20th February 2013 “Laugh along even though they're laughing at you and the stupid things that you do”

Common People - Pulp

This is such a great mid-90‘s pop song, but I don’t think it, or Pulp, were ever really a hit in the USA. I only heard of them because one year my brother sent me the Different Class CD for Christmas and we found the occasional Pulp track on compilations we picked up when we were back in the UK. Check out the bleeped word on the video... “screw”... really? 

Jump forward to the mid-90’s and the “so bad it’s good” William Shatner cover version, which includes a great vocal by Joe Jackson (goodness knows how he kept a straight face with Shatner over-emoting next to him), and some real OTT grand finale keyboard playing by Ben Folds. 

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTMWgOduFM

http://www.boreme.com/posting.php?id=15866

“I send this smile over to you”

Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins

Good grief, this song is 20 years old!

I’m a sucker for a cello part, and “Disarm” has a great strings arrangement. Sad little song, but then again are there any cheerful songs featuring a cello? Answers on a postcard please. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1acEVmnVhI

18th February 2013 “Moving away from home, without a care in the world”

Driving Away From Home (Jim’s Tune) - It’s Immaterial

This is one of those unique little 80‘s songs that you really like, but can’t figure out why. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypadKraAb1s

“When we first met I could hardly believe the things that would happen, what we could achieve”

Best Years of Our Lives - Modern Romance

Back in the 80s music was fun, and you didn’t get more “fun” than Modern Romance. Hard to pick just one song of theirs, when you are spoilt for choice with such classics as Everbody Salsa, Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White, and the unforgettable AyAy Ay Ay Moosey. 

I picked this one though as the title is kind of appropriate as it’s our 24th Wedding Anniversary today :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i8VE0TAbF0

16th February 2013 “Standing in the shadows, where the in-crowd meet”

Time For Action - Secret Affair

Not that I ever had a clue where the in-crowd met... but how great was it to be a teenager listening to music in 1979? There were so many different styles of music out there, at the same time, in the charts. This charted around mid-September 1979, and Secret Affair, a Mod revival group, would have been rubbing shoulders with the Specials and Madness who were 2 Tone, Gary Numan who was synth, Boney M and Sister Sledge who were disco, Boomtown Rats who were New Wave, Darts who were doo-wop (I hated them), Buzzcocks who were punk and Cliff Richard and Johnny Mathis, old farts who just refused to go away. 

I am not saying they were all good, but there was certainly plenty of stuff to choose from, and I have to say that clean-cut Mods in suits made a change from scruffy gobbing punks ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=528SPxMdMUU

15th February 2013 “Hating all the faking”

Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo and the Bunnymen

Love the Bunnymen. Not quite sure what they were thinking of with this video, but the song is brilliant. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaWs79v0ugE

“He's got a crush on my best friend, but she don't care, 'cause she loves someone else"

Love’s Unkind - Donna Summer

Cast your mind back to Eastwood Comp Upper School, or as some people would reinvent it “The Hall Park School, Eastwood”. 

It’s 1977 and it’s not me, but Claire my best friend at the time who has set her sights on a hapless, shy, quiet strawberry blond boy in our year, who shall remain nameless, and apparently wasn’t in the least bit interested in her. Not sure quite how he felt about being followed around at school by giggling females,  pursued home from school by giggling females, or getting phone calls at home from females who giggled and then hung up, but I bet he was far from thrilled at being her crush.

This song always reminds me of her and him.

I can’t find a good quality version of Donna Summer performing this so you’ll have to put up with a Legs & Co Top of the Pops version. Sorry guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPJMe1SSWS0