In the year of Frankie, many of the best musical moments came in the form of the 12” single. Those three Frankie singles were all great records, though the highlight of ZTT’s output had to be Propaganda’s ‘Dr Mabuse’. Then there was Bronski Beat’s first two. In their case as in Frankie’s, the subsequent albums were something of an anti-climax. Some other gems however included James King And The Lone Wolves’ ‘Texas Lullaby’, Shannon’s ‘Give Me Tonight’ and at a less frantic pace Womack and Womack’s ‘Love Wars’.

The long players had their fair share of winners too in albums like David Sylvian’s highly recommended ‘Brilliant Trees’. Flying the live vinyl flag was Yellow’s one-sided mini LP ‘Live At The Roxy’ while the frantic ‘Mole’ won Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, the Oddball Album Of The Year Award. From the U.S. came a whole range of bands whose music was rooted in the sixties. To mention a few: R.E.M.’s ‘Reckoning’ , The Long Ryders ‘Native Sons’, Jason And The Scorchers ‘Fervour’ and the slightly more left field and contemporary Rubber Rodeo with their debut ‘Scenic Views’. Otherwise kudos go to Rank And File for ‘Sundown’ – incidentally, their latest is still unavailable in this country (shame). As I write there’s a new Shoes platter on the turntable which sounds like a return to form. Truly ‘84 will also be remembered a a year when the guitar made a healthy stab at pushing the synth to one side. However that often maligned instrument was the backbone of many excellent dance records and albums like Cabaret Voltaire’s ‘Micro-phonies’ and the ‘Art Of Noise’ records.