Something That Makes Me Want To Go Back

On this day in 1984, the latest edition of Smash Hits reviewed Julian Cope's debut solo album, World Shut Your Mouth. 

 

Iffypedia will have you believe that it gained poor reviews but Smash Hits journo Peter Martin went against the grain, awarding the album a whopping 8 out of 10.

(To put this in context, half of the 8 albums reviewed scored 8/10, the rest 5 or below, presumably to provide some balance).

 

The bit that Iffypedia does get right is that World Shut Your Mouth "sold indifferently". Released on 17th February 1984, the album entered the UK chart at #40, which proved to be it's peak. A month later, it had dropped out of the chart altogether.

 

The debut solo single, the wonderfully insane Sunshine Playroom, pretty much a chorus, a bridge and little else but all the better for it, was a hit with me but unfortunately I wasn't buying singles at the point in my life. Released in November 1983, it managed 2 weeks in the Top 100, with a first week peak of #64.  I suspect that the promo video by David Bailey didn't help much. Great if you've seen Battleship Potemkin, not an obvious contender for Top Of The Pops sadly.

 

Follow up single The Greatness And Perfection Of Love at least attempted something a bit more palatable for TV. And Julian in leathers.

 

Released in March 1984, the single fared better than its predecessor and parent album insofar as it managed 7 weeks in the UK Top 100, although it took 6 of these to peak at #52 and swiftly dropped out of sight afterwards. This despite being one of the most beautiful pop songs Cope had ever written. Philistines!

 

The cover of this edition of Smash Hits (cover dated 2nd-15th February 1984) speaks of another time, featuring Peter Anthony Robinson better known to the world as Marilyn. 

But "Who's That Girl" as the typeface shouts? It's 15 year-old Miranda Jardine, who has the dubious pleasure of being a beneficiary of monstrous paedophile Jimmy Saville's then-popular TV show, Jim'll Fix It. Of course, back in 1984 Saville hadn't been exposed for his horrific crimes and continued to front this hugely popular show, by then approaching it's 10th anniversary with audiences around the 16 million mark. 

 

Miranda's request was pretty straightforward. "Dear Jim," wrote the Rochdale teen, "Please could you fix it for me to be on the cover of Smash Hits with a pop singer or pop group". Miranda seemed quite happy with her allocated pop star. "Ooh, he's gorgeous," she enthused. "Print that in capital letters - GORGEOUS!" 

 

Despite Miranda's very open and flexible request for a pop singer or pop group, she clearly had her limits. "If it was Limahl, I think I'd have gone home." Something we can all relate to, I think.

I wonder what Miranda would have thought if it had been Julian Cope rocking up to that studio in Shepherds Bush, forty years ago? I think I would have echoed her comments about Marilyn. And you can print that in capital letters. 

For more of these archive gems, go to Brian McCloskey's Flickr site or music blog, Like Punk Never Happened. I've only just discovered both so I may be gone for some time...