One Hit Wonders of the UK

Chart lovers behold the oddity

Susan Fassbender and Kay Russell – Twilight Cafe 01/1981

Honey Bane – Turn Me On Turn Me Off 01/1981

Fred Wedlock – Oldest Swinger In Town 01/1981

Passions – I’m In Love With A German Film Star 01/1981

Sheila Hylton – The Bed’s Too Big Without You 01/1981

Barbara Jones – Just When I Needed You Most 01/1981

Joe Dolce – Shaddap You Face 02/1981

Tony Capstick – Capstick Comes Home 03/1981

Graham Bonnet – Night Games 03/1981

Sugar Minott – Good Thing Going 03/1981

Keith Marshall – Only Crying 04/1981

Department S – Is Vic There? 04/1981

Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes 05/1981

Champaign – How ‘Bout Us 05/1981

Paul Shayne and the Yellowcoats – Hi-De-Hi (Holliday Rock) 05/1981

Kate Robbins and Beyond – More Than In Love 05/1981

Grover Washington Jr. – Just The Two Of Us 05/1981

Red Sovine – Teddy Bear 06/1981

Dead Kennedys – Too Drunk To Fuck 05/1981

Evasions – The Wikka Wrap 06/1981

Carl Carlton – She’s A Bad Mamma Jamma 07/1981

Voggue – Dancin’ The Night Away 07/1981

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Hooked On The Classics 07/1981

Startrax – Startrax Club Disco 08/1981

Aneka – Japanese Boy 08/1981

Hi-Gloss – You’ll Never Know 08/1981

Tweets – The Birdie Song 09/1981

Portsmouth Sinfonia – Classical Muddly 09/1981

Electronica – Dance Little Bird 09/1981

Laurie Anderson – O Superman 10/1981

The Fureys – When You Were Sweet Sixteen 10/1981

The Exploited – Dead Cities 10/1981

Arthur Adams – You’ve Got The Floor 10/1981

Blue Rondo A La Turk – Me And Mr Sanchez 11/1981

Snowmen – Hokey Cokey 12/1981

Holly And the Ivys – Christmas on 45 12/1981

Brown Sauce – I Wanna Be A Winner 12/1981

Christopher Cross – Arthur’s Theme (Best You Can Do) 10/1981

Listen to: Honey Bane – Turn Me On Turn Me Off

Graham Bonnet – Night Games

Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes

Grover Washington Jr. – Just The Two Of Us

Dead Kennedys – Too Drunk To Fuck

Carl Carlton – She’s A Bad Mamma Jamma

The Exploited – Dead Cities

Some absolute Songs​ᵀᴹ in this year’s list; “Bette Davis Eyes” and “Just The Two Of Us” are certified classics. It’s weird that Bill Withers co-wrote and was the sole singer but Grover Washington Jr. is the only credited artists but that’s life I guess. Nice bit of punk with The Exploited And Dead Kennedys and to some extent Honey Bane. I do love the fact that obviously the BBC banned “Too Drunk To Fuck” but it must have fuelled interest. Graham Bonnet (fresh off his short stint in Rainbow (the band, not the show)) has a tale of love in “Night Games” and Stevie Wonder sound-a-like Carl Carlton has gifted humanity with a funky jam worthy of a stank face.

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