Amazulu - Excitable (Island)

Amazulu have a brilliant and colourful image but so far that image has been more memorable than their music. Well hopefully that'll all change now with this energetic toe tapper of a summer single. The strength of this bouncy tropical pop song actually lies in the fact that it's so deliciously simple and repetitive. (Debbi Voller, No 1, July 6, 1985)

I must be going mad, because I was sure there were six members of Amazulu. And on this super-shiny pop reggae it sure sounds like more than one woman making all those noises. Must have been mistaken, because if there were six of them, they wouldn't show the prettiest member - the most "marketable" one - on the cover and publicity shots now, would they? No, of course not. (Eleanor Levy, Record Mirror, July 29, 1985)

Could these reggae gals be the new Bananarama? No. Even the "rams" never came this close to sounding like a Coco Pops commerical. (Tom Hibbert, Smash Hits, July 3, 1985)

The Blow Monkeys - It Doesn't Have To Be This Way (RCA)

Dr Robert can barely be forgiven for desecrating the memory of "Brief Encounter" on father week's The Tube, and can be forgiven even less for soiling my ears with this Kid Creole-meets-the-Style Council-and-produces-the-aural-equivalent-of-rubber-coated-marshmallows. Go boil your brains, young man, and come back when you've stopped trying to be either Marc Bolan or a venerable Sixties soul legend (preferably deceased). (Nancy Culp, Record Mirror, January 31, 1987)

Very reminiscent of "Digging Your Scene" - and this is not a bad thing. The irrepressible and slightly weird Dr Robert has once again come up with the goods. Jaunty, jangly, jazzy and more besides. Slowly this group is carving a niche for itself. I reckon we best get used to them as they intend to be around for a while. (Pat Thomas, No 1, January 31, 1987)

Note: Prophetic words from Pat. Thirty years later, The Monkeys are still going strong.

The Pretenders - 2000 Miles (WEA)

The first Christmas song of 1983 is a beautiful but sad affair - and is really a mourning for those Pretenders no longer with us. Superb, gentle guitar work and Chrissie's haunting voice add up to a song that should outlast the Xmas rush. Great, but again, mainly sad. (Paul Bursche, No 1, November 19, 1983)

Sharpe And Numan - Change Your Mind (Polydor)

So here we have it, one of the most unlikely partnerships in pop music: steel-voiced, steel-faced Numan with furry dice Shakatak supremo Sharpe. I don't care much for what either do alone so I expected this to be doubly abominable. Not so. In fact it's rather good. The most amazing thing is that for the first time ever Gary actually sings a tune. Previously he's only ever mumbled in a robotic monotone so understandably the first few lines are a bit painful - but by the end he's really getting the hang of it. (Chris Heath, Smash Hits, January 31, 1985)

The most unlikely pairing so far this year features Bill Sharpe, best known for his keyboard playing with snooze specialists Shakatak, and Gary Numan. The combination is bizarre, but curiously effective. Gazza sounds as nasal and distanced as ever but there's more of a tune than on his recent outings. Can't wait to see 'em on TOTP either. Will Gary have talked Bill into trying out his new true blue lipstick? (Karen Swayne, No 1, February 2, 1985)

Shakatak leave wine bar, beam up to Biggles' futuristic bi-plane and tap out somethin' for Gary to get all nasal about. Not the next Chas 'n' Dave. (Jim Reid, Record Mirror, February 2, 1985)

China Crisis - Wishful Thinking (Virgin)

Listening to this late on a lazy afternoon, I must confess it sounds quite pleasant. But by the time it reaches Top Of The Pops - and pray God it won't - this new China Crisis single will sound as wet and weedy as 80 per cent of the rest of the charts. Even Elton John's not still trying to write "Your Song". (Paul Simper, No 1, January 7, 1984)

Light and airy pop with a dimple in its cheek. It's quite pleasant but it's already beginning to sound dangerously dated. (Ian Birch, Smash Hits, January 5, 1984)

Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth (Island)

Chop my right leg off and feed it to Ozzy Osbourne, I never thought the day would come when I'd like anything by the eccentric Copey. But what a splendid piece of listenable trash this is. Cope belting his way through a song that knocks down even the strongest walls of apathy. One hell of a rousing theme, I just hope it gets the airplay it so justly deserves. Single Of The Week. (Robin Smith, Record Mirror, September 20, 1986)

One of the great lovable English Eccentrics of pop returns with an uncharacteristically crude crash-bang-wallop affair complete with kerranging guitar and a totally out of place '60s solo. It is, however, the proud possessor of a real tune wot you can hum, and the words - about flying in the face of fashion and telling the world what it can do - might have been written for the reclusive one himself. A splendidly individual effort. (Ian Cranna, Smash Hits, September 10, 1986)

A fair stomper. Julian Cope used to front Teardrop Explodes before he went off on some artistic quest or other. Now, suitably enlightened, he returns after a few false starts with a typically loud declaration to a groovy rock and roll beat. Perhaps this time the world will kindly open his ears. 3/5 (Paul Simper, No 1, September 20, 1986)

Note: Another Top Of The Pops performance I remember from thirty years ago - especially that microphone...

UB40 - So Here I Am (DEP International)

So here I am, dutifully listening to their new effort, optimistically noting the fact that they've got out of that reggae rut and started to bounce just a little. But still that sleepy feeling starts to creep over me and, without knowing it, I'm reaching far the alarm clock and starting to brush my teeth and . . . sorry about that, I was very nearly off just then. (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, September 2, 1982)

Dee C Lee - See The Day (CBS)

Dee's career-by-association has been pretty well chronicled, from young gun in Wham! to Style Councillor, but the lady's always aimed for a solo career. The voice that's just helped "The Lodgers" up the charts is given full rein here on a lush ballad that could've been done 20 years back by the likes of Dusty Springfield or Pet Clark. It's a progression from the poppy soul of earlier releases, and a move that should establish her as a name in her own right. (Karen Swayne, No 1, October 19, 1985)

Paul Weller's sidekick, currently prominent on the Style Council's "The Lodgers", swims bravely through a swelling soundtrack ballad for a non-existent Sixties movie, but ends up drowning in the strings. The cover of Weller's "The Paris Match" on the B-side is a much more suitable frame for D C's voice. (Roger Morton, Record Mirror, October 19, 1985)

Dee's excellent voice is showcased warmly on a song that Dusty Springfield (veteran British pop singer) or Tony Hatch (veteran British pop composer - he did the Crossroads them, fact fans) would have sinned for. A brave production and arrangement for the lady better known for her Style Council-ing. (Paul King, Smash Hits, October 23, 1985)