The A-Z of my singles collection Part 8

This section of my singles collection starts with the rather lovely Turn Back the Clock from Johnny Hates Jazz. It’s the story of a man looking back at his childhood and realising that despite the heartaches and difficulties they were the best times of his life. A beautiful tune and thought provoking lyrics come together to create a song that resonates through the years. If that’s the case for Turn Back the Clock, it goes at least double for the all time classic – in my opinion anyway – I’ll Find My Way Home by Jon and Vangelis which was released just before Christmas in 1981. The beauty of the tune and the purity of Jon Anderson’s vocals come together to create one of the all time great songs. It got to Number 6, but in my opinion we sold it short in the UK. Howard Jones was one of those artists who was always on the edge of my musical likes but he hit the spot with the gorgeous No One is to Blame, which, in common, with the previous two songs has a lovely tune and thought provoking lyrics. Howard Jones was well covered on the Now albums so I didn’t have to buy the singles very often, but this one definitely earnt its place in my collection. The B Side ‘The Chase’, an instrumental synth tune was memorably described by a friend of mine at the time as a case of ‘turn the instrument on and go for a cup of tea’!

The next tune could not be more different. An 80s classic, belted out in bedroom, bar and disco alike, Walking on Sunshine is immediate, visceral, exciting and uplifting. Katrina and the Waves may have won Eurovision later in their career, but this was their finest moment without any doubt. Give it Up by KC and the Sunshine Band was the summer hit from 1983, the year I finally escaped my secondary school. Those words were ones I sang loudly because I’d finally given up 7 years of misery so it is a song that will always be amongst my favourites. Added to that, it’s just a very good tune and added to that it has a cracking vocal performance.

We finish off this picture with three songs from early 80s hit maker Nik Kershaw who had an unerring ear for a tune. These three really give a good picture of what made him special. There’s the serious, thoughtful and occasionally gloomy lyrics of Wouldn’t It Be Good as a contrast to the tongue in cheek lyrics of Wide Boy dealing with a young man who has had overnight success and doesn’t have the ability to handle it! However, if I could keep just one single from Nik Kershaw it would be the marvellous The Riddle. There were many rumours that the track, if it were deciphered, would lead to a Masquerade style prize. Kershaw himself confirmed that it was simply a nonsensical guide vocal, but what a nonsensical guide vocal it was. It sounds full of meaning and the video added to the mystical feeling that pervaded, but it was just as much about the Celtic style undertone of the track that it had that added heft. A marvellous track in every way.

In the 80s, the best way to revive an old song was to put it in an advert or a film. Ben E King’s all time classic Stand by Me, benefitted from both. It was the advert that pushed its ascent to Number 1 as the Levi’s 501 cover indicates. The original release saw the song reach Number 27 in 1961! The three weeks at the top was a far more deserved chart placing. The Kinks were one of the best groups to come out of the 60s, but for their revival in the 80s they didn’t have to rely on films or adverts. Instead, they released a new track that showed they could still capture the ears and hearts of the listening public. Come Dancing with its story of the local palais was full of character vignettes, London character and a fantastic chorus that made it irresistible. It encouraged me to listen to The Kinks from the 60s, and I bet loads of teenagers followed me down that route. The only Kiss song in my singles collection is the Foreigner style soft rock of Reason to Live. I really enjoyed it, more than the successful Crazy Crazy Nights which reached Number 4. The fact that it reached Number 33 indicated that not for the first time I was in the minority!

For a good few years, Kool and the Gang were reliable hitmakers who produced dance tracks and ballads with, seemingly, equal ease. My four singles from them tend more towards the latter with the clear standout for me being the gorgeous, emotional Cherish. It is just a superb song that has stood the test of time to earn its place amongst the best ballads in an era absolutely chock full of them. Speaking of ballads, we finish off this section with Patti La Belle and Michael McDonald’s On My Own, another excellent example of the genre. Written by songwriting giants Burt Bacarach and Carole Bayer Sager, this song reached Number 2 in the UK and Number 1 in the US. It was an unusual duet though, because the two singers never met, recording their parts separately, something that the video reflects.

The final section starts with perhaps the strangest Christmas hit of them all. Seemingly out of nowhere, Laurel and Hardy’s Trail of the Lonesome Pine from the 1939 film Way Out West looked set to be the Christmas Number 1, or at least a Number 1 early in the New Year. Instead, it spent five weeks in the Top 3, swapping the Number 2 and 3 position with Greg Lake’s I Believe in Father Christmas. What stopped these two tracks from hitting the top? Bohemian Rhapsody which stayed at Number 1 for 9 weeks. I remember as a 9 year old being incredibly frustrated that Lonesome Pine didn’t get there, but my older self freely admits that its two competitors were far superior songs!

As forgotten ballads go, they don’t come much bigger than the outstanding See the Day by Dee C Lee. Lee was a backing singer for Wham! and her vocals were a huge part of The Style Council’s sound as well. However, solo success largely eluded her. See the Day was her only Top 40 hit, but if you’re only going to have one then it’s the one to have. This is the type of song that just fades from the memory and then reappears crystal clear as soon as you hear that soaring chorus. Next is a John Lennon cover of the Ben E King track mentioned earlier, which is decent enough but fades into obscurity compared to the original. His son, Julian, had a couple of hits in the 80s, of which Too Late for Goodbyes was my favourite. He had a decent voice and he was a talented musician, but he fell foul of the famous child of a famous father syndrome. If his name had been Julian Smith he would have appeared much later in my singles collection (!), but he might also have been judged more fairly on his own merits rather than being compared to John.

Level 42 were a group I always enjoyed listening to, but as far as their singles go their 1986 smash Letters in Love was their high point musically speaking, at least in my opinion. I loved it from the first time I heard it and it is still a favourite to sing. Mark King is still front and centre 40 years after they started and that instantly recognisable bass style is still the percussive heart of one of the most fondly remembered British groups of the era. From the other side of the Atlantic, Huey Lewis and the News were a very important part of my musical journey. Why? They were the first act that I saw live in a big London venue. The support act was Bruce Hornsby and the Range, so it was a high class night from beginning to end. It was a night that gave me a lifelong affection for the group and the album they were touring at the time, Fore. Yes, I know I have two copies of The Power of Love, but unlike Walk of Life by Dire Straits, it isn’t a mistake! I bought the second copy for perhaps my favourite song by Huey Lewis and the News, the amazing Do You Believe in Love. I bought Stuck with You and then picked up the Fore album, and for a good while it didn’t spend much time off of my cassette deck!

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings! The latest selection of tracks is on Spotify so please take a listen The A-Z of my Singles Collection Part 3