June 1978. The Queen knights Freddie Laker, who helped pioneer discount transatlantic air travel. Laker Airlines would go bankrupt four years later. A high-profile entrepreneur meets the Queen and then everything goes downhill. Some might be hoping history will soon repeat itself. Meanwhile, these were the high flyers on the British music scene.
40 - “Up Against the Wall,” The Tom Robinson Band
The London band’s third and final hit was this blast of punk about the unrest and unease felt by much of British youth at the time. The genuine sound of an awakening. It may not have led to a revolution, but for these three-and-a-half minutes, you can pretend it did.
39 - “Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs,” Brian and Michael
Our second look at this gentle folk tune about an artist who painted working class Manchester. Cheesy, but hard to dislike.
38 - “Rosalie,” Thin Lizzy
The Lizz’s sixth hit was this rocker about a girl who loves music and doesn’t take shit. Great to rock out to while imagining this lady while lamenting that should she exist, she’s way out of your league
37 - “Beautiful Lover,” Brotherhood of Man
The last Top 40 for the fraternity de fromage was this disco/schlager number about an allegedly passionate affair in Brazil. The performance doesn’t convey that at all. I would describe it as “DRABBA.”
36 - “Making Up Again,” Goldie
Not to be confused with the 90s trip-hop artist, this Newcastle band was formed by Dave Black, a former guitarist with David Bowie’s Spiders From Mars. Their only hit was this pop-rock trifle about a hot and cold relationship. I expected more from Black’s pedigree than watered-down Smokie. Ziggy would not approve.
35 - “Angels with Dirty Faces,” Sham 69
The Hersham boys’ first hit was this punk track that continues on the genre’s dominant themes of youth alienation and rebellion. The spirited performance and shoutalong chorus put it in the top quarter of its class.
34 - “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” Blue Oyster Cult
The dark classic about the seductive power of death finally cracked the British Top Twenty two years after it was a North American Top Ten. The Reaper was persistent, and finally convinced the U.K. to become like they are. All our times do come.
33 - “She’s So Modern,” The Boomtown Rats
The Dubliners’ third hit was this speedy rocker about the young women of the day and their cunningly flirty ways. Loud, wild , inconsequential fun.
32 - “Miss You,” The Rolling Stones
The disco-rocker about Mick avoiding temptation in New York missed the Triple Crown by two places here. What’s the matter with you, Britain?
31 - “Loving You Has Made Me Bananas,” Guy Marks
Philadelphia native Mario Scarpa was a popular nightclub and television performer in the 50s and 60s, with an act incorporating music, comedy, and impressions. This 1968 single became an unlikely hit here ten years later. It’s an odd record that parodies the sort of live-from-a-hotel-ballroom broadcasts of performances by big band crooners that were staples of 30s and 40s radio. The introduction of the song is deadpanly silly, and the song itself is passionately sung nonsense about scarves, matches, and iodine. Wonderfully surreal. This is the stuff that cries out for an Uneasy Rider.
30 - “Let’s All Chant,” The Michael Zager Band
The New Jersey native’s group’s biggest hit would be just as great a parody of disco as “Loving You Has Made Me Bananas” is of jazz-pop cheese, but it seems clear that all those “ooh-ah, ooh-ah!”s and “Work your body”s were deadly serious. It was a bigger hit over here, going Top Ten, but it lingers on anywhere people are looking fondly back at the days of leisure suits and cocaine.
29 - “Never Let Her Slip Away,” Andrew Gold
Our second look at the charming love lark by the guy behind “Lonely Boy” and “Thank You for Being a Friend.” This is how you capture romantic happiness sincerely and without smarm. It’s hard to do. This should be in the syllabus of any pop songwriting course.
28 - “It Sure Brings Out the Love in Your Eyes,” David Soul
Hutch’s last hit in his future adopted homeland was this disco ballad about suspecting your lover still has a thing for her ex. The production and arrangement seem like deliberate imitations of Gibb brothers creations, particularly “If I Can’t Have You.” Unfortunately, the only Soul on this record is in the artist credit on the label.
27 - “Annie’s Song,” James Galway
Belfast-born flautist Galway has performed with symphony orchestras, interpreted songs from The Wall in Berlin with Roger Waters, and played on the scores for the Lord of the Rings films. His one big single was this instrumental cover of John Denver’s 1974 Triple Crown winner. It just sounds like the original track with Denver’s vocals subbed out for flute. It’s not an improvement. Just Muzak with a pedigree.
26 - “Pump it Up,” Elvis Costello
EC’s third hit was this slamming, danceable rock tidal wave about consuming, rapacious lust. It could be used as a fight song, a headbanger (registering a 4 on the ‘Ometer), or a noise to crawl into for a sulk. It’s his crowning achievement.
25 - “The Day the World Turned Day-Glo,” X-Ray Spex
Led by dynamic and striking frontwoman Poly Styrene, the Kent-born daughter of a Scottish mother and a Somali father, this band contributed much in their brief heyday, including the idea that a saxophone could be punk. The first of their three Top 40s was this roaring vision of society transforming into a brightly coloured synthetic nightmare. Angry, scary, and wonderful. The only sad thing this brings to mind is the fact that their greatest and most famous single, the consumerism-as-S&M howl “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!” didn’t even chart.
24 - “On a Little Street in Singapore,” The Manhattan Transfer
The jazz vocal combo’s fifth hit was this version of a 40s song about finding love in Asia. You can hear the modern production, but otherwise it’s not far removed from the objects of Guy Marks’ satirization. I like that track more and more all the time.
23 - “Automatic Lover,” Dee D. Jackson
Oxford native Deirdre Cozier had her first and biggest hit with this bit of sci-fi disco about having sex with a robot. Well, that is what it’s about. Hey, I didn’t write it. It’s like a straight-faced version of “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper,” which, of course, makes it funnier.
22 - “Davy’s on the Road Again,” Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
The Earth Band’s second and last Top Ten was this cover of a song by The Band about a heartbroken drifter. A fine tune given a good go, but I anticipate even better things from the original.
21 - “Nice n’ Sleazy,” The Stranglers
The fifth hit for the Surrey punks was this lusty, synthesizer-decorated slow burner. Of the bands in this wave of the genre, these guys were the most skeevy-sounding. They had a niche, and they filled it impeccably.
In Part Two: football, French, and flying objects.
No comments:
Post a Comment