Season 292 - 80's Synth Pop




And I dun it ... logs not withstanding! Think of me as a sort of composite "Pet Shop Boy", probably more Neil Tennant than Chris Lowe (who doesn't seem to sing a lot!) And not a synthesizer in sight ... well, only in the photos!
 
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I meant to record this one yesterday, but my Monday got a little too manic. 😁 It's all good, though, because today felt so long, it might as well have been a Monday.

Fun fact I didn't know...this song was written in 1984 by Prince under the pseudonym "Christopher", but he gifted it to the Bangles in 1986, and it quickly became their first hit. Hope you enjoy the song. I had fun playing it.
 
Wanted to play a quick "cover" for season #292 of seasons of the ukulele at ukuleleunderground.com that uses different skills that I never done before like the scratching and the percussion.

 
I cannot believe this one was left hanging on the tree, as it were.

Bb's are killers for me, but I even moved the chord up to C. Didn't say I played either well, but doggone it, I banged it out.

 
This is an old song by New Musik. I'm invoking a touch of the Thornton Rule -- according to Wikipedia, this song came out in the U.K. in 1979, but it wasn't released in the U.S. until a 1980 EP.

 
Like Rick, I am surprised that this one has not been done. From their 1984 album Heartbeat City, The Cars are pure pop perfection. Alas, this is not...

 
Was fun to do but this is one of my wackiest videos. First time trying to distort my voice for the rhythm, first time covering a funk song, and first time recording a song with more than two tracks. I wish I had a cutaway for reaching the 14th fret. Enjoy!

 
Absolutely had to do some Simple Minds this week. Here's one of my favourites of theirs.


 
I've managed to get a one take wonder in. If I can I will do another but it's not that likely. Anyway, I know that Billy Connolly is a fan of this song, King In A Catholic Style by China Crisis. Well he certainly used to be because I remember him saying he tried to work out the synth riff at the start on banjo and couldn't. Well I'm not going anywhere near the riff on this one, but there is a poor attempt at harmonica part way through. But seeing as this song is off an album called Flaunt The Imperfection, that seems apt somehow. (Incidentally, the album was produced I found out just yesterday, by the late great Walter Becker no less)
 
A Berni Original written especially for this Season and heavily influenced (especially in the third verse) by the events in Catalunya this week where the Central Government in Madrid (the inheritors of Franco's mantle) have used the Guardia Civil (a Para-Military Police Unit that backed Franco) to invade the Regional Government offices of Catalunya in an attempt to prevent people from voting on their future adherence to Spain or independence. The PP have refused to negotiate on the issue for 8 years simply claiming a vote is "unconstitutional" - a conclusion they arrive at by strictly interpreting the 1978 Constitution, which allowed Spain to become a Democracy again, but within strict parameters that the old Fascist Party and the Army that supported it defined.

The measures the Spanish Government have taken are in direct confrontation with human rights defined by the EU - such as the right to freedom of speech and thought. Not only that, they have even blocked access to Websites opposing their actions not only in Spain but internationally by forcing internet providers to block certain websites - exactly like the totalitarian governments of China and North Korea do. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe sit back and refuse to comment claiming it is an internal affair issue!!!!

Anyway, rant over - here is the music:

 
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