The Unknown Beauty Of The 80's Vol. 120

[Rissan]

So time for another thematic Volume and again a long intro. This time I choose for cover versions. Again a topic which you love or hate. I remember a good friend of mine who loved A-ha, but turned his back on the band when they covered the Everly Brothers with the song Crying In The Rain. While compiling and writing this accompanied text I discovered that a lot of the covered tracks were original written in my birth year 1966. A coincidence, well who knows.

As I wrote in earlier intros, the radio program Spleen was a great initiator in my musical taste during the early eighties. This program featured some fixed weekly items, one of which was “The cover of week”. So most of the tracks featured on this Volume you can reduce to this radio show.

Affairs Of The Heart – Waterloo Sunset

Original written by Ray Davies for the Kinks’ album Something Else By The Kinks released in 1967. The song was also featured as a single later that year. In 1983 the Synthpop trio Affairs Of The Heart, formed by studio engineer Steve Street, recreated it into a danceable synthpop song. It turned out to be their only release.

Johnny Warman – Spirit In The Sky

In 1970 Spirit In The Sky became a huge hit for Norman Greenbaum, who after four albums decided to choose for the quiet farm life with wife and kids on a chicken farm in Petaluma. I know the cover of Doctor & The Medics is more known, but Johnny Warman choose for a different approach. Warman became known for his song Screaming Jet, which featured Peter Gabriel on backing vocals.

Klaus Nomi – Just One Look

Just One Look became a huge hit for The Hollies in 1964 and was featured on the album Here I Go Again. The eccentric Klaus Nomi decided to cover the song for his second album Simple Man, which was released in 1982.

Suzy Andrews – Der Kommissar

The German version of Der Kommissar in 1981 became quite a hit in The Netherlands for Falco. He wrote the song with Robert Ponger and is featured on his debut album Einzelhaft. Falco later worked with the brothers Ferdi and Bob Bolland, known for You’re In The Army Now, on his successful album 3, which featured the hit Jeanny and Rock Me Amadeus. Suzy Andrews covered the track already in 1982 on her self titled album, which also features more German cover tracks like Da, Da, Da of Trio, Tango 2000 by Nichts, Goldener Reiter of Joachim Witt, Scandal of Spider Murphy Gang and Dreiklang-Dimensionen of Rheingold, of which several were recorded in the English version.

Those Helicopters – World Without Love

World Without Love was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon and became a worldwide hit for Peter And Gordon in 1964. Those Helicopters debuted in 1979 with the single South Coast Towns, of which this is the b-side.

The Thought - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night

Recorded in 1967 by The Electric Prunes, who made some pure underground albums in that period. The track was featured on their first album Underground. The cover is from the Dutch band The Thought and featured on their debut album.

Polyphonic Size – Mothers Little Helper

Mothers Little Helper was written by the Rolling Stones in 1966 and is featured on their album Aftermath. The Belgium band Polyphonic Size formed in Brussels in 1979 with only synths and a tape recorder (just like Depeche Mode) and was produced for quite some time by Jean Jaques Burnel (The Stranglers). The song is the opening track for their debut album P.S. from 1981.

Billy McKenzie – Secret Life Of Arabia

Secret Life Of Arabia is original written by David Bowie for the 1977 album Heroes. The track featured was recorded by BEF (British Electric Foundation; a side project of Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware of Heaven 17) for the 1982 cover album Music Of Quality & Distinction (volume one), which features a range of singers, from Tina Turner to Glenn Gregory and in this case Billy Mackenzie. In 1997 the song appeared on the compilation David Bowie Songbook.

Denial – California Dreaming

In 1966 California Dreaming became a huge hit for The Mama’s & The Papa’s. in 1982 the 7” of California Dreaming turned out to be the only release For the Australian band Denial.

Japan – All Tomorrow’s Parties

Lou Reed wrote the song for the first album of The Velvet Underground in 1966. Japan already recorded All Tomorrow’s Parties for their third album Quiet Life in 1979. In 1983 it was re-released as a single remixed by Steve Nye, which is the version featured here. Another well-known cover, written by Tarplan, Rodgers, Robinson and Moore was Ain’t That Peculiar which can be found on the album Gentlemen Take Polaroids from 1980.

Toyah – America For Beginners

This song is a bit of controversy when it comes to who is the original artist for the song. For her sixth album Minx, seventh if you include Mayhem, or you could say her first proper solo album, Toyah approached a lot of song writers to cooperate to her album. Adrian Lee and Joel Bogen, former band members, wrote a song for the album but also Latin Quarter members Michael Jones and Stephen Skaith. Since they are the writers, I choose for the Toyah version, although Latin Quarter released the song on their success album Modern Times in 1985, the same year as Minx of Toyah. Both released it as a single.

Twelfth Night – Eleanor Rigby

Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for the 1966 album Revolver and released as a single in the same year. The 1981 demo recording of Twelfth Night’s version got the attention of Andy MacPherson, the owner of the Revolution Studios in the leafy suburb of Cheadle Hulme in southern Manchester, so he gave the band the change to proper re-record It. Although the song did not represent the change of musical emphasis the band was presenting on the three months later released Fact And Fiction album, a handful of promo copies were send to Radio One and assorted music/local papers. But that was about it. In 2002 Cyclops put the track as a bonus on the re-released cd version of Fact And Fiction.

Claire Hamill – 24 Hours From Tulsa

In 1964 Gene Pitney scored a worldwide hit with Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa. Claire Hamill tried it in 1983 with a minor change of the title and a complete different musical approach.

Midge Ure – No Regrets

Most of you will think the song was written by the Walker Brothers who had a huge hit with No Regrets in 1975. But no, the original writer/composer and recording artist of the song was Tom Rush, who released it in 1967. Midge Ure tried it in 1982, but it stayed under the radar. Maybe therefore it took almost three years to release his first solo album.

Blue China – Tomorrow Never Knows

Again a song from 1966 and again written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for the album Revolver. The cover is from the Swiss band Blue China and comes from their 12” Tomorrow Never Knows. Singer Robert Vogel recorded two solo singles prior of joining Blue China.

Jill Kroesen – Ride Your Pony

Ride Your Pony was in 1965 the first result of a collaboration between singer Lee Dorsey and producer Allen Toussaint. The duo went on with recording hits and albums until 1978. Robert Palmer used to be a huge fan of the sound of Dorsey/Toussaint and covered the title track of Night People on album Double Fun, which was released the same year. Jill Kroesen (former singer of Love Of Life Orchestra among others) covered the track for her excellent 1982 debut album Stop Vicious Cycles, which was recorded in Switzerland and New York between December 1979 and February 1982. Jill sings the song in a manner of Nico and Patti Smith.

The Igloos – Octopus

The Igloos covered Syd Barrett, the legend of Pink Floyd who gave them their sound. Before he died, he made two solo albums. Octopus comes from the album The Madcap Laugh. The Igloos have made it their own by creating a nice new version of it.

Simple Minds – Street Hassle

Again a cover of a Lou Reed song from 1978. Simple Minds recorded Street Hassle for their 1983 album Sparkle In The Rain. The Sanctify Yourself single features a longer live version recorded at the Rotterdam Ahoy from 1985.

Blaine L. Reininger - Sons Of The Silent Age

Sons of The Silent Age also is, like Secret Life Of Arabia, originating from the album Heroes by David Bowie. Blaine L. Reininger used the song on his solo debut Broken Fingers.

Soft Cell - Hendrix Medley: Hey Joe, Purple Haze, Voodoo Chile

Jimi Hendrix was the late sixties sensation, who experienced momentary hit success until his dead in 1970. He is considered one of the most important musicians of the sixties. When Soft Cell released their surprisingly strong album The Art Of Falling Apart, the limited (extra 12”) and cassette editions featured extra tracks including the Hendrix medley. In 1992 the album appeared as a whole in a different running order on cd.

The tracks:

01. Affairs Of The Heart - Waterloo Sunset (5:19)
02. Johnny Warman - Spirit In The Sky (3:35)
03. Klaus Nomi - Just One Look (3:19)
04. Suzy Andrews - Der Kommissar (3:49)
05. Those Helicopters - World Without Love (1:40)
06. The Thought - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (3:50)
07. Polyphonic Size - Mothers Little Helper (3:06)
08. Billy MacKenzie - Secret Life Of Arabia (4:00)
09. Denial - California Dreaming (3:07)
10. Japan - All Tomorrow's Parties (Steve Nye 7"remix) (3:35)
11. Toyah - America For Beginners (4:25)
12. Twelfth Night - Eleanor Rigby (3:22)
13. Claire Hamill - 24 Hours From Tulsa (4:17)
14. Midge Ure - No Regrets (4:02)
15. Blue China - Tomorrow Never Knows (2:33)
16. Jill Kroesen - Ride Your Pony (3:15)
17. The Igloos - Octopus (4:06)
18. Simple Minds - Street Hassle (5:15)
19. Blaine L. Reininger - Sons Of The Silent Age (3:03)
20. Soft Cell - Hendrix Medley: Hey Joe, Purple Haze, Voodoo Chile (10:22)

The link: https://mega.nz/file/84oRnb5Q#6FNTLJ3uM ... RtWYGAQM4Q

Enjoy.

[Gazebo Music]

Affairs Of The Heart – Waterloo Sunset

Very nice Ris.....Thanks for the descriptive post! Can't wait to listen to the rest of the tracks!

[crichert]

What a nice surprise to see this post this morning - thanks Rissan!! Looking forward to hearing this one tonight!!