It was a great year - 1982. Perhaps one of the most memorable on a personal note. I was turning 21. The world at my feet - sort of :)

Here's a collection of headlines from 1982, not in any particular order, with my comments:)

1. Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking album “Thriller” is released. Probably MJ at the peak of his creative genius before his life spiraled out of control. Sheer genius at work.

2. “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” debuts in cinemas. The cutest alien movie ever. Only Spielberg could carry it off.

3. Argentina invades the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) - a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British-dependent territories in the South Americas. Galtieri gambled. Thatcher won. The fallout would remain lurking in the background for years after.

4. European Cup - When fairy tales were still possible, and UEFA still respectable - Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich 1-0 at Rotterdam. To top it off, Nigel Spinks comes on as substitute goalkeeper after 9 minutes and plays a blinder that seals Bayern's fate.

5. John Paul II goes to Britain - the first papal visit since 1531 - that's a lot of water under the bridge. Prince William is born, but not during the pope's visit though!

6. Knight Rider debuts on American TV. Star of the show was KITT, the artificially intelligent, self-aware 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

7. Richard Attenborough's Gandhi premieres in New Delhi. The movie was praised for its historically accurate portrayal of the life of Gandhi, the Indian independence movement, and the results of British colonisation of India. Won 8 Academy awards by the way.

8. TIME's Man of the Year is a computer - check that out! From here to Bicentennial Man to AI. Progress :)

9. The 1982 FIFA World Cup takes place in Spain. Winners: Italy. But half of the world was rooting for the best team never to have won the WC: Seleção - Brazil 1982. For me, it was Falcao, the supreme midfielder of the time.

Sandwiched in between all the epic stories above is lesser-known fact No. 10

In 1974, Decca Records (even the name sounds gorgeous), had released the appropriately titled "Hard Up Heroes" album. Which only came to my hands some 8 years later, hence the 1982 timeline.

I'd gotten it at Studio 12, a record shop along Bertam Lane, off Penang Road. As with the passing of time, the shop is no longer there. As is the album. It was destroyed during one of the infamous Chai Leng Park flashdloods sometime in the 90's.

The sleeve notes were emphatically accurate:

"This album is affectionately dedicated to those bands who made it, the ones who didn't, and those poor unfortunate souls who wasted the most precious years of their youth sleeping rough on clapped-out equipment in the back of broken down Bedford vans, ruined their digestion with motorway grease and were always six months behind with their H.P. payments."

Fast forward to 2023, after years of searching, I managed to get a Spotify playlist that's got all the songs plus a few that were not on the original album.

But it's Got my mojo workin' now again!

Check out the Hard Up Heroes Spotify Playlist.