Original subtitles

Oh, it's no good, Ben Elton.

I've looked at 50,000 photographs of myself

in Countdown Magazine, and I still don't feel sexy.

Which is strange because I am Rik Mayall,

the sexiest man in the world.

What I need is a really great pop music program.

Well, Countdown's on.

No, I said a really great pop music program.

Ah, Rik, let's not be rude. We're guests in this country.

You mustn't be rude.

I can't help it. I'm a natural revolutionary.

I'm going to do something rude now.

(BLOWING RASPBERRY)

Fantastically rude, I think you'll agree.

Ladies and gentlemen, Countdown.

♪ Countdown, Countdown

♪ Countdown, Countdown

ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Classic Countdown, 1986.

♪ Countdown!

DEB: In 1986, we looked to the stars.

Not those stars, as big as they were that year.

It was Halley's Comet doing its once in a lifetime drive-by

that gave us all an excuse to stay up late.

In '86, it looked like we might all get along.

Ice dancers Torvill and Dean were a global love story,

and the growing talks between Regan and Gorbachev

set the Cold War thawing.

Aussie icon, Paul Hogan, stole America's hearts.

Fair suck on the sauce bottle, boys.

And someone stole a priceless work of art.

It is going to be bolted to the wall and placed behind glass.

If you want to take the painting next time,

you will have to take the entire air conditioning duct.

The "greed is good" culture was reaching its peak.

♪ Let's go to paradise

Some bands were looking for a good time.

♪ Let's go to paradise

♪ Let's go to paradise

♪ They can go to hell. ♪

♪ Something is missing

♪ Mr Big

Other bands were looking for answers.

♪ Something is missing

♪ Mr Big. ♪

But after the boom comes the inevitable crash

and soon we would be throwing our hands up in the air.

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Sip in the shadow, babe

♪ And enjoy the sunny day

♪ The weather is changeable

♪ Run around the world

♪ Ships go by

♪ My pokey beach

♪ I'm waving as they pass me by

♪ If you are sinking

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ If you are drowning

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Now count me in on this

♪ Let's be swept right out to sea

♪ The current is dangerous

♪ They're sick of backyard pools

♪ They're killing time

♪ They won't learn to swim

♪ Well, I'd have fun on my back hook

♪ If you are sinking

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ If you are drowning

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up, hands up

♪ I'm floating as the ships roll by

♪ I'm floating as the ships roll by

♪ I'm floating

♪ Try floating as the ships roll by

♪ Who's floating?

Come on! Float!

♪ Hands up, hands up

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ If you are sinking

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ If you are drowning

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up, hands up

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up in the air

♪ Na-na-na-na-na-na

♪ Hands up, hands up. ♪

(CHEERING)

♪ Now I'm only hoping that I'm living in a dream

DEB: In 1986, there was a formula for chart success.

♪ It's just a dream

Start with electronic drums and optional keytar...

♪ It's strange how it seems to be different

♪ When you're living in a dream

♪ It's strange how things seem to be different

♪ When you're living in a dream. ♪

And an anthemic melody...

♪ Everybody say

♪ Amen

♪ These are the dreams of ordinary men

♪ This is the world that we'll be living in

♪ Out of the dreams of ordinary men. ♪

And a big, big keyboard sound.

♪ Lots of cash, limousines

♪ Big time plans and big time dreams. ♪

One English band perfectly combined all these elements

in a memorable Countdown '86 performance.

♪ Gotta get a message to the stars above

♪ Like radios in heaven hearing just enough

♪ And every single teardrop along the way

♪ We'll put them in our pockets for a rainy day

♪ But here we are in trouble like we always are

♪ Just praying for a miracle, and reaching for stars

♪ We love you

♪ Would die for you

♪ We need you

♪ Every day

♪ We got to get a message to the promised land

♪ Like semaphores in motion so they'll understand

♪ But every single vision that we saw today

♪ We didn't quite believe it in the usual way

♪ Yet here we are in heaven, who could want for more?

♪ We always end up getting what we're asking for

♪ We love you

♪ Would die for you

♪ We need you

♪ Every day

♪ Oh, we love you

♪ Wouldn't leave you

♪ We miss you

♪ Far away

♪ It's just another promise like we've heard before

♪ We're never really knowing what we're fighting for

♪ We love you

♪ Would die for you

♪ We need you

♪ Every day

♪ We love you

♪ Wouldn't leave you

♪ We miss you

♪ Far away

♪ We love you

♪ Would die for you

♪ We need you

♪ Every day

♪ We love you

♪ Wouldn't leave you

♪ We need you

♪ Every day. ♪

(CHEERING)

♪ She left because she understood the value of defiance... ♪

DEB: It was synth pop's last hurrah.

Many of the bands in Britain were branching off

into different styles.

♪ Sweetest girl in all the world

♪ These eyes are for you. ♪

♪ Set me free, why don't you, babe?

Kim Wilde went back to the future, covering classic Motown.

♪ Because you don't really need me

♪ But you keep me hanging on

♪ Why do you keep a-coming around

♪ Playing with my heart?

♪ Why don't you get out of my life

♪ And let me make a brand-new start. ♪

Even Gothic rockers, The Damned, recorded a '60s pop song

that became one of their biggest hits.

♪ Every night, I'm there

♪ I'm always there

♪ She knows I'm there

♪ And heaven knows

♪ I hope she goes

♪ I find it hard

♪ To realise that love was in her eyes

♪ It's dying now

♪ She knows I'm crying now

♪ And every night I'm there

♪ I break my heart to please

♪ Eloise

♪ Eloise

♪ You know I'm on my knees, yeah

♪ I said please

♪ You're all I want

♪ So hear my prayer

♪ My prayer

♪ My Eloise is like the stars

♪ That please the night

♪ The sun that makes the day

♪ But lights the way

♪ Eloise

♪ And when that star goes by

♪ I hold it in my hands and cry

♪ Her love was mine

♪ You know my sun will shine

♪ And every night I'm there

♪ I break my heart to please

♪ Eloise

♪ Eloise

♪ You're all I want

♪ You gotta hear my prayer

♪ My prayer

♪ My Eloise

♪ I love to please her

♪ I'd like to care

♪ But she's not there

♪ And when I'd find you

♪ I'd be so kind

♪ You'd want to stay

♪ I know you'd stay

♪ And as the days grow old, the nights grow cold

♪ I wanna hold her near to me

♪ You know she's dear to me

♪ And only time will tell

♪ And take away this lonely hell

♪ I'm on my knees

♪ To my Eloise

♪ And every night I'm there

♪ I break my heart to please

♪ Eloise

♪ My Eloise

♪ You are my life, so hear my prayer

♪ You are the prize, I know you're there

♪ I know you're there

♪ You're all I want, you gotta hear my prayer

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ You're all I need, but you're not there

♪ Oh, no, you're not there

♪ No, no, no, no

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ My Eloise, oh!

♪ Oh, I got to please her

♪ My Eloise

♪ My Eloise

♪ Oh, my Eloise

♪ Come back to me

♪ I said, no, no, no, no

♪ My Eloise. ♪

(CHEERING)

DEB: In '86, one of the biggest bands in history,

The Rolling Stones,

released a new album, Dirty Work, after a long break.

Molly was there to record

a fascinating sequence of interviews.

How much did you want to do this album?

How much did I want to do it?

Um, this much.

Or was it this much?

I mean, I was there, I did it.

I was really looking forward to doing it.

In fact, it was really a bit long in the making.

It wasn't always that great fun.

But, I mean, I think the actual album is really good.

Right now, you live a man with...

It's almost like Joseph with his coat, you know?

You have this coat, that coat, etcetera, etcetera.

Nonetheless, there's always going to be The Rolling Stones

as long as...

As long as pop music will continue.

Yeah, exactly.

How hard was it to do the album?

I think it was quite hard

because we spent longer getting into it this time, didn't we?

Sort of playing again because we hadn't played for four years.

But it was fun getting our chops back together again.

It usually takes, like, ten days, two weeks,

to sort of get back into it

and it took about a month, didn't it, really, this time?

That was the only thing, just to get warmed up.

Well, if we go over the clubs and things

and finally get down to the studio,

it took about a month, yeah.

(LAUGHS)

It was good fun, though, wasn't it?

Just getting back together.

You obviously love rock'n'roll to the hilt.

I do.

Why?

If I knew that, I mean,

that's one of the things I ask myself occasionally, why?

One minute, it wasn't there,

you know, living in England, BBC.

And one minute it was, "How much is that doggy in the window?"

And then you give me Heartbreak Hotel, baby,

and I know what I like.

And then take some of those awful cliches, you know?

Like, a lot of cliches,

there's always an element of truth in them.

The more you find out,

the less you realise you know,

and it's just fascinating.

It's so intriguing to me.

And especially with the Stones now,

because we're probably in a position

to make more than anybody else.

We're still together to make the thing grow up.

Hi, we're INXS.

And we're on Countdown in '86.

(ALL LAUGH) DIRECTOR: That's it.

DEB: Aussies were hitting it big too.

INXS had taken the UK and US by storm.

At home, the local acts were also making noise.

The Australian-made concert series

featuring Barnsy, Divinyls, Models, and a host of others,

were set up to provide an alternative

to the big international tours.

♪ I've got to let it loose tonight

♪ Baby, now

♪ I know you. ♪

Jimmy, welcome to the program. Yep, it's great to be here.

Australian Made tour. It's going to be something else.

Yeah, it should be a killer, I think.

And Hobart must be delighted because they always say

they miss out on everything, and it kicks off from there

on the 27th. Starts off from there.

Yeah, yeah. And right around the country.

Yes.

I think all the bands are just ready to get out

and have a good time and celebrate,

speaking of good times. Yeah, exactly.

During this period, some great songs

were written about Australia,

including this classic by GANGgajang.

♪ I think I hear the sounds of then

♪ And people talking

♪ The scenes recalled by minute movement

♪ And songs they fall,

♪ From the backing tape

♪ That certain texture,

♪ That certain smell

♪ To lie in sweat on familiar sheets

♪ In brick veneer on financed beds

♪ In a room of silent HardieFlex

♪ That certain texture, that certain smell

♪ Brings home the heavy days

♪ Brings home the night time swell

♪ Out on the patio we'd sit

♪ And the humidity we'd breathe

♪ We'd watch the lightning crack over cane fields

♪ And laugh and think, this is Australia

♪ The block is awkward

♪ It faces west

♪ Long diagonals and sloping too

♪ And in the distance, through the heat haze

♪ In convoys of silence, the cattle graze

♪ That certain texture, that certain beat

♪ Brings forth the night time heat

♪ Out on the patio we'd sit

♪ And the humidity we'd breathe

♪ We'd watch the lightning crack over cane fields

♪ Laugh and think that this is Australia

♪ To lie in sweat on familiar sheets

♪ In brick veneer on financed beds

♪ In a room of silent HardieFlex

♪ That certain texture, that certain smell

♪ Brings forth the heavy days

♪ Brings forth the night time sweat

♪ Out on the patio we'd sit

♪ And the humidity we'd breathe

♪ We'd watch the lightning crack over cane fields

♪ And laugh and think, this is Australia

♪ Out on the patio we'd sit

♪ And the humidity we'd breathe

♪ We'd watch the lightning crack over cane fields

♪ And laugh and think, this is Australia

♪ This is Australia

♪ This is Australia

♪ This is Australia

♪ Check it out. ♪

♪ My name, a holy word

♪ My name

♪ Treat me like I'm hungry. ♪

DEB: Countdown was a training ground for local musicians

to hone their performance skills.

It was like a school for rock stars.

♪ Where do you get it?

♪ How much does it cost?

♪ I don't think they're there, hey

♪ What are you on?

♪ Where do you get it?

♪ How much does it cost?

♪ Ah-ra-da-da, hey! ♪

And we all jumped at the chance to stand

shoulder to shoulder with international acts.

♪ Stand for battle, sword in hand

♪ Dogging the daggers

♪ And the claws of lying men

♪ Cracking like the Liberty Bell

♪ Learned the hard way, friends don't kiss and tell

♪ Fort Knox

♪ High noon back rubs

♪ And walking on the moon

♪ No road, no warning

♪ Red skies this morning

♪ Red like inside your heart

♪ Watching north and south

♪ Guns and butter

♪ Wouldn't melt in his mouth

♪ Greenbacks, swan song

♪ You want me to smile when I sing along

♪ Stars and stripes, bruised and red

♪ Got to know that bleeding is beginning

♪ No road, no warning

♪ Red skies this morning

♪ Red like inside your heart

♪ Watching north and south

♪ Guns and butter

♪ Wouldn't melt in his mouth

♪ Singing like a siren

♪ Sailing this one out

♪ Guns and butter

♪ Wouldn't melt in his mouth

♪ Wouldn't melt in his mouth

♪ Toying with your paperweights

♪ Hunger for a taste of things you never ate

♪ Coming in for jungle war

♪ Cowboys just squaring off for more

♪ No road, no warning

♪ Red skies this morning

♪ Chest proud this dawn

♪ Red like inside your heart

♪ Watching north and south

♪ Guns and butter

♪ Wouldn't melt in his mouth

♪ Singing like a siren

♪ Sailing this one out

♪ Guns and butter

♪ Wouldn't melt in his mouth

♪ Wouldn't melt in his mouth. ♪

DEB: Countdown kept its strong connection to the club scene.

♪ Shine like a precious pearl

♪ Games up, begin the working girl from the traffic run. ♪

In 1986, often the set looked more like a night club

than a TV studio.

♪ How's it feel that time is turning?

♪ Then your mind just starts to feel the heat. ♪

And all the new hairstyles and fashions were on display.

♪ For something

♪ You can't get at all

♪ And love is not enough

♪ Anymore

♪ If I was king for just one day

♪ I would give it all away

♪ You know that love is all

♪ We need to get us through. ♪

This performance by White Xmas is a time capsule

of what it was like to be in a club at the time -

what we wore, and how we danced.

♪ Diamonds are forever

♪ But pearls are dreams

♪ I say this dream is swimming

♪ Is this an ocean I'm drowning in?

♪ We'll take these pearls from our oysters

♪ I dream the last dream

♪ In my lap of luxury

♪ You may bask in my sexuality. ♪

Ow!

One club favourite at the time was Wa Wa Nee,

led by that keytar virtuoso, Paul Gray.

♪ In the lamp light check the scene

♪ In the day my life is a dream

♪ Do you know who you're talking to?

♪ Again I'm so glad, baby, that I'm not like you

♪ Fire in your head, river in your bed

♪ Two hundred dollar, see his face go red

♪ Lost in a world where nothing is nothing

♪ Burnt pretty bad, can't get another hit-ah

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Oh, this ought to be, burning up, breaking down

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Oh, ever want to be, burning up, breaking down

♪ In the lamp light, break the seal

♪ Dream of a place, make it real

♪ Desire can take you anywhere

♪ But it always lets you down, and there ain't nobody there

♪ Fire in your head, river in your bed

♪ Two hundred dollar, see his face go red

♪ Apollo knows what you do today

♪ Fake it if you like, break it if you can't

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Desire to be burning up, breaking down

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Never want to be, burning up, breaking down

♪ Na-na-na-na-na

♪ Na-na-na-na-na

♪ Oh, my love, let it take you higher

♪ Every day meant to take you higher

♪ I only see a memory

♪ Of what used to be

♪ Ooh

♪ Mm-mm-mmm

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Oh, this oughta be burning up, breaking down

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Oh, ever want to be burning up, breaking down

♪ Oh, lord

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Oh, this oughta be, na-na-na-na-na

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free

♪ Oh, ever want to be, na-na-na-na-na

♪ Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free. ♪

♪ Whenever I

♪ See that you're right

DEB: For every pop action,

there's an equal and opposite reaction.

If keytars were in vogue, so too were jangly, electric guitars.

♪ This heart is like a teacher

♪ Ooh, you're going to get hurt

♪ Let me tell you something

♪ You're going to get hurt

♪ I want to tell you something. ♪

♪ I could not escape... ♪

Pop lyricists were stretching themselves,

trying to be more literate.

♪ She said don't walk away

♪ Down on my knees

♪ Oh, please don't be mean to me. ♪

It was perfectly normal to play guitar pop

with a mouthful of poetic words.

♪ She left you 1958

♪ When the thought of another fifteen years

♪ Was more than she could face

♪ But did you miss her much, well, hey

♪ You never gave her too much thought

♪ In your newspaper grey

♪ So waste away to Morro Bay

♪ You never got around

♪ To yesterday

♪ But money is for taking, yes

♪ And rich is what to be for seeking grey

♪ And giving it away

♪ And even Jesus has a price

♪ You're making credit card donations

♪ To television faith healers

♪ Born again missionaries

♪ Come to Morro Bay

♪ They saved your body, but your mind, hey

♪ And everything you earned

♪ You're going to throw it all away

♪ And waste away to Morro

♪ C-A is where

♪ Everybody falls

♪ Down off the wagon

♪ Under the wheels

♪ Remember 1970

♪ When the thought of a day without a drink

♪ Was more than you could face

♪ But did you miss her much, well, hey

♪ You never gave her too much thought

♪ In your newspaper grey

♪ So waste away to Morro Bay

♪ Saved your body

♪ But your mind paid

♪ And money is for taking, yes

♪ And rich is what to be forsaken

♪ Grey and giving it away

♪ You got your TV on, you got your easy chair

♪ And you need it

♪ TV on, easy chair

♪ To the beat

♪ E-I funk, I don't care

♪ Ain't no square because I'm cool, yeah, yeah, yeah

♪ You're going to hurt somebody if you can

♪ You're going to make somebody understand

♪ Baby, you're a rich man. ♪

Yeah, I went to the bingo...

and I won a dog.

No, I didn't.

I was watching Humdrum, that's right,

with Molly Meldrum,

but I felt like I'd won a dog.

I like Humdrum, but then, I'm crackers.

IAN: Russell, welcome to Countdown again.

Good to see you.

So, now, listen, first of all,

let's talk about the film, Highlander.

Looks like one of my clips coming in.

One of your effects, We'll have ballet dancers next.

So anyway. Yeah, Highlander's opened this week,

and it's...

ah... Right.

Now, listen, just before I go, I've got to tell you.

I went to Bali for the last part of my trip,

and I went into the cassette stores there.

MAN: Yes?

Well, over in Indonesia, they have sort of this bootleg thing

that we don't all agree on, and guess what?

What?

Apparently, out on the sale this week,

and we can have a close-up of this,

the Countdown Power Love Songs

and the Countdown Charts.

So there you go.

In Bali, it's a really big thing.

I've been very worried about it.

500th Countdown. 500th Countdown.

How do you feel after 500 shows?

I feel about 500, you're right.

Well, here's the cake, Molly.

Isn't that wonderful?

It is a lovely cake and here it is all for you, especially.

So, I would just simply like to thank...

There's only five candles there, one for each 100.

There you go. At least I can do that.

The thing with that film,

some people can accuse you of making long rock video clips.

With this, I feel that it's not true.

OK, so there is the Australian top five for this week.

And as I say, Uncanny X-Men, I Am, has been dropped

by a lot of radio stations.

I think it's quite ridiculous.

I think they're trying to protect their own image

and not worrying about the stake of what you're doing

to an Australian group. Quite ridiculous.

Alright, as I say, it's been nice having you all.

Any other hints you'd like to give us?

Like, you know, I mean...

Oh! Yes, Kylie?

It's Guy's birthday when this goes to air.

His 19th!

(SCREAMS AND CHEERS)

I mean, look at him.

A songwriter, about to become a recording artist,

already a host of a hot TV show,

and now it's his birthday.

Don't you think it's charming?

Why don't you say good night for the rest of us?

Goodnight for the rest of us.

(SCREAMING AND CHEERING)

♪ Wait up, wait up, baby, please

DEB: The pub scene was thriving.

♪ I come home after working late

♪ And find that you have gone away

♪ And I'm down on my knees and I'm begging you please

♪ Come on girl, wait up for me. ♪

♪ Ink is black, as black as night

♪ Black as stars that shun the light

All kinds of bands flourished in bars around the country,

from the '60s revival set...

♪ That poison pen, that poison pen. ♪

To modern soul and funk groovers.

♪ You came along

♪ You lifted me up

♪ Now I'm feeling kind of strong

♪ I'm ready to move

♪ Got to make the break

♪ Come on, everybody

♪ Before it gets too late

♪ Ooh. ♪

Hey, man. They tell me you're pretty good.

And why not throw back a couple lagers over a spot of cowpunk?

So you're pretty fast on them there feet?

You just best watch out

when you dance down our street, you hear?

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ You better get out of town

♪ Because there's going to be a showdown

♪ I got ten notches

♪ On my shoes

♪ And when it comes to dancing

♪ You know that I, I cannot lose

♪ They call me Mister Top Cat

♪ Around this here town

♪ I just wanna see you moving your pretty little feets, honey

♪ When the sun goes down

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ All the girls have been losing

♪ All their faith in me

♪ Well, that's not my toughest break, you know

♪ After what you done to me

♪ Because I'm real good now

♪ So you had better be better

♪ And when we hit that dance floor tonight

♪ Better have yourself together

♪ Because that's when

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ I got a reputation of being

♪ One of the fastest men alive

♪ So I wanna see you moving your sweet feet, honey

♪ When I count to five

Gimme one, Billy.

OK, now gimme two.

Come on, boys and girls. You can do better than that.

If you wanna abide, if you wanna survive,

you better jive or get aside!

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ Just take a look around

♪ There's gonna be a showdown

♪ There's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ I'm giving you the lowdown

♪ There's gonna be a showdown

♪ I said, there's

♪ Gonna be a showdown

♪ A showdown, a showdown

♪ There's... ♪

DEB: In '86, many notable artists had gone solo.

As usual, Molly cornered them for Countdown.

If I'm having to worry about how I look,

and how, you know, if I'm getting older,

or if, you know, I'm not 95 pounds.

If I have to worry about that,

it takes away from my being a rock'n'roll singer,

and that's what I am.

So that bothers me.

And for me also to be told what to say is really hard.

Well, the biggest drive to get me to go out on a solo career

was I want to travel, and you're all invited.

Everybody's got to go, you know?

I always saw my career in rock and roll

like it was a big parade, you know?

And the parade's no good unless it goes somewhere.

It's been since 1979 since I went to Japan.

Can't get the guys on the plane.

Never been to Australia.

Can't get the guys on the plane.

And there's a whole lot of the rest

of the world to deal with too.

That, and this is the '80s, man.

This is the roaring '80s.

So it's not just make a record.

That's first. First, you make the music.

First, you make the album.

But then you got the radio and the video and the interview

and the me and you and the live show

and the tour and etcetera, etcetera.

I want to do it all.

Sign me up.

IAN: Putting these musicians together that you wanted,

that you may, in some circles,

be looked at as a racist.

I have been criticised by certain individuals...

saying things like I tainted the purity of black music.

I think that's correct.

My answer to that is the South African government

uses similar arguments to defend apartheid.

In other words, what these people are saying

is absolute bullshit.

DEB: Far from going solo, some younger musos

knew there'd always be strength in numbers.

Hunters and Collectors came from a song of that name

by a German band called Can from the early '70s.

They played really long rhythmical-style songs,

which were similar to the way we used to play

two or three years ago.

But the name stuck because it's a good name.

It also gives you a sense of a tribe or a community of people

that work together on something,

which is sort of what we're like.

♪ Well

♪ Just the other night, I come home

♪ After three months of constant grind and travel

♪ And I went snivelling

♪ I went crawling around to my girlfriend's house

♪ And she came down hard upon me

♪ And she ground her finger into my breast bone

♪ And she said

♪ She said

♪ You don't make me feel

♪ Like I'm a woman anymore

♪ And you don't make me feel

♪ Like I'm a woman anymore

♪ You don't make me feel

♪ Like I'm a woman anymore

♪ And I know

♪ I know it's been a long time

♪ Seems like it's been going on forever

♪ And my heart

♪ My heart is beating

♪ Too big

♪ It's beating too big for the space that's meant to hold it

♪ So good night

♪ Good night, my little lovely

♪ Say goodbye

♪ As we turn ♪ We turn down the lights

♪ As we turn down the lights

♪ We turn that light

♪ Say goodbye Say goodbye

♪ Goodbye to the naked truth ♪ Say goodbye

♪ Your skin is looking weary

♪ And your eyes are closing down on the day

♪ Well, I know

♪ I know it's been a long time

♪ Seems like it's been going on forever

♪ But just as black is white

♪ Yeah, and just as night is day

♪ The light is going to leave you

♪ And you're gonna fade away

♪ So good night ♪ Say good night

♪ Goodbye, my lovely

♪ Say goodbye

♪ As we turn ♪ Turn down the lights

♪ As we turn down the lights

♪ Turn down the lights

♪ Say good night ♪ Say good night

♪ Good night to the naked truth. ♪

Countdown!

Rick, do your Molly Meldrum impression.

Right! My Molly Meldrum impression!

G'day!

DEB: The 1986 charts proved once again

that a novelty song can take you to the top.

Very stupid hat.

(RASPBERRIES)

Get that, Molly!

The big question is are you going

to come to Australia this year?

They also proved a fresh face, like Samantha Fox

could always beguile the masses.

I'll get a tan, look. I'm white.

Well, you've got summer here.

No, have you seen it?

It's raining all the time.

Uh-huh? You'll get your hat wet.

Yeah. (LAUGHS)

Right, now, true confessions.

Like other Brits in '86,

Bananarama would find success with a '60s pop cover.

In the last couple of years,

we've been very slow to do Venus,

simply because we got the unfair tag in British press

of being a band that did cover versions and nothing else.

But we've written three albums of our own stuff now.

We've had Cruel Summer, Robert De Niro, were hits everywhere.

And we wrote those, so, you know,

I think we can get away with it now.

Pseudo Echo's disco cover of Funky Town

would also make the grade.

And over here, already gold.

Sorry, Martin, about this,

is Love and Adventure already gone gold.

Congratulations. (CHEERING)

But the year's big winner was a song

that would become an iconic Aussie anthem, You're The Voice.

♪ We have the chance to turn the pages over

♪ We can write what we want to write

♪ We gotta make ends meet

♪ Before we get much older

♪ We're all someone's daughter

♪ We're all someone's son

♪ How long

♪ Can we look at each other

♪ Down the barrel of a gun?

♪ You're the voice, try and understand it

♪ Make a noise and make it clear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ We're not gonna sit in silence

♪ We're not gonna live with fear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ This time

♪ We know we all can stand together

♪ With the power to be powerful

♪ Believing we can make it better

♪ We're all someone's daughter

♪ We're all someone's son

♪ How long

♪ Can we look at each other

♪ Down the barrel of a gun?

♪ You're the voice, try and understand it

♪ Make a noise and make it clear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ We're not gonna sit in silence

♪ We're not gonna live with fear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ We're all someone's daughter

♪ We're all someone's son

♪ How long

♪ Can we look at each other

♪ Down the barrel of a gun?

♪ You're the voice, try and understand it

♪ Make a noise and make it clear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ We're not gonna sit in silence

♪ We're not gonna live with fear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ You're the voice, try and understand it

♪ Make a noise and make it clear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ We're not gonna sit in silence

♪ We're not gonna live with fear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ You're the voice, try and understand it

♪ Make a noise and make it clear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa

♪ We're not gonna sit in silence

♪ We're not gonna live with fear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh, yeah, yeah

♪ You're the voice, try and understand it

♪ Make a noise and make it clear

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh, whoa-oa-oa-oa. ♪

OK, Don't forget. We're all caught up

with the summer craze around here,

and Countdown has not finished over summer.

In fact, it's on every Sunday and Saturday night

with the Countdown Summers,

and we're giving you predictions and we're giving you hits.

Believe me. My mate's here somewhere.

Where are you off to? Hey, Moll!

You off surfing?

I'm going to take my bucket and my spade.

I'm coming, too. Countdown Summers.

Don't forget, every Saturday and Sunday.

Oh!

ANNOUNCER: Visit the Classic Countdown website

for more pictures, interviews,

and behind the scenes information.