Having always been a nerd I have always been interested in sub-divisions of things: plants, animals, books, films, toys and music to name a few.
Regarding pop music I heard a song the other day in a shop and I was entranced by it's tribal swaying beat. The song was one I'd heard before and sort of guessed at the artist, one Brian Ferry singing Don't Stop the Dance.
As I adore the tribal rhythms of Talking Head's glorious LP Remain in Light I wondered if Don't Stop the Dance was of a similar throbbing vein, but I was wrong.
Brian Ferry's Don't stop the Dance is a cornerstone of a pop sub-genre called Sophisti-Pop. From an LP I know nothing about called Boys and Girls, ex-Roxy Music's frontman Ferry appears to be the Soph-father of this particular 80's tributary.
Swaying, lazy jazz-pop with strong beats, Sophisti-pop was blended into the background of my Twenties, a more refined blend I largely heard but didn't take note of. With my head in studies and being a young Dad new music took a natural dive. Certainly contemporary music in the mainstream. I was still discovering older singers like Van Morrison, Peter Finger, Pat Methany, Joni Mitchell, along with my own rock LP collection, which moved round the country and Europe with me during that decade.
Now I'm 60 I'm fascinated by that background sound as me and the Missus were young parents in the 80's. First Punk, then New Wave and the New Romantics, with a peppering of Soul, Rockabilly, Ska and Reggae, the mainstream meandered around looking for smooth new flavours. Sophisti-pop appears to be one of those. Back then I may even have dismissed it as yuppie jazz. I was still in a local rock band in 1980, but time and tastes moves on.
It has some famous names, Sade being its Queen and Ferry the King. Simply Red's there too, along with the Style Council and the great Joe Jackson plus many more.
Having listened to many of this particular sub-division's entries this week there are for me a few stand-out tunes that make my neck-hair rise they're so damn good. Here are three sophisticated toons:
Its a Wonderful Life by Black, 1986: there is something simply haunting about this song, which I never ever tire of. A beautiful hymn written in Black's darkest personal period. A Liverpudlian, after his own private turmoil he wanted to be ironic with this tune but for me Wonderful Life is simply gorgeously optimistic. Watch it with the original video for added monotone atmosphere. Sadly Black was tragically died as a result of a car crash in 2016. Such a lost talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ZoHfJZACA
Mary's Prayer by Danny Wilson, 1987: now this was a revelation. One of those catchy melodies echoing in my deep RAM and almost forgotten, I listened to it again and was knocked out. The sheer energy and verve of this band's performance demands respect and the song itself is quite magnificent. Soulful, sincere and heartfelt, it reminds me of the artistry of bands like Dexy's Midnight Runners and Hothouse Flowers. Looking like a gathering of Gene Vincent, Chris Isaacs, Vincent D'Onofrio and an unseen drummer, Danny Wilson, the name of this terrific Dundee band [and no-one in the grou], had sadly faded away by 1991. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hqgC3W9GUI
Steppin' Out by Joe Jackson, 1982: a tune from an earlier year, Steppin' Out is a fast-paced, sharp, almost two-tone eulogy to the nightlife at the start of the Eighties. From Burton on Trent, Jackson's infectious voice and insistent beat make this a postcard for youth everywhere. His line "We are young but getting old before our time" holds the essence of being young, that fragile mayhem just before adulthood when it will all change. It may also be an early reference to the emergence of AIDS in New York City. However the optimism of its message, to step out into the city, reminds me of the jazz-frontiers of Donald Fagen's The Nightfly album from 1982. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJwt2dxx9yg
Do you have a favourite sophisti-pop song?
Joe Jackson was and still is a Portsmouth lad, I think the Burton on Trent part of his created mythology was a reference to his sexuality, he's had several haircuts in the shop and drinks not far from his home in southsea( among other homes he has around the world), tunes that stand out from that period were Carmel's Bad Day and Animal Nightlife's Love is the great pretender, as a PS to this Joe performed his Jumpin jive album to an audience of 300 in a local venue for friends and family, there was a free bar and Joe paid the musicians from his big band from his own pocket
ReplyDeleteI love Joe Jackson and his jazzy numbers. Different for Girls, Is she Really Gou=ing Out with Him and especially Breaking us In Two. Night and Day is a fave LP of mine too - Real Men and Slow Song are just ace. Oh and of course, Jumpin Jive. That must have been a brilliant gig for those lucky 300. Do you put pics up of famous customers and their haircuts MJ?
DeleteI guess early Everything But The Girl might fall into that category, particularly one of my all-time favourites, ‘Each And Every One’ and the album debut, ‘Eden’. Have you heard ‘The View From Her Room’ by Weekend? Lovely stuff, although I’m not that keen on anything else by them. Would you include Swing Out Sister? ‘Breakout’ was a guilty pleasure but I sort of dismissed them as mainstream pop, at the time. I’m very happy to have re-discovered them in recent years, though.
ReplyDeleteAccording to wikipedia, Joe Jackson was, indeed, born in Burton on Trent, spending his first year of life just up the road from me in Swadlincote (also the home of Sid Vicious’ mum) before managing to escape forever.
Ok I stand corrected but I do know Joe's heritage is from my town his first band was in Gosport while he played in piano bars to make ends meet as a kid
DeleteEverything But The Girl are sublime Paul and one particular LP is etched on my brain cos I played the tape all the time whilst studying in Hants and Surry, Love Not Money. I'll listen to Weekend later on. I think Breakout is on the top 100 Sophisto-Pop list on You Tube. As for Missus Vicious, what rock chops they've got in Swadlincote. She'll get a blue plaque one day!
DeleteNow all those tracks take me right back! I started working on the Radio in 1979, so all those songs represent different radio stations to me and in particular different studios. Some songs I hear remind me of the countries I airplayed them in for the first time.
ReplyDeleteJust like you Paul, they are the soundtrack to my life back then. Although I've never quite got my head around the fact that I was creating the soundtrack to other people's lives when I was playing them on the radio on all those different stations in all those different countries.
That's a really interesting insight Bill, from the radio DJ point of view. You're right, DJ's did create soundtrack to our youth, along with Top of the Pops and the Old Grey Whistle Test. I adored Alan Fluff Freeman on Saturday afternoons in my dad's Triumph Dolomite car as we drove to my Sister's in Chorley with her groceries. Fluff played prog and rock back then. Great sounds!
DeleteI swear you make this stuff up sometimes. But having said that I love Black. The first two albums from Colin Vearncombe - 'Wonderful Life' and 'Comedy' still feature on my playlist and there are some stunning tracks on both, especially 'Ravel in the Rain' and 'Paradise'. Double points go to Mr Vearncombe for shooting the album cover photos on the Dock Road at Liverpool, by the Mersey Tunnel Ventilator and at Pleasureland in Southport. Its a shame Mr Vearncombe was killed in a car crash some time back.
ReplyDeleteI like sub-genres Wote. Sub-sub genres are even better! I can really nerd out on them! I thought that Black used local areas for his pics and videos so ta for clearing that up. I love the fun fair in the official Wonderful Life video - link above - from what you say its Pleasureland in Southport. I adore the look on the Butcher's face as the camera goes by!
DeleteAlso filmed in Wallasey and New Brighton (lighthouse) -The Banana Bunch shop I remember distictly from somewehere in Liverpool, but cant recall where!
DeleteHonest Paul, its literally the truth!
ReplyDeleteAlso what is interesting is reading about the album or single covers. Because this has passed me by, as by the time I got to hear these records, they were already filed in library in plain card record envelopes. So I rarely got to see the covers. Just information like running times and intro times written on the envelopes.
In many ways, the listeners are much more knowledgeable than us lot playing the records!
That was Wote that Bill. And you mentioning those plain card record sleeves gave me a real blast from the past! I so remember them! A sort of rough mucky grey colour card mostly. I can't say they looked that good but they did a job and did it well.
DeleteHi again Paul and Bill. I get so confused sometimes and getting older doesn't help!
ReplyDeleteThe record card sleeves we have are plain white card with a cutout for the label. Although the Albums have their covers retained.
But essentially back in the day people like me who didn't do Discos or roadshows, had their first contact with records after the librarian had processed them.
The late Swansea Sound had a very nice eclectic library, as it had been on air since 1974. So there was all manner of material on promo discs and limited edition pressings. Every so often they would 'prune' the library and let the staff have a pick of anything they wanted from the throwout box!
I have some very nice records in my collection from Programme Controller David Thomas's kindness.
That throwaway box sounds great Bill! I sometimes see stacks of singles at car boot sales and wonder what gems might be lurking. I still have some of the key singles of my youth and in their original sleeves. Atlantic Avenue by the Average White Band, Stay with Me Till Dawn by Judie Tzuke are two that spring to mind. You must have an amazing stack Bill.
Delete