Yeah, Ghost Town is the greatest, no question.

Edited June 25, 20241 yr by Jester
Spoilers!!

SPOILERS again peeps!!!!

I don't mind Ghost Town, I'd rate it a 7/10 no more

 

Ouch that Can Can thing, one of the worst songs of the 80s for me, hated them so much...

11TH JULY

 

 

Well This turned into an interesting week in which the chart gained a new chart topper which owed much more to the collapse in sales of outgoing No 1 rather than an explosion in sales of the new favourite. Michael Jackson's "One Day In Your Life" lost a mighty 27% to register 83,000 as it drops to No 2, and that was enough to see The Specials claim their second chart topper of the 80s with "Ghost Town"- that track sold 86,000 and only just hung on as Jackson ran them close towards the end of the week. That means that it only registered an increase of 22% itself- next week will paint a clearer picture of its longevity. Nevermind, it is a new No 1 for a new TOTP which will unveil it's new look on this week's show which is also its 900th show!

 

 

Regardless Jackson's hit is shaping up to be one the years biggest sellers and with 6 months now gone here's the top 10 best sellers:

 

1- STAND AND DELIVER- Adam & The Ants 800,844

2- THIS OLE HOUSE- Shakin Stevens 712,560

3- VIENNA- Ultravox 696,288

4- MAKING YOUR MIND UP- Bucks Fizz 682,716

5- SHAADAP YOU FACE- Joe Dolce & The Musical Theatre 667,896

6- YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY- Shakin Stevens 605,316

7- WOMAN- John Lennon 572,148

8- BEING WITH YOU- Smokey Robinson 552,528

9- ONE DAY IN YOUR LIFE- Michael Jackson 545,472

10- STARS ON 45- Starsound 537,864

 

"Stand & Deliver" just moves past the 800,000 mark and as noted before is the biggest selling single of the 80s so far. Jackson creeps in at No 9 and Smokey Robinson keeps ahead of him narrowly as he falls 5-8 (41,000) this week.

 

 

Bad Manners ended up with a sale of 64,000 and without TOTP this week could pay the price. If for no other reason than the fact that Starsound are back with “Vol 2” of their “Stars On 45” medleys this time covering ABBA tracks, it zooms 15-4 (59,000) and with sales at the top not stellar this week perhaps it has a chance at No 1 next week?

 

 

 

 

Bob Marley of course tragically died in May this year prompted a re-issue of his 1975 swansong “No Woman No Cry”. Originally released in 1975 it only peaked at No 22 but does far better given the circumstances as it climbs 12-9 (40,000) this week.

 

 

 

Formed as a side project to Talking heads, Tom Tom Club manage to outdo their parent group by this week making the top 10 with “Wordy Rappinghood”. Husband and wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz can boast outdoing the No 14 peak of “Once In A Lifetime” of Talking heads as they move 14-10 (38,000) this week, the track is based around a traditional Moroccan Child’s song “A Ram Sam Sam” which boasts a version by none other than Rolf Harris.

 

 

The only climber not discussed so far belongs to Imagination who slink up a spot 7-6 (49,000) but three are falling, Odyssey 4-5 (50,000), and Elaine Paige 6-7 (47,000).

 

 

1- GHOST TOWN- The Specials (86,000)

2- ONE DAY IN YOUR LIFE- Michael Jackson (83,000)

3- CAN CAN- Bad Manners (64,000)

4- STARS ON 45 VOLUME II- Starsound (59,000)

5- GOING BACK TO MY ROOTS- Odyssey (50,000)

6- BODY TALK- Imagination (49,000)

7- MEMORY- Elaine Paige (47,000)

8- BEING WITH YOU- Smokey Robinson (41,000)

9- NO WOMAN, NO CRY- Bob Marley & The Wailers (40,000)

10- (YOU DON’T STOP) WORDY RAPPINGHOOD- Tom Tom Club (38,000)

 

Wordy Rappinghood is one of the quirkiest hits from the year and All Stood Still is another excellent track from the Vienna album.

Good #1; would have preferred Can Can at #2 as ODIYL is not one of Jackson's best songs.

 

Starsound getting another megamix hit, similar to what we saw with Mirage in 1987.

Edited June 25, 20241 yr by TheSnake

Bob Marley had so many classics that peaked way too low, like the original release of No Woman No Cry peaking at #22

until this point he's had 3 top 10, this was his 4th, with Could you be loved peaking at #5 being the highest so far

How Bout Us is a smooth soul goodie, All Stood Still kept Ultravox in the upper echelons and bounced along nicely. I went with my mate Paul to see them in concert in 82-ish in Sheffield, and they were pretty good. Midge is under-rated these days. Ghost Town spoke to me at the time, bought it, topped my charts, it's brilliant from beginning to end. By this point I'd been unemployed 9 months and it was effing soul destroying and crushing self-esteem. Music, voluntary work and friends kept me going, my parents had had to move South to Winchester for work with NAAFI.

 

Bad Manners were great fun - my first proper local concert was bad manners as I tried to break into music journalism and scraped the money together to go and see them in Lincoln to review them for Record Mirror. They were fab, though the beer chucked over people at the front was a waste of beer. Turns out I got printed, one-time only but I was a bit miffed they didnt pay anything. As I know now from friends involved in London papers, journalism these days takes advantage of cheap young labour on limited contracts and drops you in a heartbeat if they can screw someone younger and cheaper.

 

Memory is a showtune classic, still a showstopper, and Elaine knew how to belt it out. Mum & dad went to see her in Evita. Body talk is a sultry soul Brit-funk era creation that deserves to be better remembered, and as I've said before I bumped into Leee John in a Bournemouth nightclub in the 00's, spotted him immediately in the coat-queue as I was leaving and he was arriving, and asked him if he was Leee. "Might be..." he said coyly, at which point I gushed a bit about Imagination's back catalogue and he gave me a hug and a kiss. Amanda Hugginkiss, as Bart once said.

 

Stars On 45 Vol 2 picked Abba to follow The Beatles - so I really couldnt fault picking the 2 classic pop combos of all-time, but I quickly got fed up of the clapping over the cover-snippets, though it was nice to have some lesser-known poptastic tracks like Bang A Boomerang in the mix - I was miffed that wasnt the follow-up to Mamma Mia in the UK. Wordy Rappinghood was unusual and catchy, I liked Tom Tom Club, it wasn't all about David Byrne in Talking Heads. Finally, Bob finally gets the big hit that No Woman No Cry should have been first-time round in 1975, I was a mini-fan of him and his songs up to that point. Tragically he had to die to get that top 10, and all from a misdiagnosed bruise that was actually skin cancer under a toenail.

 

18TH JULY

 

 

So in a week of social unrest in many UK towns it is with grim apropos that the Specials hold the top spot with "Ghost Town" holding pole position on 88,000 sales. The eagle eyed reader might note that the track is already seeming to peak retail wise though it is possible that the riots have put some shoppers off, or retail outlets have not been open for the normal hours, or indeed that the track has become too linked in people's minds to the recent riots, but whatever the reason it looks likely that this is the final week for the song at the top.

 

 

The reason to doubt that The Specials are on borrowed time comes courtesy of Starsound who nip 4-2 (77,000) and are now within striking distance of the No 1 spot, they have now started their career with two No 2 hits and their last hit was of course stopped in its tracks to No 1 by the sudden appearance of "Stand And Deliver" though this track has now gotten "nearer" to the No 1 spot than Vol 1 speaking sales wise.

 

 

The only new entry into the top 10 comes from Motorhead with a "Live Ep" which sprints 14-6 (53,000). The lead track is also called "Motorhead" and was one of the final songs composed by Lemmy before he "left" Hawkwind, the track was the first release by Motorhead back in 1977 when it failed to chart by the live version recorded in March this year has now given the group a third top 10 hit in a little over a year.

 

 

Everything else just gets rearranged, the only track sticking in the same place are Bad Manners who hold No 3 with "Can Can" and still growing stronger with 70,000 taking up their offer of a dance. Downward movers this week include Michael Jackson 2-5 (54,000), Odyssey 5-9 (38,000) and Elaine Paige 7-10 (37,000), whilst having some reason cheer are Bob Marley 9-8 (41,000), Tom Tom Club 10-7 (47,000) and Imagination 6-4 (58,000).

 

1- GHOST TOWN- The Specials (88,000)

2- STARS ON 45 VOLUME II- Starsound (77,000)

3- CAN CAN- Bad Manners (70,000)

4- BODY TALK- Imagination (58,000)

5- ONE DAY IN YOUR LIFE- Michael Jackson (54,000)

6- MOTORHEAD LIVE- Motorhead (53,000)

7- (YOU DON’T STOP) WORDY RAPPINGHOOD- Tom Tom Club (47,000)

8- NO WOMAN, NO CRY- Bob Marley & The Wailers (41,000)

9- GOING BACK TO MY ROOTS- Odyssey (38,000)

10- MEMORY- Elaine Paige (37,000)

 

1981 hasn't quite had the array of classic #1s that 1980 did, but 'Ghost Town' is undoubtedly one of them. How eerie it must have been to hear it just as the riots were taking place. 'No Woman, No Cry' is a legendary anthem, Bob Marley's best song for me, and 'Wordy Rappinghood' is delightfully quirky - albeit Tom Tom Club's best known song is probably 'Genius Of Love' which would peak at #65.

25TH JULY

 

 

We're still living in a "Ghost Town" as The Specials make it a third week at the top with their longest chart topper. Although sales relented to 84,000 last week its victory was more comprehensive than last week with Starsound holding at the runner up spot but with a mere 65,000 copies sold and must be fancied to start moving down the charts next week. Meanwhile "Ghost Town" has never really taken off at retail and has total sales are now 405,000 so it should at least shift half a million before leaving the top 10. Bad Manners stick at No 3 though again they slide sales wise to 58,000.

 

 

 

With the entire top 3 starting to flounder attention on the next chart topper must centre around Spandau Ballet who rocket 18-4 (54,000) with a track called "Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)". It's the first single to be plucked from their as yet untitled second album which isn't due for a good few months yet, it's also penned by Gary Kemp, has Beggar & co in the background, and has Landscape's Richard James Burgess on production duties- watch this next week!

 

 

 

Needing no introduction the UK's favourite Swedes return this week as ABBA shoot 17-7 (43,000) with "Lay All Your Love On Me" which has been released in 12" format only (although the track is little more than 7" worth of music. It's also retailing at almost double the price of a normal 7" single all of which may affect its end chart position- it is however the highest placed single ever to be released solely on the 12" format and is of course taken from the "Super Trouper" album which was the biggest selling album of last year. Why is it only on 12"? Well it looks like it was due to a fall out between Epic and the group, Epic wanted a record out but the group didn't- upon looking at the contract Epic realised that they only needed ABBA's permission for 7" releases but not 12" as the contract pre-dated the format- problem solved. For now. It also explains why there was no promo made for it!

 

 

 

It's his 33rd charting single in the UK but for the first time in his 15 year chart life, Stevie Wonder debuts inside the top 10 (the fourth track to do so in 1981). "Happy Birthday" is a tribute to Martin Luther King and was also composed to highlight a cause close to Wonder's heart, that of getting Luther King's birthday recognised as a public holiday in the USA, the track is also the fourth track to be released from "Hotter Than July" all of which have made the top 10 and in getting four tracks to the big 10 in a row this is another first in his long career. "Happy Birthday" breezes into No 9 (34,000)

 

 

 

Third world are back in the top 10 for the first time since 1978's "Now That We've Found Love" Third world have another hit on their hands with "Dancing On The Floor". On the bill with Wonder at this year's "Reggae Sunsplash" which was a tribute to Bob Marley, the group benefits now from the exposure and the track rises 12-10 (34,000)

 

 

Holding this week are Motorhead at No 6 (49,000), whilst there are two fallers, Imagination 4-5 (49,000) and Tom Tom Club 7-8 (40,000).

 

 

 

1- GHOST TOWN- The Specials (84,000)

2- STARS ON 45 VOLUME II- Starsound (65,000)

3- CAN CAN- Bad Manners (58,000)

4- CHANT NO 1 (I DON’T NEED THIS PRESSURE ON)- Spandau Ballet (54,000)

5- BODY TALK- Imagination (49,000)

6- MOTORHEAD LIVE- Motorhead (49,000)

7- LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME- Abba (43,000)

8- (YOU DON’T STOP) WORDY RAPPINGHOOD- Tom Tom Club (40,000)

9- HAPPY BIRTHDAY- Stevie Wonder (34,000)

10- DANCING ON THE FLOOR- Third World (34,000)

 

Lay All Your Love On Me

 

By FAR my favourite ABBA song

'Lay All Your Love On Me' is indeed great, has a similar sort of epic synthpop production as Ultravox's 'The Voice' would later in the year.

 

'Chant Number 1' is good, some Brit funk influences this time rather than the synthpop/new wave of their debut. The funky guitar riff in it was sampled in the first version of Rui da Silva/Cassandra's song 'Touch Me' that we heard about recently on Julian T's 2001 thread.

Edited June 27, 20241 yr by TheSnake

'Lay All Your Love On Me' is my favourite ABBA song as well :wub: :wub:

 

Only just realised that all of my top 3 ABBA singles (Lay All Your Love On Me, The Winner Takes It All, One Of Us) are from the 80s even though they're more associated with the 70s!

Some other tracks in the top 40 at this time

 

THERE'S A GUY WORKS DOWN THE CHIP SHOP SWEARS HE'S ELVIS

- KIRSTY MACCOLL

 

another rock and roll retro revival sounding song in the charts peaking at #14. Unusually titled song!

 

VISAGE - VISAGE

 

#21 peak - I prefer this to their previous single 'Mind of A Toy'

 

THROW AWAY THE KEY

LINX

 

#21 peak

Very catchy disco song really like it

Edited June 27, 20241 yr by TheSnake

does Rui da silva really sample that Spandau Ballet song? Funny cos Touch me is one of my fab songs ever, while the Spandau Ballet one I hate with all my guts :D

 

the Abba one just ok for me

It does indeed. The promo has it much more clearly on the mix and if I recall the single version did tone it down however not enough for Da Silva not to pay out damages to Spandau Ballet after the event it was a hit.

Chant number 1 is my fave Spandau track, total funk thanks to Beggar & Co, I wish they had gone that musical direction instead of plodding limp synth tracks. I dont particularly rate anything after this one, some are quite good, some decent, some rubbish.

 

I didnt know the reasons behind the ABBA 12 inch, I didnt buy it, there was no new B side and it was expensive, I just didnt have that kind of money. A big kick up the arse to Benny & Bjorn there though, deservedly, as its a classic. They could have had Happy new Year/The Way Old Friends Do as a Christmas/New Year release and Lay All Your Love On me out earlier with a new 45-B side for 2 real prospective additional number ones - much like the lost Thank You For The Music/Eagle summer of 78 double A. They never were always good at choosing singles for the UK....so many missed opportunities.

 

Stevie held Happy Birthday back as a sort of US blackmail - vowing to never release it as a single until MLK day was achieved, and he stuck to his word. Happily the UK did get it, an obvious huge single. I bought it and it topped my chart, 2 in a row from Stevie, after Lately. Also loved the Third World hit, cool smooth funky reggae, always liked their stuff a lot.

 

 

 

 

'Lay All Your Love On Me' has been my lifelong favourite ABBA song, although 'The Day Before You Came' has been snapping at its heels in recent times.

 

Pretty annoying to read it essentially got screwed out of achieving a higher peak! :(

1ST AUGUST

 

 

For most of the week it looked as though my prediction of last week was to come true with Spandau Ballet holding the prime position in the charts until TOTP aired and sent sales of Shakin Stevens' "Green Door" into the stratosphere. The track was already heading into the top 5 on its own steam from its entry at No 22 last week but there is little doubt that its use on the BBC Flagship music programme saw the track become unstoppable on Friday and Saturday selling 77,000 in total. The song is a cover version of the Jim Lowe 1956 original which topped the US charts in 1956 and made No 8 here, it was a bigger hit for Frankie Vaughan which made No 2 in the UK but Shakey has now gone one better. The songs jump to No 1 is the second biggest of all time playing second fiddle to the man who Shaky has undoubtedly modelled much of his career on Elvis Presley who rose 27-1 in 1961 with "Surrender".

 

 

TOTP was also responsible for a late surge in sales of the outgoing No 1 "Ghost Town" which had been running at No 3 behind both Spandau Ballet and Stevie Wonder until that point, they all finished within 6,000 copies of each other eventually, The Specials (62,000), Spandau Ballet (58,000), and Stevie Wonder (55,000) specifically. With the exception of Wonder, Shaky appears to have a clear run at the top next week. For Spandau it is their biggest hit regardless but news that they were celebrating No 1 last Friday in the office of their record company now looks a little premature!

 

 

Whilst Starsound drop back 2-5 (50,000) the Royal philharmonic Orchestra are getting in on the medley craze with what has to be one of the more bizarre top 10 entries of the year. "Hooked On Classics" is a track which sets some classical pieces to a disco beat and rockets 33-7 (42,000) this week featuring the work of Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and Rossini among others and the orchestra is conducted by ELO member Louis Clark- it's all so random it HAD to work!

 

 

Third world manage to hold at No 10 (34,000) but other than that 3 tracks all fall, Bad Manners 3-6 (43,000), Imagination 5-8 (35,000) and ABBA 7-9 (35,00), for the latter act it is their smallest hit since 1975!

 

 

 

1- GREEN DOOR- Shakin Stevens (77,000)

2- GHOST TOWN- The Specials (61,000)

3- CHANT NO 1 (I DON’T NEED THIS PRESSURE ON)- Spandau Ballet (58,000)

4- HAPPY BIRTHDAY- Stevie Wonder (55,000)

5- STARS ON 45 VOLUME II- Starsound (50,000)

6- CAN CAN- Bad Manners (43,000)

7- HOOKED ON CLASSICS- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (42,000)

8- BODY TALK- Imagination (35,000)

9- LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME- Abba (35,000)

10- DANCING ON THE FLOOR- Third World (34,000)