'87 Heaven

A return trip to the 1980s, specifically singles troubling the UK Top 50 on 28th October 1987.

I was 16 and had just started sixth form college...for the first time, anyway, this one didn't last. I was sadly single, at the same college as my ex and was very attracted to a girl called Maria who shared a couple of classes with me. Of course, I was far too shy to ask her out for a date and besides, she'd expressed a preference for tall, muscular Italian men. I was a skinny weirdo from Bristol who had been to a gym and decided it wasn't for me.

Music never let me down, though. There was always something there for whatever mood or situation I found myself in. In October 1987, I was still pretty rooted in guitar music, leaning towards indie/goth, my mate Paul was introducing me to hip hop and rap and, much as I may outwardly protest to the contrary, I still loved cheesy pop, though Stock, Aitken & Waterman were a step too far most of the time.

The UK singles chart was a bit of a mixed bag in the week of 25th-31st October 1987. Bee Gees were at #1 with You Win Again, for the third of what would be a four-week run at the top. Amazingly, the song kept Faith by George Michael at #2 for this and the following week; I would have sworn the latter was also a #1.

This selection cherry picks seven songs that were heading up, down or just staying put in the Top 50, presented here in various 12" versions, my format of choice at the time. Spookily, pretty much all of the songs featured here had achieved their highest chart position in this week (excluding previous or subsequent (re)releases). I've put chart positions in brackets after each song.

 

For the price of admission, you will be entertained by Scarlet Fantastic and Fleetwood Mac respectively remixed by PWL stalwarts Pete Hammond and Pete Waterman, and John 'Jellybean' Benitez.

 

Bryan Ferry ropes in Johnny Marr on what is essentially a cover of Money Changes Everything by The Smiths, Ferry adding his own lyrics to Marr's original composition.  

 

Walk The Dinosaur by Was (Not Was) is a party song and 80s compilation staple. This is a much different, sample-heavy take on the song, which occasionally nods to the original.

Billy Idol originally released a cover of Mony Mony on his debut solo EP, Don't Stop, in 1981. Six years later, a live version was released as a single and cracked the UK Top 10. Tom Lord-Alge provided a couple of new remixes for the 12" single.

Blue Mercedes were a dance pop duo from the PWL stable, remixed here by Phil Harding & Ian Curnow. Whilst they didn't match the success of many of their label mates, debut single I Want To Be Your Property did manage the admirable feat of dropping for a couple of weeks after this week's peak of #47 then staging a recovery at getting to #23 the following month. Rumours that PWL A&R was giving children wads of cash to purchase multiple copies of the single from HMV and Our Price are unfounded.

Ending as it only can with the Queen of Pop, with a nearly 10-minute remix of Causing A Commotion by Madonna. The song was taken from the film, Who's That Girl, effectively a showcase for Madge's sidestep into acting. I'm sure I've seen it at least once but I frankly can't remember a thing about it. I love the song though I was surprised to find that the single peaked at #4 on 26th September and was on a slow and steady exit from the Top 40 by 28th October. Such was Madonna's impact at the time that I would have assumed that every single was a #1.

 

Today's image is from Doctor Who, specifically the story Paradise Towers, the 4th and final episode of which aired on 26th October 1987. It was Sylvester McCoy's eighth on-screen appearance in the titular role, an appointment arguably only slightly less controversial than the casting the previous year of Bonnie Langford as companion Mel. 

 

Although the show was 'rested' a couple of years later for nearly two decades, McCoy was able to establish himself as a great Doctor during his tenure. Bonnie's character rehabilitation took a while longer and via the medium of Doctor Who audio productions. The announcement in June this year that Mel will be returning to the TV show after nearly four decades was greeted with more joy than Bonnie could possibly have imagined in 1987.

 

1) No Memory (Extra Sensory Mix By Pete Hammond & Pete Waterman) (Edit): Scarlet Fantastic (#30)

2) Little Lies (Extended Version By John 'Jellybean' Benitez): Fleetwood Mac (#5)

3) The Right Stuff (Dance Mix By Alan Meyerson / Edited By The Latin Rascals): Bryan Ferry ft. Johnny Marr (#37)

4) Walk The Dinosaur (The Debunking Of Uri Geller Mix By Don Was & Jamie Muhoberac): Was (Not Was) (#10)

5) Mony Mony (Hung Like A Pony Remix By Tom Lord-Alge) (Cover of Tommy James & The Shondells): Billy Idol (#7)

6) I Want To Be Your Property (Daktari Mix By Phil Harding & Ian Curnow): Blue Mercedes (#47)

7) Causing A Commotion (Movie House Mix By Shep Pettibone & Junior Vasquez): Madonna (#35)

 

'87 Heaven (46:04) (KF) (Mega)

For your further entertainment, here are the official videos for each of the seven songs. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

 

Teenage Remix

Side 2 of a C90 cassette, "mixed & mashed with abandon" 24th April 2000.

 

Back to the old school (disco) today and a bunch of 12" singles that I can guarantee didn't trouble the turntables at Pucklechurch Community Centre or Chasers Nightclub in Kingswood back in the day.  

 

The selection starts off with Sir William of Idol, an example where the 12" mix was much more exciting than the original version. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Billy's best album was the Vital Idol 12" remix compilation. Vital Idol was an essential purchase and frequently on loan to various school friends at the time.

I loved Communards and this was a prized purchase from Plastic Wax Records, when it was on West Street, Old Market in Bristol. The best remix of an already brilliant song. I wonder what happened to Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles?

Kissing The Pink first came to my attention with the weird pop of The Last Film. By the mid-'80s, they'd gone none-more-pop with this 12" by 'Mixmaster' Phil Harding being one of their highlights. This was originally titled the 'Garage' mix but on my later copy of the Stand Up 12" single, it had been re-titled the 'Engagedmix'.

 

In the late '80s, I guess Thomas Dolby was still trying to lose the 'science geek' label that had stuck since the days of She Blinded Me With Science and Windpower. Aliens Ate My Buick was a great pop album and Airhead was a wonderfully subversive and scathing song about superficiality. François Kevorkian delivered a mighty 10-minute mix on the US 12" single. This edited version also appeared on 1999's 12x12 remix collection; I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure that the version on my UK 12" single is slightly shorter again. But hey, never mind the length, feel the quality.

I was one of the poor unfortunates who heard Dollar's execrable version of Oh L'Amour before I heard the original by Erasure. What kind of mad world (™ Tears For Fears) do we live in where the asinine David Van Day & Thereze Bazar got to #7 in the UK singles chart in 1987, whilst the original by Andy Bell & Vince Bell managed a measly #85 the previous year? At least the latter enjoyed a second run in 2003, achieving the more respectable #13. David Van Day was running a burger van at the start of the 21st century, so I guess there was some justice, at least.

Another purchase from Plastic Wax (or Replay, I'm not sure), I retrospectively amassed China Crisis' singles on 12" in the mid- to late-'80s, which were by then bargain secondhand purchases. I loved the first album but was less familiar with the second or the title track and lead single. I can see why, as it only made it to #48 in 1983; follow up Wishful Thinking became their biggest hit, reaching #9 the following year. In a startling display of economy, the song neither retains it's full title or has a decent remix label on the 12" single, perfunctorily listed as Fire And Steel (Mix). The song's lots more fun.

 

And to close, Tom Lord-Alge pulverises O.M.D.'s delicate La Femme Accident with some typically huge '80s synthetic drums and stretched out vocals... and yet, I loved it. I purchased this as a lavish gatefold double pack 12" single, which included Enola Gay and a rather crap live version of Locomotion. I bought the accompanying album Crush on the back of So In Love. I wasn't a fan of follow-up Secret and I didn't think La Femme Accident was an obvious choice of single. Apparently, looking at the diminishing chart peaks, the UK-singles buying public agreed. Still, this version is about as 1980s as it gets.

Having just read that Chasers is due to reopen in 2022, any chance any of these will make a belated appearance? What do you think?

 

1) Catch My Fall (Remix Fix By Billy Idol & Steve Stevens): Billy Idol (1985)

2) Disenchanted (Total Dance Remix By Mike Thorne): The Communards (1986)

3) Certain Things Are Likely (Engagedmix By Phil Harding): Kissing The Pink (1986)

4) Airhead (Extended Version: Francois' Mix By François Kevorkian & Goh Hotoda): Thomas Dolby (1988)

5) Oh L'Amour (PWL Funky Sisters Say 'Ooh La La' Mix By Pete Waterman & Phil Harding): Erasure (1986)

6) Working With Fire And Steel (Fire And Steel (Mix) By Mike Howlett): China Crisis (1983)

7) La Femme Accident (12" Mix By Tom Lord-Alge): O.M.D. (1985)

 

Side Two (46:35) (KF) (Mega)