WHAM!: Bad Boys (Innervision) George and Andrew’s first non-rap outing
is an exhilarating hymn to teenage rampage. Subject-wise it’s “Young
Guns” Part Two: the lads this time getting into trouble from their
parents for hanging round with all sorts of unsuitable people. While the
melody grabs the imagination and feet, the arrangement is disappointing
with exactly the same sound as their previous singles. Still, Bad Boys
stick together …it’ll be a hit in the gay clubs (and everywhere else
for that matter).

AZTEC CAMERA: Walk Out To Winter (Rough Trade)
One of the outstanding songs from the “High Land, Hard Rain” LP that’s
been re-recorded by Tony Mansfield. The acoustic feel of the original
has been replaced with a beefy, more conventional pop arrangement but
the wistful spirit survives. Aztec Camera have, in other words, made a
pop record and a jolly good one at that.

JOBOXERS: Just Got Lucky (RCA). The acceptable face of lad-ishness.
Although I’m definitely not a member of the Boxers’ Beat Club, I can’t
deny that this is one of the smartest, least self conscious pop records
on view this week. Pounding along with a brace of hooks, it’s got more
than a touch of the Elvis Costello’s to it. Got lucky? I just got happy.

SYLVESTER: Don’t Go (London) A magnificent, haughty disco record.
Sylvester shrieks with might and dignity over a galloping electronic
backing, transcending its ultradisco cliches with the emotional
conviction and urgency of his own performance.

CLASS ACTION: Weekend (Jive) Another New York disco record released
here. It’s one of those songs where the woman singer tells her man that,
as he’s a dead loss at giving her a good time, she’s gonna find someone
else who can. All of us listeners get a good time in the process, so
who can blame her.

YAZOO: Nobody’s Diary (Mute) A sad love-gone-sour song written by Alf.
Strong on emotion and weak on melody but the combination of ringing
synths and bluesy singing is still a winner.

MARY JANE GIRLS: Candy Man (Gordy) A bumpy, bleepy, zestful little
electronic tune, ideal for inspiring aerobics, which was written,
produced and arranged by Motown’s saucy superstar, Rick James. It’s nice
for a man to have a hobby, isn’t it?

RUPERT HINE: Living In Sin (A&M) Robert Palmer can be heard singing
on this and it sounds as though it could have been a contender for his
own new LP (On which Rupert Hine plays). It’s bumpy and boring,
reminiscent of one of those adverts for sunglasses you see on Channel 4.
Best heard in a wine bar or at a Sunday lunchtime drinks ‘do’ with a
crowd of young advertising executives in red-rimmed specs.

FANTASTIC SOMETHING:If She Doesn’t Smile (Cherry Red) Half of me thinks
this is a gem of acoustic pop, while the other half thinks I should pull
myself together for liking something so wet. Whichever, it has a
beautiful wistful melody, smoothly sung and harmonised while acoustic
guitars jangle in true summer-of-love style. I love it and I was never a
Simon And Garfunkel fan.

TOTO COELO: Milk From The Coconut (RadialChoice) Imagine The ‘Quails
trying to sound like Grace Jones. Impossible? Well, yes, they find it
impossible but make a brave attempt at it here. The bin liners are
definitely a thing of the past.

RONI GRIFFITH: Breaking My Heart (Vanguard )/THE FLIRTS: Passion (“0”)
The New York disco producer Bobby ‘0’ likes to describe himself as a
workaholic. These records, both written and produced by him, are two of
the symptoms. Ms Griffith’s is a little lacklustre: a ‘GUs style tune
floating over an array of clever clicking and planking percussion. The
Flirts’ however is a sturdy, steamy song hissed over a sawtoothed
synthesiser. Highly recommended.

THE COCONUTS: Did You Have To Love Me Like You Did? (EMI America) COATI MUNDI: Como Esta Usted?
(Virgin) Two acts from the Kid Creole circus. I’m sure I’d enjoy The
Coconuts single if could see them dancing to it. The song doesn’t really
stand up by itself even though it has all the hallmarks of an August
Darnell production. Coati Mundi produces himself to better effect and if
you want the latest slice of “Me No Pop I” salsa, here it is.

ELTON JOHN: I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues (Rocket) An
old-fashioned, predictable weepie which is I guess why they called in
Stevie Wonder to liven it up with his harmonica. I think Elton John
ought to buck up his ideas: this isn’t very inspired and I bet he knows
it.

LANGUAGE: We’re Celebrating (Stiff) Smart-arse white funk with a pompous
vocal and a lot of corny wacka wacka guitar-playing. No reason for
cracking open a bottle of fizz.

XTC: Great Fire (Virgin)
Eccentricity haunts the first XTC single in a long while, Starting off
with a scratchy guitar and niggling alarm chime, a staunchly uplifting
English pop tune soon establishes itself. After that it’s uphill all the
way, via a
psychedelic string arrangement too crashing finale. Impressively unfashionable.

HAZAN: Dreamer Devane (EMI) Nazia and Zoheb are Very Famous Indeed in
India where this song was Number One for a staggering 13 months and
singlehandedly created a kind of Indian disco music which hadn’t existed
before. For UK release the song has been rather fussily rerecorded by
Sal Solo and, for the moment, Hazan seem to be more interesting as a
phenomenon than as potential chart contenders.

HOT CHOCOLATE: What Kinda Boy You’re Lookin’ For (Girl) (RAK) I don’t
reckon this is up to the standard of “It Started With A Kiss” although
it’s another of Errol Brown’s plucky love songs. Will it be yet another
Hot Chocolate hit? I suppose that depends on what kinda record you’re
lookin’ for.

BLUE ZOO: Forgive And Forget (Magnet) A tawdry mini-epic with Andy O
desperately bawling a lot of words over a shabby stab at grandeur. All
this and a free poster with every copy. A tragic waste of human
resources.

CAVA CAVA: Burning Boy (Regard) You don’t get a free poster with this
one, which is more or less all that distinguishes it from the Blue Zoo
single.

THE PALE FOUNTAINS:Palm Of My Hand (Virgin) The Fountains are in feisty
form on their second Virgin release. A melancholy trumpet line leads
into a positively rugged song by the Pale And Wan Ones’ previous
standards, Very un-Burt Bacharach. It is, however, somewhat let down by
the thin and scratchy production for which Greg Walsh and ex-Associate
Alan Rankine are credited.