I came to most of these a lot later, mainly years later when I worked in Brighton and heard lots of different music in the house and office, so the songs jump around all over the shop.
Echo Beach – Martha and the Muffins
A great “I just need to get through this working week and then I can cut loose and do whatever the hell I want, and if I’m lucky I’ll get to go somewhere I really like” song. In Brighton, Bony worked in the docs library, hidden away in the stacks of files, and every so often his voice would boom out singing, “my job is very boring I’m an office clerk”. I still think of him when I hear this.
if You’re Looking For A Way Out – Odyssey
I love this singer’s voice. She’s very melancholic, in every song there is a line or phrasing that gets to me – even in the happier songs. Not what you expect from disco. I think I love this and “Native New Yorker” equally, but Native New Yorker is just too damned sad. Mind you, the subject of this one isn’t all “life is sparkly and wonderful” either.
Call Me – Blondie
My mum was a great one for a bargain. She found it impossible to walk past a charity shop and we loved the grand unveiling of what was in her Bags Of Magical Treasures when she came home. One of the best days was when she arrived with an ancient Dansette record player and a bag of LPs. In amongst the Mac and Katie Kissoon and other beauties there was a copy of Blondie’s Parallel Lines. I loved that album. The Dansette mysteriously found itself in my room (much to my brother’s disgust) and I would swing the arm of the record player over so that the record would repeat and fall asleep listening to the LP. That started my love affair with Blondie.
Kitchen At Parties – Jona Lewie
Kirsty MacColl! Trying not to laugh.
Three Minute Hero – The Selecter
Pauline Black was such an excellent front woman.
Start – The Jam
Anonymity, anger and connections.
Love Will Tear Us Apart Again – Joy Division
I can’t write anything about this song without sounding like an idiot, so I’ll not write about the song.
The boys in Brighton Introduced me to this song; I still remember the first time I properly heard it. Sitting round an old tinny tape recorder on Brighton Beach, each of the boys saying that the song meant something different and each loving the song for a different reason.
Burn Rubber On Me – The Gap Band
Take yer crappy Oops Upside Your Head dance and stick it. Then go absolutely nuts and dance however the hell you want to this piece of delirious funk.
Geno – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
So angry, such a fantastic voice and storyteller
Antmusic – Adam and the Ants
I love it when Adam Ant turns up on a programme, talking about… Anything really. He’s got such a great way of looking at things and explaining them that you cant help but listen. Plus of course he’s perfect at pop.
Green Onions – Booker T and the MGs
Any excuse to stick a song with a link to Northern Soul in here and I’m going to take it, re-release or not.
Christine – Siouxsie and the Banshees
If you love this song, every time you meet someone called Christine you can’t help but add “The Strawberry Girl” after it. It must get very wearing if you’re called Christine.
Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol
I might have cheated with the version of this. Don’t care. It’s good so I’m allowed.
My Perfect Cousin – The Undertones
My granny had ten kids. That’s a helluva lot of aunties and uncles and therefore cousins. One of them is such a goodie two shoes that this is her nickname. At her mum’s birthday party she was going to be late and phoned me. All of the cousins were sitting at one table, my phone went off and I had set this as her ringtone. We all went for our phones as we had all set her with this as the ringtone. Poor Heth.
Searchin – Change
God, I’m struggling with 1980. I picked this just for the “stop, stop” bit.
Love Is The Drug -Grace Jones
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Whip It – Devo
Now this is more like it. Another song that I discovered years later via the boys in Brighton.
Is It Love You’re After – Rose Royce
Tail end of disco, tail end of the playlist. Is it 1981 yet?
Redemption Song – Bob Marley
The Legend album in our school was as ubiquitous as the school uniform.
Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen
Since this was all @wkidstepmother’s idea, and it is rumoured that she likes Bruce Springsteen just a little bit, this is for her.
Next up 1981. Tenpole Tudor, Tom Tom Club and The Specials.
Misty Blue 