9 March 1989 Jason Donovan provides an interesting test case in the modus operandi of Stock, Aitken and Waterman. As a young, good-looking star of Britain's favourite TV show, he was similar to Kylie in having a ready-made teen fanbase to buy his pop records: less heavy lifting for SAW to do upfront. But what … Continue reading Jason Donovan – ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’
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Simple Minds – ‘Belfast Child’
16 February 1989 Even before Band Aid and Live Aid, U2 had popularised the notion in the '80s that rock music could—should—be used to "say something". However, what if the rock band had nothing to say, or at least nothing worthwhile? Didn't matter. You had an audience, you had an ego, therefore anything you said … Continue reading Simple Minds – ‘Belfast Child’
Marc Almond and Gene Pitney – ‘Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart’
2 February 1989 At the time, I knew neither Marc Almond, Gene Pitney, this song, nor why this record got to number one in Ireland and the UK. To my child brain it sounded suspiciously like yet another slow romantic ballad squatting at the top of what I had believed were meant to be pop … Continue reading Marc Almond and Gene Pitney – ‘Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart’
Mike and the Mechanics – ‘The Living Years’
26 January 1989 The subtext of 1989's number one singles is that there are worse things than Stock, Aitken and Waterman records. Here's someone else from Genesis following Phil Collins' lead in making music that sounds middle-aged, purports to have an Everyman appeal, and is aimed squarely at an audience of middle-aged men. 'The Living … Continue reading Mike and the Mechanics – ‘The Living Years’
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan – ‘Especially For You’
5 January 1989 Well now. I remember this. If ever a pop single came packed in a crate-load of context, it was 'Especially For You'. Kylie was now the biggest star—pop or TV—in Britain and Ireland. This duet was clearly aimed at surfing the wave of the Kylie-Jason wedding storyline on the UK screening of … Continue reading Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan – ‘Especially For You’
Cliff Richard – ‘Mistletoe And Wine’
10 December 1988 Well, I didn't know that 'Mistletoe And Wine' was originally from a musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's story The Little Match Girl, screened on UK television in the mid-'80s, set in Victorian London, without the more religious lyrics, and sung by Twiggy as the character of a bawdy East End lady … Continue reading Cliff Richard – ‘Mistletoe And Wine’
Chris De Burgh – ‘Missing You’
3 December 1988 Here we go again. Following the surprise success of the appalling 'The Lady In Red', 'Missing You' is another Chris De Burgh romantic slowie, one that got as high as number three in the UK as well as topping our charts. It's another synthy, schmaltzy gloop. And yes, it's another one where … Continue reading Chris De Burgh – ‘Missing You’
Robin Beck – ‘First Time’
26 November 1988 I've never liked the sickly-sweet taste of Coca-Cola, even as a mixer for student-level vodka, so I was never going to like this saccharine power ballad that was the soundtrack to a Coke ad. Clearly it was written for a TV commercial's one-minute attention span. All the heart-wrenching, shirt-ripping, tear-jerking drama is … Continue reading Robin Beck – ‘First Time’
Yazz and the Plastic Population – ‘Stand Up For Your Love Rights’
19 November 1988 This was the year that the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ireland's existing laws making homosexual acts illegal were in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights. Those laws were eventually repealed in 1993. In the UK, homosexuality had been decriminalised in 1967 but the 1980s AIDS crisis had … Continue reading Yazz and the Plastic Population – ‘Stand Up For Your Love Rights’
Enya – ‘Orinoco Flow’
22 October 1988 If Bono in his quieter moments must feel like an unloved prophet in his own country, not to mention a 'pox' in his home city, how must his Killiney neighbour Enya feel? She is estimated to have sold a colossal 80 million albums in total, despite the commercial disadvantage of never having … Continue reading Enya – ‘Orinoco Flow’
