TripleX

26 Oct 2015

25 October 2015

Show 257

Peer Pressure by Noel and the Red Wedge. 1982 but I discovered it in the record library of the first radio station I worked at back in 1986. The album, also called Peer Pressure, featured work by keyboardist/producer Mitchell Froom from Crowded House.

Good as Gold by Red Rockers. Title track from their 1983 album. They were from New Orleans and only active from 1979-85.

Young Guns by Wham. Their very first single from 1982, reached #4 here, #1 in Sweden, but barely made a dent in the US – only appearing on the dance chart, and only at #21.

Rock the Bells by LL Cool J. Request.

My love is so Raw by Alyson Williams. Request.

Hell in Paradise by Yoko Ono. Request.

Who’ll stop the rain by Heaven 17. This is the 12” single version of a track from their 1983 album, The Luxury Gap, their second.

Private Idaho by the B52s. From 1980’s Wild Planet, as a single did quite well. 11 here on ARIA chart, 74 on US Hot 100 list. It was the inspiration for the Gus Van Sant film, My Own Pvt Idaho.

Into the Groove by Madonna. Request.

Aussie funk, bands I’ve never played…

*Love to the People by Sue Barker. 1976 cover of this Curtis Mayfield tune, released on her only album, a self-titled affair, from the same year.

*So Excited by Moir Sisters. A trio of sisters, born in Scotland but raised primarily in Australia. They started singing when the youngest, Lesley, was just 13 and toured throughout the mid70s, including supporting the Osmonds. This is from a bit later, 1982. The eldest, Margot, died this year from complications due to diabetes.

*Let’s Go and Make It by Jackie Orszaczky & the Marcia Hines Orchestra. In the mid-1970s, Jackie Orszaczky was the leader of Marcia Hines’ backing band. In 1976, he released this 45 single.

*Blame it on the Boogie by Ric Herbert. 1979 cover of this Jackson’s tune. At the age of 7, Ric was the youngest person in 150 years to be granted a scholarship to sing in the St Mary’s Cathedral Choir. He continued there to the age of 13. Today he’s an actor and voice over guy…having done 14,000 voice overs for ads and whatnot…

*Living for You by Chelsea Brown. Another American who relocated to Oz in the 1970s, though clearly she didn’t make it as big as Marcia Hines! She put out one album in 1982, On the Rocks, that featured this tune written by Donny Dee, who also produced the whole project.

*Beats in the Depth by Hiroshi & Claudia. From their 1979 album, Six to Six. According to the blog AussieFunk, the whole album was composed by fairly well known Japanese guitarist Hiroshi Yasukawa and was recorded in both Japan and Sydney with a completely unknown (possibly Aussie) singer referred to only as Claudia. Interestingly, Discogs lists Claudia’s real name as Justin Varis…but Justin, who is white (Claudia is black), was born in 1979 in the US…the same year this track was released, so they can’t be the same person. It’s a mystery.

Lucretia, My Refletion by The Sisters of Mercy. A 1988 single from their 1987 album, Floodland, their 2nd studio release. I’m sure I’ve played them at some point in the past 5+ years but I have no memory of it…they are from Leeds in the UK and started life as an underground band. They currently continue to tour but haven’t recorded anything since the 1990s due to a dispute with their record company.

Maneater by Hall and Oats. From their 1982 album H2O, their 11th, and released as a single the same year.

Do You Wanna Make Love by Fashion. From their 1982 second album, Fabrique.

You Make Loving Fun by Fleetwood Mac. Written and sung by Christine McVie this track was separately published as the fourth and final 45 single from the band’s 11th album Rumours in 1977. “You Make Loving Fun” was also the first song published by Cyndi Lauper who was commissioned in 1977 to record several songs that had been written by other artists.