And the rest.
20 - "Deutscher Girls," Adam and the Ants
For the first three years of the 1980s, Londoner Stuart Goddard and his insectly-named cohorts were one of the biggest bands in Britain, scoring 9 Top 40s, including two #1s. Their last Top 40, which only reached #13, was this tango-rocker about the pleasures of German ladies. Solid new wave.
19 - "Run to the Hills," Iron Maiden
These Londoners were arguably the brightest stars of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, accruing 35 Top 40 singles. This one, the first recorded with lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, would be their first Top Ten. It's a flat-out, foot-to-the-floor rocker about the injustices done to Native Americans by invading Europeans. The lyrics are unblinkingly vivid. A terrific song in any genre, and an easy 5 on the headbangometer.
18 - "Never Give Up on a Good Thing," George Benson
The smooth jazz king had a few more hits in Britain than he had at home. This one's pretty basic stuff about hanging on to quality love. Mildly funky. For when you want to dance but not look too excited about it.
17 - "Fool if You Think it's Over," Elkie Brooks
Our second encounter with our Miss Brooks is this cover of Chris Rea's 1978 song about the difficulty of getting over love. Rea's version was big in the States, but Brooks charted higher at home. I think both have their charms. But Elkie's voice grows on me with each listen.
16 - "Senses Working Overtime," XTC
These new wavers from Swindon have a cult following as kind of a junior Kinks, with Andy Partridge penning insightful lyrics and catchy melodies. They did manage six Top 40s, and their only Top Ten was this jaunty number about what happens to the innocent and the guilty, kicking the world like a football and/or eating it like a biscuit, bullies, bus accidents, and "trying to taste the difference between a lemon and a lime." Just really good pop music.
15 - "Dead Ringer for Love," Meat Loaf featuring Cher
In America, the man born Marvin Lee Aday pretty much disappeared from pop consciousness in the time between Bat Out of Hell dropped out of the charts and the 1993 release of its sequel. In Britain, however, he managed a handful of 80s hits, the biggest of which was this Jim Steinman-written-and-co-produced raveup about two people hooking up in a bar because "man doesn't live by rock n' roll and brew alone." Accompanying Meat is another 70s star going through a drought, Cher. They have real chemistry together. An underrated high point in both their careers.
14 - "Oh Julie," Shakin' Stevens
Born Michael Barratt in Cardiff, Wales. Stevens stared in bands during the 60s, but his big break didn't come until 1977, when he portrayed one era of the King's life in the West End musical Elvis! Beginning in 1980, his retro-rock stylings produced a run of 28 Top 40 singles, including four #1s. His third charttopper, unlike his first two, wasn't a cover, but rather a Stevens-penned original. It's toned-down rockabilly with a zydeco twist thanks to the prominent accordion. Simple lyrics, but still, a catchy enough pop number. A little better than I expected.
13 - "The Model/Computer Love," Kraftwerk
More from the Germans. Originally, "Computer Love" was released as the A-side, as it was from the band's then current album Computer World, while the other side was from their previous LP The Man-Machine. In that configuration, the single reached #36. But DJs started playing the B-side more, and a re-release flipping the order became the group's only U.K. #1. "The Model" is definitely the more commercial track, with a more accessible melody and lyrics about a beauty who poses for magazines and to sell "consumer products." "Computer Love" is a little darker, with sparse lyrics about infatuation with technology. But both are great, and it was the latter's melody hook that Coldplay borrowed (with permission) for their song "Talk."
12 - "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Christopher Cross
Topped the charts in America, was Top Ten here, won an Oscar, bored me to tears.
11 - "Mickey," Toni Basil
The renamed cover of Racey's "Kitty" went to #2 here in March, but didn't hit #1 in Basil's homeland until December. And I imagine that was fine with her. So fine, perhaps, that it may have even blown her mind.
10 - "See You," Depeche Mode
This was the third Top 40 for the Essex synth stars, and the first single without Vince Clarke, who left to form Yazoo. It's a plea for a former lover to allow the narrator to simply watch her, not to come in contact with her or engage her or anything, at least not yet. A little creepy and complicated. Kind of a bridge between their poppier "Just Can't Get Enough" beginnings and their darker, more gothy future.
9 - "It Ain't What You Do It's the Way You Do It," Fun Boy Three and Bananarama
Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, and Neville Staple were founding members of the pioneering Coventry ska band The Specials, but they left that group in 1981 to form a more minimalist pop band. The biggest of their seven home Top 40s was this shuffly cover of a jazz number first recorded in 1939 by, among others, Ella Fitzgerald. It featured backup vocals by the up and coming vocal trio of Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward, and Siobahn Fahey. That's what got results.
8 - "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," Daryl Hall and John Oates
At home, these guys owned the 80s, with Top Tens and #1s galore. Here though, they only managed six Top 40s and two Top Tens. This one peaked at this spot, and I wonder how they felt when Simply Red sampled it and got one place higher with "Sunrise" 21 years later.
7 - "Maid of Orleans," Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
These Liverpudlians have been called "the Beatles of synth-pop." Not sure I'd go that far, but they had a nice run of hits on both sides of the Atlantic. Interestingly, this was the second of back to back singles about Joan of Arc. The first was called, um, "Joan of Arc." Haven't heard that one. This one is kind of waltzy, with very few lyrics. Anyway, both went Top Five, so good for them.
6 - "Golden Brown," The Stranglers
Pub-rockers turned punks turned new wave, this band from Surrey racked up 22 Top 40s between 1977 and 2004. Their biggest hit was this harpsichord-heavy tune that singer Hugh Cornwell has said can be both about heroin or a woman. I can relate to the latter, not gonna try to compare it to the former. Good song either way.
5 - "Say Hello Wave Goodbye," Soft Cell
The Leeds duo of Marc Almond and Dave Ball were red-hot at this point, as this was their third of five straight Top Fives (the first being the UK #1 and only American hit "Tainted Love."). This is a midtempo synth ballad about a relationship that was doomed from the start. Almond's impassioned vocals lift it to memorability.
4 - "Love Plus One," Haircut 100
Led by Kent's Nick Heyward, these guys blazed onto the scene with four straight Top Tens, the biggest of which was this catchy song about a missed connection that was also their only American hit. But by 1983, Heyward left for a solo career, and the rest of the band put out one more album that failed to chart. Oh well. This is fantastic, as I said when we encountered this in the USA. I still don't know what's so scary about going down to the lake, though.
3 - "Centrefold," The J. Geils Band
The tale of discovering an old crush in a nudie mag not only topped the U.S. charts, it was also the band's biggest U.K. hit. This memory was indeed sold, and a lot of people bought it.
2 - "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," Tight Fit
This group was formed when British producer Ken Gold decided to put together some oldies medleys to follow in the wake of Starsound's success. In '81, they hit the Top 40 with two strings of 60s hits, then scored a #1 with this cover of the song that was first written in 1939 by South African Solomon Linda. This is absolutely inessential, but at least it added to the royalties that Linda would eventually rightfully claim. And the video is terrible, even by early 80s standards. As for Tight Fit, they scored one more Top Five, then their grip on the British attention span mercifully loosened.
And ruling the British airwaves 34 years ago was...
1 - "A Town Called Malice/Precious," The Jam
This Woking band led by Paul Weller combined punk and new wave with 60s rock and soul and a Ray Davies-esque eye for English detail. And England loved them for it, as all 18 of their singles between 1977 and 1982 reached the Top 40. Four went to #1, the third of which was this double-sided hit. The much better known A was this soul-rocker about smalltown desolation and desperation that is nothing less than classic. The B is almost-discoish funk about a desperate need for a lover, and is fantastic as well. The band would break up by the end of this year, but Weller continued having hits in the 80s with The Style Council, and in the 90s he began a solo career that continues to garner sales and acclaim to this day.
So there's another one. The next will follow soon. The Twitter thing has gotten off to a slow start, but it has started, and if you want to encourage me by becoming one of my first followers, feel free to check out https://twitter.com/MrBGlovehead . Bye for now.
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