MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : SMASH HITS – 2.11.1988

The only way is up for Yazz, as she is this week’s Smash Hits cover star, having been victorious in the Reader’s Poll.

As you open the magazine, there is a feature on Wet Wet Wet, who won Best LP.

Joey Tempest of Europe gives his life advice, revealing that he is obsessed with women.

Beside that, there is a feature on Milli Vanilli. Wether they mimed when being interviewed is not known.

There is a double paged feature on acts who used to be popular but aren’t any more. The featured hasbeens include Bucks Fizz, Human League, Nik Kershaw, Five Star and Hue and Cry.

Another Poll Winner gets a double page profile, Salt N Pepa.

Tanita Tikaram is the subject of a Q and A, revealing that her specialist subject on Mastermind would be Virginia Woolf.

Yazz won Most Exciting New Pop Star, revealing that her real name is Yasmin Evans, but has never been to Wales despite having a Welsh surname.

There is a double page feature on a new trend called Acid House, profiling stars of the scene such as Jungle Brothers, Baby Ford and Carl Fysh.

Bros get a triple page feature (well yes, because there are three of them) after winning a lot of awards, some for their looks and some for their music.

Brother Beyond review the singles, and there is a split in the camp – Nathan and David vote for Habit as Best Single, while Carl and Steve go for Scritti Politti.

Deacon Blue get a lyrics poster accompanied with an interview, where they state they would like to be Dundee’s answer to Bruce Springsteen.

The magazine ends with a poster of U2.

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THE FRIDAY FIVE – 23.3.2018

1. Frank Turner – Blackout
2. Manic Street Preachers – Distant Colours
3. Kylie Minogue – Stop Me From Falling
4. George Ezra – Paradise
5. The Killers – Wonderwall

Firstly, an apology for there being no Friday Five. I was either busy or lazy, depending on how you look at it, and didn’t get a chance to do one.

That meant I didn’t get to do a St Patrick’s Day chart for you. So, either 1 week late or 51 weeks early, here’s some St Patrick’s Day charts for you.

FIVE SONGS BY ACTS FROM NORTHERN IRELAND

1. The Adventures – Broken Land
2. Brianna Corrigan – Hold Me Now
3. Baltimora – Tarzan Boy
4. Relish – Rainbow Zephyr
5. Snow Patrol – How To Be Dead

FIVE SONGS BY ACTS FROM REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

1. Phil Lynott – Yellow Pearl
2. U2 – The Fly
3. The Strypes – Get Into It
4. Sinead Lohan – Whatever It Takes
5. Kodaline – I’m Ready

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 2.2.2018

1. Turin Brakes – Lifeforms
2. George Ezra – Paradise
3. Chvrches – Get Out
4. The Vaccines – Nightclub
5. The Wombats – Cheetah Tongue

So, what an interesting week of concert announcements. Where to start?

U2 at The Odyssey. Yes please, will be trying to get tickets for that.

Biggest Weekend, Manic Street Preachers and Beck playing Titanic Slipways in May. Yes plese, will be trying to get tickets for that.

Erasure in Dublin was cancelled this week, rearranged for March. Hoping they do a Shed Seven and sneak in a Belfast gig as well with their rearranged Dublin gig.

Not a concert, but I got a ticket for An Evening With Eric Cantona at Waterfront Hall in October.

Paloma Faith has announced an outdoor gig for Edinburgh in August. I might make that my week to go the Edinburgh Festival. I’m giving her Belfast concert in March a miss as it’s all seater, so hoping a Belsonic or CHSQ announcement is being embargoed until after that.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 19.1.2017

1. Squeeze – Rough Ride
2. Post Precious – Sign Of The Times
3. The Cranberries – Dreams
4. George Ezra – Paradise
5. Turin Brakes – Underdog (Save Me)

This week, U2 teased that they will be doing a concert in Belfast later in the year. If it does happen, i’ll definitely be trying to go to this, having seen them at The Odyssey in 2015.

Sounds like a good excuse for a U2 Top Five.

FIVE SONGS BY U2

1. The Fly
2. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
3. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
4. Wild Honey
5. Angel Of Harlem

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 SOUND OF 2017 : 1-25

So, here it is, the Top 25 Songs Of 2017

1. Liam Gallagher – For What It’s Worth
2. Rose Elinor Dougall – Closer
3. The Killers – Run For Cover
4. Paramore – Hard Times
5. Liam Gallagher – Bold
6. U2 – Get Out Of Your Own Way
7. Liam Gallagher – Wall Of Glass
8. The Killers – The Man
9. Rose Elinor Dougall – All At Once
10. Haim – Little Of Your Love
11. Arcade Fire – Everything Now
12. Liam Gallagher – Come Back To Me
13. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – She Taught Me to Fly
14. U2 – You’re The Best Thing About Me
15. Royal Blood – Lights Out
16. Biffy Clyro – Friends and Enemies
17. Tears For Fears – I Love You But I’m Lost
18. Kasabian – You’re In Love With A Psycho
19. Lorde – Green Light
20. Arcade Fire – Creature Comfort
21. Kasabian – Bless This Acid House
22. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – If Love Is The Law
23. Bastille – Basketcase
24. Paloma Faith – Crybaby
25. John Hassell and the April Rainers – Intercity 125

Congratulations to Liam Gallagher, emulating his brother in winning this prize in 2011. Get in touch and I’ll arrange some sort of presentation when you’re in Belfast for Belsonic.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this rundown and discovered some new songs you had never heard before.

If you haven’t heard the winning song yet, here it is.

We’ll end, with the list of previous winners.

2016 The Strumbelles – Spirits
2015 Blossoms – Charlemagne
2014 Jamie T – Zombie
2013 Haim – The Wire
2012 Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
2011 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA …. What a Life
2010 Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
2009 Little Boots – New In Town
2008 Sons and Daughters – Darling
2007 Feist – 1,2,3,4
2006 Kasabian – Empire

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 3.11.2017

1. Arcade Fire – Creature Comfort
2. Jake Shears – Creep City
3. U2 – Get Out Of Your Own Way
4. Metallica – Don’t Look Back In Anger
5. Paloma Faith – Guilty

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 22.9.2017

1. Liam Gallagher – For What It’s Worth
2. U2 – You’re The Best Thing About Me
3. Beck – Up All Night
4. Shed Seven – Room In My House
5. T-Rex – 20th Century Boy

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 8.9.2017

1. U2 – You’re The Best Thing About Me
2. Ryan Adams – So Alive
3. Steely Dan – Dirty Work
4. Stereophonics – Caught By The Wind
5. Kasabian – Ill Ray

Guess what? I actually got a ticket for Ryan Adams. God bless last minute extra tickets going on sale.

Good luck to all those getting Liam Gallagher tickets this morning. At least with it being moved to The Odyssey from Ulster Hall, it won’t be as much of a scramble. Apologies for sounding smug, but i’ve already got one in the pre-sale.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 1.9.2017

1. U2 – The Blackout
2. Paloma Faith – Crybaby
3. Saint Etienne – Dive
4. Liam Gallagher – For What It’s Worth
5. Death From Above – Never Swim Alone

So, after the Kasabian concert was cancelled last week, a new date has been announced …… for 2018, with hysterical headlines about people being outrages, with three of whom dying.

If you’re dead, missing out on seeing Kasabian will be the least of your worries.

I thought they would have just slotted an Odyssey gig into their Winter tour, but I can see the logistical problems involved, so it made more sense to have it at the same venue. That meant it would have to be August 2018.

I can survive waiting a year to see Kasabian, seeing that Bananarama fans had to wait 28 years to see the band return to Belfast after a cancelled concert in 1989.

If you bought a Kangol bucket hat and a Stone Island parka for Kasabian, it won’t be going to waste, as Liam Gallagher comes to Ulster Hall in October. I’m hoping to get a ticket for this because I am neither a Potato or a Beige Boy.

Talking of Ulster Hall, anyone fancy sorting me out for a Ryan Adams ticket for next week?