In music, the song 'In A Big Country' by the Scottish rock band Big Country reached No. 17 on the U.K. singles chart in June 1983. In December 1983, 'In A Big Country' also reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Evelyn Erskine of 'The Ottawa Citizen' observed, "Lyrically, it draws on Celtic tradition, using folk tales and elements of mysticism and magic as metaphors to the current urban tradition."
Drummer Mark Brzezicki told Scott Rowley of 'Team Rock' in 2014, "As a drummer, I never really paid attention to the lyrics. I paid attention to the bass lines, I paid attention to the different dynamic, to the way the strumming was happening, everything to do with rhythms – and the voice was a rhythm to me. Only in hindsight I've started looking at lyrics and I'm starting to go, 'Hang on a minute – the writing's there. This guy was saying it all along. Or was he? I don't know."
Big Country was the "dream band" of guitarist and vocalist Stuart Adamson and guitarist Bruce Watson, formed in 1981. By 1984 "the group's a real group now, not just a bunch of ideas between the 4 of us." Bassist Tony Butler was the other band member. Big Country's first album 'The Crossing' was certified Gold in the U.S. and had been nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Song and Best New Artist.
'In A Big Country', Stuart Adamson told the press, "It's sort of a vague idea of a place to explore, of a big country where dreams stay with you." Of the band, "Big Country is no more punk or new wave than it is heavy metal, progressive or pop. It plays stirring, spirited stuff, music to move mountains by . . . I think the reason that we've clicked here (in the U.S.) is because style has never been that important to us.
"We've never tried to tie ourselves up with one fashionable set or movement or anything like that. I just try and write songs about things that I feel are important – things I just see happen to people, about me, or even situations that I feel myself in from time to time. In the area in Scotland that I live, it's quite common for people to have gatherings at home, like after you've been out at a dance or a drink or a social occasion. And everybody sort of gets up and sings a song, and they're like old Scotch-Irish folk songs . . . I think it's just unconsciously coming out in the way that I do write."
Stuart argued, "I think groups that do try and involve themselves (in politics) tend to sloganeer too much. I think it's far more valid to talk about how it affects people than talk about something that I do not know a lot about, which is high-powered politics and business and stuff like that. I can only see the way it ends up affecting people on the street in the area that I live in."
Drummer Mark Brzezicki told Scott Rowley of 'Team Rock' in 2014, "As a drummer, I never really paid attention to the lyrics. I paid attention to the bass lines, I paid attention to the different dynamic, to the way the strumming was happening, everything to do with rhythms – and the voice was a rhythm to me. Only in hindsight I've started looking at lyrics and I'm starting to go, 'Hang on a minute – the writing's there. This guy was saying it all along. Or was he? I don't know."
Big Country was the "dream band" of guitarist and vocalist Stuart Adamson and guitarist Bruce Watson, formed in 1981. By 1984 "the group's a real group now, not just a bunch of ideas between the 4 of us." Bassist Tony Butler was the other band member. Big Country's first album 'The Crossing' was certified Gold in the U.S. and had been nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Song and Best New Artist.
'In A Big Country', Stuart Adamson told the press, "It's sort of a vague idea of a place to explore, of a big country where dreams stay with you." Of the band, "Big Country is no more punk or new wave than it is heavy metal, progressive or pop. It plays stirring, spirited stuff, music to move mountains by . . . I think the reason that we've clicked here (in the U.S.) is because style has never been that important to us.
"We've never tried to tie ourselves up with one fashionable set or movement or anything like that. I just try and write songs about things that I feel are important – things I just see happen to people, about me, or even situations that I feel myself in from time to time. In the area in Scotland that I live, it's quite common for people to have gatherings at home, like after you've been out at a dance or a drink or a social occasion. And everybody sort of gets up and sings a song, and they're like old Scotch-Irish folk songs . . . I think it's just unconsciously coming out in the way that I do write."
Stuart argued, "I think groups that do try and involve themselves (in politics) tend to sloganeer too much. I think it's far more valid to talk about how it affects people than talk about something that I do not know a lot about, which is high-powered politics and business and stuff like that. I can only see the way it ends up affecting people on the street in the area that I live in."
On television in 1983, the summer series, 'Buffalo Bill' made its TV debut in June. NBC had ordered for 13 episodes. Dabney Coleman played a talk-show host from Buffalo, New York. "I can't think of anything nice about him," Dabney recalled. "I think you have to end up comparing him to Archie Bunker, and I can't think of any redeeming values he had. What made him likeable is that he made you laugh. It's not that you like him, you like watching him."
Producer Tom Patchett revealed, "We delivered the first show under-sweetened, but the network was concerned that it lacked presence. NBC re-sweetened it and jacked it up quite a bit and continued to do that for the first 13 episodes. It did seem unnatural and forced." Jay Tarses added, "We fought for 2 years against the laugh track. But it's a battle that can't be won. We tried to minimize it as much as possible, but NBC wants it."
Tom elaborated, "Artistically, I didn't want a laugh track. In movie theaters, there's no signal when to laugh or cry. But NBC said audiences needed a reminder that this is a comedy. Bill (Dabney Coleman's character) is such a great liar that you could be fooled and take him very seriously. You might just think he's despicable. The show tested very poorly without the laugh track, and only poorly with it."
Dabney begged to differ, "What justifies him (Bill) in the mind of the people he works with is that there is an excitement. I can tell you first-hand that I know people who are fairly disreputable but who have a flair and color about them that when you are around them you feel a little more alive." On reflection, Jay reasoned, "We're dealing with life's issues on our show. These things happen in life . . . I think there's a lot of humor in sadness."
Dabney maintained, "I think the best comedy comes from reality. But people don't trust that. Instead, they write a series of one liners. It seemed like whenever we got into trouble on 'Apple Pie' (1978) or 'Mary Hartman' (1976) it was because we got too far from reality. In 'Buffalo Bill', we don't go for a laugh a minute. It's more like a movie. We don't have stage waits for the laughs. It's satirical, but it also has a poignancy."
After showing the first 12 episodes, NBC commissioned a further 13 episodes to be shown as a mid-season replacement. Although 'Buffalo Bill' was sandwiched between 'Cheers' and 'Hill Street Blues', 'Buffalo Bill' finished the 1983-84 season attracting only 13% of the 83.3 million households in the U.S. with TV sets. It averaged only a 20 share, roughly 17 million viewers were counted watching 'Buffalo Bill' each week. At the time Dabney made the point, "Controversy by definition means a lot of people are going to say, 'we don't like it'. The fact is, the ratings aren’t that bad for what this show is."
In sport, Martina Navratilova defeated Kathy Jordan 6-2 7-6 to win the 1983 Australian Open Tennis Championship women's singles. The first prize was $75,000. Martina finished 1983 winning 86 out of the 87 matches she had played. Martina had said, "If I win this match (the final) I only lose one match (in the 4th round at the French Open) for the whole year. That was in the back of my mind, and I just didn't want to blow it."
Defending champion Chris Evert skipped the 1983 Australian Open with an injury. Six months earlier at Wimbledon, Chris missed out on winning the Grand Slam of tennis when Kathy Jordan defeated Chris in the 3rd round. Billie Jean King was surprised, "Nobody really believed she (Chris) would lose. She always has managed to get herself out of trouble."
Chris conceded, "I had her 4-0 and then 5-3. I had my chances. It is uncharacteristic of me to let the other player back when I am in such a position. I can't remember when that's happened. At 5-3 she (Kathy) broke my serve and she was really eager, jumping up and down. Her body language showed that she was still going to continue to play well. Obviously, I was below par in the concentration department, but that had nothing to do with the pressure on me (to win the Grand Slam)."
To her credit, Kathy Jordan "mixed her serve between slice and power, which threw off Chris' strength – her return." After she won, Kathy remembered, "I didn't know what to do. I had a lot of respect for Chris, and I didn't want to start jumping up and down. Obviously, I'm very happy I won. Chris is a great champion, and I don’t think it matters if she wins a Grand Slam or not. To win 3 of 4 is unbelievable."
Kathy also acknowledged, "I was surprised that I won the first set so easily (6-1), but I was not surprised I was down 4-0 in the 2nd set." Chris remarked, "The game is very mental when it gets close, although, most of my matches are 2-setters. But, it is still very physical." Before winning the 1982 title to complete her career Grand Slam, Wendy Turnbull expressed, "Chris can beat Martina on (Australian) grass. It's tougher at Wimbledon (grass) because Chris knows she's lost so many Wimbledon finals (reached 10 singles finals, winning 3). There is not the same pressure at the Australian, and Chris has done well at the Australian (played 6 times, reached 6 finals, winning 2)."
In 2015, Serena Williams won her second non-calendar Grand Slam of tennis at Wimbledon. She told the press afterward, "I honestly wouldn't have thought last year (2014) after winning the U.S. Open I would win the 'Serena Slam' at all. It's super exciting." After winning her 6th Wimbledon singles title, Serena told fans, "I can't believe I am standing here with another 'Serena Slam.'"
Producer Tom Patchett revealed, "We delivered the first show under-sweetened, but the network was concerned that it lacked presence. NBC re-sweetened it and jacked it up quite a bit and continued to do that for the first 13 episodes. It did seem unnatural and forced." Jay Tarses added, "We fought for 2 years against the laugh track. But it's a battle that can't be won. We tried to minimize it as much as possible, but NBC wants it."
Tom elaborated, "Artistically, I didn't want a laugh track. In movie theaters, there's no signal when to laugh or cry. But NBC said audiences needed a reminder that this is a comedy. Bill (Dabney Coleman's character) is such a great liar that you could be fooled and take him very seriously. You might just think he's despicable. The show tested very poorly without the laugh track, and only poorly with it."
Dabney begged to differ, "What justifies him (Bill) in the mind of the people he works with is that there is an excitement. I can tell you first-hand that I know people who are fairly disreputable but who have a flair and color about them that when you are around them you feel a little more alive." On reflection, Jay reasoned, "We're dealing with life's issues on our show. These things happen in life . . . I think there's a lot of humor in sadness."
Dabney maintained, "I think the best comedy comes from reality. But people don't trust that. Instead, they write a series of one liners. It seemed like whenever we got into trouble on 'Apple Pie' (1978) or 'Mary Hartman' (1976) it was because we got too far from reality. In 'Buffalo Bill', we don't go for a laugh a minute. It's more like a movie. We don't have stage waits for the laughs. It's satirical, but it also has a poignancy."
After showing the first 12 episodes, NBC commissioned a further 13 episodes to be shown as a mid-season replacement. Although 'Buffalo Bill' was sandwiched between 'Cheers' and 'Hill Street Blues', 'Buffalo Bill' finished the 1983-84 season attracting only 13% of the 83.3 million households in the U.S. with TV sets. It averaged only a 20 share, roughly 17 million viewers were counted watching 'Buffalo Bill' each week. At the time Dabney made the point, "Controversy by definition means a lot of people are going to say, 'we don't like it'. The fact is, the ratings aren’t that bad for what this show is."
In sport, Martina Navratilova defeated Kathy Jordan 6-2 7-6 to win the 1983 Australian Open Tennis Championship women's singles. The first prize was $75,000. Martina finished 1983 winning 86 out of the 87 matches she had played. Martina had said, "If I win this match (the final) I only lose one match (in the 4th round at the French Open) for the whole year. That was in the back of my mind, and I just didn't want to blow it."
Defending champion Chris Evert skipped the 1983 Australian Open with an injury. Six months earlier at Wimbledon, Chris missed out on winning the Grand Slam of tennis when Kathy Jordan defeated Chris in the 3rd round. Billie Jean King was surprised, "Nobody really believed she (Chris) would lose. She always has managed to get herself out of trouble."
Chris conceded, "I had her 4-0 and then 5-3. I had my chances. It is uncharacteristic of me to let the other player back when I am in such a position. I can't remember when that's happened. At 5-3 she (Kathy) broke my serve and she was really eager, jumping up and down. Her body language showed that she was still going to continue to play well. Obviously, I was below par in the concentration department, but that had nothing to do with the pressure on me (to win the Grand Slam)."
To her credit, Kathy Jordan "mixed her serve between slice and power, which threw off Chris' strength – her return." After she won, Kathy remembered, "I didn't know what to do. I had a lot of respect for Chris, and I didn't want to start jumping up and down. Obviously, I'm very happy I won. Chris is a great champion, and I don’t think it matters if she wins a Grand Slam or not. To win 3 of 4 is unbelievable."
Kathy also acknowledged, "I was surprised that I won the first set so easily (6-1), but I was not surprised I was down 4-0 in the 2nd set." Chris remarked, "The game is very mental when it gets close, although, most of my matches are 2-setters. But, it is still very physical." Before winning the 1982 title to complete her career Grand Slam, Wendy Turnbull expressed, "Chris can beat Martina on (Australian) grass. It's tougher at Wimbledon (grass) because Chris knows she's lost so many Wimbledon finals (reached 10 singles finals, winning 3). There is not the same pressure at the Australian, and Chris has done well at the Australian (played 6 times, reached 6 finals, winning 2)."
In 2015, Serena Williams won her second non-calendar Grand Slam of tennis at Wimbledon. She told the press afterward, "I honestly wouldn't have thought last year (2014) after winning the U.S. Open I would win the 'Serena Slam' at all. It's super exciting." After winning her 6th Wimbledon singles title, Serena told fans, "I can't believe I am standing here with another 'Serena Slam.'"
