Some excellent tracks there, Mike. Not heard any of them before, but most of 'em could have been UK hits if they'd been a bit luckier or had the right backing from record companies.
I think New Muzik got into the charts with another song; "living by numbers" (or certainly got some airplay at the time) - their albums were good, too, if I recall.
Mandy Winter should indeed by checked out by any fans of early Kate Bush.
Sal Solo and Classix Nouveau never really did it for me - they seemed a bit too derivative for my liking, but maybe I'll check out some of their stuff again. Thank God for YouTube!
A few more tracks for those who like rare and unusual material
A song from the first LP by Sarah-Jane Morris, a pity she fell out with Zomba Music and they have never re-issued it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0AwxOlYvsU
Sarah Jane Morris "Sunny" (1988)
Remember Engelbert Humberdinck from the 1960s?
In 1989 he recorded some tracks for Dieter Bohlen of "Modern Talking" "Red Roses For My Lady" (1989) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahu5rGO2sg
Loved that song and still do. I remember they did a Prince and didnt actually want to be called a name and just had a funny squiggle on the cover. !2" version is great and doesnt sound dated at all.
One I never heard on british radio but it was very popular in Ireland
Daisy Chains - "No time to stop believing in love" 1984
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I have been after that track for literally YEARS, but could never remember the track name or artist, just the tune and the rap in the middle that ends "Sayonara Tokyo"... an ex-girlfriend had that record and I loved it, but we split up before I had a chance to tape it... brilliant!
Otherwise, kudos to all for the above mentions of...
Will Powers - actually photographer Lynn Goldsmith & some musician friends - Carly Simon is the female vocalist on that track
New Muzik - Tony Mansfield looked like he was going to be another Trevor Horn for a while, producing Captain Sensible, A-Ha, Mari Wilson, even The B-52's, but it didn't last... the "From A To B" album is great.
Sal Solo - his solo career nosedived when he "came out" as a major Christian and did a lot of the Sunday music shows that were around then - "Music & You" is a nice track, but was the first casualty of his lack of "cool".
Working Week - an offshoot of a band called Weekend (see what they did there?) Their first single 'Venceremos' was wonderful, and featured Everything But the Girl's Tracy Thorn on vocals, though the inferior album version didn't...
Colourbox - great band, 'The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme' is a brilliant lost hit, but they ended up at the top of the charts as half of M/A/R/R/S with 'Pump Up The Volume'...
Comments
More good, good stuff there, pete.
Captain Sensible can do no wrong, in my book. Look how much fun he's having in Glad it's all over
And that Kinks video is great, as you say. Davies looks like the lovechild of Mark Kermode and Wilfred Brambell at the beginning!
A few more tracks for those who like rare and unusual material
New Musik - This World Of Water (1980)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qbuAa_4kks
Hugh Masekela - Don't Go Lose It Baby (1984)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQeikqBXhag&feature=fvsr
A song from the first LP by Sarah-Jane Morris, a pity she fell out with Zomba Music and they have never re-issued it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0AwxOlYvsU
Sarah Jane Morris "Sunny" (1988)
Remember Engelbert Humberdinck from the 1960s?
In 1989 he recorded some tracks for Dieter Bohlen of "Modern Talking" "Red Roses For My Lady" (1989)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahu5rGO2sg
Dieter Bohlen recorded several other people including this girl who was apparently very popular in the USSR!
"Strangers by night" - CC CATCH (1986)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W2RpFapM54
and another of her songs for those ladies who love their spiders!:)
C.C CATCH- Heaven and Hell (1986)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnv1gjloWhw&feature=related
Apparently she was very popular in the USSR.
A song by Canadian band April Wine
"Just Between You And Me" (1981)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iafnAiYDpXM
Finally for now 3 minutes of cheesy pop from 1981
Aneka "Ooh Shooby Doo Doo Lang"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipg2qlr_9Ls
View From The Hill - No Conversation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfCIFKekYq0
The actress who played Patrick's wife, Yolande, in EastEnders, was in that group
Excellent - never heard that one before though.
"Inner City Blues" (1985)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5mtH3_439s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL1h39PxInI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK13i7SHhcA
Great pop song- Shooting From My Heart- Big Bam Boo (198)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBQJK15PEe8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUbQiUv1QHo
Certainly one of the greatest songs never to be a hit in this country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rbMt2-U7TU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQpd-1-7in0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnNYpkSN4kk&ob=av2nl
Culture Club: "Time clock of the Heart" (1982)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVyj1RrMHpI
or
Basia "New Day for You" - 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T5GKHqU35Y
finally
Matt Fretton "It's So High" (1983)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJsaBKeQ89Y
Don't remember 'New Day For You' by Basia, but I did have 'Cruising For Bruising' which would have been around at that time.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPuU7oI31hc
Loved that song and still do. I remember they did a Prince and didnt actually want to be called a name and just had a funny squiggle on the cover. !2" version is great and doesnt sound dated at all.
Otherwise, kudos to all for the above mentions of...
Will Powers - actually photographer Lynn Goldsmith & some musician friends - Carly Simon is the female vocalist on that track
New Muzik - Tony Mansfield looked like he was going to be another Trevor Horn for a while, producing Captain Sensible, A-Ha, Mari Wilson, even The B-52's, but it didn't last... the "From A To B" album is great.
Sal Solo - his solo career nosedived when he "came out" as a major Christian and did a lot of the Sunday music shows that were around then - "Music & You" is a nice track, but was the first casualty of his lack of "cool".
Working Week - an offshoot of a band called Weekend (see what they did there?) Their first single 'Venceremos' was wonderful, and featured Everything But the Girl's Tracy Thorn on vocals, though the inferior album version didn't...
Colourbox - great band, 'The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme' is a brilliant lost hit, but they ended up at the top of the charts as half of M/A/R/R/S with 'Pump Up The Volume'...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFd-FuCURh0
Epic, magnificent, genius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PDmZnG8KsM
Whodini - Magic's Wand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9fjN5lUgYo&feature=fvst
:cool: