This week in 1988
1 Perfect Fairground Attraction 2 Theme From S Express S Express 3 Blue Monday New Order 4 Loadsamoney (Doin’ Up The House) Harry Enfield 5 With A Little Help From My Friends/She’s Leaving Home Wet Wet Wet/Billy Bragg with Cara Tivey 6 I Want You Back Bananarama 7 Mary’s Prayer Danny Wilson 8 Who’s Leaving Who Hazell Dean 9 Alphabet Street Prince 10 I Want You Back Michael Jackson with the Jackson 5 ‘Perfect’, the first single from the short-lived Fairground Attraction, was number one in the UK, Ireland and Australia. The band’s follow-up single ‘Find My Love’ was another top ten hit in the UK and Ireland, but three subsequent singles failed to make top 40 anywhere. By late 1989 the band were all but finished, with tension and arguments dominating studio sessions during the recording of their second album. Fairground Attraction’s two key players – Scottish singer Eddie Reader and Welsh songwriter Mark E Nevin went on to forge solo careers. ’Perfect’ was Best British Single at the 1989 Brit Awards and has the distinction of being the last No. 1 single on the NME singles chart which launched in November 1952 and finished up in April 1988.