Three of a kind #25

It's largely forgotten eighties classics all the way in today's Three of a kind!

First up, cheeky chirpy Cockernee chappies Chas 'n' Dave with the fantastic Ain't No Pleasing You. When I was about 11 I thought their Stars Over 45 EP (a medley of terrible old East End singalongs such as My Old Man's A Dustman, The Laughing Policeman, Knees Up Mother Brown and Run Rabbit Run) was the best thing since sliced bread, but thankfully I soon grew out of all that. Peaking at #2 in the UK singles chart in 1982, the piano and strings-laden Ain't No Pleasing You is one of the greatest songs of the whole decade, and Chas 'n' Dave's greatest hit by a mile. Yes, even Snooker Loopy pales in comparison to this one!

Chas 'n' Dave - Ain't No Pleasing You mp3

Next, one of the sweetest songs of the era, 1984 #12 smash Closest Thing To Heaven by north east soul boys The Kane Gang, a gorgeous ballad about a lonely boy and a lonely girl finding love together. Aww. The video's a peach too, although I can't link to that here as no bugger's put it up on You Tube yet.

The Kane Gang - Closest Thing To Heaven mp3

And finally today, Icelandic instrumental funk fusion ensemble Mezzoforte with the song that launched a thousand Judith Chalmers-style TV travel reports - the none-more-eighties Garden Party. Mezzoforte achieved the notable landmark of becoming the first Icelandic act to achieve chart success in the UK, when this one stormed to #17 in early 1983. Nicely done, chaps!

Mezzoforte - Garden Party mp3

(mp3s available for 7 days)

Buy eighties' classics here.

P.S. Merry Christmas!