IT'S FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE....WITH GREAT SCOTTISH SINGLES (8)

It's been a few weeks since this series was last featured, what with Xmas Day and New Year's Day falling on Fridays. For the sake of any new readers, the idea is to use the postings on Fridays to feature some great 45s by Scottish singers and bands. So far, I've had a peek at:-

Orange Juice - L.O.V.E, Love
Friends Again - The Friends Again EP
Belle & Sebastian - Legal Man
Close Lobsters - What Is There To Smile About?
One Dove - White Love
Simple Minds - Love Song
The Valves - It Don't Mean Nothing At All

The observant among you having looked at the pic which accompanies this posting will have realised that I'm now turning my attention to something by Associates, the much loved band that in their heyday consisted of the late, great Billy Mackenzie and the great Alan Rankine.

The duo had been together since 1979, and having released two critically-acclaimed LPs, they made their commercial breakthrough in 1982 with the singles Party Fears Two and Club Country as well as the LP Sulk, all of which I adore with a passion. However, I thought for this series it would be worth turning the spotlight on their other hit single from 1982.....

There was a fair bit of pressure put on the boys by their label WEA to come up with a third hit single in a row, but rather than just cheaply throw out something with which everyone was familiar, Alan and Billy took an instrumental track called nothinginsomethingparticular from the LP, added some lyrics and expanded the tune by another 90 seconds or so and created a fantastic piece of pop:-

mp3 : Associates - 18 Carat Love Affair

However, that wasn't enough as far as the boys were concerned, so they decided it would be a double-A side single which would feature their unique take on a song that had been a #1 hit for Diana Ross back in 1976:-

mp3 : Associates - Love Hangover

These two tracks are every bit as classy as the two more famous singles and it was a scandal that the single stalled at just #21 in the charts.

Sadly, it was the last time Associates enjoyed any meaningful chart success, with Alan leaving before the end of 1982 to pursue other avenues. And while Billy continued writing and recording under the moniker Associates until 1991, none of his subsequent 45s were Top 40 hits.

Sulk was reissued on CD in 2000, and among its extra tracks were 18 Carat Love Affair and an extended version of Love Hangover. But what's on offer above is ripped from the original vinyl....and yes that is Billy lying face down and naked on the front of the sleeve.

Here, for a bit of fun, is the instrumental that would become 18 Carat Love Affair:-

mp3 : Associates - nothinginsomethingparticular

And finally..... a legendary Top Of The Pops appearance in which Alan spends the first half of the song 'strumming' on a chocolate guitar bought earlier that day from Harrods for a ridiculous sum of money, before he starts handing pieces out to the audience much to the amusement of Billy and keyboardist Martha Ladly (ex Martha & the Muffins)....he then picks up a proper guitar for the second half of the performance. Pure telly gold if you ask me.....



Happy Listening and viewing.