03-25-10 Who / What / Where / When
A short while ago, I posted this list of 1978/9 music, and regular reader Jim D. posted his “Who / What / Where / When” about these artists / records. That blog got the most comments of anything I have posted in recent memory! Jim’s responses, followed by my own.
Kate Bush /Them Heavy People/SNL/1978 – Working at a record distributor, 1978
John Cale /Fear/CD/1996 – Hippie record store, 1974
Marianne Faithfull /Broken English/college radio/1979 – Working at a record distributor, 1979
Japan /Ain't That Peculiar version 2/Cash Cows LP/1980 – Tried “Quiet Life” about 1980
Ian Dury /"Hit Me"/radio/1979 – “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” on KROQ, about 1978
Gang Of Four /Anthrax/college radio/1981 – Working at a record distributor, 1980
Nick Lowe /Cruel To Be Kind/radio/1979 – on KROQ, about 1979
Madness /One Step Beyond/video/1980 – In London, England, fall 1979
Magazine /The Correct Use Of Soap/LP/1980 – Working at a record distributor, 1978
Mi-Sex /Computer Games/video/1980 – I was sent their debut LP from NZ, fall 1979
The Nits /The Young Reporter/Steppin Into The 80s LP/1981 – I was given the “New Flat” LP about 1980 in Amsterdam
Gary Numan /Are "Friends" Electric?/radio/1979 – in Moby Disc, summer 1979
Mike Oldfield /Tubular Bells/environment/late 70s – on a sampler LP, about 1974
The Rutles /I Must be in Love/SNL/1978 – same as you, Jim-san
Simple Minds /Sweat In Bullet/2x7"/1981 – brother-in-law noticed “Real To Reel Cacaphony” LP, 1979
The Slits /I Heard It Through The Grapevine/college radio/1980 – “Cut” LP, In London, England, fall 1979
The Stranglers /Tank/No Wave LP/1978 – Debut album, heard at a hippie record store, about 1978
Rachel Sweet /Fool Around/CD/1991 – LP came into the record distributor and was colored vinyl, so we all tried it, 1979
Ultravox /Passing Strangers/video/1980 – clear vinyl 12” of “Slow Motion” – tried because it was clear vinyl, 1978
Wire /Ahead/video/1985 – A Question Of Degree 45, about 1979
XTC /Making Plans For Nigel/video/1980 – When “Go 2” came out, it was packaged with a “free” 12” of “Go +” – being free, we all tried it – and immediately got “Go 2” and “White Music”, 1978
Y.M.O. /Computer Games/urban radio/1979 – Kinokuniya Bookstore, San Francisco, 1979
Frank Zappa /I'm Slime/SNL/1976 – My older sisters played me Frank Zappa while they babysat me in the mid-60’s – the first one I clearly remember was “Absolutely Free”, about 1967 or so.
3 comments:
Actually, the UK 2x7" reissue of "Slow Motion +3" on Island in late 1980/early 1981 (embossed cover) was the second Ultravox release I bought following "Vienna." Needless to say I was completely blown away with the song. My next step was the debut album. "Slow Motion" remains a classic song to me to this day. They achieved perfection on that album.
"Systems Of Romance" is one of the better '79 new wave albums. Because of it, I followed John Foxx, and never made it all the way to "Vienna".
I could go on and on about how great the very late 70s were for music, you guys know the drill. I've tried, over the years, to separate how much I like a certain style or oeuvre of music from how old I was at the time or what my situation was -- it's difficult! But I do remain convinced that the late 70s was a truly magnificent period for music quite apart of my involvement with it.
That "Steppin' Into the 80s" comp you featured on this entry -- AND THEN FAILED TO TALK ABOUT GRRR -- was a huge favourite of mine, second only to A&M's No Wave which was such a major influence.
"Steppin' Into the 80s" was another FLAWLESS compilation with all thrilla and NO filla! The track that made the most distinct impression on me from it at the time was The Nits' "The Young Reporter," which sparked a now 30-year enjoyment of The Nits, but also made me aware of The Only Ones (greatest.song.EVAH!), Paul Collins' Beat, 20/20 and Mi-Sex, all of which ended up well-represented in my collections later.
I was already aware of Joe Jackson, Squeeze and Bruce Wooley of course, but still just finding out about bands like Jules & the Polar Bears and Sinceros and Nina Hagen.
Did this comp ever come out on CD, I would *love* to have a digital copy of that! It's a *great* document of 1980 IMHO.
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