The law which required motorists and front seat passengers to wear their seatbelts when driving came into effect on 31st January 1983. Incredibly, until the legislation came into effect, many drivers chose not to use their seatbelts and statistics showed that up to 60 percent of drivers did not do so. The advertising campaign ran on television, and in print, with the strapline urging people to use their seatbelts even before the law came into effect. The tagline (which I am quoting from memory) ran something like this: 'Until 31st January it is still legal for you to smash your face in.'
The government had long wished to make it illegal for drivers not to use their seatbelts, as they believed that lives were being needlessly lost as a result of the belts not being used when a vehicle was involved in a collision. There was strong resistance to the introduction of the law, with some arguing that it was evidence of a 'nanny state' approach, while others felt that seatbelts were uncomfortable.
Nonetheless the law did finally come into effect, and according to figures from the time, 9 out of 10 drivers did use the seatbelt once it became compulsory. The law was tightened further in subsequent years, with it becoming necessary to fit seatbelts to rear seats also, and by 1991 it was also compulsory for rear seat passengers to use their seatbelts.
Throughout the 1970s there were television public information films urging drivers to 'belt up' when driving, this one presented by the now-disgraced Jimmy Savile ran frequently:
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
1983 in rock: Journey make worst music video ever
American rockers Journey were at their commercial and creative peak in the early 1980s. Their 'Escape' album of 1981 was a huge success, spawning numerous hit singles and established them as leading lights of the AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) scene which at that time, dominated radio in their home country.
Their next studio album, 'Frontiers' also boasted a strong collection of songs, written predominantly by singer Steve Perry and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, with several tracks also co-written with founding member, guitarist Neal Schon. Cain was still relatively new to the band; having been recommended to the group by his predecessor Gregg Rolie, he'd joined in time to contribute to 'Escape' and having made an immediate writing impact, he'd established himself as a key member of the band. 'Frontiers' was produced by the same team as had been the case on 'Escape' (Mike Stone, Kevin Elson) and expectations were high that this record would at least do as well as the previous offering.
Lead-off track 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' was a riff-heavy hard rocker, led by Cain's keyboard intro before Schon's guitar smashed in alongside slamming drums from Steve Smith, it became a firm favourite among the group's fans. The video for the song however, has gone down in notoriety as one of the worst promo videos ever made. Persuaded (against their better judgement) to make a concept video for the song, they shot the clip on a wharf by the Mississippi River. The concept was of the band performing before a young woman, who appeared oblivious to what they were doing throughout, until it was revealed to have been all a dream. With the music video medium itself still relatively new in the early 80s, the group (made up of seasoned, accomplished musicians, none of whom had acting experience and by their own admission, were not exactly telegenic) were uncomfortable with the entire experience.
The director came up with the (hilarious in hindsight) idea of having the band sync to the music playing imaginary instruments; that may have seemed like a good idea at the time but has gone down in legend as one of the most unintentionally hilarious shots ever put in a music video. Matters were not helped by the presence of Perry's then-girlfriend on the set; the band members had been asked not to allow wives or girlfriends on set, but the singer's partner was nonetheless present, and objected strongly to the girl depicted in the video, demanding she be removed. The finished clip nonetheless aired on MTV, and did not stop the group from scoring a hit with the song nor did it stop their album from becoming a success, which went on to go platinum six times over in their home country.
The 'Frontiers' album had two tracks pulled from it at the last moment; both 'Only The Young' and 'Ask The Lonely' were intended to feature but were switched with 'Back Talk' and 'Troubled Child' at the instigation of their A&R man. The two axed songs later emerged on soundtrack albums; 'Ask The Lonely' appeared on the 'Two Of A Kind' soundtrack while 'Only The Young' was included on the soundtrack to 'Vision Quest' (retitled 'Crazy For You' in the UK) in 1985. Both tracks also appeared on their mega-selling Greatest Hits compilation which came out in 1988.
Meanwhile the video for 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' has gone down in folklore as one of the most ridiculed, and parodied, videos ever. Lampooned on MTV's 'Beavis and Butt-head', it has also been remade shot-for-shot in tongue-in-cheek fashion by numerous amateur film-makers. Jonathan Cain has since said that he will never live down 'those air keyboards'; it is to be hoped that the enduring appeal of the song itself (still a live favourite) compensated for that.
To close, both the original video and a well-received YouTube parody/remake of 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' is presented:
Their next studio album, 'Frontiers' also boasted a strong collection of songs, written predominantly by singer Steve Perry and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, with several tracks also co-written with founding member, guitarist Neal Schon. Cain was still relatively new to the band; having been recommended to the group by his predecessor Gregg Rolie, he'd joined in time to contribute to 'Escape' and having made an immediate writing impact, he'd established himself as a key member of the band. 'Frontiers' was produced by the same team as had been the case on 'Escape' (Mike Stone, Kevin Elson) and expectations were high that this record would at least do as well as the previous offering.
Lead-off track 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' was a riff-heavy hard rocker, led by Cain's keyboard intro before Schon's guitar smashed in alongside slamming drums from Steve Smith, it became a firm favourite among the group's fans. The video for the song however, has gone down in notoriety as one of the worst promo videos ever made. Persuaded (against their better judgement) to make a concept video for the song, they shot the clip on a wharf by the Mississippi River. The concept was of the band performing before a young woman, who appeared oblivious to what they were doing throughout, until it was revealed to have been all a dream. With the music video medium itself still relatively new in the early 80s, the group (made up of seasoned, accomplished musicians, none of whom had acting experience and by their own admission, were not exactly telegenic) were uncomfortable with the entire experience.
The director came up with the (hilarious in hindsight) idea of having the band sync to the music playing imaginary instruments; that may have seemed like a good idea at the time but has gone down in legend as one of the most unintentionally hilarious shots ever put in a music video. Matters were not helped by the presence of Perry's then-girlfriend on the set; the band members had been asked not to allow wives or girlfriends on set, but the singer's partner was nonetheless present, and objected strongly to the girl depicted in the video, demanding she be removed. The finished clip nonetheless aired on MTV, and did not stop the group from scoring a hit with the song nor did it stop their album from becoming a success, which went on to go platinum six times over in their home country.
The 'Frontiers' album had two tracks pulled from it at the last moment; both 'Only The Young' and 'Ask The Lonely' were intended to feature but were switched with 'Back Talk' and 'Troubled Child' at the instigation of their A&R man. The two axed songs later emerged on soundtrack albums; 'Ask The Lonely' appeared on the 'Two Of A Kind' soundtrack while 'Only The Young' was included on the soundtrack to 'Vision Quest' (retitled 'Crazy For You' in the UK) in 1985. Both tracks also appeared on their mega-selling Greatest Hits compilation which came out in 1988.
Meanwhile the video for 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' has gone down in folklore as one of the most ridiculed, and parodied, videos ever. Lampooned on MTV's 'Beavis and Butt-head', it has also been remade shot-for-shot in tongue-in-cheek fashion by numerous amateur film-makers. Jonathan Cain has since said that he will never live down 'those air keyboards'; it is to be hoped that the enduring appeal of the song itself (still a live favourite) compensated for that.
To close, both the original video and a well-received YouTube parody/remake of 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' is presented:
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Outsider Keith Deller wins World Darts title
Long before the infamous 'split in darts', when there was just one World Championship, the biggest star in the game was 'Crafty Cockney' Eric Bristow. Very much the Phil Taylor of his day, he was favourite for every tournament he entered, and he regularly backed up his big talk with wins and titles. He had two BDO World titles to his name already by 1983, plus three World Masters championships, and when he reached the final of the Embassy World Professional Darts Championship (then staged at Jollees Club in Stoke-on-Trent), he was heavy favourite against qualifier and surprise finalist, 23-year old Keith Deller from Ipswich.
Deller had already pulled off several shock wins to get to the final, defeating the well-respected John Lowe in the quarter-final and then putting out defending champion Jocky Wilson in the semi-final. Nonetheless, he wasn't given a hope against the 'Crafty Cockney', and a TV audience estimated at between 8 and 10 million tuned to BBC One to watch Bristow claim what would surely be a third World Championship.
However, Deller had not read the script. Taking a lead of three sets to one, he was pegged back to three-all before he once again stretched his lead to five sets to three. He then required only one more set to claim the title, but a succession of missed doubles allowed Bristow back into the match again, eventually levelling to five sets apiece. The match that everyone (apart from Bristow himself) saw as a Bristow walkover would go to a deciding set.
The last set went to the wire, with Deller requiring one more leg to take the set and match, Bristow had a chance of a check-out of 121 to win it. Having hit a single 17 and a treble 18, he needed to hit a bullseye to check out. However, with Deller requiring 138, Bristow decided not to go for it, instead he threw single 18, which would leave him his favourite double-16 next time - provided Deller did not check out successfully.
However, Deller hit the treble-20, then the treble-18 to leave a double-12 for the title, which he duly hit. The World Championship of 1983 belonged to Keith Deller; the so-called 'Milky Bar Kid' became the first qualifier to win the title and was also the youngest winner to date. Although to the public at large he was an overnight sensation, he'd been on the scene for three years by this time and was a highly-regarded player. He went on to win one more tournament and reach several finals that year, but the sudden fame did prove a bit much in the end, as he returned in 1984 as champion, only to lose in the first round.
Meanwhile Bristow bounced back to take the next three World Championships, his final title coming in 1986. His game was affected by 'dartitis' in later years, a condition where a player has trouble releasing the dart, although he did reach four more World finals.
Both Deller and Bristow joined the breakaway darts organisation the WDC (later PDC) in 1993 and took part in the early PDC versions of the World Championships, however it would be a former protegé of Bristow, Phil Taylor, who would go on to dominate the scene and become synonymous with the sport in a manner similar to that of Bristow during the 1980s.
***** 2023 Update: Sadly Eric Bristow passed away in April 2018, after attending a Premier League Darts event in Liverpool. He had been a 'spotter' for Sky Sports' TV coverage, working alongside the TV camera operators he would predict where the next dart was likely to land so that the cameras could zoom in on the correct spot. *****
Here is that final leg from 1983:
Monday, 28 January 2013
Music of 1983: Men At Work
Australian band Men At Work scored an international hit in early 1983 with 'Down Under', topping both the US and UK charts simultaneously. Although the group had subsequent hits in their homeland, they are remembered today as a one-hit wonder outside Australia. The song 'Down Under' is often taken for a patriotic, flag-waving anthem but a closer listen to the lyric and look at the video reveals that it is actually a dig at the way the nation was being sold off and overdeveloped by what the band called 'greedy people'.
28 years after the song was a hit, the band were sued for copyright infringement by publishers Larrikin Music, who alleged that the distinctive flute heard throughout the song was based on the childrens' song 'Kookaburra', which Larrikin owned the rights to. Although the band insisted any infringement was unintentional, the courts ruled that copyright had been infringed and that Larrikin were entitled to a percentage of royalties from 'Down Under'. Sadly, flute player Greg Ham, whose playing is heard on 'Down Under', passed away in 2012 after expressing deep disappointment at the thought that he would be remembered only for a copyright infringement.
Here is the video for 'Down Under' - look out for the mock funeral scene towards the end which symbolises the 'death' of Australia's natural scenery:
(2023 update - replaced old link)
Sunday, 27 January 2013
1983 in television: Chris Tarrant hosts a televised Stayback
Television host Chris Tarrant had endured a rough 1982. Having come to prominence as presenter and producer of ITV's Saturday morning show 'Tiswas', he'd recognised that the audience for that show went far beyond its intended target audience of young children. Initially starting out as a 'strand' linking together cartoons and pop music, the show developed into a madcap, slapstick programme filled with buckets of water and throwing of 'custard pies'. That, plus the frequent appearance of top bands, in addition to the charms of co-presenter Sally James, led to a more adult audience tuning in.
With that in mind Tarrant, plus several other regulars of the cast including a young Lenny Henry, puppeteer Bob Carolgees and Liverpool humorist John Gorman, left the Tiswas team at the end of 1981 to create a 'late-night' version of the show, with more adult (read, overtly risqué) content but with the slapstick element retained. Whilst James remained with Tiswas for one more year, presenting the show with a new team from autumn of 1981 into spring of 1982, Tarrant and his team (now including actress Helen Atkinson-Wood in Sally James' place) launched 'OTT' (or 'Over The Top') in January of 1982, airing live on Saturday nights. The programme was immediately panned by critics, with both the top brass at broadcaster Central Television and the then TV regulator IBA alarmed by some of the more risqué content. The show ran for 13 weeks and when Central opted not to renew it for another year, Tarrant retreated to lick his wounds.
The next year, the TV bosses clamped down on Tarrant; before approving a new programme they insisted on cutting the budget and also stipulating that he must pre-record his show rather than go out live. Angered by that decision (he reportedly shattered a glass door from slamming it too hard, following a meeting with Central bosses) Tarrant came up with a new concept for the show, staging it in a pub so that it appeared to be a late-night, closed doors drinking session (hence the title, Saturday Stayback).
'Saturday Stayback' was given a low-key launch in January 1983; consisting mainly of comic sketches and music slots, the show was still adult-orientated but with content considerably toned down, and ran for six editions. Tarrant still had enough influence to attract some big names from the music world onto the programme; rocker Ian Gillan performed on the show with his own band as did Thin Lizzy. The theme tune was performed by Roy Wood, of Wizzard fame.
Some idea of what the programme was like is illustrated by this clip, with an incredible collection of players (Roy Wood, Bev Bevan of ELO, Phil Lynott and Chas Hodges) being interrupted from performing a rock 'n' roll medley by a comic segment.
(The caption incorrectly flags it as coming from the earlier OTT show)
The programme also launched comic Tony Slattery's career, and Helen Atkinson-Wood went on to further fame as Mrs Miggins in the 'Blackadder' comedy series. Tarrant himself later became better known as a radio presenter, joining Capital Radio in 1984 and later taking over the breakfast programme. He continued as breakfast presenter until 2004, by which time he had re-established himself on television, most notably as the host of game show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'.
With that in mind Tarrant, plus several other regulars of the cast including a young Lenny Henry, puppeteer Bob Carolgees and Liverpool humorist John Gorman, left the Tiswas team at the end of 1981 to create a 'late-night' version of the show, with more adult (read, overtly risqué) content but with the slapstick element retained. Whilst James remained with Tiswas for one more year, presenting the show with a new team from autumn of 1981 into spring of 1982, Tarrant and his team (now including actress Helen Atkinson-Wood in Sally James' place) launched 'OTT' (or 'Over The Top') in January of 1982, airing live on Saturday nights. The programme was immediately panned by critics, with both the top brass at broadcaster Central Television and the then TV regulator IBA alarmed by some of the more risqué content. The show ran for 13 weeks and when Central opted not to renew it for another year, Tarrant retreated to lick his wounds.
The next year, the TV bosses clamped down on Tarrant; before approving a new programme they insisted on cutting the budget and also stipulating that he must pre-record his show rather than go out live. Angered by that decision (he reportedly shattered a glass door from slamming it too hard, following a meeting with Central bosses) Tarrant came up with a new concept for the show, staging it in a pub so that it appeared to be a late-night, closed doors drinking session (hence the title, Saturday Stayback).
'Saturday Stayback' was given a low-key launch in January 1983; consisting mainly of comic sketches and music slots, the show was still adult-orientated but with content considerably toned down, and ran for six editions. Tarrant still had enough influence to attract some big names from the music world onto the programme; rocker Ian Gillan performed on the show with his own band as did Thin Lizzy. The theme tune was performed by Roy Wood, of Wizzard fame.
Some idea of what the programme was like is illustrated by this clip, with an incredible collection of players (Roy Wood, Bev Bevan of ELO, Phil Lynott and Chas Hodges) being interrupted from performing a rock 'n' roll medley by a comic segment.
(The caption incorrectly flags it as coming from the earlier OTT show)
The programme also launched comic Tony Slattery's career, and Helen Atkinson-Wood went on to further fame as Mrs Miggins in the 'Blackadder' comedy series. Tarrant himself later became better known as a radio presenter, joining Capital Radio in 1984 and later taking over the breakfast programme. He continued as breakfast presenter until 2004, by which time he had re-established himself on television, most notably as the host of game show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'.
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Billy Fury
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Billy Fury, one of Britain's first rock and roll singers. Born Ronald William Wycherley in Liverpool in 1940, he became 'Billy Fury' at the behest of his manager, who signed him up on the spot after literally pushing him onto the stage at a concert Fury had attended in the hope of getting his songs recorded by Marty Wilde, a popular singer of the time.
Fury's stage act, modelled on Elvis Presley, drew similar criticism for being too suggestive. After some hit rock and roll records he started to move towards slower material, which yielded several more hit singles and eventually he began to move into films. Ill-health dogged his career however, and by the early 1970s he was undergoing surgery for heart problems. After another film appearance, in 'That'll Be The Day' alongside Ringo Starr and David Essex, he endured further problems before making a comeback at the turn of the 1980s.
He had just returned from a recording session in early 1983 when he collapsed, although rushed to hospital he was never to recover, passing away at the age of 42. Many years later, a statue of the singer was commissioned by his fan club and eventually unveiled in Liverpool in 2003. Sculpted by local artist Tom Murphy, the statue can still be seen at its present location close to the Albert Dock.
A photo of the statue can be seen below, and also a clip of Fury from the film 'Play It Cool'.
Photo: Ronnie Soo
Fury's stage act, modelled on Elvis Presley, drew similar criticism for being too suggestive. After some hit rock and roll records he started to move towards slower material, which yielded several more hit singles and eventually he began to move into films. Ill-health dogged his career however, and by the early 1970s he was undergoing surgery for heart problems. After another film appearance, in 'That'll Be The Day' alongside Ringo Starr and David Essex, he endured further problems before making a comeback at the turn of the 1980s.
He had just returned from a recording session in early 1983 when he collapsed, although rushed to hospital he was never to recover, passing away at the age of 42. Many years later, a statue of the singer was commissioned by his fan club and eventually unveiled in Liverpool in 2003. Sculpted by local artist Tom Murphy, the statue can still be seen at its present location close to the Albert Dock.
A photo of the statue can be seen below, and also a clip of Fury from the film 'Play It Cool'.
Friday, 25 January 2013
1983 in rock: Def Leppard release Pyromania and go huge
As some of you may know I'm a long-time rock fan, so this blog will feature posts from important milestones in rock as well as more general posts, music-related and otherwise.
In 1983 Def Leppard, a young band hailing from Sheffield, released their third album 'Pyromania' . Benefiting from the sure touch of famed producer Robert John 'Mutt' Lange (who had delivered hit albums for AC/DC, Foreigner and many others) this was to be the album that changed the band's lives for good. Lange had produced their previous album 'High 'n' Dry', but this time around had a hand in much of the songwriting.
According to the sleeve notes the album was recorded 'between bouts of World Cup soccer' (referring to the 1982 tournament won by Italy) and during the sessions, founding guitarist Pete Willis was fired by the band. He had already co-written several songs and contributed rhythm guitar by then; his guitar parts were left on the final record. Willis was replaced by Londoner Phil Collen who quickly settled into the group, adding more guitar parts and lead solos. The record was released in January of 1983; Leppard supported the new record with a UK tour in February of that year, playing the halls and theatres up and down the country. Unbeknownst to all, that would be the last British fans would see of the group for three years; huge fame, fortune and tragedy awaited the band.
In the States, the then-new MTV channel picked up on Def Leppard's videos and gave lead-off single 'Photograph' extensive airplay. That was the catalyst which launched the band into superstardom; the album sold heavily across the pond with only Michael Jackson selling more records with his iconic 'Thriller' album (a subject for another post!) Vocalist Joe Elliott was frequently seen in a sleeveless Union Flag shirt, and was amused to see replicas of the item being bought by hordes of American rock fans as the group's popularity snowballed. Further hits came with 'Rock of Ages' and 'Too Late For Love' and by the end of the year, the group were enjoying Stateside success on a scale not seen since Zeppelin.
The band had massive plans for the follow-up and had initially recruited Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman to helm the project, but the partnership failed to ignite and he was soon let go. The band had still not got started properly by the end of 1984 when drummer Rick Allen, back home for the Christmas holiday, suffered a motor accident which cost him his left arm. After a lengthy convalescence, he astonished his fans by pledging to continue playing with a specially-customised electronic drum kit. The accident completely changed the group's plans and it was not until 1986 that they returned to the stage, performing at that year's Monsters of Rock festival. Eventually, Lange returned to the producer's chair, and four years after 'Pyromania', the 'Hysteria' album was finally released. The big question was whether it could emulate the success of their third album; we know the answer to that now (!) but, that's a whole different article!
From Def Leppard's breakthrough album 'Pyromania', here is the lead-off single 'Photograph', which is still a staple of their live set today.
**** 2023 Update ***** old dead link replaced
In 1983 Def Leppard, a young band hailing from Sheffield, released their third album 'Pyromania' . Benefiting from the sure touch of famed producer Robert John 'Mutt' Lange (who had delivered hit albums for AC/DC, Foreigner and many others) this was to be the album that changed the band's lives for good. Lange had produced their previous album 'High 'n' Dry', but this time around had a hand in much of the songwriting.
According to the sleeve notes the album was recorded 'between bouts of World Cup soccer' (referring to the 1982 tournament won by Italy) and during the sessions, founding guitarist Pete Willis was fired by the band. He had already co-written several songs and contributed rhythm guitar by then; his guitar parts were left on the final record. Willis was replaced by Londoner Phil Collen who quickly settled into the group, adding more guitar parts and lead solos. The record was released in January of 1983; Leppard supported the new record with a UK tour in February of that year, playing the halls and theatres up and down the country. Unbeknownst to all, that would be the last British fans would see of the group for three years; huge fame, fortune and tragedy awaited the band.
In the States, the then-new MTV channel picked up on Def Leppard's videos and gave lead-off single 'Photograph' extensive airplay. That was the catalyst which launched the band into superstardom; the album sold heavily across the pond with only Michael Jackson selling more records with his iconic 'Thriller' album (a subject for another post!) Vocalist Joe Elliott was frequently seen in a sleeveless Union Flag shirt, and was amused to see replicas of the item being bought by hordes of American rock fans as the group's popularity snowballed. Further hits came with 'Rock of Ages' and 'Too Late For Love' and by the end of the year, the group were enjoying Stateside success on a scale not seen since Zeppelin.
The band had massive plans for the follow-up and had initially recruited Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman to helm the project, but the partnership failed to ignite and he was soon let go. The band had still not got started properly by the end of 1984 when drummer Rick Allen, back home for the Christmas holiday, suffered a motor accident which cost him his left arm. After a lengthy convalescence, he astonished his fans by pledging to continue playing with a specially-customised electronic drum kit. The accident completely changed the group's plans and it was not until 1986 that they returned to the stage, performing at that year's Monsters of Rock festival. Eventually, Lange returned to the producer's chair, and four years after 'Pyromania', the 'Hysteria' album was finally released. The big question was whether it could emulate the success of their third album; we know the answer to that now (!) but, that's a whole different article!
From Def Leppard's breakthrough album 'Pyromania', here is the lead-off single 'Photograph', which is still a staple of their live set today.
**** 2023 Update ***** old dead link replaced
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