One of my favourite songs back in 1979:-mp3 : The Members - The Sound Of The Suburbs
At the time, I thought it was a great punk record and I used to play it really loud just to annoy the hell out of my old man. Looking back on it now, it was really nothing more than glorified pub-rock with a cracking shout-a-long chorus. Not all that far removed from the sort of stuff that brought fame and fortune to Sham 69.
But quite clearly, us kids love it cos it spoke to us all about how miserable and bring life was and collectively we dragged into into the pop charts where it reached #12 in the spring of 1979.
The follow-up single was one that I bought without ever hearing...and that's the cover pictured above. At the time I hated it......I had no idea what the hell it was about, and to be honest I didn't really care. Oh and the tune also annoyed me as it reminded me of Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc more than anything else. History shows that it was all just ahead of its time.....and by maybe around 1985, I realised that it was a genuine classic:-
mp3 : The Members - Offshore Banking Business
Trivia facts. The drummer in the band got his brother to produce some of the earliest material recorded by The Members. The drummer was Adrian Lillywhite...his brother's name was Steve....and he went on to become one of the best-known and biggest-earning producers in the 80s and 90s. Oh and he also married Kirsty MacColl.
Offshore Banking Business was a top 40 hit, and many of the lyrics were courtesy of JC Carroll who had been a trainee merchant banker before joining the band. The band never enjoyed any further chart success with any of their five subsequent singles.
3 comments:
'Sound Of The Suburbs' has enjoyed huge longevity in my clusterfuck of a head.
Only yesterday I cogitated it as I mowed the lawn. Sad, but true.
There must have been dozens of songs about Suburbia over the years I mused. But only that one and 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' by The Monkies seem to ensnare the mood for me. (With perhaps 'Little Boxes' - but that's on a different level).
Funny how we can now see both sides of the story - from frustrated young man to old(ish) man.
I even washed the car today whilst Sunday dinner simmered. Mrs Green was so proud due to her roses being in bloom and Mr Green really does have a TV in every room.
Consider: ..
Same old boring Sunday morning, old mans out washing the car.
Mums in the kitchen cooking Sunday dinner, her best meal moaning while it lasts,
Johnnys upstairs in his bedroom sitting in the dark,
Annoying the neighbours with his punk rock electric guitar.
And ..
Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Here in status symbol land.
Mothers complain about how hard life is
And the kids just don't understand.
Creature comfort goals -
They only numb my soul and make it hard for me to see.
My thoughts all seem to stray, to places far away,
I need a change of scenery.
I also bought 'Offshore Banking Business' on the back of 'Suburbs' but don't recall giving it a spin for decades.
By the way, I re-discovered The Mambers 'Working Girl' (thanks to our circle of love) and love it to bits now.
Sorry to go on JC et al ... but to Comment is the least I can do in a bid to tip my hat toward your enthusiasm.
DVD please do not take this the wrong way I read your comment & it depressed the hell out of me is this banal life you portray all that is left for me ?
But no salvation is at hand I found it in the excellent Life is like a song when I listened to Baz Luhrmann "Do something every day that scares you " at least doing this I will feel alive!
Son of the rock.
Loved the Members. Loved their 80s "hit" "Radio." Cool tune!
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