I think* they also added Fools gold to the US release of the debut album

but don't think it fits, the album is perfect as it is, opening with I Wanna be adored and closing with I am the resurrection

my fav track from the album is Made of Stone

Pacific State is an absolute anthem <3 <3

Pacific State is a golden oldie, rated that one, Stone Roses I never got - pleasant groove to listen to was my assessment for Fools Gold and still is, but I never saw them as the new gamechangers others did. Big Fun, errr, yes well. Let's move on to the fabulous Eve Of The War which went top 3 for me in 1978 - and it should say featuring Justin hayward, but he didnt get the credit he deserved then or on the remix. The remix wasnt quite as classic, but still was good.

Eve of the War is a good track.

Lambada is memorable when you hear it.

Fools Gold is an absolute classic.

Didn't know Big Fun were going to do I Feel The Earth Move. I would imagine Martika's version was infinitely better than anything they would have conjured up.

the Big Fun cover is your typical SAW cover:

2 hours ago, ChrisJK said:

Eve of the War is a good track.

Lambada is memorable when you hear it.

Fools Gold is an absolute classic.

Didn't know Big Fun were going to do I Feel The Earth Move. I would imagine Martika's version was infinitely better than anything they would have conjured up.

Only one way to find out!

9TH DECEMBER

The biggest pop news of the week of course occurred away from the charts, the recording of a new version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by many of the biggest stars of this year saw all bets off for the Christmas top spot and its release in a fortnight should see it become the final chart topper of the 80s.

Number one for a third week, New Kids On The Block look like they’ve had a solid run, but even though they were ahead all week they only triumphed by a little over 3,000 copies from Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville who pushed them all the way once again! In each of their three weeks at the top NKOTB have never been more than 16,000 copies ahead of the game and they posted a mere 53,873 copies this week to take the crown, impacted by the arrival of their debut UK album “Hangin Tough” at No 8. With the new entries in this week’s top 10 coupled with a new Jive Bunny single released this week the chance for NKOTB to extend their lead or for Ronstadt & Neville to overcome them (finally) are virtually zero. Total sales of “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” stand at just 242,660 disappointing given its reign.

The two main gainers from TOTP this week are Jeff Wayne who climbs 4-3 (48,841) and Kaoma who lambada 7-4 (45,594) and both outsold NKOTB on Saturday, just 8,000 separating the entire top 4.

The highest new entry this week goes to Soul II Soul and their new single “Get A Life” which explodes at No 5 (40,426) gaining from their midweek position. It is the first release from what will become their second album, and is the first big hit not to feature Caron Wheeler as lead vocalist with Jazzy B taking lead, it comes six months after “Back To Life” became a four week chart topper- could this steal a week at the top?

The bookies favourite for the Christmas No 1, until Band Aid II was announced at least, is also a brand new hit entering at No 7 this week and it comes from that man Jason Donovan with an impressive 5th top 10 single of 1989. “When You Come Back To Me” is another S/A/W penned hit (their 35th top 10 in total) and comes in a poster bag edition, a Yuletide Remix, and a video with an appropriate amount of festive cheer, that aside it sold 29,393 copies last week which is his slowest start out of his last three releases and the lowest debut position to boot and given it is not on the “Ten Good Reasons” album could point to a burst bubble in his popularity.

UB40 hold at No 6 (32,691) perhaps feeling the side effect of “Labour Of Love II” debuting at No 9 on the album chart, Big Fun creep 9-8 (27,064) as they exchange places with Stone Roses who thusly slip 8-9 (24,446) with Lisa Stansfield completing the top 10 as she dives 3-10 (23,375). New releases from Jive Bunny, Bros, and Madonna should all make big splashes next week as we continue the run in to the big day.


1- YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF)- New Kids On The Block (53,873)
2- DON’T KNOW MUCH- Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville (50,609)
3- EVE OF THE WAR- Jeff Wayne & Ben Liebrand (48,841)
4- LAMBADA- Kaoma (45,594)
5- GET A LIFE- Soul II Soul (40,426)
6- HOMELY GIRL- UB40  (32,691)
7- WHEN YOU COME BACK TO ME- Jason Donovan (29,393)
8- CAN’T SHAKE THE FEELING- Big Fun  (27,064)
9- WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR/ FOOLS GOLD- Stone Roses (24,446)
10- ALL AROUND THE WORLD- Lisa Stansfield (23,375)

2 hours ago, Bjork said:

the Big Fun cover is your typical SAW cover:

2 hours ago, Jessie Where said:

Only one way to find out!

Thanks.

I just assumed we never got to hear it

Which might have been a good thing.

Bit crap, innit.

Martika did it better!!

The story of "I Feel The Earth Move" by Big Fun is that it was sent to clubs 4 weeks before the planned June 89 release but reaction was poor and (allegedly) Pete Waterman pulled the track days before release (hence we did get a promo vid and single status which never ended up being used). In the end they went with "Boogie" which proved the right call. Had it been a hit then maybe we may not have got the Martika version here, interestingly Martika's version was at No 25 in the USA the week of the San Francisco earthquake in October 1989 which effectively ended all promo for it as it was pulled from playlists and hastily left the Billboard Hot 100.

I do love that Jason Donovan single. Up with the best he released.

Interesting information about Earth Move. Especially the bit about how it all came to an end for the song in the US. Had no idea about any of it.

That Jason single is just ok for me, kinda felt like the bubble was starting to burst. Crazy that it opened with lower sales than Every Day considering this was a newbie.

Dont mind Get a life, but was never into soul II soul.

Guess Lambada would have done better in the summer, not very wintery

Always found it odd they went for Dear Jessie as single 4 in the UK

Much prefer the US choice, Oh father

Was it really in the race for xmas @1 considering it was single 4 and didnt even have a video

10 minutes ago, Bjork said:

Always found it odd they went for Dear Jessie as single 4 in the UK

Much prefer the US choice, Oh father

Was it really in the race for xmas @1 considering it was single 4 and didnt even have a video

It did have a video though! As I wrote she had been in the top 10 for Christmas in 84, 85, and 86 so she was clearly a contender. The odds given for her were 25 to 1 so clearly not hot favourite but in the running.

I meant a proper video :D not that thing

last time she was in the christmas run was The Look of Love, which barely made the low top 10

36 minutes ago, Bjork said:

I meant a proper video :D not that thing

last time she was in the christmas run was The Look of Love, which barely made the low top 10

Better than most of the records in contention every year do to be fair 😀

Lambada remains well-known and fun, still enjoy that track. When You Come Back To Me is Jason's best solo record, the melody is the key to that one, as a song it's just a bit classier than his usual SAW donations. Get A Life missed Caron Wheeler from me, her vocals lifted their tracks to a higher level. Don't Know Much oddly I was never a huge fan of, though it's quite pleasant. It was nice to see Aaron Neville get a UK hit at last, and Linda had never really had a monster UK track despite 25 years of trying. Her best stuff is Stone Poneys 1960's era, the brilliant Different Drum (Mike Nesmith song just as his Monkees membership started, take that Rock critics) and that fab tune in The Last Of Us series 1 - Long Long Time. Her later 70's country-rock efforts mostly just annoyed me.

16TH DECEMBER

Arriving at the No 1 spot, as most suspected, is the third single from Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers who equal the record of getting their first three hits to No 1 currently held by Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Gerry & The Pacemakers. “Let’s Party” takes its recurrent tune from Joe Loss’s “March Of The Mods” (No 34, 1964) and incorporates some classic Christmas tunes including “Another Rock N Roll Christmas”, Merry Christmas Everybody” and “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” the latter of which is an actual re-recording by Roy Wood after permission to use the original was refused by the record company. The trio of bunny chart toppers just took 4 months to achieve, far quicker than any other act, though pedants will note that it isn’t quite a hat-trick as Jive Bunny were one of the acts officially credited on Liz Turner & Bruno Brookes No 53 “hit” “It Takes Two” which disappears from the charts this week after a fortnight on sale, but this is certainly their “official” third single in most people’s eyes.

The track sold a very healthy 72,641 copies last week despite their album resting at No 2 for a second week behind Phil Collins.   it is the first non-charity record to debut at No 1 since...Frankie's "Two Tribes" way back in 1984 to draw more connections to the Liverpool quintet and was originally titled "Let's Have A Party" fact fans.

The arrival of that pesky Bunny looks to have scuppered Jason Donovan who nevertheless powers 7-2 (60,112) and now registers his 5th top 2 single of what has really been his year, he saw a far greater response to his TOTP than a showing of the Soul II Soul video which accounts for why he strolled past “Get A Life” after an initial shortfall, that track climbs 5-3 (54,706).





Another hit from the pen of Albert Hammond (this time with Graham Lyle who also wrote “What’s Love Got To Do With It” for the singer) comes in the form of “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” a second track from Tina Turner’s “Foreign Affair” album which has really responded rather well to the single flying from No 26 three weeks ago to currently rest at No 4. It also marks the first time the singer has managed to get consecutive releases into the top 10 as it climbs 11-8 (30,413).

Madonna also makes an impressive first splash easily beating the No 17 debut of “Cherish” back in September with her newie “Dear Jessie” a new entry at No 9 (30,124) this week. It is of course a fourth release from the “Like A Prayer” album and the Jessie in question is the daughter of co-writer Pat Leonard for whom the song was written. It’s certainly a departure in style for Madonna whose previous singles from the album have been steeped in either controversy or videos with plenty of flesh on show but then it is Christmas!

It’s been 24 years since Andy Stewart has been in the UK charts, since then he’s become a familiar face on Scottish TV presenting shows and hosting the annual Hogmanay parties north of the border though those in other parts of the UK may be forgiven for not recognising the name. His biggest hit remains “A Scottish Soldier” which only made No 19 but stayed in the charts for an astonishing 40 weeks in 1961, he also wrote a song called “Donald Where’s Your Troosers” whilst on the lav (so the story goes) in 10 minutes which was a minor No 37 hit a Christmas 1960 and which is now a much bigger hit exactly 29 years later, Why? Well the answer lies in two things, Simon Mayo has been championing it as the Christmas No 1 and the song has been re- popularised by 6 year old Stuart Anderson who is something of a child star after winning the Young Entertainer of the year award and performed it at the Royal Variety Show a few weeks ago, it rockets 30-10 (27,489) to become his biggest hit.

New Kids On The Block lose the top spot dramatically falling 1-4 (42,840) but they are striking while the iron is hot and re-releasing “Hangin’ Tough” in 2 weeks, Kaoma drop 4-5 (40,341), Jeff Wayne is also fading 3-6 (40,324) and Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville are definitely out of the running 2-7 (39,032). Next week will see the arrival of Band Aid II which should easily enter the charts at No 1 the question is how big will those sales be?



1- LET’S PARTY- Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (72,641)
2- WHEN YOU COME BACK TO ME- Jason Donovan (60,112)
3- GET A LIFE- Soul II Soul (54,706)
4- YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF)- New Kids On The Block (42,840)
5- LAMBADA- Kaoma (40,341)
6- EVE OF THE WAR- Jeff Wayne & Ben Liebrand  (40,324)
7- DON’T KNOW MUCH- Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville (39,032)
8- I DON’T WANNA LOSE YOU- Tina Turner (30,413)
9- DEAR JESSIE- Madonna (30,124)
10- DONALD WHERE’S YOUR TROOSERS- Andy Stewart (27,489)

I was so confused when I first listened to ‘Let’s Party’ on Spotify and heard ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ as part of the medley, a song that came out 5 years later, but I assume it must be a belated replacement for the since disgraced Gary Glitter part. I understand why they've done it but the chronology of that particular song choice still messes with my head a bit

3 #1s 😱

Perhaps not the greatest Top 10 of the 1980s, but interesting to see the previous week's #2, #3, #4, #5 & #7 appearing in reverse order and a new entry overtaking them all.

Three #1s in four months. No wonder I flipping hated that rabbit!!

I wasn't keen on Dear Jessie either. But the "Beatles-esque" songs were popular in the UK at the time, so I could see why the threw this out over here. But Madonna, as far as I know, has never sung it in her live shows - at least not the main tours - so she obviously isn't that bothered by it either.

The video was part of a TV programme as well, where they showed how they made it.

And the cover art was really nice.

But not a Madonna high for me.