THE FRIDAY FIVE – 16.11.2018

1. Jade Bird – Love Has All Been Done Before
2. Johnny Marr – Spiral Cities
3. Editors – Cold
4. Razorlight – America
5. The Strypes – Get Into It

This Monday, sees International Men’s Day. So, as is tradition, here’s a series of musical charts. If you’re celebrating, that’s cool. If it’s just another day for you, that’s cool. Just don’t be a self-hating dick fishing for likes on Social Media about it.

FIVE SONGS BY MALE SOLO ARTISTS

1. Prince – Gold
2. David Bowie – Let’s Dance
3. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA … What A Life
4. Falco – Rock Me Amadeus
5. Kyle Falconer – Family Tree

FIVE SONGS WITH BOY OR MAN IN THE TITLE

1. The Killers – The Man
2. T-Rex – 20th Century Boy
3. Aneka – Japanese Boy
4. Andrew Gold – Lonely Boy
5. Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy

FIVE SONGS BY ALL MALE GROUPS

1. Europe – The Final Countdown
2. Duran Duran – Ordinary World
3. A-Ha – Take On Me
4. U2 – The Fly
5. Queen – I Want It All

FIVE SONGS WITH MALE NAMES IN THE TITLE

1. Bat For Lashes – Daniel
2. Toni Basil – Mickey
3. Oasis – Little James
4. Sister Sledge – Frankie
5. Fine Young Cannibals – Johnny Come Home

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SMASH HITS – 27.1.1988

We go back to early 1988, when American teen star Tiffany is the cover star of Smash Hits, having just had a massive hit with I Think We’re Alone Now.

As you open the magazine, there is a poster of Eddie Kidd, famous as a Stuntman but is also launching a singing career.

In news, Pet Shop Boys have recorded a song with Patsy Kensit, and Roger Taylor has launched a career as a singer with a band called The Cross, and is interviewed.

Cher gets a full page dedicated to her, looking at her fashion over the previous twenty years.

A-Ha announced they were going on a UK tour, beginning at Shepton Mallet Showering Pavillion and George Michael is doing a tour which includes two nights in Belfast.

Hugh Cornwell from The Stranglers is interviewed, while Smash Hits reports than a Soap actress called Kylie Minogue has recorded a song called I Should Be So Lucky which was described as “Quite good”, to their surprise.

The Housemartins also announced their split this week.

Bros get interviewed, with Craig revealing his first concert was AC/DC.

Michael Hutchence gets a double page profile, billed as “The most fanciable creation in the history of the universe?”

Also being interviewed is Dollar, with David and Thereza being asked questions about each other.

Tiffany gets a three page interview where she reveals he prefers Sindy over Barbie, and that boys at school called her “Whiffany”

In singles reviews, The Bangles cover of Hazy Shade Of Winter was the best single of the fortnight.

As the magazine ends, there is a double page interview with Bananarama where they, like Dollar, were asked questions about each other.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SMASH HITS – 20.11.1985

George Michael is the cover star of Smash Hits, as Wham! are once again riding high in the charts.

1985 was the year of Live Aid, and the Fashion industry joined in with Fashion Aid, an event attended by the likes of Freddie Mercury, Suggs and Boy George.

Feargal Sharkey is interviewed, where he reveals he doesn’t like Ginger Nuts and isn’t very good at sports.

Wham! get a four page feature, where they reveal that their new single I’m Your Man is about sex.

In ads, there is an advert for a new single called West End Girls by an unknown band called Pet Shop Boys.

Also getting interviewed this week is the band Mai Tai.

Paul Hardcastle is subject to a Q and A. It wasn’t N-n-n-n-n-n-nineteen questions long, but he did reveal that Joan Collins is his favourite actress.

Concert Reviews sees Smash Hits head to Glasgow for Midge Ure doing a hometown show at Barrowlands Ballroom.

There’s no guest reviewer for Singles, as In Embrace got voted Best Single.

New products on the markets were Popic Watches, watches with the image of your favourite pop band on them.

Enjoying a good review were Jesus and Mary Chain, whose new album got awarded 9 and a half out of 10.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 5.1.2018

1. Anteros – Bonnie
2. Manic Street Preachers – International Blue
3. Vic and Bob – Trousers
4. Simple Minds – Magic
5. U2 – What’s Going On?

It’s cold, it’s wet, people are moaning about FA Cup ties not being shown on TV and grief junkieing over David Bowie. That can only mean one thing ……… it’s January.

At this time of year, there is one question we all ask, and this year, the answer is once again yes. If you haven’t worked it out yet, BBC Four’s Top Of The Pops repeats will continue into 1985.

You will be glad to know that The Story Of 1985 will be on BBC Four at 9pm. It’ll be a lot more entertaining that Liverpool 0-0 Everton on BBC 1.

To commemorate this, here’s a 1985 chart for you

FIVE SONGS FROM 1985

1. A-Ha – Take On Me
2. Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
3. Stephen Duffy – Kiss Me
4. Kate Bush – Cloudbusting
5. Baltimora – Tarzan Boy

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 30.10.2015

1. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats – SOB
2. Blossoms – Charlemagne
3. The 1975 – Love Me
4. A-Ha – Take On Me (Kygo remix)
5. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – The Dying Of The Light

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : NO 1 – 13.9.1986

Owen Paul, remember him? No? Had a hit in 1986, his brother was in Simple Minds. No? This cover seemed a good idea at the time I guess.

On the inside cover is a picture of Michael Hutchence, lead singer of INXS,who they predict for big things, having supported Queen on tour at the personal request of Roger Taylor.

They were so popular in their native Australia according to No 1, that Michael Hutchence beat Mel Gibson in a poll for Most Popular Male.

Cover star Owen Paul gets a double page spread about his career, while Cutting Crew get a full page profile as a band to watch, clarifying “We’re not a black Hip-Hop group” in case you were confused because they had “Crew” in their name.

The Lover Speaks get a full page feature, ahead of the release of their new single, “No More I Love Yous”, which took nine years to be a hit, and when it was, it was a cover by Annie Lennox.

In adverts, Dead Or Alive had a full page advert for their new single “Brand New Lover”

No, I don’t remember it either.

Lyrics in this edition included “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, and “Rock & Roll Mercenaries” by Meatloaf with John Parr.

OMD get a double page spread, currently riding high in the US charts after supporting The Power Station and Thompson Twins on tour, and having “Of You Leave” featured in the film Pretty In Pink.

In Reviews, “True Colours” by Cyndi Lauper gets 3 stars out of 5, while “Superman”, the follow-up to “It’s Orrible Being In Love When You’re Eight And A Half” by 80s One-Hit Wonder Claire gets 1 star.

Rod Stewart’s latest single also gets 1 star, purely on the basis that he supports Rangers*

(* yes, i’m as confused as your are)

More lyric sheets, this time for “One Great Thing” by Big Country, and “Forever Live And Die” by OMD.

In TV news, Doctor Who is back, and it’s a debut for the latest Doctor, Colin Baker. This gets a full page with stats about the show, and an address for the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.

Talking of new, Bucks Fizz have a new member, Shelley Preston, and her new arrival gets a double page spread.

There is an advert for the following week’s edition, which has a massive A-Ha World Tour 1986/1987 poster.

On the back cover, there was a poster of Paul Young. Nice.

50 YEARS OF TOP OF THE POPS : SEP 12 – SEP 18

We begin this week with Maria Mulduar’s 71st birthday, and a Brand New Heavies cover of her, a song, not about Noel or Liam Gallagher.

James Bourne of Busted, remember them? He turns 30 this week.

Busted’s 7th album is rather good.

You’ve been waiting all year for this …… a bit of A-Ha.

You may be amused to hear there’s a town in Norway called Horten. It’s unknown if it has a market, or if Morten Harket has ever been to Horten Market.

Cast. They’re Alright. La.

And while we’re on a 90s theme …..

Sad anniversary time, it’s 37 years since Marc Bolan died.

Joanne Catherall celebrated a birthday this week. Contrary to popular belief, she never worked as a waitress in a coktail bar.

And finally, a Belfast girl turned 30 this week. She has spent a lot of those 30 years researching how many bicycles there are in Beijing.