| "The Land of Make Believe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Bucks Fizz | ||||
| from the album Are You Ready? | ||||
| B-side | "Now You're Gone" | |||
| Released | 13 November 1981 | |||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | |||
| Recorded | United Kingdom | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3.50 | |||
| Label | RCA Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Andy Hill & Pete Sinfield | |||
| Producer | Andy Hill | |||
| Certification | Gold | |||
| Bucks Fizz singles chronology | ||||
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"The Land of Make Believe" is a 1981 single by British band Bucks Fizz. It reached No.1 in the UK in early 1982 - the second single by the band to do so. The song was produced by Andy Hill with music by Hill and lyrics by ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Despite the apparent sugar-coated style of the song, Sinfield later claimed it was a subtle attack on Margaret Thatcher and her government's policy at the time.[1] The song was later covered by allSTARS* for a 2002 single release.
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"The Land of Make Believe" was the second of three UK #1 singles for the British Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz, staying at the top for two weeks in January 1982. It remained on the charts for 16 weeks.[2]
The song has a rocky edge, mixed with a spooky beginning, which entices the listener. 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 an executive of RCA Records and a member of the Minipops. 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!"
At the time, radio stations were instructed to fade the song before the narration.[3]
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 member Cheryl Baker in bed waking up, and in a parody of The Wizard of Oz the picture changes to colour, and Baker'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 many fir trees, in a copy of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", before joining the rest of the band on stage.[4] The remainder of the video consists of the group performing the song, intercut with brief fantastical scenes. The costumes the group wore in the video were subsequently used in television appearances for the song and many photo-shoots. Member Jay Aston 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.[5]. British disc jockey Mark Goodier who became famous in the late 1980's features as an extra in the video.
The single was released in November 1981 and became a top 10 hit in December, being popular over Christmas and being placed at No.5 for the Christmas chart.[6] The following week it was placed at No.2, behind The Human League's "Don't You Want Me", before finally taking over at No.1 in January.[7] Critical reaction to the song was favourable with Record Mirror stating: “Prejudices and preconceptions aside, it's an excellent record and a worthy successor to “Don't You Want Me” at the top.” [8]
The song was later included on the group's second album, Are You Ready and was later released in a remixed form in 1991 as a bootleg single. A similar version of this was included on a compilation album released in 2005, while a more recent remix of the song was featured on the group's 2008 album, The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut. The B-Side of the single was a balled, "Now You're Gone" featuring lead vocals by Cheryl Baker. The song features the chorus line; "It doesn't feel like Christmas now you're gone" and remains the only festive-themed song recorded by the group. An alternate ending to the song was featured as a hidden track on The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut.
"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" and more recently Q Magazine labelling the song "not half bad" and "an 80s classic".[9][10][11][12] Members Bobby G and Cheryl Baker have both named it as the best of their own songs. The song became the biggest selling single by the group in the UK, outselling their Eurovision winner "Making Your Mind Up", to finish as the 41st biggest seller of the 1980s in the UK.[13] It also reached No.1 in The Netherlands and Ireland, while in Germany it also became their biggest selling single.[14] The song became the group's debut single release in the US, but was unsuccessful there.[15]
7" single
12" single (released in Germany only)
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK | 1 |
| The Netherlands [16] | 1 |
| Ireland [17] | 1 |
| France [18] | 3 |
| Germany [19] | 3 |
| Austria [20] | 7 |
| Australia [21] | 15 |
| New Zealand [22] | 44 |
| "The Land of Make Believe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by AllSTARS* | ||||
| from the album AllSTARS* | ||||
| B-side | "Rock This House" | |||
| Released | January 2002 | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Recorded | United Kingdom | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Ray "Madman" Hedges | |||
| AllSTARS* singles chronology | ||||
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"The Land of Make Believe" was the third single by the British band allSTARS*. The single was slightly faster than the original version and had a more euro-pop sound. The music video was set in a circus tent, with each individual member of the band performing tricks e.g. being cut in half, levitating or juggling.
The single performed to moderate success, achieving allSTARS*' highest UK chart position, #9.[23]
"The Land of Make Believe" has also been recorded by Celine Dion (translated into French: "A Quatre pas D'ici") in 1983 (Hill and Sinfield would later pen her smash-hit "Think Twice") and by German singer Elke Best (as "Land der Phantasie") in 1982. Brazilian girl-group Harmony Cats recorded a Portuguese version in 1984 (as "Terra do Faz de Conta"). Bucks Fizz themselves recorded the song in Spanish as "El Mundo de Ilusion" in 1982. The song (in English) was also recorded by children's group Minipops in 1982 and an anonymous cover version for the Top of the Pops album range.
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