October 18, 1984

Well shit! I balls’d that one up! I commented on the first SAFM entry that I couldn’t compare it to the 5AD chart of the same week because I didn’t have one but speculated that they’d be much the same. And then there’s this bloody chart, which is from the same week as the last 5AD chart I posted and gives us a clear comparison between the two stations.:D

For the most part they are identical, however, where 5AD had the Howard Jones track listed as “Hit Bound”, this chart has it #40. Also noticeable is Frankie Goes To Hollywood at #29 on both charts but Bronski Beat is #30 on 5AD but down to #35 on this chart.

And upon further reflection, this chart isn’t quite as bad as I made it sound in the 5AD post. It actually has quite a few great tracks on it from the likes of The Style Council, Bronski Beat, John Waite, Howard Jones, and Dynamic Hepnotics amongst others.

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The real treat to these old SAFM charts is what was on the back. You get a glimpse of what’s happening in the U.S. and the U.K. with their respective top 10 lists but check out the FM News and the concerts scheduled; U.S. synthpop band, Berlin, appearing at the Old Lion might seem odd to anyone who knows their huge hit, “Take My Breath Away” from the “Top Gun” soundtrack but that didn’t come out until a couple of years later. In ‘84 they were touring on the back of a moderately successful album and single, “No More Words”. Ironically, their #1 smash hit was also the cause of their break up because some members cracked the shits over the fact they didn’t write it. Anyway, enough of them because equally exciting—if not more so, depending on your taste in music—was Stevie Ray Vaughan at Festival Theatre, and Midnight Oil at Memorial Drive. And then there was the legendary The Party Boys; who had some semi-permanent members, and then some amazing guests; in this case former James Gang, and Eagles member, Joe Walsh on guitar.

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