Orville :cheeseblock:

"Steppin' Out" definitely my favourite of that top 10, brilliant song.

Heartache Avenue :wub:

Is it bad that I've always liked the Phil Collins cover? :D

Is it bad that I've always liked the Phil Collins cover? :D

No it makes me feel better as I love it! :)

29TH JANUARY

 

 

It was an almighty tussle at the top of the charts this week but there could be just winner and by a margin of just over 6,000 it went to Men At Work whose "Down Under" cannot be denied the top spot moving 2-1 on a sale of 128,078 copies whilst simultaneously topping the album charts. The album is also No 1 in Australia and it tops the charts in the US where they also have the No 1 single, in doing the double on both sides of the Atlantic simultaneously they become the first act since Rod Stewart some 11 years ago. The loser in all this is Phil Collins who is bounced down to No 2 but he has sold 121,754 this week and 471,000 in total and becomes his solo best seller- all reasons to soften the blow.

 

 

 

From the ashes of the 2-Tone movement, and in particular the band the Bodysnatchers, The Belle Stars were signed to Stiff records but their first three singles all failed to shake the charts. Trying their luck with covers the group finally hit it big with "Iko Iko" which had the misfortune to be released the same time as Natasha's version (which peaked at No 10) and furthers covers of "The Clapping Song" and "Mockingbird" have also charted with the former narrowly missing out on the top 10 itself last year. The wait is, however, finally over for the band with "Sign Of The Times" soaring 19-5 (46,461) this week to break their duck.

 

 

 

Originally a top 10 hit in most of Europe in 1979 for Italian Umberto Tozzi, "Gloria" failed to impress here when it was translated into English and became a No 65 "smash" for Jonathan King that same year. Now covered by Laura Branigan the song was a US No 2 smash for 3 weeks in November 1982 and now travels across the pond to smash here climbing 20-8 (33,507).

 

 

 

Hailing from Leighton Buzzard Kajagoogoo are named after a baby's first words, but they show they are no chart innocents getting their debut single "Too Shy" into the top 10 thanks to the help of a certain Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran fame. Lead singer Chris Hamill (stage name Limahl- an anagram of his surname) is the eye catching star of the group as far as the teen mags are concerned, he met Rhodes whilst working as a waiter in London's "Embassy Club" persuading the star to help his launch his groups career, Rhodes co-writes and co-produces the track with Duran Duran's regular producer Colin Thurston, the track flies 33-10 (29,359) this week.

 

 

Eddy Grant didn't pose any threat to the top 2 as I predicted last week as he moves 4-3 (72,845), he's joined by Joe Jackson as a climber in the top 10, he lifts 8-6 (42,908). The Maisonettes hold at No 7 (42,908) but it's the wrong way for both Wah! and Keith Harris & Orville as they fall 3-4 (59,024) and 5-9 (33,490) respectively.

 

 

 

1- DOWN UNDER- Men At Work (128,078)

2- YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE- Phil Collins (121,754)

3- ELECTRIC AVENUE- Eddy Grant (72,845)

4- STORY OF THE BLUES- Wah! (59,024)

5- SIGN OF THE TIMES- Belle Stars (46,461)

6- STEPPIN OUT- Joe Jackson (42,908)

7- HEARTACHE AVENUE- Maisonettes (42,908)

8- GLORIA- Laura Branigan (33,507)

9- ORVILLE’S SONG- Keith Harris & Orville (33,490)

10- TOO SHY- Kajagoogoo (29,359)

 

6- STEPPIN OUT- Joe Jackson (42,908)

7- HEARTACHE AVENUE- Maisonettes (42,908)

Oh, a tie in sales already?

'Gloria' is fab :wub: I didn't know it was originally recorded by Umberto Tozzi :o I recognise that name from trawling through old Eurovision Song Contest editions.

Belle Stars - Sign of the Times.

 

Great song. Shame their success didn't last long.

Pity we are missing the first three years of the 80s on this countdown, there's quite a few songs I like from 1982's chart in particular, although some of my faves didn't go top 10.

 

Laura Branigan certainly relied on covering Italo-disco songs - her other big hit 'Self Control' (which I prefer) is one too. In the video you posted, that US TV audience from what we can see don't look very impressed by 'Gloria'. :(

 

'Buffalo Gals' is a bit of a novelty song but it certainly sounds a few years ahead of its time.

 

The Phil Collins cover of the 60s song 'You Can't Hurry Love' is really the opposite of the futurism we usually associate with 80s music. The influence of 60s nostalgia we will see quite a bit more of though as we go through 80s music on this thread.

 

Anyway it is such a good song originally from The Supremes and I do like the Phil Collins version.

 

'Electric Avenue' - good song and, like Jade, I liked it when the remix came out in 2001.

 

'Sign of the Times' is a bit poppy for me , and like Culture Club shows how some of the chart 'new wave' was becoming more poppy.

 

'Too Shy' I do like though - it is an interesting song melodically especially the verses!

Edited February 22, 20232 yr by TheSnake

too bad the UK never got the original Gloria in Italian, much much better

I like Too Shy and Sign Of The Times from the new ones this week. I didn't know Limahl was an anagram of his surname.

5TH FEBRUARY

 

 

Continuing to make all the running it's another easy week at No 1 for Men At Work despite a sales decrease of 14% to 110,466 which might suggest that buyers are more and more being swayed by the album which still sits atop the album survey. "Down Under" has so far shifted 383,469 copies with the half million mark in clear sight for the next fortnight.

 

 

 

A story of steadily improving chart positions shows the ascending of Echo & The Bunnymen over the years, their last single "The Back Of Love" became their first top 20 single and now they go even better with "The Cutter" which climbs 11-8 (37,468) this week. It's taken from their third album "Porcupine" which is released today and will be vying for the No 1 spot come the weekend, following on from their success and current top 10 single from Wah! (4-7, 39,049) it now means all former members of The Crucial Three have had top 10 hits with other outfits.

 

 

 

Another band with a seemingly constant growing critical reputation and fanbase are Ireland's U2. Fronted by Bono the group have made a stock in trade of being political with their music and no less so with their current offering "New Year's Day" which concerns itself with the Polish political movement "Solidarity". It previews their third album "War" which reaches the shops next month, the single meanwhile struggles 12-10 (27,047) and looks like it is starting to struggle, but it's already a significant improvement on their previous best "Fire" in 1981 which ended up at No 35.

 

 

Eddy Grant left it late to overtake Phil Collins in the end the two tracks selling 64,600 and 62,781 respectively as they come in at No's 2 & 3 and despite falling sales for both they just do enough to block the rising Belle Stars who can only move 5-4 with a nice 33% sales increase to 61,319 thanks in the main to TOTP. Two climbers are immediately behind them, Kajagoogoo halve their position 10-5 (57,256) and double their sales to leapfrog over Laura Branigan who still rises 8-6 (39,117), whilst Joe Jackson reverses 6-9 (36,550)

 

 

 

1- DOWN UNDER- Men At Work (110,466)

2- ELECTRIC AVENUE- Eddy Grant (64,600)

3- YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE- Phil Collins (62,781)

4- SIGN OF THE TIMES- Belle Stars (61,319)

5- TOO SHY- Kajagoogoo (57,256)

6- GLORIA- Laura Branigan (39,117)

7- STORY OF THE BLUES- Wah! (39,049)

8- THE CUTTER- Echo & The Bunnymen (37,468)

9- STEPPIN OUT- Joe Jackson (36,550)

10- NEW YEAR’S DAY- U2 (27,047)

 

Another week, another great new addition to the top 10 - love 'The Cutter'

The Cutter and New Years Day are both top songs.

 

Now that the novelty songs have gone, that's a really solid top 10.

The Cutter by Echo and the Bunnymen is a good track as is U2's 'New Years Day'. These two bands and Big Country represented the big stadium indie rock sound well at this time.

Edited February 23, 20232 yr by TheSnake

don't know the Cutter but New Yer's Day is amazing <3

I was going to say that was a low sale for U2's first week in the Top 10, but it's still more than, for example, their #2 City Of Blinding Lights had in 2005.

'Too Shy' is utterly fantastic!

 

I love how we're getting exact sales for these as well. :o Most fascinating.

12TH FEBRUARY

 

 

For the third week on the trot Men At Work do the double topping the singles and albums chart, but they now appear to be under pressure at least! "Down Under" convinced 79,152 people to part with their money last week but keep your eye out for Kajagoogoo who stalk them 5-2 selling 73,117 copies into the bargain, a 29% increase thanks to a TOTP performance, something which Men At Work haven't done yet as they are busy promoting the single in the US where it also returns to the No 1 spot for a fourth non consecutive week after being interrupted for a week by Toto's "Africa".

 

 

 

Becoming a much more instantaneous hit than "Mad World", "Changes" makes the top 10 for Tears For Fears in just its second week rocketing 19-5 (43,911). Their debut album "The Hurting" is just a matter of weeks from being released and will contain all 4 of their releases (though their first two failed to dent the charts) but as far as the single is concerned it will have a long way to go to match the sales of their last release which has sold 590,000 copies in total since October.

 

 

 

Best known for her No 7 track "Soldier Blue" in 1971 Buffy Sante Marie is also now co-writer of the track "Up Where We Belong" sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes which climbs 12-7 (42,466). Film buffs will recognise the track from the film "An Officer and a Gentleman" which was released late last year, the song has also already been a US chart topper back in November last year, it's Cocker's third top 10 (but first in 14 years) and a first for Warnes who hasn't graced our charts until now.

 

 

 

Wham! return with a re-issue of their first single which halted at No 105 when it was released back in June before the success of "Young Guns (Go For It) which made No 3 in December. "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" rises 11-9 (36,346), it has been tweaked with some new lyrics and a new mix but still reflects the current unemployment crisis in the UK, the band will be entering the studio in the next few months to make that important debut album which now has the almost perfect foundation of 2 top 10 hits.

 

 

 

A sixth top 10 smash in a career listing back to 1968 Fleetwood Mac float 16-10 (33,354) with new single "Oh Diane". It's the second release from last year's "Mirage" album after "Gypsy" tanked at No 46, the fact that the single has been released in 7" and 12" picture disc format might have contributed the singles success, though it has taken 9 weeks to climb into the top 10!

 

 

Other climbers this week come from Belle Stars who sneak up another spot to No 3 (66,912) whilst Laura Branigan holds at No 6 (42,823) with a minimal sales increase, but it's the wrong way for Eddy Grant (2-4, 48,178) and a harder fall for Phil Collins 3-8 (38,590) as the public now seems to have had enough of his cover.

 

 

1- DOWN UNDER- Men At Work (79,152)

2- TOO SHY- Kajagoogoo (73,117)

3- SIGN OF THE TIMES- Belle Stars (66,912)

4- ELECTRIC AVENUE- Eddy Grant (48,178)

5- CHANGE- Tears For Fears (43,911)

6- GLORIA- Laura Branigan (42,823)

7- UP WHERE WE BELONG- Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes (42,466)

8- YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE- Phil Collins (38,590)

9- WHAM RAP! (ENJOY WHAT YOU DO)- Wham! (36,346)

10- OH DIANE- Fleetwood Mac (33,354)