I'll Be Back

Well my Internet company keep cutting me off, then putting me back on after talking to them (they keep asking for money I don't have), but they told me this morning my temporary stay of execution was ending in a few minutes, but as I'm writing here now I'm obviously still on, although I guess it's only till midnight?
Anyway I will hopefully be back on the net in the not too distant future, and if nothing else it'll give me time to go through another pile of vinyl like the last time I was cut off a few weeks back, without my usual net distractions :)
Also a long overdue back up of about three years worth of music and stuff (those external hard drives are brilliant but it's a hell of a lot to lose if one goes wrong).

So hopefully see ya soon :)

Tubeway Army - Down In The Park

Bought this one just after "friends" it had actually been released before Numan had his first chart success.
Also from the Replicas album, this is as good as the other one and should have been a hit.

The record is slightly crackly and the cover worse for wear due to me hawking it around at boot sales for years trying to sell it but not willing to drop it to a giveaway price (a sign that I really didn't want to get rid of it) :)

Down In The Park
Do You Need The Service?

Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric

Every now and again you hear a record which just stands out from the crowd, at the time this was the one.
So different from anything else around, and obviously I wasn't the only one who thought this as it hit number One.
Don't think Gary Numan ever bettered this.

Are 'Friends' Electric?
We Are So Fragile

Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star

Mean, moody, magnificent I love this tune.
The sound of the early eighties, out around the same time as Ultravox's Vienna it had the same feel.
Shame they ended up as another one hit wonder.

I'm In Love With A German Film Star
(Don't Talk To Me) I'm Shy

Mobiles - Drowning In Berlin

Another one hit wonder from the early eighties in the same vein as the Passions song.
Not as keen on this one so didn't buy it at the time (this is the wife's copy), although I seem to have quite a few tunes with fairground music crowbarred into them :)

Drowning In Berlin
Tiptoe In Paradise

Kate Bush - Army Dreamers

It's Kate again :)
My second favourite cover pic and one of her finest tracks.
Wasn't a fan of the video though as the army uniform didn't do it for me and the blinking in time with the click sound was a bit annoying, much prefer her swanning around in her ballet style.
As for the B-side Delius is a lovely tune and Passing through the air is a good track and is welcome bonus third track on the single.

Army Dreamers
Delius
Passing Through Air

Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again

Here's Kate's Christmassy tune.
Who'd have guessed at the time she would have one more hit in this golden period and then disappear for years, the first of several long breaks she would have.
Only thing I have against this record is it doesn't have a picture of Kate on the front :)

Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again
Kate Bush - Warm And Smooth

Primitives - Secrets

A more "poppy" sound on this one, failed to hit the chart in the UK but went top 20 in the States (according to Wiki).
The 2 track B-side is another of these misleading ones that tells you on the cover it's a 45rpm and when you play it and hear Pinky and Perky singing you realise it's a 33rpm, should have posted those as well as they seem to be popping up on assorted rap tunes recently :)
This came in a gatefold sleeve.

Secrets
I Almost Touched You
Secrets (Demo)

Primitives - Sick Of It

Certainly not the most famous band to come out of Coventry but I liked them :)
Another great slice of fast paced pop which did well over the pond.

Sick Of It
Noose

Primitives - Out Of Reach

The follow up to Crash released shortly after didn't get as much airplay so tends to be forgotten by most.
The B-side sounds a bit rough according to the sleeve it was "recorded from the audience Glasgow college of art March 88 maybe stereo" so it was probably meant to, it's not often you hear that authentic bootleg sound on an official release.

Out Of Reach
Really Stupid (Live)

Primitives - Crash

From the late eighties here are four singles by the Primitives.
First up is their most famous song Crash, which is probably the only song most non fans will remember by them although they did gain some chart success with follow-up's over 88/89.

Crash
I'll Stick With You

Red Box - For America + Lean On Me

Here's both of Red Box's top ten singles, For America was the catchy follow up to Lean on me.

For America
R'n A

Lean On Me
Stinging Bee

Clash - London Calling

Brilliant song which is my second favourite Clash track.
The last release of the Seventies, and sadly in my opinion the last of the golden period.
The B Armagideon is a classic in it's own right

London Calling
Armagideon Time

Clash - Tommy Gun

This was the follow up to White Man and reached number 19 in the UK (making it the first Clash top 20 single amazingly).
Another one of those "what did he sing" tracks, although it never mattered because it just sounded so great :)
The B side is one that grew on me, I hated it at the time as it was a bit rockabilly but that just demonstrates the variation of styles used by the Clash.

Tommy Gun
1-2 Crush On You

Clash - White Riot

Where it all began from early 1977, both tracks less than 2 minutes which in my opinion made it a perfect "in your face" song.

Cheated slightly on the cover as this came in a boring plain white sleeve.
I always wonder how people got the picture sleeves as every record shop in my area only ever seemed to stock these early ones in the plain white covers or those with the record company logo (as above), picture sleeves became more commonplace around 1978.

Clash - White Riot
Clash - 1977

Clash - Complete Control

Although I'd heard White Riot, to me the Clash were just another of the hundreds of bands around at the time knocking out these short sharp blasts of energy that were making buying records a pleasure.
Then along came this and it became the greatest punk song I'd heard (and still is).
The B side always makes me think "X Ray Spex" when it starts

I'm sort of ashamed that despite listening to this song about a thousand times I never actually knew the proper lyrics, so thanks to John Liedown for pointing them out :)

Complete Control
The City Of The Dead

Skids - Sweet Suburbia

The Skids first outing on Virgin which I think might have reached the lower part of the chart (which is probably why I bought it, as all my local shops only stocked the top 50 at most), A forerunner to their golden period.

Sweet Suburbia
Open Sound

New Order - Round And Round

Another New Order single for you, this one came from a boot sale.
The B side is I'm guessing the theme tune for the George Best and Rodney Marsh TV show that was around at the time, two ex footballers who showed clips and talked about footie with the audience (any Americans who read this might remember them as they were playing in the states during the late seventies in the NASL which tried to introduce the Americans to "soccer".

Round And Round
Best And Marsh

New Order - Fine Time

One more New Order :)
I ended up with two copies of this so I must have liked it, not in the same class as Blue Monday, True Faith and Thieves but pretty good in it's own right.

Fine Time
Don't Do It

Arrested Development - People Everyday

Could never figure out why this was called People Everyday when he sings Everyday People?
Just a happy tune from the early nineties.

People Everyday (Metamorphis Radio Edit)
People Everyday (Metamorphis Radio Version)

UB40 - If It Happens Again

The last of my UB40's you might be glad to hear :)
I originally had this on 12" but sold it on without recording that version :(
Here is the 7" which is not quite as good but still ranks at the higher end of my UB40 favourites.

If It Happens Again
Nkomo A Go-Go

UB40 - Higher Ground

I dug this out fearing the worst, it's a record I picked up in a job lot and having totally forgotten it I guessed it was another dodgy cover version that UB40 have sadly become more famous for than their excellent early stuff.
As it turns out it's an original and not bad at that, the B side Chronic is mainly Instrumental featuring a lot of horns and is also good :)

Higher Ground
Chronic

Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town

An all time classic song from Thin Lizzy, I'm sure everyone has this one but have you heard the equally brilliant B-side Emerald which could have been a notable single in it's own right.

The Boys Are Back In Town
Emerald