The One Week Wonders - Episode 140

 

There were no more one week wonders in 1982, and the repeated chart over christmas and new year doesn't throw up any bonus two week wonders, so we move on to the week ending 8th January 1983, and the first Gallup Top 100. The 76-100 wasn't a straight sales based listing, as singles that would be in that section but had been consistently dropping in sales and position were excluded to allow more upcoming hits to appear in that section. Nonetheless I've decided to embrace the full Top 100 at this point as it brings with it ever more obscure singles, and obscurity, whilst still technically charting, was the whole point of this thread. It will seem a little strange when we hit the point in 1991 when there is no public access to the full top 100, and it will make my research harder if I try to reinstate the 100 at the point when I can get them from ukmix (I think Sept 92?), rather than at the point in 1994 when they are returned on the OCC website, but the former issue is unavoidable, and as for the latter I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

We start by ignoring Snowman Melody by The Snowmen, which the OCC site shows at #57, as on closer inspection that turns out not to be a new release by them bu instead to actually be Xmas Party which had already been in the charts for the previous three weeks. We therefore start this episode with Nevada and In The Bleak Mid Winter at #71, which represents the only week of UK chart action for both that specific act, and the christmas carol in general.

 

We would then be listening to Loch Lomond by Runrig, which was at #86, were it not for the fact that a re-recorded, but fundamentally similar, version was issued to benefit Children In Need 25 years later in 2007 and reached #9. We therefore instead move to #92 and So Close To Me by Julio Iglesias.

 

And finally the first ever top 100 gives us our first one week wonder to spend its only week on chart at #100. It's Ozzy Osbourne with a live version of Symptom Of The Universe, a Black Sabbath track from a few years previously, though it wasn't a charting single as a Black Sabbath track.

I quite like the Nevada version of 'In The Bleak Midwinter'. The band consisted of three members of Renaissance who had scored a top 10 hit in 1978 with the great 'Northern Lights'. One of Nevada's members is Peter Gosling. His son is Jake Gosling, a producer, songwriter, publisher and manager who is most closely associated with Ed Sheeran but who has also worked with a number of other acts. Peter played on a number of Ed's recordings while son Jake has co-wrote and produced many of them.

 

 

Yes,that version of In The Bleak Midwinter was lovely. I also liked the Dramatis track. One of the best songs I've heard on this thread so far.

Nevada seems to be the name of three different artists who have each only made the UK chart once.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 141

 

We start this episode with The Undertones, who were at #97 on w/e 29th January 1983 with The Love Parade.

 

Next up is Sensitive by Mick Karn, which was at #98 the same week, and was his chart debut.

 

Finally we have a TV tie-in single. The Boys From The Black Stuff was a five part Alan Bleasdale written series following a group of five Liverpudlian tarmac layers who had found themselves unemployed and were trying to find ways to eke out a living. The main character followed was Yozzer, played by Bernard Hill, whose catchphrases were 'Gis a job" and "I can do that!". The series was transmitted on BBC2 between Sunday 10th October 1982 and Sunday 7th November 1982. BARB were publising Top Tens by channel at this point, rather than the Network Top 20 of old, so the viewing figures can be found:

Episode 1 - Unknown as not in the top 10 (but less than 3.4m people)

Episode 2 - 4.45m (tied in 10th place with M*A*S*H)

Episode 3 - 4.85m (4th place for BBC2, only Kenny Everett, Smiley's People and Horizon are ahead now)

Episode 4 - 4.50m (now in tied 9th, but the other programme in the tie, and three above it are International Snooker coverage specific to this week)

Episode 5 - 3.90m (still 9th, despite no International Snooker clogging the chart this week)

The single is credited to Yosser's Gang and is called Gis A Job. It had one week at #100 on w/e 29th January 1983.

Great to see 'Sensitive' by Mick Karn is here. It's the first one week wonder to feature in my top 1000 songs of all time thread. I wonder if there will be any more. As my 459th favourite song,it's easily the best one week wonder so far. 'Sensitive' is a cover version (with different lyrics) of a song called 'La Distancia' by the Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos from 1972.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 142

 

First up for this episode is American duo Yarbrough and Peoples, aka Calvin Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples. Their UK chart debut was back in the last week of 1980, with Don't Stop The Music, which went on to reach #7. This is their second charting single in the UK, Heartbeats, which was at #91 on w/e 19th February 1983, which happens to be the week of my birth!

 

Next is Leisure Process, who were experiencing their only week of UK chart action at #93 in the same week with Cash Flow.

 

Finally for this episode we have David, or to give her her full name Virginia David, who was previously a vocalist for the band Sailor of Glass Of Champagne fame. Here she attempts a solo career with Am I Normal? at #98 in the same week as the other two songs, but it would be her only week of solo UK chart action.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 143

 

We start with two former members of Adam and The Ants, Gary Tibbs and Chris Merrick Hughes, under the guise Merrick and Tibbs, who had their only week of chart action in this guise at #95 on w/e 26th February 1983 with Call Of The Wild.

 

Next up is a Basildon based pop band called the Pinkees, who released four singles in 1982 and 1983. The second single, Danger Games, not only made the chart but peaked at #8. Their only other single to chart was their fourth and final one, I'll Be There, which had one week at #87 on w/e 5th March 1983.

 

And we end this episode with Pal Of My Cradle Days by Scottish singer Valerie Dunbar. She was at #91 on w/e 19th March 1983. Ann Breen had entered the chart with the same song a month before, and was at a peak position of #69 in the same week, eventually notching up 17 weeks on chart accross 5 runs in 1983 and 1984. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a youtube video, or any other online video, for Valerie's version, but Spotify to the rescue, so I can at least link to an audio version.

 

:o I didn't have long to wait then. 'Am I Normal?' by David is also in my top 1000. 1983 was the best year for music,in my opinion,so it's maybe not a surprise to see another of my favourites appear. This one is my 689th favourite song. A few people on here might remember I entered it into the pop forum song contest. It's another cover version,this time of a song by Eye To Eye.

 

'Sensitive' and 'Am I Normal?' were both played on Radio 1 a bit which is how I came to know them but that wasn't enough for them to be bigger hits.

I knew I recognised that David song from somewhere!

The One Week Wonders - Episode 144

 

First up is Danse Society with Somewhere, which was at #94 on w/e 19th March 1983. It was the first of 6 top 100 singles for them, although only two made the top 75.

 

Next is Be With Me by Billy Griffin, which was the follow up to the #17 hit Hold Me Tighter In The Rain. Be With Me was at #99 on w/e 19th March 1983.

 

Finally for this episode is Wide Boy Awake, a short-lived band formed by former Adam and The Ants bassist Kevin Mooney. Bona Venture was at #99 on w/e 26th March 1983, and was their only week of UK chart action.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 145

 

We start at #93 on w/e 9th April 1983, with a song about the female singer's choice of hosiery, it's Yorkshire's leading duo!

 

Next up are the Tremeloes with Words, which was at #91 on w/e 16th April 1983. In the same week the F.R. David version was at #8 and would go on to reach #2. Words came almost twelve years after the Tremeloes previous hit, Hello Buddy, had reached #32 in the summer of 1971, and they have never returned to the singles chart since.

 

And we end this episode with Fleetwood Mac, who were at #83 on w/e 23rd April 1983 with Can't Go Back.

Yet again I've caught back up to where I would have been with a strict daily episode. Let's see if I can keep it that way this time....

 

The One Week Wonders - Episode 146

 

We start with Roger Whittaker's vocal version of Stranger On The Shore, which was at #95 on w/e 23rd April 1983. Stranger On The Shore had originally been a big hit in late 1961 and early 1962, reaching #2 according to the retrospectively official charts of Record Retailer, and #1 in all the other paper's charts, as well as being a million seller. There was also an Andy Williams version, with the same lyrics as Roger's, that reached #30 in summer 1962.

 

Next is the only week of UK chart action for Peter and The Test Tube Babies with Zombie Creeping Flesh, which was at #99 on w/e 23rd April 1983.

 

And finally for today is the second and last charting single for Pete Shelley. (Millions Of People) No One Like You was at #94 on w/e 7th May 1983. His previous single was Telephone Operator, which peaked at #66 earlier in 1983.

The One Week Wonders - Episode 147

 

We start with a second charting single for Judie Tzuke. Black Furs was at #96 on w/e 21st May 1983. Her first charting single, Stay With Me Till Dawn, reached #16 in 1979.

 

Next up is the only week of UK chart action for Taco, whose version of Singin' The Rain reached #98 on w/e 4th June 1983. Other versions of Singin' In The Rain to chart over the years are Sheila and B Devotion (#11 in 1978), Mint Royale (#20 in 2005 and #1 in 2008), and Glee Cast ft Gwyneth Paltrow (#22 in 2011). A song of the same name by Gazebo (#78 in 1997) may also be the same song, but I couldn't find it online to check.

 

Finally for today we have the UK chart debut of Dead or Alive, with Misty Circles, which was as #100 on w/e 4th June 1983.

Surprisingly a lot of these top 100 entries are new to me. Given how closely I was following the charts back then and how often I listened to the radio I'm very surprised at how few songs I even know of let alone remember how they sounded.

'Black Furs' by Judie Tzuke is a strange one. It's not like her normal ballad type songs that I associate her with. It has an almost new wave / Kim Wilde vibe to it. 'Stay With Me Til Dawn' is still a great song as is her first single 'For You' which was a flop not just once or twice but three times. It was first released in June 1978 and then re-issued thre months later. After 'Stay With Me Til Dawn' charted it was re-issued again and again flopped. Shame as it really is a good song.

Over half of these I dont know (or have forgotten) - but quite a few I bought and/or made my own Top 100 rundown (I gave that up after a few months and went back to 75, too much hard work!): Words, Am I Normal?, Can't Go Back, The Love Parade are the ones I still remember... :)

The One Week Wonders - Episode 148

 

First up tonight is BBC Breakfast's resident astrologer at the time, Russell Grant, with No Matter What Sign You are, which was at #87 on w/e 11th June 1983. The song was a cover of a Diana Ross and The Supremes song which reached #37 in 1969.

 

Next up would have been It's You, It's You, It's You by Joe Dolan which was at #100 on w/e 11th June 1983, but it went on to return to the chart for one week at #96 on w/e 11th November 1985. Instead our second track is Music by F.R. David, which was at #71 on w/e 18th June 1983. It was the follow up to his debut #2 hit Words, and was also his last UK charting single.

 

Finally today here is a song that to me seems familiar and yet at the same time not familiar. It's credited to Jane and is called It's A Fine Day. It was at #87 on w/e 25th June 1983, and it feels unfamiliar because it consists of a lone female vocal whose slightly ghostly voice is at odds with the happiness implied by the lyrics. The reason it seemed a little bit familiar is because of a dance version by Opus III, which I think uses a different vocalist, which got to #5 in 1992. Another dance version, which I think samples the original version, but in my opinion is clearly a distinct enough composition to the original to not jeopardise the original's one week wonder status, is credited to Miss Jane, and reached #61 in 1999.

 

 

oh didn't know Opus III was a cover

 

love the melody in the original

The One Week Wonders - Episode 149

 

We start with Frida of Abba fame, who was at #100 on w/e 25th June 1983 with Here We'll Stay.

 

Next up is the only week of UK chart action for Howard Devoto with Rainy Season at #97 on w/e 2nd July 1983.

 

Finally today it's the chart debut of Wang Chung who were at #92 on w/e 16th July 1983 with (Don't Be My) Enemy.