Big Audio Dynamite-E=MC2
Former "The Clash" guitarist and singer Mick Jones made a strong start with his new band "Bad Audio Dynamite", with this bouncy hit from the mid-80s, which apart from the obvious synth chorus, has dated quite well, especially from the period it's taken from. The mid-80s was not only the centre of the decade "That taste forgot", but it was in music terms the softest, mushiest and cheesiest part of the decade. The grittiness of Punk music and ska was fading fast, as the economy grew on both sides of the Atlantic, and there was a hell of a lot to be angry about. Also, it was shortly before the likes of rap and house came to the mainstream. You had light pop music called Euro-disco, coming from the likes of Stock, Aitken and Waterman acts like Dead or Alive and Bananarama. Rock music even at this point, appeared cartoonish and over-blown like faux rock chick "Cyndi Lauper", "Heart" and "Bon Jovi". However, "Bad Audio Dynamite" or "BAD", did not fit into this mid-80s mould.
Mick Jones was fired from "The Clash" after much in-fighting and tension between himself and lead singer Joe Strummer. He never returned. However Jones did collaberate with Strummer on the second BAD album in 1986's "No. 10, Upping St.". However, one of their best songs seen here, "E=MC2" is from their 1985 debut album "This Is Big Audio Dynamite". The original group members, also seen in the video, consisted of Mick Jones, Don Letts(sound effects & vocals), Dan Donovan (keyboards), Leo Williams (bass & vocals), Greg Roberts (drums & vocals).
The song is known as the first example of "highly defined sampling technologies". The song uses talking samples from a a film known as 1970's "Performance" directed by English film director Nicholas Roeg. The music video also contain film clips from various other Roeg movies. The song reached a peak high of No.11 on the UK Singles chart. However the album didn't do as well, peaking at No.27. in the UK album charts. Their second aforementioned album performed better, at No.11. By 1990, Mick Jones reformed his band with a completely new set-up, with only himself the original member. So BAD II, got off to an even better start, with a No.1 hit single in the US charts "Rush", well, only the modern Rock US charts. The feel of the band was more like "The Clash", consisting of Nick Hawkins (guitar and background vocals), Gary Stonadge (bass and background vocals) and Chris Kavanagh (drums and background vocals).
The band slightly changed it's name to "Big Audio" for a short while, but hasn't achieved any real amount of success. In 1998, their record label Radioactive Records, refused to release their "Entering a New Ride" album after disagreements. The band released it for free from their website. Pretty much years before Radiohead or Prince released an album for free.
Showing posts with label 1986. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1986. Show all posts
Monday, 8 March 2010
Friday, 19 February 2010
Lovely Christmas Day Viewing in Famed Eastenders Fare
Arthur has a breakdown on Christmas Day - EastEnders - BBC
In the last of our Eastenders appreciation during it's 25th anniversary celebrations(and now after), here is another unforgettable and iconic moment from it's early days. It's from the same episode of the "Den's Divorce Papers", and it the aftermath is featured in this clip. Forgive me for not vastly expanding time periods of the clips in our Eastenders special, but I have never seen someone who is virtually at the end of their tether so brilliantly performed by Bill Treacher, who plays the honest-working but suffering Arthur Fowler. Hassled by the law, wife Pauline (Wendy Richards) and mother-in-law Lou Beale (Anna Wing).
Arthur suffers a mental breakdown as he is flailing to support the family and his health deteriorates. In his desperation, although known for being warm and reliable, he steals the residents Christmas Club money. The "Chritsmas Club" was a programme stemmed by bank sing the 1930s Great Depression, a desposit for savings to be unleashed and spent every Christmas. Anyway, this was a brilliant slow-burning storyline that results in Arthur, completely losing his rag and everything in that living room needs postage for air mail. This was watched by 30.1 million viewers, a soap all-time ratings best.
In the last of our Eastenders appreciation during it's 25th anniversary celebrations(and now after), here is another unforgettable and iconic moment from it's early days. It's from the same episode of the "Den's Divorce Papers", and it the aftermath is featured in this clip. Forgive me for not vastly expanding time periods of the clips in our Eastenders special, but I have never seen someone who is virtually at the end of their tether so brilliantly performed by Bill Treacher, who plays the honest-working but suffering Arthur Fowler. Hassled by the law, wife Pauline (Wendy Richards) and mother-in-law Lou Beale (Anna Wing).
Arthur suffers a mental breakdown as he is flailing to support the family and his health deteriorates. In his desperation, although known for being warm and reliable, he steals the residents Christmas Club money. The "Chritsmas Club" was a programme stemmed by bank sing the 1930s Great Depression, a desposit for savings to be unleashed and spent every Christmas. Anyway, this was a brilliant slow-burning storyline that results in Arthur, completely losing his rag and everything in that living room needs postage for air mail. This was watched by 30.1 million viewers, a soap all-time ratings best.
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Celebrating Eastender 25th Anniversary: The 'Enders Highest Rated Cliffhanger!
EastEnders / Dirty Den gives Angie divorce papers for Christmas - EastEnders - BBC
Oh, you should know already! The most talked about as they say now "duff, duff" moment was when Dennis "Dirty Den" Watts shocked the unbeknownst Angie Watts by handing over those divorce papers after 20 years of marriage! This was the climax to the already heated, thunderous and argumentative relationship between the 2. despite the fact Den had a mistress in early 1986, being the name of Jan Hammond, he was a popular character, and the viewers wanted to see Angie getting a come-uppance after blatently lying about the fact she was dying from cancer and only had six months to live. This was her twisted plot to keep the marriage alive. Den was skeptical at first, but was taken in by Angie's ill...and suicidal behaviour. The famous scene on Christmas Day 1986 that took place in the narrow back hall of the Queen Vic pub, was set in stone, once Den discovered, on holiday in Venice, Italy with Angie, having overheared her admittance to the cancer being all one big lie!
Despite the fact Eastenders had only ran the year before, and even if you take into account everybody only had 4 channels. The success and media press of the show at that time that helped catapult their initial viewer ratings of 17 million, to nearly double that, for this Christmas special episode. It achieved 30.1 million viewers, the highest ever achieved by a British soap, and still is the record. It's amazing, it's up there with the death of Princess Diana and the '66 World Cup! The gritty realism that was displayed in Eastenders, helped many viewers to be able to relate to the characters very much so.
Oh, you should know already! The most talked about as they say now "duff, duff" moment was when Dennis "Dirty Den" Watts shocked the unbeknownst Angie Watts by handing over those divorce papers after 20 years of marriage! This was the climax to the already heated, thunderous and argumentative relationship between the 2. despite the fact Den had a mistress in early 1986, being the name of Jan Hammond, he was a popular character, and the viewers wanted to see Angie getting a come-uppance after blatently lying about the fact she was dying from cancer and only had six months to live. This was her twisted plot to keep the marriage alive. Den was skeptical at first, but was taken in by Angie's ill...and suicidal behaviour. The famous scene on Christmas Day 1986 that took place in the narrow back hall of the Queen Vic pub, was set in stone, once Den discovered, on holiday in Venice, Italy with Angie, having overheared her admittance to the cancer being all one big lie!
Despite the fact Eastenders had only ran the year before, and even if you take into account everybody only had 4 channels. The success and media press of the show at that time that helped catapult their initial viewer ratings of 17 million, to nearly double that, for this Christmas special episode. It achieved 30.1 million viewers, the highest ever achieved by a British soap, and still is the record. It's amazing, it's up there with the death of Princess Diana and the '66 World Cup! The gritty realism that was displayed in Eastenders, helped many viewers to be able to relate to the characters very much so.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
80s Advert Icon Hated by the Suits Upstairs, but Loved by the Public
Hofmeister - Sportsman - 1986 - UK Advert
Those were the days! When cheap lager appealed to kids! However seriously, this was an exceptional though very dated series of adverts, that very much continue the staple of the best 80s adverts being the funny ones. Back when beer was highly regarded as man's drink before the virtue of certain liberalism that was the ladette culturee in the mid-90s, here was a costumed up bear with a post-modern, "Madness"-inspired pork pie hat, and causal yellow jacket, who is a real jack-of-all-trades, but seemingly, master of everything! The character in question is called George the Hofmeister Bear, who in this, shows off his football skills, and some great camera trickery (or string pulling) of a beer pint glass being kept in the air using numerous parts of his body, and the editing is well executed too.
Beating David Hasselhoff to the nickname "Hofmeister", the slogan of the ad was, to "Follow the Bear", and for some time people did and bought Hofmeister beer. The advertising campaign was pulled after complaints about the bear appealing to children. Sadly Hofmeister lager, made in Britain was discontinued in 2003. This had been growing preference for stronger but paler beers/lagers from the continent since the 60s/70s long before the famous advertising campaign. However, the ad remains unforgotten, usually found to be appearing in the Top 100 UK Ads ever-type show, and appearing in people's personal favourites. There's even a Facebook fan group, displaying the bear as a legend:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&viewas=0&gid=33515030874
Those were the days! When cheap lager appealed to kids! However seriously, this was an exceptional though very dated series of adverts, that very much continue the staple of the best 80s adverts being the funny ones. Back when beer was highly regarded as man's drink before the virtue of certain liberalism that was the ladette culturee in the mid-90s, here was a costumed up bear with a post-modern, "Madness"-inspired pork pie hat, and causal yellow jacket, who is a real jack-of-all-trades, but seemingly, master of everything! The character in question is called George the Hofmeister Bear, who in this, shows off his football skills, and some great camera trickery (or string pulling) of a beer pint glass being kept in the air using numerous parts of his body, and the editing is well executed too.
Beating David Hasselhoff to the nickname "Hofmeister", the slogan of the ad was, to "Follow the Bear", and for some time people did and bought Hofmeister beer. The advertising campaign was pulled after complaints about the bear appealing to children. Sadly Hofmeister lager, made in Britain was discontinued in 2003. This had been growing preference for stronger but paler beers/lagers from the continent since the 60s/70s long before the famous advertising campaign. However, the ad remains unforgotten, usually found to be appearing in the Top 100 UK Ads ever-type show, and appearing in people's personal favourites. There's even a Facebook fan group, displaying the bear as a legend:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&viewas=0&gid=33515030874
Friday, 12 February 2010
One of the Giants in ITV/Channel 4 Schools Programming...It's Kinda Sad to Say That but it's True!
Stop Look Listen "Railways"
I was going to post about a titles only video about the same programme, but even better, I found a full episode from 1986. "Stop Look Listen" was an ITV Schools programme which educated and helped children to learn about the outside world, really. Although the title and opening credits come across as a glorified public information film about crossing the road, being wary of cars. This episode doesn't distance too much away from the subject of transport, with the focus on trains. You may hear a well-known voice, it's Chris "Do you want to Ask the Audience, Phone a Friend or 50/50?" Tarrant, who was a large presence on the show throughout the 1980s. Tarrant featured as an out-of-vision narrator since the second series in 1975. However the show's first series was in 1971.
In this clip, we see probably one of the best regional idents at the time, of Central Television, formerly ATV. The beginning credits are cut off, which were fairly interesting. The episode, it's a fairly mundane task for a teacher and his pupils, who are taking a trip in a train from Birmingham to Kidderminster. However, Tarrant vocally and visually point us to the inner workings of the railway, how a signal box works etc. Which was what certain school programmes were good at, making mundane items more compelling, without too of a fuss or budget or any great frills, and no need for a sexy host!
It's hard to find much information about the later years of "Stop, Look and Listen" (IMDB only lists it as a 1977 show), but the programme survived the jump to Channel 4 in 1987, still under the "ITV Schools moniker", and the end of ITV Schools on Four in 1993. It ran into the 2000's along with other not-so long running programmes like "Scientific Eye" until Channel 4 decided to turn it's attention from children to the unemployed "yoof" in 2007.
I was going to post about a titles only video about the same programme, but even better, I found a full episode from 1986. "Stop Look Listen" was an ITV Schools programme which educated and helped children to learn about the outside world, really. Although the title and opening credits come across as a glorified public information film about crossing the road, being wary of cars. This episode doesn't distance too much away from the subject of transport, with the focus on trains. You may hear a well-known voice, it's Chris "Do you want to Ask the Audience, Phone a Friend or 50/50?" Tarrant, who was a large presence on the show throughout the 1980s. Tarrant featured as an out-of-vision narrator since the second series in 1975. However the show's first series was in 1971.
In this clip, we see probably one of the best regional idents at the time, of Central Television, formerly ATV. The beginning credits are cut off, which were fairly interesting. The episode, it's a fairly mundane task for a teacher and his pupils, who are taking a trip in a train from Birmingham to Kidderminster. However, Tarrant vocally and visually point us to the inner workings of the railway, how a signal box works etc. Which was what certain school programmes were good at, making mundane items more compelling, without too of a fuss or budget or any great frills, and no need for a sexy host!
It's hard to find much information about the later years of "Stop, Look and Listen" (IMDB only lists it as a 1977 show), but the programme survived the jump to Channel 4 in 1987, still under the "ITV Schools moniker", and the end of ITV Schools on Four in 1993. It ran into the 2000's along with other not-so long running programmes like "Scientific Eye" until Channel 4 decided to turn it's attention from children to the unemployed "yoof" in 2007.
Monday, 25 January 2010
The Best Boat Porn I've Ever Seen!
Howards' Way - opening intro
Simply fantastic!
Look at those boats glittering in the sunlight!
Going "zoom" along the sea!
The titles of the short-lived BBC soap "Howards Way", running from 1985-1990. It's not hard to see why when you look at how times changed during those five years. It evolved around an upper-class leisure and business activity - Yachting. Back in the mid-80's and up to "Black Monday" in 1987, it was cool to be rich and upper-class, it envisaged greed and power, what was felt, and still is to a degree, to climb the career ladder. Britain had never had it so good, until oh, 9-10 years later, but that's another story. By 1990, recession was looming and soaps of the rich like the USA's "Dallas" and "Dynasty", were increasingly looking like pure fantasy.
Simply fantastic!
Look at those boats glittering in the sunlight!
Going "zoom" along the sea!
The titles of the short-lived BBC soap "Howards Way", running from 1985-1990. It's not hard to see why when you look at how times changed during those five years. It evolved around an upper-class leisure and business activity - Yachting. Back in the mid-80's and up to "Black Monday" in 1987, it was cool to be rich and upper-class, it envisaged greed and power, what was felt, and still is to a degree, to climb the career ladder. Britain had never had it so good, until oh, 9-10 years later, but that's another story. By 1990, recession was looming and soaps of the rich like the USA's "Dallas" and "Dynasty", were increasingly looking like pure fantasy.
The theme tune to "Howards' Way" does though feel rather soothing, with no vocals. You could hum to that tune easily. However, it also feels like there are vocals missing, which can easily be arranged with that fanfare-like horn/synth thingmygig.
The show is usually confused with an earlier 80's boats 'n champagne-calibre type serial, which was called "Triangle", which also starred Kate 'O Mara. The show was filmed and set in Southern England, filmed in various places along the southern coast, including Southampton. The most well-known actors to star in this, were again mentioned before, Kate 'O Mara as Laura Wilde, introduced into the show in 1989, increasing the link between Howards' Way and the high-class glamour of "Dynasty". Anthony Head (of the Maxwell "will they or won't they" 80's ads fame, and "Little Britain") starred only in the first series as Phil Norton.
Saturday, 26 December 2009
Ooh-Ar Jethro! Anneka Rice in Devon!
Treasure Hunt - Devon (1986, series 4) part 1
A full episode of Channel 4's "Treasure Hunt" pummeling through a course in Devon, from 1986. From my diet of gameshows, this show comes as much relief, from the heavily formulaic indoor-studio-what's you're-name-and-where-are-from-round-one-ask-question-answer-question routine. 2 contestants help solve clues in the indoor studio along with presenter Kenneth Kendall keeping the show stringed together, using a large array of books, while the extra component, namely skyrunner Anneka Rice's posterior, runs to these locations under a time limit, hopefully the right locations, as ordered by the contestants.
There would be five clues, to various locations around the local area, which would finally lead to the treasure. Anneka Rice would sometimes travel not only by foot, but by sea and air, however, all of these items were given permission to be used, and nothing was simply "gatecrashed" apart from normal members of the public, looking bemused, being asked for directions, or looking at that..
In this episode Rice is seen travelling in Helicopter, then landing it(by pilot Keith i might add) on a mid-sea submarine. All very exciting stuff, and you get some really nice scenery shots too. The show ran from 1982-1989, and the concept was taken from the original French version,"La Chasse au Trésor", created by Jacques Antoine. Do-gooder Anneka Rice hasn't changed much since then, and has been off the box for quite a while now, after her appearance in "Hell's Kitchen" in 2007, and presenting "Sunday Feast" in 2006.
A full episode of Channel 4's "Treasure Hunt" pummeling through a course in Devon, from 1986. From my diet of gameshows, this show comes as much relief, from the heavily formulaic indoor-studio-what's you're-name-and-where-are-from-round-one-ask-question-answer-question routine. 2 contestants help solve clues in the indoor studio along with presenter Kenneth Kendall keeping the show stringed together, using a large array of books, while the extra component, namely skyrunner Anneka Rice's posterior, runs to these locations under a time limit, hopefully the right locations, as ordered by the contestants.
There would be five clues, to various locations around the local area, which would finally lead to the treasure. Anneka Rice would sometimes travel not only by foot, but by sea and air, however, all of these items were given permission to be used, and nothing was simply "gatecrashed" apart from normal members of the public, looking bemused, being asked for directions, or looking at that..
In this episode Rice is seen travelling in Helicopter, then landing it(by pilot Keith i might add) on a mid-sea submarine. All very exciting stuff, and you get some really nice scenery shots too. The show ran from 1982-1989, and the concept was taken from the original French version,"La Chasse au Trésor", created by Jacques Antoine. Do-gooder Anneka Rice hasn't changed much since then, and has been off the box for quite a while now, after her appearance in "Hell's Kitchen" in 2007, and presenting "Sunday Feast" in 2006.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Youtube Music Sweepstake
The Tube - Depeche Mode - 'See You' 1982
This was Depeche Mode's first single release after the departure of Vince Clarke in November 1981. Clarke was a highly significant member of the group, having wrote their last 3 hit songs including "Just Can't Get Enough". The departure was to problems over the direction of the band. Well, with this single they did better than ever, and probably their most critically revered era was still to come...
Jimi Hendrix - Top of the Pops 1967 - Purple Haze
Short clip of Hendrix from TOTP, but still classic. Watch out for the smoozy American narrator as he libs sexually suggestive remarks about his action on the guitar.
Old Grey Whistle Test - the Pogues - Streams of Whiskey
Ah, the Old Grey Whistle Test, and this song is a right "knee-slapper". From 1986, near the end of show's shelf life, starring one of the most famous Irish tradional music bands, "The Pogues". The band formed in 1982 under the leadership of singer Shane MacGowan. MacGowan brought great vocal punk energy and vigour to the act. The song is from their 1984 album "Red Roses for Me". The Pogues peaked in 1989, not only for the 1989 album "Peace and Love", but his solo duet (make sense?) with the late Kirsty MacColl for the very timeless and popular "Fairytale of New York". MacGowan split from the group in 1991, then the group broke up in 1996, then they reunited in 2001, but with little success so far.
This was Depeche Mode's first single release after the departure of Vince Clarke in November 1981. Clarke was a highly significant member of the group, having wrote their last 3 hit songs including "Just Can't Get Enough". The departure was to problems over the direction of the band. Well, with this single they did better than ever, and probably their most critically revered era was still to come...
Jimi Hendrix - Top of the Pops 1967 - Purple Haze
Short clip of Hendrix from TOTP, but still classic. Watch out for the smoozy American narrator as he libs sexually suggestive remarks about his action on the guitar.
Old Grey Whistle Test - the Pogues - Streams of Whiskey
Ah, the Old Grey Whistle Test, and this song is a right "knee-slapper". From 1986, near the end of show's shelf life, starring one of the most famous Irish tradional music bands, "The Pogues". The band formed in 1982 under the leadership of singer Shane MacGowan. MacGowan brought great vocal punk energy and vigour to the act. The song is from their 1984 album "Red Roses for Me". The Pogues peaked in 1989, not only for the 1989 album "Peace and Love", but his solo duet (make sense?) with the late Kirsty MacColl for the very timeless and popular "Fairytale of New York". MacGowan split from the group in 1991, then the group broke up in 1996, then they reunited in 2001, but with little success so far.
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