16TH APRIL

 

 

Bowie continues to dominate in the singles chart with "Let's Dance" racking up a further 100,521 sales last week to see it's overall tally to now amount to 360,689 copies in its first 28 days of release, the dip may be due to those who are waiting for the album which is unleashed today and is widely expected to knock Bonnie Tyler off the top spot next week. Bowie's biggest 80s seller is still "Ashes To Ashes" which has sold 622,000 copies to date but must now be "under pressure" from his current era.

 

 

Bowie had an easy victory this week, though Culture Club accelerate 9-2 with "Church Of The Poison Mind" it sold a still impressive 65,705 copies (a hike of 126% sales wise) but is a long way from Bowie, as he is one of Boy George's heroes then I'm sure on this occasion he won't mind too much!

 

 

With a guitar riff courtesy of Eddy Van Halen, Michael Jackson has his third top 10 hit from "Thriller" in "Beat It". It rockets 30-5 (37,604) and is already top 10 in the US where "Billie Jean" is still at No 1 in its seventh week there! Being a Michael Jackson track it also comes with a stunning video featuring street gangs in LA, the album incidentally hasn't left the top 3 since it climbed there 8 weeks ago and is already the years 2nd biggest seller so far.

 

 

 

Next up is Elli Robert Fitoussi, professionally known as F.R.David, he's a Tunisian born French singer who had a big international hit with "Words" in late 1982 topping some European charts over the last few months. All this led to a cover version by the 60s group The Tremeloes which has been getting some airplay but only managed No 91 as it has since been eclipsed by the original from David which now flies 21-8 (34,816) and can now add the UK to its list of admirers.

 

 

 

The Scots are back in the form of Big Country who have drummed up considerable music press over the last year which culminated in their debut single "Harvest Home" in late 1982 which underperformed when it failed to chart. Second single "Fields Of Fire (400 Miles)" does however do the business for them as it moves 13-10 (23,919), a debut album should be available by the end of the summer thanks in part to the success of this single.

 

 

In other news Duran Duran continue to slide slowly down the chart 2-3 (50,031) and JoBoxers join them in defeat as they slide 3-6 (37,247) whilst Kajagoogoo hold at No 7 (34,833). Going the right way however are Tracey Ullman who climbs 6-4 (42,755) and Kenny Everett moves a spot 10-9 (26,656) it is co-written by Mike Moran who of course was the UK entrant for Eurovision 1977 with Lynsey De Paul, a fact I omitted last week.

 

1- LET’S DANCE- David Bowie (100,521)

2- CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND- Culture Club (65,705)

3- IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW- Duran Duran (50,031)

4- BREAKAWAY- Tracey Ullman (42,755)

5- BEAT IT- Michael Jackson (37,604)

6- BOXERBEAT- Jo Boxers (37,247)

7- OOH TO BE AAH- Kajagoogoo (34,833)

8- WORDS- F.R.David (34,816)

9- SNOT RAP- Kenny Everett (26,656)

10- FIELDS OF FIRE- Big Country (23,919)

 

Forgot that 'Church Of The Poison Mind' charted as high as #2! That and 'Beat It' are my favourites from these new posts.

Big Country I already compared to U2 and Echo and The Bunnymen in terms of being the flag bearers for non-electronic stadium rock in this era. 'Fields of Fire' is a very good song and the guitars-like-bagpipes effect works well.

 

There are certainly far more non-electronic songs than I previously thought in the early 80s charts.

 

'Church of the Poison Mind' is a good song, I think its quite similar in style of music to 'Town Called Malice' by The Jam because it also revived the uptempo Northern Soul/Motown 60s sound too.

 

'Breakaway' is such a fast breathless pop song and a real earworm! It is obviously contributing to the ongoing 60s revivalist theme we see from time to time in the 80s charts. The original Irma Thomas song doesn't seem to have charted in the UK so I don't know how well known it was in the UK before Tracey Ullmann covered it.

 

Finally, 'Snot Rap' by Kenny Everett I am guessing is a parody of 'Wham Rap'!

Edited March 5, 20232 yr by TheSnake

Big Country I already compared to U2 and Echo and The Bunnymen in terms of being the flag bearers for non-electronic stadium rock in this era. 'Fields of Fire' is a very good song and the guitars-like-bagpipes effect works well.

 

There are certainly far more non-electronic songs than I previously thought in the early 80s charts.

 

'Church of the Poison Mind' is a good song, I think its quite similar in style of music to 'Town Called Malice' by The Jam because it also revived the uptempo Northern Soul/Motown 60s sound too.

 

'Breakaway' is such a fast breathless pop song and a real earworm! It is obviously contributing to the ongoing 60s revivalist theme we see from time to time in the 80s charts. The original Irma Thomas song doesn't seem to have charted in the UK so I don't know how well known it was in the UK before Tracey Ullmann covered it.

 

'Ooh To Be Aah' is a unusual song certainly but I really like it.

 

Finally, 'Snot Rap' by Kenny Everett I am guessing is a parody of 'Wham Rap'!

23RD APRIL

 

 

Bowie is king once more this time ruling not only the singles chart but the album charts as well with the same title "Let's Dance". Perhaps the arrival of the album is responsible but the single takes a dive sales wise to just 86,717 a 14% drop and if its replicated next week will be in serious danger of losing the top slot, its total now swells to 447,406 and is the 5th biggest seller of 1983.

 

 

So Bowie can count himself lucky to get a third week at the top in part due to his album only just being released but secondly that TOTP didn't feature "Church Of The Poison Mind" this week which meant that the song only increased its sales by 15% to 74,885, had it been otherwise then it's entirely possible that Boy George and his crew would have been celebrating their second chart topper.

 

 

Peaking at No 54 last December "Love Is A Stranger" has been re-released after the success of their last single "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) which made No 2 back in March. Much more successful this time around the Eurythmics climb 23-6 (31,960) with the song, the parent album is still top 5 with all indications that the duo are in for the long haul, and the band are also showing an early flair for the eye catching promo, here Lennox plays a high class escort!

 

 

 

You've probably already heard of Tracie Young even though she's only just got her first top 10 single, she is of course the protégée of a certain Paul Weller who got her to provide backing vocals to "Speak Like A Child" and Beat Surrender" after he discovered her when she replied to an add he placed for a female vocalist. Her debut single "The House That Jack Built" rises 12-9 (27,693) to give Tracie a dream start to her pop career, Weller is still on production duties here and indeed he contributes the B-side "Dr Love" which was in the running for the final Jam single before it was given to Bananarama for their debut album.

 

 

 

It's their tenth single but their first to debut straight into the top 10, Spandau Ballet have a massive radio hit on their hands, it was already in the top 10 most played tracks on radio the week before it was released and has sent the parent album "True", which peaked at No 7 on release back in March, to a new peak of No 6 which must owe a debt . "True" is a marked improvement on the No 12 peak of their last single "Communication" and is their 6th top 10 single and if you're wondering who the inspiration for the track is well look no further than Altered Images' Clare Grogan who Gary Kemp has a slight crush on! They debut at No 10 on a sale of 25,755.

 

 

Also lining up to dethrone Bowie next week are Michael Jackson who moves 5-3 (65,943) and FR David (8-4, 51,357) who seem primed and ready. Heading the wrong way are Tracey Ullman 4-5 (45,373) though her sales are up, Jo Boxers 6-7 (30,668) and Kajagoogoo 7-8 (29,189).

 

1- LET’S DANCE- David Bowie (86,717)

2- CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND- Culture Club (74,885)

3- BEAT IT- Michael Jackson (65,943)

4- WORDS- F.R.David (51,357)

5- BREAKAWAY- Tracey Ullman (45,373)

6- LOVE IS A STRANGER- Eurythmics (31,960)

7- BOXERBEAT- Jo Boxers (30,688)

8- OOH TO BE AAH- Kajagoogoo (29,189)

9- HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT- Tracie (27,693)

10- TRUE- Spandau Ballet (25,755)

 

Love Is A Stranger is the best of those three but True is the one that still gets played on the radio today.

'The House That Jack Built's melody sounds influenced by J Geils Band - Centerfold from the year before and the use of violin certainly seems influenced by 'Come On Eileen' from the year before! Its a nice song anyway.

 

'Love Is A Stranger' is definitely the best of the top 10 imo. Just when I thought there were few electronic songs in the top 10 here!

 

'True' by Spandau Ballet certainly laid the foundation for much of Wet Wet Wet's career!

Edited March 6, 20232 yr by TheSnake

30TH APRIL

 

 

A month after Duran Duran scored their first No 1 Spandau Ballet follow suit. The two groups are arch rivals if you believe the tabloids so it must be an important factor in balancing the relative merits of both acts that Spandau have managed to match the Durannies achievements, "True" exploded 10-1 this week on a sale of 95,268 in conjunction with the album of the same name climbing 6-3 to reach a new peak, but good news for Spandau is bad news for FR David who was leading the way for the majority of the week but post TOTP (on which both featured) it was the former who received the greater boost sailing past FR David who ended up at No 2 selling 69,020.

 

 

 

After two singles which debuted at No 9 eyebrows were raised last week when Human League only debuted at No 16 with "(Keep Feeling) Fascination", well there was no need for concern as the track leaps 16-4 (62,033) this week and should provide a serious threat to Spandau Ballet next week. Success internationally has caused a delay in recording the follow up to "Dare" but rumours are that there will be a new album due before Christmas.

 

 

 

Covered by everyone from Frank Ifield to Bobby Vee, "True Love Ways" is of a course a song written by Buddy Holly as a wedding gift to his wife back in 1958 but only made No 25 in the charts when released posthumously in 1960, it was a far greater hit for Peter & Gordon in 1965 when it went all the way to No 2 and now its back in a version by Cliff Richard. His recording is with the London Philharmonic Orchestra who are celebrating their 50th anniversary and to help Cliff performed a concert with them which will be released in a few weeks entitled "Dressed For The Occasion"- the single shoots 14-8 this week on a sale of 32,776.

 

 

 

Thompson Twins prove that their last single "Love On Your Side" was no fluke as follow up "We Are Detective" follows it leaping 21-9 (31,008). It's a third single from the "Quick Step and Side Kick" album which is still top 20 but couldn't quite make it to the top being denied by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" back in March.

 

 

Talking of Jackson, "Beat It" holds at No 3 as he's leapfrogged by FR David and Spandau on sales of 62,458 but the rest of the tracks not mentioned so far all fall this week. Culture Club's challenge to the No 1 spot is over as they drop 2-5 (57,443) but that's nothing compared to Bowie who drops 1-6 (56,882) with "Let's Dance" as his album holds the top spot. That's the biggest drop from the top slot since Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin made an identical tumble in October 1981, he does however sell his 500,000 copy of the single so it's not all bad. Also falling are the Eurythmics 6-7 (42,653) despite a modest increase in sales, and Tracey Ullman falls 5-10 (30,379)

 

 

 

1- TRUE- Spandau Ballet (95,268)

2- WORDS- F.R.David (69,020)

3- BEAT IT- Michael Jackson (62,458)

4- (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION- Human League (62,033)

5- CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND- Culture Club (57,443)

6- LET’S DANCE- David Bowie (56,882)

7- LOVE IS A STRANGER- Eurythmics (42,653)

8- TRUE LOVE WAYS- Cliff Richard (32,776)

9- WE ARE DETECTIVE- Thompson Twins (31,008)

10- BREAKAWAY- Tracey Ullman (30,379)

 

'True' is a good #1.

 

'Keep Feeling Fascination' is a very good song. One of the Human League's last upbeat singles for a while.

 

'We Are Detective' definitely doesn't sound like a top 10 hit! It does sound melodically influenced by '¿Quién será?' (aka. Dean Martin - Sway) I think

 

Thought FR David was a singing priest actually (short for Father David) when I first saw his name in the OCC archive charts!

I like the repeated synth riff in (Keep Feeling) Fascination and We Are Detective is a good song.

Beat It, (Keep Feeling) Fascination, Church of the Poison Mind, Let's Dance and Love is a Stranger all in the same top 10! 🤯

 

:wub:

7TH MAY

 

 

"True" stays at number one this week but that hides the fact that the track exploded at retail and sees its sales haul taken to 270,045 in just 3 weeks after selling a new 1983 record of 149,022 copies last week! It also creates a gap of 81,498 over FR David's "Words" which is again the biggest gap between the top 2 of 1983 (indeed the last gap to be bigger was recorded by Musical Youth over Fat Larry's Band back on 09.10.82 which was also the last time a song sold more copies in a week!) so all in all the track looks to be quite safe at the No 1 spot for a while.

 

 

 

"Pale Shelter" was one of the tracks that was recorded as a demo and got Tears For Fears a record contract, it was also their second single which like their first "Suffer The Children" bombed chart wise. That was all before the success of "Mad World" last year of course and now the track gets another chance and hey presto jumps 22-5 (40,137) this week to become their third top 10 hit on the trot, the song has been issued in a variety of variations (new mixes/ artwork/ picture discs etc) to assist its climb along with the band playing the song twice a night on their current tour, all of the back of the No 1 album "The Hurting".

 

 

 

Way back in the late 70s you may recall a group called Kandidate who had four UK hits including the No 11 hit "I Don't Wanna Lose You", that group contained a certain Phil Fearon who subsequently made music under the moniker Galaxy with backing singers Dorothy Galdes & Julie Gore. The "group" now have a hit on their hands with "Dancing Tight" which leaps 20-6 (39,661), their debut track "Head Over Heels" was something of a club hit but only made it to No 77 last year but the big time has finally arrived.

 

 

 

Also back in the 1970s Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh were trying to recruit a lead vocalist for their group "The Human League", their original choice was Glenn Gregory but due to timing he wasn't available so the pair picked Philip Oakey. The story of the fracturing of the original line up is well documented but after Ware and Marsh left the group they formed the group Heaven 17 and finally got the frontman they wanted when Gregory joined them, however the group (named after the fictional band in Burgess' novel "A Clockwork Orange") have disappointed chart wise with four hit singles which have all failed to make the top 40 though "Let Me Go" did narrowly miss out at No 41, and of course they gained some publicity when one single "We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thing" was banned by Radio 1. All that has been put right now as "Temptation" moves 14-8 (37,944), it also features the vocals of Carol Kenyon, both this track and "Let Me Go" are to be found on the band's second album "The Luxury Gap" which debuts at No 4 this week on the album charts. Of course we all know the success Human League went onto after Ware and Marsh left but both groups are now in the top 10 with the League's "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" still climbing 4-3 (65,297).

 

 

Also climbing are the Thompson Twins who rise 9-7 (38,420) to record their biggest hit whilst three other tracks fall. They are Michael Jackson 3-4 (43,452), David Bowie 6-9 (36,907) though he is still No 1 for a third week on the album charts, and Culture Club 5-10 (36,567)

 

 

 

1- TRUE- Spandau Ballet (149,022)

2- WORDS- F.R.David (67,524)

3- (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION- Human League (65,297)

4- BEAT IT- Michael Jackson (43,452)

5- PALE SHELTER- Tears For Fears (40,137)

6- DANCING TIGHT- Phil Fearon & Galaxy (39,661)

7- WE ARE DETECTIVE- Thompson Twins (38,420)

8- TEMPTATION- Heaven 17 (37,944)

9- LET’S DANCE- David Bowie (36,907)

10- CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND- Culture Club (36;567)

 

Wrong Human League video there, Gezza!

Wrong Human League video there, Gezza!

Where? :(

Where? :(

Above, temptation instead of fascination?

 

Sorry to nitpick, loving the thread and your hard work!

Above, temptation instead of fascination?

 

Sorry to nitpick, loving the thread and your hard work!

No worries :D Fascination is the week before though so it wouldn't be in today's post? Are you confusing it because I'm kinda linking them in the post? "Temptation" is new "this week" so to speak but HL aren't?

No worries :D Fascination is the week before though so it wouldn't be in today's post? Are you confusing it because I'm kinda linking them in the post? "Temptation" is new "this week" so to speak but HL aren't?

Oh I think I’m confused. Sorry.

 

I’m a silly moo! :(

Oh I think I’m confused. Sorry.

 

I’m a silly moo! :(

Haha :D It's ok- I re-read my post three times to make sure it wasn't me!

I’ll be leaving now!

Lol!

 

Pale Shelter is sublime, one of my favourite 80s tracks :wub: