December 24, 1981 - January 6, 1982

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Cover: Altered Images, Clare Grogan
Centrespread: Altered Images
Lyrics: One Of Us - Abba; Don't Walk Away - Four Tops; Hokey Cokey - The Snowmen; Waiting For A Girl Like You - Foreigner; Get Down On It - Kool and the Gang; Young Turks - Rod Stewart; You Could Have Been With Me - Sheena Easton; Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade; Wild Is The Wind - David Bowie; Here Is The News - ELO; I'll Find My Way Home - Jon and Vangelis; Footsteps - Showaddywaddy; Ant Rap - Adam and the Ants
The Pictures: Life In The European Theatre: Paul Weller, Bedders, Doug Trendle, Woody, Bruce Foxton, Rick Buckler, Peter Gabriel, Chrissy Boy; Haircut 100; Annabella
Bitz: Vince Clark quits Depeche Mode; Sting, Artemis '81; Meat Loaf; Michael Jackson; Adam and the Ants, Ants In Japan; Bucks Fizz; Dire Straits; Dramatis, Cedric Sharpley, Denis Haines, Russell Bell, Chris Payne; David Bowie; all time top ten: Peter Powell; personal file: Simon Le Bon
Nights Out: Cliff Richard; Human League; Club Zoo
Other: Readers Poll results 1981; The David Bowie Story (part two)

December 10 - 24, 1981

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Cover: The Human League
Centrespread: Japan
Back cover: Simon Le Bon
Interviews: Human League; Godley & Creme
Lyrics: I Could Be Happy - Altered Images; Don't You Want Me - Human League; Spirits In The Material World - Police; Sweet Dreams - Elvis Costello; It Must Be Love - Madness; Rock 'n' Roll - Status Quo; Buena Sera - Bad Manners; Hong Kong Garden - Siouxsie & the Banshees; Never In A Million Years - Boomtown Rats; The Land Of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz; Ride The Love Train - Light Of The World; Turn Your Love Around - George Benson; Wedding Bells - Godley & Creme; Love Needs No Disguise - Gary Numan And Dramatis; Dead Ringer - Meatloaf
The Pictures: the Queen, Adam Ant, Alvin Stardust, Lulu, Henry Cooper, John Inman; Motorhead; Julian Cope, Richard Jobson
Bitz: Vinyl Frontier: Yes, Diana Ross, Dave Edmunds, Abba; Queen, Blondie, Siouxsie video compilations; the Birthday Party; Cliff Richard and his mum; the Beatles; Methods of Dance; Dare picture disc; Brian Setzer; Orange Juice, Edwyn Collins, David McClymont, Malcolm Ross; Zeka Mehmet; all time top ten - Nick Heyward; personal file - Martin Fry
Single reviews (Ian Birch): I Could Be Happy - Altered Images; Ant Rap - Adam And The Ants; Sweet Dreams - Elvis Costello and the Attractions; North London Boy - Incognito; Young Turks - Rod Stewart; Eddie's Out: Jazz The Glass - Cabaret Voltaire; Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade; Things I Do For You - Jacksons; Radio Clash - Clash; Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Mysteroids; Shout - Lulu & the Luvvers; What's Funk? - Perry Haines; Love Needs No Disguise - Gary Numan and Dramatis; Friday 13th EP - Damned; Six Guns - Anti-Pasta; Spirits In The Material World - Police; It Must Be Love - Madness
Album reviews (Fred Dellar / Ian Cranna / Beverly Hillier / Red Starr / Ian Birch / Neil Tennant / Mike Stand / David Bostock): For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) - AC/DC; Adventures In Clubland - Modern Romance; LC - Durutti Column; Boonoonoonoos - Boney M; Ten Out Of 10 - 10cc; Chasanova - Chas Jankel; Monument - Beggar & Co; A Christmas Record - Various Artists; Jools Holland And His Millionaires - Jools Holland And His Millionaires; Catherine Wheel - David Byrne; Let The Four Winds Blow - Tenpole Tudor; The Red And The Black - Jerry Harrison; Total Exposure - Poison Girls
Nights Out: OMD; Linx
Other: The David Bowie Story (part one)

November 26 - December 9, 1981

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Cover: Haircut One Hundred
Centrespread: Soft Cell
Back cover: Olivia Newton-John
Interviews: Tenpole Tudor; Haircut One Hundred; Modern Romance; Eddie & Sunshine
Lyrics: Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie; The Voice - Ultravox; I Go To Sleep - Pretenders; Flashback - Imagination; Steppin' Out - Kool & The Gang; Good Morning Universe - Toyah; Mirror Mirror - Dollar; Yes Tonight Josephine - The Jets; My Own Way - Duran Duran; Never Again - Classic Nouveaux; Let's Groove - Earth Wind And Fire; Can't Help Myself - Linx; Me And Mr. Sanchez - Blue Rondo A La Turk; Alternative Title (Randy Scouse Git) - Monkees; Daddy's Home - Cliff Richard
The Pictures: Club Left, Bernie Rhodes, Vic Goddard; Eugene Reynolds; Heavy Metal; St. Cuthbert's Grammar School, Gordon Sumner, Sting
Bitz: Toyah, the Queen Mother; Gary Glitter; Human League 100; Mel Smith; Blue Rondo A La Turk; Richard Jobson, Dog Beneath The Skin; Teardrop Explodes, Ron Francois; Adam Ant; Squeeze, Don Snow; Kool & the Gang; all time top ten: Joanne & Susanne of the Human League; personal file: Dave Ball
Single reviews (Dave Rimmer): Can't Help Myself - Linx; Flashback - Imagination; Another Teardrop - Eddie Maelov And Sunshine Patterson; Don't You Want Me - Human League; The Land Of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz; Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko; I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day - Wizzard; Four More From Toyah - Toyah; My Own Way - Duran Duran; Stranger In The House - George Jones And Elvis Costello; It Goes WAAP - Higsons; Don't Spy On Me - Tot Taylor; Spanish Cabaret - Havana Let's Go; Cumberland Gap / Wabash Cannonball / Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O - Shakin' Pyramids and Loonie Donegan; Been Teen - Dolly Mixture; What A Waste - Ian Dury; We Kill The World - Boney M; Fast Boyfriends - Girls At Our Best; Never In A Million Years - Boomtown Rats; You Still Believe In Me - Kirsty MacColl; Hit It - The Beat; You Could Have Been With Me - Sheena Easton
Album reviews (Ian Cranna / Fred Dellar / Johnny Black / Ian Birch / Pete Silverton / Beverly Hillier / Neil Tennant / Red Starr): Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret - Soft Cell; Jukebox Dury - Ian Dury And The Blockheads; Wilder - Teardrop Explodes; Tonight - Four Tops; Best Of Rainbow - Rainbow; Joy - Skids; Changestwobowie - David Bowie; La Folie - Stranglers; Something Special - Kool & The Gang; Movement - New Order; Gold Und Lieb - Deutsch Amerikanische Freudshaft; Live - Jacksons
Nights Out: Altered Images

November 12 - 25, 1981

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Cover: Kim Wilde
Centrespread: The Beat
Back cover: Altered Images
Interviews: Kim Wilde; ABC; Scritti Politti; Gillan; Soft Cell
Lyrics: Throwing My Baby Out With The Bathwater - Tenpole Tudor; Cambodia - Kim Wilde; Paint Me Down - Spandau Ballet; Liars A To E - Dexy's Midnight Runners; Tears Are Not Enough - ABC; Favourite Shirt (Boy Meets Girl) - Haircut 100; Colours Fly Away - Teardrop Explodes; Rockin' Robin - Michael Jackson; Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Diana Ross; When She Was My Girl - Four Tops; Love Me Tonight - Trevor Walters; Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey - Modern Romance; Bedsitter - Soft Cell; Keep It Dark - Genesis; Tom Sawyer - Rush
The Pictures: Phil Oakey; Clare Grogan; Paul Weller, Vaughn Toulouse, CND rally; Fad Gadget
Bitz: vinyl frontier: Professionals, I Didn't See It Coming; AC/DC, For Those About To Rock; Pink Floyd, A Collection Of Great Dance Songs; Pete Shelley, Homosapien; Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady; Blondie; Richard Jobson, The Ballad Of Etiquette; Dexys Midnight Runners, Projected Passion Revue, Old Vic Theatre; Beatles, Leave My Kitten Alone; Haircut One Hundred, Nick Heyward; The Gas, Emotional Warfare; Adam And The Ants, Royal Variety Show; The Monkees; Jools Holland; Altered Images; the Four Tops; all time top 10: Barbara Gaskin; personal file: Geoff Deane
Single reviews (Johnny Black): Liars A To E - Dexy's Midnight Runners; Suffer The Children - Tears For Fears; Let's Groove - Earth Wind & Fire; Another Latin Love Song - Belle Stars; Throwing My Baby Out With The Bathwater - Tenpole Tudor; We Got The Beat - Go-Gos; Colours Fly Away - Teardrop Explodes; I Go To Sleep - Pretenders; I Want - Department S; Dancing Like A Gun - John Foxx; Imitate The Worm - It's Immaterial; Me And Mr Sanchez - Blue Rondo A La Turk; Young And Hip - Virna Lindt; Visions Of China - Japan; Sweat In Ballet - Simple Minds; Paint Me Down - Spandau Ballet; Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey - Modern Romance; Iona - Skids; Don't Turn Me Away - 10cc; This Is Your Lunch - Slow Twitch Fibres; Extended Player - Godot
Album reviews (Ian Birch / Pete Silverton / Beverly Hillier / Mike Stand / Ian Cranna / Fred Dellar / Mark Ellen ): Prince Charming - Adam And The Ants; Living Eyes - Bee Gees; Tin Drum - Japan; Controversy - Prince; Speak And Spell - Depeche Mode; Exit...Stage Left - Rush; Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Diana Ross; A Thin Red Line - TV21; Raise! - Earth, Wind & Fire; Incontinent - Fad Gadget; From The Lion's Mouth - The Sound; Gonna Ball - Stray Cats
Nights Out: Bowwowwow

October 29 - November 11, 1981

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Cover: Fun Boy Three
Centrespread: Human League
Back cover: Orchestral Manouevres
Interviews: Fun Boy Three; Girls At Our Best!; Julian Cope; Japan
Lyrics: Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Police; The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum) - Fun Boy Three; Labelled With Love - Squeeze; You Don't Believe Me - Stray Cats; Tunnel Of Love - Dire Straits; Twilight - ELO; Hold Me - B.A. Robertson & Maggie Bell; And Then She Kissed Me - Gary Glitter; Dead Cities - Exploited; Nightmare - Gillan; Tonight I'm Yours - Rod Stewart; Physical - Olivia Newton-John; Paperback Writer - Beatles; Charlotte Sometimes - Cure
The Pictures: Grace Jones; Kevin Rowland, Killjoys; Ranking Roger, Joe Strummer; Gary Price, Toyah Willcox
Bitz: Vinyl Frontier: Kim Wilde, Cambodia; Spandau Ballet, Paint Me Down; Teardrop Explodes, Colours Fly Away; Japan, Tin Drum; Duran Duran; Skids, Joy, Iona; Elvis Costello, Almost Blue, South Bank Show; Hazel O'Connor, Cover Plus, Uncovered Plus!; Blondie Fan Club; Chas Smash, Lee Thompson; Paul Weller, December Child, The Jam; Police Rubik's Cube; Bev Hillier, Toyah makeover; Police tour; Tom Tom Club; Martin Fry; all time top twelve: Elvis Costello; personal file: Clare Grogan
Single reviews (Dave Rimmer): Tears Are Not Enough - ABC; Sunny Day - Pigbag; The "Sweetest Girl" - Scritti Politti; Don't Stop The Music - Bits And Pieces; The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum) - Fun Boy Three; Barbed Wire Hale - Annie Anxiety; Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Police; Penthouse And Pavement - Heaven 17; Soul Warfare - Hot Gossip; Anti-Freeez - Freeez; Bedsitters - Soft Cell; Princess Of The Night - Saxon; I Don't Know What It Is - Pete Shelley; Different Strokes - Angelic Upstarts; You Don't Believe Me - Stray Cats; Chihuahua - Bowwowwow; The Voice - Ultravox; Our Love Will Last For Ever - The Hassans; Fools - Bumble And The Beez; Histoire A Suivre - Honeymoon Killers; Young And Hip - Virna Lindt
Album reviews (Ian Cranna / David Hepworth / Fred Dellar / Mark Ellen / Red Starr / Mike Stand / Beverly Hillier): Architecture And Morality - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark; Go Ahead - Linx; Double Trouble - Gillan; Almost Blue - Elvis Costello And The Attractions; This Is The Ice Age - Martha And The Muffins; No Cause For Concern - Vice Squad; Mask - Bauhaus; Everlasting Love - Rex Smith; And Then He Kissed Me - Rachel Sweet; Body Talk - Imagination; Still - Joy Division; In Heaven - The Meteors; Gosh It's... - Bad Manners

October 15 - 28, 1981

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Cover: Duran Duran
Centrespread: Madness
Back cover: Hazel O'Connor
Interviews: UB40; Laurie Anderson; Altered Images; Madness; Duran Duran
Lyrics: Absolute Beginners - The Jam; It's Raining - Shakin' Stevens; Lock Up Your Daughters - Slade; I'm So Glad - Crusaders / Joe Cocker; Love All The Hurt Away - Aretha Franklin / George Benson; Quiet Life - Japan; Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin; The Jam Was Moving - Debbie Harry; Good Year For The Roses - Elvis Costello; Joan Of Arc - Orchestral Manoeuvres; We're In This Love Together - Al Jarreau; Love Has Come Around - Donald Byrd; Europa & The Pirate Twins - Thomas Dolby
The Pictures: David Bowie, Baal; "Cool Cats", Tony Stewart, Johnny Rotten; Fun Boy Three; Steve Strange; "The NME Guide To Rock Cinema", Fred Dellar, Sting, The Seduction Of Inga
Bitz: Vinyl Frontier: Queen, David Bowie, Under Pressure; Pretenders, I Go To Sleep; OMD; Paul McCartney, Rupert; Kim Carnes, Marty Feldman's Eyes, Bruce Baum, Sammy Davis Eyes, Debbie Harry's Thighs; Thomas Dolby; Adam, Prince Charming; Chicago bans portable cassettes and headphones; Morrocci Klung! cassette fanzine, Bob Pierce; BBC bans Invisible Sun video; Simple Minds, Simple Feelings Call; Gary Numan arrested in Visakhapatnam; Al Jarreau, Donald Byrd; all time top 10: Joan Armatrading; personal file: Biff Byford
Single reviews (Fred Dellar): Absolute Beginners - The Jam; The Jam Was Moving - Debbie Harry; L.O.V.E...Love - Orange Juice; Make Believe - Thompson Twins; Jobsworth - Fred Wedlock; It's Only Love - Gary U.S. Bonds; Tonight I'm Yours - Rod Stewart; L'Image Craque - Hambi And The Dance; I Am A Camera - Buggles; Message Oblique Speech - Associates; Yello - Bostich; Favourite Shirts - Haircut One Hundred; Mama Used To Say - Junior; All Black And Hairy - Screaming Lord Sutch;
Album reviews (David Hepworth / Dave Rimmer / Tim de Lisle / Mark Ellen / David Bostock / Mike Stand / Pete Silverton): Dare - Human League; Return Of The Giant Slits - Slits; See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy! - Bowwowwow; In The Garden - Eurythmics; Jump Street - Rose Royce; Work Our Way To Heaven - Cuban Heels; Chances Are - Bob Marley; Beat Noir - Fingerprintz; The Best Of Blondie - Blondie; Blue Nun - Carlene Carter; Present Arms In Dub - UB40
Nights Out: Ultravox
Other: fan clubs; Shakin' Stevens - illustrated biography

October 1 - 14, 1981

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Cover: Phil Oakey
Centrespread: Ultravox
Interviews: Human League; Linx; The Creatures; Heebeegeebees; Police
Lyrics: Thunder In The Mountain - Toyah; Open Your Heart - Human League; It's My Party - Dave Stewart; Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode; Mule (Chant No. 2) - Spandau Ballet; It Will Be Alright - Odyssey; Walking In The Sunshine - Bad Manners; Mad Eyed Screamer - The Creatures; Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club; Quite Ahead Of My Time - David Bowwow; Get Off Of My Cloud - Rolling Stones; Invisible Sun - Police; You Sure Look Good To Me - Phyllis Hyman; Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
The Pictures: BowWowWow; Gary Numan; The Groovy Cellar; The Move; Barso; Bananarama
Bitz: Stray Cats, Orange Juice, Adam, Wah!, Gillan, The Jam, Bauhaus; Tom Tom Club; Billy Idol; Ian Cranna, The Crucial Three; Alexei Sayle, The Comic Strip; The Higsons: Simon Charterton, Stewart McGeachin, Terry Edwards, Colin Wilson, Switch Higson; Julian Cope, Teardrop Explodes; Ugh! A Music War; Pointed Portraits, Chalkie Davies; Madness, Take It Or Leave It; Something Else; all time top ten: Suggs; personal file: Doug Trendle
Single reviews (Ian Birch): Invisible Sun - Police; Good Year For The Roses - Elvis Costello; Open Your Heart - Human League; Thunder In The Mountains - Toyah; Labelled With Love - Squeeze; Walking In The Sunshine - Bad Manners; Everything's Gone Green / Procession - New Order; Being Cool - Devo; The Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club; Mony Mony - Billy Idol; See That Girl - Kirsty MacColl; The Crusher - The Cramps; A - Associates; Living In My Limousine - Bill Nelson; Tunnel Of Love - Dire Straits; She's Fallen In Love With The Monster Men - Revillos;
Album reviews (Mark Ellen / Robin Katz / Deanne Pearson / Dave Rimmer / Pete Silverton / Ian Birch / David Hepworth / Tim De Lisle / Steve Bush / Ian Cranna): Ghost In The Machine - The Police; Wired For Sound - Cliff Richard; Rhythm Breaks The Ice - Bette Bright; Tom Tom Club - Tom Tom Club; Denim & Leather - Saxon; Homosapien - Pete Shelley; Abacab - Genesis; Ismism - Godley & Creme; You Could Have Been With Me - Sheena Easton; 7 - Madness; Thirty Thousand Feet Over China - The Passions; The Garden - John Foxx
Nights Out: Depeche Mode
Other: Barry

September 17 - 30, 1981

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Cover: Gary Numan
Centrespread: Depeche Mode
Back cover: Modern Romance
Interviews: Gary Numan; Heaven 17, Simple Minds, Meatloaf, Pointer Sisters
Lyrics: So This Is Romance - Linx; Shut Up - Madness; Feeding Time - The Look; Play To Win - Heaven 17; Wired For Sound - Cliff Richard; Pretend - Alvin Stardust; Just Another Broken Heart - Sheena Easton; Urgent - Foreigner; Under Your Thumb - Godley & Creme; I'm Lucky - Joan Armatrading; Shooting Gallery - Shakin' Stevens; I'm Gonna Love Her - Meat Loaf; Time Waits For No One - The Jacksons; Hands Up (Gimme Your Heart) - Ottawan; In And Out Of Love - Imagination
Bitz: Bob Marley; Madness; Alvin Stardust; all-time top ten: Peter Murphy; medley records, Boy George; Ari Up and her mum; Adam & the Ants; Orchestral Manoeuvres; personal file: Marc Almond
Single reviews (Tim De Lisle): Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode; Lenny Bruce - Bob Dylan; Woody & Dutch On The Slow Train To Peking - Rickie Lee Jones; Repeat Repeat - Peter Baumann; Shut Up - Madness; Prince Charming - Adam And The Ants; Funny Face - Sparks; Some Girls Have All The Luck - Bette Bright And The Illuminations; Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie; Love All The Hurt Away - Aretha Franklin & George Benson; You Scare Me To Death - Marc Bolan; It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To) - Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin; Happy Birthday - Stevie Wonder; Who Killed Bambi - Tenpole Tudor with the Sex Pistols; Holiday Inn Spain (Don't Fall Off The Mountain) - Raybeats
Album reviews (Dave Rimmer / Pete Silverton / Johnny Black / Fred Dellar / Beverly Hillier / Ian Cranna / Mark Ellen / Mike Stand): Penthouse And Pavement - Heaven 17; Lord Upminster - Ian Dury; Dance - Gary Numan; Shaky - Shakin' Stevens; Rage In Eden - Ultravox; Standing Tall - Crusaders; Happy Birthday - Altered Images; Sleep No More - Comsat Angels; Dead Ringer - Meat Loaf
Independent Albums: 77 - Early Years - 79 - The Fall (Step Forward); Hommages - Gavin Bryars (Les Disques du Crepuscule)
Independent Singles: O Superman / Walk The Dog - Laurie Anderson; Woah Yeah! - Jo Callis (Shake Project: Pop Aural); Subliminal / Random Particles - Drinking Electricity (Survival); Hit The Moon / One True Way - Ellery Bop (Base Ideas); A Full Rotation / The Body Cries - Repetition (Les Disques du Crepuscule); Rockabilly Guy / Chicken Shack - Polecats (Nervous); Constipation Shake / Devil's Guitar - Legendary Lonnie (Nervous); Heart Attack / Spellbound - The Deltas (Nervous); City Lights / Rockabilly Stroll - Rockin' Johnnie Austin (Nervous); All The Time / Born To Be A Raver / Two Time Loser / Rockabilly Queen - Rockin' Johnnie Austin / The Feds (Nervous)

I'm sure Oscar Wilde enjoyed a nice leg of mutton

Tom Hibbert interviews Morrissey, January 1985.

September 3 - 16, 1981

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Cover: Toyah
Centrespread: The Pretenders
Back cover: Soft Cell
Interviews: Toyah; Ian Dury; OMD; The Exploited; Ultravox
Lyrics: She's Got Claws - Gary Numan; Spasticus Autisticus - Ian Dury; Souvenir - Orchestral Manoeuvres; Abacab - Genesis; Hand Held In Black And White - Dollar; Japanese Boy - Aneka; One Of These Nights - Bucks Fizz; Sugar Doll - The Jets; Love Song - Simple Minds; Jole Blon - Gary U.S. Bonds; Virginia Plain - Roxy Music; Slow Hand - Pointer Sisters; You'll Never Know - Hi-Gloss; Rainy Night In Georgia - Randy Crawford; As Time Goes By - Funkapolitan
Bitz: all-time top ten: Dave Gahan; personal file: David Sylvian; Meat Loaf; Gary Numan; the Police, Miles Copeland, Mary Tegg; Portsmouth Sinfonia; Island Records, Hot You're Hot; Bill Wyman; Spandau Ballet, Steve Strange
Single reviews (Pete Silverton): Spasticus Autisticus - Ian Dury; So This Is Romance - Linx; Day After Day - Pretenders; Cadillac Ranch - Bruce Springsteen; The Swimmer - Passions; Punks Of 76 Medley - Friendly Hopefuls; Classical Muddly - Portsmouth Sinfonia; Inconvenience - Au Pairs; Europe After The Rain - John Foxx; Play To Win - Heaven 17; She's Got Claws - Gary Numan; Souvenir - OMD; Earthbeat - Slits; Start Me Up - Rolling Stones; Go! Go! Go! - Rip Rig & Panic; Homosapien - Pete Shelley; In & Out Of Love - Imagination
Album reviews (Pete Silverton / Mark Ellen / Red Starr / Johnny Black / Dave Rimmer): Sticky George - Korgis; Sirens In The City - Black Slate; Cover Plus - Hazel O'Connor; Double Album - Simple Minds; Compass Point - Desmond Dekker; Red Mecca - Cabaret Voltaire; The Electric Spanking Of War Babies - Funkadelic; The New Traditionalists - Devo

RIP Tom Hibbert

At Smash Hits in the mid-80s, he helped invent a cartoon fantasy world in which everyone interviewed seemed to exhibit the same slapstick characteristics. All his subjects – Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Bucks Fizz, John Lydon – were delightfully over-exaggerated, as mischievous and eccentric as their interrogator.

August 20 - September 2, 1981

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Cover: Annabella Lwin
Centrespread: Tenpole Tudor
Back cover: Julian Cope
Interviews: Pretenders; Funkapolitan; Spandau Ballet; Theatre Of Hate; Bowwowwow
Lyrics: The Thin Wall - Ultravox; Day After Day - Pretenders; Passionate Friend - Teardrop Explodes; Love Action - Human League; Lawnchairs - Our Daughter's Wedding; Walking Into Sunshine - Central Line; Everybody Salsa - Modern Romance; International Jet Set - Specials; Rock Lobster - B-52's; Draw Of The Cards - Kim Carnes; Prince Of Darkness - BowWowWow; Hold On Tight - ELO; Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks; Inside Outside - Classix Nouveaux
Bitz: Human League, Jo Callis; Stranglers tour; all time top ten: John Peel; Tenpole Tudor, June Mo-Dette and their parents; Funkapolitan tour; Skids, Richard Jobson, Russell Webb, Scottish roots; Teardrop Explodes; Shakin' Stevens; personal file: Gary Glitter; "Stars On 45", "Back To The Sixties", Gidea Park; "Hooked On Classics", Royal Philharmonic Orchestra;
Single reviews (Charlie Gillet): Release The Bats - Birthday Party; State Of Independence - Jon and Vangelis; Wired For Sound - Cliff Richard; Feeding Time - The Look; Turn That Noise Down - Chas and Dave; Rainy Night In Georgia - Randy Crawford; Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me - Quincy Jones; Crazy 'Bout And Automobile / The Very Thing That Makes You Rich - Ry Cooder; Try - Bore-town Bop; (They'd) Both Be Here Today - Lucky Saddles; Mother's Hour - Ludus
Album reviews (Johnny Black / Dave Rimmer / Pete Silverton / Mark Ellen / Deanne Pearson): Time - ELO; Beauty And The Beast - Go-Go's; Jungle Law - Philip Rambow; Brain Damage - Dennis Bovell; Pirates - Rickie Lee Jones; Wheels In Motion - Any Trouble; Short Back N' Sides - Ian Hunter; Here Comes The Night - David Johansen

August 6 - 19, 1981

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Cover: Debbie Harry
Centrespread: Duran Duran
Back cover: Dexy's Midnight Runners
Interviews: Debbie Harry; Saxon; Soft Cell; Undertones; Randy Crawford
Lyrics: Wunderbar - Tenpole Tudor; Backfired - Debbie Harry; Green Door - Shakin' Stevens; Water On Glass - Kim Wilde; Bring On The Night - Police; (Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star - Bill Wyman; Chemistry - Nolans; Tainted Love - Soft Cell; I'm In Love - Evelyn King; I Love You, Yes I Love You - Eddy Grant; Arabian Knights - Siouxsie & The Banshees; On The Beat - B.B.& Q. Band; She's A Bad Mama Jama - Carl Carlton; Happy Birthday - Stevie Wonder; We're Almost There - Michael Jackson
Bitz: Linx tour; personal file: Pamela Stephenson; Chrissie Hynde, Pretenders; Hazel O'Connor; "Start Swimming" (Stiff): Bush Tetras, Fleshtones, Bongos, Raybeats, dBs; Rolling Stones, Tattoo You; Polecats; Echo And The Bunnymen fils: "Shine So Hard", "The Italian Job"; "Jambo", Dave Ward, Paul Weller; "Fire Escape To The Sky - The God-like Genius Of Scott Walker", Julian Cope; "Rock On The Tyne", Gateshead Stadium; Andy Partridge and his mum; Siouxsie and the Banshees; Marc Bolan, "You Scare Me To Death"; "L'Historio Bandido", Phil Sutcliffe, Hugh Fielder; OK Jive (Chopper, Ruby Jive, Lee Partis, Datsun Cherry, Bavon Wayne Wayne); all time top ten: Kim Wilde; Elvis Costello, Billy Sherrill; Havana Let's Go!, "Torpedoes"; Hot Gossip, Richard Burgess, John Walters; TV21; Ultravox tour
Single reviews (David Hepworth): As The Time Goes By - Funkapolitan; Arabian Knights - Siouxsie And The Banshees; I Am - Kid Creole And The Coconuts; Backfired - Debbie Harry; Love Action - Human League; I've Seen That Face Before - Grace Jones; Inside Out - Classix Nouveaux; Everybody Salsa / Salsa Rhapsody - Modern Romance; Bowwowwow - Prince Of Darkness; To You - O.K. Jive; Slick Trick - Belle Stars; Wunderbar - Tenpole Tudor; Water On Glass - Kim Wilde; Shaggy Raggy - Jona Lewie
Album reviews (Ian Cranna / Robin Katz / Beverly Hillier / Dave Rimmer / Johnny Diamond / Johnny Black / Pete Silverton): Icehouse - Icehouse; Precious Time - Pat Benatar; I'm In Love - Evelyn King; See The Whirl - Delta 5; Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks; 4 - Foreigner; Desperate Character; Pretenders II - Pretenders
Independent Albums (Red Starr): Document And Eye Witness - Wire (Rough Trade); Odyshape - Raincoats (Rough Trade); The Egg Store Ilk - Richard Earl (Pilot); The Only Fun In Town - Josef K (Postcard); Action Battlefield - New Age Steppers (Statik); Pindrop - The Passage (Object Music)

Like Punk Never Happened!

Dave Rimmer's classic account of New Pop, Like Punk Never Happened, has been republished by Faber.

It is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.

There's a Facebook page, where you can tell Dave how fantastic he is. And you can watch Dave explain the origin of the book's title (and name of your favourite Smash Hits archive blog) here.

July 23 - August 5, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Steve Strange
Centrespread: Kim Wilde
Back cover: Peter Murphy
Interviews: Steve Strange; Kate Bush; Third World; Bad Manners; Rusty Egan
Lyrics: Tempted - Squeeze; Show Me - Dexy's Midnight Runners; One In Ten - UB40; Stars On 45 (2) - Starsound; Julie Ocean - Undertones; Lay Your Love On Me - Abba; Jumpin' Jive - Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive; Young Americans - David Bowie; Motorhead - Motorhead; Walk Right Now - Jacksons; Girls On Film - Duran Duran; A Promise - Echo & The Bunnymen; Never Surrender - Saxon; C'Mon Let's Go - Girlschool; We're All Grown Up - Hazel O'Connor
Bitz: Gary Numan, Paul Gardiner; Siouxsie And The Banshees; Tenpole Tudor, "Tenpole 45"; Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles; Debbie Harry; Police; Eddie Kidd, "Riding High", all time (disco) top ten: Phil Oakey; Mark Bedford and his mum; Joe Jackson; Clare Grogan, "Gregory's Girl"; Toyah; personal file: Kelly Johnson
Single reviews (Johnny Black): Julie Ocean - Undertones; Girl's Imagination - Del-Byzanteens; Slow Hand - Pointer Sisters; Tempted - Squeeze; Happy Birthday - Stevie Wonder; A Promise - Echo And The Bunnymen; Show Me - Dexy's Midnight Runners; My Baby Does Her Hairdo Long - Kimberley Rew; Girls On Film - Duran Duran; Throw Some Water In - Sprout Head Uprising; You Are Forever - Smokey Robinson; Stormtrooper In Drag - Paul Gardiner; Ten Don'ts For Honeymooners - Monochrome Set
Album reviews (Fred Dellar / Beverly Hillier / Mark Ellen / Pete Silverton / David Hepworth ): The Friends Of Mr. Cairo - Jon & Vangelis; Hot - The Equators; I Got The Melody - Odyssey; 2,000,000 Voices - Angelic Upstarts; Winners - The Brothers Johnson; Was (Not Was) - Was (Not Was); Pleasant Dreams - Ramones; Kim Wilde - Kim Wilde
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Lips That Would Kiss / Madeleine - Durutti Column (Factory Benelux); Je Veux Ton Amour / Oyo Achel Ada - Section 25 (Factory Benelux); Live On A Hot August Night: The Presence / Concorde Square - Crispy Ambulance (Factory Benelux); 23 Skidoo / Subliminal - Eric Random (Crepuscule) Dow Chemical Company / Skin Deep - Eric Random (New Hormones); Neu Swell - A Flux Of Pink Indians (Crass Records)
Independent Albums (Red Starr): Solo Album - Various Artists (Various Artists); Bagpipe Music - Art Objects (Heartbeat Records); Boyd Rice - Boyd Rice (Mute); Odyshape - Raincoats (Rough Trade); Document And Eye Witness - Wire (Rough Trade); Kangaroo? - Red Crayola (Rough Trade)
Other: Smash Hits Book Of Pop Lists, Part 3

“I hoped that people might stumble across the scans and get a kick out of reading them.”

In June 1979, a 10-year-old from Derry, Ireland, Brian McCloskey, visited some family in Northern Ireland. There, he and his mother went to a newsstand, where she bought him his first issue of Smash Hits, a cheeky London pop magazine that, among the features and reviews, printed lyrics to hit songs.

July 9 - 22, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Depeche Mode
Centrespread: Mo-Dettes
Back cover: Buster Bloodvessel
Interviews: Depeche Mode; Modern Eon; Imagination; Tom Tom Club; Killing Joke
Lyrics: Chant No. 1 - Spandau Ballet; New Life - Depeche Mode; Take It On The Run - REO Speedwagon; Better Things - The Kinks; Pretty In Pink - Psychedelic Furs; Wordy Rappinghood - Tom Tom Club; Sat In Your Lap - Kate Bush; Can't Happen Here - Rainbow; Visage - Visage; Razzamatazz - Quincy Jones; Memory - Elaine Page; For Your Eyes Only - Sheena Easton; Statue Of Liberty - XTC; You Might Need Somebody - Randy Crawford; No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bitz: Rainbow; Specials; all time top ten: Barbara Gogan; "Rock At The Bowl", Milton Keynes; The Distractions: Arthur Kadmon, Mike Finney; The Passions: David Agar; Accent: John Webb; Eurythmics: Dave Stewart, Annie Lennox; Spandau Ballet, Beggar and Co; Hazel O'Connor; Stray Cats; Pretenders; personal file: Mike Read; Artemis 81: Sting, Hywell Bennett; Bad Manners; Mo-Dettes, Chris Neil; Gerry Cott quits Boomtown Rats; Shakin' Stevens; Pigbag; Urgh! A Music War, Derek Burbidge; The Book With No Name
Single reviews (Red Starr): Skin Deep - Passions; Chant No. 1 - Spandau Ballet; Visage - Visage; 20,000 Dreamers - Original Mirrors; Animals Have More Fun - Jimmy Pursey; When You Were Mine - Bette Bright; The Trouble With Love - Any Trouble; Thomas - Troy Tate; I Can't Get 'Bouncing Babies' By The Teardrop Explodes - Freshies; Q. Quarters - Associates; Sat In Your Lap - Kate Bush; One Step Ahead - Split Enz; Tonight - Mo-Dettes; To Hell With Poverty - Gang Of Four; Novel Romance - Nash The Slash; We Can Get Together - Ice House; The Passion Of Lovers - Bauhaus
Album reviews (Red Starr / Robin Katz / Johnny Black / Ian Cranna / Fred Dellar / Deanne Pearson): Alphabravocharliedeltaechofoxtrotgolf - Models; Black & White - Pointer Sisters;Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive - Joe Jackson; Nah = Poo - The Art Of Bluff - Wah!; Perfect Timing - Kiki Dee; Polecats Are Go - Polecats; Life Is A Grand… - Henry Badowski
Independent Bitz (Mark Milligan): The Associates
Other: Smash Hits Book Of Pop Lists, Part 2

June 25 - July 8, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Kirsty MacColl
Centrespread: Shakin' Stevens
Back cover: Siouxsie
Interviews: Kirsty MacColl; Crass; Adam & Marco & The Ants
Lyrics: Me No Pop I - Kid Creole & The Coconuts; There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop, etc. - Kirsty MacColl; Wikka Wrap - The Evasions; No Laughing In Heaven - Gillan; The Race Is On - Dave Edmunds & The Stray Cats; Going Left Right - Department S; Take It To The Top - Kool & The Gang; Multiplication - Showadyywaddy; Aquarama - The Scars; Piece Of The Action - Bucks Fizz; If Leaving Me Is Easy - Phil Collins; Liar - Graham Bonnet; The River - Bruce Springsteen; Dancing On The Floor - Third World; Doors Of My Heart - The Beat
Bitz: Chris Sievey, "I Can't Get Bouncing Babies By The Teardrop Explodes"; Doctor Feelgood, Johnny Guitar; David Bowie, "Wir Kinder Vom Bahnhof Zoo"; Kim Carnes; Wah!, John Maher, "Nah Poo - The Art Of Bluff"; Bruce Springsteen, "Nicholas Nickleby", "The Elton Tapes", Andy Peebles; personal file: John Taylor; Iggy Pop; Undertones; Virni Lindt, Thomas Johannson; all time top ten: Johnnie Fingers
Single reviews (Tim De Lisle): Going Left Right - Department S; Wordy Rappinghood - Tom Tom Club; Not A Second Time - Robert Palmer; Hiawatha - Belle Stars; Doors Of Your Heart - The Beat; Martin's Gone - Sector 27; If You Want To Be Happy - Joe Dolce; Gotta Stop Messin' About - Prince; Shadowed - Fingerprintz; The Race Is On - Dave Edmunds with the Stray Cats; Poison Takes A Hold - Play Dead; Dancing The Night Away - Motors; Just For Tonight - Holly And The Italians; Better Things - The Kinks
Album reviews (Fred Dellar / Ian Birch / Beverly Hillier / Geoffrey Deane / Red Starr / Ian Cranna ): What's This For - Killing Joke; Rock The World - Third World; The Last Words Of The Great Explorer - TV Smith's Explorers; Duran Duran - Duran Duran; Magic, Murder And The Weather - Magazine; Juju - Siouxsie & The Banshees; A Product Of... - The Thompson Twins; Wanted Dread & Alive - Peter Tosh; Season Of Glass - Yoko Ono; Fiction Tales - Modern Eon; You Know It's Me - Barbara Dickson
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Forget The Down On Us / Checkmate Syndrome - Wah! (Eternal); Number Eleven / Namegame - Dead Or Alive (Inevitable); Giant Raft In The Philippines / No Place For A Prompter - It's Immaterial (Inevitable); You / Domestic Departure / Kerb Crawler - Au Pairs (021); Political / General - Musical Youth (021); Boys Game / Different Story - Tarzan 5 (021)
Independent Albums (Red Starr): Live At The Lyceum - Cabaret Voltaire (Rough Tapes); Whatever Happens Next - Swell Maps(Rough Trade); Penis Envy - Crass (Crass Records)
Other: Crystal Palace Garden Party: Madness, Tenpole Tudor, Ultravox; Smash Hits Book Of Pop Lists, Part 1

Universal access to all knowledge

The Smash Hits archive is now part of the Internet Archive.

June 11 - 24, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Adam Ant
Centrespread: Linx
Back cover: The Human League
Interviews: Adam And The Ants; Whitesnake; Squeeze
Lyrics: Ghost Town - Specials; Would I Lie To You - Whitesnake; You'll Never Be So Wrong - Hot Chocolate; All Stood Still - Ultravox; Spellbound - Siouxsie & The Banshees; Throw Away The Key - Linx; Body Talk - Imagination; Nobody Wins - Elton John; All Those Years Ago - George Harrison; Going Back To My Roots - Odyssey; One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson; More Than In Love - Kate Robbins; Will You - Hazel O'Connor; Let's Jump The Broomstick - Coast To Coast
Bitz: Magazine / Skids / Selector split; Diana Ross; Ian Dury, Chaz Jankel; Scars; Bruce Springsteen, Dave Edmunds; Madness; Elvis Costello; Barnsley Bill, The Evasions, Tom Tom Club; cardboard Elvis; all time top ten: Glenn Tilbrook; August Darnell; Joe Jackson; "Gary Numan By Computer"; B-52's; Split Enz; Martha Ladly, The Scenery Club; personal file: Marco Pirroni; Thin Lizzy, Milton Keynes Bowl
Single reviews (Fred Dellar): I Understand - Angelic Upstarts; Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache - Bram Tchkaikovsky; There's a Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis - Kirsty MacColl; Join The Professionals - The Professionals; Ghost Town - The Specials; Piece Of The Action - Bucks Fizz; Musical Man - The People; I Never Know Where My Heart Is - Judie Tzuke; Lovers And Other Strangers - Flying Lizards; Dallas - Joe Ely; Pretty In Pink - Psychedelic Furs; Spellbound - Siouxsie And The Banshees; Don't Stop By - Tygers Of Pan Tang
Album reviews (Robin Katz / Mark Ellen / Johnny Black / Beverly Hillier / Red Starr / David Hepworth): The Fox - Elton John; Heaven Up Here - Echo And The Bunnymen; Doll By Doll - Doll By Doll; Magnetic Fields - Jean-Michel Jarre; Present Arms - UB40; The Impossible - Ken Lockie; Phil Seymour - Phil Seymour; Red - Black Uhuru; Can't Get Enough - Eddy Grant
Independent Albums (Ian Birch): Playing With A Different Sex - The Au Pairs (Human); Kangaroo? - The Red Crayola with Art & Language (Rough Trade); New Opium / How The West Was Won - Local Heroes / Kevin Armstrong (Oval); For All And None - The Passage (A Disc By Day And Night)

Another birthday gift from me to you

Four new issues from 1979 have been added to the archive; this fills in all the blanks in my original collection from that year. I haven’t had a chance to list all the contents in detail or tag the photos on Flickr yet, but you can see them now:

February 1979

February 22 - March 7, 1979

July 26 - August 8, 1979

November 29 - December 12, 1979

As usual, those amongst you with Flickr accounts are welcome to add tags to help people find the photos.

And if you still haven't Liked the Facebook page for the archive....Like it now, dammit!

May 28 - June 10, 1981

THIS SIDE


(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Stray Cats
Interviews: Stray Cats
Lyrics: Stand And Deliver - Adam And The Ants; Norman Bates - Landscape; Don't Let it Pass You By - UB40; Rockabilly Guy - Polecats; Ghosts Of Princes In Towers - Rich Kids; Is That Love - Squeeze; Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes; Being With You - Smokey Robinson; How 'Bout Us - Champaign;
Bitz: Jam tour; Prince; Specials; Madness; Slade, Castle Donnington; The Action, The Who; Kraftwerk; Van Halen, Motivation (Steve Garvey, Dave Price, Dave Rowbotham, Snuff); Woody and Jane snogging; Ron and Russell Mael, Sparks; personal file: Chris Difford
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper
Single reviews (Steve Bush): Mickey - Toni Basil; Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag - Pigbag; Spell-bound - Siouxsie And The Banshees; All Those Years Ago - George Harrison; Let Him Have it - The Bureau; History Never Repeats - Split Enz; Me No Pop I - Coata Mundi; Let's Jump The Broomstick - Coast To Coast; Funeral Pyre - The Jam; Cutter's Lullaby - Fischer-Z; I Want More - Can; Someday Sunday - Nautyculture

The Middle: Landscape

THAT SIDE


(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Kim Wilde
Interviews: Kim Wilde
Lyrics: Funeral Pyre - Jam; Houses In Motion - Talking Heads; The Art Of Parties - Japan; Bad Reputation - Thin Lizzy; Them Belly Full (But We Hungry); Angel Of The Morning - Juice Newton
Bitz: Spandau Ballet, Francis Ford Coppolla; Rough Tapes (Ian Dury, Raincoats, Scritti Politti, Beat, Robert Wyatt, Pere Ubu, John Cooper-Clarke, Orange Juice, Wah! Heat, Buzzcocks); all time top ten: Sketch; Ultravox; Radio Invicta, Tony Johns; The People (Charlie Anderson, Desmond Brown); Landscape, "Psycho", Pamela Stephenson; Tenpole Tudor badges; Echo And The Bunnymen; Duran Duran; Bette Davis;
Independent Singles (Ian Birch): Don't Cry Your Tears / So It's Not To Be - The Delmontes (Rational Records); Kites / A Girl Named Property - 39 Lyon Street [Billy MacKenzie, Alan Rankine, Christine Beveridge] (RSO); You've Got To Make Mistakes / Short Sharp Kick In The Teeth - Close Rivals (Hyped Records); The Witch / Air Raid Shelter (Pill Box) / One More Fool - The Human Cabbages (Boys And Girls Records); Attention Stockholm - Virna Lindt (The Compact Organisation); Dream - The Sinking Ships (Recession Records); Compatibility - Visitors (Rational Records); Dream Soldiers - Fallout Club (Happy Birthday); A Certain Bridge - Last Man In Europe (Cocteau Records); (It's Not Me) Talking - A Flock Of Seagulls (Cocteau Records); Go For Gold - Girls At Our Best (Happy Birthday)
Album reviews (Deanne Pearson / Fred Dellar / Robin Katz / Bev Hillier / David Hepworth / Ian Birch / March Ellen): Heart-twango & Raw-beat - Original Mirrors; The Phenomenal Rise Of Richard Strange - Richard Strange; There Goes The Neighbourhood - Joe Walsh; Drivin' Hard - Shakatak; Nightclubbing - Grace Jones; Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam - Bill Nelson; Night People - Classix Nouveaux; Hard Promises - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers; Stand Your Ground - Wild Horses; Talk, Talk, Talk - Psychedelic Furs; Whomp That Sucker - Sparks; Heart Of Darkness - Positive Noise; Anthem - Toyah

May 14 - 27, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Department S
Centrespread: The Undertones
Back cover: Kim Wilde
Interviews: Department S; Tenpole Tudor; Human League; Honey Bane
Lyrics: I Wanna Be Free - Toyah; Careless Memories - Duran Duran; Swords Of A Thousand Men - Tenpole Tudor; Stars On 45 - Star Sound; Don't Say That's Just For White Boys - Way Of The West; The Sound Of The Crowd - Human League; Love Games - Level 42; Chequered Love - Kim Wilde; Perfect Timing - Kiki Dee; Future Management - Roger Taylor; Small Ads - Small Ads; Night Porter - Japan; Candidate For Love - T.S. Monk; You Drive Me Crazy - Shakin' Stevens; When He Shines - Sheena Easton
Bitz: The Rollers; Star Sound, Jaap Eggermont; personal file: Kim Wilde; Adam Ant; Stuart Henry; Belle Stars; John Cooper Clarke tour; Anne Nightingale, "Chase The Fade"; Peter Gilbert, Ultravox; Toyah; Teardrop Explodes tour; all time top ten: Bernie Nolan; weddings: Jim Honeymoon-Scott and Peggy-Sue, Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach; "The Nutty Boys Madness Comic"; Squeeze tour; Elton John buys Spike Milligan's original Goon Show scripts
Single reviews (Pete Silverton): Safe As Houses - Stiff Little Fingers; Rockabilly Guy - Polecats; Lipstick - Suzi Quatro; Ossie's Dream - Tottenham Hotspur; Pocket Calculator - Kraftwerk; Stand By Me - John Lennon; The Waiting - Tom Petty; About The Weather - Magazine; Working Girl - The Members; International Language - Richard Strange; Chequered Love - Kim Wilde; Houses In Motion - Talking Heads; The American - Simple Minds; I'm Your Money - Heaven 17
Album reviews (Ian Cranna / Mark Ellen / Fred Dellar / David Hepworth / Red Starr / Robin Katz ): Positive Touch - Undertones; The Right To Be Italians - Holly And The Italians; Welcome Back - The Plastics; Waiata - Split Enz; Ambience - Lambrettas; The Completion Backward Principle - Tubes; Animal Now - Ruts DC; East Side Story - Squeeze; Psychedelic Jungle - The Cramps; Play For Today - The Searchers
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Slates - The Fall (Rough Trade); Pretty - Mark Beer (Rough Trade); You're No Good / UFO / Moody - ESG (Factory); Urges / Leipzig - Thomas Dolby (Armageddon); The Model / Set Me On Fire - The French (Sanguine); Chance Meeting / Pictures - Josef K (Postcard); Life In Reverse EP - Marine (Les Disques du Crepuscule)
Independent Albums (Red Starr): To Each His - A Certain Ratio (Factory)
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper

April 30 - May 13, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Julian Cope
Centrespread: Gary Numan
Back cover: Echo And The Bunnymen
Interviews: The Teardrop Explodes; The Fall; Paul Weller; Girlschool
Lyrics: Grey Day - Madness; Crocodiles - Echo And The Bunnymen; Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon; It's Going To Happen - Undertones; The Magnificent Five - Adam And The Ants; Ai No Corrida - Quincy Jones; Can't Get Enough Of You - Eddy Grant; Don't Break My Heart Again - Whitesnake; And The Bands Played On - Saxon; Ride A White Swan - T. Rex; Hit & Run - Girlschool; Baby Love - Honey Bane; Kick In The Eye - Bauhaus; Keep On Running (Til You Burn) - U.K. Subs
Bitz: Shakin' Pyramids; all time top ten: Sal Solo; Sheena Easton, "For Your Eyes Only"; XTC tour; Undertones tour; Madness, Dave Robinson, "Take It Or Leave It"; Rolling Stones, "Sucking In The Seventies"; Bruce Springsteen, "Born To Run", Dave Marsh; Depeche Mode; Sting, "Message In A Bottle", Rossetta Woolf, Sharon Burn; Kampuchea concerts; "Popeye: The First Fifty Years" ,"Wonders"; The Specials; Sparks; Rob Dean, Japan; Duran Duran tour, Dulan Dulan; personal file: Feargal Sharkey
Single reviews (Mark Ellen): We've Got A Lot To Learn - Spirit; Obsessed - 999; Felicity - Orange Juice; It's Going To Happen! - Undertones; Winning - Santana; The Art Of Parties / Life Without Buildings - Japan; Ba Ba Badap - The Toys; Dumb Waiters - Psychedelic Furs; I Wanna Go Home - Holly And The Italians; Louise (We Get It Right) - Jona Lewie; Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats; Careless Memories - Duran Duran; Hands Up (Give Me Your Hear) - Ottawan; The Sound Of The Crowd - Human League; Bricks - Diagram Brothers
Album reviews (Geoffrey Deane / David Hepworth / Mark Ellen / Deanne Pearson / Fred Dellar / Bev Hillier): Future Shock - Gillan; Hit And Run - Girlschool; The Swords Of A Thousand Men - Tenpole Tudor; Hi Infidelity - REO Speedwagon; The Keys Album - The Keys; The Dude - Quincy Jones; Sharon Redd - Sharon Redd; La Rocca - Snips; Grand Slam - Isley Brothers; Author! Author! - The Scars
Independent Bitz special (Deanne Pearson): The Fall, Mark Smith, Paul Hanley, Mark Riley, Steve Hanley, Craig Scanlan
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper

There's something charming about the idea of communally-minded individuals painstakingly scanning entire copies of Smash Hits

Brian McCloskey's Smash Hits archive seems to be keeping its promise to add a new edition of the magazine every fortnight, "on the 30th anniversary of the original publication date".

April 16 - 29, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Hazel O'Connor
Centrespread: Duran Duran
Back cover: Polecats
Interviews: Hazel O'Connor; Paul Weller; PiL
Lyrics: Drowning - The Beat; Slow Motion - Ultravox; Primary - The Cure; Is Vic There? - Department S; Skateaway - Dire Straits; Good Thing Going - Sugar Minott; Make That Move - Shalamar; Flowers Of Romance - PiL; Just Fade Away - Stiff Little Fingers; Only Crying - Keith Marshall; Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz; Changeling - Simple Minds; Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats; Watching The Wheels - John Lennon & Yoko Ono; The Magnificent Seven - The Clash
Bitz: Beat tour; Jake Burns, "Iris In The Traffic, Ruby In The Rain"; Echo And The Bunnymen live cassette; "This Ole House", Shakin' Stevens; Undertones; personal file: Graham Bonnet; Buzzcocks split; Sting, Sharon Burn, Rossetta Woolf; AC/DC, Monsters of Rock; "December Child" fanzine; Chords, Kip; Dramatis, Russell Bell, Denis Haines, Cedric Sharpley, Chris Payne; Ian Cranna resigns; "David Bowie Black Book"; The Clash, Bernie Rhodes
Single reviews (Fred Dellar): The Magnificent Seven - Clash; Flying High - Freez; Keep On Running (Till You Burn) - U.K. Subs; Your Imagination - Shoes; Shine So Hard - Echo And The Bunnymen; Imposter - Moondogs; Don't Talk To Me - Mickey Jupp; Shall We Dance? - Bram Tchaikovsky; Green Glass Windows - Roy Wood's Elevators; Hands 2 Take - Flying Lizards; Cowboys And Indians - Pearl Harbour; Don't Break My Heart Again - Whitesnake; The Whole Town's Laughing At Me - Teddy Pendergrass; Hot Rockin' - Judas Priest; Future Management - Roger Taylor; Dangers Of Living - Spizzies; Wrap Up The Rockets - Chris Sievey
Album reviews (David Hepworth / Bev Hillier / Steve Taylor / Red Starr / Geoffrey Deane / Robin Katz): Twangin… - Dave Edmunds; Jazz Funk - Incognito; Flowers Of Romance - Public Image Ltd.; Go For It - Stiff Little Fingers; Faith - The Cure; Come An' Get It - Whitesnake; No Tie Like A Present - Jags; Greatest Hits Vol. 3 - Cockney Rejects; Roger Taylor's Fun In Space - Roger Taylor; Bully For You - B.A. Robertson
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Candyskin / Meat Whiplash - Fire Engines (Pop: Aural); Love To Meet You / Monkey Monkey Monkey - Restircted Code (Pop: Aural); Faction / You're Wrong Again - Faction (Inevitable); All Systems Go: Dirty Work / Promenade Immortelle - Poison Girls (Crass); Rebel Without A Brain / My Own Invention - Theatre Of Hate (Burning Rome)
Independent Albums (Red Starr): At Home! - Mr. Frank Hannaway / Michael Barclay (Pop: Aural); 390 Degrees Of Simulated Stereo - Pere Ubu (Rough Trade)
Independent Video (Red Starr): Razzvizz 2 - Freshies
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper

April 2 - 15, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Sal Solo
Centrespread: Spandau Ballet
Back cover: Teardrop Explodes
Interviews: Landscape; Bruce Foxton; Classix Nouveaux
Lyrics: Just A Feeling - Bad Manners; Einstein A Go-Go - Landscape; (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing - Heaven 17; Up The Hill Backwards - David Bowie; John I'm Only Dancing - Polecats; Attention To Me - The Nolans; Sheffield Grinder - Tony Capstick; Pour Old Soul - Orange Juice; It's A Love Thing - The Whispers; Ceremony - New Order; What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Dave Stewart / Colin Blunstone; Tar - Visage; Guilty - Classix Nouveaux; Twilight Zone - Iron Maiden; Night Games - Graham Bonnet; Muscle Bound - Spandau Ballet
Bitz: Bowwowwow; Bruce Springsteen; Japan; "Young Jobless", Martin Jewell; all-time top ten: Nick Rhodes; Clem Burke, Nigel Harrison, Michael Des Barres; "December Child", Paul Weller; Dexys Midnight Runners, "Projected Passion Revue"; New Order, Gillian Gilbert; Sharon Redd; Dave Stewart, Colin Blunstone; Gary Tibs; "The Flowers Of Romance", PiL; fanzines: "Tear It Up", "Rising Free"; "Faith", Cure tour; personal file: Nash The Slash; "Rock Show", Paul McCartney, Wings
Single reviews (David Hepworth): Love Games - Level 42; Marliese - Fischer-Z; Primary - The Cure; The Swords Of A Thousand Men - Tenpole Tudor; Eye Of The Lens - Comsat Angels; Watching The Wheels - John Lennon and Yoko Ono; Flowers Of Romance - PiL; Skateaway - Dire Straits; Burundi Black - Burundi Black; Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz; Just A Feeling - Bad Manners; Tell Me Easter's On Friday - The Associates; Saint Saens - B.A. Robertson; Make Room - Fad Gadget; Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx;
Album reviews (David Hepworth / Fred Dellar / Red Starr / Steve Taylor / Bev Hillier ): Skin 'Em Up - Shakin' Pyramids; That Man Is Forward - Rico; Miracles - Change; From The Tea Rooms Of Mars To The Hell Holes Of Uranus - Landscape; Mustn't Grumble - Chas 'n' Dave; We'll Bring The House Down - Slade; Face Dances - The Who; Music For Stowaways - British Electric Foundation; To Love Again - Diana Ross; Never Too Late - Status Quo
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Bela Lugosi's Birthday / Outer Limits / Shalle We Dance - Dreamboys (St. Vitus Records); Achieving Unity - The Poems (Polka Records); Ghosts / Give Me Passion / End Of A Dream - Positive Noise (Statik); Poor Old Soul - Orange Juice (Postcard); Just Like Gold / We Could Send Letters - Aztec Camera (Postcard); Sorry For Laughing / Revelation - Joseph K (Les Disques du Crepuscule); Sluggin' For Jesus / Agent Man - Cabaret Voltaire (Les Disques du Crepuscule); Rooms With Brittle Views / Dada Guitare - Bill Nelson (Les Disques du Crepuscule)
Independent Albums (Red Starr): Schleimer K (Omega Records); Television Personalities (Rough Trade); Modern Dance - Pere Ubu (Rough Trade)
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper

March 19 - April 1, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Centrespread: Toyah
Back cover: Talking Heads
Interviews: Rainbow; Rick Buckler; British Funk - Freez; Linx; Light Of The World; Beggar & Co.
Lyrics: Mind Of A Toy - Visage; Respectable Street - XTC; D-Days - Hazel O'Connor; Lately - Stevie Wonder; Swing Shift - Nash The Slash; Pretending To See The Future - OMD; Car Trouble - Adam and the Ants; Can You Handle It - Sharon Redd; You Better You Bet - The Who; Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen; New Orleans - Gillan; Oh God, I Wish I Was Home - Rod Stewart; Intuition - Linx; I Missed Again - Phil Collins; All American Girls - Sister Sledge
Bitz: Kim Wilde; Lenny Henry; Andy Partridge; Udo Pope, Vivienne Westwood, Bowwowwow; personal file: Rusty Egan; Stiff Little Fingers tour; Undertones accidents; Sting; Coast To Coast; Toyah Willcox; Clem Burke; Bill Haley; Pink Floyd; Adam And The Ants; all time top ten: Phil Oakey; Diana Ross; The Great Rock & Roll Swindle, Michael Moorcock; Magazine, Ben Mandelson; Gary Numan live albums; Graham Bonnet;
Single reviews (David Hepworth): Plan 9 - Dexy's Midnight Runners; Only For Sheep - The Bureau; New Orleans - Gillan; Dancing With The Rebels - Original Mirrors; What We All Want - Gang Of Four; Diamond Head - Plastics; Almost Saturday Night - Dave Edmunds; One To One - Joe Jackson; Shut Out The Light - Steve Diggle; Celia (Growing Up In Hollywood) - Jane Kennaway; Respectable Street - XTC; Take A Trip - Shakin' Pyramids; D-Days - Hazel O'Connor; On The Run (Who's Gonna Get Me First?) - TV21; Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown - Nash The Slash; Heartbeat - Dalek I Love You; Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight - Rod Stewart; 9 O'Clock - Snips; Tonight - Modern Romance; Euthenics - Modern Eon; Slow Motion / Quiet Men / Hiroshima Mon Amour / Dislocation - Ultravox
Album reviews (Red Starr / Beverly Hillier / Robin Katz / Mike Stand / David Hepworth): Anywhere - New Musik; Into The Fire - Russ Ballard; Rapp Payback - James Brown; Labour Of Love - Detroit Spinners; Spikey Dream Flowers - Spizzies; Giving All My Love - Tata Vega; Tied To The Tracks - Shona Laing; Magnets - The Vapors; Ice On The Motorway - Wilko Johnson; Intuition - Linx
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Ceremony - New Order (Factory); The Act Became Real - Bollock Brothers (Fresh Records); Back To The Start - Nikki Sudden (Rather / Rough Trade); Angels And Devils (Night And Day) / Watching You Dance - The Passage (Virgin)
Independent Albums (Red Starr): Egg-clectic (Fried Egg Records); Dome 2 - Dome (Rough Trade)
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper

It was the little touches that got me into Smash Hits

"People keep writing to me via the blog to tell me they've wasted days on a 1981 copy of Smash Hits," McCloskey says. "That's fine by me. I mean, what a great way to waste a day!"

March 5 - 18, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Duran Duran
Centrespread: Stray Cats
Back cover: Honey Bane
Interviews: Talking Heads; Chris Sievey; Duran Duran
Lyrics: Something ‘Bout You Baby I Like – Status Quo; From A Whisper To A Scream – Elvis Costello; Walking On Thin Ice – Yoko Ono; Boys And Girls – Human League; Please Don’t Touch – Motorhead / Girlschool; Don’t Go – Judas Priest; It’s A Mystery – Toyah; I’m In Love With The Girl – Freshies; (Somebody) Help Me Out – Beggar And Co; Planet Earth – Duran Duran; E.R.N.I.E. – Madness; Star – Kiki Dee; Kids In America – Kim Wilde; Jones vs. Jones – Kool and the Gang; Can You Feel It? – The Jacksons
Bitz: Gen X breakup; Bunny Wailer; Mike Barson wedding; Debbie Harry, George Burns, Diana Ross; David Byrne, Brian Eno, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts; Paul McCartney, Wisconsin; Status Quo tour, Adam and the Ants, Kevin Mooney; New Sounds, New Styles; The dB’s, Stands For Decibels; personal file: Ian McCulloch; Moondogs; Phil Collins, The Cure; Dexy’s Midnight Runners; The Wanderers (Dave Parsons, Dave Treganna, Ricky Rocket, Stiv Bators); Rockpile split, Tourists split, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart from Eurythmics; all time top ten: Noel Davis; Only Ones final gig; Echo and the Bunnymen tour; Human League; Modern Romance, Geoffrey Deane, David Jaymes;
Single reviews (David Hepworth): From A Whisper To A Scream – Elvis Costello; Sherry Darling – Bruce Springsteen; Celebrate – Simple Minds; All American Girls – Sister Sledge; New Toy – Lene Lovich; Risk – Spizzies; You Better You Bet – The Who; Being With You – Smokey Robinson; Thin Ice – Yoko Ono; I Missed Again – Phil Collins; (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang – Heaven 17
Album reviews (Robin Katz / David Hepworth / Fred Dellar / Red Starr / Beverly Hillier ): All American Girls – Sister Sledge; Stray Cats – Stray Cats; Difficult To Cure – Rainbow; Solid Gold – Gang Of Four; Another Ticket – Eric Clapton; In Our Lifetime – Marvin Gaye; Healing – Todd Rundgren; Brian Damage – Brian Briggs; Defunkt – Defunkt; Journeys To Glory – Spandau Ballet
Independent Albums (Red Starr): The Live Rise Of Richard Strange – Richard Strange (PVC/Ze)
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Dreaming Of Me / Ice Machine – Depeche Mode (Mute)
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper; Smash Hits Readers’ Poll Results

February 19 - March 4, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Midge Ure
Centrespread: The Pretenders
Interviews: Ultravox; The Passions; Gen X
Lyrics: Once In A Lifetime – Talking Heads; Give Peace A Chance – Plastic Ono Band; Reward – Teardrop Explodes; Hot Love – Kelly Marie; I’m In Love With A German Film Star – Passions; Jealous Guy – Roxy Music; Southern Freeez – Freeez; That’s Entertainment – The Jam; Oldest Swinger In Town – Fred Wedlock; Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) – Cockney Rebel; We’ll Bring The House Down – Slade; Mutually Assured Destruction – Gillan; It’s My Turn – Diana Ross; Don’t Stop The Music – Yarborough and Peeples
Bitz: Human League; The Bureau; Charlie Gillet; Bowwowwow; all time top ten: Mark Bedford; Dave Wakeling; Dance Craze; John Lennon, Andy Peebles; Sheila Hylton; The Spizzies; Status Qho, The Photos; Teardrop Explodes; personal file: Julian Cope; The Selecter; Stray Cats; The Congos, Go-Feet; Steve Winwood; Minuskala, Maurice Bertolino; Gary Numan; Sting; The Look
Single reviews (David Hepworth): Four From Toyah – Toyah; Demolition Man – Grace Jones; Glad All Over – Suzy Quatro; Talking In The Canteen – Moondogs; So Hard – Aerial FX; Boys And Girls – Human League; Youth Coup – Holly and the Italians; Mutually Assured Destruction – Gillan; Don’t Go – Judas Priest; The Shuttered Palace – Ellen Foley; What Kind Of Fool – Barbra Streisand; Planet Earth – Duran Duran; Jealous Guy – Roxy Music
Album reviews (Robin Katz / David Hepworth / Steve Taylor / Fred Dellar / Bev Hillier): Diminished Responsibility – UK Subs; Drop Out With The Barracudas – Barracudas; Street Fever – Moon Martin; Jets – Jets; Children Of The Night – Nash The Slash; Surveillance – Walkie Talkies; Voices In The Rain – Joe Sample; Boys Only – The Boys; Celebrate The Bullet – Selecter; Don’t Point Your Finger – Nine Below Zero
Independent Albums (Red Starr): Lubricate Your Living Room – Fire Engines (Pop: Aural); A Factory Quartet – Durutti Column, Kevin Hewick, Blurt, TheRoyal Family & The Poor (Factory)
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Blown Away / Flight / And Then Again – A Certain Ratio; Nagasaki Nightmare / Big A Little A – Crass (Crass); I’m Falling / Flowers – Dead Or Alive (Inevitable); Euthenics / Waiting For The Cavalry – Modern Eon (Inevitable); Who’s Asking You? / Stand Alone – Roy White & Steve Torch (Open Eye / Rough Trade)
Other: Tales From A Music Paper

February 5 - 18, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Suggs
Centrespread: Adam Ant
Back cover: Debbie Harry
Interviews: Madness; Phil Collins; The Stranglers
Lyrics: Vienna – Ultravox; Romeo And Juliet – Dire Straits; Rock This Town – Stray Cats; Take My Time – Sheena Easton; In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins; Zerox – Adam and the Ants; The Best Of Times – Styx; Gangsters Of The Groove – Heatwave; Message Of Love – Pretenders; Turn Me On Turn Me Off – Honey Bane; Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen; Twilight Café – Susan Fassbender; I.O.U. – Jane Kennaway; Lonely Heart – U.F.O.; I Surrender - Rainbow
Bitz: Specials, Clash, Madness; Status Quo; all time top ten: Phil Collins; Stray Cats, Polecats, Blue Cats; John Lennon, Pretenders; Siouxsie and the Banshees; Graham Parker; Bob Marley; Jane Kennaway; Simple Minds, Undertones, UB40; Sting, Demolition Man, Grace Jones; Bruce Springsteen; personal file: Ranking Roger
Single reviews (Mike Stand): Some Boys – Going Red?; I’m In Love With The Girl On The Virgin Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk – Freshies; Return Of The Los Palmas 7 – Madness; Kids On The Street – Angelic Upstarts; World’s Greatest Lover – Cheap Trick; Luxury – New Musik; Tango In Mono – Expressos; Shaddup Your Face – Joe Dolce’s Music Theatre; Perfect Game – Thompson Twins; Just A Little – Regents; Golden Touch – Rose Royce; You Take My Breath Away – Dollar; What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted? – Dave Stewart / Colin Blunstone; The Farmer’s Daughter – Fleetwood Mac; I Can’t Pretend - Barracudas
Album reviews (Beverly Hillier / Steve Taylor / David Hepworth / Ronnie Gurr / Geoffrey Deane): Take My Time – Sheena Easton; Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too – Pearl Harbour; Face Value – Phil Collins; Candles – Heatwave; The Meninblack – Stranglers; Waves – Mike Batt; Splodgenessabounds – Splodgenessabounds; Paradise Theatre – Styx; Stands For Decibels – The dB’s
Independent Singles (Steve Taylor): She’s In Love With Mystery – Thompson Twins
Other: Disc Jockeys – A Psychiatrist Reports; Strange Tails From A Music Paper

January 22 - February 4, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Steve Strange
Centrespread: XTC
Back cover: Hazel O’Connor
Interviews: Visage; Bauhaus; The Look
Lyrics: Hitsville UK – The Clash; Woman, Starting Over, Imagine – John Lennon; A Little In Love – Cliff Richard; Rapture – Blondie; Scary Monsters – David Bowie; Burn Rubber On Me – Gap Band; I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It – Stevie Wonder; Thrown Away – Stranglers; The Freeze – Spandau Ballet; Dream Sequence – Pauline Murray; Sergeant Rock – XTC; Young Parisians – Adam and the Ants; The Elephants Graveyard – Boomtown Rats
Bitz: Squeeze; Lou Reed, Rock And Roll Diary 1967-80; I.D.; Dave Wakeling, Dave Steele, Photo Love, The Stranglers; Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Dave Wiggins, Linda Duff; Joe Jackson, Dave Houghton, The Keys, Graham Maby, Graham Parker, The Rumour, Garland Jeffries; Chipmunk Punk; Bruce Springsteen; personal file: Richard Jobson: John Lennon, In His Own Write, A Spaniard In The Works, Lennon Remembers; Elvis Costello and the Attractions; Ian Gillan; The Mo-Dettes; Phil Collins; all time top ten: Colin Moulding
Single reviews (Ronnie Gurr): Woman – John Lennon; I Wanna Be Sedated – Ramones; Oh Marion – Paul Simon; I’m Only Human – Michael Des Barres; Many Rivers To Cross – Desmond Dekker; Turn Me On Turn Me Off – Honey Bane; The Freeze – Spandau Ballet; Dancing With Myself – Gen X; Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me) – XTC; Is Vic There? – Department S; This Time – John Cougar; Hitsville U.K. – The Clash; Vienna – Ultravox; Donegal – Tango Brigade; Rapture – Blondie; Dead Man’s Curve – Nash The Slash
Album reviews (Geoffrey Deane / David Hepworth / Mark Ellen / Steve Taylor / Bev Hillier): Mondo Bongo – Boomtown Rats; Trust – Elvis Costello; Flaming Schoolgirls – The Runaways; Arc Of A Diver – Steve Winwood; The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent – UFO; 1965-1980 – Basement 5; Kiss Me Deadly – Gen X; In Search Of The Rainbow Seekers – Mtume; Golden Touch – Rose Royce
Independent Singles (Deanne Pearson): On-U-Sound Sampler: Fade Away New Age Steppers [Ari Up, Bruce Smith], Learn A Language – London Underground; Twenty Tens, Revenge, The Children Are Crying, Greylight – Virgin Prunes (Baby, Rough Trade); The Flood / Disney Boys – Blue Orchids [Una Baines, Martin Bramah] (Rough Trade); Sell Out Before The Fall Out – Michael Byrd and the Commercials (Another Record Label), Nowhere Girl – B-Movie (Dead Good Records); The Mekons (Red Rhino Record)
Other: Strange Tails From A Music Paper; I Was A Teenage Pinkie-Sniffer

January 8 - 21, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Terry Hall
Centrespread: David Bowie
Back cover: Gen X
Interviews: The Police; Eddy Grant; The Specials
Lyrics: Clubland – Elvis Costello & The Attractions; Lies – Status Quo; Blue Moon – Showaddywaddy; Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Matchbox; Fade To Grey – Visage; Rabbit – Chas & Dave; I Am The Beat – The Look; Runaround Sue – Racey; Heartbreak Hotel – The Jacksons; Who’s Gonna Rock You – The Nolans; Love Me To Sleep – Hot Chocolate; Do Nothing – The Specials; She’s So Modern – Boomtown Rats; My Girl – Rod Stewart; Love On The Rocks – Neil Diamond
Bitz: Bob Geldof; Stranglers tour; all-time top ten: Doug Trendle (Bad Manners); ELO, Bev Bevan; Gary Numan farewell tour; personal file: Andy Partridge; Captain Kremmen, Kenny Everett; Robin Simons, Ultravox, Magazine; Elvis Costello album, Tryst; Madness, Nutty Boys comic; Squeeze, Paul Carrack;
Single reviews (Mark Ellen): Young Parisians – Adam and the Ants; Running Free – Buzzcocks; I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It – Stevie Wonder; Spaceship – Lincoln Thompson and the Rasses; Burn Rubber On Me – The Gap Band; Soul Waves – Telex; In The Air – Phil Collins; The Last Lone Ranger – Carpettes; Taxi Ride – Keith Emerson; Spider – Rick Wakeman; Submarine – Godley & Crème; Disco Apocalypse – Jackson Browne; Metal Mickey Magic – Metal Mickey; I Love A Shark – Marina Del Rey; Bicycle Seat – Max Splodge; Lonely Heart – UFO; Beat Crazy – Joe Jackson; Heart On My Sleeve – David Essex; Cold Love – Donna Summer
Album reviews (Mark Ellen / Red Starr / Beverly Hillier / David Hepworth): Rock-It To Mars – Rocky Sharpe & The Replays; The Paris Collection – Dollar; Jermaine – Jermaine Jackson; Bright Lights – Showaddywaddy; Amigo – Black Slate; Flash Gordon – Queen; Sandinsta! – The Clash; LKJ In Dub – Linton Kwesi Johnson
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Der Rauber Und Der Prinz / Tanz Mit Mir – DAF (Mute); Double Heart – Robert Rental (Mute); I Need Two Heads / Stop Before You Say It – Go-Betweens (Postcard); Walk On Water / Take A Look – Cuban Heels (Cuba Libre); Get Up And Use Me / Everything’s Roses – Fire Engines (Codex Communications); Heaven Gets Closer Every Day / Only Heroes Live Forever – Another Pretty Face (Chicken Jazz); I’m In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk – The Freshies (Razz Records)

December 25, 1980 - January 7, 1981

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Joe Strummer
Centrespread: Boomtown Rats
Back cover: Siouxsie
Interviews: Clash; Beatles; Robert Palmer
Lyrics: Land Of Hope And Glory – Madness; That’s Too Bad – Tubeway Army; Landlord – Police; News Of The World – The Jam; Johnny Was – Stiff Little Fingers; Twist And Crawl – The Beat; Bang Bang – Squeeze; Hammer Horror – Kate Bush; Wild West Hero – Electric Light Orchestra; With A Little Help From My Friends – Beatles; Love Is The Drug – Roxy Music; New Face In Hell – The Fall; Diamond Dogs – David Bowie; Whizz Kids – Undertones; I’m Just Looking – Dexy’s Midnight Runners; Contact In Red Square – Blondie
Bitz: The Wit And Wisdom Of Ronald Reagan (Stiff); Status Quo tour; Phil Collins; The Beat, Anti-Nuclear Campaign; Led Zeppelin; Boomtown Rats tour; personal file: Jona Lewie; John Lennon; Madness, Chris Foreman, Lee Thompson, Moinul Islan; all time top ten: Hugh Cornwell; Bruce Springsteen; Echo & the Bunnymen; Debbie Harry, Union City
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Colour – Delta 5 (Rough Trade); Eugene / Tame The Neighbour – Essential Logic (Rough Trade); At Last I’m Free / Strange Fruit (Robert Wyatt); This Is Love / Yanks – The Gist (Rough Trade)
Other: Strange Tales From A Music Paper

December 11 - 24, 1980

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Spandau Ballet
Centrespread: Bow Wow Wow
Back cover: Adam & the Ants
Interviews: Spandau Ballet; Dead Kennedys; Stray Cats
Lyrics: De Do Do Do De Da Da Da – Police; This Wreckage – Gary Numan; Runaway Boys – Stray Cats; Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen; December Will Be Wonderful Again – Kate Bush; Israel – Siouxsie & the Banshees; Lorraine – Bad Manners; Stop The Cavalry - Jona Lewie; Celebrate – Kool & the Gang; Sexy Eiffel Towers, Sun Sea & Piracy, Uomo Sex El Apache, Louis Quatorze, Gold He Said - Bow Wow Wow; Too Nice To Talk To – The Beat; Woman In Winter – Skids; Ant Music – Adam & the Ants; Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure; Rock ‘n’ Roll Ain’t Rock Pollution – AC/DC; Whip It - Devo
Bitz: Elvis Costello. 10 Bloody Marys & 10 How’s Your Fathers; Gary Numan; Undertones; Toyah Willcox documentary; Bad Manners, Lorraine; Max Splodge; Police; Chords, Billy Hassett; Rock Yearbook 1981; Pretenders; Stephanie Mills; La Toya Jackson; Bow Wow Wow tour; Jools Holland & The Millionaires, Martin T. Deegan, Mike Paice, Pino Palladino; Generation X; The Monster Club; Dexy’s Midnight Runners; all time top ten: Hazel O’Connor
Single reviews (Ronnie Gurr): Antmusic – Adam and the Ants; De Do Do Do De Da Da Da – Police; The Call-Up – Clash; Do Nothing – Specials; Heartbreak Hotel – Jackson; Keep It Down (Inferiority Part One) – Dexy’s Midnight Runners; Take This Town – XTC; Dear God – Elton John; Guilty – Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb; Lies – Status Quo; Flash – Queen; Hawks And Doves – Neil Young; Hey Nineteen – Steely Dan; December Will Be Magic Again – Kate Bush; Christmas Day – Squeeze; I Believe In Father Christmas – Greg Lake; Mary’s Boy Child – Boney M; Will He Kiss Me Tonight? - Lena Zavaroni; What Your Mama Don’t See – Gary Glitter; My Flamingo - Subterraneans
Album reviews (Beverly Hillier / David Hepworth / Deanne Pearson / Mark Ellen / Red Starr): Feels Like I’m In Love – Kelly Marie; Sons And Lovers – Hazel O’Connor; Aim For The Feet – The Hitmen; The Black Album – The Damned; Visage – Viasge; Live In Belfast – Rowan Atkinson; Gaucho – Steely Dan; Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! – Toyah; Loonee Tunes! – Bad Manners; Laughter – Ian Dury And The Blockheads
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Bullshit Detector (Crass Records); Rival Tribal Rebel Revel – Crass (Toxic Graffit fanzine); Simply Thrilled Honey / Breakfast Time – Orange Juice (Postcard); It’s Kinda Funny / Final Request – Josef K (Postcard); Tou Les Soirs – Delmontes (Rational); You Know What You Told Me / Production Prevention – Frantic Elevators; Hobo Joe / Stars Of The Bars – Holly (Erics)
Other: Strange Tales From A Music Paper; Auntie Iris Agony Advice

November 27 - December 10, 1980

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Toyah
Centrespread: UB40
Back cover: Madness
Interviews: Toyah; Not The 9 O’Clock News; Motorhead
Lyrics: To Cut A Long Story Short – Spandau Ballet; Elstree – Buggles; Embarrassment – Madness; Super Trouper – Abba; I’m Coming Out – Diana Ross; Bourgie Bourgie – Gladys Knight & The Pips; Women In Uniform – Iron Maiden; I Could Be So Good For You – Dennis Waterman; Spending The Night Together – Dr. Hook; Lonely Together – Barry Manilow; Treason – Teardrop Explodes; Do You Feel My Love – Eddy Grant; The Call Up – The Clash; Looking For Clues – Robert Palmer
Bitz: Undertones tour; Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Swinging Cats, Bodysnatchers, Teardrop Explodes; Joe Jackson, V.I.P.s, Boomtown Rats; XTC tour; Queen, Flash Gordon; Revillos; Madness, Chas Smash’s tonsils; Malcolm McLaren, Chicken magazine, Fred Vermorel, Bow Wow Wow; Hugh Cornwell, Inside Out; Kool & the Gang, Robert Bell; Skids tour, Jill Mumford; Human League, Phil Oakey, Adrian Wright, Ian Burden, Joanne and Suzanne; SexPistols; Siouxsie & the Banshees fan club; Abba For The Record, John Tobler; The Elephant Man; Rock Stars In Their Underpants, Paula Yates; Slade, Darts; all time top ten: Kate Bush
Single reviews (Mark Ellen): England – Angelic Upstarts; Banana Republic – Boomtown Rats; Tell Laura I Love Her – Billy Connolly; Ballad Of The Good Luck Charm – Larry Hagman; Tomorrow Was The Hereafter – Stranglers; Romeo And Juliet – Dire Straits; The Tide Is High – Paragons; Nasty Little Green Men – Classix Nouveaux; Original Sin / Legion – Theatre Of Hate; Stop The Cavalry – Jona Lewie;
Album reviews (Beverly Hillier / Geoffrey Deane / Mike Stand / David Hepworth / Steve Taylor): Round Trip – Light Of The World; AutoAmerican – Blondie; Translucence – Polystyrene; Super Trouper – Abba; Double Fantasy – John Lennon & Yoko Ono; Sector 27 – Sector 27; Sound Affects – The Jam; The Official Secrets Act – M; Foolish Behaviour – Rod Stewart; Paris Au Printemps – Public Image Limited
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Cruising Missiles – Drinking Electricity (Pop: Aural); Rain Song / Hesitate – Boots For Dancing (Pop: Aural); First Night On / From The Top – Restricted Code ((Pop: Aural); Lubricate Your Living Room – The Fire Engines (Pop: Aural); Vampire / Mumbo Jumbo – Woodhead Monroe (Oval); Danced / Ghosts / Neon Womb – Toyah (Safari); Seconds Too Late / Control Addict – Cabaret Voltaire (Rough Trade)
Independent Albums: From Brussels With Love – A Certain Ratio, Durutti Column, Bruce Gilbert & Graham Lewis, Martin Hannett, Gavin Bryars, Michael Nyman, Harold Budd, John Foxx, Richard Jobson, Brian Eno, Jeanne Moreau (Les Disques du Crepuscule / Rough Trade)
Other: Strange Tales From A Music Paper; High Horse – David Hepworth

November 13 - 26, 1980

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Debbie Harry
Centrespread: Rod Stewart
Back cover: Ultravox
Interviews: Blondie; The Jacksons; Sheena Easton
Lyrics: Same Old Scene – Roxy Music; Ace Of Spades – Motorhead; Kill The Poor – Dead Kennedys; Party In Paris – UK Subs; Sueperman’s Big Sister – Ian Dury & the Blockheads; Lovely One – Jacksons; Loving Just For Fun – Kelly Marie; Earth Dies Screaming – UB40; Never Knew Love Like This Before – Stephanie Mills; The Night The Wine & The Roses – Liquid Gold; Concrete Jungle – Specials; Don’t Walk Away – Electric Light Orchestra; Passion – Rod Stewart; Flight 19 – B.A. Robertson; Banana Republic – Boomtown Rats
Bitz: Ian Dury & the Blockheads tour; B-52’s; Basement 5; Dindisc; Simple Minds; Bob Marley; PiL, Image Publique S.A., Martin Atkins; Brian Brain; Talking Heads; Secret Affair, Seb Shelton; Human League split, British Electric Foundation; Babylon soundtrack; Dennis Bovell; The Twelve Days of Madness; Miniatures, Pipe Records, Roger McGough, Martin Chambers, Andy Partridge; all time top ten: Pete Wylie; Steve Peregrine Took, Paul Kantner, Tom Robinson, Mo-Dettes
Single reviews (Mike Stand): Green Green Grass Of Home – John Otway; Bright Eyes – Matthew Butler; Strobe Light – B-52s; Invitation What Have We Got To Lose – Sector 27; Whip It – Devo; Women In Uniform – Iron Maiden; Classic Remains – Colin Newman; Dark Companion – Tuxedo Moon; Stompin’ With The Cat – Fabulous Poodles; Runaway Boys – Stray Cats; Tender Falls The Rain – Randy Crawford; Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen; Whispering Waltzes – Shona Lang; It Shows In Your Face – The Gas; Victim Of Time – Reckless; Nobody Takes Me Seriously – Split Enz; Peaches ‘N’ Cream / Foxy – Supercharge; One Trick Pony – Paul Simon
Album reviews (David Hepworth / Beverly Hillier / Mark Ellen / Steve Taylor): The Wanderer – Donna Summer; Luminous Basement – Tourists; All Shook Up – Cheap Trick; QE2 – Mike Oldfield; Hotter Than July – Stevie Wonder; The Story So Far – The Mo-Dettes; Chas Jankel – Chas Jankel; Jeopardy – The Sound; Gentleman Take Polaroids – Japan; Kings Of The Wild Frontier – Adam & the Ants
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Explain / Let Me Feel It – The R.B.’s (Phoenix); Politics – Girls At Our Best (Record Records); Seven Minutes – Wah! Heat (Inevitable)
Independent Albums (Mike Stand): In The Flat Field – Bauhaus (4AD)
Other: Strange Tales From A Music Paper

October 30 - November 12, 1980

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Japan (David Sylvian)
Centrespread: Status Quo
Back cover: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Interviews: Japan; Hazel O’Connor; Adam & the Ants
Lyrics: The Tide Is High – Blondie; Towers Of London – XTC; Dancing With Myself – Generation X; Gentlemen Take Polaroids – Japan; One Man Woman – Sheena Easton; Give Me An Inch – Hazel O’Connor; La-Di-Da- Sad Café; In My Street – The Chords; Let Me Talk – Earth Wind & Fire; I Need Your Lovin’ – Teena Marie; All Out Of Love – Air Supply; Passing Strangers – Ultravox; Heroes – The Stranglers; Whose Problem – Motels; Fashion – David Bowie
Bitz: books: Elvis – The Final Years (Jerry Hopkins), Mixed Up, Shook Up (Riot Stories), The Jam: The Modern World By Numbers (Eel Pie), The Boomtown Rats: Having Their Picture Taken (Peter Stone), The Clash: Before And After (Pennie Smith); Charly Records compilation LPs, Motown Early Years LPs; Brum Beat Live At The Barrel Organ; nuptial news: Jane Mo-dette and Woody Madness, Graham Parker and Jolie, Therese and David Dollar; LKJ in Dub; Nash The Slash; Spandau Ballet; the Selecter; Air Supply; The Stranglers, Hugh Cornwell, Inside Information; all time top ten: Tom Robinson
Single reviews (Mark Ellen): Terry Keeps His Clips On – Vivian Stanshall; Ai No Corrida – Chas Jankel; Expertise – The Books; Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen – The Colonel; Party In Paris – U.K. Subs; Mr. Jones – Psychedelic Furs; Meltdown With The Ramones – The Ramones; Strange Thing – Buzzcocks; Mr X – Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls; Into The Lens – Yes / Some Are Born – John Anderson; She’s In Love With Mystery – Thompson Twins; Dark Park Creeping – Mo-dettes; I Don’t Want My Body – Piranhas; Teacher Teacher - Rockpile
Album reviews (David Hepworth / Steve Taylor / Bev Hillier / Mark Ellen): Remain In Light – Talking Heads; Love Zombies – Monochrome Set; Chinatown – Thin Lizzy; Faces – Earth Wind and Fire; Marie Marie – Shakin Stevens; Just Supposin’ – Status Quo; Making Movies – Dire Straits; Organisation – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark; A-Z – Colin Newman
Independent Singles (Mike Stand): I Confess – Dorothy (Industrial); In The Stars – Witchfynde (Rondelet); I Wanna Be A Detective – Brooklyn (Rondelet); Following You – The Fans (Fried Egg); Thinking Of You – Hot Snax (Zuppe Parese); Master Mind – Mikey Dread (Dread At The Controls); Precinct – The Cravats; Hungry Or Angry – Medium Medium
Independent Albums (Mike Stand): Killing Joke – Killing Joke (EG); Fireside Favourites – Fad Gadget (Mute); Even When I’m Not – Harry Kakoulli (Oval); Misty In Roots (People Unite); Wanna Buy A Bridge (Rough Trade); That’s What I Like About Me – Eric Random (New Hormones)
Other: Strange Tales From A Music Paper

Keeping It Peel

October 25, 2010: Keeping It Peel

New additions to the archive!

Three more issues from 1979 have been added to the archive. I haven’t had a chance to list all the contents in detail or tag the photos on Flickr yet, but you can see them now:

February 8 - 21, 1979

August 23 - September 5, 1979

November 15 - 28, 1979

Those amongst you with Flickr accounts are welcome to add tags to help people find the photos.

October 16 - 29, 1980

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: The Police
Centrespread: Madness & the Mo-dettes
Back cover: Kate Bush
Interviews: The Police; The Tourists; The Teardrop Explodes
Lyrics: 1-2-3 – The Professionals; Trouble – Gillan; What You’re Proposing – Status Quo; Gotta Pull Myself Together – The Nolans; A Woman In Love – Barbra Streisand; Casanova – Coffee; History Of The World Part 1 – The Damned; Dog Eat Dog – Adam & the Ants; When You Ask About Love – Matchbox; Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts? – Showaddywaddy; I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea – Elvis Costello & the Attractions; You’re Lying – Linx; When I Dream – Teardrop Explodes; Goodbye Civilian – Skids; Miles Away – John Foxx
Bitz: Undertones; Rod Stewart; PiL; Malcolm Owen; Queen; Hazel O’Connor & Megahype; Joe Strummer, Lee Dorsey; Cheap Trick, Tom Petersen; Dance Craze; John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy; Linx, David Grant, Sketch; Moondogs, Andrew Loog Oldham; Stray Cats; Trojan Records; Coffee, Leonora Dee Bryant, Glenda Hester, Elaine Sims; Tiger Lily, Dennis Leigh, John Foxx; Pauline Murray; Splodgenessabounds; The Elephant Man, David Bowie; all time top ten: Julian Cope
Single reviews (Steve Taylor): The Puppet – Echo and the Bunnymen; Gentlemen Take Polaroids – Japan; The Swimmer – The Passions; Nice Age – Yellow Magic Orchestra; Talk In Toytown – Polystyrene; Army Dreamers – Kate Bush; I Like Chinese – Monty Python; Monkey Jive – Tiger Lily; Touch And Go – The Cars; Who’s Gonna Tell Mary? – Moondogs; Dancing With Myself – Gen X; Move On Up – Flying Lizards; Apocalypso – Monochrome Set; Towers Of London - XTC
Album reviews (Bev Hillier / Red Starr / David Hepworth): Triumph – The Jacksons; Midnite Dynamos – Matchbox; Seconds Of Pleasure – Rockpile; Behind Closed Doors – Secret Affair; Fancy Footwork – The Dance Band; Imagination Camouflage – Jimmy Pursey; Beat Crazy – Joe Jackson; Kilimanjaro – Teardrop Explodes; The River – Bruce Springsteen
Independent News: The Slits; Factory Records, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, Crispy Ambulance, Durutti Column, Kevin Hewick, Blurt, The Royal Family & The Poor; New Order; Another Pretty Face; Red Beat (Malicious Damage); The Four Be Twos, The Bollocks Brothers; Faulty Record, Alternative Hits, Chelsea, Snappy Turns, Mark Perry
Other: The Smash Hits Rock And Roll O Level; Strange Tales From A Music Paper

October 2 - 15, 1980

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: Gary Numan
Centrespread: Paul Weller
Back cover: Robert Palmer
Interviews: Gary Numan, Rockpile, Bad Manners
Lyrics: Enola Gay – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark; I Got You – Split Enz; The Quarter Moon – The VIPs; I Told You So – The Tourists; My Old Piano – Diana Ross; If You’re Looking For A Way Out – Odyssey; D.I.S.C.O. – Ottawan; Three Little Birds – Bob Marley & The Wailers; Amigo – Black Slate; You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC; Another One Bites The Dust – Queen; White Riot – The Clash; Special Brew – Bad Manners; Temporary Secretary – Paul McCartney; Killer On The Loose – Thin Lizzy
Single reviews (David Hepworth): Rock Hard – Suzi Quatro; Monkey Suit – Plasmatics; Stoking Up The Fires Of Hell – Quartz; The History Of The World Part 1 – Damned; When You Ask About Love – Matchbox; The Wanderer – Donna Summer; All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix; Baby It’s You – Dolly Mixtures; Modern Romance – Modern Romance; Trouble – Gillan; Waiting For The Weekend – Vapors; Keep On Working – Pete Townshend
Album reviews (David Hepworth / Bev Hillier / Red Starr / Mark Ellen / Ian Cranna): Zenyatta Mondatta – Police; The Piranhas – The Piranhas; Trance And Dance – Martha & The Muffins; The Absolute Game – Skids; Waiting For A Miracle – Comsat Angels; Shot In The Dark – The Inmates; More Specials – The Specials; Empires And Dance – Simple Minds; Scary Monsters – David Bowie
Independent Singles: Can’t Look Straight / Flash Cards – Smega / five “songs” by Non (Mute); Fireside Favourites / Insecticide – Fad Gadget (Mute); Requiem / Change – Killing Joke (Malicious Damage)
Independent feature: Josef K, Malcolm Ross, Paul Haig, David Weddell, Ronnie Torrance
Other: Strange Tales From A Music Paper

September 18 - October 1, 1980

(click on the image to see the full issue)

Cover: The Skids
Centrespread: The Barracudas
Back cover: The Piranhas
Interviews: The Skids; XTC; Motown
Bitz: Elton John; The Selector; Bruce Springsteen; Zoot Money; Kiss; Talking Heads; Andy Partridge, Sting, Urgh!; Lene Lovich; Robert Palmer; Jimi Hendrix; Rolling Stones; Elvis Costello and the Attractions; all time top ten: Barracudas; Modern Romance; Yellow Magic Orchestra; Toots and the Maytals; Shalamar; Rock Against Racism; Blondie, Mike Chapman; Rockpile; Oval Records, Local Heroes, Harry Kakoulli; Pink Floyd
Lyrics: Stereotype – Specials; Baggy Trousers – Madness; Don’t Stand So Close To Me – Police; Are Everything – Buzzcocks; Two Little Boys – Splodgenessabounds; One Day I’ll Fly Away – Randy Crawford; Masterblaster (Jammin’) – Stevie Wonder; I Owe You One – Shalamar; If It’s Alright With You Baby – Korgis; It’s Only Love – Elvis Presley; Rave On – Buddy Holly; Johnny And Mary – Robert Palmer; Misunderstanding – Genesis; Searching - Change
Single reviews (Mark Ellen): Lucky Man – Jimmy Pursey; Maladie D’Amour – Kid Creole & The Coconuts; Damaged Goods – Gang Of Four; Hard Hat Boogie – Andy Fairweather Low; The Affectionate Punch – Associates; Drug Train – Cramps; Masterblaster (Jammin’) – Stevie Wonder; Baby Ride Easy – Carlene Carter; La-Di-Da – Sad Café; Heyday – The Sound; Another One Bites The Dust – Queen; Maybe One Time – Jim Skafish; Being Boiled – Human League; When I Dream – Teardrop Explodes; So Much In Love – Inmates; Arrival – Mike Oldfield; Suburban Dream – Martha and the Muffins; I’ll Get Even With You - Foreigner
Album reviews (Bev Hillier / Red Starr / David Hepworth / Ian Cranna / Linda Duff): Signing Off – UB40; Telekon – Gary Numan; I’m No Hero – Cliff Richard; Rev Up! – Revillos; Clues – Robert Palmer; Hanx! – Stiff Little Fingers; Panorama – The Cars; A Case Of The Shakes – Doctor Feelgood; Never For Ever – Kate Bush; Black Sea - XTC
Independent Singles (Red Starr): Totally Wired – Fall (Rough Trade); I’m On A Rocket – Harry Kakoulli (Oval); Johnny Runs For Paragoric / Take Me To The Cinema– Exploding Seagulls (Fried Egg); Countdown EP – Stingrays (Fried Egg); Original Mixed Up Kid / Unofficial Secrets – Various Artists (Fried Egg); This Age / Suicide – Obesrvers (S+T)
Independent Albums (Red Starr): Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables – Dead Kennedys (Cherry Red)
Other: Strange Tales From A Music Paper