It's now been 50 years since 'The Pres' first made noise. To celebrate, here's the first part of my "50 At 50" podcast mix that can be found at
John Miles - Music
This song says it all. First released in 1976 and taken from the album 'Rebel'. It showcases all of Miles' talents, playing piano, guitar and keyboards on the track as well as composing the song. It's a fine example of how a good pop song should be written and I always find it incredibly interesting to listen to, with it's lush orchestration and simplicity of lyrics.
Altered Images - Happy Birthday
Probably the best 'birthday song' ever (with the possible exception of The Sugarcubes 'Birthday') this showcases the lovely Clare Grogan's giggly girl vocals and appeared on their first, identically titled album in 1981. it has a particular memory for me as I was working at HMV at the time, and a fellow co-worker loved this album and played it every time it was his turn 'on the rota'. Not only must I have heard this track a hundred times, but edited versions of the song also appeared as an intro and outro to the album - it drove me mad at the time, but now it reminds me of the great times I had there.
Tourists - I Only Want To Be With You
Annie Lennox's band before the Eurythmics was a real favourite of mine. I used to play it at all the parties I had as a teenager. it was at one of these drunken festivities, to this track, that I first danced with a cute girl called Jill who was going out with another of my friends at the time. Four years later, in 1983, it became the first dance at our wedding, and we still play it occasionally now. The single reached number 4 in the charts, coincidentally the Bay City Rollers and Dusty Springfield had reached the same position with their own versions, but ex-page 3 girl Samantha Fox, broke the trend when her version, deservedly, only reached number 16 in 1989.
Stealer's Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You
For my twelfth birthday in 1973, I took my new shiny coins to 'Rumbelows' in our high street to purchase my very first seven inch single. I had heard Neil Sedaka performing 'Standing On the Inside' on TV and was determined to make it my first purchase. Fortunately, my nervousness took over when faced with the huge record counter and the long haired 'adult' that confronted me, demanding what record I wanted. I glanced at the Top 20 board for inspiration - it was 'Doing something somewhere' I nervously thought - and spurted out 'Stuck In the Middle' when my eyes glanced upon the title. Masking my disappointment when I got home, I nonetheless quite enjoyed the Stealer's Wheel track and played it to death until I was able to afford the Neil Sedaka single. As my tastes in music developed, I began to realise what a fortunate error had occurred as I have now been forever able to claim that this was my first single, and not the MOR Sedaka track that no-one has ever heard! Every few years it comes to my attention again, in the 90s when Reservoir Dogs became a hit movie, and more recently with the sad death of Gerry Rafferty (see other post). It still remains one of those great songs that can stand repeated plays.
Art Of Noise - Close To The Edit
It's probably my second favourite track of all time (my first will be revealed later), Art of Noise were the first group to appear on Trevor Horn's ZTT label in the 80s and I loved them. I always admired artists that tried something different with music and AON certainly did that! Nods towards other genres, humour and perfect melodies were all intrinsic to their releases, and although they lost their way somewhat with their later, ambient, sounds they still remain one of the most innovative bands that ever existed, and still vastly underrated.
XTC - This Is Pop
Anyone who knows me will know that XTC are my favourite band. From the first time I heard 'This Is Pop' in my friend Steve's house, I was hooked. With Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding at the helm, they are probably the only band that have travelled through punk, new wave, folk, psychedelic and indie, with most stops in between, and still kept their distinctive approach and sound throughout. Perhaps it's because I've grown up with Andy and co, but there hasn't been a sole XTC song that hasn't meant something to me in my life. The early punk days mirrored my teenage angst, their album releases have developed my interest in all genres of music from classical and jazz to pop and rock, and the specific lyrics that have reflected my own views on life fromtitles like 'Respectable Street' to 'Pink Thing'. They were also a great live band until Andy 'retired' from touring in the early 80s and their videos were always entertaining.
Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
I know.... but at the time my love of Bucks Fizz was tempered by my equal love of Motorhead and encouraged by my admiration of the young Cheryl Baker and the 'sexy but nasty' image of Jay Aston. They became the only band that I was keen enough to join their fan club, and have seen, in various line-ups, live many times. It was mainly to annoy my Hells Angels friends that I hung around with at the time, and I certainly had a perverse pleasure in liking something that every other adult seemed to hat, but after winning the Eurovision in 1981, they released several fine pop albums that should not be ignored, if only as an example of how pure pop songs should be made. There's a lot of 'pop' artists around today who could learn a lot from this lot!
Spice Girls - Stop
I've been to many concerts over the years, but the one at Wembley Arena, just prior to Geri leaving the line-up was one of the most memorable. Not only for the great time I had with my fellow attendee, but also because I had never experienced so many excitable teenage girls in one place at one time. Along with a few 'dragged-along-honestly' Dads and many, many gays, the whole event had such a party atmosphere, and when 'Stop' was performed no-one could resist the arm-waving dance moves that went along with it - myself included! One knew that this type of mania couldn't last, but I was glad to be there whilst it did.
Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl
Before the Jordan Experience - Mr Andre was a half-decent pop star. His first big hit in the summer of '96 was to be heard everywhere, including the school field where my son was having his first sports day, and as I shaded my new born daughter from the blistering sun, this track was played over the school's tannoy. I bounced her to the music, and she smiled back. Many sleepless nights were then avoided as I found that the song, sung quietly whilst rocking, sent her back to sleep. She detests the thought now, but it will be forever recalled in my head as her song!
Right Said Fred - Deeply Dippy
And to further embarrass my offspring, here's the song that did the same thing for my son back in '92. It could have been worse - a year earlier their big hit was 'I'm Too Sexy' - now that would be just wrong!
Rubinoos - I Think We're Alone Now
In the late 70s I was really into collecting independent record labels. It was in the days when a record label would, more or less, stick with a certain style of music, so that you could basically guarantee that anything that appeared on the label would be of interest. Along with Stiff, and later Mute and ZTT, another label that appealed to me was Beserkley. The home of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers, the label had a great roster that included Greg Kihn, Earthquake, The Spitballs and this little known power pop band - the Rubinoos. I loved this version of an old sixties American hit when it was released. So much so that my band (Square Root???) performed our own cover of it. For years I was proud of covering such an obscure and relatively unheard song, and then in 1988, something terrible happened. A teenage brat with a nasal drone that some people called a voice, took the song to the very top of the UK charts. In one single release, Tiffany had destroyed any hopes of that demo ever getting looked at twice on an A&R managers desk! I hate you Tiffany - (I still think the song is great though!)
Wings - Magneto And Titanium Man
It was the mid 70's, and I was travelling home from some visit to some Aunt or Uncle in the back of my Dad's car. I had been reading a comic and trying to ignore, for a good 40 minutes, my father's 8 track stereo pumping out 'the Greatest hits Of Country & Western', when my Dad decided to play a new cassette that he had been given by a colleague at work. At first, I wasn't that interested in the cod-rock musings of someone that used to be in the Beatles, but then this! Not only was it quite a modern sounding song, but it was singing about two characters that I had just been reading about in my comic books. To my young brain, music had never been so relevant to me before, and made me view my father in a completely new light.
Eliza Doolittle - Skinny Genes
Every year since 1977, I have compiled my own Top 100 singles of the year for my own amusement - (I didn't become President of the Sad F'ers by accident you know!). To bring things up to date, here's my favourite track from last year. It took a while to get into dear Eliza's wispy musings, but after three singles, I am completely hooked. I hope the follow up album is as good.
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