The History Of Pop Part 14 AKA Every cowboy sings a sad sad song

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I would be surprised if NOW 14 was anyone's favourite, but maybe that's just me: the first chunk of '89 seems particularly full of drab bands - Hue and Cry, Then Jericho, Climie Fisher - and unloved pop. BUT I was 16 and 1xBIG ROCKIST even if I did like the Pet Shop Boys. So maybe for you this is pop heaven! Let's see eh?

We have a tie-breaker held over from Now 13, between Erasure and Yazz (I just mistyped this as YESS!) who finished a few votes ahead of D-Mob, Yello and the Proclaimers. This means we have no room for a bonus question, but if we did it would be this: What should the four letter word be in Kim Wilde's "Four Letter Word"?


[Poll #650757]

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Some more things:

- "Belfast Child" is probably the worst record to have appeared on any NOW so far.
- I THINK that the Bananarama charity single is the first charity record to have turned up, there's plenty from now on so obviously the labels had worked out the licensing details.
- is "Big Area" actually dirty?
- is Phil Collins a TIMELORD?
- lots here I don't remember - the Yazz follow-up for example.
- poor old Joe Smooth.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

What a load of bobbins.

Belfast Child v.bad, though I remember liking the intro at the time, prolly cos it is exactly the same as tune She Moves Through The Fair. Question is: is it worse than Zombie?

The Big Area Then Jericho were talking about was Of Love. So quite possibly yes.

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

oh my, I like at least 3/4 of this NOW, and almost certainly had it/almost every song on it. This is obv my RIGHT TIME.

'Fine Time' is a slow, pop-soul ballady thing with lots of tosh about 'you picked a fine time, to cross the line' etc. But I still like it.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Buffalo Stance' really is the best song ever, isn't it? On some MIA thread people were saying that MIA's lack of 'Buffalo Stance'-quality song proves that she is a chancer but that is unfair as it also applies to everyone ever.

I love the "what is he like?" bit especially, I know a few hate it and I find this incomprehensible.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

me in agreeing on every point with the leXoR shoXoR ;-)

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

s'express was the second (after PSBs) point of departure between me and the college indie rockists.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's a shame their singles that aren't "Theme From S'Express" have been lost to history a bit.

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

that four-letter word = YESS

have the er "levs" had more now entries than anyone else (only right and proper if so)?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think UB40 probably beat them, despite rare non-appearance here.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

what about phil?

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

There seem to have been an awful lot of Style Council entries as well.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Results are in!

8 UB40
7 Duran Duran - Phil Collins - Bananarama
6 Level 42
5 Simple Minds - The Style Council - Madness - Tina Turner - Queen
4 A shower of fvckers (including PSB! and T'Pau!)

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

tom, as orgafun master general, i hope, no TRUST, that you are collecting all this data and are CORREL-ing some sort of "NOW match" chart to see who wuvs who, and who the outliers are etc

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

dude, it's on the userinfo.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The "Hey Music Lover" 12" came with a Philip Glass remix, if anatol_merklich is looking for anti-NOW evidence to take down to sukrat town.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

they (well Mark Moore) sucked up to philip glass all the time. ISTR that the last track on 1st album was actually called Philip Glass

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

This is a terrific NOW! Heaps of great stuff, yes the dreck is bad, but the gold is GOLD. "Straight Up" probably the best. Such hatred for "You Got It", that's fucking ace, that is. Also Sam Fox Roxxor, cue my theory that singing "I Only Wanna Be With You" turns the performer into a lesbian (or makes you shag Dave Stewart, which is kind of the same thing, no?)

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

Er wait, no, obviously "Buffalo Stance" is the best.

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

There is far too much love for INXS going on here, and not enough for THE BIG O (although, granted, worst celebrity STARS IN VER EYES ever = Corrie's Roy Cropper singing this song)

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, the Roy O is good. Jeff Lynne = god. I hadn't noticed that song was on there.

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

PS I have had no sleep and am in one times grump and am doing a very good job of hating fun.

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

Does "Stop" need critical re-appraisal? I thought it was universally rightly considered to be bluddy GRATE? Except when done by Jamelia, obv. I mean, not by fun-hating indie kids like on here (giggle), but.. generally...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Weird that "A Little Respect" has done SO much better than "Stop!"

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

I honestly can't remember "Stop!". A possible explanation for this (which I'm not certain I believe) is that ALR was the one covered by Bjorn Again in the next decade.

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

What's with spelling Poison wrong? It's so I wouldn't notice the WORLD's greatest rock band in there, tsk tsk. I am reminded how awful music was in the late '80's.

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

I always hated it when Erasure were on TOTP.

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

I would be surprised if NOW 14 was anyone's favourite, but maybe that's just me: the first chunk of '89 seems particularly full of drab bands - Hue and Cry, Then Jericho, Climie Fisher - and unloved pop. BUT I was 16 and 1xBIG ROCKIST even if I did like the Pet Shop Boys. So maybe for you this is pop heaven!

Actually, I think it may be. I was 14 and taking first steps into teh World of Indie but still hanging on to my Smash Hits roots. At this point taping the top 40 and the Evening Session.

(eg even the songs I don't like, I know the words to)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I remember making this Living In A Box song #1 for at least one week in The Chart In My Head at the time. Bloody kids eh?

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

This is the worst Now! album ever.

madeleine

[(Anonymous)]

fuck-a-doodle-do.

this was the first NOW i ever owned, taped by friend on to (presumably lo-fi) 120min tape. haven't heard it in 16-odd years (obv) but probably know most of these all the same. weird. it's still shit, despite the memories. i wonder how much of it i liked even then.

hkm