Plimsouls – Lost Time

I thought I would live up to my blog’s name today and feature some power pop. I featured A Million Miles Away a few years ago by the Plimsouls but I just listened to their debut album and it’s great…so I thank CB for bringing them up again.

Peter Case began his musical career in the late 1970s in Los Angeles, where he formed The Nerves, a pioneering power pop/punk rock trio. The Nerves are best known for their song “Hanging on the Telephone.” It was later covered by Blondie, and it reached #5 on the UK singles chart.

After The Nerves disbanded, Case formed The Plimsouls in 1978. The band released several albums and EPs and gained a dedicated following for their live performances. They released their self-titled debut album in 1981 and it contained this song. The album peaked at #153 on the Billboard Album Charts.

This is the common story of Power Pop bands for some reason. A few bands that play Power Pop will break through and stay there like The Cars and Cheap Trick. Most bands though continually release good albums but never catch on more than once or twice. The Plimsouls continued to release music and tour throughout the 1980s, but they never achieved mainstream commercial success on the level of some of their peers. One In A Million was their most successful song because it was in the movie Valley Girl in 1983.

The band broke up after their 1983 album Everywhere At Once. They reunited without drummer Louie Ramírez to make an album called Kool Trash in 1995. They did get one of the best drummers in rock to replace Ramirez though. Clem Burke of Blondie played with them for a short while.

Lost Time

I still remember those days
Inside the school house
Dreaming out the windows
Like the words were never all

Counting hours,
Praying on my knees
All i need was being
Cared for my beliefs

From the first step that i took outside
I made it to ya in a straight line
Catching up, up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

who’s got a minute that’s been waiting for the green light
but catch you in it and they’ll keep you awake all night
i catch it still long enough to show my hands
i got no time to spend waiting for the plans

from the first step that i took outside
i made it to ya in a straight line
catching up, up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

i tried living, day to day
what you get ain’t what you see
i tried breakin every way
but they always got their hands on me

from the first step that i took outside
i made it to ya in a straight line
we’re catching up, up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up

up up for lost time
up up for lost time
up up for lost time

…

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

25 thoughts on “Plimsouls – Lost Time”

  4. Absolutely LOVE this band! The first band I was in back in the early 80’s covered their song “Zero Hour” and I’ve been a huge fan ever since!!

    I wore out my cassette copy of Everywhere at Once, but thankfully picked it up on vinyl back when record stores were still a thing. I’ve got the debut record on vinyl too, some records are like precious gems to me, I’ll never let ’em go!

    This reminds me of another awesome Power Pop band from the same time I’ve never heard you mention – The Jags. I discovered both bands about the same time and was OBSESSED with them both. The Jags were far more obscure than the Plimsouls, hard to find info on them, especially pre-internet. Their album “Evening Standards” is still one of my favorite albums! 

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    1. Thank you! Always mention bands here…I’ll check them out…that is the perfect name for a power pop band…The Jags. I’m always on the lookout for more music.
      Thanks man!

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      1. Clem seems to get around, he must love playing. He worked with Hugh Cornwell, the former Stranglers front man, sometimes too.

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    1. Yes it does…I found that one song in a movie….and didn’t really investigate from there…now I know their catalog better since you brought them up…those albums are really good. Should have got more attention.

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      1. We could pave a long highway with those “should have got more attention” bands. I bought into Case’s first few solo (good stuff) albums but lost track of him. He is pretty prolific so lots of goodness waiting for me.

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      2. I do need to check him out solo…I listened to the Plimsoul albums so I’ll see what he has…I liked some of the Nerves also…so yea I know I’m going to like it.

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  9. Power Pop that is real easy on the ears. Can hear The Cars influence in there. A little Joe Jackson as well. Thanks for the spotify playlist. It’s too bad more of the bands didn’t reach the limelight for more than a hit or two.

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  12. The Plimsouls and this song didn’t ring a bell. That said, “Lost Time” is pretty catchy. And it doesn’t seem to be a one-off. I just listened “Now”, the next track on their debut album and think it sounds pretty good as well!

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