13 December 1986 My main takeaway from 'Caravan Of Love' at the time was the bit in the video where each of The Housemartins took down their hoods to reveal a crucifix shaved into their heads. Was this a thing now, or even allowed? Impressionable as I was, I didn't have the nerve or inclination … Continue reading The Housemartins – ‘Caravan Of Love’
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Europe – ‘The Final Countdown’
29 November 1986 Correct me if I'm doing you wrong, but I doubt any of us listen to 'The Final Countdown' for the crafted verses or insightful lyrics. No sirree, we're all here for that humungous synth riff, a signal to unleash good-natured headbanging and devil-horns hand gestures. That 'we' probably includes the band, by … Continue reading Europe – ‘The Final Countdown’
Berlin – ‘Take My Breath Away’
1 November 1986 Trivia fans, get yer hats! Before becoming the lead singer of Berlin, who were from California and not Germany, Terri Nunn auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars and turned down the sizeable role of Lucy Ewing in '80s TV soap Dallas. Giorgio Moroder co-wrote both 'Take My Breath … Continue reading Berlin – ‘Take My Breath Away’
Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman – ‘All I Ask Of You’
25 October 1986 During my Paris years I went to the Opera a couple of times, but I never saw any phantoms there. West End musicals: don't trust them! If you've visited Paris you may have taken in the sight of the Opéra Garnier, to give it its proper name, looming in opulence like a … Continue reading Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman – ‘All I Ask Of You’
Status Quo – ‘In The Army Now’
18 October 1986 The early reference to Uncle Sam clarifies that this isn't the British Army or 'You're In The Black And Tans Now'. You'd have liked to see the Quo style out that one on their Irish tour. I remember 'In The Army Now' being a massive radio hit at the time. It stalled … Continue reading Status Quo – ‘In The Army Now’
Madonna – ‘True Blue’
4 October 1986 As we've seen so far in our '80s number ones, '60s throwbacks were all the rage. Even Motown royalty like Diana Ross with 'Chain Reaction' was in 1986 harking back to her own classic sound. And Madonna is from Bay City, Michigan, just out the road from Detroit, so when it comes … Continue reading Madonna – ‘True Blue’
The Communards – ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’
13 September 1986 Only from seeing a Top of the Pops repeat on BBC Four recently did I actually realise, after all these years of hearing it, that there are two lead singers on The Communards' 'Don't Leave Me This Way'; the second verse is sung by a guest vocalist, Sarah Jane Morris, who also … Continue reading The Communards – ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’
Boris Gardiner – ‘I Wanna Wake Up With You’
30 August 1986 Honestly, how this got to number one—in Ireland and the UK—is a total mystery to me. Listening to it now I was almost asleep after the first minute, and there's still another three-quarters of the song to go. God knows how anyone managed to make it down to the record store to … Continue reading Boris Gardiner – ‘I Wanna Wake Up With You’
Chris De Burgh – ‘The Lady In Red’
12 July 1986 I wouldn't credit this singer or song with as much influence as to consider it a clapback or a putting-Madonna-back-in-her-box. Still, it's pretty dispiriting that a record about a strong, independent woman making her own choices is immediately followed at number one both in Ireland and the UK by a song about … Continue reading Chris De Burgh – ‘The Lady In Red’
Madonna – ‘Papa Don’t Preach’
28 June 1986 I was an innocent, unworldly nine-year-old boy when I first heard 'Papa Don't Preach', so I just assumed her 'baby' meant her guy, like the one in the video: "I'm not gonna dump my fella just because you get all preachy and disapproving, pops!" Pretty quickly, of course, even my small child … Continue reading Madonna – ‘Papa Don’t Preach’
