Some great music from the 80s, no.38
Arrow. Hot Hot Hot
As world music gained traction in the 80s, Arrow's soca classic Hot Hot Hot broke out of that niche & hit the UK charts. Its a joyful bit of party music, with a fabulous percussion led & horn punctuated arrangement which fleetingly bought African rhythms directly to UK radios. If you like this there's a great 7 minute version which is the ideal mood lifter - its all sun & sand... the sound of summer!
Some great music from the 80s, no.37
Tashan. Thank You Father
In the late 80s DefJam was at the forefront of a new soul movement. Tashan's new soul & gospel mash-up is a delight, with its relaxed shuffle rhythm, breathy gospel vocals & sparse production is emblematic of this new approach. Drawing its inspiration from the Quiet Storm radio format, Tashan (and others) offered a soul sound that stepped back from the mid-80s harder elect-driven sound. Still sounds great!
Some great music from the 80s, no.36
Dexy's Midnight Runners. Come on Eileen
This classic from the second iteration of the ever changing style of Kevin Rowland's band is a mash up of Irish folk songs & post punk sensibility. With its well known sing-along chorus & driving violin led arrangement, it sounds like nothing else & is a testament to Rowland's (offer under-estimated) musical genius. Of course, he was soon to move on again leaving this Dexy's classic in his wake.
Some great music from the 80s, no.35
Ultravox, Vienna
Ultravox's signature hit is a wonderfully atmospheric slow electro-driven mood piece. With its crescendos & quiet sections, marrying electronics & acoustic piano, it combines a pop sensibility with (a quiet) avant-gardism, drawing from contemporary electronic music. And if you detect the influence of Kraftwerk in the later up-tempo section, then you'd be right. The sound of 1981 summed up in less than 5mins
Some great music from the 80s, no.34
George Benson. Give Me The Night
This classic bit of jazz-inflected disco was George Benson's demonstration that he had a sure touch for cross-over jazziness. It combines a great dance shuffle rhythm arrangement with jazz guitar frills, scat singing & Benson's relaxed vocals. It still sounds wonderfully fresh 45 years later, and is, of course, still a floor-filler.
[apologies for the late posting' got distracted this morning!]
Some great music from the 80s, no.33
Joe Smooth. Promised Land
The late 80s dance floors were dominated by house music & this absolute banger from Joe Smooth once again confirmed that dance music can have a political edge (an abiding theme of my musical posts as you'll know). This great house groove drives forward behind Smooth's relaxed but evocative vocals. Its keyboard sound is typical of the era, but its the bass line that catches the feet & gets them moving.
Some great music from the 80s, no.32
Rick Astley. Never Going To Give You Up
This massive 80s Stock, Aitken & Waterman hit from Rick Astley, subsequently revived through the online 'Rick rolling' phenomenon, now seems almost ubiquitous... but it remains a fabulous slice of mid-80s highly polished pop, with its infectious (if typical SAW) rhythm arrangement & Astley's impassioned vocals. Some might criticise its manufactured production but when it works, it works!
Some great music from the 80s, no.31
David Bowie. Lets Dance
David Bowie's hard edged Let's Dance is a statement of where he was in the early 80s. Its a robustious bit of pop, driven forward by a receptive riff on keyboards & guitar, and showcases Bowie's distinctive vocals. As always, it also shows Bowie both moving forward but also keeping certain elements of prior phases of his creative career. While I might prefer earlier phases, this remains a great record!
Some great music from the 80s, no.30
The Jam. A Town Called Malice
This classic social commentary from Paul Weller & the Jam is a driving post-punk bit of rock-pop that both skewed the Thatcherite attrition on working class communities & related Weller's own journey away from his roots. The Jam's normal sound is wonderfully complemented by the Hammond organ at the centre of the mix (played by producer Pete Wilson) & hinted at where Weller was going with the Style Council.
Some great music from the 80s, no.29
Human League. Don't You Want Me
This stone cold classic of electro-pop brings together a driving electro-beat & arrangement with fabulous lyrical content delivered by Phil Oakey & Susan Ann Sulley; a tale of rejection & stardom. The band were surprised it was a hit but it has now become their signature song & remains a 80s night sign-along fave. On this song all the elements of the Human League came together better than ever!
Emeritus Prof Christopher May