Cheryl Baker looks back at Bucks Fizz’s iconic ‘Top of the Pops’ performance of The Land of Make Believe as a highlight of the group’s career.
The track was released as the lead single from the group’s second album ‘Are You Ready’ in 1981 and saw in the New Year atop the UK charts.
For the following year’s Christmas Special, they were invited to perform on the hit chart show, with Cheryl, Mike Nolan, Bobby G and Jay Aston each wearing a suitably fantastical outfit.
Looking back on the performance in the June 2022 issue of Retro Pop, Cheryl says: “I absolutely adore The Land of Make Believe! It just takes me back to the Christmas of 1981 and it being a massive hit.
“It was only No. 2 at Christmas and went to No. 1 in the New Year of ‘82. But then, the following Christmas Day, we were on Christmas ‘Top of the Pops’. And we did these crazy outfits.
“I was a fairy and they put a harness on my back, so I was doing the routine and on ‘run for the sun’, they flew me. It was great!”
She adds: “It was so special being on Christmas ‘Top of the Pops’. It was second to winning the Eurovision Song Contest, because it was the biggest ‘Top of the Pops’ show, wasn’t it?”
The album remains a favourite of the group’s and, when it comes to the band’s legacy, Jay credits producer Andy Hill for nurturing and progressing their sound between albums.
“I think where the production company was smart is that, if you’ve had a platform, you don’t want to go and do the same thing. You need to show yourself as an artist,” she says.
“Andy Hill had a lot of other songs that he worked on. If you’re a songwriter, you’ll have done 20 songs and, you know, three or four of them are better. So they kind of cherry picked the songs.”
Read the full retrospective in the June 2022 edition of Retro Pop, out now. Order yours or subscribe via our Online Store or use our Store Finder to locate your nearest stockist.
