Silver discs(August 1980) [part 1]
A monthly look back at the top singles of 25 years ago
My three favourite records from August 1980 (at the time) Sue Wilkinson - You Gotta Be A Hustler If You Wanna Get On: I adored this single when it first came out. Just a woman, a piano and some cutting suggestive lyrics made this more a cabaret tune than a pop single. In fact it was amazing to hear a song about prostitutes being played so blatantly on daytime radio, even with one word hushed out. The song humorously bemoaned the fame and fortune certain loose women earn through sexual debasement (Kinga, are you listening?) and, if you check out the lyrics, even foresaw the blogging success of Belle De Jour more than 20 years later. Sue herself was once a model and actress, as well as a singer and songwriter, and more recently she released some of her favourite work in an internet-published book - Reflections Of A Recovering Bimbo (hmm, bit expensive). Alas Sue was struck down by cancer and died in a hospice earlier this year, which I think is a great loss. My thanks to Rob for emailing me an mp3 of her most famous song a few months ago - Sue still makes me smile every time my iPod Shuffle serves her up.
"You've got to be a hustler if you want to make a name, being good can only get you hurt. Chastity and virtue never brought a woman fame, and men will always crave a cunning flirt" Piranhas - Tom Hark: Now here's catchy - an 80s cover version of the 1958 number 2 hit for the wonderfully-named Elias And His Zig-Zag Jive Flutes. The Piranhas were born out of the Brighton punk scene and were brought to the public's attention by no less a champion than Pete Waterman. Tom Hark has long been a lower division football chant, and earlier this year Atilla the Stockbroker's rewritten version (supporting Brighton & Hove Albion, of course) even managed a number 17 chart position. A record with true staying power.
"Does anybody know how long to World War Three? I wanna know, I've gotta book me holidee. They want me in the army but I just can't go. I'm far too busy listening to the radio." Barracudas - Summer Fun: Remember the cheesy spoken intro ["I'm a Plymouth dealer, a dealing man..."], launching into a breezy la-la harmony. Ah yes, this was a true summer anthem, like an 80s version of the Beach Boys but even more enthusiastic. Summer Fun was the Barracudas' only (minor) hit, but the surferdudes have quite a back catalogueif you care to dig.
"Now put em all together!" "Baba rara cucu dada!" "Well it ain't Barracuda man, but I think we've got a hit record"
Silver discs (August 1980) [part 1]
Sue Wilkinson - You Gotta Be A Hustler If You Wanna Get On: I adored this single when it first came out. Just a woman, a piano and some cutting suggestive lyrics made this more a cabaret tune than a pop single. In fact it was amazing to hear a song about prostitutes being played so blatantly on daytime radio, even with one word hushed out. The song humorously bemoaned the fame and fortune certain loose women earn through sexual debasement (Kinga, are you listening?) and, if you check out the lyrics, even foresaw the blogging success of Belle De Jour more than 20 years later. Sue herself was once a model and actress, as well as a singer and songwriter, and more recently she released some of her favourite work in an internet-published book - Reflections Of A Recovering Bimbo (hmm, bit expensive). Alas Sue was struck down by cancer and died in a hospice earlier this year, which I think is a great loss. My thanks to Rob for emailing me an mp3 of her most famous song a few months ago - Sue still makes me smile every time my iPod Shuffle serves her up.
