The Associates

[whistledog]

Anyone else like The Associates?

<a href="http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?link=unq5pf8pd9esti24wcnmzzo&z=MP3&r=20.asx">18 Carat Love Affair</a> is one of my all-time faves [:)]

It's a shame they weren't successful in North America. I always wondered why that was [?]

[schwenko]

[quote]Originally posted by whistledog
[br]Anyone else like The Associates?

<a href="http://sg1.allmusic.com/cg/smp.dll?link=unq5pf8pd9esti24wcnmzzo&z=MP3&r=20.asx">18 Carat Love Affair</a> is one of my all-time faves [:)]

It's a shame they weren't successful in North America. I always wondered why that was [?]
[/quote]

The cd release of The Affectionate Punch (original, non-remixed version) is imminent.

[react010]

North America had a whole different view of New-Wave in the 80's i reckon, and the Usa had very different charts (certainly in the 80's) then we had here in Europe. 18 Carat Love Affair was (one of the 5) Top-20 hits for The Associates in the UK, but in the Usa it didn't do much. I Guess it's just to do with different cultures, and the UK being much more into new trends and styles then (North) America....

[react010]

North America had a whole different view of New-Wave in the 80's i reckon, and the Usa had very different charts (certainly in the 80's) then we had here in Europe. 18 Carat Love Affair was (one of the 5) Top-20 hits for The Associates in the UK, but in the Usa it didn't do much. I Guess it's just to do with different cultures, and the UK being much more into new trends and styles then (North) America....

[egg-roger]

I really like "Breakfast".

[neworder]

Part Fears Too/ Club Country are total classics.
It's a shame they split up soon after because the later work was not as good.

[Frank_Chickens]

Party Fears Too was a top 10 hit here and Club Country and 18 Carat Love Affair did nicely too.

The album to get is "Sulk" as it contains all of the above as well as some fine album tracks. Every Billy did after that is a waste of time which is a shame.

Anyone else read his biography "The Glamuour Chase - Maverick Life of Billy Mackensie"? It's a great read and I recommend everyone to buy it NOW!! [8D]
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 18-6805455

[gilson80boy]

An amazing group and talent. I have everything they have ever produced, including the very rare original pressing of Sulk CD. The Reissue is great, because of the bonus tracks, but the original has got better artwork and the original song line up.

[popreactor]

They are one of the best 80'acts. Especially Billy MacKenzies's brilliant voice and attitude. Here are some of my favourite Associates songs:

1. Breakfast
2. Club Country
3. Kites

I also like Billy's colaboration with Paul Haig in the song "Transobsession" very much.

[react010]

Another beautiful obscure track is 'Apollo 440 - Pain In Any Language' with Billy on vocals, and don't forget the haunting solo cd's 'Outernational' and the posthume 'Beyond The Sun'.
Here's my top 10 Billy/Associates tracks:

1) Skipping
2) White Car In Germany
3) Beyond The Sun
4) Club Country
5) Q Quarters
6) This Flame
7) Party Fears Two
Outernational
9) Breakfast
10)At The Edge Of The World

[wozgo]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Frank_Chickens[/i]
<br>Anyone else read his biography "The Glamuour Chase - Maverick Life of Billy Mackensie"?
[/quote]I was going to post about this book FC, but searched the site first, and now here we are. I'm ten months late to this discussion. Anyway, I just finished it tonight, and agree that it's a good read. I recommend it to any of you wavers who like that kind of thing.

The Associates are a group which, for me, took a few listenings to get into. However, now that I've caught on, I really enjoy their stuff. I've been listening to them a lot lately.

Surely there's more Associates fans around here? I never see them mentioned.

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[gnj1958]

Wasn't it Billy MacKenzie that sang on a few of the Yello tracks. I think he does the vocal on "Moon On Ice" from the "One Second" album and a couple of others.

[pinkyblue82]

Yes react010, both Skipping and White Car in Germany are incredible tracks and would be in my Top 10 as well. I cannot recommend highly enough the remixed 1982 version of The Affectionate Punch. Its versions of Paper House and Transport to Central would definitely make my Top 10. It's a shame they didn't have more exposure in the States. Beautiful man with an amazing voice!

[SomebodySomewhere]

Disliked every last one of their originals ("Party Fears Two" particularly), but their cover of "Love Hangover" was a near-masterpiece. Whatshisface would have been better off deconstructing other people's hits than trying his own hand at songwriting. Never came up with a single hook that my ears could detect (maybe it was Mike Hedges' production strangling the life out of the songs), but the band definitely had a knack for interesting arrangements when they had hooks to work with.

[jjburnel]

In my opinion they did a lot of songs which were just TOO over the top vocally (Party Fears Two is just hard to listen to) but a few songs in which BM sang with more restraint are good-"Skipping" "It's Better this Way" and "18 Carat Love Affair" are all strong.

I agree the wide majority of their later stuff is weak, but I believe the best thing ever released under the Associates name was the 12inch version of the cover of "Take Me to the Girl"