Quoting:
1980 - Moscow - Genghis Khan

Wrong! The band was originally Dschinghis Kahn - Moskau. It was a german band and they performed Moskau in Eurovision song contest 1979. Became no. 4!

How do I know all of this? Well, I'm the 80s-genious.
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I won't dispute that migi...!

However, I've not heard of it myself...so whether it's an Anglicised translation/version, I really couldn't say...anyways...

1980 - Moscow - Genghis Khan ? (see above!)

1981 - Shakin' Stevens - You Drive Me Crazy 3 - or, as he sang it...'Cwazy'! Forgotten retro-rocker with a pleasant enough swingalong tune...

1982 - Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor 4 - which has been rated to within an inch of its life in the last few months...!

1983 - Australiana - Austen Tayshus ? - ...and with a name like that, this has to be some kind of a novelty! Any Aussies care to shed some light on it?

1984 - Careless Whisper - George Michael 4 - a tad on the overplayed side, but a defining song from the era...

1985 - The Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News 3 - okay number, but not representative of their best...

1986 - Venus - Bananarama 1 - Heh! Thought that'd upset some! In a rare show of good taste, this version barely crawled into our Top Ten - there's a relief!

1987 - The Loco-Motion - Kylie Minogue ? - ...because I'm not sure whether this is a different version to the one that charted in the US & UK...

1988 - Simply Irresistible - Robert Palmer 3 - not a bad song, but sounds a bit 'cluttered'...

1989 - Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx 4 - very pretty ballad...

Quoting:

1983 - Australiana - Austen Tayshus ? - ...and with a name like that, this has to be some kind of a novelty! Any Aussies care to shed some light on it?
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Very perceptive!  ;D

It's a novelty track by Sandy Gutman (a.k.a. Austen Tayshus) in which he attempts to cram as many ocker phrases as possible into a single spoke storyline.

"I said to my girlfirend, do ya wanna go, Anna? She said, 'Ill go if Ding goes..."  ::)

Quoting:
1987 - The Loco-Motion - Kylie Minogue ? - ...because I'm not sure whether this is a different version to the one that charted in the US & UK...
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If you were still in the UK back then surely you'd remember the ex-Neighbours star's first singing attempt?

Quoting:

If you were still in the UK back then surely you'd remember the ex-Neighbours star's first singing attempt?
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Well, yes, mrgazpacho - heard of her at the time ('Neighbours' being shown here since 1986), but she didn't actually start recording here in the UK until very late 1987...with the obligatory Stock/Aitken/Waterman...

'The Loco-Motion' I know and love (along with the Americans) was recorded in 1988 and produced by SAW...which therefore leads me to believe that this Aus version was different...but probably not fantastically different...

But, having said that, I'll rate the version I know and love 3...(Little Eva's remaining definitive...)

Quoting:


Very perceptive!  ;D

It's a novelty track by Sandy Gutman (a.k.a. Austen Tayshus) in which he attempts to cram as many ocker phrases as possible into a single spoke storyline.

"I said to my girlfirend, do ya wanna go, Anna? She said, 'Ill go if Ding goes..."  ::)
End Quote

And it turns 20 this month.  Its being re-released on CD and DVD with the original clip which was banned on most video shows at the time.

Sandy released it as a joke towards Men At Work who re-released their crap song Down Under to coincide with Alan Bond and gang winning the America's Cup 20 years ago last friday.  Sandy thought (like I did) how hilarious it was that we all suddenly become sooooo patriotic - despite never actually hearing about the race in the previous 120 years it had been raced !  So he wrote Australiana to be as sarcasticaly patriotic as physically possible in one song.  Gotta luv him for it !!  Its the highest selling spoken word single in Australia ever.

1980 - Moscow - Genghis Khan  love it - the most topical song of the year and I did a gymnastics routine to it !

1981 - You Drive Me Crazy - Shakin' Stevens   I always preferred Green Door

1982 - Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor  Its a song I love to hate !  Its used by so many sporting clubs as inspiration !!

1983 - Australiana - Austen Tayshus luv it

1984 - Careless Whisper - George Michael  drippy crap

1985 - The Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News at the time it was played to death so I hated it - but I enjoy a listen these days

1986 - Venus - Bananarama  luv it and the video clip

1987 - The Loco-Motion - Kylie Minogue  Luv it - and her - always have - even when it was "uncool" to !  And lived in the UK during her SAW years so saw all the overkill etc

1988 - Simply Irresistible - Robert Palmer never really my taste

1989 - Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx  I like the lyrics but its just tooooo drippy