2 hours ago, Jessie Where said:

#20!

Shocker.

Deserved so much more!

'The Living Years' is fab, 'Waiting For A Star To Fall' is good melodically but cheesy though imo.

But You Got It wasnt an oldie right? Thought it was a new one from his final album

I do like the 4 newbies but dont love any

22 hours ago, Steve201 said:

‘She Drives Me Crazy’ is an absolute classic. Always feels weird how big a comeback FYC had in 1989 and yet nothing after that!

Well nothing after that cos they did split up

Interestingly "The Chart show" had Erasure at No 1 for both these weeks

The much sampled 'Waiting For A Star To Fall' is my favourite new top 10 addition so far! I have a bit of a soft spot for it.

I can't listen to Living Years, not even these days, my grandma died in April and was ill from New Year onwards, so some tracks just bring it all back to me and that's one of them. Boy Meets Girl is quite pleasant, I'm glad they did it themselves, Whitney would have ruined it blasting it out, though Belinda could have done a decent version. I loved seeing childhood fave Gene Pitney back, with Marc Almond on board, and re-doing a fave from when I was 10. Not that I preferred it, I didn't, but it was great to see him back big. Even better, because we'd just lost Roy, was Jeff Lynne's gift to Roy going out on a highpoint with the Mystery Girl album and You Got It, in particular. Probably my 2 biggest enduring loves amongst male singers of the 60's was Gene and Roy, flawless singers who knew how to emote on powerful ballads that built to a climax. See In Dreams, Crying, It's Over, Runnin' Scared, I'm Gonna Be Strong, 24 Hours From Tulsa, Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart, and many others and weep along with me if I try and sing along. You Got It topped my charts.

strange that Boy Meets Girl never had another hit or wrote another big song

I mean, they wrote those 3 big songs in a kinda short period of time,

I Wanna Dance, How Will I Know and Waiting for a Star to Fall,

then never again

6 hours ago, Gezza said:

Interestingly "The Chart show" had Erasure at No 1 for both these weeks

Petition for this to be made the real #1!

28TH JANUARY

The nation does have a new number one, in fact through the week three different songs all topped the charts with “Especially For You” giving way to “The Living Years” by Thursday then, in the end, Marc Almond & Gene Pitney came out on top by a narrow margin thanks to a performance on “Wogan” which saw the track become the biggest seller on Thursday, Friday and Saturday by some margin. Kylie & Jason drop 1-3 (50,949) and have now sold 753,270 copies in total and should, at some point, become S/A/W’s biggest seller over the next few weeks. It was surpassed by “The Living Years” which still climbs 4-2 (56,950) but was 4,029 short of Almond & Pitney in the end count, Almond thusly becomes the second act after George Michael to top the charts with two different duetting partners if one counts Dave Ball of Soft Cell, for Pitney his wait of 28 years from debut to first No 1 hit is dwarfed only by Jackie Wilson’s 29 year wait in 1986.

Taking their name from lead vocalist Andrew Roachford, “Cuddly Toy” was first released last summer and bombed out at No 61 but as is the increasing trend over the last decade January sees a soft sales period and a chance for previous flops to be re-issued and succeed. It is actually their third hit after “Find Me Another Love” just made No 100 but touring with both Terence Trent D’Arby and The Christians during 1988 certainly helped raise their profile and “Cuddly Toy” finds admirers moving 11-7 (37,315) and is the nation’s best selling 12” inch this week by way of trivia.

Finally free of the restrictions imposed on him by ZTT records Holly Johnson shakes off the memory of Frankie Goes To Hollywood to release his first solo single almost a year after the matter was decided by the courts (though it should be noted ZTT have appealed the decision and we await the outcome of that). “Love Train” contains a certain Brian May on guitar and is the lead track from his first solo album which is pencilled in for spring but it certainly seems as though the UK public has missed him sending this song 21-10 (27,659).

Roy Orbison continues to march to his posthumous chart topper as he shifts 7-4 (50,082) leaving Fine Young Cannibals stranded at No 5 (40,409) but it’s bad news for three hits as Erasure tumble hard 2-6 (37,791), Neneh Cherry falls 3-8 (31,433) and Will To Power reverse 6-9 (28,118) as time is up for all three.


1- SOMETHING’S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART- Marc Almond & Gene Pitney (60,979)
2- THE LIVING YEARS- Mike & The Mechanics  (56,950)
3- ESPECIALLY FOR YOU- Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan  (50,949)
4- YOU GOT IT- Roy Orbison (50,082)
5- SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY- Fine Young Cannibals  (40,409)
6- CRACKERS INTERNATIONAL EP- Erasure (37,791)
7- CUDDLY TOY- Roachford (37,315)
8- BUFFALO STANCE- Neneh Cherry (31,433)
9- BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY- Will To Power (28,118)
10- LOVE TRAIN- Holly Johnson (27,659)

11 hours ago, Bjork said:

Well nothing after that cos they did split up

I didn’t realise that, such a pity, was a good decade for the lead singer!

It's a shame that The Living Years couldn't sneak a week at number one. I remember being hugely surprised by what made #1 this week, but in retrospect it's a good version of the song and it's held up pretty well for what it is.

Cuddly Toy is most definitely my favourite in the top 10 now, I absolutely loved that!

Cuddly Toy is great, very catchly

Love Train on the other hand what a disappointing record for the leader of one of the most influential bands in the history of music. Love Train was such a silly too-poppy song. Zero edge, zero passion, zero rawness, stale, an underwhelming track that doesn’t live up to his past work.

Oh at the time I really liked the Holly Johnson singles, in fact I asked for the album off the back of the first two of them, but it really wasn't great and the singles are definitely pretty cringy in retrospect

New TOTP studio, they got rid of the old TV on the main stage which had been there through the decade, just moved it up to the top where it couldn’t be seen as much!

yay at Gene getting his record wait for a chart-topper with new material - i dont really count posthumous oldies as an indication of career longevity, even if the song was an old one too. Legend! Roachford I liked Cuddly Toy but I never regarded it as a classic, and it was great to have Holly back. The next single is the better one, but I liked Love Train at the time enough for a top 10 slot in my charts. It's not, however, in the same league as the O Jays song of the same name, nor the first 4 Frankie singles.

4TH FEBRUARY

Last week its hold was tenuous but this week Marc Almond & Gene Pitney take the top spot by an almost 30,000 copies as it created a 1989 record to date of 95,659 units into the bargain. “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart” looks assured for another week at least with “The Living Years” a distant second on just 67,575 which is itself still improving sales wise but will not now top the charts it seems especially given as the album of the same name is selling well at No 2 on the album charts as well, keep an eye on Roy Orbison’s “You Got It” too which inches 4-3 (52,275) but was matching Mike + The Mechanics towards the end of the week though the album “Mystery Girl” is now in shops which may hamper its rise. Roachford improves 7-4 (38,709) as does Holly Johnson 10-5 (38,403) but both are in reality so far from the top that their charge is rather illusionary.

Creating a bit of the furore on the US dance scene Ten City are a Chicago based trio whose second release “That’s The Way Love Is” comes with the dance guru Steve “Silk” Hurley on production and is already a firm club favourite here in the UK at the moment. It climbs 17-8 (24,344) and foreshadows their debut album “Foundation” in a fortnight’s time.

Talking about Chicago based house acts, Kym Mazelle grew up in the same street as the Jacksons but first came to attention on the No 53 hit last year “Useless (I Don’t Need You Now)” but that “Wait” for a top 10 single is over as she teams up with the Blow Monkey’s front man Robert Howard on the hit “Wait”. The pairing rises 13-10 (22,559).

Fine Young Cannibals slip 5-6 (36,142), Kylie & Jason fall even harder 3-6 (28,985) and will sell its 800,000th copy this week and becomes S/A/W's biggest seller, finally Erasure continue to descend 6-9 (23,545).


1- SOMETHING’S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART- Marc Almond & Gene Pitney (95,659)
2- THE LIVING YEARS- Mike & The Mechanics  (67,575)
3- YOU GOT IT- Roy Orbison  (52,275)
4- CUDDLY TOY- Roachford  (38,709)
5- LOVE TRAIN- Holly Johnson (38,403)
6- SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY- Fine Young Cannibals (36,142)
7- ESPECIALLY FOR YOU- Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan (28,985)
8- THAT’S THE WAY LOVE IS- 10 City (24,344)
9- CRACKERS INTERNATIONAL EP- Erasure (23,545)
10- WAIT- Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle (22,559)

oh found the demo for Belinda Carlisle-Waiting for a star to fall

interesting... says kinda weird in places, guess cos it's a demo

11TH FEBRUARY





The top 3 remain static this week but all are well in retreat in terms of sales posting reductions of 11% (Marc Almond & Gene Pitney) 18% (Mike + The Mechanics) and 5% (Roy Orbison) to give tallies of 84,235, 54,366 and 49,266 respectively. “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart” has now shifted 276,121 copies as it overtakes “Especially For You” to become 1989’s best seller though obviously the year is only 5 weeks old. The album charts may give a hint as to what’s going on as well, “Mystery Girl” debuts at No 2 behind New order for Roy Orbison, draining sales away from “You Got It”, and Mike + The Mechanics slide 2-4 with their album whilst Almond’s album “Stars We Are” remains conspicuous by its absence, buyers clearly preferring to purchase the Almond/ Pitney single version helping to keep it afloat. Incidentally Orbison has two albums in the top 3- the first time any act has pulled this feat since Kids From Fame 7 years ago! Behind them Holly Johnson and Roachford swap places at No’s 4 & 5 with Johnstons still improving to 46,954 with an eye on the top 2 but Roachford dip at retail to 38,641, again the newly available “Roachford” album debuting at No 18 helps to explain why.

The Smiths are back! Well almost, a new Morrissey single sees Mozza team up with Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce and Craig Cannon on “The Last Of The Famous International Playboys” which has the added incentive of being a new single not available on his debut album “Viva Hate”. Naturally the single attracted an initial rush of buyers appearing as high as No 3 on midweek flashes before falling back through the week to enter at No 6 (31,518) in the end, the cover of the single incidentally features a 6 year old Morrissey on it and it matches the impressive debut of his debut solo single “Suedehead” last year and marks his third straight Top 10 single in a row, one more than the Smiths ever managed. The track is also the best selling 12”, CD, and Cassingle this week.

Written in reaction to his departure from New Edition, Bobby Brown branched out on his own in 1986 with an album “King Of The Stage” which failed to ignite the charts anywhere but a rethink and a change in style has led to rewards with “My Prerogative” already hitting the No 1 spot in the US last month and now jetting in 18-9 (27,149) here. The song is already in its 9th week on the chart having been released well before Christmas and spending its first 5 weeks locked outside the top 40, it looked destined to miss out like his first UK release “Don’t Be Cruel” which peaked at No 42 last summer but it’s all worked out for the ex teeny bopper. Indeed Brown is still a teenager, incredible when you think he was topping the charts here 6 years ago, his second album “Don’t Be Cruel” has already peaked at No 50 on imports but gets a full UK release in a fortnight.

Kym Mazelle & Robert Howard rise 10-7 (28,917) and Ten City hold at No 8 (28,135) and Fine Young Cannibals drop 6-10 (27,064) to complete the review.


1- SOMETHING’S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART- Marc Almond & Gene Pitney (84,235)
2- THE LIVING YEARS- Mike & The Mechanics (54,366)
3- YOU GOT IT- Roy Orbison  (49,266)
4- LOVE TRAIN- Holly Johnson (46,954)
5- CUDDLY TOY- Roachford (38,641)
6- THE LAST OF THE FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOYS- Morrissey (31,518)
7- WAIT- Robert Howard & Kym Mazelle  (28,917)
8- THAT’S THE WAY LOVE IS- 10 City (28,135)
9- MY PREROGATIVE- Bobby Brown (27,149)
10- SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY- Fine Young Cannibals (27,064)

I knew the Britney version of 'My Prerogative' before the original and do think lyrically it was apt for her, plus I like what they did with the production, but I do prefer the original nowadays, due to the stronger vocal performance.