I am not a huge fan of lilty, high pitched, falsetto singing voices on men, or women....so I was never much into singer Jimmy Somerville and his band Bronski Beat. However, I did enjoy some of the covers of dance tracks that he sang with his new band The Communards. They covered some great dance classics like Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way" and The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye".
The thing that amazed me back in the 80's was that Jimmy Somerville was living his life "out", and very unapoligettically gay. Things were still pretty different back then. In order not to offend mainstream audiences, other singers and bands who were clearly gay had to be secretive or coy about it, mask it, remake their videos in the U.S. to be "less gay", and come right out in interviews denying they were gay (I'm thinking.... Boy George of Culture Club, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Jermaine Stewart, and George Michael of Wham! are some that come to mind). Not Jimmy Somerville....he looked gay, he sounded gay, and he wasn't hiding it. That alone was something kinda shocking and different for the 80's. It was an honest move!
The Communards were an English band that formed in 1985 after lead singer Jimmy Somerville left his previous band, Bronski Beat and teamed up with Dave Renwick (bass), and Richard Coles. Coles was a classically trained pianist, but he played other instruments too, and had even played clarinet on Bronski Beat’s song "It Ain’t Necessarily So". Renwick had also played with Bronski Beat.
James "Jimmy" William Somerville was born in 1961. His background is Scottish. In 1983 he had co-founded the band Bronski Beat whose biggest hit single was "Smalltown Boy" (a song about a gay male who leaves his hostile small town for the big city). Bronski Beat had numerous number one hits in the U.K. As mentioned above, he left Bronski Beat in 1985 and formed The Communards.
In 1985 The Communards single "You Are My World" hit #30 on the U.K. Top 30 hit list. In 1986 they realized their biggest hit with their cover of Harold Melvin and the Blue Note’s "Don’t Leave Me This Way". Thelma Houston had also done a disco cover of this song back in the 1970’s, and The Communards version was their own take of the Houston version of this song. The Communards "Don’t Leave Me This Way" became one of the biggest selling singles in the U.K. in 1986 and spent four weeks at #1. The song also crossed over to the U.S. They had another U.K. Top 10 hit with "So Cold the Night", but the single was not big in the U.S.
Somerville also sang background vocals on the Fine Young Cannibals song "Suspicious Minds" (my favorite by them! I did not know this before, prior to researching for 80’s Quest!)
The band released their second album, Red, in 1987. This album featured a cover of the Jackson 5 song "Never Can Say Goodbye". 70’s disco singer Gloria Gaynor had also covered in this song, and again, it was this disco version that The Communards based their rendition off of. The song reached #4 on the charts (I’m not sure if that means U.K. or U.S…). They released a second single from the album in 1988 called "There’s More to Love" which became their last hit.
The band dissolved in 1988 and Jimmy Somerville set off on a solo career. In 1989 he participated in the second Band Aid project (Band Aid was a conglomeration of bands and singers popular in England who came together in 1984 to record a Christmas album, "Do They Know It’s Christmas" whose proceeds could be used to aid the famine in Ethiopia - see January 20th 80’s Quest post). In 1989 he also released an album, Read My Lips, on which he covered Sylvester’s disco hit "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and The Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody". In 1991 he participated in the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot & Blue which benefited AIDS research. That same year he worked with Caroline Buckley and Sally Hebert of the band Banderas (they had been his backing musicians in The Communards) providing background vocals on their album. In 1992 he acted in the 1992 film of Virginia Woolf’s "Orlando", and in 1998 appeared in another movie, "Looking for Langston" and on an episode of a science fiction television series called "Lexx". He recorded more solo work from 1995-2005. In 2009 he released a solo album called Suddenly Last Summer which contained acoustic cover songs. The album was originally only available as a digital download, but in 2010 a limited edition of 3,000 CD’s were sold in the U.K. In 2011 Somerville released an EP of dance songs called Bright Thing.
Richard Coles followed a religious path. He began writing for Catholic Herald and then became ordained in the Church of England. He became the curate of St. Botolph’s (The Stump) in Boston, Lincolnshire England and then an assistant priest at St. Paul’s Knightsbridge. He was also the chaplain at the Royal College of Music. In 2011 he became the Vicar of Finedon in Northamptonshire, England. He can be heard regularly on radio in the U.K. on the Saturday Morning BBC Radio 4 program, "Saturday Live".
Lyrics:
Don't leave me this way
I can't survive, I can't stay alive
Without your love, oh baby
Don't live me this way
I can't exist, I will surely miss
Your tender kiss
So don't leave me this way
Oh baby, my heart is full of love and
desire for you
So come on down and do what
you've got to do
Your started this fire down in my soul
Now can't you see it's burning, out of
control
So come on down and satisfy the
need in me
Cos only your good loving can set me
free
Don't leave me this way
I don't understand how I'm at your
command
So baby please don't leave me this
way.
Don't leave me this way
Cos I can't exist
I will surely miss
Your tender kiss
So don't leave me this way
Oh baby, my heart is full of love and
desire for you...
Don't leave me this way
Cos I can't survive, I can't stay alive
Without your love, oh baby
Don't live me this way
I can't exist, I will surely miss
Your tender kiss
So don't leave me this way
Oh baby, my heart is full of love and
desire for you...
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This song reminds me of two things: High School Dances (it was one of THE best slow dance songs), and weeping over lost relationships when this song came on the air. Lyrically it very honest. It is a sad and beautifully written song.
Lyrics:
Lady, morning's just a moment away
And I'm without you once again
You laughed at me
You said you never needed me
I wonder if you need me now
So many dreams that flew away
So many words we didn't say
Two people lost in a storm
Where did we go?
Where'd we go?
We lost what we both had found
You know we let each other down
But then most of all
I do love you
Still!
We played the games that people play
We made our mistakes along the way
Somehow I know deep in my heart
You needed me
'cause I needed you so desperately!
We were too blind to see
But then most of all
I do love you
Still!
The original members of The Commodores met one another as freshmen in 1968 at a Tuskegee University (then called Tuskegee Institute) talent show. They originally called themselves The Mystics, but used a dictionary to find a new name. The agreed to open the dictionary and randomly pick out a word. Member William King stated in People Magazine, "We lucked out. We almost became The Commodes!"
The band started out playing cover songs at local Tuskegee parties and fraternities. They were known as a funky party band. Their influences were Sly and the Family Stone and The Bar-Kays. Their original singer, James Ingram (not the famous R&B singer, he just had the same name) was their original lead singer, but he left the band to serve in the military in Vietnam. Walter "Clyde" Orange came on board as the new singer. When Lionel Richie joined the band, he and Orange shared lead singer duties.
In 1969 The Commodores piled in a van and drove to Harlem, NYC to seek summer gigs. It didn’t take very long before their equipment was stolen, and then sold back to them. They persevered and got a gig at a club called Small’s Paradise. At Small’s they met businessman, Benny Ashburn, who became their manager. They signed to Atlantic Records and released a single, but it didn’t chart.
They moved on to Motown Records, where they were signed in 1971. Their first two year under contract they toured as the opening band for The Jackson Five. It took until 1974 for The Commodores to finally record at Motown because they didn’t conform to the stylish, polished Motown look and style.
Their first three album releases Caught in the Act, Movin’ On, and Hot On the Tracks were very danceable and funky. Their major hit from this period was the song "Brick House which went to #5 on the U.S. charts.
All members of the band had been writing songs, but Richie evolved to become the main songwriter. Thereafter the band’s sound became softer and ballad-driven. In 1977 they recorded the song "Easy" which climbed to #4 on the charts and became their biggest selling hit. They had their first #1 song in 1978 with "Three Times a Lady". In 1979 their song "Sail On" rose to #5 in 1979, followed by their next hit "Still". In 1981 "Oh No" and "Lady (You Bring Me Up) both were top ten hits.
In 1978 The Commodores appeared in the disco movie, "Thank God It’s Friday". Their songs "Brick House" and "Easy" were played in the movie, and the band performed the song "Too Hot ta Trot" during the dance contest portion.
Lionel Richie began working on side projects. He wrote a song for Kenny Rogers, and dueted with Diana Ross on the theme song for the movie "Endless Love". In 1982 he released a self-titled solo album that included the hit song "Truly". Shortly thereafter Richie left The Commodores to pursue a solo career, and the singer from Heatwave, James Dean "J.D." Nicholas, joined the band sharing lead vocals with Orange. After Richie’s departure the band never achieved the same level of success they had previously, although they did have a hit in 1984, "Nightshift" which won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
As time went on, the group’s founding members began leaving the band for various reasons such as pursuing solo careers, moving, joining other bands, etc.
In 1986 The Commodores left Motown Records and signed with Polydor for two records. More members began left the group and only three members remained (Orange, Nicholas, and William King). They founded Commodore Records and began releasing compilations of previously released material and hits that
Lyrics:
Lady, morning's just a moment away, And I'm without you once again. You laughed at me, you said you've never needed me, I wonder if you need me now. We played the grams that people play, we made mistakes along the way. Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me. Remembering the pain, if I must say, it's deep in my mind and locked away, But then most of all, I do love you Still.
Those memories, times I'm sure we'll never forget, Those feelings we can't put aside. For what we had, sometimes I try to understand, But it's so heavy on my mind. So many dreams that flew away, so many words we didn't say. Two people lost in a storm, where did we go, where'd we go? Lost what we both had found, you know we let each other down. But then most of all, I do love you Still.
We played the games that people play, We made mistakes along the way. Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me. Cause I needed you so desperately. We were too blind to see, but then, Most of all, I do love you
Admittedly I am not a huge fan of Phil Collins (or his previous band Genesis). I find a lot of his solo stuff to be a little bit accessible, mainstream, and dull, but I LOOOOOVE this song. I am a sucker for a good horn section, so I think that's what has always done me in on this song, as well as the big crescendo when he sings, "I can feel it comin' at me. Yes, I can feel it coming at me....OR DID I MISS AGAIN" - I love the build up to that big part.
Lyrics:
So you finally came right out and said it girl
What took you so long
It was in your eyes, that look's been there for too long
I'm waiting in line
Would you say if I was wasting my time
Or did I miss again
I think I missed again oh
I think about it from time to time
When I'm lonely and on my own
I try to forget and yet, still rush to the telephone
I'm waiting in line
Would you say if I was wasting my time
Or did I miss again
I think I missed again oh
Or did I miss again
I think I missed again oh
Well it feels like something you want so bad
Then you think you've got it, but it's something you already had
You can feel it all around you, but it's something you just can't touch
And I feel it coming at me
I can feel it coming at me
Or did I miss again
I think I missed again oh
Or did I miss again
I think I missed again
I'm waiting in line, but would you say if I was wasting my time
Or did I miss again...
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins was born in 1951in Chiswick, London, England. His mother June was a theatrical agent, and his father Greville was an insurance agent. When Phil was 5 years old he was given a drum kit for Christmas, and never looked back. He played on a makeshift drum set that his uncle made him, and then progressed to complete drum sets that his parents bought him.
At age 14 he entered into a foray in acting and began attending the Barbara Speake Stage School. He became an actor and model. His first major part was in London as The Artful Dodger in the play "Oliver". He was an extra in The Beatles movie "Hard Days Night" (one the hundreds of screaming teenagers running around in the film during a concert sequence), he was in the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", but his portion was cut from the movie. He was also one of the last 3 finalists for the part of I.Q. one of the Bugaloos, from the show of the same name.
Collins' first love was music, and he returned to it. He began drumming for a band called Hickory. They changed their name to Flaming Youth and released an album, Ark 2, in 1969. They toured for a year, but then broke up due to tensions and lack of commercial success. In 1970 Collins played percussion on former Beatle George Harrison's song "The Art of Dying".
In 1970 Collins answered an ad for a drummer that he had seen in the English music newspaper, "Melody Maker" by the band Genesis. His audition (with several other drummers) occurred at Peter Gabriel's parent's house. Collins arrived early, swam in Gabriel's parents' swimming pool, and listened to the other auditions that were going on to learn the part he had to play. He won the audition.
The first Genesis album he played on was Nursery Cryme. He started out being the drummer and backing vocalist for the band, but later in 1975 when Peter Gabriel quit to pursue a solo career, Collins stepped up to be the lead vocalist and recorded many more albums with Genesis.
Collins began his solo career around 1981. Collins had been married to a Canadian, Andrea Bertorelli since 1975. They met as students in a drama class in London. They had a son together, Simon, and Collins had adopted Bertorelli's daughter, Joely. Bertorelli started an affair with their painter and decorator, which led to the couple's 1980 divorce. The divorce and ensuing emotions fueled Collins' writing and was the major theme and influence of his first two solo albums.
The first was 1981's Face Value, which contained the hits "I Missed Again", "If Leaving Me is Easy" and "In the Air Tonight". During a performance of "In the Air Tonight" on the BBC show "Top of the Pops" Collins performed the song with a paint and brush positioned near his piano (his wife had cheated on him with a painter/decorator, after all). Collins said that this was coincidental, but most think he was sending a message.
In 1982 Collins produced ABBA's , Ani-Frid Synni-Lyngstad-Fredriksson Anderson's (otherwise known simply as Frida) solo album including her hit song "I Know There's Something Going On".
In 1982 Collins released his second solo album, Hello I Must Be Going". His divorce again influenced the songs on this album including "I Don't Care Anymore", and "Do You Know and Do You Care". In the book "Turn It On Again: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Genesis" Collins was quoted as saying of his divorce, "I had a wife, two children, two dogs, and the next day I didn't have anything. So a lot of these songs were written because I was going through these emotional changes."
In 1984 Collins wrote a single called "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" for the movie "Against All Odds". This became his first solo-single to reach #1 on the American charts. Also in 1984, Collins produced Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire's debut solo album, Chinese Wall, and accompanied Bailey on a duet called "Easy Lover" (see January 16th 80's Quest post). He also participated in the English mega-group Bandaid's song to raise charity funds for the famine in Ethiophia, "Do They Know It's Christmas" (see January 20th 80's Quest Post). He sand and played drums on that song.
In 1985 Collins released his next album, No Jacket Required, which contained the hits "Sussudio", "One More Night", "Take Me Home" and "Don't Lose My Number". Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Helen Terry contributed as back-up singers on some of the tracks. The album was very successful and won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
In 1985 Collins also recorded a song for the movie White Nights with singer Marilyn Martin entitled "Separate Lives". As mentioned earlier Bandaid (a project undertaken by Bob Geldof of the band The Boomtown Rats - see February 4th 80's Quest post - and Midge Ure of Ultravox) evolved into a mega-concert on two shores (London, England and Philadelphia in the U.S.) to raise money for the famine in Africa. Collins was invited to perform, and was in fact the only performer to appear at both the UK concert at Wembly Arena and in the US at JFK Stadium because he performed early in the morning at Wembly (both solo, and with Sting) and then hopped on The Concorde to fly to the US where he also performed his solo material and drummed for Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton. To round out the year 1985 Collins also performed two more singles "Two Hearts" and a cover of the 1965 song by Manchester, England band The Mindbenders, "Groovy Kind of Love" for the soundtrack for the movie "Buster".
Collins released another album in 1989 entitled, ...But Seriously, which included the hit "Another Day in Paradise" (which David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, and Nash performed the backing vocals on). The song hit #1 on the charts and the song won the 1991 Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Eric Clapton also played guitar on the song "I Wish It Would Rain Down" on this album.
Sales began to drop with Collins' 1993 album Both Sides. This album was more experimental. Collins performed all of the vocal and instrumental parts all on his own at his own studio. In fact, his record company did not even know he was working on an album until he showed up at their offices and delivered the completed album. The album's singles included "Both Sides of the Story" and "Everyday", but did not do well on the radio. His 1996 album Dance Into the Light went Gold, but sold much less than his previous albums had.
Collins released another song called "You'll Be In My Heart" for the animated Disney movie "Tarzan" in 1998. It won an Academy Award for Best Song. In 1998 Collins also released a greatest hits album called Hits. In 2000 Collins lost hearing in his right ear due to a viral infection. In 2002 he released Testify. In 2003 he announced his last solo tour. In 2007 he reunited with Genesis bandmates Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford for a tour of Europe and North America.
Collins has a lifelong fascination with The Alamo, and collects memorabilia related to it. He narrated a light and sound show about the 1836 batle in San Antonio, Texas at The Alamo, and speaks at various events in relation to it.
In 2009 Collins dislocated vertebrae in his neck which affected his hands enough so that he could not play the drums. He had an operation, but for awhile his hands were still not functioning normally.
In 2010 Collins released an album of Motown cover songs called Going Back. Collins was able to play the drums on this album despite his previous ailments; however in March 2011 he announced he would be retiring from his career and taking more time to focus on his family life.
After his first divorce in 1980, he met Jill Tavelman the same year. They were married from 1984 - 1996 and had a daughter, Lily in 1989. They ended up getting divorced too. This cost Collins 17 million pounds as a settlement. He married a third time to Orianne Cevey in 1999, after having dated for 5 years. They had two sons Nicholas and Matthew, but this marriage didn't last either. Collins got his third divorce which cost him 25 million pounds. The family had relocated to Begnins, Switzerland on Lake Geneva, so after the divorce Collins wanted to stay in Switzerland to be near his children. He now resides in Fechy, and also maintains homes in New York and Dersingham, England. In a 2010 London Telegraph interview, Collins stated that he has no intention of marrying again.
Lyrics:
So you finally came right out and said it girl What took you so long It was in your eyes, that look's been there for too long I'm waiting in line Would you say if I was wasting my time
Or did I miss again I think I missed again oh
I think about it from time to time When I'm lonely and on my own
I try to forget and yet, still rush to the telephone I'm waiting in line Would you say if I was wasting my time
Or did I miss again I think I missed again oh Or did I miss again I think I missed again oh
Well it feels like something you want so bad Then you think you've got it, but it's something you already had You can feel it all around you, but it's something you just can't touch And I feel it coming at me I can feel it coming at me
Or did I miss again I think I missed again oh Or did I miss again I think I missed again
I'm waiting in line, but would you say if I was wasting my time
In 1986 it seemed you could not escape this song, "Lean On Me" by Club Nouveau. I was in college and it was all over the radio. When you walked around it was coming out of car windows passing by, it was on people's boom boxes, and played at all the parties (it was a popular one to dance to). It was a cover of a song originally done by Bill Withers in 1972.
Lyrics:
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on (lean on me)
For it won't be long
'Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Just call on me brother when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
We be jammin'
We be jammin' hey yeah
We be jammin'
We be jammin'
We be jammin' man hey
We be jammin'
Just call on me (when you need a friend)
Call on me (oh baby now)
Call on me (when you need a friend)
Call on me (oh baby now)
Call on me (when you need a friend)
Call on me (oh baby now)
Call on me (when you need a friend)
Call on me (oh baby now)
Club Nouveau was formed in Sacramento, CA in 1986 by record producer, Jay King. There had been another band, Timex Social Club, who had a big hit in 1986 called "Rumors. Around the time Timex Social Club broke up, Club Nouveau formed. They took the name Club Nouveau (French for "New Club") to signify that they were ready to step up and take the space Timex Social Club left void.
Members included Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Prater, and Valerie Watson. Their debut album, Life, Love and Pain, was released in 1986 and spawned four hits: "Jealousy" (which was a response song to Timex Social Club’s hit "Rumors"), "Situation #9", "Lean on Me" and "Why You Treat Me So Bad" which was later used in the Puff Daddy song "Satisfy You".
"Lean on Me" hit #1 on the American music charts for two weeks, and was also #1 on the dance charts. In 1987 it won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for Bill Withers, as the writer.
Club Nouveau’s song "Step by Step" appeared on the 1987 movie soundtrack for Madonna vehicle, "Who’s that Girl".
Club Nouveau was short-lived. By 1988 Foster and McElroy left to become producers and work with other bands. Prater (she performed the female lead vocals on "Lean On Me") left to pursue a solo career. David Agent and Kevin Irving joined the band as replacements, and they released 4 more albums, that did not regenerate the popularity of their debut.
Up to the present date, Club Nouveau sometimes regroups to record new material.
Lyrics:
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain We all have sorrow But if we are
wise We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're
not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it
won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on
Please
swallow your pride If I have things you need to borrow For no one can
fill those of your needs That you don't let show
Lean on me, when
you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For
it won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need ( From:
http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/club-nouveau-lyrics/lean-on-me-lyrics.html
) Somebody to lean on
If there is a load you have to bear That
you can't carry I'm right up the road I'll share your load If you
just call me
So just call on me brother, when you need a hand We all
need somebody to lean on I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on
The Only Band That Matters! The Clash's album Combat Rock was huge during my high school years. The song above, "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" were gargantuan hits from the album. They were heard at every dance (and some of my favorites), and were all over the radio so these songs accompanied us on every ride and trip to the beach, and wherever we went around 1982-1983. I've never met anyone who didn't like the Clash. I'm sure someone is out there....but they're a rareling, and I just haven't met them yet!
Last night a friend gave me a suggestion to add the lyrics of the songs on 80's Quest. I quite liked the idea and will start including them with the posts.
Lyrics:
Now the king told the boogie men
You have to let that raga drop
The oil down the desert way
Has been shakin' to the top
The sheik he drove his Cadillac
He went a' cruisin' down the ville
The muezzin was a' standing
On the radiator grille
[Chorus]
The sharif don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
The sharif don't like it
Rockin' the Casbah
Rock the Casbah
By order of the prophet
We ban that boogie sound
Degenerate the faithful
With that crazy Casbah sound
But the Bedouin they brought out
The electric camel drum
The local guitar picker
Got his guitar picking thumb
As soon as the sharif
Had cleared the square
They began to wail
[Chorus]
Now over at the temple
Oh! They really pack 'em in
The in-crowd say it's cool
To dig this chanting thing
But as the wind changed direction
The temple band took five
The crowd caught a whiff
Of that crazy Casbah jive
[Chorus]
The king called up his jet fighters
He said you better earn your pay
Drop your bombs between the minarets
Down the Casbah way
As soon as the sharif was
Chauffeured outta there
The jet pilots tuned to
The cockpit radio blare
As soon as the sharif was
Outta their hair
The jet pilots wailed
[Chorus]
He thinks it's not kosher
Fundamentally he can't take it.
You know he really hates it.
I bought their last album, 1984's Cut the Crap which is largely ignored in their catalog, and considered to be out of character from the style the Clash was known for. All of the original members except for Joe Strummer were no longer in the band. I did, however, really like the one single from this album "This is England":
Lyrics:
I hear a gang fire on a human factory farm
Are they howling out or doing somebody harm
On a catwalk jungle somebody grabbed my arm
A voice spoke so cold it matched the weapon in her palm
This is England
This knife of Sheffield steel
This is England
This is how we feel
Time on his hands freezing in those clothes
He won't go for the carrot
They beat him by the pole
Some sunny day confronted by his soul
He's out at sea, too far off, he can't go home
This is England
What we're supposed to die for
This is England
And we're never gonna cry no more
Black shadow of the Vincent
Falls on a Triumph line
I got my motorcycle jacket
But I'm walking all the time
South Atlantic wind blows
Ice from a dying creed
I see no glory
When will we be free
This is England
We can chain you to the rail
This is England
We can kill you in a jail
Those British boots go kick Bengali in the head
Police sit watchin'
The newspapers been read
Who cares to protest
After the attacker fled
Out came the batons and
The British warned themselves
This is England
The land of illegal dances
This is England
Land of a thousand stances
This is England
This knife of Sheffield steel
This is England
This is how we feel
This is England
This is England
John Graham Mellor was the son of a British diplomat. He grew up attending boarding school, but quit in his teens and started a pub band called The 101’ers. He took on the stage name Woody Mellor, but soon abandoned that and took on a name "Joe Strummer" instead because it reflected his busking the London subway playing the ukulele.
Michael "Mick" Jones and Paul Simonen both grew up in a working class district of south London called Brixton. In 1975 Jones was playing guitar in a band called London SS. London SS was managed by Bernard Rhodes, an associate of Malcolm McLaren who was managing the Sex Pistols. Simonen was attending art school, heard the Sex Pistols and was moved to learn how to play the bass. He successfully auditioned for London SS. During the 11-month existence of the band other members included Tory Chimes, Topper Headon on drums (who played with the band for a week and quit), and Tony James (later to become a member of Generation X with Billy Idol, and Sigue Sigue Sputnik).
In 1976 Jones saw the Sex Pistols perform for the first time. According to music journalist, John Robb, Jones explained the experience as such, "You knew straight away that was it, and this was what it was going to be like from now on. It was a new scene, new values – so different from what had happened before. A bit dangerous".
When Strummer saw the Sex Pistols it moved him to leave the 101’ers. "I knew something was up," he explained in later in Record Collector,"So I went out in the crowd which was fairly sparse. And I saw the future – with a snotty handkerchief – right in front of me. It was immediately clear. Pub rock was like ‘Hello, you bunch of drunks. I’m gonna play these boogies, and I hope you like them.’ The Pistols came out that Tuesday evening and their attitude was, ‘Here’s our tunes, and we couldn’t give a flying fuck whether you like them or not. In fact, we’re gonna play them even if you fucking hate them.’"
Rhodes, the manager of London SS, courted Strummer to sing lead with his band. Rhodes told him London SS would rival the pistols. Strummer agreed. He and his bandmate, Keith Levene (guitar), joined with Jones (guitar, vocals), Simonen (bass) and Chimes (drums) in London SS. They soon changed their name to The Clash, because the word "clash" was being written over and over in newpaper stories.
The Clash rehearsed for less than one month before serving as the opening band for The Sex Pistol at a gig in Sheffield, England on July 4, 1976. Over the next month The Clash did not play out, but rehearsed non-stop in a rehearsal space in Camden. Strummer and Jones wrote most of the songs. On August 13, 1976, The Clash played a small, invitation-only show in their Camden rehearsal studio. Giovanni Dadamo, a reviewer from Sounds was there and described the band as, "a runaway train…so powerful, they’re the first new group to come along who can really scare the Sex Pistols shitless." Later that month The Clash opened for the Sex Pistols on their "Anarchy in the UK" tour, along with the Buzzcocks. This triple-bill would prove to be pivotal in the crystallization of the British punk movement.
By September Levene’s interest in the band was waning, and he was fired from the band (Levene would later go on to form the band Public Image Ltd. along with John Lydon, the Sex Pistol’s lead singer). On September 21st The Clash played another pivotal show, the 100 Club Punk Special along with The Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Subway Sect.
By the end of the year The Clash were a bonafide phenomenon in the UK. In January 1977 they signed to CBS records. Immediately the band had to go into defensive mode to fend off criticisms that they had sold-out by signing a contract with a major record company.
The Clash’s first single "White Riot" was released in March 1977. Chimes felt that he wanted other things out of life than the other members of the Clash, so he quit, that’s why only Strummer, Jones and Simonen are pictured on the cover of their self-titled debut album which came out in April (although Chimes was credited as "Tory Crimes" for his prior work on the album.). It charted at #12 in the UK, but was not released in the US by CBS because they felt that its raw production values would not make it radio friendly.
Chimes was replaced by Topper Headon on drums, who as mentioned, previously played with the London SS for one week. In May 1977 The Clash headlined the White Riot Tour which also included other bands such as The Buzzcocks, Subway Sect, The Slits, and The Prefects. The tour ended after a show in London when the audience went wild and ripped the seats out of the venue floor. The Clash often had confrontations with the police too. That same month, CBS released "Remote Control" as the second single of the album, despite the fact The Clash members felt this was the weakest cut on the album. In response the band recorded a song rallying against the record company called "Complete Control". The next couple of singles released by the record company were "Clash City Rockers" and "White Man in Hammersmith Palais".
The band released a four song EP in 1978 called Cost of Living which included a cover of the Bobby Fuller Fives’ "I Fought the Law".
As The Clash went into the studio to work on their second album, CBS hired Sandy Pearlman (who had been the producer for the band Blue Oyster Cult – see February 22nd 80’s Quest post) to produce it and make the music more accessible for American audiences. Though the band lamented the loss of spontaneity, the album, Give ‘Em Enough Rope was released in November 1978 to positive reviews. It charted at #2 in the UK, but still did not break-through in the US as CBS had hoped, only charting at #128 on the Billboard Charts. The band toured the UK in support of the album on the Sort It Out Tour, then undertook its first successful tour of the US, The Pearl Harbor Tour, in February 1979.
In August/September 1979 The Clash recorded a double album called "London Calling". "Train in Vain" became their first single released off this album in the US, even though it was added at the very last minute, and did not appear on the track listing on the album cover. This song finally became The Clash’s first Top 40 hit in the US, charting at #23 on the Billboard Charts. In the UK the first single (released in December) was "London Calling" which charted at #11 there - the highest charting UK single the band had. In January 1980 "London Calling" was released in the US and reached #27 on the charts. The cover of the album features a photograph by Pennie Smith of Simonen smashing his bass guitar. It would go on to become one of the best rock n’ roll photographs of all time, and the album itself is regarded as one of the best rock albums ever made.
Around this time their record company came up with a promotional slogan for The Clash calling them "The Only Band That Matters" – the moniker stuck, and the band was widely referred to in this manner by fans and critics alike. The Clash differed from other bands in the punk movement because their songs had depth, vision, and took a leftist political stance. Like other punk bands they rallied against the aristocracy, but unlike most punk bands they disavowed nihilism and promoted protesting and taking action. They worked for causes they were passionate about such as anti-Nazi groups and anti-racism groups. Their song "White Riot" encouraged disaffected white youths plagued by unemployment to riot like their black counterparts. Their song "Career Opportunites" spoke of the lack of alternatives to low-paying, mindless jobs in England. "London’s Burning" was about the boredom of living in the bleak inner city. The album "Sandinista!" was named after the rebels who had just overthrown the Nicaraguan leader and included songs like "Washington Bullets" which sang of covert US military operations around the world. They sang about police brutality, disenfranchisement and racism.
The band was also different because time and time again they attempted to rally against the high profit margins that the record companies made. They made sure that tickets to their shows and merchandise were reasonably priced compared to other bands of the day. They wanted their double-album London Calling and triple-album Sandinista! to be sold at the regular price that a single album would sell for in the UK (£5.00). CBS Records balked, finally agreeing to sell them for £5.99, with the caveat that the band had to forfeit royalties on their first 200,000 sales and money had to be taken from funds that were meant to fund the bands’ tour. Because the band took stances like this, they were often in debt to the record company and only started to break even around 1982.
The Clash were also different from other punk bands because they also incorporated different genres into their music including reggae, dub, ska, funk and dance.
In 1980 The Clash wanted to record an release a single for every month that year, but CBS would not let them. Instead they released one song "Bankrobber" in August before the release of their triple record album Sandinista! In December. This time the album had been produced by the band in New York with Jamaican reggae artist Mikey Dread and included reggae, dub, and the band’s first forays into rap. Reviews were mixed, but the album charted well in America (#24).
In 1981 the band released a single "This is Radio Clash" and began to work on the recording of their fifth album, Combat Rock, in September. This album included spoken word by beat poet Allen Ginsberg. It also contained two very radio-friendly tracks: "Should I Stay or Should I Go" followed by and "Rock the Casbah" in the US. The songs were released in opposite order in the UK. "Rock the Casbah" was a song that referred to the banning of western import music by Iran. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" became a Top 50 hit in American the summer of 1981. "Rock the Casbah" (written by Headon) topped the US charts at #8. Just as the band was finally breaking through to mainstream American artists they began to dissintegrate. Topper Headon was arrested in December 1981 for heroin possession, and just before the next album was released, he was asked to leave the band due to his growing heroin addiction which was affecting his health and his ability to drum. Headon was well-liked by most of the band members, so his departure created frictions in the band – especially between Jones and Strummer. Strummer disappeared for a month, and was found in Paris.
Chimes came back to drum with the band for a brief stint. The Clash opened for The Who on one leg of their final tour in the US, including a show at New York’s Shea Stadium. At the conclusion of the tour for Combat Rock in early 1983, Chimes left the band. By this time the band was plagued with arguments and turmoil.
Pete Howard came on to drum. In Spring of 1983 The Clash was headlining the US Festival in San Bernadino, California with David Bowie and Van Halen. In reaction to what they felt were very high ticket prices, The Clash threatened to pull out of the show unless a large donation was made by the promoters to a local charity. They ultimately ended up playing the festival, but after the show members of the band got into a fight with security. After this, Strummer and Simonen, kicked Jones out of the band in September 1983. (He went on to found General Public for a very short stint, and ultimately founded Big Audio Dynamite (B.A.D.).
Nick Sheppard and Vince White were brought on to be The Clash’s new guitarists. Howard stayed on drums, with Strummer on lead vocals and guitar. The new line-up of the band played its first shows in January 1984 and set out on a self-financed tour called the "Out of Control Tour". They also played a benefit show for striking miners.
Under the guidance of manager, Bernard Rhodes, they recorded a new album, Cut the Crap. The recording of the album was erratic and plagued with chaos. Studio musicians were hired to record most of the music. The songs were heavily engineered, and drum machines were used for all of the drum tracks. The band went on a busking tour of public spaces in the UK playing acoustic versions of their popular hits and other cover songs. Then after a show in Athen, Strummer just diappeared and took off to Spain to clear his mind. Synthesizers and football chants were inserted into the songs to bolster Strummer’s incomplete recordings. While Strummer was in Spain, the first single "This is England" was released. Strummer disavowed this album for the rest of his life. The new version of the band was nothing in comparison to the original line-up and the band decided to break up.
Strummer contacted Jones in an effort to reform the orignal Clash, but Jones had already moved on to his new band, Big Audio Dynamite (B.A.D.) who had released their debut in 1985; however the two of them did help each other out with a couple of 1986 projects: Jones helped Strummer out with two songs he wrote for the movie Sid and Nancy including the title track, "Love Kills", and Strummer co-wrote a number of tracks on the second B.A.D. album, No. 10 Upping Street.
Since Jones was firmly ensconced in B.A.D., Strummer moved on to work on solo projects and acting in movies. He teamed up with former Circle Jerk (see Februrary 24th 80’s Quest post) guitarist Zander Schloss to form a short lived combo called Latino Rockabilly War. Strummer recorded songs for a 1988 film about teen suicide called "Permanent Record". In 1988 he toured as the rhytm guitarist for The Pogues and later produced their 1990 album. In 1989 he appeared in a Jim Jarmusch film, "Mystery Train" and released a solo album called "Earthquake Weather". He was fairly reclusive for most of the 1990’s, but reappeared in 1996 to score the movie "Grosse Point Blank" and appear on the animated American t.v. show "South Park" and its "Chef Aid" soundtrack In 1999 Strummer formed a new band called The Mescaleros and released the album "Rock Art and the X-Ray Style".
Simonen formed a band called Havana 3am and recorded one album. He has since gone on to pursue painting. Headon recorded a solo album in 1987, but could not seem to nick his heroin habit and was sentenced to 15 months in jail in London for supplying the heroin to a friend that caused an overdose. Chimes drummed with many other bands.
In 1998 a tribute album to The Clash, Burning London, featuring covers of Clash songs done by bands such as Rancid, Ice Cube, Moby, the Afghan Wigs, No Doubt, Third Eye Blind, Indigo Girls, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, 311, Silverchair and more was released.
On November 2002 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that The Clash would be inducted the following March. The band (except for Simonen who thought playing at the high-priced event would not be in the spirit of The Clash) was planning on reuniting to play at the show. Unfortunately Strummer suddenly died due to a congenital heart defect on December 22, 2002 before this could happen.
The Clash are continually ranked as one of the best and most influential artists on numerous "best of" lists, and their albums are ranked as some of the best in rock. The band has been an influence on countless bands including U2, Billy Bragg, Aztec Camera, Rancid, NoFX, Rise Against, Green Day, Bad Relgion, LCD Soundsystem, No Doubt, Sublime, Massive Attack, The Hives, The Vines, Bad Brains, The White Stripes, and The Strokes, The Arctic Monkeys among many, many others. British singer M.I.A. sampled The Clash’s song "Straight to Hell" in her 2008 hit song "Paper Planes" which also appeared in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
Here is another great song from the "Repo Man" movie soundtrack, which brought this song to my attention back in the 80's I love this particular video because it was recorded in Tijuana, Mexico in 1989. In 1988 I was an exchange student at San Diego State University and the big thing to do back then was to go down to Tijuana because you did not have to be 21 to drink and get into the bars or go dancing down there. I recently read in The New York Times that this isn’t happening so much anymore in 2012 because of the violent nature of the drug cartels down there. It is hard for me to believe, but they say that the streets are filled with mostly locals and the American teenagers and twenty-somethings are not coming south of the border like they used to. Whenever we went down to Tijuana it was always made implicitly clear that you should go down only if guys were in your group; you were to stay with the group and not wander; and the guys should under no circumstances get into any fist fights or they would be thrown in this wretched jail that they had down in Tijuana. Well, the story I read said that that nasty jail is even closed now. Things have changed. But in 1989 it was a very "California" thing to do to go down to Tijuana to party. The Circle Jerks were a California band, so it’s only natural they would perform there, as they do in this video.
The Circle Jerks were an American hardcore punk band that was formed in the Los Angeles area of California in 1979. Keith Morris, the former singer and co-founder of punk band Black Flag (see January 28th 80’s Quest listing), formed the band with Red Kross guitarist Greg Hetson in Hawthorne, California. Other original members were Roger Rogerson (guitars) and Lucky Lehrer (drums). They became one of the key bands of the 80’s Southern California punk scene. This was a time when the aggressiveness and violence surrounding the music and shows of this genre were not supported by venues, and certainly not the record labels or the police. Recordings, booking and promotion of shows and albums were all done in a DIY manner.
The band recorded its first album, Group Sex, in 1980 and the following year appeared in the famed punk documentary film by director Penelope Spheeris, "The Decline of Western Civilization".
In late 1980 the band signed with Faulty Products which was a subsidiary of IRS Records (and also the label owned by the manager of English band The Police, Miles Copeland). They released their second album, Wild in the Streets. Faulty Products went under several months after the albums release and the band had to look for a new label.
They got the producer/manager of the band War, Jerry Goldstein, to sign them and record them on his own label called LAX. They released their third album, Golden Shower of Hits, in 1983 which contained a punk medley of 70’s songs from Starland Vocal Bands’ "Afternoon Delight", Paul Anka’s "You’re Having My Baby", Captain and Tenille’s "Love Will Keep Us Together" and other songs by The Association, The Carpenters and Tammy Wynette. The song "Coup D’Etat" was also released and included on the soundtrack of director Alex Cox’s underground cult hit film, "Repo Man". The band also makes a cameo appearance in the film performing "When The Shit Hits the Fan" (by this time with new members Chuck Biscuits on drums and Earl Liberty on bass). The band actually had many line-up changes, and many record label changes. They released 6 studio albums, one compilation and a live DVD.
The Circle Jerks were on hiatus from 1990 – 1993. By 1994 with the success of the band Green Day, record labels were looking to California for other punk bands. The Circle Jerks reunited and were signed to Mercury Records and began recording. Eighties pop songstress Deborah Gibson appeared on one of the tracks, a cover of The Soft Boys’ "I Wanna Destroy You". The recording became The Circle Jerks first album released in over in 8 years, Oddities, Abnormalities, and Curiosities. It also turned out to be the bands last album recorded. Four weeks into the tour for the album, the band broke up. Shortly thereafter singer Keith Morris announced he had been diagnosed with diabetes. Many punk bands held benefits to help him.
The core members: Morris, Hetson and Schloss continued to tour when not working on other projects. Hetson is also a member of the band Bad Religion, Schloss also plays bass for The Weirdos. Morris was an A&R director with V2 records until they went out of business in 2007. The original bass player, Roger Rogerson died of a drug overdose in 1996, and original drummer Lucky Lehrer lives in Southern California and sells sunglasses.
In 2010 the band went on hiatus again after Morris had a dispute with the rest of the band. Hetson wrote some songs. Morris worked with Dimitri Coats of The Burning Brides on some new songs and felt that Hetson’s songs weren’t up to par. The other members of the band weren’t feeling Coats at all, and wanted him fired. Morris disagreed. He and Coats got Steven Shane McDonald from Redd Kross and Mario Rubalcaba from Rocket From The Crypt to start a new band which they are calling OFF!
Ciccone Youth was the tongue-in-cheek side project of Sonic Youth members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, and Steve Shelley and Mike Watts The Minutemen. In 1986 they first released a 3-song EP on which they performed deconstructed covers of two songs by Madonna: "Into the Groove" [which they retitled "Into the Groove(y)] and "Burning Up" along with one other song "Tuff Titty Rap". In 1988 they put these 3 songs on a full album's worth of music called The Whitey Album. It also included a cover of "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer which was recorded in a karaoke booth.
The name of the band is a combination of Maddonna's real last name, Ciccone, and a play on the band name Sonic Youth. Sonic Youth had formed in New York City in 1981 and were strongly associated with the NoWave art and music scene and were known for using alternative tunings on their guitars. When Sonic Youth released their 1987 album Sister it contained references to Ciccone Youth several times in the song "Master-Dik".
Lyrics:
Music can be such a revelation Dancing around you feel the sweet sensation We might be lovers if the rhythm's right I hope this feeling never ends tonight
Get into the groove Boy you've got to prove Your love to me, yeah Get up on your feet, yeah Step to the beat Boy what will it be
Gonna get to know you in a special way This doesn't happen to me every day Don't try to hide it love wears no disguise I see the fire burning in your eyes
Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free At night I lock the doors, where no one else can see I'm tired of dancing here all by myself Tonight I want to dance with someone else
Get into the groove Boy you've got to prove Your love to me, yeah Get up on your feet, yeah Step to the beat Boy what will it be
Live out your fantasies here with me Just let the music set you free Touch my body, and move in time Now I now you're mine
Now I now you're mine Now I now you're mine
Get into the groove Boy you've got to prove Your love to me, yeah Get up on your feet, yeah Step to the beat Boy what will it be
You've got to get into the groove Boy you've got to prove Your love to me,
Get up on your feet, yeah Step to the beat Boy what will it be
Ohhhh how I love this song! Isn't it amazing how serpentine The Church actually got this song to sound with the guitar and the rattling sound of the drums? Brilliant! The whole Starfish album (which this song appears on) was a great listen throughout and also included the hit song "Under the Milky Way". It was a favorite of mine back when I was doing my radio show on 91.3 FM W.U.N.H - and I played tracks off it a lot. Especially this lesser-known cut, "Antenna" which I quite liked. Whenever I hear it, I end up singing it all day (it's one of those kinds of songs). Take a listen for yourself:
I am a sucker for jangly guitars, though. Johnny Marr's guitar work with The Smith and Electronic...forget about it!!! I love it!!! It's no wonder I also loved The Church as their guitarist Marty Wilson Piper was another one big on jangly guitar work. I also loved his look, big ol' brown eyes, jet black flopsy mopsy hair all in his eyes, psychedelic print button down shirt and jeans. I used to profess the crush I had for him on my radio show all the time, and I guess I am doing so now too! Here's him then and now:
Umm....Wow! Right? That's quite the style change! He reminds me of my brother the biker now, which is not really a look I like. I will have to love him for his guitar playing only now, and not exploit him for my gothic guitar god fantasies - ha-ha-haaaaaa! Best to you Marty Wilson Piper !!!!
The Church were a 4 piece Australian rock band. The band formed in Sydney in 1980. According to Rolling Stone magazine, lead singer/bassist Steve Kilbey "was a private man who grew up consumed by rock music, listening to rare import-only albums alone in his bedroom." Kilbey had been playing in Australian cover bands with Peter Koppes and started a 3-piece band with drummer Nick Ward. A month later guitarist Marty Wilson Piper (originally from Liverpool, England) joined the band which they dubbed The Church.
They created a demo of four songs in a studio Kilbey had created in his bedroom and sent it to Australian record label ATV Northern. A music publisher, Chris Gilbey heard the song "Chrome Injury" and signed the band to his record label, which was associated with EMI Records. Gilbey helped shape the band’s sound by buying Wilson Piper a 12 string Rickenbacker guitar and Koppes an Echolette tape delay.
In 1981 Ward was replaced on drums by Richard Ploog and The Church’s debut album, Of Skins and Heart, was released in Australia only. They went on their first national tour to promote the album. Their success in Australia prompted UK record label Carrere and U.S. label Capitol Records to release the album in 1982.
Their second album, 1982’s The Blurred Crusade" saw the band coming more into focus. The Church went on another Australia, and also toured Europe. The Church toured with Duran Duran for five gigs before quitting. Apparently their personalities and styles did not mesh. Capitol Records did not release the album in the U.S. I’ve read that the label did not feel the songs were radio friendly like fellow label-mates Little River Band’s songs were. This was said to horrify The Church.
This is how it went for The Church throughout the early eighties. With each album they progressed and honed their songs. They became more and more known in Australia and Europe but had not gained a foothold in the U.S. In 1987 they signed a four album record deal with Arista Records. They began recording their next album in Los Angeles with producer Waddy Wachtel (who had also worked with The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, among others). It was tough going. Kilbey is quoted as saying, "It was Australian hippies versus West Coast guys who know the way they like to do things. We wee a bit more undisciplined than they would have liked". The recording sessions were plagued by bickering and personality clashes. The band also hated it in Los Angeles. Kilbey said, "The Church came to L.A. and really reacted against the place because none of us liked it. I hated where I was living. I hated driving this horrible little red car around on the wrong side of the road. I hate that there’s no one walking on the streets, and I missed my home. All the billboards, conversations I’d overhear, TV shows…everything that was happening to us was going into the music."
The result was 1988’s Starfish, the album that finally brought them success in the United States. It reached #11 on the Australian charts and was in the Top 50 in the U.S. "Under The Milky Way" became a hit in the U.S. , Australia and Europe, followed by "Reptile". The band went on a 9-month tour to support the album.
When the band returned to the studio they were very disappointed because they had wanted to have John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin’s keyboardist) produce their next album. The record label refused. They wanted to duplicate the success of Starfish and made the band work with Waddy Wachtel again. If working with Wachtel the first time was tough for the band, then you can only imagine how much worse it was the second time around. But it wasn’t all Wachtel. The members of The Church were doing drugs. As the pressure increased, drummer Ploog was doing more and more drugs and his playing suffered. His relationship with Kilbey was diminished. Ploog was kicked out of the band and drum machines were used for his parts.
The resulting album was 1990’s Gold Afternoon Fix. Arista records put up a lot of money to promote and market the album. The band hired Patti Smith’s former drummer, Jay Dee Daugherty, and went on tour for almost 2 years. The album spawned a hit song, "Metropolis", but reviews were mixed and the band acted aloof and incoherent during interviews, which did not help.
Afterwards the band decided to record their next album in their hometown, Sydney. It’s been said they were doing a lot of opium at the time so the atmosphere was relaxed and ideas were flowing. Their sound became a bit more surreal and the lyrics more esoteric. The album, Priest=Aura, was released in 1992 but many reviewers didn’t know what to make of it, and reception was mixed. The record label did not put money behind the promotion of this album, sales were not good (even in Europe), Kilbey wanted to stay close to home because he had twin daughters on the way, so touring was limited. The stress level was again high. There were a lot of conflicts with Wilson Piper and the lack of success was grating on the band. Members took time off to work on other projects, but they were still under contract to record at least four albums with Arista Records.
Daugherty did not stay on as drummer for the next album. Kilbey and Wilson Piper worked together and began to experiment with what they were writing and bring in more electronica. The album they worked on, Sometime Anywhere was released in 1994, but the single they released did not chart, sales were bad, Arista was not impressed and did not promote the album or budget money for a tour, and in fact, chose not to renew the band’s contract.
From here on out the band released their recordings on their own Deep Karma label that they had created. There were financial constraints and infighting in the band. A United States distributor went bankrupt and 25,000 discs worth $250,000 were lost which stripped the band of those earnings. Everything was strained due to the problems. Just when it seemed the band would break up; the success of their farewell concert tour changed everyone’s minds. The band were rejuvenated and recorded more music and got to go on another full tour of the U.S., Australia, and Europe. In 1999 they released a collection of cover songs that had been influential to them (everything from Ultravox to the Monkees, Iggy Pop and Neil Young". The album was called A Box of Birds. While on tour for this album in the U.S., Kilbey was arrested in New York City for attempting to purchase heroin. He had to spend the night in jail and missed a performance. Wilson Piper filled in on vocals that night. Kilbey was sentenced to a day of community service as a result of the bust.
Into the 2000’s the band was still recording, touring, and releasing music, much if it more long-form and jam based by this time. They began tapping the power of the internet and promoting their music independently. Many albums from their old catalog were reissued. A book was written about The Church entitled, "No Certainty Attached: Steve Kilbey and The Church" by Robert Dean Lurie. In 2010 the band went on a 30th Anniversary tour in the U.S. during which they chose one song from each of their albums and performed them in reverse chronological order. Also in 2010, The Church was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame. In 2011 they performed a special show dubbed "A Psychedelic Symphony" with the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Sydney at the Sydney Opera House. It was filmed for release on DVD.
Lyrics:
Too dangerous to keep. Too feeble to let go. And you want to bite the hand. Should have stopped this long ago.
(Chorus): Go now, you've been set free. Another month or so you'll be poisoning me With your lovely smile. I see you slither away with your skin and your tail, Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales Like a real reptile.
Had you coiled around my arm. How could you ever know How I loved your diamomd eyes? But that was long ago.
(Chorus)
And I should have believed Eve. She said we had to blow. She was the apple of my eye. It wasn't long ago.
Oooh, I am REALLY sorry about the video today. It is just so damn cheesy it's creepy....the Ken Barbie hair, deep V-neck, odd facial grimaces and chinny delivery. I couldn't find another time-appropriate clip for this song. Usually I wouldn't even list a song by Chicago, well....some of their early songs with the horn sections weren't bad, but mostly I associate Chicago with music that older people like. For example, my Mother had every album of theirs, so to me Chicago is the kind of music your parents would listen to. Get what I'm sayin'? Not too cool. Especially 80's era Chicago with all of their sappy ballads sung by Peter Cetera. Uck...just not my thing - except for this one song. I associate "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" with a movie called "Summer Lovers" that came out in 1982. It was quite scandalous for the time. It starred Peter Gallagher and Darryl Hannah and was filmed in the Greek Islands on the island of Santorini. The basic plot of the movie is that an American couple goes to spend the summer on Santorini and get caught up in the freedom of this mythical island. They meet a french archaeologist and end up having a threesome all summer long. They live together and make out and cuddle. They roam around naked, swim naked at the beach, party on yachts. I was like...."What is this place?" Here's the original movie trailer:
A bit cheezy, right? But at the time, I had never seen anything like this before! I guess I had never really seen the Greek Islands before either, and they looked magnificent, and beautiful, and wild and crazy. I think this movie put the idea of going to The Greek Islands in my head, because thereafter it was always a place I was curious about, and wanted to go. I finally got to go to the Greek Islands in 2008. One of the islands I went to was Santorini, where the movie was shot. I went in September, right after the Summer high season (I'm told summer is absolutely crowded and crazy), but there was still nudity on the beaches and a definite fun, let's have a party, hook-up atmosphere - along with some of the most beautiful scenery possible, ancient history and artifacts, and delicious food. Here's a little sampling of some photos from when I finally got there.
This is the red rock beach. All of the little dots at the base are beach umbrellas and beach chairs:
Don't watch this whole long clip, but check out the beginning portions. You can see the above photo in the movie clip (only it is a lot less colorful back in 1982. Guess they decided to paint the roofs and some of the buildings later on). In the background you can also hear the bells ringing, and you catch a glimpse of the bell tower I've pictured (3 photos above this paragraph) in the background when Darryl Hannah is coming down the stairs and walking down the path.
So, I've always liked this song because for me, it was also the discovery of The Greek Islands. But I digress....I'm supposed to talk about this band Chicago that I'm not super-fond of right? OK, here's a quick rundown.
The band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The majority of the band members originally consisted of DePaul University students. The original 6 members [Marvin Cantera (vocals), Andre Jugo (vocals), Walter Parazaider (saxophone), Terry Kath (guitar), Danny Seraphine (trombone),and Lee Loughnane (trumpet)] The originally called themselves The Big Thing. The band was in need of a tenor when they added singer Peter Cetera to the band. They started out as a cover band, but started writing their own songs. Their music featured a horn section, Latin percussion, and jazzy experimental jams. In 1968 they moved to Los Angeles, California and signed with Columbia Records. After signing the contract they changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority.
They released their self-titled first album in 1969 which included the hits "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Beginnings" and "Questions 67 and 68". It received heavy airplay on FM radio stations. Shortly after this album was released the actual Chicago Transit Authority threatened to sue the band, so they shortened their band name to simply Chicago.
From there on out, the band released one album every year. Their "Chicago" logo was designed by Nick Fasciano, and appears on each of their albums with some type of variation. During the 70's they also named albums were also signified by consecutive roman numerals, for example Chicago II, Chicago III, Chicago V, etc. The exception was their 4th release which was a box set called Chicago at Carnegie Hall. Their first number one single came in 1976 from the album Chicago X and was called "If You Leave Me Now". This song also garnered Chicago their one and only Grammy award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group 1977.
Tragedy struck the band in 1978 when founding member of the band, guitarist/singer Terry Kath was drinking and accidentally shot himself in the head and died. It is said that his drunken last words to one of Chicago's guitar techs was, "Don't worry guys. It isn't even loaded, see?" Kath was the bands leader and his passing was a great loss. Many fans felt he was the musical soul of the band. After his death, the musical direction of the band changed dramatically.
Over 30 potential replacements for Kath were auditioned, but the band finally decided on guitarist/singer Donnie Dacus. He had just appeared as Woof in the film adaptation of the 1968 Broadway musical, Hair. You can see him in this clip from the movie at 4:41 in, and he is the blonde guy you see below. Dreadful film...but one of my favorite stage musicals and soundtracks.
Chicago was briefly re-energized by the addition of Dacus, and his longer blond hair and rock star image gave them a new edge and made them seem less mellow. The band also decided to eschew using a roman numeral in the name of their next album, and instead called it Hot Streets. It was also the first album to include picture of the band on the cover rather than just the logo and number. The band did return to naming all future albums by number, but this time they used Arabic, rather than roman numerals. The other big change during the Dacus tenor was a move away from their jazz-rock traditions and toward a more pop sound, including many ballads. Dacus was only with the band for one year, through the 1979 album Chicago 13 it was one of Chicago's least commercially successful albums. After the tour was completed Dacus was dropped from the band for undisclosed reasons.
As Chicago entered the 1980's more changes were in store. Columbia Records did not think they were commercially viable and dropped the band 1981. The band signed with Warner Brothers and entered a the second major phase of the band's career. For their next album Chicago 16 producers brought in studio musicians (including the core members of Toto). The single "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" topped the charts and was featured in the soundtrack of the film Summer Lovers as mentioned above. This song was followed by another ballad called "Love Me Tomorrow". The next album, Chicago17 , was the band's biggest selling album in it's history. By this time the band was sticking to the formula of power ballads sung by singer Peter Cetera. They garnered two more hits that each reached #3 on the charts: "You're the Inspiration" and "Hard Habit to Break", and a couple more soft hits "Stay the Night" and "Along Comes a Woman". Just when the band was flying high from the success of Cetera ballads, he became sick of touring and decided he wanted to pursue a solo career and left the band.
The band put out a couple more albums during the 1980's and continued recording and performing into the 1990's. Despite numerous personnel changes, Chicago is still going strong in the 2000's. The band has never broken up or gone on hiatus, and four of the six original founding members remain in the band (Lamm, Pankow, Loughnane, and Parazaider). The band licensed their entire catalog to Rhino Records which released a compilation double-CD that covers the bands entire career, The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning in 2002. Chicago often does joint tours with R&B band Earth Wind and Fire.
Lyrics:
Everybody needs a little time away.” I heard her say, “From each
other.” “Even lovers need a holiday. Far away, from each other”
Hold me now It's hard for me to say I'm sorry I just want you to
stay After all that we've been through I will make it up to you I
promise to And after all that's been said and done You're just the part
of me I can't let go (Ooo ooo)
Couldn't stand to be kept away Just
for the day From your body Wouldn't wanna be swept away Far away,
from the one that I love
Hold me now It's hard for me to say I'm
sorry I just want you to know
Hold me now I really want to tell
you I'm sorry I could never let you go After all that we've been through
I will make it up to you I promise to And after all that's been said
and done You're just the part of me I can't let go
After all that
we've been through I will make it up to you I promise to
If you like the Go-Go's hit song "Vacation" then, you may also like this cover version of the song done by Los Angeles punk band Chemical People. This band never got really big, and recorded most of their 9 albums on small indie label Cruz records, but I remember coming across this band, and this song on their 1989 Ten-Fold Hate album. I was doing a radio show on college radio station 91.3 FM/ W.U.N.H. at the time, and this song got a lot of airplay on my show.
Chemical People were Dave Naz (lead singer and drums), Ed Urlik (bass), Jaime Pina (guitar - and stints with Blair Jobe and Robert Hecker of the band Red Kross on guitar) and Dave Landry or Greg Cameron on drums during stints.
The band formed in Los Angeles in 1986 and released their debut album, So Sexist in 1988. The album this song, "Vacation" was on, Ten-Fold Hate came next in 1990. That same year, Naz and Urlik also worked on a side project with Dave Smalley called Down by Law. In 1990 they released album, The Right Thing. Their first three albums were all produced by Bill Stevenson who was the drummer for The Descendants, and All.
The band became known for their musical contributions to several porn films. In fact their first two albums featured porn starlets on the covers. In 1991 they compiled much of their work from these films into an album called Soundtracks. In 1991 Chemical People also released a mini album, Angels 'n' Devils.Red Kross guitarist Robert Hecker joined the line-up for 1992's self-titled album.
The band went on a five year hiatus and came back in 1997 to release one last album, Arpeggio Motorcade before they broke up all together in 1998.
Lyrics:
Can't seem to get my mind off of you Back here at home there's nothin' to
do Now that I'm away I wish I'd stayed Tomorrow's a day of mine that
you won't be in
When you looked at me I should've run But I thought it
was just for fun I see I was wrong And I'm not so strong I should've
known all along that time would tell
A week without you Thought I'd
forget Two weeks without you and I Still haven't gotten over you
yet
CHORUS Vacation All I ever wanted Vacation Had to get
away Vacation Meant to be spent alone
A week without you Thought
I'd forget Two weeks without you and I Still haven't gotten over you
yet
