Past Life: Last year’s best sellers
From Shetland Life, January 1984, No. 39
by Ian J. D. Anderson
At the end of the year we can look back on what the Shetland public found entertaining in 1983. Videos were very much in line with UK taste and records, apart from Foster and Allen, were also not unlike national trends. However there is a peculiar side to record buying which we haven’t covered before and that’s locally produced cassettes. To make up for this there’s the top ten locally produced or performed releases. As from next month this will be added to the monthly charts.
In books it is the local titles that dominate with Gordon Donaldson making number one on the strength of some 600 copies sold in a few weeks in December.
TOP VIDEO HIRE 1983:
1 Rocky III
2 The Evil Dead
3 First Blood
4 Poltergeist
5 Arthur
6 Airplane
7 Kramer vs Kramer
8 Rocky I
9 Firefox
10 Local Hero
Chart copyright © 1983 Searock Productions
TOP HARDBACK BOOKS 1983:
1 Isles of Home, Gordon Donaldson
2 Foula, Island West of the Sun, Sheila Gear
3 Guinness Book of Records 1983
4 Traditional Fair Isle Knitting, Sheila McGregor
5 Hay & Company, J. R. Nicolson
6 Saga of a Ship, Adam Robson
7 Soor Hearts, Robert Alan Jamieson
8 1000 Recipes Cook Book
9 Knitting from the British Islands, Alice Starmore and Anne Matheson
10 The Art of Shetland Lace, Sara Don
Chart copyright © 1983 Searock Productions
TOP PAPERBACK BOOKS 1983:
1 Shetland Pattern Book, Maggie Twatt and Mary Smith
2 Shetland Cook Book, Jenni Simmons
3 Fair Isle a photographic record, George Waterson and Jean Jones
4 Ringin’ Strings, Tom Anderson
5 Varangian, Gordon B. Smith
6 Once in a Lifetime, Danielle Steele
7 Pacific Vortex, Clive Cussler
8 Lace, Shirley Conran
9 Living the Fishing, Paul Thompson with Tony Wailey and Trevor Lummis
10 Angels Weep, Wilbour Smith
Chart copyright © 1983 Searock Productions
TOP LPs of 1983:
1 Thriller, Michael Jackson
2 Maggie, Foster and Allen
3 Labour of Love, UB40
4 Colour by Numbers, Culture Club
5 Crisis, Mike Oldfield
6 The Crossing, Big Country
7 Mirage, Fleetwood Mac
8 Business as Usual, Men at Work
9 Willie Hunter 82, Willie Hunter
10 Let’s Dance, David Bowie
Chart copyright © 1983 Searock Productions
TOP SINGLES OF 1983:
1 Karma Chameleon, Culture Club
2 Every Breath You Take, Police
3 Red Red Wine, UB40
4 Let’s Dance, David Bowie
5 Down Under, Men at Work
6 Blue Monday, New Order
7 Sweet Dreams (are made of this), Eurythemics
8 Uptown Girl, Billy Joel
9 Give it Up, K.C. & Sunshine Band
10 I’m Still Standing, Elton John
Chart copyright © 1983 Searock Productions
TOP LOCAL ARTIST LPs AND CASSETTES FOR 1983:
1 Wandering On, The Wishart Family
2 Me and My Shadows, Steven Spence
3 Hame Aboot, Eddie Barclay
4 Memories of Yesterday, Thomas Fraser
5 Back Home Again,Yorkie
6 Hamefarers Vol. 2 (tribute to Ronnie Cooper), Hamefarers
7 Words and Memories,Irvine Sisters
8 Willie Hunter 82, Willie Hunter
9 Faith’s Joyful Sound, Pat Jamieson
10 Reflections 83, Various
Chart copyright © 1983 Searock Productions
