July 1981

1981-07
 * Starts on a Wednesday


 * Ends on a Friday

Events

 * Wimbledon Men's Final, John McEnroe v. Björn Borg (04)
 * Cricket: Second Test (from 02). Third Test (from 16), Fourth Test (from 30)
 * 25th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards Scheme
 * The Queen opens the Humber Bridge (17)
 * Marriage of HRH Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer (29)

TV

 * New series: Three Of A Kind (BBC1, from 01 July), Andre Previn & Friends (BBC1, three shows from 02 July), Pop Quiz (BBC1, from 04 July), House Calls (BBC1, from 04 July), Brass Tacks (BBC2, from 06 July) Bellamy’s Backyard Safari (BBC1, from 09) Get Set For Summer (BBC1, from 11 July), Holiday Report (BBC1, from 16), Stuart Burrows Sings (BBC2, from 24 July), Summertime Special (BBC1, from 25)
 * New seasons: We Are The Champions (BBC1, from 02 July), Blue Peter Flies The World: Malaysia (BBC1, from 06 July), Why Don't You...?
 * Repeats: Shoestring, Roots, Citizen Smith, Dad's Army, The Good Life, The Liver Birds, Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?, Grace Kennedy, Cheggers Plays Pop (rpt. from April 81), Why Don't You...?, Go With Noakes (S6, first shown November 1980), The Liver Birds.
 * TOTP: DLT; JS - 900th show (09 July); Peter Powell; Richard Skinner; Steve Wright.

Radio

 * BBC Radio 1
 * Paul Burnett Radio 1 Roadshow at the Great Picnic in Windsor Great Park (Sat 04)
 * Star Wars radio adaption (13 eps. from Sat 04)
 * In Concert: Wishbone Ash, Supercharge and the Pencils, Q-Tips and Marshall Doktors, Squeeze
 * Top 40: Tony Blackburn
 * Not the Nuptials. A celebration of marriage? Presented by Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith.(29)

Music

 * UK no.1s: The Specials - Ghost Town, Shakin' Stevens - Green Door.
 * US no.1s: Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes, Air Supply - The One That You Love.
 * Releases
 * albums: Bucks Fizz - Bucks Fizz, Debbie Harry - KooKoo, Jon & Vangelis - The Friends of Mr Cairo, ELO - Time, Sparks - Whomp That Sucker, The B-52's - Party Mix!.

Playlist

 * listen on Spotify
 * 1) Spandau Ballet - Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
 * trendy London boys abandon the Highland tablecloth chic, don some sharp suits and swap the Blitz Club for The Beat Route. Horns by Beggar & Co.
 * 1) Depeche Mode - New Life
 * second 7" release for Basildon synth-poppers finally get them into the charts and on TOTP.
 * 1) The Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink
 * alt rockers release this from new album. Will be more successful later in the decade.
 * 1) Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood
 * Tina Weymouth breaks out from Talking Heads to produce some clever arty electro-funk.
 * 1) Visage - Visage
 * Final single release from era-defining 1980 album. Another (minor) hit.
 * 1)  The Undertones - Julie Ocean
 * Derry indie rockers go softer on this second release from the Postive Touch album.
 * 1)  Kate Bush - Sat In Your Lap
 * New sounds for Bush on this long-awaited follow-up to last year's successful material. First ever pop song about "existential frustration and the quest for knowledge".
 * 1)  Sheena Easton - For Your Eyes Only
 * Opening titles tune for eponymous new 007 epic starring Roger Moore, sung by Scottish songstress fresh from US No.1 success with Morning Train (sic.). Fun fact: Easton is the only artist (to date) to be seen singing the theme song to a Bond movie during its opening titles.
 * 1)  Bauhaus - The Passion of Lovers
 * Goth rockers new release again achieved much critical but little commercial success.
 * 1)  Motorhead - Motorhead (live)
 * Brit heaver metal gods hit the Top 10 again. From parent live album  No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
 * 1)  Echo & The Bunnymen - A Promise
 * Liverpool indie rockers' only single release from their 'heaven Up here album. The mainstream charts still continue to escape them.
 * 1)  Siouxsie & The Banshees - Arabian Nights
 * Not so for this former punk outfit, now comfortably at home in the charts and on TOTP. Second single from Juju.
 * 1)  ABBA - Lay All Your Love On Me
 * Third and final single release from Super Trouper. Released on the relatively new 12" format only, it still managed to reach no.7 in the UK.
 * 1)  Duran Duran - Girls On Film
 * After the disappointing follow-up to debut Planet Earth in Careless Memories, DBrum new romantics release another track from eponymous debut album and get it right this time. Popularity fuelled also by 'naughty' promo video.
 * 1)  U2 - Fire
 * Like aforementioned Bauhaus and Bunnymen, commercial success still evaded thiese Irish alt rockers although better times were on the way.
 * 1)  Bill Wyman - (Si, Si) Je suis un Rockstar
 * Novelty single from Rolling Stones bassist, sung in deadpan franglais with added Cockney accent. Album to come.
 * 1)  Paul Gardiner / Gary Numan - Stormtrooper in Drag
 * Having retired from live work Numan gives a helping hand to his mate and trusted bass player Gardiner (RIP), while recording his own new forthcoming solo album (Dance) at the same time.
 * 1)  Shakatak - Brazilian Dawn
 * Some feel-good Brit-funk although third attempt at the charts still falls short of the sales quota.
 * 1)  Kim Wilde - Water On Glass
 * Comeback single for Wilde and first track off debut eponymous album, just released.
 * 1)  ELO - Hold On Tight
 * Orchestral rock outfit leave behind the electronics of last year's Xanadu to go back to their rockin' roots. From new album Time (second song in the list to feature words sung in French).
 * 1)  Debbie Harry - Backfired
 * Debut solo single from Blondie singer's debut solo album. Produced by Rogers/Nile it paved the way for more rock-disco crossover albums to come.
 * 1)  Soft Cell - Tainted Love
 * Obscure 70s song covered by obscure indie duo who don't play guitars and drums. A surefire formula for success for one of the decade's best known and biggest selling singles.
 * 1)  Our Daughter's Wedding - Lawnchairs
 * More new-fangled 'synth-pop' for the dance floor this time from the US. A catchy number which gained radio play in the UK although failed to keep up with their UK counterparts chartwise.
 * 1)  Hazel O'Connor - (Cover Plus) We're All Grown Up
 * single release from Cover Plus album although fails to meet Breaking Glass standards.
 * 1)  The Specials - Ghost Town
 * released in June, this downbeat ode to Thatcher's bleak Britain reached no.1 this month.
 * 1)  Sparks - Tips For Teens
 * Mael Brothers return with the usual sense of humour and irony in this first single release from new album Whomp That Sucker.
 * 1)  Dexy's Midnight Runners - Show Me
 * 2)  Follow-up to last year's successful hits with modestly successful stand-alone single release.


 * 1)  The Human League - Love Action (I Believe in Love)
 * Newly re-vamped Sheffield electronic outfit follow up their earlier chart hit The Sound of the Crowd complete with the brand-new sound of the Linn drum machine and Martin Rushent's innovative production. Completed with b-side Hard Times, also available as extended dance mixes on 12". Chart-bound sound
 * 1)  Shakin' Stevens - Green Door
 * Synth-pop and electro-funk step aside as rock n roll/blues still rule in Shakey's second no.1 single

Other singles worthy of note: Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday, Starsound - Stars on 45 vol.2, Kraftwerk - Computer Love, Saxon - Never Surrender.