As a leading expert on this era of the Top 40, @rmwhite21 presents daily facts & trivia as a taster for his future book on the history of the radio chart show
Essex
Joined March 2015
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For followers past and present, I've been running this a/c since 2015 and in April 2020, I talked to @GavinSamways about my love of the charts growing up and my forthcoming book:
mixcloud.com/Richard_M_White… (Mixcloud)
soundcloud.com/user-33725352… (Soundcloud)
On this day: 1987. @therealbrunoB revealed: "Here’s a new band, with a new entry, Blue Mercedes go straight in at (cue spoken jingle: number 33”)
youtu.be/YF4dXdULmmI?si=6POJ…
On this day: 1981. @tonyblackburn noted: "What a unique sound that is, isn’t it, Earth Wind and Fire, up from 37 to this week’s number 20 and in to Top 40 Part Three and Let’s Groove, and that’s at number 20."
youtu.be/Lrle0x_DHBM?si=yyQk…
On this day: 1982. Tommy Vance noted: "Been in the charts for six weeks now, going up and down like a yo-yo. Last week it went up to number 17, this week it’s dropped back to number 22. Back On The Chain Gang, the Pretenders."
youtu.be/cMOKamtpUA8?si=tEK8…
On this day: 1988. At number 21 was the tirst of two records to climb 16 places on @therealbrunoB's countdown: youtu.be/1o4s1KVJaVA?si=BmcN…
On this day: 1983. A confused Tommy Vance said: "We have a re-entry at 30… a new entry this week (sic) it could not be both). And it was in the charts before, it actually got to number eight when it was last released” (when it actually reached number 13) youtu.be/zuuObGsB0No?si=fOSL…
On this day: 1978. @SimonBatesUK ended the first hour of the show by saying: "It’s the O’Jays and Brandy at number 21. Five o’clock to seven o’clock from now on on Radio 1, also in stereo VHF, it’s the full British Top 40."
youtu.be/qoPhoqg0zNw?si=Kfzq…
On this day: 1989. There were only eight records going up @therealbrunoB's countdown, including the song advancing four places to number 25:
youtu.be/rqrw3_604_c?si=ktXe…
On this day: 1978. @SimonBatesUK hosted the first R1 Sunday 2 hour Top 40, a format that would last until the end of 1990. Here's the scoped audio of that historic show:
audioboom.com/posts/2648548-…
On this day: 1990. @markgoodier sent "Congratulations to the Inspiral Carpets, the Island Head EP is a new entry at number 23." (from which he played this track)
youtu.be/T-3hy1534f4?si=KvoM…
On this day: 1984. No 35. @SkindogRichard Skinner noted "Our first new entry is from the Motown stable" which he added by "nine guys from all over America who got together in New York City. You can expect to see them on tour over here early in 1985."
youtu.be/3HeQjcVCKMY?si=ZNu4…
On this day: 1979. @tonyblackburn admitted: "It’s all corny and it’s lovely! Ramblers, and the Sparrow, and that’s at number 15, up from 26."
youtu.be/6ZVGyxFfyZA?si=YLA8…
With thanks once again to @grim_fandango, here's his Ceefax capture of the top 10 of the chart counted down this day in 1985 by Richard Skinner:
On this day: 1985. @SkindogRichard Skinner reported: "Arcadia’s album has been delayed a couple of weeks, it’s being remixed now by Nile Rodgers, you’ll hear it first right here on Radio 1. Election Day is down three to number 10" youtu.be/4W5aKwrsYIM?si=mlBa…
On this day: 1986. Prior to playing the number 24, @therealbrunoB exclaimed: "Here's a climber of 15 places for Shaky!"
youtu.be/rh8kKjDEbvM?si=21T0…
On this day: 1980.@tonyblackburn incorrectly reported "up eight (sic) places to number 25 goes UB40" when they had actually climbed from 34. For the second week running, he played this track from their double A sided single: youtu.be/LfoVVRDU378?si=naLS…
On this day: 1987. @therealbrunoB played 11 of the 21 records going down, starting with the song falling four places to number 39:
youtu.be/mYX1-K3y-n8?si=rxeW…
On this day: 1981. @tonyblackburn felt it was "The best record they’ve made for a long time. Genesis, Keep It Dark, that goes straight in at number 33." (it would be its only play on the show as it fell to 38 the following week) youtu.be/gQkiqQ7zZBQ?si=boa1…
On this day: 1982.Tommy Vance noted: "That’s gone up from last week’s no 27 to this week’s no 22. Boring Bob Grover on the trumpet,he admits he can hardly play it, only been playing it for 6 months, normally he’s a guitarist. The Piranhas there & Zambezi"youtu.be/Sg4Po07SEmM?si=Y3sT…
On this day: 1988. The first of seven new entries unveiled by @therealbrunoB spent its only week in the broadcast section of the chart at number 40: youtu.be/jRmmj8OT5TM?si=_4ZB…
On this day: 1983. Tommy Vance played the 12 inch of Howard Jones' debut hit which had fallen two places to number seven, telling the listener it was "five minutes and 20 seconds long" youtu.be/RfWIfpSgFVo?si=YkU9…
