OK SO I STOLE THIS THEME (Part 1979)
A year that was so good it led Smashing Pumpkins to write a song about it. Or maybe not.
Thinking back, this was the start of the serious love affair with music.
It was the year when I was finally able to go and see bands at the Glasgow Apollo. It was the year that I worked for some 8 weeks over the summer break between 4th and 5th year at school to have some money to begin to build up a record collection. It was the year of what I thought was the first serious girlfriend…..but it didn’t last, mainly due to our tastes in music being very different. She was a disco-dolly – and while I wasn’t totally adverse to the white ice and bright lights, I was more excited by boys in bands making lots of noise with their screeching guitars and indecipherable but vaguely threatening lyrics. Oh and I also had a soft spot for Sting and his pals...
Although I subsequently lost a lot of my music from that era when the 7” singles collection sort of disappeared into a black hole (readers of old will know what I’m talking about – new folk should click here), I’ve still a bunch of LPs and 12” singles from the era, and I’ve also a fair few CDs that have been purchased, initially as replacements for the vinyl that at one point I never thought would be played again.
So its been quite tough choosing four songs to represent 1979, especially as I’m intending to use these nostalgic flashbacks to feature songs that haven’t previously been posted here. I hope these will keep you happy:-
mp3 : The Police – Message In A Bottle
mp3 : Joe Jackson – Its Different For Girls
mp3 : Earth Wind & Fire – Boogie Wonderland
mp3 : The Skids - The Saints Are Coming
I would like to have included something by The Undertones, but given this recent outburst by Fergal Sharkey, there’s a lifetime ban been imposed. Apologies to John O’Neill and the rest of the band.
Oh and while I was at the above gig, it sadly isn't my ticket stub. I never had the foresight to keep such things....
10 comments:
Dearest J.C.,
well, I would just love to know what you did with your records, also I would like to know more about Fergal's 'outburst' (haven't heard anything at all here in Germany), but alas both links are missing. Could you kindly check this, please?
Thanks very much,
Dirk
I was also about to , very politely, point out that links are missing but Dirk already has!
IMHO 1979 was one of the best ever years for music. I may only have been three years old in 1979, but it's an important year. The emergence of my fvaourite ever band The Cure, punk diversifying in all manner of exciting directions, disco producing some absolute classics, the beginning of hip-hop (not only the Sugarhill Gang, but also what about Ian Dury's Reasons to be cheerful part 3? seriously). Oh, and despite the flak that Sting and Bob Geldof have got, I genuinely think they contributed some wonderful tunes to that year too.
thanks guys.....too busy worrying aboutb the mp3 links to think about other nonsense.
Sorted now.
Phew ... didn't know good ole' Feargal had become so important ... I always thought he was an A & R scout for some major label. Let me know as soon as you receive YOUR letter, J.C. In the meantime I suggest we all should post as many Undertones - tunes as as possible ... THIS would really do Feargal's head in ... *ha ha* !
Btw: thanks for re-linking it so quickly, mate!
Twas my epiphany (whatever that is)or Road To Domestos year. Work, beer, women (the chasing of), football, music.
1979 was the year of the key to my corned beef tin of life.
You're all right of course re the artists.
But .... top of my head ...
Wot no ..
Jam, Squeeze, Stranglers, Buzzcocks, Boomtown Rats, Chic, Blondie, ELO, Tubeway Army, Joy Division, Specials, XTC, Clash, Elvis Costello, Madness, Pretenders, OMD or .. er Village People? To name but a few.
Keep up the good work jc.
I rather fancied Fleetwood Mac's Tusk and Patti Smith's Wave that year. I spun Tom Petty's Damn The Torpedoes, and Talking Heads Fear Of Music. Graham Parker's Squeezing Out Sparks was a favorite, as was Elvis Costello's Armed Forces. Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps still sticks with me. I know I am leaving some out. Oh, Rickie Lee Jones' debut!
(Others have already been mentioned, including Joe Jackson, The Pretenders, The Clash, The Police, and Squeeze.)
Just a lil' younger than yr self, Mr VV. 1979 was the year I finally started splashing cash on 7'' singles every Saturday & browsing through Smash Hits & random inkies (the occasional copy of Sounds), realising that there was life beyond the Top 40 & radio after teatime.
I still give thanks that I was introduced to the habit of blowing sweetie money on vinyl during a period where the barriers were down & you could get a pretty good auto-didactic sentimental education just from digging around the racks in Boots (being careful to note hwre the cooler older kids were hovering), buying Look-In (Gary Numan likes Ultravox!, the Human League & Throbbing Gristle, does he? Must file those names away for future reference...)& listening to Annie Nightingale after the chart rundown on Sunday evening (or watching her on the OGWT repeats in the hooray-for-Harold-Lloyd BBC2 weeknight slot).
It's certainly a one sided argument Mr Sharkey puts over. He implies the fact that 80% of musicians earn less than £5K is down to downloading. But doesn't mention artists who support downloading.
I know that people do click the links from my blog to purchase sites, both physical and download. Given that 7 Digital approached me offering me commission, I'm assuming people have bought from them. (I never took them up on the offer - I'm not doing this for cash.)
And I know that I personally have bought stuff as a result of downloading files.
You've been reading 'Popular' haven't you?
Would it be terribly cheeky of me to just mention that for the first half of 1979 I was happily developing in my Ma's womb?
It would? Ok, I'll be quiet then...
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