The History Of Jop Part 4 aka God is smiling on you but he's frowning too

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's 1982!! NEW POP!! (and some other stuff)

Procedural note: Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" actually got #5 in this, but it was in the poll last time so I didn't put it in again.

PLEASE ONLY PICK NINE!


[Poll #815795]


The Joptimists Top Ten for 1981:

1. Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go? (43 votes)
2. Ghost Town (etc.) (40 votes)
3=. Bette Davis Eyes (26)
3=. Pull Up To The Bumper (26)
5=. The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel (25)
5=. Our Lips Are Sealed
7. O Superman
8. Genius Of Love
9. Super Freak
10. Ceremony

Comments

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

Started off thinking it would going to difficult to limit to 9, ticking away merrily.

Really struggled with 8/9th.

That Afrika Bambaataa song is AMAZINGNESS, maybe it/s better than 1999. mmmm

Most Important:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

1999 or It's Raining Men? I can't decide! I have a feeling it is the latter. I don't really have very stringent criteria to apply to the qn though.

Re: Most Important:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Hang on people appear to be hatin' on It's Raining Men. I am shocked. This is not the Halliwell version!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Also Tom why have you quoted Justin Timberlake on the lj cut thing?

Re: Most Important:

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

I hate the 'most important' question. I don't really understand it/do 'importance' as a musical term. Prince is an odd one though, as for years he was doing stuff out there on his own.

Sometimes I answer with my favourite, sometimes with the artist I think is most influential, the artist/band who did something very original....

Re: Most Important:

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

Yes, 2 ticks out of 8 so far, apparently - that astonishes me. I thought everyone loved it.

Re: Most Important:

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I went with Planet Rock or The Message - there was the sense of these leading to hip hop's acceptance as canonical quality music, for better or worse. Much as I adore It's Raining Men, say, I can't really see it as a terribly important record.

Re: Most Important:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I have vague "influenced lots of people"/"became across-the-board cultural touchstone" in mind when answering - not my favourite as that is what the favourite box is for (but I couldn't bring myself to name a song I hated here).

'1999' influenced lots of subsequent artists sonically and thematically AND is cultural touchstone - 'It's Raining Men' possibly more of one though, plus massive massive significance to teh gays and teh hen parties.

Re: Most Important:

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

Well yeah, hence my going for Planet Rock (probably more so GoF, come to think of it)

Re: Most Important:

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I do love it! I just love the others more!

Re: Most Important:

[celentari.livejournal.com]

I have given it love. Fat black wimmin in raincoats, what's not to love? It is not their fault it soundtracked a fight scene in Bridget Jones.

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

It's a line in S3xual Healing as well I think.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Oh right, so when Justin sings it it's a reference to Marv and...ah.

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

Not enough love for GoF

*shakes fist at Poptimists*

Interesting point

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

87 of the critics this year voted for Imperial Bedroom, by Elvis Costello, making it the #1 in the album poll.

Less than 15 of those (dunno how many less) voted for Shipbuilding, written by Elvis Costello and sung by Robert Wyatt, in the singles poll.

I think that's a bit odd, especially given that Shipbuilding is a protest song and thus the sort of thing that might get critic love.

You're so fine you blow my mind

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Great tune yes, and it was a wrench to untick it when winnowing down my final 9 but...

"Hey Mickey" doesn't seem especially Pazz and Jop-py. Maybe this is just my prejudices though.

Re: Interesting point

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

if that is that same 'Shipbuilding' that Tasmin Archer covered in the 90s then I like it v much.

I don't want no damage, but how'm I gonna manage with YOU?!?

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

What is UP with the hate for "Hold Me"?

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Oh hang on, some research reveals that the awesome song I thought was 'Temptation' is by Heaven 17! But more research indicates that the New Order one is also awesome.

Re: I don't want no damage, but how'm I gonna manage with YOU?!?

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

Twisted and cute in the details, pure El Lay shimmer when seen from the macro level, it's like the only other great rock dinosaur attempt at New Pop (the other being "Owner of a Lonely Heart")!

Re: Interesting point

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

Presumably bcos they thought there were too many songs about WARS already in this list.

Re: I don't want no damage, but how'm I gonna manage with YOU?!?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I have been listening to loads of earlier Fleetwood Mac but I don't know this one - must download!

Re: I don't want no damage, but how'm I gonna manage with YOU?!?

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

I quite like Gypsy off this album, but Hold Me is just indicative of what the rest of the album was - a poor man's Rumours cash-in. It was all downhill after the mighty Tusk.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

Temptation is the best New Order song, it's absolutely perfect.

I've no idea whats going to win this though - its very tough up there.

Yazoo

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Situation" - more love pls!

Re: I don't want no damage, but how'm I gonna manage with YOU?!?

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

Ha ha another single oversold by me! But it really is keen: simultaneous Lindsey and Christine vocals, near-grunted backgrounds, playful stereo mix, weird whippy wooshy sounds, plinky piano and guitar, FANTASTIC cod-surrealist video including a no-doubt-authetic Magritte, etc.

Meanwhile in England

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The 1982 NME lists (crossovers in bold - note the 1-2 win! Also SHALAMAR.)

The Message - Grandmaster flash
Sexual healing - Marvin Gaye
Shipbuilding - Robert Wyatt
A town called malice - The jam
The look of love - ABC
Money's to tight to mention - The valentine bros.
Only you - Yazoo
The boiler - Rhoda & the special AKA
There it is - Shalamar
Man out of time - Elvis Costello
Walking on sunshine - Rockers revenge
I can make you feel good - Shalamar
Poison arrow - ABC
Don't go - Yazoo
Inside out - Odyssey
Planet rock - Afrika Bambaataa
Young guns go for it - Wham!
Temptation - New order
Beat surrender - The jam
Straight to hell - The clash
Just an illusion - Imagination
Fat man/Moya - Southern death cult
Do you really want to hurt me - Culture club
My baby just cares for me - Nina Simone
Say hello, Wave goodbye - Soft cell
B-Movie - Gil Scott-Heron
House of fun - Madness
Ms fine brown frame - Syl Johnson
Come on Eileen - Dexys midnight runners
Know your rights - The clash
Buffalo Gals - Malcolm McLaren
Stool pigeon - Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Slow dive - Siouxie and the Banshees
Night nurse - Gregory Isaacs
Faithless - Scritti Politti
I love rock and roll - Joan Jett
Jump to it - Aretha Franklin
Get down on it - Kool and the gang
Mambo Bado - Orchestra Makassy
Pinball cha cha - Yello
Murphy’s law - Cheri
Promised you a miracle - Simple minds
Head to toe - Elvis Costello
Wham rap - Wham!
State of independence - Donna Summer
Party fears two - The Associates
I love a man in uniform - Gang of four
I can’t go for that - Hall and Oates
Torch - Soft Cell
I don’t wanna dance - Eddy Grant

Re: You're so fine you blow my mind

[damnspynovels.livejournal.com]

Wasn't Toni Basil like 40 years old or something?

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

Murphy’s law by Cheri = wtf?

dear god the clash were INSUFFERABLE in this era

haha note PIONEER GOTH celebration of BELOVED SAM SMITHS ICON

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

otm. it is the most lose yrself of their traxx innit

Re: Yazoo

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

quite.

wait for the 'mericans to pile in - i think it was bigger over the way

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

I am a weirdo who thinks the later re-recording is actually even better.

Re: Yazoo

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

no i think you might be in the majority, the original 7" (off the recent singles compilation) sounds incomplete

Raining Man

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

= MOST IMPORTANT VIDEO OF ALL VIDEOS EVER

Re: Most Important:

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Wasn't 1999 the first video by a non-white artist to air on MTV? If so, then that's pretty important too

Re: Meanwhile in England

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

lovely Torch

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

OMG! Pass the Dutchie should be winning this easily! It's brilliant!

Re: Most Important:

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

my memory is that the first video on MTV by a non-white artist = billie jean

tho AHAHA i see now the retroactive flaw in that claim :\

Re: You're so fine you blow my mind

[koganbot]

Hey Mickey P&J fodder because it has line about ass-fucking.

[koganbot]

C'mon. Joe Strummer's voice was even better than Paris Hilton's. (This comment is not ironic.)

Put your other left foot down

[koganbot]

I just want to remind you all that Stacey Lattislaw's "Attack of the Name Game" was the greatest song of the year.

Quarterflash Rules!

[koganbot]

Billboard Top 100 Pop Singles of 1982 - * Song went #1

*1..PHYSICAL, Olivia Newton-John (MCA) (#1, Nov 1981)
*2..EYE OF THE TIGER, Survivor (Scotti Brothers) (#1, July)
*3..I LOVE ROCK 'N' ROLL, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (Boardwalk) (#1, March)
*4..EBONY AND IVORY, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder (Columbia) (#1, May)
*5..CENTERFOLD, The J. Geils Band (EMI-America) (#1, Feb)
*6..DON'T YOU WANT ME, The Human League (A&M/Virgin) (#1, July)
*7..JACK AND DIANE, John Cougar (Mellencamp) (Riva) (#1, Oct)
8..HURTS SO GOOD, John Cougar (Mellencamp) (Riva) (#2, Aug)
*9..ABRACADABRA, The Steve Miller Band (Capitol) (#1, Sept)
*10..HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY, Chicago (Full Moon) (#1, Sept)
11 TAINTED LOVE/, WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO, Soft Cell (Sire) (#8, July)
*12..CHARIOTS OF FIRE - TITLES, Vangelis (Polydor) (#1, May)
13..HARDEN MY HEART, Quarterflash (Geffen) (#3, Feb)
14..ROSANNA, Toto (Columbia) (#2, July)
*15..I CAN'T GO FOR THAT (No Can Do), Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA) (#1, Jan)
16..867-5309/JENNY, Tommy Tutone (Columbia) (#4, May)
17..KEY LARGO, Bertie Higgins (Kat Family) (#8, April)
18..YOU SHOULD HEAR HOW SHE TALKS ABOUT YOU, Melissa Manchester (Arista) (#5, Sept)
19..WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU, Foreigner (Atlantic) (#2, Nov 1981)
20..DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS, Rick Springfield (RCA) (#2, May)
21..THE SWEETEST THING (I've Ever Known), Juice Newton (Capitol) (#7, Feb)
22..ALWAYS ON MY MIND, Willie Nelson (Columbia) (#5, June)
23..SHAKE IT UP, The Cars (Elektra) (#4, Feb)
24..LET IT WHIP, The Dazz Band (Motown) (#5, July)
25..WE GOT THE BEAT, The Go-Go's (I.R.S.) (#2, April)
26..THE OTHER WOMAN, Ray Parker Jr. (Arista) (#4, June)

Re: Quarterflash Rules!

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

Um, wow. It never actually occurred to me that "Tainted Love" was an actual HIT hit in the U.S.A. I just sorta assumed it was one of THOSE songs that gets lots and lots of airplay in urban centers like New York but never actually charts on Billboard.

I might've actually been tempted to vote for #15. Oh, and ha ha ha ha "Abracadabra" was another great rock-dinosaur-goes-new-wave (though not New Pop) move.

arf arf arf

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

(this response is not sober)