Mathilde Santing - Our Days (WEA)

Mathilde is from Holland. She is what you call a chanteuse, that is, she bothers to sing rather than just bellow out of her lungs like a bullfrog. Her voice is light but possesses enough punch to avoid being maddeningly delicate. "Our Days" is a neat song and trips along quite jaunty and charming. I like it. (Adrian Tierney-Jones, No 1, November 16, 1985)

Hoodoo Gurus - Bittersweet (Chrysalis)

A rousing song packed with genuine energy by this up and coming "Phew! rock 'n' roll" band. With a vocalist who can sound like Paul King (when he wants to), they can't really go wrong, except for the fact that the 'Hoodoo' part of their silly name means 'bad luck bearer'. Eeek! (Sorrel Downer, Smash Hits, November 20, 1985)

 

The Associates - Take Me To The Girl (WEA)

Pleasant enough release with catchy, tinsel-town melody. Just the sort of song that I imagine Midge Ure doing. 'Cept if old Midge were to record "Take Me To The Girl" it'd be top of the pops for a month. Tough at the top, innit? (Mike Mitchell's Cat, Record Mirror, November 2, 1985)

Simply Red - Holding Back The Years (Elektra)

Without doubt the best thing to hit the charts this year, Simply Red release a third single from the Picture Book album and I think it's the best. Admittedly a voice like Mick Hucknall's can do little wrong but this searing ballad even outpoints "Money's Too Tight" in the soul stakes. My Only Fear is that a band with this much talent will become disillusioned with their lot and go the way of Level 42. (Mark Booker, No 1, November 9, 1985)

This has an uncanny resemblance to one of those two-chord ‘songs’ you had to endure between the hits on a Barry White album or on the B-Side of an Ace single. It starts and then finishes, with nothing of consequence between. (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, November 9, 1985)

The two most admirable things about Simply Red are (1) Mick Hucknall's two-fingered attitude and (2) the white soul passion they inject. This plaintive, atmospheric little lament is quite touching but, alas, you can't whistle an attitude nor hum a passion whilst going about your business, so if they wish to move on up, Simply Red will have to learn to write some real tunes that stand up on their own. (Ian Cranna, Smash Hits, May 7, 1986)

Glenn Frey - You Belong To The City (MCA)

Another track from the Starsky And Hutch (or was it Miami Vice?) soundtrack, and to be honest I've had enough. "The Heat Is On" was definitely off, "Smuggler's Blues" should have been quarantined, and as for "You Belong To The City", well I'm defecting! (Mark Booker, No 1, November 9, 1985)

Here's Johnny - Idlewind (RCA)

Brilliant big band swing. A new number done in a period style, "Idlewind" was the original name of New York's famed airport. After John F Kennedy's assassination the whole shebang was renamed in honour of the much maligned president. The Americans named an airport after a politician, so why shouldn't this cute foursome name a song after an airport? Order a copy now. (Mike Mitchell's Cat, Record Mirror, November 2, 1985)