London‘s cool post-punk indie band ELASTICA ( (1991-2001), fronted by Justine Frischmann, who played for a couple of weeks with her then-lover’s (Brett Anderson)
band Suede got a lot of attention when they the scene with a series of rad singles and
their 1995 Self-titled debut LP.
One of those singles was WAKING UP (#3 in the UK) of which the intro was exactly sounding like the riff from The Stranglers‘ 1977 hit No More Heroes. The bastards
filed a lawsuit that was in the end settled out of court.
Leeds‘ post-punk heroes GANG OF FOUR were soundwise, one of the most inventive bands of the late 70s/80s. Jon King‘s poignant voice, Andy Gill‘s groundbreaking guitar style (copied by many), Dave Allen’s rolling bass riffs, and Hugo Burnham‘s steadfast drumming combined was quite spectacular.
They released (with different line-ups) 9 studio LPs between 1979 and 2019.
Their most famous still is their 1979 debut ENTERTAINMENT!. An impactful record
heavily influenced by Situationism, feminism, and the effect of alienation on personal
life. It peaked at #45 in the UK at the time, but as the group gained countless fans over
the years, the album kept on selling.
It featured their stupefying debut single DAMAGED GOODS,
which came out on 13 October 1978 – 45 years ago.
BLONDIE released the irresistibly
catchy single DREAMING back in 1979,
It was the opener of their 4th LP Eat To The Beat. It was written
by Chris Stein and Debbie Harry, partially inspired by ABBA’s 1976
monster hit Dancing Queen.
Great voice, great songwriter, and ultimate pin-up rock star.
When I met you in the restaurant
You could tell I was no debutante
You asked me what’s my pleasure
“A movie or a measure?”
I’ll have a cup of tea
And tell you of my
Dreamin’, dreamin’ is free
Dreamin’, dreamin’ is free
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, one of my all-time fav bands (well I guess,
having seen them live 28 times – so far – makes you a fan) fronted by
the charismatic loudmouth Ian McCulloch released the brilliant stand-alone
single NEVER STOP 40 years ago (July 1983).
It peaked at #15 on the UK Singles chart.
The bunnies performed the song on the legendary
British music TV Show Top Of The Pops.
The single’s sleeve with the wrongly titled ‘What Did I Get’
Manchester’s pop-punk heroes BUZZCOCKS where pretty
unique with their high-energy and infectious sound.
With WHAT DO I GET, written by the late great Pete Shelley, they
hit the UK Charts for the first time, peaking at #37. The single was
released 45 years ago, in 1978.
In this video they look like a 60s beat band on speed.
Boston‘s power pop legends BELLY fronted by the wonderful voice Tanya Donelly (stepsister of Kristin Hersch) released their magnificent
debut LP STAR 30 years ago, in Jan 1993.
The deliciously catchy lead single FEED THE TREE jumped to the top
of the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and peaked at #32 in the UK.
Quite spectacular for starters.
Donelly said the song was a metaphor about commitment and respect,
with the tree being a place on a large farm where a family would be buried.
Pitchfork wrote: “The song takes advantage of Donelly’s talent for punching holes
in the wall with a killer chorus. Tom Gorman’s serpentine riff coils around the verses
while bassist Fred Abong and drummer Chris Gorman keep their rhythms flippy-floppy.
Welsh legend TOM JONES (born Thomas Jones Woodward 73 years ago)
topped the UK Album Charts 55 years ago today, on 10 August 1968
with his LP, titled Delilah.
I guess half of the world knows the title track (my father loved it) that
got him a number one in several countries, despite the song’s story about
a man killing his woman with a knife because she left him for someone else.
The song was written by Barry Mason and Les Reed.
I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window
I saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind
She was my woman
As she deceived me, I watched and went out of my mind
My, my, my, Delilah Why, why, why, Delilah I could see, that girl was no good for me But I was lost like a slave that no man could free
At break of day when that man drove away, I was waiting I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door She stood there laughing I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more
My, my, my, Delilah Why, why, why, Delilah So before they come to break down the door Forgive me Delilah, I just couldn’t take anymore She stood there laughing I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more
My, my, my, Delilah Why, why, why, Delilah So before they come to break down the door Forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn’t take anymore
In April 1968 he sang his hit on the legendary American Ed Sullivan Show.
The Stones played the legendary Marquee Club in London in 1971 to shoot
some promo footage. One of the set’s songs was DEAD FLOWERS from their
magnum opus Sticky Fingers.
An utterly cool Stones momentum and
fantastic guitar play by Mick Taylor.
