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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 15:55:20 GMT 1
973 Madness - Tomorrow's (Just Another Day) (1983)
Taken from the Nutty Boys 4th album The Rise and Fall, the 14th single release made UK #8 and #2 in Ireland early in 1983. This Stiff Records melancholic track was written by members Mike Barson and Carl "Chas Smash" Smyth.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 16:06:40 GMT 1
972 John (Cougar) Mellencamp - Pop Singer (1989)
The poor man's Dylan/Springsteen had his 18th of 22 USA Top 40 hits (USA #15) with this sarcastic song with a brilliant Stonesy Cajun riff having a pop at certain artists of black origin who appeared to whiten themselves (hence the video) to appeal to MTV. This track was his only #1 in New Zealand and went top 10 in both Australia and Canada. But in the UK this only reached UK#93.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 16:14:19 GMT 1
971 Philip Bailey - Walking On The Chinese Wall (1985)
The former lead singer of Earth Wind and Fire scored a UK#34 and USA#46 hit with this kitchen sink Phil Collins produced track.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 19:28:28 GMT 1
970 Kane Gang - Motortown (1987)
The trio from North East England achieved their only USA Top 40 hit (#36) with this Motown inspired blue eyed soul track which only made UK #45. The vocalist Martin Brammer has since gone to be a songwriter for the likes of Beverley Knight; Lighthouse Family; James Morrison ...
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 19:36:21 GMT 1
969 Gregory Isaacs - Night Nurse (1982)
This reggae standard was recorded in 1982 by the Cool Rider. This Tuff Gong recording was released by Island records but was apparently barred from the charts by irregularities. The album of the same name made UK#32. In 1997 Sly & Robbie featuring Simply Red carbon copied this recording and scored a UK#13 hit. Sadly Gregory Isaacs passed away in 2010.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 19:45:09 GMT 1
968 Adam & The Ants - Ant Rap (1981)
This very bold record written by Adam Ant and Marco Pirroni taken from 1981 album Prince Charming only made UK#3. It has a suitably entertaining video featuring Lulu. With incendiary lyrics such as 'So tired of anarchists looking at me, don't need their credibility, "destroy," they say, "defy! condemn!", as long as you don't destroy them, with twenty years of drugs and drink, I thought the time had come to think, about standing up and saying that, It's tragedy and such old hat' it was little wonder the music critics, media, and eventually the public turned on him.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 19:52:48 GMT 1
967 Van Halen - Jump (1984)
This keyboard riff heavy track by the Californian rockers gave Van Halen their only USA #1 hit, (it was also #1 in Canada) and their biggest UK success (#7) as well as being a top 10 smash hit all over the world. After this 6th album lead singer and extrovert David Lee Roth "jumped" to a solo career to be replaced by Sammy Hagar.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 19:57:20 GMT 1
966 Clash - Bankrobber (1980)
The song haphazardly chronicles the life of the narrator's father, the bankrobber of the song's title (who "never hurt nobody"), concentrating on the theme of the drudgery of many working class jobs. Whilst musically it has the same eerie vibe which the Specials Ghost Town later utilized. It reached UK#12 and #14 in Ireland.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 20:04:58 GMT 1
965 Spandau Ballet - Instinction (1982)
The London based New Romantics scored a UK#10 hit with this Trevor Horn remix of this Gary Kemp penned track taken from their second album Diamond. This success was much needed after the turgid two previous releases "Paint Me Down" and "She Loved Like Diamond" only reached #30 & #49 in the UK, and it paved the way for their cleaner soulful sound of their follow up album True.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 20:25:52 GMT 1
964 Sandie Shaw (with The Smiths) - Hand In Glove (1984)
This cover version of the uncharted The Smiths debut single (which finished 9th in John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1983) was recorded by 1960s singer Sandie Shaw featuring Smiths members Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce as backing musicians reaching number 27 in the UK. I've included the TOTP performance where the Smiths are barefooted in tribute to the Always Something There To Remind Me; Long Live Love; Puppet On A String hit maker. Still I guess it's a good job Echo & The Bunnymen never did a single with Cilla Black!
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 20:33:32 GMT 1
963 S'Express - Theme From S'Express (1988)
Written and produced by Mark Moore and Pascal Gabriel the song samples liberally from many songs, including heavy sampling from Rose Royce's "Is It Love You're After" and TZ's "I Got the Hots for You". It is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in dance music history and is notable for introducing acid house culture to the United Kingdom's music charts. Not only did it top the UK charts, but it reached #1 in Switzerland, and also made #2 in Germany, France, Ireland, and Norway, as well as being top 10 in several other territories. It only reached USA #91 though.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 20:41:52 GMT 1
962 Julian Lennon - Now You're In Heaven (1989)
For his third album Julian Lennon did an about-face on Mr. Jordan, abandoning the polished mainstream pop of his first two albums for a darker, more rock-oriented sound. Lennon also changed his style of singing, choosing a deeper timbre that was eerily reminiscent of David Bowie. Featuring former Duran Duran & Power Station guitarist Andy Taylor & former Chic and Power Station drummer Tony Thompson this track only made USA#93 & UK#59, but it was a Top 5 hit in Australia.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 15, 2013 20:49:45 GMT 1
961 Howard Jones - New Song (1983)
The debut single by the Southampton based synthpopper born to Welsh parents (so kind of the Gareth Bale of 30 years ago) reached UK#3 and USA #27 as well as peaking at #3 in Ireland and being a Top 20 hit all over Europe. But for many the image of dancer Jed and his quite literal "mental chains" will be burnt into everybody's memories.
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,496
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Post by TheThorne on Sept 15, 2013 21:10:23 GMT 1
I bought 'Motortown' recently ripped the 7" as I couldn't find a download for it anywhere. , great song also a fan of John Cougar Mellencamp but don't remember 'Pop Singer'' of the top of my head most of my favourites were on the previous album like 'check it out 'or 'paper on fire'
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vya
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Post by vya on Sept 15, 2013 21:37:02 GMT 1
Instinction a really decent, and in terms of SB's career, ground-breaking, single- Horn's remix really beefed it up a bit. Horn was possibly on his absolutely top form at exactly this time, with some first class work with Dollar and ABC. Stealing cake to eat the moon!
New Song rather idiosyncratic, but rather good.
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vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
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Post by vastar iner on Sept 15, 2013 23:14:47 GMT 1
My favourite S-Express fact is that they were signed up to a label founded by the lead singer of Indians In Moscow (Adele Nozedar). One of whose singles was called "Jack Pelter & His Sex Change Chicken". I expect to see that in the upper reaches of the list.
Never liked "Bankrobber", preferred Pistols to Clash. Michelle Shocked's "On The Greener Side" was an homage to it.
Must have been difficult to cut Madness down to ten - they had 20 top twenties in a row, which at the time was a record, pretty much all of which were highly meritorious, as was their debut as The Madness, the criminally overlooked "I Pronounce You".
And Adam Ant was for years the most successful British rapper ever. Even now he's only been beaten by The Streets, John Barnes and a select handful. "Ant Rap" though was an odd choice for a single, even odder as a Christmas single; "Prince Charming" probably should have been kept back for the latter, and I'd've picked "The Scorpios" as a third single from the album. Or maybe "Five Guns West", which surely would have had a splendiferous video.
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Post by suedehead on Sept 16, 2013 0:02:17 GMT 1
My favourite S-Express fact is that they were signed up to a label founded by the lead singer of Indians In Moscow (Adele Nozedar). One of whose singles was called "Jack Pelter & His Sex Change Chicken". I expect to see that in the upper reaches of the list. Never liked "Bankrobber", preferred Pistols to Clash. Michelle Shocked's "On The Greener Side" was an homage to it. Must have been difficult to cut Madness down to ten - they had 20 top twenties in a row, which at the time was a record, pretty much all of which were highly meritorious, as was their debut as The Madness, the criminally overlooked "I Pronounce You". And Adam Ant was for years the most successful British rapper ever. Even now he's only been beaten by The Streets, John Barnes and a select handful. "Ant Rap" though was an odd choice for a single, even odder as a Christmas single; "Prince Charming" probably should have been kept back for the latter, and I'd've picked "The Scorpios" as a third single from the album. Or maybe "Five Guns West", which surely would have had a splendiferous video. As I said in my chart commentary this week, The Clash were far more than just a punk band and Bankrobber was one of the songs that demonstrated that. The Sex Pistols released some brilliant singles but The Clash were far more accomplished musicians.
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Post by Shireblogger on Sept 16, 2013 7:51:06 GMT 1
Several strange choices in the 980s - Michael Sembello, Ready For The World, Jermaine Stewart - but I'm going to try to avoid carping in this thread, and focus on the good stuff.
And there's plenty of good stuff in the latest batch.
Full marks for picking out Tomorrow's (Just Another Day), it is a Madness gem that gets overlooked all too frequently in favour of the nuttier stuff, especially the tracks that made it onto Complete Madness.
Spandau Ballet's Instinction is also a terrific track. Their first 2 LPs were quite experimental, and now get overlooked as everyone remembers Spandau for True and Gold, and lands on Gary Numan, OMD and the Human League when picking out electro pioneers.
I was hugely into Howard Jones at the time, but find him harder to enjoy as the years pass. Alongside the Thompson Twins, few acts from the mid-80s have dated so harshly. Wouldn't surprise me if this is his only entry in the T1000.
The presence of Sandie Shaw is welcome, but no surprise. The real shock is S'Express only at #963. It was my #1 single in 1988. [Aztec Camera, Mory Kante, Billy Bragg and In Tua Nua rounded out the Top 5). And it would therefore have easily been a Top 50 track of the 80s for me, maybe Top 20. It was the culmination of the British house scene, which had been building towards a truly monster hit for about 18 months. Everything from S'Express forward was downhill, opening the door for Rave and Madchester.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Sept 16, 2013 10:42:26 GMT 1
As I said in my chart commentary this week, The Clash were far more than just a punk band and Bankrobber was one of the songs that demonstrated that. The Sex Pistols released some brilliant singles but The Clash were far more accomplished musicians. Be that as it may, they never spoke to me in the same way as the visceral impact of the Pistols. Plus Cook/Matlock/Jones are underrated as a power trio, done down by McLaren's revamp of history. Incidentally, "She Loved Like Diamond" is my favourite Spans track, their early stuff was indeed very good, but as the British music taste moved away from challenge in favour of ordure so did SB.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 16, 2013 14:47:45 GMT 1
I love all your comments so far: I'm very much in the Clash were better than the Pistols camp as unlike the Pistols they were not one dimensional act with less good songs than The Spice Girls.
Hell PiL were far better than the Pistols as I think Never Mind The B... is much like Nevermind and the eponymous Stone Roses album = very overrated by indie music critics. Still it makes for a good T-shirt top to buy in HMV for students/hipsters to wear who probably could not name 5 Clash tracks let alone any of the Sex Pistols bar Johnny Rotten and the Frankie Cocozza of the 1970s Sid Vicious.
If this inspires any of you to compile a similar list, or check out and like a track you'd forgotten about or never heard, then that's great as that is the purpose of this thread.
Unless I'm mistaken one of you might be seeing a track you've spoken about in the next batch of 10 ...
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