21 January 1984 Okay, so 'Ebony And Ivory' didn't work out so well. But here's Paul McCartney with another attempt at his own 'Imagine'-esque signature anthem. What's more, it's about peace, because it's not just John who can write songs about peace, y'know! For added effect, this was released in early December 1983 and the … Continue reading Paul McCartney – ‘Pipes Of Peace’
Tag: 80s
The Flying Pickets – ‘Only You’
17 December 1983 Congratulations to anyone in early 1983 who predicted that the year's Christmas number one in the UK and Ireland would be an a cappella version of a 1982 synth-pop hit performed by a group of flamboyantly-dressed socialist actors named after their previous participation in industrial strike action. The Yazoo original, kept off … Continue reading The Flying Pickets – ‘Only You’
Paul Young – ‘Love Of The Common People’
3 December 1983 Fans of Irish TV and Irish athletics might recognise this from the 1983 episode of Reeling in the Years as the soundtrack to Eamonn Coghlan, Ireland's star runner of the time, kicking off the final bend to win the World 5000 metres gold in Helsinki. I was a bit too young to … Continue reading Paul Young – ‘Love Of The Common People’
Billy Joel – ‘Uptown Girl’
12 November 1983 Normally I'd sooner listen to roadworks than to a Billy Joel record, but I have time for 'Uptown Girl'. For one thing, back in 1983 its squarely retro sound meant it was one of the rare current-day hits that got played on whatever radio shows my parents would have on in the … Continue reading Billy Joel – ‘Uptown Girl’
Tracey Ullman – ‘They Don’t Know’
29 October 1983 In an ideal world we'd be talking about Kirsty MacColl's number one single 'They Don't Know', both here and every Christmas. However, for a combination of reasons (manufacturing strikes in England, record label tensions, lack of promotion) the 1979 release of her own track didn't even chart in the UK or Ireland. … Continue reading Tracey Ullman – ‘They Don’t Know’
Culture Club – ‘Karma Chameleon’
1 October 1983 In the 1983 case of Your Parents v. Pop Music, exhibit A for the prosecution is 'Karma Chameleon': what does it mean, and does he have to keep repeating it? On a related point, while it's fine for a rhotic English speaker to glide quickly over "kaw-ma", those of us in Ireland … Continue reading Culture Club – ‘Karma Chameleon’
UB40 – ‘Red Red Wine’
10 September 1983 How many people over the years have been discouraged from listening to reggae just because their first impression of it was UB40? Millions, I reckon. They were certainly the most consistently visible—and, unfortunately, audible—reggae act throughout my teens. Not until much later in life did I realise that they were the exceptions, … Continue reading UB40 – ‘Red Red Wine’
Madness – ‘Wings Of A Dove’
3 September 1983 Surprisingly, given that classic Madness singles have been played on the radio fairly constantly since the '80s, I don't think I know this number one of theirs. It was kept off the top spot in the UK by the track that succeeds it as Irish number one, which makes me curious about … Continue reading Madness – ‘Wings Of A Dove’
KC and the Sunshine Band – ‘Give It Up’
20 August 1983 We were on holiday in Wexford that summer, having breakfast in the hotel dining room. I was seven years old. The radio was on: Marty Whelan's morning show on the then-RTE Radio 2, soon to be rebranded as 2FM. One of the dining room staff was going from table to table, arranging … Continue reading KC and the Sunshine Band – ‘Give It Up’
The Police – ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’
30 July 1983 'Every Breath You Take' at least had that guitar riff, and 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' a bright piano. But 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' has no redeeming features whatsoever; it's relentlessly dreary. The three worst things about any Police track are Sting's singing, Sting's lyrics, and Sting. Here, he sounds … Continue reading The Police – ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’
