we listen so fast: forgotten/unkown/unloved 80s we are listening to.

i thought it might be a bridge too far to play the one and only album by Shy Talk from 1985 but they are standing on nomadic sand on the cover so i had to! and i'm enjoying it. maybe i have a fever. i dunno. sounds good to me in a kevin bacon movie soundtrack kinda way. their single could have been in Quicksilver for sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfCDXCdS1aQ

Shy Talk were never on an 80s soundtrack (which is baffling and i hope they fired their manager) but they were included on this cassette pop comp from Indonesia.

https://i.discogs.com/hk-MsV9-3lrULMzfpPXwBj6I4lOmwKmQkgHolGeZQe4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:395/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1NDQy/MjYzLTE1OTE1OTAy/MzEtMTIyNi5qcGVn.jpeg

Scored a stack of forgotten 70s & 80s records in great condition for $1 each. They’re generally a cornucopia of mediocrity but a few stand out & will be getting a closer listen. First in mind is Ken Lockie’s The Impossible, which has at least one killer track, “Dance House”, a kind of industrial-lite post-disco stomper.

listening to Gus & The New Breed right now. Gus had two albums on the mighty Nemperor label. i know i have played the first one but i have no memory of it. this 2nd album from 1983 has some good hard rockin' power-poppin' bar bandin' fun. pay no more than $2. i guarantee that if he had made this album in 1985 it would have been wall to wall synths. "He Was So Humble" is the most hard rocking track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-RxJGjXdUw

Years ago I picked up a 1985 album by a Canadian band called Condition, Mumbo Jumbo, based on the cover (sharkskin suits, evening gown) and the covers (Cole Porter, The Cadets, and a Lil Green number "Knockin' Myself Out.") Chanteuse plays combo organ, there's sax, drums, and lots of exotica bongo banging. Her voice is a little strident.

https://i.discogs.com/vyN0aJS6--0AaocyMCaQiVoEf115c0yhD6ptrp-xVdg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:450/w:465/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIzMjMw/NDYtMTI4MjIzODAz/Ni5qcGVn.jpeg

This thread prompted me to search youtube and to my amazement there is a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbVrwFTa6kY

"Scored a stack of forgotten 70s & 80s records in great condition for $1 each."

this is a big reason for this thread. the inspiration really. i bought the motherlode of 80s stuff. so much stuff. so fun too!

Mock me if you will but I'm quite a fan of this ludicrous 1983 piece of sub-Queen nonsense from Northern Ireland's Cruella de Ville, just playing it for the first time since it came out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYHq-ajJdC0

yikes, that's some crazy stuff! the cruella. i would never mock anyone's 80s love for anything.

i'm playing Cameo's Machismo album for the first time ever and i did not know that there is a Miles Davis jazz jam at the end of side one! nobody told me. there is some great horn action in general courtesy of the brecker brothers and maceo and kenny garrett.

If you need further confirmation that I'm the Lenny Williams aka kid Seville that played guitar on the machismo album you can contact Sammy merendino he put me in touch with cameo he was their drummer on numerous album's for them he can be reached at Sammy meredino.com or(212)9**-35**,I'm from Philadelphia, you have a album of mine and a picture of me I am the artist kid Seville so please change that it's not cool when someone takes credit for something that you've done even if it's a mistake but this can be rectified thank you Lenny Williams aka kid Seville, Leonard j Williams

discogs needs to get on that. notice how i covered the phone number. i don't want any of you guys calling sammy meredino and pranking him.

Hard to know what counts as "unknown" to ILM, but I've never met another person who knows and loves this whiny country song.

The Rave-Ups, Radio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn4M0HvuxGs

i like it! its sad. i love songs about radio. or when people say the word radio over and over. i remember the rave-ups of course because they were lumped in with all the other alt country rock people but i never listened to them.

Cameo's Machismo album is really ambitious! it's impressive. sounds great too.

are there fans of early soup dragons...i'm a little scared of this 1986 EP i have in front of me. Edinburgh address. i wonder if they were friends with Hee Haw up above there.

listening to the one and only album by The Gyrlz from 1988 on Capitol which sounds pretty much like you would think a girl group with involvement from Teddy Riley and Al B. Sure! would sound like. it's right up my nujak alley. i'm thinking of starting a tape label that is just chopped & screwed new jack r&b records from the 80s and 90s. #milliondollaridea

https://i.discogs.com/HRJDF4RP9P7tkXyiec6fHfGzhap55NIOJTDp-DS2HyU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:360/w:395/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9BLTI5NDg0/OS0xNDU5NTM5MjU0/LTUwMTguanBlZw.jpeg

i haven't played it yet but i can't stop staring at this cover...

https://i.discogs.com/0VoiD6SljduZo7UWEUsmmn1L7B65_SL-3l1S_50RFm8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:487/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI0MTk1/MTYtMTI4MzA2NzIy/NC5qcGVn.jpeg

this gyrlz album is really solid! both sides.

love!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJh0wyWsjHU

Listening to Richard Strange's live debut solo album The Live Rise Of Richard Strange from 1980. it's cool. he was Kid Strange from my fave band Doctors of Madness. i've never heard his solo stuff. and you know how i love a live debut album. obviously remixed later but it originated live from Hurrah in NYC. i never got to go to Hurrah. its stripped down stuff compared to the proggy bombast of DoM. as befitting the times. still very vocal-forward and quirky. if you like the records that nash the slash did apart from the band FM then you would like this. that's pretty specific but pretty accurate too. this is more straightforward than nash's stuff though.

in case anyone might be interested. this was my pandemic project. i kinda got obsessed by the book VOLUME: International Discography Of The New Wave from 1980 and decided to make a playlist for the book. It took me...two years? more? Who knows. It was pandemic time, baby! Time wasn't really a thing. Anyway, it was really hard because that book was a mess. Lots of detective work. But fun too. I learned a lot and heard even more. Not totally applicable to this thread but in the spirit of this thread. this link should work.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1-7P1reTFh-exzT4SJc8A6fHI1msnJo

I love this edit of “Damascus”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IOz1Ub3u_s

i'm debating whether i want to hear this album by The Wreckery from 1987. seriously weird lyrics on the back cover make me curious.

https://i.discogs.com/PZEws1j7zVIXL21ZQK43qSUlKNsfbWJsrFiq7RfLtIM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:334/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9BLTU3MzIx/Mi0xMjgyNTU5ODI3/LmpwZWc.jpeg

they put out 3 albums in 2 years!

right now i'm listening to Jak's I Go Wild from 1985. I'm on the second side which is a sign of goodness. nobody in the store seemed to mind his masterpiece "Sixty Nine". it's good to work to. i know it's hard to believe but i'm actually working.

https://i.discogs.com/WwaqjYGBFz9nQWWkYf-H3Cvp7zHdMo98yTe4co1Xcds/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:400/w:378/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyMzkw/NTEtMTMzMjMzMzkz/MS5qcGVn.jpeg

I recently listened to the Zulus debut s/t EP and Down On The Floor LP. They're legendary around Boston and I must've seen them in the early 90s. But I still prefer Human Sexual Response.

i love human sexual response. i have had zulus records and not listened. i'll bet i have some around here. i just saw another record around here connected to HSR and now i can't remember what it was.

i'm gonna listen to the march violets after jak. i have a comp of theirs from 1984. and i've never really listened to them much! even though they are way more well known than most things mentioned here. better late than never! (its weird too cuz i love early goths like i love my mother!)

SEE CROW BABY!

i haven't gotten to crow baby yet! i'm really digging this though. tempted to keep...

i can remember having that 1985 u.s. comp on relativity in the store forever and i can't remember if i ever played it. this one has tons of stuff on it. maybe 2023 was my year for march violets. it happens when it happens.

Good call, Scott. "Walk Into The Sun" is my fave from them but they had lots of good stuff.

i got a lot of new beat/industrial stuff i've never listened to and i'm excited to dig into that. its time that i give the cassandra complex the hearing they deserve.

"snake dance" is epic! what an epic! good job, march violets. if i'm ever in leeds i will buy you a pint.

(meanwhile this album by The Jets is one of the best things i've heard all day. they are kinda forgotten!)

(seriously, do you all own the first album by The Jets? the one with "You Got It All" on it? every home should have one. this has been an 80s public service announcement.)

A similar realization that some of my odd favorites from the 80s had recently finally made their way to streaming got me to start making a playlist of them, which snowballed into a playlist of everything I liked in the 80s (1 song per artist from 337 artists):

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3AJFnVl9iQvGmyuzfW7FL0?si=b6ed7482b2104f03

and then a second playlist of everything like those things that I didn't like (at the time) (1007 more artists, release dates not as diligently checked in this list):

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0dDujxqL97daTfL91wdYZb?si=fa2608d4c0db46cc

Chances are good that you will have forgotten at least some of these.

another all time favorite, UK peace punk buys a synth and goes proto-emo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PILkLaKixiI

this also fits the rare "artists who only released one great track" criteria, much more common in the 80s imho

scott didn't you post this insanely great comp on FB or maybe here recently?

https://www.discogs.com/release/843837-Various-Subtle-Hints

yeah on the listening thread. its so amazing. so much unknown goodness. unknown to me anyway.

this was fun today. i actually got a lot of work done with this music playing!

i'll be back in a day or two. going to get more records. because more records.

and then more to talk about! (and i will be checking out all the links on here too...)

the chorus on this is amazing

Stella Carnacina - “Non Bastera”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-W26GQuXcs

(seriously, do you all own the first album by The Jets? the one with "You Got It All" on it? every home should have one. this has been an 80s public service announcement.)

― scott seward, Monday, August 14, 2023 5:08 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

And speaking of public service announcements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-lLIE55hUw

started my day with two records i've never heard by people certainly not obscure but maybe not a part of the daily national conversation. both records have really good sound. evelyn's record has a nice barebones freestyle vibe. cole & clivilles work their magic on a couple of tracks. payola$ were produced by mick ronson but bob rock did a lot and why do i forget that bob rock was in payola$? if i was canadian i would know this. anyway, this record doesn't ever sound like generic mush and it would have had the label just thrown some generic producer at them. their fake reggae sounds fine. i vaguely remember "eyes of a stranger". i think it was the album after this that had the college radio song i liked.

oh shit cole & clivilles are sampling art of noise on evelyn's album now. "before the date". i will never not love that.

https://i.discogs.com/GEEbKrOJwCCjZEGsR6l4bk4eS-2lWQimryY0LWC2aXQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc1MjIx/OS0xMzk5MTg1MDA3/LTU1ODcuanBlZw.jpeg

https://i.discogs.com/1F3L8yK1bZUuV2SFxPUWE4HAaMCFauJsBY-N19eRqOQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU3Njgy/OS0xNTgzMzQzODA1/LTg2NDkucG5n.jpeg

Some relatively new to me tracks I've thrown into my 80-84 playlists. Probably around half of these came thru from Discover Weekly.

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Riot In Lagos
Polyrock - Your Dragging Feet
Talking Heads - Unison
Felt - Evergreen Dazed
The Au Pairs - Headache For Michelle
Essential Logic - Wonderful Offer
Rexy - Running Out Of Time
Kim Carnes - Draw Of The Cards
Cha Cha Guitri - Non Non Non
James Last - Biscaya
Pilou - Ca Va
Antena - Camino Del Sol
Pat Metheny Group - Au Lait
The Flirts - Surf’s Up
Material - Don’t Lose Control
Manu Dibango - Mouna Pola
Richenel - Autumn
International Music System - Mojave
XTC - Frost Circus
Roy Ayers - Chicago
The Durutti Column - Prayer
Eddy Trauma - Macaroni Radio
Suburban Lawns - Flavor Crystals
Sisters Of Mercy - Phantom
The System - Pendy! You’re In Some Awful Danger
Witch - Erotic Delight
Thomas Leer - International

Blitz - Second Empire Justice

British OI! lads go post-punk on their second album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJnYbcMz2U

Jimmy Harnen - Where are you Now?

if i'm gonna listen to an 80s record produced by mick ronson then its only fair to then play an 80s record produced by rick derringer. this is pretty good. milwaukee band's one and only album from 1984. they try to sound british which is always a plus with american new wave. i would totally put the cut "adrianna dreams" on a new wave mixtape. check that one out. they actually say "fade to grey" in the lyrics! wearing their influences on their sleeve. anyway, underrated!

https://i.discogs.com/Uwlyc9BnzEzt09v244niMOBKoEr-liETAyhKNRVOUg8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:467/w:465/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI5OTk1/MjItMTMyNzIzODc0/OC5qcGVn.jpeg

i love that Blitz record! its so good.

those jimmy pursey post-punk albums have always been underrated as well.

it doesn't fit this thread but i ALSO love the 1990 Blitz album The Killing Dream. such a weird one.

^ Very Sky Girl compilaton - nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3nK4j5g2QA

That's really nice, never heard of it. Had to make sure it wasn't the same band as this (not even close)

I've often dj'd this followed by Suburban Lawns Janitor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrEMYUkB_xw

Sorry, that's from 79

i don't know anything about jess roden or the rivits, kind of a uk new wave/power pop sort of thing i think? i do love the bloopy synth on this one though...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJeUZ_HKJXI
The Rivits - Red Light On

goofy todd vibes

another 80s obscurity i've uploaded today, this one sounds like Felt on fast foward with drums that sound like they were lifted from a footwork tune...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFr2lW20qC8
I-Lands - Untitled ('Robinsons')

Tbh when i bought it i didn't expect it to be any good, i'm just a sucker for an Artaud photo

Whoa very cool track and apt description. I also feel you on being a sucker for Artaud photos, I sort of want to get this printed on a shirt or something https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xXnfDUfNmjY2Zd4iRmmPQDURZ3p-BKfm9fJhrpPkr5gzdUAqIxCXsM1WiBuM9Q2LccjtEpzLDvbNypO8iv1W3biXu5o6ypm3w6YGykzTaagPrUs7X9oZE75OhO3A_ps-8-O9UQ/s1600/download.jpg

ahh, that would be great!

seems El/Cherry Red adjacent for sure, with a bit of Smiths meets Norwhich.

underrated!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fIajip5_IY

underrated!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4xOccqkVvU

I recently started picking up He Said records. I think pretty much anything anybody from Wire did at any point is at least worth picking up.

There's a song called A.B.C. Dicks Love that I got really into.

Another great Wire side project is AC Marias.

That MC Twix track is a gem. This thread just keeps delivering.

AC Marias is amazing. I did have to pop onto youtube to let people know Time Was is an uncredited Blind Alan Wilson Canned Heat song though.

feat. Rowland S Howard on guitar no less.

really in love with the first Crazy House album. now i need their other albums. every track is a gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=902K_TOJCxw

ditto’ing the AC marias love, big fan of this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWoC4caXACU

love the Lou Reed cover that was the b-side to the "One Of Our Girls Has Gone Missing"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJtRXxhZccw