2 October 1970 Ireland didn't have any number ones at all from Motown during the '60s - and here in October 1970 we still didn't, as despite its classic Motown sound 'Band Of Gold' is on Holland-Dozier-Holland's own Invictus label after they had left Hitsville. The parting with Berry Gordy was evidently acrimonious; ongoing legal … Continue reading Freda Payne – ‘Band Of Gold’ →

23 January 1992 I'm a child of two-channel Ireland, and in January 1992 both those channels went on strike. The RTÉ industrial action lasted four weeks, during which time RTÉ 1 and the then-Network 2 showed repeats and minimal news headlines, while on the radio 2FM played non-stop music without the intervention of DJs. No … Continue reading 2 Unlimited – ‘Twilight Zone’ →

29 August 1987 Take the kitsch of country & Irish, multiply it by the campy simpering of Daniel O’Donnell, and you get… well, a whole lot of campy, simpering kitsch really. Other male singers working the country & Irish scene, most notably Nathan Carter, have since tried to follow Daniel’s blueprint of a junior infant … Continue reading Daniel O’Donnell – Four Track EP →

10 May 1986 Bacharach & David devotee that I am, I must admit that I've never played their compilations as far as Burt's 1980s output. Though Bacharach was still wildly successful with his new post-Hal lyricist (and then-wife) Carole Bayer Sager, the Bacharach sound had drifted from '60s mature, yearning sophistication into '80s middle-aged soft-focus … Continue reading Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – ‘On My Own’ →

25 September 1970 Here's our first number one single from Canada. This being the dawn of a decade featuring real-life Osmonds and fictional Partridges, you'd assume The Poppy Family were indeed a household as advertised. In fact, they were mostly singer Susan Jacks and her husband Terry, the latter soon of 'Seasons In The Sun' … Continue reading The Poppy Family – ‘Which Way You Goin’, Billy?’ →

7 August 1970 As with my few lines on 'All About That Bass', I don't have personal experience or insight that would give me any sort of informed view on the themes raised by 'Lola'. Similarly, some people with that personal experience and insight could have found it helpful and some could have found it … Continue reading The Kinks – ‘Lola’ →

30 October 2014 Married people: is Ed Sheeran part of your story? Perhaps one of his songs accompanied your proposal; Sheeran himself talks about how seven people proposed to their partners during one of his concerts, and how popping the question is now a regular occurrence during live performances of 'Thinking Out Loud'. Or maybe … Continue reading Ed Sheeran – ‘Thinking Out Loud’ →

31 July 1970 Let's be honest: our favourite Elvis is late-career Vegas Elvis sweatily gurning and shuddering through the cheesy cabaret hits, with oversized flares and collars flapping on his white rhinestone-studded onesie. This is our popular image of Elvis now and for posterity. Hear his name and this is what you see in your … Continue reading Elvis Presley – ‘The Wonder Of You’ →

2 October 2014 Body image is a complex and sensitive subject, and I don't have any expertise or insight to share on the matter. I have the impression that many people with personal experience regarding body image issues have found 'All About That Bass' helpful and many other people haven't. I'll confine my remarks to … Continue reading Meghan Trainor – ‘All About That Bass’ →

10 July 1970 I admit: I'm a wee bit disappointed that 'Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha' is not Cliff's take on trans "issues", if only because it denies the world what could have been the most spectacularly offensive and disastrous pop song ever. Turns out that going from Sam to Samantha, Joe to Joanne and Lou … Continue reading Cliff Richard – ‘Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha’ →