Singles, third strike

Hello, the third and last singles strike coming up here, afterwards ( mid eighties) the 12 " format prevailed, even when in those days the remixing wasn't that good, current day digital techniques enable so much more, still the sound quality was superior and the deejays were eager to show off scratching and mixing skills, even if the interval between tracks almost doubled, i didnt like that part, i remember having many an argument about that.

Been thinking about where to go next, there's so much out there, i've decided to delve into my vinyl collection and digitize music 77- 84 , not the big names , those have been digitised already, but the stuff that doesnt flow out of Amazon..

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8-ties pop
Funky into the 8 ties
Waves
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8-ties Pop ( * 114mb)


ABC 's Look of Love , for me is the perfect pop song, strong lyric, great production , Martin Fry really hit the spot and the Lexicon of love album that followed is an 82 classic, unfortunately Martin got into trouble with the bizz and ABC got sidetracked and dumped. Someone who did manage to keep a presence for decades is x welsh miner Tom Jones, Art of Noise booked him to mutual benefit to sing the Prince cover, Kiss..a few years later Tom released a whole album with him covering "contemporaries" . Gary Numan surprises with a synth Satie on the B side, very cool and slick, i think he's been underestimated ( and an example that changing your name Tubeway Army, doesnt work). How different Heaven 17, the glitsy spin off from the Human League, this aint one of their hits but hey its a great picture disc. Kid Creole another early eighties pop artist with a string of hits and great live performances with his Coconuts. Marrs is the most recent offer here..just 2 decades old..a side project from the normally more esoterically minded 4AD label brothers, probably made them more money then the rest of the releases that year combined. OMD stuck their necks out after 2 albums with uptempo synth pop releasing the dramatic Maid of Orleans, (great cover btw). Same can be said for Torch, awesome track, and a 12 "version that was strong aswell, the b-side Insecure Me would have made an excellent A side aswell, but at the time Soft Cell were on a roll..Yellowman called in the support from Materials Bill Laswell and Michael Beinhorn to write and record this reggae classic.



ABC - Look Of Love - (3:25)
ABC - Look Of Love instrumental (3:40)
Art Of Noise ft. Tom Jones - Kiss (3:27)
Gary Numan - Trois Gymnopedies (2:41)
Gary Numan - We Are Glass (4:40)
Heaven 17 - Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry - (3:39)
Heaven 17 - Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry part 2 (3:07)
Kid Creole - In The Jungle (4:15)
Kid Creole - Stool Pigeon (3:18)
MARRS - Anitina
MARRS - Pump Up The Volume (4:02)
OMD - Maid of Orleans (4:06)
OMD - Navigation (3:12)
Soft Cell - Insecure Me (4:35)
Soft Cell - Torch (4:04)
Yellowman - Dub Me Strong (3:24)
Yellowman - Strong Me Strong (3:42)

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Funky Into The 8-ties ( * 98mb)

When i was compiling this bunch, i was thinking yeez most of these artists play on Jazz festivals these days..Al Jarreau's slick voice has scored him many a grammy, The Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens Band, likely would have been up there aswell if their main man Petrus hadnt been murdered in 86..Breakmachine, electric boogie..one hit wonder ..well some are into whistling..all the way to the bank. That cant be said off Chaka Kahn, one of the great voices that vibrate the airwaves..and here she shares her passionate voice with every woman. Herbie Hancock rose to fame beyond the jazzworld with his Rock it , the video really did it then, still this one "Tell everybody" is his first great dance funk hit. Now you maybe surprised but after 19 Paul Hardcastle scored a vocal hit "Don't Waste My Time" (with vocals by Carol Kenyon), afterwards going into production work and these days under the moniker Jazzmasters releasing smooth jazzz... Sly Fox , unfortunately turned out to be a one hit wonder, the african american funk master matched to a latino singer didnt inspire minority togetherness, or if it did..it shouldnt as we are ruled by division... the Whispers have existed since 64 and have had hits in the past 3 decades, this one is from 80 and isnt a Sonny & Cher cover. Will Smith used it in his 98 Miami hitsong.. in case you think where did i hear that before..



Al Jarreau - Roof Garden (3:56)
B,B & Q Band - Don't Say Goodbye (4:55)
B,B & Q Band - On The Beat (3:45)
Breakmachine - Streetdance - (3:38)
Chaka Kahn - Baby Me (4:16)
Chaka Kahn - I'm Every Woman (3:29)
George Benson - On Broadway (3:49)
Herbie Hancock - Honey In The Jar (4:40)
Herbie Hancock - Tell Everybody (3:53)
Paul Hardcastle - Don't Waste My Time (3:44)
Paul Hardcastle - Moonhopper (4:11)
Sly Fox - Como Tu Te Llama (4:12)
Sly Fox - Let's go All The Way (3:49)
Whispers, the - Can You Do The Boogie (3:47)
Whispers, the - The Beat Goes On (3:22)

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Wavies ( * 99mb)

Wavies, a cosy name for a diverse collection. Elvis Costello still does his thing these days, Radio Radio wasnt on the European version of This Years Model , thats why i got the single , anyway its angry young man Costello complaining about aenesthetising music being broadcast, how much worse these days..computer muzak controlled by a handful of vampires. Joe Jackson, another solo artist from those days that still hits the road and though not as prolific as Costello, still releases acclaimed work, The Harder They Come was a early seventies hit for Jimmy Cliff, Joe gives a real angry voice to the serious lyrics. It's a non album track (EP) , still it fitted his style in 1980. Jona Lewie 's " You'll always find me in the kitchen at parties" gets the nod everytime, oh well the kitchen is the heart of any 'house'party..btw his previous big hit was as Terry Dactyl with Seaside Shuffle..not really a wavy then but what the heck this track belonged in those days. The Passions etheric I'm in love with a german filmstar has been the highlight of their 3 album career. The Specials, great band, just tonight i heard Ghosttown in a commercial, well that was the latter more suffisticated Specials , this live ep stems from their stompin' ska days, "Too much, too young" btw is about preventing pregnancy and all that comes with it... That Petrol Emotion an Undertones spin off got several hit singles in the mid eighties, this "good thing" being their 3rd. Wire , the postpunk band from the punk era, "Our Swimmer" is the 1 st release after 79's succesful album 154 , it turned out it took 8 years before they released a follow up album, being busy with all kinds of side projects. XTC, yet another act that survived to this date , id say its testament to their ethics and creativity (30 + albums). Yazoo, Vince 'depeche mode' Clarke and Alison Moyet teamed up for 2 very succesful albums in the early eighties. Their first single was a 'mistake' as it quickly turned out the b side was much, much more popular than the A side "Only You", as a consequence it was quickly repackaged and thats why i have a cover that says "Situation" whilst on the vinyl it still is the B side,..move on..



Elvis Costello - Radio Radio ( 3:01)
Elvis Costello - Tiny Steps (2:39)
Joe Jackson - 01 The Harder They Come ( 3:48)
Joe Jackson - 02 Out Of Style (2:54)
Joe Jackson - 03 Tilt (2:43)
Jona Lewie - Burocrates (2:40)
Jona Lewie - You'll always find me in the kitchen at parties (2:58)
Passions - Don't Talk to me, i'm shy (2:13)
Passions - I'm in love with a german filmstar ( 3:56)
Specials - 01 Too Much, Too Young (2:04)
Specials - 02 Guns of Navarone (2:15)
Specials - 03 Longshot Kick The Bucket (2:52)
Specials - 04 Liquidator (1:28)
Specials - 05 Skinhead Moonstomp (2:06)
That Petrol Emotion - It's A Good Thing (2:30)
That Petrol Emotion - The Deadbeat (2:46)
Wire - Midnight Bahnhof Cafe (4:25)
Wire - Our Swimmer ( 3:26)
XTC - 01 Respectable Street ( 3:03)
XTC - 02 Strange Tales, Strange Tails (1:54)
XTC - 03 Officer Blue (2:35)
Yazoo - Only You (3:03)
Yazoo - Situation (2:20)

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