Sweet - The Ballroom Blitz

Let's start 2014 with a huge worldwide hit and a great power single

Sweet released this single in September 1973 after having huge success in the year with Blockbuster and Hellraiser. 1973 and 1974 were to be the band's biggest years and made some great singles in these years. Glam rock was in full force and there was no stopping the band, or maybe there was!

The track was partly influenced by an incident where the band were playing a gig in a ballroom in Scotland (the birth place of Brian Connolly, the lead singer) and were forced off stage due to bottle throwing from fans. Ballrooms and club were what venues were around in those days (a throwback from the 50's & 60's pre rock n roll days). Sweet didn't help the fact that they used to piss the fans off by not playing early hits as Sweet wanted to be a rock band not a bubblegum band they were more know for. The single was never featured on any album release in the UK (except Greatest Hits) but was featured on the US version of Desolation Boulevard

The single peaked at number 2 in the UK, a position that Sweet were used to but was really annoying as a lot of Sweet singles stuck at number 2 and was only Blockbuster that got to the top. Here is the single in all it's glory!

Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach

If there was ever a song that captured the excitement of the early 1980's, then it is this song.

Canadian band Martha & The Muffins came over to the UK to make an album for a Virgin off shoot label called Din Disc. This label seemed to deal with the more experimental side of pop music, but also OMD were signed to the label which gave it credibility. The album Metro Music was recorded in late 1979 with producer Mike Howlett and it spawned the single Echo Beach.

The song was written by Mark Gane and is in fact a song of distraction, daydreaming from the mundane work day, somewhere far away in time to escape a boring job and just wanting to be somewhere else instead. The single was released early 1980 and after the radio stations played it heavily it charted and eventually reached number 10 on the charts. The picture cover featured a map which many people believed was Echo Beach but was in fact a map of Chesil Beach in Dorset.

The album was a minor hit but the singles that followed this classic single didn't chart, so the band became a one hit wonder, but what a way to earn it!

My memories of the single actually are not that good, I hated it! It took me a long time to like it, maybe it got over played I don't really know why I didn't like it. I think it was a couple of years after the single had been and gone, when suddenly I thought it wasn't that bad and over the years I grew to love the track and often play it when I'm in an 80's mood. It is still a classic single and takes me back to 1980 when there was an optimistic feel to the year!

Queen - Seven Seas Of Rhye

At the height of Glam Rock, Queen's second single, Seven Seas Of Rhye was rushed released after the band's first ever appearance on Top Of The Pops and pushed the band into the spotlight and captured the public imagination. After the disappointment of the first single, Keep Yourself Alive not being a hit (not picked up by radio as they thought the intro was too long), this single was released in February 1974 came from the band's second album Queen II and climbed to number 10 in the UK charts.

Originally it started life at the end of the debut album Queen as a minute long instrumental but the band must have thought the track has a lot going for it and they developed it for the new album they were recording. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and recorded in August of 1973 it set the group up to become one of the worlds biggest bands.

I can remember seeing them on Top Of The Pops and thought it was a great single, to me at that time they reminded me of the direction that Sweet were trying to go. All of a sudden Freddie and they boys were in all the music papers and people began to notice that Freddie was to become a fantastic frontman. To me, Queen have always been around and I have grown up with Queen as one of my fave bands, so it is really hard to think that this single is 40 years old next year! Here's the single

I'm Back!

Sorry for such a long time since I last put anything on here. I had a hard drive crash and basically lost nearly everything on it,(a 1TB drive). So thanks to Vince and his hours and hours of finding rescue programs and going through all the data that was there and me trying to make sense of it all, we got stuff back. Lots of images I had prepared for here had been lost so it took a bit of getting over how angry I was at losing it all to thinking right I'm going to start again. So it is sorted again and backed up onto blu ray discs as well as hard drive. So posting new tracks will begin again soon!

Abba - Waterloo

Probably Eurovision's biggest success ever via Sweden. In 1974 Abba took part in the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on the 6th of April in Brighton with a catchy little ditty called Waterloo. Influence by the Glam Rock scene of the UK and dressed in the latest fashions of the time (remember folks this is mid 1970's) they performed the song in English and won the contest with just 24 points. They had previously tried for Eurovision in 1973 with Ring Ring but failed to get chosen by the Swedish broadcasters. So this time they knew what they had to do to win a place, but for them it was a small step in the band's idea of making the big time.

The single got to number 1 in the UK and also the top of the charts in several European countries too. Also it hit the charts in Australia and America too where Eurovision wasn't really that well known. Apparently the band have said that Waterloo is roughly based and influenced by Wizzard's single See My Baby Jive (a hit in 1973) which I never thought about until now, but there is a similar sound. Although they released another couple of singles in the UK they all flopped here until S.O.S was released in 1975 which got into the top 10 and the rest is history. This was the beginning of the Abba story, from this one contest that would shoot them into superstardom and worldwide stars.

Tonight's Eurovision Song Contest is to take place in Sweden, 39 years after Abba's triumph win, the band split up in 1982 and vowed they would never sing together again. There are a lot of rumours that they might appear tonight to sing Waterloo, seeing that the band have opened this year a museum in Sweden celebrating the bands career and that Agnetha Fältskog has just released a new album, have all helped to fuel the rumours. It would be nice to think they might get back together but it is doubtful! Here is the original single, plus a picture disc version of the single that was released here to celebrate the 30th anniversary.

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up

Bucks Fizz were chosen to represent the UK in the Eurovision song contest in 1981. They were put together in January of 1981 by the writers of Making Your Mind Up just for the contest and followed the old pattern (after Abba) of 2 boys and 2 girl format. The band members were Mike Nolan, Cheryl Baker (who had previous Eurovision contest experience as she was in the band Co-co who were the 1978 entry for the UK), Jay Aston and Bobby G.

The song was released on RCA Records and when the contest was staged the single was already number 2 on the UK charts. Complete with a good tune and a memorable skirt ripping dance routine, they won the contest and the single went to number 1 in the UK. It also was number 1 around several countries in Europe too, but the hardest thing was to continue after the contest without slipping into obscurity which they managed as the next single charted. In all the band were successful around the world, had 3 UK number 1 singles and are still touring today, but as two separate groups after years of legal wrangles. Here's the cover, sorry had trouble loading photo's in for some reason!

Eurovision Song Contest

Tomorrow is the Eurovision Song Contest which is held every year and the various national broadcasters of European countries select a song to represent their country in the show and it has been running since 1956. The idea of the contest basically was to rebuild Europe and to rebuild friendships and trust after the second world war had left most countries war torn and shattered. A country would give Europe a vision of that countries music, people and community via a pop song and national dress (if they had one). Up until recently the rule was that they had to sing in their nationality not in English so that the song would come across using emotion and a good melody.

Britain have won it 5 times in total and tomorrow night Bonnie Tyler is our representation in the contest. Last year it was Englebert Humperdinck and came second to last I think. Over the years the true vision and idea of a united Europe via a song contest has been hit more by politics. The last few years it is becoming more noticeable how a neighbouring country is voting for each other rather than giving the votes out fair, which has had a few countries complaining how unfair it is becoming. Also it shows how unpopular a country is becoming also as Britain have been coming in quite low the last few years, I think it shows we are not that popular in Europe! Each year there are calls for the UK to pull out of the show as it is becoming a joke because a country didn't vote for us as they don't like any of our policies or the fact we became allies with another country.

I really hope Bonnie does well but I don't think it is a Eurovision song, they are hoping her loyal fan base through Europe will help her with the votes, we shall see. I think it is such as shame that the original idea of a united Europe through music has yet again been ruined by politics. So I'm celebrating Eurovision with a couple of singles which will feature in the next couple of posts!

George Michael - Older

George's third album was released in May 1996 and hit the number 1 position straight away. It spawned 6 singles that all reached the top 3 in the UK in 1996 - 1997. It was such an adult album for him, gone are the pop songs from the past and in came more serious pop tunes, with more of a darker and sad feel to the songs. Also I have always thought, it was George's coming out album, with references to one night stands in Fastlove, affairs and Russian roulette in Spinning The Wheel, also the way he began to dress was pushing towards the gay scene. Strings were brought in to contribute to he new sound as well as a jazz feel to some of the tracks. Released on Virgin records it became the labels fastest selling album ever and to date has sold just under 2 million copies in in Britain.

The first single to be released off the album was Jesus To A Child, which if I am honest I didn't like when it was a single but I grew to love as an album track. It was the next single and the great video for Fastlove that I really liked. It's a track I never get tired of listening to, a real feel good number! The next single was Spinning The Wheel which got to number 2 as girl power was just starting up here and the Spice Girls stopped it getting to number 1. Older was released in early 1997 with new tracks added and one of my fave tracks was I Can't Make You Love Me which I thought should have been a single on it's own. It was recorded live and the audience was dubbed off the track that was on the Older single and went to number 3. Star People 97 had a remix to push it to number 2 and the final single was You Have Been Loved which came with The Sweetest Thing 97, another remixed track which also got to number 2.

I've listened to the album myself when I've been really down, listened to it in the dark with just the music for company and I just love it. It's the only George Michael album I really like, I bought the follow up but it wasn't a patch on this although there was a couple of good tracks on it. If you get a chance to have a listen to it, I recommend it as it is such a good listen, if you already have the album, dig it out and give it another listen, you'll enjoy it!

Gary Numan - Cars

Cars was released in 1979 as the follow up to Are 'Friends' Electric, which came under the band name of Tubeway Army. Gary Numan had wanted to release 'Friends' under his real name but Beggars Banquet (his label) wanted it under the band name. After the huge success of 'Friends' Gary persuaded the label to let him release under his name, so Cars is the first official Gary Numan single. The song, based about a confrontation in his car and locking all the doors to keep himself in safe, reached number 1 in September 1979, hit the top 10 in America and number 1 in Canada as well as doing well all over the world.

Over the years Cars has been remixed and has managed to get back into the UK top 20 on several occasions in 1987 and 1995, it has been covered by Fear Factory and always manages to get onto 80's electronic compilations (although it was released in 1979). The song also has been sampled in Armand Van Helden single Koochy. Cars is a track that is a classic piece of early electronic music that has influenced a generation of electronic bands and has a good video that still gets airplay today. Here's the single

Visage - Fade To Grey

One of my all time fave singles, a classic electronic single from the early 80's which really brought the New Romantics into the charts. Released in November 1980 just as the Blitz kids where getting a name for themselves as the club to be seen at in London. The New Romantics, all dressed up heavily made up and frilly shirts and incredibly smartly dressed used the club to meet up to dance to the latest electronic sounds coming from Europe and the UK. Rusty Egan ran the club along with Steve Strange and thought it would be good to have a house band who could play the tracks the clubbers wanted to hear.

The single was written by Midge Ure, Chris Payne and Billy Currie. Chris and Billy were part of Gary Numan's backing band and Midge was about to join Ultravox which was Billy's old band! The idea of the song came from Steve after looking over the Berlin wall to see how grey everything looked, Midge gave Steve singing lessons so he could be the voice and the face for the band. The single hit the charts early 1981, became an instant classic and peaked at number 8 in the UK but got to number 1 in Germany. It came off the album Visage which featured another 2 hits, Mind Of A Toy and Visage!

The song was helped by the now classic but simply made (by todays standards) video shot by Godley & Crème. It showed off the use of make up and how image could strongly be used to sell a product too as well as the music. Video was still in it's early stages but proved just how useful they could be. The single had a re-issue in 1993 as part of a greatest hits album but managed to scrape to number 39.

Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights

In celebration of Kate receiving her C.B.E from the Queen today I thought I'd post probably her most well known single here today. Released in January 1978 this single slowly climbed the UK charts and got to Number 1 early March and was there for 4 weeks. This was the first number 1 single by a female to be sung and written by the same person. Originally the record company wanted her to release another track as the first single but Kate insisted it was to be Wuthering Heights and luckily for her, an EMI engineer came into the meeting and said how good Wuthering Heights was and it should be the first single. It was released in a small run in a picture cover and it is worth about £30!

The single is based on the book by Emily Bronte but it was the film she watched first, then read the book afterwards. The single had 2 videos (still a new thing in those days) the first and most well known was the studio dancing video with the smoke and film effects, the other was shot out doors with a similar dance routine but this was used for America but has been shown here. The song came off her first album The Kick Inside which hit number 3 of 1978. At the time of release, you either liked her or hated her, I didn't like the single first off, I couldn't get into it until it was dropping out of the charts, then I suddenly got it and thought it was an amazing track, so different to anything around at that time. Here's the single, in the classic EMI bag!

Classic Pop

My new fave magazine, Smash Hits for grown ups as I've described it before now. I used to collect Smash Hits and the first issue I have goes back to 1979 but stopped buying it when it went towards a younger generation. So I've been looking for a really good magazine for years and last year this mag made it's debut on the shelves and is a great read. The latest issue number 4 came out yesterday (4th April) but bought it today and I'm slowly making my way through it. It's always good to read about the old bands and to know that they are still around (in some form anyhow) and are still interested in their output and also that they are still around even to this day! A great read, go check it out!

The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

A fantastic pop song from 1979, was originally from an album released in 1978 by Woolley & the Camera Club called English Garden. Written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes & Bruce Woolley this synthpop classic is about nostalgia and technology, about a radio star who's career is cut short by television. Released on Island Records in September 1979 the single climbed to number 1 in November of that year. Although the song was from 1979 is has been featured on many 80's compilations. Surprised at the single's success the band had to rush back into the studio to record a follow up single and came up with The Plastic Age and the album The Age Of Plastic, although the single hit the charts nothing came close to the success of Video!

When MTV started in America in August 1981 Video Killed The Radio Star was the first video to be shown on the new station, very much true to the single's title! The band released another album but split up, Horn and Downes joined Yes for a while and Trevor Horn became a top producer in the first half of the 80's to work with the likes of ABC, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Dollar! Here's the single which still is a classic and still sounds great!

Sad Cafe' - Everyday Hurts

Mancunian band Sad Cafe' had been around since 1976 and although building up a small following never really did anything till this single hit the charts. Released in September 1979 it slowly climbed the charts to number 3 that year and also was a small hit in American where it was renamed Everyday. To help this gorgeous ballad hit the charts the record company released the single in blue vinyl and also a picture disc (a rarity, a song being released on 2 different formats to get it into the charts). It came off the album Facades (an anagram of Sad Café) which also was released in blue vinyl and got to number 8 in the album charts!

I have seen the band quite a few times and have met them several times and were a great bunch of guys and always happy to meet the fans. I followed the band for a few years before the lead singer Paul Young left the band to join Mike & The Mechanics. Here's the single, with the picture cover, blue vinyl and picture disc versions!

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire have always been favourites with the critics and when they released this, their third album the praise was heaped onto the band. The album, was inspired by the upbringing of two of the band members, Will & Win Butler in a suburb in Houston, Texas. It was recorded in Canada and New York and when the band finished a track, they pressed it onto a 12'' acetate and used it for the master for the CD, therefore the album and CD sound both the same! The sleeve for the album featured 8 variations of the cover too!

Released in the UK in August 2010 it went straight to number 1 in the UK and the US charts and won a Grammy the following year and a Brit for Best International Album. In June 2011 they released an expanded version of the album with a couple of extra tracks and a dvd about the album.

It is an album I never tire of listening to, it has got some great songs on, my faves being Suburban War, Sprawl II and Month Of May but don't take my word for it, go give it a listen!

Tears For Fears - Shout

With news this week that Tears For Fears are going to be back in action this year, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of their first album, I thought I'd feature this single that shot the band into superstardom around the world. Released in November 1984 and got to number 4 in January 1985 and hit the top spot in America the same year. It was off the classic album Songs From The Big Chair and Shout was a change of sound as the band sound was going more towards a synth pop, rock, stadium band sound. The song was basically about protesting rather than keeping quiet, but to think about what you are protesting about rather than just going ahead and just have no idea why you are protesting, also the single lasted over 5 minutes but was still played heavily on the radio. A classic single for classic times, I think it is from one of the last great years for UK pop music!

Roger Daltrey - Giving It All Away

In between a tour break by The Who, Roger Daltrey set about recording his solo album, Daltery. In 1972 The Who were recording in the studio where writers Leo Sayer and David Courtney were recording material for Leo Sayer. Roger liked what he heard from them and asked if they would write some tracks for his forthcoming solo album. As David and Leo had loads of tracks demoed and half written they let Roger choose. He Chose Giving It All Away, a powerful ballad that really suited Roger's voice, full of emotion and power. The track was a hit and reached number 5 in 1973 and was his first solo hit single. This also started the career of Leo Sayer as a few months later he was to have his first hit single too and he also recorded his version of his song on his second album Just A Boy.

Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free

Released in the hot summer of 1976, Candi Staton scored a huge hit with this song which was from the up and coming disco era of the 70's. Candi, originally was a gospel singer who toured the churches before setting out on a solo career. She teamed up with writer David Crawford and hit number 2 in the UK charts with this song. The lyrics may be of a down trodden subject matter but it was set to an upbeat track to dance to. She had another couple of UK hits before disappearing till the early 80's when she scored with a cover of Suspicious Minds and later again in the 90's with the classic dance track You Got The Love. Today she is still touring and singing on the gospel circuit.

Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys

Ok, I wasn't so sure if I should put this on here without it looking like the blog is turning silly, but to keep it true to me, this is from my childhood and I still think it is a really really good song. I remember my Mother playing this to me when I was a young child, it came out in late 1969 and I will have been 6 years old and the song was the first number 1 of the 1970's. I don't know what happened to our original copy of this single, but mine came off Ebay.

Rolf Harris heard the song when he was in America doing a tour. The song itself is about two brothers who grow up together and end up fighting in the American Civil War, it was wrote in the early 1900's and is a very emotional song, listen to the lyrics, never mind it is Rolf singing. He asked his then TV producer on the BBC to do an arrangement of the song on his show, the reaction to the song was enough for Rolf to record it as a single. To be honest, I really like Rolf Harris but I think over the years a lot of people think he became a bit of laughing stock. Here's the single

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Rage Hard

This was Frankie's fifth single and was released in the summer of 1986. The band were riding on the wave of Welcome To The Pleasuredome's success and had a lot to prove about who they were and that they were not the puppets of Trevor Horn. The single was a big hit and got to number 4 in the UK and came with the usual amounts of remixes. I remember them on Top Of The Pops performing the single throwing money around on stage and always thought it was such a strong single. It is my favourite FGTH single, I just think it has so much power to it. The album it came off Liverpool was moving more towards a rockier feel rather than the dance of the last album. They never hit the same highs as the previous singles and album which was a shame but it also showed just how the British record buying public came move on to the next big thing, which around this time was the start of Stock, Aitken & Waterman.

Fleetwood Mac - Sara

Written by Stevie Nicks, this gorgeous ballad came from the album Tusk which was released in 1979 and was the follow up to Rumours. The album has the full 6 minute version on, but the single came with a 4.37 minute edit. The song is supposed to be about the relationships and love affairs in the band, but the finished song cut most of this off. Released in January 1980 the single only managed to reach a disappointingly 37 in the UK charts but did better in America where it got to number 7.

When Tusk was released on CD for the first time, they put the 7'' edit on the album but it wasn't until the Greatest Hits came out in 1988 that the full version was first heard on CD. Rumours are there's a 9 minute version of the song! Here's the single.

ABC - Poison Arrow

A classic song for Valentine's Day! A very much loved track from 1982 and released in the middle of the New Romantic period. Produced by Trevor Horn, who loved the idea of a big production, full of orchestra and drama. Written by the band and it came off their platinum selling debut album The Lexicon Of Love and the single reached number 6 in the charts. It was also helped by the 12'' remixes of the song which at this point was at the beginning of the 12'' club remix period for many of the early 80's bands who took advantage of this format to aim at another audience. A classic piece of pop that I don't think has aged at all and has lost none of it's sparkle!

Kraftwerk - The Model

Fitting with the fact that the Germans have landed in London, playing 8 nights at Tate Modern, I thought I'd Choose this single this week. This track originally was recorded and released in 1978, it came from the album The Man Machine but was never released as a single in the UK. Move forward 3 years to the release of the band's Computer World album and the single Computer Love. EMI decided to put The Model on the B Side of the track and the single got to the lower end of the top 40 charts. The DJ's had other ideas and started playing the B Side which made EMI swap the tracks over, so The Model became the A Side. By February 1982 the single reached number 1 and was in the top 75 for 20 weeks.

They never really had the chart success they really deserve, Autobahn was a classic and unusual sounding single back in 1975 and they have become pioneers of electronic music. I Saw them play live in 1992 in Sheffield and really they didn't do a great deal on stage but the presence of the band was enough, they had half a recording studio with them on stage but the music they created was mind blowing! The personnel in the band might have changed in the group with one original member, but we don't really care as the music speaks for itself, who knows they might even get round to releasing another album this year! Here's the single, a classic piece of electronic music that helped the soundtrack of the New Romantic movement too!

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Tomorrow (January 28th) sees the release of a deluxe version of Rumours celebrating the 35th anniversary of the album coming out. As everyone knows the album when originally released was a masterpiece and has sold around 40 million copies, so expect that number to rise from tomorrow.

It is amazing really when you read about how the album was recorded amongst the relationships in the band breaking down, the McVie's had just divorced and only talked to each other about music. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were in an on off relationship too. These troubled times come through in many of the lyrics and John McVie suggested the title of the album as he reckoned that everyone in the group was writing about each other in the band. To learn more about this classic album I suggest you look on Wikipedia, the full detailed story is there and it is quite a read!

Several singles were released off the album but didn't really do a great deal here in the UK as everyone was buying the album, which helped push it to the top of the charts. Over the years each track off the album has become a classic in it's own right and I think all the tracks at one point were often played on the radio.

My story of the album came in mid 1985, I had been staying with friends just outside of London. I had taken my Walkman with me for the journey home and I remember saying to my friend that I would like to buy a cassette for the bus ride home but couldn't think of one I wanted. She suggested Rumours as it was such a good album as she had a copy, so I bought it, I didn't play it till I was on my way home. When I started listening to it, I realised I knew the album, never heard the album before but all the tracks were often on the radio but never knew who it was. I loved it and played it several time that ride home so when I listen to the album it reminds me of that time!

Here is the cover of this classic album

Pulp - Common People

Brit pop was at it's height when this came out. Jarvis Cocker and the band came out with this masterpiece in 1995 and quickly shot to number 2 in the charts. A song basically about an upper class girl wanting to act and live like a working class girl, swapping luxury for poverty. Jarvis wrote the song about a girl that he knew from his art college days and like the line in the song goes, if she did call her Dad he could just stop it all and so therefore she could never be like common people!

Pulp had always up to this track been a band that always nearly made it, with a big loyal fan base and always critics favourites. I remember seeing them perform this track on Top Of The Pops and was so powerful, almost anthem like and the video was a great piece of footage too. Released on yellow vinyl, 2 cd singles, 12'' and a cassingle all these formats helped get it into the top 5. The follow up single had a dance remix on of Common People which is pretty good too! A classic track that always reminds you of a period of life in the mid nineties

Goldfrapp - Rocket

This track was released in March 2010 and up to now, is the last single I have bought as a physical release. The shops stopped selling CD Singles and I don't think the companies release that many singles as a physical release anymore, anyhow I digress!

Goldfrapp have been around for several years and their releases have progressed album by album, from the soundtrack sounding first album to the album this came off straight pop music. Rocket from the first notes sounds so 80's, the keyboards remind me of Jump by Van Halen (not a bad thing I might add) and I also think it reminds me of Olivia Newton John's Physical (in my head it does, humour me please) but is such a great piece of pop music. The single didn't do that well in the UK, it managed a top 50 place but the album it came off, Head First hit the top 10. The CD release featured several remixes of the track, all good too! The band are in the studio recording new material so I can't wait to hear that!

Mott The Hoople - Roll Away The Stone

Mott The Hoople were on a roll after the hit single All The Young Dudes from 1972. Before the single was released, the band were about to break up when David Bowie offered them that track, success finally came fast. After several other singles hitting various places in the charts, the band released this classic single written by Ian Hunter and released in November 1973 at the height of Glam Rock and climbed to number 8 in the charts. Over the next couple of years the band continued to have success here and in America but the band imploded by 1975 after constant line up changes and Ian Hunter finally walking out of the band to go solo. At least they left us with some great tracks. Here's the single!

The Associates - Party Fears Two

This single hit the charts on the back of the New Romantic movement that was hitting the British music scene in the early 80's. The Associates were Billy MacKenzie & Alan Rankine, who had been on the scene since 1979 releasing several independent albums before hitting the top 20 with Party Fears Two and the album it came off Sulk. Billy's operatic vocal soared over this great keyboard based track and pushed it to number 9 in early 1982. The band released another couple of singles that hit the top 20 but by far this was the best track for me!

The band split up just as they were to go on tour promoting Sulk and left Billy to carry on under the bands name, but success wasn't there and in the 1990's he recorded under his own name. In 1997 Billy MacKenzie committed suicide after suffering from clinical depression, he was thinking of making a comeback at the time and the material he recorded before his death has been released.

He had such an awesome voice, the notes he reached were amazing and when you listen to this track those hairs on the back of your neck stand up. A classic slice of synthpop circa 1982!

Death Of The Record Shop

It was sad but not unexpected that HMV had gone into administration this week. For the last few years the company had been having a really tough time with changing technology and the power of the internet. Also I really think they were too expensive, some things on the web site were so much cheaper than the shop, not just by a pound but sometimes up to £6 cheaper. I went into the shop once and the staff were talking to each other about the fact they had bought something from Amazon the night before!

I can still remember the first time I went into the shop here in Hull. It will have been 1978, my first time going into town by myself and going into the shop. Previously when I'd been into town with my parents they would never go into there and I'd only ever seen it from the front. They always put the latest released singles in the window and I remember the lines of coloured vinyl singles forming the shop window display.

The first time I went into the shop was like a kid going into a sweet shop, wall to wall racks of records, posters on the wall and at that time a full wall of the latest picture disc albums coming over from the states, with the likes of Elton John, Blondie, Rod Stewart amongst others hung on the wall. It was the first time I'd seen these and they were amazing and knew I wanted to collect them. There was no way I could afford those albums. That started my love affair of collecting records.

Over the years, the record collection grew, I'd always go into the shops every Saturday to see what new releases were out, I never thought that vinyl would die out and one day I saw these strange silver discs back in 1984 and never thought they would catch on. Compact discs slowly took over from vinyl and slowly record companies stopped releasing vinyl, it was still being pressed up but more smaller quantities to a point in the mid 1990's that shops stopped selling vinyl although mid 2000's it did make a bit of a comeback! Here is a photo of me looking at what was left of the vinyl back in 2007 in our HMV shop

The invention of MP3's, Apple and streaming has killed the record business, along with internet prices meant the humble record shop has vanished from our high streets. If HMV closes here in Hull there will be no shop where I can go to look around at new releases, old albums I might want to buy or take in the atmosphere of listening to new sounds played over a stereo system. Supermarkets like Tesco's only have a small selection of chart and current releases, WH Smiths don't really do CD's anymore and the small independent shops here are more selective in what they can sell. So the internet has won, I will order my stuff off the net, but I so much wanted to browse and look at what I want to buy, it is a real hassle to send something back you are not really happy with, the write up might sound like it's just what you want but when you get it home it just doesn't match up to your expectations.

Record Shops, may you rest in peace, your stores may be gone from our high streets but you live on in my memories!

The Move - Flowers In The Rain

Here's a single with a bit of history behind it. Flowers In The Rain became the first single to be played on the new BBC radio station Radio 1 on 30th September 1967. The single was written by Roy Wood, produced by Tony Visconti and got to number 2 in that year.

To help the single chart, the band's manager thought a stunt might help give the single an edge and came up with the idea of a cartoon postcard. He featured on the card a cartoon of a naked Harold Wilson who was Prime Minister then with his secretary, but the stunt seriously backfired and the band were sued. As a result of the court decision, all royalties from the song were to be donated to a charity of Harold Wilson's choice and that still stands today and is thought to have cost the band millions of pounds in lost royalties.

I remember the single from my childhood, I will have been 2 when it came out and can always remember it being played. I always remembered what it looked like and found a similar copy on Ebay! Here's is the single

Sparks - The Number One Song In Heaven

Here's the comeback single from the Mael brothers which got them back into the UK charts after several years out of the charts and back home in America. They were influenced by the electronic sounds that Giorgio Moroder was coming up with producing Donna Summer and they wanted to try other areas of music and so they teamed up with Moroder to produce the album Number One In Heaven for Virgin Records.

The single was released in the UK in April 1979 and reached number 14, which was their biggest hit since 1974. To help the single along, it was released in limited edition green vinyl 7'' and red vinyl 12'' which are highly collectable. The band found a new audience but the bands original fans accused them of selling out to the more commercial disco sound that was in the charts, they just wanted to try a different sound.

Here's the single sleeve and the green vinyl single. The first time I heard the single on Top Of The Pops I just had to buy it and if I remember rightly, it cost me the sum of 90p, a bargin in those days!