24 October 1981 Not Dave 'Eurythmics' Stewart but Dave 'Not Dave 'Eurythmics' Stewart' Stewart, an English prog-rocker of the '70s as was Gaskin. Is this moody synth cover version of a '60s teenybop classic a brutalist weltschmerz re-reading, or just a serious-muso in-joke that the good people of 1981 didn't quite get? Your guess is … Continue reading Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin – ‘It’s My Party’ →

10 October 1981 Despite my infancy I remember hearing this everywhere. Or maybe because of my infancy; its bubbly disco-pop is almost childishly simple and memorable. But lest I do Ottowan a disservice, at least it's more complex and challenging than their previous big hit, another disco track but one that literally had to spell … Continue reading Ottawan – ‘Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)’ →

26 September 1981 Adam Ant made some great records in his early '80s glory years. More importantly, he was a brilliant pop star. 'Prince Charming', though, despite featuring the most famous line he ever sang, trades almost entirely on Adam's star power. You can't dance to it, to the extent that the video is an … Continue reading Adam and the Ants – ‘Prince Charming’ →

19 September 1981 Content warning: cultural appropriation, Orientalism, the works. This is the first of our number ones that I was actually aware of at the time. During one rain-swept holiday at Rosses Point, as we were driving along a main road somewhere around Sligo, this came on the radio. The combination of glassy voice … Continue reading Aneka – ‘Japanese Boy’ →

12 September 1981 The record that tops the Irish charts this week in September 1981 instead of Soft Cell also deals with tainted love. At first it seems like just another old Irish ballad; ‘A Bunch Of Thyme’ literally begins with the words "Come all ye..." However, it soon gets bizarre and a little icky; the … Continue reading Foster and Allen – ‘A Bunch Of Thyme’ →

15 August 1981 The green door in question has a "happy crowd" behind it. Shaky desperately wants to effect entry and bring his questionable pieces to the party, but no dice; they won't let him in. If only the green door had been a metaphor for Ireland not letting Shakin' Stevens records in, the way … Continue reading Shakin’ Stevens – ‘Green Door’ →

25 July 1981 When the bould Martin Brennan followed his rendition of 'When You Were Sweet Sixteen' with 'Come Out You Black And Tans' and 'The Men Behind The Wire', he was replicating the Irish singles charts of July 1981. The Fureys and Davey Arthur were succeeded as Irish number one by the Wolfe Tones, … Continue reading The Wolfe Tones – ‘Streets Of New York’ →

18 July 1981 Most recently interpreted, inter alia, for a primetime BBC audience by west of Ireland farmer and Alan Partridge lookalike Martin Brennan, this was some traditional Irish ballad from the days of all our forefathers and foremothers - or so I thought. But no; it was a million-selling US number one in the … Continue reading The Fureys and Davey Arthur – ‘When You Were Sweet Sixteen’ →

23 May 1981 Ireland had three Shaky number ones in 1981 but the UK had only two; this one was also kept off the top of the latter charts by 'Stand And Deliver'. What's more, it was number one here for a whole six weeks! This may be a source of perverse national pride for … Continue reading Shakin’ Stevens – ‘You Drive Me Crazy’ →

9 May 1981 'Stand And Deliver' by Adam and the Ants didn't go to number one in Ireland - this did instead. Now, as I write this, I genuinely do not know this record and haven't listened to it yet - I gather it's a medley of various oldies, perhaps in the manner of Jive … Continue reading Starsound – ‘Stars On 45’ →