Band Profile: Fischer-Z

Posted: September 21, 2014 in Band Profiles, New Wave
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I recently came across a blog comment about the band Fischer-Z, a British band from the early ‘80s that I had completely forgotten about. The comment immediately jogged my memory and I remembered seeing the video for their song “So Long” back in the early ‘80s. The song had a strong bass line, unusual vocals, and I recalled there was a film noir narrative to the video. I immediately went to Youtube to track it down and then decided to look up more music from the group. They had a sound very much in-step with other new wave artists at the time and I was surprised that it had taken me over thirty years to come across them again. It turns out that the group’s record company decided to forego releasing material in America in the ‘80s. Having virtually no airplay, it’s no wonder they escaped my memory.

Forming in 1976, Fischer-Z started out with an experimental progressive rock sound. By their debut album, World Salad, their sound had evolved into a mix of offbeat pop with a reggae influence. The album had modest chart success, peaking at #54 on the UK charts. Their second album, Going Deaf for a Living, released in 1980, had the band moving to more of a guitar-heavy, new wave sound. It proved to be a greater success and by their third album, 1981’s Red Skies Over Paradise, the group had dissolved with lead singer John Watts pursuing a solo career. Although being the only original member of the group, Watts recorded albums throughout the ’80s and ‘90s under the name Fischer-Z. John Watts’ version of Fischer-Z continues to tour to this day.

The group’s first video was for the single “So Long,’ off the album Going Deaf for a Living. It shows off Watts’ unique, high vocal register. It was their most successful single and still finds regular airplay on stations in Europe.

 

“Marliese” is a single off the album Red Skies over Paradise. It’s a high-energy tune with more of a rock edge. The video clip below finds Watts enthusiastically lip-synching to the track.

 

Australia’s Divinyls

Posted: September 19, 2014 in Band Profiles, New Wave, Rock
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Many people know Australia’s Divinyls from their early ‘90s hit “I Touch Myself.” But the band had great success in their native country throughout the ‘80s. During that time period, they had a much harder sound, especially in the earlier part of the decade. I first discovered them through their video for the song “Boys in Town,” which received airplay on MTV in 1983. It’s a hard-hitting rock song with an unrelenting rhythm that mixed well with lead singer Chrissy Amphlett’s unique voice and high-energy performance. At the time, Amphlett reminded me of a younger Chrissie Hynde – fringe bangs, and lots of eyeliner and attitude. (In the 80s, Amphlett performed in a schoolgirl uniform and was often referred to as the female version of fellow Aussie Angus Young of AC/DC).

Formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980, the band went through many line-up changes throughout the ‘80s. By time the ‘90s rolled around they were a very different band. They adopted a more glamorous look and their sound moved to mainstream pop. It was only recently, after having come across a story on the band, that I remembered how much of a fan I had been of their earlier work. The group ended up disbanding in 1996 but reunited for a short time 10 years later before finally calling it quits in 2009. Unfortunately, Amphlett died in 2013 at the age of 53, after battling breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.

“Boys in Town” was originally released as a single in 1981. It’s part of the soundtrack for the 1982 movie Monkey Grip, which Amphlett also starred in. The single was also included on their debut album, Desperate, released in 1983. The video finds Amphlett in full schoolgirl garb, aggressively wielding a neon mic stand.

 

One of my favorite tracks off the debut album is “Science Fiction.” It has futuristic sounding keyboards and a robotic vocal performance by Amphlett that warrants the song’s title.

 

Classic Video: Split Enz

Posted: September 18, 2014 in Classic Videos, New Wave
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New Zealand’s Split Enz are partially responsible for my love of new wave music. Not only because the Finn brothers wrote some great songs but also because their videos were some of the first I recall from the early days of MTV. Known for their theatrical stage performances, they were a natural fit for the video age. “One Step Ahead” is a single from their sixth album, Waiata, released in 1981. With it’s penetrating bass line and carnival-like keyboards, it sounded unlike anything else at the time. Shown on MTV’s historic debut back on August 1, 1981, the video features keyboardist Eddie Raynor doing a pretty good “moonwalk” (albeit forward). You can catch it around the two minute mark.

 

Best of the ’80s Lists

Posted: September 17, 2014 in General
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It’s always fun to stumble across 1980s music “best of” lists. I’ve never attempted to make a list of my own. It’s too daunting, especially as I continue to discover new bands. Following are some of the lists I’ve returned to more than a few times in my search for ‘80s gems. See if your favorite songs or albums made the cut.

NME – 100 Best Tracks of the Eighties: http://www.nme.com/list/100-best-songs-of-the-1980s/266358/page/1

Pitchfork – Top 100 Albums of the 1980s (2002): http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5882-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s/

FACT Magazine – The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s (2013): http://www.factmag.com/2013/06/24/the-100-best-albums-of-the-1980s-100-81/

Movie Soundtracks: Streets of Fire

Posted: September 17, 2014 in Soundtracks
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A critical and box office failure upon its release in 1984, the movie Streets of Fire has since gone on to obtain cult status, mainly due to the film’s soundtrack. Taking place in an “unknown” place and time and promoted as a rock & roll fable, the movie has a futuristic retro look. There was high hopes for the film and with its fast pace and musical performances that jumped off the screen, it was certain to be a success with the MTV crowd. In the end, it might have been a case of the music being more than the movie.

Directed by Walter Hill, the film stars Michael Pare as the stone-faced hero, a very young Diane Lane as the rock star in distress, and Willem Dafoe as the slithery villain. The soundtrack is an odd mix of rock & roll, Motown, and over-the-top operatic power pop, which adds to the timeless feel of the film. The soundtrack did produce one major hit, Dan Hartman’s “I Can Dream About You.” The song reached #6 on the Billboard charts and had heavy rotation on MTV. Other artists who contributed to the soundtrack include Stevie Knicks, The Fixx, The Blasters as a bar band (they forwent the opportunity to perform in the movie 48 Hours to be in the film), Ry Cooder, and Maria McKee of the band Lone Justice.

“Nowhere Fast” is the first track of the film, and features Diane Lane at her rock & roll best. It’s a pulsating, energetic song written by Jim Steinman. The song is performed by Fire Incorporated, a studio band put together for the movie.

 

The final performance of the movie is another Jim Steinman number, “Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young,” also performed by Fire Incorporated. The song is bursting with all the melodrama you’d expect from Steinman and provides the perfect ending to the film.

 

Band Profile: The Abecedarians

Posted: September 16, 2014 in Band Profiles, Goth, New Wave, Post-Punk, Synthpop
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The Abecedarians are another great find I came across in my late-night internet searches. They have the distinction of being the only American band to have recorded under the legendary Factory Records label, the company that produced records for such artists as Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, and Orchestral Maneuverers in the Dark. Having a haunting-like quality to their music that reminded me of the new wave bands from England of the time, I was surprised to discover that the trio hail from Los Angeles. They also have a big sound, which belies the fact that there are only three members in the group.

Forming in 1983, the Abecedarians released their first single, “Smiling Monarchs,” under the Factory label in 1985. It was mixed by New Order’s Bernard Sumner and is a pounding, synth-heavy track. After leaving Factory, their music moved to more of a dark, atmospheric sound. It was the work off of their 1986 mini LP Eureka that captured my attention, and made me wonder how I could have missed them back in the day.

“Beneath the City of Hedonistic Bohemians” is a single off the mini LP Eureka. It’s an energetic, drum-driven track with pleasing guitar work throughout. It’s the song that first piqued my interest in the group and feel it’s one of their best tracks.

 

Having a darker but more melodic sound, “Misery of Cities” is another single off the Eureka LP.

 

Classic Video: Duran Duran

Posted: September 15, 2014 in Classic Videos, New Romantic, New Wave, Synthpop
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I recently went to see the Duran Duran concert film, Duran Duran: Unstaged. The film was released on September 10th, showing for one night only at over 300 theaters across the U.S. Directed by David Lynch, it captures the band in concert at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles in 2011. In light of this event, I’ve decided to highlight Duran Duran’s “Planet Earth” as the first in a series of classic videos.

“Planet Earth,” released in 1981, was the band’s first single and quickly became a hit in the UK and Australia. It was included on their self-titled album released later that year. This was the first collaboration with director Russell Mulcahy, who would go on to direct several more videos for the group. The band is costumed in full “New Romantic” frilly fashion. The video also features some of their club friends prancing around barefoot in some pretty outrageous outfits. This is one of my favorites from the group and still has heavy rotation on my playlists.

 

Getting to Know Liquid Liquid

Posted: September 14, 2014 in Band Profiles, Post-Punk
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Liquid Liquid is responsible for arguably the most well-known bass line and sampling in hip hop history. Their most recognized song, “Cavern,” was used as the backing track to Grandmaster Mell Mel’s 1983 single “White Lines (Don’t Do It).” (The lawsuit from the unauthorized sampling ultimately resulted in the downfall of both bands’ record labels). The song has been sampled and referenced by a diverse range of artists, such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Moby, LL Cool J, Mobb Deep, and De La Soul. It was also featured prominently in the film 25th Hour (2002) and more recently in the movie Chef (2014).

It’s quite a legacy for a band that only produced actively from 1980 to 1983, releasing just three EPs. They are labeled as a post-punk, post-disco band but have influences of reggae and funk. Liquid Liquid formed in New York in the late ‘70s as Liquid Idiot with a more punk sound. Their sound changed over the years to being more groove-based with their intention of getting people to “want to move.” The band reunited in 2008 and made an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show in 2010. For LCD Soundsystem’s 2011 farewell show, they invited the band to be the opening act, stating that Liquid Liquid was their greatest influence and “heroes.”

“Cavern” is a single off of their third EP, Optimo, released in 1983.

 

The single “Optimo” is another release from the EP of the same name. Another heavy percussion, groove-based track.

 

Who’s on Tour?

Posted: September 14, 2014 in Tour Dates
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Tears for Fears – through September: http://tearsforfears.com/

Blondie – through October: http://www.blondie.net/shows/

The Psychedelic Furs – through November: http://www.thepsychedelicfurs.com/tour.html

The Bangles – through November: http://www.thebangles.com/tourdates.html

Berlin – through November: http://www.berlinpage.com/tour

The English Beat – through December: http://englishbeat.net/shows/

Erasure – through December (Milwaukee, WI, Oct. 5th): http://www.erasureinfo.com/concerts/

OMD: More Than “If You Leave”

Posted: September 11, 2014 in Band Profiles, Electronic, New Wave, Synthpop
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There were some bands I unjustly dismissed in the eighties. One of those bands was Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). This was mostly due to the fact that I had little affection for the song “If You Leave” from the 1986 Pretty in Pink soundtrack. The whining vocals and the slow melody just didn’t resonate with me. After doing some research, I discovered that this was not the original song OMD picked for the John Hughes flick. After receiving negative feedback from test audiences on the ending of the movie (which had Andie choosing Duckie over Blane) and the song (“Goddess of Love”), they were asked to come up with a song for the new ending landing Andie with Blane. The new ending explains the bad wig Andrew McCarthy sported in the prom scene. They came up with “If You Leave” within 24 hours. The song reached No. 4 on the U.S. charts, their greatest U.S. success, and was pretty much all I knew of OMD until I came across their earlier material in a late night internet search for best synth-pop songs of the eighties.

In my quest for the ultimate synth-pop songs, I kept coming across OMD and their highly lauded first album. Surely this couldn’t be the same band I so easily rejected in the mid-eighties. I decided to give the album a listen and was glad I did. The self-titled album, released in 1980, was not what I expected and made me understand why they were hailed as synth-pop pioneers, influencing artists such as Erasure, Howard Jones, the Pet Shop Boys, Nine Inch Nails, and more recently bands such as Radiohead, The Killers, Glasvegas, and LCD Soundsystem. OMD formed in England in 1978 and founding members Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys were referred to as the Lennon-McCartney of synth-pop. They were considered experimental and intellectual, which didn’t fare well in the mainstream. Retrospectively, the band has received critical praise for their melodic and innovative sound.

“Electricity” was the first single off of the self-titled album released in 1980. It was originally recorded in 1979 but was included on the 1980 release. It’s a frantic swirl of synth-pop inspiration, and led one critic to call it the “perfect electro-pop number.”

 

My favorite song off the debut album is “Messages.” It features a prominent rhythm, emotional lyrics, and a great melody. This is the song that really grabbed my attention and made me eager to explore the rest of their catalog.

 

I’m also a fan of their later work, especially the single “(Forever) Live and Die.” It was the first single released from their 1986 album, The Pacific Age, and peaked at #19 on the U.S. charts. It’s a slower-paced song with a notable bassline, and harmonies that mesh so well with the lovely synth backdrop.

 

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