From:??www.remembertheeighties.com - "The eighties... up to date!" 'Remember The 80s - Now That's What I Call Nostalgia' is a big 176-page HARDBACK book in full colour- a bit like one of those annuals you used to get at Christmas when you were a kid - which loosely describes my journey through the 80s, stopping off along the way to take a closer look at some of the landmarks of the decade, not just the MUSIC (although there is a lot of that!) but also the NEWS, FILMS, GAMES, TV, FADS, FASHIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, POLITICS and PEOPLE... something for everyone I hope! My own memories are also supplemented by HUNDREDS of the 80s MEMORIES that were submitted by YOU, the visitors to my website, while I was writing the book back in 2006 which not only jogged my memory about all sorts of 80s bits and pieces but also makes the book very much a shared journey. Thank you again to everyone who submitted memories and pictures.
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| INTRODUCTION BY ABC's MARTIN FRY
Which is fantastic, particularly when Martin says 'No-one knows the cultural shifts of this bygone age better than Richard Evans'! How cool is that? TEN CHAPTERS, ONE FOR EACH YEAR OF THE DECADE
Each chapter includes... ??? AN OVERVIEW OF THE YEAR'S KEY EVENTS ??? A DETAILED LOOK AT THE YEAR IN MUSIC ??? THE YEAR'S UK NUMBER ONE ALBUMS & SINGLES ??? KEY TV AND CINEMA RELEASES ??? MY C90 MIXTAPE TRACKLISTING OF THE YEAR'S ESSENTIAL SINGLES 
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| PEEP INSIDE THE BOOK... |
| CHAPTER ONE
1980
all the above plus...
I play scrabble as the new decade dawns; foolishly embrace heavy metal and spend far too long obsessing over how the patches will look on my denim jacket should I ever get one; reveal that the first album I ever owned was by Status Quo; am utterly amazed to have the chance to talk to Marco Pirroni about the impact of Adam & The Ants, reveal my pitiful Space Invaders high score while looking at the decade's greatest videogames; ask members of Spandau Ballet and OMD what the whole 'New Romantic' thing was all about; chat to Peter Duncan about what is was like to present Blue Peter, appear in Flash Gordon and be mistaken for a porn star; and confess to not knowing who shot JR... |
 | CHAPTER TWO
1981
In this chapter I have my first slow dance; talk to Clare Grogan about 'Gregory's Girl'; mistakenly think I can dance to 'Tainted Love'; look at the impact of the death of John Lennon on the British charts; try to work out what Greenham Common was all about; try not to dwell on the curious legacy of Joe Dolce; become utterly obsessed by Toyah whom I also interview; fail to remember much at all about the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer; explain why I can only like The Jam or 2-Tone in secret; and look into the launch, legacy and success of the allegedly 'sexist, racist, homophobic, violent and pornographic' TV channel MTV. |
 | CHAPTER THREE
1982
In this chapter I write about those 'end of the disco' slow songs; confess to shedding a tear when E.T. 'phones home; argue that Spandau Ballet's reinvention as blue-eyed soul boys marks the end of the New Romantics; explain why The Young Ones was classed as 'Light Entertainment' rather than 'Comedy' and celebrate the impact of the show; recall the Falkland's War; watch soul and funk undergo something of a chart revival whilst repeatedly, and embarrassingly confusing Shalamar with Shakatak; wonder if Chicago should really be described as a rock band; find out what the cast of 'Fame' are doing now; and can't believe my good fortune when I have a nice chat about my Grandma, amongst other things, with Boy George. |
 | CHAPTER FOUR
1983
In which I argue that 1983 is the year in which some of the most defining songs of the 80s are released; celebrate the genius, oddness and general impact of Michael Jackson; re-examine the legacy of Margaret Thatcher; chart the start of goth; talk to Spandau Ballet about recording and releasing their classic album 'True'; fail to be entirely convinced that the new-fangled CD format will ever take off; identify an emerging 'Old Wave' movement of classic older artists; ask the question whether the Sinclair ZX Spectrum is better than the Commodore 64; become a little bit too interested in The Smiths, and wonder exactly who was buying all those Ryan Paris records. |
 | CHAPTER FIVE
1984
I sit down for a chat with Nik Kershaw in which he manages to not mention snoods once; compare the relative merits of 'Choose Life' over 'Arm The Unemployed t-shirts'; have his head turned by Sade; try to work out exactly why VHS beat Betamax; take a look at the impact of Prince; examine the game sensation that is Trivial Pursuit; celebrate 'Footloose', 'Ghostbusters' and 'Electric Dreams'; talk Band Aid with Midge Ure; defend the Bananarama poster on my bedroom wall; and remember Torvill & Dean. |
 | CHAPTER SIX
1985
I set Propaganda against Prefab Sprout for my favourite album ever; wonder about the phenomenal success of Dire Straits; confess a liking for The Rah Band's bizarre 'Clouds Across The Moon'; ask Clare Grogan what it was like to snog Ian Beale while taking a look at the ongoing success of Eastenders; discuss the impact of The Brat Pack on myself and my generation; collect some brilliant memories of Live Aid from a selection of the performers and from loads of people who remember that day; and talk to Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr about stadium rock and spaghetti. |
 | CHAPTER SEVEN
1986
A year in which I spend a shocking amount of time listening to commercial pirate radio station Laser 558; put the blame for buying a Chris De Burgh album on falling in love; go to university where I spend friday nights forgetting I can't dance and much of the rest of the time listening to Erasure; remember the Chernobyl disaster; see rock music return to the charts; wax lyrical about the 'Pretty In Pink' soundtrack; celebrate Scott and Charlene's wedding, Bouncer's dream and 'Neighbours' in general; meet up with A-Ha for a chat about their ongoing career; chart the highs, lows and more highs of Madonna's career; and confess that watching the launch of the Mir Space Station made me want to be an astronaut again. |
 | CHAPTER EIGHT
1987
I write about my problem with Jennifer Grey in 'Dirty Dancing' and wonders what she is doing now; chart the rise and fall of yuppies, buppies, dinkys and puppies; look at how the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy brought rap to the mainstream but irritated thousands of VW owners in the process; examine the history and influence of 'The Tube' and reveals it was the first show to use the word 'blowjob' on British TV; am fascinated by Sheena Easton's transformation from girl next door to sexy siren; celebrate the work, influence and success of Stock Aitken & Waterman and wonder if their work with Judas Priest will ever see the light of day; interview Swing Out Sister's Corrine Drewery; and crown The Pogues and Kirty MacColl's 'Fairytale Of New York' as the best Christmas song ever. |
 | CHAPTER NINE
1988
I put The Primitives forward for the best pop single ever; look at how female artists - from Tiffany and Debbie Gibson to Sinead O'Connor and Tanita Tikaram - dominated the charts this year; confess to having never watched 'Miami Vice' as I chart the show's history and influence; sit down for an enjoyable interview with Terence Trent D'Arby; watch the emergence of Bros; outline the extraordinary story of Nelson Mandela; feel relieved to see Guns N' Roses finally enjoy some chart success; fail to see the acid house connection in Yazz's hit 'The Only Way Is Up' or New Order's 'Fine Time' but happily manages to spot it in D-Mob's 'We Call It Acieed'; and write about how Red Nose Day was a brilliant excuse for all sorts of daftness in the name of charity. |
| CHAPTER TEN
1989
I spend some time with Jason Donovan to talk about his amazing career; look at the emerging 'Madchester' movement; enjoy, but fail to participate in, the new dance movement led by people like Soul II Soul, Black Box and Technotronic; notice Betty Boo; write about Baywatch and the art of running in slow motion; look at the emergence of a dedicated chart for compilation albums and delve into the history of the 'Now That's What I Call Music' series; recall the fall of the Berlin Wall; am happy to see Depeche Mode and Duran Duran back in the charts; spend far too much time listening to The Cure's 'Disintegration'; remember the start of The Simpsons and discuss some of my favourite Simpsons' chalkboard messages including 'A burp is not an answer'; and see the decade close with the release of Band Aid II. |
I think that's about enough about the book for now - there's more information in the SHOP section on the website or you can email me if you have any questions - and your regular EMAIL NEWSLETTER will be along later this week. Thanks to: www.remembertheeighties.com - "The eighties... up to date!" |
