"Piece of the Action" is the second single by pop group Bucks Fizz, the follow-up to the Eurovision-winning song "Making Your Mind Up". It was released in May 1981 and became a UK top 20 hit.
| "Piece of the Action" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bucks Fizz | ||||
| from the album Bucks Fizz | ||||
| B-side | "Took It to the Limit" | |||
| Released | May 1981 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3.38 | |||
| Label | RCA Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Andy Hill | |||
| Producer(s) | Andy Hill | |||
| Bucks Fizz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Overview
editFollowing the group's success at the Eurovision Song Contest, their record company, who had signed them for an album deal, were keen to release a follow-up single. "Piece of the Action" had already been recorded by the group prior to the contest and was seen as the perfect pop vehicle to move them away from the style of "Making Your Mind Up". Bill Kimber, executive with RCA Records, was keen to see Bucks Fizz continue successfully, as he later recalled;
"One thing that happens with Eurovision groups is that they have one single as a result of the contest and then they quickly throw out another single which isn't good enough and everybody forgets them. With Bucks Fizz we worked very hard to get a song that was strong and had good value radio-wise, commercially and was well-produced."
He and Andy Hill, the producer went through a number of songs, eventually deciding on "Piece of the Action".[1] The recording was completed by 24 April at Mayfair Studios in London and was struck onto master tape along with the B-side "Took It to the Limit" and album track "Getting Kinda Lonely".[1] The single was released on 17 May 1981 and reached number 12 during a nine-week run in the UK charts and was certified silver.[2] As a Eurovision-winning follow-up, this was the highest chart placing ever achieved by an artist in the UK, the contest being notorious for producing one-hit wonders. The single also became a hit around Europe as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
The song's lyrics concern a man who is desperate to gain the attention of a woman to be a part of her exciting life. The promotional video of the song features the group in a variety of outfits and performing the routine in a night club-like setting. Much thought was put into the image for the group at this time, with the group's creator Nichola Martin deciding on khaki, rather than jeans or leather as it was not so obvious and was currently in fashion. They wore this for the night club scenes in the video and also for their soon-to-be-released-album cover.[3][1]
The song was written and produced by Andy Hill and was the opening track on their first album, Bucks Fizz.[4] A demo version of the song was later uncovered and included on the group's 2008 compilation, The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut.
"Piece of the Action" was covered by the Bay City Rollers in 1983 as a Japanese-only single release.[5]
Track listing
edit- "Piece of the Action" (Andy Hill) (3.38)
- "Took it to the Limit" (Andy Hill / Nichola Martin) (3.46)
Chart history
edit| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK | 12 |
| Ireland | 10 |
| The Netherlands [6] | 26 |
| Belgium [7] | 19 |
| Austria | 11 |
| Germany | 35 |
| Australia [8] | 26 |
| New Zealand [9] | 31 |
References
edit- ^ a b c The Bucks Fizz Story, GlassbeachTV documentary
- ^ Official Charts. ""Piece of the Action" Official Charts Company". Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- ^ The Early Years. ""Piece of the Action" video shots". Retrieved 1 August 2009.
- ^ Raffem. "Bucks Fizz Discography". Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- ^ Bay City Rollers. "Discography". Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ Dutch Charts. "Piece of the Action". Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- ^ Belgian Charts. "Piece of the Action". Retrieved 19 December 2013.
- ^ Australian Chart Book, 1970-1992
- ^ Charts.orh. "Piece of the Action NZ Charts". Retrieved 17 September 2011.