Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

From time to time I go online just to see what has happened musically on that day in the past. It's always amusing to see which basically unimportant events are mentioned on various sites. What makes it interesting for me is that albums or songs are mentioned that were released on a certain day. I'm often reminded to listen to them again or what memories I have of them. Here are some songs that were released years ago this week, with no direct connection between them. We'll see if this becomes a series.

Loggins and Messina were an American country-pop duo and became famous in the early-mid seventies with some great songs. I own only their live album On Stage from 1974 where this song is from. It shows how good the Westcoast sound could be in these days.

Joan Armatrading was in the early eighties one of the best opportunities to new wave and independent music. Blessed with a great voice and well arranged songs she had her time rightly.

The Small Faces were ace and still the best mod band in the sixties.

Rockabilly returned with The Stray Cats and Dave Edmunds at the controls. The sound of this summer.

In 1981 Talking Heads released Remain In Light one of the best albums this year and this song is still great.

Rockabilly Ruled Pt. 2

 

After writing about the Cramps last week, it's time to talk about another band that at the same time brought back music that had been lost for a long time. The Stray Cats were an American band who celebrated their greatest successes in England and on the continent in the early 80s. In Dave Edmunds, they found a producer who himself was knee-deep in rock 'n' roll. With their first record, they have brought us back closer to the roots of rock music. As a band that played their earthy music as a three-man combo with guitar, stand-up bass and simple drums, they were the sensation of the year in 1981. Decades later, their sound still sounds fresh and urban, setting the standard for all subsequent epigones.

Stray Cats - Runaway Boys

Stray Cats - Rock This Town

Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut

Stray Cats - Rumble In Brighton

Black Is The Night

Like every year in the last months the record companies release best of compilations by any band they could. But this year a lot of releases are about the 40th anniversary of records from 1979 or to celebrate some bands that used to big or named 40 years ago. So it happened a few weeks ago with an anthology of The Stray Cats and a few days ago one by The Damned. They were not the best one around these days but a few of their singles are far over the average and hymns of my very younger days and still worth to bring back to your memories of times long gone by. I am sure everyone has his own memories when you listen to this great moments in history of punk and how The Damned faced the new spirit in new music.

The Damned - Neat Neat Neat
The Damned - Problem Child
The Damned - New Rose
The Damned - Wait For The Blackout

Twanging Tuesday # 26

Back in 1980 a band from NYC brought us back the classic rockabilly style. Produced by Dave Edmunds (who else) The Stray Cats played a dynamic one mix from Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent like they today could sound. They were so hot these days that me and some mates went to Cologne to see them live. Three guys with a lot of pomade in the hair and skintight jeans has given a fantastic concert there.

The Stray Cats - Runaway Boys
The Stray Cats - Rumble In Brighton