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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 12:02:09 GMT 1
947 Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills (1982)
This was the heavy metal outfit's 6th single and the first from their classic 1982 album The Number of the Beast. It marked their debut with new vocalist Bruce Dickinson (from Samson). The song documents the conflict that occurred between European settlers in the New World and Native American tribes during the days of colonisation and later westward expansion. On its initial release it reached UK#7 (& Ire #16); but also charted as a Live version in 1985 (UK #26); and another Live version in 2002 (UK #9).
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 12:11:08 GMT 1
946 Jefferson Starship - Jane (1980)
This cracking driving rocker from late 1979 which peaked at USA #14 and UK 21 early in 1980 features the lead vocalist of Mickey "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" Thomas. Jefferson Starship were the American rock band formed in the early 1970s by several members of the former 60s psychedelic rock group Jefferson Airplane; and later became the awful AOR band Starship after Paul Kantner, the last remaining founding member of Jefferson Airplane, left Jefferson Starship, and then took legal action over the Jefferson Starship name against his former bandmates.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 12:18:31 GMT 1
945 Bauhaus - She's In Parties (1983)
The Northampton gothic rock band fronted by Peter Murphy scored a UK#26 hit in 1983 with this break up single. In retrospect maybe Brett Anderson ripped off Peter Murphy's Bowie impersonation more than he ripped off David Bowie... This is not the last time members of Bauhaus appear in my countdown.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 12:26:53 GMT 1
944 Five Star - Rain Or Shine (1986)
This track was only denied the UK#1 spot by the biggest selling single of 1986 the Communards "Don't Leave Me This Way". The UK's C&A answer to the Jacksons from Romford biggest hit featured the lyrics of former King Crimson's Peter Sinfield whom wrote lyrics on two UK chart-toppers (Bucks Fizz's Land Of Make Believe, and Celine Dion's Think Twice).
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 12:39:22 GMT 1
943 Thompson Twins - Don't Mess With Doctor Dream (1985)
To many pop critics this song represents the moment the Thompson Twins truly jumped the shark. An antagonistic waggy finger anti-drugs anthem produced by Nile Rodgers, with an odd and very expensive pop video produced by Godley & Creme. This much hyped release only reached UK#15 (and they never troubled the UK Top 20 again) and the video got banned. But I still have a soft spot for the trio having the nerve to release this near career suicidal single.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 12:46:02 GMT 1
942 Heaven 17 - Come Live With Me (1983)
Sheffield's synthpop trio Heaven 17 released this UK #5 & Ire #7 hit in the summer of 1983 which appeared on their album The Luxury Gap. In the current climate it would take a very brave act to cover this song without changing the opening lyrics.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 12:52:51 GMT 1
941 Grace Jones - Pull Up To The Bumper (1981)
This very suggestive car/sexual intercourse analogy song was co-written by Grace Jones herself. The track was produced by Island Records Chris Blackwell & Alex Sadkin and features the musicianship of Sly & Robbie. The original release only made UK #53, but was a UK #12 hit after her high profile year of 1985 which saw her star as a James Bond baddie in a View To A Kill, and appear on the Duran Duran offshoot Arcadia album, and the release of her Island Life compilation album.
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 17, 2013 15:08:04 GMT 1
Full credit for you being unashamed to include releases which never were, and never will be, remotely credible. I'm dropping Phil Fearon & Galaxy straight into this category. I thought his/their singles were great, and still have several in the garage.
H2O were another soul-synth band who made some lovely records, but didn't quite manage to stand out from the crowd, which was a great shame.
"She's In Parties" was Bauhaus' best single, just. "Bela Lugosi's Dead", "Kick In The Eye", and "The Passion Of Lovers" all came close, and one/several might still make it onto your list, I guess.
But I'd be surprised to see Iron Maiden again. "Run To The Hills" is premier league power rock. Only once did they come close to this career high point, with "Can I Play With Madness", which artfully exploited the January sales lull to be their biggest chart hit (but not their best seller).
"Pull Up To The Bumper" was years ahead of its time, with Sly & Robbie's grinding rhythm. Although Trevor Horn's "Slave To The Rhythm" is better remembered these days, mostly thanks to a series of publicity stunts, the double AA-side re-release of "Pull Up To The Bumper" / "La Vie En Rose" is all the Grace Jones anyone really needs.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 21:59:20 GMT 1
Full credit for you being unashamed to include releases which never were, and never will be, remotely credible. Spot which one of the next batch of ten this applies to.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 22:03:31 GMT 1
940 Elvis Costello And The Attractions - High Fidelity (1980)
Taken from the third greatest singer/songwriter to come out of Liverpool, the second single from his Get Happy!! album only made UK #30. Of course the song is more famous for being the inspiration for a Nick Hornby book about a London record store owner, and it subsequently getting the Hollywood film treatment.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 22:08:29 GMT 1
939 The Alarm - 68 Guns (1983)
North Wales answer to U2 & Simple Minds fronted by Mike Peters scored their first (and biggest) UK Top 40 hit of nine reaching #17 with this Celtic reinterpretation of Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run. The lyrics were based on a book that Peters read on the 1960s street gangs of Glasgow.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 22:18:05 GMT 1
938 Lisa Stansfield - All Around The World (1989)
The Northern lass who was the one woman Barry White tribute act had a deserved global monster hit single with this delightful soul classic with a gentle New Jack Swing beat and disturbing stalker lyrics. This single went top 10 virtually everywhere including USA #3 and it topped the charts in the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, & Norway.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 22:27:14 GMT 1
937 Mari Wilson - Just What I Always Wanted (1982)
This North London, Crouch End based beehived retro 1960s jazz-soul singer scored a UK#8 hit with this Tony Mansfield produced track. Later her female backing vocalists (The Marionettes) featured Julia Fordham & Michelle Collins. In 2000 she sung the theme to Steven Moffat's excellent comedy series Coupling (singing Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps).
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 22:35:51 GMT 1
936 Lover Speaks - No More I Love You's (1986)
This late period New Wave duo consisting of David Freeman (vocals) and Joseph Hughes (the rest) were fortunate to get signed by A&M records and have the legend that is Jimmy Iovine (now head of Interscope - Eminem & Lady Gaga's record label) to personally want to produce the track .... so what could go wrong with this fantastic track? Answer: The music scene had moved on. Had this been released in early 1983 this surely would have been picked up by radio and turned into a Top 5 hit. The band opened for the Eurythmics during the 1986 Revenge World Tour and due to a complete lack of success split up to head into obscurity. Thank goodness Annie Lennox did her bit in 1995 to correct a pop injustice.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 22:43:13 GMT 1
935 Darling Buds - Hit The Ground (1988)
The alternative rock band from Newport, South Wales formed in 1986 and were named after the H. E. Bates novel The Darling Buds of May – a title taken in turn, from the third line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May". This was their only Top 40 hit (UK #27). Still they've managed one more appearance on my countdown than Transvision Vamp...
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 22:54:58 GMT 1
934 Chas & Dave - Ain't No Pleasing You (1982)
The "Rockney" duo of "Chas" Hodges and "Dave" Peacock 'ad their biggest whopper with this little beauty of a tune. Reaching UK #2 to be stuck behind Bucks Fizz's My Camera Never Lies (those slaaaaggggs). Hodges had cut his teeth working with the producer Joe Meek, as a session musician in the 1960s. Whilst Peacock played guitar as part of Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers. In the 1970s they frequently did session work together (much like a pre Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones for whom they opened their 1979 Knebworth concerts) such as on Labi Siffre's "I Got The" for which Eminem sampled on his breakout track "My Name Is".
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 23:03:09 GMT 1
933 Sting - Russians (1985)
Using the Lieutenant Kijé Suite by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev as the musical bed the former Police frontman came up with this topical anti-war song about the cheerful subject of the then-dominant Cold War foreign policy and doctrine of mutually assured destruction by the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. with the obvious potential of Nuclear warfare and WWIII. "Kids today don't know how lucky they are, blah, blah, blah."
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 23:10:40 GMT 1
932 Men They Could Not Hang - The Green Fields Of France (No Man's Land) (1984)
This 20th century folk tune written in 1976 by Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle, reflecting on the grave of a young man who died in World War I. This superb cover version by the London based folk/punk band debut single received considerable airplay on the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and finished at Number 3 in Peel's Festive 50 for 1984 but failed to reach the UK Top 100 unlike 6 of their later singles.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 17, 2013 23:16:09 GMT 1
931 Ultravox - All Fall Down (1986)
This very powerful anti war song featuring The Chieftains is most musically noticeable for the chorus being an instrumental theme, reflecting the narration of the song that everyone has fallen down. This was their final of 16 UK Top 40 hits reaching UK #30 late in the year.
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vastar iner
Member
I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,431
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Post by vastar iner on Sept 17, 2013 23:29:27 GMT 1
Some top stuff on this page. I yield to nobody in my admiration of The Darling Buds, the third most successful of the Blonde movement but probably the best, "If I Said" is one of the most beautiful pop songs ever written. And Mari Wilson was just wonderful (probably still is). The Neasden Dusty.
Have a sneaking regard for "68 Guns" and "Run To The Hills" for being no-nonsense rawk, and "Ain't No Pleasing You" is too often overlooked for being the acme of Rockney (ackney?).
Lisa Stansfield was a bit stupid. How come she didn't know why her love had gone away when she gives all sorts of extremely good reasons for his doing so? She was a sweetheart with a great voice, though, just lacked the material. AATW was very close to topping the Hot 100, there was nearly a three-way tie with Jane Child and Tommy Page.
Bauhaus had their biggest hit after changing their name to Love & Rockets (and shedding Daniel Ash) - "I'm Alive" got to 3 in Billboard. There were some occasional random successes Stateside then, Mike & The Mechanics for example giving Paul Carrack his only chart-topper.
Sting, though, needs swatting.
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