Season 292 - 80's Synth Pop

Hurry up brother I’m about to steal another one from you if you don’t!

I will be amazed if anyone has heard this one before.

A bit of background. For those that don’t know it, Northampton is a very very average town, pretty well right in the middle of England. It used to be a big centre for the shoe making industry, but a lot of that died out years ago, and not much replaced it. I grew up about 20 miles away, and I have to say, it didn’t leave much of an impression on me, apart from grey...
In 1980, the Northampton Development Corporation started a radio advertising campaign in London, to try and tempt businesses to move there. A catchy jingle, written by Rod Thompson, helpfully pointed out that (assuming you were in London), it was only 60 miles by road or rail. Somebody in the music business heard this, and told them they ought to turn it into a record. So “60 miles by road or rail” was expanded into a love song about wanting to go to Northampton to see the one you love, and was full of those fashionable synthesiser noises...

But what about the B-side? Why bother writing another melody, when you can just use the same backing track with another set of words about Northampton? Let’s make it about aliens, fleeing a neutron war, looking somewhere to land, and they choose Northampton, because there’s Energy In Northampton. Yeah, great idea....

I have one of the original Development Corporation copies of the disc, but soon afterwards, EMI picked it up, and re-released it with “Energy In Northampton” as the A-side. It didn’t trouble the chart compilers, because, frankly, it’s awful, although it did get a bit of airplay from John Peel on his late night show, as some light relief.

I do urge you to listen to the original – it’s there on YouTube. For the full effect, just think of the most boring, plain, town near where you live, and substitute its name for Northampton. That’s how ridiculous it is. And one more thing. The singer was the late Linda Jardim, who ALL of you know. Yes, you do. That bit in “Video Killed The Radio Star” where the backing singer goes “You arrrrrre, a radio starrrrrrr...”. That’s her.

Anyway, here goes, and I couldn’t resist doing a bit of the original jingle at the end.

I will be in full on catch up mode tomorrow. Been working all day so no time to look at anything sadly. But I will tomorrow. And I will be able to do another song myself.

Greetings,

Real late to look at vids (about 2 weeks late) so I have no idea if anyone tried this one. But.....for Synth week here goes a little Flock of Seagulls number.

Ciao

This is from a really good album (imo) that isn't as well known as it should be.

All the blame for this one goes on Rex. I requested that he do it Tuesday night, and he did, but then he asked me to do it as well like this is the ice bucket challenge or something. There was no way to even come close to his version , so I tried to make it my own. I've spent the last two days fiddling with the chords and trying to find a key that I could sing it in, and this is the best I could do. I hope you enjoy it, and if you don't, like I said, blame Rex!

This is "E=MC2" by Big Audio Dynamite.

If I could put some saxophone in there at the end, I would.

I really loved Kim Wilde's first album. But my favorite song of hers is a deep cut from her fourth album, based on the movie "Blade Runner". On the album, it's written as one word. Since there's a new Blade Runner movie coming out soon, I figured I'd do this one.

I hope this is here like a million times because it is such an important part of 80's synth pop. In any event...cat's out of the bag, I love this stuff. This was the dark secret I hid from the Skinheads when I was a teenager.
Sorry for the dog who is being an idiot, and a couple of high notes that are a bit painful- I got carried away (in spite of being advised not to). Still haven't even touched Vince Clark, but this was his biggest influence early on.
Regretfully, the anniversary of it's release does not fall during our time here. 9/26/1980. I did not hear it until I was ten (1982), but it still makes me smile every time.

Also- Apologies for missing YAZ in my Vince Clark rant. VINCE CLARK!!!!

Here's a really obscure synth-pop song from the 80s. In 1983, composer Gary Gilbertson wrote this for the Atari 8-bit computer to showcase its new "Advanced Music Processor." You have to remember that this was in the very early days of computer music, and this song was an amazing demonstration of what an 8-bit computer could do.

You can watch the original here.

Additionally, this is very experimental for me, too. I'm trying out my new mic, a Sterling Audio ST51, run directly into GarageBand with the uke recorded simultaneously recorded on another track. I also added in three synth sounds that I played on my keyboard and recorded into GarageBand.

Aaaaand number 7. By Tears for Fears.

I knew I was getting too ambitious. You can expect a fantastic multi-tracked extravaganza for some future season.

In the 80 The Sparks did quirky songs. Here is a quirky original I wrote
this morning called "Honey you know it's true blues"
I hereby invoke the Thornton rule if the song does not completely fit
the remit of the season.

I don't like the way you snore in bed
I don't like the way you shave your head
Or the way you slurp your soup with a spoon
and I hate it when you whistle out of tune
But honey you know its true, I love you.
You need to change your socks cos your feet smell
The odour from your armpits is a living hell
Please brush your teeth because you've got bad breath
and when you try to kiss me it scares me half to death
But honey you know its true, I love you.
You spend all my money frink all of my booze
Buy useless kitchen gadgets that you never use
You watch TV on the sofa in your Sports Active Wear
Your fat, unhealthy and overweight but you just don't care
But honey you know its true, I love you.

I am now fully caught up. 83 songs in the playlist. The variety and quality, not forgetting humour ( in the previous post for example :smileybounce: ) is really something. Thanks seasonistas. And it's not over yet!! Wahey!!

Well, my second and last song was, initially, going to be Messages by OMD, but somewhere along the line this song from 1988 popped into my head and I had to do this instead. It fits the season because al though there is a bit of guitar on it, it's nearly all sequencers and drum machines. It's another all time favourite. Jane Wiedlin is a founder member of the Go-Gos, and sometime actress (she played Joan of Arc in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" )
The 8 string is borrowed by the way, sadly it doesn't belong to me ....( Cue a Wayne Campbell style "It will be mine.....oh yes, it will be mine..." :iwant:

Just Can't Get Enough!

You can't say 80's Synth Pop without "Just Can't Get Enough"!



Played on my new Ohana long neck soprano

Feeling like shite but had to throw this together.

gina TOTALLY wowed me with her wonderful cover of this great song... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H7FlHkAjmg

i'd kind of forgotten about it but she reminded me of its fabulousness, and made me wanna bring it on uke too!

"i ran" by a flock of seagulls