Lost in music

Friday night, I should have been on TV.

Not deserved to be, but actually been on. I was interviewed and all that. But, due to time and the fact they had so much stuff, my part didn't make it into the program.

I was interviewed because all through the 1980s, I kept a chart book, in which I recorded, week by week, my tastes in music. Turned out it was quite a thing.

By 1980, British music had fractured, from what was always a vibrant scene, now had: punk, new wave, post punk, ska, two tone, mod, heavy metal, rock and roll, rockabilly, soul, disco, hippies, and many others. I remember there being a cartoon series in one of the weekly inkies calling them the Lost Tribes. Not wrong really.

Thing is, if you were a member of one of the tribes, you could not like music from one of the other tribes. Therefore, me and many friends liking heavy metal could not like anything by a band from the Mod or Two Tone scene. There were exceptions, like The Jam, who emerged just after punk and always wore sharp suits. They got adopted by Mods, but they always did their thing, and the made great music. A shame then that the above rule emant I could not appreciate the lyrical genius of The Specials or the fun of Madness until many years later.

At the beginning of the 1979-80 school year, I began to go to Tuesday Club. Tuesday Club took place at the Oulton Village Community Centre; there were, or used to be, two events: an early evening one to seven where those below 12 years old could go and play ping pong or run around to the latest tunes. Then the later one was a disco, at which they played the latest tunes with basic disco lights flashing and turning the new built centre into a slice of heaven.

Not to say that it wasn't a place of confusion and frustration for me: it was. I was shy, and so did not know what to say to girls, even my friends, let along ask them for a dance. My friends paired off, split up, and did it all again, whilst I looked on, wondering what it was all about.

Tuesday Club was the highlight of the week, and yet always disappointing. It lasted two hours, and played almost all disco music, so we would stand about and wait for the time when they would play one or two rock tracks, which would ALWAYS be Whole Lotta Rosie and Paranoid. Always. And we would take our places on the deserted dancefloor and shake our heads for six minutes whilst the girls and mods looked on. Sometimes the Mods mocked us, and once or twice that erupted into violence. Nothing serious, stand-offs mainly, that resulted in Mr Rogers, who ran the club, switching the house lights on and warning us all.

When the Mod and Two Tone tunes were played, they all got up and seemed to have a fine old time dancing about. And they music seemed so uplifting, even when Terry Hall was singing about teenage pregnancy or something.

But it was all we had, so we went every week, hoping for something better. We did not know how it could be better, but we lived in hope. Until I suppose one day in 1981, when we were preparing for our exams, we became too old and all stopped going. So it ended.

The amount of rubbish music about annoyed us, my group of friends, so one of them, Trevor said we should make our own charts. So we did, or he and I did. Only I kept doing mine until 1992, on and off. I used to pretend I had a radio station, and after recording songs of the top 40 countdown, I would create one of my own. I did this for many years,. Maybe in my head I still do.

The BBC asked me why I did this. I found it hard to explain, I suppose it was the desire to hear new music. I used to buy Record Mirror that had the top 75; a top 40 wasn't enough! And I would tick off the tunes I liked and create the charts from those. That's how it went for a while, until Pat Benatar came along.

Who is Pat Benatar? Well, she was/is a singer who produced what Sounds once called light alloy rather than heavy metal. She only had a couple of hits in Britain, and that was not until the middle of the decade, so after hearing ehr on the radio, I used to order all her records, and then "hype" them into my charts. By hype I meant that they climbed up my chart without any real life success to back that up. Pat was just the start: Genesis also benefited at the start of the charts too, when I fell in love with Misunderstanding, despite hearing it just once or twice.

And so it went from there, less and less about actual chart positions, rather than what songs I liked on a week to week basis. Through 1981, what was called the electropop boom of Soft Cell, Blancmange, Depeche Mode et al, the chart got larger as I hear more and more different sources of music.

And then along came John Peel.

I can't remember when I first heard a Peel show, but I seem to remember it was in middle of his dalliance with the Bavarian oompah band period, which was odd. But them 90% of his show was odd. And passionate. I learned to listen to and love many of the bands and forms of music that would infuence me for the rest of my life: New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, Siouxsie, The Smiths, James and so on and on.

Until 1985 rolled round, and I started proper work, and needed to get up at six in the morning: sitting up to midnight listening to Peel was impossible on a regular basis, and over the months I hardly listened. But then it was good to know that he was there, doing his thing, uncovering the geniuses of tomorrow on a weekly basis.

In 1987, I started clubbing and not the indie clubs either. Going out and cutting rugs and making shapes two nights a week. Getting into Acid and rare groove. And the charts changed with me. Sometimes a new indie star would get in, but it was for the most part, mainstream.

It all had to come to an end, and did, or was supposed to when I joined the RAF in September 1990. But I kept it going, into 91 until I met Andrea, who would bend me to her will and we would get married, and at that point, it ended.

Only to rise from the grave after returning from Germany and before getting married for the 2nd time, there were a few brief months of salad days in Wiltshire, where Britpop was fizzling out, but even the beer-soaked dregs sounded great. I listened to radio whenever I could. Even Radio 1 was great.

So, not sure if I have published this list before, but this is the list of number 1s from my chart. I think you can trace the changes mentioned above, even if the full chart documented this better.

1. Atomic – Blondie
2. Turning Japanese – The Vapours
3. Going underground – The Jam
4. Call Me – Blondie
5. Geno – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
6. Theme From Mash – Mash
7. Simon Templar – Splodgenessabounds
8. 747 Strangers in the Night – Saxon
9. Babushka – Kate Bush
10. Ashes to Ashes – David Bowie
11. Eighth Day – Hazel O’Connor
12. Don’t Stand so Close to Me – Police
13. Trouble – Gillan
14. What You’re Proposing – Status Quo
15. Enola Gay – OMD
16. Die Young – Black Sabbath
17. Rock ‘N’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution - AC/DC
18. Hit Me With your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
19. Happy Christmas (War is Over) – John Lennon
20. Antmusic – Adam And the Ants
21. Imagine – John Lennon
22. Woman – John Lennon
23. Vienna – Ultravox
24. Kids in America – Kim Wilde
25. D Days – Hazel O’Connor
26. Einstein A Go-go – Landscape
27. Keep on Lovin’ You – REO Speedwagon
28. I Want to be free - Toyah
29. Swords of a Thousand men – Tenpole Tudor
30. Chequered Love – Kim Wilde
31. I Want to be free – Toyah
32. Will You – Hazel O’Connor
33. The River – Bruce Springsteen
34. New Life – Depeche Mode
35. Sat in Your Lap – Kate Bush
36. Fire and Ice – Pat Benatar
37. Water on Glass – Kim Wilde
38. Tainted Love – Soft cell
39. Start me up – Rolling Stones
40. Souvenir – OMD
41. Invisible Sun – Police
42. Happy Birthday – Altered Images
43. Thunder in the Mountains – Toyah
44. Happy Birthday – Altered Images
45. Every Little thing She does is Magic – Police
46. Under Pressure – Queen & David Bowie
47. Four More From Toyah – Toyah
48. Don’t you want me? – Human League
49. I Could be Happy – Altered Images
50. Don’t you want me? – Human League
51. I Could be Happy – Altered Images
52. Golden Brown – Stranglers
53. Town Called Malice – The Jam
54. Go Wild in the Country – Bow Wow Wow
55. Mickey – Toni Basil
56. See those Eyes – Altered Images
57. Papa’s Got a brand New Pigbag – Pigbag
58. Instinction – Spandau Ballet
59. The Back of Love – Echo and the Bunnymen
60. Temptation – New Order
61. Fireworks – Siouxsie and the Banshees
62. Temptation – New Order
63. The Back of Love – Echo and the Bunnymen
64. Rock the Casbah – Clash
65. Strange Little Girl – Stranglers
66. Under the Boardwalk – Tom Tom Club 67. The Message – Grandmaster Flash
68. Under the Boardwalk – Tom Tom Club
69. Straight to Hell – Clash
70. Ziggy Stardust – Bauhaus
71. Shipbuilding – Robert Wyatt
72. Shadows of the Night – Pat Benatar
73. Christmas Wrapping – Waitresses
74. Let’s Get this Straight From the Start - Dexy’s Midnight Runners
75. The Cutter - Echo and the Bunnymen
76. Christian – China Crisis
77. A Little Too Late - Pat Benatar
78. Fields of Fire – Big Country
79. Speak Like a Child – Style Council
80. Don’t talk to me About Love - Altered Images
81. Let’s Dance – David Bowie
82. Blue Monday New Order
83. Song for a Future Generation – B52’s
84. I Love You – Yello
85. Qual – Xmal Deutschland
86. Birds Fly – Icicle Works
87. Never Stop – Echo and the Bunnymen
88. For you – The Farmers boys
89. Will you Stay Tonight? – Comsat angels
90. Confusion – New order
91. Crushed by the Wheels of Industry – Heaven 17
92. Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and the Banshees
93. I Wouldn’t Want to Knock it – Cook Da Books
94. The Love cats – Cure
95. This Charming Man – Smiths
96. Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
97. Sunburst and Snowblind – Cocteau Twins
98. The Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen
99. What Difference Does it Make – Smiths
100. Your Love is king – Sade
101. Swimming Horses - Siouxsie and the Banshees
102. Barriers – Tony Martin
103. Thieves Like us – New Order
104. Pearly Dewdrop Drops - Cocteau Twins
105. Silver - Echo and the Bunnymen
106. Dazzle - Siouxsie and the Banshees
107. Murder – New Order
108. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – Smiths
109. Get Your feet Out of My Shoes – Boothill Foot Tappers
110. Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
111. Seven Seas - Echo and the Bunnymen
112. The Comeback – The Mighty Wah
113. Sunset Now – Heaven 17
114. Kangaroo – This Mortal Coil
115. Love of my Life – Wild Indians
116. 54-46 Was My Number – Aswad
117. Listen to Your Father – Fergal Sharkey
118. Keep On Keepin’ On – Redskins
119. Respect yourself – Kane gang
120. Since yesterday – Strawberry Switchblade
121. The Green fields of France – Men They Couldn’t hang
122. How Soon is Now? – Smiths
123. Between the Wars – Billy Bragg
124. Aikea Guinea - Cocteau Twins
125. When Love Breaks Down – Prefab Sprout
126. Green Shirt – Elvis Costello
127. The Perfect kiss – New Order
128. Bring it Down – Redskins
129. She Sells Sanctuary – Cult
130. In-between Days – Cure
131. Immigrant – Patrick
132. Primitive Painters – Felt
133. Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads
134. Bring on the Dancing Horses - Echo and the Bunnymen
135. Subculture – New order
136. Echoes in a Shallow Bay - Cocteau Twins
137. Flag Day – Housemartins
138. Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
139. The Trumpton Riots – Half Man Half Biscuit
140. E=MC² - Big Audio Dynamite
141. Shellshock – New Order
142. Sinful – Pete Wylie
143. The Big Sky – Kate Bush
144. Medicine Show - Big Audio Dynamite
145. Happy hour – Housemartins
146. Rockin’ With Rita – Vindaloo Summer Special
147. Levi Stubb’s tears – Billy Bragg
148. Panic – Smiths
149. Don’t Leave me This Way – Communards
150. Take the Skinheads Bowling – Camper van Beethoven
151. World Shut Your Mouth – Julian Cope
152. Man Shortage – Lovindeer
153. Greetings to the New Brunette – Billy Bragg
154. Caravan of Love – Housemartins
155. Kiss – Age of Chance
156. I’m No Rebel – View From the Hill
157. If You Let me Stay – Terrance Trent D’Arby
158. What’s My Scene – Hoodoo Gurus
159. To Be reborn – Boy George
160. Heaven is a Place on Earth – Belinda Carlisle
161. Victoria – The Fall
162. Birth, School, Work, Death – Godfathers
163. Crash – Primitives
164. What’s Happening Here? – 10000 Maniacs
165. Cathouse – Danielle Dax
166. Theme From S Express – S Express
167. Alphabet Street – Prince
168. No Conversation - View From the Hill
169. Atmosphere – Joy Division
170. All Fired Up – Pat Benatar
171. Glam Slam – Prince
172. Like the Weather - 10000 Maniacs
173. What can I Say to Make You Love Me? – Alexander O’Neil
174. The Race – Yello
175. Birthday – Sugarcubes
176. The Killing Jar - Siouxsie and the Banshees
177. Fake 88 - Alexander O’Neil
178. Wee Rule – Wee Papa Girl Rappers
179. A Little respect – Erasure
180. Real Gone Kid – Deacon Blue
181. I Wish U Heaven – Prince
182. Kiss – Age of Chance
183. Giving the Best I Got – Anita Baker
184. 9 a.m. The Comfort Zone – London Beat
185. Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
186. Hit the Ground – Darling buds
187. Cathedral Song – Tanita Tikaram
188. Can’t Be Sure – Sundays
189. Like A Prayer – Madonna
190. Got to Keep On – Cookie Crew
191. Never – House of Love
192. I Drove All Night – Cyndi Lauper
193. Express Yourself – Madonna
194. Back to Life – Soul 2 Soul
195. Satisfaction – Wendy and Lisa
196. You’re History – Shakespears Sister
197. Hey DJ – Beatmasters with Betty boo
198. Partyman – Prince
199. Cherish – Madonna
200. The Sensual World – Kate bush
201. I Want that Man – Deborah Harry
202. Eye Know – Prince
203. All Around the World – Lisa Stansfield
204. The Arms of Orion – Prince
205. Waterfall – Wendy and Lisa
206. This woman’s Work – Kate Bush
207. Dear Jessie – Madonna
208. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
209. After the rain – Titiyo
210. Love and Anger – Kate bush
211. Love Shack – B52’s
212. This is How it Feels – Inspiral Carpets
213. Vogue – Madonna
214. Escapade – Janet Jackson
215. Roam – B52’s
216. The Only One I Know – Charlatans
217. Hippychick – Soho
218. A Leaf from A Tree – Mary Coughlan
219. Jerk Out – The Time
220. How the Heart Survives – Was (not Was)
221. Thieves in the temple – Prince
222. Ice Blink Luck – Cocteau Twins
223. Unbelievable – EMF
224. All together Now – Farm
225. Sons of the Stage – World of Twist
226. Sit Down – James
227. Get the Message – Electronic
228. Shiny Happy People – REM
229. Sheriff Fatman – Carter USM
230. And then She Smiles – Mock Turtles
231. Progen ’91 – Shamen
232. Apparently Nothin’ – Young Disciples
233. Sunshine on a Rainy day – Zoë
234. Insanity – Oceanic
235. Jacky – Marc Almond
236. I Believe – Booth and the Bad Angel
237. Forbidden City – Electronic
238. Good Enough – Dodgy
239. Race - Tiger