Entertainment For Lively Minds
Early 80's Scottish pop / rock
Posted by Dave Amitri on 3 September 2009 - 11:12pm.
Aztec Camera were mentioned on the blog yesterday and it got me thinking. Roddy Frames "High Land Hard Rain" was a classic of it's time and worth a listen if you like your music acoustic. Around about 1982 there were a lot of great Scottish bands that left their mark but never surivived beyond a few albums despite rave reviews. Orange Juice and The Associates to name a couple more.
Any views on why Scotland had this run of success? Was there a name for this Scottish era? Were there any others that were your favourites? This is Aztec Camera at their best, enjoy.
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The Big Dish
My mate Roddy liked them and they were jolly good.
Josef K
were one of my fave bands of that time, perhaps a bit more gloomy than the others you mentioned, but excellent.
Also was partial to the Fire Engines, their single 'Candy Skin' was fab
Primer
The 'name' for the era was 'The Sound of Young Scotland'. This is a good primer:
also, for a more in depth look, see this:
And if you'd rather watch Caledonia Dreamin' on TV...
...it's being repeated, along with BBC Scotland's documentary on Edwyn Collins's recovery from his brain haemorrhage, on BBC4 on Friday 18th September.
I was a teenager in Scotland in the early 80s and we really thought we were going to take over the world - great bands, The Associates of course (Billy RIP), Josef K, Orange Juice... It all started going a bit wrong in the late 80s with Hipsway and Love and Money (although James Grant has done some great stuff since)
Love and Money
were fantastic - Strange Kind of Love is a classic album (produced by Gary Katz, you know). Totally agree about Mr Grant's solo stuff, I believe I have mentioned elsewhere that Strange Flowers is my favourite album of 2009
new
Sorry David but I have to disagree with you on Hipsway and Love and Money. Both excellent groups who were under-rated
That's OK, I liked them at
That's OK, I liked them at the time, but I don't think L&M's debut Album nor Hipsway's album have aged very well. There's some good stuff there, but I'd say neither Candybar Express nor Ask the Lord really stand up twenty years on...
All the excuse I need...
to post this:
Guitars as bagpipes....
and the glorious Simple Minds from 1982 (pre Bono competition)
Postcard was oh so dreadfully hip for a year
and barely a week went by without another encomium to it in the NME.
Scottish music = Scottish football
Both seem to have had their best players in the past. For Collins read Dalglish; Kerr, Souness; Mackenzie, Hanson.
When Darren Fletcher is now your star player and The View your best band, you know you're in trouble.
Harsh..........
Glasvegas - Scott Brown...?
ver Scream - ol Davie Weir?
Broken Records?
and aren't the Phantom Band from Scotland as well?
Do you mean
Darren Fletcher- multi-Premiership, Champions League and World Club Championship winner? Wish I was that much in trouble.
Nice analogy...but
The View best band in Scotland? Nah! Everyone knows it's Snow Patrol.
Nah
They're Northern Irish, so they are. In fact Northern Ireland is much the same as Scotland: George Best - The Undertones; Sammy McIllroy - Stiff Little Fingers. And Snow Patrol, errrmm Jonny Evans?
Scottish music = Scottish football
can only mean one thing for me. 16 years too late for this thread but any excuse.........
Wha's like us?
Jesse Rae was the man (I always had a soft spot for the drumstick-twirling burd in this). This also features (unbelievably) Bernie Worrell of Stop Making Sense fame.
Blime... I'd forgotten about that (thankfully)
I seem to remember it getting heavy airplay on The Tube
Aye me too
I wonder if his record sales ever came close to paying for even a tenth of the budget for that video?
Sideway Look?
Big Country-ish (sort of)...
Bloody Hell.......
Was thinking about them this morning..........It seemed that I was the only one that had ever heard of them.
Stiil got their album on vinyl.
Some of my best friends are songs...
The organ
When the organ comes in...beautiful. That was my all time fave song - that version not VU - for many years. Paul Quinn - not since Peter Marinello was Scottish talent so unfulfilled.
Not wanting to state the obvious but...
don't forget
The Primevals Ghillie Jockoland's very own Gun Club
I ken for a fact one of them walks amongst us...
The Associates "The Affectionate Punch"
knocked me sideways when I heard it. I remember getting it around same time as Bowie's "Scary Monsters" and Talking Heads "Fear of Music" and Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasuerrs" and probably playing it more than any of those at the time.
Just listening on Spotify - for the first time in years. Still pretty amazing
You could play it alongside Interpol and British Sea Power and Arcade Fire to the kids of today and I bet they'd say "ooh that's good - who's that then?".
Not Pop or Rock
but Champion Doug Veitch was and remains a big favourite.
The Fire Engines still sound great to me, and Davy Henderson's next band Win were a hugely underrated pop combo. About time the "Uh! Tears Baby (A Trash Icon)" and "Freaky Trigger" albums were reissued. Super popoid grooves!!
Champion Doug Veitch
His stuff is on iTunes now - still sounds great
Football/music analogy
interesting Man Utd are Franz Ferdinand from 1st to third albums without Ronaldo and Tevez Darren Fletcher is irrelevant
HIPSWAY!!!
Was listening to them the other day.
A whole haggisbord of cracking tunes and excellent playing.
They went tits up fairly quickly after the first album, reasons why are lost in the dim, distant past, but they were good. There was some kinda connection with the atrocious Texas, but canna remember that either.
Hipsway / Texas
The Hipsway / Texas connection you enquire about geacher53 is guitarist Johnny McElhone. Played in three fairly major (in their time at least) Scottish bands- Altered Images, Hipsway and Texas.
I was also a bit of a Hipsway fan. Them Southern chancers Curiosity Killed the Cat stole their entire look and sound, but didn't do it half as well in my humble...
The whole indie garage scene from mid-80s
Pastels, Shop Assistants, Meat Whiplash - all those memories of Splash One Happenings at Daddy Warbucks in West George Street - anyone else there?
(PS Stephen Pastel runs the best record shop in Glasgow - Mono - if you're ever in the more down-at-heel part of the city centre).
Ah! That'll be the Gillespie, Sir
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/most-over-rated-band#comment-13432...
there's a few of us Douglas
Thanks James
I'd missed that bit of thread. Yes I saw Wire, Sonic Youth (I think?), and also JAMC, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, the Famous Monsters (Eugene Kelly's old band), BMX Bandits, etc.
Was also the first time I heard the original of Eight Miles High - until then I'd assumed Husker Du wrote it (I still prefer their version).
Mono
Down at Heel?!?!?!?
I live the other side of the railway arch it's built into, I'll have you know!
Grrrr!!!
Oops!
Anyway, I think you know what I mean - there's no chance of bumping into any of the Merchant City crowd south of Argyle Street.
Not disparaging the area at all - many good days spent at Mono, Paddy's Market, Saltmarket etc.
Splash One
Yes, a rockin' place.
And Mono is very good. Geographically, it's practically in the Merchant City, all urban regeneration a-go-go!
APB - Shoot You Down
There's a tune! The sound of young Aberdeen...
Then there's The Scars - Author! Author! album. A post punk classic.
Agreed
Author! Author! is a wonderful LP, was thrilled when it finally came out on CD as my vinyl copy was on it's last legs.
It was an exciting time for Scottish music, Associates were an outstanding band, as were Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and Simple Minds were unrecognisable from the band they later became
Agreed
Early Simple Minds were brilliant - Love Song, American etc, and New Gold Dream remains a minor classic.
The. Coolest. Band. In. The. World.
to one of the least cool in 6 years........
I loved Simple Minds.
Thomas Leer
Popped up on the Pod this morning, the rather marvellous "All About You" from the Pillows & Prayers compilation on Cherry Red. Also did the great "Contradictions" album.
The Scars also have a song called "All About You". It all links...
SKIDS
SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS, SKIDS!
Paul Haig
Running Away....
I remember seeing a supergroup led by Paul Haig and featuring various OJ's Associates JK's. The poseuriest gig I've ever been to. They played for 35 minutes and it was brilliant.
This is a great pop tune
Criminally overlooked, of course. 'Something good' by Paul Haig, for the Spotify-less.
http://open.spotify.com/track/0CFIH3diqmPfa6FRXEILLF
On the plus side...
Orange Juice, Associates, Love And Money, Aztec Camera, Josef K, Simple Minds (up to '82), Thomas Leer, Altered Images, Skids, and Aztec Camera again.
On the minus side...
BA Robertson, Texas, Deacon Blue, Simple Minds (since '82), Hue And Cry, Primal Scream.
I think that's a better surplus than Manchester anyway. And coming forward, Up With The Larks by the Pearlfishers is probably my favourite LP of the last three years, although I sometimes suspect that I'm a fanbase of one.
Not so minus
BA Robertson - er, I'll come back to that
Texas - great arrangements (high-quality pastiche, if you like) plus the fine voice of the not-wholly-unattractive Sharleen Spiteri
Deacon Blue - Dignity still a great tune. Plus Love and Regret, Your Swaying Arms, Queen of the New Year. Never liked Ricky Ross's voice much though.
Simple Minds - I agree New Gold Dream was their high point, but Sparkle in the Rain also had its moments, particularly Waterfront.
Hue & Cry - I've expressed admiration for Pat Kane's singing on this site before and been shot down in flames, but I maintain that he has a fine voice (overdoes it on the scat-jazz admittedly). Remote, Labour of Love and Ordinary Angel are still great tracks.
Primal Scream - can't stand them, but even I can recognise that Screamadelica was a significant album.
Hmmm...
Texas - not so much a band, more a Levi 501's advert (point taken about Sharleen, mind)
Sparkle In The Rain has one of those really SHOUTY 80's production jobs with DRUM MACHINES!!! which make it practically unlistenable. Granted, it has one or two moments, but it was definitely the LP where the rot set in.
Deacon Blue - I'm sorry, I'll trade you Hue and Cry, but not Deacon Blue. One listen to Dignity and it's like something horrible is crawling up my spine. And not only could the lead singer not sing, he insisted on having his girlfriend in the band who was even worse (the phenomenon of 80s indie bands who insisted on including girlfriends in the line-up deserves a thread of its own).
Feel free to continue the argument - I'd only be working otherwise :)
And I think you would have to say that the bands that came
out of Scotland circa 1980 were the best dressed bands in history. Look at Edwyn playing guitar above^^^^
Americana
The Scottish bands of that era were always comfortable in their Americana obsessions - in clothing and hairstyles as well as style of singing - more so, I think, than their English counterparts. There has always been a big interest in Country music in the West of Scotland - typified by Glasgow's Grand Ole Opry - and an obvious cross-pollination with traditional folk music.
Vintage, slightly oversized 501s with just the right amount of turn-up - the coolest item of clothing of all time. Discuss.
To illustrate the point
check Edwins 501's about 1 minute in
A great time to be 16
in 1984. The Blue Nile, Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, Big Country, The Big Dish, Bourgie Bourgie, The Silencers, The Associates, Aztec Camera. I may be a year or two out with some of them but hey, the mid eighties were my time and I may have `lost` memories.
Have to disagree strongly as well about Love & Money and Hipsway, both great bands.
Can't believe nobody has mentioned the
Cocteau Twins
Best band ever
(and one of their best songs)
Bluidy
twittery bint!
otherwise nice
anyone remember The Flying Zedmen, or did I imagine them?
Here she is
singing in Proper English. Sublime.
Trashcan Sinatras
I liked quite a bit back in the late 80s/early 90s. Saw them supporting Prefab Sprout in Brdaford and always remember Paddy MacCaloon singing on 'Hey Manhattan': "Just think the Trashcans sang here too".
A real blast from the past thread
although looking at my CD collection just as much a blast from the present.
The Trashcans were the great lost band, who should have been massive. New album just out which I urge you to listen to.
Can't believe nobody has yet mentioned the Fannies, as surely no thread about great Scottish bands (regardless of era) should miss these guys out.
Good shout for The Silencers as well.
Can't end without....Friends Again
This is just pure pop genius, along with their first single Honey At The Core which I can't find on Youtube but played to death as a 45 when it came out
Links
For the non Scottish pop anoraks among us - James Grant, later of Love & Money on guitar.
Friends Again leader Chris Thomson's subsequent group The Bathers also had their moments. Check out this peaean to a well-know Glasgow meeting place/viewpoint:
http://open.spotify.com/track/5yiWwb8i34CLwxoHaduj2e
I worked with the drummer from
Passionate Friends, or was it The Fruits of Passion?
Cumbernauld c.88
Hope you all saw this - on BBC4 last night
Caledonia Dreamin' - the hidden history of Scottish pop music
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0090cbx
didn't see it
Was it good - did they mention the crews rounded up here?
Love the title
It was great at the start then faded,
but worth it for the quote "being on Jim'll Fix It was more important than being on the Old Grey Whistle Test". For sheer exhilaration the 2 minutes on The Associates was worth sitting through the hour for, how did this go wrong? Phenomenal.
couldn't agree more
The Associates were so good in so many ways yet managed to squander it - bit of a scottish tradition I fear. Simon Reynolds book gives an excellent view of what was going on.
I also loved the old clips of Orange Juice, and the description of them being "borderline poofery". Edwyn has been in the two previous copies of Word (pre-Bowie) but surley room for a longer article soon - please....
I reeeeaaallly liked the early Soup Dragons...
...before they discovered Madchester and spoiled it all.
CAN'T TAKE NO MORE is fantastic...
What about Ballboy
They are by a long chalk my favourite band of the last 3-4 years.Would also like to see a feature on them in Word at some point
Also Belle and Sebastian deserve a mention songs like "slow Graffiti " and The Stars of track and Field" are surely classics by any definition
any Bellshill band c. 1997
Superstar is/are the only one I can think of at the 'mo
Duglas has a lot to answer for
Palm Tree
is still one of my favourite albums.
oh those were the days!!!
The Blue Nile, Fruits of Passion, Hue and Cry, Aztec Camera, Love and Money, and the Cd i bought yesterday....Hipsway........flippen briliant!! They all remind me of my drunken nights out at Glasgow Tech!!!
Good to see this thread resurrected.
This a top pop tune. Well-heeled Southern chancers Curiosity Killed the Cat stole their act and no mistake...
THAT IS GREAT
If memory serves me well, they played in a small club in Aberdeen on a MayDay Monday holiday, cica 1985.... The Q stretched for ever and ever, bettered in The Granite City appartently only by punters looking to see The Stones and Oasis. They delivered belter of a gig... the club was that crowded that condensation was pouring down the walls... NOW, Fiction Factory. They burned briefly and disappeared, but can anyone post their brill "Feels Like Heaven"? Promised much, but delivered that!
Scottish pop
I went to Splash One at Daddy Warbucks a few times. I can only remember seeing Felt - must have been about 86 or 87. I recall the music played by the DJs was like I'd hit on a rich seam of brilliant stuff that I wasn't previously aware of. Thinking back, it seems to me it was the likes of the 13th Floor Elevators, The Stooges, Beefheart, etc. It just seemed like a whole new world.
Can I also say that I saw the Blue Nile in Glasgow in 2008 and they were absolutely fantastic. Musically superb and a brilliant rapport with the audience. IMHO they're a national treasure.
Finally, to reply to James Blast (from quite some time ago), I saw The Passionate Friends at Rooftops in about 1984. I thought they packed it in not long after that bit I could be wrong...
Cheers Scott
if yer aboot, please join us at the next MacMassif.
Cheers, I'll look out for
Cheers, I'll look out for that.
feels like heaven
Spearmint
made the best love song to Scottish pop with their song...er...Scottish Pop.
..and one from one of my faves: