Editing Brotherhood of Man (section)

=== Chart decline ===
1979 saw the group going into decline as the hits dried up. Three singles released in the first six months of the year all failed to make the charts as did their next album, ''[[Higher Than High]]''. This was despite regular TV appearances and radio play, although the group remained popular on the live circuit.".<ref name=Straits>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19820613&id=GOhLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zo4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6781,2783520 ''New Straits Times'', "A Lightning flash in the pan?", 13 June 1982]</ref> As Pye Records were due to fold at the end of the year, one more album was released in December to fulfill their contract. The album ''[[Singing a Song]]'' was made up of unreleased songs mixed with new material, but no singles were released from the collection.

Manager Tony Hiller set up his own record company in 1980, Dazzle Records. Brotherhood of Man released the first single on the label, "Honey Don't Throw Our Love Away" which also did not chart, nor did the follow-up, a cover of the 1960s hit "[[Will You Love Me Tomorrow]]". [[Good Fortune (Brotherhood of Man album)|An album]] was recorded but was only released in Australasia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/sunra/953/indexen.html |title=Discography – ''Good Fortune'' release |author=Brotherhood of Man Dutch website |access-date=26 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006094604/http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/sunra/953/indexen.html |archive-date=6 October 2008 }}</ref> Towards the end of the year, the group were offered a deal with [[Warwick Records (United Kingdom)|Warwick Records]] to make an album of cover versions. Released in November, ''[[Sing 20 Number One Hits]]'' was the group's take on 20 number one UK hits from recent years. The album was a hit, peaking at No.14 – their biggest chart success for two years.<ref name="occ"/> The album remained in the top 50 for two months and was awarded a gold disc for sales of over 100,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |title=Searchable database – search "Brotherhood of Man" |author=BPI |access-date=22 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514004449/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |archive-date=14 May 2011 }}</ref> Keen to release a follow-up, Warwick offered them a double album deal the following year. Released as a [[buy one get one free]] package, ''[[20 Disco Greats / 20 Love Songs]]'' – again, a collection of recent chart hits, came out in late 1981. This album did not match the success of the first and missed the UK Charts. Tracks from these albums appear frequently on CD releases of the group, interspersed with their own hit singles.

In early 1982, Sheriden opted to leave the group to study for a degree in music. Hiller took on 28-year-old [[Barry Upton]], an up-and-coming songwriter.<ref name="Early Line-up"/> Upton was later to write hits for many artists including [[Sonia (singer)|Sonia]] and [[Steps (group)|Steps]].

The previous year, the UK had won the Eurovision Song Contest (the first time since Brotherhood of Man) with the two-boy/two-girl pop act [[Bucks Fizz (band)|Bucks Fizz]]. Within twelve months they had chalked up three number one singles and, encouraged by their popularity, Hiller set about reviving Brotherhood of Man's fortunes. In 1982, Brotherhood of Man signed a deal with [[EMI Records|EMI]] in the hope that the new pop revival would encompass them. Armed with a new single, "Lightning Flash", written by Hiller, Lee, and Upton, the group were relaunched with a new contemporary image and sound.<ref name="Straits" /> The song only reached No. 67 in the summer of 1982, but it was their first single to chart in nearly four years.<ref>British Hit Singles – 8th Edition – {{ISBN|0-85112-941-2}}
</ref> A follow-up, "Cry Baby Cry", failed to capitalise on this, but nevertheless, the group began working on a new album.

In 1983, the songwriting team of Hiller, Lee, and Upton entered a song for the ''[[A Song for Europe]]'' competition. Their composition, "When the Kissing Stops", made it to the final eight, but although initially tempted, the group decided not to perform the number themselves ("We all agreed it would be better to be remembered as winners, and we couldn't bear to lose!" remembers Sandra Stevens).<ref>[[Sandra Stevens]] interview, Eurovision Network, February 1992</ref> Hiller formed a male/female trio under the name Rubic to represent the song on 24 March 1983. The group lost out to another male/female trio, [[Sweet Dreams (1980s band)|Sweet Dreams]], and ended up in fifth place.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.songs4europe.com/26.html |title=1983 A Song for Europe |author=Songs 4 Europe.com |access-date=20 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405002132/http://www.songs4europe.com/26.html |archive-date=5 April 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Despite its failure, Brotherhood of Man recorded the song and chose it as their next single. Released in the summer of 1983, alongside their new album, ''[[Lightning Flash]]'', neither record made the UK Chart and this brought to an end their contract with EMI. "When the Kissing Stops" remains Brotherhood of Man's final single release.

Brotherhood of Man continued to perform in concert throughout the UK and Europe, but less than a year later the group decided to split. This ended their twelve-year working relationship with Hiller.