The Psychedelic Furs are most famous for Pretty in Pink, a big hit after the film of the same name was released in 1986. Yet the film is an anodyne story about high school love between Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy (two of the 80s Brat Pack) and the song that inspired it is nothingContinue reading “You fall to dust”
Tag Archives: 80s
You know its righteous stuff
It should have been The Ace of Spades when I first saw Motorhead on TV but somehow I missed it and the first song I saw them do (on Top of the Pops) was Please Don’t Touch in collaboration with Girlschool. (Motorhead and Girlschool in 1981) (Girlschool were unlucky for me – I crashed myContinue reading “You know its righteous stuff”
On an island
This is the kind of group that shows my age (like The Mood https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/06/14/we-almost-made-it/ ). New Musik only produced two proper albums and were very much an example of that synth pop era. Their most famous song (or at least most commercially successful) was Living By Numbers. The favourite song from the group for usContinue reading “On an island”
I’ll hear you when you’re calling
Asia were a supergroup formed in the early 1980s. There was Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/05/06/the-hut-of-baba-yaga/ ), Geoff Downes of the Buggles (coming later) and Yes, Steve Howe of Yes (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/07/08/it-is-no-lie-i-see-deeply-into-the-future/ ) and John Wetton of King Crimson. Supergroups had been a feature of the late 60s and early to mid-70s butContinue reading “I’ll hear you when you’re calling”
Just This Once Twice Forever
Songs you would never have admitted to liking at the time. Wham! Were a band that girls liked, not for boys and proper music fans. Though they had started their career with Wham Rap!, which was played on evening radio shows their album Fantastic was stuffed full of hits like Bad Boys, Young Guns andContinue reading “Just This Once Twice Forever”
You’re Under the Gun
This where I sound like a grumpy old man, moaning about how the world today has changed for the worse. The supposedly inevitable time when a man’s broad mind and narrow waist change places. But I’m going to say it anyway. I’m not a native Londoner, my formative years were in Royston and Brightlingsea, veryContinue reading “You’re Under the Gun”
Before the Thud of the Future
Steven Doubtfire recommended this album to me. We both like Led Zeppelin and he persuaded me to listen to Roy Harper’s Whatever Happened to Jugula? as Jimmy Page was playing guitar on it. It is nothing like Led Zeppelin, but I am glad that he persuaded me. Why the hell do we teach Orwell toContinue reading “Before the Thud of the Future”
You’re a Pageant
Changing schools is traumatic and under the three-tier system (primary, middle and upper) you have to do it once more than in the two tier system (or two times extra when you move like I did). Meridian Upper School, in Royston, is actually right next door to Greneway Middle School – the boundary between theContinue reading “You’re a Pageant”
To Reach Too High
Whether or not accountancy firms do this now I don’t know, but when I was a trainee accountant between 1987 and 1990 salary was very much linked to exam results. The final exam was Professional Exam 2 (PE2). Just four papers in three days – passing gave a 50% pay rise from £12,000 to £18,000. Continue reading “To Reach Too High”
Don’t Say It’s a Crime
After our A levels ended and I was feeling a bit better (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/06/18/cause-man-must-be-his-own-saviour/ ) we had a staff and student bridge tournament at school. The Bridge Club had been set up by Mr Locke and Mr Bonnar and it was not a surprise that they won, though Mr Currell and Mr Carter were only 8Continue reading “Don’t Say It’s a Crime”
Five Miles Out 