Although this single was released in late 1983 and the title actually mentions Christmas, this song is not a very Christmassy affair.
Daryl Hall and John Oates usually recorded their songs together, but on this single, there is a separate side for each of them. 'Jingle bell rock' was recorded by Daryl Hall on one side, and John Oates on the other.
It's impossible to find information about the Dutch duo Nova, that recorded the single 'Christmas forever' in 1981. It was released but never charted, and the song is credited to E.O. MacDonald and H. Promes and recorded and mixed at 'Rena Sound' in Rotterdam. The single was released on the unknown MacProPoc label.
Most people know Wham's 'Last Christmas' - and about half of them love the song, the other half loathes it. It's a holiday staple every year, and more than a hundred covers of it exist.
Contrary to what people from abroad may think, Doe Maar's song 'Doris Day' was not a tribute to the American actress, but rather a complaint about the fact that there was never anything good on TV, just a film with Doris Day or a boring opera. The song suggests that it's better to turn off the one eyed monster and go out and have fun.
The writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland had several hits in the Sixties, as writers of songs by the Supremes, the Four Tops and the Isley Brothers. This single, 'Going back to my roots' by Odyssey was released in 1981 - the song was written by Lamont Dozier alone.
It's strange how a run of the mill disco track can sound quite good thirty years on. Freddie James recorded the track in 1979 and managed to get a worldwide hit with it, despite his age (he was just a young kid).
Double singles have always been irresistible to me, so when I spotted this one I bought it despite the fact that I didn't know the A-side track. Elton John is a classic singer/songwriter anyway, so most of his stuff is worth listening to. With the exception, perhaps, of 'Heartache all over the world', which is a piece of music that doesn't really go anywhere.
Aled Jones was born on December 29, 1970. He was raised in the small Welsh-speaking community of Llandegfan, in Anglesey and attended Ysgol David Hughes. Jones joined the choir of Bangor Cathedral at age nine and was lead soloist within two years. The remarkable clarity of his treble voice was appreciated by a member of the congregation, Hefina Orwig Evans, who wrote a letter to local record company Sain, and he was duly signed. In 1982 he won the Cerdd Dant solo competitions for competitors under 12 at the Urdd Eisteddfod.
Donna Summer's collaboration with Stock, Aitken & Waterman was short-lived, i.e. it only lasted for one album (1989's 'Another place and time'), but there were three singles taken from the album.
'When Smokey sings' was a comeback single of sorts for the band ABC. It was released as the first single from their fourth album 'Alphabet city' and their first big hit since 'All of my heart' almost five years previous.
Pat Boone was born on June 1, 1934 and was a successful pop singer in the Fifties and early Sixties. As a devout Christian, Boone refused songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards—including a role with sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. In his first film, 'April love', he refused to give co-star and love interest Shirley Jones an onscreen kiss, because the actress was married in real life.
I've known the English band Fiat Lux since 1984 when their single 'Secret' made quite an impression on me. For a long time I thought it was their debut single, but I was wrong: they actually started two years previous with the independently released single 'Feels like winter again'.
'John, I’m only dancing (again)' was released in 1979 as a reworking of David Bowie's 1972 track 'John, I'm only dancing', made during the sessions for the album Young Americans. The re-recording featured a much more funk-influenced take on the track. Originally running at 6:57, the track was cut for a 7" single release, but the full version was issued on 12" vinyl – the first Bowie single to have a regular 12" release in the UK. For the B-side, the original version of 'John, I'm only dancing' was remixed.
'Need you tonight' is one of those singles I never bought because by the time it was into the charts I was already sick of it. It must have been one of the most played tracks of 1987 and even now when INXS is remembered, it's usually for this song - although they have recorded much more interesting tracks before and after this.
The single 'Smalltown boy' was an instant hit upon its release in 1984. Part of this was due to the track, with a driving beat and haunting vocals, but the music video had a lot to do with it as well. It told the story of a boy moving to the big city after having issues with his parents - his father especially. It wouldn't be all too obvious if it weren't for the fact that the lead singer Jimmy Somerville was very vocal in gay rights groups.
The S.O.S Band first found fame in 1980 when they released 'Take your time (Do it right)'. Three years later they joined forces with the new production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who went on to have lots of success with Janet Jackson in the second half of the Eighties.
Kim Wilde has been presenting her radio show 'Secret songs' for two years now, and being a regular listener, this is one of the songs I picked up on recently. It was apparently a number 1 hit in the UK, when it was released as a single from their 1990 album 'Choke'.
'Mathema solfege' was only the third contribution of Greece to the Eurovision Song Contest, back in 1977. They started participating in 1974, two decades after the contest started. This song landed the country in the top 10, as the quartet consisting of Pascalis Arvanitidis, Marianna Toli, Robert Williams and Bessy Argyraki managed to get to fifth place.
I wasn't the first to discover the band Hurts this year, but when I did, I was glad. They have been described as a modern version of Black and the Blue Nile, and in a way there are - although the most obvious links would have to be the song titles ('Wonderful life' and 'Stay' respectively).
