which swiftly climbed the charts and became their third number-one single. With this they became the first British group of the 1980s to score three number ones within a year. Further success followed in May with the group's second studio album, Are You Ready, which went Gold and became their first top-ten album. This album received particularly good reviews, including a 10-out-of-10 rating in Smash Hits. Attempting diversity, a mostly a cappella ballad, "Now Those Days Are Gone", was released as the next single, giving the group another top-ten hit, reaching No. 8 in the UK charts. Soon after this, Bucks Fizz were invited to appear before the Queen and Queen Mother in the 1982 Royal Variety Performance, performing the old standard "You'll Never Walk Alone". In February 1983, Bucks Fizz arrived in Chile for the promotion of their Spanish album. They performed in the music festival Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar, which was broadcast in Chile and many countries in South America, as well as in Spain. In the UK, chart success continued with the release of the hit singles "If You Can't Stand the Heat" and "Run for Your Life". The group's third studio album, Hand Cut, was released in March 1983, becoming another top-twenty hit and certified silver by the BPI. By this stage, although Bucks Fizz faced harsh criticism in the media for their lightweight pop image, the music press were acknowledging the group's highly polished performances and sturdy productions, gaining favourable mentions in the NME and Record Mirror. With an eye to harden their sound, the group's next single, "When We Were Young", featured a heavy production and doom-laden lyrics. With a rock-style lead vocal by member Jay Aston, the single became one of the group's biggest hits, featuring in the top 20 of many European countries, including top ten in the UK and top five in France. However, toward the end of 1983, it seemed that the group's success was beginning to dim as singles "London Town" and "Rules of the Game" failed to reach the top twenty — their first singles to miss. Along with these came the group's Greatest Hits album, which, despite reaching the top thirty and remaining on the charts for three months, fell short of expectations. Early in 1984, the group decided to take time out of the public eye, fearing overexposure for their recent