Now - Yearbook The Vault: 1981

1981 was a seismic year in pop music, with a huge number of new artists making unforgettable chart debuts. We have included more than 160 tracks on the CDs of the 1981 Yearbook, the 80-84 Final Chapter, and their extras so far in our appreciation of the year.
 
Those tracks were generally the bigger hits of the year, with their chart achievement a factor in their inclusion – however – that’s not the whole singles story of the year, and our celebration of 1981 wouldn’t be complete without shining a light on some of the years’ singles that have been compiled much less frequently over the past 40 years.

Welcome to The Vault for 1981, 4-CDs featuring 82 tracks. Some of the tracks included were Top 40 hits, some missed the chart completely. Some were representative of massive selling albums, and some were big hits in the U.S. and not in the U.K but all are part of the wonderful pop story of 1981.
 
A year away from their Top 40 debut, CD1 opens with Simple Minds with ‘Sweat In Bullet’ from their ‘Sons And Fascination’ album and followed by Spandau Ballet with ‘Paint Me Down’ from their second album ‘Diamond’. Heaven 17 are up next with their debut single ‘(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang’, alongside the debut from Eurythmics ‘Never Gonna Cry Again’. 1981 saw Debbie Harry release her first solo album ‘KooKoo’, and from it here the second single ‘The Jam Was Moving’ and Donna Summer released ‘Cold Love’ also the second single from her ‘The Wanderer’ album.  Gary Numan reunited with his former band members, now called Dramatis on the superb ‘Love Needs No Disguise’, and John Foxx released ‘Europe After The Rain’ as the lead single from ‘The Garden’. Generation X released ‘Dancing With Myself’, a track that lead singer Billy Idol would revisit in his solo releases. Post-Punk new wave from Hazel O’Connor, Bow Wow Wow, Honey Bane and Altered Images feature along with the 1978 debut ‘Young Parisians’ from Adam & The Ants – re-released to become a hit in 1981. Squeeze, Split Enz and The Boomtown Rats are up next before the first disc closes with pop nuggets from Hot Chocolate and Boney M with ‘We Kill The World…’, their last original Top 40 single.
 
Bruce Springsteen opens Disc 2 with the title track from his #2 album ‘The River’ which gave him his first UK Top 40 single, and John Mellencamp – who would have to wait another year for his UK chart debut – with ‘Ain’t Even Done With The Night’, his first Top 20 hit in the US. Great tracks from Steve Winwood, Elton John and Joan Armatrading come ahead of a run of the years’ best rock including ‘Tom Sawyer’ from Rush, Rainbow, Girlschool, Thin Lizzy and Gillan, along with Foreigner with their US Top 5 smash ‘Urgent’ and Meat Loaf with the lead single from his album ‘Dead Ringer For Love’, ‘I’m Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us’.
 
The rest of CD2 celebrates some of ‘81’s best soul and disco featuring Commodores, Rick James, Chaka Khan, Evelyn ‘Champaign’ King, Sister Sledge, Odyssey, Voggue and the dance-floor essential ‘Can You Handle It’ from Sharon Redd.
 
CD3 opens with an incredible run of alt-pop: The Creatures - Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie from Siouxsie And The Banshees - released their debut ‘Mad Eyed Screamer’ along with ‘Primary’, the single from The Cure’s ‘Faith’ album, New Order with ‘Procession’, plus The Psychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, The Undertones and The Stranglers. Dexys Midnight Runners & Kevin Rowland had a #1 in 1980 and would again in 1982, and in 1981 ‘Show Me’ made the Top 20. The Clash released the non-album single ‘This Is Radio Clash’, and reggae and new-wave fusion came from The Beat and Scritti Politti – whilst reggae artist Sheila Hylton made the Top 40 with her cover of The Police track ‘The Bed’s Too Big Without You’. More funk-pop genre melding from Freeez, Level 42 and Shakatak lead to The Manhattan Transfer – who had a huge US hit with their cover of doo-wop classic ‘Boy From New York City’, and the disc closes with Joe Jackson covering the jazz/blues/swing standard ‘Jumpin’ Jive’.
 
The final disc opens with the Pretenders from their second album, and a single ‘Louie Louie’ that got a US, but not a UK release. Pat Benatar led into her ‘Precious Time’ album with ‘Fire And Ice’, and Billy Joel released a live version of ‘Say Goodbye To Hollywood’, giving him a US Top 20 hit. Bruce Springsteen wrote ‘This Little Girl, giving Gary U.S. Bonds a big US hit, and other stars enjoying success in America in 1981 include REO Speedwagon who had the years’ biggest selling album, Rick Springfield, Journey, and Kim Carnes. The Alan Parsons Project saw ‘Time’ become a Top 20 hit, and Juice Newton hit #2 with ‘Queen Of Hearts’. Missing the UK Top 40, but going all the way to #1 in the US, Eddie Rabbitt’s ‘I Love A Rainy Night’ is up next ahead of Dolly Parton with ‘But You Know I Love You’. A Taste Of Honey had a huge hit back in 1978 with ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’ (UK #3 / US #1) – and hit Top 3 in ’81 with ‘Sukiyaki’ in the US, and that track leads into the final four in our collection – and a stunning closing run of vocalists: Aretha Franklin and George Benson duetting on ‘Love All The Hurt Away’, Diana Ross, ‘Sailing’ from Christopher Cross – another US #1, and signing off with Neil Diamond with the second single from the soundtrack of ‘The Jazz Singer’, ‘Hello Again’.
 

Now Yearbook – The Vault: 1981 – A continued celebration of this magical year in pop!

CD1
 
1. Simple Minds - Sweat In Bullet
2. Spandau Ballet – Paint Me Down 
3. Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
4. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Never Gonna Cry Again 
5. Debbie Harry – The Jam Was Moving
6. Donna Summer - Cold Love
7. Gary Numan & Dramatis - Love Needs No Disguise 
8. John Foxx - Europe After The Rain  
9. Classix Nouveaux – Guilty 
10. Generation X – Dancing With Myself
11. Hazel O’Connor – (Cover Plus) We’re All Grown Up
12. Bow Wow Wow - Prince Of Darkness 
13. Honey Bane – Turn Me On Turn Me Off 
14. Altered Images - Dead Pop Stars 
15. Adam & The Ants - Young Parisians 
16. Squeeze - Is That Love?
17. Split Enz - History Never Repeats
18. The Boomtown Rats - Never In A Million Years 
19. Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet - Everlasting Love 
20. Hot Chocolate - You'll Never Be So Wrong 
21. Boney M. - We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World) 
 
 
 
 
CD2
.
 
.
1. Bruce Springsteen - The River 
2. John Mellencamp - Ain't Even Done With The Night 
3. Steve Winwood - While You See A Chance
4. Elton John - Nobody Wins
5. Joan Armatrading - I'm Lucky
6. Rush - Tom Sawyer
7. Rainbow - Can't Happen Here
8. Girlschool - Hit And Run
9. Thin Lizzy - Trouble Boys
10. Gillan - Mutually Assured Destruction      
11. Foreigner – Urgent
12. Meat Loaf - I'm Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us
13. Commodores - Lady (You Bring Me Up)
14. Rick James - Super Freak
15. Chaka Khan – What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me 
16. Evelyn "Champagne" King - I'm In Love
17. Sister Sledge – All American Girls 
18. Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It?
19. Voggue - Dancin’ The Night Away
20. Odyssey - Hang Together
 
 
 
 
CD3
 
1. The Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer 
2. The Cure - Primary 
3. New Order – Procession 
4. The Psychedelic Furs - Dumb Waiters
5. Echo & The Bunnymen – A Promise 
6. The Teardrop Explodes - Colours Fly Away
7. The Undertones - It’s Going To Happen!
8. The Stranglers – Thrown Away 
9. Dexys Midnight Runners & Kevin Rowland - Show Me 
10. The Clash - This Is Radio Clash 
11. The Beat – Drowning 
12. Scritti Politti - The “Sweetest Girl”
13. Sheila Hylton - The Bed's Too Big Without You
14. Randy Crawford – Secret Combination 
15. Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine
16. Kleeer – Get Tough
17. Freeez - Flying High 
18. Shakatak - Living In The UK
19. Level 42 - Love Games
20. The Manhattan Transfer - Boy From New York City 
21. Joe Jackson - Jumpin' Jive
CD4
 
1. Pretenders – Louie Louie 
2. Pat Benatar - Fire And Ice
3. Billy Joel - Say Goodbye To Hollywood - Live
4. Gary U.S. Bonds - This Little Girl 
5. REO Speedwagon - In Your Letter 
6. Rick Springfield - I've Done Everything For You 
7. Jim Steinman - Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through 
8. Journey - Who's Crying Now 
9. The Tubes - Don't Want To Wait Anymore
10. The Alan Parsons Project - Time 
11. Kim Carnes - Draw Of The Cards
12. The Motels - Days Are O.K. (But The Nights Were Made For Love)
13. Juice Newton - Queen Of Hearts
14. Eddie Rabbitt – I Love A Rainy Night
15. Dolly Parton - But You Know I Love You 
16. A Taste Of Honey - Sukiyaki
17. Aretha Franklin & George Benson - Love All The Hurt Away 
18. Diana Ross - One More Chance
19. Christopher Cross – Sailing 
20. Neil Diamond - Hello Again

 

LP1 Side A
 
1. Simple Minds - Sweat In Bullet
2. Spandau Ballet – Paint Me Down 
3. Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
4. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Never Gonna Cry Again 
5. John Foxx - Europe After The Rain  
6. Gary Numan & Dramatis - Love Needs No Disguise 
7. Altered Images - Dead Pop Stars 
8. Adam & The Ants - Young Parisians 
 
 
 
LP1 Side B
 
1. Rick James - Super Freak
2. Sister Sledge – All American Girls 
3. Chaka Khan – What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me 
4. Freeez - Flying High 
5. Shakatak - Living In The UK
6. Level 42 - Love Games
7. Sheila Hylton - The Bed's Too Big Without You
 
 
 
 
LP2 Side A
 
1. Bruce Springsteen - The River 
2. John Mellencamp - Ain't Even Done With The Night 
3. REO Speedwagon - In Your Letter 
4. Billy Joel - Say Goodbye To Hollywood - Live
5. Elton John - Nobody Wins
6. Joan Armatrading - I'm Lucky
7. The Alan Parsons Project - Time 
 
 
LP2 Side B
 
1. Pretenders – Louie Louie 
2. Pat Benatar - Fire And Ice
3. Generation X – Dancing With Myself
4. Echo & The Bunnymen – A Promise 
5. The Teardrop Explodes - Colours Fly Away
6. Dexys Midnight Runners & Kevin Rowland - Show Me 
7. Joe Jackson - Jumpin' Jive
8. The Manhattan Transfer - Boy From New York City 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LP3 Side A
 
1. The Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer 
2. The Cure - Primary 
3. New Order – Procession 
4. The Psychedelic Furs - Dumb Waiters
5. The Clash - This Is Radio Clash 
6. Scritti Politti - The “Sweetest Girl”
7. The Undertones - It’s Going To Happen!
8. Squeeze - Is That Love?
LP3 Side B
 
1. Debbie Harry – The Jam Was Moving
2. Donna Summer - Cold Love
3. Commodores - Lady (You Bring Me Up)
4. Steve Winwood - While You See A Chance
5. Journey - Who's Crying Now 
6. Rush - Tom Sawyer
7. Meat Loaf - I'm Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us