Late spring 1980. Britain enters a recession, but the bands, as always, play on. And these were the hits.
40 - "Body Language," The Spinners
The Detroit soul luminaries just slipped in to the 40 here with this bit of disco-by-numbers that borrows from the Michael Zager band's "Let’s All Chant." They'd follow this up by borrowing even more from other songs on their next two, more successful singles. Oh well, they're still great.
39 - "Ne Ne Na Na Na Na Nu Nu," Bad Manners
The ska band's debut single was this perfect-for-skanking number over which Buster Bloodvessel growls out nonsense. Buster Bloodvessel, still a fantastic name.
38 - "This World of Water," New Musik
The second of this London synth outfit's three hits was this tune that compares life to swimming in rough waters. Some interesting electronic voice manipulation, but not much more to recommend it.
37 - "Chinatown," Thin Lizzy
The Lizz's tenth Top 40 was this grinding rocker about getting lost in a city's grimy underbelly. That's what a lot of their songs are about, and they cover that ground well. Jake Gittes would be proud.
36 - "Nobody’s Hero"/"Tin Soldiers," Stiff Little Fingers
This punk band formed in Belfast in 1977, and never shied away from The Troubles in their lyrics. The A side of their second and last hit is a song about not letting others define you. The B depicts a young man who joins the army at 17 and finds that he's been molded into something he never want to be. Both songs are emboldened by the snarling rasp of singer Jake Burns. This was my introduction to them, and I immediately have them as one of the unsung heroes of the scene.
35 - "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles," Cockney Rejects
The second hit for this East End purveyors of the "Oi!" punk subgenre was this version of a 1919 American song that was adopted by supporters of West Ham United football club in the late 20s. The Rejects recorded this to mark the Hammers appearance in the FA Cup final, which they would go on to win. An enthusiastic performance, though I'm not sure why they also included bits of the Liverpool theme "You'll Never Walk Alone." They met Arsenal in the final.
34 - "Silver Dream Machine," David Essex
Essex's first hit of the 80s was this theme from the movie Silver Dream Racer, in which he played a motorcycle racer whose main rival was an underhanded American played by Beau Bridges. Haven't seen the film, but the song I would describe as a overly sincere positive rock song. It's like Neil Diamond singing a number written by Ricky Gervais as David Brent.
33 - "No Self Control," Peter Gabriel
Petey G's third solo hit was this jagged rock song about compulsive, paranoid, and destructive behavior. Compellingly dark.
32 - "Teenage," UK Subs
One of the early London punk bands, these guys scored six Top 40s, the fifth being this loud fast tune about being young and rebellious. It sounds like the typical song that would be featured in an American news report of the day about this dangerous new music, with a deadpan voiceover talking about "the ear-splitting guitars, and the singer snarling about being chased by the police, while the young and impressionable adolescents engage in a violent ritual called 'slam dancing.'" You can almost hear the monocle dropping in horror. Fun fact: the band's current drummer is named Jamie Oliver, but it's not the chef.
31 - "Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime," Korgis
This was their second of two home hits, but the only one that impacted internationally was this fantastic ballad about the need for compassion and understanding. A certified classic, and also notable for its use of a Chinese string instrument called a guzheng. If I ran the world, they would be mandatory for all school music programs. The song, too.
30 - "Breathing," Kate Bush
The great Kate's fourth hit was this epic ballad sung from the point of view of a fetus in the womb of a survivor of a nuclear apocalypse. Unusual pop subject matter, to be sure, but she gets the point across while still being musically arresting. The description of nuclear explosions by a voice so serious it borders on Pythonesque parody was a genius touch. Another wonderful work by a unique artist, and also this chart's Uneasy Rider.
29 - "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone," The Manhattan Transfer
The New York jazz vocal quartet is here with a reworking of the iconic theme to Rod Serling's classic science fiction anthology series, with lyrics that tell appropriately odd tales. Kinda catchy. I like it better than "Boy from New York City," for what it's worth.
28 - "Golden Years EP," Motorhead
Lemay and company's first Top Ten was a four-song live EP. The first track, "Leaving Here," is an energetic cover of a 1963 Eddie Holland song about women departing a town where men don't treat them right. "Stone Dead Forever" warns those who live evil lives that judgment will be upon them in the end. "Dead Men Tell No Tales" is about having to give up on someone unwilling to be rescued from heroine addiction. And "Too Late Too Late" is about seeing through a duplicitous person. All are performed with passion and urgency, and were certainly great advertisements for the band's concerts. I'd have been tempted had I heard this at the time.
27 - "Police and Thieves," Junior Murvin
Jamaican Murvin recorded this reggae protest of abuse of power by law enforcement in 1976, and the next year The Clash covered it for their debut album. The original finally charted when it appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Rockers. It's affecting, powered by a falsetto inspired by one of Murvin's major influences, Curtis Mayfield. Terrific.
26 - "Messages," Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
The band's first home hit was this okay synthpop tune about being houneed by an ex. Good introduction, but they had much better in them.
25 - "I'm Alive," Electric Light Orchestra
The first of their four Xanadu hits was this song that accompanied Greek muse Olivia Newton-John's emergence from a painting on the side of a building. Again, I'm amazed that this was greenlit by a major studio and expected to be a big hit. If they ever have a film festival made up of works clearly powered by cocaine, this will be a centrepiece.
24 - "Coming Up," Paul McCartney
Paul's first 80s hit was this optimistic new waver that featured sped up vocals and harmony contributions from Linda. Britain liked the new direction, and made it a #2. America preferred the live version on the flip side, featuring horns instead of synths and Paul's unaltered voice, and they made that a #1. I used to prefer the live one, but the original continues to grow on me.
23 - "Just Can't Give You Up," Mystic Merlin
This New York funk band was known for live performances that actually included magic tricks, but their only major success on record was with this disco tune with very few lyrics. So lifeless I can barely imagine anyone dancing to it. On this evidence, they needed the magic gimmick.
22 - "Back Together Again," Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
This was one of two songs recorded for what was to be a full collaboration between these two, but sadly, Hathaway committed suicide in January of 1979. This eventual Top Five is joyous reunion funk that makes you lament for the further music that might have been.
21 - "Let's Get Serious," Jermaine Jackson
The #2 Jackson brother finally scored a U.K. hit with this strutter about wanting to take a relationship to the next level. Except for the track he did with Devo, this is probably his best work. And a cameo from Stevie Wonder doesn't hurt either.
In Part Two: running, hiding, and thinking about ending it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment