Hot Music Summer (Teldec, 1985)

Review
Hot Music Summer is the third of Teldec’s legendary quartet of 1985 samplers to be reviewed on this blog. The first two being the laidback Cocktail Hour And Cool Emotions and the dazzling synths of Power Of Love. “The Compact Disc’s remarkable performance is the result of a unique combination of digital playback with laser optics”.

Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus leads the way; released in June 1985 for West Germany but not reaching the UK / Ireland [and my turntable] until March 1986. Mozart, his popularity and financial woes. It’s an Italo dream next: Lee Marrow’s brooding Shanghai which is followed by Silver Pozzoli’s Around My Dream [the 7″ Vocal Version had already appeared on Power Of Love; read more about it there]. And then Fun Fun with the mysterious Animotion-like Living In Japan. Duppy conqueror: it’s Winston Groovy’s take on The Commodores’ Nightshift with the lyrics amended to pay tribute to Bob Marley.

The return of arena rock: Opus of Live Is Life fame paddle at a more sedate pace on Flyin’ High. Billy Ocean’s goes soft on the big ballad Suddenly. Moti Special’s Don’t Be So Shy is motivational rock while Colors show a late night drive sound on the melancholic Never Mind. Elsewhere Bolland’s The Boat is slick yacht pop while Martinelli steers the ship into disco waters on Cenerentola. Sandy Morton keeps things Italo with the exotic dance of Camel By Camel before The Goombay Dance Band’s hokey Marlena.

11 May 1985: Manchester City won promotion from Division 2 by hammering Charlton 5-1. At Bradford City’s Valley Parade stadium, 56 people died in a fire. Liverpudlian Pacemaker Gerry Marsden decided to record a version of You’ll Never Walk Alone to raise money for the families affected by the disaster. The band members included: Bruce Forsyth, Denny Laine, Jim Diamond, Tony Christie, Rick Wakeman, John Conteh, The Barron Knights, Jess Conrad, Kiki Dee, the Foxes, Rolf Harris, Graham Gouldman, Kenny Lynch, Rick Wild of The Overlanders, Keith Chegwin, Tony Hicks, Colin Blunstone, Tim Hinkley, Johnny Logan, Zak Starkey, Girlschool, Black Lace, John Otway, Gary Holton, Nigel Holton, Hank Hancocks, Peter Cook, the Nolans, John Entwistle of The Who, Motörhead, Karen Clark, Dave Lee Travis, Graham Dene, Ed Stewart, Phil Lynott, Smokie, Joe Fagin, Eddie Harding, Gerard Kenny, Chris Robinson, Tim Healy, Kin Kelly, John Verity, Rose Marie, David Shilling, Chris Norman, Pete Spencer, Bernie Winters, Robert Heaton, and Frank Allen of The Searchers.

You’ll Never Walk Alone topped the UK charts for two weeks – reaching #1 on 1 June – but has since become on the decade’s forgotten number ones and is only available on CD here. Sadly on 29 May 1985, Liverpool was plunged into its own tragedy during the club’s European Cup final against Juventus at Heysel, Belguim. 30 years later Juventus are back in the Champions League final and will face FC Barcelona this evening. Never forget.

Favourite tracks
Falco – Rock Me Amadeus

Fun Fun – Living In Japan

Lest we forget
The Crowd – You’ll Never Walk Alone