80's UK & US Charts.

I'd guess not. I could be wrong, though. Records still have a short lifespan here.

 

He was rocking a mean n moody George Michael look for that comeback.

 

I had its parent album, 'Romance'. Written and produced by Alan Tarney.

Bet that's shocked you.

 

Yes, he was definitely 'doing a' George around this time.

 

One thing I've noticed about the current UK charts is that it seems fairly common for a #1 song to spend 2 or 3 weeks in the Top 10 and then drop out. Here in the US, that is EXTREMELY rare. The only 2 #1 songs in the history of the US charts to spend only 2 weeks in the Top 10 were Fantasia's "I Believe" and Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud" (both "American Idol" winners). Those songs charted basically on sales.

 

"Soldier Of Love" was huge over here. As a chart watcher, I was really hoping to see it go to #1. It would have been his first #1 since 1971. When it got stuck at #4 for 2 weeks, I was worried. But the following week, it moved up to #2, but without a chart bullet. That's when I realized it probably wasn't going to make it to the top. That really must have bummed him out on one hand, but at the same time must have made him ecstatic. I mean, who would have imagined that Donny Osmond would have a #2 hit in 1989?

 

He'd only be 31/2 in 1989, but it felt like he'd been around forever. Here, he probably did better in the 70's than he did in the States. 3 number one singles and a couple more that made it to second place.

 

This was 'Soldier Of Love's chart peak in the UK. #29 on the week ending 3rd September 1988. How soon his old fans forget.



27 years ago this week, in fact!

 

I may have mentioned this earlier in the thread, or in another one, so forgive me for repeating myself - but the interesting thing about this song being a hit is that it was originally pitched as a "mystery artist." I don't know if the label did this initially with programmers, but I do specifically remember hearing Cleveland DJs (more than one station) play this song and asking listeners to call in and guess who it was. Also, the song was written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers - they have a long history of success: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sturken_and_Evan_Rogers

But I have to say - the lyrics are atrocious. Every single cliche in the songwriting world is included in this song: "A shot in the dark," "Like a thief in the night," "Every heart needs a home"...I feel like they did this on purpose! Although the lyrics to their hit "P.A.S.S.I.O.N." from their '90s band Rythm Syndicate (yes, I typed that correctly) aren't much better.

 

I quite liked S-Express but I think those singles came out here in 1988 (at least "Theme From S-Express" did; they also released "Superfly Guy" and "Hey Music Lover" here). Also, the US version of "Theme..." has some different vocals on it - the guy saying "Enjoy this trip," and "No, that's good!" (after the "No! That's bad!" chant).

 

By then I was out of the market in terms of collecting new music (didn't help that Columbia ceased pressing vinyl at their Pitman, NJ plant in late 1986 and converted it entirely to CD manufacture; and their Carrollton, GA plant had a whole different set of typefaces that didn't appeal to me in the least), however, I can make a few observations:
- "Anything for You" was the kind of thing one would have expected David Gates to caterwaul in Bread's heyday
- "The Loco-Motion" - Give me Grand Funk's hard-rockin' rendition any day
- "A Groovy Kind of Love" - Give me The Mindbenders' over what's here
- "I'm Gonna Be" - Why do I get the sense part of it was a reworking of an old folk number?
However, amongst the oldies on this chart, I have #28 (U.S. Epic of course) and 31

 

Thanks for that chart. I counted 15 out of the 40 that I have in some form in my collection. What's up with The Hollies, Four Tops and Commodores songs on a chart in 1988? They were already between 11 and 22 years old by that time. Love the Chris Rea song as well. That was released as a single here, but didn't chart Pop. It got some airplay on Adult Contemporary radio and made the Top 10 on the AC chart. I remember the video being in rotation on VH1, when they still played music on a regular basis. By the way, are there other UK charts for other formats like there are over here, like R&B, AC, Country, etc? Also, the numbers in boxes on the chart are the equivalents of US charts' "bullets", I would assume? Don't know if they're referred to as "Bullets" over there.

You're right, although he did nicely for himself over here as well. One solo #1, 4 more Top 10's and a few others that were Top 15 over the course of two years. Combined with his hits as part of The Osmonds and his duets with sister Marie, I'd say he racked up a pretty good string of hits that could fill a Greatest Hits album.

 

They did the same thing here in Philly on 106 FM. I remember I was at work and we had the radio set to that station when that song first came on. I was trying to figure out why the DJ was asking anyone if they knew who the artist was in the first place. It all seemed very bizarre to me. I believe at some point later on they had an interview with Donny by phone talking about it.

 

Post #608: mostly unfamiliar songs. I like Sweet Child o' Mine, even though it's not really my style of music. I've heard the Proclaimers (pretty good), Primitives (ditto), Big Country (okay but past their prime already). I've probably heard the All About Eve, whom I basically liked. And of course I know the re-releases of '60s hits by the Hollies and Four Tops, though neither is anywhere near my favourite by the respective bands.

 

Surprising how much country there is in that list, though I know most of them.

 

The mid-70's to early 80's saw a lot of country crossover hits on the Pop Charts. Many of them did good on the Adult Contemporary chart too.

 

Yeah, I do kind of recall that. I was never a top 40 guy, and was entering my headbanging years by '81 or '82. But my parents were country fans, so I still heard a lot of that. Plus I had a major early puberty Juice Newton crush.

 

I think it was definitely '88 but the follow up singles could be from '89. I must have been listening to the US version as I've always heard the lyrics that way. If you already haven't I'd recommend checking out "Have A Nice Day" - killer flip side of "Hey Music Lover"

 

I was wondering why there were so many oldies in that chart myself.. I think 'He Ain't Heavy..' and 'Easy' were used in adverts and sold off the back of that.

Always loved Kim Wilde's 'You Came'. It was the best SAW record they never made.

 

Would it be anything to do with that 'Urban Cowboy' movie? That had a few country hits. The movie might have been earlier than this, though..

 

As was the b-side, Stone. Should have been a single in its own right. I was always disappointed there was no 12" mix for the song.

 

'Close' was Kim's brightest pop gem. She could compete with Madonna on that album.

Unlike it's hit-less follow up, 'Love Moves'...

 

You Came was a brilliant pop record, I love it.
Kim Appleby's Don't Worry is brilliant also and Pete Waterman is on record as saying it is the best record they never made. SAW did of course produce the Mel and Kim hits before Mel's sad young death.

 

Kim really got a second wind with You Keep Me Hanging On. I think that is my favourite cover of a song ever.

 

I bought the recent deluxe editions of 'Close' and 'FLM'. Both excellent.