The U.K. 80s Singles & Albums Chart General Discussion Thread.

I have almost of these tracks on my iPod! I’d include Bananarama’s Venus and Rick Astley’s Together Forever.

 

That era of SAW....Princess, Ochi, Three Degrees, Haywoode, Brilliant... is probably my favourite. I'd have Getting Closer in any SAW Top 20.

EG.

 

I remember the review in Smash Hits like it was yesterday; it wasn't very positive but I was intrigued by a. the artwork and b. the artist name which a young teenage me thought was very clever...

 

Looks like some cover art of demo tapes by 80s underground heavy metal bands which is like 5th grade drawing.

 

I even thought of removing Rick from the list altogether, because when you listen to Ricks singles from the 1st album
and than the excellent She Wants To Dance With Me, its clear thats the stand out single in his early years discography -
and that was not a SAW production.

 

I think where the have failed the most is with Jason Donovan.
Where his first single Nothing Can Divide Us is very likeable and even has a hint of melodic originality
the 1990 ones Every Day, Another Night, When You Come Back To Me, Hang On To Your Love and truly dreadful
and you really cant tell one from another.

 

Genius part 1.

 

Genius part 2.

 

I wonder what Neneh Cherry`s bandmates from Rip Rip & Panic thought when they saw what she did in 1987 - like those two examples up there.
After all - its so radically different.......really hard to believe she had an entirely different career path just four years earlier.

 

Well of course Andi Oliver from the band has been all over our TV screens for the past few years as a celebrity chef.

 

'Venus' should definitely be in there. My SAW list would be short and mostly consist of Dead Or Alive tracks: 'Lover Come Back To Me', 'In Too Deep', 'My Heart Goes Bang', 'Brand New Lover', 'Something In My House' (especially), 'Hooked On Love', 'I'll Save You All My Kisses'. Others that I like: the 1984 Divine and Hazell Dean tracks (of course), 'Get Ready' by Carol Hitchcock, Debbie Harry's 'In Love With Love', 'That's The Way It Is' by Mel and Kim, Kylie's 'What Do I Have To Do' (easily her best SAW song).

Everything else SAW produced can burn in the depths of music hell.

 

How "I'd Rather Jack" escaped inclusion on that worst songs of the 80's list is a complete mystery.

 

Just out of curiosity I went through the list of SAW produced songs and came across this fab cover of "Help!" by Bananarama. Don't recall this at all.

 

It wasn't a very big hit in Australia (#25) compared to the UK, where it's Bananarama's equal-highest charting single at #3. Although I love French and Saunders I don't think they're funny at all on this single — I much prefer the "straight" version that's on the B-side.

 

Was there a regular version on the B-side? I have the CD single which has an extended mix of Help!, but no 7”.

That’s a shame, as I thought they did a good job with the song, and F&S ‘funny’ bits do spoilt the song when you have to hear them over and over again!

 

I remember this; I thought it was going to be a big hit but fizzled out quite quickly... I think she was an Australian soap actress or something

 

Prisoner circa 1985

 

Chris and Neil were interviewed last night on The Project (Aussie light news program). Apparently Chris did a guest spot on Neighbours back in the 80's.

 

Here's Chris hamming it up on Neighbours..

 

Must give the new PSB album a listen on Spotify today.

 

They seem to everywhere at the moment...

 

The "straight version" is on the B-side of the UK 7" single but unfortunately not on the CD-single. What a shame!

 

I can’t see that the ‘straight’ version is on CD at all… Even on that big singles boxset they did a few years ago!

 

Bonnie Tyler and Kajagoogoo get good reviews in Sounds this week in 1983. I’m assuming the latter isn’t a piss take.

 

Yes, you're right. The only CD I can find with this 2:24 version is a German mini-CD (which isn't currently for sale on Discogs).

Bananarama, Lananeeneenoonoo - Help