One of my favorite toys growing up. To this day I like collecting vintage lighting fixtures like soft drink clocks or signs probably because of this toy. They came with designs that you could use to create different cartoons and clowns but I never used those. I liked to create my own masterpieces.
This toy allowed you to be creative in a very different way. It brought out the artistic side in you. You could design different things and it would light up your room in the dark with colors. Lite-Brite was invented by Joseph M. Burck, a senior designer at Chicago toy and game design company Marvin Glass and Associates. The company licensed Lite-Brite to Hasbro, which officially launched it in 1967. It became a staple toy in the 1970s.
Of course…when I got older I would make crude messages on the Lite Brite for friends. Lite-Brite is recognized as one of the greatest toys of all time by the Toy Hall of Fame. It has become part of our pop culture.
Lite Brite commercial from the 1970s. Did you have one growing up?
This is my second King Crimson post. I’ve heard their debut album the most and I like it. I went exploring and found this one. I can hear the 80s in this but not as strong as some…I like the slide guitar sound of Robert Fripp in this song.
This song to me is bridged progressive rock with a more contemporary, new-wave-influenced sound. This song was not released as a single but has become a favorite among fans of King Crimson. Their 1980s lineup was Adrian Belew on vocals and guitar, Robert Fripp on guitar, Tony Levin on bass guitar, and Bill Bruford on drums.
This song was on the album Three of a Perfect Pair released in 1984. It peaked at #58 on the Billboard Album Charts, #43 in Canada, and #30 in the UK. This song is only 3:49 but not your average pop song. They seem to like throwing curves and they did with this one…like with the slide I mentioned being slightly off by Fripp makes this interesting.
Three of a Perfect Pair is the third album in a trilogy that began with Discipline (1981) and continued with Beat (1982). In this period the band consisted of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, and Bill Bruford.
Model Man
Look for the signs Look for the symptoms Look for the slight Calm before the storm
I feel the silence I feel the signals I feel the strain Tension in my head Well, what more can be said
Not a model man Not a saviour or a saint Imperfect in a word Make no mistake But I give you everything I have Take me as I am
Look for the signs Look for the symptoms Look for the slight Calm before the storm
I feel the silence I feel the signals I feel the strain Tension in my head Well, what more can be said
Not a model man Not a saviour or a saint Imperfect in a word Make no mistake But I give you everything I have Take me as I am
Not a model man Not a saviour or a saint Imperfect in a word Make no mistake But I give you everything I have Take me as I am
When I would go skating, the best part was playing all of the pinball machines. I’ve always favored them over the video games at arcades because they were machines instead of a screens. Some took some skill and bumping the machine a little but not too much to tilt. I remember Baseball pinball machines, the Elton John model, KISS model, The Who Pinball Wizard model, and many bicentennial models. Below is a quick history of these works of art.
The start of pinball machines started in the 19th century with a “Bagatelle-Table”, a sort of hybrid between a “pin table” and pool table. Players tried to hit balls with cue sticks and get them into pockets or slots surrounded by nails and pins. Another step towards the modern pinball form occurred sometime at the end of 19th century when inventor Montague Redgrave patented a device called a “ball shooter”, which was based on the recently invented steel spring.
The first coin-operated “pinball machine” was invented in 1931 by Automatic Industries and was called the “Whiffle Board”. But the gaming industry really began in the mid-1930s with the production of a game called “Ballyhoo”. It was invented by one Raymond Maloney, who later started the Bally Manufacturing Company of Chicago, IL.
Pinball machines really grew in popularity after World War II. The ten-year period of 1948-58 is referred to by some as the “Golden Age” of pinball, due to the invention of flippers in 1947 by the D. Gottlieb Co. in a game called “Humpty Dumpty”, and was one of the main reasons for the renewed interest in pinball machines at the time. Humpty Dumpty was the very first pinball machine with flippers!
In 1966, the first digital scoring pinball machine, “Rally Girl” was released Rally. In 1975, the first solid-state electronic pinball machine, the “Spirit of 76”, was released by Micro. In 1998, the first pinball machine with a video screen was released by Williams in their new “Pinball 2000” series machines. Versions of pinball are now being sold that are completely software-based.
I still like the software-free machines…some were like works of art.
I have fond memories of this song in the 80s. I was at One For The Sun in Nashville enjoying our “beach” while a band played on a floating stage in the lake. It was a cool way to watch a band and when you got hot…you jumped in the water. I forgot what band was playing that day but between sets, we would play the radio and I heard this incredible bass sound coming out of the speakers from this song. Plus the guitar plays such a cool lick in the song.
That was in 1985 and let’s fast forward to 1995. The song stuck with me but I never did find out who was singing it. Remember…there was no internet or a quick way to find out. I went to Tower Records to buy a Badfinger CD and all of a sudden I thought of the song. I told the guy there… it was a song I wanted and it had the word “soda” in it. In a flash, he said Go For A Soda by a Canadian artist named Kim Mitchell. They had his greatest hits so I bought it. It was like finding a lost friend. He had a lot of great songs.
Kim Mitchell is probably best known as the singer of the Canadian band Max Webster in the 1970s and for his solo career after that. He has released 8 studio albums in all with his last coming in 2020. He has had several top 40 songs in Canada but Go For A Soda is his largest international hit. Max Webster released 6 studio albums with their last coming in 1981. All their albums went at least Gold in Canada and one reached Platinum.
Kim Mitchell released this in 1984 off his Akimbo Alogo album. The song peaked at #86 on the US Billboard 100 and #22 in Canada. It also peaked at #1 on the Canadian Content Cancon chart. I remember it getting plenty of airplay in my region. It did hit #12 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks.
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) used this song as a theme song. The reason the song caught on with me is the bass guitar sound. I was playing bass at the time and loved the huge sound when it kicked in.
Welcome to early eighties videos! But I love it!
Go For A Soda
Might as well go for a soda…Nobody hurts and nobody cries Might as well go for a soda…Nobody drowns and nobody dies
So we’re in one of our blue moods You wanna have it your way and I want it mine All this debating going ’round in our blue mood Makes me thirst for love
Chorus: Might as well go for a soda…Nobody hurts and nobody cries Might as well go for a soda…Nobody drowns and nobody dies
Life seems to be a bomb inside your head Well the bomb in my head is love All this debating going ’round in our blue mood Makes me thirsty for love
Chorus: Might as well go for a soda…Nobody hurts and nobody cries Might as well go for a soda…Nobody drowns and nobody dies Might as well go for a soda…It’s better than slander It’s better than lies Might as well go for a soda…Nobody hurts and nobody cries
Halffastcyclingclub and I have had conversations about Los Lobos. I’ve always liked what I heard but I never heard much of anything that was not on the radio. I came across this song when I was listening to various playlists I found. I’ve been listening to this album and will start on their debut album next.
Sometimes songs grow on me but this one I liked right off the bat. The guitar’s tone and the way they worked it into the song…it just melts into it. This song was released in 1984 as the title track of their major label debut album, How Will the Wolf Survive? The song played a significant role in defining the band’s identity and their fusion of rock, blues, and traditional Mexican music.
Los Lobos (Spanish for “The Wolves”) started in the early 1970s in East Los Angeles. High school friends David Hidalgo, Louie Pérez, Cesar Rosas, and Conrad Lozano started playing together. The guy who brought them together was Francisco González. He left the band before fame and became musical director of El Teatro Campesino and went on to start Guadalupe Custom Strings. They started off by playing top 40 music but soon tired of that. They drew inspiration from Mexican folk music they heard as kids. They didn’t fit into the typical rock band mold… instead, they experimented with acoustic instruments like the jarana,requinto, and bajo sexto.
They opened for such artists as The Clash and The Blasters. Steve Berlin, who was born in Philadelphia, played saxophone for the Blasters and then left the group to join Los Lobos. To his delight, he found the other members of Los Lobos shared a love for country artists such as Hank Williams and George Jones. The band mixed so many styles…Mexican folk music, country, and rock all in the same bag.
The song peaked at #26 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks Charts and #78 on the Billboard 100. The album peaked at #47 on the Billboard 100, #13 in New Zealand, #31 in Canada, and #77 in the UK in 1984.
There is a documentary about Los Lobos called Native Sons that is set to be released this year.
Will The Wolf Survive?
Through the chill of winter Running across a frozen lake Hunters hard on his trail All odds are against him With a family to provide for But one thing he must keep alive Will the wolf survive?
Drifting by the roadside Climbs a strong and aging face Wants to make some honest pay Losing to the rainstorm He’s got two strong legs to guide him Two strong arms keep him alive Will the wolf survive?
Standing in the pouring rain All alone in a world that’s changed Running scared now forced to hide In a land where he once stood with pride But he’ll find his way by the morning light
Sounds across the nation Coming from your hearts and minds Battered drums and old guitars Singing songs of passion It’s the truth that they all look for Something they must keep alive Will the wolf survive? Will the wolf survive?
With this band…I’ve heard their name more than I heard their music. I’ve seen several bloggers post about them and I always liked the songs. This one I liked when I heard it a few years ago. It’s a band I’ve always wanted to hear more so I did this weekend a little. After listening to this album…I see what the fuss is about. This song in particular has so many influences and Mike Scott’s voice has a perfect edge to it.
The Waterboys were formed in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott, the band’s leader and primary songwriter. Over the years, their music has evolved through different phases, blending rock, folk, and Celtic influences. Fisherman’s Blues was the title track of their album released in 1988.
The band had become deeply immersed in traditional Irish music, influenced by musicians like The Bothy Band, The Chieftains, and Van Morrison. On this album they were helped out by a rotating lineup of musicians to help fill out the sound. They recorded 100 songs for this album.
Mike Scott disbanded The Waterboys in 1993 and pursued a solo career. The 1993 album Dream Harder was released under The Waterboys’ name but was essentially a Mike Scott solo album. They regrouped in 2000 and released an album called A Rock in the Weary Land.
Fisherman’s Blues peaked at #20 in New Zealand and #32 in the UK in 1988. The album peaked at #15 in New Zealand, #76 on the Billboard Album Charts, and #13 in the UK
Mike Scott: We started recording our fourth album in early ’86 and completed it 100 songs and 2 years later. There was a lot of indecision. I got too involved in the album and I lost perspective. We had blues songs, gospel songs, country songs, rock songs and ballads. I didn’t know where to take it. It could’ve been a gospel or country album. It could’ve sounded more like This Is the Sea or it could’ve been a traditional album. It could’ve been anything.”
Mike Scott: American music has influenced me more than I can say, but I prefer the music you made from 1920 to 1970—jazz, Broadway, blues, gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, proper R&B, counterculture, soul—than anything made since. And what do you lot think of me? Ain’t got a clue.
Fisherman’s Blues
I wish I was a fisherman Tumblin’ on the seas Far away from dry land And it’s bitter memories
Castin’ out my sweet line With abandonment and love No ceiling bearin’ down on me Save the starry sky above
With light in my head With you in my arms I wish I was the brakeman On a hurtlin fevered train
Crashin head long into the heartland Like a cannon in the rain With the feelin of the sleepers And the burnin of the coal
Countin the towns flashin by And a night that’s full of soul With light in my head With you in my arms
And I know I will be loosened From the bonds that hold me fast And the chains all around me Will fall away at last
And on that grand and fateful day I will take thee in my hand I will ride on a train I will be the fisherman
With light in my head You in my arms Light in my head You in my arms
Light in my head You With light in my head You in my arms
I loved these commercials when I was a kid. I wasn’t allowed to have a dog in the house (which is probably why I’ve had three Saint Bernard house dogs). Some poor dog would be bewildered by a miniature chuck wagon, then scurries through the home and into the kitchen cabinet or tv after it.
In 1967, Purina launched “Chuck Wagon” as their latest dog food innovation. Packaged as dry dog food, adding warm water would rehydrate the serving to some extent, as well as cause the meal to produce its own gravy
The commercials had a Western theme, playing into Chuck Wagon’s branding as a hearty, wholesome meal for dogs. The animated mini chuck wagon would appear from unexpected places—such as behind a cabinet door, under a table, or from inside a dog food bag…creating a playful and imaginative effect. I can’t tell you how much this worked during that time period.
In some shots, stop-motion animation was used, where the wagon was moved frame by frame to give the illusion of self-propelled motion. In other cases, puppetry techniques such as invisible wires or rods helped guide the wagon across the floor.
Now… this was hard to believe but in 1983 Atari released a video game based on this commercial called “Chase the Chuckwagon.“
I had just met my first serious girlfriend when this song came out. I never paid much attention to the Eurythmics when I first heard them because they were so keyboard-heavy…this changed my feelings toward them. This was out when I graduated and I liked the R&B direction they were going with this song.
Dave Stewart had said that he came up with this riff after trying to make a “killer R&B riff.” He said Annie Lennox wasn’t sure about the song at first because it was so different than their usual sound. Unlike their earlier synth-heavy work, this song had a heavier rock and R&B influence, featuring a strong brass section and Stevie Wonder’s former guitarist, Jimmy Zavala, on harmonica. Lennox also had to change her delivery for this song.
Some fans have speculated the lyrics reflect tension between Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, who had previously been a couple before forming the band. However, neither of them has confirmed it directly.
This song was released in 1985, and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard 100, #17 on the UK Charts, and #2 in Canada. They were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. The song came off of the album Be Yourself Tonight. The album peaked at #9 on the Billboard Album Charts, #3 in Canada, #2 in New Zealand, and #3 in the UK in 1985.
Dave Stewart: “When we started putting it down the song had a lot of energy and inspired Annie to come up with the great lyric, ‘Would I Lie To You” and a melody with very odd answering harmonies, ‘Now, would I say something that wasn’t true.’ These harmonies are very unusual and Annie is a genius at working them out very quickly in her head. The song started to be a fusion between Stax type R&B and Eurythmics.”
Would I Lie To You?
Would I lie to you? Would I lie to you honey? Now would I say something that wasn’t true? I’m asking you sugar Would I lie to you?
My friends – know what’s in store. I won’t be here anymore. I’ve packed my bags I’ve cleaned the floor. Watch me walkin’. Walkin’ out the door.
(Believe me – I’ll make it make it)
Tell you straight – no intervention. To your face – no deception. You’re the biggest fake. That much is true. Had all I can take. Now I’m leaving you
I was told as a kid that a Magic 8 Ball could predict the future. I bought it hook line and sinker…I was also told by my older sister (8 years older) that snakes bite the second person in a line while I was merrily leading the way hiking in the woods as a 5-year-old…so I caught on pretty quick after I stepped on a snake…didn’t get bit though…but I never let her forget it.
I bugged my mom till she got me the mysterious Magic 8 Ball. I was amazed at this toy…well it wasn’t a toy to me. I thought this was great. So being 5-6 years old I thought I would put it to use… Oh, Magic 8 Ball should I color in the encyclopedias with my crayons? I shook it up and waited for the triangle to give me the answer… “signs point to yes”…those signs must have pointed in a different direction than my Mom… she wasn’t a fan of the Magic 8 ball after that.
Abe Bookman invented the Magic 8 Ball, a fortune-telling toy currently manufactured by Mattel.
During World War II, a man named Alfred Carter in Cincinnati created a tube-like fortune-telling toy. To help him he got his brother-in-law to help…that would be Abe Bookman. they created a 7″ tube device with glass on both ends with a pair of floating dice with responses. It was sold as the “Syco-Seer: The Miracle Home Fortune Teller.” Their company was called Alabe Crafts.
Carter died in 1948 and Bookman revised it into a crystal ball but it still didn’t sell really well. Then the Brunswick Billiards company commissioned Bookman to make them one shaped like an 8 ball as a promotional giveaway.
After the giveaway was finished Bookman kept producing them shaped like an 8 ball.
The Magic 8 Ball that we have known since then has contained a 20-sided polygon inside a hollow plastic ball, floating in a liquid-filled, 3-inch diameter tube. The liquid largely consists of dark blue ink and alcohol. The predictions, yes, no, or non-committal, appear on each triangular face of the polygon.
Bookman marketed it as a conversation piece, a paperweight and then a toy.
Ideal Toys bought Alabe Crafts in 1971. Next, Tyco Toys bought the ball in ’87. Mattel owns it today and sells one million units a year.
Here are the magical statements of the Magic 8 Ball
I didn’t really start listening to this band until last year. A few years ago, CB mentioned the song Fourth of July and I loved that song with Dave Alvin. I didn’t listen further until last year. This song is from their 1980 debut album Los Angeles. This song has a cool punk feel, plus a vintage cool guitar riff. The song was written by Exene Cervenka and John Doe, the principal songwriters of X.
X was formed in Los Angeles in 1977 and comprised of founding members singer John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, drummer D.J. Bonebrake, and singer Exene Cervenka. With their first album in 1980, their album Los Angeles was critically praised and considered a great one of that period.
The band was founded by Doe (real name John Nommensen Duchac) and Zoom. Soon, Doe would bring his girlfriend Exene Cervenka to band practice; she was a poet, and the band liked her work so she joined permanently. When trying to think of a name…Doe looked around the band members and focused on Exene Cervenka. Her unusual first name was shortened to X…Exene to X…
After Manzarek saw them live…he really connected to the lyrics. He was instantly struck by the lyrics to X’s song Johny Hit And Run Paulene: ‘He got a sterilized hypo, to shoot a sex machine drug/He got 24 hours, to shoot Paulene between the legs.’ Manzarek thought to himself…those are not lyrics…those are poetry.
Exene Cervenka:It was the first song I wrote where I’d had the ambition to combine a lot of different things. I was writing about the bigger picture – “the world’s a mess,” which is about as big as you can get – and combined it with something more personal – “it’s in my kiss,” which was also a nod to “The Shoop Shoop Song” and the history of rock and roll. There’s a baseball reference in there too, and I feel like the line I wrote “Dirty night dying like a lovely wife” foreshadowed the death of my sister, which is weird. So, yeah, it is kind of a surrealist song, but I chose it because I feel like it was the first time I had a real, kind of developed sense of songwriting, with lyrics that were sort of combining aspects of all the writing I’d been doing since I was young.
Ray Manzarek produced this and also their following three albums. Exene has picked this song in her top 3 of all the songs she did.
The World’s A Mess; It’s In My Kiss
No one is united And all things are untied Perhaps we’re boiling over inside They’ve been telling lies Who’s been telling lies? There are no angels There are devils in many ways Take it like a man
The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss
You can’t take it back Pull it out of the fire Pull it out in the bottom of the ninth Pull it out in chords of red disease Drag on the system Drag on my head and body Some facts here (some facts here!) Which refuse to escape I could say it stronger But it’s too much trouble I was wandering down at the bricks Hectic, isn’t it? Down we go, cradle and all
No one is united And all things are untied Perhaps we’re boiling over inside They’ve been telling lies Who’s been telling lies? There are no angels There are devils in many ways Take it like a man
The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss (Go to hell, see if you like it, then come home with me!) The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss (Tomorrow night may be too late) (Both moons are full like a lovely wife) The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss (Dirty night dying like a lovely wife) (Goodbye, my darling!) The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss (How high the moon? Well, I wish I was.) (The world is fine, goodbye, my darling!) The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss (Both moons are full like a lovely wife) (Dirty night dying like a lovely wife) (Goodbye, my darling!) The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss
The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss The world’s a mess it’s in my kiss
I never knew much about The Damned but this song sounds great. I’ve read about this band a lot and the history around them but never really listened to them as much. I was expecting pure punk but this is quite different. This was left over from my Stiff Records week because this song they did not perform on Stiff Records…it was on MCA.
The song is a cover of a song written by Bryan MacLean, originally performed by the band Love on their 1967 album Forever Changes. The Damned’s version was released as a single in 1987 and featured on their album Anything. The Damned was formed when guitarist Brian James teamed up with drummer Rat Scabies. They were soon joined by vocalist Dave Vanian (a former gravedigger) and bassist Captain Sensible.
On the 6th of July 1976, The Damned made their live debut, when they supported the Sex Pistols at 100 Club. This was the start of a rivalry between the two bands. They were the first UK punk band to release a single called New Rose. It was 5 weeks before the Sex Pistols released Anarchy In The UK. They were also the first UK punk band to release an album… Damned Damned Damned in 1977 on Stiff Records.
After the release of their second album, Music for Pleasure in 1977, tensions in the band led to their initial breakup. They re-formed in 1978 with a new lineup and released Machine Gun Etiquette in 1979. They started to change with that album with more styles thrown in the mix with garage rock and better melodies. In the early 1980s, they went more to a goth darker version and then in 1986 a more polished and mainstream sound.
The Damned have released 12 studio albums, 5 EPs, and 22 live albums along with 48 singles…with 10 of those in the top 40. The band is still touring and they still have original members Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Rat Scabies. They last released an album called Darkadelic in 2023.
Alone Again Or
Yeah, I said it’s alright I won’t forget All the times I waited patiently for you As you do just what you choose to do And I will be alone again tonight my dear
Yeah, I heard a funny thing Somebody said to me That you could be in love with almost everyone You think people are the greatest fun And I will be alone again tonight for you
Hey, I said its alright You know I won’t forget All the times I waited patiently for you Now you do just what You choose to do And I will be alone again tonight its true
I pulled up Dave Alvin’s debut album Romeo’s Escape released in 1987 and heard this song among many of the others. This one I liked right away. He had some great musicians on here including Al Kooper on keyboards. This guy seems to be everywhere in every decade.
After CB recommended The Blasters I’ve followed him around and he pops up everywhere with different bands and performers. The man is a great guitar player needless to say, but his vocals and songwriting are almost equal to it.
Dave Alvin launched his solo career with this record with a blend of roots rock, rockabilly, country, and blues influences. While his brother continued to handle lead vocals for The Blasters, Dave stepped into the spotlight, taking on all vocal duties for the first time. The album was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and Mark Linett.
This album is pure Americana which fits me perfectly. I started looking at his discography and he has played with so many artists. Artists like The Blasters, X, Los Lobos, Tom Waits, The Knitters, The Pleasure Barons, Gene Taylor, and The Third Man Blind…not even mention the albums he did with his brother.
Although Dave Alvin never achieved massive commercial success, he has cultivated a following and is highly respected in the music world. In 2000, he earned a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album with Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land.
A few weeks ago I posted Justified the tv show. Here is Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones doing Harlan County Line from the show.
When Max asked for a contribution to his Stiff Records week both his and mine default thought was to go with Nick Lowe, one of my most treasured artists. Nick was a big part of the success of that label as short-lived as it was. Stiff Records signed the 18-year-old Kirsty MacColl in 1979. Kirsty did not work with Lowe, and unfortunately, she was not treated well while there and left after just a year. But her story is one I think you should know. I want to thank Max for this opportunity to talk a little bit about her, even as I colour outside the lines from her brief brush with Stiff Records.
To demonstrate her experience while there I will say, she wrote this great song, recorded it and then the label messed around with the mixing of it. The release was delayed in part because Dave Robinson the label President, for whatever reason took a dislike to the otherwise very well-liked Kirsty. Stiff’s distribution centre went on strike at the time her record was to be shipped out and consequently, the radio stations had only the demo and no one could buy the record. Needless to say the song did not do well. Her next song was badly bungled as well and “You Caught Me Out” was shelved by the label. It was released in 2006 on The Stiff Singles Collection.
So age 19, she would move on to some success as a solo artist with five albums and charting a few songs. Like this one she wrote and released in 1981, “There’s a Guy Works down the Chip Shop, Swears He’s Elvis”. But otherwise she was in high demand as a session/background singer. Kirsty would also team up with The Pogues. They had been with Stiff for their first two albums in 1984 and 85. Coincidentally during that time they had a hit covering one of Kristy’s father’s songs, “Dirty Old Town”.
The Pogues had a messy departure from Stiff when it collapsed, and a year later Kirsty and was brought in as a feature vocalist on their enduring hit song “Fairytale of New York”, released in 1987. Although Kirsty’s voice was later over-dubbed in spots as the BBC and Top of the Pops forced the editing out of the word’s “slut” sung by Shane MacGowan and her saying “faggot” in response, words that reflected the time that the songs storyline takes place. Since then the original unedited version that is on the record is frequently heard. It is reportedly the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK.
Sometimes you just can’t keep a good song down and “They Don’t Know” was recorded by Tracey Ullman in 1983. Ullman was a fan of Kirsty and would record some of her other songs. None would have the same success as this new version that reached #2 in the UK and #8 in the US. It went to #1 in Ireland and Norway and charted well in several other countries, including a #5 ranking in Canada.
So some good came from her short stay with Stiff Records, and I think she did ok with the royalties from the song. Kirsty was the daughter of the well-known recording artist Ewan MacColl. He wrote among many songs, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as a love song to Peggy Seeger with whom he was busy having an affair and a child. Kirsty was raised by her mother.
Kirsty would marry and divorce but had two boys. While they and her boyfriend James Knight were on vacation in Mexico in December of 2000, at age 41 she was tragically killed. A speed boat violated warnings to avoid a clearly designated diving and swimming area. They were there with a local veteran divemaster. As they were all surfacing from a dive, Kirsty heroically saved the life of her 15-year-old son who she could see was in direct line of the oncoming boat. She pushed him out of the way, and he received a glancing blow, Kirsty was hit directly and died instantly.
The boat was piloted by a very wealthy Mexican businessman and initially, they ruled her death as accidental. Her family and friends put on enough pressure that a so-called ‘investigation’ was launched. An employee was paid to take the blame and was sentenced to prison but was able to avoid it with a small fine. Sorry to end on that heartbreak.
It’s a shame things didn’t work out with her time at Stiff. By all accounts, she was a beautiful person with a voice to match.
This week I’m going to tip the proverbial cap to the pioneering Stiff Records which was an independent Record Company that helped a lot of artists in the UK. I’ll be posting a song each day off that label. This week I’ve written up 3 songs and Randy and Dave are going to contribute two songs. I really appreciate them for doing that.
Stiff Records gave you an alternative to the Top 40. They would take chances on performers than the established record companies wouldn’t take. Who would have taken a chance on a nerdy-looking fellow named Elvis Costello? Many of the artists didn’t fit in with the major labels’ idea of what an artist should sound or look like. They had their own unique roster of talent.
This could be a mile-long post but I’m going to keep it short. This record company was created in 1976 by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. The label was created to capitalize on the new punk and new wave scenes, providing an alternative to the major record companies. They used bold marketing tactics…their slogan was “If It Ain’t Stiff, It Ain’t Worth a F***. The company didn’t have a lot of money but they had plenty of ideas.
They signed a lot of talent and that talent is what we are going over this week. I wanted to do a week of Stiff Records and let’s see what we will find. The talent was Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury and The Blockheads, The Rumour, Madness, The Damned, Motorhead, Devo and even Tracey Ullman.
Jake Riviera left in 1978 to form Radar Records, taking Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe with him. Despite its success, the label faced financial difficulties in the early 1980s. Stiff was sold to Island Records in 1984, which marked the end of its independent era.
Stiff Records was revived in the 2000s by ZTT Records (Zang Tumb Tuum), releasing new music while managing its extensive back catalog.
Nike Lowe: The pop business was full of these dreadful groups, Genesis and Journey and REO Speedwagon and people like that. And it was all safe and run by these bean counters and know-nothings. That’s why, over here, the pub rock thing started up. When punk came along a few years later, that was the thing that it really needed, but I would say that pub rock was spawned for the same reasons — dissatisfaction that it was all rubbish and needed to be pulled down. Because it had gotten to a point where you just couldn’t have another concept album or triple bullshit thing.
Great name for a song or a band…and that guitar is what I was sorely missing around this time in the 1980s. This album was in the stretch of great albums by the band. Let It Be, Tim, and Please To Meet Me. Personally, I never knew how big this song was with fans. One search on YouTube and you can find bands covering this song everywhere.
Everyone who knows me… knows I’m not a huge fan of the Top 40 in the 1980s but alternative rock is a different story. In my opinion, the two best American alternative rock bands to come out of the 80s were The Replacements and R.E.M. The Replacements were the generation’s Big Star influencing 1990s and 2000s bands. They had a secret weapon in Westerberg as a songwriter. I would safely say they were two of my favorite bands in the 80s.
This song was on their 1985 album Tim. Why was the album called Tim? There was no reference to the name on the album. The band’s manager said that he asked Paul Westerberg what the name of the album would be. Paul told him “Tim,” and the manager asked why. Paul said, “because it’s such a nice name.”
This album was their first major label release on Sire Records in 1984. This would be the last album by the original band because Bob Stinson would be kicked out a couple of years later. Stinson did a great solo in this song…very Keith Richards-like.
Tim was placed 136th on Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 137 in a 2012 revised list. The album peaked at #186 in the Billboard Album Chart in 1986.
I couldn’t find any footage of them originally doing this song live so here they are when they regrouped in the teens.
Little Mascara
You and I fall together You and I sleep alone After all, things might be better After one, and there’s one that’s long gone
For the moon you keep shootin’ Throw your rope up in the air For the kids you stay together You nap ’em and you slap ’em in a highchair All you ever wanted was someone to take care of ya All you’re ever losin’ is a little mascara Little mascara Little mascara
Afternoon, things are quiet Settle back now if you can Stations clip by like a rocket Don’t you worry if you wonder why he ran
All you ever wanted was someone to take care of ya All you’re ever losin’ is a little mascara Little mascara Little mascara That you cry, cry That you cry Your eyes out That you cry That you cry That you cry Your eyes out
All you ever wanted was someone Ma’d be scared of All you’re ever losin’ is A little mascara Little mascara Little mascara That you cry That you cry That you cry Your eyes out That you cry That you cry That you cry Your eyes out That you cry That you cry That you cry…
