Neil B

Just checked - the Roy Ayers single only made No.41.

1 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John ...........Summer Nights : overplayed but harmless enough I suppose 2 Boney M .................................................Rasputin : oh those Russians! One of their better efforts. 3 John Travolta ..........................................Sandy : dreary beyond belief! 4 Dean Friedman ........................................Lucky Stars : appalling, not as good as the flop "Ariel" 5 The Boomtown Rats................................. Rat Trap : a classic - it was a great day when this knocked John & Olivia off the top :D 6 Electric Light Orchestra .............................Sweet Talkin' Woman : didn't like them back then but this sounds OK now 7 Donna Summer .......................................MacArthur Park : not a patch on the Richard Harris original 8 Rose Royce .............................................Love Don't Live Here Anymore : good use of synth-drums! 9 The Jacksons ..........................................Blame It On The Boogie : overplayed but still better than Big Fun's cover version 10 Leo Sayer............................................ I Can't Stop Lovin' You : better than Phil Collins' version 11 Public Image Ltd ...................................Public Image : fantastic - probably better than any of the Pistols singles! 12 Crystal Gayle .......................................Talking In Your Sleep : zzzzz - later covered by Martine McCutcheon 13 The Buzzcocks...................................... Ever Fallen In Love : another classic, but not my favourite of theirs 14 Sham 69 ..............................................Hurry Up Harry : a novelty punk classic - great piano solo :D 15 Third World ..........................................Now That We've Found Love : OK I suppose 16 Frankie Valli .........................................Grease : probbably the best single released from the soundtrack 17 Mick Jackson ........................................Blame It On The Boogie : the origlnal version - I don't even remember hearing this at the time! 18 Sylvester .............................................You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) : was never a big disco fan but it's OK 19 Frankie Miller ........................................Darlin' : good voice but his uptempo stuff is better 20 The Three Degrees ...............................Givin' Up Givin' In : one of their better efforts though not as good as "The Runner" 21 Father Abraham & The Smurfs ...............Dippety Day : irritatingly catchy :D 22 Smokie ................................................Mexican Girl : typical Smokie really 23 The Jam ..............................................Down In The Tube Station At Midnight : wonderful - one of the best singles of the '70s 24 The Dooleys........................................ A Rose Has To Die : their later stuff was better 25 The Rolling Stones ...............................Respectable : OK but not one of their most memorable tunes 26 The O'Jays ..........................................Brandy : forgot how this goes! 27 Exile................................................... Kiss You All Over : my mum used to like this, but it's a bit too smooth for me 28 Jonathan King .....................................One For You One For Me : oh dear! 29 Abba ..................................................Summer Night City : good song but not one people tend to remember 30 Dan Hartman.......................................Instant Replay : listenable - later ruined by Yell! 31 Earth Wind & Fire ................................Got To Get You Into My Life : an interesting take on the Beatles song but the original is better 32 Ivor Biggun ........................................The Winker's Song (Misprint) : of course I didn't hear this at the time and I'm quite glad of that :D 33 Queen ................................................Bicycle Race / Fat Bottomed Girls : overrated band with two of their worst ever songs! 34 Chris Rea ............................................Fool (If You Think It's Over) : bland 35 The Olympic Runners ...........................Get It While You Can : forgot how it goes 36 Elton John ...........................................Part Time Love : one of the last really good singles he made 37 10cc ...................................................Dreadlock Holiday : still popular, but they did far better than this 38 Blondie ...............................................Picture This : great song - my favourite by Debbie and the boys 39 Roy Ayers.......................................... Get On Up, Get On Down : are you sure this made the Top 40??? 40 Hawkwind ...........................................Silver Machine : classic reissue with Lemmy on vocals

Awful! Never liked a single thing he's done.

I definitely remember hearing "Funtime" on Radio 1. I think it was on the B-list or something. By the way, it's a cover of an Iggy Pop song.

Songs I liked below the age of 7 : Anything by Pinky & Perky Anything by the Wombles Bay City Rollers pre-"Give A Little Love" Pilot - "January" Showaddywaddy - "Hey Mr Christmas" and "Trocadero" Typically Tropical - "Barbados" Mud - "Show Me You're A Woman" R&J Stone - "We Do It" David Dundas - "Jeans On" and "Another Funny Honeymoon" Anything by Status Quo pre-77 Anything by the Boomtown Rats Lynsey De Paul & Mike Moran - "Rock Bottom" Meat Loaf - "Bat Out Of Hell" album Sham 69 - "If The Kids Are United" Jilted John - "Jilted John" The Dickies - "Banana Splits" The Undertones - "Jimmy Jimmy" Hated "Bohemian Rhapsody"! Used to shout "switch it off, switch it off!!" :D

Ah I see. Not the main theme then.

But what's that got to do with the song "The Ladies' Bras"???

I don't know the advert though.

Max Harris wrote the theme tune to "Porridge". That's all I know about him.

You mean "Silver Mac"? Yeah, that was good. I taped the video off The Chart Show.

No-one into quizzes then? OK, the answer is that both Westworld and Sigue Sigue Sputnik featured ex-members of Generation X (Derwood and Tony James respectively).

Some of the hits I like from '76 : Be-Bop Deluxe - "Ships In The Night" Fox - "S-S-S-Single Bed" Cliff Richard - "Devil Woman" Sensational Alex Harvey Band - "Boston Tea Party" Can - "I Want More" Sex Pistols - "Anarchy In The UK" (though it's overrated!) Oh, and "New Rose" by The Damned though it sadly just missed the Top 50.

I remember Shopping Giant. There was one in Cheetham Hill. "Fee fi fo fum, Shopping Giant's number one" :D

You should go on the Biggedybong forum. Lots of like-minded people on there :D http://www.biggedybong.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi

I live in Manchester but I never went there. Is the one in Shrewsbury still there?

I'll have to go for Madness even though it's not their best song. I do love Joy Division/New Order too though.

Loved watching him when I was a kid but I suppose a lot of his material has dated badly. Still a broadcasting legend though!

I bought "Pimlico" and "Ginger". They were good singles. Mark & Lard played "Ginger" on Radio 1 a few times I seem to recall.

Quick quiz question : What connects Westworld to Sigue Sigue Sputnik?

I'd like to see the return of Milk Tray/Plain Choice bars (like a box of chocolates but condensed into a bar). Also, I would welcome a Fry's Five Centres revival.

"Let It All Hang Out" was by the Hombres.

I used to buy Record Mirror every week, mainly for the Top 100 chart. I was gutted when it folded in '91. Don't remember the other two you mentioned though.

Great song. Do you remember Wonky Alice too?

It's actually been going since 1981 but has only ever been available by mail order : I'd post a link to the website but it appears to be down at the moment :(

Chartwatch magazine.