Tag: 1980s
-
UB40, Little Baggariddim, 1985 on DEP International / A&M
Great EP by UB40 from the mid-eighties, including a duet with Chrissie Hynde covering Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe,” with a dub version on side 2. There’s also a new version of “One In Ten” from Present Arms There’s a full album called Baggariddim – this EP was only released in the US…
-
Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (aka Security), 1982 on Charisma
The fourth in Peter Gabriel’s self-titled set of albums, this one was labelled Security in some regions, and sometimes is referred to as Peter Gabriel 4. I love this whole quartet of albums, from 1977 to 1982 – this one includes “Shock The Monkey” as well as “They Rhythm of the Heat” and “San Jacinto”…
-
The Selecter, Celebrate the Bullet, 1981 on Chrysalis
The Selecter were a Coventry band on 2 Tone; Celebrate the Bullet was their second album, following Too Much Pressure. Neol Davies, Pauline Black, and Arthur Hendrickson did most of the songwriting here, with production by Roger Lomas. My copy—via Lucky Records in Reykjavik—is a 1981 Santa Maria pressing.
-
Peter Gabriel, Plays Live!, 1983 on Charisma
Peter Gabriel’s first solo live album, released following his four self-titled solo albums (commonly called Car, Scratch, Melt, and Security). It was recorded across multiple venues in the American midwest: Illinois State University, Kansas City, Northern Illinois University, and South Illinois University. Accompanying Gabriel are Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin, David Rhodes, and Larry Fast, with…
-
Blancmange, Mange Tout, 1984 on London Records
Second studio album from British synth-pop duo Blancmange (Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe), following Happy Families. This was their best selling album, with “Blind Vision” and “Don’t Tell Me” as successful singles. I always loved “The Day Before You Came” but did not realize it’s an ABBA cover! My copy is a UK pressing via…
-
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, 1988 on Geffen
This was an inescapable album in 1988 – not that I was trying to escape it. It was their studio debut and came out of nowhere to go 2x platinum. You could argue they were one-hit wonders with “What I Am,” with its ear-worm chorus (“What I am is what I am / are you…
-
Talking Heads, Naked, 1988 on Fly/Sire
Eighth and final studio LP from Talking Heads – talk about going out with a bang! What a great record. They apologized in the liner notes to Minneapolis band The Wallets, who had a popular song called “Totally Nude” that came out in 1986. As a teenager in a Minneapolis that sometimes felt rather provincial…
-
Run D.M.C., Run D.M.C., 1984 on Profile
Run D.M.C.‘s debut album on Profile, a NY area hip-hop label that was distributed by Arista, who would later reissue it. It was produced by Russell SImmons and Larry Smith, and recorded at Greene St. Recording in Soho. Note the credit on the rear jacket to “Music by Orange Krush” – that’s Larry Smith and…
-
Icicle Works, Icicle Works, 1984 on Arista / Beggars Banquet
In the UK (and elsewhere) this was credited to The Icicle Works and was on Beggars Banquet, but in the US it was titled just Icicle Works (no “the”) and was on Arista. Either way this was their self-titled debut album and included their biggest hit, which—like the album—was titled differently in the US. Most…
-
Fleshtones, Roman Gods, 1981 on IRS Records
Debut album from Queens New York’s own The Fleshtones (credited as just Fleshtones here). This included the song – “Shadow-line (to J. Conrad)” – that was included in Urgh, a Music War!. Artwork by Carl Grasso. Produced by Richard Mazda and recorded (mostly) in New York at Skyline Studios. I.R.S. was one of my favorite…
-
Squeeze, East Side Story, 1981 on A&M
Squeeze’s fourth studio LP, between 1980’s Argybargy and 1982’s Sweets from a Stranger. This was the first album after Jools Holland departed, replaced by Paul Carrack, who provided lead vocals on “Tempted.” Produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian, except for “In Quintessence” which was produced by Dave Edmunds. My copy, via Academy Records in…
-
Fleshtones, Up Front, 1980 on I.R.S. Records
First EP Fleshtones issued, before the release of Roman Gods. Fleshtones were Bill Milhizer, Jan Marek Pakulski, Keith Streng, and Peter Zaremba. Miles Copeland signed them to IRS Records, and got them on Urgh! A Music War. Zaremba may be better known to some as the host of I.R.S. Records Presents the Cutting Edge on…
-
Beat Surrender, Foundation, 1985 on Shake Records
Beat Surrender (this one at least – there are many things by that name including the Jam’s last single) was a Boston band made up of Paul Souza, Jackson White, David Matthews, and Ted Lyon. Check out that 1985 look on the back cover! Paul Souza went on to be in The Velveteen Playboys and…
-
Squeeze, Sweets From a Stranger, 1982 on A&M
Fifth studio album from Squeeze, this one including Don Snow, John Bentley, and Gilson Lavis alongside Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. and featuring “Black Coffee in Bed” with backing vocals from Elvis Costello and Paul Young. Lover the overlay flap on the front – “When it comes to Squeeze, they can’t be called ‘critics’” –…
-
Townes Van Zandt, At My Window, 1987 on Sugar Hill
Van Zandt’s eighth studio album and only one recorded in the 1980s, originally released on the bluegrass label Sugar Hill. I never miss a chance to pick up a Townes Van Zandt record in good shape. Recorded at Jack Clement’s studio in Nashville (“Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa”) and produced by Clement and Jim…
-
Camouflage, Voices & Images, 1988 on Atlantic
Camouflage were a synth-pop trio from Bietigheim-Bissingen in West Germany (near Stuttgart). Voices & Images was their debut album and included “The Great Commandment” which was a hit in Germany and broke through to the US. My copy via Pitchfork Records in Concord NH, has the gold promo stamp and a hype sticker listing the…
-
Heaven 17, The Luxury Gap, 1983 on Virgin
Heaven 17 included Martyn Ware and Ian Criag Marsh who had been founding members of The Human League – Glenn Gregory took the place of Philip Oakey to make Heaven 17. This was their second studio album (and best selling album) – with the single “Temptation” being the best known hit. My copy, via Pitchfork…
-
JoBoxers, Like Gangbusters, 1983 on RCA
I had not actually heard of JoBoxers but took a flyer on this one just based on the sheer 80s new-waveness of the cover – the hair, the braces, the hats: vaguely Depeche Mode, vaguely Dexy’s Midnight Runners. They were a UK new wave band, who toured opening for Madness – their debut single “Boxerbeat”…