Tainted Love yet another classic. So classy.

The Aneka 'Japanese Boy' and Hozier's 'Too Sweet' chorus melodies remind me of each other :lol:

 

'Tainted Love' Is very good but I think now I prefer synthpop with guitars too like Ultravox.

Edited July 1, 20241 yr by TheSnake

Tainted Love is just amazing, melody, lyrics, everything

Tainted Love is sublime, but the original is even more sublime!

29TH AUGUST

 

 

Shaky's charmed life at the top comes to an end this week as "Green Door" closes 1-4 (64,000) and it is replaced by Aneka's "Japanese Boy" which led pretty much from the off ending up with 78,000 buyers. It will be hoping to get a TOTP boost this week and neither it nor "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell got exposure last week but the latter is chasing Aneka hard 9-2 (76,000) and could yet pose issues next week. Shaky and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra both get TOTP plays but both are down, Shaky as documented and "Hooked On Classics" dipping 2-3 (70,000). Incidentally Aneka is the first female solo No 1 of the year and the first since Barbra streisand last November.

 

 

ELO climb a spot 6-5 (64,000) but increase sales far too slowly to threaten much.

 

 

After a streak of three top 10 hits from 3 releases in 1980, UB40's last single "Don't Let It Pass You By/ Don't Slow Down" missed out at No 16, a blip overlooked now as "One In Ten" rises 16-10 (38,000). The title refers to the current unemployment figure in the West Midlands (9.6% to be exact) and is the second release from their second album "Present Arms" which has already peaked at No 2 replicating the success of debut set "Signing Off".

 

 

The only other climber in the ten is Lobo who creep 10-8 ( 46,000) while there are three fallers not mentioned yet, Human League 3-6 (59,000), Duran Duran 5-7 (47,000) and Tight Fit 8-9 (40,000)

 

1- JAPANESE BOY- Aneka (78,000)

2- TAINTED LOVE- Soft Cell (76,000)

3- HOOKED ON CLASSICS- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (70,000)

4- GREEN DOOR- Shakin Stevens (64,000)

5- HOLD ON TIGHT- E.L.O (62,000)

6- LOVE ACTION (I BELIEVE IN LOVE)- Human League (59,000)

7- GIRLS ON FILM- Duran Duran (47,000)

8- CARRIBEAN DISCO SHOW- Lobo (46,000)

9- BACK TO THE SIXTIES- Tight Fit (40,000)

10- ONE IN TEN- UB40 (38,000)

 

Tainted Love is one of the defining 80s singles, an essential for me and something I still listen to regularly in 2024

Soft Cell’s Tainted Love has more drama than the original for me.

The video to that Aneka song would definitely be classed as cultural appropriation nowadays :lol:

Musically, Japanese Boy is pretty good. But bloody hell, you couldn’t get away with that in 2024 hahaha

Japanese Boy is as bad as The Cheeky Girls :D terrible #1 again

Tainted Love is an all-time classic, Marc Almond giving it his all - the re-recorded versions of any Soft Cell tracks are not essential even if Marc sings it better. Passion is more important in pop music. Topped my charts I bought it, despite being unemployed and very much one of the 1 in 10. UB40 were the voice of the unemployed, one reason I have never waivered in continuing to like them in whatever form they drop stuff over 40-odd years.

 

Japanese Boy was fun, liked the tune, liked the Asian music sounds. The TOTP clothes/video were not a great idea (not hers!) even at the time it didn't seem like a great idea! I always approved of any boost to world music sounds, and that's more being inspired by something. See western pop music and classical music now being global. I don't remember that Lobo track much at all, havent heard it in 43 years!! I think it had harry belafonte songs on it, quick listen now... ah yes Banana Boat Song start off, cant go wrong with that. Islands In The Sun, a goodie Harry tune, all of them forgotten in the 21st century tch! Cheesy but nice to see the songs back.

5TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

Well as predicted last week both Aneka and Soft Cell both had TOTP exposure and both benefitted but the winner was never in doubt even before Thursday came around with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" exploding 78% to sell 135,000 copies last week, the 2nd biggest 7 day tally of 1981 so far. The song has now sold 293,088 copies since release and could top the half million mark as early as a fortnight. All of which excitement leaves poor Aneka stuck at No 2 with "Japanese Boy" which is shunted from the top spot after just a week despite a 20% sales hike to 93,000. The rest of the field lag behind by over 40,000 copies.

 

 

 

Heralding a new album and a new sound Numan does Jazz! Gary is back with "She's Got Claws" which rises 15-6 (48,000). The singer recently announced his intention to retire from touring so the album may suffer in the long term but it is released this week, and the lead single becomes his 5th top 10 hit single making up for the disappointment of "This Wreckage" which could only make No 20 in January this year.

 

 

 

Also gearing up for an album release, Genesis are back this month with "Abacab" the single and album. The single moves 12-9 (39,000) to become only their third top 10 single to date and is named after the songwriting process where the band labelled parts of the song A-B-C etc and this stuck. 1981 is proving a busy year for Collins who has already released an album and three singles as a soloist!

 

 

Elsewhere it's a strange old week with Human League bounding 6-3 despite losing sales to 55,000, similarly ELO rise 5-4 but lose 7,000 sales wise over the last 7 days to sell 55,000. Also falling are Royal Philharmonic orchestra 3-5 (54,000), Shakin Stevens 4-8 (40,000) and Lobo 8-10 (38,000). UB40 buck the trend however as "One In Ten" jumps 10-7 (44,000) with a marginal increase.

 

All eyes on the new Adam & The Ants single next week- can it repeat their last single and debut at No 1?

 

1- TAINTED LOVE- Soft Cell (135,000)

2- JAPANESE BOY- Aneka (93,000)

3- LOVE ACTION (I BELIEVE IN LOVE)- Human League (55,000)

4- HOLD ON TIGHT- E.L.O (55,000)

5- HOOKED ON CLASSICS- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (54,000)

6- SHE’S GOT CLAWS- Gary Numan (48,000)

7- ONE IN TEN- UB40 (44,000)

8- GREEN DOOR- Shakin Stevens (40,000)

9- ABACAB- Genesis (39,000)

10- CARRIBEAN DISCO SHOW- Lobo (38,000)

 

Excellent new #1 *.*

Great #1 perhaps the best one of 1981?

 

Abacab is another good Genesis song.

 

'She's Got Claws' isn't one of my favourite Gary Numan songs, I prefer the synths and bass guitar of his 1982 hits.

Great to see a Leeds act at #1 - I think this was only the second after Christie in 1970 unless I’m mistaken?

Do people want me to add certifications to the top 10 as and when they happen? (or would have happened) in the top 10?

Great to see Soft Cell at #1. Is it true that it helped to revitalise the use of the 12" mix, with its segue into Where Did Our Love Go? I think I've read that before but I wasn't around at the time to know if it really was as much of a talking point as I heard it was.

 

 

 

edit - re your question Gezza, I'm not too fussed about it personally as you tend to mention the sales in the commentary you provide (plus I don't care for the silver/gold/platinum icons we have on the site :lol: ) but if you want to then absolutely fair enough.

'One in Ten' is an important hit too, lyrically and musically.

I do prefer the Gloria Jones original of 'Tainted Love' these days, but Soft Cell's version is one of the quintessential synth hits of the era, great to see it made the top.

yay thank God Tainted Love replaced Aneka at #1, finally a great #1, a classic of classics

 

I care zero about single certifications, would much prefer if you posted album info when available