I tried but couldn't watch that, it wouldn't download for me. Or Norton kept blocking it, saying it was a dodgy link, etc, etc. So, Cindy didn't appear with SC on that second appearance then? And, did Marc get presented with a bunch of flowers by someone in the audience at the end of the song?

China Girl of course. How could I forget one of my all time fave Bowie singles. She has returned recently twice then gone again. I do hope China Girl returns. I know this period was proving difficult for her.

I've just remembered Footygirl too. So that's 7 so far.

Regards that tape on YT of the earliest taped from radio hits, I have one dated December 1988 with most of the same songs on it. Heaven only knows why I recorded Hithouse's Jack To The Sound Of The Underground. But Freiheit's Keeping The Dream Alive is brilliant, as is that Pet Shop Boys single Left To My Own Devices. It followed a very poor single, Domino Dancing that I don't rate at all in retrospect.

As I've mentioned on here before I've really tried to like the PSB's, but I struggle with them. Musically and lyrically, I love them. But. It's Neil's vocals, I dislike them immensely. However, I do think LTMOD is their best song by far.


I've only ever heard the single version, I shall now seek this out though.

I agree here! His vocals are more spoken than sung. The only two PSB songs I like are 'West End Girls' & 'Left To My Own Devices'

The Pet Shop Boys got to No4 in 1991 with a song that we will also be seeing going to No4 in 1982 very soon.

Know which one?

I could always hear Cyndi Lauper's 1984 single All Through The Night in that 1988 hit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqDSNZTo8js

George Michael - Slightly to my surprise , I appear to be more of a Wham fan, (have 10 tracks) than a GM solo one (only have 8).

As I can just about stretch to it and enjoy doing them, a top 5 of each:-

Wham -

1. Freedom
2. Last Christmas
3. Wham Rap
4. Everything She Wants
5. Ray Of Sunshine

George Michael -

1. Praying For Time
2. I Want Your Sex (12" Hot Tracks extended mix)
3. Waiting For That Day
4. A Different Corner
5. Heal The Pain

He did. He held the flowers for a few seconds then tossed them back into the crowd.
How sweet.

No, Cindy wasn't there - during her solo vocal segment Marc is looking up in wonder. There is a third bloke on stage dancing though, in a string vest and braces - don't know whether he's just a cheerleader or meant to be part of the act!

Just checked again, and yes indeed Marc does get presented with a bunch of flowers by someone in the audience at the end of the song!

Ah, cheers for confirming that RR. Despite not having seen that for about 20 odd years I was sure I wasn't wrongly remembering it!

I'm assuming it is 'Where the streets have no name''s partner 'can't take my eyes off you' therefore Boystown Gang.

Oh, you're here still too! Again then, cheers and thanks to you also Sgt for confirming that. Not sure who the bloke in the vest was, I don't remember him. Wild guess, but if he was cute maybe he was Marc's 'companion' at the time.

This track. Really?

Not his finest moment was it, surely. His "toilet" single from '98, Outside, is one of his best for me.

I'd love him to put out a really great, chart storming single again. I know he's got it within him.

Why not ? Good idea.

Wham

1.Everything she wants.
2.Club Tropicana
3.The edge of heaven
4.Ray of sunshine
5.Where did your heart go ?

George
1.Cowboys and Angels
2.Mothers Pride
3.Fast love
4.Star people ( remix )
5.Careless Whisper

Yeah, I knew that too but you beat me to it. I'm still playing 'catch up' tonight. Easy one RT, if your gonna test us, make it worth the effort.

Don't know about downloading, but just to play it was a bit of a pain. Open the link, go and put the kettle on or make a sandwich, by the time you get back the vid should be ready to roll.

FAO Torch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU

Left to my own devices - album mix.

You got it Rambo. (I should save that for when Survivor are No1 eh )

I just love that Boystown Gang version. Best heard and not seeing the camped up TOTP performance though. I have a 9 minute version in my digi collection (iPod) which I must admit I rarely play but can guarantee is going to rack up a few listens in the weeks ahead when it appears on TV.

The Andy Williams version is equally fab, but the Pet Shop Boys one suffers from being somewhat formulaic in style, a rut I think they fell into on too many tracks.

Have to admit to preferring IWYS's appropriately titled B-side ' Hard day'.
I also loved George's 'December song' which was released about 3 years ago.

Yes! I really liked 'I Want Your Sex', funky little number and always liked the lyrics. I think he's generally a great lyricist. Good video too.

Have to say though...!! I'd forgotten all about and don't have 'Outside', which I now may need to remedy, that was indeed a very good song and again video too.

Hi all, newbie here, had a lot of fun reading this thread the last number of weeks whilst trying to figure out how the deuce one obtains permission to post, finally cracked it.

A bit daunted by the high quality of the posting here and statesman-like super-nerd knowledge of 70s/80s trivia and of course the recent LMSO detective work.

I have been dying to clear up another mystery though, the solution to which I'm surprised no-one else has mentioned, given its importance: a few weeks ago when Fun Boy Three were on TOTP chatting awkwardly to Simon Bates, Sims asked Linval if he had 'recovered' yet, and there was some brief conjecture here at the time as to what had afflicted Linval, I myself was very mildly intrigued. The answer was actually here all the time... or should I say HEAR. At about the same time as the TOTP show somebody (Rich Tea?) posted a link to the Radio 1 Round Table edition with guests Robert Palmer and David Sylvian (what a man, Ghosts is my 3rd favourite song from 1982). And..about 20-30 minutes into the recording they played a Bananarama/Fun Boy Three track, not universally critically acclaimed by those present it has to be said, after which Richard Skinner mentioned that he was glad that Linval was recovering...from being attacked outside a club. Mystery solved, case closed, I thank you.

1. You just log on and post as and when you feel like it or have got something to say....it's the only way to do it. Oh and welcome! I'll express the thoughts of many of us I'm sure by saying it's always nice to see newcomers on here! Stick around, contribute and enjoy!

2. And, for sure we have some super knowledgeable and clever folk amongst our ranks, but as I wouldn't include myself in that category I'd say you're in good company!

Had December Song been released any time up to about 1998 it would likely have topped the charts. It's awesome. I adore the way it begins and gently ends again. It's actually 7 years old now, a hit at Chrimbo 2009 making No14. It deserved far better than that. I'm sick of all the obvious festive songs we will begin to hear all over again in barely a handful of weeks time, but I've played George Michael's December Song a lot the past few Christmases.

Cliff's best Christmas record comes in 1982 for me - Little Town, 1982's festive No11 single. Strangely under performed as well. I had that marked down as top three at the time. I think we need to get a campaign going to make that Cliff 1982 Christmas record this years Christmas No1. All his rabid fanbase need to be taught how to download and stream.

I've just read through my old Boots Scribbling Diary for 1985 and discovered that I rated all the No1 singles that year out of 10 and gave Wham's I'm Your Man the worst rating of all. It was the only No1 hit that year I gave 0/10.

I'll have to check out George's "Hard". I wonder if it will impress.

Avid Eighties: I tried to register as a member of this forum in January. It wasn't until about April or May that I was finally approved to post. I don't know why it took so long. It was me who posted the link to the RoundTable show incidentally. Tin Drum by Japan is my favourite album which is why I'm interested in anything to do with David Sylvian.

The album version is of course produced by Trevor Horn