vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 10, 2014 23:28:03 GMT 1
Ah, the KLF, just after they dropped the JAMMs monicker temporarily. I wondered if "Kylie Said To Jason" were stymied by the SAWmill putting pressure on radio stations. "If you play that we won't give you the next Big Fun single." As a threat right up there with Basil Fawlty's "you'll never waitress in Torquay again."
Are The Bangles the only girl band - as opposed to group - to have a singles chart-topper? Either side of the Atlantic? Obvs The Go-Go's did it in the album charts.
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vya
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Post by vya on Mar 11, 2014 0:01:31 GMT 1
and from 125...
Go-Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed/ Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed
Maybe my Britishness leads me to feel more at home with the more melancholic take brought by Coventry's finest. Terry Hall - such a versatile performer and writer, too much of whose work passed public attention by...
Erasure - A Little Respect Not by any means my favourite track of theirs, but as their compilation "Pop!" shows all too well, a group who put out a seriously strong run of singles for...quite a few years (1986-92?), despite seldom being more adventurous musically than using a keyboard and a singer.
Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down The Crazy River Fabulous record, so atmospheric and strange, even literary, completely out of place in the charts of Summer '88. "You may like it now, but you'll learn to love it later". No, its brilliance was evident right away...and still is.
Wendy & Lisa - Waterfall An act that I feel have been kind of overlooked. There a few tracks of theirs that I think are rather out of this world. For me this track isn't absolutely first and foremost among them, but it certainly shows up their talent and way with atmosphere...and is pretty fantastic.
SOS Band - Just Be Good To Me Ah, Jam & Lewis before they got too formulaic too frequently...
Spear Of Destiny - Never Take Me Alive I'm wondering if "So In Love With You" (a minor hit the following year) might feature here - I'd rate that most highly of their songs; although this (rather unlikely hit) shares with that one the portrayal of a slightly manic, crazed personality.
Madness - Our House Of course.
Morrissey - Suedehead His first solo effort, from what became, surprisingly rapidly, a rather shaky solo career. This still remains among the best of this solo singles.
Adventures - Feel The Raindrops They had a great sound, both on "Theodore and Friends" and on the subsequent "Sea Of Love" album. Very underrated act in the UK.
Stranglers - Golden Brown Of the several pristine pop songs put out by the Stranglers, there were just a few that got quite the commercial cross-over success that they deserved, this most deservedly among them.
Killing Blood - Love Like Blood Another welcome intrusion into the charts
Sugarcubes - Birthday Wonderfully weird (of course...) And follows the simple formula that: the more Bjork: the less Einar; the better the Sugarcubes song. (There may be the odd exception to this rule.). Quite the strangest thing I'd ever heard aged 12.
Black - Wonderful Life This track was inescapable when I lived in Ukraine in the mid-90s, for some reason. On the radio all the time.
Sundays - Can't Be Sure Oh oh a fabulous song (and so very English. The land of the free. Such miserable weather) from an album packed full of fabulous songs. Probably "Reading Writing & Arithmetic" was the record that really introduced me to "the indie ethos".
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vya
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Post by vya on Mar 11, 2014 0:25:07 GMT 1
and from 100...
Prefab Sprout - Faron Young Such brilliant songwriting, such brilliant performance. I can't help thinking that if the group had had a less silly name, they might have been taken as seriously as they deserved to be taken by a few more people.
Icehouse - Crazy just this :-) Good, understated, middle-of-the-road rock. In retrospect, almost the sound of the mid-1980s dying as time moved on... (I was very fond of the follow-up, "Electric Blue", too)
Kirsty MacColl - Free World Such a sad loss, I cried walking down Kilburn High Road hearing of her death. I recall that the single/radio version of this track (from a fine album - with a few other great singles too) replaced the word "shag" with "wag". Probably a bit too political to have been a really big hit....
Talk Talk - It's My Life Beautiful pop music from an act who went so much further in their explorations, and to good effect, later on...
Bow Wow Wow - C30 C60 C90 Go Ah, quite primitive. "Home Taping Is Killing Music" as used to be printed on record covers, complete with a skull and crossbones. If only they could have imagined Youtube... Pretty good as entertainment/provocations go...
Shakespear's Sister - You're History Just, like: Wow.
Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven As well as the music & lyrics (which here are both very fine), one thing I greatly appreciated about 4AD Records was the attention paid to the visual aspect of design - record sleeves, inner sleeves, even labels. Buying a 12" of theirs, more often than not was the chance to engage with a work of art that went beyond music. Certainly applied in this case, and in many others around this time too.
Altered Images - Don't Talk To Me About Love Alt pop like it should be. Not my favourite of theirs, but a quality act still.
ABC - Be Near Me As a big fan of ABC, I have to salute their decision not simply to replicate the formula of their (extraordinary) first album in its first two follow-ups: "Beauty Stab" is really underrated in its...stab...at something rockier, and still has top-quality song-writing, while the "How To Be A...Zillionaire" Album, while less consistent, and less about coherent songs, certainly has its moments. The playfulness, as shown by ABCs "recreation" as cartoon characters is one thing... but...I think there were better tracks on, and better singles from the album than "Be Near Me": it does have the typical ABC charm, but lacks the musical or lyrical range of some of their more substantial tracks. I think it was their biggest hit in the US...
Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion Jim Steinman and the Sisters were a great combination, here and elsewhere.
Fiction Factory - Feels Like Heaven perfect pop, no more, no less.
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart. Of course, a classic.
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Perfect Skin I loved his sensitive, articulate lyrics, and also what I took to be his conscious attempt to shake off some of the feyer elements of his fanbase when he went solo (despite, some of the time, putting out no less lovely, no less sensitive, and carefully considered tracks - "Baby you're too well spoken, baby you're too well read", the key line of his first solo single "No Blue Skies" presumably being some kind of self-criticism. But...."Perfect Skin" is LC on top form.
KLF - Kylie Said To Jason First track of theirs I ever heard ("Doctorin' The Tardis" apart). Such good fun
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 11, 2014 21:08:23 GMT 1
70 Alison Moyet - Is This Love? (1986)
Taken from Alf's second solo album Raindancing. It was co-written by Moyet and Jean Guiot. The name Jean Guiot is a false one given by the Eurthymics' Dave Stewart who actually co-wrote and produced the song (at the time the production credit was given to music producer Jimmy Iovine), due to record company contract reasons (or perhaps he did not want Annie Lennox or Siobhan Fahey to get jealous that he'd written a better song with someone else!). But maybe I've always enjoyed the record due to its fun video being filmed The music video was filmed at Carlyon Bay near St Austell in Cornwall at the now closed down Cornwall Coliseum entertainment venue, which I'd visited back in the day on summer holiday. This track became Alison's biggest ever solo success topping the European aggregate chart (despite falling to top an individual national chart, yet it went top 10 in virtually all its territories including UK #3; as well as going top 10 in South Africa & New Zealand.
I choose never to forget I want our lips to kiss And our limbs to entwine Let our bodies be twisted But never our minds
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 11, 2014 21:30:35 GMT 1
69 Madonna - Live To Tell (1986)
This epic ballad was originally written as an instrumental by Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of the film Fire with Fire, the recording was shown to Madonna, who decided to add lyrics dealing with deceit, mistrust and childhood scars, and a melody and use it for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range. Produced by Leonard and Madonna to precede her third studio album True Blue; it got the best critical reviews of her career to date and became a #1 hit in the USA, Canada, & Italy; reached #2 in the UK & Ireland; and went top 10 everywhere else bar Sweden #11 & Germany #12.
A man can tell a thousand lies I've learned my lesson well Hope I live to tell The secret I have learned, till then It will burn inside of me
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 11, 2014 21:56:24 GMT 1
68 Adam & The Ants - Antmusic (1981)
This Ant/Pirroni penned composition was the third single released in the UK in 1980 from the blockbusting album Kings of the Wild Frontier. It became a sleeper hit early in 1981, almost identical to the way his Ant's hero Marc Bolan had success with "Ride A White Swan" a decade earlier to initially lead a new musical movement only to be later usurped... For about 12 months after the release of this track and the emergence of firstly The Human League, and crucially 6 months later Duran Duran; teenagers all over the world (except in America) were there to be swept away by "Antmania". This made UK #2 (only Mark Chapman stopped it being a deserved #1 hit); and Australia #1; and went top 20 virtually everywhere else outside of North America.
So unplug the jukebox And do us all a favour That music's lost it's taste So try another flavour ...
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 11, 2014 22:13:57 GMT 1
67 Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels (1985)
Written by Roland Orzabal & Curt Smith. This was the 4th single taken from their second (& best IMHO) album Songs from the Big Chair produced by Chris "Merrick" Hughes (former drummer for Adam and the Ants, and future husband of Amanda Holden). As Roland described this uplifting song: "It is basically a romantic love song and one of the most simple tracks that Tears for Fears have ever recorded. It is a romance song that goes a bit perverse at the end." Its light-hearted video was directed by Nigel Dick and featured The Doors drummer daughter Joan Densmore as the plain Jane librarian. It peaked at USA #3 & USA #12 and was a sizeable hit elsewhere. However, for many it will be remembered for its use in the cult movie Donnie Darko. It is neither the last appearance on my countdown of the duo from Bath, or this song title ....
I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much Oh, you're wasting my time You're just, just wasting time
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 11, 2014 22:29:53 GMT 1
66 Soft Cell - Tainted Love (1981)
The English vocal-and-synth duo became aware of the Gloria Jones original 1964 recording through Dave Ball's awareness of its status as a UK "Northern Soul" hit, and Marc's awareness as a rabid T.Rex fan, and recorded a drastically different arrangement in 1981. Produced by Mike Thorne, this recording featured a slower tempo than Jones' version, and was in the key of G rather than the original C to match Marc Almond's lower voice with Synthesizers and rhythm machines replaced the original's more organic musical instrumentation. This version became a monster global hit topping the charts in the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, South Africa & Belgium; and it went top 10 everywhere else including USA #8 spending a then record-breaking 43 weeks on the Hot 100. The less said about Marilyn Manson's despicable cover from that terrible Not Another Teen Movie the better..
Sometimes I feel I've got to Run away, I've got to Get away from the pain you drive into The heart of me
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 11, 2014 23:52:28 GMT 1
'Live To Tell' is my favourite Madonna song is that mad in fact 'true Blue' is my favourite album although can't stand the title track.
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vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 12, 2014 0:18:40 GMT 1
"Head Over Heels", probably my favourite TFF track, and that's in a pretty tough field. It's easy to overlook how huge they were in the States; I think "Shout" was the number 1 single for the year there.
I remember someone from a record distributor at a New Year's party telling me that "Is This Love" was absolutely flying out of their warehouses. So I was surprised it stalled at 3. One hell of a talent who deserves a solo no. 1. It's slightly concerning for me that many of my favourite songs by acts were nowhere near being their biggest hits; my fave Moyet cut was "It Won't Be Long"...
"Tainted Love" (written by one of The Four Preps) kicked off perhaps the best run of 3 number 1s ever, with "Prince Charming" and "It's My Party" following - and if the OCC ever checks their figures it would increase the run to 4. Alas The Police come and ruin it all with their Ali G prequel.
And of course "Antmusic" was a clarion call for a new generation.
But, I really, really, really can't see anything in Madonna. Dreadful artificial mid-80s AOR production with dull songs sold solely on her persona. "Dear Jessie" was a tune, and I've a sneaky regard for "True Blue" and "Like A Prayer", but otherwise I'd spike the lot in exchange for another King Trigger single.
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vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
Posts: 17,467
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 12, 2014 0:20:35 GMT 1
^ as an aside to the Four Prep mention above, a second Prep was the father of 40% of Voice Of The Beehive.
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 12, 2014 21:56:18 GMT 1
65 Visage - Fade To Grey (1980)
Producer Midge Ure reworked an old 1979 near instrumental track by his Ultravox band mate Billy Currie and Chris Payne called "Toot City" for the New Romantic "Blitz Kids" band project Visage for Steve Strange and Rusty Egan. Its seminal video was directed by Godley & Crème, and the UK #8 hit, was a bigger success in mainland Europe going Top 20 nearly everywhere including Top 5 in 7 countries including being #1 in Germany & Switzerland. It also made the top 10 in both Australia & New Zealand. In 2005, a copyright dispute arose over similarities between "Fade to Grey" and the Kelly Osbourne single, "One Word". Despite Kelly's mother going public at the time calling the Fade To Grey songwriters "parasites", its writer Linda Perry settled out of court in an undisclosed settlement giving away a share of her royalties (much like what has happened in the past few months with two of the three biggest global hit singles of 2013 (Katy Perry's Roar = Sara Bareilles' Brave; and Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines = Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up)).
One man on a lonely platform One case sitting by his side Two eyes staring cold and silent Show fear as he turns to hide
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 12, 2014 22:10:15 GMT 1
64 Prince And The Revolution - Raspberry Beret (1985)
The song responsible for where the Lightning Seeds and The Strokes gets their names, tells of a teenage romance and first sexual experience with a girl who wears the titular hat. It's very pop yet incorporating Middle Eastern sounds was a major international hit peaking at USA #2, New Zealand #2, Canada #8, South Africa #9, Australia #13 and going Top 40 across Europe, yet only peaked at UK #25 perhaps due to the backlash from his memorable odd behaviour at the 1985 BRIT Awards where he also talked gibberish (i.e. quoted lyrics from his forthcoming album Around The World In A Day). What a legend.
Seems that I was busy doing something close 2 nothing No different than the day before That's when I saw her, ooh, when I saw her She walked in through the out door, out door
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 12, 2014 22:21:50 GMT 1
63 Public Image Limited - Rise (1986)
The first single from their fifth studio album, Album/Cassette/Compact Disc depending on which format you bought it was written by John Lydon about interrogation techniques, apartheid in South Africa, and specifically about Nelson Mandela. Featuring guitar work from Steve Vai, synths from Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Bill Laswell producing this peaked at UK #11.
Your time has come your second skin Cost so high the gain so low Walk through the valley The written word is a lie
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 12, 2014 22:38:19 GMT 1
62 Heaven 17 - Temptation (1983)
Sheffield's Glenn Gregory, Ian Craig Marsh, & Martyn Ware scored by far their biggest hit with this synth-pop melodrama about greed. Featuring the female vocals of Carol Kenyon this track peaked at UK #2, Ireland #3, went top 40 across Europe, and went top 20 in Australia & New Zealand.
You've got to make me an offer That cannot be ignored So let's head for home now Everything I have is yours
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 12, 2014 22:48:14 GMT 1
61 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Of Joan Of Arc) (1982)
This Andy McCluskey penned track was the 3rd single released from their 3rd studio album Architecture & Morality. This epic, atmospheric mainly instrumental track, made UK #4 early in 1982 (yet still sold over 250,000 copies), but was more successful on mainland Europe during the spring and summer of 1982 peaking at #1 in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands & Belgium, and going top 10 throughout the rest of Europe. It also went top 10 in New Zealand.
If Joan of Arc had a heart, would she give it as a gift. To such as me who longs to see, how a legend oughta be.
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vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
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Post by vastar iner on Mar 12, 2014 23:51:36 GMT 1
OK, it's not often you have a set of 5 songs, one of which is by Prince, and it's Prince's which is the least interesting, groundbreaking, epochal and cutting edge, but that's what we have here.
"Fade To Grey" features fellow Blitz Kid Princess Julia doing the French bits (which are the English lyrics translated, pretty much), and had it not been for an exceptionally strong British music scene would have been a nailed-on chart-topper. Visage followed up with some more excellent singles like "Mind Of A Toy" and "Night Train". The video was exquisite, simple and effective, and caused a bit of a stir at the time for being one of the more abstract clips hitherto.
"Rise" was also called "Single"; PiL were on a literalist trip at the time and you could buy all sorts of PiL memorabilia in plain white with blue Helvetica noun and PiL logo. Fitted with the whole limited company aspect of Rotten's project. It was also a magnificent single backed with a magnificent video. Lydon's stare when he sings "I could be right" makes me think he knows he's right, and I know he's right, and he knows I know he's right, and for some reason that knowledge is the most terrifying thing in the world. I still quote "anger is an energy" as an apophthegm.
"Temptation": hot on the heels of New Order's similarly titled epic, which always seemed to be bouncing around the lower 40 (without Radio 1 playing it on the chart rundown at all, this brilliant pop song came as a stark, yet colourful, contrast. Carol Kenyon's voice is just right for this - innocent originally then murderous soul queen. Came back into the top five a decade later. Gregory appeared on Band Aid, and was also part of a team that broke the record for travelling from central London to central Paris - he was (probably still is) a trained pilot.
And then "Maid Of Orleans"; the standout track on Architecture & Morality, which is all the more remarkable given that that album is all killer no filler, and I wonder whether it would have reached no. 1 had "Joan Of Arc" not been rush-released beforehand to give the album a pre-Christmas kick. When MOO came out a number of potential purchasers must have gone to get the album instead. It as the biggest selling single in Germany in 1982, perhaps to commemorate someone who did something the Germans could never do - i.e. beat the English in war...
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 13, 2014 20:21:29 GMT 1
^No pressure for my next set of 5 then ....
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 13, 2014 20:29:59 GMT 1
60 REM - Fall On Me (1986)
This USA #94 "hit" was taken from the Athens, Georgia Alt-Rockers 4th studio album, Lifes Rich Pageant. In an interview with David Fricke, singer Michael Stipe commented that the finished version of the song "is not about acid rain (which I thought it was about pre having internet). It's a general oppression song about the fact that there are a lot of causes out there that need a song that says, 'Don't smash us.' And specifically, there are references to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the guy dropping weights and feathers."
Buy the sky and sell the sky and lift your arms up to the sky And ask the sky and ask the sky
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Post by raliverpool on Mar 13, 2014 20:44:17 GMT 1
59 New Order - True Faith (1987)
Factory's Manchester based indie-electronic act wrote and recorded "True Faith" and "1963" during a 10-day studio session with producer Stephen Hague. The two songs were written as new material for New Order's first singles compilation album, Substance 1987. It was accompanied by a surreal music video directed and choreographed by Philippe Decouflé. It became one of their commercial highlights peaking at UK #4 & USA #32; going Top 10 in Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Poland, and was a sizeable hit elsewhere. On a handful of live occasions Bernard Sumner has replaced the first lines of the second verse with the lyrics "When I was a very small boy, **** **** played with me. Now that we've grown up together, he's playing with my small willy" with **** **** being the late self proclaimed King of Pop; the former host of Entertainment USA; and the late former host of Jim'll Fix it respectively.
I feel so extraordinary Something's got a hold on me I get this feeling I'm in motion A sudden sense of liberty
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