Original subtitles

This is a Countdown magazine here

and it's just absolute nonsense like this show.

They've got me here, and I've been waiting about four hours now

and I'm very bored.

But if you're sensible, you will buy my new album called...

♪ This is what you want, this is what you get

♪ This is what you want, this is what you get ♪

Available on Virgin Records.

'Ello, boys and girls.

♪ Countdown, Countdown

♪ Countdown

NARRATOR: Welcome to Classic Countdown 1984.

♪ Countdown! ♪

GRACE KNIGHT: It was 1984.

And it felt like the future had arrived.

Beep, beep.

A revolutionary new machine called the Apple Macintosh

has this little thing called a 'mouse' here.

But despite George Orwell's famous novel,

Big Brother wasn't exactly watching yet.

Or was he?

So, we've got Bob and Irene Hill's address and everything.

Yes.

I hope they don't mind us seeing that.

I hope not.

In 1984, the first gold dollar coins were rolled out.

And in the world of entertainment,

there was much to spend them on.

The heroes and villains of WWF were taking over the world.

And while Australia didn't have Hulk Hogan,

we did have Old Bad Back Jack.

There were also plenty of bad guys to boo on the big screen that year.

Arnie introduced us to The Terminator.

Freddie Krueger introduced us to our nightmares.

And if there was something strange in your neighbourhood,

we knew who to call.

The hardest part of it

was getting the word 'Ghostbusters' in the song.

I was like, Ghostbusters is a real hard word to sing.

MOLLY: Exactly.

I mean, it's not exactly the easiest sort of word

to put down and make it rhyme.

Yeah, so I came up with the idea of, "Who you going to call?"

And then, "Ghostbusters" is just added to it.

(LAUGHS)

Alright, Australia, I have arrived!

In '84, Twisted Sister told us they weren't going to take it

and we followed suit.

We had spiky hairdos and defiant attitudes.

♪ I'll tell you something

♪ Disturbing... ♪

Some extroverted...

♪ No, no, not me ♪ Everybody wants to work

♪ No, no, not me

♪ Everybody wants to work

♪ No, no, not me... ♪

♪ Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

♪ Shake, shake, shake, shake... ♪

Others introverted.

Either was fine.

We did what we wanted.

And wore sunglasses whenever we wanted.

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ So I can, so I can

♪ Watch you weave and breathe your storylines

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ So I can, so I can

♪ Keep track of the visions in my eyes

♪ Well, she's deceiving me

♪ It cuts my security

♪ Had she got control of me?

♪ I turn to her and say

♪ Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades, oh, no

♪ Don't masquerade with the guy in shades, oh, no

♪ I can't believe it

♪ 'Cause you got it made with the guy in shades, oh, no

♪ And I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ So I can, so I can

♪ Forget my name while you collect your claim

♪ And I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ So I can, so I can

♪ See the light that's right before my eyes

♪ While she's deceiving me

♪ She cuts my security

♪ Has she got control of me?

♪ I turn to her and say

♪ Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades, oh, no

♪ Don't masquerade with the guy in shades, oh, no

♪ I can't believe it

♪ Don't be afraid of the guy in shades, oh, no

♪ It can't escape you

♪ 'Cause you got it made with the guy in shades, oh, no

♪ Oh, no

♪ I say, I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ I say it to you now

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ I cry to you

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night

♪ I wear my sunglasses at night. ♪

Here comes the rain...

again.

My God, it's the lounge room.

Ever since Little Richard applied eyeliner,

pop stars had experimented with androgyny.

In the early '80s, Annie Lennox and Grace Jones

discarded traditional feminine fashion.

By 1984, more musicians were challenging conventions.

♪ Ah, I hear you on the radio

♪ I hear you all the time

♪ Hear you calling to my brain

♪ I want peace, peace of mind

♪ I hear you on the radio

♪ I hear you all the time. ♪

Now, listen, tell me, when did you first actually really,

truly get the name Marilyn?

Well, the kids at school used to called me names,

at first it was "Poof" and "Queer", which, in England, is quite normal.

And then when they got more intelligent

they decided to start calling me Marilyn

because I drew pictures of Marilyn Monroe in my art class.

So, I thought, "Right, I'm going to keep the name"

"and show you that I can make something of myself."

What was the inspiration for you to, sort of,

try out some different art things on your face as far as make-up?

Basically, I mean, when I was very young,

like, some people have curly hair, they want it straight,

and I just hated my face.

I thought it was the most bland-looking little peanut

I'd ever seen.

And it was basically...

I mean, obviously,

when I started wearing make-up I wore very little,

I wore just eyeliner and stuff like that.

You know, there's no way of really talking about make-up

without making it sound effeminate.

But it's never, ever been a means for me to be a woman.

I've got no desire to be a woman. Right.

I mean, you know, I'm a big guy, I'm a man, you know.

I think most people when they meet me say,

"God," they expect me to be a real fairy.

And so, like, the illusion is completely shattered.

♪ Guns that cross the street

♪ You never know who you might meet

♪ Who's in disguise

♪ Ooh, as you blow a storm

♪ There's no-one there to keep you warm

♪ It's no surprise

♪ There's something in my eyes

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ And dreams are made of emotion

♪ Dance with the counterfeit

♪ The plastic smiles and micro heat

♪ I'll meet you there, I'll meet you there

♪ Run to the edge of town

♪ Where Hollywood lay its footprints down

♪ Monroe was there

♪ But do you really care?

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ And dreams are made of emotion

♪ Cry ♪ It's a miracle

♪ Cry

♪ It's a miracle

♪ Cry ♪ It's a miracle

♪ Cry

♪ It's a miracle

♪ Guns that cross the street

♪ You never know who you might meet

♪ Who's in disguise, who's in disguise

♪ Ooh, as you blow a storm

♪ There's no-one there to keep you warm

♪ It's no surprise

♪ There's something in my eyes

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ And dreams are made of emotion

♪ Ooh, bapa-doo, bapa-doo, bapa-doo, bapa-doo that bone, yeah!

♪ Oh, oh! Ow!

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle ♪ Dreams are made of emotion

♪ It's a miracle

♪ It's a miracle ♪ Dreams are made of emotion

♪ It's a miracle. ♪

Hi there, I'm Boy George from Culture Club,

and this is Molly Meldrum's beautiful home

that's been destroyed by flames.

Isn't it quaint?

Guess he deserves it, actually. Did it for the... (LAUGHS)

1984 was a tough year for Molly.

Did it for the insurance.

He had to deal with outspoken co-hosts.

I'm straight into the studio to record an even better album

than, "This is What You Want, This is What You Get"

available currently on Virgin Records.

MOLLY: On Virgin. Right.

And... (LAUGHS) Which this show refused to play.

No, it didn't. Yes, you did.

Oh, we did? Oh. Talk to the director.

Michael, I'll have to have a talk to you, later.

Did we do that, Gavin?

And oversharing ones.

What a performance.

I've had some really heavy sex since I've come to Australia.

I said, "I've had some really heavy sex."

♪ Are you ready? ♪

It must've been a blessed relief

when Rock Steady Crew threw away the mikes

and let their bodies do the talking.

♪ Hey, you, the Rock Steady Crew

♪ Show what you do, make a break, make a move

♪ Hey, you, the Rock Steady Crew

♪ B-boys, breakers, electric boogaloo

♪ Hey, you, the Rock Steady Crew

♪ Show what you do, make a break, make a move

♪ Hey, you, the Rock Steady Crew

♪ B-boys, breakers, electric boogaloo

♪ There's a new headline, there's a new sensation

♪ Everybody's talking about the situation

♪ Bodies in expression, the music inspiration

♪ Tell us when you feel it

♪ 'Cause we're gonna rock the nation

♪ Hey, you, the Rock Steady Crew. ♪

By 1984, breakdancing had become a pop culture phenomenon

prompting the Countdown Beat Street competition.

It featured participants from all over Australia.

And who better to judge our home-grown talent

than our visiting b-boy masters.

And the winners are...

Energy Transfer!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

With famine in Ethiopia,

recession in the UK,

and continuing IRA unrest,

many bands in 1984 felt compelled to comment.

In the US,

there was a lot of money was coming from the US to Ireland

to support the men of violence on both sides of the fence.

And our attitude was, you know, there's no glory to this.

There's no glory, and I say it to people here in Australia,

that, you know...

sending money over.

There are places, sure, where your money would be appreciated

but not the men of violence, we don't need money from bombs.

It's like really hard to get housing in London,

first of all, private accommodation,

like for rent it's just extortionate.

And also the council waiting lists are just like miles long.

But there's so many empty, vacant council premises.

And what a lot of young people are doing now

is actually just taking them over.

But most of the councils

have got really sort of reactionary attitudes towards that.

We got evicted eight weeks ago. MOLLY: Right.

They just kicked in the door and told us to get out.

We couldn't do anything about it.

We'd been there for eight months, you know, we felt at home.

Actually, we took off and went to India... man.

And played there quite a lot.

Malaya and Thailand and Singapore.

And then we went to Romania,

and then we went to Israel during the Lebanese war to play.

And places that were very strange for us.

And I don't know why at the time we did it,

it was to get out of all that stuff,

and to get out of my depression.

And it was very good because it...

enervated me at the end,

it made me think that what we were doing was actually quite good

and good fun.

Within months,

Bob Geldof would be organising the charity supergroup, Band Aid.

Many of us were hoping for better days.

♪ Oooooh

♪ Ooh, I want to find a better place

♪ Oooooh

♪ Ooh, I'm searching for a better place

♪ Oooooh, ooh

♪ I'm tired of living in the sand

♪ Oooooh, ooh

♪ I'm searching for a better land

♪ Heaven, must be there

♪ Well, it's just got to be there

♪ I've never

♪ Never seen Eden

♪ I don't want to live in this place

♪ Oooooh, ooh

♪ I'm always trying to escape

♪ Oooooh, ooh

♪ I never know which road to take

♪ Heaven, must be there

♪ Well, it's just got to be there

♪ I've never

♪ Never seen Eden

♪ I don't want to live in this place

♪ Heaven, must be there

♪ Well, it's just got to be there

♪ I've never

♪ Never seen Eden

♪ I don't want to live in this place

♪ Live in this place

♪ Ooh

♪ Live in this place, this place

♪ Oooooh, ooh

♪ I want to find a better place

♪ Oooooh, ooh

♪ I'm searching for a better place

♪ Heaven, must be there

♪ Well, it's just got to be there

♪ I've never

♪ Never seen Eden

♪ I don't want to live in this place

♪ I don't want to live

♪ Heaven, must be there

♪ Well, it's just got to be there

♪ I've never

♪ Never seen Eden

♪ I don't want to live in this place

♪ Heaven, must be... ♪

Oh, yeah! This is Gene Simmons!

I'm Paul Stanley.

Ace Frehley!

Eric Carr.

We're coming to you from New York right across Australia.

This is KISS' Countdown.

And we're going to rock'n'roll you all night.

Yep! Alright.

There's no doubt that over the years on Countdown

we witnessed some memorable quartets,

bopped along with some swinging trios...

♪ La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da-da, la-da-da-da

♪ La-da-da-da... ♪

♪ I just want to spend a... ♪

And enjoyed the harmonies of some great double acts.

♪ I just wanna spend the night with you

♪ I just want to do it right. ♪

But in 1984, thanks to the emergence of synthesisers and drum machines,

a solo artist could give new meaning to the term one-man band.

♪ I love you whether or not you love me

♪ I love you even if you think that I don't

♪ Sometimes I find you doubt my love for you

♪ But I don't mind

♪ Why should I mind? Why should I mind?

♪ What is love anyway?

♪ Does anybody love anybody anyway?

♪ What is love anyway?

♪ Does anybody love anybody anyway?

♪ Whoa

♪ Can anybody love anyone so much that they will never fear?

♪ Never worry, never be sad

♪ The answer is they cannot love this much, nobody can

♪ This is why I don't mind you doubting

♪ What is love anyway?

♪ Does anybody love anybody anyway?

♪ What is love anyway?

♪ Does anybody love anybody anyway

♪ Whoa, whoa-oh-oh

♪ Whoa

♪ And maybe love is letting people be

♪ Just what they want to be

♪ The door always must be left unlocked

♪ To love when circumstance may lead someone away from you

♪ And not to spend the time just doubting

♪ What is love anyway?

♪ Does anybody love anybody anyway?

♪ What is love anyway?

♪ Does anybody love anybody anyway?

♪ Whoa

♪ Whoa-oh

♪ Whoa

♪ What is love anyway?

♪ Does anybody love anybody anyway?

♪ Whoa

♪ Whoa-oh

♪ Whoa

♪ What is love. ♪

Hi, Australia, you crazy bunch of so-and-sos.

You know who I am, I'm Billy Idol.

(BEEP!) Ready?

Alright. Hi, I'm Billy Idol.

And that's right, you can catch anything from me.

And so, Catch My Fall, my new single.

Alright, I'm Billy Idol.

And five, four, three, two, one,

this is Countdown's 10th anniversary.

For rock'n'roll, Molly Meldrum, OK.

MOLLY: Alright, one more.

♪ What set you free

♪ I need you here by me

♪ Because

♪ In the midnight hour

♪ She cried more, more, more

♪ With a rebel yell

♪ She cried more, more, more...

Pop music in the mid '80s was as healthy as ever.

♪ More, more, more

♪ With a rebel yell... ♪

Especially if you had a great look.

♪ And here the night will pour out its wild desires

♪ And when they play the sticky music

♪ On the radio

♪ Ooh, when they play that sticky music

♪ We'll cling so close. ♪

Big hair, big suits, and the name of a big movie star

was as good a pop gimmick as any.

♪ Hopes dashed to the floor like shattered teenage dreams

♪ Boys living next door are never what they seem

♪ Oooh

♪ A walk in the park can become a bad dream

♪ People are staring and following me

♪ This is my only escape from it all

♪ Watching a film or a face on the wall

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ I don't need a boy, I've got a man of steel

♪ Don't come any closer, I don't wanna feel

♪ Oooh

♪ Your breathing, your touching

♪ But nothing's for free

♪ I never want this to happen to me

♪ Don't try to change me you're wasting your time

♪ Now I've got something much better in mind

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk

♪ Talking

♪ Oooh

♪ Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk

♪ Talking

♪ A walk in the park can become a bad dream

♪ People are staring and following me

♪ This is my only escape from it all

♪ Watching a film or a face on the wall

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Talking Italian

♪ Robert De Niro's waiting. ♪

♪ Across every ocean

♪ For the sake of locomotion

♪ But I wouldn't have a notion

♪ How to save my soul...

But there was a lot more to British pop in the mid '80s,

and new heroes that were relatable.

♪ Stop and make small talk

♪ But I can't say no... ♪

We literally came out of the audience,

we were very, very interested in fashion,

and we had a few, what we thought, were revolutionary ideas

as far as the music business was concerned.

So, we never actually had a tag.

And although the...

the music press did try to label us New Romantics,

even 'Futurist' and half a dozen other names.

It's very convenient for them to do that with groups

so they can then put the tag on the group,

lock them in the drawer under 'N' for 'New Romantics'

and everyone's in their little niches.

And it's all very easy for them to write articles on.

They think that if you continue to write really strong songs,

and you can just keep doing that,

then you've got a lot more chance of surviving for longer

than if you sort of become preoccupied with...

pictures in magazines instead of writing songs.

Everybody else actually worried

about the flavour of the month thing, didn't they?

It was always the record company and our managers

who were really like that.

And I think if there was any chance of it coming up,

they certainly coped with it very quickly.

I just think people expect now,

they expect bands to be really, really good.

MOLLY: Right.

Whereas in Britain, there's not a lot of good bands.

In Australia, there is a lot of good live bands

who, I mean, a lot of them aren't known outside Australia.

But you come here and you see them in the pubs,

and they can really carry it off.

They learn that sort of thing on the boards there,

they really learn it.

♪ Everywhere I go, everywhere I go

♪ You're there...

Indeed, Australian bands had taken the synth-pop of the British

and morphed it into something uniquely local.

♪ Could it be you really care?

♪ I had your eye in my direction

♪ You seem to smile and then you walk away

♪ I know we're running the same line

♪ You know it's only a matter of time... ♪

♪ It's not so bad when you're away

♪ I do the same things every day...

Even '70s rock singers, like Stephen Cummings,

took it on board.

♪ Stop this raining in my heart

♪ Another kick in the head ♪ Another kick in the head

♪ Another smack in the mouth ♪ Another smack in the mouth

♪ Another lonely night

♪ Another lonely night, where were you when I needed you?

♪ Where were you when I needed you? ♪

Outfits like the Dropbears added horns for a splash of funk.

♪ You don't think you're so great

♪ But you don't think you look bad

♪ One will hand it to you

♪ You know you've got to take it back

♪ You've got to stand up straight

♪ Negotiate

♪ Come on, girl

♪ Be a proud

♪ Woman... ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh

♪ Speaking ahead of time

♪ Playing waiting

The Machinations knew how to get hips swaying.

♪ She's keeping it out in the open

♪ She's no angel

♪ But she can make her own way

♪ You've got no say in it

♪ She's not in danger

♪ She can make her own way

♪ You've got no say in it

♪ She's pure instinct

♪ She should make her own way... ♪

♪ You never look, you never see

♪ You never notice when you're next to me

Pseudo Echo led the charge from the beginning.

♪ Burning with desire

♪ There's a beat for you in my heart

♪ I tell you true from the start

♪ There's a beat for you in my heart

♪ I tell you true from the start. ♪

And by 1984,

we were exporting our own brand of synth-pop to the world.

♪ I lay down to rest my head

♪ My soul to keep the night I dread

♪ It's no dream

♪ Slumber comes as darkness falls

♪ And shadows dance across my walls

♪ It's no dream

♪ But I never sleep alone

♪ My dreams become so real to me

♪ I unplug the phone

♪ While the night is young

♪ Catch me I'm falling down again

♪ I know it's a dream but just the same

♪ There's a face before my eyes are closed

♪ But I can't recognise the danger there

♪ Slumber comes as darkness falls

♪ And shadows dance across my walls

♪ It's no dream

♪ But I never sleep alone

♪ My dreams become so real to me

♪ I unplug the phone

♪ While the night is young

♪ Catch me I'm falling down again

♪ I know it's a dream

♪ But just the same

♪ Catch me I'm falling

♪ Falling

♪ Down

♪ Down

♪ Catch me I'm falling down again

♪ I know it's a dream

♪ But just the same

♪ Catch me I'm falling down again

♪ I know it's a dream

♪ But just the same

♪ I'm falling

♪ I'm falling

♪ Catch me I'm falling

♪ I'm falling

♪ Catch me I'm falling

♪ I'm falling. ♪

Hi, this is Jon Bon Jovi of Bon Jovi

wishing Countdown a happy 10th anniversary

and 10 more after that, and 10 more after that.

With the rise of MTV,

pop stars were more than ever akin to movie stars.

And big personalities were best suited to the new age.

More exciting, I mean, personally,

I like our audiences to come to see us

and to sweat as much as I sweat on the stage. You know?

Or if I can get them to sweat half as much as I do,

I know I've had a successful show.

When the music goes, "Boom!" and...

you know,

and you make yourself do something that goes, "Boom!"

20,000 heads go, "Ah!"

MOLLY: Right.

That's worth five bucks.

In a business

where singers increasingly needed to be larger than life,

some took that challenge head-on.

♪ You think you're a man but you're only a boy

♪ You think you're a man, you are only a toy

♪ You think you're a man but you just couldn't see

♪ You weren't man enough to satisfy me

♪ Shut the door

♪ Take a look around and tell me what you find

♪ Shut the door

♪ Take a giant step for you and all mankind

♪ Then don't come back

♪ I always gave you so much more than you deserved

♪ No, don't come back

♪ 'Cause no-one makes a fool of me

♪ You've got a nerve to walk away

♪ Mark the words I'm gonna say

♪ Mister, you just made a big mistake

♪ You think you're a man but you're only a boy

♪ You think you're a man, you are only a toy

♪ You think you're a man but you just couldn't see

♪ You weren't man enough to satisfy me

♪ Man, boy

♪ Man, boy

♪ Man, boy

♪ Man, boy

♪ You think you're a man but you're only a boy

♪ You think you're a man, you are only a toy

♪ You think you're a man but you just couldn't see

♪ You weren't man enough to satisfy me. ♪

So, listen, you enjoyed the trip so far?

It's been really fantastic.

Australian audiences - you can judge them.

Well, Melbourne is like, I mean, I'm shocked.

I keep asking all the men if they're women.

Why? (LAUGHS)

Because it's like... it's one of the most trendy places

I've been to in Australia so far.

We're now on the 10th anniversary.

We had our honoured guest, the Prime Minister Mr Bob Hawke,

and he launched, with myself, the International Youth Year.

And we talked about a youth hotline

of which you can ring up your local radio station.

And once the hotline starts working,

you can ring in and sort of say what you want for '85,

what you think is wrong with the country,

what you think is wrong with Molly Meldrum,

what you think is wrong with my hat,

what you think is wrong with anything you like

to make Australia a better place.

And, of course, your favourite and mine,

and especially for five girls in Brisbane who,

would you believe, have asked me to take this petition across

and present it to Duran Duran.

It's 520 feet long.

And it's go so many pleases it wouldn't matter.

And it all says, "Please, can we please meet Duran Duran?"

Well, girls, I'll also be talking to Boy George and Marilyn,

and they'll be furious when they see this.

You haven't even said one please to meet them.

So, I'll take it across and see what happens.

And me dog Ziggy here, she's got a hat for her, haven't you?

And I'll be missing her terribly.

Um, number one, do you like the Thompson Twins?

Hold Me Now?

Yeah, the song's good. Yeah?

I like the song.

So... I don't like them much.

Why not?

I don't know.

You've hardly seen them.

What do you think about radio?

Do you think they could play more songs?

Like... Oh.

Radio stations don't play many new songs.

She's won me for life.

They wait ages and ages

until one other radio station will start playing something.

Right.

Earlier this week, we received a VHS cassette tape

from this school in Adelaide, actually in South Australia,

Port Augusta, and it's Flinders View Primary School,

and it was from grade 7.

And would you believe

they've done this wonderful send up of Countdown.

So, the quality is not that hot, but I tell you what,

the performances are great.

So, it's over to Port Augusta Flinders View Primary School.

♪ Beat it, just beat it

♪ You better run, you better do what you can

♪ Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man. ♪

OK, well, here we are in Tower Records.

How are you, Lionel?

Jackson 5, 14 Greatest Hits.

It's in fact a picture disc.

And there's the picture disc itself.

And there's the Tamla Motown Michael Jackson glove.

I don't know if it's going to be released in Australia,

but I tell you what, it's...

certainly wins the tacky award of the year.

I'm sitting right here at the bar of Koala Blue.

And, Olivia, I'm looking after the shop

and the profits are going right up.

Look what I've actually bought.

I bought a St Kilda footy jumper,

I bought a wonderful little apron, a Vegemite apron.

Now, listen, a couple of weeks ago,

God, I get into trouble all the time,

had a go at Rod Stewart, only joking, everybody.

You know, I sort of take it in the chin, he takes it in the chin.

I actually have had a few slaps across the face from him as well.

Rod is coming out in January.

Yes, I'll be at the concert, and it is a good concert,

saw it in Washington.

So, don't get upset because we do have a go at each other.

I mean, it's going to be wonderful.

Wham! will be out in January, and Rod will be out in January.

And we'll all probably have a fist fight.

We've also strongly urged the government,

who take 32.5% sales tax for every overseas record,

to drop their sales tax in this case

and give that to the Ethiopian Fund as well.

So, come on, Bob, you've been on the show.

Try to do this, otherwise I want me hat back.

Alright, now listen...

No, only joking, Bob. I shouldn't be saying that.

Personally,

I don't really care for much modern music at the moment.

Is technology taking over too much

and knocking sort of, like, the feel out of music?

I think... yes, for me.

Certainly, yes.

I find it very, very mundane and dull.

I don't think rock'n'roll music

is supposed to be metronomically in time.

I think it spoils it completely.

It's supposed to have a little bit of an ebb and flow there.

Like the synth-pop bands, the new wave and post punk bands

had, in many ways, gone back to the musical basics.

♪ I changed my way of thinking too

♪ I'm coming after you

♪ I'm coming after midnight

♪ Walking in the dark

♪ Questions in the dark

♪ Walking in the dark

♪ Questions in the dark... ♪

The instrumentation was more traditional,

but the attitude was still there,

and the lyrics still full of new ideas.

♪ I know a place where we can go

♪ And I can take you there if you try

♪ Imagination ♪ Imagination

♪ I know where we all belong

♪ And we can get back there if we try

♪ Imagination ♪ Imagination

♪ You know what I mean, baby

♪ Come on, let's dance

♪ I want to sing

♪ I'm gonna set myself on fire

♪ I can prove it

♪ Gonna prove it

♪ Just give me the madness and then I'll be free

♪ I know the sunny days are gone

♪ But we can get them back if you try

♪ Imagination

♪ Imagination

♪ Not everybody likes to sing

♪ But we can change their minds if you got

♪ Imagination

♪ Imagination

♪ You know what I mean, baby

♪ Come on, let's dance

♪ I'm gonna sing

♪ I'm gonna set myself on fire

♪ I'm gonna prove it

♪ I can prove it

♪ Just give me the madness and then I am free

♪ Whoa

♪ I know the sunny days are gone

♪ But we get there and back if you try

♪ Imagination

♪ I know a place that we can go

♪ And we can knock it back if we try

♪ Imagination

♪ La-la-la-la-la-la

♪ You know what I mean, baby

♪ Yeah, we'll get the midnight flight

♪ Just looking for some imagination

♪ Little bit of inspiration. ♪

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, mate, welcome to the program, yet again.

Thank you.

And then, there was Elton.

It seemed fitting that after all his frequent visits here,

Elton John married in Sydney in 1984.

We saw Elton John get married.

And we saw him say, "I do," and she, "I do."

Of course, Molly was front and centre in the proceedings.

Well, there it is, my old mate's finally done it.

Elton got married to Renate.

Yep, he got to kiss the bride and he told us all about it.

♪ Well she looked a peach in the dress she made

♪ When she was still her mama's little girl

♪ And when she walked down the aisle everybody smiled

♪ At her innocence and curls

♪ And when the preacher said is there anyone here

♪ Got a reason why they shouldn't wed

♪ I should have stuck up my hand

♪ I should have got up to stand

♪ And this is what I should have said

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ Long before she met him

♪ She was mine, mine, mine

♪ Don't say I do

♪ Say bye, bye, bye

♪ And let me kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ Underneath her veil I could see a tear

♪ Trickling down her pretty face

♪ And when he slipped on the ring I knew everything

♪ Would never be the same again

♪ But if the groom would have known he'd have had a fit

♪ About his wife and the things we did

♪ And what I planned to say

♪ Yeah, on her wedding day

♪ Well, I thought it but I kept it hid

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ Long before she met him

♪ She was mine, mine, mine

♪ Don't say I do

♪ Say bye, bye, bye

♪ And let me kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ Long before she met him

♪ She was mine, mine, mine

♪ Don't say I do

♪ Say bye, bye, bye

♪ And let me kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah

♪ I want to kiss the bride, yeah. ♪

♪ Countdown! ♪

MAN: Well, when you look at our player comfort meter

well, I wouldn't be surprised

if we see a few sweaty jockstraps out there before the day is out.

The biggest Australian single of the year

was a novelty cricket track from The Twelfth Man.

All in all,

it looks like we're in for a pretty good game here today.

Now, it's back to Richie in the central missionary position.

Howzat?! Oh!

INXS also spent time at the top with Original Sin.

♪ You might

♪ Know of

♪ The original sin. ♪

American women seem to be trying to do the same thing to you as well.

Sure.

We're extremely willing to...

throw all our clothes out when they get hot, put it that way.

After Thriller,

1984 will also be remembered for Wham!'s

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."

And the release of Prince's Purple Rain blockbuster movie

and soundtrack.

♪ When Doves Cry. ♪

Female artists dominated the number one spot in '84.

Madonna found out about her good fortune over the phone.

MOLLY: Very well. Listen, congratulations.

Because the single, Like A Virgin, has gone to number one this week.

MADONNA: (ON PHONE) You're kidding! No, I'm not.

That's great.

Pat Benatar also broke through with Love Is A Battlefield.

You know, when you're touring you don't look at chart positions

and no-one calls you on the road when you're in Idaho.

So, we didn't have any idea that the record was doing that good

until, you know...

we started having sell-out shows.

And we were, "What the hell is this?"

You know, it was really great.

Tina Turner was in the midst of a career resurgence.

We love you dearly.

And thanks very much.

And Cyndi Lauper

performed her anthemic breakthrough hit on Countdown

after a slightly rude introduction.

Alright, now listen, Cyndi Lauper, do you like her?

No, it's a bag.

Right, well I quite like Cyndi actually.

MAN: She wears a bag.

Yeah, sometimes she does. It IS a bag.

I hate it.

♪ I come home in the morning light

♪ My mother says, "When you gonna live your life right?"

♪ Oh, mama dear, we're not the fortunate ones

♪ And girls they wanna have fun

♪ Oh, girls just want to have fun

♪ The phone rings in the middle of the night

♪ My father yells, "What you gonna do with your life?"

♪ Oh, daddy dear, you know you're still number one

♪ But girls they wanna have fun

♪ Oh, girls just want to have

♪ That's all they really want

♪ Some fun

♪ When the working day is done

♪ Oh, girls, they wanna have fun

♪ Oh, girls just wanna have fun

♪ Girls they wanna, wanna have fun

♪ Girls wanna have

♪ Some boys take a beautiful girl

♪ And hide her away from the rest of the world

♪ I want to be the one to walk in the sun

♪ Oh, girls, they wanna have fun

♪ Oh, girls just wanna have

♪ That's all they really want

♪ Some fun

♪ When the working day is done

♪ Oh, girls, they wanna have fun

♪ Oh, girls just want to have fun

♪ Girls, they wanna, wanna have fun... ♪

Captions by Ericsson Access Services

Copyright Australian Broadcasting Corporation

I tell you what I'll do, say "You're watching Countdown and..."

Yeah, do that in the background. (LAUGHS)

(AUSSIE ACCENT) Hello, Australia, it's Marilyn.

You're a real brick!

What a creature.

♪ Molly is stupid

♪ Molly is stupid... ♪

Thanks, Marilyn. Have you seen Culture Club's new album?

Oh, it's Waking Up With...(COUGHS)

With the House on Fire, yes.

Lovely, isn't it?

That's the best thing for it.

You haven't seen George around, have you?

Burn it! Burn it now! (LAUGHTER)

(LAUGHS) Oh, George. How are you?

You'll be seeing all of us on Countdown next week

for the 10th anniversary.

Great album, mate.

Personally, I think it's sacrilege. It's a great album.

GRACE: Visit the Classic Countdown Website

for more pictures, interviews and behind the scenes information.