Hello Fellow VBites

Here I am with another question...what is the meaning of life??...oops!! no thats for my philosophy class(only me and my cat attend that ),
I am having little luck in allocating a RecordSource value in a conditional code(hmm thats doesn't make sense!!)
Let me explain(if indeed you can bear it)

I place on my form
the following items

1)A Data1
2)A Data Grid
3)A ListBox
4)A Comman Button


In Data 1 I then pointed my DataBase name at the mighty Biblio database,changing RecordSource to "authors" .
I then changed the GRIDS DataSource to Data1.
Everything went according to plan and the grid filled up with all of those familiar authors.(a delight indeed but not very useful)
So now I would like to venture a little further and allow the grid to fill up ONLY when certain conditions are met..
So I placed the following code into my CommandButton

If List1.Text = "1" Then data1.RecordSource = "authors"

I ensured that I had removed any value in the RecordSource prior to this(so no authors)
ALAS no response form Mr VEEBEE,not even a suggestion to debug...just silence and an empty grid on my command click
I tried a few variations on the above(loosing the " " and variations thereof but to no avail)
I also tried a little SQL code and replaced "authors" with SELECT * ect BUT to no avail.

So here is my weary question fellow VBites,
Does a chap or lady have to manually include the direction of the Record Source or indeed is it possible for this lowly chap to find a way of doing it ON THE FLY..through code.

Or am I just barking mad

Any suggestions will be most welcome in my little back room in my little backwater of Wales(UK)
Kind Regards
Tommy