I’m really into this band at the moment. This is one band I wish I would have known about in the 1980s. This song was on their album At First Sight, Violets Are Blue. The album is still rated as one of the best Australian guitar pop releases. In the early nineties, Rolling Stone included it in the top 100 Australian releases of all time. At First Sight became their signature song.
The Stems were a garage punk band formed in Perth, Western Australia in late 1983 by member Dom Mariani. They were hugely popular in Australia. They would release 7 singles, 2 albums, and 2 EP’s between 1985-1987.
They debuted in March 1984 and released a series of independent records on Sydney’s Citadel Records. Each release made it to number one on the Australian alternative charts. Dom Mariani’s earliest influences included The Beatles, The Raspberries, Badfinger, and Big Star. He formed his first band (The Go Starts) in 1981 and The Stems in 1984. The members included Mariani (songwriter, guitar, and vocals) Richard Lane (guitar/keyboard/vocals), Gary Chambers (drums) and Julian Matthews (bass).
The band broke up after this album in 1987. They regrouped in 2003 and played to packed houses across Australia and Europe. They disbanded again in 2009 and regrouped in 2013 and still play from time to time.
The song peaked at #90 in the Australian Kent Music Charts but I’ve read where it peaked at #1 on the alternative charts there as well…along with two more singles from this album.
On the 30th anniversary of the album….founding member Dom Mariani: “It seems like a long time, doesn’t it? Music’s one of those funny things that never dies, it’s there forever. It’s always going to be there and what we did 30 years ago has connected with people, and it’s a bit of a historical thing. Personally, I’ve kept doing it (playing music) because it gave me the confidence to keep writing songs and stay interested in it. If it had been a flop I might have taken a different path.”
Back then I would have never thought much of it. You can’t look into the future but we had high hopes, and thought we’d be chart topping & tour the world etc. We were lucky enough that what we did was popular, we had some good tunes, and we loved what we were doing. Where I’ve ended up, I’m pretty happy with though. If we’d had any degree of success that was ‘life changing’, we probably wouldn’t have done all the music that we did since then. I’ve had a great journey, and it’s always been about rock and roll. The art form is more important than owning a mansion.”
At First Sight
Just say the word and I would die for you
And I’ll be a flower if you wanted to
‘Cause I never met anyone quite like you
I lose my head my heart starts pounding too
And all I had to do was look at you
At first sight
I’ll be the motor in your car
And I’ll be the fire in your flaming star
And I’ll be the water in your waterfall
‘Cause I’d hit the ceiling I’d feel ten feet tall
And all I had to do was look at you
At first sight
Just say the word and I would die for you
And I’ll be a flower if you wanted to
‘Cause I’ve never met anyone quite like you
I lose my head my heart starts pounding too
All I had to do was look at you
At first sight
All I had to do was look at you
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
At first sight
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
Not a bad track. Kinda has that Byrds/REM jangly guitar sound. For the record I’m not a guitar player so thats how I explain things like using the word jangly lol
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You are correct dude…that describes it well.
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I sometimes have moments of brilliance lol
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LOL…that is a good way to start off the new year.
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BAHAHAHA
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This has so much of what I like. I agree with the Byrds comparison. Tom Petty as well. You can feel their garage band roots, and out front is an easy-to-like melody and nice vocals.
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Glad you liked it. Their catalog is full of songs like this. Again I wish I could have found them real time.
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I was thinking Tom Petty, too…or Lone Justice.
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I think it is OK to change yourself for love and there are times when it’s absolutely necessary.
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As long as you don’t lose yourself I totally agree.
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I guess you won’t be surprised that as a lover of the Rickenbacker sound this tune is totally up my alley. I had never heard of Stems before. I would characterize the tune as power pop. At times, the lead vocalist slightly reminds me of Bryan Adams – strictly from a vocal perspective when he gets a bit raspy!
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Yea I do like his voice. Their catalog is strong…it’s a shame they weren’t more known.
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I’m surprised I didn’t hear of them at all in the 80s. Toronto was pretty receptive to Aussie alt rock – The Church, Hunters & Collectors, Hoodoo Gurus, of course Split Enz, Midnight Oil. But these guys flew under the radar.
Great jangly guitars on this (I use that term too Deke!) but his vocals are just a bit off-putting to me. Not at all a bad song, just not one that I’d have been searching out at the record store.
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I missed ’em too, Dave; A lot of bands from Australasia seem to have an off-centre vocalist, I don’t know why. Steve Kilbey of the Church, f’rinstance, has one of those voices.
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I like the Church also. Radio Birdman is another band I like from Australia… if you were British you got noticed…Australian not as much it seems….except for a few like AC/DC
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Totally new to me, yet has a familiar sound.
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How wonderful to see The Stems featured. Well done you! Do you know The Someloves album? Would be right up you alley, I reckon.
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So cool that you know them! I so wished I would have known about them back in the 80s.
I’ve listened to them on youtube mostly for a year or so….I want to get a CD of them…probably one of the anthologies they have.
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Dom Mariani is a kind of cult legend in Australia. Well, amongst fans of guitar based power pop, at least! The DM3 stuff is good too, as are The Orange Humble Band.
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I’ll check The Orange Humble Band out..thanks. Yea I love power pop obviously!
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Oh man…you KNOW I will be posting this sometime soon. Thank you so much. I’m always on the look out for New Old power pop! This is great….thank you man.
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Fantastic, Max. A pleasure.
– Bruce
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Thanks Bruce!
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I like this. I love that lower-tuned guitar. I also hear shades of Smithereens. Same basic sound.
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Same time frame also….but Americans weren’t exposed to them… Oh no….we get f’ing Safety Dance.
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LOL! Men Without Hats & Leather Wings. Poor Max…
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Yea…mainstream 80s sucked as bad as now…well to me
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😆
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