The History of Pop Part 8 AKA Glide by the people as they start to look and stare

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

A solid win for the Pet Shop Boys in the Now 7 poll, and a Now 8 poll posted a couple of hours early cos I have a meeting later on today. Venus by the 'Rama came a respectable second, three votes behind, and "The Lady In Red" met with predictable censure.

Now 8 has THREE (3!!) previous poll winners in contention, in what looks to me like a pretty strong line-up - AND NO UB40! It's goodbye Madness, hello Janet Jackson and Mel & Kim, and a brief cameo from Billy Bragg. I know what ought to win it, I don't know what will. If the final question leaves you too much choice, feel free to skip it and head for the comments box instead.


[Poll #629505]

Comments

We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

There is at least one 80s song which in a particularly valorous use of brackets has parentheses before AND after the title. Can't remember what though :(

Other stuff going on here:

- the Wizard is "aka Top of the Pops theme tune", which maybe I should have mentioned but it's still no good.
- the Housemartins again! Just for dubdobdee's pleasure!
- "Stuck On You" has a particularly obnoxious video which I saw in a pub once in which H Lewis is making "aw shucks" faces as he tries to ditch his girlfriend to hang out w/the News. At least I think that's what was going on. There was a boat, too.
- "Suburbia" while still excellent is the weakest PSB single from the first two albums, Neil Tennant's voice is really stretched on it. Also growing up in suburbia it was hard to reconcile NT's depiction of a lawless wasteland with the realities of Leatherhead and Epsom.

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

oh the brackets before and after came up in a retro quiz (natch) and for the life of me...

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

there is (get a) Grip (on yourself) by the strangliars. i'm sure i can think of more...

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Aye, I prolly wouldn't like The Wizard if it hadn't had been TOTP theme tune, but as it is nostalgia = too strong.

Paul Heaton has never been involved in anything good, has he?

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Cor is that who its by? I like that. Must amend answers.

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I gave Teh Wizard teh thumbs up purely for nostalgic reasons. I WOULD DO THE SAME FOR 'YELLOW PEARL'.

Re parentheses issue, TS: Exordium vs Terminus

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Now I wish Hardcastle had called it WIZARD IS HUNGRY.

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

I think this was my first Now! If not, it was definitely the point at which I really got in to the young people's pop music. I remember all the tracks with the odd exception of that OMD thing.

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I remember the tape quite well but I don't remember some of the songs, Grace Jones in particular.

Re: memories

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

I have a very specific recollection of hearing this NOW! at a pre-Wobs family gathering/party at my Aunt & Uncle's house. I can picture exactly where I was sitting in the room and everything.

This memory triggered by seeing the likes of B.Bragg, Cutting Crew and Gabriel-Bush on the track list. I'm drawing a complete blank on a hell of a lot of these. Did Dr+Medics really cover "Waterloo"? Hell's bells!

Re: memories

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

NOW put "Waterloo" on the album before it had come out, with the following blurb. (paraphrased)

"In 1974, ABBA's song "Waterloo" got to No.1. Doctor and The Medics last single "Spirit in the Sky" got to No.1. So this version is going to get to...."

"Outside the Top 40" is the sad answer. dorsalstop can you provide us with aural evidence?

Re: We only wanted something else to do but hang around

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

that OMD track was played by a guest DJ at Club FT. not me i add.

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

will the big C break their DUCK?? *plays guitar as if it wz bagpipes*

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

This is a particularly poor track even by their bagpipularmongous standards.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Someone gave them a vote a few polls ago, I'm sure.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

this is the first time i haf not voted for them, the name of the band did become "big country, they played their guitars like bagpipes" in smash hits c. 88, i think (hope) it was in their style guide...

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Y'see, I remember quite liking some of their stuff at the time, but I can't stand it now. Guitars as bagpipes = actually not a bad idea (cf early Steeleye Span), but S.Adamson and co royally stuffed it up by forgetting about THE DRONE which is the whole bluddy point.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

that (indicates large span by holding arms as far apart as possible) is how NINDIE you are.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Bah! Neither band mentioned in that comment is nindie in any way!

I JUDGE THAT

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

the statement "forgetting about THE DRONE which is the whole bluddy point" is the very essence of a certain kind of nindie ;)

MY PLEA

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Guilty as charged, m'lud!

Set me free why don't you babe

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

This is the first Now from the time I got into teh pop -- hence I think almost everything on it is ACES!

Re: Set me free why don't you babe

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Snap!

Re: Set me free why don't you babe

[sbp.livejournal.com]

I remember Now #1. That was when *I* was into pop....

Other pop facts

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It Bites were from Cumbria!

Re: Other pop facts

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

That's no excuse!

Re: Other pop facts

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

taking sides: it bites v go west

Re: Other pop facts

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

francis dunnery (http://www.aquariannation.com/2005%20AQCD%27s/CD%20Pages/THE%20GULLEY%20FLATS%20BOYS.htm) (for it is he) is still going, he had the bloke out of younger younger 28s playing bass for him for a bit. calling all the heroes is ACES.

why do i know these things??????

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

Only one point separating six contenders after my vote! (And I voted for all those six.)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Could very well be AN TIE BREAK on Monday.

EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Now 9 = bad news.

Re: EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

we'll be the judge of that you pop-lapsing fule

Re: EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

But Now 13 is pretty good! It has Tom Jones v Art Of Noise on it!

In The Army Now

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

My main memory of In The Army Now is going to see one of the Shakespeare Henry IV1/2/Henry V trilogy at the National and at the end of the play they played Status Quo because the characters were, indeed, 'in the army now'!!!

Ever since then I have liked it.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

is it just me or are the poll results not displaying properly? (it keeps omitting several people's choices)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Yes when I looked at it just now it said only 5 people voted WHICH IS LIES.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yeah they're going wonky for me, but if I hit refresh I get what seems to be the full thing.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

looks ok here, though for some reason the Pet Shop Boys are not winning. surely some mistake??

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

they won the last one so to win again would be LAME. i'm not sure if people are voting tactically because of this or what though.


Robert PalmXor needs more love :(

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

too much love for that human league song, easily their worst single. more votes for Kim Wilde plz.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

They will win more.

I am sad now that "yeah its ok I suppose" Run DMC is beating "best song of 86 and beyond" Cameo, though I suppsoe they're both wedding disco staples by now.

(Either way though it's the first Black Person to win a Now poll. If either of them do.)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for an racially diverse Now best of, potentially!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I wyb horses, hteyre my friendz!