"The Land of Make Believe" | ||||
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Single by Bucks Fizz | ||||
from the album Are You Ready? | ||||
B-side | "Now You're Gone" | |||
Released | 13 November 1981 | |||
Recorded | United Kingdom | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3.50 | |||
Label | RCA Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Andy Hill & Pete Sinfield | |||
Producer(s) | Andy Hill | |||
Bucks Fizz singles chronology | ||||
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"The Land of Make Believe" is a 1981 single by British band Bucks Fizz. It reached No.1 in the UK in early 1982 - the second single by the band to do so. The song was produced by Andy Hill with music by Hill and lyrics by ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Despite the apparent sugar-coated style of the song, Sinfield later claimed it was a subtle attack on Margaret Thatcher and her government's policy at the time. [1] "The Land of Make Believe" became a big hit across Europe in early 1982, topping the charts in Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland as well as the UK. The song was later covered by pop band allSTARS* for a 2002 single release.
"The Land of Make Believe" was the second of three UK #1 singles for the British Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz, staying at the top for two weeks in January 1982. It remained on the charts for 16 weeks. [2]
The lyrics are based on a child's dream where ghostly voices lure the child outside to a world where everything is bright and happy, but the child resists. Characters, Superman and Captain Kidd are referenced in the lyrics. The close of the song features a nursery rhyme narrated by Abby Kimber, who was the 11-year-old daughter of Bill Kimber, an executive of RCA Records. This was an original piece penned by Sinfield. At the time, radio stations were instructed to fade the song before the narration. [3] Sinfield said that the song "Beneath its tra-la-la's is a virulent anti-Thatcher song" and went on to say "it is ten-times more difficult to write a three-minute hit song, with a veneer of integrity, than it is to write anything for King Crimson or ELP". [4]
During the recording member Mike Nolan expressed reservations for the song and told producer Andy Hill that it would not be a hit and probably the end for the band. Hill however told Nolan that Bobby G and Cheryl Baker had already recorded their parts of the song and had said that they really liked it. Nolan later admitted that his judgement was obviously wrong. [5] Bobby G spent an afternoon recording harmonies for the middle 8 of the song, but after he left the studio, the engineer accidentally wiped the tape and the vocal part was never re-recorded. [5]
The music video was filmed at White City, London, swimming baths and is an homage of various childhood stories. It begins in a black and white bedroom, with member Cheryl Baker waking up, and in reference to the film The Wizard of Oz the picture changes to colour, and Baker's clothes are transformed by a Fairy Godmother in the style of Cinderella. She then walks from everyday life, through a gap into a winter wonderland and has to push her way through fir trees, a reference to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , before joining the rest of the band on stage. [6]
The remainder of the video consists of the group performing the song, intercut with brief fantastical scenes. The costumes the group wore in the video were subsequently used in television appearances for the song and many photo-shoots. Member Jay Aston chose the outfits, with the female costumes from Kahn & Bell on London's King's Road and the male costumes from Boy. They cost between £50 and £120 each. [7] Aston has since remarked that it was one of her favourite looks for the band and in reference to hers and Baker's costume said "we were ten years ahead of Madonna with the cone boobs". [5]
The single was released in November 1981 and became a top 10 hit in December, being placed at No.5 for the Christmas chart. [8] The following week it was placed at No.2, behind The Human League's "Don't You Want Me", before finally taking over at No.1 in January. [9] It remained there for two weeks, before falling out of the charts after 16 weeks - the group's longest run on the UK singles chart. The song became the group's biggest-selling single in the UK, outselling their Eurovision winner "Making Your Mind Up", to finish as the 41st biggest-seller of the 1980s. [10] It also reached No.1 in the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland, while in Germany it also became their biggest selling single. [11] The song was the group's debut single release in the US, but didn't achieve chart success there. [12]
Critical reaction to the song was favourable with Record Mirror stating: "Prejudices and preconceptions aside, it's an excellent record and a worthy successor to 'Don't You Want Me' at the top." [13] "The Land of Make Believe" remains a firm fan favourite and reviews in the press at the time were positive with Smash Hits calling the song "sheer genius" and more recently Q Magazine labelling the song "not half bad" and "an 80s classic". [14] [15] [16] [17] Members Bobby G and Cheryl Baker have both named it as the best of their own songs. It seems that "The Land of Make Believe" also earned them a grudging respect within music circles, as Baker recalls confronting Bob Geldof who had publicly "slagged off" the band, with him then admitting to her that he actually really liked "The Land of Make Believe". The Human League's Philip Oakey contemporarily declared his admiration for Bucks Fizz in general, while OMD's Andy McCluskey said that he thought it was "an absolutely wonderful song with a great melody". [18]
"The Land of Make Believe" was many times used as the closing number of Bucks Fizz's concerts. During their 1984 tour a lighting effect to simulate falling snow was used to signify the festive feel of the song due to its Christmas-time release. [5] The song was later included on the group's second album, Are You Ready and was later released in a remixed form in 1991 as a bootleg single. A similar version of this was included on a compilation album released in 2005, while a more recent remix of the song was featured on the group's 2008 album, The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut . The B-Side of the single was a ballad, "Now You're Gone" featuring lead vocals by Cheryl Baker. The song features the chorus line; "It doesn't feel like Christmas now you're gone" and remains the only festive-themed song recorded by the group. An alternate ending to this song was featured as a hidden track on The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut.
7" single
12" single (released in Germany only)
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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"The Land of Make Believe" | ||||
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Single by allSTARS* | ||||
from the album AllSTARS* | ||||
B-side | "Rock This House" | |||
Released | 14 January 2002 [35] | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:20 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Songwriter(s) | Andy Hill, Pete Sinfield | |||
Producer(s) | Ray "Madman" Hedges | |||
AllSTARS* singles chronology | ||||
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"The Land of Make Believe" was the third single by the British band allSTARS*. The single was slightly faster than the original version and had a more euro-pop sound. The music video was set in a circus tent, with each individual member of the band performing tricks e.g. being cut in half, levitating or juggling. The single performed to moderate success, achieving allSTARS*' highest UK chart position of No.9. [36]
Track listing
"The Land of Make Believe" has also been recorded by future fellow Eurovision winner Celine Dion (translated into French: "A Quatre pas D'ici") in 1983 for her album Du soleil au cœur (Hill and Sinfield would later pen her hits "Think Twice" and "Call the Man"). In 1982, French singer Sheila recorded the song in French as "Condition Féminine" while German singer Elke Best recorded it as "Land der Phantasie". [37] [38] Brazilian girl-group Harmony Cats recorded a Portuguese version in 1984 (as "Terra do Faz de Conta"). [39] Bucks Fizz themselves recorded the song in Spanish as "El Mundo de Ilusion" in 1982. The song (in English) was also recorded by children's group Minipops in 1982 and an anonymous cover version for the Top of the Pops album range. [40] A separate song, "Land of Make Believe" (PYE/NIXA N15115) was written by Joe Meek & Chris Blackwell, and recorded by Jackie Davies and His Quartet in 1957. [41]
"Making Your Mind Up" is a song by the British pop group Bucks Fizz with music composed by John Danter and lyrics written by Andy Hill. Released in March 1981, it was Bucks Fizz's debut single, the group having been formed just two months earlier. It represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1981, held in Dublin, winning the contest.
Rita Maria Stroud, known professionally as Cheryl Baker, is an English singer and television presenter. She was a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, which won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and, following legal disputes, now performs under the name the Fizz. Bucks Fizz had 20 singles reach the UK top 60 between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982).
Bucks Fizz are an English pop group that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston. They received attention for the dance routine which accompanied the song, in which the male members of the group ripped the female members' outer skirts off to reveal much shorter mini-skirts beneath. The group went on to have a successful career around the world, but the UK remained their biggest market, where they had three No.1 singles with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s. They also had UK Top 10 hits with "Now Those Days Are Gone" (1982), "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982), "When We Were Young" (1983) and "New Beginning " (1986). Bucks Fizz have sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Michael Mary Nolan is an Irish singer who is best known as one of the four original members of the British pop group, Bucks Fizz, who now perform as The Fizz. He was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, but brought up in the UK, where he still resides. As a member of Bucks Fizz, he won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and achieved 20 UK top 60 singles between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits. He was a member of the group until 1996. Since 2004, he has been a member of the group The Fizz, along with other former Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker, Shelley Preston and Jay Aston.
Bobby G, also known as Bobby Gee, is a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, best known for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and for achieving three UK number one hits with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982).
Bucks Fizz is the eponymous debut studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released in July 1981, it features their Eurovision-winning song "Making Your Mind Up" as well as the two follow-up singles "Piece of the Action" and "One of Those Nights". The album was produced by Andy Hill and released on RCA Records. Bucks Fizz has been re-released twice on CD, first in 2004 with bonus tracks and as a two-disc edition in 2015.
Are You Ready is the second studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 April 1982 and features the UK No. 1 singles "The Land of Make Believe" and "My Camera Never Lies" as well as the follow-up "Now Those Days Are Gone". It was produced by Andy Hill and released by RCA Records. It was the group's most successful album. It went on to be re-released on compact disc three times between 2000 and 2015.
"My Camera Never Lies" is a 1982 single by pop group Bucks Fizz. It became the group's second consecutive UK number-one in April 1982. The song was written by Andy Hill and Nichola Martin, and was featured on Bucks Fizz's second album Are You Ready.
"Heart of Stone" is a song written by Andy Hill and Pete Sinfield for the band Bucks Fizz in 1988, and recorded by the band at Abbey Road Studios in London. The following year it was recorded by Cher as the title track of her album of the same name.
Andrew Gerard Hill is an English record producer and songwriter who worked with Bucks Fizz and Celine Dion during the 1980s and 1990s.
"When We Were Young" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. The track features lead vocals by band member Jay Aston. The song became their sixth top-ten-hit in the UK and it is one of their biggest hits in Europe.
The Very Best of Bucks Fizz is a compilation album of the hits of pop group Bucks Fizz. The album was released in 2007 and was coupled with a DVD of the group's Promotional Videos. This was the first time the group's videos had been available on DVD. The album reached No.40 in the UK Charts - the first time Bucks Fizz had appeared on the album charts since 1986. Allmusic gave the album a favourable three and a half stars out of five, but commented on the fact that Bucks Fizz were always more successful as a singles band. A review in the Nottingham Post bemoaned the fact that while Bucks Fizz are usually remembered for their Eurovision winner, their later songs were much better, naming "My Camera Never Lies", "I Hear Talk" and "New Beginning" as particularly strong.
Live at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon is a live album released in 1991 by pop group Bucks Fizz. It was their first and only release with Jet Records.
The Story So Far is a compilation album by British pop group Bucks Fizz, released in 1988. The album collects together 18 of the group's biggest hit singles spanning the years 1981 to 1988, including their three number ones.
"New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (often referred to as simply "New Beginning") is a song by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released as a single in 1986 (their first release on Polydor Records) and was a comeback hit, achieving their highest chart placing for four years.
"Rules of the Game" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was the band's 11th single and released to coincide with their Greatest Hits album. The song featured member Cheryl Baker on lead for the first time as a single and was a frantic production-heavy pop song. It was written by Warren Bacall and produced by Brian Tench and Andy Hill. It fared poorly in the UK Charts, becoming their first single to miss the top 40.
"I Hear Talk" is a 1984 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz, written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield, the team responsible for the group's biggest hit in the UK, "The Land of Make Believe". It was also produced by Hill. Released as a single in December 1984, it is the title track from the group's fourth studio album. In 2010, the song was chosen as the first single by the Original Bucks Fizz in a live jazz-style reworking.
"Now Those Days Are Gone" is a single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It became a UK top ten hit in July 1982 and featured on the group's album Are You Ready. The song was nominated for an Ivor Novello award the following year.
The F–Z of Pop is a studio album by British pop group The Fizz, released in 2017. It is the second album by the group and the first by the four-member line up of Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston, Mike Nolan and Bobby McVay. Released in September, the album entered the UK albums chart at No.25, the highest chart position achieved by a Bucks Fizz line-up since the "New Beginning " single in 1986, 31 years earlier.
Christmas with the Fizz is a 2018 album by British pop group The Fizz. It is a festive-themed album, the group's first and was released in November 2018. The album features the line-up of Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, fourth member Bobby McVay having parted with the band earlier in the year. Christmas with the Fizz was produced by experienced hit producer Mike Stock.