18 December 1975 and 19 December 1991 I wasn't born when it was first a hit, and I hadn't developed any interest in Queen since then, so I knew very little of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' when it came around again after Freddie Mercury's untimely death. I reckon today you wouldn't even fill a taxi with the … Continue reading Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ / ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’ →

13 December 1990 In the early '90s The Den was appointment viewing for teens, college students, grown-ups and perhaps even children too. Much as The Saw Doctors and Scrap Saturday did, Zig and Zag's brand of cheeky energy flourished in feel-good post-Italia '90 Ireland. The show was an essential promo stop for any Irish band, … Continue reading Zig and Zag – ‘Christmas No. 1’ →

14 December 1989 Only two singers appear on both the original 1984 Band Aid and the 1989 Band Aid II: Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward of Bananarama. Looking around the room in 1984 they would have seen hi-wattage superstars like George Michael, Boy George, Simon Le Bon, Sting and Bono. In 1989 the ambient light … Continue reading Band Aid II – ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ →

10 December 1988 Well, I didn't know that 'Mistletoe And Wine' was originally from a musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's story The Little Match Girl, screened on UK television in the mid-'80s, set in Victorian London, without the more religious lyrics, and sung by Twiggy as the character of a bawdy East End lady … Continue reading Cliff Richard – ‘Mistletoe And Wine’ →

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’ →

28 December 1985 Nothing ages as badly as comedy, and some comedy was just bad to begin with. So, I get in the ring with this comedy record from Dermot Morgan's pre-Ted, pre-Scrap Saturday years with plenty of trepidation. Fortunately, 'Thank You Very Much Mr Eastwood' is still in much better shape than the boxer-manager … Continue reading Dermot Morgan – ‘Thank You Very Much Mr Eastwood’ →

21 December 1985 One of the great redundant questions of our time is "How will I know if he really loves me?" as asked by 1980s Whitney Houston. Well, because you're 1980s Whitney Houston! Pretty much a pinnacle of human perfectibility! Not having such vocabulary at the time, since I was only a child, I … Continue reading Whitney Houston – ‘Saving All My Love For You’ →

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?’ →

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’ →

11 December 1982 Just when the Italian community were probably thinking the radiation cloud of 'Shaddap You Face' was finally dissipating, 1982 brought the Cornetto ice cream ad in which an operatic gondolier sings "Just one Cornetto / Give it to me" to the tune of 'O Sole Mio'. This became cultural shorthand for Italy … Continue reading Renée and Renato – ‘Save Your Love’ →