Dancing In The City by Marshall Hain: classic or dud?

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Dancing in the city
If youâ€™re a stranger here
and you need some action
we have a remedy
that could really catch on
pleased to see another face
at light â€“ up time
if youâ€™re feeling dull and run â€“ down
we can really make you shine

Dancing in the city
alleys that we run through
now weâ€™ve just begun to
have fun tonight
Dancing in the city
alleys that we run through
now weâ€™ve just begun to
have fun tonight

Mmhhâ€¦

Can you feel the darkness call
let the streets have their way
theyâ€™ll carry you on â€˜til morning
and steal your soul away

Dancing in the city
alleys that we run through
now weâ€™ve just begun to
have fun tonight Dancing in the city
alleys that we run through
now weâ€™ve just begun to
have fun tonight

― a cross between Marcel Marceau and Marcello Carlin's good twin, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 08:53 (twenty years ago)

â€™?

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 08:55 (twenty years ago)

I know how the song goes; tell me why it's classic.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 08:55 (twenty years ago)

It just is.

(I told you I was rub at this crit lark)

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 08:57 (twenty years ago)

He had something to do with the Flying Lizards - Marshall........ or was it Hain?

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

(xpost)

You need to state your case, though, you can't leave it to me to pick up on the sensuality of the hitherto unimagined bass register of Lynsey de Paul's other voice in Kit Hain's breathing set against the quiet microactivity of sometime free-jazz keyboardist Julian Marshall to produce knowing disco for a Bloomsbury boudoir every time!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:01 (twenty years ago)

I'm fond of this song - it makes me think of Robin C, who used to talk about it a lot as a totem of something, Britain's conflicted relationship with Europe I guess, or the interpolation of urban and rural life. Like a lot of songs you know from people's passionate discussions of them, when I finally heard it I was a little bit surprised. I would imagine it's very hard to dance to.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:02 (twenty years ago)

But that's what you're paid for! You are paid for it aren't you? (xpost)

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:03 (twenty years ago)

Well, I think it's a classic, but I can't be entirely sure because it's probably a quarter of a century since I last heard it, so it has that solipsistic, nostalgic 'the past is a foreign country' vibe to it for me. I like its slow beat, it has the mesmeric feeling of a hot day at the end of summer, the weather's still good but you know it won't last.

― a cross between Marcel Marceau and Marcello Carlin's good twin, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:03 (twenty years ago)

At the school discos I attended at the time it was always the third-before-last record played, i.e. get ready for the slow dance, and as with many hits of 1978 vintage, it is inextricably linked in my mind with a crush I had on someone at the time.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:06 (twenty years ago)

For some reason I associate it with that hit by Susan Fassbender even tho they were 3 years apart and I can't remember anything about Susan Fassbender - I think it's seeing who don't look like pop stars appearing on TOTP

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:11 (twenty years ago)

... also the un-pop star like name

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:12 (twenty years ago)

Susan Fassbender was sort of a hopped-up Dory Previn visually, but with a slightly punkier perm and hornrimmed specs.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:14 (twenty years ago)

Was she "I OWE YOUUU I OWE YOUU ON ACCOUNT I HAVE NO MONEYYYY"

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:16 (twenty years ago)

Or was it some song about a hotel?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:21 (twenty years ago)

Horn-rimmed specs! Yes that was the odd part.

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:22 (twenty years ago)

(xpost)

Kind of the latter. It really wasn't that remarkable, a bit like Carole Bayer Sager on Prozac.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:23 (twenty years ago)

"Twilight Cafe" that was the one.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:24 (twenty years ago)

At the time I frequently got it mixed up with "You've Got To Be A Hustler If You Want To Get On" by Sue Wilkinson which was a hit at around the same time, though sounded nothing like "Twilight Cafe."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:27 (twenty years ago)

Now you've lost me

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:28 (twenty years ago)

It's not worth finding.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:29 (twenty years ago)

Sue Wilkinson is SO worth finding! Now there's a song Richard X should get some popstrel to cover.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:29 (twenty years ago)

I can see that, yeah xpost to prev

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:30 (twenty years ago)

I remember watching this on TOTP at the time and fuming over the fact that crap like that could get into the charts and "Atmosphere" by Joy Division couldn't. Then DLT came on and said, "Guess what...that record was produced by Don Powell Out Of Slade!" Said 16-year-old I to the TV: "SO! FUCKING! WHAT?????!!!!!!"

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:31 (twenty years ago)

But Don Powell couldn't even rememmber his name at the time

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 09:32 (twenty years ago)

It's a classic. Great percussion and really well sung. There was definitely a place in my heart back in late 70's for a bit of AOP (adult-oriented pop) along with my beloved punk. But I love everything from the 70's really.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:46 (twenty years ago)

What, even "My Sweet Rosalie" by the Brotherhood of Man?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:53 (twenty years ago)

the cutest puppy I ever did see...

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

Oh alright then

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

I don't know that one either

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:55 (twenty years ago)

Pete Shelley never did record a follow-up to "Love Me Love My Dog," did he?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:57 (twenty years ago)

"Orgasm Addict"?

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:58 (twenty years ago)

It's on the first volume of the fairly sordid Guilty Pleasures, so it's been played a lot on radio recently. Posh people don't sing like Kit Hain no more.

― snotty moore, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:58 (twenty years ago)

(xpost)

See I knew you were going to say that...but I recall the jingle related to his previous hit, viz.: "Gee baby, how do you know 'til you've tried?/Gee baby, listen to Radio Clyde."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 10:59 (twenty years ago)

Oh yes, "Gee Baby", I forgot about that one

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:01 (twenty years ago)

In common with millions...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

Oh, it was pretty catchy I thought

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:04 (twenty years ago)

But that one was before the dog one.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:06 (twenty years ago)

Pete Shelley ran Magnet Records and I think co-wrote/produced all of Alvin Stardust's hits of the period. Before that he did some pretty weird pseudonymous stuff (in the Lieutenant Pigeon/Stamford Bridge sense) - some of it turned up on last year's Glitter From The Litter Bin compilation - as well as some ace faux-Northern Soul things with Ben Findon including stuff by pre-"Music" John Miles and Eli Bonaparte's brilliant "Love's Not An Everyday Thing" (rumoured to be an incognito Billy Fury), former Fab 208 Powerplay but sadly never a hit.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

The latest in the Lipsmackin' Series 'Bubble Pop' is all stuff from Jonathan King's UK label - Bunk Dogger, Ricky Wilde, Brendon, Redhead, lots of JK etc. It's fucking terrible - avoid.

The next up, 'Boobs' (out Jun 20) looks more like it - Iron Cross/Chunky/Iron Virgin again/Rats/Sweeney Todd...

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

That Bubble Pop one's been out for a while. But it does have Ricky Wilde's "Teen Wave" on it, thus in my world is indispensable (and I speak as the owner of an 8-CD JK box set!).

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:50 (twenty years ago)

The sole owner of an 8-CD JK box set - in the universe I mean

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

I'm pretty sure Mark S owns a copy as well.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

If Wire haven't done a primer on it yet I ain't interested

― Bifidus Digestivum (Dada), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 11:55 (twenty years ago)

Too melodic for the Wire innit.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 12:00 (twenty years ago)

sixteen years pass...

Oh god, why is this stuck in my head today

Must

Share

Misery

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

― "The Pus/Worm" by The Smiths (hardcore dilettante), Wednesday, 29 September 2021 18:45 (four years ago)

one year passes...

really been enjoying the first eye to eye album that julian marshall did with deborah berg after the demise of marshall-hain. smart adult pop stuff with the likes of jeff porcaro, rick derringer and gary katz on the list of credits. not an expensive record or anything but it took me ages to find a copy in the wild

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR-P95OiZ-s
Eye To Eye - Nice Girls [1982]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEHn7Tw-AD8
Eye To Eye - Progress Ahead

― rincton monkspoon (NickB), Saturday, 20 May 2023 21:48 (three years ago)

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