The Mighty Lemon Drops - My Biggest Thrill (Blue Guitar)

Easily their most instantly accessible track to date, all bouncing rhythms and catchy melodies plus some scorching guitar, this couldn't be further from Bunnyland. And what's more, there isn't an 'up', 'down', or an 'around' within earshot. This one's all spills, fills, hills and thrills instead. It'll have them humming all the way to the bank, no doubt. (Jane Wilkes, Record Mirror, October 25, 1986)

If, by any chance, you've been wondering what Echo And The Bunnymen have been up to lately, they've actually gone into hospital and been transplanted into something called The Mighty Lemon Drops. The only problem is that The Lemons (The Droppies?) forgot to borrow any of the better songs and are thus left with a fair amount of egg on face. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, November 5, 1986)

Debbie Harry - French Kissing (Chrysalis)

The Face, The Voice, The Bleach, The Beat - they're bock and there's no one to touch her. Forget your Madonnas and Patsys - Debbie H is the one and only pop Blondie. This return to greatness is as simple and smooth as the slinky disco it accompanies. A Goddess is re-born. 5/5 (Paul Simper, No 1, November 8, 1986)

She's back! Back, BACK! (You're getting the hang of this nicely - "Reviews" Ed.) And back in spiffing form too with this addictive little shuffle between France and America, sort of Paris, Texas set in a late-night disco groove. Why, I was just saying the other day, "What the world needs now is the return of Debbie Harry", and lo and behold here she is, sounding just as brill as she did 250 years ago with Blondie. Listen with eyes firmly closed and tongue in cheek for best effect. Naughty but v.v. nice. Single Of The Fortnight. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, November 5, 1986)

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Arista)

I don't like the photograph on the cover. She's very beautiful, but so over made up. I don't like this song at all, it takes a real dive after the intro and it's even worse than Pepsi and Shirlie. It's so predictable I can sing the chorus before she gets to it, her A&R man should be taken out and strung up. Whitney's got a great voice, but it's so wasted on this kind of thing. The most disappointing single of the week. The worst actual song. (Johnny Logan, No 1, May 30, 1987)

No surprises here as the Great Whitney Houston announces her return from a long lay-off with her usual brilliant singing and a tune that is less immediately gripping than "How Will I Know" but which gets better with every play. Welcome back, ma'am! (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, May 20, 1987)

Club Nouveau - Jealousy (WEA)

Nothing at all like the smash "Lean On Me" but, funnily enough, very similar to a hit from last year, "Rumours", by the Timex Social Club. Which - zings! - is not too surprising when you learn that Jay King, the man behind Club Nouveau, was formerly the man behind Timex Social Club... The squabbling between the two camps appears to be carried on in "Jealousy" which sounds like a bit of a dig from Mr King at his old partners and all of this will no doubt become even more public when this follows "Lean On Me" into the flingaway charts. Gentlemen p-lease! (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, May 20, 1987)

An obviously American single, it sounds like a hit from the start. I love that Sly and Robbie single,it's got such an atmosphere although it took me two or three times to get into it. Club Nouveau aren't in the same class though. I'm sure they sampled exactly the same drums off the last one and stuck it in here. I can see this being big in the discotheques. I like going to the clubs myself especially if
there's Robert Palmer, Go West, or anything with a bit of meat playing. (Johnny Logan, No 1, May 30, 1987)

Bucks Fizz - Keep Each Other Warm (Polydor)

Bucks Fizz have never been the same since the dual tragedy of the coach crash and the Great Jay Aston Affair. "Keep Each Other Warm" is their best effort yet with the new line-up, but set beside the sheer genius of, say. "Land Of Make Believe'', it doesn't really cut the cake. Watch out for its inevitable appearance on TV in a few weeks time as an ad for how you should always come home to a real fire. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, November 5, 1986)

The first of the Crimble cuddle-ups.. .Oxen will moo, babes will gurgle and as the Star Of David settles over yonder TOTP studio Bucks Fizz will find themselves back amongst the yule with a very welcome hit. Just one Xmas caution.. it might be better for Shelley for cover up her legs just a little more as nasty Mr Frost comes a-biting round the ankle chains. One ballad alone is not really enough to keep you warm, you know. 3/5 (Paul Simper, No 1, November 8, 1986)

Ultravox - All Fall Down (Chrysalis)

Ultravox's music has always verged on the pompous, and when they move into Celtic territory (previous explorers including Dexy's, Big Country and The Pogues) the result is as overblown as you might expect. Midge croons impassionedly over a slow, military-style snare beat, but the resulting product [also featuring The Chieftains] has remarkably little spirit. Suitable background music for a Selina Scott special on the Scottish highlands, but little else. (Karen Swayne, No 1, November 15, 1986)

Whatever happened to the "Ultra" bit? Probably got lost around the same time as Midge Ure decided he was fed up with being a pop star and wanted to be a serious human being instead, just like David Dimbleby or Sir Bob Geldof. This is always a big mistake and poor wee Midge has to sing lines like "Look in the mirror and what do you see, an American, Russian, a soldier or me", and make them sound important, but naturally it doesn't work and just sounds ridiculous instead. It's obviously meant to be a major comment on the stupidity of war, which is all very well and good, and can best be compared with, er, Rolf Harris' "Two Little Boys". (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, November 5, 1986)

The Big Supreme - Please Yourself (Polydor)

This is the best I've heard. And I'm not saying that because I know Barry Flynn... I really like this. I thought the last single was a definite cert, but "The Smile And The Kiss" was the best. Actually, I've got some demos of his somewhere. If this is a hit I'll have to dig them out and flog them! (Owen Paul, No 1, March 28, 1987)

A supremely bold record. It begins with some ominous piano, which sounds like someone's just DIED. Then, BAM You're hit with a punch drunk Martin Fry going for a Motown-y form of on-beat dance insistence. With lots of chunky boss. and some 'parting the Red Sea' choral bits, it's all very body-building and the best Big Supreme single so for. Which only just excuses the vile stripey blazers worn by Barry and the girls on the sleeve. (Roger Morton, Record Mirror, March 7, 1987)

Hey! Meet The Big Supreme, who - PRESTO! - are all set to be pop stars! "Please Yourself" is a monstrous sound, a remarkable mixture of Pete Burns, Julian Cope and Pete Wylie. They also look rather fetching and are obviously destined for much greater things. Gulp. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

Salvation Sunday - Heart In Motion (Polydor)

Only about 12 months ago the "serious" music papers (hi!) were "tipping" three new bands for the top. One was Curiosity Killed The Cat, one was Brother Beyond and the third was Salvation Sunday. Mmmm. Well, if "Heart In Motion" is the best they can do, looks like the pollsters will have to settle for a disappointing one out of three. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

Peter Gabriel - Big Time (Virgin)

More fun and games from the nicest man of all at the BPI awards. He still sings a bit like Phil Collins (or is it the other way around?) and though this is not quite as immediately striking as "Sledgehammer", it's just as funky, and proves yet again that there is life after Jonathan King. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

Hasn't this been out for ages? I just don't think that serious music listeners are going to be fooled by this. "Red Rain" was much better. This goes on forever and sounds very smarty-pants - lots of musicians and things happening in the background, trying to make it sound interesting. It should never have been released as a single. (Owen Paul, No 1, March 28, 1987)

Two People - This Is The Shirt (Polydor)

It seemed to be evolving at quite a nice pace and then the tempo change came as quite a surprise - it's really uncomfortable. "This is the shirt/ Which she wore/When it was good good good" - that's an excellent lyric, certainly unorthodox. I haven't heard someone romanticising about an article of clothing for a long time. I think they're probably capable of producing better records. - the guy can sing. (Roland Orzabal [Tears For Fears], Smash Hits, April 24, 1985)

Apparently The Next Great Thing to come out of Liverpool. Two People are, unsurprisingly, two people plus guitars and a stack of energy. Not too sure what's the great significance of the shirt, but it's not a bad record. (Paul Simper, No 1, May 18, 1985)

Liverpool duo Two People should be proper pop stars by now because they should have gone to at least number 12 with "This Is The Shirt" when it was originally released two years ago. Now it's been revamped and re-released and it's still v. fab and an obvious single of the fortnight and ... and then along came Prince. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

By the looks of the sleeve, it's the one they threw up in. A strong tune but goodness me, it sounds like a million other groups of this ilk. (Nancy Culp, Record Mirror, April 11, 1987)

Excellent! It's got a fantastic change of pace after the first minute. The title's great as well. I think what they're singing about is a shirt that reminds them of a lost love one which is a terrific comparison because like music, clothes hold a lot of memories for some people. The production's got lots of interesting things to listen out for especially the piano. They almost made it with their last single "Heaven". I'm certainly going to be playing this - very original. (Simon Mayo, No 1, April 11, 1987)

Prince - Sign 'O' The Times (WEA)

In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name. By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same. . . Sign of the times. It was to be expected that the first Prince single from the album of the same name would be nothing like you expected. Stripped down, plain speaking, with no sign of loverswithholesintheirheads, 'Sign Of The Times' sees the little devil veering drastically, but surely, away yet again from his previous creation. (According to Sir Max Bell this resembles New Orleans group The Meters. Thanking you.) A major part of Prince's genius has always been to wiggle his finger one jump ahead of the pulse and with all the crack dance tracks beginning to emerge on both American coasts this tale of the times neatly trumps the lot. How jolly clever he is. (Paul Simper, No 1, March 7, 1987)

Astonishing. His Royal Pervness suddenly decides to give up singing about the joys of senseless bonking and instead turns his attention to the various social evils of life on Planet Earth in 1987. Everything from AIDS to Star Wars comes under the microscope and it's all accompanied by a typically infectious melody. If anybody else tried to turn such a cautionary tale into a brilliant single, they would undoubtedly end up sounding like Billy Bragg. Prince does it with effortless grace and ends up sounding like the voice of, em, God. Life just isn't fair. Single Of The Fortnight. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

Cameo - Back And Forth (Club)

The third brilliant single from the brilliant Word Up LP. Larry Blackmon, the thinking man's codpiece, croons merrily along while the other 300 members of Cameo chant merrily away behind him. Larry refuses to be put off, however, and fights his way through to yet another huge hit. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

These geezers are definitely riding on the crest of a wave at the moment and this is anuwer brilliant single - they just wanna make you get onto the dance floor and strut your funky stuff. It's more like 'Candy' than Word Up' but it's got 'Cameo' stamped all over it. No party is complete without a dose of Larry Blackman's codpiece, you know what I mean? (Gary Crowley, No 1, April 25, 1987) 

The Style Council - Waiting (Polydor)

If this type of woozy, late-night soul ballad is basically about making lurve, then this is positively SAFE SEX. Safe, (which is fine) as in very sensitive, very produced, very doleful ... but MUSHY. It drifts away in a cloud of gentle, dreamy bleu-urgh which at less than Gauloise length is all over a bit quickly. The presence on the B-side of Paul mooning over a string quartet ("Francoise") adds to the LP's impression that as a POP group, the Smooch Council have (for the moment) come and gone. (Roger Morton, Record Mirror, March 7, 1987)

One of the better tracks from the feeble Cost Of Loving LP, "Waiting" shows Paul Weller to be a lot happier at singing romantic ballads than grunting his way through all that uptempo "soul" stuff he's become so fond of in recent years. The back sleeve contains yet more ramblings from "The Cappucino Kid", this time a Sherlock Holmes-style short story about "the case of the twitching farmer". Weller is cast as Holmes with Mick "Morten" Talbot taking the role of the bumbling Dr Watson. How apt. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

The Pretenders - My Baby (WEA)

A very ordinary effort from The Pretenders. As always, there's a pleasant tune and Chrissie Hynde wrings maximum effect out of each syllable but that's about it. Oh, there's also a good corny bit near the end when she sings "like walking on stage" and suddenly all this cheering comes bursting out of the speakers. That aside, absolutely average. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams (Virgin)

Johnny Hates Jazz! What, all of it? Sadly, JHJ don't quite live up to their really crazy radical name with "Shattered Dreams" which is a polite little ditty of interest only to incurable insomniacs. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)