The U.K. 80s Singles & Albums Chart General Discussion Thread.

Buy low and sell high. You’ve just described capitalism

 

Wow at that Marantz advert in the "near the knuckle" RM!

You would not get away with that today...

EG.

 

About those reviews......how about that Jim Reid reviewing Stephen Duffy & The New York Dolls ? Could it be really him ?

And reviewing Marc Almond`s album "A Woman`s Duty" .....calling the China Crisis single "Living In A Catholic Style" ?

How about checking the title before putting it in print ?

 

I actually remember a lot of those 1985/86 Record Mirror album reviews almost by heart.

EG.

 

I Loved Roman Holliday in 1983 with their Cookin`On The Roof album and swinging hits like Dont Try To Stop It & Motormania.
They were indeed like a breath of fresh air to my ears.

But the very next year they did a totally unexpected and uncalled for 180 turn and went all out US AOR that just about ruined
everything they worked for before that.

The real question is only: whose idea was that ??

 

I find most of those reviews absolutely exhausting. They're all trying SO HARD to be edgy and clever and cool and contrarian and above-it-all that they're about to break a rib. And they're so busy trying to show how superior they are that they have very little to say about any of the music itself. Exhausting.

 

Finally........a reviewer who understands what serious work is and was willing to go down to the depths into the world of Diamanda Galas. Kudos to him!

As far as "the other two" from Swans Way goes - their next project Scarlett Fantastic left a lot to be desired IMHO.
I can understand if they wanted to move into a different direction, but everything what was there and what made Swans Way sooooo special
is what is lacking in the sound of Scarlett Fantastic.

Just a completely ordinary affair.

 

This mirrors my thoughts on MJ exactly. I couldn’t wait for the follow up to Thriller, but I’d lost interest and moved on by the time it did with the likes of The Cult, whose 1987 album I see got a scathing review.

It talks of Wild Flower being lifted directly from Led Zeppelin- I think they meant to say AC/DC. Amateurs!

Anyway - The Cult’s Electric was an album that changed my life.

 

Another way to describe Bad in every which way: sterile.

 

My first reaction to Bad was one of immense anti-climax. The title track had a snappy groove, but the rest sounded like pale imitations of either his own past or someone else's (Madonna's True Blue). Speed Demon threatens to break out into a brilliant song halfway through, but then drops back into its clunk-click straightjacket.

The (original) CD does sound an absolute million dollars. The detail and precision is incredible.

EG.

 

And so we now look at the #1's from NME and Melody Maker for the 2d quarter of 1987 . . .

NME #1's

11 Apr: "Let It Be" by Ferry Aid
25 Apr: "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna
16 May: "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship
6 Jun: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston
27 Jun: "Star Trekkin' " by The Firm


Melody Maker #1's

4 Apr: "Let It Be" by Ferry Aid
25 Apr: "Lean On Me" by Club Nouveau (G #3, NME #2)
2 May: "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna
9 May: "Can't Be With You Tonight" by Judy Boucher (G #2, NME #2)
16 May: "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship
6 Jun: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston
27 Jun: "Star Trekkin' " by The Firm

As in the prior quarter, five records topped the "Official" charts between April and June - and all five hit the top in Melody Maker and NME.

This quarter would be a turning point in the history of the "other" charts, as the Club Nouveau and Judy Boucher singles would be the last to top the MM chart without making #1 anywhere else.

 

Gomez Addams in the TV series The Addams Family had the opposite approach: "Buy high and sell low."

 

Star Trekkin.... *sigh*....

It's sort of funny in a really lame way. But to make #1....insane.

EG.

 

My main initial memory of Bad was that WEA timed the release of Chris Rea’s Dancing with strangers to coincide..knowing there’d be heavy traffic in store for a new MJ release so Reas’s would be seen...
Now there’s a name that was active in the eighties but found it hard to have a UK hit single.

 

There were a LOT of new albums in the wake of Bad....none directly competing on 1/9/87 but lots in the 3-4 weeks after. Now it's often a very busy time, but yes maybe some of it was to try and piggyback the extra footfall generated.

Pink Floyd
PSB
Chris Rea
Five Star
Black
Wet Wet Wet
Cliff Richard
Depeche Mode
Smiths

...plus quite a few others.

EG.

 

I loved the first TTD album back in 1987 and 1988 but then didn’t listen to it for years. I tried playing it in the late 90s and was shocked to find that I detested most of it. I’m not sure what happened, but I found it pretentious and childish and couldn’t bring myself to ever play it again. I still like ‘Wishing Well’ a little but cannot cope with anything else.

His follow up to this debut was a real turkey though, wasn’t it?

 

Oh, he still had his hat on? That’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. Poor Ben.

 

I guess the TTD debut filled a quiet time...Whitney had been 6 weeks earlier, and the big hitters of 87 were a way off still. There was also a degree of excitement built up through the singles. A classy sleeve, strong production, virtuoso performances. Yes, it feels a bit showy listening now, but it felt like a big deal at the time.

EG.

 

Moving riiiiiight along from MJ (always a contentious topic)... I wanted to discuss Eurythmics, who are one of my favourite acts of the 80s. I love all their early electronic records (Touch is my favourite of all their albums) but I also love their surprising change in direction in 1985 towards a more rock/r&b sound on Be Yourself Tonight. What interests me is that 'Would I Lie To You' was a huge single for them in much of the world (it was a #1 smash here in Australia and really turned them into superstars) but it didn't really catch on in the UK, only reaching #18. Any theories about why their new sound wasn't embraced in the UK? I know the follow-up single 'There Must Be Angel (Playing With My Heart)' would become their only UK #1, but it was much more pop than rock.

Eurythmics had been super successful in the UK with their synthpop sound (six Top 10 singles in a row). Were they simply too closely associated with that sound for Brits to join them on their new rock direction? Or was 'Would I Lie To You?' poorly promoted?

 

So that was an ad for Marantz? For some reason I never noticed Marantz in big black letters

 

EG.

 

Good question. They'd had a blip with the 1984 soundtrack era...Julia, the 2nd single, missed the top 40 completely, and although it ended up being a hit, Sexcrime had struggled at first, which was odd for a band with their pedigree (debuting at 62, up to 44 isn't tearing up trees).

So yeah, it was probably a bit too different, but album sales were alright(#4 entry, as I recall). I suppose even that was a bit down on Touch but their albums tended not to peak early (Touch took 2 months to get to the top). I loved it but #17 was not what I expected.

EG.

 

The guitars/rock sound may have been a turn off for those fans who are primarily fans of electronic music

My #1 Eurythmics song..

 

It was a total turkey. however i could not disagree with you more regarding his debut.
If any album stands the test of time its TTD DEBUT.
Its a stone cold classic, i mean the voice the songs, the production still sounds fresh today.
Example Lets Go Forward is a non single but yet is still better than 99% of the songs on the iTunes top 100 right now!!!
Its one of the best debut albums of all time IMO

 

Wow, I'm a bit surprised by that choice! It's a lovely song (and the production is beautiful) but I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it's their favourite!

I think most of you may have already contributed to it, but I started a Eurythmics appreciation thread a few years ago. There are some really great comments in there.

Eurythmics appreciation thread