A Kick Through The 80s

[Guybrush]

It's been a while, but I listened quite a bit to The Specials' debut album. Too Much Too Young was my favorite track, even though it's way too long.

About Bob Geldof, I've also wondered why he's such a big celebrity. However, he did also star in Pink Floyd's The Wall movie, so a tiny trickle of popularity came from there. Maybe he did more acting gigs?

Will listen to some of those mentions when I have time 🙂

[Suburban Placeholder?]

Wow is it really almost a year since I last updated this?
Given it's taken me a whole year just to get to February, I guess that means I should finish this in .... erm 2144.
Oops.....

27th January 1980 - 2nd February 1980
At No. 1 : The Specials - Too Much Too Young E.P.

Well this week there are 12 new entries into this weeks top 75 vying for my attention, lets have a look at them.


Highest New Entry - No. 29 : The Selector - Three Minute Hero

Anything released on the Two-Tone label during 1980 or 81 are essential listening in my book. Sadly I won't get to do The Selector's debut single On My Radio which came out just a couple of months earlier at the tail end of 1979, which to this day one of my favourite singles ever.
Luckily Three Minute Hero is up there with their best.
There are virtually 6 words in the entire song. Sure there are verses with other lyrics but you don't care about those because you're waiting to hear the chorus again because it's so fucking great. I love Pauline Black as a frontwoman, she's just crackling with energy and attitude, as is the whole band.
Plus the whole song is exactly 3 minutes long... Genius.
Also I'm trying not to get in the habit of mentioning the B-sides of the singles on this list but this time I am making the exception because the flip side of this single is the band ska-ified version of the James Bond Theme with the band's other vocalist 'Gaps' Hendrickson yelling DE KILLAAAAAA ... JAMES BAAAAND over the top of it.
It's amazing. Seriously go listen to it now it's only 2.18 mins of your life.

No 30: Queen - Save Me
Dull ballad, with a moribund anthemic sing-a-long chorus, off a shit album.
The worlds most over-rated band on auto-pilot.
And I LIKE Queen........
When the hell does Dragon Attack come out?

No 37 : The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On
Thought this might be some new wave band covering the Sonny & Cher classic but it turns out it's a funk band not covering Sonny & Cher. If this song sound familiar to you it's because Will Smith ripped it.... sorry, Sampled it off wholesale for his song 'Miami'.
It is pretty great though.
This.... not Will Smith.
That cucked little bitch can do one.
God I hated that guy in the 90s.

No 58 : Symarip - Skinhead Moonstomp
During this lookback I will only be focusing on new entries, I won't be looking at songs have already charted before and been re-released (Unless they've been wildy changed and almost unrecognisable). This was original released in 1969 but never charted hence me covering it now, and boy what a trip this lot are.
So first of all don't be put off by the Skinhead connection, this is the genuine article. A band made up of proper Jamaican skinheads who immigrated to the UK in the early 60s. If the song sounds familiar, it's because The Specials version of it is currently No 1 in the charts this week.
Also this band have had loads of different names over the years. The Bees, Syramip, The Pyramids, Seven Letters, Zubaba and currently the extremely original Syramip/ Pyramid'
As for the song, you've heard it a million times, you've just forgotten the title.

No 60 : AC/DC - Touch Too Much
Eerily prophetic release by AC/DC just 2 weeks before the death of Bon Scott.
I Never really warmed to the Highway To Hell album from which this is from.
When I listen to the Bon Scott era (and Bon Scott is on my Mount Rushmore of Rock Vocalists) I prefer the rawness of Let There Be Rock or the bluesiness of Powerage. When it comes to the polished pop rock AC/DC I actually prefer Brian Johnson singing it.

No 62 : Cliff Richard - Carrie
Between 1976 & 81 Cliff Richard released some real bangers. This was when he was on fire with stuff like Devil Woman and We Don't Talk Anymore. Now I don't know enough about Cliff Richard to know if at this point in his career he had a kind of Rick Rubin / Johnny Cash type relationship with a producer making him relevant again but this is up there with his best, and we still have Wired For Sound to look forward too in the future.
Sadly after that song Cliff begins his descent through the 80s and into the 90s with nothing but crap ballads, christmas slop and God bothering.

No 64 : Errol Dunkley - Sit Down and Cry
Christ, there's a lot of reggae around this time.
I thought this might be a re-release from the 60s because of the production but was surprised to discover it was actually recorded in 1978.
Nice little reggae song with a gentle melody chugging along, Errol has a charming inoffensive voice and the whole thing is just .... well nice.
Apparently Errol is still around and released a new album just a few months ago.
Good for him.

No 70 : The Chords - Maybe Tomorrow
The Jam from Pound land
OK maybe that's a little harsh, It's alright and it is barely three minutes long which is just short enough for you to hear the whole thing before you realise you'd rather be listening to Setting Sons or Sound Affects.

No 72 : Carolyne Mas - Quote Goodbye Quote
Never heard of this woman before.
The cover for this is her in a top hat and tails giving a wide eyed stare into the camera which immediately made me think she would be some kind of Kate Bush rip off, Oh how wrong I was.
Her voice kind of reminds me of a less shouty Hazel O'Connor singing Sheena Easton style pop songs.
Actually this isn't bad, it's made me was to explore her work some more.

No 73 : Cheap Trick - Way Of The World
One of my favourite songs on the Dream Police album, which just happens to be my favourite Cheap Trick album.
C,mon, it's Cheap Trick for fuck sake you know what you're getting. Great riffs, singalong choruses and amazing melodies and harmonies.
Awesome Shit!!!!!

No 74 : Roy Ayers - Don't Stop The Feeling

That cover...
Just look at it!!!!!
You can tell what you're getting just from that.
But that's not the most interesting thing.
So Roy Ayers, respected Jazz Funk musician, been around since the early 60s. Has recorded around 50 studio albums and yet THIS was his only foray into disco. And THIS ended up being his ONLY charting hit single.
What's it like?
We'll it's fucking great, all 9 minutes of it. Just look at that cover and you can already hear it.

No 75 : The Jags - Woman's World
If you want to encapsulate 1979 or 1980 into one song this is it. Power pop with a slight touch of reggae like The Police, vocals that sound like Elvis Costello and riffs that sound like they came straight out of My Sharona.
Literally nothing original about this whatsoever, that's not to say it's bad.
Again, much like The Chords the song is over before you even get the chance to become sick of it.
Maybe that's why the late 70s and early 80s are probably my favourite period of music to look back on.

Well that was fun, I don't think i'll leave it so long til my next update 

[Trollheart]

Damn but I love your journal ideas! Mind you, I do a chart thing too, but your pisses all over mine. My own fault for not wearing rubber boots I guess. Read through it all and I want more more MORE! Come on: you know what the people want. Charge that bull! You know what I mean.
Dedicated reader here, or as the kids apparently say these days for some reason, stubbed.
Or is that subbed?
Well anyway, more please.


Oh, and by the way, as a Prince fan, let me point you in the direction of
Baby I'm A Star: The Once and Future Prince