Sardonicus reviews a bunch of old 45s

TUNE!!

Oh I DO like The Final Countdown, as much as it's overblown NONSENSE. Probably because it KNOWS it is and doesn't take itself too seriously as a result.

Legend has it that there were some pressings of the 1999 reissue with the song title as ‘The Final Cuntdown’

Donna Summer - Dinner With Gershwin b/w Instrumental (1987)

UK chart peak - Number 13



One of the most overlooked & oddest singles in Donna Summer's MAGNIFICENT back catalogue & proof that despite the public perception of her as QUEEN OF DISCO, she spent her creative years after disco had been & gone exploring a whole bunch of different musical genres, sometimes to varying quality, but always interesting, & often given an additional boost by her INCREDIBLE vocal talent.

There really aren't many (any?) other examples of hit singles about having something to eat with a famous historical figure. Written by Brenda Russell, who was a year away from her own big hit with the amazing "Piano In The Dark", this was offered to Donna during the sessions for the "All Systems Go" album & became its only hit of any note, although it only just scraped the top 50 in the USA. I've not listened to this album myself but it seems to have been given a bit of a critical mauling, with "Dinner With Gershwin" the only track to garner any real praise.

Its funky, noodling, waggling synths are clearly influenced by what the likes of Janet Jackson & Donna Allen & so on had been releasing at the time, & I detect more than a hint of the PURPLE ONE too, especially apparent on the instrumental B side. With dramatic breakdowns just before the chorus & a soaring, joyful vocal performance, I'd imagine this was expected to be top 10 bound. It seems very on trend for 1987, but sadly I don't think Donna Summer herself was at this point, with her work being too closely associated with an era that was still too close to be REAPPRAISED. Nonetheless, I would class it in my Donna top 10, & I give it extra marks for tackling a new subject for a pop hit outside of the usual boy meets girl formula.

I've always got the impression that Donna's 1989 hits with SAW were seen as a bit of a comeback due to the relative floppage of prior albums, but I am too young to be sure if that was the case. I still wish we'd got a second album with them, but it wasn't to be, & although she faded from the pop charts as the 90s went on, she was still making music & trying new things right before her untimely death in 2012. Totally underrated as one of the great vocalists IMO, she doesn't get mentioned that much, but she had power, she had the right tone & made the right choices virtually every song, she never oversung & I'm sure us here at the very least will give her her dues.

Dinner With Gershwin is brilliant and, yes, the highlight of All Systems Go, but that album has its moments.

The SAW helmed follow up, Another Place and Time, was very much considered a comeback, both critically and commercially. Donna famously hated I Don’t Wanna Get Hurt, and particularly the single mix, which made the top ten here despite her refusing to be in the video. It meant they didn't really capitalise on the top ten success off This Time I Know It’s For Real in the US and the album petered out a bit there, which was a shame. It was also famously rejected by her label Geffen in the US, as they thought it wouldn’t do a thing, but was her biggest in years.

Donna’s later years are full of good stuff. She moved into dance collaborations, as we all know, and Crayons is a good little album, though still some way from the glory of her 70s output.

The majesty of I Will Go With You should not be overlooked, though- for me it’s one of her best ever, particularly in this much loved in gay clubs at the time remix:



YOU!
You’re my BREATH!
The air I BREATHE!

Sardonicus said:

Its funky, noodling, waggling synths are clearly influenced by what the likes of Janet Jackson & Donna Allen & so on had been releasing at the time

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It was a RICHARD PERRY production, the sound of the POINTER SISTERS

I'm with Donna on the single mix of "I Don't Wanna Get Hurt" - I love the album version but the single mix takes all the OOMPH out of it.

I've always thought "I Will Go With You" was one of her worst singles - I can't stand it, but I was surprised it missed the top 40, it certainly sounded like a hit.

Sardonicus said:

There really aren't many (any?) other examples of hit singles about having something to eat with a famous historical figure.

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You are clearly forgetting Deep Blue Something’s song about eating their morning meal with the singer of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’.

Sardonicus said:

I'm with Donna on the single mix of "I Don't Wanna Get Hurt" - I love the album version but the single mix takes all the OOMPH out of it.

I've always thought "I Will Go With You" was one of her worst singles - I can't stand it, but I was surprised it missed the top 40, it certainly sounded like a hit.

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I was also astonished it bombed. It felt like it was everywhere at the time- the sort of thing that in those days would come back six months later and was a hit second time around.

And yes, agreed on IDWGH, but not enough that I would abandon appearing in the video

MC Miker G & Deejay Sven - Holiday Rap b/w Whimsical Touch (1986)

UK chart peak - Number 6





This one was drawing a TOTAL BLANK. Surely, I thought, this can't be some sort of FUN FOR EUROPE reworking of the then-recent Marge hit? Reader, it could. And it throws in a chorus that borrows from "Summer Holiday" by Cliff Richard too. It's the sort of utter CRUD that probably sounded amazing round the pool in Benidorm that summer, but enough people sending it top 10wards in the COLD LIGHT OF DAY is perplexing. Apart from anything else, the original had been top 10 twice for Marge in the 2 years prior, only being held off the top by her own "Into The Groove" in 1985. Still, somewhere in Austria, a young DJ Otzi was taking NOTES.

The whole thing was produced & remixed by Ben Liebrand, who later became an in demand remixer hitting big with a dancified version of Jeff Wayne's "The Eve Of The War". Wikipedia tells me Ben painstakingly rebuilt the sounds of the original record himself, got a session singer in to do the Marge bits, & cleverly sidestepped any issues with sampling - Black Box would have been well advised to have GIVEN HIM A CALL in 1989. FULL PROPS to OUR BEN for taking that level of care & attention on this total novelty, but the song really doesn't deserve it. It's very Jive Bunny-esque, the Dutch accented rapping bits are cringingly bad, sounding like The Sugarhill Gang took a knock to the head & are having a breakdown on record, & the Cliff bits appear to have been cynically chucked in to get some appeal to the older market. The original is MORE THAN SERVICEABLE as a sunny holiday record, so this just ISN'T NECESSARY. I'm also surprised it took off after the singles chart was all MARGE MARGE MARGE in 1985 & 1986. Stuff like this must have felt beyond SATURATION POINT.

The B side is an odd little instrumental track that sounds like it could be used on "Miami Vice" or similar. It's a lot like an earlier version of something like Bomb The Bass. My SUSPICIONS are that this was much more the work of Ben rather than the FUN-LOVING duo. Ben clearly used this single as an audition to try out for bigger & brighter things, & astonishingly, it worked!

Well, for him, anyway. Miker & Sven tried a similar rap on Kool & The Gang's "Celebration" only to be met with a COLLECTIVE SHRUG from an ALREADY BORED public. One has apparently stayed involved with music while the other has struggled with drug addiction The most FLEETING of brushes with fame, & probably NARY A EURO of residual royalties to show for it.

ABSOLUTELY APPALING AND I WON’T SAY A SINGLE WORD MORE

Except that I found this KATE RYAN cover of Holiday and CANNOT QUITE DEAL WITH IT…

I didn't know Ben Liebrand was behind that rubbish

On the subject of OVEREXPOSURE maybe DONNA flopped with I Will Go With You because people were sick of the relatively recent SARAH BRIGHTMAN SCREECHFEST

Shirley said:

I didn't know Ben Liebrand was behind that rubbish

On the subject of OVEREXPOSURE maybe DONNA flopped with I Will Go With You because people were sick of the relatively recent SARAH BRIGHTMAN SCREECHFEST

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Wasn’t that about eight or nine years previous?

Sheena said:

Wasn’t that about eight or nine years previous?

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No it was 1997 & Donna's version was 1999

It's just been on the 1997 POPS REPEATS

Sardonicus said:

Europe - The Final Countdown b/w On Broken Wings (1986)

UK chart peak - Number 1

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God, I was a little kid but this has to be my first memory of what truly saturation of a song was, this had to be constantly on tv and radio. I remember my older cousins talking about them, and me nodding as if I had any idea what was going on with those rockers with long hair and lipstick. I don't think I would voluntarily play it again, but what a banger.

Sheila E - The Belle Of St Mark b/w Too Sexy (1985)

UK chart peak - Number 18



Confusingly, the label to this single credits only Sheila E as the songwriter, but Wikipedia also lists Prince - perhaps @Ellie can clarify? Either way, this unsurprisingly bears the HEAVY INFLUENCE of the PURPLE ONE, as Sheila E, maybe the most legendary percussionist in the industry, was a key member of Prince's backing band for many years & also, I believe, in a relationship with him for at least some of that time.

Between her Whitney-esque looks, chic fashion sense & amazing percussion skills, OUR SHEE was an obvious candidate for Prince to groom for solo stardom, but unlike some of his other proteges, she had immense musical skills in her own right, so I'm unsure if the PURPLE ONE took the lead on her early solo work, or if Sheila was more in control, or if there might have been a bit of a POWER STRUGGLE going on. Regardless of the background, debut single "The Glamorous Life" sailed into the US Top 10, but unfathomably completely bombed in the UK at a desultory #94.

This follow up was a more minor success at home (#34), but gave her her only chart entry in the UK, reaching the top 20. Like with other big American successes at the time, I do wonder if the relative floppage here was due to a lack of time available to promote overseas. Accompanied by fab live performances by OUR SHEE & her backing band with them all sauntering around the stage in unison, "The Belle Of St Mark" is all about some FEY, ANDROGYNOUS, ETHEREAL yet SEXY type (it's giving a male Enya) who OUR SHEE falls for, although he sounds a bit MINCY to me, Sheila - watch out & GOD HELP US IF THERE'S A WAR ON.

The zippy backing music is Prince through & through, but it's all done in a more upbeat, cartoony fashion. Absolutely one of the best works related to Prince from that decade & CRIMINAL it wasn't a bigger hit - it's just great! B side "Too Sexy" doesn't seem to have Prince's involvement, but the influence is still all over it, with this mainly instrumental percussion led tune featuring lots of heavy breathing & hints of NAUGHTINESS.

Sadly, despite still regularly releasing albums, Sheila's chart career didn't last much longer after this, but even after her association with Prince ended, she's worked & performed with every big name UNDER THE SUN over the years - her percussion skills have remained in constant demand & she's by far the most well-known musician associated with the percussion. Despite being iconic & pioneering though, has any other female musician of note followed on & cited her as an influence? I can't think of anyone myself, which is a real shame.

Sardonicus said:

Sheila E - The Belle Of St Mark b/w Too Sexy (1985)

UK chart peak - Number 18

View attachment 34622

Confusingly, the label to this single credits only Sheila E as the songwriter, but Wikipedia also lists Prince - perhaps @Ellie can clarify? Either way, this unsurprisingly bears the HEAVY INFLUENCE of the PURPLE ONE, as Sheila E, maybe the most legendary percussionist in the industry, was a key member of Prince's backing band for many years & also, I believe, in a relationship with him for at least some of that time.

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Yes, it was Prince and Jesse Johnson who actually wrote it.

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again (Remix) b/w Guilty Of Love (1987)

UK chart peak - Number 9



More hair metal NONSENSE for our @Sheena - although as UNTRENDY as Whitesnake clearly are these days - I've always felt that the public perception was they were a poor man's Def Leppard - I do actually have a liking for this one as well as slushy follow up "Is This Love".

Formed in the late 70s by David Coverdale from Deep Purple, Whitesnake released a number of albums of fair to middling success, with the original version of this song struggling to #34 in 1984. Correctly sensing that 1987 was going to be THE YEAR of hair metal's peak, they named their biggest selling album after it, & a remixed "Here I Go Again" was included on the album, becoming a well-worn radio staple of the era, & followed Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Europe, Poison, a resurgent Aerosmith & many others to huge success across the globe in 1987. I was AGOG to find out it actually topped the American charts - I knew they'd had success but I didn't know they'd been THAT BIG. Nonetheless, I can see why it hit the top, because it epitomises everything about the hair metal era - synths meshed with guitars, twiddling OTT solos & a BANGER of a singalong chorus. Looking at the cover, one can only hope they didn't appear on the same TOTP episode as Europe, or the fights over the hairspray would likely be the STUFF OF LEGEND. So yes, corny, commercial & dated as hell, but I can't help but like it, & it essentially summarises a whole era/genre of music in one song.

The B side is taken from one of their earlier albums & is the same flavour as "Here I Go Again" but not as good. It's an interesting comparison point as it shows how the band dialled everything up a notch & refined their sound to reach their peak in 1987.

Along with many other bands of this genre, the advent of grunge & Nirvana in 1991 put paid to any shreds of credibility they might have once had, with these sort of songs & their long hair & leather imagery being dismissed as inauthentic dribble & an example of late 80s excessive guff. The band remained inactive for years before the inevitable touring reunions & a handful of new albums, but this remains their signature, & they are the EMBODIMENT of a specific place, time & sound - & there AIN'T MUCH WRONG WITH THAT.

Oh I ADORE Here I Go Again! I didn’t really care for anything else, though, from memory. I’ve always thought if I came across a vinyl copy of the parent album I’d give it a go, but I’ve never been arsed this actively seek it out.

As if DEF LEPPARD weren't BAD ENOUGH



Tee hee hee *klunk*

Sardonicus said:

MC Miker G & Deejay Sven - Holiday Rap b/w Whimsical Touch (1986)

UK chart peak - Number 6

View attachment 34612



This one was drawing a TOTAL BLANK. Surely, I thought, this can't be some sort of FUN FOR EUROPE reworking of the then-recent Marge hit? Reader, it could. And it throws in a chorus that borrows from "Summer Holiday" by Cliff Richard too. It's the sort of utter CRUD that probably sounded amazing round the pool in Benidorm that summer, but enough people sending it top 10wards in the COLD LIGHT OF DAY is perplexing. Apart from anything else, the original had been top 10 twice for Marge in the 2 years prior, only being held off the top by her own "Into The Groove" in 1985. Still, somewhere in Austria, a young DJ Otzi was taking NOTES.

The whole thing was produced & remixed by Ben Liebrand, who later became an in demand remixer hitting big with a dancified version of Jeff Wayne's "The Eve Of The War". Wikipedia tells me Ben painstakingly rebuilt the sounds of the original record himself, got a session singer in to do the Marge bits, & cleverly sidestepped any issues with sampling - Black Box would have been well advised to have GIVEN HIM A CALL in 1989. FULL PROPS to OUR BEN for taking that level of care & attention on this total novelty, but the song really doesn't deserve it. It's very Jive Bunny-esque, the Dutch accented rapping bits are cringingly bad, sounding like The Sugarhill Gang took a knock to the head & are having a breakdown on record, & the Cliff bits appear to have been cynically chucked in to get some appeal to the older market. The original is MORE THAN SERVICEABLE as a sunny holiday record, so this just ISN'T NECESSARY. I'm also surprised it took off after the singles chart was all MARGE MARGE MARGE in 1985 & 1986. Stuff like this must have felt beyond SATURATION POINT.

The B side is an odd little instrumental track that sounds like it could be used on "Miami Vice" or similar. It's a lot like an earlier version of something like Bomb The Bass. My SUSPICIONS are that this was much more the work of Ben rather than the FUN-LOVING duo. Ben clearly used this single as an audition to try out for bigger & brighter things, & astonishingly, it worked!

Well, for him, anyway. Miker & Sven tried a similar rap on Kool & The Gang's "Celebration" only to be met with a COLLECTIVE SHRUG from an ALREADY BORED public. One has apparently stayed involved with music while the other has struggled with drug addiction The most FLEETING of brushes with fame, & probably NARY A EURO of residual royalties to show for it.

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This is notable for getting a cheeky drug reference into the charts and onto Top Of The Pops. Well, what else do you think "..and we'll take a little piece of Amsterdam" could mean?

Sardonicus said:

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again (Remix) b/w Guilty Of Love (1987)

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Sardonicus said:

I was AGOG to find out it actually topped the American charts - I knew they'd had success but I didn't know they'd been THAT BIG.

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Another STONE COLD CLASSIC of the genre. This was inescapable on the radio and, of course, that video was shown about 800 times a day on MTV.

RIP to one of the hottest “video vixens” Tawny Kitaen because she carried that video.

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up b/w Instrumental (1987)

UK chart peak - Number 1



The biggest selling song of 1987, probably the lead example of a formulaic well SAW would draw from again & again, one of a tiny number of American number 1 hits for SAW, & an ongoing revival sparked 20 odd years later as an ironic Internet trend that eventually led to a genuine CAREER REVIVAL for OUR RICK - I think "Never Gonna Give You Up" would be my PERSONAL CHOICE as the signature SAW tune.

And it isn't always the case with this sort of thing, but it absolutely is one of their best, from the classic A Linn drum intro to the niggling 80s synth & bass sound, to the Miriam Stockley & Mae McKenna backing vocals, it was probably the first hit that brought together a lot of the Hit Factory elements that SAW would eventually become heavily criticised for & lampooned as it all sounding the same, before the public & most of their artists left in droves by late 1990 as saturation point was surpassed & everyone became fed up of it.

So the SAW bubblegum pop dance had 4 years in the POP SUNSHINE, from 1987 to late 1990, & personally, I love it all, even the rubbish phoned in stuff they started producing as they spread themselves too thin. It's all tied up with the happiness of early childhood & the INNOCENCE of discovering the joys of music for the first time, so it all brings back a certain type of feeling that can never be recaptured.

I was only 4 when "Never Gonna Give You Up" was dominating the charts, so I can't remember, but I can imagine that it might have felt like a slightly fresher & newer direction for SAW at that time. Their stuff with the likes of Dead Or Alive & Mel & Kim seemed to have closer ties to the dancefloor, & Bananarama always seemed to be their OWN THING. OUR RICK, maybe the only famous person to ever hail from Newton-le-Willows, was sold to the press as a discovery as a teaboy at the studios who could sing, although I was never sure if this was typical Pete Waterman BLATHER that made for a bit of GOOD PRESS. Although considering Pete was allegedly (he says) doing everything from BROKERING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST to DISCOVERING NEW FOSSIL FUELS, he probably didn't have the time to make a CUPPA himself.

OUR RICK didn't HALF have a strong & soulful voice, & at least part of the appeal was you didn't expect him to sound like THAT. Add in how catchy & sunny it all was, & it's not hard to see how this song has managed a REHABILITATION from its untrendy roots to become a genuinely beloved signature hit of the late 80s. Although BOO TO SAW for carrying on at M/A/R/R/S for a brief sample of their own "Roadblock" as it began to threaten to push Rick off the top - as this song quite OUTRAGEOUSLY rips off the bassline of "Trapped" by Colonel Abrams.

Rick never managed another number 1 on HOME SHORES again, although "Together Forever" gave him another US chart topper, but numerous further hits followed before he left the SAW stable in 1989. The self penned "Cry For Help" got him another transatlantic top 10 in 1991, but by the 4th album in 1993 he was so fed up of it all that he quit mid-promo & retired from music into obscurity. I never expected to see him again, but the Rickrolling phenomenon took off around 2008 as YouTube became a huge part of popular culture, & he's parlayed this into a very successful comeback, even getting a Number 1 album in 2016, & seems to be enjoying it all a lot more this time around. GOOD ON YA LAD.

Has that been at the bottom of a gerbil's cage for the intervening years?

I mean, it's a Discogs VG+ but, hey.

octophone said:

Has that been at the bottom of a gerbil's cage for the intervening years?

I mean, it's a Discogs VG+ but, hey.

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Clearly from the same collection as the Ferry Aid single in equally DINGY condition

Never Gonna Give You Up harked back a lot more to the early SAW soul influenced stuff, like Princess and O'Chi Brown. People often forget that for their Hi-NRG output, they were pretty much equally based in soul at the start.

Together Forever and Take Me To Your Heart were his finest SAW-helmed moments, though

I love a bit of Rick. For that very brief time he was MASSIVE over here.

One of my fave performances mainly for the nostalgia

How did I miss THE BELLE OF ST MARK?

I THINK I'D PROBABLY DIE

I own the first four Sheila E albums on vinyl and they're all varying levels of good, but it's The Glamorous Life which is her MAGNUM OPUS.

Bruce Willis - Secret Agent Man - James Bond Is Back b/w Lose Myself (1987)

UK chart peak - Number 43



OFF TOPIC but I don't think I've ever known this site so dead as the past few days (including when I lurked) - I couldn't really be ARSED writing this up tonight but I thought I'd try & keep a discussion going. Although I reckon there's maybe 10 or so records left in this pile to review, so this EPICALLY LONG thread will be ALL OVER SOON. ANYONE ANY IDEAS of something to kick off a bit of FUN & GAMES? My A Song For Moopy revival suggestion in a recent daily thread was a bit of a damp squib.

But I DIGRESS. Now I knew Bruce hit UK number 2 with a cover of "Under The Boardwalk" in 1987, although I don't recall hearing it ever back then. But this flop followup was the first time I've drawn a genuine blank around the songs in this pile. I'd also totally forgotten that Bruce ever tried his hand at a pop career. It came in the middle of his fame on TV show "Moonlighting" - BEFORE MY TIME - & before he hit action movie superstar status with "Die Hard" in 1988. OK, I thought, so maybe they've used his serviceable for karaoke voice to try get him a few hits a la David Soul in the 70s. But looking it up has brought up as many QUESTIONS as it has answers.

Firstly, Bruce Willis was signed to Motown Records??!! What an absolutely bizarre match of novelty TV star singer & legendary record label. I'm AGOG how this ever came about. And numerous stars like The Temptations & The Pointer Sisters all showed up to help out on the album! I mean, WHY??!! Was the TV show THAT POPULAR? What was with the sudden & quickly abandoned push to get him crooning the soul classics? The album itself was accompanied by a Spinal Tap style spoof documentary with Bruce pretending to be some old hasbeen on a comeback, which was released to TV at the same time & appears to have been even more forgotten than Bruce's solo career. I only found this out RIGHT NOW. It really reminded me of the time that Garth Brooks decided to do some bizarre reinvention as a pop star coming back after a car accident or something. Maybe the idea was that Bruce would be in various TV specials & release albums regularly under this character, but it all went TITS UP when "Die Hard" became a phenomenal hit? I'm PERPLEXED at the entire thing.

With regards to the single itself, I've refrained from saying much because there AIN'T MUCH TO SAY. Both sides of this single are the definition of GENERIC & FORGETTABLE. I actually had to play the A side again a few minutes afterwards as I'd forgotten how it went. A cover version of a long forgotten theme tune for a 60s spy show, "Danger Man", this updated the sound for the late 80s & added in a few stock gunshot & spy noises with the odd James Bond reference. Don't ask me who this was supposed to appeal to, it flopped & I feel there's a story here that I don't have the info on. Possibly they were trying out Bruce in some sort of remake, or maybe it tied in to "Moonlighting" again?

The B side was co-written by Jon Lind, who'd helped write "Crazy For You" a couple of years earlier for Marge, but this one is BLAND & UNMEMORABLE. I gave it a spin 10 minutes ago & I couldn't hum a NOTE now. Poor old Bruce given the CAST OFFS despite the big names on the album.

Bruce's film career was obviously iconic for decades, & his brief musical exploits never discussed, as far as I recall. Sadly now suffering from dementia, I always worried there was some form of exploitation in recent years as he starred in a zillion straight to video films which amounted to little more than cameos, before too unwell to continue any further. It's sad & upsetting to see this happen to an action hero & a HEARTTHROB of our generation (I sat through the DIRE "Color Of Night" because there were various ARSE & NOB shots from nude scenes EQUALITY PIONEER Bruce). And I feel the genuine odd CURIO that this foray into music was may now be a tale never told.

One of the sexiest men to ever exist

That said, I cared nothing for his musical attempts

I believe that there was an even-more-forgotten-than-his-music-career Spinal Tap style mockumentary to accompany the album.

I was such a big Moonlighting fan that I remember being so disgusted by his dreadful music career that nobody needed. I couldn’t even be fucked “giving it a go” when I found the album for 50p in a local chazza a few years back. I feel it might still be there now.

Sheena said:

I was such a big Moonlighting fan that I remember being so disgusted by his dreadful music career that nobody needed. I couldn’t even be fucked “giving it a go” when I found the album for 50p in a local chazza a few years back. I feel it might still be there now.

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What was the story - just a cash-in? So odd with it being Motown & a whole mockumentary tied in.

Sardonicus said:

What was the story - just a cash-in? So odd with it being Motown & a whole mockumentary tied in.

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It was a tv special based on the fact that he was HUGE at the time. No idea beyond that.

It was fairly successful everywhere- and I remember Under The Boardwalk being everywhere at the time. I feel it was one of those #2s that sold loads and hung around for ages.

London Boys - London Nights b/w London Days (1989)

UK chart peak - Number 2



I get the impression that since 1990 onwards the London Boys have been looked back as a bit of TEMPORARY MADNESS that can be blamed on the DANCE-LOVING LONG HOT SUMMER of 1989. They may be DEEPLY unfashionable, corny, FUN FOR EUROPE & dated as hell but I don't care a JOT - I love the London Boys & I love this song.

Forming in Germany & working with Eurodisco legend Ralf Réné Maué - who also worked with other Moopy legends like Sinitta - debut single "Requiem" flopped at #59 on release before becoming a huge smash on re-release in spring 1989. Quite possibly the most DRAMATIC & OTT song in the HISTORY OF EVER, it introduced the London Boys JOLLY SCHTICK of insane, gravity defying dance moves, earnest pleading vocals, SAW inspired pop disco, ludicrous camp outfits that have to be seen to be believed & even a bunch of Dracula style ORGAN IN A HAUNTED CASTLE bits. If these two were somersaulting around the stage for us at Eurovision this year screaming YOU'RE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE MY LIFE I WONT LET YOU GO NOW THIS IS A REQUIEM then it'd be TWELVES ACROSS THE BOARD. I won't hear a WORD said against it.

This follow up was their biggest chart hit, sadly blocked from the top by OUR SONIA in a top 2 of HOMOSEXUAL FABULOUSNESS in July, & is a less dramatic, but more HEAT DRENCHED disco tune that I distinctly remember being EVERYWHERE during my first holiday abroad in Majorca that year. Unlike other holiday hits, it still sounded equally fantastic back home, probably helped by the hot weather that year, with their album also getting within a WHISKER of topping the charts. It's an equally FUN FOR EUROPE dancealong with a chorus to bellow drunkenly to, & despite the lyrics being a load of old nonsense about London I've always thought it genuinely did manage to capture some of that SHIMMERY SUMMER HEAT IN THE CITY feel that's hard to describe, but best encapsulated by "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama.

I did wonder if the B side was going to be some sort of slower SULTRY SEQUEL but it's just the instrumental - unfortunately this copy was quite jumpy which hopefully sorts itself after a good CLEAN. It shows how SAW inspired Ralf's songs were though, & although not part of the PWL stable, I've always thought SAW did get involved somehow - not sure if anyone can remember from the time.

Further hits "Harlem Desire" & "My Love" (yet another feature on the legendary "Monster Hits" compilation) kept the momentum going, although not at the same level, but as the SAW hits dried up in 1990, the London Boys found themselves caught up in the backlash, as new hit "Chapel Of Love", despite being as dramatic & quality as prior hits, flopped at #75. Only one further chart hit, "Freedom", was forthcoming, although the duo remained reasonably popular on the continent. I've always thought it was a shame that they fell from favour so quickly. They never aspired to be fashionable, they were all about having fun & they were putting together a very decent collection of Eurodance hit singles.

Any hopes of a nostalgic comeback came to a tragic end before the 80s revival got close to happening. On 21st January 1996 they were both horribly killed by a drunk driver in the Alps on the way to a skiing holiday, along with one of their wives. I was AGOG to find this out years later on the Internet - it's rather saddening that this didn't seem to get any coverage in the press in 1996. Let's face it, I probably also can't have been the only one AGOG to find out they were both married with kids, as they were both as MINCY as you like & I'd always thought they were probably a couple. But the sad outcome was they left one kid orphaned & another without a father & in a sad note of the fleeting nature of fame, with the whole thing barely warranting a mention in the British press.

Despite this tragic & unfortunate end, the London Boys are always an act capable of putting a CHEERY SMILE on my face whenever I hear their records. They truly didn't care if they were thought of as POP CHEESE, they seemed to have a genuine JOY for it all that shone through the whole time, & for the handful of us that still remember them, that's a lovely little legacy to leave the world.

London Nights and Requiem really are so committed and utterly JOYOUS. Almost the last chart stabs of Hi-NRG as House/ Techno/ Eurodance was taking over the mantle.

AGOG at this POST-DEATH REFORMATION & even more AGOG at the 1995 album apparently being Ralf Réné Maué doing Eurodisco arrangements of traditional RELIGIOUS BANGERS like KUMBAYA & SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT

Not on Spotify & I'd love to know what the LOGIC was behind trying to launch the CAMP AS TITS London Boys as DANCEY GOD BOTHERERS in 1995

I simply must hear this album & I'm hoping @Sheena has a copy