Friday, December 25, 2020

December 25, 1980 - January 7, 1981

Smash Hits, December 25. 1980
(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

Friday, December 11, 2020

December 11 - 24, 1980

Smash Hits, December 11, 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