11 May 1989 If you'd asked me in 1989 which we would have in twenty years' time, flying cars taking us to the moon or Kylie elevated to icon status with a slew of brilliant hits, I would have said... the Kylie one, obviously. She was clearly a great pop star, her then-suppliers Stock, Aitken … Continue reading Kylie Minogue – ‘Hand On Your Heart’
Daniel O’Donnell – ‘Far, Far From Home’
4 May 1989 I don't remember 'Far, Far From Home', though of course this may also be the case for most of Daniel's elderly fanbase. So, as per my standard operating procedure for any tracks I find here that I don't know, I will listen to it for the first time LIVE as I write … Continue reading Daniel O’Donnell – ‘Far, Far From Home’
U2 ft B.B. King – ‘When Love Comes To Town’
13 April 1989 We've already seen how U2 followed the lead of George Michael's 1987 one-word abstract-noun Bo-Diddley-beat rock 'n' roll throwback 'Faith' with 'Desire'. Now we have this other Rattle And Hum single which, like George's duet with Aretha Franklin on 'I Knew You Were Waiting For Me' a year or so earlier, sees … Continue reading U2 ft B.B. King – ‘When Love Comes To Town’
The Bangles – ‘Eternal Flame’
6 April 1989 If you wanted a number one single in late-1980s Ireland and you hadn't starred in Neighbours, your up-tempo pop banger probably wasn't going to cut it. No sirreee: to nail that final push to the summit you usually needed to wheel out a big romantic ballad. And so, just as with Whitney … Continue reading The Bangles – ‘Eternal Flame’
Guns N’ Roses – ‘Paradise City’
30 March 1989 In my 1989 small child worldview, bigger boys liked Guns N' Roses, the way they liked A Nightmare On Elm Street and whatever Death Wish video they somehow got away with renting. (I tried taking out the nasty Dirty Harry sequel The Dead Pool, in which Guns N' Roses briefly appear, but … Continue reading Guns N’ Roses – ‘Paradise City’
Madonna – ‘Like A Prayer’
16 March 1989 I can remember the ad for the ad, which was also going to be the world premiere of the single, but I don't recall actually seeing the ad itself. In any case, the ad was only ever shown once or twice and then dropped - not because of the ad, but because … Continue reading Madonna – ‘Like A Prayer’
Jason Donovan – ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’
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’
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’
