Monsoon vs. Blancmange ?

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raga-ripoff pop - who was best - the bunnymen/kula shaker/george harrison ?????????

― , Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Can't take sides here - Monsoon's "Ever So Lonely" was a fantastic single and I've always had a soft spot for Blancmange. The first album is good - "Waves", "Feel Me", "Living on The Ceiling" etc and later singles like "Don't Tell Me" were still fun. Neil Arthur is still around - he recently sang with my friends Fractured at a Dublin Castle gig.

― Dr. C, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Both Sheila Chandra and Stephen Luscombe were in the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (at different times of its existence) so it's a draw.

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Neil Arthur used to live on my street. I know nothing of Monsoon.

― N., Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sheila Chandra is still making really good records (with the Ganges Orchestra, I believe), and was also one of the nicest and most forthcoming interviews I've ever done.

― Douglas, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Blancmange could win by virtue of actually having five or six memorable singles, but there's a good case for Monsoon as the only two singles of theirs I can bring to mind I actually own. "Ever So Lonely" is gorgeous.

However, of all the CDs I borrowed from Whitehaven Library between 1994 and 1997, the only one I didn't deem worthy of at least a partial ILLEGAL TAPING was a Sheila Chandra album on RealWorld.

Blancmange's "Blind Vision" - I recall Tommy Vance's comments on the R1 countdown cementing in my young mind the idea that 'recording in New York' was synonymous with 'blaring horns and soul backing vox'. I suspect there was a lot of this going on as synth-pop duos fumbled towards their second LPs in 83-84. I'm not sure I approved.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I certainly didn't approve. It was all downhill after "Living on the Ceiling".

― MarkH, Friday, 14 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Check out Hello darling by the East India trading company (?), which is Stephen Luscombes joyous pillage through bollywood soundtracks. Stands the test of time much better than the mature crafted songgwriting they were peddling at the same time.

― Billy Dods, Monday, 17 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

for "living on the ceiling" alone, blancmange wins. (not to mention that i don't friggin' know who Monsoon is).

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 3 November 2003 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Eisbar OTM!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 3 November 2003 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

ok, so i went onto allmusic.com and typed in "monsoon." they were some eighties british group that never made it over here -- new wave with indian sounds. i guess this has to do w/ blancmange in that blancmange liked world-music sounds on some of their songs (like the aforementioned "living on the ceiling") -- but not having heard monsoon, and that aside, how are these acts at all alike (so that a comparison b/w them is appropriate)?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 05:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Takes medium breath... The comparison is fairly valid, in that both were early 80s synth-pop bands who incorporated Indian themes into their music.

Blancmange: early 80s synth duo, kinda like Soft Cell with an Oxbridge education. Had strong hit with Living on the Ceiling single, two or three albums. Kybd guy Stephen Luscombe much interested in Indian music, and later formed East India Company who worked with either (I forget) Asha Bhosle or Lata Mangeshkar. Also a great later record with The Orb, and a bonkers Bollywood-sampling techno record "Hello Darling" credited to Blue World. No real idea where singer Neil Arthur went.

Monsoon: early 80s pop band run by Steve Coe, on his own Indi-pop label (arf). Singer Sheila Chandra had been a teen actress on BBC school drama Grange Hill. First single Ever So Lonely mixed pop beats and sitars, and gorgeous soaring vocals. Album featured guest gtr from Bill Nelson and a not-brilliant take on "Tomorrow Never Knows". Ever So Lonely reissued a couple of times in remixed club versions mid-90s, and just troubled the UK dance charts in an identikit cover version. Chandra since made half a dozen solo records (Coe usually around somewhere), starting with homemade pop/experimental stuff on her own label (Nada Brahma rather fab) and now doing abstract vocal/drone stuff for Realworld. Bit of an aquired taste, reminds me of an Indian Meredith Monk-goes-pop. Ish.

― marco (marco), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

**No real idea where singer Neil Arthur went**

He's recently guested with this lot : http://www.garethlloyd.f2s.com/Fractured/fractured.php?call_page=MP3Page

There's even a MP3 of Neil singing Living On The Ceiling. And probably pictures of me!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

four years pass...

monsoon!

― ☭, Thursday, 8 November 2007 23:08 (seventeen years ago)

Monsoon were more actual Indian sounding pop, weren't they.

For me, they were entirely different. I love Blancmange, but don't think they sounded that Indian really. I know "Living In The Ceiling" sounded kind of Indian/Arabian, but their best song "Don't Tell Me" has none of those harmonies at all.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 8 November 2007 23:13 (seventeen years ago)

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