Day 11’s Now! compilation takes us to 21st March 1988.
Here’s some music by people who almost certainly drove better cars than my dad did that month.
Track 1: Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind
Great cover of the Elvis classic. I love the synth line on this one, but then I love the synth line on pretty much every Pet Shop Boys track. This was the 1987 Christmas number one – I would say ‘deservedly so’ if it weren’t for the fact that it should have been Fairytale Of New York that year.
Track 2: Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Love this one! Another classic from my ’80s playlist I made in the early ’00s. I used to blast it in my first student flat. Thankfully my flatmates all loved it too.
Track 3: Billy Ocean – Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
Is Billy Ocean’s car a dodgy red Austin Ambassador? If so, I’d get into it any day. I miss that car.
Great bit of pop, always liked this one.
Track 4: Jermaine Stewart – Say It Again
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Nice piano intro, nice tune on the chorus, generally pleasant song.
Track 5: Eddy Grant – Gimme Hope Jo’anna
Argh, annoying chorus alert! Good party song, but give me Electric Avenue any day.
Track 6: Eddie Cochran – C’mon Everybody
Not sure why this ’50s classic was back in the charts, but here it is. Nice bit of timeless rock ‘n’ roll.
Track 7: Morrissey – Suedehead
Fairly typical of Morrissey’s just-post-the-Smiths era. I’m not a big fan of this one, there’s nothing in the tune that I like.
Track 8: Elton John – Candle In The Wind
Again, I have no idea why this song was back in the charts more than a decade after its original release, but it was. I actually prefer the Diana tribute reworking from 1997. Honestly!
Track 9: Wet Wet Wet – Angel Eyes (Home And Away)
Another annoying chorus – there’s something kind of whiny about it. I’m not sure what the ‘home and away’ in the title is about, either – it just reminds me of the soap opera, which I’m not sure had even started in 1988.
Track 10: Johnny Hates Jazz – Turn Back The Clock
Kind of a dull one in my book, though the instrumentals are quite nice.
Track 11: T’Pau – Valentine
Really like the way this one builds – great, interesting track.
Track 12: Billy Idol – Hot In The City
A bit repetitive in its tune, but still a good head-nodder.
Track 13: Sinéad O’Connor – Mandinka
Nice upbeat track, love the guitar and the vocals on the bridge and chorus.
Track 14: The Mission – Tower Of Strength
Goth club classic! Get that two-step going.
Track 15: Whitesnake – Give Me All Your Love
Not as epic as the best Whitesnake songs, but still a nice singalong hair metal chorus.
Track 16: Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky
This was my favourite song in 1988, but then it was also the favourite song of every other girl in my nursery class (you’re not very original when you’re three). I still love it – great pop track.
Track 17: Mel & Kim – That’s The Way It Is
More great pop from Mel & Kim. I think this may be one of my favourites of theirs.
Track 18: Joyce Sims – Come Into My Life [Radio Mix]
Nice tinkly intro, great catchy hooks, great tune.
Track 19: Jellybean and Elisa Fiorillo – Who Found Who
Chair-dancing from the start with this one – bit of a cheesy vocal, but a nice bouncy track.
Track 20: Bananarama – I Can’t Help It
Love this one! Another solid pop song from Bananarama.
Track 21: Dollar – Oh L’amour
Fun fact: the original Erasure version of this was never a hit, which is probably why this Dollar cover (which was a hit) appears on so many ’80s compilations. Absolute epitome of a pointless cover, as it changes nothing from the original (in fact, I was playing it the other day and I don’t think Geth even noticed it wasn’t the original, and he’s a huge Erasure fan), but that at least means that it’s just as danceable.
Track 22: Vanessa Paradis – Joe Le Taxi
Slightly slower one, but still a nice track. One for the chillout playlist.
Track 23: Morris Minor & The Majors – Stutter Rap (No Sleep Till Bedtime)
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Daft Beastie Boys parody, very of its time. Mildly amusing, but not playlist-worthy.
Track 24: Bomb The Bass – Beat Dis
How could I fail to love a track with a Thunderbirds sample? This one is great.
Being the queen of misheard lyrics, I was all ‘OMG, is that the f-word in my lovely innocent ’80s pop?’ No, of course it’s not! They’re actually singing ‘funky’. Contrast that to today’s charts, where every second word in pretty much every song has to be muted on the radio. I hate this century. </getoffmylawn>
Track 25: Coldcut and Yazz & The Plastic Population – Doctorin’ The House
Another annoying chorus. What is it with those today? I quite like the rest of the track, though.
Track 26: Krush – House Arrest
Great dance song. I don’t imagine most wedding DJs would play this one, but I might request it off Geth next time he’s DJing a wedding.
Track 27: Jack ‘N’ Chill – The Jack That House Built
I really like this one as well – lots of chair-dancing today. Great synth line, love the samples too.
Track 28: Beatmasters and The Cookie Crew – Rok Da House
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
This one’s not so much my cup of tea, though I do like the piano bit.
Track 29: Two Men, A Drum Machine & A Trumpet – Tired Of Getting Pushed Around
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Wikipedia informs me these were actually a Fine Young Cannibals spinoff band. I quite like the track.
Track 30: Climie Fisher – Rise To The Occasion
Bit of a dull ballad, which is becoming standard for the last track. Let’s have something more upbeat, Now! compilers!
