Poor Gold not quite getting there :nocheer:

I hated Red Red Wine when it was first released. Absolutely love it now.

Red Red Wine is a good song but sad too, about relying on alcohol to try to rectify low mood.

 

 

Edited March 24, 20232 yr by TheSnake

Good to see Depeche Mode back in the top 10, it's amazing how few times they managed it given how consistently their songs would make the top 20. Everything Counts used to be one of my absolute favourites of theirs however it has been passed in my affections now by virtually every single they released in the 90s :lol:

 

I don't think I'd ever realised that Wings of a Dove was a Madness song, it obviously has their vibe of sorts but it just doesn't sound like them to me. Rockit is probably my main pick of the other ones that have entered - also feel obliged to say that I hadn't realised just how unlucky IOU was, it really stuck around well compared to many of the other songs to feature in this thread.

Freeze and UB40 making the comebacks from the 1981 groups! Also to a lesser extent David Grant/Lynx!

3RD SEPTEMBER

 

 

Well this week throws up a genuine surprise as most commentators (including myself) thought that KC & The Sunshine Band would retain the No 1 slot with "Give It Up" but it rescinds 1-2 (59,551) on a 23% sales decrease and indeed was never in with a chance of keeping the crown. Instead that passes to UB40 who claim their first UK No 1 with their cover of "Red Red Wine", it isn't the first song by Neil Diamond to make the top of course as the Monkees took "I'm A Believer" all the way in 1967, but for UB40, as noted last week, this is a major return to form, "Red Red Wine" sold 71,536 to easily take control.

 

 

 

Back in the top 10 for the 17th time Rod Stewart follows up the massive chart topping "Baby Jane" with "What Am I Gonna Do" which shoots 27-8 (32,674). The album "Body Wishes" revives in a minor fashion 24-17 but it is now his most successful album of the decade and hasn't dipped out of the Top 25 since its release 12 weeks ago.

 

 

 

If you fancy a Modern Romance "best of" album then you've only got to wait a few more months as one is due for Christmas and they lead the project with an uncharacteristic ballad "Walking In The Rain" which slinks 13-9 (30,073) and is a marked improvement on their last single "Don't Stop That Crazy Rhythm" which faltered at No 14 back in May- they now have a top 10 strike rate of 50%- an impressive feat.

 

 

Other acts doing well this week are my tip for the top of last week. Madness can only progress 6-4 (49,283) though sales increase even without TOTP assistance. David Grant holds down the anchor position and sells 28,492 in the process and there are four other fallers, Spandau Ballet drop back 2-3 (51,663), Elton John ebbs 4-5 (46,903), Wham! dip 5-6 (45,662) and Style Council slump 3-7 (40,562).

 

 

 

1- RED RED WINE- UB40 (71,536)

2- GIVE IT UP- KC & Sunshine Band (59,551)

3- GOLD- Spandau Ballet (51,663)

4- WINGS OF A DOVE- Madness (49,283)

5- I’M STILL STANDING- Elton John (46,903)

6- CLUB TROPICANA- Wham! (45,662)

7- LONG HOT SUMMER- Style Council (40,562)

8- WHAT AM I GONNA DO?- Rod Stewart (32,674)

9- WALKING IN THE RAIN- Modern Romance (30,073)

10- WATCHING YOU, WATCHING ME- David Grant (28,492)

 

10TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

The charts finally wake from their summer slumber as UB40 finally break a 16 week run of the No 1 single registering less than 100,000 sales. "Red Red Wine" saw an increase of 82% to 129,438 last week to leave the rest of the field way behind, Madness move 4-2 but actually lost sales to sell 46,882 in doing so, the biggest gap between the top 2 so far in 1983.

 

 

 

Songs about prostitution tend to be few and far between but Genesis seem to have struck gold with their most instant and highest peaking single "Mama" which jets in 20-5 (36,006). It's the lead single from their 12th album which is titled eponymously and will be released next month, and as noted is top 5 after just a fortnight on sale, their previous fastest seller was 1981's "Abacab" which stood at No 12 in its second week, along with the Police's "Every Breath You Take" it seems the theme of obsessive love/lust is a reoccurring theme for the year.

 

 

 

Roberta Flack is of course famous for her 70s singles "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" but she achieved her biggest hit in tandem with Donny Hathaway on 1980's "Back Together Again". Well she's learnt her lesson and duets again, this time with US R n B Singer Peabo Bryson on "Tonight I Celebrate My love" which soars 16- 7 (34,714), it's co-written by legendary songwriter Gerry Goffin who last penned a top 10 hit back in 1976 with Diana Ross on the vocals for "Theme From "Mahogany"".

 

 

 

With 8 hit singles under their belt already Level 42 have never before gone higher than No 24 ("The Chinese Way" in January this year) but were tipped for big things after a growing live reputation over the years since forming in 1980. Their fourth album "Standing In The Light" became their biggest yet when it debuted at No 9 last week and now they have more reasons to celebrate as "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" slowly moves 11-10 (30,124) to finally break them big in this country,

 

 

Rod Stewart also scuttles 8-3 (36,822) and may sneak a week at No 2 next week, whilst KC & The Sunshine Band slide 2-4 (36,329) and Spandau Ballet dip 3-6 (35,224) whilst Elton hurtles 5-8 (34,374). Modern Romance hold at No 9 on a sale of 31,603.

 

 

 

1- RED RED WINE- UB40 (129,438)

2- WINGS OF A DOVE- Madness (46,682)

3- WHAT AM I GONNA DO- Rod Stewart (36,822)

4- GIVE IT UP- KC & The Sunshine Band (36,329)

5- MAMA- Genesis (36,006)

6- GOLD- Spandau Ballet (35,224)

7- TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE- Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack (34,714)

8- I’M STILL STANDING- Elton John (34,374)

9- WALKING IN THE RAIN- Modern Romance (31,603)

10- THE SUN GOES DOWN (LIVING IT UP)- Level 42 (30,124)

 

Gah at that monstrosity on its way to become Roberta’s biggest UK hit. We despair.

Mama by Genesis is my favourite single from 1983.

The video for Mama where Phil Collins is going "Ha-Ha-Haaa" used to scare the poop out of me when I was a kid :unsure:

It’s quite an interesting track ‘Mama’!

17TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

The UK remains inebriated on it with "Red Red Wine" still increasing its popularity at the counter with a further 144.347 copies moved last week bringing its total to an impressive 379,746 copies and will undoubtedly ease over the half million mark next week though the release of "Labour Of Love" may dampen the singles appeal as it is released this week. It also passes "King/ Food For Thought" as the group's biggest seller, that sold 372,000 back in 1980.

 

 

 

Culture Club have been busy cracking the US for most of 1983 where they scored a couple of No 2 hits ("Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" and "Time (Clock Of The Heart)" and only just leave the top 10 over there with "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", but its back to the place where it all started good ol Blighty for the band who are good to go with their second album "Colour By Numbers" which is due next month. Lead single "Karma Chameleon" becomes their most instant hit debuting at No 3 today (64,923) but couldn't quite keep the No 2 position it was holding for most of the week thanks to TOTP which helped Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack to climb 7-2 (72,709) to become the biggest hit of either of their careers. Next week looks like being a scramble between the 3 tracks which all sold in very healthy tallies for 1983, indeed Culture Club's tally would have been enough for a No 1 debut in 8 weeks of the year!

 

 

 

Pierluigi Giombini has had a busy 1983, you might not know the name but if you've been lucky enough to go to Europe during the summer then you'll already be familiar with at least two of his compositions a track called "I like Chopin" by Gazebo, and Ryan Paris' "Dolce Vita" the latter of which successfully crosses the Dover straits to our shores and climbs 21- 5 (47,447). The Gazebo track has been top 10 alrady in almost every continental Europe country with Paris not far behind including a No 1 turn in Holland, Spain and Belgium. Both Paris and Gazebo are of course stage names (real names Fabio Roscioli and Paul Mazzolini respectively) and are big names on the Italian Disco scene. and to further the connection Mazzolini co-writes "Dolce Vita" with Giombini. Whilst "I Like Chopin" has failed to impress consumers here, Ryan Paris produces the first Italian penned top 10 UK hit since Gloria Branigan's cover of Umberto Tozzi's "Gloria" last year.

 

 

 

Recorded by its writer Jack Lee in 1981 "Come Back And Stay" bombed in the UK charts but canny Paul Young knew a hit when he saw it and covered it for the "No Parlez" album and this week crowns his fantastic year as the single climbs 27-6 (45,713) whilst "No Parlez" finally reaches the No 1 spot and isn't selling in bad quantities either spending the last two months in the top 10.

 

 

Elsewhere Genesis continue to move up the charts 5-4 (63,393) with "Mama" which is already shaping up to be their best selling single in the next few weeks whilst both Modern Romance and Level 42 hold steady at numbers 9 and 10 on sales of 37,927 and 33,201. Two big fallers in the shape of Rod Stewart 3-7 (41,990) and Madness 2-8 (39,746) as their time is very firmly up though Rod Stewart's sales are actually up!

 

 

 

1- RED RED WINE- UB40 (144,347)

2- TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE- Peablo Bryson & Roberta Flack (72,709)

3- KARMA CHAMELEON- Culture Club (64,923)

4- MAMA- Genesis (63,393)

5- DOLCE VITA- Ryan Paris (47,447)

6- COME BACK AND STAY- Paul Young (45,713)

7- WHAT AM I GONNA DO- Rod Stewart (41,990)

8- WINGS OF A DOVE- Madness (39,746)

9- WALKING IN THE RAIN- Modern Romance (37,927)

10- THE SUN GOES DOWN (LIVING IT UP)- Level 42 (33,201)

 

'Karma Chameleon' does feel very overplayed but I still enjoy it a lot!

I would say that Come Back and Stay is a better song than Wherever I Lay My Hat...

 

Karma Chameleon... one of those songs you'd happily never have to listen to again.

I always think I'm sick of Karma Chameleon but actually when it plays it is still kinda joyous. Easy to see why it did so well.

'Stay For Good' has a great chorus, and a good mix of synths and funky bass guitar, the two main instruments of the early 80s. The epic operatic backing singing in the middle of the track sounds like it might have influenced the Eurythmics - Must Be An Angel and also maybe the Pet Shop Boys too!

 

'Dolce Vita' is so bad its good, I do generally like the Italo-disco genre.

 

'Karma Chamaeleon' I used to like but is overplayed, and its a silly title for the song, as it sounds like 'Kama-Chamaeleon' in the chorus anyway.

 

It’s quite an interesting track ‘Mama’!

 

Disturbing too!

Edited March 27, 20232 yr by TheSnake

24TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

"Labour Of Love" becomes UB40's first No 1 album today and as expected detracts sales from the lead single "Red Red Wine" which tumbles 1-2 but still sells 121,431 copies, that's the first time in 24 weeks that the No 2 single has breached the 100,000 mark, hard to believe that just 6 weeks ago the No 1 single could only attract 56,525 buyers which would only be good enough for No 6 this week. "Red Red Wine" has now sold 501,177 copies in total and should nestle into the Y/E top 5 if it continues in its current form, but anyone expecting Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson to steal a week at the top will be disappointed as they tumble 2-3 (90,049) and must have suffered from the lack of TOTP even though that tally was enough for No 1 in 21 weeks this year. Instead the honour of deposing UB40 goes to Culture Club who celebrate their second No 1 single in just under a year as "Karma Chameleon" bounces 3-1 and was indeed never under any pressure from UB40 in terms of being chased for the accolade as it sells a record breaking 168,164 copies in the last week, that's a 1983 record and indeed the highest weekly sale since W/E 09.10.82 when "Pass The Dutchie" sold 183,000 copies.

 

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--7K1MwgpEMo/T9Y59cPM_OI/AAAAAAAABW4/OV_24FC8SEg/s1600/David-Bowie-Serious-Moonlight-333581.jpg

 

For a singer with such a long career and to be so influential for the last 11 or so years 1983 is arguably Bowie's most successful year. His last three singles all went top 3 and now "Modern Love" looks like it will be four in a row as it debuts at No 8 on a sale of 34,564, it's also the first time in his career that he's had three singles all debut in the top 10 consecutively following "Let's Dance" (No 5) and "China Girl" (No 8). Those singles (along with "Modern Love") are from his current album "Let's Dance" which hasn't left the top 20 since it was released 23 weeks ago in April and should easily be one of the top 10 albums of the year.

 

 

 

A 16th top 10 hit is next up for Status Quo which is coincidentally from their 16th studio album "Back To Back" which is due in time for Christmas, "Ol' Rag Blues" climbs 11-9 (30.804) and proves that even as they approach the 16th anniversary of their first hit you can't quite write off the Quo, some consternation has been reported in the group however as the demo version featured the vocals of Lancaster who also co-wrote the song however the label insisted on Rossi's version being released as the single version (and presumably the album version)- either way it hasn't impacted on sales.

 

 

In other news Paul Young climbs 6-4 (69,343) but is highly unlikely to replicate the success of his last single (despite that sale being better than 2 of his 3 weeks at No 1), whilst Modern Romance finally climb 9-7 (35,564) after three weeks at No 9 and can thank TOTP for that move even of it lost sales!. Fallers this week are Genesis (4-5, 61,795), Ryan Paris (5-6 , 52,836) and Rod Stewart 7-10 (30,311).

 

 

 

1- KARMA CHAMELEON- Culture Club (168,164)

2- RED RED WINE- UB40 (121,431)

3- TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE- Roberta Flack & Peablo Bryson (90,049)

4- COME BACK AND STAY- Paul Young (69,343)

5- MAMA- Genesis (61,795)

6- DOLCE VITA- Ryan Paris (52,836)

7- WALKING IN THE RAIN- Modern Romance (35,564)

8- MODERN LOVE- David Bowie (34,833)

9- OL RAG BLUES- Status Quo (30,804)

10- WHAT AM I GONNA DO- Rod Stewart (30,311)

 

Modern Love is my fave Bowie song of all time.

 

Ol Rag Blues I remember fondly as my brother loved it so it remains one of those songs that reminds me of my childhood and family

Great sales all round in that top 5 :o

Was there a reason for the sales fluctuations, I understand the summer brings a lul but was it just the songs were huge?