January 1, 1983: The Hammy Awards 1982 / 1982 Year End Disco Chart

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for . . .

THE HAMMY AWARDS 1982

1982 was a year in which music fans split into more different cliques than ever before, and controversy raged within the strictly soul camp about the merits or otherwise of the electrophonic influence.

With so many tastes to be catered for it is not surprising that the overall sales of every type of music suffered, but as the year drew to a close it appeared that disco was going through one of its periodic bursts of pop chart acceptance.

The mass of the general public obviously only want to dance to the records they know, and if they listen to the radio that means a very limited choice, but luckily during 1982 the media began to think of disco as being hip again, resulting in the widespread acceptance of such freak breakthroughs as Grandmaster Flash and Rockers Revenge.

Every few months there was the regulation crossover hit by a black lady, whether it be by the flavour of the summer, Patrice Rushen, or more often Evelyn King, plus the Sharons Redd and Brown, Raw Silk, Vicky “D”, Melba Moore, while a black Anglophile Los Angelean’s Kings Road trip to the barber’s gave Shalamar the key to superstardom.

Disco music wasn’t just about dancing in 1982, as a hefty dollop of real soul was returning to many of the hits too. However, more than anything else, it was undoubtedly the year of fierce electronics — and electrophonic phunk.

HIT OF THE YEAR: “D” Train – ‘You’re The One For Me’ (Prelude) — eight weeks at number one and, followed most importantly by the Peech Boys and Rockers Revenge, the most influential record of the year.

LABEL OF THE YEAR: Prelude, for the second year running.

RECORD COMPANY OF THE YEAR: CBS — the hits being (in ranked order) on Prelude, Streetwave, Epic, CBS, Tabu, Philadelphia International.

RUNNERS-UP (similarly ranked): 2) RCA (Motown/RCA/KR/Carrere/Ensign/Salsoul), 3) WEA (Elektra/Warner Bros/Solar/Atlantic), 4) Phonogram (Mercury/London/De-Lite), 5) Virgin (WMOT/Virgin/SAM), 6) EMI (Capitol/Liberty/EMI America/UA), 7) PRT (Sugarhill/Buddha/R&B/Excaliber/Becket), 8) A&M (Funk A&Merica/A&M), 9) Arista (Arista/GRP/Ariola), 10) Island (Ze/Island).

12in OF THE YEAR: Rockers Revenge – ‘Walking On Sunshine’ (London).

IMPORT OF THE YEAR: Extra T’s – ‘E.T. Boogie’ (US Sunnyview).

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Shalamar – ‘Friends’ (Solar) — purely for the number of hits it spawned.

LP CUT OF THE YEAR: The SOS Band – ‘Groovin’ (That’s What We’re Doin’ (Tabu).

REMIX OF THE YEAR: Sharon Redd – ‘Beat The Street’ (Prelude).

THE SMASH THAT NEVER WAS: I Level – ‘Give Me’ (Virgin).

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: St Tropez – ‘Femmes Fatales’ (US Destiny LP).

GAY HIT OF THE YEAR: Sharon Redd – ‘In The Name Of Love’ (Prelude).

HAIRCUT OF THE YEAR: Jeffrey Daniel

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Aretha Franklin, who’s been gone for longer than Marvin Gaye, while Dionne Warwick doesn’t really qualify.

A WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS: Kid Creole & The Coconuts.

THE OPPOSITE: Rick James!

COME BACK SOON!: Frankie Beverly & Maze, and of course E.T.

WHAT’S EASY FOR TWO IS SO HARD TO BE DONE BY ONE: Linx.

DJ OF THE YEAR: Youngy and Tongy at Caister X were the most enjoyable I heard all year, piling on the unexpected goodies one after another, so its a double award to Jeff Young and Pete Tong.

PLUGGER OF THE YEAR: Jeff Young gets that one too, for the great job he’s doing at Phonogram, not forgetting his role as ‘Young & Strong’.

MARKETING PLOY: Morgan Khan snapping up previously expensive import tracks and putting ’em all on an LP for £2.99 — if that wasn’t going to give him a hit, nothing would.

A NICE GUY WHOSE TIME WILL SURELY COME: Patrick Booth.

THE JIMMY JONES ‘GOOD TIMIN’ HANDICAP: Capital Radio’s Phil Allen, whose Saturday night/Sunday early morning disco show goes out at exactly the time when those who’d appreciate it most are out themselves — Tony Monson’s brand new import report at 1.15 and the bang up to date London disco chart at 1.45 immediately after him are especially worth the investment in an automatic timer for your radio/cassette recorder.

MONDAYS AND SATURDAYS WON’T SEEM THE SAME AGAIN: ‘Going Out’, ‘The Gangster Chronicles’, ‘Shogun’.

WHO’D A PIRATE BE?: London’s jazz soul DJs of the alternative airwaves.

A GOLDEN HANDSHAKE: Ralph Tee, whose trail blazing fanzine Groove Weekly could have grown into a viable publication given better cash flow control, but instead went out in a blaze of glory with its 100th issue.

NO ROSETTES BUT FOUR CROSSED KNIVES AND FORKS, A DOGGIE BAG, AND A WHEELBARROW: The Ponderosa restaurant in Watford’s High Street — steak and four big breadcrumbed prawns with gunky dip, baked potato with pot of sour cream, buttered mushrooms, American style slightly sweetened roll and butter, unlimited self-serve salad bar with delicious crunchy bits to sprinkle on top, and unlimited free soft drink refills — all for just £4.80 (NOW you see why I keep going on about it!).

AND THE BEAT GOES ON, AND ON: Kashif.

WHY DOESN’T ANYBODY MENTION ME?: Tony Jenkins.

WOT, NO CHRIS HILL?: Chris Hill, still the capo di capi.

RUNNERS-UP (POODLE CUT AND BRUSH UP): Greg Wilson, Bob Jones, Ian Shaw, Jeff Young, Graham Gold.

---

No Charts or other regular features this week.

---

1982 YEAR-END DISCO CHART

1. BEAT THE STREET (INSTRUMENTAL) / NEVER GIVE YOU UP – Sharon Redd – Prelude 12”
2. YOU’RE THE ONE FOR ME – ‘D’ Train – Epic/Prelude 12”
3. FORGET ME NOTS – Patrice Rushen – Elektra 12”
4. NUMBER ONE (INSTRUMENTAL) – Patrice Rushen – Elektra 12”
5. WALKING ON SUNSHINE – Rockers Revenge – London 12”
6. DO IT TO THE MUSIC – Raw Silk, KR 12”
7. I SPECIALIZE IN LOVE – Sharon Brown – Virgin 12”
8. LOVE COME DOWN – Evelyn King – RCA 12”
9. SO FINE – Howard Johnson – Funk A&Merica 12”
10. LET’S FUNK TONIGHT – Blue Feather – Mercury 12”
11. STANDING ON THE TOP – Temptations / Rick James – Motown 12”
12. GRACE – The Band AKA – Epic/Streetwave 12”
13. ACT LIKE YOU KNOW – Fat Larry’s Band – WMOT 12”
14. EVERY WAY BUT LOOSE. The Oneness Of Juju – Buddah 12”
15. SOONER OR LATER – Larry Graham – Warner Bros 12”
16. THIS BEAT IS MINE – Vicky D – SAM 12”
17. IN AND OUT – Willie Hutch – Motown 12”
18. NEVER GIVE UP ON A GOOD THING – George Benson – Warner Bros 12”
19. GET DOWN ON IT – Kool & The Gang – De-Lite 12”
20. SEXUAL HEALING – Marvin Gaye – CBS 12”
21. THE MESSAGE – Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – Sugarhill 12”
22. LET’S START II DANCE AGAIN – Bohannon – London 12”
23. JUMP TO IT – Aretha Franklin – Arista 12”
24. I JUST WANNA (SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOU) – Alton Edwards – Streetwave 12”
25. DO I DO – Stevie Wonder – Motown 12”
26. KEEP THE FIRE BURNING – Gwen McCrae – Atlantic 12”
27. LOVE DON’T COME EASY – New Jersey Connection – Nite Life 12”
28. INSIDE OUT – Odyssey – RCA 12”
29. MAMA USED TO SAY – Junior – Mercury 12”
30. CIRCLES – Atlantic Starr – A&M 12”
31. I’M A WONDERFUL THING BABY – Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Ze 12”
32. TIME – Stone – Carrere 12”
33. LOVE IN ON THE ONE / WORK THAT SUCKER TO DEATH – Xavier – Liberty 12”
34. LOOPZILLA – George Clinton – Capitol 12”
35. WATCH OUT – Brandi Wells – WMOT 12”
36. YOU GOT THE POWER – War – RCA 12”
37. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER – Shalamar – Solar 12”
38. DREAMIN’ – Greg Henderson – Greyhound 12”
39. LOVE’S COMIN’ AT YA – Melba Moore – EMI America 12”
40. U TURN ME ON – Tomorrow’s Edition – CBS 12”
41. FUNGI MAMA – Tom Browne – Arista GRP 12”
42. SHOW YOU MY LOVE – Goldie Alexander – Project 12”
43. THE SMURF – Tyrone Brunson – Epic 12”
44. E.T. BOOGIE – Extra T’s. – US Sunnyview 12”
45. I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO) – Daryl Hall & John Oates – RCA 12”
46. LET’S CELEBRATE / CALL ME – New York Skyy – Epic/Streetwave 12”
47. THERE IT IS – Shalamar – Solar 12”
48. NIGHT BIRDS – Shakatak – Polydor 12”
49. DANCE WIT’ ME – Rick James – Motown 12”
50. HOLD ME TIGHTER IN THE RAIN – Billy Griffin – CBS 12”
51. CAN YOU SEE THE LIGHT – Brass Construction – UA 12”
52. KNOCK ME OUT – Gary’s Gang – Arista 12”
53. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU – Gwen Guthrie – Island 12”
54. KEEP ON / YOU’RE THE ONE FOR ME (REPRISE) – ‘D’ Train – Epic/Prelude 12”
55. JUST AN ILLUSION – Imagination – R&B 12”
56. HEAVY VIBES – Montana Sextet – Virgin 12”
57. SHINE ON – George Duke – Epic 12”
58. ON A JOURNEY (INSTRUMENTAL) – Electrik Funk – Epic 12”
59. STOOL PIGEON – Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Ze 12”
60. DANCE FLOOR – Zapp – Warner Bros 12”
61. IN THE RAW – Whispers – Solar 12”
62. EASE YOUR MIND / RITMO SUAVE – Touchdown – Excaliber 12”
63. BIG FUN / GET DOWN ON IT (REMIX) – Kool & The Gang – De-Lite 12”
64. WHEN WE PARTY – Jay W. McGee – Ensign 12”
65. LOVE ON A SUMMER NIGHT – McCrarys – Capitol 12”
66. TELL ME TOMORROW – Smokey Robinson – Motown 12”
67. HIGH HOPES – The SOS Band – Tabu 12”
68. ANNIE I’M NOT YOUR DADDY – Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Ze 12”
69. GIVE ME – I Level – Virgin 12”
70. NEVER LET YOU GO – Savanna, R&B 12”
71. MUSIC AND LIGHTS – Imagination – R&B 12”
72. YOU AND ME JUST STARTED – Linda Taylor – GPL 12”
73. HEAD OVER HEELS (INSTRUMENTAL) / (VOCAL) – Galaxy – Ensign 12”
74. DON’T TELL ME – Central Line – Mercury 12”
75. I’VE HAD ENOUGH / LET’S GROOVE (REMIX) – Earth, Wind & Fire – CBS 12”
76. STAR – Second Image – Polydor 12”
77. IMAGINATION – B. B. & Q. Band – Capitol 12”
78. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND – Brandi Wells – WMOT 12”
79. ZOOM – Fat Larry’s Band – WMOT 12”
80. THANKS TO YOU – Sinnamon – Becket 12”
81. I CAN MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD – Shalamar – Solar 12”
82. LOVE HAS FOUND ITS WAY – Dennis Brown – A&M 12”
83. SUNSHINE PARTYTIME (RAP) / DUBBING IN SUNSHINE – Rockers Revenge – US Streetwise 12”
84. JAZZY RHYTHM – Michelle Wallace – System 12”
85. GROOVIN’ (THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOIN’) – The SOS Band – Tabu LP
86. TAKE MY HEART – Kool & The Gang – De-Lite 12”
87. GARDEN OF EVE – Yvonne Gage – Atlantic 12”
88. BE MINE TONIGHT / WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE – The Jammers – Salsoul 12”
89. DON’T STOP MY LOVE – Passion – Prelude 12”
90. SHE’S SO DIVINE – The Limit – Ariola 12”