January 30, 1982: “The majority of the population can’t actually dance and so need to hear something fast to make them believe they’re having a good time”

ODDS ‘N’ BODS
No Odds ‘N’ Bods this week.


HINDSIGHT

LAST YEAR ended as it began with Kool & The Gang safely sitting at the top of the disco chart, but any impression this may give that there has been no change in the disco world would be entirely misleading. For a while at the start of the year it looked as if black/disco-orientated music was about to enjoy an unprecedented boom, because, far from the much ballyhooed futurist/new romantic material dominating the pop chart, in the lull before the storm there was one incredible week when more black records were in the national chart than at any other time before. However, as predicted, it wasn’t long before white kids (who actually are in the majority!) discovered the new white dance groups were made up of kids like themselves with whom it was more interesting to identify, and by the time that these groups put their emphasis on fairly funky rhythms rather than futurism for futurism’s sake, the big split was inevitable. The big crossover disco-pop hits have always tended to be rather faster than the soul dance hits, because the majority of the population can’t actually dance and so need to hear something fast to make them believe they’re having a good time, which meant that the fast futurist hits not only were thought of as straight pop but also brought other pop records into play, much to the evident relief of a large proportion of the population. Now a lot of these people were out of work or at least unable to afford as many nights out as before, having to rely on the radio to hear their music during the week. Radio One is still the most influential station in the country, and as this only plays a few token black records there was not much chance for people to get acclimatised to anything other than the current pop playlist. With fewer people going out there were fewer gigs, which resulted in fewer DJs with the money (or the need) for as many new records as before. As the year wore on, the disco hits that would previously have been expected to cross over into the pop chart failed to do so. At the same time, egged on by a fanatical minority of tribal fans, the jazz-funk DJs who once had enjoyed the power to break new material were now searching out obscure ultra-specialist jazz oldies (known as “hard tackle”) to compensate for a general softening of the current US jazz-funk scene. This had also been predicted, as in the States the radio outlets for jazz had been severely diminished. In searching out and playing complex oldies, the DJs and their dwindling audiences seemed hell bent on creating a new Northern Soul like scene. As the disco scene contracted it also fragmented, with clubs (either themselves or by letting in outside promoters) putting on specific types of faddish music on certain nights of the week. Doowop, ’60s psychedelia and other styles enjoyed a brief limited vogue, but all too often it seemed that all the clubs in a town followed each other in doing the same thing on the same night. The latest way of filling an otherwise empty club and at least making a small profit is to charge admission and then sell drinks at a break-even 25p. All is not gloom and despondency, though. Visionary entrepreneurs like London’s Tony Jenkins successfully continue to pack out one-off special events at up-market venues whose locations are a closely guarded secret known only to the “right” people. Chris Hill’s ‘Back To The Clubs’ tour during the autumn created a very real excitement with the aim of putting an emphasis back on local venues rather than people just turning out for the big alldayer / nighter / weekender events (however he attracted a caravan of fans who followed him from club to club as if each gig was just such a major event). Possibly most important though, was the growth of Britain’s own home-grown dance music, whether black or white. Whereas in 1980 only two UK acts topped the disco chart, Linx and Surface Noise, last year there were five British-based chart-toppers — Eddy Grant, Freeez, Spandau Ballet, Modern Romance and Central Line. Far more musical experimentation is going on here than in the States, where it often seems that black dance music follows one of three formulas, so that it does make sense to wrap up by saying — cliched though this may be — our future lies in the hands of our own musicians.


LINDA TAYLOR should finally break through as a result of the new album that Productions Chris Palmer is currently recording by her — the first of three scheduled in a new deal for release in the States on Prelude. To judge from an incomplete rough mix, every cut’s just dripping with class, the ultimate killer likely to be ‘You And Me Just Started’. Linda meanwhile appears to be gigging as one of Ray Shell’s Street Angels.


UK NEWIES

EARTH WIND & FIRE: ‘I’ve Had Enough’ (CBS A13-1959).
Cleanly smacking brassily blasting 117-118-119bpm jittery strutter squeakily clucked in typical style to make a strong if maybe not quite so monstrous follow-up, on 3-track 12in with a previously unreleased full length version of the moodily rumbling and jiggling instrumental 101-102- 106bpm ‘Kalimba Tree‘, and a rather messy 124bpm remix of ‘Let’s Groove’ – certainly not worth getting excited about.

YVONNE GAGE: ‘Garden Of Eve’ (Atlantic K 11708T).
Excellent strictly “disco” chick wailed big beefy resonantly thrumming 114bpm 12in rollingly tugging jolter with electronic twiddles and ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ bass break. Full of enough crossover appeal to hit here.

WHISPERS: ‘In The Raw’ (Solar K 12597T).
Totally typical somewhat stark slightly fluctuating but basically 114-115bpm 12in smacker somehow lacking the body of their past triumphs, although I must concede it’s growing on me (but then I was the one who didn’t originally rate ‘It’s A Love Thing’!), the flip’s gorgeous soulfully tripping lush 37/74bpm slow ‘Small Talkin‘ however being my favourite cut off their new album. 

CENTRAL LINE: ‘Breaking Point’ LP (Mercury MERA 001).
The title track terrific jazzily bounding 118(intro)-122-123-124bpm instrumental with a superb interplay of guitar, bass and keyboards has literally leapt off the already reviewed import version of this Roy Carter-produced album, the British pressing of which — rather than the expected several extra tracks — just adds a 123bpm remix of their old ‘(You Know) You Can Do It’.

SECOND IMAGE: ‘Fall In Love’ (Polydor POSPX 395).
Roy Carter-produced good subduedly jaunty rolling 119-121-120bpm 12in clomper (currently on white label, until full release in a fortnight) with solid instrumental work, typically Brit-Funk harmony phrasing, and a now immediately recognisable Second Image sound which may hopefully lead to eventual crossover chart success, the equally confident ‘Take A Trip‘ flip being a disjointedly starting staccato slick pushing 126-127-126-127bpm chugger.

ANTILLES: ‘Let’s Shake’ (Ice ICET 53).
Alpine Grant-produced squeakily harmonised staccato jittery 111-110-0bpm 12in thudder with brassy blasts and scrubbing guitar behind the bass-bopped beat, which creates tension by straining back against the underlying drive.

JEROME: ‘In The Right Direction’ (Soto Sound STD 1-12).
Badly mixed, untidily cluttered and roughly cut though this personally financed limited edition is, Steve’s undeniably catchy simple chanted 118-119-120-122-120bpm 12in jerky jumble has some good ingredients (including searing trumpet and sax) jostling to get out – the flip’s instrumental – and doubtless will be remixed once picked up by a major label.

SLAVE: ‘Wait For Me’ (Atlantic K 11702T).
Inexplicably but hopefully not too fatally late, considering their album’s long-past heyday, this superb chunkily motorvatin’ unstoppable sinuous rhythm groove has been speeded up to 118bpm for 12in, flipped by 1979’s classic less densely textured 112-109-111-109-110-111-109bpm ‘Just A Touch Of Love‘.

ANGELA BOFILL: ‘Holdin’ Out For Love’ (Arista ARIST 433).
Delightful sensuously sleazy 87-88bpm subduedly jaunty slow jiggler, already big on radio as a 7in, but due soon (and promoted) as a 3-track 12in with the originally hotter gorgeous atmospheric 44/87bpm ‘Tropical Love‘ smoocher and jerky old 124bpm ‘People Make The World Go Round‘.

ARETHA FRANKLIN: ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ (Arista ARIST 12442).
Logical 12in coupling of a good newly extended remix of her dramatically starting and now usefully Alton Edwards-like 121-120-121bpm Sam & Dave revival with her older frantically zapping futurist-slanted 141bpm treatment of Otis Redding’s ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose‘.

VARIOUS: ‘Stax On 45 (Medley)’ (Stax STAXT 2000).
Neatly enough chopped 12in segue medley of old soul faves — Eddie Floyd ‘Knock On Wood’ 105bpm — Judy Clay & William Bell ‘Private Number’ 103bpm — Staple Singers ‘If You’re Ready’ 101bpm — Jean Knight ‘Mr Big Stuff’ 93bpm — Veda Brown ‘Short Stopping’ 102bpm — Johnnie Taylor ‘Who’s Making Love’ 116bpm — Booker T & The MG’s ‘Soul Limbo’ 126bpm — Isaac Hayes ‘Shaft’ 122-0bpm — the final all too short mix being the only truly spectacular one. Flipped by two deep soul slowies by Veda Brown and Little Milton (doubtless dear to compiler Paul Williams’ heart!).

T.S. MONK: ‘Too Much Too Soon’ (Mirage K 11693T).
Thudding introed rolling 117-121-119bpm lightweight jolter, on 3-track 12in with the smoothly whomping 121-123bpm ‘First Lady Of Love‘, and older squeakily sung pleasant jogging 109/54-106/53bpm ‘Can’t Keep My Hands To Myself‘.

FASHION: ‘Move On (Audio Extra)’ (Arista ARIST 12440).
Sensationally charismatic seen live recently on ‘OTT’, Birmingham’s premier futurists really knock it out on this jittery skittery 114bpm 12in electro-funk socker — one of the best yet — with an instrumental ‘Mutant Dance Move‘ remix flip.

SOFT CELL: ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ (Some Bizzare BZS 712).
Unexpectedly different tranquil clarinet introed slow 51/102bpm 12in story song, the 7in starting minus this version’s long instrumental first half.

THE JAM: ‘Precious’ (Polydor POSPX 400).
Wah-wah skittered resonant 132bpm 12in attempt to cash in on “white boys funk”, flipped by the live recorded Northern Soul-style frantic Jerky 0-198bpm ‘Town Called Malice‘.

ALPHONSE MOUZON: ‘Don’t Want To Lose This Feeling’ (London LONX 3).
Oh dear, a dreadful frenetically jittery totally un-jazzy 128-126-128-126-128bpm 12in chix-backed vocal judderer with an instrumental flip that’s no real improvement. Who are they hoping will want this?


IMPORTS

KLEEER: ‘Taste The Music’ LP (US Atlantic SD 19334).
Totally self assured superb classy set putting the fellas in the forefront (if they weren’t there already) of today’s soul scene, the title track’s terrific title chanting repetitively intensifying 118/59-119-121-122-123bpm rhythm pattern eventually opening out into a bass backed German-sung central section before building repetitive tension again, ‘De Ting Continues‘ being a “preacher”-introed 0-108bpm heavy funk rapper more simply straight forward than last year’s ‘De Kleeer Ting’, ‘Wall To Wall‘ a buzzing bass synth jolted jittery chix chanted steady 119-120bpm lurcher, ‘I Shall Get Over‘ a chix sung slightly Latin rumbling and tumbling 118-119-117-119-120-117-121-122bpm tugger, ‘Affirmative Mood‘ an infectiously rolling simple sexy 101bpm semi-instrumental with mushy muttering and groaning, ‘I’ve Had Enough (Can’t Take Anymore)‘ a “war drums” throbbed soulful 56/112-57/114-58/116bpm semi-slowie, ‘Fella’ a dead slow starting ambiguously rhythmic 0-58/117bpm gorgeous soul slowie, and ‘Swann’ a lovely lush 39-40-0bpm smoocher. An essential purchase.

THE BAND A.K.A.: ‘Grace’ (LP ‘The Band’ US PPL PP – 0105 – 2).
Mainly causing a big stir for this one excellent track, a bass rumbled easy swaying mellow 115-112-111-112bpm jogger huskily souled between a fruity sax intro and long instrumental last half with piano and lots more sax (‘Never Give Up On A Good Thing’ chops superbly out of the sax), other uptempo cuts like the 107-108bpm ‘Funk Down‘ and 121(intro)-123-121-0bpm ‘Steppin’ Out‘ being rather similar to Heatwave.

KASSO: ‘Kasso’ (US Delirium DM 915).
Previously mentioned in brief (the bad US weather has slowed the flow of import material enabling me to catch up on some pre-Christmas releases at greater leisure), this presumably Italian-recorded excellent fast flying Latin flavoured 124bpm 12in instrumental has a jittery bounding backbeat (great synched down out of Bohannon) and infectious jazzy salsa piano and organ with title-hissing chix and pounding percussion breaks. Evidently Holland’s Rams Horn label features a slightly different remix as flip.

BILL LaBOUNTY: ‘Bill LaBounty’ LP (US Warner Bros BSK 3532).
Snapped up by all who hear it, this set is sensational radio and home listening material and far superior to last week’s by Michael Franks, Bill similarly being a blue-eyed but not particularly black-sounding (though extremely “sympatico”) singer who duets with the likes of James Taylor, Patti Austin, Jennifer Warnes and Stephen Bishop over terrific sleazily jazzy backings, every track being good in its own right although for our purposes the most smoochable are the Crusaders-ish 79/39bpm ‘Comin’ Back’ and 81/40bpm ‘Dream On‘, 87/44-89bpm ‘Look Who’s Lonely Now‘, 41/83-84-86bpm ‘Livin It Up‘ (the best pop radio tune), 0-33/66bpm ‘Slow Fade’, 0-33/66bpm ‘Secrets’ and 54/27bpm ‘Didn’t Want To Say Goodbye’.

DR JECKYLL & MR. HYDE: ‘Genius Rap’ (US Profile PRO-7004).
Tom Tom Club’s US disco chart topping heavy funk rapper here gets a different 103bpm 12in treatment similar to and useful with Grandmaster Flash’s ‘It’s Nasty’, the properly titled 103bpm ‘Genius Of Love‘ instrumental flip being an even better bed for mixing in and out of Flash.

RAY BARRETTO: ‘Pastime Paradise’ (LP ‘La Cuna’ US CTI 9002).
Creed Taylor-produced (in 1979) veteran percussionist propels Stevie Wonder’s reworked 0-102-104-105-107-109-110bpm salsa tapper with Charlie Palmieri’s nagging Latin piano and lotsa Joe Farrell sax, Mussourgsky’s ‘The Old Castle‘ being adapted into a jazz solo filled frantic 0-125-127-128-129-127-0bpm Latin romper, and the 122bpm title track a pure salsa swinger . . . all well established with specialist jocks.

INSTANT FUNK: ‘Give It To You Baby’ (LP ‘Instant Funk’ US Salsoul SA 8545).
Unlikely to be in import shops for a week or two yet, this less densely textured but rhythmically similar 121bpm answer version is a perfect mix with Rick James’s ‘Give It To Me Baby’, while ‘Slam Dunk The Funk‘ is a punchily jittering typical US-aimed 120bpm heavy funk chanter, ‘Gotta Like That‘ a synth tickled sleazy 99bpm ticking slow jogger, and ‘Jumping To Conclusions‘ an eye-openingly lovely sweet soulful 35bpm smoocher, other uptempo cuts being murkily messy and unlikely to do much here.

AURRA: ‘Checking You Out’ (LP ‘A Little Love’ US Salsoul SA 8551).
Also not necessarily in the shops just yet, this simple bass-tugged 114bpm palterer is right in the usual chick ‘n’ chap-squeaked Aurra bag without being terribly essential, the set’s only other main contender (apart from their current single) being the joltingly jiggling 116-117-118bpm title track.

SLYCK: ‘Love It Or (Beat The Bush)’ (US Solid Platinum SPR T62481).
Ominously introed muzzily sung episodic strange 120-119bpm 12in jaunty smacker with bursts of resonant bass, howling hounds, and freaking flute and feedback guitar halfway before a good bass, synth and rhythm break, the much cleaner instrumental ‘Bush Beat (Mixers De-Lite)‘ flip concentrating on the bass, synth and an occasional howl over the simple beat.

THE IMORTALS: ‘The Ultimate Warlord’ (US Moby Dick MDR – 1205).
(Ed’s Note: Band name spelled ‘The Immortals’ on later RCA releases)
Giorgio-styled bland 124bpm 12in Eurodisco synth bubbler with vocoder, counterpointed cooing and a normally sung slightly different 121bpm ‘Warlord (Part 2)‘ flip, big in gay venues and (none too surprisingly in this post-Khan era) set for UK release on Excaliber.

OTHER IMPORTS on 12in include:

LOVE INTERNATIONAL: ‘Dance On The Groove And Do The Funk’ (US Moby Dick).
A Fern Kinney ‘Groove Me’-inspired deceptively slow c.93bpm conversational funk jiggler.

CHARLIE CALELLO ORCHESTRA: ‘Sing Sing Sing’ (US Profile).
A straight c.112bpm discotization of the old big band drum opus.


UK Disco Top 90 – January 30, 1982

01 01 Kool & The Gang – Get Down On It – De-Lite 12”
02 02 ‘D’ Train – You’re The One For Me (Instrumental) – Epic 12”
03 03 Alton Edwards – I Just Wanna – Streetwave 12”
04 06 George Benson – Never Give Up On A Good Thing – Warner Bros 12”
05 04 Tom Browne – Fungi Mama / Funkin’ For Jamaica – Arista GRP 12”
06 19 Lamont Dozier – Shout About It – US M&M 12”
07 10 Daryl Hall & John Oates – I Can’t Go For That – RCA 12”
08 12 Vicky ‘D’ – This Beat Is Mine – US SAM 12”
09 07 Brandi Wells – What Goes Around Comes Around – US WMOT LP
10 17 Central Line – Don’t Tell Me – Mercury 12”
11 05 New York Skyy – Let’s Celebrate / Call Me – Epic/Streetwave 12”
12 21 Oneness Of Juju – Every Way But Loose – US Sutra 12”
13 08 Gayle Adams – Love Fever – Epic 12”
14 34 Gilberto Gil – Palco – German WEA LP
15 11 Bohannon – Let’s Start II Dance Again – London 12”
16 23 T.C. Curtis – Bodyshake (Instrumental) – Groove Production 12”
17 28 Yvonne Gage – Garden Of Eve – Atlantic 12”
18 18 Tomorrow’s Edition – U Turn Me On – US Mel-O/Atlantic RFC 12”
19 20 Central Line – Breaking Point – Mercury LP
20 14 Grover Washington Jr – Little Black Samba / Jamming / Be Mine (Tonight) – Elektra LP
21 05 Brandi Wells – Watch Out – WMOT 12”
22 09 Earth Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove – CBS 12”
23 27 Shakatak – Easier Said Than Done – Polydor 12”
24 30 Earth Wind & Fire – I’ve Had Enough – CBS 12”
25 15 Imagination – Flashback / Burnin’ Up – R&B 12”
26 32 J. Walter Negro & Loose Jointz – Shoot The Pump – Zoo York 12”
27 57 Jerry Carr – This Must Be Heaven – US Cherie 12”
28 35 Bar-Kays – Nightcruising – Mercury 12”
29 67 Lamont Dozier – You Oughta Be In Pictures – US M&M LP
30 36 Goldie Alexander – Show You My Love – US Chaz Ro 12”
31 88 Whispers – Emergency / Turn Me Out / Love Is Where You Find It / Cruisin’ In / Say Yes – Solar LP
32 24 Second Image – Can’t Keep Holding On – Polydor 12”
33 88 Whispers – In The Raw / Small Talkin’ – Solar 12”
34 16 Jones Girls – Nights Over Egypt – Philadelphia Int 12”
35 51 Mirage – As From Now – Copasetic/12” promo
36 47 Human League 100 – Don’t You Want Me – Virgin 12”
37 38 Whatnauts – Help Is On The Way – US Harlem Int 12”
38 74 Detroit Spinners – Can’t Shake This Feelin’ / Knack For Me / Love Connection / Didn’t I Blow Your Mind – Atlantic LP
39 22 Aurra – Make Up Your Mind – US Salsoul 12”
40 33 Syreeta – Quick Slick – Motown 12”
41 76 Touch – Keep On – Elite 12”
42 45 Kryptic Krew – Jazzy Sensation – US Tommy Boy 12”
43 13 George Benson – Turn Your Love Around – Warner Bros 12”
44 75 Five Special – Just A Feeling / Why Leave Us Alone – Elektra 12”
45 31 Alphonze Mouzon – I’m Glad That You’re Here – London 12”
46 48 Direct Drive – Time Machine / Don’t Depend On Me – Oval 12”
47 29 Lessette Wilson – Caveman Boogie / Saturday Nite Groovin’ – US Headfirst LP
48 52 Mynk – Get Up An’ Dance – US Posse 12”
49 26 Jumpp – Bouncy Bouncy / The Bounce – RCA 12”
50 NE Stone – Time – US West End 12”
51 39 Luther Vandross – Never Too Much – Epic 12”
52 54 T.S. Monk – Too Much Too Soon – Mirage 12”
53 72 Four Tops – Don’t Walk Away – Casablanca 12”
54 65 Empire – Freakman – Canadian Quality RFC 12”
55 71 Kasso – Kasso – US Delirium/Dutch Rams Horn 12”
56 41 Ray Barretto – The Old Castle / Pastime Paradise / La Cuna – US CTI LP
57 40 Henderson & Whitfield – Dancin’ To The Beat (Inst) – US Park Place 12”
58 79 Diana Ross – Tenderness / Medley – Motown 12”
59 68 Gwen McCrae – Funky Sensation / Poyson – US Atlantic LP
60 66 QT – Want Some Get Some / Inst – US M&M 12”
61 78 Kano – Can’t Hold Back / Round And Round / Baby Not Tonight / Party – US Mirage LP/12” promo
62 56 Kool & The Gang – Take My Heart / Good Time Tonight / Be My Lady – De-Lite LP
63 46 Mike & Brenda Sutton – We’ll Make It – US SAM 12”
64 RE Diana Ross – Mirror Mirror – Capitol 12”
65 NE Jerry Carr – You Are The One / Throw Down – US Cherie LP
66 77 Pigbag – Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag – Y 12”
67 NE Various – Ace Of Clubs (Segued Album) – Epic LP
68 RE Richard ‘Dimples’ Fields – She’s Got Papers On Me / I’ve Got To Learn To Say No – Epic
69 NE Gemini – It’s Friday Night / Can’t Throw Away A Good Love – US M&M LP
70 84 Komiko – Feel Alright – US SAM 12”
71 82 Twennynine/Lenny White – Twennynine (The Rap) / Movin’ On / Rhythm – Elektra LP
72 49 Shock – I Think I Love You / Let Your Body Do The Talkin’ / Let’s Get Crackin’ – US Fantasy LP
73 NE The Band A.K.A. – Grace – US PPL LP
74 NE Dolly Dots – P.S. I Love You – WEA 12”
75 44 GQ – Shake – Arista 12”
76 NE Rick James – Ghetto Life – Motown 12”
77 NE Fuse One – Sunwalk / Hot Fire / Silk – US CTI LP
78 61 Rick James – Superfreak / Fire And Desire – Motown 12”
79 55 Zafra Bros – Will You See Me Tonight – US Eastbourne 12”
80 NE Randy Crawford – Imagine – Warner Bros
81 NE Mike Post – The Theme From Hill Street Blues – Elektra 12”
82 64 Bob James – The Steamin’ Feelin’ – Tappan Zee 12”
83 89 Double Exposure – After All This Time – US Gold Coast 12”
84 63 Northend – Tee’s Happy / Happy Days – US Emergency 12”
85 81 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – It’s Nasty (Genius Of Love) – US Sugarhill 12”
86 NE Purple Flash – Creme Souflee – Canadian Uniwave 12”
87 NE Bar-Kays – Traffic Jammer / Freaky Behaviour – US Mercury LP
88 30 Earth Wind & Fire – Wanna Be With You / Lady Sun / Evolution Orange – CBS LP
89 RE Modern Romance – Queen Of The Rapping Scene – WEA 12”
90 NE Wallace W. Williams – Waterbed – Trindisc 12”


BREAKERS

BUBBLING UNDER the UK Disco 90 with increased support are:

Patrick Cowley: ‘Menergy’ (US Fusion 12in)
Angela Bofill: ‘Holdin’ Out For Love’ / ‘Tropical Love’ (Arista/12in promo)
Brooklyn Express: ‘Change Position (88)’ / ‘Sixty-Nine’ (US One Way 12in)
Toshiyukl Daitoku: ‘Skifflin’ (Japanese Better Days LP)
Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde: ‘Genius Of Love’ / ‘Genius Rap’ (US Profile 12in)
Kwlck: ‘Nightlife’ (EMI America 12in)
Terri Gonzales: ‘Treat Yourself To My Love’ (US Becket 12in)
Barbara Roy & EPP: ‘If You Want Me (Remix)’ (Canadian Black Sun 12in)
Jones Girls: ‘(I Found) That Man Of Mine’ (US Phil Int LP)
Imortals: ‘The Ultimate Warlord’ (US Moby Dick 12in)
Phyllis Nelson: ‘Don’t Stop The Train’ (US Tropique 12in)
Bill LaBounty: ‘Comin’ Back’ / ‘Look Who’s Lonely Now’ (US Warner Bros LP)
Patrick Cowley: ‘Megatron Man’ / ‘Lift Off’ (US Megatone LP)
Leonard Seeley’s Heritage: ‘Feel It’ (US Zoo York 12in)
Young & Co: ‘Is It Good To You’ (US Eastern 12in)


POD (Pop Orientated Dance — compiled from DJs playing a wide range of material):

1(1) Human League 100 ‘Want’ / ‘Seconds’, 2(2) Kool ‘Get Down’, 3(3) EWF ‘Groove’, 4(4) Imagination, 5(15) Kraftwerk ‘Model’ / ‘Computer’, 6(5) Soft Cell ‘Bedsitter’, 7(13) Alton Edwards, 8(26) Bucks Fizz, 9(14) George Benson ‘Turn’, 10(11) Four Tops, 11(18) Shakatak, 12(30) Dollar, 13(6) Kool ‘Steppin’, 14(8) Modern Romance ‘Moosey’, 15(10) Diana Ross ‘Fools’, 16(-) Human League ‘Boiled’, 17(12) Altered Images, 18(7) Duran Duran, 19(37) Madness, 20(23) Tweets ‘BS’, 21(9) Haircut 100 ‘Shirts’, 22(-) George Benson ‘Never’, 23(16) Rose Royce, 24(29) Pigbag, 25(34) Gayle Adams, 26(19) Rod Stewart, 27(21) Jumpp ‘Bouncy‘, 28(-) Modern Romance ‘Queen’, 29(-) Shakin’ Stevens, 30(36) OMD ‘Maid’, 31(48) Kool ‘Good Time Tonight’ / ‘Take My Heart’, 32(-) Police ‘Spirits’, 33(39) The Mood ‘Don’t Stop‘, 34(22) Second Image ‘Can’t’, 35(17) ABC, 36(-) Human League ‘Do Or Die’ / ‘Darkness’, 37(-) Tom Browne, 38(41) Philip Lynott, 39(-) Foreigner, 40(25) Godley & Creme, 41(32) Abba, 42(45) Trini Lopez, 43(-) Mike Post, 44(35) Chas & Dave, 45(-) Soft Cell ‘Say Hello’, 46(-) Hall & Oates, 47(24) Blue Rondo, 48(-) Mobiles, 49(-) NY Skyy, 50(31) Cliff Richard.


HIT NUMBERS

Beats Per Minute for last week’s pop chart entries on 7in (endings denoted by f for fade, c for cold, r for resonant) are:

OMD 0-73f, Gillan 143f, George Benson 114f, Stiff Little Fingers ‘Listen’ 0-53-107-0r, Theatre Of Hate 116-117-118-120-119f, Hall & Oates 111f, Japan 132f, Anti-Nowhere League 0-117-0r, Rhoda / Special AKA 0-143f, Hazel O’Connor 36-37f (waltz time), Tight Fit 122f, Diana Ross ‘Tenderness’ 118f, Stevie Wonder 107/53½f.


DJ TOP TEN

JULIAN WOOD, who lets his hair down to jazz-funk Horton-cum-Studley’s Kings Arms every Sunday (and goes mobile on Oxford 772557), is resident DJ at the Belfry Hotel in Brimpton Grange, Milton Common, doing dinner-dances every Saturday night. These are part of the £35 a head two day dirty weekend package offered by the hotel (conveniently just north of the Oxford end of the M40), for which Julian finds the following work well:

01. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor – Polydor
02. Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring – Boney M – Atlantic
03. Cavatina – Shadows – EMI
04. Begin The Beguine – Julio Iglesias – CBS
05. When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman – Dr Hook – Capitol
06. We Don’t Talk Anymore – Cliff Richard – EMI
07. Distant Drums – Jim Reeves – RCA
08. Strangers In The Night – Frank Sinatra – Reprise
09. You’ll Never Walk Alone – Gerry & The Pacemakers – EMI
10. The Last Waltz – Englebert Humperdinck – Decca

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