OCTOBER 30 NOVEMBER 12 1980 tstti: TErrar5 HAZEL O'CONNOR AQAM & THE ANTS ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES & STATUS QUO IN COLOUR - ^gW^**^Oct. 30-Nov. 121980 Vol. 2 No. 22 THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie 2 TOWERS OF LONDON XTC 5 DANCING WITH MYSELF Generation X S GENTLEMEN TAKE POLAROIDS Japan 8 ONE MAN WOMAN Sheena Easton 11 GIVE ME AN INCH Hazel O'Connor 18 LA-DI-DA Sad Cafe 21 IN MY STREET The Chords 24/25 LET ME TALK Earth Wind & Fire 27 I NEED YOUR LOVIN' Teena Marie 30 ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply 30 PASSING STRANGERS Ultravox 35 The Tide Is High HEROES The Stranglers 39 WHOSE PROBLEM Motels 42 Blondie FASHION David Bowie 51 on Chrysalis Records JAPAN: Feature 6/7/8 HAZEL O'CONNOR: Feature 16/17/18 STATUS QUO: Colour Poster 28/29 &KS2ES3S—-— ADAM & THE ANTS: Feature 40/41 O.M.I.T.D.: Colour Poster 52 BITZ 13/14/15 BIRO BUDDIES 22&34 CARTOON 22 MADNESS COMPETITION 24 DISCO 27 Repeat chorus CROSSWORD 31 REVIEWS 32/33 WHITESNAKE COMPETITION 34 rl antSVO,Jtob STAR TEASER 36 IutHf'' t «herrnan FACT IS 43 INDEPENDENT BITZ 44 LETTERS 47/48 BADGE OFFER 48 GIGZ 50 chorus Repeat Editor Editorial Assistants Contributors Ian Cranna Bev Hillier Robin Katz Linda Duff Red Starr 9" 1 nts you to be Fred Dellar hw •"" STKiBut I II artT Advertisement w my deaf David Hepworlh Manager Mike Stand m V Rod Sopp m the kinda Kelly Pike ' ^ •* who aive" u ju« J Hk. th.t. (Tel: 01-439 8801) Jill Furmanovsky oh no Design Editor Assistant Steve Bush Steve Taylor Adie Hegarty 'roduction Editor Editorial Consultant Publisher Kasperde Graaf Nick Logan Peter Strong to fade Repeat chorus Editorial and Advertising address: Smash Hits, 52-55 Carnaby Street, London W1V 1PF. This magazine is published by EMAP National Publications Ltd, Words and music by John Holt Peterborough, and is printed by East Midland Litho Printers, produced by permission Sparta Florida Peterborough. Music Group Ltd. Copyright exists on all songs appearing in Smash Hits. They must not be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holders. FRONT COVER PIC: NICOLA TYSON \l 31 ORGANISATION Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark r Fl 1 H A j mtm 1 ! L * New album and cassette on DINDISC Features the new single ENOLA GAY and limited edition free EP November tour supported by The Fatal Charm 1 Aylesbury, Friars 1 Edinburgh, Odeon 2 Hanley, Victoria Hall 12 Manchester, Apollo 3 Bristol, Colston Hall 1 London, Victoria Apollo 4 Southampton, Gaumont 15 Ipswich, Gaumont 5 Reading, Top Rank 17 Sheffield, City Hall 6 Guildford. Civic Hall 18 Birmingham, Odeon 7 University of East Anglia 19 Blackburn, King Georges Hall 9 Wolverhampton, Civic Hall 20 Liverpool, Empire 10 Glasgow, Apollo 21 Newcastle, Polytechnic 7 f If *»/Q M* t, "VHH ^ O § ++/ J? / •c / / A. ^ *S o £>p Si? - .* t, 9 * c .4. o .f <. t? < ,? o> 09 cs O.o o^j. ft /C^/s j?£5j» o/>o> ,? 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After a produced a fine, atmospheric finds it "Almost irrelevant, year of making demos — Ariola's cover of Smokey Robinson and because if you're really interested flush of chart success meant they the Miracles 1967 hit 'I Second in the music it just doesn't fit in. were wealthy enough to be very That Emotion' which criminally It's quite genuine and I don't see generous on studio time — "they failed to chart. why we should change." eventually gave us total freedom "As for social roots, my way of It doesn't take any great to make an album". That was life's changed," Sylvian admits, historical insight to liken Japan's 'Adolescent Sex', which the band "but I've always lived as if we appearance to the glam-rock now hate. In spite of some were in the position we are in stars who dominated chart in pop favourable reviews it sank here, now — as far as possible. As long the early seventies, when the but shot them straight into the as I've got enough money to band were meeting and starting major league in, er, itself. Japan make the next album, that's all I out. But although Sylvian has Yes, if it wasn't true it'd seem care about." been compared with Bolan, like some particularly pathetic Bowie and more recently Ferry, joke. Japan the country went wild MUCH OF the work involved in the band are keen to reject the over 'Adolescent Sex' and the making each album is done in the link. They even claim to have band toured as ready-made studio, building from basic ideas stopped wearing make-up briefly superstars, requiring heavy which Sylvian puts together at when glam-rock made it protection from the mass home. He says he's a very private fashionable. "I love to fight hysteria of Japanese rock person and rarely goes out people," says Sylvian. That went audiences — very young and except to eat in restaurants; Karn for parents too, who were eager to break out of the agrees that London is an relieved when their pretty suffocation of oriental family life. unsympathetic place. They both offspring joined a band "because There were private floors in prefer New York, where the they could say to the neighbours hotels, lifts and fire escapes whole group spent a holiday last that that was why we wore it." guarded by minders; travel was year, or Japan itself: "It's a lot They spent two years by armoured truck. more modern, for want of a odd-jobbing to earn money for "We had one awful better word. Things like equipment interspersed with experience," Karn recalls, "when computer games or portable long stretches of writing and the truck stopped suddenly stereo players were there in '78 rehearsing in parents' homes. By because they'd realised we when we first went; the last time then a five-piece with the weren't in the limos and decided we visited in March of this year, addition of Rob Dean on guitar, not to let us through. This huge they had things we'll get sooner Japan began appearing live and crowd of fans were all banging or later, like computer games that provoked similarly negative on the hollow metal truck, actually talk to you." reactions. As Karn tactfully puts making a really frightening noise. "You can't help but appreciate it, they were "badly received". The door suddenly swung open, the gentleness and the manners Having become used to such it hadn't been properly closed, so that Japanese people show in confrontations, they decided to our bodyguard got his fingers treating you," adds Karn, "And play them to the hilt. Armed with round the edge and pulled without overdoing it, I really think management, but no recording against the fans who were trying it's changed us as people." contract, they undertook a British to open it. Suddenly the driver Sylvian takes such impressions tour supporting Blue Oyster Cult, leapt out and shut the door from as the raw material for his a band renowned for attracting the outside; with the songs: "They've really always the least sane end of the bodyguard's hand still in it! He come from travelling, or certain head-banging set to their shows. was screaming in pain, but we atmospheres and people that you "If we went in at the deep end couldn't stop to let him free until encounter; generally from my and played to the worst possible we'd driven clear of the crowd. life. I travel at any chance. We've audiences," they thought "we'd Things like that can be really either toured or been on learn a hell of a lot. It was a great frightening." promotional visits to most of move." The reaction? "Terrible. I Japan has taken to Japan in no America, Canada, most of got a brick in the head at St. uncertain terms. The year before Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, the Albans," grins Karn, "I missed a last the band were voted second Philippines. They've been very few bars because I was a bit most popular group, last year short stops, so I've had to be stunned. The best example, they were at the top.