Posts from February 2008

29
Feb 08

BAY CITY ROLLERS – “Bye Bye Baby”

FT + Popular61 comments • 4,432 views

#368, 22nd March 1975

One reason for this entry’s delay is that I was in Paris being trained on how to research teenage consumers. The training had a great deal to say about how to talk to teenagers, their attitudes and lifestyles – but nothing at all about the frightening and awesome power of the teen- and tweenager en masse, screaming for pop.

Another reason is that I don’t like the Bay City Rollers much. I am the wrong age for them; maybe the wrong nationality; perhaps the wrong set of chromosomes – but I enjoy almost every other teen idol whereas the Rollers leave me adrift. I can appreciate “Bye Bye Baby” as craft – the cleverness of theme (Rollerboy longing for you but still untouchable), the puppyish hurt and confusion in the lead vocal, the smooth fusion of 70s bounce and early-60s sap. This isn’t a bad record at all but it can’t get its hooks into me – the closest it comes is the urgent “she’s got me but I’m not free” backing blurt, before the song slips back into pat harmonies and Palitoy guitar.

Amel Larrieux – “Gills And Tails”

FTPost a comment • 79 views

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Fishy business.

Quantum Leap Year

I Hate MusicComments Off on Quantum Leap Year • 356 views

We’re not really sure what happened. This week the Lollards went back in time to 2007 allegedly trying to rescue Tanya. Tanya herself called FT Towers yesterday asking for an explanation. I didn’t have one and then something strange happened last night…

While I was tackling a technical glitch on our servers that was failing to admit the existence of the 29th of February, I got an alarming call from Tanya that was suddenly cut off by what sounded like… no it couldn’t have been… Anyway, we haven’t heard back from her yet, but will keep you posted.

Update
There is something happening in our archive feature (below). Freaky Trigger has never had any posts from 1981 before. Could it be that Tanya Headon has come unstuck in time??

Later update
We’ll be keeping an eye on Tanya’s I Hate 1981 diary for new posts

Europop 2008 Schedule

FT17 comments • 717 views

Thanks for the interest in Europop 2008 – here’s the list of participants and countries so far.

EUROPOP 2008 MANAGERIAL LIST (an asterix indicates I don’t have your email – please email me at leagueofpop@gmail.com and say hi!)

28
Feb 08

Dolly Parton – “Drives Me Crazy”

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“Good to listen to back-to-back with some up-n-coming young starlets”

that resonance fm time machine in full

FT + Proven By SciencePost a comment • 4,244 views

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Click on this tantalizing thumbnail for a full schematic. (Credit goes to goopymart.com)

For more on how this wormhole faff works, you know what to do. Just click here.

Blackbeard Blog

FT2 comments • 341 views

I have started a new blog – separate from Freaky Trigger because it’s more about the kind of things I think about in my day job: market research, marketing, branding, etc. However it’s intended for people interested in those things rather than exclusively for the poor sods like me who work in them. The post below this one, about EMI, is taken from it.

It needs – and will get – a much snappier design.

Hands in the air like you don’t care

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One of my ongoing dream projects is to do some research exploring possible links between the generation who lived through punk in the 1970s, with its apparent ideal of radical change, and the way radical business change has become a kind of ideology in business in the 00s: the seduction of being the changemaker, the Strummer or Rotten in your own boardroom.

Because change is seductive – and because I’m a pop fan – I have a strange fascination with the travails of Guy Hands, EMI owner and venture capitalist who is shaking up the UK music giant: his latest scheme being to take power away from A&R and “back to the suits”

Freaky Trigger and the Lollards of Pop – Series 2, Week 14

Lollards Podcast4 comments • 368 views

Time Team: Eli, Mark, Kat and Katie.

Something has happened to Tanya. Making haste to chase lollards reach… 2007. And run amok. But what of free-will, butterflies (and Ashton Kutchner)? Arthur and You’s “Black Bear” retro stylings. Mark lives for the moment, and internet flash games. But what if you could go back in time and kill Hitler and CarSmile Steve? Crystal Waters “I Believe I Love Ya” and the fate of “one hun dred percent, puuure love”. Kat’s memory plays tricks on her. Our midweek number 1 is Sunshine Anderson “Heard It All Before”

All this has happened before.

And will happen again.

27
Feb 08

Neon Neon – “I Told Her On Alderaan”

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“Unlikely pop gem of the year so far”