20th anniversary of the Moon Landing pops in at 4. Mankind’s greatest achievement. A quick comment for all those Moon-landing hoax believers - now that they have a satellite orbiting the moon and photos of every single footprint and piece of equipment left on the Moon, don’t you feel a bit foolish? No? You should, for falling for every money-making conspiracy nut-job preying on gullibility. Scientists aren’t in the business of making things up, cos there’s nothing they hate more than being shown up to be wrong by other scientists. People who write books, on the other hand, spew crap masquerading as fact. Ker-ching!

 

 

1 ( 1 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

2 ( 2 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

3 ( 5 ) WANTED The Dooleys

4 ( 3 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

5 ( 7 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

6 ( 14 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

7 ( 4 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

8 ( 26 ) SPACE BASS Slick

9 ( 13 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

10 ( 6 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

 

 

 

11 ( 45 ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

12 ( 25 ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

13 ( 9 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

14 ( 22 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

15 ( 8 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

16 ( 20 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

17 ( 10 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

18 ( 34 ) GOOD TIMES Chic

19 ( 11 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

20 ( 24 ) DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Thin Lizzy

 

 

21 ( 15 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

22 ( 31 ) C'MON EVERYBODY The Sex Pistols

23 ( 36 ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

24 ( 39 ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

25 ( 19 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

26 ( 43 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

27 ( 12 ) GO WEST The Village People

28 ( NEW ) I DON'T LIKE MOIDAYS The Boomtown Rats

29 ( 18 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

30 ( 27 ) ROXANNE The Police

 

 

 

31 ( 16 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

32 ( 17 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

33 ( 23 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

34 ( 21 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

35 ( 33 ) STRANGLEHOLD UK Subs

36 ( 32 ) BABYLON'S BURNING The Ruts

37 ( 30 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

38 ( 29 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

39 ( 28 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

40 ( 66 ) DRIVER'S SEAT Sniff 'n' The Tears

 

41 ( NEW ) WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard

42 ( 41 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

43 ( 58 ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

44 ( 63 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

45 ( 42 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

46 ( 40 ) POP MUZIK M

47 ( 44 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

48 ( 38 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

49 ( 37 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

50 ( 35 ) HALFWAY HOTEL Voyager

 

51 ( 62 ) MAYBE Thom Pace

52 ( 49 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

53 ( 47 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

54 ( 50 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

55 ( 73 ) DON'T KILL IT CAROL Manfred Mann's Earthband

56 ( NEW ) STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN Judy Tzuke

57 ( 60 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

58 ( 56 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

59 ( 59 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

60 ( NEW ) PLAYGROUND TWIST Siouxsie And The Banshees

 

 

61 ( 53 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

62 ( NEW ) DEATH DISCO Public Image Limited

63 ( 52 ) (H.A.P.P.Y.) RADIO Edwin Starr

64 ( NEW ) BOOGIE DOWN The Real Thing

65 ( 57 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

66 ( 55 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

67 ( 48 ) HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE Kevin Keegan

68 ( 70 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

69 ( 72 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

70 ( 46 ) HOT STUFF Donna Summer

 

71 ( 67 ) SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) The Jacksons

72 ( 65 ) GUILTY Mike Oldfield

73 ( 71 ) GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings

74 ( 64 ) GEORGIE PORGIE Toto

75 ( NEW ) MINUTE BY MINUTE The Doobie Brothers

 

TV

1 Centennial

1 Star Trek: Arena

3 Soap

4 Project Apollo

5 Sword Of Justice

6 Top Of The Pops

7 Barney Miller

8 Rhoda

9 Hawaii 5-0

10 Sapphire And Steel (Tues)

Edited July 23, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

25th July 1979

 

A 4th week for Voulez-Vous (and Angel Eyes) on top, Abba ruling still, as they keep the fab Beach Boys at 2 for 3 weeks. The charts enter into the glorious summer of 79, for me, possibly because I heard so much radio while at work, but also cos there were just so many great new records coming out each week!

 

Patrick Hernandez eurodances into the Top 3, while Girls keep Talking for Dave Edmunds at 4, his fourth Top 4. 4 is the magic number this week! The Police, The Boomtown Rats get another Top 10, while The Korgis sneak in too. So many great records in fact, that many are pushed down or held down in lower chart positions than they deserved. Donna Summer gets the latest in a long run of non-consecutive Top 20 hits, and Cliff is up to 22.

 

It’s the new entries, though, that herald fabness, with highest new entry from the Pretenders at 27, the marvellous Kid. In at 40, Sparks try to Beat The Clock with lovely Moroder-ness, a timely entry. Sorry! E.L.O. sign in at 51 with a diary of a wimp - I’ll be perfectly honest, I felt they were talking about me in the lyrics, Horace Wimp was me in my own self-image. Regardless, it’s one of their best records, a touching feel-good inspiring pop song. The under-rated Gold, John Stewart’s very minor hit, is at 58, and the Gibson Brothers infectious salsa-pop at 66 is just as welcome, ahead of Telex and their bizarre Kraftwerk-esque version of Rock Around The Clock. Timely! Oh, already done that one.....! If at first you don’t get a laugh, keep on repeating it till you do, is my motto!

 

 

1 ( 1 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

2 ( 2 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

3 ( 5 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

4 ( 12 ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

5 ( 8 ) SPACE BASS Slick

6 ( 4 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

7 ( 11 ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

8 ( 3 ) WANTED The Dooleys

9 ( 28 ) I DON'T LIKE MOIDAYS The Boomtown Rats

10 ( 23 ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

 

11 ( 7 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

12 ( 9 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

13 ( 18 ) GOOD TIMES Chic

14 ( 10 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

15 ( 16 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

16 ( 24 ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

17 ( 26 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

18 ( 14 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

19 ( 13 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

20 ( 22 ) C'MON EVERYBODY The Sex Pistols

 

21 ( 6 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

22 ( 41 ) WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard

23 ( 17 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

24 ( 15 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

25 ( 19 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

26 ( 21 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

27 ( NEW ) KID The Pretenders

28 ( 25 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

29 ( 35 ) STRANGLEHOLD UK Subs

30 ( 62 ) DEATH DISCO Public Image Limited

 

 

31 ( 20 ) DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Thin Lizzy

32 ( 36 ) BABYLON'S BURNING The Ruts

33 ( 43 ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

34 ( 29 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

35 ( 30 ) ROXANNE The Police

36 ( 56 ) STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN Judy Tzuke

37 ( 33 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

38 ( 60 ) PLAYGROUND TWIST Siouxsie And The Banshees

39 ( 64 ) BOOGIE DOWN The Real Thing

40 ( NEW ) BEAT THE CLOCK Sparks

 

 

41 ( 27 ) GO WEST The Village People

42 ( 37 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

43 ( 42 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

44 ( 51 ) MAYBE Thom Pace

45 ( 32 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

46 ( 31 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

47 ( 39 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

48 ( 34 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

49 ( 38 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

50 ( 47 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

 

 

51 ( NEW ) THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP E.L.O.

52 ( 52 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

53 ( 54 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

54 ( 46 ) POP MUZIK M

55 ( 44 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

56 ( 45 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

57 ( 53 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

58 ( NEW ) GOLD John Stewart

59 ( 59 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

60 ( 57 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

 

61 ( 58 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

62 ( 49 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

63 ( RE ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

64 ( 48 ) WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT Dollar

65 ( 55 ) DON'T KILL IT CAROL Manfred Mann's Earthband

66 ( NEW ) OOH WHAT A NIGHT The Gibson brothers

67 ( 61 ) BRIGHT EYES Art Garfunkel

68 ( 65 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

69 ( NEW ) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Telex

70 ( 40 ) DRIVER'S SEAT Sniff 'n' The Tears

 

 

71 ( 68 ) BANANA SPLITS The Dickies

72 ( 69 ) JIMMY JIMMY The Undertones

73 ( 75 ) MINUTE BY MINUTE The Doobie Brothers

74 ( 66 ) ONE WAY TICKET Eruption

75 ( 50 ) HALFWAY HOTEL Voyager

 

TV

1 Centennial

1 Star Trek: Return Of The Archons

1 Soap

4 Rhoda

5 Top Of The Pops

6 Hawaii 5-0

7 Sapphire & Steel (thu)

8 The Liver Birds

9 Sapphire & Steel (Tues)

10 It Ain't Half Hot Mum

Edited July 24, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

1st August 1979

 

5th and final week on top for Abba, so who is going to knock them off? The Police are up to 2, a new chart peak for a crackin New Wave track, The Boomtown Rats were reigning in the UK charts, but could they go higher than 4, and equal Rat Trap? Number One more often than not, ELO rocket up to 7 from 51 with the gorgeous wistful Diary Of Horace Wimp while the equally gorgeous Korgis are up to 5. Cliff shoots up from 22 to 8 with his best ever record, but can he grab a chart-topper for the first time in 8 years? We Don’t Talk Anymore, but apparently that doesn’t stop people talking about Cliff in another ridiculous Trial By BBC media. They had a bonafide evil mass paedophile and did nothing about rumours, but one whiff of an accusation at a 30-year-old religious meeting and it’s helicopters and seizing of all that 30-year-old evidence on hard drives. What? They didn’t have PC’s back in those days? Ah well, any excuse will do, eh, he’s bound to have a diary or something saying “I groped a 15-year-old”? Pity the police didn’t bother to ask him first before deciding he was guilty of something.

 

Regardless, one of the best Top 10’s of all time IMHO. Elsewhere, Pretenders and Sparks go top 20, and The Gibson Brothers rocket to 26 5 years after their writer-producer hit my number 2 as The Yamasukis. Art Garfunkel finally breaks into the 40 with the lovely 50’s cover, while Telex do the same with a less lovely 50’s cover. Highest new entry is Bowie, D.J. at 43, for a literally cool decade of hits, with Showaddywaddy at 50 (and another cover) and a less-than-cool 6 years of hits. Buzzcocks at 59 with an old track, Undertones at 68 with a great new track, Darts with (yet) another cover at 70, Duke Of Earl, a former Gene Chandler hit, Gene having only recently dropped out of the charts with his own new stuff. At 66, earth Wind And Fire continue the run of great singles with a great ballad that takes me back to overcast LA streets, car radio and American stations who were hammering it.

 

On TV Centennial still ruled, along with Soap, while Mork And Mindy stayed high. Robin Williams is much-missed, but he’ll always be the young manic alien for me, when he was fresh and on fire. Later series hit the sentimental button too much, but the first one was great. A great human being, and a comic inspiration. Another sitcom, Barney Miller, was also a fave of mine, a gentle whimsical cop show, and it had the fab Ron Glass in it, later of Firefly, the awesome Joss Whedon space cowboy show, as a preacher. Keeping up my astronomy interest Patrick Moore was ever-present with The Sky At Night. I once sat through one of his talks with a mate, when he asked for questions from the audience. I dared my mate to ask him if he’d “ever seen Your Anus”. Thankfully he didn’t! Yourannuss as they call Uranus these days.

So, at home, my wisdom tooth started to cut me open. The bloody thing impacted eventually, but as I did nothing about it, it basically made my teeth all crooked for the rest of my life, and 30 years later I eventually had to get the bloody thing broken to bits and removed chunk by chunk while I tried hard not to have tears filling the dental goggles. Moral: get your teeth done early!

 

Mum and dad were on holiday in North Wales this week, on the wednesday I got a call from grandma telling me she was coming friday, then got one from dad saying mum had been rushed to hospital with appendicitis and had an operation. That put me into severe anxiety mode, I rang my Aunty Eileen to let her know, and Uncle Tony popped round thursday for an update after I’d got in from my factory work job. The lovely couple who gave me a lift, Lil and Jim, wouldn’t take any money off me when they heard about mum, which was so sweet.

 

Friday and grandma arrived to stay with a random friend in tow (as she often did) and told her about mum, turned out to be an infection elsewhere and antibiotics needed. Noted that at work I tended to hang around with the younger folk (always have) and listed a few things I bought that week with my wages: Record Mirror, Smash Hits, some 12” extended mixes of The Runner and Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now, and a stack of bargain bin singles, and I was also writing a Star Trek fan-fic piece. Juke Box Jury I enjoyed, noting Mike Reid was a big head (he got his own back in 1986 when he took the piss out of me on live Radio 1), and Bob Geldof: “as intelligent and slamming as ever”. Bit of a hero, Bob, long before Live Aid made him a saint. But that’s another story...

 

1 ( 1 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

2 ( 7 ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

3 ( 2 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

4 ( 9 ) I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats

5 ( 10 ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

6 ( 3 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

7 ( 51 ) THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP E.L.O.

8 ( 22 ) WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard

9 ( 4 ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

10 ( 8 ) WANTED The Dooleys

 

11 ( 5 ) SPACE BASS Slick

12 ( 6 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

13 ( 11 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

14 ( 12 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

15 ( 15 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

16 ( 13 ) GOOD TIMES Chic

17 ( 17 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

18 ( 27 ) KID The Pretenders

19 ( 14 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

20 ( 40 ) BEAT THE CLOCK Sparks

 

21 ( 16 ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

22 ( 20 ) C'MON EVERYBODY The Sex Pistols

23 ( 19 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

24 ( 21 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

25 ( 36 ) STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN Judy Tzuke

26 ( 66 ) OOH WHAT A LIFE The Gibson brothers

27 ( 39 ) BOOGIE DOWN The Real Thing

28 ( 33 ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

29 ( 23 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

30 ( 24 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

 

 

31 ( 18 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

32 ( 63 ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

33 ( 26 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

34 ( 30 ) DEATH DISCO Public Image Limited

35 ( 25 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

36 ( 69 ) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Telex

37 ( 28 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

38 ( 31 ) DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Thin Lizzy

39 ( 32 ) BABYLON'S BURNING The Ruts

40 ( 29 ) STRANGLEHOLD UK Subs

 

41 ( 35 ) ROXANNE The Police

42 ( 34 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

43 ( NEW ) D.J. David Bowie

44 ( 37 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

45 ( 55 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

46 ( 43 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

47 ( 38 ) PLAYGROUND TWIST Siouxsie And The Banshees

48 ( 44 ) MAYBE Thom Pace

49 ( 42 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

50 ( NEW ) SWEET LITTLE ROCK 'N' ROLLER Showaddywaddy

 

 

51 ( 53 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

52 ( 50 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

53 ( 52 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

54 ( 47 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

55 ( 46 ) AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW McFadden and Whitehead

56 ( 49 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

57 ( 59 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

58 ( 60 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

59 ( NEW ) HARMONY IN MY HEAD Buzzcocks

60 ( 45 ) BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions

 

61 ( 57 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

62 ( 61 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

63 ( 54 ) POP MUZIK M

64 ( 41 ) GO WEST The Village People

65 ( 48 ) SHINE A LITTLE LOVE E.L.O.

66 ( NEW ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Earth Wind And Fire

67 ( 56 ) BOYS KEEP SWINGING David Bowie

68 ( NEW ) HERE COMES THE SUMMER The Undertones

69 ( 62 ) DANCE AWAY Roxy Music

70 ( NEW ) DUKE OF EARL Darts

 

 

71 ( NEW ) CONSCIOUS MAN Jolly Brothers

72 ( 68 ) THE RUNNER The Three Degrees

73 ( NEW ) LADY WRITER Dire Straits

74 ( NEW ) THE BOSS Diana Ross

75 ( NEW ) MORNING DANCE Spiro Gyra

 

 

 

TV

1 Centennial

1 Soap

3 Star Trek: This Side Of Paradise

4 Rhoda

5 Mork And Mindy

6 Top Of The Pops

7 Barney Miller

8 Carry On...Don't Lose Your Head

9 Sword Of Justice

10 The Hollywood Greats

11 Sapphire And Steel (Thurs)

12 Juke Box Jury

13 The Sky At Night

14 Sapphire And Steel (Tues)

15 It Ain't Half Hot Mum

Edited August 21, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

7th August 1979

 

The Police get their first chart-topper with the year-old Can’t Stand Losing You, I enjoyed singing along to this one! ELO (of course!) go top 5 with Horace Wimp, and Sparks get a 2nd Top 10 in a row, just like the 1974 heydays. Beat The Clock should have been higher but there were even greater records ahead of it! Judy Tzuke gets a top 20, and highest new entry is B.A. Robertson and his whimsical Bang Bang. A terrifically amusing lyricist, this one started a run of catchy great pop singles for him, though he was also in demand as songwriter for others. Bang Bang is fab.

 

Spiro Gyra take their MOR jazz instrumental up to 26, while Earth Wind And Fire get an 8th Top 40 hit. Gerry Rafferty gets his 4th Top 40 in a row, as the absolutely fantastic, Get It Right Next Time enters at 31. This became an anthem for me and my group of friends on our South-West USA adventure, a massive radio airplay hit and a single I bought over there - oddly no picture covers, and poorer quality vinyl, but hey it’s important to me, and Gerry could do no wrong in 1979.

 

Bossy Diana Ross is at 37, The Planets are new at 39 (a great Police-ish single) with Lines, and new at 41 it’s The Tourists getting their first hit - better known as Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox pre-Eurythmics, plus mates - with the lovely Loneliest Man In The World. Joe Jackson also debuts with the US hit Jazz-rock-new wave Is She Really Going Out With Him, pretty catchy and amusing too. Ian Dury, meanwhile finally follows up Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, with a Radio-One hyped Reasons To Be Cheerful (Part 3), very low-key and a little disappointing at the time, but in at 49. Finally, in at 70, a sad sweet ballad from the brilliantly-inadvertedly-amusing Randy Vanwarmer, Just When I Needed You Most.

On TV I was waxing lyrical on Centennial and it’s characters, especially Lynn Redgrave’s spine-tingling Charlotte during the Great Depression, and a speech about Planet Earth “reminiscent of The Octopus” (One of my college novels) and the “EPIC” finale, and I was so enthused I wrote my letter to the Radio Times - which got printed!. At home, the rest of the family was back, mum out of hospital, and weak, and a house full with grandma and her friend Hilda (Mrs Mitch as grandma called her, as her generation was wont to do with friends, seemingly odd to my generation), and Sue, brother Mark’s girlfriend, her young brother Chris completed the greeting as i got in from work. My holiday prezzie was stamps - yes I used to collect them, just add it to my list of nerd hobbies, I’ve millions.

 

I was sleeping on the couch, bedroom donated to grandma, at work on the factory floor I was getting first-hand experience of lazy buggers creeping up to the boss, people who do nothing but make it appear as though they do and slag off others. My wages were £39 for the week, hooray! Babysat for my nieces Rachel (8) and Lisa (6), stayed the night as no room at home anyway, and Lisa fell asleep in my arms while Rachel was wide awake asking questions about “Sword Of Justice” TV show. Next morning Lisa wouldn’t let me go home!

 

 

1 ( 2 ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

2 ( 1 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

3 ( 4 ) I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats

4 ( 7 ) THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP E.L.O.

5 ( 8 ) WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard

6 ( 5 ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

7 ( 6 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

8 ( 9 ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

9 ( 3 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

10 ( 20 ) BEAT THE CLOCK Sparks

 

11 ( 18 ) KID The Pretenders

12 ( 26 ) OOH WHAT A LIFE The Gibson brothers

13 ( 17 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

14 ( 13 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

15 ( 10 ) WANTED The Dooleys

16 ( 25 ) STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN Judy Tzuke

17 ( 12 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

18 ( NEW ) BANG BANG B.A. Robertson

19 ( 14 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

20 ( 16 ) GOOD TIMES Chic

 

 

 

21 ( 11 ) SPACE BASS Slick

22 ( 21 ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

23 ( 15 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

24 ( 19 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

25 ( 27 ) BOOGIE DOWN The Real Thing

26 ( 75 ) MORNING DANCE Spiro Gyra

27 ( 66 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Earth Wind And Fire

28 ( 23 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

29 ( 43 ) D.J. David Bowie

30 ( 34 ) DEATH DISCO Public Image Limited

 

31 ( NEW ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

32 ( 36 ) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Telex

33 ( 50 ) SWEET LITTLE ROCK 'N' ROLLER Showaddywaddy

34 ( 29 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

35 ( 30 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

36 ( 22 ) C'MON EVERYBODY The Sex Pistols

37 ( 74 ) THE BOSS Diana Ross

38 ( 32 ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

39 ( NEW ) LINES The Planets

40 ( 70 ) DUKE OF EARL Darts

 

 

 

41 ( NEW ) THE LONELIEST MAN IN THE WORLD The Tourists

42 ( 24 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

43 ( 33 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

44 ( 31 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

45 ( NEW ) IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM Joe Jackson

46 ( 35 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

47 ( 37 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

48 ( 41 ) ROXANNE The Police

49 ( NEW ) REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Ian Dury And The Blockheads

50 ( 42 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

 

 

 

51 ( 44 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

52 ( 28 ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

53 ( 52 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

54 ( 51 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

55 ( 53 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

56 ( 59 ) HARMONY IN MY HEAD Buzzcocks

57 ( 54 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

58 ( 45 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

59 ( 49 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

60 ( 68 ) HERE COMES THE SUMMER The Undertones

 

61 ( 57 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

62 ( 58 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

63 ( 46 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

64 ( 62 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

65 ( NEW ) HERSHAM BOYS Sham '69

66 ( 71 ) CONSCIOUS MAN Jolly Brothers

67 ( 48 ) MAYBE Thom Pace

68 ( 61 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

69 ( 38 ) DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Thin Lizzy

70 ( NEW ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer

 

71 ( 56 ) THE NUMBER ONE SONG IN HEAVEN Sparks

72 ( 63 ) POP MUZIK M

73 ( NEW ) GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS Hot Chocolate

74 ( 40 ) STRANGLEHOLD UK Subs

75 ( 39 ) BABYLON'S BURNING The Ruts

 

TV

1 Star Trek: The Doomsday Machine

1 Centennial: final episode

3 Rhoda

4 Duck Soup: Marx Brothers film

5 The Hollywood Greats

6 Des O'Connor Entertains

7 Juke Box Jury

8 Mork And Mindy

9 Top Of The Pops

10 The New Avengers

Edited August 26, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

14th August 1979

 

The Boomtown Rats knock off the Police from the top after only one week and get their second (and greatest) Number One. For such a sombre subject matter it’s an epic, ambitious record. The Pretenders get their first Top 10 hit with the beautiful Kid, and The Gibson Brothers get their first Top 10 too with the fab Ooh What A Life. Showaddywaddy quietly break into the top 20 but the times were a changing for them and also for Boney M, highest whooptastic new entry at 23 with Gotta Go Home, later to be served up as a bit of Duck Sauce.

 

Just behind at 24, the sound of the future pops in: The Specials had a big effect on pop music with the ska revival and Two Tone records, and it all starts here with the superb Gangsters, as fresh as the day it first announced itself. Big jumps for Ian Dury at 27 and Joe Jackson at 29, before some more great new entries: Roxy Music show the comeback has legs with the great romping Angel Eyes (nothing to do with Abba’s song), and the quirky posh-tastic Flying Lizards bark their way through a cover of Money (as made famous by The Beatles) and single-handedly predict the 80’s yuppie. Johnny Mathis goes disco for his 4th hit, Kandidate drop by again, and The Bellamy Brothers finally follow-up their 1976 classic number one (for me) with the much-less-classic country ballad with the “deserves a slap” pick-up line title.

In my life, arrangements for the forthcoming American trip were less-than-sorted, everything a bit up in the air, which caused me and my parents anxiety. Package holidays to the states weren’t a thing and this was all made up stuff! Seems like airport car hire was the way to go. An old school friend got in touch, while friends of my parents dropped by - I’d known them since I was a toddler. Got a bit miffed at the lack of a decent send-off for nice Fran at work, not even a box of chocs! I said hello to our neighbour-friend Renie’s sister (Renie was Serefina Modelefski, a Polish World War 2 refugee, recently widowed when refugee husband Ted died suddenly, and needing help with many things).

 

On TV I was raving about American comedian John Byner (of Soap, Get Smart and the original Mork - he turned it down, he’s now forgotten and Robin Williams isn’t, but I noted, and I quote: “The classic U.S. stand-up comedian John Byner ..had me once again in tears of laughter with the best vocal and facial expressions this side of Robin Williams.” Praise indeed!). In the shops I bought 18 singles. On Juke Box Jury Kenny Everett joined Sting, Leslie Judd and Tina Charles for a very funny episode. Wish it was on DVD! At home a blazing family row upset me, even though I was not involved, as kids grow-up it causes problems if they don’t move out, and things had been simmering a while with sides taken not to dad’s liking. Family rows were fairly regular in the 70’s....and 80’s. Hey ho, I was doing a runner shortly, for a while.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats

2 ( 2 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

3 ( 1 ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

4 ( 5 ) WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard

5 ( 4 ) THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP E.L.O.

6 ( 6 ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

7 ( 10 ) BEAT THE CLOCK Sparks

8 ( 12 ) OOH WHAT A LIFE The Gibson brothers

9 ( 11 ) KID The Pretenders

10 ( 9 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

 

11 ( 8 ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

12 ( 7 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

13 ( 16 ) STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN Judy Tzuke

14 ( 14 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

15 ( 18 ) BANG BANG B.A. Robertson

16 ( 26 ) MORNING DANCE Spiro Gyra

17 ( 27 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Earth Wind And Fire

18 ( 15 ) WANTED The Dooleys

19 ( 31 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

20 ( 33 ) SWEET LITTLE ROCK 'N' ROLLER Showaddywaddy

 

 

 

21 ( 13 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

22 ( 17 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

23 ( NEW ) GOTTA GO HOME Boney M

24 ( NEW ) GANGSTERS The Specials

25 ( 39 ) LINES The Planets

26 ( 19 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

27 ( 49 ) REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Ian Dury And The Blockheads

28 ( 20 ) GOOD TIMES Chic

29 ( 45 ) IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM Joe Jackson

30 ( 32 ) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Telex

 

 

 

31 ( 21 ) SPACE BASS Slick

32 ( 25 ) BOOGIE DOWN The Real Thing

33 ( 22 ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

34 ( 24 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

35 ( 23 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

36 ( 40 ) DUKE OF EARL Darts

37 ( 37 ) THE BOSS Diana Ross

38 ( 41 ) THE LONELIEST MAN IN THE WORLD The Tourists

39 ( 35 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

40 ( 34 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

 

 

 

41 ( NEW ) ANGEL EYES Roxy Music

42 ( 28 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

43 ( 70 ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer

44 ( 38 ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

45 ( 29 ) D.J. David Bowie

46 ( NEW ) MONEY The Flying Lizards

47 ( 36 ) C'MON EVERYBODY The Sex Pistols

48 ( 48 ) ROXANNE The Police

49 ( 43 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

50 ( 42 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

 

51 ( 30 ) DEATH DISCO Public Image Limited

52 ( NEW ) GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS Kandidate

53 ( 44 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

54 ( 55 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

55 ( 54 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

56 ( 53 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

57 ( 61 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

58 ( 62 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

59 ( 47 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

60 ( 46 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

 

61 ( 57 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

62 ( 65 ) HERSHAM BOYS Sham '69

63 ( NEW ) GONE GONE GONE Johnny Mathis

64 ( 58 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

65 ( 51 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

66 ( 50 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

67 ( 64 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

68 ( 52 ) CHUCK E'S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones

69 ( 59 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

70 ( 73 ) GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS Hot Chocolate

 

71 ( 56 ) HARMONY IN MY HEAD Buzzcocks

72 ( 63 ) PRIME TIME The Tubes

73 ( 66 ) CONSCIOUS MAN Jolly Brothers

74 ( 68 ) THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp

75 ( NEW ) IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY (WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME) The Bellamy Brothers

 

TV

1 Star Trek: Erand Of Mercy

2 Rhoda

3 Juke Box Jury

4 Top Of The Pops

5 Sword Of Justice

6 Seven To One

7 The Hollywood Greats

8 Where Are They Now

9 It Ain't Half Hot Mum

10 Sykes

Edited August 26, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

21st August 1979

 

2 weeks for the Rats, holding off Cliff, and mirroring the UK charts. Sparks up to 4 makes it 2 consecutive Top 5 hits for the first time for them, and Giorgio Moroder’s first 2 consecutive since Chicory Tip in 1972. The Specials bang in with their Gangsters though, up to 7, while BA Bang Bang’s in at 9. Boney M up to 10, and their 7th Top 10 since their debut number one in 1977 with Daddy Cool. It’s also their last one ever, though by way of compensation I had a dream about them on the Thursday. Apparently. I shall say no more about it!

Rocketing into the 40 at 11 it’s Roxy, well on form for their 9th Top 20 (and Ferry’s 16th). Highest new entry and it’s Sister Sledge’s hat-trick of Chic-tastic singles, the sublime Lost In Music, future number one (in 1984) but making do with 21 first time round. The Flying Lizards are up at 26 (that’s what I want!), but even they are outdone on the quirky and bizarre front: The B52’s debut at 34 with the brilliant and odd Rock Lobster, kick-starting an unlikely 15 year-run of occasionally classic singles, all instantly recognisable as them and no-one else in the universe. Sort of retro 60’s garage trash, sort of New wave, sort of sci-fi, sort of fab.

 

Amusingly Gone Gone Gone nestles up to Girls Girls Girls, ahead of Hot Chocolate who say they are going through the motions. That’s a nasty habit unless it’s NHS-based. At 54, The Stranglers are back with a great, albeit slightly mellow single, Duchess - which was an early indicator of things to come.

In my life? A card from the BBC telling me of letter in Radio Times, I was “dead-chuffed” - modern-translation: well-impressed; decided I really liked Lil, Eileen and Nigel from work, as I was entering my last few days there, and finding it quite pleasant really. Bought American dollars! Bob Geldof impressed on a TV show Seven To One: “so articulate and thought-provoking”. I had a rather less-impressive opinion of Keith Chegwin on Juke Box Jury which is so rude I’m not repeating it! At the cinema it was “Buck Rogers In The 25th Century” with a couple of wacky robots (“not original still funny”) battling crap plots, characters. More than anything though getting anxiety over the forthcoming adventure, especially as the prime mover, mate Pete, seemed to have vanished from communication (working in Germany). Gulp!

 

1 ( 1 ) I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats

2 ( 4 ) WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard

3 ( 2 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

4 ( 7 ) BEAT THE CLOCK Sparks

5 ( 8 ) OOH WHAT A LIFE The Gibson brothers

6 ( 3 ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

7 ( 24 ) GANGSTERS The Specials

8 ( 5 ) THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP E.L.O.

9 ( 15 ) BANG BANG B.A. Robertson

10 ( 23 ) GOTTA GO HOME Boney M

 

11 ( 41 ) ANGEL EYES Roxy Music

12 ( 17 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Earth Wind And Fire

13 ( 6 ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

14 ( 19 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

15 ( 10 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

16 ( 16 ) MORNING DANCE Spiro Gyra

17 ( 14 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

18 ( 13 ) STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN Judy Tzuke

19 ( 25 ) LINES The Planets

20 ( 9 ) KID The Pretenders

 

 

21 ( NEW ) LOST IN MUSIC Sister Sledge

22 ( 27 ) REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Ian Dury And The Blockheads

23 ( 11 ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

24 ( 12 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

25 ( 29 ) IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM Joe Jackson

26 ( 46 ) MONEY The Flying Lizards

27 ( 43 ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer

28 ( 18 ) WANTED The Dooleys

29 ( 20 ) SWEET LITTLE ROCK 'N' ROLLER Showaddywaddy

30 ( 22 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

 

 

 

31 ( 37 ) THE BOSS Diana Ross

32 ( 21 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

33 ( 26 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

34 ( NEW ) ROCK LOBSTER The B52's

35 ( 28 ) GOOD TIMES Chic

36 ( 38 ) THE LONELIEST MAN IN THE WORLD The Tourists

37 ( 63 ) GONE GONE GONE Johnny Mathis

38 ( 52 ) GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS Kandidate

39 ( 70 ) GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS Hot Chocolate

40 ( 31 ) SPACE BASS Slick

 

 

 

41 ( 30 ) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Telex

42 ( 34 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

43 ( NEW ) YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU GOT Me And You

44 ( 39 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

45 ( 40 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

46 ( 33 ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

47 ( 36 ) DUKE OF EARL Darts

48 ( 35 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

49 ( 62 ) HERSHAM BOYS Sham '69

50 ( 42 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

 

51 ( NEW ) THE BITCH The Olympic Runners

52 ( 32 ) BOOGIE DOWN The Real Thing

53 ( 75 ) IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY (WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME) The Bellamy Brothers

54 ( NEW ) DUCHESS The Stranglers

55 ( 57 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

56 ( 58 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

57 ( 48 ) ROXANNE The Police

58 ( 55 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

59 ( 54 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

60 ( 56 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

 

 

 

61 ( 49 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

62 ( 53 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

63 ( 50 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

64 ( 44 ) SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU Art Garfunkel

65 ( 61 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

66 ( 64 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

67 ( 45 ) D.J. David Bowie

68 ( 67 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

69 ( 59 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

70 ( 60 ) UP THE JUNCTION Squeeze

 

71 ( NEW ) YOU NEED WHEELS The Merton Parkas

72 ( 65 ) SAY WHEN Lene Lovich

73 ( 66 ) MASQUERADE The Skids

74 ( 69 ) OLD SIAM, SIR Wings

75 ( NEW ) LOVE'S GOT A HOLD ON ME Dollar

 

TV

1 Star Trek: The Conscience Of The King

2 Top Of The Pops

3 Rhoda

4 The Hollywood Greats

5 Juke Box Jury

6 Where Are They Now

Edited August 27, 201410 yr by popchartfreak

28th August 1979

35 years on and Cliff, about as non-rock-star as one can get in the rock world is being interviewed about historic allegations, while Kate Bush has just opened her new tour 35-years after her last one. One interesting aspect of re-reading my diaries from 1979 is how much I’d forgotten (and now been reminded of) and how much even with diary notes is completely gone from my memory. I’ve got a VERY good memory, and even I can’t trust my own memory of events from 30 and 35 years ago, and the younger one gets the less accurate the memory gets, it’s all just too hazy, a series of images and half-memories. I have two memories from 1966 Liverpool of being “flashed” by two men in two separate incidents (and yes my mum took me to the police to report it) but could I give any reliable account now of what happened then? Not a chance. Some countries take this into account and have a limit on eye-witness accounts of any event. What people think they remember is not necessarily correct....

 

In my charts, though, Cliff is at his peak with his best record, the brilliant We Don’t Talk Anymore, the one that refreshed his career in a good way, and broke him (again) in the States. Top of the UK charts too, it was his 3rd number one in my charts, his first for 7 years - and his last one ever with new material! B.A. Robertson goes top 3. Bang Bang! Roxy get another Top 10, and The Stranglers leap to 24.

 

The new entries provide the interest as 2 future UK chart-toppers enter, Gary Numan going it solo (effectively just a name-change) with his classic Cars entering at 39, and Dr. Hook at 49 with When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman. It’s hard, you know it gets so hard. I’ve been to see them both in concert in the last few years (at least the voice of Dr. Hook Dennis Locorriere) and unexpectedly I’d take Dennis over Gary. Who’d a thunk it? At 51, the jazzy Crusaders introduce Randy Crawford to the charts with Street Life, a good single though I’ll take the Roxy Music song of the same title anyday. The Jam keep the run of hits going, and City Boy get a third hit with an exciting song title - I haven’t heard it for 35 years though, so youtube here I come.

In My Life? I read my Radio Times letter on the bus home from work and was immediately overcome with embarrassment at the enthusiastic shtudent pedant mood of it and decided not to show it to anyone except parents (who liked it) and brother (who didn’t). Friday was my last day at work, I was sorry to leave, and at home I was packing. My charts were done on the friday early rather than Tuesday, which is why there’s not much happening. Pete rang and left me full of anxiety at the way we were winging everything with no organisation, and mum was worrying a lot too. So much so, that she cried when I got on the bus for London Saturday morning. “I’ll be alright” I promised. Read David Niven’s fab autobiography “The Moon’s A Balloon” on the bus. The mix of social types and races in London fascinated me en route to Laker Airways offices with dad’s RAF bag in tow, overpacked and heavy. Julie, Sue and her boyfriend Joe were already there with bad news: we couldn’t fly before Monday, and Pete hadn’t arrived. My anxiety then came out as negativity and moodiness, and Pete’s unreliability didn’t help at all. So, a bad start, and ill feelings when Pete turned up late (we already had our tickets, having had to make a decision to get them before 5pm or miss the Monday flight. Sue and Joe insisted it was Pete’s own fault for being late and not getting in touch, and Julie and I went along with it despite wanting to wait). He got there just before 5 and tried to pay for the ticket in Deutschmarks, causing hassles!

 

So, a shared hotel room with 5 people and a weekend in London, unexpectedly. Saw “Moonraker” at the cinema, had my first MacDonalds ever (loved it), and then had excruciating belly-ache all night. I think it was the stress not the burger..... Next morning the boys sat in the Hotel Adams corridor in pyjamas while the girls changed. “Hello” we said to passing guests looking startled. That was funny. The day was spent at Hyde Park, where we hired two rowboats, which was a laugh, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey - for some reason no-one trusted my sense of direction as Guide Designate, but my memory for places and routes is pretty damn good. Just as well I ended up working with maps years later then! Another MacDonalds with actual Cliff and Rats faves playing, then rang home.

 

Monday was the flight to LA. from Gatwick, Huge queues and I commented on an “ancient (50’s)-looking woman with a wrinkled, ugly face” in jeans who was brimming with enthusiasm for England. Ageist! The fact that I am now in my 50’s serves me right for that comment! I also wear jeans still, so there! I got very excited to be on the plane, (in Smokers section, how things have changed!) and noted I always love take-off. We flew over Ireland, I chatted to a nice American woman and young Jewish American. I still remember the lady, Lucy Mojarro or Martha Delean - as she gave me her contact details and her mother’s in case we had problems - and she gave us great advice about hotels (don’t go near the airport, try Long Beach). It was my first experience at how friendly Americans can be, very welcoming. The rest of the trip? “Californian Suite” movie (appropriately!) and War Of The Worlds on radio (album). A stop-off at Bangor, Maine, a bit UK-looking to me, but VERY humid, for customs. At this point Pete got frog-marched off by officials as he’d not bothered to get a visa, assuming his student visa from 1978 was still valid. It wasn’t. We all got taken to a waiting room while Pete disappeared again, Sue was pissed off with him for not checking. Essentially Pete held up the plane, he got grilled, paid £5 for the visa and waltzed on board the plane to everyone staring at him. Typical Pete, things just drop into his lap no matter what!

 

2 hours later, clouds lifted and we had majestic views of deserts, canyons, mesas and buttes, towns and other incredibly exciting aerial scenes, until we landed in palm-treed Los Angeles. Avis courtesy bus, bags collected, car hired, and Joe tentatively drove us onto the American freeway, his first time, and ours, and he did really well adapting quickly to the roads. Once comfortable I HAD to put on the radio. First song in America? Lost In Music by Sister Sledge, how appropriate for me! Singing! Cruising highways! Yay! We were in America!

 

tbc.

 

 

 

1 ( 2 ) WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard

2 ( 1 ) I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats

3 ( 9 ) BANG BANG B.A. Robertson

4 ( 3 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba

5 ( 5 ) OOH WHAT A LIFE The Gibson brothers

6 ( 10 ) GOTTA GO HOME Boney M

7 ( 7 ) GANGSTERS The Specials

8 ( 14 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

9 ( 4 ) BEAT THE CLOCK Sparks

10 ( 11 ) ANGEL EYES Roxy Music

 

11 ( 8 ) THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP E.L.O.

12 ( 6 ) CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU The Police

13 ( 26 ) MONEY The Flying Lizards

14 ( 21 ) LOST IN MUSIC Sister Sledge

15 ( 12 ) AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Earth Wind And Fire

16 ( 25 ) IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM Joe Jackson

17 ( 17 ) ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC Tubeway Army

18 ( 15 ) LADY LYNDA The Beach Boys

19 ( 19 ) LINES The Planets

20 ( 16 ) MORNING DANCE Spiro Gyra

 

21 ( 13 ) IF I HAD YOU The Korgis

22 ( 37 ) GONE GONE GONE Johnny Mathis

23 ( 27 ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer

24 ( 54 ) DUCHESS The Stranglers

25 ( 22 ) REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Ian Dury And The Blockheads

26 ( 43 ) YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU GOT Me And You

27 ( 24 ) BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez

28 ( 34 ) ROCK LOBSTER The B52's

29 ( 20 ) KID The Pretenders

30 ( 18 ) STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN Judy Tzuke

 

31 ( 36 ) THE LONELIEST MAN IN THE WORLD The Tourists

32 ( 23 ) GIRL'S TALK Dave Edmunds

33 ( 49 ) HERSHAM BOYS Sham '69

34 ( 38 ) GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS Kandidate

35 ( 28 ) WANTED The Dooleys

36 ( 39 ) GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS Hot Chocolate

37 ( 30 ) LIGHT MY FIRE Amii Stewart

38 ( 29 ) SWEET LITTLE ROCK 'N' ROLLER Showaddywaddy

39 ( NEW ) CARS Gary Numan

40 ( 33 ) SILLY GAMES Janet Kay

 

 

 

41 ( 32 ) MY SHARONA The Knack

42 ( 53 ) IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY (WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME) The Bellamy Brothers

43 ( 31 ) THE BOSS Diana Ross

44 ( 35 ) GOOD TIMES Chic

45 ( 40 ) SPACE BASS Slick

46 ( 42 ) NIGHT OWL Gerry Rafferty

47 ( 44 ) SUNDAY GIRL Blondie

48 ( 45 ) DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW/ KISSES OF FIRE Abba

49 ( NEW ) WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN Dr. Hook

50 ( 41 ) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Telex

 

 

51 ( NEW ) STREET LIFE The Crusaders

52 ( 46 ) BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

53 ( 48 ) BREAKFAST IN AMERICA Supertramp

54 ( 55 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty

55 ( 56 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC

56 ( 50 ) RING MY BELL Anita Ward

57 ( 47 ) DUKE OF EARL Darts

58 ( 58 ) CHIQUITITA Abba

59 ( 59 ) TRAGEDY The Bee Gees

60 ( 60 ) I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor

 

61 ( 52 ) BOOGIE DOWN The Real Thing

62 ( 57 ) ROXANNE The Police

63 ( NEW ) REGGAE FOR IT NOW Bill Lovelady

64 ( 71 ) YOU NEED WHEELS The Merton Parkas

65 ( 51 ) THE BITCH The Olympic Runners

66 ( 61 ) LIVING ON THE FRONTLINE Eddy Grant

67 ( 75 ) LOVE'S GOT A HOLD ON ME Dollar

68 ( 62 ) MARRIED MEN Bonnie Tyler

69 ( 63 ) ONE RULE FOR YOU After The Fire

70 ( 68 ) HEART OF GLASS Blondie

 

71 ( 66 ) I'D BE SURPRISNGLY GOOD FOR YOU Linda Lewis

72 ( 65 ) WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge

73 ( NEW ) THE DAY THE WORLD CAUGHT FIRE City Boy

74 ( 69 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

75 ( NEW ) WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG The Jam

 

 

Edited August 28, 201410 yr by popchartfreak