Poor, poor episode, 3/10!! But agreed we have been spoilt with some great one's recently so there had a to be major blip at some point and.....we just witnessed it!
No wonder I asked for Ashes to Ashes for my birthday in 1980 - it was the best song (& video) by far at the time!!
An episode that looked a lot better on paper than in reality - too many acts with disappointing efforts for me. Some kind of summer lull? Would have liked to hear more of the Numan song, but the sound quality of the video was awful.
He became an early pioneer of the "enter high, then drop straight away" chart behaviour.
Yep. An early victim of 'fanatical fan base' syndrome with little long term appeal to many neutrals I suppose. I'm surprised with that song though as for me it was one of his best.
Yep. An early victim of 'fanatical fan base' syndrome with little long term appeal to many neutrals I suppose. I'm surprised with that song though as for me it was one of his best.
That's got to rare, going straight into the top 10 and then dropping out the following week.
Yep, I'd only been following the charts closely for a couple of years at that point and it might have been the first single to enter Top 10 and fall out the following week.
I'd bought 'We Take Mystery..' the week it was released and was shocked when it went -9-11. I think it's a really strong Numan track.
I don't know this play out Beat song either! That sounded better than most of tonight's other offerings though.
I remember this song Best Friend very well as I have still got the Just Cant Stop It album from The Beat that I bought earlier that year. There was one more track to be released from the same album but not until spring 1983 called Can't Get Used To Losing You, a brilliant version of Andy Williams hit.
Another largely dull episode. That makes it three out of four since the show returned after the strike. The edition shown last week was the only one of the four I've enjoyed.
At least the last two singles played tonight were excellent - 'Ashes To Ashes' and 'Best Friend'. The latter is something of a forgotten gem from this era. The single was a double A side along with 'Stand Down Margaret', an anti-Thatcher song. Needless to say only 'Best Friend' really got any radio play.
Another largely dull episode. That makes it three out of four since the show returned after the strike. The edition shown last week was the only one of the four I've enjoyed.
At least the last two singles played tonight were excellent - 'Ashes To Ashes' and 'Best Friend'. The latter is something of a forgotten gem from this era. The single was a double A side along with 'Stand Down Margaret', an anti-Thatcher song. Needless to say only 'Best Friend' really got any radio play.
"Stand Down Margaret" - she did at least take their advice, a little matter of ten years later!
No wonder I asked for Ashes to Ashes for my birthday in 1980 - it was the best song (& video) by far at the time!!
I could be in a minority of one here, but I always thought 'Ashes to Ashes' was over-rated and I suspect the single was propelled to No. 1 more on the strength of the avant-garde video than any musical merit - it is arguably the first example of the early 80s phenomenon where it became par for the course for lavish videos to receive more critical acclaim than the records they were made to promote.
The lyrical content of 'The Winner Takes It All' is deeply personal and Agnetha sang it with passion and poignancy - in contrast Bowie's vocal delivery on 'Ashes to Ashes' sounds deadpan and devoid of any emotion - I think he produced wider-ranging and more rounded vocal performances on early 70s singles such as 'Drive In Saturday' and 'Life On Mars?' (both of which peaked at No. 3).
I could be in a minority of one here, but I always thought 'Ashes to Ashes' was over-rated and I suspect the single was propelled to No. 1 more on the strength of the avant-garde video than any musical merit - it is arguably the first example of the early 80s phenomenon where it became par for the course for lavish videos to receive more critical acclaim than the records they were made to promote.
BIB - IMO that is true of 'Ashes to Ashes'.
The lyrical content of 'The Winner Takes It All' is deeply personal and Agnetha sang it with passion and poignancy - in contrast Bowie's vocal delivery on 'Ashes to Ashes' sounds deadpan and devoid of any emotion - I think he produced wider-ranging and more rounded vocal performances on early 70s singles such as 'Drive In Saturday' and 'Life On Mars?' (both of which peaked at No. 3).
I'm in the camp that thinks both songs are excellent and it's hard to think of two better successive Number 1s. Sure, the video for Ashes definitely helped, but IMO it's a brilliant song in its own right.
Comments
No wonder I asked for Ashes to Ashes for my birthday in 1980 - it was the best song (& video) by far at the time!!
Yep. An early victim of 'fanatical fan base' syndrome with little long term appeal to many neutrals I suppose. I'm surprised with that song though as for me it was one of his best.
Glue was the Ramones recreational drug of choice IIRC.
Probably true. Course, we were all using it back then though........
....but most of us, only on our Art projects. ;-)
Second best
Abba the best.
Yep, I'd only been following the charts closely for a couple of years at that point and it might have been the first single to enter Top 10 and fall out the following week.
I'd bought 'We Take Mystery..' the week it was released and was shocked when it went -9-11. I think it's a really strong Numan track.
I remember this song Best Friend very well as I have still got the Just Cant Stop It album from The Beat that I bought earlier that year. There was one more track to be released from the same album but not until spring 1983 called Can't Get Used To Losing You, a brilliant version of Andy Williams hit.
ABBA actually called it a day by 1983 when their single releases started to bomb from early 1982 onwards.
Link: http://www.everyhit.com/searchsec.php
Link not working properly, I'll find another one
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA_discography
At least the last two singles played tonight were excellent - 'Ashes To Ashes' and 'Best Friend'. The latter is something of a forgotten gem from this era. The single was a double A side along with 'Stand Down Margaret', an anti-Thatcher song. Needless to say only 'Best Friend' really got any radio play.
"Stand Down Margaret" - she did at least take their advice, a little matter of ten years later!
Boring?!!!
I could call Abba a lot of things - but boring wouldn't be one of them! Love them or hate them - they knew how to write a perfect pop song!!
I could be in a minority of one here, but I always thought 'Ashes to Ashes' was over-rated and I suspect the single was propelled to No. 1 more on the strength of the avant-garde video than any musical merit - it is arguably the first example of the early 80s phenomenon where it became par for the course for lavish videos to receive more critical acclaim than the records they were made to promote.
BIB - IMO that is true of 'Ashes to Ashes'.
The lyrical content of 'The Winner Takes It All' is deeply personal and Agnetha sang it with passion and poignancy - in contrast Bowie's vocal delivery on 'Ashes to Ashes' sounds deadpan and devoid of any emotion - I think he produced wider-ranging and more rounded vocal performances on early 70s singles such as 'Drive In Saturday' and 'Life On Mars?' (both of which peaked at No. 3).
You don't like The Winner Takes it All???
I'm in the camp that thinks both songs are excellent and it's hard to think of two better successive Number 1s. Sure, the video for Ashes definitely helped, but IMO it's a brilliant song in its own right.
Seems to be sharply cut between links & performances.
Yes, I don't remember Sartorial Eloquence but thought it was very good