30/04/81: The Human League on Top of the Pops

On Thursday 30 April 1981, on a new edition of weekly BBC music show Top of the Pops, Sheffield group The Human League performed their new single The Sound of the Crowd.

Although The Human League had appeared once before on the show in 1980, this was the first time with their new formation, including two friends Susanne Sulley and Joanne Catherall who were still in school at the time. Famously spotted by lead singer Phil Oakey in a Sheffield disco in late 1980, they were promptly asked if they wanted to join the band on tour. The girls then became an integral part of the group itself.

The Human League went on to have a number of hit singles in 1981, including their most famous song Don't You Want Me which was the Christmas number one single in the UK  that year. The group core members have continued to record and perform live. A tour entitled A Very British Synthesizer Group Tour is scheduled for November and December, 2016.

The Human League in 2014. l to r.: Joanne Catherall, Philip Oakey, Susanne Sulley

28/4/81: Ronald Reagan's Address on the Program for Economic Recovery

On Tuesday 28 April 1981 President Ronald Reagan gave a speech to a joint session of Congress outlining his government's plans for economic recovery and US fiscal programmes.

"I believe it's essential that the Congress approve this package, which I believe will lift the crushing burden of inflation off of our citizens and restore the vitality to our economy and our industrial machine," he said. "The American people now want us to act and not in half measures. They demand and they've earned a full and comprehensive effort to clean up our economic mess."

see also: realclearpolitics

full text of speech here

Also on this day, actress and model Jessica Alba is born in Pomona, California. 

27/4/81: Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach marry in London

On Monday 27 April 1981 former Beatle Ringo Starr (b. 1940) married model and actress Barbara Bach (b. 1947) at Marylebone Registry Office in London.

source/pics.: paulmccartney-fanclub.blogspot.it

For a first-hand account of the afternoon by a fan, see here

25-26/04/81: Freak blizzards hit the UK

On the weekend of 25 and 26 April 1981 much of the central and western part of the UK was hit by freak snow storms, gales and blizzards, causing traffic havoc, power failures and damage to agriculture and livestock.

clip from The Times via ukweatherworld.co.uk

23/04/81: Gregory's Girl (film) released in UK

On Thursday 23 April 1981 the full length romantic comedy film Gregory's Girl was released in the UK.

Set in an area of Cumbernauld, near Glasgow in Scotland, the film tells the story of the teenager Gregory Underwood, played by John Gordon Sinclair, and his awkward relationship with Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), who is brought into the school football team, eventually ousting Gregory from the squad.

He eventually manages to arrange a date with the attractive Dorothy but ends up going out with a friend of Dorothy's, Susan (Clare Grogan) instead.

The film was written and directed by Bill Forsyth who had only wanted non-professional actors in the film. Gregory's Girl won him the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1982. Forsyth went on to direct Local Hero (1983) and the less succesful Comfort and Joy (1984).
A sequel entitled Gregory's Two Girls, again written and directed by Forsyth and starring Sinclair, was released in 1999.

source: IMDb, wikipedia
film pics: theguardian.com

22/04/81: Metal workers strike in West Germany

On Wednesday 22 April 1981 an estimated one million metalworkers in West Germany staged warning strikes as union and industry negotiators met in an effort to break a deadlock in wage talks and avert a nationwide walkout.
The metalworkers' employers were offering a 4.1 percent wage increase plus more for lower-paid workers. They maintained that these changes and the previous year's agreement for higher holiday pay in 1981 are the equivalent of an increase of 4.7 percent.


Union leaders, who began the talks in January by demanding an 8 percent raise, were now insisting on at least 5 percent.

pic: welt.de

source: nytimes.com

21/04/81: Explosion in Joigny, France

On Tuesday 21 April 1981 an explosion probably caused by a gas leak took place in the heart of the town of Joigny in Burgundy, France.
The explosion happened in the centre of the town, destroying three buildings and miraculously killing only two people. Six more were injured although the town was subsequently covered by a huge cloud of dust.

pic lyonne.fr

pic: cheny.net

source: lyonne.fr

01/01/1981: Wood and Walters TV series pilot

As a tribute to Victoria Wood who passed away today, we are making a special post dedicated to her TV series Wood and Walters whose pilot show "Wood and Walters: Two Creatures Great and Small" was broadcast by Granada Television in the UK on the first day of 1981.

text adapted from wikipedia:

After turning down the female role in the satirical sketch show Not The Nine O'Clock News in 1979, Wood was offered a sketch show of her own. She agreed only on the understanding that Julie Walters received equal billing. Wood had in fact only ever written one sketch three years earlier before being given her own show. She fell back on songs, which she felt was her strength, and the pilot for Wood and Walters contained four in 30 minutes. The sketches concerned themselves with Marriage Guidance Council, keep fit classes, DIY and gossip.
Wood hated the finished result, so was very surprised that the show was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment Programme alongside The Two Ronnies, The Kenny Everett Video Show and The Stanley Baxter Series (which won).

A complete series of  Wood and Walters was broadcast from 1 January 1982.

Victoria Wood, comedienne. 1953-2016

20/04/81: Teachta Dail visit Bobby Sands

On Easter Monday, 20 April, 1981 Three Irish Teachta Dáil (members of  Dáil Éireann, the lower house of Oireachtas, the Irish Parliament) together with Owen Carron, then Bobby Sands’ election agent, paid a visit to Sands at Maze Prison. Following the meeting the Teachta Dáil called for urgent talks with the British government. Sands had been on hunger strike since March 1st, and subsequently elected to the UK Parliament in the Fermanagh / South Tyrone  by-election on 9 April.

Supporters of Fermanagh South Tyrone MP/Hunger Striker Bobby Sands (source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk)

The British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced on 21 April that the British government would not meet the Teachta Dáil. "We are not prepared to consider special category status for certain groups of people serving sentences for crime. Crime is crime is crime, it is not political," she stated.



source: CAIN Web Service

19/4/81: Countdown Top 10 (Australia)

18/4/81: Princess Grace of Monaco on Desert Island Discs

On Saturday 18 April 1981, Princess Grace of Monaco (née Grace Kelly, 1929), on the occasion of her 25th wedding anniversary, was the guest on Roy Plomley's radio programme Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio Four.

Princess Grace chose the eight records she would take to a desert island as well as choosing two pillows as a luxury object and the plays of her uncle George Kelly. Her favourite piece of music was Chopin's Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57.

Grace Kelly died in September 1982 after suffering a stroke while driving her car.

Source: BBC Desert Island Discs, BBC Genome

16/4/81: The Cure - 'Primary' on Top of the Pops

On Thursday 16 April 1981 gothic rock group The Cure appeared on Top of the Pops on BBc One to perform their new single 'Primary'. Although the song had been released on 20 March it had just reached no. 46 in the charts that week and so managed a slot on the show.

Primary was taken from their new album Faith which had just been released. This was not the first time The Cure had appeared on Top of the Pops. Their debut had been almost one year ago exactly on 26/4/80 performing their previous single A Forest. Neither singles made it to the Top 30.
After this commercially slow start to their career the band would go on to have a number of hits in the 1980s with songs like The Love Cats, Close to Me, Lullaby and Lovesong, continuing into the 90's and up to the present day. Their North American and European Tour in 2016 is set to showcase 37 years of their music in a brand new stage production.

Advertisement for The Cure's Faith album, from Smash Hits, 16 April 1981

video: BBC/lee nichols

pic: Like Punk Never Happened - A Smash Hits archive 

15/04/81: FA Cup semi-final replay - Spurs v. Wolves

On Wednesday 15 April the replay of the second semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers took place at Highbury Stadium in London.

Tottenham ended up beating Wolves by a clear 3-0, with two goals from Garth Crooks and one from  the Argentinian Ricardo Villa. The first match had ended in a 2-2 on the previous Saturday, thanks to a 90th minute penalty by Wolves' Willie Carr.

Tottenham were now scheduled to play against Manchester City, who had beaten Ipswich Town, on Saturday 9 May at Wembley Stadium.

17/4/81: Budding pop singer Madonna writes to her brother

On Friday 17 April 1981 (Good Friday) budding pop star Madonna Ciccone (b. 1958) sends a letter to her brother Christopher in Detroit telling him of how her career in the music business is progressing in New York. She tells him how she is now working with new manager CAmille Barbone and getting her own band together.
She also tells him how she is now living near Madison Square Gardens, "where someday I'll play", further adding, "I've written some great rap tunes, they're great to dance to...''.

Madonna released her first single in late 1982, and her first album in July 1983. She went on to play two shows at Madison Square Gardens in June 1985.

source: Nate Sanders /the-saleroom.com

 Madonna Underground Club Performance in New York City. 1981/ pic. madonna scrapbook

14/04/81: STS-1 Space Shuttle Columbia lands safely at Edwards Air Force Base

13/04/81: Reagan shooting on TIME magazine

pic.: content.time.com

12/04/81: Columbia Space Shuttle launched

On Sunday 12 April 1981 the Columbia Space Shuttle was launched into space for the first time. The shuttle program was officially referred to as the Space Transportation System (STS), giving this flight the name STS-1. Launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission had a two-person crew: commander, John Young, a veteran of Gemini and Apollo, and the pilot, Bob Crippen.

The Columbia shuttle was the first "re-usable" spacecraft which was to launch like a rocket and land like an aircraft. The two solid rocket boosters that helped push the shuttle into space would also be re-used, after being recovered from the ocean. Only the massive external fuel tank would burn up as it fell back to Earth.

The mission was a success and the shuttle returned safely to Earth on 14 April. The program would go on complete twenty-seven successful missions into space, although its twenty-eighth and final mission resulted in tragedy as it burned up on re-entry in February 2003, killing its seven crew members.

Twenty years previously, on April 12, 1961, the era of human spaceflight began when Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth in his Vostock I spacecraft. The flight lasted 108 minutes.

11/04/81: Brixton riots

On Saturday 11 April 1981 fierce fighting and rioting broke out in the London suburb of Brixton. At approx. 4:45pm two police officers searched and arrested a young black taxi driver, taking him away.  Missiles were thrown at the police van as it left. This led to more police reinforcements and led to the worst day of the rioting.  The rioters were mostly young black men but they were now joined by young whites.  Looting began, police vans were overturned and bricks, bottles, and petrol bombs were thrown, setting fire to both police and private cars. There were also a number of attacks on retail and commercial premises and bars.

pic.: Peter Murphy

pic: PA

text source: blackpast.org

for various eye-witness accounts see: Remembering the riots (theguardian.com)

10/04/81: Michael Bailey stabbed in Brixton

On Friday 10 April 1981 at around 5 p.m. a young black man, Michael Bailey, was stabbed in a fight in the Brixton area of suburban London. While running for help he was stopped by police officers who were then accused by other residents of having stabbed Bailey themselves and furthermore hindering medical assistance.

The incident is said to have been the spark that started the ensuing 'Brixton Riots' over the following weekend.

pic: guardian

Police harassment increased tension in Brixton when Operation Swamp ’81 was launched  in early April 1981. Police used the hated “sus” laws, which allowed them to search anyone they suspected of having committed a crime. In just five days, police stopped and searched almost 950 people, arresting 150. Black people made up just 6 percent of London’s population in the late 1970s. But 44 percent of those arrested under sus were black. Unemployment in the area stood at 13 per cent overall, and 25 per cent among the West Indian community. Half of young black men were jobless.

Flyer calling for an end to 'Sus' laws, 1981

sources: wikipedia, dailymail.co.uk
flyer pic: irr.org.uk

9/04/81: terrorist suspect arrested in Italy

On Thursday 9 April 1981 twenty-one year old Cristiano Fioravanti was arrested in Rome suspected of subversive activities and formation of an armed gang. The Italian had been hunted down by police suspected of terrorism as part of the extreme right-wing Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari (NAR)  group, together with his brother Valerio and Francesca Mambro, among others.

The group had been connected with the murder of left-wing activist Walter Rossi in 1977 and the bomb which exploded in the waiting room of Bologna railway station on 8 August 1980.

Fioravanti was later released without charge. 

source and pic.: messaggero.it

8/04/81: new UK regional definitive stamps issued

On Wednesday 8 April 1981 new regional definitive stamps for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were issued by Royal Mail.

The values for each region were 11½p, 14p, 18p & 22p.

source and pics.: collectgbstamps

7/04/81: Nantes defeated at home after 92 matches

On Tuesday 7 April 1981 in a match in the France's Ligue 1 Auxerre defeated Nantes 0-1, ending a five-year home unbeaten streak for Nantes.

pic.: delcampe.net

The streak began in June 1976 under manager José Arribas, in the last month of his 16-year tenure in charge of the club. On 4 June, Nantes managed a 1-1 draw with Nice, then won their only remaining home match of the season, a 1-0 victory over Nîmes on the season's last day.

Nantes' ninety-two match streak is one of the best home league unbeaten runs, within striking distance of PSV Eindhoven (93) and Red Star Belgrade (96), but still well behind the top mark of 121 set by Real Madrid from 1957 to 1965.

pic.: This Day in Football History

- this post adapted from the original by Brian Seal on the This Day in Football History blog.

5/04/81: Masada mini-series on ABC

On Sunday 5 April 1981 the  TV mini-series Masada began showing on ABC Television in the USA. The historical drama, based on the historical novel The Antagonists by  Ernest K. Gann on the siege of the Masada citadel in Israel by legions of the Roman Empire, ran for four episodes shown on consecutive nights.

The series starred Peter O'Toole, Peter Strauss, Barbara Carrera and Anthony Quayle.

Masada was shown on BBC One in the UK  over two weeks in February 1983. It has since been made available on DVD.

source: tysonstv, tv.com, IMDb

4/04/81 - Eurovision Song Contest, Dublin

On Saturday 3 April 1981, the 26th Eurovision Song Contest was held in Dublin.

The Europe-wide popular music competition was won by the UK's Buck's Fizz with their song Making Your Mind Up, beating Germany's Lena Valaitis into second place and France's Jean Gabilou into third. A total of twenty countries, including Turkey and Israel, participated in the contest, equalling a record set in Paris in 1978. Cyprus took part for the first time, finishing at a respectable 6th place. Switzerland gained the greatest number of  the maximum '12 points', arriving in fourth with their Italian language song performed by trio Peter, Sue and Marc.

Behind The Scenes At Eurovision 1981. pic. RTE archives

The four piece vocal group Bucks Fizz had been formed especially for the Eurovision Song Contest and had been selected from the UK's own Song for Europe contest in March. They created a memorable dance routine famous for the moment when the two male members in the group rip off the skirts of the two girls, revealing a shorter skirt underneath.
After winning the contest and gaining a British number one record, the group continued their career with further hits during the 1980s, such as The Land Of Make Believe and My Camera Never Lies.

source: eurovision.tv, wikipedia

The complete show can be seen here (youtube)

3/4/81: BBC1 continuity before 9 O'Clock News

Friday 3 April 1981, 9 p.m.

BBC One continuity announcement just prior to the Nine O'Clock News. Call My Bluff was about to start on the BBC's second channel, while a new episode of Starsky and Hutch would be on after.

 

Main news items: Ronald Reagan's recovery, West Yorkshire internal police enquiry, car bomb in N. Ireland, investigation into last year's North Sea Oil disaster and Prince Charles' visit to New Zealand.

The evening news was read by Richard Baker (b. 1925) who also introduced the first BBC television news broadcast on 5 July 1954. Baker retired as a newsreader in 1982.

see also: Richard Baker: The birth of TV news (BBC)

2/4/81: Christiane F. film released

On Thursday 2 April 1981 the full length move Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (We Children from Bahnhof Zoo) was released in West Germany and in the USA. The film tells the story of the Berlin teenager Christiana F. is who taken into the underground drugs scene through frequenting 'The Sound' a modern music club in the city, during the late seventies. The young girl eventually becomes addicted to heroin.

The film starred Natja Brunckhorst (b. 1966) as the young protagonist and was directed by Uli Edel.
His vivid depiction of the drugs scene and drug addiction shocked audiences and both the movie and the original book  acquired cult status in Europe immediately after the film's release.

The popularity of the film was further boosted by the partecipation of singer and musician David Bowie, whose 'Berlin period' songs are included in the film soundtrack album. According to the original book, the real Christiane F. had had her first experience with heroin at a David Bowie concert.

1/4/81: English Football League Cup Final replay

On Wednesday 1 April 1981 the replay of the English Football League Cup Final between Liverpool and West Ham United was played at Villa Park Birmingham at 7.30 p.m.

The final had initially been played on at Wembley on 14 March, ending in a 1-1 draw. In the replay however Liverpool beat their opponents 2-1. It was the first time Liverpool had won the competition.

Liverpool goalscorer's Alan Hansen (left) and Kenny Dalglish celebrate with the trophy in the dressing room after the 1981 League Cup Final replay