May 1985. On this date, Liverpool club Everton, who had already won the First Division and the European Cup-Winners Cup this year, tried to win a third trophy in the F.A. Cup final against Manchester United. Did they succeed. The answer lies in the charts,
40 - “The Word Girl,” Scritti Politti
The biggest home hit for Green Gartside was this pop-reggae tune about an uneven relationship. It’s nice, but I think North America was right in making “Perfect Way” much bigger there.
39 - “Walking on Sunshine,” Katrina and the Waves
The eternal hit from the Cambridge boys and their American singer, A triple Top Ten, and a huge moneymaker in the advertising licensing world. The line between great pop songwriting and effective jingle writing is a thin one.
38 - “Obsession,” Animotion
Another triple Top Ten. This crew from L.A. basically took the Human League template, added more guitar, and created the pop-song equivalent of an 80s erotic thriller. Which was particularly useful for underage radio listeners who couldn’t get into those movies. Our imaginations told better stories anyway.
37 - “Eye to Eye,” Chaka Khan
Her fifth hit here was this pleasantly romantic jazz-rock-soul track. It’s not much more than a Chaka delivery system, but that’s not the worst thing a song can be,
36 - “Stainsby Girl,” Chris Rea
Another encounter with Rea’s sweet soft-rock tribute to his wife. Nice guitar work, a sincere vocal, job’s a good’un, as they say.
35 - “We All Follow Man United,” Manchester United
The first of the two songs from the F.A. Cup participants was from the Manchester contingent. The boys sing about how they’re going to win to an oompah/schlager beat. If this is representative of their play in the game, the Toffees have a low bar to clear.
34 - “Don’t Fall in Love,” Toyah
After spending her early career fronting a band named Toyah, Birmingham native Willcox broke away and went solo, but still under the same name. (This is exactly what Alice Cooper did, and knowingly or not, she reinforced the connection by covering “School’s Out” on her first solo LP). Her only hit alone was this bland, trying-too-hard dance-popper. Her transition from punky brat to world-weary young adult was not a smooth one.
33 - “Get it On,” Power Station
The supergroup of Robert Palmer, two of Duran Duran’s three Taylors, and Chic drummer Tony Thompson picked up their second and final hit with this cover of T.Rex’s immortal #1. It establishes itself in its own right by with bigger beats and louder guitars, and the swagger Palmer brings to the lyric is entirely different from Marc Bolan’s. I think it would place surprisingly high on my list of all-time favourite cover versions.
32 - “Here We Go,” Everton 1985
And here are the side from Liverpool with their effort. It’s a little more modern-sounding in production, but the tune is borrowed from old melodies by John Philip Sousa and Jacques Offenbach. And the lyrics manage to say even less than their competition. I thought they couldn’t help but do better, but they found a way. On the charts, they lost 10-14. And in the match, they lost 1-0 in extra time, despite United having a player sent off. They went for a triple win, but ended up with, at least here, a triple loss.
31 - “Out in the Fields,” Gary Moore and Phil Lynott
Ex-Thin Lizzy bandmates Moore and Lynott had one final collaborative success with this hard rocker about the futility of armed conflict everywhere, but particularly in their homeland of Northern Ireland. It’s impassioned and intense, and a nice 3.5 on the Headbangometer. Sadly, Lynott would die less than a year later, but his place as a influential rock vocalist was well cemented.
30 - “Could it Be I’m Falling in Love,” David Grant and Jaki Graham
The former Linxman teamed up with Birmingham’s Graham on this carbon copy cover of a 1973 Spinners hit. This one doesn’t quite achieve full rotation, instead oscillating back and forth 200 degrees or so.
29 - “Look Mama,” Howard Jones
Again with HoJo’s last Top Ten, slick synthiness about wanting to cut the apron strings. One of the lesser moments of his first and best run, but very good nonetheless.
28 - “All Fall Down,” Five Star
The Pearson family singers’ first hit was this bubbly dance track that falls squarely in New Edition/DeBarge territory, and acquits itself well. Adequacy expected, adequacy delivered.
27 - “Lover Come Back to Me,” Dead or Alive
Burns and teammates’ followup to “You Spin Me Round” became their second-biggest hit overall. It’s similar in sound and lyrical content, but it has its own charms. Pete Burns was a disco hero who unfortunately landed in between two decades that might have been kinder to him.
26 - “Free Yourself,” Untouchables
This L.A. ska band got a British stamp of approval on their passports by signing with Stiff Records, and managed a hit with this jaunty track about self-actualization. It’s okay, but I can only hear it as a knockoff or something better. You can touch it if you like, but understand what it is you’re feeling.
25 - “Shake the Disease,” Depeche Mode
The Mode’s twelfth hit was their patented dark synthpop, this time employed to ask someone for patience with a penchant to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. It’s like eavesdropping at a Goth couples therapy session.
24 - “Call Me,” Go West
The second hit for the synthfunk duo was this track requesting a reopening of communications in order to repair a relationship. A bit below the mighty “We Close Our Eyes,” but way better than the gelatinous mass that is “King of Wishful Thinking.”
23 - “Walk Like a Man,” Divine
From Baltimore, Maryland, Harris Milstead became a drag performer in the 60s, and the Divine persona’s outsized antics found a vehicle for international infamy in the films of hometown friend John Waters, including 1972’s legendary Pink Flamingos and 1988’s now-better-known-as-a-musical Hairspray. Divine also made dance records in the 80s, and the second of these to be a major British hit was this Hi-NRG cover of the Four Seasons’ 1963 smash about finding the courage to leave a mean lover. Divine’s raspy bark barely qualifies as singing, but as camp caterwauling, it’s perfection. Thirty-one years after death, Divine is still an unquestioned Queen.
22 - “Rage to Love,” Kim Wilde
The eighth hit for the second generation star sees her move in a rockabilly direction on a song about being on the prowl. It’s not a bad fit, but it was another middling success that encouraged her to turn more modern for a return to being a Top Ten presence.
21 - “Clouds Across the Moon,” RAH Band
Our second look at this futuristic tale of space war and phone calls to Mars. A nice combination of the fantastic and the familiar.
In Part Two: tears, death, and the fruits of going solo.
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