Random 80's Wednesday

Danny Wilson - I Can't Wait (from Bebop Moptop, 1989)
Boulevard - Rainy Day In London (7" Single, 1984)
Clan of Xymox - No Human Can Drown (from Clan of Xymox, 1985)
Stephen Tin Tin Duffy - Icing On The Cake (from The Ups and Downs, 1985)
New Musik - Living By Numbers (from Straight Lines, 1980)

Simon F - Gun (1986)

In which we imagine a world where the compact disc was introduced in 1980, and now-obscure artists and albums could be preserved for posterity...

First solo album by Simon Fellowes, formerly of the short-lived New Wave outfit Intaferon. The single "I Want You Back" was a cover of a Hoodoo Gurus song. "Baby Pain" is a rerecording of an earlier Intaferon single.

Simon F - Gun (1986)

1. I Want You Back
2. Baby Pain
3. Baby Doll Love
4. Phones
5. Perfect World
6. Million Miles From Happiness
7. Hungry Life
8. Mad Man Drum
9. Dr. Christi
10. Here Comes My Laugh
11. I Want You Back (Dub Version)
12. I Want You Back (Extended Version)

Download

No1 Singles Review February 16, 1985

Here are the singles I've been able to track down:

National Pastime - It's All A Game
Roger Hodgson - In Jeopardy
The Alarm - Absolute Reality
Robin George - Spy
Two People - Rescue Me
Vicious Pink - Fetish
Andy Scott - Invisible
Redd and the Boys - Movin' and Groovin'

Lincoln - Lincoln (1998)

In the late 1990s, alternative rock had divided itself into two camps: frat-boy music and nerd rock. Lincoln fell perfectly into the latter, but their They Might Be Giants-inspired pop is hardly derivative of any one genre. From straight-ahead alt-pop to country-rock and even synth-pop, Lincoln is truly an eclectic mix, borrowing elements from many genres to create a disc packed with humorous, light, and unique pop songs. Lead vocalist Chris Temple constantly changes personas, from the enraged nerd in "Sucker" to a tender, heartbroken and scared man on "Wish You Were Dead." Temple's lyrics are often very personal, but he attempts to put up a macho front to help him from being vulnerable; however, his delivery gives him away. Not all of the 12 tracks are particularly memorable -- the last two seem to be stretching the album a bit -- but this proves to be an excellent souvenir from an unfortunately short-lived pop band. Lincoln broke up in September 1998, making this their first and last release. (from Allmusic.com)

1. Sucker
2. Blow
3. Stop
4. Unhappy
5. Basketball
6. Taller
7. Wish You Were Dead
8. Straight
9. What Up
10. Carversville
11. To Build A House
12. Smashing

Downloadhttps://rapidshare.com/files/2693814327/Lincoln.rar

For fans of Fountains of Wayne crossed with They Might Be Giants and Prefab Sprout.

Link-O-Rama

It's been a while since I dished out some blog-love but a couple of sites lately have got my attention in a big way. I've just realized that even though I check the site out every few days, I don't think I've mentioned New Romantic Rules before. I initially thought that Rambul was simply recycling links from other places, but lately the content has been outstanding. In particular he has put together 15 (count 'em!) volumes of rare and obscure new wave tracks, including many extended remixes. He is from Poland, and I don't know what it is about that part of the world because everyone knows that Saltyka and RObert POland also are virtual libraries of all that's great about new wave music. If you don't have a rapidshare account, now would be a good time to get one.

Talking of Saltyka, he has lately featured comprehensive discographies of Fra Lippo Lippi and The Lotus Eaters.

I was also excited to discover a new blog It Should Have Been A Hit, produced by regular MFL commentator Mikeyten. Mikey's strategy is very simple but effective - he highlights singles that may have slipped past the charts but are worthy of a second listen. Most of them are prime time 80's but he also throws in a few almost new tracks by underrated bands. I usually find myself hitting the download button almost automatically. Excellent work, Mikey!

Several of the blogs I check out regularly are maintained by DJ's who seem to pull out a never ending stream of remixes and dance floor classics. Obviously I went to the wrong nightclubs in my youth, because all I can remember of that scene was a bunch of sadly drunk no-hopers trying to sing along to "Come On Eileen" for the tenth time. Here's a selection of dance floor classics designed to erase those memories for good:

From Retro Wonderland
Nick Heyward - Tell Me Why (Razormaid Mix)
Secession - Sneakyville (Extended Mix)
Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up (12" Version)
Sharpe & Numan - No More Lies (Extended Version)
Red Flag - If I Ever (Razormaid Mix)

From New Wave Time Machine
Fancy - Slice Me Nice (12" Mix)
The Damned - Shadow of Love (Pressure Mix)
Berlin - No More Words (Dance Mix)

From Born Again 80's
Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok (12" Mix)

Also, you need to check out the fabulous Dreamtime mixes. I think my favorite is this one
William Pitt - City Lights (Dreamtime Mix)

Excellent work, everybody.

Random 80's Wednesday

Ghostdance - Celebrate (from Stop The World, 1989)
Splash - Don't Look Back (7" Single, 1986)
Empire - This Is My Word (7" Single, 1988)
Summerhill - Don't Let It Die (from West of Here, 1989)
Chris Rea - Let It Loose [Extended Mix] (from 12" Single, 1983)

The Indian Givers - Love Is A Lie (1989)

Watch out for hard-to-find, deleted, out of print or critically ignored compact discs released in the last 20 years...

The Indian Givers - Love Is A Lie (1989)

1. Hatcheck Girl
2. Fake I.D.
3. Unthinking You
4. Under The Rose
5. Head Happy
6. Some Kind Of Mover
7. It's A Wonderful Life
8. Love Come Down
9. Not My Line
10. Caprice
11. Love Is A Lie
12. Never Too Late

Download

Personnel:
Nigel Sleaford
Avril Jamieson
Simon Frazer

[Link updated January 2014]

That Friday Feeling: Transvision Vamp

Ever wake up and think, "Hey, today feels like a Transvision Vamp day?"

Yeah, I thought I was the only one. Note for the kiddios - don't get confused, I know Wendy James looks a bit like Paris Hilton, but, um, there's no similarity. Whatsoever. Really.

Transvision Vamp - The Only One


Transvision Vamp - Tell That Girl To Shut Up


Transvision Vamp - Baby I Don't Care


Transvision Vamp - Born To Be Sold


Transvision Vamp - If Looks Could Kill


Bonus Downloads:












Transvision Vamp - Pop Art (1988)

1. Trash City
2. I Want Your Love
3. Sister Moon
4. Psychosonic Cindy
5. Revolution Baby
6. Tell That Girl to Shut Up
7. Wild Star
8. Hanging Out With Halo Jones
9. Andy Warhol's Dead
10. Sex Kick

Download
Password: egresovic















Transvision Vamp - Velveteen (1989)

1. Baby I Don't Care
2. The Only One
3. Landslide of Love
4. Falling For A Goldmine
5. Down on You
6. Song to The Stars
7. Kiss Their Sons
8. Born to Be Sold
9. Pay The Ghosts
10. Bad Valentine
11. Velveteen

Download
Password: egresovic

Nice Collection of B-Sides and Remixes

http://rapidshare.com/files/49248198/tv-12inchvbs.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/49252012/tv-12inchvbs.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/49253920/tv-12inchvbs.part3.rar

Finally, Someone Is Getting It Right

When the whole Napster thing blew up about five years ago, I made the point several times in forums and in emails to record labels that there was a whole universe of music that could be made available for sale through a download medium that might otherwise never see the light of day. Having used Napster, and then the wonderful Audiogalaxy, primarily to locate out of print and commercially unavailable records from the early to mid eighties, I couldn't see why Sire, or Warners, or whoever, couldn't make recordings available legitimately for download at a fraction of the cost of pressing and printing reissued albums that may or may not sell.

Now, finally, thanks to the increasing popularity of downloading, it's possible to find some digital nuggets out there. I've been particularly impressed with Amazon's DRM free selections. Here's a few examples:

The Wild Swans - 1982
In Embrace - This Brilliant Evening
The Smiths - Work Is A Four Letter Word
Alphaville - The Voyager
Red Box - Lean On Me 2007
Sal Solo - Music + You
Nik Kershaw - Promises, Promises
The Lucy Show - New Message
Stephen Tin Tin Duffy - I Love You
Eyeless In Gaza - Voice From The Tracks
The Wolfgang Press - Sweatbox
Colourbox - The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme (12" Mix)
The Mekons - Fantastic Voyage

On the whole, I'd say things are looking bright for the future of legal downloading.

Various Artists - Free At Last 3 (HMV Sampler)

Here's an interesting Canadian sampler CD I picked up at Goodwill for a couple of bucks.

1. New Order - Young Offender
2. Presence - Act of Faith
3. Crash Vegas - Nothing Ever Happened
4. Frank Black - Ten Percenter
5. The God Machine - Home
6. Grant McLennan - Lighting Fires
7. Sand Rubies - Santa Maria Street
8. Hothouse Flowers - Good For You
9. His Name Is Alive - In Every Ford
10. Mind Bomb - Do You Need Some?
11. The Pursuit of Happiness - Nobody But Me
12. Quicksand - Fazer
13. Trash Can Sinatras - Blood Rush
14. Chris Mars - Public Opinion
15. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Someday I suppose
16. Wool - Medication
17. X - Lettuce & Vodka
18. Red House Painters - Mistress
19. Bob Geldof - The House at the Top of the World

Download

The Quick - Fascinating Rhythm (1982)

In which we imagine a world where the compact disc was introduced in 1980, and now-obscure artists and albums could be preserved for posterity...

1. The Rhythm Of The Jungle
2. Katy Can't
3. Young Men Drive Fast
4. One Light In A Blackout
5. To Prove My Love
6. Zulu
7. Small Blonde Box
8. Twisted
9. Sharks Are Cool, Jets Are Hot
10. Don't Take Me For Granted

Download

Hal Featuring Gillian Anderson - Extremis (1997)

1. Extremis
2. Extremis (qattara remix edit)
3. Extremis (download mix)
4. Extremis (qattara remix)

Download

Watch the video!

No1 Singles Review March 23, 1985

Remember these?



For a bit of fun, I thought I'd see how many of these I could track down.

Meat Loaf - Piece Of The Action
Eddie Murphy - Boogie In Your Butt
Jimmy Jimmy - Silence
The Untouchables - Free Yourself
The Wolfgang Press - Fire Eater
Smiley Culture - Cockney Translation
Clannad - Scarlet Inside

Bit tired, now. Anyone have that single by Linear? Never heard of them.

Inbetween Days

For some reason, today feels like a Cure day. Now, where's that lipstick?

Charlotte Sometimes



Inbetween Days



Lullaby



Let's Go To Bed



Play For Today

Random 80's Wednesday

The Mekons - Ghosts of American Astronauts (from So Good It Hurts, 1988)
Fox The Fox - Precious Little Diamond (from In The Dark of The Nite, 1984)
The Passengers - Hell To Heaven (7" Single, 1988)
Virgin Dance - Night Call (from Against The Tide, 1984)
Tanh Chi - How Long Is A Day (7" Single, 1987)

With continuing thanks to Daniel from Canada for his suggestions.

The Listening Pool - Still Life (1994)

Watch out for hard-to-find, deleted, out of print or critically ignored compact discs released in the last 20 years...

The Listening Pool - Still Life (1994)

1. Meant To Be
2. Oil For The Lamps Of China
3. Follow Where You Go
4. Breathless
5. Promised The World
6. Somebody Somewhere
7. Blue Africa
8. Where Do We Go From Here
9. Wild Strawberries
10. Hand Me That Universe
11. Still Life
12. Oil For The Lamps Of CHina (Extended Mix)
13. Meant To Be (Extended Mix)

Download

More Groundhog

By special request...

Ottmar Liebert - You Don't Know Me

Weekend Mixtape - Always Asking Questions

Musicians are a rum lot. One minute they act like they know everything, the next they are looking for answers. Here's a set of question songs. And, yes, I could have included "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?", "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" or "What Makes You Think You're The One?" but I elected to go for more contemporary tunes this time.

1. Bob Evans - Don't You Think It's Time?
2. Grant McLennan - Haven't I Been A Fool?
3. Homer Hiccolm & The Rocketboys - Do I Wake Or Sleep?
4. September 67 - What's Wrong With Alice?
5. Counting Crows - Why Should You Come When I Call?
6. Nik Kershaw - What Do You Think Of It So Far?
7. World Party - What Does It Mean Know? *
8. The Devlins - Where Are You Tonight?
9. Abraham - What Gives With You?
10. Iris - Annie, Would I Lie To You?
11. a-Ha - Did Anyone Approach You?
12. Bryan Adams - Why Do You Have To Be So Hard To Love?
13. Pink Floyd - What Do You Want From Me?
14. The Sundays - What Do You Think?
15. Alex Lloyd - What's Wrong?

Download

* During the research for this weeks mixtape, I discovered that World Party songwriter Karl Wallinger is a pretty neurotic individual. His other question songs include "Is It Like Today?", "What Is Love All About?", "Is It Too Late?" and "Who Are You?".

Also notice that a majority of the songs are performed by men. A little surprising considering the experience the gals have with phrases like "Did You Take Out The Trash?", "Does My Bum Look Big In This?" and "Where Were You Last Night?" - which reminds me, I need to dig out the Traveling Wilburys song.

It's GROUNDHOG DAY!!!!!

Time to honor probably my favorite comedy movie of all-time.


"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."

"Do you ever have deja vu, Mrs Lancaster?"
"I don't think so, but I'll check with the kitchen."

"Ned, I would love to stay here and talk with you... but I'm not going to."


Has there ever been a better portrayal of a life insurance salesman than Stephen Tobolowsky's character Ned Ryerson?

Naturally, the movie had been re-re-released on DVD to celebrate the 15th anniversary. Watch Ned Ryerson's exclusive sales pitch here.

There is a book called "Groundhog Day Can Change Your Life". I'm not making this up. Check it out:

Even more amazingly, apparently Groundhog Day is connected to mind control and the New World Order:

I myself have devoted at least 24 minutes to the subject, and can now confirm conclusively that the Groundhog Day movie is directly connected to the death of Princess Diana:

1. After a pursuit, Phil and his furry companion die in a crash, just like Diana and that guy. Oh wait, wasn't there four of them. Poop.

2. Andie MacDowell stars in the movie. Her name is an anagram of "C DIANA LEWD MOLE".

3. Brian Doyle Murray plays Buster Green in the movie. His name is an anagram of "RUB MY LORRY DIANA".

On a more serious note, "Groundhog day" has now become a euphemism for any day during a tour of duty in Iraq. Or of the Bush presidency generally for that matter.

Rats, I've been trying to keep politics out of this. Time to go watch the movie again!

Delbert McClinton - Weatherman

Thanks A Lot, Walden Media!

My daughter loved the Water Horse movie and has now asked if she can have her own water horse for her birthday.

I said no. I'm going to buy her Chinese Democracy instead. Wow, what a great dad I am!