The Week That Was – 21st October 1979

Record of the week: Stranglers – Nuclear Device
Highest entry: Suzi Quatro – She’s In Love With You

10th Aug 2022 – The Stranglers had passed me by until now and I reckon I only heard Nuclear Device once and never again until I bought a copy a few years later. It felt strange that a song I loved and I believe charted was so rarely heard on the radio. I was starting to feel that someone out there had it in for the punks and good music. I don’t recognise this Suzi Quatro song but she was always a pleasure to watch on Top of the Pops, though as a weird soon-to-be 12-year-old I didn’t quite understand why!

21st October 1979
Nuclear Device (Wizard of Aus) is great
2p 188p*

10th Aug 2022 – Perhaps this was the start of my education into the terrible power of nuclear weapons which would only cast a longer shadow over our lives in the early 80s. I did love the pun in the record’s title. Perhaps a first inkling of an interest in language.

22nd October 1979
(tick)
Specials Message To You, Rudy is as above
2p 186p*

10th Aug 2022 – The Two Tone ska revolution was just starting to swing and my friends and I were getting into it. The music wasn’t punk but the messages were. I could identify. Any youth culture was interesting to me at this formative stage.

23rd October 1979
(4) Not long
Took radio to school
2p 8p 1756p*

10th Aug 2022 – Countdown to my birthday. Birthdays were still exciting. Soon to be 12. I took a radio to school so we could listen to music and particularly the chart run down.

24th October 1979
(3) Not as long as yesterday
2p 1754p*

25th October 1979
(2) Even shorter
1. Lena Martell
2. Buggles
3. Michael Jackson
4. Dr Hook
5. Sad Cafe
2p 152p*

10th Aug 2022 – Apart from the Buggles this top 5 is pretty atrocious, though I do have a Sad Cafe song in the memory banks.

26th October 1979
(1) One day
Christopher’s coming down tomorrow
Greatt!
2p 150p*

27th October 1979
Great
HEYY!
Ipswich v.
For what I got, look at next week
2p 148p*

10th Aug 2022 – A Saturday birthday with a friend visiting. Unfortunately no memories retained, sadly.