me at the palace
youtube vids here…
6th November 1979
The rapid turnover at the top continues as Lene Lovich gets an unexpected Number 1 with a minor UK hit, the quirkily melodic Bird Song. Many found Lene laughable, but I found her endearing, and loved this record. Earth Wind & Fire keep the run of big hits going, 4 years into their chart career, as Star goes up 7, just ahead of the gorgeous Hold On from Ian Gomm, and Herb Alpert Rises to 10, his first foray there since my very first chart of all in 1968, with Burt Bacharach’s heart-rending This Guy’s In Love, a record that still makes cry buckets if I try and sing along. And anyone else within earshot, for different reasons.
Suzi Quatro’s back in the top 20, 6 years on and going strong, but never quite getting that number 1, and BA Robertson knocks one off at 27, his 2nd top 40 hit. Highest new entry is Dynasty with the OK disco track I Don’t Want To Be A Freak – well, I can’t help myself either! – ahead of the fairly average follow-up ballad to Sail On. Still, that’s normal for the Commodores. Another disappointing (ska) follow-up, for The Specials Rudi, who at least stay ahead of a bunch of kiddies tweeting about Sparrows! Kool and The Gang start their string of largely soundalike hits, with Ladies Night at 61, Bonnie Tyler appears to believe in my sweet love, actually not a bad single, pity it got no airplay to speak of. The Jam hit their stride though, at 53 with the brilliant Eton Rifles, The Damned Smash It Up at 68, Thin Lizzy mellow down with sarah at 71, Darts peter out a bit at 74 and Sparks get their third chart entry of the year – just! – at 75, their 9th or so. No airplay you see…..no internet, no airplay, no hear.
In the real world, on TV Not The 9 o’clock news, it was a generally not-that-great sketch show, but with moments of inspiration and some new big comic names, like, oh Rowan Atkinson. Yes, Mr. Bean, Blackadder, Johnny English, him. At College, in English, our eccentric lecturer (Hello Mr Jackson) had us all prancing round a willow tree outside reciting folk poems, in full view of the staff room and other lecturers. I swear it was a bet to see who could make students look the most ridiculous. He won! It did make some of the 4th years students actually talk for a change though, so mission accomplished I suspect. The BBC singles charts disappointed, I entertained Ian and Pete with a coffee on a Teaching Practice break for them, Pete off to the Grimsby/Everton footie match in the evening. Sue round in the evenings, snooker with Ian, Pete and Sue lunchtime, great fun. Halloween masks for Pete, who tried to scare passers-by to his window with a flashlight – at least he tried!
Pete, Sue, Pauline, Alan, and Helen popped in on their way to (allegedly) the most boring lecturer (ever, presumably), and consoled afterwards with drinks in my room, with Julie having arrived. I finished an assignment, somehow, amidst the stream of friends dropping by (Jane, Bev, Paul, Dave, Clive as well as the previous suspects), helped push a car to start, watched a play about a transvestite, painted some giant fireworks ready for the Rag Parade, watched more holiday slides on my projector, two first years got me to agree to put on tights for the fireworks costume I was going to wear, lying to me that Paul had already said he would – he did not!! We started doing the ‘Float up for the Parade, only to find it all blown away by the wind when we got back from dinner. Doh! Rather embarrassingly (but making up for the first year when I opted out) Paul and I were the only men on an otherwise entirely first-year-female lorry-load of brightly-coloured fireworks. Paul was fairly happy, I think, with that arrangement. We wet lots of passers-by on the slow-drive through Lincoln, and as usual I took loads of black and white photos. To my huge surprise, my first ever real day spent as a centre of public attention was pretty enjoyable – not that I did that again for 5 years or so, but it was good to realise I can do it without freezing. The Rag Revue had one highlight, Dave Allen and Robert Lythgoe as Hinge and Brackett, very funny (especially since Dave had been someone who got on my nerves in the first year, with his stories of his Bishop dad or something like it). A bonfire evening cheerio to the busy week, with Pete back from a London trip with a tale of being robbed while there. Hey ho, certainly wasn’t a dull life!
1 ( 8 ) BIRD SONG Lene Lovich
2 ( 1 ) TUSK Fleetwood Mac
3 ( 2 ) GIMME GIMME GIMME (A MAN AFTER MIDNIGHT) Abba
4 ( 5 ) WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN Dr. Hook
5 ( 3 ) MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE The Police
6 ( 4 ) VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR The Buggles
7 ( 22 ) STAR Earth Wind & Fire
8 ( 20 ) HOLD ON Ian Gomm
9 ( 6 ) SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE Rainbow
10 ( 17 ) RISE Herb Alpert
11 ( 15 ) MY FORBIDDEN LOVER Chic
12 ( 9 ) MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL XTC
13 ( 7 ) DREAMING Blondie
14 ( 14 ) OK FRED Errol Dunkley
15 ( 11 ) WHATEVER YOU WANT Status Quo
16 ( 10 ) DON’T STOP TILL YOU GET ENOUGH Michael Jackson
17 ( 27 ) SHE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU Suzi Quatro
18 ( 12 ) DON’T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.
19 ( 13 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty
20 ( 29 ) ON MY RADIO The Selecter
21 ( 19 ) THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA The Charlie Daniels Band
22 ( 18 ) CARS Gary Numan
23 ( 30 ) SAD EYES Robert John
24 ( 24 ) GLORIA/ EVERYONE’S GONE TO THE MOON Jonathan King
25 ( 33 ) GONNA GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU NOW Viola Wills
26 ( 16 ) THE CHOSEN FEW The Dooleys
27 ( 54 ) KNOCKED IT OFF B.A. Robertson
28 ( NEW ) I DON’T WANT TO BE A FREAK Dynasty
29 ( 26 ) SAIL ON The Commodores
30 ( 25 ) CRUEL TO BE KIND Nick Lowe
31 ( 43 ) YOU’VE GOT MY NUMBER (WHY DON’T YOU USE IT) The Undertones
32 ( 35 ) SPIRIT BODY AND SOUL The Nolan Sisters
33 ( 21 ) SUMAHAMA The Beach Boys
34 ( 23 ) THEM HEAVY PEOPLE Kate Bush
35 ( NEW ) STILL The Commodores
36 ( 36 ) GOODBYE STRANGER Supertramp
37 ( 37 ) FREEDOM’S PRISONER Steve Harley
38 ( NEW ) A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDI The Specials
39 ( 71 ) THE SPARROW The Ramblers
40 ( 31 ) EVERYDAY HURTS Sad Cafe
41 ( 32 ) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK The Sex Pistols
42 ( 40 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba
43 ( 42 ) WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard
44 ( 34 ) LET ME KNOW (I HAVE A RIGHT) Gloria Gaynor
45 ( 38 ) YOU CAN DO IT Al Hudson
46 ( 28 ) FOR YOU Judy Tzuke
47 ( 47 ) STRAIGHT LINES New Musik
48 ( 58 ) NUCLEAR DEVICE (WIZARD OF AUS) The Stranglers
49 ( NEW ) I BELIEVE IN YOUR SWEET LOVE Bonnie Tyler
50 ( 44 ) THE LONELIEST MAN IN THE WORLD The Tourists
51 ( 55 ) YOU’RE A BETTER MAN THAN I Sham ’69
52 ( 70 ) BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD Van Morrison
53 ( NEW ) ETON RIFLES The Jam
54 ( 45 ) SLAP AND TICKLE Squeeze
55 ( 50 ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer
56 ( 53 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
57 ( 60 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC
58 ( 59 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty
59 ( 57 ) ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC Tubeway Army
60 ( 64 ) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE Queen
61 ( NEW ) LADIES NIGHT Kool And The Gang
62 ( 39 ) HEARTACHE TONIGHT The Eagles
63 ( 63 ) SPOOKY Atlanta Rhythm Section
64 ( 41 ) BACK OF MY HAND The Jags
65 ( 48 ) ALIEN Nostromo
66 ( 65 ) CAN’T STAND LOSING YOU The Police
67 ( 46 ) THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME The Headboys
68 ( NEW ) SMASH IT UP The Damned
69 ( 62 ) LOST IN MUSIC Sister Sledge
70 ( 49 ) BABY BLUE Dusty Springfield
71 ( NEW ) SARAH Thin Lizzy
72 ( 52 ) THE PRINCE Madness
73 ( 73 ) IF YOU REMEMBER ME Chris Thompson
74 ( NEW ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE Darts
75 ( NEW ) TRYOUTS FOR THE HUMAN RACE Sparks
TV
1 Star Trek: The Galileo Seven
2 It’ll Be Alright On The Night 2
3 Soap
4 MASH
5 Top Of The Pops
6 The Rockford Files
7 Film 79
8 Muhammed Ali’s Greatest Hits
9 The Waltons
10 Not The 9 o’clock News
oh no me, oh to be that young again!
13th November 1979
Back up to number one, saving Gimme Gimme Gimme from the shame of shortest run topping my charts for an Abba song. It’s great too! New in at 2 though, following on from the Dickies cover, the original epic version by The Moody Blues is back 7 years after peaking at 3 and 11 years after first being released (pre-dating my charts). Saw them last year in concert (2013): fab. Sole climber into the 10 is ska act The Selecter, and a jumpy bit of the same old song On My Radio. Not really!
BA climbs to 13, Commodores to 17, Specials to 21, Undertones to 25, Jam at 31 ahead of the new entries surge: Dan-I in at 30 with Monkey Chop, a great KC-ish soulpop minor dance hit that should have been big, lyrics aside it’s great. Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand had both hit the top spot in 1977, but not done it since despite hits throughout, so will the battling diva duet take them all the way? Nah! I like it though. At 37, ELO’s 5th of the year is a double A Side delight of two great tracks from discovery, following up number 1 Don’t Bring Me Down. First off the block was Last Train To London, a riffy catchy synthy pop slice of typical ELO. Confusion wasn’t getting any airplay at this time, sadly.
Also following up number 1’s: The Police return with another winner, the great Saturn-V video’d Walking On The Moon at 57, while Cliff sneaks in at 75 with Hot Shot, behind his topper, and also behind his producer and songwriter Alan Tarney at 72 with a cover of Cathy’s Clown. Oops Cliff bad choice! The Tourists get on the Dusty cover-version bandwagon as 60’s pop nostalgia starts to get a hold on the new pop music scene, in at 65 with a good version (as opposed to the Bay City Rollers twee version from 1976) of I Only Want To be With You. At 59, though, it’s the majesty state-of-the-art synth-strings-percussive dance sounds of Rose Royce and their brilliant Is It Love You’re After. Heavily sampled for 1988 Number One Theme From S’Express, the original is an exciting, rifftastic anthemic delight, as is S’Express’. Also keeps up their run of hits 3 years in…
Others: Secret Affair pop back with an OK track, France Joli has a smooth ballad, big in the USA, at 70, The Simms Brothers pop in quite highly at 51 – who?! – US rockjazz, actually, not a million miles away from Styx, who enter at 74 with future UK hit ballad Babe (and US biggie), a good ol’ song.
At College, I finally got to get to see Alien, that Ridley Scott masterpiece of dramatic sci-fi tension, visually-stunning, plot-unpredictably-twisted, ground-breaking monster invention movie. The one I’d missed in California due to friends inability to get ready on time! My review? “Classic…I shivered from beginning to end…I haven’t seen such a tense film ever, I was biting my hand at the tenseness. Sigourney Weaver was Brilliant as the HERO – a heroic struggle of the individual versus the unknown…the definitive horror film for me.” Still is, actually! I made a list of my top films immediately:
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Star Wars
Alien
The Poseidon Adventure
Superman
2001
Planet Of The Apes
Jesus Christ Superstar
Blazing Saddles
I did my all-time top 100 recently, and 2010 edged out 2001 (though 2001 is the classic), while only Superman missed the list by a mile, so my tastes remain pretty constant.
Raved about Alien to Julie, Pete, Bev, Paul, Sue and Jane, all round for TV, chat, slideshow, a game of scrabble, Life Of Brian featured on Film 79 (yes, seen it 2 months at the Chinese Theatre LA, already, I told Barry Norman on the screen, the UK having to wait even to see bloody British films!) and also panel discussion shows with tits like Malcolm Muggeridge insisting it was anti-Jesus, when it was actually anti-religious blind followers and full of social commentary. English lecturer this time had us performing a South Sea Island Pre-Marriage Ritual, which was kinda fun actually, as was snooker. Read Poe’s The Raven. One of my fave poem’s actually, largely due to the MAD magazine illustrated version I bought in Singapore. Watched a harrowing TV shown on Auschwitz. Not ideal bedtime viewing.
Everyone decided to go and see Alien while Star Trek was on TV (so no chance of me joining them, everyone knew!). The next game of snooker “I was really brilliant” 33 point break. Well, everything’s relative! More evenings of laughs and visits and TV – I must say as social life goes, it can’t get better than everyone using you as a focal point, makes you feel so wanted! Or, more likely, I would never turn anyone away…! Mark Twain’s Huck Finn the next novel for American Studies. Top Of The Pops annoyed me: Dr Hook had been replaced at 1 by Lena Martell. How very dare they! That’s not what they announced on Tuesday’s chart rundown!
Friday was Art day, I was grouped with 3 mature student ladies (probably in their 30’s, eek!) for a discussion on foyer printworks. Not the ceramic sculptures of the female ladyparts though, that were put on exhibit, and then very quickly taken off exhibit from the College foyer following complaints. I wasn’t shocked, more bemused as I’d never seen ladies bits up close before, but it made a great bit of drama and talking-point. The artist, male, was most put-out at his forest of lady-gardens being pruned.
I went home for the weekend, dad picked me up, mum having been ill lately, and looking very tired, we had to call the doctor out saturday night as she was in so much pain and nauseous. By now she was so desperate to get rid of the pain, which had been going on weeks, that she wanted to get into hospital to get it sorted. All very worrying and depressing. Just to add to the mood, little cousin Rachel let loose that all my budgies were dead from the cold (donated to grandad’s school for the kids, they had an outdoor aviary and he was caretaker) which pissed me off. This is turning into a novel…..! Sorry!
1 ( 3 ) GIMME GIMME GIMME (A MAN AFTER MIDNIGHT) Abba
2 ( NEW ) NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN The Moody Blues
3 ( 2 ) TUSK Fleetwood Mac
4 ( 1 ) BIRD SONG Lene Lovich
5 ( 4 ) WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN Dr. Hook
6 ( 10 ) RISE Herb Alpert
7 ( 7 ) STAR Earth Wind & Fire
8 ( 20 ) ON MY RADIO The Selecter
9 ( 6 ) VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR The Buggles
10 ( 5 ) MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE The Police
11 ( 8 ) HOLD ON Ian Gomm
12 ( 17 ) SHE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU Suzi Quatro
13 ( 27 ) KNOCKED IT OFF B.A. Robertson
14 ( 12 ) MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL XTC
15 ( 23 ) SAD EYES Robert John
16 ( 16 ) DON’T STOP TILL YOU GET ENOUGH Michael Jackson
17 ( 35 ) STILL The Commodores
18 ( 9 ) SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE Rainbow
19 ( 11 ) MY FORBIDDEN LOVER Chic
20 ( 14 ) OK FRED Errol Dunkley
21 ( 38 ) A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDI The Specials
22 ( 13 ) DREAMING Blondie
23 ( 19 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty
24 ( 18 ) DON’T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.
25 ( 31 ) YOU’VE GOT MY NUMBER (WHY DON’T YOU USE IT) The Undertones
26 ( 28 ) I DON’T WANT TO BE A FREAK Dynasty
27 ( 15 ) WHATEVER YOU WANT Status Quo
28 ( 22 ) CARS Gary Numan
29 ( 25 ) GONNA GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU NOW Viola Wills
30 ( NEW ) MONKEY CHOP Dan-I
31 ( 53 ) ETON RIFLES The Jam
32 ( 29 ) SAIL ON The Commodores
33 ( NEW ) NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand
34 ( 21 ) THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA The Charlie Daniels Band
35 ( 24 ) GLORIA/ EVERYONE’S GONE TO THE MOON Jonathan King
36 ( 26 ) THE CHOSEN FEW The Dooleys
37 ( NEW ) CONFUSION/ LAST TRAIN TO LONDON E.L.O.
38 ( 30 ) CRUEL TO BE KIND Nick Lowe
39 ( 61 ) LADIES NIGHT Kool And The Gang
40 ( 51 ) YOU’RE A BETTER MAN THAN I Sham ’69
41 ( 36 ) GOODBYE STRANGER Supertramp
42 ( 40 ) EVERYDAY HURTS Sad Cafe
43 ( 34 ) THEM HEAVY PEOPLE Kate Bush
44 ( 42 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba
45 ( 33 ) SUMAHAMA The Beach Boys
46 ( 60 ) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE Queen
47 ( 49 ) I BELIEVE IN YOUR SWEET LOVE Bonnie Tyler
48 ( 43 ) WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard
49 ( 63 ) SPOOKY Atlanta Rhythm Section
50 ( 71 ) SARAH Thin Lizzy
51 ( NEW ) BACK TO SCHOOL The Simms Brothers Band
52 ( 46 ) FOR YOU Judy Tzuke
53 ( 39 ) THE SPARROW The Ramblers
54 ( 55 ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer
55 ( 57 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC
56 ( 58 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty
57 ( NEW ) WALKING ON THE MOON The Police
58 ( 56 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
59 ( NEW ) IS IT LOVE YOU’RE AFTER Rose Royce
60 ( 59 ) ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC Tubeway Army
61 ( 50 ) THE LONELIEST MAN IN THE WORLD The Tourists
62 ( 37 ) FREEDOM’S PRISONER Steve Harley
63 ( 32 ) SPIRIT BODY AND SOUL The Nolan Sisters
64 ( 45 ) YOU CAN DO IT Al Hudson
65 ( NEW ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU The Tourists
66 ( 48 ) NUCLEAR DEVICE (WIZARD OF AUS) The Stranglers
67 ( 44 ) LET ME KNOW (I HAVE A RIGHT) Gloria Gaynor
68 ( 74 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE Darts
69 ( NEW ) LET YOUR HEART DANCE Secret Affair
70 ( NEW ) COME TO ME France Joli
71 ( 66 ) CAN’T STAND LOSING YOU The Police
72 ( NEW ) CATHY’S CLOWN Tarney and Spencer
73 ( 73 ) IF YOU REMEMBER ME Chris Thompson
74 ( NEW ) BABE Styx
75 ( NEW ) HOT SHOT Cliff Richard
TV
1 Star Trek: Wolf In The Fold
2 Soap
3 MASH
4 The Odd Couple
5 Top Of The Pops
6 Film 79
7 Friday Night Saturday Morning
8 The Rockford Files
9 The Muppet Show
10 Doctor Who
20th November 1979
The Moody Blues get a new record – longest wait between chart debut and hitting number one, taking over from Hawkwind, at just over 7 years. Nights In White Satin is a sweeping dramatic orchestral rock masterpiece, oh yes it is! The video starts off in Paris, which is kinda appropriate (see later). B.A.Robertson gets a second top in a row, well he knocked it off. He knocked it off well I mean. Suzi Quatro keeps up her top 10 entries, her 7th, and Dan-I chops those monkeys at 15, while Donna & Babs, & ELO both shoot into the top 20. Rose Royce rocket to 25, and highest new entry is The Isley Brothers, having a disco night at 29, 11 years since they first impressed me with This Old Heart Of Mine, and since.
The Tourists hit 34, as The Gibson Brothers follow up a big hit with a similar-sounding fun-packed Que Sera Mi Vida. Queen at long last make my top 40 with huge UK and USA hit Crazy Little Thing Called Love – I admit I preferred early Queen to rockabilly Queen, and as Matchbox claimed at 75, I’m a rockabilly rebel. Not really, but I like it. KC & The Sunshine Band are back after a year gap with a new sound, laid back soul essentially, which I rather liked at the time, less so these days thanks to that godawful 90’s moronic cover by KWS.
Madness get a 2nd hit at 66, the largely instrumental and ska-tastic, sax-heavy One Step Beyond, pushing Madness into a higher league. Sparks have another go at tryouts, doing a little better this time at 64, Anne Murray gets a 4th hit subsequent to her number one in January, the lovely Broken Hearted Me. Less lovely, but whimsically cynical, The Boomtown Rats follow-up 2 number ones with social commentary Diamond Smiles, an under-rated record, and a flop in comparison to previous singles, sneaking in at 74.
On TV repeats of Roots and TV series Logans Run still hit my appreciation spot, and new sitcom Barney Miller mildly amused. Back at college, and 2 months after the USA adventure, I was preparing for an Art course excursion to Paris art galleries, architecture and museums, my second one inside 12 months, but this time without my friends, being a mix of 2nd year students, a couple of girls on my Combined Studies course in the same year, and some Honours students. Rang mum to hear she was going into hospital again, which sort of relieved me a bit as it might sort out the problem and stop the pain.
Snooker and TV/drinks with the extended gang of friends in various combinations, with Edgar Allen Poe stuff in between, and some great chatting with Jane, Julie and Pete, always a good combo the 4 of us. The College had a showing of Young Frankenstein Mel Brooks’ classic, which I watched with the American coursemates (they loved it as much as me) and my room left with friends watching TV, sob I knew it was my TV they wanted! I noted Terri Garr was wonderful, appropriately enough as I watching my home video last night of her and Burt Reynolds in a 90’s between-filming breaks to TV quiz show Reel To Reel, all about movies. Life can be quite circular…
I gave a speech on Huck Finn’s optimism/pessimism, very monotone reading from notes and stuttering, not something I’m good at – John Davies the lecturer noted I was typically Lincolnshire in my casual remarks about important things. Lincoln is a sort of milder, less working class version of Mansfield, the two places I spent more of life in than anywhere else up to that point. Feeling depressed in mood I quoted, what with work, mum, and Paris anxiety. I wasn’t, I was mildly stressed and down but I can get moody. Went all introverted and friends tried to cheer me up, sweet of them.
Saturday: 1.45 am rise for minibus ride to Grantham rail station, met Jane Moorse outside (lots of Jane’s at College) and chatted on the bus and train. Kings Cross, Charing Cross, breakfast guessing occupations of passer-by’s for amusement. Group trip to Dover by train, 2 noisy second-year lads took a fancy to Emma and Jane in our compartment – yes trains had compartments once upon a time – and then hung around them all day. Hovercraft at Dover (is this still running!?) for a bumpy ride to Calais, my first! Hovercraft that is. Train to Paris, Metro to Republic and the hotel where I met my new room-mate, David, who was actually easy-going, a drama student who had gossip-related comments directed to me about his alleged sexual preferences. We had single beds each and a sink, the girls on the other hand were pissed off at having to share double beds in smelly rooms.
A pricey meal with Emma, Jane and Sue in the Notre-Dame area in the evening, then down the Boulevard Saint Michel (shades of Peter Sarstedt!) to the Sorbonne. Back to the hotel, David was out till late, and “must have forgotten his pyjamas” I noted, as he was starkers in the morning. Many years later I saw him on TV news as a Friend Of John McCarthy hostage activist, which impressed me.
Sunday: Flea Market group visit, it pissed down, and gave sympathy to bedraggled Jo and Sarah, who I spent the morning with afterwards. Then we met up with David and his “nerd” friends – how rude of me! Kettle calling frying pan etc. Pompidou Centre. Photographs. Fire-breathers in the square. Chatted to Joe and Ann, stuck with them the rest of the day, poor me flipping about amongst everyone, felt like a virginal slag! walked to Notre Dame with them. Evening at Sacre-Coeur I love it there, the mood, the lighting, the streetlife, so took Emma Jane and Sue there for a meal at a restaurant I’d been to before. I sadly joined in the gossip about David, confirming his late nights (and not mentioning the winkle-washing behaviour in the sink when he got back in, thinking I was asleep. I thought that odd at the time, and of course know exactly what that means now!). So naive, me.
1 ( 2 ) NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN The Moody Blues
2 ( 1 ) GIMME GIMME GIMME (A MAN AFTER MIDNIGHT) Abba
3 ( 3 ) TUSK Fleetwood Mac
4 ( 4 ) BIRD SONG Lene Lovich
5 ( 6 ) RISE Herb Alpert
6 ( 5 ) WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN Dr. Hook
7 ( 13 ) KNOCKED IT OFF B.A. Robertson
8 ( 8 ) ON MY RADIO The Selecter
9 ( 12 ) SHE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU Suzi Quatro
10 ( 7 ) STAR Earth Wind & Fire
11 ( 11 ) HOLD ON Ian Gomm
12 ( 9 ) VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR The Buggles
13 ( 17 ) STILL The Commodores
14 ( 10 ) MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE The Police
15 ( 30 ) MONKEY CHOP Dan-I
16 ( 21 ) A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDI The Specials
17 ( 37 ) CONFUSION/ LAST TRAIN TO LONDON E.L.O.
18 ( 33 ) NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand
19 ( 14 ) MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL XTC
20 ( 16 ) DON’T STOP TILL YOU GET ENOUGH Michael Jackson
21 ( 31 ) ETON RIFLES The Jam
22 ( 15 ) SAD EYES Robert John
23 ( 26 ) I DON’T WANT TO BE A FREAK Dynasty
24 ( 19 ) MY FORBIDDEN LOVER Chic
25 ( 59 ) IS IT LOVE YOU’RE AFTER Rose Royce
26 ( 23 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty
27 ( 24 ) DON’T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.
28 ( 18 ) SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE Rainbow
29 ( NEW ) IT’S A DISCO NIGHT The Isley Brothers
30 ( 39 ) LADIES NIGHT Kool And The Gang
31 ( 20 ) OK FRED Errol Dunkley
32 ( 22 ) DREAMING Blondie
33 ( 28 ) CARS Gary Numan
34 ( 65 ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU The Tourists
35 ( 69 ) LET YOUR HEART DANCE Secret Affair
36 ( 27 ) WHATEVER YOU WANT Status Quo
37 ( 50 ) SARAH Thin Lizzy
38 ( 32 ) SAIL ON The Commodores
39 ( NEW ) QUE SERA MI VIDA (IF YOU SHOULD GO) The Gibson Brothers
40 ( 46 ) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE Queen
41 ( 29 ) GONNA GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU NOW Viola Wills
42 ( 34 ) THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA The Charlie Daniels Band
43 ( 25 ) YOU’VE GOT MY NUMBER (WHY DON’T YOU USE IT) The Undertones
44 ( 38 ) CRUEL TO BE KIND Nick Lowe
45 ( 47 ) I BELIEVE IN YOUR SWEET LOVE Bonnie Tyler
46 ( 44 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba
47 ( 40 ) YOU’RE A BETTER MAN THAN I Sham ’69
48 ( 36 ) THE CHOSEN FEW The Dooleys
49 ( 42 ) EVERYDAY HURTS Sad Cafe
50 ( 41 ) GOODBYE STRANGER Supertramp
51 ( 51 ) BACK TO SCHOOL The Simms Brothers Band
52 ( 35 ) GLORIA/ EVERYONE’S GONE TO THE MOON Jonathan King
53 ( 43 ) THEM HEAVY PEOPLE Kate Bush
54 ( 48 ) WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard
55 ( 56 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty
56 ( 55 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC
57 ( 54 ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer
58 ( NEW ) PLEASE DON’T GO KC and The Sunshine Band
59 ( 45 ) SUMAHAMA The Beach Boys
60 ( 60 ) ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC Tubeway Army
61 ( 57 ) WALKING ON THE MOON The Police
62 ( 72 ) CATHY’S CLOWN Tarney and Spencer
63 ( 75 ) HOT SHOT Cliff Richard
64 ( RE ) TRYOUTS FOR THE HUMAN RACE Sparks
65 ( 58 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
66 ( NEW ) ONE STEP BEYOND Madness
67 ( NEW ) BROKEN HEARTED ME Anne Murray
68 ( 70 ) COME TO ME France Joli
69 ( 49 ) SPOOKY Atlanta Rhythm Section
70 ( NEW ) HE WAS BEAUTIFUL Iris Williams
71 ( 53 ) THE SPARROW The Ramblers
72 ( 74 ) BABE Styx
73 ( 71 ) CAN’T STAND LOSING YOU The Police
74 ( NEW ) DIAMOND SMILES The Boomtown Rats
75 ( NEW ) ROCKABILLY REBEL Matchbox
1. Star Trek: The Changeling
2. Barney Miller
3. Soap
4. Logans Run
5. Barney Miller
6. Roots
7. The Muppet Show
8. Sapphire And Steel
9. Top Of The Pops
10. Doctor Who
27th November 1979
A 2nd week for the Moody’s at 1, as ELO’s double A side shoots up to 2 to my Confusion, and BA goes top 5. The Commodores get a 4th Top 10, 5 years after the first (and best) Machine Gun, and Dan-I breaks his monkey chops to get to 9. The Tourists and Rose Royce make headway into the 20, their 2nd and 4th respectively, while The Isleys make it 7 or so at 20.
Biggest climber: The Boomotwn Rats forgotten diamond single up 50 to 24, as highest new entry is Gary Numan’s forgotten bizarre ballad Complex at 26. Madness leap one step beyond at 29, and Blondie replace themselves in the top 40 with new single Union City Blue entering at 33. KC cries Please Don’t Go, and gets to 40, as new entries drop in from Marianne Faithful, once famous in the 60’s, and now debuting in my charts at 69 with Shel Silverstein’s great The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan (he was the principle songwriter for Dr Hook’s best records). Janis Ian follows up her gem of a 1975 UK flop At 17, with a laid-back Fly Too High, not flying that high at 75.
Michael Jackson’s follow-up to his classic number one is Off The Wall at 67, title track off the album that changed his career, assisted in no small part by Quincy Jones and Rod (UK Heatwave songwriter) Temperton. Stevie Wonder’s career, on the other hand, is treading water with Send One Your Love at 66. The Pretenders 3rd hit enters at 53, the fantastic Brass In Pocket, Dollar get a 4th 1979 hit as they cover the Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand, which was sounding a bit dated by then (albeit a childhood fave), so they gave it a clappy synthy vibe which grew on one. They had by now, of course, outdone their whole career inside Guys And Dolls. Final new entry is Touch from Lori and The Chameleons. Who!? You may have heard of David Balfour, of The Teardrop Explodes and producer of Echo And The Bunnymen, and Bill Drummond, he of The Timelords and KLF. Both were in cult Liverpool band Big In Japan, and this was one of their releases on their own record label Zoo Records. Quirky.
Still in Paris this week, it was a trip to the UNESCO building, where we had a film about Thailand before, and I quote, “an upper-class one-eyed twit gave us a DULL lecture on UNESCO”. Gosh, I was SO judgmental in those days! This was followed by a Peruvian lady with a French accent trying to give a lecture tour in broken English. Henry Moore sculptures abounded outdoors, along with a Japanese-designed garden. I was impressed with the latter, and not in the slightest by the former. From here to the Eifel Tower, where we bumped into the very drunk and noisy Drama students (including David), and on to Jeu De Paume for some more art: I liked some Renoir and Pissarro works. I had a quiet night in after all the walking, how dull of me!
Next day, Max (my ever-present mild and likeable art lecturer) took a group of us to the Hayter workshop, chock-full of artists from all over the world doing their etchings, where an American lady artist gave us a tour. I enjoyed the group I hung around with today, including 3 second-year lads who’d I’d been wanting to get to know, what with spending all my time with girls so far, pretty much, though I did end up showing a group of girls round Paris, for which they were gracious in thanking me. Notably, Notre Dame square for snacks and a cathedral tour. I had a hunch I’d see Quasimodo. Sorry….! River Seine, and off to climb le Tour Eifel, windy and cold. As it turned out a major movie shoot was in progress on the 2nd Stage, called The Hostage Tower, with some very famous (and cold) actors sat around a table doing nothing much waiting for “Action”: I recognised Douglas Fairbanks Junior immediately, and found out afterwards who the others were (we weren’t allowed to get too close): Maud Adams off James Bond, and Peter Fonda, off Henry, Jane and Easy Rider. Well, I get starstruck, what can I say!
Arc de Triomphe up next, did some postcards and posted them, back to say hi to David at the hotel, and had an evening meal with Emma Jane and Sue off the Champs Elysees, where fleas in the wine failed to impress. Especially Sue, who swallowed one of them. In a bar, conversation drifted to a prostitute in the corner. Allegedly. I went bright red with embarrassment, and generally felt bad about the girls not having a party night (I didn’t want to go, and I think they didn’t feel comfortable going unescorted). Not the party type, me, in those days. Boring! Next day was the trip back via Boulogne hovercraft – or that was the plan. It broke down, so we had to wait for the next available ship. I was pissed off as it meant we wouldn’t get back in time for Star Trek. Pah (Pete and Sue recorded it on tape for me though)! As the general mood from everyone was one of “humbug” at the delays though, I became Mr Happy for the trip home, trying to cheer everyone up. I expect they wanted to throttle me. Back late evening to tell Julie Pete Jane and Sue of my adventures. Phew!
1 ( 1 ) NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN The Moody Blues
2 ( 17 ) CONFUSION/ LAST TRAIN TO LONDON E.L.O.
3 ( 2 ) GIMME GIMME GIMME (A MAN AFTER MIDNIGHT) Abba
4 ( 3 ) TUSK Fleetwood Mac
5 ( 7 ) KNOCKED IT OFF B.A. Robertson
6 ( 4 ) BIRD SONG Lene Lovich
7 ( 6 ) WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN Dr. Hook
8 ( 5 ) RISE Herb Alpert
9 ( 15 ) MONKEY CHOP Dan-I
10 ( 13 ) STILL The Commodores
11 ( 18 ) NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand
12 ( 22 ) SAD EYES Robert John
13 ( 25 ) IS IT LOVE YOU’RE AFTER Rose Royce
14 ( 16 ) A MESSAGE TO YOU RUDI The Specials
15 ( 34 ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU The Tourists
16 ( 14 ) MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE The Police
17 ( 8 ) ON MY RADIO The Selecter
18 ( 9 ) SHE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU Suzi Quatro
19 ( 23 ) I DON’T WANT TO BE A FREAK Dynasty
20 ( 29 ) IT’S A DISCO NIGHT The Isley Brothers
21 ( 12 ) VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR The Buggles
22 ( 10 ) STAR Earth Wind & Fire
23 ( 11 ) HOLD ON Ian Gomm
24 ( 74 ) DIAMOND SMILES The Boomtown Rats
25 ( 21 ) ETON RIFLES The Jam
26 ( NEW ) COMPLEX Gary Numan
27 ( 20 ) DON’T STOP TILL YOU GET ENOUGH Michael Jackson
28 ( 30 ) LADIES NIGHT Kool And The Gang
29 ( 66 ) ONE STEP BEYOND Madness
30 ( 39 ) QUE SERA MI VIDA (IF YOU SHOULD GO) The Gibson Brothers
31 ( 27 ) DON’T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.
32 ( 26 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty
33 ( NEW ) UNION CITY BLUE Blondie
34 ( 35 ) LET YOUR HEART DANCE Secret Affair
35 ( 19 ) MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL XTC
36 ( 33 ) CARS Gary Numan
37 ( 40 ) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE Queen
38 ( 28 ) SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE Rainbow
39 ( 37 ) SARAH Thin Lizzy
40 ( 58 ) PLEASE DON’T GO KC and The Sunshine Band
41 ( 45 ) I BELIEVE IN YOUR SWEET LOVE Bonnie Tyler
42 ( 24 ) MY FORBIDDEN LOVER Chic
43 ( 68 ) COME TO ME France Joli
44 ( 36 ) WHATEVER YOU WANT Status Quo
45 ( 38 ) SAIL ON The Commodores
46 ( 46 ) VOULEZ VOUS/ ANGEL EYES Abba
47 ( 32 ) DREAMING Blondie
48 ( 44 ) CRUEL TO BE KIND Nick Lowe
49 ( 31 ) OK FRED Errol Dunkley
50 ( NEW ) TOUCH Lori And The Chameleons
51 ( NEW ) I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND Dollar
52 ( 41 ) GONNA GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU NOW Viola Wills
53 ( NEW ) BRASS IN POCKET The Pretenders
54 ( 55 ) BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty
55 ( 56 ) DREADLOCK HOLIDAY 10CC
56 ( 54 ) WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE Cliff Richard
57 ( 62 ) CATHY’S CLOWN Tarney and Spencer
58 ( 67 ) BROKEN HEARTED ME Anne Murray
59 ( 61 ) WALKING ON THE MOON The Police
60 ( 50 ) GOODBYE STRANGER Supertramp
61 ( 57 ) JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer
62 ( 42 ) THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA The Charlie Daniels Band
63 ( 53 ) THEM HEAVY PEOPLE Kate Bush
64 ( 65 ) I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS The Boomtown Rats
65 ( 60 ) ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC Tubeway Army
66 ( NEW ) SEND ONE YOUR LOVE Stevie Wonder
67 ( NEW ) OFF THE WALL Michael Jackson
68 ( 75 ) ROCKABILLY REBEL Matchbox
69 ( NEW ) THE BALLAD OF LUCY JORDAN Marianne Faithful
70 ( 43 ) YOU’VE GOT MY NUMBER (WHY DON’T YOU USE IT) The Undertones
71 ( 49 ) EVERYDAY HURTS Sad Cafe
72 ( 63 ) HOT SHOT Cliff Richard
73 ( 64 ) TRYOUTS FOR THE HUMAN RACE Sparks
74 ( 59 ) SUMAHAMA The Beach Boys
75 ( NEW ) FLY TOO HIGH Janis Ian
1. The Trouble With Tribbles
1. Soap
3. Sapphire And Steel
4. MASH
5. Top Of The Pops
6. The Odd Couple
7. My Wife Next Door
8. Soap
9. The Muppet Show
10. Hawaii 5-0
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