9 February 1985 Really this is your fault. You, with your fawning adulation for 'The Winner Takes It All' far beyond its merits, turning Bjorn and Benny's heads so that they forgot about making glam-disco-pop masterpieces and instead charged off with Tim Rice down the road of blustery West End musicals. Thanks for that. As … Continue reading Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson – ‘I Know Him So Well’
Tag: 80s
Foreigner – ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’
26 January 1985 Help me out here. These US soft rock bands of the late '70s and '80s are all short, squat men in blue jeans and leather jackets, throwing rawk shapes and making macho grimaces. Yet their actual sound is bland, simpering romantic balladry with a squealing guitar solo or loud snare for some … Continue reading Foreigner – ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’
Band Aid – ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
22 December 1984 U2's first appearance at number one in the Irish singles charts: I was going to add a 'surprisingly' there, but every true Irish person is fairly cold towards U2. We do have the deathless gag about the two people on 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' who sing their own name: Sting's "bitter … Continue reading Band Aid – ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
Jim Diamond – ‘I Should Have Known Better’
1 December 1984 Its title is the same as a line from the chorus of 'Careless Whisper', plus it's also about a man who "fooled around" and got caught out. There's a whiff of 'Against All Odds'-style male midlife-crisis angst from it too. So, you have a good idea of what's being aimed at here … Continue reading Jim Diamond – ‘I Should Have Known Better’
Chaka Khan – ‘I Feel For You’
17 November 1984 Apparently it happened by accident during production. It was probably clear to everyone involved, though, that they had struck gold. And that's how we have one of the great iconic pop moments of the entire '80s: a human record scratch of the singer's name—"Ch-ch-ch-chaka KHAN! Chaka KHAN! Chaka KHAN!" This was a … Continue reading Chaka Khan – ‘I Feel For You’
Wham! – ‘Freedom’
27 October 1984 Or if you like, Freedom '84. This is a peculiar track. On the surface it's even more jaunty and colourful than 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go', upsizing from a few partying go-gos to lines of almost jubilant doo-doo-doos. Yet the song within all this day-glo doo-doo is quite sour and sexist: … Continue reading Wham! – ‘Freedom’
Culture Club – ‘The War Song’
13 October 1984 'The War Song' because its makers felt that, of all songs about war, this was the definite article? Or 'The War Song' because even its makers felt too self-conscious and embarrassed by it to give it a proper title? Oh, definitely the latter. Even by the standards of trite '80s issue songs—that … Continue reading Culture Club – ‘The War Song’
Stevie Wonder – ‘I Just Called To Say I Love You’
8 September 1984 Another downside of an '80s pop childhood: first encountering a '60s or '70s icon in their terrible later phase. It took me years to get around to listening to Stevie Wonder's classic period, almost entirely because of 'Ebony And Ivory' and this atrocious single. I seriously thought I'd be laughed out of … Continue reading Stevie Wonder – ‘I Just Called To Say I Love You’
George Michael – ‘Careless Whisper’
18 August 1984 Like a "want-away" striker issuing a "come and get me" plea during the football transfer window, releasing a solo single while still in a group was a pretty clear statement of George Michael's intent. In one way, the pained balladry of 'Careless Whisper' wouldn't have been a good fit with the randy-lads … Continue reading George Michael – ‘Careless Whisper’
Neil – ‘Hole In My Shoe’
28 July 1984 Another number one that I don't know, so as per my usual process I will listen to it LIVE as I write. Before that, some context: I'm aware that Neil was a character in The Young Ones, that British sitcom featuring a lot of Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson hitting each other … Continue reading Neil – ‘Hole In My Shoe’
