Chris Rea - I Can Hear Your Heart Beat (Magnet)

He's tried to have a hit more times than I've had hot dinners. This all rather sounds like Dire Straits meeting Bob Seger. A fairly traditional rock song, but poor old Rea can't quite Pull it off. (Robin Smith, Record Mirror, June 18, 1983)

Blue Zoo - Loved One's An Angel (Magnet)

Regent's Park and Whipsnade could do better. A feeble joke that. Almost as feeble as this record. Only Magnet Records' seeming ability to gain an above-average amount of air-play prevents me from totally writing it off. (Fred Dellar, Smash Hits, February 3, 1983)

This Island Earth - Take Me To The Fire (Magnet)

It's pretty difficult to follow up a debut single as powerful as "See That Glow" - which should have leapt into the top 20 instead of struggling into the 50. This Island Earth haven't been discouraged, they've come up with an even better record. The minute the stylus hits the groove on "Take Me To The Fire" you're hooked. Its exhilarating synthesiser music with an infectious tune that Howard Jones would find hard to match. Single of the week by a couple of kilometres. (Frank Hopkinson, No 1, April 27, 1985)

The Tempest - Bluebelle (Magnet)

'Playing tennis with your shoes off . .'So croons Mike Sherrin of Glenn Tilbrook proteges The Tempest as gently strummed guitars waver into an innocently fragrant love song. A heart warming tale. Pleasantly refreshing harmonies and the odd spark of catchy reminiscence are all thrown in for good measure, in a tempting little ditty if ever there was one. This is The Tempest at their best. Listen and melt. (Anna Martin, No 1, October 26, 1985)

Inoffensive acoustic nicety from the Glen Tilbrook-produced Liverpool quintet, whose highest aspiration seems to be the making of pleasing pop tunes. I hereby pronounce their ambition achieved. So now what happens? (Roger Morton, Record Mirror, October 19, 1985)

Kissing The Pink - Love Lasts Forever (Magnet)

This motley crew look like students on Rag Day, acting wacky and playing the fool. They have a lot of ideas but little identity; name me a member of Kissing The Pink and I'll name you the next Derby winner. Unfortunately, too, most of their ideas other people had first - in this case Talking Heads and The Human League. Still, like, "The Last Film", this is all chorus and percussion and catchy enough to chart. When Kissing The Pink stop being so intelligent they'll become more than curiosities. (Mark Cooper, No 1, June 11, 1983)

Blue Zoo - Cry Boy Cry (Magnet)

Pretentious, meaningless rubbish that could be a heavy metal record with a change here and there. This is bland, uninspired and dreadfully over-produced disco/pop from nice boys who look as if they come from nice suburban homes. Still, if Duran Duran can do it... (Simon Hills, Record Mirror, September 18, 1982)

Matchbox (Featuring Kirsty MacColl) - I Want Out (Magnet)

There's not many rock 'n' roll acts who are worse than Shakin' Stevens but here's one. Nevertheless, this is saved by a real rootsy-tootsy vocal from Kirsty who once had a hit about a chippy or something. (Ian Birch, Smash Hits, February 17, 1983)

English people trying to be redneck Americans, nearly as embarrassing as Kajagoogoo's imitation of a vibrant new pop group. (Jim Reid, Record Mirror, February 12, 1983)