80's Party DJ

Number 1 hits of 1984

The year opened with the original sound of the flying pickets at number one, brilliant as this tune was its a non starter as far as an 80s party's goes today. Pipes of peace will also clear the dance floor but the third number one of 1984 (relax) has a much more interesting story behind it. RELAX was released in 1983 and scraped along the bottom of the charts not really getting anywhere, Frankie goes to Hollywood eventually got a spot on a pre christmas edition of the tube, following this and the subsequent appearance on the massively influential top of the pops, the track moved up to the number 6 position in the new year charts. However at about this time radio one DJ Mike Read decided the lyrics were inappropriate and banned the record from his play list. It then followed that despite having appeared on top of the pops and the track having several air plays on radio one FGTH received a network ban. Relax almost certainly would have ended up at number one but the ban helped it stay there a lot longer and added to the bands hype. Frankie says RELAX.

In the 80's the two big slow numbers of 1984 (Hello and Careless whisper) were often asked for as first dance records at weddings, perhaps in 1984 nobody listened to the lyrics because the lyrics of careless whisper are totally inappropriate. However this would also explain why it took the BBC so long to realize the lyrics to relax were a bit saucy.

The year finished with the Band aid phenomenon, inspired by sir Bob and Midge Ure, the record was produced by Trevor Horn who also had great chart success with the frankie boys. This record set a trend of charity records that would last till the end of the 80s. Charity records were made for a good cause but some of the artistes appearing on them may have hoped to restart their fading careers, not so much band aid but band wagon. Today we have TV shows like "help! I want to be a celebrity again, get me in the jungle".