1981 Chris Rea 

Chris Rea had appeared on my radar a couple of years earlier. "Fool if you think it's over" was all a bit soft and soppy in punk-fuelled 1978, however I was surprised to find him playing on the Old Grey Whistle Test, and even more surprised when he announced, "My name's Chris Rea. I come from Middlebrough". I thought, good for you, standing up for a dump like that. 

By 1981 I had fallen upon the record shop in Molesey that offered a rental system. Borrow the album and tape it on cassette. It allowed me to experiment without wasting too much precious money. So I tried Chris Rea's Tennis album; the gravely voice and the occasional licks of slide blues guitar beguiled me and I became a fan, even though it took several years before anyone else I knew saw anything in him. 

Chris Rea's own journey has taken many twists and turns, and I'll come back to him much later on. This track is from Water Sign, the 1983 album, and stands out from the usual melancholy Chris Rea style,  a gleeful tribute to beautiful girls and the effect they have on us.