Here I am again. This time we're jumping even farther ahead, as I've decided to see what was playing in merrie olde Blighty around the time I turned sixteen. Let's visit, shall we?
40 - "This Wheel's on Fire," Siouxsie and the Banshees
Susan Ballion and her friend Steve Severin were dedicated and notable fans of the Sex Pistols in 1976 when they took up the punk ethos that "anyone can do it" and formed a band themselves. From there, with a lineup that first included future Pistol Sid Vicious, they landed a spot at a punk festival on a bill with both their heroes and The Clash, and after a few lineup changes, they would become influential fixtures in both the punk and goth scenes (The Cure's Robert Smith had two stints as a full-time member). They were also frequent hitmakers, as this cover of this 1968 song by The Band (co-written by the man they were backing up at the time, one Bob Dylan), was their fifteenth U.K. Top 40. The lyrics seem to be about a complicated romance, and the Banshees convey that in their dance-rocking way. Great stuff. Siouxsie has one of the great distinctive female voices in all of music.
39 - "Live it Up," Mental as Anything
These Aussie New Wavers had a long career at home, but their lone international success came with this charming pop-rocker about trying to cheer up a lonely lady. The main impetus for its breakthrough was its inclusion in the surprise hit movie Crocodile Dundee, the film that showed the world what a knife really looks like. But I already did, because I'd played knifey-spoony before. Nope, the Simpsons references aren't stopping anytime soon.
38 - "IOU," Freeez
This U.K group's biggest hit was this dance tune that converts the common vowel mnemonic into "A E I O U I sometimes cry." Clever. Typical synth/hip-hop production for the time, but catchy enough.
37 - "Love is Forever," Billy Ocean
But Billy Ocean 80s ballads are not. "Love Really Hurts Without You," on the other hand...
36 - "Jack the Groove," Raze
The electronic dance music known as house originated in Chicago in the early 80s, but it hit biggest in Europe. This track, put together by producer Vaughan Mason, is quite minimalist, consisting mostly of drum-machine beats and the title phrase, didn't do much for me. But we will here more of this genre later.
35 - "Forgotten Town," The Christians
These Liverpool purveyors of "sophisti-pop" consisted of three brothers whose last name was Christian, and an unrelated guy who conveniently had that as his middle name. The first of their ten Top 40s was this reggaeish number about trying to get out of a dead-end burg. Nothing special
34 - "Cross That Bridge," The Ward Brothers
More brothers, this time Dave, Derek and Graham of Barnsley. Their only hit is bland, uptempo pop about love seeing a couple through come what may. Boring.
33 - "Wasteland," The Mission
This Leeds band was formed by singer Wayne Hussey and guitarist Craig Adams after they split from the goth-rock group Sisters of Mercy. Their second, and biggest, U.K. pop hit has lyrics about war and God and conflicting feelings. To me, it's blend-in-the-background 80s alternative rock. Maybe I'm missing something.
32 - "Hymn to Her," The Pretenders
Chrissie Hynde and co. didn't chart in the U.S with this, but it became their fifth British Top Ten. It's a midtempo pop song that seems to celebrate the mysteries of femininity. It's enigmatic, the imagery is lovely, it's just good. The main comparison point in the band's catalog would seem to be "I'll Stand by You," and I like this waaaay better.
31 - "Something in My House," Dead or Alive
In America, this dance group are pretty much only remembered for "You Spin Me Round." At home, they cracked the Top 40 seven times in the 80s. Their last single to hit these heights was this song about getting over a breakup that sounds a lot like their biggest hit. I-I-I-I find it inessential. But looking this up allowed me to learn that The Mission's Wayne Hussey was in this band in its early years, so there's that.
30 - "Crush on You," The Jets
This was the Wolfgramms first hit at home, and their only major hit here. That seems fair, because this is their best song. It's not great, but it's nice enough disposable bubblegum.
29 - "Gigolo," The Damned
The Damned are considered one of the U.K.'s big three original punk bands, alongside The Sex Pistols and The Clash. Their "New Rose" was the first British punk single, and they would go on to hit the Top 40 nine times in the subsequent decade. Their penultimate hit was this rocker that seems to be about the life of some kind of playboy/spy/man of mystery. It's good, but I ought to look up their earlier stuff with founding member Captain Sensible, whose stage name I'm not sure I like better than his colleague Rat Scabies. Both have their charms. It's close.
28 - "When a Man Loves a Woman," Percy Sledge
Alabama soul star Sledge's biggest and signature hit was written after his model girlfriend left him when he lost his construction job. It was a #1 at home in 1966. In the U.K, it hit #4 in it's original release but then made it two places higher this time after it was used in a jeans commercial. It's just unimpeachable. And Michael Bolton should have stayed away from it.
27 - "Magic Smile," Rosie Vela
Texas-born model Vela was a successful fashion model in the 70s. In the mid-80s, she built a home recording studio, got a record deal, and made an album that was not only produced by Steely Dan producer Gary Katz, but also had both members of the then-disbanded Dan playing on it. The backing track of this tune about conflicting feelings over a lover is very Steely. The album, Zazu, flopped in America but got some attention over here, and I side with the Brits on this. It's sleek and groovy, and Vela has a sultry voice reminiscent of Sade and Everything but the Girl's Tracey Thorn. It was her only hit, and a second album she recorded was never released, but she has frequently done backing vocals for others, and that led to a brief relationship with ELO's Jeff Lynne. Anyway, this was a nice discovery, and I would have liked it if there was more of her music to discover.
26 - "Big Fun," The Gap Band
These Oklahoma funk vets had only two pop Top 40s and home, but four times as many across the pond. The last (non-remix) and biggest of these was this simple pop-funk number about love and sex and other enjoyable pastimes. I'm not sure I'd call it big fun, but it's at least larger-than-average.
25 - "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades," Timbuk 3
The electro-folk classic about an optimistic science geek. I would make it the star of a "nerd" playlist, should I ever make one. "She Blinded Me with Science" is too cliché.
24 - "Rat in Mi Kitchen," UB40
The 17th of 35 U.K. Top 40s for the British reggae institution came about when band members Astro and Ali Campbell discussed the rodent problem in Campbell's new house. Astro then used that imagery to write a song about people who lie about others. Catchy fun, not as slick as their future efforts, and not as overplayed as "Red Red Wine.
23 - "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)," Jackie Wilson
The R&B legend's first solo single after leaving the Dominoes was written by Wilson's cousin Billy Davis and siblings Gwen and Berry Gordy. It only hit #62 in America, but was a Top Ten across the ocean, and that success helped Berry Gordy fund the start of a little label called Motown. Twenty-nine years later, a London clay-amimation studio made a video for the song, and after it was played on the BBC, the song was re-released and went to #1. And deservedly so. It's fun, it's infectious, and Wilson's performance lives up to his "Mr. Excitement" nickname.
22 - "Coming Around Again," Carly Simon
This portrait of a couple trying to hang on to their relationship is arguable her last great song. Kind of the long-gestating sequel to "That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be."
21 - "Surrender," Swing Out Sister
More sophisti-pop, this time from the group best known in America for "Breakout." That was their biggest hit at home as well. This was the second, a song about "waiting for love to take revenge." I'm rooting for Corinne Drewery to have gotten her request from Karma.
In Part Two: more resurrected old soul, some dirty dancing before Dirty Dancing, and a band that I couldn't stand until I heard them.
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