Some 1980s Vibes: When Corona Was Fizzy Drinks, Frankie Wanted To Arm The Unemployed And West End Girls Prowled...

'West End Girl' - a 1987 poster by Athena. The spiky-haired foxtress has obviously been surprised on the fire escape. Wonder what she's been up to? Eurythmics's Annie Lennox, in the guise of her horrid middle class housewife in the 1987 'Beethoven (I love to listen to)' video, would no doubt, have been fascinated!

So, the 1980s.

BOOM! BANG! KER-BLAM! Love Thatcher/Reagan? Hate Thatcher/Reagan? Wanna be a yuppie? Wanna join Red Wedge and tear down the whole capitalist system? Wanna eat Nouvelle Cuisine? Wanna eat bubble and squeak portions from Bejam? Love the brand new House Music sensation? Prefer the brand new indie sensation that was The Smiths? Love to power dress? Love to wear deelyboppers and jelly shoes?

The 1980s seemed full to bursting with contrasting thingies. And now it all looks like a different planet. How things have changed! Take Covid-19. Back in the 1980s if you mentioned 'Corona' in England and Wales, a range of fizzy drinks immediately sprang to the forefront of most minds - not lockdowns and social distancing.

This Corona bottle dates from 1982, as indicated by the date on the promotional blurb on the back of the label. The label features the little bubbly thingie from the early 1980s 'Every bubble's passed its fizzical' TV ad, which was then current.

Environmentally friendly? 'Course we were - 10p deposit charged on the bottle. My favourite Corona drinks were orangeade and cherryade. Every Christmas we used to order a crate of assorted Corona drinks from the milkman.

Daily Mirror, 27 February, 1985:

Frankie goes to Downing Street
Leading pop stars have signed a "celebrity petition" to be handed in at 10 Downing Street tomorrow. It opposes Government plans to axe supplementary benefit for school leavers if they do not take part in the Youth Training Scheme. Holly Johnson and Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Paul Weller, Madness, Smiley Culture, the Flying Pickets and Alison Moyet are among the entertainers whose names will be handed in. The Downing Street visit is part of a national rally and lobby of Parliament organised by the Youth Trade Union Rights Campaign.

The Youth Opportunities scheme had been introduced by the Callaghan Labour Government in 1978, in response to rapidly rising youth unemployment. A YOP provided work experience only, although in 1982 a training element was added. In 1983, it was replaced by the Youth Training Scheme (YTS), which, as the scheme's name suggests, was centred around training for skills.

So, what was the beef with school leavers having to go on a YTS scheme to qualify for Government money? Did they not want training? Well, looking back, the reasons I heard bandied about were that the Government was simply using the scheme to make the unemployment figures look smaller, and that minimum age school leavers had a right to expect a proper job.

This interested me as, as far back as the mid-1970s, the fact that graduates with degrees were finding it impossible to find work was being widely reported.

But in the 1980s, any initiative on the part of the Thatcher Governments was seen by many of us as a plot to do us down. Her first government's concentration on inflation rather than unemployment early in the decade had cast her out forever as far as I was concerned.

And, although I had a job and was completely unaffected, I still ranted my disapproval.

Maggie Thatcher would probably have dearly loved to give Frankie a spanky in the mid-1980s.

1983: The Smiths, REM, Billy Bragg, Cocteau Twins, Icicle Works And Prefab Sprout: Music To Listen Out For...

Daily Mirror, 31/12/1983:

The Smiths are my favourite group of the moment. I was delighted to see "This Charming Man" crack the charts.This Manchester four-piece fronted by singer Morrissey, have the neccessary live power and strong material to win through.

The only problem the Smiths may encounter is financial. They refuse to compromise their integrity by signing with a major record company.

The limited budget available to independent company Rough Trade may prevent Morrisey and his group hitting the top. 

David Jenson had also spotted a Sprouting Genius:  

Prefab Sprout - they took the name after mishearing a line in a Nancy Sinatra song - made one of the year's best singles with "Lions In My Own Garden".

Now they have signed to the giant CBS Records, whose whole building is trembling with excitement at the results.

The Sprouts, from Newcastle, are the brainchild of singer-songwriter Paddy McAloon. Stuck in a garage for the past three years with his brother and bassplayer Martin, Paddy claims to have written enough songs for five albums!

The delicate acoustic style, married to weird, wonderful words and the voices of Paddy and Wendy Smith will make listening to their debut album, "Swoon", due out in March, a heady experience. 

And then there was...

 Top American booking agent Ian Copeland - brother of Police drummer Stewart - rates REM from Athens, Georgia, whose mini tour and "Murmur" album got rave notices. 

And amongst David's musicians and singers to watch out for... 

Billy Bragg: Excellent, if odd, solo performer from London.

Cocteau Twins: Liz Frazer and Robin Guthrie from Scotland have topped the indie charts with their "Head Over Heels" LP. They need a commercial single.

Icicle Works: Liverpool band, strongly tipped by Malcolm Gerrie, producer of "The Tube".

Paul McCartney And The Pipes Of Peace, The Smiths, Tears For Fears, Wham!, Boy George And Other Pop Gossip Of 1983...

From the Daily Mirror, Saturday, December 17, 1983:

Paul McCartney has gone to war - with a message of peace.

The rock star appears on both sides - as a British soldier and a German adversary in World War 1.

And, thanks to the magic of videotape, he ends up shaking hands with himself.

Paul acted the parts for a movie made to promote his record Pipes of Peace.

The song is based on a legendary Christmas incident in which the two sides downed arms and played football together.

Elsewhere in the Mirror, David Jenson brought us all the latest pop gossip...

HAPPY RETURNS FOR STEVIE...

Just in case you were wondering why Tamla Motown have re-released Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday", it is to celebrate Martin Luther King Day on January 15.

Stevie, who wrote the song about the assassinated civil rights leader, refused to allow its release in the States until King's birthday was declared a national holiday.

Included on the B side are four of Dr King's speeches, including the famous "I have a dream..."

The Cure are looking for two young musicians to join them for live work starting in January. The "live work", incidentally, includes a world tour!

WHAM! WATCH IT

Sell-out pair who are stage-struck

What do top stars Wham! worry about on a sell-out tour? "We're always bumping into each other on stage," says George Michael.

"One night we ran so hard into each other we both went flying. Another time I slipped on a bra that had been thrown on stage! We always have to look out of the corner of our eyes."

Now the tour is over, George and his buddy Andrew Ridgeley are looking forward to recording some new material - although a dispute with their record company which ended up in court recently may prevent its release for some time.

"We're a bit in limbo really. Because of our case we really can't afford to bring out a new album. But when we do get into the studio it will be good.

"We're writing in bits and pieces like we always do. For the next album we're going to try to diversify - combining all our influences."

TEARS BANISH TOUR FEARS

The boys in Tears For Fears have been having a tough time on their British tour, which winds up in Poole on Thursday.

Both have been struck down by flu, but being the troupers they are, they have soldiered on.

Curt Smith has been having vocal training lately and he's been able to cope with the strain much better.

Fellow singer Roland Orzabal has a trained voice. It is so powerful that he blew up a £400 microphone the other night.

What a funny bunny Boy...

Boy George tells me he plans to spend Christmas "Lying on my back, covered in tin foil and hibernating for a week."

Talking about the video for Culture Club's "Victims", George added: "I really think I look like a rabbit. I see it and expect a pair of big white ears to come out of my hat.

"My father said I look like an undertaker. I suppose it has got a certain Hammer horror element to it."

And the hottest new star in pop is still surprised at the huge success of "Karma Chameleon". He didn't want the biggest-selling single of the year released. He thought it would be a flop!

STICKING TOGETHER

Bananarama's Keren Woodward - she's the cutie with the dark hair - has been telling me how close the trio really are. For the past several months they've shared a flat together and now they've bought themselves houses next door to each other in North London.

1983 has been a tough year for the girls, with management hassles which led to them looking after themselves.

As a sign of their determination to stick together the girls, impressed by the film "The Day After", plan to build themselves an underground nuclear shelter.

THE SMITHS ARE A HIT WITH SANDIE

Chart newcomers The Smiths can now add the name of Sandie Shaw to their ever growing list of admirers. So struck by their music is the Sixties star that she has recorded a Smiths tune for her next single.

And I'm pleased to announce the Smiths follow up to "This Charming Man", "What Difference Does It Make", comes out in mid-January.