- Just an Illusion: Imagination
- Poison Arrow: ABC
- I Want Candy: Bow Wow Wow
May 25 1985
'Everything she wants'
'Don't You Forget About Me'
'Everybody Wants To Rule The World'
'Axel F'
'Smooth Operator'
'Crazy For You'
'One Night In Bangkok'
'Suddenly'
'Some Like It Hot'
'Things Can Only Get Better'
Complete star listings-:
- ABC
- Altered Images
- The Associates
- Aztec Camera
- Blancmange
- China Crisis
- Depeche Mode
- Duran Duran
- Fun Boy 3
- Haircut 100
- Heaven 17
- Human League
- Japan
- Kajagoogoo
- Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
- Scritti Politti
- Strawberry Switchblade
- Teardrop Explodes
- Tears for Fears
- Thompson Twins
This is about the New Romantics, the Futurists, of the early 80s and their immediate descendants.
When the New Romantics arrived in Jerusalem, the fanfare of Instinction was playing. It barely mattered that the word did not exist.
Over the next few years they were to produce the most perfect pop the world has ever seen and make it sound effortless. They embraced electronic drums and Yamaha synths but the bottom line was the songs.
They looked outrageous, they courted ridicule, and they took over the charts. As Adam Ant sang, "Ridicule is nothing to be scared of."
They were the last wave of bands to conquer America.
The party lasted til 1987, starbursting in trails as different as Wham's espadrille-driven slap-bass middle 8 and Linx's latin oildrums. Then Stock, Aitken and Waterman began to bury the song in the production, and businessmen were back in charge of music. Pop became increasingly manufactured for quick profit and lowest common denominatored for Europe-wide appeal. It has been busy eating itself ever since.
The New Romantics were the last pioneers. Lucky are we who have had a taste of honey.

