February 14 - 27, 1985

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Cover: The Power Station
Centrespread: Wham!
Back cover: Bryan Adams
Interviews: Kirsty MacColl; The Power Station; Wham! in Japan; Big Sound Authority; Mick Jagger; The Colour Field, Terry Hall;
Lyrics: This House (Is Where Your Love Stands) - Big Sound Authority; This Is Not America - David Bowie / Pat Metheny Group; Love Like Blood - Killing Joke; Personality - Eugene Wilde; How Soon Is Now? - Smiths; Breaking Up My Heart - Shakin' Stevens; Close (To The Edit) - Art Of Noise; We Belong To The Night - Pat Benetar; Wide Boy - Nik Kershaw
Personal File: Phil Collins
Bitz: Elaine Paige; Meat Loaf, "Piece Of The Action"; XTC, "Wake Up", Skyscraper And The Snakes, Helium Kids; ZZ Top, "Legs"; Associates, "Breakfast"; Shakatak, "Live"; Jonzun Crew, "Lovin'", "Down To Earth"; Pale Fountains, "…From Across The Kitchen Table", "Jean's Not Happening"; Zak Starkey, Boz Burrell, Micky Moody; "Feed The World", Edinburgh, New Order, Orchestra Jazira, Mari Wilson, Waterboys, Sid Presley Experience, Rezillos, Shaky Table And The Loose Legs; "Lloyd Cole and the Commotions"; James Ingram, "Ya Mo Be There"; New Jersey Mass Choir, "I Want To Know What Love Is"; Roland Rat, "No. 1 Rat Fan"; Grandmaster Flash, "Sign Of The Times"; Big Country; Julian Cope, "Sunspots"; Tartan Army: Paul King, Andrew Ridgeley, Roddy Frame, Rolling Stones, Eurythmics, Boy George, Steve Strange, Spandau Ballet, Slade, Bay City Rollers, Rod Stewart, Ian Anderson; Streetsounds, "Love Ballads", Pat Benatar; Malley the cat; Orange Juice split, Edwyn Collins, "Ain't That Always The Way", Paul Quinn
Single reviews (Tom Hibbert): Sunspots - Julian Cope; The Last Kiss - David Cassidy; Some Foreign Shore - Nirvana Devils; In Jeopardy - Roger Hodgson / No 1 Rat Fan - Roland Rat Superstar; How Soon Is Now? - Smiths; Heart User - Cliff Richard; I Built The World - Farmer's Boys; Wake Up - XTC; Let Me Down Easy - Stranglers; This Is Not America - David Bowie / Pat Metheny Group; Just Another Night - Mick Jagger; In Shreds - Chameleons; Invitation To Dance - Kim Carnes
Album reviews (Tom Hibbert / Simon Mills / Chris Heath): Centerfield - John Fogerty; Starchild - Teena Marie; The Bad And Lowdown World Of The Kane Gang - Kane Gang
Nights Out: New Order; Chaka Khan
Other: Love Is...

January 17 - 30, 1985

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Cover: Tears For Fears
Centrespread: Nik Kershaw
Back cover: Shakin' Stevens
Interviews: Madonna; Frankie Goes To Hollywood; The Cult; Janice Long; Tears For Fears
Lyrics: San Damiano (Heart And Soul) - Sal Solo; Police Officer - Smiley Culture; Love And Pride - King; Say Yeah - The Limit; Neutron Dance - Pointer Sisters; Just A Shadow - Big Country; Friends - Amii Stewart; Carmen - Malcolm McLaren; Seven Year Bitch - Slade; Thank You My Love - Imagination; This Is My Night - Chaka Khan; Misled - Kool & The Gang
Personal File: Sal Solo
Bitz: Chaka Khan; Monochrome Set, "Jacob's Ladder"' Jimmy Ruffin, "There Will Never Be Another You", Council Collective, "Soul Deep"; Killing Joke, "Love Like Blood", "Night Time"; Tracey Ullman, "Terry", Kirsty MacColl; Friends Again split; Jim Diamond, "Double Crossed"; Band Aid, Bob Geldof; Village People, "Sex Over The Phone", Felipe Rose, Alex Briley, Glenn Hughes, Jeff Olson, Ray Stephens, Mark Lee; Wham!; Van Halen, "Hot For Teacher"; "Body Rock", Julian Lennon, Laura Branigan, Roberta Flack, "Beverly Hills Cop", Eddie Murphy, Shalamar, Junior, Pointer Sisters; Simon Le Bon and Claire, Marilyn and Boy George, Paul Rutherford and Steve Strange, Sting and Trudi, Sting and Grace Jones, Nick Rhodes and Julie Ann, Elton John and Sir John Gielgud, Paula Yates and Bob Geldof, Dave Stewart and Alannah Currie, Britt Ekland and Slim Jim Phantom, Boy George, Prince Andrew; Gary Glitter, "Boys Will Be Boys", Sylvester, "Take Me To Heaven", "M 1015"; Band Aid magazine; Hall and Oates, "Method Of Modern Love"; Associates, "Breakfast"; Smiley Culture, "Police Officer"; Ian Birch; Boy George
Single reviews (Vivi MacDonald): Breakfast - Associates; Don't Drive Drunk - Stevie Wonder; Love And Pride - King; Julia - Eurythmics; Carmen - Malcolm McLaren; World Destruction - Timezone; This Is My Night - Chaka Khan; Neutron Dance - Pointer Sisters; Just A Shadow - Big Country; James Brown - Cabaret Voltaire; Thinking Of You - Colour Field; Terry - Tracey Ullman; Seven Year Bitch - Slade; Brained By Falling Masonry - Nurse With Wound
Album reviews (Tom Hibbert / Lisa Anthony): Party Party - Black Lace; Fans - Malcolm McLaren
Nights Out: The Wonder Of Wembley: Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Big Country, Kool & the Gang, Culture Club, Wham!, Thompson Twins

January 3 - 16, 1985

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Cover: Wham!
Centrespread: Madonna
Back cover: Morrissey
Interviews: Ian McCulloch; Alannah Currie; Wham!; Gary Glitter
Lyrics: Julia - Eurythmics; Shout - Tears For Fears; Step Off (Part 1) - Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five; And That's No Lie - Heaven 17; Resurrection Joe - The Cult; Sharp-Dressed Man - ZZ Top; I Hear Talk - Bucks Fizz; Valotte - Julian Lennon; I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Bitz: Europe A Go-Go: The Tube, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Hanoi Rocks, Golden Earring, UB40; Time Zone, "World Destruction", Afrika Bambaataa, John Lydon; Smash Hits - Australia: Ian Birch, David Bostock, Duran Duran, Electric Pandas, Jimmy Barnes, Australian Crawl, Flaming Hands, Venetians, Brian Mannix, Uncanny X-Men; Madonna; The Kinks: "Kovers", "Kollectable", "Greatest Hits"; The Armoury Show, "We Can Be Brave Again"; Paul Gambaccini, "The Other Side Of The Tracks"; "The Special AKA On Film"; Blazing Saddles, "Free George Jackson"; Terry Hall, The Colour Field, "Thinking Of You", Katrina Phillips; Ruby Turner, Culture Club; The Stranglers; "Dune", Sting, Kyle MacLahlan; Nurse With Wound, "Brained By Falling Masonry", Stu P. Didiot, Heza Sheza; Billy Ocean, "Lover Boy"; Laurie Anderson, "United States Live"; Kirsty MacColl, "A New England"; Stephen Duffy, Freeman, Dr Calculus, "Programme 7", "Kiss Me"; Alvin Stardust; Tina Turner; Heaven 17, "And That's No Lie"; Shalamar; King, "Love And Pride"; Chaka Khan; "The Biz", Spectrum 48k, Chris Sievey; Dionne Warwick, "Without Your Love", "It's Love", Barry Manilow; Sheryl Lee Ralph, "In The Evening"
Nights Out: Cocteau Twins; Howard Jones; UB40
Other: Pop stars' answering machine messages; Smash Hits most embarrassing singles reviews