The original line-up:

Cheryl Baker (born Rita Crudgington on March 8th, 1954)

Jay Aston (born on May 4th, 1961, member 1981-1985 and from 2009-),

Bobby G. (born Robert Gubby on August 23, 1953)

Mike Nolan (born on December 7th, 1954)

Shelley Preston (member from 1985 - 2009) (born June 14th, 1964)

go.to//

1981   1982

Before Bucks Fizz

Cheryl Baker in CoCo  - Bad Old Days

The future Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker started as a singer many years before Bucks Fizz ESC debut in 1981. She was both talented and experienced studio singer and she worked a lot with other artists. The first little breakthrough came in 1978 when Cheryl participated for the first time in the Eurovision Song Contest with the group Co-Co. They performed the song "The Bad Old Days" which ended as number 11 but surprisingly the Co-Co were noticed by Eurovision fans in Great Britain and West Germany. The single "Bad Old Days" entered the British chart on April 22, 1978 where it stayed for 7 weeks reaching #13. "Bad Old Days" was released in many countries all over the world and it was followed by an album with the same title.

Bad Old Days - the album

The album entitled "Bad Old Days" was released worldwide during the year 1978. It contained 12 songs sung by all the members of the group. Cheryl sung lead vocals as well as she played percussion on the track "Money Song".

Mike Nolan in Brooks

Mike Nolan was one of the singers in the pop group Brooks which was formed in 1976.  The group is noteworthy since two of its members went on to have successful musical careers, independently of each other: Mike Nolan and Chris Hamill, a.k.a. Limahl, of Kajagoogoo. The group was put together in 1976 by manager Freya Miller and husband Peter Pereira. Miller had previously worked with The New Seekers, and Pereira had been a member of Co-Co (see above). They recruited singers Nolan, Hamill, and Ricky Gallahad through ads in The Melody Maker and The Stage, to complete the line-up.

The first single, released in 1979, was "The Sound of Your Love", with Pereira singing the lead. Mike's voice was featured in the second single, "Cry (Till My Eyes Run Dry)". Roger Greenaway took over as producer for the group in late 1979. Brooks' next single was "What a Great Night For Making Love", a Greenaway/Barry Mason composition. The BBC expressed reservations over the title and lyrics, so the single was re-recorded as "What a Great Night for Falling in Love". Once again, Mike sang the lead.

1981

THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 1981

MAKING YOUR MIND UP - THE FIRST SINGLE

PIECE OF THE ACTION

ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS

THE FIRST ALBUM

IN THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE

Eurovision Song Contest 81

Bucks Fizz was created especially for the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1981 by husband/wife music producers and composers Nicola Martin & Andy Hill. The group won the Eurovision Song Contest on April 4, 1981. After the victory in Dublin the group continued working together and it became the most successful pop acts in Europe in the 1980s.

Early photo session

One of the first photo session taken in March 1981.

Dublin April 4, 1981

The group performed "Making Your Mind Up" and from the very beginning of the show they were tipped as the Top 5 artists in the Eurovision Song Contest 81.

Making Your Mind Up - the ESC performance

The victory

Back in the UK

The photographers waited for the group on the airport in London when Bucks Fizz came back from Dublin.

Photo sessions in the Eurovision outfits (various spots).

The "champagne" session

Making Your Mind Up - the single

The first single contained the Eurovision winner "Making Your Mind Up" and a non-album track "Don't Stop" on the side B. The single entered the British chart on 28 March 1981 where it stayed for 12 weeks reaching #1 on 18 April (for 3 weeks).

The UK chart history: Mar 28 #24, Apr 4 #5, Apr 11 #2, Apr 18 #1, Apr 25 #1, May 2 #1, May 9 #4, May 16 #6, May 23 #16, May 30 #26, Jun 6 #37.

In Switzerland the single entered the chart on 19 April 1981 and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks peaking at #3 on 3 May (for 3 weeks). In Austria "Making Your Mind Up" was even more successful with 14 weeks on the single chart and #1 as the highest position. In West Germany the single entered the chart on 5 April 1981 and stayed there for 10 weeks peaking at #5.

The first release of the single featured a note on the cover that the song was the UK contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest 1981. On the second release of the single the note informed that the song was the winner of the ESC 1981.

In Sweden "Making Your Mind Up" reached #2 (6 weeks on the chart) and in Norway #2 (8 weeks on the chart). In the Netherlands the single reached #1 and stayed on the chart for 11 weeks. In Belgium the single was on the chart for 11 weeks.

"Making Your Mind Up" was even released in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal with different covers.

In New Zealand the single stayed on the chart for 18 weeks peaking at #3. The single saw its release even in South America. The Brasilian release featured a very nice cover.

"Making Your Mind Up" was even released as a single in the former republic of Yugoslavia. The cover was different to the other European releases.

More photo sessions

Top of the Pops

The group was invited to the most prestigious British TV pop show - "Top of the Pops" where they performed "Making Your Mind Up" with high energy and lots of dance.

Making Your Mind Up - more photo sessions

The yellow-Jay session

Alternative photo session

Alternative photo session

Promotion

The group worked hard with the promotion of "Making Your Mind Up" in whole Europe. They appeared in several TV shows in Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, West Germany and other countries.

Bucks Fizz performed in "The Val Doonican Show" on BBC.

In Belgium they appeared in the show "Chansons à la carte" where they performed "Making Your Mind Up" and were awarded with gold records for the single sales.

Promotion Holland

Bucks Fizz paid a short promotional visit in Holland at the end of April.

Alternative photo sessions in Holland

Top Pop

The group performed "Making Your Mind Up" in the TV show "Top pop".

Piece of the Action - the second single

"Piece of the Action" b/w "Took it to the Limit" was chosen for the group's second single released at the end of May 1981. It entered the British hit chart on June 6th, 1981. "Piece of the Action" became quite big hit in Great Britain with 9 weeks' chart life and #12 as the peak position. The single was promoted by a brand new video and several TV appearances.

The UK chart history (Top 40): Jun 13 #25, Jun 20 #17, Jun 27 #12, Jul 4 #13, Jul 11 #15, Jul 18 #16, Jul 25 #34.

The single "Piece of the Action" was released with partly different cover in West Germany. It was hit in The Netherlands where it stayed on the chart for 6 weeks peaking at #26 and in New Zealand where it stayed on the chart for 2 weeks peaking at #31.

Spanish promo edition

Chart hits 81

"Piece of the Action" was released on a compilation album "Chart Hits 81 Vol. 1" at the end of the year together with among others: ABBA, Kim Wilde, Human League.

The photo session

The Piece of the Action promotion

Video

On TV the group performed "Piece of the Action" in Razzmatazz and Top of the Pops.

More TV appearances

West Germany

The group promoted "Piece of the Action" on TV in West Germany.

Golden record

In May 1981 the single "Making Your Mind Up" sold 500.000 in Great Britain and the group received their first Golden Record which they proudly presented in London.

The happy colours session

Bucks Fizz - the album

The debut album was released at the beginning of August 1981 and it featured 10 songs. Bobby sang most of the lead vocals on the album. Jay sang the beautiful ballad "Getting Kinda Lonely" and Mike & Cheryl performed "It's Got To Be Love" together. The album brought three single hits: "Making Your Mind Up", "Piece of the Action" and "One of Those Nights". It entered the British LP chart on August 8th, 1981 and it stayed there for 28 weeks peaking at number 14.

In Sweden the album stayed on the chart for 4 weeks peaking at #29 and in New Zealand stayed on the album chart for 9 weeks reaching #20.

The debut album was released even in West Germany. Two alternative cassette releases were available.

The Japanese release of the first Bucks Fizz album was slightly different to the European as it did not have a gatefold sleeve. It contained a sheet with lyrics to all the songs.

The first Bucks Fizz album was released in Korea and even this release (just like the Japanese one) featured a plain cover and a sheet with lyrics. The track listing was slightly changed on the Korean release and "Making Your Mind Up" was opening track on the side A whilst "Piece of the Action" was the first track on the side B.

Promotion

The lyrics

The photo sessions

The group posed for a special photo session promoting their debut album

Mike in private

Mike Nolan was from the very beginning the most favorite member of Bucks Fizz. Lots of private pictures of Mike were published in music magazines around Europe in the summer 1981.

One of Those Nights - the third single

The third single release in 1981 featured "One of Those Nights" b/w "Always Thinking of You" - the latter a non-album track with Cheryl's lead vocal. "One of Those Nights" was a change of pace for the group, after two upbeat singles, this one was more slow-paced and dramatic. Its lead vocal was performed by Bobby G. Unlike their other releases, the group didn't record a promotional video for this single.

The single entered the British chart on August 15th, 1981 and stayed there for 10 weeks reaching #20.

The single didn't enter Top 40 on the German chart but it was much more successful in Austria where it reached #6

Even in The Netherlands "One of Those Nights" was minor hit but on the contrary in France the single peaked at #2 and in Ireland at #29.

Promotion

The group performed "One of Those Nights" in several TV shows as Top of the Pops, Jim'll Fix It and Summer Special.

Photo session

Tiswas

Bucks Fizz appeared in the TV show "Tiswas" where they answered questions and participated in a very special project - see below. 

Shakin' your pies up...

A "new version" of their Eurovision hit was re-recorded with partly different lyrics. It was entitled "Shakin' your pies up" and in one of the TV shows the group performed the song throwing pies on each other.

In Norway

Bucks Fizz gained a lot of popularity in Norway. Just before their visit in the Norwegian show "Momarkedet" in late summer 1981 the newspaper "Norsk Ukeblad" sent the group's fan Anne Lise to London for an interview and a photo session. In the interview Mike said that all group members were huge fans of ABBA and they hoped to meet their idols on Momarkedet. Cheryl's favorite song was "Chiquitita".

Momarkedet - Norway

Bucks Fizz paid a visit in Norway at the end of August 1981 where they participated in the TV show "Momarkedet". Mike Nolan gave interview for Norwegian weekly "Norsk ukeblad" where he said that he hoped to meet ABBA there. (Thanks to Norway)

The Spanish single

The international promotion of the group started in Spain where Bucks Fizz released their first single in Spanish language. The single featured two songs from the first album: It's Got to Be Love (Yo se que es amor) b/w Shine On (Brillar). Both compositions would be releasede on the Spanish language LP in 1982. The cover featured a photo taken during recording of the video to "Piece of the Action".

"Yo se que es amor" saw its release in South America - the Mexican issue featured different sleeve.

Australia

Bucks Fizz were already very successful in Europe. Many European groups suffered poor sales in Australia, due to insignificant air-play. When taking into consideration their huge success in Europe, Bucks Fizz played a Big presence on the Australian top 20 Charts. They had moderate success on the Australian Music Report top 100, with their biggest hit "Making your mind up". (#6 in June 1981).

Their debut album "Bucks Fizz" was promoted in Australia by a free single containing a mix of 4 songs from the album.

The group paid a visit in Australia at the end of 1981 promoting the album on TV (very hard to find stuff on video).

Piece of the Action in Australia

A four-week radio promotion of the single "Piece of the Action" involving several companies was started by the time when the group was in Australia. The prizes worth thousands of dollars were to be won as well as Bucks Fizz' first LP. A promo single was sent out to all radio stations in the country.

On November 15th, 1981 the group performed "Piece of the Action" in the show "Countdown" on Australian TV.

Japan

In November 1981 Bucks Fizz participated in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo where they won The Best Song Award for "Another Night".

In private

The compilation album containted the live version of "Another Night" performed by Bucks Fizz in Tokyo.

Another Night - the single

The single "Another Night"/"Took it to the Limit" was released in Japan at the same time. The single promoted the upcoming release of the group's first album in Japan.

The Land of Make Believe - the single

The single "The Land Of Make Believe" was released on November 28th, 1981. This catchy and a bit unusual pop piece would become the most important and the biggest Bucks Fizz hit. It topped the British chart on January 16th, 1982 where it stayed for 2 weeks. Totally "The Land of Make Believe" spent 16 weeks on the British single chart. As the single was thought as a Christmas hit the B-side featured a song in a Christmas mood performed by Cheryl "Now You're Gone".

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, and read:
"I've got a friend who comes to tea,
And no-one else can see but me,
He came today, but had to go
To visit you? You never know!"

"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". Members Bobby G and Cheryl Baker have both named it as the best of their own songs. 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. It also reached No.1 in The Netherlands and Ireland, while in Germany it also became their biggest selling single. The song became the group's debut single release in the US, but was unsuccessful there.

"The Land of Make Believe" was recorded and released by the British group allSTARS in January 2002.

Country Peak position
UK                    1
Ireland              1
France               3
Germany           3
Austria              7
Australia          15
New Zealand    44

Even a special Christmas edition of the single was released in a new package featuring all four members in winter clothes and wishing a happy Christmas.

In West Germany the single stayed on the chart for 11 weeks peaking at #3.

The German maxi single contained the LP edit of the song and two tracks on the side 2: "Midnight Reservation" and "Now You're Gone", the latter available only on the single.

In Holland "The Land of Make Believe" reached #2 on the single chart where it stayed for 10 weeks.

The single was released in Spain with slightly different cover.

Lyrics

The photo sessions

The photo for the single cover was taken during recording of the video. Some alternative shots has been released during the years.

The Christmas photo session

The Video

The music video was filmed at White City, London swimming baths and is a parody of many childhood stories. It begins in a black and white bedroom, with Cheryl waking up, and in reference to the film The Wizard of Oz the picture changes to colour, and Cheryl'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, in reference to "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", before joining the rest of the band on stage.

The costumes the group wore in the video were subsequently used in television appearances for the song and many photo-shoots. Jay 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. Jay 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"

More outfits and photo sessions

Several different outfits were prepared for the promotion of "The Land of Make Believe" on TV and in the press.

Alternative photo session

Photo session

The wedding outfit session

Jay was wearing a wedding dress whilst Cheryl looked like a peacock in her colourful outfit. It was an intensive period for the group promoting their smash hit "The Land of Make Believe".

on TV...

in Top of the Pops the group danced in front of a design which reminded on the cover of ABBA's 1979 album "Voulez-Vous".

Golden records

The debut album became a big success and was even released world-wide. The group received golden records from RCA for the sales in the UK.

Daily Mirror Award

Bucks Fizz were awarded the Daily Mirror's "Rock and Pop Award" for the most entertaining all around group.

On TV

The enormous success of "The Land Of Make Believe" made that the group appeared in all entertainment TV shows in the UK and other countries in Europe. Bucks Fizz performed their hit in different outfits featuring among others Jay in a wedding dress.

Cheryl and Mike in "Granada Reports"

Swap Shop - TV special

The group appeared on the Swap Shop where they answered fans' questions by phone. The appearance was part of the promotion of the single "The Land Of Make Believe".

The kimono sessions

The group performed in "Mike Yarwood Show" and "Top of the Pops" in the Asia inspired clothes with Japanese signs and Chinese dragoons.

1982

MY CAMERA NEVER LIES

ARE YOU READY - THE SECOND ALBUM

NOW THOSE DAYS ARE GONE - THE SUMMER HIT

BUCKS FIZZ IN USA

BUCKS FIZZ IN SOUTH AMERICA

IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT

Recording sessions

The group continued recording sessions for the forthcoming album. At the beginning of January they started recording of "Breaking and Entering".

British press

Pictures published in the British press in January 1982.

The overall session

Picture taken in January 1982

Promotion in Europe

The group performed "The Land of Make Believe" in German TV show WWN Klubb at the beginning of 1982.

They even paid a short visit in Holland. They received Gold record for the sales of the single "Making Your Mind Up" in the Netherlands.

Nationwide awards

Mike and his girlfriend Susanne Suley from The Human League attended the annual Nationalwide Rock and Pop Awards gala in February 1982.

In the studio

At the end of February and beginning of March the group was in the studio working on two projects at the same time. While the last touches were put on the tracks for the new album which eventually would be entitled "Are You Ready", the group even re-recorded several songs in Spanish precisely like ABBA did two years before and with the same Spanish teacher. Bobby wasn't too keen on the Spanish recording: "I dislike doing it. It's not too hard if you've already done the song in English first so you have some idea of what it's like."

The red and white photo session

This photo session was taken in early summer 1982. In the same outfits the group promoted their latest single "My Camera Never Lies" in several TV shows in Great Britain.

More TV

"My Camera Never Lies" was intensively promoted on TV in the UK featuring the group in different outfits.

Cheggars

Swap shop

Bucks Fizz 1982

More pictures of the group taken at the beginning of 1982 featuring the b/w Terry o'Neil photo session.

Eurovision 1982

Bucks Fizz were special guests in the British outtake to the Eurovision Song Contest in March 1982. The United Kingdom would be represented by the group Bardo which was created and produced by Bucks Fizz manager Nicola Martin.

My Camera Never Lies  - the single

"My Camera Never Lies" was written by Andy Hill and Nichola Martin and produced by Andy Hill. The single entered the British hit chart on March 27th, 1982 where it stayed for 8 weeks peaking at #1 (April 17th). The B-side featured a non-album track "What Am I Gonna Do" with Jay and Bobby in lead-vocals. The single was available in two different cover versions in the UK - a picture cover and a poster cover.

In Germany the single was released both as 7" and 12". The maxi single contained an extended version of the song with length of 4.54. "My Camera Never Lies" peaked on the German chart at #31 and on the Austrian at #11.

The single released in Spain contained the English language version of the song. The title on the cover was though translated to Spanish: "Mi camara nunca miente". The B-side contained "What Am I Gonna Do" just like on the UK edition. The single cover was different featuring the shot from the "Are You Ready" album cover.

The single "My Camera Never Lies" reached #2 in Ireland, #63 in Australia and #22 in The Netherlands.

In France "The Land of Make Believe" was chose for the B-side of the single "My Camera Never Lies".

The "camera" photo sessions

Alternative shot from the "Camera" period - Jay & Cheryl.

The video

The promotional video which accompanied the song depicted Bucks Fizz dressed as characters from a number of famous movies, such as The Wizard of Oz and Cleopatra.

Promotion

Australia

The group performed "My Camera Never Lies" in the Australian TV show "Countdown" - at this time the song was #45 on the Australian single chart.

They performed even "Are You Ready" in the Australian show.

Photo sessions - spring 1982

Jay, 21

On May 4th, 1982 Bobby, Mike and Cheryl celebrated Jay's 21st birthday.

Are You Ready - the album

The second album was entitled "Are You Ready". The album's front cover featured the group members ready for jumping from a plane and the back cover showed the foursome after landing. It was not so difficult to understand the metaphor as the group could now celebrate their real success in the music business after the release of the smash hit "The Land of Make Believe". It is difficult to know if Bucks Fizz management's idea for the cover had anything to do with the famous cover of ABBA's album "Arrival" which was a kind of message: We are here to stay. The album was recorded in the Mayfair Studios in Camden outside London.

"Are You Ready" entered the British LP chart on May 18th, 1982 where it stayed for 23 weeks reaching #10. "Are You Ready" contained 10 songs written by Andy Hill, Nicola Martin, Pete Wilsher, Daizy Parks and Bucks Fizz themselves. Among those songs there were several single hits - two British number ones: "The Land of Make Believe" and "My Camera Never Lies" as well as one Top 10 hit "Now Those Days Are Gone" (which reached #8 in July 82), the only big hit performed by Mike Nolan. This album was much stronger than their debut LP with lots of good melodies and good vocal performances.

The photo sessions for the inner sleeve of the album were taken in the studio in up and down positions. Says Cheryl Baker: " Our second album "Are You Ready" came out in April 1982. We put on all the parachute gear and went up in a plane in preparation for the photo, but nobody would allow us to jump".

Lyrics

West Germany

Bucks Fizz became very popular in West Germany and the German release of the album followed tight after the UK release.

Rare German club edition of the album

Japan

Bucks Fizz became a shooting star in Japan after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. "Making My Mind Up" became #1 on the Japanese single chart in April 1981 and "The Land of Make Believe" in January 1982. Their third top hit in Japan was "My Camera Never Lies" on April 17th, 1982. Their second studio album "Are You Ready" was released in Japan at the same time as in the UK.

South America & Australia

The group enjoyed a great success even in South America. The album "Are You Ready" was released in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and many other South American countries as well as in Australia. Bucks Fizz promoted their new album in Chile at the beginning of 1983.

Czechoslovakia

The album "Are You Ready" was released in Czechoslovakia with slightly different, no-gatefold sleeve.

The photo session

A shot from this 1982 photo session was used for the cover of the Danish single "Easy Love" as well as the cover of the 1983 single "If You Can't Stand The Heat".

Now Those Days Are Gone - the single

Written by Andy Hill and Nichola Martin and produced by Hill, this was the group's only single to feature member Mike Nolan on lead vocals, it was also the last to be co-written by Martin, who founded the group. The song was a stark contrast to the group's singles up to this point, which had all featured very full pop productions, this time, the song was partly an a cappella piece with soft harmonies and a gentle orchestral build towards the end.

"Now Those Days Are Gone" entered the British hit chart on June 19th, 1982 and became summer hit in Great Britain reaching #8 and staying on the chart for 9 weeks. The B-side was a non-album track "Takin' Me Higher" written and produced by the group members. The single earned a silver disc for sales of over 250,000. It performed even better in Ireland, where it reached No.5. The following year, "Now Those Days Are Gone" receieved an Ivor Novello nomination for best song of 1982 - an award Andy Hill would go on to win years later with Celine Dion's "Think Twice".

The photo sessions

Photo sessions for the single sleeve's cover were taken at the group's publicist, Jenny Halsall's manor house in Cambridge.

Easy Love - the single

In Australia and many European countries, the single "Now Those Days Are Gone" went unreleased, with tracks, "Are You Ready" or "Easy Love" being released instead.

"Easy Love" was chosen in Denmark for the third single release from the album "Are You Ready" in June 1982. The single featured a remixed version of "Easy Love" and "Takin' Me Higher" on the side B. One of the rarest Bucks Fizz single releases with an alternate version of "Easy Love" which is still unavailable on CD.

Are You Ready - the single

The single featuring "Are You Ready" b/w "Now those Days Are Gone" was released in West Germany in June 1982.

"Are You Ready" was even A-side on the third single release from the album in The Netherlands. The Dutch cover had different lay-out to the German one.

Germany

The group promoted their single "Are You Ready" in West Germany where they appeared in the TV show "Disco".

Now Those Days Are Gone - the photo sessions and the video

The promotional video for the song saw the group in a World War II setting, with Nolan as a radio singer and members Bobby G, Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston being caught in a love triangle. Much of the video was filmed in Hyde Park, London.

More photo sessions

Jill Furmanovsky took an extended photo session with the group in the late spring 1982. The pictures were published together with an article about the group and the presentation of the members in the summer 1982.

Denmark

The group paid a short visit in Denmark's capital - Copenhagen where they recorded a TV show with their latest hits.

Flexipop

The music magazine "Flexipop"  in its edition in June 1982 released a medley performed live by the group on a special flexi disc. The medley featured: Pinball Wizard, Hot Stuff, DoYou Think I'm Sexy, Knock on Wood, Rockin' All Over the World.

The 1982 Summer Tour

The summer tour started on 17 July in Bristol and ended on 30 August in Cornwall.

Photo sessions - summer 82

The blue session

The Land of Make Believe - SP in USA

After the amazing success with the single "The Land Of Make Believe" in Europe the group made promotion and their first single release in USA. The selection made for the single featured probably the best songs from the album "Are You Ready": "The Land of Make Believe" and the beautiful ballad performed by Mike Nolan "Now Those Days Are Gone" on the side B.

Bucks Fizz - the first LP in USA

The first Bucks Fizz album was released in USA at the end of 1982. The album called simply "Bucks Fizz" contained 10 songs selected from the group's two first British albums featuring all up-to-date single hits .

The US album promotion

Some promotion stuff released by RCA in USA.

The country photo sessions

The country session 2

Bucks Fizz in Spanish

The group re-recorded 10 songs in Spanish versions with lyrics written by well-known Buddy and Mary McCluskey who had contributed with lyrics for ABBA's Spanish album "Gracias por la musica" two years earlier. Following tracks had been re-recorded in Spanish "Another Night", "One Way Love", "The Land of Make Believe", "Breaking and Entering", "Now Those Days Are Gone" (from the album "Are You Ready"), "Getting Kinda Lonely", "Shine On", "It's Got To Be Love", "One of Those Nights" (from the debut album "Bucks Fizz") and "Now You're Gone" (from the B-side of the single "The Land of Make Believe"). At the beginning of 1983 the group travelled to South America where they promoted the album in Chile and some other countries.

The "drink" session - November 1982

Royal Variety Performance

On November 8, 1982 Bucks Fizz participated in the annual "Royal Variety Performance" in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London which was attended by the Queen and the Queen Mother. The group performed two songs: "The Land of Make Believe" and the new single "If You Can't Stand The Heat".

If You Can't Stand The Heat - the single

The first single from the forthcoming third album, "If You Can't Stand the Heat", was released in November 1982. The single entered the British hit chart on 27 November 1982 and it became a big Christmas hit just like "The Land of Make Believe" the year before. The single reached the Top 10 and it stayed on the chart for 11 weeks. The B-side of the single featured a non-album track written by the group members and entitled "Stepping Out". The 7" was released as an usual single, picture disc and a limited version with poster. Even the 12" issue of the single was released and it contained an extended version of "If You Can't Stand The Heat".

In Holland the single stayed on the chart for 3 weeks reaching #41.

"If You Can't Stand The Heat" was released in West Germany and Austria as 7" and 12" with partly different cover to the UK and other European releases featuring yellow background.

Spain

Spanish promotional release

The video

The video had been filmed mostly at the Shaftesbury theatre in London.

TV - the single promotion

The group appeared in several TV shows where they performed their brand new single "If You Can't Stand The Heat" in the autumn 1982.

Bucks Fizz appeared on British TV where they talked about their huge success after the winning of Eurovision Song Contest, their new look and plans for 1983.

The Happy New Year photo sessions

The ýellow session