Year: 1985
Track: THE POWER OF LOVE – JENNIFER RUSH
Comment: Sorry, I know a lot of people love this song, and I have a penchant for the baroque, but this is still overblown bollocks
Rating: E
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 19
Year: 1984
Track: FREEDOM – WHAM!
Comment: This is when George and Andrew officially dumped the “Soul on the Dole” stuff and went full on 80s consumerist, though this song has an early 60s Motown feel. Good quality fluff.
Rating: B
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 18
Year: 1983
Track: KARMA CHAMELEON – CULTURE CLUB
Comment: More Culture Club and obviously a massive iconic hit. But in retrospect I think Do You Really Want To Hurt Me is a stronger song. There are too many 80’s tricks and flicks here.
Rating: C+
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 17
Year: 1982
Track: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME – CULTURE CLUB
Comment: As we head into my “teenage” era it’s much more difficult to assess these things. But this is a nicely constructed song, reggae-lite, good vocal, stands up very well to the passage of time.
Rating: B
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 16
Year: 1981
Track: IT’S MY PARTY – DAVE STEWART WITH BARBARA GASKIN
Comment: I enjoyed this then and I enjoyed it now (even sniggered at the childish condom joke) . Starts in a mannered Leena Lovitch style but Barbara seems more relaxed at the end.
Rating: A
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 15
Year: 1980
Track: WOMAN IN LOVE – BARBARA STREISAND
Comment: Aaah Babs, always classy, always delivers the goods, and does so in spades here.
Rating: B
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 14
Year: 1979
Track: ONE DAY AT A TIME – LENA MARTELL
Comment: Christ it’s almost the 80’s and I still have to listen to this awful country dross. I can take it from Tammy or Dolly, but Lena is from Blightly and still singing about how the “Lawd” can help her get past her “cheetin” menfolk. Really honestly hate this.
Rating: F
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 13
Year: 1978
Track: SUMMER NIGHTS – JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
Comment: It’s Grease, what ever I say is not going to change your opinion, so I won’t bother.
Rating: C
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 12
Year: 1977
Track: SILVER LADY – DAVID SOUL
Comment: Ooh a slight Starskey and Hutch vibe in the horns section backing track hidden in amongst the weeping violins. Hutch can carry a tune, chorus is catchy, comes across as a pound shop Neil Diamond. Could have been worse.
Rating: D+
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Now That’s What I Call My Birthday 11
Year: 1976
Track: MISSISSIPPI – PUSSYCAT
Comment: Hmmm faux-country by a trio of Dutch sisters. You forget how much if this turgid stuff was churned out in the 70s, and how popular it was. Bring on Disco or Punk or anything but this.
Rating: E
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