Summer 79 snapshot - 

14, wasted no time after school getting to Virgin Records in Croydon to pick up first day copy as I was paranoid about missing out on pic sleeve (for some reason they meant so much back then - and not just for Rats). Transferred to cassette at first opportunity, then drove parents insane on our annual caravan holiday by playing said tape pretty much incessantly. Can still recall their resignation to defeat when cassette player took an enforced break but radio played the song within minutes .

Got myself a t-shirt printed with 'I Don't Like' across chest, and 'Mondays' bisecting vertically, and was well chuffed at saving the cost of an 'O'. With hindsight I suspect t-shirt also did a great deal to preserve my continued virginity, since you ask, or maybe it was just my clean-living smoke and alcohol free breath that held no allure or ris-kay attraction? May as well have saved even more cash on t-shirt and just had 'dork' printed.

Successfully badgered my uncle who worked at News of the World to source copies of the original Brenda Spencer article. Kept those and also the Daily Mirror spread entitled 'I Do Like Tuesdays' when Cliff Richard eventually toppled Mondays, which I'm sure was a reference to fact chart rundown (well official Radio 1 BRMB chart anyway) was announced on Tuesdays. Can't honestly recall if there was a separate top 40 rundown (non Radio 1?) on Sundays at this time, but will concede to Joan's younger and fresher memory .

Even decided to create my own 'live' version of Mondays by combining 7" single playing on music centre with my microphone input whistles and faux 'crowd' noise (a sort of guttural whispered 'waaah' sound as I recall), all fed into the trusty aforementioned cassette recorder. Result was truly abysmal, and somewhat coincidentally so was my love life throughout this period, since you ask. 

Did have a wall (and door and ceiling) full of posters though. If only I'd lived near Jules.....

13, school (obviously) and charts on Tuesday lunchtime, portable radio with earpiece because Physics had just started when charts announced. Rats in at 15, everyone knew it would be next week's number one, but never got to celebrate the glory of that at school as summer holidays began beforehand. Rat Trap had been a different story as late November. Few weeks later Rat Trap was given to me as a Christmas gift at school by someone who still now remembers me as Rats-mad even when the star was fading post Mondo Bongo.

Back to the summer of '79, holidayed in Bournemouth and no tv in hotel bedroom so had to watch in tv lounge and get dad to ask hotel manager if BBC1 could be put on, whereas the oldies wanted BBC2 or anything else in fact but TOTP. Recall Peter Powell saying 'Don't like Mondays, do like Thursdays' and playing the video which was truly amazing to see at the time.

Trips out Christchurch, Highcliffe, Poole etc etc with car radio playing little else and parents/sister finally 'liking' song through repetition more than anything I suspect.

Not sure much happening girlfriend-wise (a playground kiss can't count can it?) and could not tell you whether puberty was in full swing at this exact time, but I guess the process was underway-ish.

Very annoyed when Cliff deposed the Rats as there was not much in it (according to Peter Powell) I suppose evidenced by 2 weeks at number 2 for 'Mondays'. Had hoped I could get back to school with them still at number one. Was so happy that my favourite band was the biggest band in Britain and could not understand anyone who could not generate the same level of interest as me. I also recognised, perhaps a little disturbingly, that there could be little this band could ever do that would not meet with my full approval, yet also on another level recognised songs like House on Fire, Million Years etc were generally perceived weaker.

Great uploads Suss, what a time.

One thing I always remember about the late seventies was listening to Radio Luxembourg at night. Bob Stewart doing the chart show rundowns, the 'power play' song on just after the news. Listened a  lot from 1978-82, a time of great pop music. Luxy was very popular, but like Brigadoon it just vanished into the ether as digital and more commercial stations came on stream.

35 years ago very nearly.......where'd it go?!

We left the Midlands for 3 weeks in Bournemouth today 35 years ago and heard this numerous times in the car down,  trips out etc. Still number one when we drove back. We visited some friends who had a static near Highcliffe and this must have been a Thursday evening as recall TOTP on in background. 

1st 3 albums I can not fault. The last 3 I can. Out of all 6 albums V deep would be bottom on the list. But does have 4 really good songs on it for me. Skin on skin, House on fire, He watches it all & Never in a million years

Like Up all night. But have to say Again would play the UAS mix more so than the UK one To me just has that little bit of edge on it

This week 35 years ago, we were all getting used Cliff getting the limelight with the Police not far behind him and an Autumn Rats tour to look forward to. 

Erm.....?