Going back to a Gold era
SMASHING HITS! THE 80s POP MAP OF BRITAIN & IRELAND BBC4, 10pm THEY’RE not exactly Thelma and Louise, but Ultravox lead singer Midge Ure and Kim Appleby of Mel and Kim (below) make wonderful road trip buddies.
The 80s stars have been thrown together for this car journey around Britain and Ireland, going back in time to find out why certain cities produced such diverse tunes. So if you’re a fan of music from that decade, settle in for a trip down memory lane.
“The poor old 80s gets a bit of a kicking,” says Midge as they head off. “I think it’s perceived as a bit of a fluffy era, but it’s not. Some brilliant music was created then.”
Discussing musical tastes, influences and experiences along the way, there’s plenty of banter too.
Kim asks Midge: “When I saw you in the video for Vienna you didn’t look British, you had a very wellgroomed moustache. Was it real?”
First they explore London’s New Romantic movement, before travelling to Coventry to investigate the homeland of British ska.
They look at the rise of the music video following the launch of MTV in 1981, and glossy music magazines The Face and Smash Hits.
There are also interviews with Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet, Marco Pirroni from Adam and the Ants, Pauline Black from The Selecter and producer Trevor Horn.
This episode includes some of the best tunes, performances and videos from the early part of this marvellous musical decade.