Silver discs(July 1980)
A monthly look back at the top singles of 25 years ago
The three best records from the Top 10 (8th July 1980) OliviaNewton-John& Electric Light Orchestra - Xanadu: How do you follow Grease? With a sugary homage to roller disco, of course. Forget leather jackets and rock'n'roll, this film revelled in Kids From Fame chic. Olivia fell from heaven and sang a lot, Gene Kelly twirled his last upon the silver screen, and ELO began their gradual descent from all-conquering art-pop greatness. Some people adore this musical's camp schmaltz charm, but SamuelTaylorColeridge must have been turning in his grave.
"A place where nobody dared to go, the love that we came to know they call it Xanadu. And now open your eyes and see, what we have made is real, we are in Xanadu" Odyssey - Use It Up And Wear It Out: Think disco, and this song will whistle into your subconscious within seconds. An infectious dose of latin rhythm, performed by native New Yorker Tony Reynolds and alliterative sisters Lillian and Louise Lopez. Think funk soul sisters, think wide grins, think big beaded hair (but, whatever you do, don't think about Pat and Mick's 1990 remake).
"We're gonna use it up, wear it out, ain't nothin' left in this whole world I care about. I said one two three shake your body down (shake it on down to me)" Splodgenessabounds - Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet of Crisps Please: The original A-side may have been 'Simon Templar' but nobody cared because the barside rant on the flipside was an aural act of quirky genius. Singer Max Splodge's increasingly drunken frustration at being ignored by a pub landlord struck a chord with an inebriated nation, and the song's title slipped smoothly into the English vernacular. It was especially disappointing, therefore, when the BBC sitcom of the same name abandoned this punk anthem in favour of some anaemic low-alcohol spritzer of a theme tune. Time gentlemen please.
"Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please. Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please. I'll have two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please. I'll have some pickled onions and a little bit of cheese please, thank you."
My three favourite records from July 1980 (at the time) KateBush - Babooshka: My cousin was always the devout Bush fan (for all I know he still has a shrine hidden away in his bedroom somewhere), hooked completely and utterly ever since Kate appeared in 1978 with the divinely whirling Wuthering Heights. Me, I saw in Babooshka's lyric the perfect 'Tales of the Unexpected' plotline to use in my O-Level English Language creative writing examination, should the right title come up on the paper. It didn't, so I wrote about being scared of the dark instead, but the song remains a work of soaring greatness (and smashed crockery).
"She wanted to test her husband, she knew exactly what to do. A pseudonym to fool him, she couldn't have made a worse move. She sent him scented letters and he received them with a strange delight, just like his wife." Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Messages: Debut top 40 single from the band with the bizarre but deviously memorable name. McCluskey and Humphreys proved that even the simplest one finger synth ditty could enchant if topped off with deadpan aching vocals, and in this case a bit of wailing thrown in at the end for good measure. A glittering (but acrimonious) career followed, with Andy more recently achieving demigod status as the pop svengali behind Atomic Kitten.
"I'd write and tell you that I've burnt them all, but you never send me your address and I've kept them anyway" Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart: Confession time. I'd like to say I loved this record when it first came out, because it's always better to spot greatness at the time than to miss out and have to catch up later. Alas, this seminal indie masterpiece slipped beneath my radar at the time, not meriting even a 30-second snippet laid down on the cassette tapes I was recording off the radio at the time. Ian, I apologise.
"Why is the bedroom so cold? Turned away on your side, is my timing that flawed?"
20 other hits from 25 years ago: Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime (Korgis), Cupid (Detroit Spinners), A Lover's Holiday (Change), Lip Up Fatty (Bad Manners), Me Myself I (Joan Armatrading), Jump To The Beat (Stacy Lattisaw), My Way Of Thinking (UB40), Midnite Dynamos (Matchbox), Could You Be Loved (Bob Marley), Sanctuary (New Musik), Waterfalls (Paul McCartney), My Girl (Whispers), There There My Dear (Dexy's Midnight Runners), Mariana (Gibson Brothers), Sleepwalk (Ultravox), Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones), Let's Hang On (Darts), King's Call (Phil Lynott), Whole Lotta Rosie (AC/DC), Wednesday Week (Undertones)...which one would you pick?
Silver discs (July 1980)
Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra - Xanadu: How do you follow Grease? With a sugary homage to roller disco, of course. Forget leather jackets and rock'n'roll, this film revelled in Kids From Fame chic. Olivia fell from heaven and sang a lot, Gene Kelly twirled his last upon the silver screen, and ELO began their gradual descent from all-conquering art-pop greatness. Some people adore this musical's camp schmaltz charm, but Samuel Taylor Coleridge must have been turning in his grave.
