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Title - Artist |
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Remarks and websites of interest
for further information |
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Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture
Club |
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I can remember the confusion
when Boy George burst onto the scene. Pretty soon, however,
his compositions subdued any doubts anyone had about his
right to be excessively different and, as often happens
in Britain, he was accepted as completely normal, even by
the tabloids! After all, George was just following in a
great British theatrical tradition of men dressing up and
putting on make-up. It wasn't until he hit personal problems
that the papers got out their knives again.
http://www.culture-club.co.uk |
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Vienna - Ultravox
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I was never quite sure what this song was
about. But it didn't matter because the video had wonderful
imagery and the song was so atmospheric and powerful. It
means nothing to me, but I love it!
http://www.ultravox.org.uk |
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Save A Prayer - Duran Duran |
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Duran Duran produced one of the best singles
of the eighties - pleasant on the ear and gentle on the
mind.
http://www.duranduran.com |
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I Never Can Say Goodbye - Gloria Gaynor |
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This song is so upbeat and so pounding that
it forces you to dance, tap frantically or sing along. The
Communards paid it a creditable homage but the original
is my favourite.
http://www.gloriagaynor.com |
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Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones |
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A sobering lyric and a chanting vocal with
Charlie's conspicuous drums. The opening wailing chords
with a distinctive Eastern sound herald this Stones masterpiece.
http://www.rollingstones.com
http://www.iorr.org
http://www.stones.net
http://www.therollingstones.com
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I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
- Dusty Springfield |
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I don't know why but the British ladies seemed
to be masters (mistresses?) at interpreting American material.
Dusty was, in my view, the best white soul singer ever and
the lady with the biggest talent for getting the most out
of the meanings of a lyric and the nuances of a tune.
http://www.dustyspringfield.co.uk
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Always Something There To Remind Me
- Sandie Shaw |
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Sandie's voice wasn't perfect but it was perfectly
suited to certain kinds of songs and she chose her material
well. This is a wonderful version of another Bacharach and
David song complete with strings and Sandie's idiosyncratic
'wo, oh-oh, wo, wo, oh, oh, wo-oh, oh'! Sandie had a great
Mod look and was one of my heart-throbs as a youth.
http://www.sandieshaw.com
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Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones |
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It's a party classic and it's an iconic track.
http://www.rollingstones.com
http://www.iorr.org
http://www.stones.net
http://www.therollingstones.com
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Shout - Lulu |
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Lulu is one of those ladies who seems to have
always been there but never seems to get old like mums and
nans used to in the old days! Mind you, she did have her
first hit when she was 14.
http://www.lulu.co.uk
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Millennium - Robbie Williams |
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I am very worried about Robbie. Talent, wit,
intellect and personality are all there in spades but he
seems to have a self-destruct button like so many stars
we have known and loved. And an ego the size of the Albert
Hall in which he recently appeared. I have loved his solo
work to date - great lyrics and solid memorable tunes. My
concern is that he might burn himself out, physically, mentally,
creatively or all three.
http://www.robbiewilliams.co.uk |
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Dancing Queen - Abba |
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This is a pop masterpiece from any perspective.
It makes you feel good, it makes you want to dance, you
can appreciate the components singly or as a whole, it's
clearly a brilliant piece of writing and wonderfully executed.
Yes, I like it!
http://www.abbasite.com |
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Move It - Cliff Richard |
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The first true British rock and roll offering.
And what a gem!
http://www.cliffrichard.org
http://www.cliffrichard.com
http://www.cliff-guaranteed.co.uk
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Whiskey In The Jar - Thin Lizzy |
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Irish band Thin Lizzy revolutionised this
traditional song with breathtaking guitar and croaking vocals
from the late lamented Phil Lynnott.
http://www.thin-lizzy.net |
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Golden Brown - The Stranglers |
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Punk band The Stranglers go uncharacteristically
all melodic on us whilst extolling the virtues of questionable
substances.
http://www.the-stranglers.com |
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Homeward Bound - Simon & Garfunkel |
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Paul Simon sings 'I'm sitting at a railway
station' - note the absence of "railroad", and
thus we know this is autobiographical and written during
his tour of England in the early sixties. A beautiful song
- acoustics and harmonies at their very best.
http://www.paulsimon.com |
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Hey Joe - The Jimi Hendrix Experience |
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When they recently made a fuss about putting
up a plaque for Hendrix at his London residence which was
neighbour to a plaque for Handel, it made me very angry.
There's no place for musical snobbery in any form - it's
either good or it's not, and Hendrix was undeniably 'good'
by any standards or measures. The 'gigastar of the guitar'
plays and sings this classic song with deceptive ease.
http://www.jimi-hendrix.com
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Albatross - Fleetwood Mac |
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Close your eyes and you can see a bird on
the wing.
http://www.fleetwoodmac.com
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Message In A Bottle - The Police |
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This trans-Atlantic teaming produced one hell
of a sound for only three guys. The Police introduced us
to Sting's idiosyncratic vocals and this powerful title
demonstrates how tight and together this trio were.
http://www.sting.com |
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Start - The Jam |
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In the late seventies and early eighties The
Jam bridged the gap between sixties mod, seventies punk
and eighties new wave. With an ear to the ground, their
lyrics were about urban alienation and street fights. 'Start'
is a single that pays homage, whether consciously or unknowingly,
to The Beatles Taxman, from the very opening chord. One
of several Jam singles that I could have voted in, this
one has the slight edge for me by virtue of its urgency
and excitement.
http://www.thejam.org
http://www.paulweller.com |
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Reach Out I'll Be There - The Four Tops |
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The Four Tops always seemed to be in the charts
when I was young, and rightly so. Motown's great ambassadors
provided a soundtrack to our lives.
http://www.fourtops.net |
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The Things We Do For Love - 10cc |
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10cc were one of the most successful bands
of the 70s - unusually a popular non-elitist supergroup
without any recognisable leader but consistently charting
highly around the world nevertheless. This song, with a
rather melancholy subject matter, is my favourite with all
the best 10cc ingredients.
http://welcome.to/10cc
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In Thoughts Of You - Billy Fury |
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Billy Fury is one of the key Rock and Rollers
from this side of the pond. Halfway To Paradise is probably
his best known single but I prefer the big production values
on this one.
http://www.billyfury.co.uk
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Maggie May - Rod Stewart |
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Another single that defines a moment in my
youth and probably many other people's. This song took the
UK by storm and was played virtually non-stop on the radio
in 1971. Perfectly suited to Stewart's voice and with great
backing from The Faces, including the unusual choice of
a mandolin, this is a classic.
http://www.wbr.com/rodstewart
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Layla - Eric Clapton (Derek & The
Dominoes) |
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One of three British guitarists to vie for
the title of Best British Guitarist ('Clapton is God' was
graffitied on many a wall in the 60s and 70s), oddly enough
Jimmy Page, Jeff Back and Eric Clapton all played for The
Yardbirds at one time or another. Eric has produced some
great material over the years, but this one stands out as
his anthem.
http://www.claptononline.com
http://www.eric-clapton.co.uk
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It Must Be Love - Madness |
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The band that went against all the trends
in the 80s - punk, new wave, new romantic and stuck to their
peculiarly British output. Most often reminiscences of their
youth or observations of the quirks of British life,
they produced a huge catalogue of songs and hits. This one
is a brilliant interpretation of Labi Siffre's 1970s acoustic
hit, done by Madness in a pseudo-reggae style and superbly
embellished with strings.
http://www.madness.co.uk |
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