JIM DIAMOND – "I Should Have Known Better"

You know what’s the most amazing thing about the video? When I first saw it, I thought that maybe the producer guy was looking forlornly at Jim Diamond because he was pining for the guy, and that this forbidden love was what broke up his family.

And while I have a fondness for men with receding hairlines, that rat-tail is HIDEOUS.

This was one of those number ones that snuck in during a gap in the big beasts’ release schedules. The song is quite strong; after all Jim had nothing else going for him. PhD were forgotten one-hit wonders and I bet most of the buyers didn’t realise it was the same guy.

His follow up “We All Sleep Alone” (I recall RM’s cruel review “With a face like that it’s no wonder”) was predictably a resounding flop but he did manage another big hit with the Boon theme in 1986 and appears on two charity ensemble number ones to come.

Jim was a guest on Johnny Walker (standing in for Jeremy Vine) recently doing the Tracks of My Years feature. I rather suspect Jim was standing in for someone too. Anyway there was a strange exchange where Johnny floated the idea that Jim had honourably stepped down from the top spot to make way for the historic behemoth that we all know is coming.Jim modestly replied that he was glad to do his bit. I thought hang on ! Are we supposed to believe Jim had a choice in the matter. And wasn’t there another record in between ? Flattering your (barely) famous guest is one thing; indulging his parallel universe is quite bizarre.

a dire poor-pitiful-me ballad that had me switching off the video pretty soon after the chorus came in. Next!

judging by the cover JD was an inspiration for the blue man group

The little red sticker on the sleeve is heartbreaking: “Formerly of Ph.D” — since they are even less remembered than JimD. Wikipedia has this: “Their video for ‘Little Suzi’s On The Up’ was notable for being the fifth video shown on MTV’s first broadcasting day, being 1 August 1981 in parts of the US”

1: “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles
2: “You Better Run” by Pat Benatar
3: “She Won’t Dance With Me” by Rod Stewart
4: “You Better You Bet” by The Who
5: “Little Suzi’s on the Up” by Ph.D.
6: “We Don’t Talk Anymore” by Cliff Richard
7: “Brass in Pocket” by The Pretenders
8: “Time Heals” by Todd Rundgren
9: “Take It On the Run” by REO Speedwagon
10: “Rockin’ the Paradise” by Styx

IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE PH.D WERE OUR er er DURAN DURAN: all the gorgeous might-have-beens

MikeMCSG @5 – I remember my friends and I knowing that this was the PhD bloke at the time; “I Won’t Let You Down” was a hit only three years earlier, and Diamond has an unmistakable voice. We had no idea he was Scottish, though; one of the educational features of Popular has been discovering how surprisingly many UK artists of the day were. (He sounds Scottish to me now, of course, after eight years’ immersion in the accent/s.)

I’m going to buck the trend again and say that this isn’t as bad as I’d remembered, and that I could see it being even better sung by somebody else. I’m wondering what Whitney or Mariah could have done with it back in the day. (Not that the results would have been my cup of tea.) It could also work toned right down. Anything except that mid-’80s backing, really.

None of which would bump it higher than 5 for me, and that would be generous. Four sounds right.

This reached number one in Australia on 1 April 1985, just in time to be crushed by another charity juggernaut the following week. “Congratulations, Jim, this one’s going to run and run… April Fool!”

Certainly the last #1 of the 80s that I’ve always had trouble remembering, assuming I ever did hear it – all I have is a memory from 11 years ago of a friend at college imitating the title as sung, deliberately badly.

There’s four #1s from the late 90s I still struggle to recall anything about – all teen pop/pin-up/boy or girl bands. I remember every 00s #1 except maybe a few from 2007 onwards and maybe a few of the AA sides from before then.

In addition to being the last song that Tom doesn’t remember, it’s also the first in a surprisingly long stretch that the average American wouldn’t know about. Since the MTV era began, I think it’s worth pointing out, there’s actually been a lot of crossover between the American and English number ones. In fact, from 1984, this is the only completely unknown song, and only “Pipes of Peace,” “Two Tribes,” and the next number one wouldn’t be instantly recognizable 10 out of 10 Americans.

I do remember this from the time (and “Hi Ho Silver”, the Boon theme that was also a hit. I don’t think I liked it much at the time, finding the IY-YI-YI bit quite grating. Listening it to again, it’s OK – I might stretch to a 5 or 6. There are many, many worse power ballads.

#5 I think I read Bob Geldof saying that when Jim Diamond was on TotP performing this, he was asked by the presenter how it felt to be at number one, and he said something on the lines of, “it’s great, but next week, please could all the viewers not buy my record, but buy [the next number one but one].” Probably made no difference at all, but that might have been what Johnny Walker was referring to.

Christ, it’s swings and roundabouts here sometimes isn’t it? Don’t think we’ve ever had such a plummet in quality between chart toppers. I’d forgotten it too which I now realize was an act of mercy on the part of my memory as it’s absolutely appalling. His voice does have a certain character but it’s one you want to punch in the face.

Watching the video it struck me that David Brent should have covered this instead of ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’

5# Correction to my earlier post.The follow up was called “I Sleep Alone At Night”.

I hated this. As Nick P mentioned at 2, even at the time it seemed like some kind of 70s throwback. It might have had heavy Radio 2 play, but I can’t remember exactly.

Jim Diamond is a great name for a pop star though, isn’t it? Such a pity he had to be short, balding and whiny voiced.

I remember this, did Diamond do the theme to Auf Weidersein Pet too? I a bit of a stinky ballad that I briefly had a soft spot for, but I cannot really get behind a song which advocates not lying to someone just because they are beautiful.

Good call for Liquid Sky above #18, I just saw that for the first time, it was my friends answer for worst date movie ever and its a strange MTV meets lots and lots of drugs eighties classic. You could make a call for Wild Style as an early 80’s kitchen sink hip-hop movie, but that pushes us away from the bouffant aesthetic that Mark seems keen on.

re 27: that’ll be Joe Fagin who sang That’s Living Alright, theme from Auf Wiedersehn Pet, later covered by Earl Brutus.

Thinking of Boon, I remember a (Time Out?) article where someone noticed a “professional Michael Elphick lookalike” in the small ads of The Stage and interviewed him to see what kind of response he’d got. Not much, was the answer, apart from the reply from said interviewer. He had been working as a professional Bob Hoskins lookalike, but the work had dried up. Poignant but hilarious at the same time, rather like Jim Diamond’s hit.

Except of course for the “in Space” bit of the title which is also how it suckered me in when it was shown on Moviedrome.

I think I may have also had a brief bit of confusion beween Jim Diamond and Jim Davidson, who certainly should have known better for his entire career.

Light Entertainment Watch: Just a paltry single appearance for Jim;

THE KEITH HARRIS SHOW: with Bucks Fizz, Jacqui Scott, Bernie Winters, Brian Conley, Jim Diamond (1985)

I don’t doubt that this got heavy play on Radio 1 as it’s earnest, singer-songwritery quality would have been right up the street of most of their DJs who seemed uncomfortable with the new fangled 80s pop – apart from that Phil Collins chap, that was proper music! – and wished they could play Gerry Rafferty and Harry Chapin all day. I distinctly remember Steve Wright doing an awful limp-wristed and fey impersonation of Marc Almond whenever he played ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ and just cringing. It was like the charts were Alexie Sayle and he was still Jim Davidson.

On the ‘beautiful as you’ line, I’d cut Jim some slack – we all tend to see our partners as beautiful/handsome, particularly in the early stages of a relationship. I don’t think he’s really claiming that only supermodels deserve fidelity.

I remember the bit where Jim Diamond thanked record-buyers for making him number one but then urged them to go and buy (what turned out to be) the next chart-topper but one instead. As I recall it was in a radio interview rather than on TOTP, but no doubt he was saying that to quite a few people at the time. As for having a choice in the matter, Mike at #5, no doubt that “glad to do my bit” was a gag. He came across as a thoroughly nice bloke, which makes it all the more a pity that his record is drivel – whiney, dull, and the I-YI-YI-YI bit which is presumably supposed to convey emotion thoroughly unconvincing. His previous hit with PhD was far more palatable.

ooh GOOD call re gregory’s girl! (1981, feat.claire grogan’s atrocious acting) — don’t recall any schoolkids in it sporting would-be new-romantic or 80s glam modes, but it certainly belongs in this territory: however like most of forsyth’s work it has a kind of militant anti-dowdiness: ordinary life is not so awful!

local hero of course — set in far-flung coastal north-west scotland? — has a local punk-rock girl, with a babby in a pram if i am not mistaken…

True! I haven’t seen it since it came out though. It reminded me of actress Alexandra Pigg, who previously played Petra in Brookside (a character who committed suicide in a hotel on the outskirts of shrewsbury: a soap fact possibly only my sister and i recall!); and that made me think that Brookside’s KAREN GRANT is actually the avatar of what i’m getting at

Don’t forget Barry Grant!

re wichita at 26: There was always an element of self-mockery (or at least self-awareness) in this one though. I remember the billboard posters for the single said (writ large, white on black, no photos):

I-YI-YI
I-YI-YI
I-YI-YI-YI

(then, small at the bottom)

I Should Have Known Better – Jim Diamond

which I was always very impressed by. Unlike the record.