How have we reached 1982 and not met Black Sabbath or Kiss yet?! Well in this episode, all that changes. February 1982 and playlist 37 promises pivot point for both bands as Sabbath contemplate a world without Ozzy and Kiss consider a world without heroes. The J Geils Band drop the greatest "Na Na" chorus of the decade, the Jam bring Woking to the fore (and not in a good way) and the Nolans bring the contraception. We also meet the Associates and ABC shoot their poison arrow! 

Links to Playlist 37:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

1. Black Sabbath - Turn Up The Night

2. J Geils Band - Centrefold

3. The Jan - Town Called Malice

4. Kiss - A World Without Heroes

5. The Nolans - Don't Love Me Too Hard

6. The Associates - Party Fears Two

7. ABC - Poison Arrow

If there's one thing that we can take from this week's pod it's that in 1982 and even now perhaps, it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it! Indeed in this weeks eclectic mix, we see funk, hardcore, electro and reggae all represented as we plunge into the second half of playlist 36 and February 1982. Naturally with that opening line, we'll be meeting Bananarama as they team up with Fun Boy Three but we also meet Bohannon, the funkiest drummer around, Vice Squad representing UK82 punk and we get some more of the Robert Palmer, UB40 and Depeche Mode stories. 

Links to Playlist 36:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

8. Bohannon - Let's Start To Dance Again

9. Vice Squad - Out Of Reach

10. Robert Palmer - Some Guys Have All The Luck

11. UB40 - I Won't Close My Eyes

12. Fun Boy Three & Bananarama - It Aint What You Do It's The Way That You Do It

13. Depeche Mode - See You

Do you want the best chant of the 80s? Or how about Soft Cell's best song? Well you're in the right place. Whether it's "Hey Mickey" or "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and everything inbetween, this episode has it all as we slip into February 1982 and playlist 36. We kick off with Adrian Gurvitz putting aside his rock roots to write a Classic. Diana Ross gets introspective and funky with her post Motown catalogue before Nick Heyward becomes a hearthrob with Haircut 100. Toni Basil drops one of the standout tracks of the decade. D Train brings the funk alongside Earth Wind and Fire and Soft Cell cap the episode with their haunting final single from Non Stop Erotic Cabaret. It's a helluva show this week!

Links to Playlist 36:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

1. Adrian Gurvitz - Classic

2. Diana Ross - Mirror Mirror

3. Haircut 100 - Love Plus One

4. Toni Basil - Hey Mickey

5. D Train - You're The One For Me

6. Earth, Wind & Fire - I've Had Enough

7. Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye

Whether you want to sleep in the jungle with a lion (bit weird) or go wild in the country, we have you covered as we complete January 1982! Its the second half of playlist 35 and we kick off with the aforementioned childhood memory by Tight Fit but explore the deeper darker history of the track. Next up Hall & Oates bring their A-Game and drop I Can't Go For That which it turns out, isnt a love song. Theatre of Hate take us to the Westworld, watch out for dodgy Yul Brynner looking characters! XTC overload our senses, OMD release yet another song about Joan of Arc and Bow Wow Wow finally have their break out. 

Links to Playlist 35:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

8. Tight Fit - The Lion Sleeps Tonight

9. Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

10. Theatre Of Hate - Do You Believe In The Westworld?

11. XTC - Senses Working Overtime

12. OMD - Maid of Orleans

13. Bow Wow Wow - Go Wild In The Country

If you're looking for a pod describing the rhyming scheme of "truly" and "Julie", look no further! Yes as we begin our ascent of the 1982 charts, the 80s Mixtaper acts as our musical sherpa. We'll be stopping along the way to muse on the Stranglers' multi-meaning Golden Brown, feeling the chill of the cold war with Mobiles' Drowning in Berlin before Lindsey Buckingham gets us into trouble, amongst others (including Shakin Stevens' Julie and it's  rhyming scheme). 1982 starts with a bang, join the musical expedition today!

Links to Playlist 35:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

1. The Stranglers - Golden Brown

2. Mobiles - Drowning in Berlin

3. Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble

4. Mike Post feat. Larry Carlton - Theme from "Hill Street Blues"

5. Elkie Brooks - Fool If You Think It's Over

6. Shakin Stevens - Oh Julie

7. Stevie Wonder - Thart Girl

Bonus Track - Rhoda & The Special AKA - The Boiler

Get down on this podcast! Today, we reach the end of 1981! Can you believe that we're a fifth of the way through this journey already?! And as such, we feature but one song, the only remaining song to mention for 1981 and playlist 34 (the one that stupid here should have just tacked on to episode 33.5). Yes folks, we get cool with Kool and the Gang and their classic hit Get Down On It. Then, a little revue of 1981 and what it meant in the pop zeitgeist, before we hand out some metaphorical awards to the artists of the day. Who will win best solo artist? Who will scoop the most important song of the year? All will be revealed and then we look forward to 1982 and I make the specious claim that 1982 - 1986 are the bit of the 80s we all love the most. Tune in as we celebrate 1981!

Links to playlist 34: 

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

1. Kool and the Gang - Get Down On It

(yup, it's just one song, the lesson as always is I'm an idiot)

Step right up as we complete the last full playlist of 1981 and the back end of playlist 33. What an episode we have. Are the Rolling Stones going to break up? Do Foreigner know they have one of the most iconic ballads of the 80s? Are Altered Images happy?Will Jon & Vangelis find their way home? Does Rod Stewart want to be a young turk and do ABBA simply want to go their separate ways? We'll probably answer none of this but have a bloody good go at speculating based on the facts, opinions and fun stuff as we reach the denouement of the 2nd year of the decade. 

Links to playlist 33:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

8. The Rolling Stones - Waiting On A Friend

9. Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You

10. Altered Images -I Could Be Happy

11. Jon & Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home

12. Rod Stewart - Young Turks

13. ABBA - One Of Us

This episode will transport you back to the land of make believe (or the 80s, same difference) as we hit December 1981. In playlist 33 we get a Christmas Number one which the band didnt even want to release but which becomes one of the legendary songs of the decade. Duran Duran fill time between their debut album and Rio with a disco throwback, Status Quo get all misty eyed about rock and roll and Madness write cover a love song which by 1994 has me crooning outside a balcony at 3am. Yes folks, playlist 33 is a monster, give it a listen now!

Links to playlist 33:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

1. Bucks Fizz - Land of Make Believe

2. Status Quo - Rock n Roll

3. Duran Duran - My Own Way

4. Sheena Easton - You Could Have Been With Me

5. Dramatis & Gary Numan - Love Needs No Disguise

6. Madness - It Must Be Love

7. The Human League - Don't You Want Me

Don't go to sleep on this episode! For one it ends with Meatloaf's Dead Ringer For Love, so you'll be wide awake again.

In the second half of playlist 32, we transport you back to the end of November 1981. The Pretenders kick off proceedings with a desperate lament about love in a song which would take on sadder meaning in their future. Soft Cell then transport us to a lonely Bedsit after the party has ended, before Queen and David Bowie release one of the greatest almost accidental duets ever (great story behind this one!). We then introduce those jazz funk pioneers SHAKATAK to the mix before hearing some wedding bells with Godley and Creme. And finally, as mentioned, we introduce Meatloaf and bring along Cher for the ride. Get ready for some rock and roll and brew as we end with Dead Ringer For Love!

Links to Playlist 32:

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Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

8. Pretenders - I Go To Sleep

9. Soft Cell - Bedsitter

10. Queen - Under Pressure (Feat. David Bowie)

11. SHAKATAK - Easier Said Than Done

12. Godley and Creme - Wedding Bells

13. Meatloaf - Dead Ringer For Love (Feat. Cher)

A lunatic has taken over the podcast! (Frankly he was never away). Or rather Fun Boy Three do, as we move forward into deepest November 1981 with Playlist 32. Messrs Hall, Staples and Golding become FB3 and launch their debut single as we explore the messy split from the Specials and what came next. Modern Romance then continue their formulaic party song rise through the charts and Diane Ross breaks from Motown. Earth Wind and Fire reinvent themselves for the new decade, Dollar with the help of Trevor Horn turn mirrors into magic and George Benson creates Grammy success from a compilation track. And finally Kim Wilde continues her conquering march through an epic year. 

Links to Playlist 32:

Spotify

Apple Music

In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are:

1. Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum

2. Modern Romance - Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey

3. Diana Ross - Why Do Fools Fall In Love

4. Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove

5. Dollar - Mirror Mirror

6. George Benson - Turn Your Love Around

7. Kim Wilde - Cambodia