WEEK ENDING 10th NOVEMBER 1984
TOP 40 SINGLES

Last weeks position in Brackets
1-(-2)----Chaka Khan-------------------------I Feel For You
2-(-1)----Wham---------------------------------Freedom
3-(-5)----Duran Duran------------------------The Wild Boys
4-(-3)----Paul McCartney--------------------No More Lonely Nights
5-(-4)----Giorgio Moroder And Philip Oakey---------------Together In Electric Dreams
6-(-6)----Julian Lennon-----------------------Too Late For Goodbyes
7-(-7)----Status Quo---------------------------The Wanderer
8-(-8)----Alison Moyet------------------------All Cried Out
9-(12)----Billy Ocean---------------------------Carribbean Queen
10(20)----Limahl---------------------------------Never Ending Story
11(15)----ZZ Top--------------------------------Gimme All Your Loving
12(13)----Ultravox-------------------------------Love's Great Adventure
13(40)----Jim Diamond-------------------------I Should Have Known Better
14(-9)----Stevie Wonder-----------------------I Just Called To Say I Love You
15(10)----John Waite---------------------------Missing You
16(28)----Pointer Sisters-----------------------I'm So Excited
17(11)----Cars------------------------------------Drive
18(18)----Lionel Richie-------------------------Penny Lover
19(17)----Meat Loaf-----------------------------Modern Girl
20(32)----Iron Maiden--------------------------Aces High
21(39)----Chicago--------------------------------Hard Habit To Break
22(24)----Eugene Wilde------------------------Gotta Get You Home Tonight
23(22)----Paul Young---------------------------I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
24(23)----Feargal Sharkey----------------------Listen To Your Father
25(14)----Culture Club---------------------------The War Song
26(16)----Style Council--------------------------Shout To The Top
27(19)----Ray Parker Jr.--------------------------Ghostbusters
28(36)----Heaven 17------------------------------This Is Mine
29(---)----Depeche Mode------------------------Blasphemous Rumours/Somebody
30(21)----Spandau Ballet-------------------------Highly Strung
31(27)----Bronski Beat----------------------------Why
32(38)----Gary Numan-----------------------------Beserker
33(35)----Black Lace-------------------------------Agadoo
34(25)----U2-----------------------------------------Pride (In The Name Of Love)
35(---)----Dazz Band-------------------------------Let It All Blow
36(31)----Sister Sledge----------------------------Lost In Music
37(29)----Kim Wilde-------------------------------The Second Time
38(34)----George Michael------------------------Careless Whisper
39(26)----Stranglers--------------------------------Skin Deep
40(30)----Sade---------------------------------------Smooth Operator

1-(-2)----Chaka Khan-------------------------I Feel For You
First of all it was great to see Chaka having another hit as she really hadn't had enough in her already long career. Even more satisfying was her achievment in reaching number one in the face of stiff competition from the likes of Duran Duran, Paul McCartney and Wham (whom she dislodged from the top). The song had originally been recorded by Prince on his 1980 album 'Prince', and had also been recorded by the Pointer Sisters, but Chaka's cover beats the lot. Chaka put in a great live performance of this song on an edition of 'The Tube', and while I was shocked at the amount of weight she had put on, only a sizist (or racist) would have denied that she looked GREAT.
In America, she had this week leaped from ten to number five and ended up spending three weeks at number three.
And who can remember the 1985 top ten hit that shared this single's intro ?
Answer at the end

2-(-1)----Wham---------------------------------Freedom
Wham's second number one had just spent three weeks in pole position, but sounded familiar to most from the moment they heard it. The reason for this was that it was a blatant rip off of Junior Campbell's 1973 hit "Hallelujah Freedom". Still, it was more money for old rope as far as Andrew Ridgeley was concerned.

3-(-5)----Duran Duran------------------------The Wild Boys
After the annoying "Reflex" Duran were back on form with a great song and a cool video to go with it. It spent a week at number two. Meanwhile in America they had taken just two weeks to reach number 28 this week and went on to spend three weeks at number two covering the Christmas/New Year period.
They even made a full length film loosely based on this song and the film from which they got their name 'Barbarella'. Unfortunately the film was a bit of a mess and can't even be compared too favourably with the Beatles 'Magical Mystery Tour'. Which brings us to,

4-(-3)----Paul McCartney--------------------No More Lonely Nights
The single from Paul's film 'Give My Regards To Broad Street'. This was Paul's first single since he had topped the chart at the begining of the year with "Pipes Of Peace", and he just failed to do it again as he had to settle for number two. He was currently standing at number 19 in the States and eventually reached number six.
The film was critically slated, but what do they know about anything ?
Even though I found the Speccy computer game of the film to be a total disaster, I liked the actual film. Paul was also involved in another film at this time albeit a short one, Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. He played a ghoul as did his wife Linda, and there is absolutely NO NEED for anyone to add a sick comment, RIGHT ?

5-(-4)----Giorgio Moroder And Philip Oakey---------------Together In Electric Dreams
Still with the film connections, this was from the soundtrack of 'Electric Dreams' a film that was mildly entertaining, but one that you wouldn't want to watch again. This number three peaking single possibly peeved Phil's friends in the Human League because it was much more successful than the three singles released by the 'League' during 1984. Giorgio meanwhile after years of mostly being deep in the background as a producer as far as the general public were concerned, suddenly became high profile for a few months. He'd just enjoyed a top ten hit with Freddie Mercury's "Love Kills", was having a massive hit with this, and was also in the top ten with,

10(20)----Limahl---------------------------------Never Ending Story
Yes this was Giorgio's work too. It was also yet another film song and (get this) the computer game was quite good too. Limahl had managed three hits as singer with Kajagoogoo and one on his own during 1983, but this was his first hit for a year. It turned out to be his biggest and last solo hit in reaching number four.

6-(-6)----Julian Lennon-----------------------Too Late For Goodbyes
This was Julian's first hit and was spending the second of two weeks at it's peak position. Not too long before this he was living in the North Wales town of Ruthin where his Mother Cynthia had a cafe. And he also appeared in Wrexham Magistrates Court for a motoring offence. But here he was having a hit single ad a hit album that included lyrics about sitting on pebbles. He did manage a further week in the chart at number 40 with "Because" from the musical 'Time' right at the end of 1985, but he the had to wait until 1991 for his third hit (also peaking at number six).

7-(-7)----Status Quo---------------------------The Wanderer
Quo were back with a cover of Dion's 1962 number ten hit. They improved on the performance of the original by spending three weeks at number seven. The video featured them playing on the back of a moving truck looking as though they were having a lot of fun, and haven't they done something similar during the past few weeks ?

8-(-8)----Alison Moyet------------------------All Cried Out
Alison's second solo hit was spending the third of four weeks at number eight. It was just one of the many strong tracks on her 'Alf' album, and in my opinion Vince Clarke only found a second rate imitator in Andy Bell.

9-(12)----Billy Ocean---------------------------Carribbean Queen
Billy hadn't been in the top 40 since 1977 but then Radio One's 'Newsbeat' show ran a story about a new single that he was releasing at the beginning of the Summer of '84. This single was released with the title "European Queen" in Europe and sounded pretty much OK, but nothing special. At the same time it was being released as "African Queen" in the African nations, and as "Carribbean Queen" in the Americas. It completely flopped in the UK on it's first release, but slowly it climbed the USA chart until it finally hit number one over there, and was spending it's second of two weeks on top this week. This prompted Jive records to re-issue it in the UK with it's Carribbean title, and sure enough it shot to number six in the chart. To this day I still don't understand the logic behind how one word change could make this song such a huge hit, but at least it gave Billy the breakthrough that he fully deserved.

11(15)----ZZ Top--------------------------------Gimme All Your Loving
Another song that needed two cracks before it became a hit. When first issued in 1983, it got a fair bit of airplay and Whistle Test featured the video at least twice, but it still wasn't a hit. A year later, Whistle Test did the second of it's 'Rock Around The Clock' things on BBC2 and featured the ZZ Top trilogy. That is the three videos of ZZ Top singles that loosely connect to one another (the others being "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs"). This seemed to raise people's awareness of the band and 14 years after becoming ZZ Top, they finally had their first hit. This single peaked at number ten and even though I like it (and indeed the 'Eliminator' album), I still wonder if they would ever have made it over here without the videos.

12(13)----Ultravox-------------------------------Love's Great Adventure
Another video story with this one. It was the brand new track on Ultravox's 'The Collection' album and initially seemed destined for a top five placing. The video was an Indiana Jones inspired thing with Midge runing through jungles, deserts, you know the usual thing. But after about a minute, Midge stopped running, the music stopped playing, Midge caught his breath, the whole thing continued where it left off. Maybe it doesn't sound unusual now, but it did back then. Anyway just as Midge stalled, so did the single at number 12.

13(40)----Jim Diamond-------------------------I Should Have Known Better
Massive climb up the chart for Jim who'd previously had a hit as vocalist with PHD in 1982. This was his first solo hit and spent a week at number one three weeks later. He also released a couple of good follow ups in the early months of 1985 without success. He did however hit the top five again with the awful "Hi Ho Silver" in 1986.

14(-9)----Stevie Wonder-----------------------I Just Called To Say I Love You
Over18 years since his first hit and Stevie finally got his first solo number one single. Not only that, but it stayed there for six weeks and was number two in Radio One's countdown of the biggest hits of the year. It was another of those odd occurences when this single shot straight into the chart at number three, because Stevie's singles just didn't normally do that. Even then he teased us a little by only moving up to number two, before finally hitting the top. And of course we had that flying slice of toast video too. Oddly, Stevie's next two singles ("Love Light In Flight" & "Don't Drive Drunk" both failed to make the top 40. It was currently at number two on the Billboard chart having spent three weeks on top.

15(10)----John Waite---------------------------Missing You
John should have hit the chart in 1978 while with 'The Babys" with the magnificent "Isn't It Time" single. But do you really think that a group with a name like that could have sold records in the UK at a time when people were buying the latest offerings from names like 'The Stranglers', 'Boomtown Rats', 'Sex Pistols' & 'Siouxsie And The Banshees' (err and the Smurfs) ?
Of course not. So despite having a few American hits, they never made it over here. The strange thing is, their next America hit was called "Everytime I Think Of You", and that was of course the opening line of this, his only, UK hit. It reached number nine over here, and it would come as no surprise to anyone who remembers this period if I told them it hit the top of the US chart. You just couldn't give the Americans enough of this stuff during the mid 80s. John was hardly prolific for the rest of his solo career and the rumour that he and John Parr are the same person is probably a lie. John later got back together with some of the Babys to form 'Bad English' and had a few more US hits in the 90's including a number one with "When I See You Smile".

16(28)----Pointer Sisters-----------------------I'm So Excited
This song had originally been released in 1982 and had failed to chart, despite reaching number 30 in the States. But it had now been re-recorded (or was that mixed ?) for the 'Breakout' album and was on it's way to number 11. Not only that, but it was currently standing at number 15 on the Billboard chart having peaked at number nine. The video for this song was restricted to night time broadcasting due to a couple of scenes of the girls taking baths.

17(11)----Cars------------------------------------Drive
One of the best singles of the decade and one of the best videos ever. After storming up the chart to number five, it surprisingly slipped to number six and then continued to slowly slip down the chart for the remainder of it's nine week run. That wasn't the end of it though. On July 11th 1985 this song was used with a backdrop of starving Ethiopian people during the greatest show ever, Live Aid. After that, re-releasing the single seemed the obvious thing to do with all proceeds going to Band/Live Aid. That time around it went to number four and spent a further nine weeks in the 40. Meanwhile it stood at number 34 in the States this week having already peaked at number three. They were also at number 38 over there with "Hello Again" on it's way up to number 20. The Cars released some great albums between 1978 & 1987 but the British never really warmed to them.

18(18)----Lionel Richie-------------------------Penny Lover
I don't know where it was going wrong with Lionel, but after three classy singles from 'Can't Slow Down' we were given the awful "Stuck On You" and now this. Boring is just about the nicest thing I can say about this number 18 peaking song. Across the Ocean it stood at number 13 this week and eventually had to settle for a number eight peak making it Lionel's lowest peaking solo US hit to date.

19(17)----Meat Loaf-----------------------------Modern Girl
This was the last week Meat Loaf would spend in the top 20 until 1993. He had peaked with two weeks at number 17 with this track from the 'Bad Attitude' album. This single was also available as a motorcycle shaped picture disc.

20(32)----Iron Maiden--------------------------Aces High
This unremarkable single by Iron Maiden was peaking this week as it became their sixth consecutive top twenty hit.

21(39)----Chicago--------------------------------Hard Habit To Break
Yet another winner from Chicago was it's way to number eight while it was currently standing at number nine in the states having already peaked at number three. It was only their fifth ever UK top 40 hit in a chart career stretching back to 1970, yet it was their 25th Billboard top 40 hit.

22(24)----Eugene Wilde------------------------Gotta Get You Home Tonight
A little on the dull side, this single peaked at number 18 the following week. Eugene had previously failed to hit the chart while with the band 'Simplicious' with a great song called "Let Her Feel It". That track later appeared on the B Side of Eugene's only other hit, the number 34 peaking "Personality". "Got To Get You Home Tonight" reached number 83 on the Billboard chart a few months later.

23(22)----Paul Young---------------------------I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
This cover of a song previously recorded by Ann Peebles in 1973 seemed a strange choice for single release. It didn't have any of the commercial elements of his previous three hits and unsurprisingly only peaked at number nine. I was very surprised when just under a year later it climbed the Billboard chart to a number 13 peak.

24(23)----Feargal Sharkey----------------------Listen To Your Father
This was Feargal's first solo hit and his only release for Madness' Zarjazz label. Just as most of his singles with the Undertones did, this one also underachieved and could only reach number 23. But his 15 minutes of stardom was less than a year away. For his one off single with the Assembly see November 1983 next week.

25(14)----Culture Club---------------------------The War Song
Quite possibly the worst ever single from Culture Club had shot into the chart at number three (due to their popularity), but didn't get any higher than number two. The sentiments of the song were fine, but the actual lyrics were so banal. As it transpired, it was to be their last top five hit until October 1998 when "I Just Wanna Be Loved" made it to number four. The War Song currently stood at number 20 in the States and peaked at number 17.

26(16)----Style Council--------------------------Shout To The Top
Another winner from the Style Council had peaked at number seven. You know those occasions when someone says something to you and you later realise what you should have said in reply ?
Well I had one of those situations concerning this single. I just happened to say to two work mates that I liked this song. But one said that he didn't like bands who were living on the past glories of another band, in this case 'The Jam'. His monkey agreed with him and said a few harsh words about Mods (don't ask me !). I didn't have an answer for that at the time and I could have kicked myself later on when I remembered that these two were big fans of Rainbow, Whitesnake, Gillan etc.

27(19)----Ray Parker Jr.--------------------------Ghostbusters
Another one of the year's best sellers, and we all know which film it came from. This number two peaking single was in the chart for 12 weeks, and then after spending three weeks outside the top 40, re-entered and climbed back to number six spending a further 12 weeks in the chart. It was March 1985 before we saw the last of it. The USA had waved goodbye to this song this week as it dropped out of the Hot 100 after a 21 week run that included three weeks at number one.

28(36)----Heaven 17------------------------------This Is Mine
I've never been able to work out what went wrong with Heaven 17. Their third album 'How Men Are' may not have been quite as good as 'Penthouse And Pavement' or 'The Luxury Gap', but it was still a good album. But none of the three singles lifted from this album got into the top 20. This number 23 peaking single was most successful of the three after "Sunset Now" had peaked at 24 and their January 1985 single "And That's No Lie" (the best of the trio) failed to even make the 40. "This Is Mine" was their ever top 40 hit (apart from the inevitable 90's reissues/remixes).

29(---)----Depeche Mode------------------------Blasphemous Rumours/Somebody
A brave single from Depeche Mode was echoing the sentiments of many people, but sentiments that few would say out loud away from the alcohol fuelled conversations in bars. Given the stuffinessof the BBC, I was very surprised that it had as much airplay as it did. The often ignored "Somebody" was a great song too, and rumour has it that Dave Gahan stripped naked to record his vocals for the track. It peaked at number 16 the following week.

30(21)----Spandau Ballet-------------------------Highly Strung
Spandau were still on that downward spiral and could only reach number 15 with this single. It was their 13th top 40 hit from 14 releases but their lowest peak since "She Loved Like Diamond" failed to make the 40 in January 1982.

31(27)----Bronski Beat----------------------------Why
Although I'm certainly not homophoebic, I've got to be honest and say that I felt very uncomfortable with some of the lyrics in this song. So much so that even though it was a great catchy single, I didn't dare walk into a record shop and buy it (I was recently married and had a reputation to keep). It didn't need my help anyway as it climbed to number six, but I was wondering if anyone else has ever had any unusual reasons for not buying a record even though they really like it.. Maybe it could be something like a performers attitude (see Oasis) or the act being 'Pretty Boys' (Boyzone, 911 etc).

32(38)----Gary Numan-----------------------------Beserker
Poor old Gary. It was only his hard core fans who seemed to be buying his records these days. This spent just three weeks in the top 40 and was peaking this week.

33(35)----Black Lace-------------------------------Agadoo
The ultimate of all wally songs, yet in retrospect it has a certain innocent charm about it. It isn't lyrically brilliant, it isn't musically innovative, but for a simple sing-a-long pop record, you won't find much better. It spent two weeks at number two during it's 16 week top 40 run, and then re-entered for another couple of weeks at the beginning of 1985. It was recently re-released, but this time all of the current Radiohead fans didn't ask Mummy to buy it for them. I wonder why they won't admit to liking it anymore ;-)

34(25)----U2-----------------------------------------Pride (In The Name Of Love)
U2 had been steadily building up a following since their number 35 hit "Fire" in 1981. Three years down the line and they had only managed two further hits with the biggest being 1983's number ten, "New Years Day". But things had been looking much better for them in the album chart. 'War' had spent a week at number one, while the album that would become their longest charting 'Under A Blood Red Sky' had been to number two. So even though a U2 single entering the chart at number eight may have shocked some chart watchers, anyone with a eye on the album chart may not have been too surprised. The biggest surprise concerning this single was that after entering that high, it only moved up to number four the following week, and peaked at three a week later. On the other side of the Atlantic it was currently at number 55 and continued climbing until it reached number 33.

35(---)----Dazz Band-------------------------------Let It All Blow
The jury was out for a long time on this one, but I finally decided I liked it. It peaked at number 12 and completed it's ten weeks on the chart in the second week of January.

36(31)----Sister Sledge----------------------------Lost In Music
This one was in the chart from 1979 that I featured a couple of months ago when it peaked at number 17. But thanks to the success of it's original B side "Thinking Of You" a few months earlier in 1984, it was being given a second chance. It seized the opportunity with both hands, and stormed up to number four becoming their biggest hit up to then. It was never a US hit.

37(29)----Kim Wilde-------------------------------The Second Time
Kim had been going through a rough time saleswise for the past two years, and things didn't improve a lot with this single. All it could manage was a number 29 peak and four weeks in the chart. I believe that this song was re-titled "Go For It" when released in the States where it reached number 65. I don't mean to be rude but why the hell do British acts have to keep changing the names of their songs for the American market ?
This isn't the only time it's happened, Sheena Easton had to change her "9 To 5" to "Morning Train" in 1981. And I've got news for our American friends, there was no such band as 'The English Beat', it was 'The Beat'. Now about 'American Nirvana' ?
Sorry about that, got a bit carried away, after all you gave us the Detroit Spinners ;-)

38(34)----George Michael------------------------Careless Whisper
The finest hour for George. His first solo single and a three week number one. Whatever anyone may have thought about the direction that Wham's music was taking, there was no denying that this song was pure class. It was the single that ended the nine week run at the top for "Two Tribes" by 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood'. George also followed Frankie to the Hollywood vicinity some years later, but we won't go into that (no room for toilet humour here). This single had yet to chart in America, and when it did was credited to 'Wham featuring George Michael' and also spent three weeks at umber one over there. Many feel that all of Wham's singles should have been credited to 'Wham not featuring Andrew Ridgeley'.

39(26)----Stranglers--------------------------------Skin Deep
Great band, great single, not so good album in 'Aural Sculpture'. When this number 15 peaking single was released, Hugh Cornwall guested on Simo Bates' show and spoke about the early years etc. But he didn't seem prepared for Simon's comment about the drummer (Jet Black) being ugly. Hugh kind of giggled then quickly changed the subject.

40(30)----Sade---------------------------------------Smooth Operator
Didn't like it at the time, but after Brittania Music Club sent me 'Diamond Life' as their choice of album of the month a while later my opinion changed. It sounded much better when heard along with the rest of the album. It only reached number 19, but that doesn't come as that much of a surprise when you consider that Sade's only top ten hit was "Your Love Is King" in the Spring of 84. Yet in America this single was a big top five hit a few months later.

And now the singles that had also been hits since the last time I featured 1984,
Blue Jean (David Bowie #6), Hammer To Fall (Queen #13), Purple Rain (Prince #8), Love Kills (Freddie Mercury #10), Apollo 9 (Adam Ant #13), If It Happens Again (UB40 #9), The Medicine Song (Stephanie Mills #29), East Of Eden (Big Country #17), Mystery (Dio #34), Cath/Will She Always Be Waiting (Bluebells #38), Cover Me (Bruce Springsteen #38).

Also happening on the Billboard chart,
3-(-3)----Prince----------Purple Rain
Had already been his second UK top ten hit in reaching number eight. Was expected to follow "When Doves Cry" & "Let's Go Crazy" to number one in the States, but had to settle for two weeks at number two.

4-(-4)----Wham---------Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
You know about it's success in the UK already. But over there it was about to dethrone Billy Ocean and spend three weeks on top.

6-(12)----Hall & Oates-----Out Of Touch
A great single that never made it over here but spent two weeks on top of the Billboard chart. The album 'Big Bam Boom' was pretty good too.

7-(-9)----Tina Turner-------Better Be Good To Me
Considering that her previous single had been a number three hit, it was very surprising that this climbed no higher than number 45 in the UK, despite it being the fourth to be lifted from the 'Private Dancer' album. Over in America, it climbed a couple more places to number five where it settled for two weeks.

8-(-8)----David Bowie-----Blue Jean
David had a lot to live up to after the phenomenon that the 'Let's Dance' album and it's related singles were. Many feel that he disappointed, but I think that the 'Tonight' album was quite good (especially the three singles lifted from it). But just maybe this was the wrong choice for the first single. I'm always enthusiastic about Bowie singles so it was no problem to me, but others may have found it a little 'ordinary', do you know what I mean ?
In the UK it was helped by a short film to a quick number six peak and then a quick tumble to complete just six weeks in the top 40, I think that "Tonight" or "Loving The Alien" may have been more successful.
Over the water it was this week spending the second of it's two weeks at it's peak.

10(11)----Dennis DeYoung----Desert Moon
The lead singer with Styx (who were taking a long break) was in the chart with his debut solo effort. This was quite a good song with an attempt at a concept video promoting it. It didn't do anything in the UK, in fact he didn't even bother releasing any further singles over here. But it did OK over there and was peaking this week.

Also worth mentioning,
11(15)----Sheena Easton-----Strut
12(20)----Cyndi Lauper------All Through The Night
25(29)----Honeydrippers-----Sea Of Love
48(55)----Rebbie Jackson----Centipede
52(---)----Bruce Springsteen----Born In The U.S.A.
57(64)----Frankie Goes To Hollywood------Two Tribes
63(---)----Don Henley--------The Boys Of Summer
89(---)----Thompson Twins-----Into The Gap
90(---)----Ashford & Simpson---Solid
94(---)----Bananarama--------The Wild Life

The answer to the Chaka Khan thing - - Grandmaster Melle Mel did the Rap at the beginning of "I Feel For You", and the did it again (and a bit more) at the beginning of his January 1985 number eight hit "Step Off". So now you know, and I can go !

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Email: nige@innotts.co.uk