Random 80's (or 90's) Thursday

Big Clock - Lori (from The Boy With The Wooden Head, 1990)
The Jeremy Days - That's What I Call Love (from The Jeremy Days, 1988)
Panic - Let It Go (from Familiar Dreams, 1991)
The Talk - Dream Time (from New Language, 1984)
Michael Des Barres & Holly Knight - Obsession (from A Night In Heaven Soundtrack, 1983)

Kirsty MacColl - Children of the Revolution (1991)

Some more Kirsty. A great track from Electric Landlady, 1991. As you may be able to tell, Johnny Marr also had his hands all over this one.

Tasmin Archer - Hero (1992)

A lesser known track from a lesser known album from a lesser known artist, these days. Unless you are of an age and remember when she had a Number One record. It's still a great track.

Even More From His Latest Flame

To celebrate seven years of posting on this not-quite-defunct blog, and having just updated the link to His Latest Flame's very popular 1989 album In The Neighbourhood, here are a couple of extra tracks I have had kicking around for a while. They came from a 12" single I found at the wonderful Haggle Vinyl in Islington.

His Latest Flame - It's Getting Dark

His Latest Flame - The Travel Song

Prefab Sprout - Prisoner Of The Past (1997)

Been a bit obsessed with Prefab Sprout lately...

Beijing Spring - We Can Keep This Together

7" Single, released in 1992

Beijing Spring - We Can Keep This Together (A-Side)

Beijing Spring - Talk It Out (B-Side)

Flip Me!

The Odds - I Would Be Your Man

The Odds - I Would Be Your Man

From Good Weird Feeling (1995)

Canadian power pop with a deft songwriting edge. Four singles were released from the album; surprisingly, this slow burning torch song was not one of them.

Girl With Blue Guitar - They Say I'm A Fool

7" Single, released in 1990

Girl With Blue Guitar - They Say I'm A Fool (A-Side)

Girl With Blue Guitar - Live My Life (B-Side)

His Latest Flame - America Blue (1990)

Here's another recent find from Notting Hill, a 12" EP from the ever popular Scottish songbirds. "America Blue" was from their album In The Neighbourhood but I believe the other three tracks were exclusive to this release.

His Latest Flame - America Blue

1. America Blue
2. Tongue Tied
3. Footsteps
4. Londonderry Road (Acoustic Version)

Download

Kiss Like This - Faith In You (1990)

7" Single, released in 1990

Kiss Like This - Faith In You (A-Side)

Kiss Like This - Man and Machine (B-Side)

MFL Radio

For no particular reason, I thought I would share a few different tracks today.

The Silencers - The Art of Self Deception
(from Dance to the Holy Man, 1991)

The Rave-Ups - If It Was (A Matter of Mind)
(from Chance, 1990)

Eleanor McEvoy - A Glass Unkissed
(from What's Following Me, 1996)

Waves On Waves - Better Car
(from Waves On Waves, 2007)

The Lightning Seeds - Sweet Dreams (1990)

I knew that the singles released from The Lightning Seeds debut CD Cloudcuckooland included the classic single "Pure" and the decent follow up "All I Want". With a bit of prodding I might have remembered that "Joy" was the other single release. Which made my discovery of this promotional single for "Sweet Dreams" just a little more intriguing. I couldn't say I remembered this track at all from the album - but then again I haven't heard the LP itself in years. So it was kind of a nice surprise. Plus, the two extra tracks - which found their way on to the "Sense" single release a couple of years later - are both rewarding in themselves. So here they all are.

1. Sweet Dreams
2. Hang On To A Dream
3. Flaming Sword

Download

Richard Barone - Clouds Over Eden (1993)

I was a bit surprised to notice that in nearly two years I've never mentioned Richard Barone before. Richard is the former lead singer with Hoboken band The Bongos, which released classic albums such as Drums Along The Hudson, Numbers With Wings and Beat Hotel in the early 80's. I first discovered Clouds Over Eden due to the fact that Jules Shear showed up with some writing credits and Jules has always allied himself with some interesting artists.

Clouds Over Eden is a fairly atypical album for the early 1990's. There's some classic jangle pop ("Paper Airplane"), strident pop ("Nobody Knows Me"), angst-ridden ballads ("Forbidden"), chamber-pop ("Clouds Over Eden") and several other great tracks. It's been a favorite of mine for a few years now as a dense, cohesive and mature artistic statement.

Most of Richard's product is available either at iTunes or Amazon, and can be accessed through his website, www.richardbarone.com.

Here's three lesser known cuts from the album as a taster. I would also recommend River To River from Primal Dream and his charity track A Call To Prayer as must have downloads.

Richard Barone - Paper Airplane
Richard Barone - Within These Walls
Richard Barone - Law of the Jungle

Lately, Richard has been recording with the legendary Tony Visconti and his latest release is the Glow EP, again available on iTunes and Amazon.

Play That One Again, Dad!

This week, I'm choosing to reminisce about two songs with a special relevance from about 1992. It's always fun to share music with other people, especially family, who get into it and sing along in the car. These two songs are dedicated to Samantha, who I clearly remember joining in happily with the choruses from the back of the car. She's a mom in her twenties now, so I'm not sure if she remembers these. But I do.

A great track, from a great album, by a great, great artist. Not a hit, sadly.
Lindsey Buckingham - Countdown

A great(?) track, not from an album, by a comedian and his pals. A Number One, lest we forget!
Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff - Dizzy

Rumblefish - Mexico (1992)

I've decided that Wednesday is a good day for posting a favorite song from my archives. Sometimes, in all the excitement of tracking down rare and forgotten music, it's easy to forget that everyone has their own soundtrack, and certain songs resonate much more with us as individuals. So, each week, I'll strive to feature either a long time favorite, treasured memory or, as in this case, just a great song I heard only a few days ago.

Rumblefish - Mexico

I first heard of Rumblefish thanks to their excellent 1987 single "Tug-Boat Line" which I found last year at Sideroom Singles. Finding their major label debut wasn't difficult, as it is readily available on eBay or Amazon. It just sat in a pile though, weighed down by lots of other new music I bought last year, before I finally dug it out. Frankly, I had heard (or imagined perhaps) that the switch to a major had diluted the material, so I'm not sure what I was expecting. After a passable opening track, I heard the second "Mexico", and was blown away. Just a fantastic pop song. Great stuff. Two days later and I've managed to get to track six, but I'm wearing out the repeat button already.

The Sweet Sounds of Zuckerbaby

Here's another little gem I found for 99 cents recently. Zuckerbaby is a Canadian band that mixes classic rock, britpop and power pop in a good way. Platinum Again, their second album, was released in 1999. The album is out of print, but available at Amazon for just a few cents. Here's some tasters:

Zuckerbaby - Blindside
Zuckerbaby - Overexposure
Zuckerbaby - Destination Alone

Martin Page - In The House of Stone and Light (1995)

Bargain Bin (bah-gayn been) n. An assortment of full price audio recordings that have been neglected to the point of being presented to the public for a few pennies in the hope of earning the store a tax write-off. Generally rubbish, but a few gems linger e.g. Martin Page's In the House of Stone and Light.

I've long suspected that the dictionary definition of music store throwaways would include a specific reference to In the House of Stone and Light, particularly in the US. If you don't believe me, try this scientific experiment: the next time you are in a bargain basement, look for it. I guarantee there will be at least one copy. Trust me, I've seen this one everywhere.

I was browsing in a CD Warehouse with about ten dollars in my pocket about three years ago. A woman at the counter was trying to sell a large number of CD's and as I overheard the conversation she mentioned that even though there were quite a few that the store would not buy from her, she had no intention of hauling them all home again. I came up to her at the counter and casually offered her $5.00 for the contents of her crate, without even looking at the titles. I was like a big kid when she readily agreed and hauled my trophies home. If nothing else, I figured I would have some replacement cases and a few eBay sales. I took inventory and found that my five bucks had purchased 113 CD's of all genres.

To cut a long story short, here's what happened. One of the titles turned out to be a rare album by The Iguanas and I sold that on eBay for $30 within a week. I also sold another 50 or so, and probably made over $150. I kept about 10 titles, gave several more to my brother when he visited, and donated the remainder to charity.

In the House of Stone and Light was one of the few I kept, and it's been a favorite of mine ever since. It's a stylish, contemporary pop album in the vein of Peter Gabriel and featured many well known musicians. Martin Page has a very interesting musical pedigree. New wave fanatics may know that Martin was the brains behind Q-Feel and their awesome synthpop track "Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)". Just as much of a recommendation is that he penned many contemporary 80's hits including "We Built This City" for Starship which Blender magazine (rather puzzlingly, I might add) voted as the worst single of all time. Obviously, they have never heard "Agadoo". Or Mr. Blobby. Or "Snooker Loopy". Or, well you get the message. It's really not that bad.

Martin has finally released a follow up, thirteen years later, called In the Temple of the Muse. Do you notice a pattern here? I'm thinking the next one (expected in 2021) could be called In the Vegetable Section of the Supermarket. Just a thought.

Martin Page - In the House of Stone and Light (1995)

1. In the House of Stone and Light
2. Shape the Invisible
3. I Was Made for You
4. Keeper of the Flame
5. In My Room
6. Monkey in My Dreams
7. Put On Your Red Dress
8. Broken Stairway
9. Light in Your Heart
10. The Door

Download

Official website

Wikipedia Entry

Various Artists - Shooting Fish Soundtrack (1997)

Appropriately for a post-Trainspotting, post-Brit-pop British indie film, the soundtrack to Shooting Fish contains a selection of second-wave Brit-pop bands and lush Burt Bacharach oldies. It's an entertaining collection, boasting selections from Space, the Supernaturals, Silver Sun, Symposium, David McAlmont, the Wannadies, Dubstar, the Divine Comedy and the Bluetones. Each of the contributions are solid, but only a handful, such as the Bluetones' "Bluetonic," are better-than-average Brit-pop, which means that the soundtrack fails to capture the excitement (not to mention the zeitgeist) of its era, which Trainspotting did effortlessly. Nevertheless, Shooting Fish is a good sampler for Brit-pop fans who want to explore second-level bands they've only read about in the weeklies. Just be warned that some of the bands don't live up to the hype. There can only be so many Best Bands in Britian, after all, and Symposium, Space and the Supernaturals don't necessarily have a fighting chance, especially since Suede, Blur, Pulp, Oasis, the Manic Street Preachers, the Verve and Radiohead are already vying for the title. (from Allmusic.com)

Is it me or do a lot of "Second wave Brit-pop bands" start with the letter S? Just a thought. A good Soundtrack and a decent little movie, though.

Original Soundtrack - Shooting Fish (1997)

1. Me And You Vs The World (Space)
2. Beautiful Alone (Strangelove)
3. Day Before Yesterday's Man (Supernaturals)
4. Golden Skin (Silver Sun)
5. Twist (Symposium)
6. Neighborhood (Space)
7. What The World Need Now Is Love (Jackie De Shannon)
8. I'm A Better Man (David McAlmont)
9. Body Medusa (Supereal)
10. Friends (Wannadies)
11. Bluetonic (Bluetones)
12. Do You Know The Way To San Jose (Dionne Warwick)
13. In Charge (Dubstar)
14. To Be The One (Passion Star)
15. In Pursuit Of Happiness (Divine Comedy)
16. Shooting Fish (Stanislas Syrewicz)

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INXS - Elegantly Wasted (1997)

In the late 1980's, bands like U2, INXS, Poison, and Def Leppard dominated the musical landscape. With the arrival of Nirvana's Nevermind in 1991, though, the old school formula for success disintegrated. 'Hair bands' and musical showmanship fell out of favor, replaced by a return to raw, hard-hitting, punk-inspired music. Thematically, songs moved away from love and sex to the more dark emotions of alienation and rage.

Through clever marketing, some 80s bands like REM and U2 not only survived, but thrived in the new grunge-influenced market. INXS, on the other hand, fell on hard times. Due to a rift with their then label, Atlantic Records, promotion of the band altogether stopped in the early 90s. In 1992, the band released their most experimental and powerful album, the critically-acclaimed masterpiece Welcome to Wherever You Are. Without Atlantic actively promoting the album to MTV and radio, though, the album fell flat, and INXS became unfairly labeled as an "80s band." 'When we finished Welcome, we really believed in that album, but we knew that it would be the end of us in the United States for awhile. But you gotta do what you believe in. You gotta roll with the punches,' lead singer Michael Hutchence recently said. A year later in 1993 the band released Full Moon, Dirty Hearts, an album recalling their ska/punk roots and R&B influences. Though considered a flop, INXS refused to allow current trends to dicate terms to them. Whereas other bands were busy ripping off the latest style, INXS maintained their artistic integrity, while still managing to remain relevant.

INXS' new LP, Elegantly Wasted, the band's first effort in four years, is a stirring and passionate album, filled with experimentation. It also, of course, maintains INXS' trademark sound. The album opener, "Show Me (Cherry Baby)," is as hard-rocking as the band has ever been, with screeching guitars and heavy drums. The title track is reminiscent of the band's number one hit, "Need You Tonight," while "Everything" recalls such hit ballads as "Not Enough Time." Though an undeniable feeling of familiarity surrounds the new album, there is also a sense of the band having a new sense of purpose and fresh outlook on the future. Hutchence's vocals have never sounded better in his career, and combined with the rich, hook-laden music of the Farriss brothers, the album assuredly takes its rightful place as one of INXS' strongest efforts ever.

Stand-outs on the album include the experimental "We Are Thrown Together," an intriguing mixture of sitar and guitar, the gospel-inspired "Searching," and "Shake The Tree," a song other rock bands like U2 can only dream of ever writing. On "Don't Lose Your Head," written for Liam Gallagh er of Oasis, Hutchence angrily cries, "You wake up in the morning with a starf*ck for a friend, the things you do are so in tune with what you said you hate," and on the album finale, "Building Bridges," INXS delivers an emotional closer that leaves the listener gasping for more: "Are you comfortable in your skin? When does the strip begin?" INXS has sold over 20 million records in its 20 year career and Elegantly Wasted shows the band is as vibrant and relevant today as ever. (Neil Kothari)

INXS - Elegantly Wasted (1997)

1. Show Me (Cherry Baby)
2. Elegantly Wasted
3. Everything
4. Don't Lose Your Head
5. Searching
6. I'm Just a Man
7. Girl on Fire
8. We Are Thrown Together
9. Shake the Tree
10. She Is Rising
11. Building Bridges
12. Shine (Bonus Track)

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Babybird - Ugly Beautiful (1996)

Prolific Englishman Stephen Jones, AKA Babybird, has the mind of a cynic and the heart of a romantic. Ugly Beautiful, his major-label debut, is a crafty contrast of splendiferous pop melodies and biting lyrics. The songs are all simple and repetitive, lacking much in the way of tempo shifts and bridges. But Ugly Beautiful bobs, thanks to a balance of lively rock, moaning balladry and otherworldly trip-hop, embellished with swelling strings, chiming music boxes and warbling keyboards. And lyrics like "Are you Jesus without the nails? ... Are you Paris without snails?" make Babybird more than just the latest U.K. fad. Watch out, Morrissey. (Rolling Stone, 1997)

Babybird - Ugly Beautiful (1996)

1. Goodnight
2. Candy Girl
3. Jesus Is My Girlfriend
4. I Didn't Want To Wake You Up
5. Atomic Soda
6. You're Gorgeous
7. Bad Shave
8. Cornershop
9. King Bing
10. You And Me
11. 45 And Fat
12. Handsome To Be Homeless
13. July
14. Baby Bird

Download

Wikipedia Entry

MySpace Page