My December 1991 charts

1st December 1991

It’s 2 weeks on top for the KLF & Tammy, 3 weeks at 2 for Jacko and Army Of Lovers at a new peak of 3 with Obsession. Belinda Carlisle keeps the 10’s a-coming with Do You Feel, Badfinger go top again with Paul McCartney’s Come And Get It 21 years on and Kate Bush takes Elton John’s Rocket man top 10-bound 19 years on from Elton getting a number 2. Simply Red almost make the top 10 with Stars, and highest new entry is a dance cover of Christopher Cross’ 1980 rockpop gem Ride Like The Wind, in at 16. Prince’s title track off his album is new at 18, Diamonds and Pearls being a lot more play-listable than the previous 2 singles.

Shanice debuts at 24 with the fab I Love Your Smile, James are always Sound, new at 28, and Salt ‘n’ Pepa do a great cover of The Turtles wonderful You Showed Me, their 1969 US hit and UK flop, new at 37. Jermaine Jackson is back, with a title that sounds like a dig at his eccentric little brother, Word To The Badd, Slade end their chart run with Universe 20 years after Coz I Luv You, let’s face it you can’t get bigger than the Universe. Diana Ross is back in the slow ballad zone (yawn) but still charting 23 years on from her Supremes days in my personal charts, and Bryan Adams is on single 3 with the Robin Hood monster still refusing to exit the chart.

James Brown is back with his 1970 classic Sex Machine, Erasure ask Am I Right?, The Scorpions follow-up Wind Of Change, and Gary Glitter has another Xmas track out for his regular Xmas concerts. Ready To Rock? Always, but then we didn’t know about the hard drive habits back then.

1 ( 1 ) JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT (STAND BY THE JAMM’S) The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette, Maxine Harvey & Ricardo Da Force
2 ( 2 ) BLACK OR WHITE Michael Jackson
3 ( 5 ) OBSESSION Army Of Lovers
4 ( 3 ) THOSE WERE THE DAYS Mary Hopkin
5 ( 8 ) IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW Kylie Minogue & Keith Washington
6 ( 13 ) DO YOU FEEL LIKE I FEEL Belinda Carlisle
7 ( 4 ) BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND Paula Abdul
8 ( 17 ) COME AND GET IT Badfinger
9 ( 29 ) ROCKET MAN Kate Bush
10 ( 6 ) REAL REAL REAL Jesus Jones

11 ( 32 ) STARS Simply Red
12 ( 10 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING Sonia
13 ( 12 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
14 ( 14 ) THE AIR YOU BREATHE Bomb The Bass
15 ( 20 ) HOLE HEARTED Extreme
16 ( NEW ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND East Side Beat
17 ( 25 ) JUDGE FUDGE The Happy Mondays
18 ( NEW ) DIAMONDS AND PEARLS Prince
19 ( 37 ) TENDER LOVE Kenny Thomas
20 ( 7 ) KILLER (EP) Seal

21 ( 9 ) THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT Billy Preston
22 ( 11 ) METAL GURU T.Rex
23 ( 15 ) DO ANYTHING Natural Selection
24 ( NEW ) I LOVE YOUR SMILE Shanice
25 ( 68 ) MARTIKA’S iamspamspamamiMartika
26 ( 18 ) NO SON OF MINE Genesis
27 ( 34 ) CALL MY NAME Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
28 ( NEW ) SOUND James
29 ( 16 ) IT’S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY BoyzIIMen
30 ( 50 ) SPENDING MY TIME Roxette

31 ( 21 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
32 ( 22 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
33 ( 28 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
34 ( 49 ) HELP YOURSELF Julian Lennon
35 ( 42 ) DON’T TALK JUST KISS Right Said Fred featuring Jocelyn Brown
36 ( 27 ) THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS FOR Amy Grant
37 ( NEW ) YOU SHOWED ME Salt ‘n’ Pepa
38 ( 38 ) STREET OF DREAMS Nia Peeples
39 ( 19 ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan
40 ( 71 ) EVERYBODY MOVE Cathy Dennis

41 ( 26 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
42 ( 24 ) FAITH (IN THE POWER OF LOVE) Rozalla
43 ( 36 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
44 ( 23 ) I SEE HOPE IN THE MORNING LIGHT Midge Ure
45 ( 30 ) SET THE NIGHT TO MUSIC Roberta Flack & Maxi Priest
46 ( 67 ) HOW CAN I LOVE YOU MORE M People
47 ( 40 ) FALL AT YOUR FEET Crowded House
48 ( 48 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
49 ( NEW ) WORD TO THE BADD Jermaine Jackson
50 ( 41 ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions

51 ( 44 ) TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis
52 ( 55 ) IT’S GRIM UP NORTH Justified Ancients Of MuMu
53 ( 51 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
54 ( 54 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
55 ( 66 ) SILENT ALL THESE YEARS Tori Amos
56 ( 31 ) DIZZY Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff
57 ( NEW ) UNIVERSE Slade
58 ( 35 ) I CAN’T WAIT Stevie Nicks
59 ( NEW ) WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME Diana Ross
60 ( 33 ) THE ONE AND ONLY Chesney Hawkes

61 ( 43 ) GET READY FOR THIS 2 Unlimited
62 ( 47 ) THE FLY U2
63 ( 74 ) MYSTERIOUS WAYS U2
64 ( 72 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME George Michael & Elton John
65 ( 64 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
66 ( RE ) IN THE GHETTO Beats International
67 ( NEW ) THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER TONIGHT Bryan Adams
68 ( 70 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
69 ( NEW ) SEX MACHINE James Brown
70 ( 65 ) HOLIDAY Madonna

71 ( 62 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
72 ( NEW ) AM I RIGHT? Erasure
73 ( NEW ) SEND ME AN ANGEL The Scorpions
74 ( 39 ) KISS THEM FOR ME Siouxsie & The Banshees
75 ( NEW ) READY TO ROCK Gary Glitter

8th December 1991

It’s 3 weeks on top for The KLF, with runners-up Army Of Lovers obssessed at not quite making it. Belinda carlisle keeps the top 5’s coming, and Kate Bush makes sure that 13 years on she can still go top 5 too. Shanice leaps into the top 10 with her fab I Love Your Smile, Prince is all Diamonds And Pearls outdoing the first 2 singles from the album of the same name, at 8, and Extreme make it 2 top 10’s in a row.

James almost make the 10, Sound! Nia Peeples, Salt ‘n’ Pepa climb fast into the 20, and the highest new entry is Nat ‘King’ Cole’s classic The Christmas Song – the one about chestnuts roasting – at 28, 30 years on from this 1961 re-recording and 46 years on from his original version of the Mel Torme song. Not co-incidentally Natalie Cole also enters with her version of her dad’s classic at 62, the first time ever (and last time) that a father and daughter charted with the same song but separately – Frank & nancy Sinatra, and Nat & Natalie having already done that on the same record.

Following the tragic death of Freddie Mercury Queen’s The Show Must Go On is back at a new peak of 33, and Brian May also debuts with Driven By You, proving once and for all that he vocally is no Freddie. Guns ‘n’ Roses cover a Bond theme, and Live And Let Die (Paul & Linda McCartney’s song) is new at 46, Vic Reeves cover of the traditional Abide With Me pops in after I see his Big Night Out and fun it was too, and the oldies keep on coming as the best songs from The Jungle Book get the remix mash-up treatment to chart 25 years or so late, when they should have charted first-time round for the Disney classic. Not least because singer Phil Harris deserved a hit, and Louis Prima should have gotten a chart hit – the 30’s/40’s jazz bandleader was the voice of King Louie, and his career pre-dated the chart. So, 50 or 60 years late he finally features on a UK chart hit.

A bunch of 60’s veterans return with their latest singles, Cliff Richard, Tina Turner & Cher with her version of Love Hurts, a hit already for Nazereth and Jim Capaldi, Enya returns, Kym Sims debuts with Too Blind To See It, a goodie, and Frank Ifield bizarrely yodels onto the remix bandwagon and my childhood fave unexpectedly gets a chart debut almost 30 years after I was big on The Wayward Wind and I Remember You and his yodelling songs as a little kiddie. Simon & Garfunkel bung out an album track from 1968, Shaky bungs out an inferior attempt at another Xmas hit, and Pet Shop Boys debut at a mere 70 hot on the heels of their first-ever non-top-10 single, DJ Culture, with Was It Worth It? Neither of them show Chris & Neil at their best.

1 ( 1 ) JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT (STAND BY THE JAMM’S) The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette, Maxine Harvey & Ricardo Da Force
2 ( 3 ) OBSESSION Army Of Lovers
3 ( 2 ) BLACK OR WHITE Michael Jackson
4 ( 6 ) DO YOU FEEL LIKE I FEEL Belinda Carlisle
5 ( 9 ) ROCKET MAN Kate Bush
6 ( 24 ) I LOVE YOUR SMILE Shanice
7 ( 4 ) THOSE WERE THE DAYS Mary Hopkin
8 ( 18 ) DIAMONDS AND PEARLS Prince
9 ( 7 ) BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND Paula Abdul
10 ( 15 ) HOLE HEARTED Extreme

11 ( 28 ) SOUND James
12 ( 16 ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND East Side Beat
13 ( 5 ) IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW Kylie Minogue & Keith Washington
14 ( 19 ) TENDER LOVE Kenny Thomas
15 ( 38 ) STREET OF DREAMS Nia Peeples
16 ( 37 ) YOU SHOWED ME Salt ‘n’ Pepa
17 ( 27 ) CALL MY NAME Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
18 ( 11 ) STARS Simply Red
19 ( 25 ) MARTIKA’S iamspamspamamiMartika
20 ( 30 ) SPENDING MY TIME Roxette

21 ( 14 ) THE AIR YOU BREATHE Bomb The Bass
22 ( 8 ) COME AND GET IT Badfinger
23 ( 12 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING Sonia
24 ( 13 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
25 ( 10 ) REAL REAL REAL Jesus Jones
26 ( 17 ) JUDGE FUDGE The Happy Mondays
27 ( 22 ) METAL GURU T.Rex
28 ( NEW ) THE CHRISTMAS SONG Nat ‘King’ Cole
29 ( 35 ) DON’T TALK JUST KISS Right Said Fred featuring Jocelyn Brown
30 ( 40 ) EVERYBODY MOVE Cathy Dennis

31 ( 20 ) KILLER (EP) Seal
32 ( RE ) TASTY FISH The Other Two
33 ( RE ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Queen
34 ( 34 ) HELP YOURSELF Julian Lennon
35 ( 33 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
36 ( RE ) MOVE TO MEMPHIS a-ha
37 ( 23 ) DO ANYTHING Natural Selection
38 ( 63 ) MYSTERIOUS WAYS U2
39 ( 21 ) THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT Billy Preston
40 ( 59 ) WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME Diana Ross

41 ( 32 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
42 ( 31 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
43 ( 29 ) IT’S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY BoyzIIMen
44 ( 46 ) HOW CAN I LOVE YOU MORE M People
45 ( 26 ) NO SON OF MINE Genesis
46 ( NEW ) LIVE AND LET DIE Guns ‘n’ Roses
47 ( 55 ) SILENT ALL THESE YEARS Tori Amos
48 ( 48 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
49 ( 41 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
50 ( 43 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean

51 ( 36 ) THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS FOR Amy Grant
52 ( 72 ) AM I RIGHT? Erasure
53 ( 54 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
54 ( NEW ) ABIDE WITH ME Vic Reeves
55 ( 53 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
56 ( NEW ) THE BARE NECESSITIES MEGAMIX UK Mixmasters
57 ( 75 ) READY TO ROCK Gary Glitter
58 ( 64 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME George Michael & Elton John
59 ( 49 ) WORD TO THE BADD Jermaine Jackson
60 ( 39 ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan

61 ( NEW ) TOO BLIND TO SEE IT Kym Sims
62 ( NEW ) THE CHRISTMAS SONG Natalie Cole
63 ( NEW ) HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING Enya
64 ( NEW ) THE YODELLING SONG (SHE TAUGHT ME TO YODEL) Frank Ifield
65 ( 65 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
66 ( 44 ) I SEE HOPE IN THE MORNING LIGHT Midge Ure
67 ( NEW ) 7 O’CLOCK NEWS Simon & Garfunkel
68 ( 68 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
69 ( 50 ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions
70 ( NEW ) WAS IT WORTH IT? Pet Shop Boys

71 ( NEW ) WAY OF THE WORLD Tina Turner
72 ( NEW ) WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER Cliff Richard
73 ( NEW ) LOVE HURTS Cher
74 ( NEW ) I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Shakin’ Stevens
75 ( NEW ) DRIVEN BY YOU Brian May

Gary Glitter, & Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer (v), Live at the BIC

Not the same concert, 2 concerts on different nights, Though Vic Reeves Big Night Out was comedy with music…!

1 Oh Yes You’re Beautiful
2 Rock & Roll Part 1 & 2
3 Hello Hello I’m Back Again
4 Always Yours
5 Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
6 I Love You Love Me Love
7 Be Bop A Lulu
8 C’mon Everybody
9 Dizzy (v)
10 I’m The Leader Of The Gang (I Am)

15th December 1991

It’s 4 weeks on top for The KLF as Queen’s classic former number one over late 1975 and early 1976 is back at 2 following the tragic loss of Freddie Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody is pretty much the most-popular record of all-time over the last 40 years really, in polls in the UK, though the other new side These Are The Days Of Our Lives, hasn’t yet been listed in my charts. Kate Bush is up to 3 with Rocket Man, her last big record with new material I think, given she disappeared for 15 years more or less. Meanwhile the 1987 Xmas classic from The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl is a hit again, and returns at 4, going top 5 for the second time.

Amy Grant has a sudden burst into the top 10, her 2nd, and James scrape in for a 2nd too, but they’ll be back, Sound. Kym Sims almost makes the top 10 in a week of big climbers and big droppers, Xmas is coming! Pet Shop Boys climb 51 places to keep the 100% top 20 record intact with Was It Worth It? U2, meanwhile, move in Mysterious Ways and add to their growing list of top 20’s. REM return with an 80’s flop classic, It’s The End Of The World, and we all know it these days, if we let the multi-millionaires get their way.

Malcolm McLaren is back with Alison Limerick, and I have no memory at all of Magic’s Back! It’s like, just like that, it vanished! Lisa Stansfield is All Woman, and I do recall and like that smooth soul track, but not Black Box’s Open Your Eyes, though do fondly recall anything Addams Family related, even MC Hammer’s adaptation of the TV theme song.

1 ( 1 ) JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT (STAND BY THE JAMM’S) The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette, Maxine Harvey & Ricardo Da Force
2 ( NEW ) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Queen
3 ( 5 ) ROCKET MAN Kate Bush
4 ( NEW ) FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
5 ( 6 ) I LOVE YOUR SMILE Shanice
6 ( 3 ) BLACK OR WHITE Michael Jackson
7 ( 4 ) DO YOU FEEL LIKE I FEEL Belinda Carlisle
8 ( 51 ) THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS FOR Amy Grant
9 ( 2 ) OBSESSION Army Of Lovers
10 ( 11 ) SOUND James

11 ( 61 ) TOO BLIND TO SEE IT Kym Sims
12 ( 8 ) DIAMONDS AND PEARLS Prince
13 ( 16 ) YOU SHOWED ME Salt ‘n’ Pepa
14 ( 7 ) THOSE WERE THE DAYS Mary Hopkin
15 ( 33 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Queen
16 ( 30 ) EVERYBODY MOVE Cathy Dennis
17 ( 19 ) MARTIKA’S iamspamspamamiMartika
18 ( 20 ) SPENDING MY TIME Roxette
19 ( 70 ) WAS IT WORTH IT? Pet Shop Boys
20 ( 38 ) MYSTERIOUS WAYS U2

21 ( 13 ) IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW Kylie Minogue & Keith Washington
22 ( 28 ) THE CHRISTMAS SONG Nat ‘King’ Cole
23 ( 12 ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND East Side Beat
24 ( 63 ) HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING Enya
25 ( 10 ) HOLE HEARTED Extreme
26 ( 18 ) STARS Simply Red
27 ( 14 ) TENDER LOVE Kenny Thomas
28 ( 9 ) BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND Paula Abdul
29 ( 29 ) DON’T TALK JUST KISS Right Said Fred featuring Jocelyn Brown
30 ( 15 ) STREET OF DREAMS Nia Peeples

31 ( 27 ) METAL GURU T.Rex
32 ( 34 ) HELP YOURSELF Julian Lennon
33 ( 17 ) CALL MY NAME Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
34 ( 40 ) WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME Diana Ross
35 ( 24 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
36 ( 35 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
37 ( 46 ) LIVE AND LET DIE Guns ‘n’ Roses
38 ( 23 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING Sonia
39 ( 21 ) THE AIR YOU BREATHE Bomb The Bass
40 ( 52 ) AM I RIGHT? Erasure

41 ( 22 ) COME AND GET IT Badfinger
42 ( 56 ) THE BARE NECESSITIES MEGAMIX UK Mixmasters
43 ( 25 ) REAL REAL REAL Jesus Jones
44 ( 39 ) THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT Billy Preston
45 ( 37 ) DO ANYTHING Natural Selection
46 ( 41 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
47 ( 54 ) ABIDE WITH ME Vic Reeves
48 ( 48 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
49 ( 67 ) 7 O’CLOCK NEWS/ HAZY SHADE OF WINTER Simon & Garfunkel
50 ( 58 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME George Michael & Elton John

51 ( 26 ) JUDGE FUDGE The Happy Mondays
52 ( NEW ) IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT REM
53 ( 42 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
54 ( 53 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
55 ( 31 ) KILLER (EP) Seal
56 ( 72 ) WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER Cliff Richard
57 ( 55 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
58 ( 50 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
59 ( 75 ) DRIVEN BY YOU Brian May
60 ( 36 ) MOVE TO MEMPHIS a-ha

61 ( 49 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
62 ( 71 ) WAY OF THE WORLD Tina Turner
63 ( 32 ) TASTY FISH The Other Two
64 ( 64 ) THE YODELLING SONG (SHE TAUGHT ME TO YODEL) Frank Ifield
65 ( 65 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
66 ( NEW ) MAGIC’S BACK Malcolm McLaren & Alison Limerick
67 ( NEW ) ALL WOMAN Lisa Stansfield
68 ( 68 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
69 ( 43 ) IT’S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY BoyzIIMen
70 ( 62 ) THE CHRISTMAS SONG Natalie Cole

71 ( 66 ) I SEE HOPE IN THE MORNING LIGHT Midge Ure
72 ( NEW ) OPEN YOUR EYES Black Box
73 ( 45 ) NO SON OF MINE Genesis
74 ( 60 ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan
75 ( NEW ) ADDAMS GROOVE MC Hammer

22nd December 1991

It’s a first week on top for the classic 1987 Christmas song from The Pogues and the fab Kirsty MacColl which was held off the top spot that christmas by Pet Shop Boys and a couple of others, but 4 years on gets justice for Fairytale Of New York. Kym Sims, Cathy Dennis (her 4th) get top 10’s , as do Pet Shop Boys back on top 10 form after the blip of DJ Culture, and belatedly Queen’s Show Must Go On does it too, joining Bo Rap in appreciation of Freddie and almost 18 years of Queen love.

New at 21, Sniff ‘n’ The Tears fab 1979 UK flop Driver’s Seat is back, but they at least got a US hit at the time, Simon & Grafunkel’s original Hazy Shade Of Winter goes top 40, Lisa Stansfield keeps them coming, Cliff also grabs a top 40 in his 23rd year of charting, and that Malcolm McLaren single I’ve forgotten leaps to 40. Wet Wet Wet set up 1992 with the debut of Goodnight Girl, their best record since Wishing I Was Lucky, and New Kids On The Block get 2 years of chart action with If You Go Away.

Shaky returns with his latest (now forgotten) Xmas song, The Farm and Roachford add to their lists, Kiss take a rock classic (Russ Ballard’s song Argent had the hit with) and bloat it beyond recognition – well, God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You, even Kiss, who extend their brief chart career to 13 years, Zuchero returns with Randy Crawford on tow, well into her 12th year of charting on Diamante, and there’s a debut for game-changing new Seattle grunge band, Nirvana, and a ditty named Smells Like Teen Spirit, which I didn’t know what to make of, so much so that they debut below Kiss, that second-hand, second-rate Glam Rock wannabe.

1 ( 4 ) FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
2 ( 1 ) JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT (STAND BY THE JAMM’S) The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette, Maxine Harvey & Ricardo Da Force
3 ( 2 ) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Queen
4 ( 3 ) ROCKET MAN Kate Bush
5 ( 5 ) I LOVE YOUR SMILE Shanice
6 ( 11 ) TOO BLIND TO SEE IT Kym Sims
7 ( 16 ) EVERYBODY MOVE Cathy Dennis
8 ( 10 ) SOUND James
9 ( 19 ) WAS IT WORTH IT? Pet Shop Boys
10 ( 15 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Queen

11 ( 13 ) YOU SHOWED ME Salt ‘n’ Pepa
12 ( 6 ) BLACK OR WHITE Michael Jackson
13 ( 7 ) DO YOU FEEL LIKE I FEEL Belinda Carlisle
14 ( 23 ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND East Side Beat
15 ( 8 ) THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS FOR Amy Grant
16 ( 18 ) SPENDING MY TIME Roxette
17 ( 22 ) THE CHRISTMAS SONG Nat ‘King’ Cole
18 ( 14 ) THOSE WERE THE DAYS Mary Hopkin
19 ( 9 ) OBSESSION Army Of Lovers
20 ( 24 ) HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING Enya

21 ( NEW ) DRIVER’S SEAT Sniff ‘n’ The Tears
22 ( 12 ) DIAMONDS AND PEARLS Prince
23 ( 17 ) MARTIKA’S iamspamspamamiMartika
24 ( 20 ) MYSTERIOUS WAYS U2
25 ( 49 ) 7 O’CLOCK NEWS/ HAZY SHADE OF WINTER Simon & Garfunkel
26 ( 67 ) ALL WOMAN Lisa Stansfield
27 ( 26 ) STARS Simply Red
28 ( 56 ) WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER Cliff Richard
29 ( 21 ) IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW Kylie Minogue & Keith Washington
30 ( 37 ) LIVE AND LET DIE Guns ‘n’ Roses

31 ( 25 ) HOLE HEARTED Extreme
32 ( 27 ) TENDER LOVE Kenny Thomas
33 ( 31 ) METAL GURU T.Rex
34 ( 34 ) WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME Diana Ross
35 ( 40 ) AM I RIGHT? Erasure
36 ( 36 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
37 ( 42 ) THE BARE NECESSITIES MEGAMIX UK Mixmasters
38 ( 33 ) CALL MY NAME Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
39 ( 28 ) BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND Paula Abdul
40 ( 66 ) MAGIC’S BACK Malcolm McLaren & Alison Limerick

41 ( 35 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
42 ( 29 ) DON’T TALK JUST KISS Right Said Fred featuring Jocelyn Brown
43 ( NEW ) GOODNIGHT GIRL Wet Wet Wet
44 ( 41 ) COME AND GET IT Badfinger
45 ( 59 ) DRIVEN BY YOU Brian May
46 ( 48 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
47 ( 38 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING Sonia
48 ( NEW ) IF YOU GO AWAY New Kids On The Block
49 ( 46 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
50 ( 39 ) THE AIR YOU BREATHE Bomb The Bass

51 ( 44 ) THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT Billy Preston
52 ( RE ) I’LL BE HOME THIS CHRISTMAS Shakin’ Stevens
53 ( 30 ) STREET OF DREAMS Nia Peeples
54 ( 54 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
55 ( 62 ) WAY OF THE WORLD Tina Turner
56 ( 32 ) HELP YOURSELF Julian Lennon
57 ( 72 ) OPEN YOUR EYES Black Box
58 ( 57 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
59 ( 53 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
60 ( 45 ) DO ANYTHING Natural Selection

61 ( 43 ) REAL REAL REAL Jesus Jones
62 ( 58 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
63 ( 75 ) ADDAMS GROOVE MC Hammer
64 ( 50 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME George Michael & Elton John
65 ( 65 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
66 ( NEW ) LOVE SEE NO COLOUR The Farm
67 ( NEW ) INNOCENT EYES Roachford
68 ( 68 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
69 ( 51 ) JUDGE FUDGE The Happy Mondays
70 ( NEW ) GOD GAVE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TO YOU Kiss

71 ( 64 ) THE YODELLING SONG (SHE TAUGHT ME TO YODEL) Frank Ifield
72 ( 60 ) MOVE TO MEMPHIS a-ha
73 ( NEW ) SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT Nirvana
74 ( 61 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
75 ( NEW ) DIAMANTE Zuchero & Randy Crawford

Status Quo Live At Bournemouth International Centre
1 In The Army Now
2 Whatever You Want
3 Rocking All Over The World

29th December 1991

It’s the final chart of the year, and the double A side of the nations fave record and a touching farewell from Freddie Mercury on These Are The Days Of Our Lives get Queen on top for the first time since Radio Ga Ga in 1984, and their 6th number one to date on what looked to be the end of the band. Bo Rap topped my chart in December 1975, then got booted off for Xmas by Greg Lake’s unstoppably classic I Believe In Father Christmas (better than Bo Rap, sorry, not sorry) then bounced back for a week before the unstoppably brilliant ABBA dominated my charts for the next 5 years.

Precious few new releases in the inbetween week, and precious few charting christmas oldies in those days (to qualify for my chart) means a stodgy chart of just 4 new entries, so desperate to get new blood even Des’Ree sneaks in, and I don’t rate Des’Ree. So, highest newie is Belinda Carlisle with one single too many off the album, Half The World is OK at best, in at 60. Blue Pearl make it a hat-trick of charters, and even Jason Donovan’s megamix of Joseph’s Technicolour Rice & LLoyd-Webber pops in, and I’m not a fan of the musical.

1 ( 3 ) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES Queen
2 ( 2 ) JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT (STAND BY THE JAMM’S) The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette, Maxine Harvey & Ricardo Da Force
3 ( 1 ) FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
4 ( 7 ) EVERYBODY MOVE Cathy Dennis
5 ( 9 ) WAS IT WORTH IT? Pet Shop Boys
6 ( 6 ) TOO BLIND TO SEE IT Kym Sims
7 ( 5 ) I LOVE YOUR SMILE Shanice
8 ( 8 ) SOUND James
9 ( 4 ) ROCKET MAN Kate Bush
10 ( 14 ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND East Side Beat

11 ( 21 ) DRIVER’S SEAT Sniff ‘n’ The Tears
12 ( 11 ) YOU SHOWED ME Salt ‘n’ Pepa
13 ( 10 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Queen
14 ( 12 ) BLACK OR WHITE Michael Jackson
15 ( 17 ) THE CHRISTMAS SONG Nat ‘King’ Cole
16 ( 15 ) THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS FOR Amy Grant
17 ( 19 ) OBSESSION Army Of Lovers
18 ( 22 ) DIAMONDS AND PEARLS Prince
19 ( 28 ) WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER Cliff Richard
20 ( 25 ) 7 O’CLOCK NEWS/ HAZY SHADE OF WINTER Simon & Garfunkel

21 ( 13 ) DO YOU FEEL LIKE I FEEL Belinda Carlisle
22 ( 18 ) THOSE WERE THE DAYS Mary Hopkin
23 ( 35 ) AM I RIGHT? Erasure
24 ( 26 ) ALL WOMAN Lisa Stansfield
25 ( 27 ) STARS Simply Red
26 ( 34 ) WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME Diana Ross
27 ( 30 ) LIVE AND LET DIE Guns ‘n’ Roses
28 ( 16 ) SPENDING MY TIME Roxette
29 ( 20 ) HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING Enya
30 ( 40 ) MAGIC’S BACK Malcolm McLaren & Alison Limerick

31 ( 23 ) MARTIKA’S iamspamspamamiMartika
32 ( 43 ) GOODNIGHT GIRL Wet Wet Wet
33 ( 29 ) IF YOU WERE WITH ME NOW Kylie Minogue & Keith Washington
34 ( 37 ) THE BARE NECESSITIES MEGAMIX UK Mixmasters
35 ( 24 ) MYSTERIOUS WAYS U2
36 ( 33 ) METAL GURU T.Rex
37 ( 36 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
38 ( 31 ) HOLE HEARTED Extreme
39 ( 52 ) I’LL BE HOME THIS CHRISTMAS Shakin’ Stevens
40 ( 48 ) IF YOU GO AWAY New Kids On The Block

41 ( 44 ) COME AND GET IT Badfinger
42 ( 32 ) TENDER LOVE Kenny Thomas
43 ( 45 ) DRIVEN BY YOU Brian May
44 ( 42 ) DON’T TALK JUST KISS Right Said Fred featuring Jocelyn Brown
45 ( 46 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
46 ( 55 ) WAY OF THE WORLD Tina Turner
47 ( 38 ) CALL MY NAME Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
48 ( 57 ) OPEN YOUR EYES Black Box
49 ( 41 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
50 ( 73 ) SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT Nirvana

51 ( 51 ) THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT Billy Preston
52 ( 67 ) INNOCENT EYES Roachford
53 ( 54 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
54 ( 39 ) BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND Paula Abdul
55 ( 66 ) LOVE SEE NO COLOUR The Farm
56 ( 47 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING Sonia
57 ( 63 ) ADDAMS GROOVE MC Hammer
58 ( 49 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
59 ( 58 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
60 ( NEW ) HALF THE WORLD Belinda Carlisle

61 ( RE ) GET READY FOR THIS 2 Unlimited
62 ( 64 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME George Michael & Elton John
63 ( NEW ) (CAN YOU) FEEL THE PASSION Blue Pearl
64 ( 65 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
65 ( 62 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
66 ( 59 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
67 ( 50 ) THE AIR YOU BREATHE Bomb The Bass
68 ( 68 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
69 ( 53 ) STREET OF DREAMS Nia Peeples
70 ( 60 ) DO ANYTHING Natural Selection

71 ( 61 ) REAL REAL REAL Jesus Jones
72 ( NEW ) JOSEPH MEGAMIX Jason Donovan & Friends
73 ( 56 ) HELP YOURSELF Julian Lennon
74 ( 75 ) DIAMANTE Zuchero & Randy Crawford
75 ( NEW ) FEEL SO HIGH Des’Ree

playlist oldies
1 FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH Buffalo Springfield
2 THE KILLING OF GEORGIE Rod Stewart
3 THE SUN AIN’T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE The Walker Brothers

My October 1991 charts

photo me in florida mercado mall circa 1991

6th October 1991

It’s a new number on as Bryan Adams finally gets a chart-topper after 6 years of hits, and on its 16th week on the chart, having peaked at 2 twice, as its run as the UK number one becomes news-worthy and record-breaking. Erasure also do an about-face and go top 5, their 6th, with Love To Hate You. The advert song goes to 10, while Rozalla scrapes into the 20 in a case of wrong-way-round-shurely! Prince finally goes top 20 with Get Off and highest new entry is Alice Cooper’s new single at 35 as I go to see him in concert.

Aswad return with one I’ve forgotten, Funny How that happens after 30 years, Kim Appleby also adds to her list, If You Cared, and Lisa Stansfield makes a solid 2 years of quality singles as Change debuts at 70. Stevie Wonder has a Fun Day 23 years into his chart runs, and Nanci Griffith is new with an intriguing-sounding single title which I don’t recall, but it sounds like I’d like it now.

1 ( 12 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
2 ( 2 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
3 ( 1 ) JACKY Marc Almond
4 ( 4 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
5 ( 14 ) LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure
6 ( 3 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
7 ( 6 ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions
8 ( 7 ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle
9 ( 5 ) TRY Bros
10 ( 23 ) LIFE PARTY 2 Deep

11 ( 9 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
12 ( 19 ) I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive
13 ( 8 ) FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic
14 ( 33 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation
15 ( 11 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
16 ( 16 ) TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis
17 ( 17 ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion
18 ( 13 ) THE ONE I LOVE REM
19 ( 15 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
20 ( 21 ) EVERYBODY’S FREE Rozalla

21 ( 10 ) THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE Beats International
22 ( 29 ) SOMETHING GOT ME STARTED Simply Red
23 ( 18 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
24 ( 24 ) RADIO WALL OF SOUND Slade
25 ( 22 ) LOVE… THY WILL BE DONE Martika
26 ( 35 ) SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT England Rugby Squad
27 ( 55 ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan
28 ( 28 ) AFTER THE LOVE Jesus Loves You
29 ( 39 ) CREAM Prince & The New Power Generation
30 ( 42 ) GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD Shakespear’s Sister

31 ( 37 ) ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LOVE Monty Python’s Flying Circus
32 ( 53 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
33 ( 27 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa
34 ( 20 ) WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue
35 ( NEW ) LOVE’S A LOADED GUN Alice Cooper
36 ( 26 ) YOU WOKE UP MY NEIGHBOURHOOD Billy Bragg
37 ( 34 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
38 ( 25 ) CAN’T STOP THIS THING WE STARTED Bryan Adams
39 ( 43 ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER PJB featuring Hannah’s Sister
40 ( RE ) AFRICA YOU SHINE David Essex with Shikisa featuring Abdul Tee-Jay

41 ( 36 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
42 ( 38 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
43 ( NEW ) FUNNY HOW Aswad
44 ( 41 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
45 ( 45 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
46 ( 40 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton
47 ( 44 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
48 ( 30 ) PEACE Sabrina Johnson
49 ( 63 ) WOMAN TO WOMAN Beverley Craven
50 ( 69 ) I BELONG TO YOU Whitney Houston

51 ( 48 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
52 ( 31 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS Tina Turner
53 ( 52 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
54 ( 46 ) SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY (REMIX) Zoe
55 ( 70 ) SPIRITUAL HIGH (STATE OF INDEPENDENCE) Moodswings featuring Chrissie Hynde
56 ( 54 ) SUCH A GOOD FEELING Brothers In Rhythm
57 ( 32 ) ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART Saint Etienne
58 ( 50 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers
59 ( 56 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
60 ( 49 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Oleta Adams

61 ( 60 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
62 ( 75 ) BEST OF YOU Kenny Thomas
63 ( 47 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
64 ( 61 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
65 ( 66 ) DON’T KNOW WHY (I LOVE YOU) B.E.F. featuring Green Gartside
66 ( 65 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
67 ( 59 ) SECRETS OF THE HEART Chesney Hawkes
68 ( 68 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
69 ( NEW ) IF YOU CARED Kim Appleby
70 ( NEW ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield

71 ( 62 ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
72 ( NEW ) FUN DAY Stevie Wonder
73 ( 73 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
74 ( NEW ) LATE NIGHT GRANDE HOTEL Nanci Griffith
75 ( 67 ) DO IT AGAIN The Beach Boys

Went to see Alice in concert this week, sadly some numptey thought it would a wheeze to turn the sound up to 11 and use decibels to turn his fans deaf, so in the end I had to walk out. Sticking fingers in ears wasn’t good enough. I still have damaged hearing in one ear – I’m not blaming Alice or that gig, but it was painful!

ALICE COOPER LIVE AT BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE
1 No More Mr Nice Guy
2 Hey Stoopid
3 Elected
4 Only Women Bleed
5 School’s Out

13th October 1991

It’s taken 19 weeks but I finally joined the million record buyers who bought Bryan Adams’ CD as the Robin Hood theme gets a 2nd week on top, holding off American Pie again. The England Rugby Squad take Swing Low into the top 10, the highest charting version of the ancient song, and Enya grabs another top 10 3 years on from Orinoco Flow this time Caribbean Blue swimming up the charts to 8, just ahead of Jesus Loves You’s 3rd top 10 of the year, After The Love.

Highest new entry is from Dannii Minogue at 18, Baby Love just ahead of a Prince Cream/ Gett Off double. No, it’s not The Supremes chart-topper, it’s a very 1991 dancepop number that I haven’t heard in 30 years. It’s not bad. Cher’s Save Up Your Love is one I’ve heard quite a bit since, new at 25 for a 3rd of 1991, and U2 return with a bang, Fly-ing in at 26, with a great statement-making first track off the new album. Siouxsie’s back as well, at 30 and feeling the pressure, and beating out Pet Shop Boys’ DJ Culture, their debut at 35 showcasing their least-overwhelming single to date.

Vic Reeves is back – and with The Wonder Stuff re-popularising the first record record I ever bought: Dizzy by Tommy Roe, I was mad on it for years and years, I bought it on Changi Evening Market’s record stall in October 1969 with money my great-grandparents had given me. Vic’s effort was not as good, and kinda spoilt my love of the original after charting for weeks. Hey ho, at least a new generation got to know the song, and Tommy Roe toured on the back of it, so I got to see him! Also got to see Vic & Bob on tour with it too.

Marc Cohn debuts lower than Cher, at 40, with Walking In Memphis and which Cher would cover in a few years, oops! PM Dawn follow-up with a Paper Doll, and shock horror, Mariah Carey does a decent uptempo pop song as Emotions drops at 58. I don;t recall the Carl Cox new entry, I do recall the less-good Paul Young version of Crowded House’s glorious Don’t Dream It’s Over, and Queen’s last-but-one farewell showstopper, The Show Must Go On. Rumours about Freddie’s health were circulating and he was not looking well in Queen videos, which was quite troubling to me for the showman from one of my fave bands of the 70’s and early 80’s.

Glass Tiger bring in Rod Stewart on a featuring, Deacon Blue look at Closing Time on the bottom rung, and Ce Ce Peniston debuts one place higher with the fab Finally, modestly low, and if a singer was ever grateful for three letters of the alphabet, it’s Ce Ce and the letters T, O and N.

1 ( 1 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
2 ( 2 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
3 ( 4 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
4 ( 3 ) JACKY Marc Almond
5 ( 7 ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions
6 ( 8 ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle
7 ( 26 ) SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT England Rugby Squad
8 ( 32 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
9 ( 28 ) AFTER THE LOVE Jesus Loves You
10 ( 6 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon

11 ( 5 ) LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure
12 ( 24 ) RADIO WALL OF SOUND Slade
13 ( 20 ) EVERYBODY’S FREE Rozalla
14 ( 22 ) SOMETHING GOT ME STARTED Simply Red
15 ( 9 ) TRY Bros
16 ( 16 ) TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis
17 ( 12 ) I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive
18 ( NEW ) BABY LOVE Dannii Minogue
19 ( 29 ) CREAM Prince & The New Power Generation
20 ( 14 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation

21 ( 10 ) LIFE PARTY 2 Deep
22 ( 11 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
23 ( 15 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
24 ( 18 ) THE ONE I LOVE REM
25 ( NEW ) SAVE UP ALL YOUR TEARS Cher
26 ( NEW ) THE FLY U2
27 ( 19 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
28 ( 13 ) FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic
29 ( 55 ) SPIRITUAL HIGH (STATE OF INDEPENDENCE) Moodswings featuring Chrissie Hynde
30 ( NEW ) THE PRESSURE Siouxsie & The Banshees

31 ( 23 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
32 ( 31 ) ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LOVE Monty Python’s Flying Circus
33 ( 70 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
34 ( 17 ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion
35 ( NEW ) D.J. CULTURE Pet Shop Boys
36 ( 25 ) LOVE… THY WILL BE DONE Martika
37 ( NEW ) DIZZY Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff
38 ( 43 ) FUNNY HOW Airhead
39 ( 49 ) WOMAN TO WOMAN Beverley Craven
40 ( NEW ) WALKING IN MEMPHIS Marc Cohn

41 ( 21 ) THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE Beats International
42 ( 37 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
43 ( 69 ) IF YOU CARED Kim Appleby
44 ( 45 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
45 ( 30 ) GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD Shakespear’s Sister
46 ( 41 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
47 ( 44 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
48 ( 42 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
49 ( 27 ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan
50 ( 33 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa

51 ( 35 ) LOVE’S A LOADED GUN Alice Cooper
52 ( 47 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
53 ( 53 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
54 ( 36 ) YOU WOKE UP MY NEIGHBOURHOOD Billy Bragg
55 ( NEW ) PAPER DOLL PM Dawn
56 ( 51 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
57 ( 48 ) PEACE Sabrina Johnson
58 ( NEW ) EMOTIONS Mariah Carey
59 ( 46 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton
60 ( 72 ) FUN DAY Stevie Wonder

61 ( 38 ) CAN’T STOP THIS THING WE STARTED Bryan Adams
62 ( 61 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
63 ( 34 ) WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue
64 ( 59 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
65 ( 58 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers
66 ( NEW ) I WANT YOU (FOREVER) DJ Carl Cox
67 ( 66 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
68 ( 64 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
69 ( NEW ) DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER Paul Young
70 ( NEW ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Queen

71 ( 68 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
72 ( 40 ) AFRICA YOU SHINE David Essex with Shikisa featuring Abdul Tee-Jay
73 ( NEW ) MY TOWN Glass Tiger featuring Rod Stewart
74 ( NEW ) FINALLY Ce Ce Peniston
75 ( NEW ) CLOSING TIME Deacon Blue

20th October 1991

It’s another re-issued oldie for T.Rex as Metal Guru enters on top 19 years after first topping my charts in the early summer of 1972, when I first went mad on it, and out as a follow-up to the hit 20th Century Boy. Enya gets a second top 5, and Dannii Minogue gets a first top 10 with Baby Love, and Slade get a final top 10 before the original line-up call it a day (ie Noddy retires from music) for a wonderful 20 years of hits. Sounds Of Blackness go top 20, just ahead of U2 and Cher doing the same, and the highest new track is at 39 as Bomb The Bass follow-up a chart-topper with The Air You Breathe.

PM Dawn keep the top 40’s coming, and Mariah Carey is emotional at her big jump, as Ce Ce Peniston says “Finally” at her big climb too. Midge Ure is new at 43, feeling quite optimistic it seems after 15 years of chart hits, while Roberta Flack has an even bigger span of 19 years as Set The Night To Music drafts in Maxi Priest to good effect. Steve Miller charts another oldie, Fly Like An Eagle rather an odd choice when Rock ‘n’ Me and Abracadabra are sitting begging, but it’s back for another minor chart run 15 years on.

a-ha talk about moving to memphis, Moby debuts with Go at 61 – but he’ll be back with substantial sustained success later in the 90’s, and 2 Unlimited also debut ahead of a shorter run of success. Moby is the descendant of writer Herman Melville, he of Moby Dick. I think it’s wise he didn’t opt for Dick as a name. 2 Unlimited had charted before as Bizz Nizz, but now they had added sex appeal from Ray & Anita, Dutch rapper & singer respectively. That leaves a minor entry for Alison Moyet and Simple Minds, both on 9 years of chart runs.

1 ( NEW ) METAL GURU T.Rex
2 ( 1 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
3 ( 2 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
4 ( 3 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
5 ( 8 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
6 ( 5 ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions
7 ( 18 ) BABY LOVE Dannii Minogue
8 ( 12 ) RADIO WALL OF SOUND Slade
9 ( 4 ) JACKY Marc Almond
10 ( 6 ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle

11 ( 16 ) TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis
12 ( 7 ) SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT England Rugby Squad
13 ( 10 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
14 ( 14 ) SOMETHING GOT ME STARTED Simply Red
15 ( 29 ) THE PRESSURE Sounds Of Blackness
16 ( 11 ) LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure
17 ( 25 ) SAVE UP ALL YOUR TEARS Cher
18 ( 26 ) THE FLY U2
19 ( 9 ) AFTER THE LOVE Jesus Loves You
20 ( 20 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation

21 ( 13 ) EVERYBODY’S FREE Rozalla
22 ( 43 ) IF YOU CARED Kim Appleby
23 ( 17 ) I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive
24 ( 15 ) TRY Bros
25 ( 29 ) SPIRITUAL HIGH (STATE OF INDEPENDENCE) Moodswings featuring Chrissie Hynde
26 ( 33 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
27 ( 35 ) D.J. CULTURE Pet Shop Boys
28 ( 37 ) DIZZY Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff
29 ( 22 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
30 ( 21 ) LIFE PARTY 2 Deep

31 ( 23 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
32 ( 19 ) CREAM Prince & The New Power Generation
33 ( 27 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
34 ( 40 ) WALKING IN MEMPHIS Marc Cohn
35 ( 30 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
36 ( 24 ) THE ONE I LOVE REM
37 ( 58 ) EMOTIONS Mariah Carey
38 ( 39 ) WOMAN TO WOMAN Beverley Craven
39 ( NEW ) THE AIR YOU BREATHE Bomb The Bass
40 ( 55 ) PAPER DOLL PM Dawn

41 ( 36 ) LOVE… THY WILL BE DONE Martika
42 ( 28 ) FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic
43 ( NEW ) I SEE HOPE Midge Ure
44 ( 44 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
45 ( 42 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
46 ( 74 ) FINALLY Ce Ce Peniston
47 ( 69 ) DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER Paul Young
48 ( 38 ) FUNNY HOW Airhead
49 ( 34 ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion
50 ( 47 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

51 ( 53 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
52 ( 48 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
53 ( 46 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
54 ( NEW ) SET THE NIGHT TO MUSIC Roberta Flack & Maxi Priest
55 ( NEW ) FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Steve Miller Band
56 ( 52 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
57 ( 56 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
58 ( NEW ) MOVE TO MEMPHIS a-ha
59 ( 41 ) THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE Beats International
60 ( 62 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas

61 ( NEW ) GO Moby
62 ( 50 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa
63 ( 70 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Queen
64 ( 59 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton
65 ( 66 ) I WANT YOU (FOREVER) DJ Carl Cox
66 ( NEW ) GET READY FOR THIS 2 Unlimited
67 ( 67 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
68 ( 64 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
69 ( 68 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
70 ( NEW ) THIS HOUSE Alison Moyet

71 ( 71 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
72 ( 65 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers
73 ( NEW ) REAL LIFE Simple Minds
74 ( 75 ) CLOSING TIME Deacon Blue
75 ( 72 ) AFRICA YOU SHINE David Essex with Shikisa featuring Abdul Tee-Jay

27th October 1991

It’s 2 weeks on top for Metal Guru as I get my second Florida holiday, which means sunshine, theme park rides, buying American CD’s, getting to see US sci-fi and comedy shows months (or years) ahead of the UK, and listening to US radio, so that means a lot of reissues for UK hits now big on Florida radio and charting in the USA. It also means I lose touch with the UK music scene for 2 weeks except for the highlights cassette I bought with me for my portable cassette player-recorder. Yes, I recorded tracks off the radio, and bits of US radio so I could feel like I was still on holiday when I got home!

Kiss Them For Me was one of the biggie tunes, so that’s back in at a new peak of 3, Kim Appleby gets a 3rd solo top 10 and 6th in total, and The KLF also return to the top 10 with 3 a.m. also now happening in the USA. 2 Unlimited get a massive climb into the top 20, and Dizzy is also top 20 22 years after I bought the original Tommy Roe chart-topper. Roberta Flack & Maxi Priest do a nice climb inside the 30, and Paula Abdul debuts with one of her best singles, Blowin’ Kisses In The Wind. The UK mystifyingly didn’t bother releasing it in favour of lesser tracks. Hey ho. I had to buy the album to get it when I only really wanted the single.

Jesus Jones’ 1990 hit is also back due to US success, that’s Real Real Real! Ditto Chesney’s The One And Only, Karyn White’s Romantic, and a few new tracks pop in: Genesis’ No Son Of Mine, a not bad newie at 66, INXS’ Shining Star at 69 and Kirsty MacColl’s All I Ever wanted.

1 ( 1 ) METAL GURU T.Rex
2 ( 2 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
3 ( RE ) KISS THEM FOR ME Siouxsie & The Banshees
4 ( 5 ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
5 ( 7 ) BABY LOVE Dannii Minogue
6 ( 6 ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions
7 ( 3 ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
8 ( 4 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
9 ( 22 ) IF YOU CARED Kim Appleby
10 ( RE ) 3 a.m (ETERNAL) The KLF featuring Ricardo Da Force

11 ( 26 ) CHANGE Lisa Stansfield
12 ( 8 ) RADIO WALL OF SOUND Slade
13 ( 66 ) GET READY FOR THIS 2 Unlimited
14 ( 27 ) D.J. CULTURE Pet Shop Boys
15 ( 15 ) THE PRESSURE Sounds Of Blackness
16 ( 10 ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle
17 ( 11 ) TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis
18 ( 18 ) THE FLY U2
19 ( 9 ) JACKY Marc Almond
20 ( 28 ) DIZZY Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff

21 ( 17 ) SAVE UP ALL YOUR TEARS Cher
22 ( 13 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
23 ( 54 ) SET THE NIGHT TO MUSIC Roberta Flack & Maxi Priest
24 ( 16 ) LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure
25 ( 14 ) SOMETHING GOT ME STARTED Simply Red
26 ( 12 ) SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT England Rugby Squad
27 ( NEW ) BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND Paula Abdul
28 ( 25 ) SPIRITUAL HIGH (STATE OF INDEPENDENCE) Moodswings featuring Chrissie Hynde
29 ( NEW ) REAL REAL REAL Jesus Jones
30 ( 46 ) FINALLY Ce Ce Peniston

31 ( 20 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation
32 ( 19 ) AFTER THE LOVE Jesus Loves You
33 ( 33 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
34 ( 39 ) THE AIR YOU BREATHE Bomb The Bass
35 ( 37 ) EMOTIONS Mariah Carey
36 ( 21 ) EVERYBODY’S FREE Rozalla
37 ( 23 ) I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive
38 ( 35 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
39 ( 24 ) TRY Bros
40 ( 43 ) I SEE HOPE Midge Ure

41 ( 31 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
42 ( 32 ) CREAM Prince & The New Power Generation
43 ( 29 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
44 ( 30 ) LIFE PARTY 2 Deep
45 ( 44 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
46 ( 47 ) DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER Paul Young
47 ( 45 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
48 ( 34 ) WALKING IN MEMPHIS Marc Cohn
49 ( RE ) THE ONE AND ONLY Chesney Hawkes
50 ( 41 ) LOVE… THY WILL BE DONE Martika

51 ( 51 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
52 ( 49 ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion
53 ( 63 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Queen
54 ( 50 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
55 ( 55 ) FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Steve Miller Band
56 ( 61 ) GO Moby
57 ( 58 ) MOVE TO MEMPHIS a-ha
58 ( 52 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
59 ( 57 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
60 ( 36 ) THE ONE I LOVE REM

61 ( 60 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
62 ( 40 ) PAPER DOLL PM Dawn
63 ( 56 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
64 ( RE ) CAN’T STOP THIS THING WE STARTED Bryan Adams
65 ( 53 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
66 ( NEW ) NO SON OF MINE Genesis
67 ( 38 ) WOMAN TO WOMAN Beverley Craven
68 ( 67 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
69 ( NEW ) SHINING STAR INXS
70 ( 69 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees

71 ( 73 ) REAL LIFE Simple Minds
72 ( 68 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
73 ( RE ) ROMANTIC Karyn White
74 ( 71 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
75 ( NEW ) ALL I EVER WANTED Kirsty MacColl

My September 1991 Charts

1st September 1991

It’s 2 weeks on top for 1973’s T.Rex classic, back in the UK charts as 70’s nostalgia gets under way. PM Dawn sadly lose out on a chart-topper with the fab Set Adrift up in runners-up and Bryan Adams looked to have peaked at 2, but no he’s back up to 3, Ricky Nelson gets his only top 10 track with the Gene Pitney song and this recording over 30 years old. Straight in at 8 is the 3rd single from Sugar Tax, the OMD album still hot on my playlist after their gig in Bournemouth. Then You Turn Away makes it 3 top 10’s in a row, a consistency not seen since 1984.

Julian Lennon vaults high up into the top 20, Saltwater becoming his 2nd biggest-track since Too Late For Goodbyes went top 10 in 1984, and Billy Bragg enters at 19 with best record by some distance, the excellent You Woke Up My Neighbourhood. He had even better songs, but it took covers to do them justice. Kylie keeps the top 40 consistency coming at 3 years, and Maxi Priest helps Shabba Ranks get a top 40 – Shabba usually needed someone to assist getting into my charts. The future Mark Wahlberg movie star, and brother of New Kid On The Blocker, raps his way to a hit – Good Vibrations not the Beach Boys classic.

At 53, Utah Saints debut with a classic, What Can You Do For Me, while Sabrina Johnson brings Peace to the valleys, both memorable dance tracks. Unlike the other forgotten new entries, Airhead, Julia Fordham and Big Country all having fallen out of my brain as it got full with more recent stuff. Need more RAM. Still, that means Big Country make it 8 years of charting, or 12 years including The Skids hits for Stuart Adamson.

1 ( 1 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
2 ( 4 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
3 ( 13 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
4 ( 3 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
5 ( 2 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton
6 ( 8 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
7 ( 9 ) LOVE THY WILL BE DONE Martika
8 ( NEW ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
9 ( 5 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
10 ( 11 ) HELLO MARYLOU Ricky Nelson

11 ( 12 ) SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY (REMIX) Zoe
12 ( 16 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa
13 ( 6 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers
14 ( 7 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
15 ( 47 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
16 ( 10 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
17 ( 17 ) BE YOUNG BE FOOLISH BE HAPPY Sonia
18 ( 14 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
19 ( NEW ) YOU WOKE UP MY NEIGHBOURHOOD Billy Bragg
20 ( 15 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

21 ( 26 ) SOMETIMES IT’S A BITCH Stevie Nicks
22 ( 22 ) NEAR WILD HEAVEN REM
23 ( 29 ) ALWAYS THERE Incognito featuring Jocelyn Brown
24 ( 18 ) LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING Cher
25 ( 37 ) BROKEN ARROW Rod Stewart
26 ( 23 ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
27 ( 33 ) THE BIG L Roxette
28 ( 19 ) HAPPY TOGETHER Jason Donovan
29 ( 20 ) COLD COLD HEART Midge Ure
30 ( 31 ) ALL 4 LOVE Color Me Badd

31 ( 28 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
32 ( 24 ) YOU COULD BE MINE Guns ‘n’ Roses
33 ( 27 ) NOW THAT WE’VE FOUND LOVE Heavy D & The Boyz
34 ( 34 ) HEY STOOPID Alice Cooper
35 ( 40 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation
36 ( 25 ) MONSTERS AND ANGELS Voice Of The Beehive
37 ( 21 ) MORE THAN WORDS Extreme
38 ( 66 ) WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue
39 ( 39 ) GET IT ON Yo Yo Honey
40 ( 70 ) HOUSECALL Shabba Ranks featuring Maxi Priest

41 ( 44 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
42 ( 42 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
43 ( 53 ) SHE’S A GIRL AND I’M A MAN Lloyd Cole
44 ( NEW ) GOOD VIBRATIONS Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
45 ( 36 ) HARD TO HANDLE The Black Crowes
46 ( 45 ) IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER Lenny Kravitz
47 ( 48 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
48 ( 43 ) DO IT AGAIN The Beach Boys
49 ( 71 ) INSANITY Oceanic
50 ( 65 ) STAND BY LOVE Simple Minds

51 ( 30 ) ROMANTIC Karyn White
52 ( 38 ) TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS Scritti Politti featuring Sweetie Irie
53 ( NEW ) WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME Utah Saints
54 ( 35 ) THE BEGINNING Seal
55 ( 55 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
56 ( 41 ) UNFORGETTABLE Natalie Cole & Nat ‘King’ Cole
57 ( 57 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
58 ( 60 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
59 ( 32 ) FAMILY AFFAIR B.E.F. featuring Lalah Hathaway
60 ( NEW ) PEACE Sabrina Johnson

61 ( NEW ) FUNNY HOW Airhead
62 ( 54 ) CROCKETT’S THEME Jan Hammer
63 ( 62 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
64 ( 64 ) WHAT WOULD WE DO DSK
65 ( 61 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
66 ( 68 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
67 ( 74 ) WHY BELIEVE IN YOU Texas
68 ( 69 ) TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) Cathy Dennis
69 ( NEW ) I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU Julia Fordham
70 ( 46 ) DO YOU WANT ME Salt ‘n’ Pepa

71 ( NEW ) REPUBLICAN PARTY REPTILE Big Country
72 ( 56 ) YOU BELONG IN ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Tin Machine featuring David Bowie
73 ( 73 ) LIES EMF
74 ( 59 ) I WANNA SEX YOU UP Color Me Badd
75 ( 50 ) JUMP TO THE BEAT Dannii Minogue

Playlist Oldies
1 SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD Elton John
2 TELL ME WHAT HE SAID Helen Shapiro
3 “Sugar Tax” Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

8th September 1991

It’s 3 weeks for T.Rex on top as Bryan Adams returns to his peak of 2, while still on top of the UK charts, and OMD get a second top 3 of the year, just ahead of Julian Lennon hitting a new career peak of 4 with Saltwater. Highest new entry is….Bros. Yes, that’s right, Try, a minor UK hit, straight in at 7 as a sort of follow-up to Madly In Love, I was liking the slightly earthier funkier Bros. By was of compensation Billy Bragg gets a first (and last) top 10 with his Country-ish singalong.

New at 14, Saint Etienne cover Neil Young and do Only Love Can Break Your Heart justice, while Electronic bounce instantly back with Feel Every Beat at 18, and Belinda Carlisle debuts a great single from her new album – Live Your Life Be Free is in at 19, for a big week for new entries. Sabrina Johnson rockets Peace through the chart valleys to 23, Beats International keep the run going with The Sun Don’t Shine at 29, Norman Cooke still having another pseudonym or 2 before settling on Fat Boy Slim.

Celine Dion also debuts, yes I know, and it’s not even a big hit – Where Does My Heart Beat Now doing what her Eurovision winner didn’t do, enter my chart. Level 42 are Guaranteed a chart entry at 47, Runrig have a Hearthammer, and Fat Boy Glitter is back with Ready To Rock ahead of the annual Xmas gigs. Dire Straits are Calling Elvis, but sadly getting no answer, Oleta Adams covers Elton John’s still-charting re-issue of his non-charting 1974 Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, both of them overshadowed by the later live version with George Michael assisting Elton.

1 ( 1 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
2 ( 3 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
3 ( 8 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4 ( 15 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
5 ( 2 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
6 ( 6 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
7 ( NEW ) TRY Bros
8 ( 4 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
9 ( 7 ) LOVE THY WILL BE DONE Martika
10 ( 19 ) YOU WOKE UP MY NEIGHBOURHOOD Billy Bragg

11 ( 12 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa
12 ( 11 ) SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY (REMIX) Zoe
13 ( 5 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton
14 ( NEW ) ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART Saint Etienne
15 ( 25 ) BROKEN ARROW Rod Stewart
16 ( 17 ) BE YOUNG BE FOOLISH BE HAPPY Sonia
17 ( 9 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
18 ( NEW ) FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic
19 ( NEW ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle
20 ( 14 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis

21 ( 13 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers
22 ( 16 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
23 ( 60 ) PEACE Sabrina Johnson
24 ( 27 ) THE BIG L Roxette
25 ( 10 ) HELLO MARYLOU Ricky Nelson
26 ( 18 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
27 ( 20 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
28 ( 40 ) HOUSECALL Shabba Ranks featuring Maxi Priest
29 ( NEW ) THE SUN DON’T SHINE Beats International
30 ( 35 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation

31 ( 23 ) ALWAYS THERE Incognito featuring Jocelyn Brown
32 ( 21 ) SOMETIMES IT’S A BITCH Stevie Nicks
33 ( 44 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
34 ( 26 ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
35 ( 28 ) HAPPY TOGETHER Jason Donovan
36 ( 38 ) WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue
37 ( 31 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
38 ( NEW ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion
39 ( 49 ) INSANITY Oceanic
40 ( 24 ) LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING Cher

41 ( 50 ) STAND BY LOVE Simple Minds
42 ( 41 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
43 ( 42 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
44 ( 53 ) WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME Utah Saints
45 ( 22 ) NEAR WILD HEAVEN REM
46 ( 34 ) HEY STOOPID Alice Cooper
47 ( NEW ) GUARANTEED Level 42
48 ( 29 ) COLD COLD HEART Midge Ure
49 ( 47 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
50 ( 33 ) NOW THAT WE’VE FOUND LOVE Heavy D & The Boyz

51 ( NEW ) HEARTHAMMER Runrig
52 ( 39 ) GET IT ON Yo Yo Honey
53 ( 30 ) ALL 4 LOVE Color Me Badd
54 ( 58 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
55 ( 55 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
56 ( 48 ) DO IT AGAIN The Beach Boys
57 ( 36 ) MONSTERS AND ANGELS Voice Of The Beehive
58 ( 46 ) IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER Lenny Kravitz
59 ( 57 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
60 ( 73 ) LIES EMF

61 ( 32 ) YOU COULD BE MINE Guns ‘n’ Roses
62 ( NEW ) READY TO ROCK Gary Glitter
63 ( 37 ) MORE THAN WORDS Extreme
64 ( 61 ) FUNNY HOW Airhead
65 ( 63 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
66 ( 66 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
67 ( 62 ) CROCKETT’S THEME Jan Hammer
68 ( NEW ) CALLING ELVIS Dire Straits
69 ( 56 ) UNFORGETTABLE Natalie Cole & Nat ‘King’ Cole
70 ( 45 ) HARD TO HANDLE The Black Crowes

71 ( 65 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
72 ( NEW ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Oleta Adams
73 ( 43 ) SHE’S A GIRL AND I’M A MAN Lloyd Cole
74 ( NEW ) MAKIN’ HAPPY Crystal Waters
75 ( 68 ) TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) Cathy Dennis

Retro oldies Playlist
1 MAGIC FLY Space
2 HUMAN Human League
3 THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

15th September 2021

It’s back up into the top 5 for The Shamen’s Move Any Mountain, as they suddenly get an unexpected chart-topper after hanging around for weeks, and Bryan Adams drops from the number 2 spot for the second time. Bros get their biggest hit with a forgotten minor hit that sounds like Madly In Love in parts. Try as I might I couldn’t hum the tune these days, where I could easily “sing” When Will I Be Famous. Highest new entry is Marc Almond Trevor-Horn sheentastic cover of the epic and brilliant Scott Walker 1968 song Jacky. The original was banned by the BBC, but it was acceptable in the 90’s as times had changed, and it was a gay singer singing the potentially offensive Q word.

Saint Etienne get a first top 10 single and will have more to come, and Salt ‘n’ Pepa get a sex-mentioning top 10 single onto radio playlists where George Michael had been banned only 4 years earlier. Times WERE changing! New at 19, outdoing the previous single in one fell swoop, Erasure Love To hate You, REM bring back The One I Love, still sounding good at 23, and Bryan Adams new lead single off his album, Can’t Stop This Thing We Started is new at 38 as the Monster track is still top 10. One place lower and Rozalla debuts with a 90’s dance anthem, Everybody’s Free (to feel good).

That leaves other newies in a big week for newies from Voice Of The Beehive, covering the 1971 pop classic I Think I Love You, which topped my chart for The Partridge Family & David Cassidy for me, I loved series one of the TV show and the records. The Wonder Stuff return, sleeping alone, and 1973 chart-topper for Ike & Tina Turner returns solo for Tina in a less-good revamped version, but she wrote Nutbush City Limits about her childhood so she’s entitled! David Essex performs in Bournemouth, and I go along, and the new track Africa shines. Cliff is back with one I’ve forgotten, maybe he’ll play it in 3 weeks as I have my first concert in 2 years – and it’s Cliff’s 80th tour, he’s been around all my life and I’ve never seen him in concert before. Finally, Gloria Estefan is running out of steam a bit, and Prince is as naughty as ever with his Cream entering at the bottom. So to speak.

1 ( 6 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
2 ( 1 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
3 ( 7 ) TRY Bros
4 ( NEW ) JACKY Marc Almond
5 ( 3 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
6 ( 2 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
7 ( 4 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
8 ( 5 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
9 ( 14 ) ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART Saint Etienne
10 ( 11 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa

11 ( 9 ) LOVE THY WILL BE DONE Martika
12 ( 8 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
13 ( 18 ) FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic
14 ( 19 ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle
15 ( 23 ) PEACE Sabrina Johnson
16 ( 10 ) YOU WOKE UP MY NEIGHBOURHOOD Billy Bragg
17 ( 12 ) SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY (REMIX) Zoe
18 ( 29 ) THE SUN DON’T SHINE Beats International
19 ( NEW ) LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure
20 ( 28 ) HOUSECALL Shabba Ranks featuring Maxi Priest

21 ( 15 ) BROKEN ARROW Rod Stewart
22 ( 13 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton
23 ( NEW ) THE ONE I LOVE REM
24 ( 22 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
25 ( 20 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
26 ( 26 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
27 ( 17 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
28 ( 36 ) WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue
29 ( 33 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
30 ( 21 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers

31 ( 16 ) BE YOUNG BE FOOLISH BE HAPPY Sonia
32 ( 38 ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion
33 ( 27 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
34 ( 39 ) INSANITY Oceanic
35 ( 44 ) WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME Utah Saints
36 ( 25 ) HELLO MARYLOU Ricky Nelson
37 ( 37 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
38 ( NEW ) CAN’T STOP THIS THING WE STARTED Bryan Adams
39 ( NEW ) EVERYBODY’S FREE Rozalla
40 ( 51 ) HEARTHAMMER Runrig

41 ( 24 ) THE BIG L Roxette
42 ( 34 ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
43 ( 30 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation
44 ( 42 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
45 ( 43 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
46 ( 31 ) ALWAYS THERE Incognito featuring Jocelyn Brown
47 ( 47 ) GUARANTEED Level 42
48 ( 40 ) LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING Cher
49 ( NEW ) I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive
50 ( 49 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles

51 ( 32 ) SOMETIMES IT’S A BITCH Stevie Nicks
52 ( NEW ) SLEEP ALONE The Wonder Stuff
53 ( NEW ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS Tina Turner
54 ( 46 ) HEY STOOPID Alice Cooper
55 ( 54 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
56 ( 72 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Oleta Adams
57 ( 55 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
58 ( NEW ) AFRICA YOU SHINE David Essex with Shikisa featuring Abdul Tee-Jay
59 ( 59 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
60 ( 56 ) DO IT AGAIN The Beach Boys

61 ( 52 ) GET IT ON Yo Yo Honey
62 ( 50 ) NOW THAT WE’VE FOUND LOVE Heavy D & The Boyz
63 ( NEW ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan
64 ( 68 ) CALLING ELVIS Dire Straits
65 ( 58 ) IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER Lenny Kravitz
66 ( 66 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
67 ( 65 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
68 ( 62 ) READY TO ROCK Gary Glitter
69 ( 41 ) STAND BY LOVE Simple Minds
70 ( 35 ) HAPPY TOGETHER Jason Donovan

71 ( 74 ) MAKIN’ HAPPY Crystal Waters
72 ( 45 ) NEAR WILD HEAVEN REM
73 ( 71 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
74 ( NEW ) MORE TO LIFE Cliff Richard
75 ( NEW ) CREAM Prince & The New Power Generation

DAVID ESSEX Live at Bournemouth International Centre

Shown on the BBC I think – I probably taped it onto VHS and havent seen this concert since. Audience heavily mature women-oriented. The exciting stuff was from the first 2 years of his career, plus Evita. David had his own unique style, quirky, often dark and dramatic, and rarely jolly pop stuff despite the fact that his 2 chart-toppers were jolly semi-synth-pop stuff.

1 Stardust
2 Lamplight
3 Rock On
4 Gonna Make You A Star
5 Oh What A Circus
6 Africa You Shine (with Shikisa)

22nd September 1991

It’s back up on top for a 4th week for 1973 classic 20th Century Boy, still missing Marc Bolan in 1991. Julian Lennon is up to 3 with his saltwater and Marc Almond gets a number 2 to get his biggest track since Touch topped my chart in 1982 for Soft Cell. Jacky is fab. Belinda Carlisle shows no sign of letting up on the top 10’s, her 7th, and Electronic grab a third, and Erasure a 5th (or Vince Clarke a 10th).

The Scorpions have already had a 10-week run and return to a new peak of 13 with Wind Of Change finally taking off in the UK, REM also reach a new peak of 14 with The One I Love, and Celine Dion gets a top 20 before she breaks out big. Yes you can blame me (and Eurovision). Cathy Dennis makes it 3 top 20’s in a row with the ballad Too Many Walls new at 18, and Slade make it 20 years of hits as their last hit Radio Wall Of Sound promotes a new Hits album and is in at 24 – I was 13 when I was getting very exciting by the stomping violin-led Coz I Luv You!

I was also 13 when I was getting extremely excited by I Think I Love You, and Voice Of The Beehive climb to 23 with it, Cliff Richard rockets into the 30 with a record I still don’t remember. I don’t suppose he’ll sing it next week, but you never know. Oceanic go top 30 as well – yes that record I was slagging off in the recent rate got as high as 30 in my charts. It’s still forgettable though! Boy George and Jesus get a 3rd top 40 in a row, Simply Red are seeing seeing Stars with the decent Something Got Me Started at 45, and before we all got sick to death of the endless album tracks and blanket radio plays.

2 Deep? No, don’t recall it either. Brothers In Rhythm I do recall, it’s not bad, and also The Stone Roses with a revered shoegazer track. I don’t recall where it peaked in my charts, but the band were never top of my pops so lower expectations is my advice! Shakespear’s Sister return setting up THAT monster hit in a few months, Goodbye Cruel World is pretty decent, Beverley Craven is Woman To Woman, but it’s nowhere near as racy as it might appear from the title. Urban Soul? Another blank from me. Tom Petty, though, a good record from his great period of many good records.

1 ( 2 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
2 ( 4 ) JACKY Marc Almond
3 ( 7 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
4 ( 3 ) TRY Bros
5 ( 5 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
6 ( 1 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
7 ( 14 ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle
8 ( 8 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
9 ( 13 ) FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic
10 ( 19 ) LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure

11 ( 6 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
12 ( 18 ) THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE Beats International
13 ( RE ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions
14 ( 23 ) THE ONE I LOVE REM
15 ( 15 ) PEACE Sabrina Johnson
16 ( 12 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
17 ( 11 ) LOVE… THY WILL BE DONE Martika
18 ( NEW ) TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis
19 ( 9 ) ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART Saint Etienne
20 ( 32 ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion

21 ( 10 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa
22 ( 28 ) WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue
23 ( 49 ) I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive
24 ( NEW ) RADIO WALL OF SOUND Slade
25 ( 16 ) YOU WOKE UP MY NEIGHBOURHOOD Billy Bragg
26 ( 74 ) MORE TO LIFE Cliff Richard
27 ( 17 ) SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY (REMIX) Zoe
28 ( 20 ) HOUSECALL Shabba Ranks featuring Maxi Priest
29 ( 22 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton
30 ( 34 ) INSANITY Oceanic

31 ( 39 ) EVERYBODY’S FREE Rozalla
32 ( 26 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
33 ( 25 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
34 ( NEW ) AFTER THE LOVE Jesus Loves You
35 ( 38 ) CAN’T STOP THIS THING WE STARTED Bryan Adams
36 ( 27 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
37 ( 24 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
38 ( 33 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
39 ( 53 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS Tina Turner
40 ( 75 ) CREAM Prince & The New Power Generation

41 ( 37 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
42 ( 21 ) BROKEN ARROW Rod Stewart
43 ( 30 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers
44 ( NEW ) SOMETHING GOT ME STARTED Simply Red
45 ( 44 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
46 ( 43 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation
47 ( 45 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
48 ( NEW ) LIFE PARTY 2 Deep
49 ( 31 ) BE YOUNG BE FOOLISH BE HAPPY Sonia
50 ( 58 ) AFRICA YOU SHINE David Essex with Shikisa featuring Abdul Tee-Jay

51 ( 50 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
52 ( 35 ) WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME Utah Saints
53 ( 42 ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
54 ( NEW ) SUCH A GOOD FEELING Brothers In Rhythm
55 ( 55 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
56 ( 56 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Oleta Adams
57 ( 40 ) HEARTHAMMER Runrig
58 ( NEW ) I WANNA BE ADORED The Stone Roses
59 ( 59 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
60 ( 57 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees

61 ( 41 ) THE BIG L Roxette
62 ( 54 ) HEY STOOPID Alice Cooper
63 ( 63 ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan
64 ( 36 ) HELLO MARYLOU Ricky Nelson
65 ( 60 ) DO IT AGAIN The Beach Boys
66 ( NEW ) GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD Shakespear’s Sister
67 ( 66 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
68 ( 67 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
69 ( 48 ) LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING Cher
70 ( 29 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch

71 ( NEW ) WOMAN TO WOMAN Beverley Craven
72 ( NEW ) ALRIGHT Urban Soul
73 ( 73 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
74 ( 51 ) SOMETIMES IT’S A BITCH Stevie Nicks
75 ( NEW ) INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN Tom Petty

playlist records
1 “Sugar Tax” Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2 HARLEM Bill Withers
3 HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN ANYTHING FOR SOMEBODY Stevie Nicks

29th September 1991

It’s a new chart-topper for Marc Almond’s Scott Walker cover, all Trevor Horn swirling synths, Jacky becoming his 3rd number one including Soft Cell, following on from Tainted Love in 1981 and Torch in 1982. New in at 2, Don McLean’s 1972 top 10 classic Americana ode to Buddy Holly peaking higher second-time round. The Scorpions finally get into the top 10 in their 13th week, as it’s all Wind Of Change, and Beats International get a 3rd top 10.

2 Deep climb fast, and I find out it was an advert beats song, and Prince’s Get Off leapfrogs his own Cream. I guess one leads to the other. The archive slave anthem Swing Low Sweet Chariot is back 16 years since Eric Clapton first got it into my charts – this time it’s the England Rugby Squad. Don’t ask me which type of Rugby, no idea, but it’s in at 35, a but higher than the 1979 Monty Python Life Of Brian classic – I think Simon Mayo had been playing it a lot on Radio 1. Very popular at funerals these days. It is still quite good, prob Eric Idle’s best song.

At 43, another oldie is covered in a lesser dance version – Bridge Over Troubled Water never works as well as the original Simon & Garfunkel epic. PJB this time. At 53, Enya returns with a goodie, Caribbean Blue, and Chesney Hawkes gets a forgotten 3rd of 1991. B.E.F. are still bringing in pop star friends 8 years after boosting Tina Turner’s second-coming, and not quite boosting Scritti Politti on Green’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s I Don’t Know Why. Whitney pops in, Kenny Thomas is still on a roll and The Stones also keep rolling, despite a limp Sex Drive.

1 ( 2 ) JACKY Marc Almond
2 ( NEW ) AMERICAN PIE Don McLean
3 ( 3 ) SALTWATER Julian Lennon
4 ( 1 ) 20th CENTURY BOY T.Rex
5 ( 4 ) TRY Bros
6 ( 13 ) WIND OF CHANGE The Scorpions
7 ( 7 ) LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE Belinda Carlisle
8 ( 9 ) FEEL EVERY BEAT Electronic
9 ( 5 ) THEN YOU TURN AWAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
10 ( 12 ) THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE Beats International

11 ( 6 ) MOVE ANY MOUNTAIN The Shamen
12 ( 11 ) EVERYTHING I DO (I DO IT FOR YOU) Bryan Adams
13 ( 14 ) THE ONE I LOVE REM
14 ( 10 ) LOVE TO HATE YOU Erasure
15 ( 8 ) SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS PM Dawn
16 ( 18 ) TOO MANY WALLS Cathy Dennis
17 ( 20 ) WHERE DOES MY HEART BEAT NOW Celine Dion
18 ( 16 ) WINTER IN JULY Bomb The Bass
19 ( 23 ) I THINK I LOVE YOU Voice Of The Beehive
20 ( 22 ) WORD IS OUT Kylie Minogue

21 ( 31 ) EVERYBODY’S FREE Rozalla
22 ( 17 ) LOVE… THY WILL BE DONE Martika
23 ( 48 ) LIFE PARTY 2 Deep
24 ( 24 ) RADIO WALL OF SOUND Slade
25 ( 35 ) CAN’T STOP THIS THING WE STARTED Bryan Adams
26 ( 25 ) YOU WOKE UP MY NEIGHBOURHOOD Billy Bragg
27 ( 21 ) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Salt ‘n’ Pepa
28 ( 34 ) AFTER THE LOVE Jesus Loves You
29 ( 44 ) SOMETHING GOT ME STARTED Simply Red
30 ( 15 ) PEACE Sabrina Johnson

31 ( 39 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS Tina Turner
32 ( 19 ) ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART Saint Etienne
33 ( 46 ) GET OFF Prince & The New Power Generation
34 ( 32 ) RIDERS OF THE STORM The Doors
35 ( NEW ) SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT England Rugby Squad
36 ( 36 ) GENERATIONS OF LOVE Jesus Loves You
37 ( NEW ) ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LOVE Monty Python’s Flying Circus
38 ( 33 ) JUST ANOTHER DREAM Cathy Dennis
39 ( 40 ) CREAM Prince & The New Power Generation
40 ( 29 ) LOVE’S BURN Karl Keaton

41 ( 38 ) PANDORA’S BOX Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
42 ( 66 ) GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD Shakespear’s Sister
43 ( NEW ) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER PJB featuring Hannah’s Sister
44 ( 41 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
45 ( 45 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
46 ( 27 ) SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY (REMIX) Zoe
47 ( 37 ) SUMMERTIME DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
48 ( 47 ) HOLIDAY Madonna
49 ( 56 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Oleta Adams
50 ( 43 ) CRUCIFIED Army Of Lovers

51 ( 26 ) MORE TO LIFE Cliff Richard
52 ( 51 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
53 ( NEW ) CARIBBEAN BLUE Enya
54 ( 54 ) SUCH A GOOD FEELING Brothers In Rhythm
55 ( 63 ) LIVE FOR LOVING YOU Gloria Estefan
56 ( 55 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
57 ( 30 ) INSANITY Oceanic
58 ( 28 ) HOUSECALL Shabba Ranks featuring Maxi Priest
59 ( NEW ) SECRETS OF THE HEART Chesney Hawkes
60 ( 59 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas

61 ( 60 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
62 ( 53 ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
63 ( 71 ) WOMAN TO WOMAN Beverley Craven
64 ( 64 ) HELLO MARYLOU Ricky Nelson
65 ( 67 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
66 ( NEW ) DON’T KNOW WHY (I LOVE YOU) B.E.F. featuring Green Gartside
67 ( 65 ) DO IT AGAIN The Beach Boys
68 ( 68 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
69 ( NEW ) I BELONG TO YOU Whitney Houston
70 ( NEW ) SPIRITUAL HIGH (STATE OF INDEPENDENCE) Moodswings featuring Chrissie Hynde

71 ( 42 ) BROKEN ARROW Rod Stewart
72 ( 62 ) HEY STOOPID Alice Cooper
73 ( 73 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
74 ( NEW ) SEX DRIVE The Rolling Stones
75 ( NEW ) BEST OF YOU Kenny Thomas

playlist oldies
1 DRIVE The Cars
2 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Sheena Easton
3 WISHING I WAS LUCKY Wet Wet Wet

My May 1991 Charts

5th May 1991

It’s a first week on top for the 2nd chart-topper from The KLF, a banging dance epic still and now available on streaming after 3 decades absent from availability, Enigma get a 2nd top 5 track, and Belinda Carlisle adds to her run of top 10’s while OMD are back in top echelon after missing out for the most part since last topping my chart in 1985 with So In Love, with the glam rock Sailing On The Seven Seas. Roxette grow a 55-place bloom as Fading Like A Flower hits 12, and Addams & Gee are back in the 40 with Chung Kuo rebounding to a new high of 17. Wilson Philips & Deee-Lite grab more top 40 spots as both 1990 chart-toppers stay good. 

The Bee Gees new single is the highest new entry, When He’s Gone being even better than Secret Love, albeit not as commercial, in at 46, REM get a quick follow-up with Shiny Happy People aided by the B52’s Kate, Beverley Craven is begging Promise Me, deep breath, with her debut which annoys if you hear it too much, Black make it 5 years of classy ballad action with Feel Like Change, The Farm keep ’em coming fast, and Jellyfish debut with a decent track. Meanwhile a-ha sneak in with a belated chart position for flop single Early Morning, courtesy of me seeing them in concert this week, they were great and underlined how their best stuff can be categorised as The Dramatic Ballad, tempo variable. The happier poppy stuff sticks out less (not that there’s really much of that anyway).

1 ( 2 ) LAST TRAIN TO TRANCENTRAL (LIVE FROM THE LOST CONTINENT) The KLF featuring Ricardo Da Force 
2 ( 1 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
3 ( 3 ) GET THE MESSAGE Electronic
4 ( 11 ) MEA CULPA PART II Enigma
5 ( 5 ) YOU’RE SO VAIN Carly Simon
6 ( 6 ) SIT DOWN James
7 ( 12 ) THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (IT’S IN HIS KISS) Cher
8 ( 8 ) BORN FREE Vic Reeves & The Roman Numerals
9 ( 13 ) VISION OF YOU (REMIX) Belinda Carlisle
10 ( 14 ) SAILING ON THE SEVEN SEAS Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

11 ( 4 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNING Bananarama
12 ( 67 ) FADING LIKE A FLOWER Roxette
13 ( 18 ) FUTURE LOVE PARADISE Seal
14 ( 20 ) TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) Cathy Dennis
15 ( 10 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys
16 ( 7 ) SENZA UNA DONNA Zucchero & Paul Young
17 ( 68 ) CHUNG KUO (REVISITED) Addams & Gee
18 ( 21 ) THERE’S NO OTHER WAY Blur
19 ( 9 ) CAN YOU DIG IT? The Mock Turtles
20 ( 38 ) ACROSS THE UNIVERSE E.L.O. Part II

21 ( 23 ) JUST A GROOVE Nomad
22 ( 17 ) WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME – CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU/HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY? Pet Shop Boys
23 ( 15 ) GOLDEN BROWN The Stranglers
24 ( 31 ) GET READY Roachford
25 ( 29 ) FOOTSTEPS FOLLOWING ME Frances Nero
26 ( 16 ) BY MY SIDE INXS
27 ( 19 ) UNFINISHED SYMPATHY Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
28 ( 35 ) SILENT LUCIDITY Queensryche
29 ( 53 ) YOU’RE IN LOVE Wilson Phillips
30 ( 37 ) THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER Elvis Costello

31 ( 22 ) THE SIZE OF A COW The Wonder Stuff
32 ( 25 ) HUMAN NATURE Gary Clail & The On-U Sound System
33 ( 50 ) THANK YOU WORLD World Party
34 ( 32 ) SADENESS PART I Enigma
35 ( 30 ) MERCY MERCY ME/ I WANT YOU Robert Palmer
36 ( 24 ) COWBOYS AND ANGELS George Michael
37 ( 45 ) I DON’T WANT TO WAIT Lindy Leyton
38 ( 69 ) GOOD BEAT Deee Lite
39 ( 39 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
40 ( 46 ) CHILDREN EMF

41 ( 33 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
42 ( 28 ) ANTHEM N JOI
43 ( 27 ) SECRET LOVE The Bee Gees
44 ( 34 ) THIS IS YOUR LIFE Banderas
45 ( NEW ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
46 ( 36 ) JOYRIDE Roxette
47 ( 43 ) JUST THE WAY IT IS BABY The Rembrandts
48 ( 73 ) RING RING RING De La Soul
49 ( 61 ) TAINTED LOVE ’91 Marc Almond
50 ( 44 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters

51 ( 51 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
52 ( 41 ) LOOSE FIT Happy Mondays
53 ( 52 ) BEING BORING Pet Shop Boys
54 ( 26 ) WHERE LOVE LIVES Alison Limerick
55 ( 55 ) ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER The Jimi Hendrix Experience
56 ( 48 ) (I WANNA GIVE YOU) DEVOTION Nomad featuring MC Mikee Freedom
57 ( 57 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
58 ( 56 ) WICKED GAME Chris Isaak
59 ( 42 ) RHYTHM OF MY HEART Rod Stewart
60 ( 49 ) YOU GOT THE LOVE The Source featuring Candi Staton

61 ( NEW ) SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE REM
62 ( 62 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
63 ( NEW ) RESCUE ME Beverley Craven
64 ( NEW ) FEEL LIKE CHANGE Black
65 ( 59 ) HEAL THE PAIN George Michael
66 ( 64 ) HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees
67 ( 40 ) ROCK THE CASBAH The Clash
68 ( NEW ) DON’T LET ME DOWN The Farm
69 ( NEW ) BABY’S COMING BACK Jellyfish
70 ( 70 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson

71 ( 71 ) KISS THEM FOR ME Siouxsie & The Banshees
72 ( 47 ) WILD THING The Troggs
73 ( NEW ) EARLY MORNING a-ha
74 ( 54 ) SEAL OUR FATE Gloria Estefan
75 ( 58 ) LOSING MY RELIGION REM

a-ha Live at Bournemouth Pavilion
1 The Sun Always Shines On TV
2 Manhattan Skyline
3 Stay On These Roads
4 Hunting High And Low
5 Take On Me
6 The Living Daylights

12th May 1991

It’s 2 weeks on top for the KLF, as Free’s 1973 top 10 is back at 2 – their best record, Wishing Well gets a Bob Clearmountain spruce-up remix, which makes it sound sharper, though I’m unsure as to whether it sounds better than the original. It’s loads better than the just-been-a-hit-yet-again All Right Now, but sadly didn’t hit as well. ELO Part II aka Bev Bevan get a first, and last, top 10 with Honest Men, while Beverley Craven takes Promise Me (gasp) into the top 20 just before both started to annoy me a bit fairly quickly, but with corrected titles this week along with REM. I heard stuff on the radio and had to remember the title (and sometimes mis-remembered). I also didn’t chart any Eurovision songs at all in this weekends contest as I couldnt recall their names either, but listed them instead in the Playlist under the country names. With the internet I can now correct that and bung them in at 76 and 77 as extras. Amina will go up, anyway, and should have won, but they gave it to the same-scoring Swedish pop-by-the-numbers entry instead. Amina was robbed! Classy.

Siouxsie rockets up to 14, on course for a last big hit after 13 years of them, and US singer Amy Grant is singing Baby Baby sweetly at 18, newly in. Jason Donovan is back with another SAW track, R.S.V.P. if you like it more than I do. In at 27. Talking of SAW, I’m shocked that the way-better Kylie track enters lower down at 52. She’ll peak higher though! NKOTB, which I’ve always dyslexically read as KNOBS, return with Call It What You Want at 70. I call it another in a series of largely disposable pop singles, but not bad as such. It’ll be 1998 before an ex-member releases a single that is better than their entire career. Give It To Me, Jordan…!

1 ( 1 ) LAST TRAIN TO TRANCENTRAL (LIVE FROM THE LOST CONTINENT) The KLF featuring Ricardo Da Force 
2 ( NEW ) WISHING WELL (REMIX) Free
3 ( 3 ) GET THE MESSAGE Electronic
4 ( 2 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
5 ( 12 ) FADING LIKE A FLOWER Roxette
6 ( 14 ) TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) Cathy Dennis
7 ( 13 ) FUTURE LOVE PARADISE Seal
8 ( 17 ) CHUNG KUO (REVISITED) Addams & Gee
9 ( 10 ) SAILING ON THE SEVEN SEAS Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
10 ( 20 ) HONEST MEN E.L.O. Part II

11 ( 5 ) YOU’RE SO VAIN Carly Simon
12 ( 6 ) SIT DOWN James
13 ( 8 ) BORN FREE Vic Reeves & The Roman Numerals
14 ( 71 ) KISS THEM FOR ME Siouxsie & The Banshees
15 ( 4 ) MEA CULPA PART II Enigma
16 ( 11 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNING Bananarama
17 ( 18 ) THERE’S NO OTHER WAY Blur
18 ( NEW ) BABY BABY Amy Grant
19 ( 7 ) THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (IT’S IN HIS KISS) Cher
20 ( 63 ) PROMISE ME Beverley Craven

21 ( 15 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys
22 ( 30 ) THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER Elvis Costello
23 ( 16 ) SENZA UNA DONNA Zucchero & Paul Young
24 ( 46 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
25 ( 9 ) VISION OF YOU (REMIX) Belinda Carlisle
26 ( 33 ) THANK YOU WORLD World Party
27 ( NEW ) R.S.V.P. Jason Donovan
28 ( 29 ) YOU’RE IN LOVE Wilson Phillips
29 ( 19 ) CAN YOU DIG IT? The Mock Turtles
30 ( 22 ) WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME – CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU/HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY? Pet Shop Boys

31 ( 24 ) GET READY Roachford
32 ( 23 ) GOLDEN BROWN The Stranglers
33 ( 61 ) SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE REM
34 ( 48 ) RING RING RING De La Soul
35 ( 64 ) FEEL LIKE CHANGE Black
36 ( 39 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
37 ( 34 ) SADENESS PART I Enigma
38 ( 35 ) MERCY MERCY ME/ I WANT YOU Robert Palmer
39 ( NEW ) I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF I SHOULD CALL YOU… Soul Family Sensation
40 ( 26 ) BY MY SIDE INXS

41 ( 41 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
42 ( 21 ) JUST A GROOVE Nomad
43 ( 27 ) UNFINISHED SYMPATHY Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
44 ( 50 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
45 ( 37 ) I DON’T WANT TO WAIT Lindy Leyton
46 ( 73 ) EARLY MORNING a-ha
47 ( 36 ) COWBOYS AND ANGELS George Michael
48 ( 31 ) THE SIZE OF A COW The Wonder Stuff
49 ( 38 ) GOOD BEAT Deee Lite
50 ( 51 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles

51 ( NEW ) SHOCKED Kylie Minogue
52 ( 28 ) SILENT LUCIDITY Queensryche
53 ( 53 ) BEING BORING Pet Shop Boys
54 ( 55 ) ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER The Jimi Hendrix Experience
55 ( 44 ) THIS IS YOUR LIFE Banderas
56 ( 32 ) HUMAN NATURE Gary Clail & The On-U Sound System
57 ( 57 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
58 ( 40 ) CHILDREN EMF
59 ( 58 ) WICKED GAME Chris Isaak
60 ( 43 ) SECRET LOVE The Bee Gees

61 ( 62 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
62 ( 47 ) JOYRIDE Roxette
63 ( 69 ) BABY’S COMING BACK Jellyfish
64 ( 52 ) LOOSE FIT Happy Mondays
65 ( 66 ) HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees
66 ( 60 ) YOU GOT THE LOVE The Source featuring Candi Staton
67 ( 56 ) (I WANNA GIVE YOU) DEVOTION Nomad featuring MC Mikee Freedom
68 ( 59 ) RHYTHM OF MY HEART Rod Stewart
69 ( 70 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson
70 ( NEW ) CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT New Kids On The Block

71 ( NEW ) ANASTASIA T99
72 ( 65 ) HEAL THE PAIN George Michael
73 ( NEW ) UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Susanna Hoffs
74 ( NEW ) THIS HOUSE Tracie Spencer
75 ( NEW ) RHYTHM OF LIFE Oleta Adams
76 ( NEW ) COULD IT BE Georgina & Paul Giordimaina
77 ( NEW ) C’EST LE DERNIER QUI A PARLE QUI A RAISON Amina

EUROVISION 1991 
1 NON HO L’ETA PER AMARTI Gigliola Cinquetti (1964 oldie)
2 COULD IT BE (Malta) Georgina & Paul Giordimaina
3 C’EST LE DERNIER QUI A PARLE QUI A RAISON (France) Amina

19th May 1991

It’s a first week on top for a spruced-up 1973 Rock gem, as Free get a chart-topper belatedly with the fab Wishing Well. Meanwhile Soft Cell return Tainted Love into the top 10 for the 3rd time spurred on by Marc Almond’s underwhelming new version which drops out the chart, first topped my chart 10 years earlier and still sounding great at 5. The Bee Gees make it 2 top 10’s in a row as When He’s Gone leaps to 6, and Siouxsie takes the Banshees’ top 10’s into 13 years, as Kiss Them For Me rises to 7. Jason Donovan gets a 4th top 10, RSVP I have to admit I havent heard in 30 years so no idea how it’s weathered, and Amy Grant grabs a first with Baby Baby, a song I have heard recently.

Bob Marley’s 1984 belated hit One Love is back at 22, while Color Me Badd are the highest new track with future UK chart-topper I Wanna Sex You Up, which is not nearly as racey as it sounds, merely decent teen soul pop. Pet Shop Boys’ Behaviour track Jealousy is out as a final single off the album and debuts at 34, fairly modest for such a great showstopping ballad anthem. Crystal Waters debuts with Gypsy Woman at 40 – all together now, La Da Di La Da Da.

Sonia pops back with Only Fools at 46 as UK Eurovision entry Samantha Janus scrapes in and Amina climbs fast into the top 40 with the song that was unjustly pipped at the post. Sonia’s Eurovision future is to be an improvement on Samantha’s. Kylie’s sis has some Success at 48, and Massive Attack’s brilliant debut is followed-up by the fab Safe From Harm at 60. Paul Weller is having a Movement, looking Into Tomorrow he has just spotted his new album has topped the UK charts for a 6th solo and 8th time in total including The Jam & Style Council. Still not in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame though. Prob never heard of him, I’m guessing, not as if he has been around for 44 years or anything.

1 ( 2 ) WISHING WELL (REMIX) Free
2 ( 1 ) LAST TRAIN TO TRANCENTRAL (LIVE FROM THE LOST CONTINENT) The KLF featuring Ricardo Da Force 
3 ( 5 ) FADING LIKE A FLOWER Roxette
4 ( 6 ) TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) Cathy Dennis
5 ( NEW ) TAINTED LOVE Soft Cell
6 ( 25 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
7 ( 14 ) KISS THEM FOR ME Siouxsie & The Banshees
8 ( 4 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
9 ( 28 ) R.S.V.P. Jason Donovan
10 ( 18 ) BABY BABY Amy Grant

11 ( 3 ) GET THE MESSAGE Electronic
12 ( 36 ) FEEL LIKE CHANGE Black
13 ( 8 ) CHUNG KUO (REVISITED) Addams & Gee
14 ( 9 ) SAILING ON THE SEVEN SEAS Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
15 ( 7 ) FUTURE LOVE PARADISE Seal
16 ( 11 ) YOU’RE SO VAIN Carly Simon
17 ( 22 ) THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER Elvis Costello
18 ( 12 ) SIT DOWN James
19 ( 20 ) PROMISE ME Beverley Craven
20 ( 10 ) HONEST MEN E.L.O. Part II

21 ( 23 ) SENZA UNA DONNA Zucchero & Paul Young
22 ( NEW ) ONE LOVE Bob Marley & The Wailers
23 ( 16 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNING Bananarama
24 ( 17 ) THERE’S NO OTHER WAY Blur
25 ( 27 ) THANK YOU WORLD World Party
26 ( 15 ) MEA CULPA PART II Enigma
27 ( 13 ) BORN FREE Vic Reeves & The Roman Numerals
28 ( 19 ) THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (IT’S IN HIS KISS) Cher
29 ( 40 ) I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF I SHOULD CALL YOU… Soul Family Sensation
30 ( 21 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

31 ( 34 ) SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE REM
32 ( NEW ) I WANNA SEX YOU UP Color Me Badd
33 ( RE ) FOOTSTEPS FOLLOWING ME Frances Nero
34 ( NEW ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
35 ( 52 ) SHOCKED Kylie Minogue
36 ( 31 ) WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME – CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU/HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY? Pet Shop Boys
37 ( 77 ) C’EST LE DERNIER QUI A PARLE QUI A RAISON Amina
38 ( 37 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
39 ( 29 ) YOU’RE IN LOVE Wilson Phillips
40 ( NEW ) GYPSY WOMAN Crystal Waters

41 ( 33 ) GOLDEN BROWN The Stranglers
42 ( 39 ) MERCY MERCY ME/ I WANT YOU Robert Palmer
43 ( 38 ) SADENESS PART I Enigma
44 ( 42 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
45 ( 45 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
46 ( NEW ) ONLY FOOLS Sonia
47 ( 26 ) VISION OF YOU (REMIX) Belinda Carlisle
48 ( NEW ) SUCCESS Dannii Minogue
49 ( 30 ) CAN YOU DIG IT? The Mock Turtles
50 ( 41 ) BY MY SIDE INXS

51 ( 51 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
52 ( 44 ) UNFINISHED SYMPATHY Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
53 ( 35 ) RING RING RING De La Soul
54 ( 46 ) I DON’T WANT TO WAIT Lindy Leyton
55 ( 55 ) ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER The Jimi Hendrix Experience
56 ( 71 ) CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT New Kids On The Block
57 ( 32 ) GET READY Roachford
58 ( 58 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
59 ( 54 ) BEING BORING Pet Shop Boys
60 ( NEW ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson

61 ( 60 ) WICKED GAME Chris Isaak
62 ( 62 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
63 ( 47 ) EARLY MORNING a-ha
64 ( 48 ) COWBOYS AND ANGELS George Michael
65 ( NEW ) INTO TOMORROW Paul Weller Movement
66 ( 66 ) HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees
67 ( 56 ) THIS IS YOUR LIFE Banderas
68 ( 43 ) JUST A GROOVE Nomad
69 ( 70 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson
70 ( 63 ) JOYRIDE Roxette

71 ( 69 ) RHYTHM OF MY HEART Rod Stewart
72 ( 61 ) SECRET LOVE The Bee Gees
73 ( NEW ) MESSAGE TO YOUR HEART Samantha Janus
74 ( 73 ) HEAL THE PAIN George Michael
75 ( NEW ) WONDERFUL THING Munks Of Funk

Oldies
1 DEAR JESSIE Madonna
2 ZING WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART The Trammps
3 FANTASY ISLAND Tight Fit

26th May 1991

It’s up to the top spot for a great forgotten Bee Gees track, the flop follow-up to a hit, When He’s Gone. I’ve always loved their flops as much as the hits, never really got why some don’t sell when they have a consistent good quality across their career. Anyways that makes a 5th for the band, with Robin an extra one solo, though they’d also been unlucky to peak at 2 on many occasions – but more chart-toppers still to come, new and old. In at 2, held off the top, The Doors reactivated classic Light My Fire is back 24 years on thanks to the movie about them, and it’s their first top 10 20 years since Riders Of The Storm debuted. Jim Morrison never made my charts while he was alive.

Color Me Badd top the UK charts and climb into my top 10, Sonia leaps into the 20 ahead of Pet Shop Boys and Amina’s Eurovision song, and we have two Minogue’s in the 40 – Shocked at that Success! Highest new track is at 36 for Kirsty MacColl, and her fabulous Walking Down Madison, quite probably my fave track of hers, love it. Seal gets a quickie new track entry while he still has one on the list, and the radio fave Highway 5 crosses the Atlantic for The Blessing, but was out of step with the UK music scene by and large, sadly. Queen rush Headlong in at 57 for a final bit of new rocking Freddie. 

1 ( 6 ) WHEN HE’S GONE The Bee Gees
2 ( NEW ) LIGHT MY FIRE The Doors
3 ( 3 ) FADING LIKE A FLOWER Roxette
4 ( 4 ) TOUCH ME (ALL NIGHT LONG) Cathy Dennis
5 ( 2 ) LAST TRAIN TO TRANCENTRAL (LIVE FROM THE LOST CONTINENT) The KLF featuring Ricardo Da Force 
6 ( 5 ) TAINTED LOVE Soft Cell
7 ( 7 ) KISS THEM FOR ME Siouxsie & The Banshees
8 ( 32 ) I WANNA SEX YOU UP Color Me Badd
9 ( 1 ) WISHING WELL (REMIX) Free
10 ( 10 ) BABY BABY Amy Grant

11 ( 12 ) FEEL LIKE CHANGE Black
12 ( 8 ) RESCUE ME Madonna
13 ( 9 ) R.S.V.P. Jason Donovan
14 ( 22 ) ONE LOVE Bob Marley & The Wailers
15 ( 11 ) GET THE MESSAGE Electronic
16 ( 46 ) ONLY FOOLS Sonia
17 ( 34 ) JEALOUSY Pet Shop Boys
18 ( 25 ) THANK YOU WORLD World Party
19 ( 15 ) FUTURE LOVE PARADISE Seal
20 ( 37 ) C’EST LE DERNIER QUI A PARLE QUI A RAISON Amina

21 ( 16 ) YOU’RE SO VAIN Carly Simon
22 ( 14 ) SAILING ON THE SEVEN SEAS Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
23 ( 21 ) SENZA UNA DONNA Zucchero & Paul Young
24 ( 35 ) SHOCKED Kylie Minogue
25 ( 13 ) CHUNG KUO (REVISITED) Addams & Gee
26 ( 31 ) SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE REM
27 ( 18 ) SIT DOWN James
28 ( 20 ) HONEST MEN E.L.O. Part II
29 ( 29 ) I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF I SHOULD CALL YOU… Soul Family Sensation
30 ( 17 ) THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER Elvis Costello

31 ( 23 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNING Bananarama
32 ( 19 ) PROMISE ME Beverley Craven
33 ( 48 ) SUCCESS Dannii Minogue
34 ( 40 ) GYPSY WOMAN Crystal Waters
35 ( 24 ) THERE’S NO OTHER WAY Blur
36 ( NEW ) WALKING DOWN MADISON Kirsty MacColl
37 ( 28 ) THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (IT’S IN HIS KISS) Cher
38 ( 60 ) SAFE FROM HARM Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson
39 ( 38 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
40 ( 30 ) THE WHOLE OF THE MOON The Waterboys

41 ( 26 ) MEA CULPA PART II Enigma
42 ( 36 ) WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME – CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU/HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY? Pet Shop Boys
43 ( 45 ) (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU/ MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING Carpenters
44 ( 44 ) DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME Elton John
45 ( 43 ) SADENESS PART I Enigma
46 ( 42 ) MERCY MERCY ME/ I WANT YOU Robert Palmer
47 ( RE ) WHAT COMES NATURALLY Sheena Easton
48 ( 27 ) BORN FREE Vic Reeves & The Roman Numerals
49 ( 51 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
50 ( 41 ) GOLDEN BROWN The Stranglers

51 ( 33 ) FOOTSTEPS FOLLOWING ME Frances Nero
52 ( NEW ) HOLD ON TO THE LOVE Seal
53 ( NEW ) HIGHWAY 5 The Blessing
54 ( 39 ) YOU’RE IN LOVE Wilson Phillips
55 ( 53 ) RING RING RING De La Soul
56 ( 55 ) ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER The Jimi Hendrix Experience
57 ( NEW ) HEADLONG Queen
58 ( 58 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
59 ( 56 ) CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT New Kids On The Block
60 ( 52 ) UNFINISHED SYMPATHY Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson

61 ( 59 ) BEING BORING Pet Shop Boys
62 ( 62 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
63 ( 50 ) BY MY SIDE INXS
64 ( 61 ) WICKED GAME Chris Isaak
65 ( 49 ) CAN YOU DIG IT? The Mock Turtles
66 ( NEW ) WHENEVER YOU NEED ME T’Pau
67 ( 66 ) HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees
68 ( NEW ) NOW IS TOMORROW Definition Of Sound
69 ( 69 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson
70 ( 75 ) WONDERFUL THING Munks Of Funk

71 ( 47 ) VISION OF YOU (REMIX) Belinda Carlisle
72 ( NEW ) SEE THE LIGHT Simple Minds
73 ( 67 ) THIS IS YOUR LIFE Banderas
74 ( 71 ) RHYTHM OF MY HEART Rod Stewart
75 ( 74 ) HEAL THE PAIN George Michael

My Top 100 of 1989

(Based on chart points “sales” from my charts)

This is an update of all new tracks that peaked in my personal charts during 1989, including remixes as new tracks and not including any sales from oldies or original runs of remixes. NOTE: weeks on chart and highest position are only for 1989, havent added others years to them yet.

With a Youtube link for the most-interesting or best in each batch of 10…!

In the bottom ten there’s a first of 2 from quirky Yello and legend Tina Turner who was at her commercial peak in the 80’s. Blazing saddles is great fun, referencing one of the funniest movies of all-time, from Mel Brooks & Richard Prior. There’s a Rocky Horror remix of a cover that didn’t catch on for a while, but was a club success. Another fab movie and stage show musical. Bananarama’s & French & Saunders (& Kathy Burke) forgotten Comic Relief Beatles cover was also great fun, the video was hilarious, but the non-comedy other side of Help! is great in it’s own right, with just the ‘Nanas. 808 State was a terrific instrumental, Fuzzbox’s joyous brand of pop was great for 12 months, US hit The Way To Your Heart is one I need to play to remind myself of, and The Four Tops comeback (yet again) Indestructible was also 60’s worthy. That leaves 2 Chaka Khan remixes, updated for the new dance scene. The originals, as almost always, are better. 

And the pick is….

91 (6 12) THE WAY TO YOUR HEART Soulsister 282850
92 (7 10) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops featuring Smokey Robinson 281850
93 (5 10) AIN’T NOBODY ’89 Rufus featuring Chaka Khan 277600
94 (4 9) I’M EVERY WOMAN ’89 Chaka Khan 269050
95 (9 11) PINK SUNSHINE Fuzzbox 266750
96 (10 9) THE TIME WARP (REMIX) Damian 265500
97 (5 7) PACIFIC – 707 808 State 264450
98 (4 9) HELP! Bananarama and La Na Nee Nee Noo Noo 263100
99 (9 10) I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU Tina Turner 260750
100 (7 9) BLAZING SADDLES Yello 255300

**************************

So we have the madness that is Edelweiss revamping Lynn Anderson’s Rose Garden for the Alps, and also great fun. Can you imagine the 2021 music scene having fun? In any way? Me neither. The best you get is playful (hi Dua Lipa, Kylie…). The late London Boys Euro-anthem strides in, the good side of Eurocheese, and Bobby Brown has one of his best single with On Our Own. 

Cliff was in his best period in the ’79/’89 era as he pops in with his last non-Christmas pretty decent ballad, Lean On You, and fellow pop-legend George Harrison has a goodie with Cheer Down, very Jeff Lynne-sounding (because he produced it), and the flop Downtown from One 2 Many has a good enough run to feature, as does the House dance track from Ten City. 

Jeff Wayne’s magnificent 1978 War Of The Worlds anthem gets tarted up and survives, but it’s not as good as the original (I’ll stop saying that, just take it for granted), and the great Tears For Fears have a dramatic ballad with assistance from Oleta Adams, Woman In Chains. But my pick is the fab, under-rated Lightning Seeds aka Ian Broudie, who kick-started a wonderful run of singles for almost a decade with this track, Pure, tuneful and as fresh as a daisy. 

81 (3 11) THAT’S THE WAY LOVE IS Ten City 316050
82 (6 8) EVE OF THE WAR (DEEPSPACE MIX) Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds featuring Justin Heyward 314150
83 (5 9) WOMAN IN CHAINS Tears For Fears featuring Oleta Adams 313700
84 (5 10) PURE The LIghtning Seeds 313150
85 (9 12) DOWNTOWN One 2 Many 298350
86 (7 8) CHEER DOWN George Harrison 297850
87 (6 15) LEAN ON YOU Cliff Richard 297700
88 (7 12) ON OUR OWN Bobby Brown 293850
89 (6 10) LONDON NIGHTS The London Boys 287800
90 (5 12) BRING ME EDELWEISS Edelweiss 287700

*********************

First of 2 for Neneh Cherry popping in with her debut Buffalo Stance, “know wot ah meeeean!”, c’mon Mable do a duet with mum! First of 2 for Liza Minelli too with the Pet Shop Boys produced and written Don’t Drop Bombs, which would have been good advice as it promptly bombed, undeservedly for the show-legend and Chris n Neil just post-Imperial-Phase. 

Richard Marx specialised in ballads, and this was his best slushy ballad, though not his best track (that’s Hazard), and Malcolm McLaren was still into morphing modern pop with classical/opera/country/whatever and came up with a House/Strauss crossover, and as I love Strauss waltzes it appealed to me, perversely. First of 2 for Fine Young cannibals, the rocking Good Thing at 76, and the first of 2 for Joe Brown’s daughter Sam, covering Marvin Gaye’s Can I get A Witness from around the time her dad was going top 10.

The KLF have just made their back catalogue available again, and about bloody time too. I don;t know if Kylie Said To Jason is one they’ve let loose on the world, but it ought to be! Basically a pastiche of SAW, yet somehow much better that it sounds like it should be, Kylie Said To Jason. Traveling Wilburys makes it George Harrison & Jeff Lynne’s second appearance on the list with the great End Of The Line.

Ih Well, do a grooved-up dance version of Fleetwood Mac, and it works rather well, one I liked more than the original (yes it can happen now and again!), and talking of jJson Donovan he’s here with his not-that-bad-actually version of Sealed With A Kiss. Brian Hyland’s version is way better of course, it has charm and period-appeal, but this was at least bringing the song to a new audience. And my choice is….KLF!

71 (5 12) SEALED WITH A KISS Jason Donovan 353350
72 (5 13) OH WELL Oh Well 351100
73 (7 11) END OF THE LINE Traveling Wilbury’s 349350
74 (5 12) KYLIE SAID TO JASON The KLF 348800
75 (4 12) CAN I GET A WITNESS Sam Brown 344600
76 (5 12) GOOD THING Fine Young Cannibals 341700
77 (7 9) HOUSE OF THE BLUE DANUBE Malcolm McLaren 331250
78 (9 13) RIGHT HERE WAITING Richard Marx 329600
79 (6 14) DON’T DROP BOMBS Liza Minelli 319450
80 (9 7) BUFFALO STANCE Neneh Cherry 316900

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The next batch starts with a Bond theme for veteran Motown/soul star Gladys Knight who can still belt it out with passion, Licence To Kill was better than the film it came from. A cool Electribe 101 dance track is at 69 featuring future solo dance act Billie Ray Martin, Tell Me When The Fever Ended. The Bangles get the first of two on the rundown, with the under-rated Be With You, one of their best singles, and the second Neneh Cherry track is very different from the first, the moody Manchild at 67.

Inner City’s dance anthem Good Life was state of the soul art at the time and still sounds good at 66, while Michael Jackson’s single-only (for vinyl album buyers like me) Leave Me Alone is the first of 2 Bad tracks on the rundown 2 years after the album came out: this one has a great video, but the single isn’t his finest moment and is flattered somewhat. Coldcut also have 2 on the list, as does Lisa Stansfield, and their debut, the wonderful People Hold On is at 64.

Tracie Spencer’s big US hit Symptoms Of True Love is one place higher, she was basically a child at the time (12 or 13 years old, I think) but this was a good slice of 80’s US pre-House dance. Prince has a quiet year-end, for my lists, with just the one track from the Batman movie soundtrack, which comprised his work over an entire album. Batdance was OK, the film samples were effective, but overall it’s a bit too disjointed to be one of his great records. Lastly, a minor hit in 1988, returned to a new peak for Midnight Oil, and their social commentary Beds Are Burning. Still relevant, still good.

and the pick is…

61 (6 13) BEDS ARE BURNING Midnight Oil 381250
62 (5 15) BATDANCE Prince 379800
63 (2 9) SYMPTOMS OF TRUE LOVE Tracie Spencer 371550
64 (3 9) PEOPLE HOLD ON Coldcut featuring Lisa Stansfield 371000
65 (8 11) LEAVE ME ALONE MIchael Jackson 370850
66 (4 10) GOOD LIFE Inner City 369500
67 (4 13) MANCHILD Neneh Cherry 365100
68 (4 13) BE WITH YOU The Bangles 364350
69 (4 8) TELL ME WHEN THE FEVER ENDED Electribe 101 362150
70 (7 14) LICENCE TO KILL Gladys Knight 361900

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We start with Martika’s dramatic Toy Soldiers, even a Prince gifted song couldn’t extend her career by much sadly, US hit Grayson Hugh (a holiday hit for me Ottawa/Niagara/Boston/New York touring) and another Kim Wilde Close cut. Holly Johnson had a brief chart-hitting solo post-Frankie Goes To Hollywood career, and Americanos was his best single, quite the shame he couldnt sustain it. 

S’Express’ run of hits continues with the fun Hey Music Lover, and the track that got revamped after they got big gives Texas a debut at 55, I Don’t Want a Lover has such a sense of space to it, while also echoing rootsy southern-USA rock. Malcolm McLaren has a second on the list with Something’s Jumpin In Your Shirt, and ex-Nana Siobhan teams with Marcella Detroit for a second chart run of success with fab debut You’re History, quirky and stand-out thanks to Marcella’s unusual vocals. 

That leaves two famous tracks, Tina Turner’s solo anthem The Best, with those sax riffs and pounding rhythms, and Kylie & Jason’s love-fest ballad, which is a great song despite all the cheesy-naffness accusations, and it was great having a male-female duet back as a format, now pretty much a dead format. 

and the pick is….

51 (2 9) ESPECIALLY FOR YOU Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan 439100
52 (6 9) THE BEST Tina Turner 438700
53 (3 13) YOU’RE HISTORY Shakespear’s Sister 435350
54 (4 11) SOMETHING’S JUMPIN’ IN YOUR SHIRT Malcolm McLaren featuring The Bootzilla Orchestra and Lisa Marie 405150
55 (11 11) I DON’T WANT A LOVER Texas 403650
56 (5 12) HEY MUSIC LOVER S’Express 396600
57 (5 13) LOVE IN THE NATURAL WAY Kim Wilde 389950
58 (4 12) AMERICANOS Holly Johnson 386000
59 (4 17) TALK IT OVER Grayson Hugh 384700
60 (6 11) TOY SOLDIERS Martika 381350

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The Blow Monkeys main man does a cool House dance duet with soulstress Kym Mazelle, Wait, and Eurythmics are heading towards the tail end of their great 80’s phase with a nice ballad Don’t Ask Me Why at 49, and Phil Collins Motown-ish Two Hearts from the Buster movie also makes the year-end 50 thanks to a recent chart boost revival, while a remix of M’s wonderful 1979 number 2, Pop Musik, does a decade-on one-better in hitting the top spot. 

Roxette debut with The Look, and they’ll be back in 1990 big-time, Janet Jackson’s title album track with great rhythms punches in at 45 where the lead track Miss You Much missed the list by much, another track that boosted it’s chart sales in 2020 jumps in at 44 for Yello’s second, Of Course I’m Lyin’. Oh no I’m not! 

Belinda Carlisle’s second year of Year-End 100’s continues with the catchy Leave A Light On, and Fine Young cannibals best track is at 42, She Drives Me Crazy. Love those guitar riffs! Which leaves the track to just miss out on the top 40…poor old Kate Bush, though that makes 10 years of regular appearances on year-end lists for the unique wondrous Ms Bush, The Sensual World being her latest seductive offering.

and the choice this time is….

41 (3 15) THE SENSUAL WORLD Kate Bush 477350
42 (5 12) SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY Fine Young Cannibals 470700
43 (3 15) LEAVE A LIGHT ON Belinda Carlisle 468800
44 (4 9) OF COURSE I’M LYING Yello 457350
45 (3 11) RHYTHM NATION Janet Jackson 456550
46 (4 14) THE LOOK Roxette 454800
47 (1 17) POP MUSIK ’89 M 449350
48 (5 8) TWO HEARTS Phil Collins 449150
49 (4 16) DON’T ASK ME WHY Eurythmics 448950
50 (2 14) WAIT Robert Howard and Kym Mazelle 448550

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Liza Minelli gets a 2nd slot at 40 with a Pet Shop Boys-produced single, the fab Losing My Mind, a cover of a showtune by Stephen Sondheim from Follies. It sounds pure PSB though. Then it’s Macca’s 2 singles off his album collaboration with Elvis Costello, an interesting mix of the 2 styles, although the melodic strength of This One was very Beatles-ey circa 1967. Cher has another big ol rock diva comeback, astride massive cannons in the video, and another USA trip biggie.

The UK Record of 1989 manages to bring Italian House act Black Box to 36 for the year, with Ride On Time being one of the best tracks of the year and on a par with some tracks which topped my charts where they had to make do with 3 as I was out the country for part of it’s UK run on top which dented it’s chart positions a bit as I didn’t get to hear it for over 2 weeks. Ya Kid K sings on Technotronic’s debut fab hit, Pump Up The Jam, and the Madonna inrush starts at 34 with Cherish, which had a lovely video and was big around the time I was on a boat watching Whales and dolphins. See the video for the link…

Then Madonna’s back again at 33, by virtue of Express Yourself topping my chart where Cherish was forced to peak at 5 and had a longer chart run. In retrospect I think that’s the right order, actually. We then have the little-known wonderful ballad from Swing Out Sister, Forever Blue was just a very minor chart hit, annoyingly. Pure class. That leaves Bobby Brown and his best track, Every Little Step at 31, with the possible exception of the fab Two Can Play That Game.

And the pick is….

31 (1 18) EVERY LITTLE STEP Bobby Brown 609575
32 (4 19) FOREVER BLUE Swing Out Sister 590300
33 (1 14) EXPRESS YOURSELF Madonna 581250
34 (5 18) CHERISH Madonna 576600
35 (3 15) PUMP UP THE JAM Technotronic featuring Felly (Ya Kid K) 514025
36 (3 16) RIDE ON TIME Black Box 512300
37 (3 17) IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME Cher 511350
38 (1 13) MY BRAVE FACE Paul McCartney 492750
39 (2 12) THIS ONE Paul McCartney 491300
40 (2 13) LOSING MY MIND Liza Minelli 482000

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The Bangles biggest track is at 30, Eternal Flame being the Big Ballad in their pretty good poprock back catalogue, and the 2nd of the year on the list. Let’s not mention that cover version. The Bee Gees commercial fortunes fade in and fade out depending on what’s popular at any given time, and I fail to see any drop in quality regardless, though they were in a more sombre reflective mood following the early death of younger brother Andy Gibb, such as One at 29. Waiting For A Star To Fall is a big ol’ slick pop tune, and the various sampling hitmakers in later years haven’t improved on the original. On the contrary I got sick of the hook to the detriment of the original.

Kon Kan, well, what can you say about a record that samples Rose Garden, a country classic, and turns it into pure cheese? Well done, actually! Still catchy and amusing. Stevie Nicks a legend these days, but shockingly Rooms On Fire was her only significant UK single solo hit. Absolutely criminal, her stuff outside Fleetwood Mac was often as good as her songs within! Rooms On Fire is her best solo record, possible exception of Edge Of Seventeen. Gloria Estefan gets a second of the year with the rather nice Can’t Stay Away From You, classy ballading.

Jason Donovan was mostly at the disposable end of SAW songs and productions, but they did bung him the odd pop gem, and this was the best one, When You Come Back To Me at 24. Back To Life announced Soul II Soul as a significant black soul music force, cos it’s great, though contrary to popular opinion they weren’t the first British black-music-based act to cross over worldwide, but they did move the style on influentially. 

Sydney Youngblood came out of nowhere doing his own thing, was big for a few months, and then faded into obscurity, and this was a radio monster of the time, If Only I Could. Liberian Girl was one of the sweeter songs off Bad, and it’s odd including a 2-year old track in 1989’s list, but I didn’t allow album tracks in 1987, or else the entire album would have made my charts and lost out on several number ones like this one. Maybe. The video is fun, spotting famous people, though it signalled the increasing ego and divorce from reality that was MJ’s future. 

and the pick is…

21 (1 19) LIBERIAN GIRL Michael Jackson 759650
22 (1 17) IF ONLY I COULD Sydney Youngblood 753550
23 (3 22) BACK TO LIFE Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler 708550
24 (2 10) WHEN YOU COME BACK TO ME Jason Donovan 706800
25 (3 15) CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine 705350
26 (1 16) ROOMS ON FIRE Stevie Nicks 697900
27 (2 15) I BEG YOUR PARDON Kon Kan 639000
28 (2 12) WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL Boy Meets Girl 627650
29 (4 24) ONE The Bee Gees 619400
30 (2 14) ETERNAL FLAME The Bangles 618200

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So we start with double Dusty at the bottom end of the top 20 of 1989, hot on the heels of her monster Pet Shop Boys duet in 1987, Chris & Neil had done an album with Dusty & Liza, which explains their relatively low-profile 1989. Both tracks were themed on the Scandal movie about the Profumo Affair, In Private a cheerful upbeat popdance tune, and the even-better news-event lyrics ballad Nothing Has Been Proved, on which Dusty showed she was still the best at interpreting. Nobody could sing like Dusty, still the greatest-ever, soulful, female pop singer – she just knew how to work the lyrics flawlessly, she really worked at getting perfection. Her live version (with Burt Bacharach) of A House Is Not A Home in 1970 is jaw-droppingly great.

Not to be outdone, Madonna also has 2 in the top 20, at the top of her game, and 4 on the list, starting with the sweetest record she ever made, the UK-only Xmassy single Dear Jessie (the US went for the less-good Keep It Together off Like A Prayer), all swirling strings and childhood lyrics, just adorable. 4 places higher at 14, her title track didn’t top the chart like 2 of the other album cuts, but has done better over-all. It’s a classic, only under-rated due to my grandma dying when it came out, and it was just too sad for me to cope with, what with the funeral and loss. I took refuge in 60’s oldies in happier times.

Talking of loss, and the greatest female singer of all-time, we lost the greatest male-singer of all-time in late 1988, but Jeff Lynne had joined with the brilliant Roy Orbison to gift a new album and lead single, the fab You Got It, at 17. OK, it wasn’t in the same timeless league as Runnin’ Scared, In Dreams, It’s Over and oodles of others when he was on the top of the vocal world (Roy could SING-EXCLAMATION-MARK, he had range and power and emotion), but it was a fab goodbye, as was the album. Living In A Box, meanwhile, do an about-turn after their big self-titled debut did the biz in 1987, they go all slushy…and make it sound great. Room In Your Heart is a great song.

Sam Brown, 60’s pop star Joe Brown’s daughter, had released a soulful show-stopper in 1988 but it hadn’t caught on in the charts (though it did with me), but second-time round did the trick, and Stop became the huge ballad hit it deserved to be, an amazing vocal performance on a great song, and her second on the 100. Donna Summer had been a bit out of sorts in the pop wilderness for a few years, after her ground-breaking debut and hit run of singles and albums, but SAW did us all a favour and gave her some rehabilitation and a makeover that was still dance diva, the fab This Time I Know It’s For Real, her final great single.

That leaves another 1988 hold-over that had not been the big hit it should have been, the sheer power of Sweet Child O’ Mine was a breath of fresh air, Guns ‘n’ Roses statement of intent that the overblown pomp-rock that dominated had just been served notice of eviction by a young punky rock act with attitude. Kim Wilde had a great 1988, and the 4th track off it started the year as the biggest single, and was also rather sweetly sad and touching, Four Letter Word taking the tempo right down after a brace of exciting uptempo hits.

…and the pick is….

11 (1 13) FOUR LETTER WORD Kim Wilde 999150
12 (1 12) SWEET CHILD O’ MINE Guns ‘n’ Roses 967500
13 (1 20) THIS TIME I KNOW IT’S FOR REAL Donna Summer 961450
14 (2 16) LIKE A PRAYER Madonna 868700
15 (1 16) STOP Sam Brown 866600
16 (1 14) ROOM IN YOUR HEART Living In A Box 822050
17 (1 21) YOU GOT IT Roy Orbison 817200
18 (1 15) DEAR JESSIE Madonna 813550
19 (1 25) NOTHING HAS BEEN PROVED Dusty Springfield 780250
20 (1 17) IN PRIVATE Dusty Springfield 766600

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So the top 10 starts with Pet Shops Boys cover of It’s Alright, a terrific, optimistic, socially-minded song at 10. That makes it 5 years in a row they make the year-end top 10. The second Bee Gees song in the countdown is at 9, a complete flop, but I found it quite lyrically touching, being as it was clearly influenced by their downbeat and sorrowful mood after their younger brother Andy had died aged 30. At 8, Kate Bush is back with a second top 100 entry, This Woman’s Work, a heartbreaking gem about the sometimes burdens of women, again immensely touching.

At 7, and clearly a year in which women were getting an increasing share of the pop music limelight, Lisa Stansfield gets a second with her smash All Around The World, still her signature song, all sophisticated soul harking back to Barry White and the early 70’s Philly Soul era. At 6, Sheena Easton was gifted a brilliant Prince song, her best record by a million miles, sexy, building to a climax, bursting with attitude…and 101 remains unloved by everyone but me. Play her biggest hit 9 To 5 (Morning Train) then this. No comparison. 

Top 5, another flop, twice over it topped my chart, in this version and a revamp in the early 90’s, and this old-fashioned slow soul ballad still couldn’t grab a hit, leaving Distant Cousins one of the many many pop music wannabes that never got the got the hit they deserved. Top female song of the year? Gloria Estefan’s I Don’t Want To Lose You. I’d loved her ballads leading up to it, bought the new album, and it just clicked with me. In retrospect, my least fave of the top 10, but still a good sad love ballad.

Top solo star of the year is Elton John at 2 and 3, thanks largely to both tracks getting a massive reissued UK double-A-side boost in 1990 which topped the charts. as with The Bee Gees though, my rating of Elton songs was unrelated to commercial success and I was fresh off seeing Elton in concert at Wembley Arena. Healing hands topped my chart, and then Sacrifice did the same, with a boost in early 1990 as it was a big airplay hit in Florida during a holiday there. Then the UK caught up and they both benefitted on this list from that. Healing Hands is gospel-rock and inspirational, Sacrifice is overplayed and I’ve gone off it in the years since, though it’s still sweet.

Top spot then, they did it in 1985, and have it again in 1989, Tears For Fears monster-length Beatles-inspired Sowing The Seeds Of Love. I bought the CD single in New York City Tower records, I bought the album, and I loved the 60’s vibes, the positivity and optimism, and the singalong anthem chorus. It may well still be my fave track of 1989.

and the choice is…

1 (1 21) SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE Tears For Fears 1975150
2 (1 11) SACRIFICE Elton John 1963100
3 (1 18) HEALING HANDS Elton John 1657200
4 (1 25) I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU Gloria Estefan 1424200
5 (1 11) YOU USED TO Distant Cousins 1215100
6 (1 16) “101”” Sheena Easton 1176050
7 (1 13) ALL AROUND THE WORLD Lisa Stansfield 1171500
8 (1 55) THIS WOMAN’S WORK Kate Bush 1149750
9 (1 22) ORDINARY LIVES The Bee Gees 1114250
10 (1 15) IT’S ALRIGHT Pet Shop Boys 1005300

My October 1988 Charts

Old Harry Rocks, Studland Dorset 1988

2nd October 1988

It’s straight in at 1 for the 2-year-old Love Is All That Matters as it finally gets a belated single release from the Jam & Lewis dance album collaboration. The Human League’s 8th number one was so bleedingly obvious a stand-out track it should have been the second single in 1986 and it would have been much bigger than it was in 1988, and I Need Your Loving was. One of the first CD singles I bought, too. In at 4, a fave Osmonds record from 1971 when they their own cartoon TV show and tried to sound like The Jackson 5, now out on 12-inch, One Bad Apple is just delicious and was a UK flop and US chart-topper, bizarrely. 

Back at 11, Aztec Camera give Deep And Wide And Tall a second release and enter at 11, higher than first-time, while Erasure shoot up into the 20 with the thrice-hit-song A Little Respect (Bjorn Again after Erasure did Abbaesque, and Wheatus). Kim Wilde also gets a decent top 20 climb with Never Trust A stranger, U2 shoot up with Desire, and Duran Duran OTOH don;t want your love. The Christians cover The Isley Brothers 1976 top 3, Harvest For The World, and enter at 38, as Maxi Priest follows-up nicely at 49.

The Eagles’ Glen Frey adds True Love to his solo hits, for 16 years of chart activity, and The Beatmasters hook up with 60’s UK soul songstress the fab PP Arnold and introduce her to a new audience. Labi Siffre gets a third comeback entry, someone I currently follow on twitter, with his poetry and social commentary, having suffered some years of personal difficulties. Whitney sneaks in with her Olympic UK chart-topper, but fear not it’ll drop out next week, being as it’s overblown, while Black return with one I don’t remember but it’s probably very decent. 

In my life I went to see Belinda Carlisle in concert this week, and was very surprised at how good she was (my mate was a fan, so I went along cos he wanted to see her), especially stuff from her current album that hadn’t been a single (Cream’s I Feel Free especially), and her cover of the Gogo’s/Fun Boy Three co-write Our Lips Are Sealed. The singles were obviously all fab in a live setting and she had more than enough good material for a great night out. 

1 ( NEW ) LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS Human League
2 ( 2 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
3 ( 1 ) DOMINO DANCING Pet Shop Boys
4 ( NEW ) ONE BAD APPLE The Osmonds
5 ( 3 ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers
6 ( 6 ) DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY Bobby McFerrin
7 ( 8 ) YOU’RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward
8 ( 4 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
9 ( 9 ) ANCHORAGE Michelle-Shocked
10 ( 5 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack

11 ( NEW ) DEEP AND WIDE AND TALL Aztec Camera
12 ( 7 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle
13 ( 11 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan
14 ( 37 ) A LITTLE RESPECT Erasure
15 ( 18 ) FAKE (’88 REMIX) Alexander O’ Neal
16 ( 34 ) NEVER TRUST A STRANGER Kim Wilde
17 ( 10 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson
18 ( 15 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante
19 ( 25 ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas
20 ( 14 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins

21 ( 13 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond
22 ( 54 ) DESIRE U2
23 ( 30 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti
24 ( 19 ) BIG FUN Inner City/ Kevin Saunderson
25 ( 16 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond
26 ( 21 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde
27 ( 12 ) SWEET CHILD O’ MINE Guns ‘n’ Roses
28 ( 22 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson
29 ( 29 ) PLEASE HELP THE CAUSE AGAINST LONELINESS Sandie Shaw
30 ( 33 ) THE RUMOUR Olivia Newton-John

31 ( 28 ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps
32 ( 17 ) STOP THIS CRAZY THING Coldcut/ Junior Reid
33 ( 20 ) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops/ Smokey Robinson
34 ( 23 ) SKIN DEEP Cher
35 ( 39 ) MAYA Errol Brown
36 ( 36 ) SPARE PARTS Bruce Springsteen
37 ( 26 ) RUSH HOUR Jane Wiedlin
38 ( NEW ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Christians
39 ( 65 ) I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE Duran Duran
40 ( 38 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

41 ( 32 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham
42 ( 35 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
43 ( 24 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40
44 ( 56 ) LOVE TRUTH AND HONESTY Bananarama
45 ( 40 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
46 ( 27 ) THE ONLY WAY IS UP Yazz & The Plastic Population
47 ( 45 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
48 ( 46 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
49 ( NEW ) GOODBYE TO LOVE AGAIN Maxi Priest
50 ( 31 ) LEAD ME ON Amy Grant

51 ( 60 ) I’M GONNA BE (500 MILES) The Proclaimers
52 ( 50 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
53 ( NEW ) TRUE LOVE Glen Frey
54 ( 42 ) HANDS TO HEAVEN Breathe
55 ( 44 ) SOLDIER OF LOVE Donny Osmond
56 ( 53 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
57 ( 70 ) TURN IT INTO LOVE Hazell Dean
58 ( 58 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
59 ( 47 ) FIND MY LOVE Fairground Attraction
60 ( 59 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees

61 ( 43 ) DON’T MAKE ME WAIT Bomb The Bass
62 ( 48 ) GOOD TRADITION Tanita Tikarim
63 ( 62 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
64 ( 41 ) TOWN OF PLENTY Elton John
65 ( 55 ) EASY The Commodores
66 ( 66 ) NOTHING CAN DIVIDE US Jason Donovan
67 ( 73 ) BAD MEDICINE Bon Jovi
68 ( NEW ) BURN IT UP Beastmasters/ P.P. Arnold
69 ( 72 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
70 ( NEW ) LISTEN TO THE VOICES Labi Siffre

71 ( NEW ) ONE MOMENT IN TIME Whitney Houston
72 ( NEW ) HALLELUJAH MAN Love And Money
73 ( NEW ) THE BIG ONE Black
74 ( 71 ) JUMP START Natalie Cole
75 ( 75 ) BAD Michael Jackson

PLAYIST OLDIES
Belinda Carlisle Live at Bournemouth International Centre
1 I FEEL FREE
2 SHOULD I LET YOU IN?
3 OUR LIPS ARE SEALED

9th October 1988

It’s a second week on top for Love Is All That Matters (though food doesn’t hurt too) as The Osmonds hit 2 17 years late and get their highest chart position to boot, outdoing 1973’s top 5 Goin’ Home. Nick Heyward gets his biggest solo chart hit since Blue Hat For A Blue Day also hit 5 in 1983, and his 4th top 5 in total including Haircut 100’s Nobody’s Fool and Love Plus One which both peaked at 2. Erasure get a 3rd top 10, though Vince has another 5 previous in different guises, as they get into their classic period, and Kim Wilde makes it a 2nd top 10 from Close, and her 7th to date. 

Highest new entry is a debut for Enya at 21, the fab Orinoco Flow bringing her beautifully-produced Celtic-tinged harmonies to world music, and just behind are the Wee Papa Girl Rappers, who didn’t make quite the same splash on the world stage with Wee Rule at 23. Hazell Dean makes it 4 top 40’s, and in at 36 is a debut for the huge US hit What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) from Information Society, as US bands learn from the Second British synth-based Invasion. It’s a great track, I got mum & dad to buy me it in the USA while they were touring on holiday as it wasn’t available in the UK at the time. It samples Leonard Nimoy aka Star Trek’s Mr Spock, reason enough to buy it anyway!

Bananarama get their 16th top 40 track with only 3 singles peaking between 41 and 75 since their first hit in 1981, meanwhile the future-even-longer-chart-runner Kylie is back with Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi and her best single to date at 63, and The Adventures keep the run going with One Step From Heaven at 66. Rick Astley is already running out decent material with She Wants To Dance With Me new at 67, Gloria Estefan is back in latin-bop mode with 1-2-3 at 71, Tom Jones is also back – not a huge ballad this time though, it’s an Art Of Noise collaboration cover of Prince’s Kiss that kicks in at 72, just ahead of Ziggy Marley’s latest Tumblin’ Down. Next week, tumbin’ down and out as it happens!

1 ( 1 ) LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS Human League
2 ( 4 ) ONE BAD APPLE The Osmonds
3 ( 3 ) DOMINO DANCING Pet Shop Boys
4 ( 5 ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers
5 ( 7 ) YOU’RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward
6 ( 2 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
7 ( 14 ) A LITTLE RESPECT Erasure
8 ( 9 ) ANCHORAGE Michelle-Shocked
9 ( 16 ) NEVER TRUST A STRANGER Kim Wilde
10 ( 10 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack

11 ( 11 ) DEEP AND WIDE AND TALL Aztec Camera
12 ( 6 ) DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY Bobby McFerrin
13 ( 8 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
14 ( 19 ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas
15 ( 15 ) FAKE (’88 REMIX) Alexander O’ Neal
16 ( 22 ) DESIRE U2
17 ( 13 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan
18 ( 18 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante
19 ( 23 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti
20 ( 12 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle

21 ( NEW ) ORINOCO FLOW Enya
22 ( 17 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson
23 ( NEW ) WEE RULE Wee Papa Girl Rappers
24 ( 21 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond
25 ( 20 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins
26 ( 39 ) I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE Duran Duran
27 ( 31 ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps
28 ( 38 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Christians
29 ( 24 ) BIG FUN Inner City/ Kevin Saunderson
30 ( 57 ) TURN IT INTO LOVE Hazell Dean

31 ( 26 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde
32 ( 28 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson
33 ( 25 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond
34 ( 32 ) STOP THIS CRAZY THING Coldcut/ Junior Reid
35 ( 68 ) BURN IT UP Beastmasters/ P.P. Arnold
36 ( NEW ) WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND (PURE ENERGY) Information Society
37 ( 37 ) RUSH HOUR Jane Wiedlin
38 ( 27 ) SWEET CHILD O’ MINE Guns ‘n’ Roses
39 ( 40 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
40 ( 44 ) LOVE TRUTH AND HONESTY Bananarama

41 ( 35 ) MAYA Errol Brown
42 ( 34 ) SKIN DEEP Cher
43 ( 42 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
44 ( 41 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham
45 ( 29 ) PLEASE HELP THE CAUSE AGAINST LONELINESS Sandie Shaw
46 ( 49 ) GOODBYE TO LOVE AGAIN Maxi Priest
47 ( 47 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
48 ( 48 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
49 ( 45 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
50 ( 53 ) TRUE LOVE Glen Frey

51 ( 33 ) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops/ Smokey Robinson
52 ( 52 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
53 ( 30 ) THE RUMOUR Olivia Newton-John
54 ( 46 ) THE ONLY WAY IS UP Yazz & The Plastic Population
55 ( 36 ) SPARE PARTS Bruce Springsteen
56 ( 56 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
57 ( 43 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40
58 ( 58 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
59 ( 60 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
60 ( 66 ) NOTHING CAN DIVIDE US Jason Donovan

61 ( 55 ) SOLDIER OF LOVE Donny Osmond
62 ( 63 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
63 ( NEW ) JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI Kylie Minogue
64 ( 54 ) HANDS TO HEAVEN Breathe
65 ( 59 ) FIND MY LOVE Fairground Attraction
66 ( NEW ) ONE STEP FROM HEAVEN The Adventures
67 ( NEW ) SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH ME Rick Astley
68 ( 69 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
69 ( 70 ) LISTEN TO THE VOICES Labi Siffre
70 ( 65 ) EASY The Commodores

71 ( NEW ) “1-2-3” Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
72 ( NEW ) KISS Tom Jones & The Art Of Noise
73 ( NEW ) TUMBLIN’ DOWN Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
74 ( 74 ) JUMP START Natalie Cole
75 ( 75 ) BAD Michael Jackson

Playlist oldies and album tracks of that week
1 ALL I EVER NEED IS YOU Sonny & Cher
2 SOMETHING IS HAPPENING Herman’s Hermits
3 IT MUST BE LOVE Labi Siffre

16th October 1988

It’s 3 weeks on top for Love Is All That Matters as US biggie Information Society’s What’s On Your Mind leaps up to 2 to challenge for the top spot along with Michelle-Shocked’s wonderful Anchorage. U2 add another top 10 to the growing list as Desire is up 6, while highest new entry is a remix (yet another) of a 70’s classic, the Four Seasons December ’63, at 18 12 years since topping my chart. The Christians get a 4th year of top 20’s following The Isley Brothers 1976 Harvest For The World into the upper tier.

Milli Vanilli debut at 22 with Girl You Know It’s True. I say Milli Vanilli – it’s actually Frank “Boney M” Farian & session singers. As he’d gotten away with singing the Boney M male parts himself, and had a dancer lipsynch them on stage, he had form with the concept. It all ended tragically with suicide, as Americans weren’t as accepting of the well-established European concept of hiring good-looking people to mime along to better singers. Which all sours any enjoyment for the pop song these days. 

Kylie leaps 30 places to 33, I don’t know why? Robbie Robertson follows-up his stroll down the lazy river with a fallen angel, Yazz follows the only way is up by standing up for her love rights – you go girl! – and Diana Ross pops in with one I’d forgotten, Mr Lee, giving her 20 years of chart entries. Ditto Stevie Wonder, with one I still don’t remember, and finally it’s a debut for that very very irritating big hit We call It ACIIEEEEEEEED, from D Mob. I expect they meant to use an apostrophe to make it make sense, as ‘NSync did, as in here’s a hit from de mob, but punctuation clearly not a thing. Not that that made any difference to UK radio in the case of “In Sync”, a clever play on the musical and social meaning, which became a meaningless En Sync to most people. Still annoys me that.

1 ( 1 ) LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS Human League
2 ( 36 ) WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND (PURE ENERGY) Information Society
3 ( 2 ) ONE BAD APPLE The Osmonds
4 ( 8 ) ANCHORAGE Michelle-Shocked
5 ( 3 ) DOMINO DANCING Pet Shop Boys
6 ( 7 ) A LITTLE RESPECT Erasure
7 ( 9 ) NEVER TRUST A STRANGER Kim Wilde
8 ( 4 ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers
9 ( 6 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
10 ( 16 ) DESIRE U2

11 ( 5 ) YOU’RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward
12 ( 10 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack
13 ( 13 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
14 ( 12 ) DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY Bobby McFerrin
15 ( 21 ) ORINOCO FLOW Enya
16 ( 14 ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas
17 ( 11 ) DEEP AND WIDE AND TALL Aztec Camera
18 ( NEW ) DECEMBER ’63 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) ’88 The Four Seasons
19 ( 23 ) WEE RULE Wee Papa Girl Rappers
20 ( 28 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Christians

21 ( 17 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan
22 ( NEW ) GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE Milli Vanilli
23 ( 15 ) FAKE (’88 REMIX) Alexander O’ Neal
24 ( 18 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante
25 ( 26 ) I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE Duran Duran
26 ( 19 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti
27 ( 35 ) BURN IT UP Beastmasters/ P.P. Arnold
28 ( 30 ) TURN IT INTO LOVE Hazell Dean
29 ( 24 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond
30 ( 22 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

31 ( 20 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle
32 ( 29 ) BIG FUN Inner City/ Kevin Saunderson
33 ( 63 ) JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI Kylie Minogue
34 ( 31 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde
35 ( 25 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins
36 ( 32 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson
37 ( 27 ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps
38 ( 40 ) LOVE TRUTH AND HONESTY Bananarama
39 ( 39 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
40 ( 34 ) STOP THIS CRAZY THING Coldcut/ Junior Reid

41 ( 33 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond
42 ( 37 ) RUSH HOUR Jane Wiedlin
43 ( 47 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
44 ( 43 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
45 ( 38 ) SWEET CHILD O’ MINE Guns ‘n’ Roses
46 ( 48 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
47 ( 44 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham
48 ( 50 ) TRUE LOVE Glen Frey
49 ( NEW ) FALLEN ANGEL Robbie Robertson
50 ( 71 ) “1-2-3” Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine

51 ( 42 ) SKIN DEEP Cher
52 ( 52 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
53 ( 49 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
54 ( 41 ) MAYA Errol Brown
55 ( 66 ) ONE STEP FROM HEAVEN The Adventures
56 ( 72 ) KISS Tom Jones & The Art Of Noise
57 ( 62 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
58 ( 58 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
59 ( 59 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
60 ( 56 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael

61 ( 54 ) THE ONLY WAY IS UP Yazz & The Plastic Population
62 ( NEW ) STAND UP FOR YOUR LOVE RIGHTS Yazz & The Plastic Population
63 ( 57 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40
64 ( 46 ) GOODBYE TO LOVE AGAIN Maxi Priest
65 ( 51 ) INDESTRUCTIBLE The Four Tops/ Smokey Robinson
66 ( 68 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
67 ( NEW ) MR. LEE Diana Ross
68 ( 45 ) PLEASE HELP THE CAUSE AGAINST LONELINESS Sandie Shaw
69 ( NEW ) MY EYES DON’T CRY Stevie Wonder
70 ( 70 ) EASY The Commodores

71 ( 61 ) SOLDIER OF LOVE Donny Osmond
72 ( NEW ) WE CALL IT ACIEED D Mob/ Gary Hartman
73 ( 64 ) HANDS TO HEAVEN Breathe
74 ( 75 ) BAD Michael Jackson
75 ( 53 ) THE RUMOUR Olivia Newton-John

Playlist oldies of the week
1 THE BEAUTIFUL ONES Prince
2 AMOUREUSE Kiki Dee
3 I’LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Bobbie Gentry

23rd October 1988

It’s 4 weeks on top as Human League hold off Information Society from the top slot, Kim Wilde gets a second top 5 off Close and Milli Vanilli get a top 10 along with Enya’s gem Orinoco Flo. Presumably Orinoco Flo was a womble of some sorts. The Four Seasons meanwhile take December ’63 into the top 5 for a second time. Highest new entry is a spruced-up version of INXS’s brilliant Need You Tonight, which had underperformed first time round in the UK, but which properly Kick’s off album sales along with a big UK hit 2nd-time round. In at 13, peaking higher than the 17 it hit in 1987 in my charts. 

Kylie gets a 2nd top 20 of the year, Robert Palmer says she makes his day entering in at 28, his first top 40 since I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On in 1986 and a decade on from his chart debut. Kiss and 1-2-3 shoot up into the 40, as Prince rushes in at 38 with I Wish U Heaven, one of his best tracks, albeit not one of his most-remembered, love the video and the melody. Heart have Nothing Art All entering at 39, contradicting reality as it’s about the 6th or 7th top 40 in a row. 

Tanita Tikarim gets a second hit as the fably dark Twist In My Sobriety is in at 51. I still regret that it wasn’t covered in the style of The Beatles Twist & Shout or Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s version of the same. It would have made me laugh, even if no-one else would have. Jane Weidlin follows-up with Inside A Dream, Julian Cope returns with new track Charlotte Ann at 62 7 years since his teardop first exploded, Pat Benatar also returns as she instructs Don;t Walk Away, Womack & Womack’s Teardrops have left them pondering Life Is Just A Ball-Game at 73: presumably they mean long periods of inactivity punctuated by occasional spurts of interest. The perfect metaphor for 2020, I say! Deacon Blue pop in with their best record, Real Gone Kid, and T’Pau start to lose steam a bit with a secret garden, looking a bit overgrown these days.

1 ( 1 ) LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS Human League
2 ( 2 ) WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND (PURE ENERGY) Information Society
3 ( 3 ) ONE BAD APPLE The Osmonds
4 ( 18 ) DECEMBER ’63 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) ’88 The Four Seasons
5 ( 7 ) NEVER TRUST A STRANGER Kim Wilde
6 ( 6 ) A LITTLE RESPECT Erasure
7 ( 15 ) ORINOCO FLOW Enya
8 ( 10 ) DESIRE U2
9 ( 4 ) ANCHORAGE Michelle-Shocked
10 ( 22 ) GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE Milli Vanilli

11 ( 5 ) DOMINO DANCING Pet Shop Boys
12 ( 9 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
13 ( NEW ) NEED YOU TONIGHT (MENDOHLSON MIX) INXS
14 ( 20 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Christians
15 ( 8 ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers
16 ( 13 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
17 ( 12 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack
18 ( 33 ) JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI Kylie Minogue
19 ( 14 ) DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY Bobby McFerrin
20 ( 11 ) YOU’RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward

21 ( 19 ) WEE RULE Wee Papa Girl Rappers
22 ( 16 ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas
23 ( 23 ) FAKE (’88 REMIX) Alexander O’ Neal
24 ( 25 ) I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE Duran Duran
25 ( 17 ) DEEP AND WIDE AND TALL Aztec Camera
26 ( 21 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan
27 ( 27 ) BURN IT UP Beastmasters/ P.P. Arnold
28 ( NEW ) SHE MAKES MY DAY Robert Palmer
29 ( 38 ) LOVE TRUTH AND HONESTY Bananarama
30 ( 24 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante

31 ( 29 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond
32 ( 30 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson
33 ( 50 ) “1-2-3” Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
34 ( 34 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde
35 ( 35 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins
36 ( 26 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti
37 ( NEW ) I WISH U HEAVEN Prince
38 ( NEW ) NOTHING AT ALL Heart
39 ( 39 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
40 ( 56 ) KISS Tom Jones & The Art Of Noise

41 ( 55 ) ONE STEP FROM HEAVEN The Adventures
42 ( 28 ) TURN IT INTO LOVE Hazell Dean
43 ( 43 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
44 ( 36 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson
45 ( 37 ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps
46 ( 44 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
47 ( 46 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
48 ( 32 ) BIG FUN Inner City/ Kevin Saunderson
49 ( 49 ) FALLEN ANGEL Robbie Robertson
50 ( 31 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle

51 ( NEW ) TWIST IN MY SOBRIETY Tanita Tikarim
52 ( 47 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham
53 ( 52 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
54 ( 57 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
55 ( NEW ) INSIDE A DREAM Jane Wiedlin
56 ( 58 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
57 ( 53 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
58 ( 62 ) STAND UP FOR YOUR LOVE RIGHTS Yazz & The Plastic Population
59 ( 59 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
60 ( 60 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael

61 ( 72 ) WE CALL IT ACIEED D Mob/ Gary Hartman
62 ( NEW ) CHARLOTTE ANN Julian Cope
63 ( 45 ) SWEET CHILD O’ MINE Guns ‘n’ Roses
64 ( 67 ) MR. LEE Diana Ross
65 ( 66 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
66 ( 63 ) WHERE DID I GO WRONG UB40
67 ( 69 ) MY EYES DON’T CRY Stevie Wonder
68 ( 41 ) TEARS RUN RINGS Marc Almond
69 ( RE ) ONE MOMENT IN TIME Whitney Houston
70 ( NEW ) I CAN HEAR YOUR HEARTBEAT Chris Rea

71 ( NEW ) DON’T WALK AWAY Pat Benatar
72 ( 74 ) BAD Michael Jackson
73 ( NEW ) LIFE IS JUST A BALLGAME Womack & Womack
74 ( NEW ) REAL GONE KID Deacon Blue
75 ( NEW ) SECRET GARDEN T’Pau

Playlist faves of that week
1 I MET HIM ON A SUNDAY Laura Nyro
2 WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER Pet Shop Boys
3 THE BELLS Laura Nyro

30th October 1988

It’s a first week on top for Information Society and the Spock-tastic What’s On Your Mind. Been sitting in my “contenders for BJSC” pile for years that one. Enya is up to 3 with Orinoco Flow, with Bryan Ferry’s remix of a brilliant 1976 cover of a not-that-good series of versions of Let’s Work Together in at 4, having peaked at 2 first-time round. Ferry’s frantic, sax-dominated version pisses over them all from a great height. Kylie, meanwhile, makes it 2 top 10’s of the year, something she’ll make a habit of for the next 32 years. The Christians good cover of the great Isley Brothers makes it 3 1976 songs in the top 10.

In at 11, The Four Seasons join themselves with an original version of a 60’s classic, Big Girls Don’t Cry, in at 11 as I anticipate Jersey Boys a decade or 2 early, one of the great stage shows of a great back-catalogue – you know it’s classic when zillions of pop stars have hits with your material, half of them way bigger hits than the originals (in the UK, that is, the US always loved them). Deacon Blue rocket up to 18 from 74, Real Gone Kids, Tanita twists her sobriety into the 30, and new in at 29, Annie Lennox goes solo a bit early (sort of) as she duets on the 60’s Jackie De Shannon track Put A Little Love In Your Heart with the reverend Al Green, soulmaster Al returning minus the sexy sounds, but still with the voice, giving him 17 years of chart entries.

At 32, it’s a new band. Well, a new superstar band, that is, as Roy, Bob, George, Jeff & Tom get together for an album romp as the Traveling Wilburys & Handle With Care. It was SO great to have Roy Orbison’s vocals back in the charts, such a joy, I grew up on his stuff, and still think he’s probably the greatest pop vocalist of all-time. Guns ‘n’ Roses bring Welcome To The Jungle in at 60, Robin Beck brings a plodding soft drinks advert song in, Eddy Grant is 20 years charting, albeit with one I don’t recall – but I’m sure it’s good. Scritti go Boom! Still doing it well. The Fat Boys cover the 60’s garage classic, one might argue Louie Louie was the first punk record, and sneakin in at extra 76, Kissing A Fool is getting album plays from me just ahead of single release (which excluded it from my charts in those days, so it’s getting an add-on belatedly)

1 ( 2 ) WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND (PURE ENERGY) Information Society
2 ( 1 ) LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS Human League
3 ( 7 ) ORINOCO FLOW Enya
4 ( NEW ) LET’S STICK TOGETHER ’88 Bryan Ferry
5 ( 10 ) GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE Milli Vanilli
6 ( 4 ) DECEMBER ’63 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) ’88 The Four Seasons
7 ( 18 ) JE NE SAIS PAS POURQUOI Kylie Minogue
8 ( 3 ) ONE BAD APPLE The Osmonds
9 ( 5 ) NEVER TRUST A STRANGER Kim Wilde
10 ( 14 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Christians

11 ( NEW ) BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY The Four Seasons
12 ( 12 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
13 ( 13 ) NEED YOU TONIGHT (MENDOHLSON MIX) INXS
14 ( 8 ) DESIRE U2
15 ( 6 ) A LITTLE RESPECT Erasure
16 ( 11 ) DOMINO DANCING Pet Shop Boys
17 ( 15 ) LOVELY DAY (SUNSHINE MIX) Bill Withers
18 ( 74 ) REAL GONE KID Deacon Blue
19 ( 16 ) HE AIN’T HEAVY…HE’S MY BROTHER The Hollies
20 ( 9 ) ANCHORAGE Michelle-Shocked

21 ( 17 ) TEARDROPS Womack & Womack
22 ( 51 ) TWIST IN MY SOBRIETY Tanita Tikarim
23 ( 19 ) DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY Bobby McFerrin
24 ( 28 ) SHE MAKES MY DAY Robert Palmer
25 ( 37 ) I WISH U HEAVEN Prince
26 ( 40 ) KISS Tom Jones & The Art Of Noise
27 ( 20 ) YOU’RE MY WORLD Nick Heyward
28 ( 25 ) DEEP AND WIDE AND TALL Aztec Camera
29 ( NEW ) PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART Annie Lennox/ Al Green
30 ( 22 ) RIDING ON A TRAIN The Pasadenas

31 ( 23 ) FAKE (’88 REMIX) Alexander O’ Neal
32 ( NEW ) HANDLE WITH CARE Traveling Wilbury’s
33 ( 33 ) “1-2-3” Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
34 ( NEW ) CAN YOU PARTY Royal House
35 ( 27 ) BURN IT UP Beastmasters/ P.P. Arnold
36 ( 21 ) WEE RULE Wee Papa Girl Rappers
37 ( 39 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
38 ( 38 ) NOTHING AT ALL Heart
39 ( 34 ) YOU CAME Kim Wilde
40 ( 32 ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

41 ( 26 ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan
42 ( 43 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
43 ( 30 ) YE KE YE KE Mory Kante
44 ( 41 ) ONE STEP FROM HEAVEN The Adventures
45 ( 31 ) THE HARDER I TRY Brother Beyond
46 ( 46 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
47 ( 47 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
48 ( 55 ) INSIDE A DREAM Jane Wiedlin
49 ( 44 ) SOMEWHERE DOWN THE CRAZY RIVER Robbie Robertson
50 ( 35 ) GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Phil Collins

51 ( 36 ) FIRST BOY IN THIS TOWN (LOVESICK) Scritti Politti
52 ( RE ) LISTEN TO THE VOICES Labi Siffre
53 ( 53 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
54 ( 54 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
55 ( 58 ) STAND UP FOR YOUR LOVE RIGHTS Yazz & The Plastic Population
56 ( 56 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
57 ( 45 ) ANOTHER LOVER Giant Steps
58 ( 60 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
59 ( 59 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
60 ( NEW ) WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE Guns ‘N’ Roses

61 ( 57 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
62 ( 24 ) I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE Duran Duran
63 ( 52 ) HAPPY EVER AFTER Julia Fordham
64 ( 69 ) ONE MOMENT IN TIME Whitney Houston
65 ( NEW ) FIRST TIME Robin Beck
66 ( 65 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
67 ( 70 ) I CAN HEAR YOUR HEARTBEAT Chris Rea
68 ( 29 ) LOVE TRUTH AND HONESTY Bananarama
69 ( 50 ) WORLD WITHOUT YOU Belinda Carlisle
70 ( 73 ) LIFE IS JUST A BALLGAME Womack & Womack

71 ( 48 ) BIG FUN Inner City/ Kevin Saunderson
72 ( NEW ) PUT A HOLD ON IT Eddy Grant
73 ( 72 ) BAD Michael Jackson
74 ( NEW ) BOOM! THERE SHE WAS Scritti Politti
75 ( NEW ) LOUIE LOUIE The Fat Boys
76 ( NEW ) KISSING A FOOL George Michael

FAVE OLDIES/ALBUM TRACKS OF THE WEEK
1 KISSING A FOOL George Michael
2 LEGEND OF XANADU Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
3 REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE Marmalade

My October 1990 Charts

• 

You know where….1990

7th October 1990

It’s a first week on top for Pet Shop Boys’ So Hard, the only upbeat dance track off the new album Behaviour and their 10th chart-topper, with at least another 3 they’ve written and produced. Highest new entry is the latest cut from current fave album Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1, George Michael’s gorgeous Waiting For The Day in at 4, closely chased by the latest remixed single from Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation album, Love Will Never Do Without You in at 8 – though the album version is the best version as always with this album. The UK dance scene required Housed-up versions when the Jam & Lewis versions were perfect as envisioned.

Paul Simon rockets up with The Obvious Child to 12, fab rhythmically that one, and gives him 18 years of solo top 20’s and 21 years including Garfunkel days, as The Charlatans make it two top 20’s in a row. Kim Wilde is also back in the 20 9 years from debut, and still making my charts in 2020, while a-ha enter at 17 with their great cover of the old Everley Brothers gem for 5 years and counting since Take On Me. Belinda Carlisle’s run of non-stop biggies rolls on with We Want The Same Thing up to 18, and a bunch of tracks enter in the 30’s: Tina Turner wants her baby to be tender, Aztec Camera hook up with The Clash’s Mick Jones, ex of Big Audio Dynamite, making 7 years for Roddy Frame & 12 years for Mick. Jeff Lynne follows-up his solo biggie at 39, and Paul McCartney covers his own Birthday, in a live version I think. 

MC Hammer re-enters into the 40 with his murder of the Chi-Lites classic, Have You Seen Her, and The Soup Dragons rocket through Mother Universe up to 25. Lower down Stevie Wonder keeps the minor hits trotting out with no danger of returning to old top 40 days, Quo go all karaoke, both of them Class of 1968 in decline, Michael Bolton is a soul provider, New Kids On The Block join in the classic soul murdering, this time The Delfonics, and like Hammer it’s the strength of the songs getting them in the chart despite the quality-check slipping. 

Technotronic are already reduced to Stars On megamix status, somebody called Timmo has a song called Flowers and I know nothing about it. Not on google either so I may have got the name wrong (my handwriting and the pencil is fading!) leaving an early entry for forthcoming Ghost-massive oldie Unchained Melody, the Phil Spector-definitive version of the classic song from 1965. It’s topping my playlist of the week despite not yet charting (oldies only allowed if they charted in 1990) so it’s getting a retrospective spot of 76 – it would have been much higher with a rule change.

1 ( 3 ) SO HARD Pet Shop Boys
2 ( 1 ) SHOW ME HEAVEN Maria McKee
3 ( 2 ) FASCINATING RHYTHM Bass-O-Matic
4 ( NEW ) WAITING FOR THE DAY George Michael
5 ( 10 ) I CAN’T STAND IT Twenty 4 Seven featuring Captain Hollywood
6 ( 8 ) I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU Londonbeat
7 ( 4 ) GROOVE IS IN THE HEART Deee-Lite
8 ( NEW ) LOVE WILL NEVER DO WITHOUT YOU (ALBUM VERSION/REMIX VERSION) Janet Jackson
9 ( 9 ) BLUE VELVET Bobby Vinton
10 ( 5 ) CULT OF SNAP Snap!

11 ( 6 ) PRAYING FOR TIME George Michael
12 ( 59 ) THE OBVIOUS CHILD Paul Simon
13 ( 7 ) GHETTO CHILD (REMIX) The Detroit Spinners
14 ( 28 ) THEN The Charlatans
15 ( 23 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH Kim Wilde
16 ( 11 ) THUNDERSTRUCK AC/DC
17 ( NEW ) CRYING IN THE RAIN a-ha
18 ( 39 ) (WE WANT) THE SAME THING Belinda Carlisle
19 ( 18 ) ONLY YOUR LOVE Bananarama
20 ( 12 ) AFRICA Toto

21 ( 16 ) WE’VE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE The Animals
22 ( 13 ) TOM’S DINER DNA featuring Suzanne Vega
23 ( 14 ) WHERE ARE YOU BABY Betty Boo
24 ( 17 ) THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE Prince
25 ( 61 ) MOTHER UNIVERSE The Soup Dragons
26 ( 27 ) IT’S A SHAME (MY SISTER) Monie Love featuring True Image
27 ( 34 ) SPIN THAT WHEEL Hi Tek 3 featuring Ya Kid K
28 ( 19 ) RIDING INTO BLUE Inga
29 ( 20 ) LISTEN TO YOUR HEART/ DANGEROUS Roxette
30 ( 15 ) SUICIDE BLONDE INXS

31 ( 21 ) LET IT ALL HANG OUT ’90 Jonathan King AKA JK25
32 ( 26 ) KINGSTON TOWN UB40
33 ( 22 ) KING OF WISHFUL THINKING Go West
34 ( 30 ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band
35 ( NEW ) BE TENDER WITH ME BABY Tina Turner
36 ( NEW ) GOOD MORNING BRITAIN Aztec Camera featuring Mick Jones
37 ( 37 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
38 ( RE ) HAVE YOU SEEN HER MC Hammer
39 ( NEW ) LIFT ME UP Jeff Lynne
40 ( NEW ) BIRTHDAY Paul McCartney

41 ( 25 ) LIVIN’ IN THE LIGHT Caron Wheeler
42 ( 40 ) YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND Big Fun and Sonia featuring Gary Barnacle
43 ( 41 ) SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS Elton John
44 ( 33 ) BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW Kylie Minogue
45 ( 48 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
46 ( 51 ) NEVER ENOUGH The Cure
47 ( 43 ) BLACK VELVET Alannah Myles
48 ( 45 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson
49 ( 73 ) YOU GOT TO LOVE SOMEONE Elton John
50 ( 29 ) LIFE’S WHAT YOU MAKE IT Talk Talk

51 ( 46 ) TUNES SPLITS THE ATOM MC Tunes vs 808 State
52 ( 32 ) WORLD IN MY EYES Depeche Mode
53 ( 24 ) WHAT TIME IS LOVE The KLF
54 ( 42 ) HEART LIKE A WHEEL Human League
55 ( 72 ) SUPERFLY 1990 Curtis Mayfield & Ice-T
56 ( 52 ) HOLD ON Wilson Philips
57 ( 38 ) WHAT’S A WOMAN Vaya Con Dios
58 ( 31 ) LA SERENISSIMA DNA
59 ( NEW ) TO KEEP LOVE ALIVE Stevie Wonder
60 ( 54 ) IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE Roxette

61 ( 57 ) STEPPIN’ OUT Joe Jackson
62 ( 35 ) GREENBANK DRIVE The Christians
63 ( NEW ) THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ Status Quo
64 ( 64 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
65 ( 62 ) ENJOY THE SILENCE Depeche Mode
66 ( NEW ) SOUL PROVIDER Michael Bolton
67 ( 36 ) GROOVY TRAIN The Farm
68 ( 68 ) FROM A DISTANCE Cliff Richard
69 ( 69 ) TIME AFTER TIME The Beloved
70 ( NEW ) DIDN’T I BLOW YOUR MIND (THIS TIME) New Kids On The Block

71 ( 70 ) THIS WOMAN’S WORK Kate Bush
72 ( 65 ) ALRIGHT (UK/USA versions) Janet Jackson
73 ( NEW ) MEGAMIX Technotronic
74 ( 67 ) IT’S MY LIFE Talk Talk
75 ( NEW ) FLOWERS Timmo
76 ( NEW ) UNCHAINED MELODY The Righteous Brothers

7th Oct
PLAYLIST ODLIES 1 UNCHAINED MELODY The Righteous Brothers
2 LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE (LP) George Michael
3 YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELING The Righteous Brothers
4 REASON TO BELIEVE Wilson Philips

14th October 1990

It’s up 7 places to top spot for Janet Jackson’s Rhythm nation album track and it’s inferior UK remix, giving Ms J a second chart-topper of the year as she presides over a bumper 17 new entries creating a bit of a chart clearout. Belinda Carlisle gets a 6th top 10 track as We Want The Same Thing rockets up to 4, and Paul Simon gets a 7th solo top 10 track, his first top 5 since 1972’s Me & Julio Down By The School-Yard hit 3. Including stuff with Garfunkel that makes 21 years of top 10’s and 12 in total.

The Soup Dragons get a second top 10, Mother Universe, and Sisters Of Mercy get an instant second one too, as More enters at 9, the highest new entry. Rita McNeil’s country-folk-social-ballad debuts at 17, Berlin’s 1986 chart-topper is back again as it keeps re-charting in the UK whenever the film is repeated on TV, Tina Turner gets a 10th top 20 in 17 years of hits since she topped with Ike in 1973 on Nutbush City Limits. Jesus Jones clock up another Right Here Right Now hit, and The Beautiful South return with their best track, A Little Time, at 26.

The Cure remix their 1985 top 5, Close To Me, and Chris Isaak gets a second chart entry with Wild At Heart. Still debuting modestly, Kylie keeps the disco diva morphing with Step Back In Time at 50 as it starts to become clearer that Better The Devil You Know wasn’t a one-off hot dance track, and she’s left the cheesy pop behind her. PIL are back for a 12-year run of entries, somewhat overshadowing the 12 months Mr Lydon had with the Sex Pistols. Cher enters at 58 with the 60’s pop hit Baby I’m Yours, originally a hit for Barbara Lewis in 1965, and written by Van “The Hustle” McCoy. It charted first for me in 1975 as sung by the fab Linda Lewis, as the follow-up to her brilliant histrionic disco cover of It’s In His Kiss aka The Shoop Shoop Song. That song, of course was also recorded by Cher. Note to Cher, love you madly, but Linda Lewis did both better. 

Nelson debut, that’s the twin sons’ band of the late Ricky Nelson, emulating dad’s 1972 Garden Party debut, in at 62; Happy Mondays are back with a Kinky Afro, whatever works for you I say; Whitney’s also back, place your bets as to whether I’m Your Baby Tonight is yet another one-week wonder or actually goes up my chart; Hothouse Flowers keep the Eurovision-promoted debut going 2 years on, Paul Young extends his chart career to 7 years (or 12 years including Streetband) – just – as The Chimes are as much in Heaven as Mr Young. 

1 ( 8 ) LOVE WILL NEVER DO WITHOUT YOU (ALBUM VERSION/REMIX VERSION) Janet Jackson
2 ( 1 ) SO HARD Pet Shop Boys
3 ( 4 ) WAITING FOR THE DAY George Michael
4 ( 18 ) (WE WANT) THE SAME THING Belinda Carlisle
5 ( 12 ) THE OBVIOUS CHILD Paul Simon
6 ( 2 ) SHOW ME HEAVEN Maria McKee
7 ( 3 ) FASCINATING RHYTHM Bass-O-Matic
8 ( 25 ) MOTHER UNIVERSE The Soup Dragons
9 ( NEW ) MORE Sisters Of Mercy
10 ( 5 ) I CAN’T STAND IT Twenty 4 Seven featuring Captain Hollywood

11 ( 7 ) GROOVE IS IN THE HEART Deee-Lite
12 ( 9 ) BLUE VELVET Bobby Vinton
13 ( 6 ) I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU Londonbeat
14 ( 17 ) CRYING IN THE RAIN a-ha
15 ( 26 ) IT’S A SHAME (MY SISTER) Monie Love featuring True Image
16 ( 11 ) PRAYING FOR TIME George Michael
17 ( NEW ) WORKING MAN Rita McNeil
18 ( NEW ) TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Berlin
19 ( 35 ) BE TENDER WITH ME BABY Tina Turner
20 ( 13 ) GHETTO CHILD (REMIX) The Detroit Spinners

21 ( 10 ) CULT OF SNAP Snap!
22 ( NEW ) RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW Jesus Jones
23 ( 36 ) GOOD MORNING BRITAIN Aztec Camera featuring Mick Jones
24 ( 15 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH Kim Wilde
25 ( 14 ) THEN The Charlatans
26 ( NEW ) A LITTLE TIME Beautiful South
27 ( NEW ) WE LOVE YOU JBC
28 ( 24 ) THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE Prince
29 ( 19 ) ONLY YOUR LOVE Bananarama
30 ( 68 ) FROM A DISTANCE Cliff Richard

31 ( 16 ) THUNDERSTRUCK AC/DC
32 ( 20 ) AFRICA Toto
33 ( 21 ) WE’VE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE The Animals
34 ( 49 ) YOU GOT TO LOVE SOMEONE Elton John
35 ( 22 ) TOM’S DINER DNA featuring Suzanne Vega
36 ( 70 ) DIDN’T I BLOW YOUR MIND (THIS TIME) New Kids On The Block
37 ( NEW ) CLOSE TO ME (REMIX) The Cure
38 ( 37 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
39 ( 28 ) RIDING INTO BLUE Inga
40 ( 29 ) LISTEN TO YOUR HEART/ DANGEROUS Roxette

41 ( 23 ) WHERE ARE YOU BABY Betty Boo
42 ( 31 ) LET IT ALL HANG OUT ’90 Jonathan King AKA JK25
43 ( NEW ) WILD AT HEART Chris Isaak
44 ( 42 ) YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND Big Fun and Sonia featuring Gary Barnacle
45 ( 43 ) SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS Elton John
46 ( 33 ) KING OF WISHFUL THINKING Go West
47 ( 27 ) SPIN THAT WHEEL Hi Tek 3 featuring Ya Kid K
48 ( 45 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
49 ( 34 ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band
50 ( NEW ) STEP BACK IN TIME Kylie Minogue

51 ( 40 ) BIRTHDAY Paul McCartney
52 ( 48 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson
53 ( 39 ) LIFT ME UP Jeff Lynne
54 ( 47 ) BLACK VELVET Alannah Myles
55 ( NEW ) DON’T ASK ME Public Image Ltd
56 ( 38 ) HAVE YOU SEEN HER MC Hammer
57 ( 30 ) SUICIDE BLONDE INXS
58 ( NEW ) BABY I’M YOURS Cher
59 ( 32 ) KINGSTON TOWN UB40
60 ( 75 ) FLOWERS Timmo

61 ( 56 ) HOLD ON Wilson Philips
62 ( NEW ) (I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOUR) LOVE AND AFFECTION Nelson
63 ( 63 ) THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ Status Quo
64 ( NEW ) KINKY AFRO Happy Mondays
65 ( 64 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
66 ( 66 ) SOUL PROVIDER Michael Bolton
67 ( NEW ) I’M YOUR BABY TONIGHT Whitney Houston
68 ( 65 ) ENJOY THE SILENCE Depeche Mode
69 ( 52 ) WORLD IN MY EYES Depeche Mode
70 ( 73 ) MEGAMIX Technotronic

71 ( 71 ) THIS WOMAN’S WORK Kate Bush
72 ( NEW ) MOVIES Hothouse Flowers
73 ( 60 ) IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE Roxette
74 ( NEW ) HEAVEN CAN WAIT Paul Young
75 ( NEW ) HEAVEN The Chimes
76 ( 76 ) UNCHAINED MELODY The Righteous Brothers

PLAYLIST OLDIES:

1 UNCHAINED MELODY The Righteous Brothers
2 HEART OF GOLD Neil Young
3 DOCTOR WHO THEME (1969) Ron Grainer & Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

21st October 1990

It’s a first week on top for The Righteous Brothers, who started charting oldies in my chart in 1969 (and many times since with the same song) and finally got a chart-topper with another oldie, Unchained Melody in the definitive version. If you can listen to this without seeing a potters wheel and a ghost, then you predate 1990 (probably). That holds off another classic 60’s song entering at 2, All Along The Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix’ version of the Dylan song made my top 10 in 1968, far and away his best record, that intro is a “woah” moment to this day.

The Beautiful South shoot up to 8 with A Little Time, and it was (along with Show Me Heaven) tinged with sadness for me, and still is, reminding me of the funeral of a young work colleague & friend who’s death shook me badly. Monie Love meanwhile takes the old (Motown/Detroit) Spinners hit into the top 10, the song works in any version, and Berlin return to the top tier 4 years on. Kylie rockets back in time to 18 from 50, and Kim Appleby debuts her solo career after the tragic loss of sister Mel, which also added to my general mood of the time as the lyrics to Don’t Worry meant a lot to me, a great record in at 28. Co-written by Kim & boyfriend Craig Logan ex-of Bros, it’s better than even the best Mel & Kim or Bros tracks. 

Roxette keep their invasion of the charts ramped-up as they dress for success at 37, Mica Paris has anew Contribution, Lloyd Cole is Downtown, this not with a Commotion, and sneaking in at 74 Jason Donovan does a smart Early-Beatles-sounding turn, a nice change from the usual SAW-sound.

1 ( 76 ) UNCHAINED MELODY The Righteous Brothers
2 ( NEW ) ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER The Jimi Hendrix Experience
3 ( 3 ) WAITING FOR THE DAY George Michael
4 ( 1 ) LOVE WILL NEVER DO WITHOUT YOU (ALBUM VERSION/REMIX VERSION) Janet Jackson
5 ( 5 ) THE OBVIOUS CHILD Paul Simon
6 ( 4 ) (WE WANT) THE SAME THING Belinda Carlisle
7 ( 2 ) SO HARD Pet Shop Boys
8 ( 26 ) A LITTLE TIME Beautiful South
9 ( 15 ) IT’S A SHAME (MY SISTER) Monie Love featuring True Image
10 ( 18 ) TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Berlin

11 ( 17 ) WORKING MAN Rita McNeil
12 ( 7 ) FASCINATING RHYTHM Bass-O-Matic
13 ( 6 ) SHOW ME HEAVEN Maria McKee
14 ( 9 ) MORE Sisters Of Mercy
15 ( 8 ) MOTHER UNIVERSE The Soup Dragons
16 ( 10 ) I CAN’T STAND IT Twenty 4 Seven featuring Captain Hollywood
17 ( 12 ) BLUE VELVET Bobby Vinton
18 ( 50 ) STEP BACK IN TIME Kylie Minogue
19 ( 23 ) GOOD MORNING BRITAIN Aztec Camera featuring Mick Jones
20 ( 13 ) I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU Londonbeat

21 ( 11 ) GROOVE IS IN THE HEART Deee-Lite
22 ( 16 ) PRAYING FOR TIME George Michael
23 ( 14 ) CRYING IN THE RAIN a-ha
24 ( 36 ) DIDN’T I BLOW YOUR MIND (THIS TIME) New Kids On The Block
25 ( 20 ) GHETTO CHILD (REMIX) The Detroit Spinners
26 ( 30 ) FROM A DISTANCE Cliff Richard
27 ( 27 ) WE LOVE YOU JBC
28 ( NEW ) DON’T WORRY Kim Appleby
29 ( 19 ) BE TENDER WITH ME BABY Tina Turner
30 ( 34 ) YOU GOTTA LOVE SOMEONE Elton John

31 ( 25 ) THEN The Charlatans
32 ( 21 ) CULT OF SNAP Snap!
33 ( 28 ) THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE Prince
34 ( 37 ) CLOSE TO ME (REMIX) The Cure
35 ( 22 ) RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW Jesus Jones
36 ( 32 ) AFRICA Toto
37 ( NEW ) DRESSED FOR SUCCESS Roxette
38 ( 38 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
39 ( 55 ) DON’T ASK ME Public Image Ltd
40 ( 35 ) TOM’S DINER DNA featuring Suzanne Vega

41 ( 33 ) WE’VE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE The Animals
42 ( 24 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH Kim Wilde
43 ( 29 ) ONLY YOUR LOVE Bananarama
44 ( 44 ) YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND Big Fun and Sonia featuring Gary Barnacle
45 ( 45 ) SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS Elton John
46 ( 39 ) RIDING INTO BLUE Inga
47 ( 40 ) LISTEN TO YOUR HEART/ DANGEROUS Roxette
48 ( 48 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
49 ( 70 ) MEGAMIX Technotronic
50 ( 42 ) LET IT ALL HANG OUT ’90 Jonathan King AKA JK25

51 ( 46 ) KING OF WISHFUL THINKING Go West
52 ( 53 ) LIFT ME UP Jeff Lynne
53 ( 52 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson
54 ( 67 ) I’M YOUR BABY TONIGHT Whitney Houston
55 ( 54 ) BLACK VELVET Alannah Myles
56 ( 43 ) WILD AT HEART Chris Isaak
57 ( 41 ) WHERE ARE YOU BABY Betty Boo
58 ( 31 ) THUNDERSTRUCK AC/DC
59 ( NEW ) SUCKER DJ Dimples D
60 ( 49 ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band

61 ( NEW ) A BEAT CALLED LOVE The Grid
62 ( 64 ) KINKY AFRO Happy Mondays
63 ( 61 ) HOLD ON Wilson Philips
64 ( 59 ) KINGSTON TOWN UB40
65 ( 65 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
66 ( NEW ) CONTRIBUTION Mica Paris
67 ( 63 ) THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ Status Quo
68 ( 72 ) MOVIES Hothouse Flowers
69 ( 68 ) ENJOY THE SILENCE Depeche Mode
70 ( NEW ) CAN’T STOP After 7

71 ( 71 ) THIS WOMAN’S WORK Kate Bush
72 ( 51 ) BIRTHDAY Paul McCartney
73 ( NEW ) DOWNTOWN Lloyd Cole
74 ( NEW ) I’M DOIN’ FINE Jason Donovan
75 ( 73 ) IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE Roxette

28th October 1990

It’s a first week on top for All Along The Watchtower, and the first number one for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, who’d peaked 9 places lower, or thereabouts, back in 1968 when I was starting up my first charts: this masterpiece took time to grow into a monster classic, but 22 years later here it is knocking another 60’s classic off the top. Poor ol George Michael thus denied a chart-topper due to oldies-blocking. Kim Appleby bounds up to 8, her 4th top 10, and Kylie also grabs a 5th top 10.

Prince is straight in at 14, New Power Generation name-checking his new backing band, and Jimmy Somerville reggae-fies the old Bee Gees ballad, as hit by Nina Simone in 1969, To Love Somebody, entering at 16. Stevie Wonder surprises me by re-entering a track I barely recall into the 40 for 22 years of doing that, Happy Mondays leap their Kinky Afro into the 30, as we get 2 more re-entries and a modest new entry from Tom Petty, and another track I don’t recall from No Sweat – Heart And Soul. Maybe it’ll come back to me if I check it out….

1 ( 2 ) ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER The Jimi Hendrix Experience
2 ( 1 ) UNCHAINED MELODY The Righteous Brothers
3 ( 3 ) WAITING FOR THE DAY George Michael
4 ( 5 ) THE OBVIOUS CHILD Paul Simon
5 ( 4 ) LOVE WILL NEVER DO WITHOUT YOU (ALBUM VERSION/REMIX VERSION) Janet Jackson
6 ( 10 ) TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Berlin
7 ( 8 ) A LITTLE TIME Beautiful South
8 ( 28 ) DON’T WORRY Kim Appleby
9 ( 6 ) (WE WANT) THE SAME THING Belinda Carlisle
10 ( 18 ) STEP BACK IN TIME Kylie Minogue

11 ( 11 ) WORKING MAN Rita McNeil
12 ( 9 ) IT’S A SHAME (MY SISTER) Monie Love featuring True Image
13 ( 7 ) SO HARD Pet Shop Boys
14 ( NEW ) NEW POWER GENERATION Prince
15 ( 14 ) MORE Sisters Of Mercy
16 ( NEW ) TO LOVE SOMEBODY Jimmy Somerville
17 ( 37 ) DRESSED FOR SUCCESS Roxette
18 ( 12 ) FASCINATING RHYTHM Bass-O-Matic
19 ( 17 ) BLUE VELVET Bobby Vinton
20 ( 20 ) I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU Londonbeat

21 ( 13 ) SHOW ME HEAVEN Maria McKee
22 ( 19 ) GOOD MORNING BRITAIN Aztec Camera featuring Mick Jones
23 ( 22 ) PRAYING FOR TIME George Michael
24 ( 30 ) YOU GOTTA LOVE SOMEONE Elton John
25 ( 16 ) I CAN’T STAND IT Twenty 4 Seven featuring Captain Hollywood
26 ( 34 ) CLOSE TO ME (REMIX) The Cure
27 ( RE ) KEEP OUR LOVE ALIVE Stevie Wonder
28 ( 15 ) MOTHER UNIVERSE The Soup Dragons
29 ( 29 ) BE TENDER WITH ME BABY Tina Turner
30 ( 62 ) KINKY AFRO Happy Mondays

31 ( 25 ) GHETTO CHILD (REMIX) The Detroit Spinners
32 ( 39 ) DON’T ASK ME Public Image Ltd
33 ( 33 ) THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE Prince
34 ( 21 ) GROOVE IS IN THE HEART Deee-Lite
35 ( 24 ) DIDN’T I BLOW YOUR MIND (THIS TIME) New Kids On The Block
36 ( 36 ) AFRICA Toto
37 ( 59 ) SUCKA DJ Dimples D
38 ( 38 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER (1990 TK REMIX) Timmy Thomas
39 ( 70 ) CAN’T STOP After 7
40 ( 23 ) CRYING IN THE RAIN a-ha

41 ( 26 ) FROM A DISTANCE Cliff Richard
42 ( 32 ) CULT OF SNAP Snap!
43 ( 31 ) THEN The Charlatans
44 ( 40 ) TOM’S DINER DNA featuring Suzanne Vega
45 ( 44 ) YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND Big Fun and Sonia featuring Gary Barnacle
46 ( 45 ) SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS Elton John
47 ( RE ) (I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOUR) LOVE AND AFFECTION Nelson
48 ( 48 ) LET IT BE The Beatles
49 ( 41 ) WE’VE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE The Animals
50 ( 27 ) WE LOVE YOU JBC

51 ( 54 ) I’M YOUR BABY TONIGHT Whitney Houston
52 ( 53 ) ESCAPADE Janet Jackson
53 ( 47 ) LISTEN TO YOUR HEART/ DANGEROUS Roxette
54 ( 46 ) RIDING INTO BLUE Inga
55 ( 55 ) BLACK VELVET Alannah Myles
56 ( 51 ) KING OF WISHFUL THINKING Go West
57 ( NEW ) HEART AND SOUL No Sweat
58 ( 50 ) LET IT ALL HANG OUT ’90 Jonathan King AKA JK25
59 ( 43 ) ONLY YOUR LOVE Bananarama
60 ( 61 ) A BEAT CALLED LOVE The Grid

61 ( RE ) BABY I’M YOURS Cher
62 ( 60 ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band
63 ( 74 ) I’M DOIN’ FINE Jason Donovan
64 ( 65 ) HEY JUDE The Beatles
65 ( 63 ) HOLD ON Wilson Philips
66 ( 35 ) RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW Jesus Jones
67 ( 52 ) LIFT ME UP Jeff Lynne
68 ( 68 ) MOVIES Hothouse Flowers
69 ( 42 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH Kim Wilde
70 ( 69 ) ENJOY THE SILENCE Depeche Mode

71 ( 71 ) THIS WOMAN’S WORK Kate Bush
72 ( 64 ) KINGSTON TOWN UB40
73 ( 49 ) MEGAMIX Technotronic
74 ( 57 ) WHERE ARE YOU BABY Betty Boo
75 ( NEW ) A FACE IN THE CROWD Tom Petty

My June 1988 Charts

Bournemouth beach circa 1988 when it wasn’t as Lockdown jampacked as the hordes of Covid-19 deniers partying and dumping rubbish yesterday.

 

 

5th June 1988

It’s a first week on top for Circle In The Sand, Belinda Carlisle’s first chart-topper, holding off a big climb from KLF aka The Timelords “How To get A Number One Record” as the subsequent book claimed. Half of them had been there before in the top 10 with Brilliant. Eurythmics get another top 10, for the 6th year in succession, Sam Brown has a massive climb into the 20 for Stop, Brass Construction outperform the original’s chart position by 13 places, Desireless get a nice climb into the 40, and the highest new entry is another duet between Chrissie Hynde & UB40, a cover of Dusty Springfield’s Dusty In Memphis track, Breakfast In Bed, which should have been a single in 1969, and the cover version being much better than their version of I Got You Babe.

Julian Clary treats Leader Of The Pack with affectionate humour, under his then stage-pseudonym, and on his way to stand-up top-billing, always good with his quick-wit and innuendo, give or take the odd political fist-up to interrupt his ascendence. Bros owe me nothing, apparently, new in at 59 – though I’d argue they owe me thanks for buying one of their later better singles once the fanclub evaporated. At 65, Chubby Checker is back with the rapping Fat Boys, with a souped-up The Twist, which had always been less popular than Let’s Twist Again in the UK. It did chart as the other side of Let’s twist Again, though, for me in 1975 on reissue, while a cover version of Let’s Twist Again topped my chart thanks to a DJ. A childhood fave song, that one.

Tiffany’s back with another 60’s cover – this time The Beatles I Saw Her Standing There, which was never a UK single but which charted in 1981 in the wake of John Lennon’s murder as a live version with Elton John, for John Lennon’s last public concert while guesting with Elton after losing a bet that Whatever Gets You Thru The Night wouldn’t top the US charts. Sabrina brings some Eurocheese action, Matt Bianco pop in as Basia taunts her ex-band a little bit higher, Five Star have another weekend, and Jacko returns with two more mentions for future singles off Bad.

1 ( 3 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
2 ( 1 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
3 ( 20 ) DOCTORIN’ THE TARDIS The Timelords (KLF)
4 ( 4 ) CHECK THIS OUT LA Mix
5 ( 7 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
6 ( 2 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
7 ( 5 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada
8 ( 6 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
9 ( 9 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti
10 ( 26 ) YOU HAVE PLACED A CHILL IN MY HEART Eurythmics

11 ( 18 ) THE LOVERS Alexander O’Neal
12 ( 21 ) WILD WORLD Maxi Priest
13 ( 10 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
14 ( 28 ) MY ONE TEMPTATION Mica Paris
15 ( 11 ) OUT OF THE BLUE Debbie Gibson
16 ( 8 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
17 ( 30 ) MOVIN’ 1988 Brass Construction
18 ( 32 ) LOST IN YOU Rod Stewart
19 ( 53 ) STOP Sam Brown
20 ( 29 ) CHAINS OF LOVE Erasure

21 ( 13 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine
22 ( 15 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
23 ( 14 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
24 ( 12 ) GOT TO BE CERTAIN Kylie Minogue
25 ( 27 ) GIVE A LITTLE LOVE Aswad
26 ( 16 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
27 ( 19 ) HEY MR HEARTACHE Kim Wilde
28 ( 35 ) THIS IS ME Climie Fisher
29 ( 22 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
30 ( 38 ) I DON’T WANT TO GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT Elton John

31 ( 17 ) KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Prefab Sprout
32 ( 25 ) EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES Daryl Hall & John Oates
33 ( 36 ) DON’T CALL ME BABY Voice Of The Beehive
34 ( 50 ) VOYAGE VOYAGE Desireless
35 ( 43 ) PARADISE Sade
36 ( 24 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
37 ( 45 ) LIFE ON A TOP PEOPLE’S HEALTH FARM The Style Council
38 ( NEW ) BREAKFAST IN BED UB40/ Chrissie Hynde
39 ( 75 ) TELL ME Nick Kamen
40 ( 40 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

41 ( 33 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
42 ( 23 ) DON’T GO Hothouse Flowers
43 ( 42 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
44 ( 57 ) NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) Samantha Fox
45 ( 58 ) WHO GETS THE LOVE Status Quo
46 ( 31 ) WHO’S LEAVING WHO Hazell Dean
47 ( 46 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
48 ( NEW ) LEADER OF THE PACK Joan Collins Fan Club (Julian Clary)
49 ( 47 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
50 ( 49 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees

51 ( 48 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
52 ( 60 ) GET IT Stevie Wonder/ Michael Jackson
53 ( 52 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
54 ( 54 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
55 ( 34 ) YES Merry Clayton
56 ( 66 ) LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY Whitney Houston
57 ( 62 ) I STILL LOVE YOU Judy Cheeks
58 ( 44 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
59 ( NEW ) I OWE YOU NOTHING Bros
60 ( 72 ) ISN’T IT MIDNIGHT Fleetwood Mac

61 ( 39 ) I WANT YOU BACK Bananarama
62 ( 61 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
63 ( 63 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
64 ( 41 ) ELECTRIC BLUE Icehouse
65 ( NEW ) THE TWIST The Fat Boys/ Chubby Checker
66 ( 70 ) TIME AND TIDE Basia
67 ( 67 ) BAD Michael Jackson
68 ( NEW ) I SAW HIM STANDING THERE Tiffany
69 ( 51 ) MARY’S PRAYER Danny Wilson
70 ( NEW ) BOYS (SUMMERTIME LOVE) Sabrina

71 ( NEW ) I’M REAL James Brown
72 ( 69 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
73 ( 71 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
74 ( NEW ) ANOTHER WEEKEND Five Star
75 ( NEW ) DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL Matt Bianco
76 ( RE ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
77 ( RE ) ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

5th June
PLAYIST OLDIES

1 DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
2 HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE Mott The Hoople
3 ANOTHER PART OF ME Michael Jackson

 

 

12th July 1988

It’s 2 weeks on top for Belinda as The Timelords Glamrock the Tardis up to 2, and Rose Royce is back with a super-double-A-side single reissue of their 1977/1979 hits – Is It Love You’re After is the real A side though, following on from the S-Express sample, and is a top hit again second time around. Erasure bound into the 10 with Chains Of Love, very popular pastime in some quarters, as does Alexander O’Neal still on an r’n’b roll, and Maxi Priest gives Cat Stevens his first top 10 song since err Wild World in 1970.

George Michael is back with yet another Faith track, this time it’s a Jam & Lewis remix of Monkey, which is way better than the album version, straight in at 14, giving both George & Jam & Lewis 2 in the 20. Newly-solo Morrissey is back with possibly his best solo single, Everyday Is Like Sunday, in at 16, and The Pasadenas debut with the fab 70’s-Philly-referencing Tribute at 17. The Communards return with There’s More To Love, Tracey Chapman drives in with her evergreen fast car, The Silencers get another flop single in my chart, with Painted Moon, and Boy George gets all political about Clause 28 which banned mentioning the “Gay” word to children, Thatcher preferring to pretend there’s no such thing.

George Harrison insists that This Is Love, and extends his solo run to 18 years, Bob’s boy Ziggy Marley debuts with Tomorrow People, sounding not entirely unlike his late father, 60’s oldie Do You Love Me enters for The Contours thanks to Dirty Dancing, I think, though it was more familiar to me via UK covers up to this point. Loose Ends return with what is more Tail-Ends as far as their career is concerned, sadly, and finally Sisters Of Mercy sneak in with Lucretia My Reflection – quite modest by their recent standards, but expect it to go up.

1 ( 1 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
2 ( 3 ) DOCTORIN’ THE TARDIS The Timelords (KLF)
3 ( 2 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
4 ( 4 ) CHECK THIS OUT LA Mix
5 ( NEW ) IS IT LOVE YOU’RE AFTER/ CAR WASH Rose Royce
6 ( 10 ) YOU HAVE PLACED A CHILL IN MY HEART Eurythmics
7 ( 20 ) CHAINS OF LOVE Erasure
8 ( 11 ) THE LOVERS Alexander O’Neal
9 ( 5 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
10 ( 12 ) WILD WORLD Maxi Priest

11 ( 6 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
12 ( 14 ) MY ONE TEMPTATION Mica Paris
13 ( 19 ) STOP Sam Brown
14 ( NEW ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
15 ( 7 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada
16 ( NEW ) EVERY DAY IS LIKE SUNDAY Morrissey
17 ( NEW ) TRIBUTE (RIGHT ON) The Pasadenas
18 ( 8 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
19 ( 9 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti
20 ( 25 ) GIVE A LITTLE LOVE Aswad

21 ( 39 ) TELL ME Nick Kamen
22 ( 38 ) BREAKFAST IN BED UB40/ Chrissie Hynde
23 ( 35 ) PARADISE Sade
24 ( 34 ) VOYAGE VOYAGE Desireless
25 ( 13 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
26 ( 17 ) MOVIN’ 1988 Brass Construction
27 ( NEW ) THERE’S MORE TO LOVE The Communards
28 ( 30 ) I DON’T WANT TO GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT Elton John
29 ( 33 ) DON’T CALL ME BABY Voice Of The Beehive
30 ( 60 ) ISN’T IT MIDNIGHT Fleetwood Mac

31 ( 22 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
32 ( 18 ) LOST IN YOU Rod Stewart
33 ( 16 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
34 ( 71 ) I’M REAL James Brown
35 ( 21 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine
36 ( 15 ) OUT OF THE BLUE Debbie Gibson
37 ( NEW ) FAST CAR Tracey Chapman
38 ( 29 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
39 ( NEW ) PAINTED MOON The Silencers
40 ( 40 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

41 ( 23 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
42 ( NEW ) NO CLAUSE 28 Boy George
43 ( 36 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
44 ( 26 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
45 ( 65 ) THE TWIST The Fat Boys/ Chubby Checker
46 ( 41 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
47 ( 59 ) I OWE YOU NOTHING Bros
48 ( 48 ) LEADER OF THE PACK Joan Collins Fan Club (Julian Clary)
49 ( 47 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
50 ( 49 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

51 ( 53 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
52 ( 75 ) DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL Matt Bianco
53 ( 32 ) EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES Daryl Hall & John Oates
54 ( 51 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
55 ( 50 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
56 ( 43 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
57 ( 54 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
58 ( 24 ) GOT TO BE CERTAIN Kylie Minogue
59 ( NEW ) THIS IS LOVE George Harrison
60 ( 70 ) BOYS (SUMMERTIME LOVE) Sabrina

61 ( 31 ) KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Prefab Sprout
62 ( 27 ) HEY MR HEARTACHE Kim Wilde
63 ( 37 ) LIFE ON A TOP PEOPLE’S HEALTH FARM The Style Council
64 ( 58 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
65 ( 28 ) THIS IS ME Climie Fisher
66 ( 63 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
67 ( 62 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
68 ( 68 ) I SAW HIM STANDING THERE Tiffany
69 ( 67 ) BAD Michael Jackson
70 ( NEW ) TOMORROW PEOPLE Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers

71 ( NEW ) DO YOU LOVE ME The Contours
72 ( NEW ) MR BACHELOR Loose Ends
73 ( 73 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
74 ( NEW ) LUCRETIA MY REFLECTION The Sisters Of Mercy
75 ( 72 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
76 ( 76 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

Playlist oldies and album tracks of that week
1 THAT’S THE WAY IT IS Mel and Kim
2 DANNY’S SONG Anne Murray
3 DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

 

 

19th July 1988

It’s three weeks on top for Circle In The Sand, suddenly under threat from Erasure up to 2 with Chains Of Love, their highest since topping with Sometimes in 1986, Eurythmics getting a second top 3 of the year with You Have Placed A Chill, and highest new entry at 4 being Phil Collins’ number 2 from 1981, the awesome In The Air Tonight undergoing a revamp that didn’t actually ruin it. George Michael goes top 10 with a Monkey on his back, Sade get a big top 10 with Paradise, their first in a while, Morrissey gets his first solo top 10, and Mica Paris her first too, My One Temptation for a busy week at the top end. One of them will knock Belinda off the perch next week.

Sisters Of Mercy get another huge leap, with Lucretia My Reflection up 50 places to 24, along with a batch of top 40 climbers from The Fat Boys & Chubby Checker, Bros, Sabrina, George Harrison, Matt Bianco, Boy George, and if you can find a genre connection there between them all you must be delusional! In a quiet week for new entries veterans The Moody Blues return with I Know You’re Out There Somewhere, I knew them back when I was a kiddie, T’Pau keep the singles coming I Will Be With You, Tracie Spencer’s Symptoms Of True Love returns, Springsteen is still Tougher Than The Rest 13 years on, a-ha have The Blood That Moves The Body, and Dee Lewis pops in briefly with Best Of My Love, sister of the fab Linda Lewis, and vocalist with the likes of Jamiroquai in the 90’s.

1 ( 1 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
2 ( 7 ) CHAINS OF LOVE Erasure
3 ( 6 ) YOU HAVE PLACED A CHILL IN MY HEART Eurythmics
4 ( NEW ) IN THE AIR TONIGHT (1988) Phil Collins
5 ( 10 ) WILD WORLD Maxi Priest
6 ( 2 ) DOCTORIN’ THE TARDIS The Timelords (KLF)
7 ( 14 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
8 ( 23 ) PARADISE Sade
9 ( 16 ) EVERY DAY IS LIKE SUNDAY Morrissey
10 ( 12 ) MY ONE TEMPTATION Mica Paris

11 ( 5 ) IS IT LOVE YOU’RE AFTER/ CAR WASH Rose Royce
12 ( 17 ) TRIBUTE (RIGHT ON) The Pasadenas
13 ( 3 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
14 ( 24 ) VOYAGE VOYAGE Desireless
15 ( 22 ) BREAKFAST IN BED UB40/ Chrissie Hynde
16 ( 9 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
17 ( 4 ) CHECK THIS OUT LA Mix
18 ( 21 ) TELL ME Nick Kamen
19 ( 11 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
20 ( 27 ) THERE’S MORE TO LOVE The Communards

21 ( 13 ) STOP Sam Brown
22 ( 8 ) THE LOVERS Alexander O’Neal
23 ( 29 ) DON’T CALL ME BABY Voice Of The Beehive
24 ( 74 ) LUCRETIA MY REFLECTION The Sisters Of Mercy
25 ( 30 ) ISN’T IT MIDNIGHT Fleetwood Mac
26 ( 37 ) FAST CAR Tracey Chapman
27 ( 15 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada
28 ( 18 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
29 ( 19 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti
30 ( 39 ) PAINTED MOON The Silencers

31 ( 45 ) THE TWIST The Fat Boys/ Chubby Checker
32 ( 47 ) I OWE YOU NOTHING Bros
33 ( 60 ) BOYS (SUMMERTIME LOVE) Sabrina
34 ( 59 ) THIS IS LOVE George Harrison
35 ( 52 ) DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL Matt Bianco
36 ( 20 ) GIVE A LITTLE LOVE Aswad
37 ( 42 ) NO CLAUSE 28 Boy George
38 ( 38 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
39 ( 40 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
40 ( 31 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express

41 ( 28 ) I DON’T WANT TO GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT Elton John
42 ( 25 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
43 ( 34 ) I’M REAL James Brown
44 ( 33 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
45 ( 36 ) OUT OF THE BLUE Debbie Gibson
46 ( 26 ) MOVIN’ 1988 Brass Construction
47 ( 35 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine
48 ( 43 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
49 ( 32 ) LOST IN YOU Rod Stewart
50 ( 50 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

51 ( 51 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
52 ( 49 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
53 ( 46 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
54 ( NEW ) I KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE The Moody Blues
55 ( 54 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
56 ( 55 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
57 ( NEW ) I WILL BE WITH YOU T’Pau
58 ( 57 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
59 ( 70 ) TOMORROW PEOPLE Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
60 ( NEW ) SYMPTOMS OF TRUE LOVE Tracie Spencer

61 ( 56 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
62 ( 68 ) I SAW HIM STANDING THERE Tiffany
63 ( 48 ) LEADER OF THE PACK Joan Collins Fan Club (Julian Clary)
64 ( 41 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
65 ( 44 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
66 ( 64 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
67 ( 71 ) DO YOU LOVE ME The Contours
68 ( 69 ) BAD Michael Jackson
69 ( 66 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
70 ( NEW ) TOUGHER THAN THE REST Bruce Springsteen

71 ( 67 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
72 ( NEW ) THE BLOOD THAT MOVES THE BODY a-ha
73 ( 73 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
74 ( 75 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
75 ( NEW ) BEST OF MY LOVE Dee Lewis

Playlist oldies of the week
1 HEART OF GOLD Johnny Hates Jazz
2 COME SEE ABOUT ME Shakin’ Stevens
3 FALLIN’ IN LOVE (UH-UH) Miami Sound Machine

 

 

 

26th June 1988

It’s a first week on top for Phil Collins, with the slight reworking of his 1981 number 2 classic In The Air Tonight – the remix isn’t as good as the original, let’s be clear on that, but it’s compensation for being denied first-time round. In the interim Genesis topped my chart with Mama in 1983, both of them classically haunting rhythmically. That denies a topper for Maxi Priest’s fab cover of Wild World at 2, while new into the top 10 go The Pasadenas’ early 70’s-sounding Tribute, UB40 & Chrissie Hynde getting another top 10 together with a much better cover version, this time the fab Dusty In Memphis album track, and The Communards grab another to add to their growing list with There’s More To Love.

T’Pau climb 30 places, Springsteen does even better up to 32, and Gloria Estefan enters at 36 with Anything For You, the track that boosted her into the big league for the next few years as Miami Sound Machine becomes the supporting name rather than the focus – nothing had changed though, her only-ever boyfriend and husband Emilio was and is still the guiding force behind her career and records. 1971 Who classic Won’t Get Fooled Again debuts (I didn’t know it at the time, it wasn’t played in Singapore) at 42, Midnight Oil follow-up Beds Are Burning with Dead Heart, and Salt’n’Pepa debut with the much-loved Push It, bringing female rap an actual focal point with the band – Salt, Pepa & Spinderella aka ‘n’. I made that last bit up.

Steve Winwood returns with a huge US hit, Roll With It, 20-odd years into his career and giving us that classic starter-soup question “Roll with it?”. I made that bit up too. INXS bring yet another fab track from the brilliant Kick album into the chart – Never Tear Us Apart, remixed and covered in later decades by the likes of Paloma Faith. Glen Medeiros pops in with his UK chart-topper, I still remain mystified by it’s popularity 30 years later, the same week he had his 20th birthday. 50 now, hard to believe, but Happy Birthday Glen! Hothouse Flowers follow-up, Joy Division oldie Atmosphere sneaks in, and rather lowly at 74, Transvision Vamp enter with another pop goodie, I Want Your Love.

1 ( 4 ) IN THE AIR TONIGHT (1988) Phil Collins
2 ( 5 ) WILD WORLD Maxi Priest
3 ( 1 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
4 ( 3 ) YOU HAVE PLACED A CHILL IN MY HEART Eurythmics
5 ( 2 ) CHAINS OF LOVE Erasure
6 ( 8 ) PARADISE Sade
7 ( 7 ) MONKEY (REMIX) George Michael
8 ( 12 ) TRIBUTE (RIGHT ON) The Pasadenas
9 ( 15 ) BREAKFAST IN BED UB40/ Chrissie Hynde
10 ( 20 ) THERE’S MORE TO LOVE The Communards

11 ( 9 ) EVERY DAY IS LIKE SUNDAY Morrissey
12 ( 13 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
13 ( 14 ) VOYAGE VOYAGE Desireless
14 ( 6 ) DOCTORIN’ THE TARDIS The Timelords (KLF)
15 ( 11 ) IS IT LOVE YOU’RE AFTER/ CAR WASH Rose Royce
16 ( 16 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
17 ( 26 ) FAST CAR Tracey Chapman
18 ( 32 ) I OWE YOU NOTHING Bros
19 ( 34 ) THIS IS LOVE George Harrison
20 ( 31 ) THE TWIST The Fat Boys/ Chubby Checker

21 ( 10 ) MY ONE TEMPTATION Mica Paris
22 ( 23 ) DON’T CALL ME BABY Voice Of The Beehive
23 ( 19 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
24 ( 24 ) LUCRETIA MY REFLECTION The Sisters Of Mercy
25 ( 41 ) I DON’T WANT TO GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT Elton John
26 ( 17 ) CHECK THIS OUT LA Mix
27 ( 57 ) I WILL BE WITH YOU T’Pau
28 ( 35 ) DON’T BLAME IT ON THAT GIRL Matt Bianco
29 ( 25 ) ISN’T IT MIDNIGHT Fleetwood Mac
30 ( 30 ) PAINTED MOON The Silencers

31 ( 18 ) TELL ME Nick Kamen
32 ( 70 ) TOUGHER THAN THE REST Bruce Springsteen
33 ( 33 ) BOYS (SUMMERTIME LOVE) Sabrina
34 ( 21 ) STOP Sam Brown
35 ( 22 ) THE LOVERS Alexander O’Neal
36 ( NEW ) ANYTHING FOR YOU Gloria Estefan
37 ( 28 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
38 ( 39 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
39 ( 38 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
40 ( 27 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada

41 ( 29 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti
42 ( NEW ) WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN The Who
43 ( NEW ) THE DEAD HEART Midnight Oil
44 ( 40 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
45 ( NEW ) PUSH IT Salt ‘n’ Pepa
46 ( 59 ) TOMORROW PEOPLE Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers
47 ( 54 ) I KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE The Moody Blues
48 ( 48 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
49 ( 51 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
50 ( 50 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

51 ( 52 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
52 ( 42 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
53 ( 36 ) GIVE A LITTLE LOVE Aswad
54 ( 53 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
55 ( 47 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine
56 ( 60 ) SYMPTOMS OF TRUE LOVE Tracie Spencer
57 ( 55 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
58 ( 58 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
59 ( 56 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
60 ( 44 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order

61 ( NEW ) ROLL WITH IT Steve Winwood
62 ( NEW ) NEVER TEAR US APART INXS
63 ( NEW ) NOTHING’S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU Glen Medeiros
64 ( 45 ) OUT OF THE BLUE Debbie Gibson
65 ( 61 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
66 ( 37 ) NO CLAUSE 28 Boy George
67 ( 72 ) THE BLOOD THAT MOVES THE BODY a-ha
68 ( 68 ) BAD Michael Jackson
69 ( 46 ) MOVIN’ 1988 Brass Construction
70 ( NEW ) I’M SORRY Hothouse Flowers

71 ( 69 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
72 ( 73 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
73 ( NEW ) ATMOSPHERE Joy Division
74 ( NEW ) I WANT YOUR LOVE Transvision Vamp
75 ( 74 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone

Playlist faves of that week
1 REMEMBER ME Cliff Richard
2 DIGGING YOUR SCENE Blow Monkeys
3 DIZZY Tommy Roe

 

My May 1988 Charts

 

1st May 1988

It’s 2 weeks on top for S-Express as Ofra Haza nearly topples them with I’m Nin Alu at 2, Hazell Dean gets a second top 10, and Danny Wilson finally go top 10 after first charting in 1987 with Mary’s Prayer. Blue Monday is remixed back into the 20 for about the 3rd time for New Order, Belinda Carlisle rockets in for her 3rd top as Circle In The Sand rises 71 to 16, Faurground Attraction climb into the 40 with Perfect, and Aztec Camera add to their snaps of singles doing the same, with a mighty bound on Somewhere In My Heart.

Narada Michael Walden gets his 3rd top 40, and highest new entry is from Joyce Sims, in with Walk Away at 48, followed by The Housemartins not doing a cover of Bacharach/David’s Always Something There To Remind Me at 56 (just nicking the title). Gloria Estefan is back with Can’t Stay Away From You, by now more or less a solo act doing her husbands’ material as he phases out Miami Sound Machine to greater success. Second-time lucky for the song it will be, though. Heart are back with another old track, What About Love, Was Not Was are back with a remix of the fab non-hit Out Come The Freaks, Icehouse add Electric Blue to their list of chart entries here, even if not in the UK charts, The Primitives follow-up, and Scritti Politti makes it 4 years of chart gems with Oh Patti popping in at 75.

This was the week I bought my first CD player, as far as I can recall, cos the Playlist includes 2 Blow Monkeys remix tracks from the first maxi-single CD I ever bought – and the only way I could have heard them was on a brand-new Philips DC player. CD was a revolution in sound, in some ways, as hits albums squeezing too many tracks onto vinyl were a bit tinny in sound, and vinyl singles quality wasn’t what it used to be either as they got produced more cheaply. I didn’t miss the crackles and pops of vinyl, but the widescreen sound of quality vinyl was definitely superior to a cheap CD player and early CD’s of older recordings in the days before remastering – some times they were cheap crappy covers by the listed act, sometimes they’d been bunged onto CD direct from a CD or substandard master, and as I was to find out to my horror years later, the lie that CD’s would “last forever” was nonsense – many of them reacted to inks in the sleeve and turned discoloured and the sound disintegrated or jumped. The plastic wallets were just awful, I still hate the tacky packaging, and the only affection I hold for actual CD’s I bought are those I bought abroad, or those that have great packaging. The rest can happily be replaced and upgraded, unlike Vinyl where I love my own copies, clicks and all, cos they are special time-related sentimental objects.

1 ( 1 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
2 ( 7 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
3 ( 3 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
4 ( 6 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
5 ( 4 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
6 ( 2 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
7 ( 8 ) I WANT YOU BACK Bananarama
8 ( 15 ) WHO’S LEAVING WHO Hazell Dean
9 ( 5 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
10 ( 12 ) MARY’S PRAYER Danny Wilson

11 ( 13 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
12 ( 9 ) GIRLFRIEND Pebbles
13 ( 37 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
14 ( 14 ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
15 ( 10 ) PINK CADILLAC Natalie Cole
16 ( 71 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
17 ( 31 ) NITE AND DAY Al B. Sure
18 ( 27 ) DON’T LOOK ANY FURTHER The Kane Gang
19 ( 16 ) GET LUCKY Jermaine Stewart
20 ( 23 ) LET’S ALL CHANT Pat and Mick

21 ( 17 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
22 ( 32 ) BORN AGAIN The Christians
23 ( 46 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
24 ( 11 ) WHEN THE LOVE IS GOOD Big Trouble
25 ( 30 ) FROM THE HIP Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
26 ( 70 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
27 ( 69 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada
28 ( 21 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
29 ( 24 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
30 ( 36 ) ARMAGEDDIN’ IT Def Leppard

31 ( 18 ) DREAMING Glen Goldsmith
32 ( 19 ) 10,000 ANGELS Godley And Creme
33 ( 38 ) CARELESS LOVE Swimming With Sharks
34 ( 64 ) KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Prefab Sprout
35 ( 54 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
36 ( 52 ) A LOVE SUPREME Will Downing
37 ( 22 ) I’M NOT SCARED Eighth Wonder
38 ( 44 ) BEDS ARE BURNING Midnight Oil
39 ( 35 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
40 ( 28 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart

41 ( 53 ) CALYPSO CRAZY Billy Ocean
42 ( 41 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
43 ( 33 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
44 ( 20 ) PROVE YOUR LOVE Taylor Dayne
45 ( 45 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
46 ( 42 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
47 ( 39 ) EVERY ANGEL All About Eve
48 ( NEW ) WALK AWAY Joyce Sims
49 ( 49 ) THE COLOURS Men They Couldn’t Hang
50 ( 25 ) STAY ON THESE ROADS a-ha

51 ( 51 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
52 ( 50 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
53 ( 60 ) WHEN WILL YOU MAKE MY TELEPHONE RING Deacon Blue
54 ( 56 ) SOMETHIN’ ELSE Eddie Cochran
55 ( 74 ) PAYBACK MIX James Brown
56 ( NEW ) ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME The Housemartins
57 ( 26 ) COULD’VE BEEN Tiffany
58 ( 29 ) I NEED A MAN Eurythmics
59 ( 57 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
60 ( 63 ) CHANGES Alan Price

61 ( 48 ) FATHER FIGURE George Michael
62 ( 58 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
63 ( 47 ) THAT’S THE WAY IT IS Mel & Kim
64 ( NEW ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine
65 ( 65 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
66 ( 66 ) BAD Michael Jackson
67 ( NEW ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
68 ( 43 ) ANGEL Aerosmith
69 ( 62 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
70 ( NEW ) OUT COME THE FREAKS (REMIX) Was (Not Was)

71 ( 40 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Aswad
72 ( NEW ) ELECTRIC BLUE Icehouse
73 ( 34 ) JUST A MIRAGE Jellybean/ Adele Bertei
74 ( NEW ) OUT OF REACH The Primitives
75 ( NEW ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti

1st May
PLAYIST OLDIES

1 DIGGING YOUR SCENE (CD REMIX) Blow Monkeys
2 I CLOSE MY EYES AND COUNT TO TEN Dusty Springfield
3 IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY (CD REMIX) Blow Monkeys

 

8th May 1988

It’s George Michael finally getting a chart-topper from Faith with One More Try ( ), his 3rd solo chart-topper, 4th including Aretha Franklin duets, and 6th including Wham!, 7th including Band Aid. Take your pick. Poor ol’ Ofra gets leap-frogged at 2, but Prince is driving Alphabet Street right into the top 10, and Narada is having some divine emotions doing the same. Rocketing up even higher it’s Gloria Estefan – not her first top 20, but I Can’t Stay Away From You has a sweet 48-place climb.

The Clash are back with another oldie, London Calling at 29 equalling it’s peak in 1979, Heart get a 5th top 40 with a big climb, and the big Eurovision song from 1988 enters at 35 for Hothouse Flowers – not that Don’t Go had been entered, they were the interval act. Cry Before Dawn also enter the top 40 with a song I’ve completely forgotten – truly, gone if not forever-then-for-32-years. Scritti Politti get a pleasing bound to 39 from 75 with Patti, Hall & Oates return for 12 years of chart activity, and just for charity-mates, Wet Wet Wet mangle a Sgt Pepper Beatles song that had already charted for Joe Cocker 20 years earlier, and Billy Bragg murders the gorgeous She’s Leaving Home, which should have been released as a single in 1976 for The Beatles around the time that Bryan Ferry did a great cover on one of his B sides in 1977. Still, both songs died for a good cause.

If you’d asked me if Magnum had ever made my charts I would have said “not likely!”, but there you are, Start talking Love enters at 68, even ahead of Kim Wilde’s latest album cut from Close to make single. In what must have been a desperately bad week for new music Harry Enfield annoys at 73, Dirty Dancing tedium enters at 72 for Patrick Swayze, Luther Vandross meanders in at 74, and Eddy Grant remains forgettable at 75 – his glory days started in 1968 with The Equals, and solo in 1979 through to Jo’Anna, but I don’t recall this one, so I guess it does what it says on the tin. So, of the new entries, one is old, 2 I dont recall, 4 are various scales of OK, and 4 I wouldnt mind never hearing again. Quality down-turn!

1 ( 3 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
2 ( 2 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
3 ( 1 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
4 ( 4 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
5 ( 8 ) WHO’S LEAVING WHO Hazell Dean
6 ( 6 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
7 ( 5 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
8 ( 35 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
9 ( 7 ) I WANT YOU BACK Bananarama
10 ( 27 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada

11 ( 9 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
12 ( 10 ) MARY’S PRAYER Danny Wilson
13 ( 13 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
14 ( 23 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
15 ( 16 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
16 ( 64 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine
17 ( 18 ) DON’T LOOK ANY FURTHER The Kane Gang
18 ( 20 ) LET’S ALL CHANT Pat and Mick
19 ( 26 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
20 ( 22 ) BORN AGAIN The Christians

21 ( 11 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
22 ( 12 ) GIRLFRIEND Pebbles
23 ( 36 ) A LOVE SUPREME Will Downing
24 ( 17 ) NITE AND DAY Al B. Sure
25 ( 34 ) KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Prefab Sprout
26 ( 14 ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
27 ( 33 ) CARELESS LOVE Swimming With Sharks
28 ( 15 ) PINK CADILLAC Natalie Cole
29 ( NEW ) LONDON CALLING The Clash
30 ( 19 ) GET LUCKY Jermaine Stewart

31 ( 25 ) FROM THE HIP Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
32 ( 67 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
33 ( 24 ) WHEN THE LOVE IS GOOD Big Trouble
34 ( 28 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
35 ( NEW ) DON’T GO Hothouse Flowers
36 ( 48 ) WALK AWAY Joyce Sims
37 ( NEW ) GONE FOREVER Cry Before Dawn
38 ( 39 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
39 ( 75 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti
40 ( 29 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher

41 ( 41 ) CALYPSO CRAZY Billy Ocean
42 ( 56 ) ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME The Housemartins
43 ( 42 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
44 ( 38 ) BEDS ARE BURNING Midnight Oil
45 ( 21 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
46 ( 45 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
47 ( 70 ) OUT COME THE FREAKS (REMIX) Was (Not Was)
48 ( 43 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
49 ( 40 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart
50 ( 46 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson

51 ( 51 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
52 ( 37 ) I’M NOT SCARED Eighth Wonder
53 ( 52 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
54 ( 31 ) DREAMING Glen Goldsmith
55 ( 55 ) PAYBACK MIX James Brown
56 ( NEW ) EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES Daryl Hall & John Oates
57 ( 74 ) OUT OF REACH The Primitives
58 ( 32 ) 10,000 ANGELS Godley And Creme
59 ( NEW ) WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS/SHE’S LEAVING HOME Wet Wet Wet/ Billy Bragg
60 ( 59 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson

61 ( 50 ) STAY ON THESE ROADS a-ha
62 ( 53 ) WHEN WILL YOU MAKE MY TELEPHONE RING Deacon Blue
63 ( 54 ) SOMETHIN’ ELSE Eddie Cochran
64 ( 62 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
65 ( 30 ) ARMAGEDDIN’ IT Def Leppard
66 ( 65 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
67 ( 66 ) BAD Michael Jackson
68 ( NEW ) START TALKING LOVE Magnum
69 ( 61 ) FATHER FIGURE George Michael
70 ( NEW ) HEY MR HEARTACHE Kim Wilde

71 ( 69 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
72 ( NEW ) SHE’S LIKE THE WIND Patrick Swayze/ Wendy Fisher
73 ( NEW ) LOADSAMONEY Harry Enfield
74 ( NEW ) I GAVE IT UP (WHEN I FELL IN LOVE) Luther Vandross
75 ( NEW ) HARMLESS PIECE OF FUN Eddy Grant

Playlist oldies and album tracks of that week
1 WHO’S LOVING YOU The Jackson 5
2 EAGLE Abba
3 WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE Abba

 

15th May 1988

It’s a first week on top for Alphabet Street, as Prince gets his first chart-topper after numerous big hits and some runners-up, belatedly deserved despite the annoying Lovesexy album CD version being one long track with no individual track skipping ability. Talk about annoying! Blue Monday goes top 10 again, albeit remixed, and Fairground Attraction grab a Perfect top 10 debut, and Belinda Carlisle makes it a hat-trick of the same, and Gloria Estefan adds to hers too.

Heart shoot into the 20 with What About Love, Prefab Sprout get another top 20 4 years on from When Love Breaks Down, and The Clash second-time round also peak higher than 1979’s peak of 29, at 19. Highest new entry is Debbie Gibson at 26 with Out Of The Blue, while in at 29 it’s another track I don’t recall, hot on the heels of Cry Before Dawn last week, it’s Won Ton Ton and I Lie And I Cheat. Playing it now and I’d swear I’ve never heard it in my life, oops! It’s not aged that well…..

Aerosmith pop back in at 33 with Angel, a much more realistic chart position for a track I do remember, and ditto Icehouse at 35 with Electric Blue – a big week for that colour – while Aswad follow-up with Give A Little Love at 39. Kylie is back with another production-line track off her album, Got To Be Certain, and Derek B is a Bad Young Brother at 58. Quo turn up with a track I dont recall either, Who Gets The Love marking a move towards a more AOR sound, Climie Fisher get a 3rd entry, Richard Marx gets another ballad sneaking in – his current single is pretty good as I’ve started following him on Twitter as he’s not one to mince his words Voice Of The Beehive are back with Don’t Call Me Baby, and sneaking in as a bonus 76 it’s my airplay album track Dirty Diana, soon to be the next single off Bad from Michael Jackson. safe to say it would have charted much higher had I permitted album tracks in my chart.

1 ( 8 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
2 ( 1 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
3 ( 2 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
4 ( 4 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
5 ( 10 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada
6 ( 13 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
7 ( 3 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
8 ( 14 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
9 ( 15 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
10 ( 16 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine

11 ( 5 ) WHO’S LEAVING WHO Hazell Dean
12 ( 7 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
13 ( 32 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
14 ( 6 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
15 ( 9 ) I WANT YOU BACK Bananarama
16 ( 25 ) KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Prefab Sprout
17 ( 19 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
18 ( 23 ) A LOVE SUPREME Will Downing
19 ( 29 ) LONDON CALLING The Clash
20 ( 11 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac

21 ( 12 ) MARY’S PRAYER Danny Wilson
22 ( 18 ) LET’S ALL CHANT Pat and Mick
23 ( 21 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
24 ( 20 ) BORN AGAIN The Christians
25 ( 35 ) DON’T GO Hothouse Flowers
26 ( NEW ) OUT OF THE BLUE Debbie Gibson
27 ( 26 ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
28 ( 17 ) DON’T LOOK ANY FURTHER The Kane Gang
29 ( NEW ) I LIE AND I CHEAT Won Ton Ton
30 ( 39 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti

31 ( 28 ) PINK CADILLAC Natalie Cole
32 ( 27 ) CARELESS LOVE Swimming With Sharks
33 ( RE ) ANGEL Aerosmith
34 ( 41 ) CALYPSO CRAZY Billy Ocean
35 ( RE ) ELECTRIC BLUE Icehouse
36 ( 22 ) GIRLFRIEND Pebbles
37 ( 37 ) GONE FOREVER Cry Before Dawn
38 ( 38 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
39 ( NEW ) GIVE A LITTLE LOVE Aswad
40 ( 47 ) OUT COME THE FREAKS (REMIX) Was (Not Was)

41 ( 24 ) NITE AND DAY Al B. Sure
42 ( 34 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
43 ( 56 ) EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES Daryl Hall & John Oates
44 ( 43 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
45 ( 45 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
46 ( 46 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
47 ( NEW ) GOT TO BE CERTAIN Kylie Minogue
48 ( 44 ) BEDS ARE BURNING Midnight Oil
49 ( 57 ) OUT OF REACH The Primitives
50 ( 50 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson

51 ( 51 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
52 ( 40 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
53 ( 53 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
54 ( 48 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
55 ( 59 ) WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS/SHE’S LEAVING HOME Wet Wet Wet/ Billy Bragg
56 ( 49 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart
57 ( 30 ) GET LUCKY Jermaine Stewart
58 ( NEW ) BAD YOUNG BROTHER Derek B
59 ( 31 ) FROM THE HIP Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
60 ( 70 ) HEY MR HEARTACHE Kim Wilde

61 ( 36 ) WALK AWAY Joyce Sims
62 ( 60 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
63 ( 33 ) WHEN THE LOVE IS GOOD Big Trouble
64 ( 68 ) START TALKING LOVE Magnum
65 ( 73 ) LOADSAMONEY Harry Enfield
66 ( 66 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
67 ( 64 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
68 ( 67 ) BAD Michael Jackson
69 ( NEW ) WHO GETS THE LOVE Status Quo
70 ( 52 ) I’M NOT SCARED Eighth Wonder

71 ( 71 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
72 ( NEW ) THIS IS ME Climie Fisher
73 ( 54 ) DREAMING Glen Goldsmith
74 ( NEW ) ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS Richard Marx
75 ( NEW ) DON’T CALL ME BABY Voice Of The Beehive
76 ( NEW ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

Playlist oldies of the week
1 DEVIL’S BALL Double
2 WHY DID YOU DO IT Stretch
3 DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

 

 

22nd May 1988

It’s 2 weeks on top for Prince as Belinda Carlisle starts to threaten with her first top 3, Circling In The Sand you might say, as Heart grab a 3rd top 10 and Aztec Camera a 2nd. Kylie shoots up to 12, her 3rd top 20, and Cher makes it two in a row too – or her 5th in total over 17 years – Rod Stewart has had many more than that over the same period, and his latest try enters at 60. Highest new entry is LA Mix at 18 with Check This Out, another cut ‘n’ paste dance track, as I vaguely recall.

Kim Wilde bolts up to 22 with Hey Mr Heartache, 7 years-worth of top 40’s and the biggest still to come, Hall & Oates are back in the 40 12 years since She’s Gone, and 6 years since they topped my charts, while new into the 40 goes Maxi Priest’s lover’s rock version of Jimmy Cliff’s reggae version of Cat Stevens Wild World, Mica Paris debuts with My One Temptation, smooth, and Merry Clayton says Yes at 38. I liked that track much more than record buyers did.

Sam Brown debuts at 53 with the fabulous Stop, a full year of it becoming a hit, outrageously not hitting first-time round, all diva soul from Joe Brown’s little girl. I’ve seen Joe Brown in concert a few times, sometimes Sam supports him, which is lovely to see and hear, as her career never really took off properly after Stop, unlike Joe who was around through the 60’s, and beyond in light entertainment, until he re-invented himself a musicians musician and a live draw.

Quietly in at 65, a terrific French dance track, Voyage Voyage from Desireless, while Stevie returns with Michael on tow, Get Up being a tit for tat for appearing on the weakest track on Bad with Michael. I mean, I’m always going to have time for Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, bot childhood and teen faves when one was not much older than, and the other younger than, moi. It’s not the best track either appeared on though.

Alexander O’Neal is back with another Jam & Lewis dance gem, The Lovers, Basia has left her Matt Bianco days behind her and gone solo – though she was more notable for noticeably being amongst the first EU-era movement of Polish folk to the UK than her solo career – and finally Samantha Fox pops in yet again, somehow managing to get a mention with another bit of tat.

1 ( 1 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
2 ( 2 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
3 ( 9 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
4 ( 5 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada
5 ( 13 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
6 ( 6 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
7 ( 3 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
8 ( 4 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
9 ( 17 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
10 ( 10 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine

11 ( 7 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
12 ( 47 ) GOT TO BE CERTAIN Kylie Minogue
13 ( 16 ) KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Prefab Sprout
14 ( 45 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher
15 ( 12 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
16 ( 26 ) OUT OF THE BLUE Debbie Gibson
17 ( 14 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
18 ( NEW ) CHECK THIS OUT LA Mix
19 ( 11 ) WHO’S LEAVING WHO Hazell Dean
20 ( 30 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti

21 ( 8 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
22 ( 60 ) HEY MR HEARTACHE Kim Wilde
23 ( 25 ) DON’T GO Hothouse Flowers
24 ( 18 ) A LOVE SUPREME Will Downing
25 ( 20 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
26 ( 15 ) I WANT YOU BACK Bananarama
27 ( 39 ) GIVE A LITTLE LOVE Aswad
28 ( 35 ) ELECTRIC BLUE Icehouse
29 ( 29 ) I LIE AND I CHEAT Won Ton Ton
30 ( 24 ) BORN AGAIN The Christians

31 ( 21 ) MARY’S PRAYER Danny Wilson
32 ( 23 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
33 ( 43 ) EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES Daryl Hall & John Oates
34 ( 34 ) CALYPSO CRAZY Billy Ocean
35 ( NEW ) WILD WORLD Maxi Priest
36 ( 19 ) LONDON CALLING The Clash
37 ( NEW ) MY ONE TEMPTATION Mica Paris
38 ( NEW ) YES Merry Clayton
39 ( 38 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
40 ( 55 ) WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS/SHE’S LEAVING HOME Wet Wet Wet/ Billy Bragg

41 ( 27 ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
42 ( 42 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
43 ( 22 ) LET’S ALL CHANT Pat and Mick
44 ( 31 ) PINK CADILLAC Natalie Cole
45 ( 44 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
46 ( 32 ) CARELESS LOVE Swimming With Sharks
47 ( 53 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
48 ( 46 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
49 ( 75 ) DON’T CALL ME BABY Voice Of The Beehive
50 ( 72 ) THIS IS ME Climie Fisher

51 ( 51 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
52 ( 50 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
53 ( NEW ) STOP Sam Brown
54 ( 28 ) DON’T LOOK ANY FURTHER The Kane Gang
55 ( 58 ) BAD YOUNG BROTHER Derek B
56 ( 36 ) GIRLFRIEND Pebbles
57 ( 54 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
58 ( 69 ) WHO GETS THE LOVE Status Quo
59 ( 37 ) GONE FOREVER Cry Before Dawn
60 ( NEW ) LOST IN YOU Rod Stewart

61 ( 52 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
62 ( 33 ) ANGEL Aerosmith
63 ( 62 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
64 ( 56 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart
65 ( NEW ) VOYAGE VOYAGE Desireless
66 ( NEW ) GET IT Stevie Wonder/ Michael Jackson
67 ( 66 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
68 ( 68 ) BAD Michael Jackson
69 ( 67 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
70 ( NEW ) THE LOVERS Alexander O’Neal

71 ( 71 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
72 ( 74 ) ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS Richard Marx
73 ( NEW ) TIME AND TIDE Basia
74 ( NEW ) NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) Samantha Fox
75 ( 63 ) WHEN THE LOVE IS GOOD Big Trouble
76 ( 76 ) DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson

Playlist faves of that week
1 DIRTY DIANA Michael Jackson
2 THE ANGELS CRY Agnetha Flatskog
3 I FOUND SOMEONE Cher

 

 

29th May 1988

It’s back on top for a 2nd week for George Michael’s One More Try, while at the other end of the chart it’s a mention for my top album track of the week (also from Faith, the fab Hand To Mouth which should also have been a single) by virtue of topping my list of other non-single criminally-ignored tracks of the 80’s. LA Mix Check this Out at 4, Scritti Politti make it a 3rd top 10 with Oh Patti, and Cher makes it two in a row at 10, her 4th solo, 6th including duets.

Alexander O’Neal bounds into the 20 with The Lovers, and highest new entry is KLF’s Doctorin’ The Tardis – under the pseudonym The Timelords – their debut, though Jimmy Cauty had charted as part of Brilliant several times already, in at 20. Essentially a mash-up of the Doctor Who theme (one of the greatest TV themes ever), Sweet’s Blockbuster sirens and Gary Glitter’s Rock And Roll Part 2 as the hook. What’s not to like! Glam Rock and House Music! Ish.

Other newies: Eurythmics second-best best track off their latest album, You have Placed A Chill In My Heart at 26, one of Erasure’s very best singles in at 29 with Chains Of Love, and an old Brass Construction funk groove Housed-up, Movin’ in at 30. At 38, Elton returns with a great track, I Don’t Want To Go On With You Like That, not the hit it deserved to be as he was well out of fashion by 1988, Sade is in Paradise at 44, one of her/their best tracks. Yes, confusing plurals were a thing back then too, albeit limited to bands named after the lead singer, or bands with a name that became acquired by the lead singer. Yes, I’m looking at you Alice Cooper.

The Sytle Council are nearing the end of their time in the chart sun, albeit with a healthy track, Whitney’s looking for something to save the day, not that she’d have listened if she’d found it, and musically at least not for another decade. Fleetwood Mac pop back in with a lesser Tango In The Night track, Big Audio Dynamite keep plugging away, and Nick Kamen has a last fling at chart action.

1 ( 2 ) ONE MORE TRY George Michael
2 ( 1 ) ALPHABET STREET Prince
3 ( 3 ) CIRCLE IN THE SAND Belinda Carlisle
4 ( 18 ) CHECK THIS OUT LA Mix
5 ( 4 ) DIVINE EMOTIONS Narada
6 ( 5 ) WHAT ABOUT LOVE Heart
7 ( 9 ) SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART Aztec Camera
8 ( 6 ) BLUE MONDAY (REMIX) New Order
9 ( 20 ) OH PATTI (DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR LOVERBOY) Scritti Politti
10 ( 14 ) WE ALL SLEEP ALONE Cher

11 ( 16 ) OUT OF THE BLUE Debbie Gibson
12 ( 12 ) GOT TO BE CERTAIN Kylie Minogue
13 ( 10 ) I CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU Gloria Estefan/ Miami Sound Machine
14 ( 7 ) I’M NIN ALU Ofra Haza
15 ( 11 ) THEME FROM S-EXPRESS S-Express
16 ( 8 ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
17 ( 13 ) KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Prefab Sprout
18 ( 70 ) THE LOVERS Alexander O’Neal
19 ( 22 ) HEY MR HEARTACHE Kim Wilde
20 ( NEW ) DOCTORIN’ THE TARDIS The Timelords (KLF)

21 ( 35 ) WILD WORLD Maxi Priest
22 ( 15 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
23 ( 23 ) DON’T GO Hothouse Flowers
24 ( 17 ) I WANT YOU BACK/ I WANT YOU BACK (’88 remix) The Jackson 5
25 ( 33 ) EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES Daryl Hall & John Oates
26 ( NEW ) YOU HAVE PLACED A CHILL IN MY HEART Eurythmics
27 ( 27 ) GIVE A LITTLE LOVE Aswad
28 ( 37 ) MY ONE TEMPTATION Mica Paris
29 ( NEW ) CHAINS OF LOVE Erasure
30 ( NEW ) MOVIN’ 1988 Brass Construction

31 ( 19 ) WHO’S LEAVING WHO Hazell Dean
32 ( 60 ) LOST IN YOU Rod Stewart
33 ( 25 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
34 ( 38 ) YES Merry Clayton
35 ( 50 ) THIS IS ME Climie Fisher
36 ( 49 ) DON’T CALL ME BABY Voice Of The Beehive
37 ( 40 ) WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS/SHE’S LEAVING HOME Wet Wet Wet/ Billy Bragg
38 ( NEW ) I DON’T WANT TO GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT Elton John
39 ( 26 ) I WANT YOU BACK Bananarama
40 ( 39 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies

41 ( 28 ) ELECTRIC BLUE Icehouse
42 ( 32 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Louis Armstrong
43 ( NEW ) I STILL LOVE YOU Judy Cheeks
44 ( NEW ) PARADISE Sade
45 ( 21 ) PERFECT Fairground Attraction
46 ( NEW ) LIFE ON A TOP PEOPLE’S HEALTH FARM The Style Council
47 ( 45 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
48 ( 47 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
49 ( 42 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
50 ( 48 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees

51 ( 65 ) VOYAGE VOYAGE Desireless
52 ( 31 ) MARY’S PRAYER Danny Wilson
53 ( 51 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
54 ( 53 ) STOP Sam Brown
55 ( 52 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
56 ( 24 ) A LOVE SUPREME Will Downing
57 ( 29 ) I LIE AND I CHEAT Won Ton Ton
58 ( 74 ) NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) Samantha Fox
59 ( 58 ) WHO GETS THE LOVE Status Quo
60 ( 36 ) LONDON CALLING The Clash

61 ( 66 ) GET IT Stevie Wonder/ Michael Jackson
62 ( 57 ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
63 ( 63 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
64 ( 30 ) BORN AGAIN The Christians
65 ( 41 ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
66 ( NEW ) LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY Whitney Houston
67 ( 68 ) BAD Michael Jackson
68 ( 61 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
69 ( 67 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
70 ( 73 ) TIME AND TIDE Basia

71 ( 71 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
72 ( NEW ) ISN’T IT MIDNIGHT Fleetwood Mac
73 ( 64 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart
74 ( NEW ) JUST PLAY MUSIC Big Audio Dynamite
75 ( NEW ) TELL ME Nick Kamen
76 ( NEW ) HAND TO MOUTH George Michael

FAVE OLDIES/ALBUM TRACKS OF THE WEEK
1 HAND TO MOUTH George Michael
2 MISS ME BLIND Culture Club
3 PANINARO Pet Shop Boys

My March 1988 Charts

Local BMX heathland area – went for a walk there yesterday for the first time in a decade – the car is gone and ponds now cover the bottom areas – much better for wildlife, newts especially.

 

6th March 1988

It’s 2 weeks on top for Climie Fisher, presiding over a still-volatile chart as Heart’s double-A oldie rises 53 places to give them a second number 2 in 6 months, with Joe Le taxi going top 10 for Vanessa Paradis’ debut, and Belinda Carlisle makes it 2 in a row with I get Weak, and Taja Seville shoots up 20 to 10 for her only big record, the fab Love Is Contagious.

Mel & Kim and Sisters Of Mercy add to their top 20 tally, Eighth Wonder takes Pet Shop Boys to 21 (more or less, bar Patsy Kensit’s vocals), with the generously-donated I’m Not Scared, Afrika Bambaata is back in the 40 after a bit of a gap, and UB40 just keep on a-coming, 8 years of non-stop singles success. Voice Of The Beehive return with an instant top 40 walking the earth at 38, while Aswad’s cover of Don’t Turn Around gives them a long-overdue big smash and a run of success, in at 51. The song is an Albert Hammond and Diane Warren song, originally recorded by Tina Turner a couple of years earlier – Albert has hits spanning the 60’s to 80’s Diane the 80’s to the 10’s.

David Lee Roth keeps his ex-Van Halen career ticking over a while, The Proclaimers fly in just below, Saxon ride like the wind where Christopher Cross first blew top 20 in 1980, and extend their career longer than Christopher Cross managed, to 8 years, and finally INXS sneak in with another Kick track, Devil Inside.

1 ( 1 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
2 ( 55 ) NEVER/ THESE DREAMS Heart
3 ( 4 ) I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN Roger
4 ( 2 ) DOCTORIN’ THE HOUSE Coldcut/ Yazz & The Plastic Population
5 ( 3 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
6 ( 13 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
7 ( 8 ) BEAT DIS Bomb The Bass
8 ( 17 ) I GET WEAK Belinda Carlisle
9 ( 9 ) TELL IT TO MY HEART Taylor Dayne
10 ( 30 ) LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS Taja Seville

11 ( 7 ) SAY IT AGAIN Jermaine Stewart
12 ( 18 ) HEART OF GOLD Johnny Hates Jazz
13 ( 6 ) CRAZY Icehouse
14 ( 15 ) MY GENERATION The Who
15 ( 20 ) SUEDEHEAD Morrissey
16 ( 25 ) THAT’S THE WAY IT IS Mel & Kim
17 ( 27 ) DOMINION Sisters Of Mercy
18 ( 5 ) TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Berlin
19 ( 10 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR Michael Jackson
20 ( 11 ) SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE Was (Not Was)

21 ( 58 ) I’M NOT SCARED Eighth Wonder
22 ( 29 ) CRASH The Primitives
23 ( 23 ) I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY Kylie Minogue
24 ( 40 ) HOW MEN ARE Aztec Camera
25 ( 37 ) CRAZY FOR YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees
26 ( 14 ) WHEN WILL I BE FAMOUS Bros
27 ( 12 ) WHEN WE WAS FAB George Harrison
28 ( 19 ) C’MON EVERYBODY Eddie Cochran
29 ( 16 ) GIMME HOPE JO’ANNA Eddy Grant
30 ( 32 ) HAZY SHADE OF WINTER The Bangles

31 ( 21 ) THE JACK THAT HOUSE BUILT Jack ‘n’ Chill
32 ( 22 ) I DON’T MIND AT ALL Bourgeois Tag
33 ( 48 ) RECKLESS Afrika Bambaata/ UB40
34 ( 31 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
35 ( 24 ) ROCK DA HOUSE Beatmasters/ Cookie Crew
36 ( 36 ) SUGAR SUGAR The Archies
37 ( 35 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys/ Dusty Springfield
38 ( NEW ) I WALK THE EARTH Voice Of The Beehive
39 ( 34 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
40 ( 45 ) LIVE MY LIFE Boy George

41 ( 26 ) NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS Cherrelle/ Alexander O’Neal
42 ( 42 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
43 ( 51 ) DIGNITY Deacon Blue
44 ( 43 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
45 ( 41 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL MIchael Jackson
46 ( 61 ) GOODGROOVE Derek B
47 ( 52 ) AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK Sting
48 ( 39 ) SHAME Eurythmics
49 ( 49 ) FATHER FIGURE George Michael
50 ( 68 ) TOGETHER FOREVER Rick Astley

51 ( 60 ) SHIP OF FOOLS Erasure
52 ( 33 ) TOWER OF STRENGTH The Mission
53 ( 50 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
54 ( 28 ) MANDINKA Sinead O’Connor
55 ( 65 ) KISS AND TELL Bryan Ferry
56 ( 69 ) CARS AND GIRLS Prefab Sprout
57 ( 44 ) HOUSE ARREST Krush
58 ( 56 ) BAD Michael Jackson
59 ( 46 ) SIGN YOUR NAME Terence Trent D’Arby
60 ( 63 ) HOT HOT HOT The Cure

61 ( NEW ) DON’T TURN AROUND Aswad
62 ( 62 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
63 ( 38 ) TWO HEARTS Cliff Richard
64 ( 53 ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU Dusty Springfield
65 ( NEW ) JUST LIKE PARADISE David Lee Roth
66 ( NEW ) MAKE MY HEART FLY The Proclaimers
67 ( 67 ) RENT Pet Shop Boys
68 ( NEW ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND Saxon
69 ( 74 ) CHECK IT OUT John Cougar Mellencamp
70 ( 75 ) PEOPLE ARE STRANGE Echo & The Bunnymen

71 ( 64 ) FAMILY MAN Fleetwood Mac
72 ( 72 ) I FOUND SOMEONE Cher
73 ( 73 ) HUMAN The Human League
74 ( NEW ) DEVIL INSIDE INXS
75 ( 71 ) ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE The Beatles

6th March
PLAYIST OLDIES

1 SO FAR AWAY Carole King
2 REMEMBER YOU’RE A WOMBLE The Wombles
3 WHITE ROSE OF ATHENS Nana Mouskouri

 

 

 

13th March 1988

It’s French teen chanteuse Vanessa Paradis getting a cool Joe Le Taxi to the top slot this week – she’s not the youngest act (at 15 years old) to top my chart – that honour goes to Michael Jackson, either 12 years old with the Jackson 5, or 14 years old solo – but she is still the youngest solo female to have done it. Johnny Hates Jazz get a second top 10 and Mel & Kim a 3rd.

A big climb for Aswad to 21 from 61, and INXS to 28 from 74, and the highest new entry is a second hit for Eric B & Rakim at 30. Madness return and extend their run to 9 years, at 38 with a “The” in front of the name (so wrong), and I Pronounce You may be their last top 40 for a decade. Fischer Z debut with The Perfect Day, Keith Sweat wants her, Brenda Russell plays piano in the dark (anti-social but a great record), The Clash oldie I Fought The Law returns 9 years on, a cover of the 60’s garage-rock Bobby Fuller Four hit, and Richard Marx pops back in 3 weeks after sneaking in at 75 for a week. He’ll be back with bigger tracks quite soon…

1 ( 6 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
2 ( 7 ) BEAT DIS Bomb The Bass
3 ( 3 ) I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN Roger
4 ( 4 ) DOCTORIN’ THE HOUSE Coldcut/ Yazz & The Plastic Population
5 ( 10 ) LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS Taja Seville
6 ( 2 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart
7 ( 1 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
8 ( 12 ) HEART OF GOLD Johnny Hates Jazz
9 ( 16 ) THAT’S THE WAY IT IS Mel & Kim
10 ( 8 ) I GET WEAK Belinda Carlisle

11 ( 21 ) I’M NOT SCARED Eighth Wonder
12 ( 5 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
13 ( 13 ) CRAZY Icehouse
14 ( 22 ) CRASH The Primitives
15 ( 9 ) TELL IT TO MY HEART Taylor Dayne
16 ( 17 ) DOMINION Sisters Of Mercy
17 ( 15 ) SUEDEHEAD Morrissey
18 ( 24 ) HOW MEN ARE Aztec Camera
19 ( 11 ) SAY IT AGAIN Jermaine Stewart
20 ( 19 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson

21 ( 61 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Aswad
22 ( 33 ) RECKLESS Afrika Bambaata/ UB40
23 ( 23 ) I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY Kylie Minogue
24 ( 14 ) MY GENERATION The Who
25 ( 20 ) SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE Was (Not Was)
26 ( 38 ) I WALK THE EARTH Voice Of The Beehive
27 ( 18 ) TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Berlin
28 ( 74 ) DEVIL INSIDE INXS
29 ( 29 ) GIMME HOPE JO’ANNA Eddy Grant
30 ( NEW ) I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL Eric B & Rakim

31 ( 34 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
32 ( 36 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
33 ( 25 ) CRAZY FOR YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees
34 ( 51 ) SHIP OF FOOLS Erasure
35 ( 37 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
36 ( 42 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
37 ( 26 ) WHEN WILL I BE FAMOUS Bros
38 ( NEW ) I PRONOUNCE YOU Madness
39 ( 27 ) WHEN WE WAS FAB George Harrison
40 ( 50 ) TOGETHER FOREVER Rick Astley

41 ( 31 ) THE JACK THAT HOUSE BUILT Jack ‘n’ Chill
42 ( 39 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
43 ( 32 ) I DON’T MIND AT ALL Bourgeois Tag
44 ( 35 ) ROK DA HOUSE Beatmasters/ Cookie Crew
45 ( 44 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
46 ( 46 ) GOODGROOVE Derek B
47 ( 45 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
48 ( 28 ) C’MON EVERYBODY Eddie Cochran
49 ( 30 ) HAZY SHADE OF WINTER The Bangles
50 ( 65 ) JUST LIKE PARADISE David Lee Roth

51 ( 43 ) DIGNITY Deacon Blue
52 ( 49 ) FATHER FIGURE George Michael
53 ( 56 ) CARS AND GIRLS Prefab Sprout
54 ( 40 ) LIVE MY LIFE Boy George
55 ( 48 ) SHAME Eurythmics
56 ( 53 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
57 ( 70 ) PEOPLE ARE STRANGE Echo & The Bunnymen
58 ( NEW ) THE PERFECT DAY Fischer Z
59 ( 58 ) BAD Michael Jackson
60 ( 59 ) SIGN YOUR NAME Terence Trent D’Arby

61 ( 68 ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND Saxon
62 ( 62 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
63 ( 66 ) MAKE MY HEART FLY The Proclaimers
64 ( 71 ) FAMILY MAN Fleetwood Mac
65 ( 41 ) NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS Cherrelle/ Alexander O’Neal
66 ( NEW ) I WANT HER Keith Sweat
67 ( 67 ) RENT Pet Shop Boys
68 ( 57 ) HOUSE ARREST Krush
69 ( NEW ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
70 ( 73 ) HUMAN Human League

71 ( 64 ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU Dusty Springfield
72 ( 72 ) I FOUND SOMEONE Cher
73 ( NEW ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash
74 ( RE ) SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER Richard Marx
75 ( 75 ) ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE The Beatles

Playlist oldies and album tracks of that week
1 DEEP AND WIDE AND TALL Aztec Camera
2 BLUE Wham!
3 SHOULD I LAUGH OR CRY Abba

 

 

20th March 1988

It’s a new entry as Heart finally gets a single issue, slightly remixed and with a fab Ian McKellan vampire video, giving the Pet Shop Boys a 7th chart-topper, and the 3rd off Actually. Another track that’s been around a while too, from a great album too, has a sudden leap to 2 from 52 as Father Figure gets maximum appreciation belatedly for George Michael. Another Pet Shop boys song off the soon-to-come album goes top 10 for Eighth Wonder, I’m Not Scared.

Debbie Gibson gets an instant top 20 at 17 with Only In My Dreams returning on reissue, making it a twice top 20 track in two consecutive years, as Brenda Russell leaps into the 30 with Piano In The Dark, and The Clash take I Fought The Law back into the 30 9 years on. Sinitta shock releases a decent pop single, Cross My Broken Heart, and gets her biggest hit at 36 as she goes full SAW-pop, as opposed to cheesy novelty pop.

a-ha return with another melodramatic goodie, Stay On These Roads, Bros Drop The Boy and drop the quality, Jellybean’s back with newie Just A Mirage, Pebbles is back with Girlfriend, Taylor Dayne has a low-key follow-up to a number one, Zodiac Mindwarp continues with some sci-fi glamrock entering, and Tiffany and Wet Wet Wet under-achieve down the bottom-end of the chart. Debuting, though, is future-massive rap track Push It from Salt ‘N’ Pepa, not a duo despite appearances as DJ Spinderella doesn’t get mentioned in the group name. Unless she’s “N”.

1 ( NEW ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
2 ( 52 ) FATHER FIGURE George Michael
3 ( 1 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
4 ( 2 ) BEAT DIS Bomb The Bass
5 ( 5 ) LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS Taja Seville
6 ( 11 ) I’M NOT SCARED Eighth Wonder
7 ( 3 ) I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN Roger
8 ( 4 ) DOCTORIN’ THE HOUSE Coldcut/ Yazz & The Plastic Population
9 ( 12 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
10 ( 6 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart

11 ( 9 ) THAT’S THE WAY IT IS Mel & Kim
12 ( 8 ) HEART OF GOLD Johnny Hates Jazz
13 ( 21 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Aswad
14 ( 14 ) CRASH The Primitives
15 ( 7 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
16 ( 10 ) I GET WEAK Belinda Carlisle
17 ( NEW ) ONLY IN MY DREAMS Debbie Gibson
18 ( 30 ) I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL Eric B & Rakim
19 ( 15 ) TELL IT TO MY HEART Taylor Dayne
20 ( 22 ) RECKLESS Afrika Bambaata/ UB40

21 ( 13 ) CRAZY Icehouse
22 ( 18 ) HOW MEN ARE Aztec Camera
23 ( 20 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
24 ( 28 ) DEVIL INSIDE INXS
25 ( 26 ) I WALK THE EARTH Voice Of The Beehive
26 ( 16 ) DOMINION Sisters Of Mercy
27 ( 19 ) SAY IT AGAIN Jermaine Stewart
28 ( 73 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash
29 ( 69 ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
30 ( 34 ) SHIP OF FOOLS Erasure

31 ( 23 ) I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY Kylie Minogue
32 ( 32 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
33 ( 31 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
34 ( 38 ) I PRONOUNCE YOU Madness
35 ( 17 ) SUEDEHEAD Morrissey
36 ( NEW ) CROSS MY BROKEN HEART Sinitta
37 ( 40 ) TOGETHER FOREVER Rick Astley
38 ( 35 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
39 ( 36 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
40 ( 25 ) SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE Was (Not Was)

41 ( 50 ) JUST LIKE PARADISE David Lee Roth
42 ( 27 ) TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Berlin
43 ( 42 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
44 ( NEW ) DREAMING Glen Goldsmith
45 ( 29 ) GIMME HOPE JO’ANNA Eddy Grant
46 ( 45 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
47 ( 47 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
48 ( 66 ) I WANT HER Keith Sweat
49 ( 37 ) WHEN WILL I BE FAMOUS Bros
50 ( 53 ) CARS AND GIRLS Prefab Sprout

51 ( 24 ) MY GENERATION The Who
52 ( NEW ) STAY ON THESE ROADS a-ha
53 ( 39 ) WHEN WE WAS FAB George Harrison
54 ( 54 ) LIVE MY LIFE Boy George
55 ( 41 ) THE JACK THAT HOUSE BUILT Jack ‘n’ Chill
56 ( 61 ) RIDE LIKE THE WIND Saxon
57 ( 56 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
58 ( 44 ) ROK DA HOUSE Beatmasters/ Cookie Crew
59 ( NEW ) BASS (HOW LOW CAN YOU GO) Simon Harris
60 ( 59 ) BAD Michael Jackson

61 ( 43 ) I DON’T MIND AT ALL Bourgeois Tag
62 ( 55 ) SHAME Eurythmics
63 ( 62 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
64 ( 33 ) CRAZY FOR YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees
65 ( NEW ) DROP THE BOY Bros
66 ( 60 ) SIGN YOUR NAME Terence Trent D’Arby
67 ( 67 ) RENT Pet Shop Boys
68 ( NEW ) JUST A MIRAGE Jellybean/ Adele Bertei
69 ( NEW ) PUSH IT Salt ‘n’ Pepa
70 ( 70 ) HUMAN Human League

71 ( NEW ) GIRLFRIEND Pebbles
72 ( NEW ) PROVE YOUR LOVE Taylor Dayne
73 ( NEW ) PLANET GIRL Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction
74 ( NEW ) COULD’VE BEEN Tiffany
75 ( NEW ) TEMPTATION Wet Wet Wet
76 ( NEW ) ONE MORE CHANCE Pet Shop Boys

Playlist oldies of the week
1 DANNY’S SONG Anne Murray
2 ONE MORE CHANCE Pet Shop Boys
3 EMOTIONS Samantha Sang

 

 

27th March 1988

It’s 2 weeks on top for Heart as Pet Shop Boys stop George getting another chart-topper with Father Figure. Highest new entry, as per usual for the Beatles 20th anniversary reissues, is the Fabs Lady Madonna at 6 – never one of my fave Beatles singles, you’d have to go back to Paperback Writer to find one I loved less, but then again a lesser-Beatles track is still top quality. Aswad finally get that deserved top 10, with Don’t Turn Around, a-ha rocket into the 20 with the fab Stay On These Roads, and The Clash peak higher 2nd time around with I Fought The Law – I still prefer the Bobby Fuller Four original though.

After a lesser hit, the Nanas are back on form with I Want You Back at 35, Simon Harris has a big ol Bass climb into the 40, how high can he go? Quo ain’t complainin’ that 20 years on from Pictures Of Matchstick Men they still make my top 40, The Adventures bring their epic ballad Broken Land in at 62 – their best record – and errr Engelbert Humperdinck returns to my chart for the first time in oooh 16 years with a cover of the Glenn Medeiros cover of the George Benson original. I must have been getting nostalgic for the old crooners.

Natalie Cole is back with her soon-to-be biggest hit 13 years after debuting with This Will Be – Pink cadillac was a Bruce Springsteen song, which is always a good sign for a new track. Nina Simone is also back 20 years on with a 20-year-pld song, Mr Bojangles being a Jerry Jeff Walker 1968 future standard which became a hit for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in the US, and the signature song of Sammy Davis Jr, and a future Robbie Williams crooning goodie. Finally, Iron Maiden ask, Can I Play With Madness? Well, Madness are at 29 so it wasn’t out of the question – sadly it never happened, though, I would have enjoyed seeing them do Baggy Trousers….

1 ( 1 ) HEART Pet Shop Boys
2 ( 2 ) FATHER FIGURE George Michael
3 ( 3 ) JOE LE TAXI Vanessa Paradis
4 ( 9 ) EVERYWHERE Fleetwood Mac
5 ( 6 ) I’M NOT SCARED Eighth Wonder
6 ( NEW ) LADY MADONNA The Beatles
7 ( 7 ) I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN Roger
8 ( 13 ) DON’T TURN AROUND Aswad
9 ( 4 ) BEAT DIS Bomb The Bass
10 ( 10 ) THESE DREAMS/NEVER Heart

11 ( 5 ) LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS Taja Seville
12 ( 11 ) THAT’S THE WAY IT IS Mel & Kim
13 ( 17 ) ONLY IN MY DREAMS Debbie Gibson
14 ( 52 ) STAY ON THESE ROADS a-ha
15 ( 8 ) DOCTORIN’ THE HOUSE Coldcut/ Yazz & The Plastic Population
16 ( 15 ) LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) Climie Fisher
17 ( 29 ) PIANO IN THE DARK Brenda Russell
18 ( 12 ) HEART OF GOLD Johnny Hates Jazz
19 ( 16 ) I GET WEAK Belinda Carlisle
20 ( 28 ) I FOUGHT THE LAW The Clash

21 ( 18 ) I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL Eric B & Rakim
22 ( 20 ) RECKLESS Afrika Bambaata/ UB40
23 ( 44 ) DREAMING Glen Goldsmith
24 ( 24 ) DEVIL INSIDE INXS
25 ( 30 ) SHIP OF FOOLS Erasure
26 ( 19 ) TELL IT TO MY HEART Taylor Dayne
27 ( 36 ) CROSS MY BROKEN HEART Sinitta
28 ( 23 ) MAN IN THE MIRROR MIchael Jackson
29 ( 34 ) I PRONOUNCE YOU Madness
30 ( 14 ) CRASH The Primitives

31 ( 21 ) CRAZY Icehouse
32 ( 32 ) SUGAR SUGAR (CANDYFLOSS MIX)/(ORIGINAL VERSION) The Archies
33 ( 22 ) HOW MEN ARE Aztec Camera
34 ( 33 ) HELLO GOODBYE The Beatles
35 ( NEW ) I WANT YOU BACK Bananarama
36 ( 37 ) TOGETHER FOREVER Rick Astley
37 ( 27 ) SAY IT AGAIN Jermaine Stewart
38 ( 59 ) BASS (HOW LOW CAN YOU GO) Simon Harris
39 ( NEW ) AIN’T COMPLAININ’ Status Quo
40 ( 48 ) I WANT HER Keith Sweat

41 ( 38 ) WHAT HAVE I DONE (TO DESERVE THIS) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
42 ( 39 ) YOU WIN AGAIN The Bee Gees
43 ( 43 ) ALWAYS ON MY MIND Pet Shop Boys
44 ( 50 ) CARS AND GIRLS Prefab Sprout
45 ( 31 ) I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY Kylie Minogue
46 ( 46 ) LITTLE LIES Fleetwood Mac
47 ( 25 ) I WALK THE EARTH Voice Of The Beehive
48 ( 47 ) THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL Michael Jackson
49 ( 75 ) TEMPTATION Wet Wet Wet
50 ( 40 ) SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE Was (Not Was)

51 ( 65 ) DROP THE BOY Bros
52 ( 71 ) GIRLFRIEND Pebbles
53 ( 72 ) PROVE YOUR LOVE Taylor Dayne
54 ( 42 ) TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Berlin
55 ( 68 ) JUST A MIRAGE Jellybean/ Adele Bertei
56 ( 26 ) DOMINION Sisters Of Mercy
57 ( 57 ) YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ The Righteous Brothers
58 ( 35 ) SUEDEHEAD Morrissey
59 ( 74 ) COULD’VE BEEN Tiffany
60 ( 60 ) BAD Michael Jackson

61 ( 49 ) WHEN WILL I BE FAMOUS Bros
62 ( NEW ) BROKEN LAND The Adventures
63 ( 63 ) FAMILY AFFAIR/RUNNIN’ AWAY Sly & The Family Stone
64 ( 62 ) SHAME Eurythmics
65 ( NEW ) GENE AND JIM ARE INTO SHAKES Gene and Jim
66 ( NEW ) NOTHING’S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU Engelbert Humperdinck
67 ( 67 ) RENT Pet Shop Boys
68 ( 41 ) JUST LIKE PARADISE David Lee Roth
69 ( 69 ) PUSH IT Salt ‘n’ Pepa
70 ( 55 ) THE JACK THAT HOUSE BUILT Jack ‘n’ Chill

71 ( 70 ) HUMAN Human League
72 ( NEW ) PINK CADILLAC Natalie Cole
73 ( 58 ) ROK DA HOUSE Beatmasters/ Cookie Crew
74 ( NEW ) MR BOJANGLES Nina Simone
75 ( NEW ) CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS Iron Maiden

Playlist faves of that week
1 ISLAND GIRL Elton John
2 DANCING IN THE CITY Marshall-Hain
3 MORE THAN A FEELING Boston