Silly Games
"Silly Games" is a song by Dennis Bovell first released in 1979 by Janet Kay. The song was a hit not only in the UK but throughout Europe, and Kay became the first Black British female to have a reggae song at the top of the British charts.[1][2] Her appearance singing it on Top of the Pops made it the first lover's rock tune on BBC television's flagship popular music show.[3] The song appeared again in 1990 as a re-recording, billed as by Lindy Layton featuring Janet Kay, which reached No. 22 in the charts. A remix version of Kay's original recording spent three weeks in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 62.[4][5]
Now considered an anthem of its genre,[6] "Silly Games" has been called "probably the most popular of the lover’s rock songs from the '70s".[7] Bovell has said: "...it was a song constructed with a verse and a chorus and a bridge and a 'tickling piece' at the end and an intro to catch you so you would have to sit up and listen to what was coming next.... To this day, that song is still on the radio constantly. But that song, it was constructed to be a hit."[7]
References
- ↑ "About Janet Kay – Queen of Lover’s Rock", itzCaribbean.
- ↑ Kay Atwal, "Janet Kay talks about Silly Games", Newham Recorder, 12 June 2013.
- ↑ "The Making of a Lovers Rock Anthem: Dennis Bovell on Janet Kay’s 'Silly Games'", Saxon Baird.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 297. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "UK Official charts - Janet Kay". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ↑ "Spotlight on British female singers", Jamaica observer, 22 March 2015.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Dennis Bovell: UK Reggae, Lovers Rock, and the Power of Linton Kwesi Johnson", Hip Deep - Afropop Worldwide.
External links
- "Janet Kay - Silly Games". YouTube