Great week for music.
On this day in 1978, Buzzcocks single “What Do I Get?” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #42 (February 12)
The Pete Shelley-penned track was Buzzcocks’ chart debut, and went on to peak at #37.
Another fine example of the band’s unique brand of melodic punk, the song was subsequently included on their compilation LP “Singles Going Steady”, which was the first Buzzcocks album to be released in North America.
In 2020, “Singles Going Steady” was ranked #250 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1977, the Ramones LP “Leave Home” debuted on the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #189 (February 12)
The Ramones second studio LP was something of a disappointment commercially for the band, only reaching #148 on the US charts, doing significantly better in the UK, where it peaked at #45, but failing to chart elsewhere.
Joey Ramone revealed the band’s frustration:
“We thought we had a lotta songs that should've been hits. If you grew up in the sixties, things would just get played and be hits right off the bat.
So we thought since our music was doin' something unique that everyone would pick up on that.
What really happened was we were so alien that no one wanted to touch us. And so we wouldn't get played."
Joey also recalled writing songs for “Leave Home”:
“I wrote most of the stuff I contributed at my apartment in Forest Hills before I left and moved back to a place in the city.
I had no amp at home, just an electric guitar.
I recorded it onto a cassette and played that back at rehearsal.”
The song “Pinhead” is the last track on side 1, and the famous Ramones “Gabba Gabba Hey" from “Pinhead" was taken from the 1932 horror film “Freaks”, which the band saw in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Ramones saw “Freaks” at an art house cinema on a rare day off when an outdoor event they were to perform at was canceled due to bad weather.
One of Freaks main characters is a microcephalic, or "pinhead", named Schlitzie.
In Allan Arkush's film, Rock 'n' Roll High School, during a Ramones concert at The Roxy, a character in a Schlitzie mask appears on stage carrying a large sign with the phrase "Gabba Gabba Hey".
Afterwards, the band wanted to relive the experience, and a roadie, usually Mitch "Bubbles" Keller, would appear on stage in a Pinhead mask, hand the sign to Joey Ramone, and perform a dance on stage, colloquially referred to as the "jerk dance".
Click on the link below to watch “Pinhead”:
Stephen John Harrington, better known as singer Steve Strange, passed away on this day in 2015 (February 12)
Strange was involved in the London punk scene in the late 70s, and formed a punk band called the Moors Murderers which included future Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, future Clash drummer Topper Headon, and future Psychedelic Furs drummer Vince Ely.
He’s best known however as the singer for Visage in their iconic 80’s hit “Fade To Grey”.
Earlier, Strange also appeared in Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” video.
Steve Strange suffered a heart attack and passed away aged 55.
Click on the link below to watch “Fade to Grey”:
On this day in 1988, the Icehouse single “Electric Blue” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #88 (February 13)
The song from the “Man of Colours” LP was co-written by Iva Davies of Icehouse and John Oates of legendary duo Hall & Oates.
Oates, who also contributed backing vocals, said that if Davies had not released the song under the Icehouse name then it would have been a Hall and Oates track!
The radio favourite went all the way to #1 in Australia, #4 in New Zealand, #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and #10 in Canada.
Indie rock band The Killers performed the song in a livestream in August 2020, which Davies later called, "the most impressive" cover he'd seen.
The video for "Electric Blue" was shot on the roof of the New South Wales Teachers Federation building at 23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia.
The actress featured in the video is Paris Jefferson who also features in the Icehouse music video, "Crazy".
Click on the link below to watch it:
On this day in 1978, the Richard Clapton single “Down in the Lucky Country” debuted on the Australian charts at #73 (February 13)
Released as a single from Clapton’s classic Australian album “Goodbye Tiger”, “Down in the Lucky Country” peaked at #70 on the Australian charts.
Clapton wrote most of the songs for “Goodbye Tiger” while he was in Europe, but most, like this one, are about Australia.
“Down in the Lucky Country” was not chest-beating patriotism, but rather a slightly darker look at where the country was heading, and a wistful glance back at the past.
Great song…
Click on the link below to watch:
This week in 1988, the Midnight Oil album “Diesel and Dust” debuted on the US Billboard 200 Album Chart at #197 (February 13)
Midnight Oil spent several months in mid-1986 on the Blackfella/Whitefella Tour of outback Australia with indigenous music groups Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland, playing to remote Aboriginal communities.
The experience had a profound effect on the band members, inspiring the “Diesel and Dust” album, focusing on the need for awareness and recognition by Australia of past injustices involving First Nations people and the need for reconciliation.
Long-term bass player Peter Gifford left the band before the album's release due to extensive touring schedules, and was replaced by Bones Hillman, formerly of New Zealand band The Swingers.
“Diesel and Dust” peaked at #1 on the Australian albums charts for six weeks, and also topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand, #5 in Sweden, #7 in Switzerland, #13 in Germany, #14 in the Netherlands, #19 in the UK, #21 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart.
“Beds Are Burning" from the album was their biggest international hit single, peaking at #1 in Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, Top 5 in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, #6 in Australia and the UK, and #17 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
At the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) 1988 Awards ceremony, Midnight Oil won "Best Cover Art" for Diesel and Dust. It also won "Best Single" and "Best Song" for "Beds Are Burning".
Rolling Stone editors named it the best album of 1988 (the year of its United States release), and later ranked it the 13th greatest record of the 1980s.
In October 2010, Diesel and Dust was listed at #1 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums, and in December of 2021, the album was listed at #5 in Rolling Stone Australia’s ‘200 Greatest Albums of All Time’.
Click on the link below to watch “Dreamworld”…..The Breakfast Creek Hotel is up for sale!
On this day in 1977, the Electric Light Orchestra single “Rockaria!” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #40 (February 13)
Welsh soprano opera singer Mary Thomas features on the track, particularly on the intro.
On the first take of the song Thomas actually began the vocal too early, but Jeff Lynne elected to use that take, complete with her interjection, "Oops!", although the interjection is omitted from some later pressings of the album!
The second single from their LP “A New World Record” is a typical ELO rocker, with Bev Bevan driving the beat, and the trademark string section prominent throughout.
It eventually peaked at #9 in the UK, and #10 in Australia.
Click on the link below to watch the clip:
On this day in 1978, Buzzcocks single “What Do I Get?” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #42 (February 12)
The Pete Shelley-penned track was Buzzcocks’ chart debut, and went on to peak at #37.
Another fine example of the band’s unique brand of melodic punk, the song was subsequently included on their compilation LP “Singles Going Steady”, which was the first Buzzcocks album to be released in North America.
In 2020, “Singles Going Steady” was ranked #250 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1977, the Ramones LP “Leave Home” debuted on the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #189 (February 12)
The Ramones second studio LP was something of a disappointment commercially for the band, only reaching #148 on the US charts, doing significantly better in the UK, where it peaked at #45, but failing to chart elsewhere.
Joey Ramone revealed the band’s frustration:
“We thought we had a lotta songs that should've been hits. If you grew up in the sixties, things would just get played and be hits right off the bat.
So we thought since our music was doin' something unique that everyone would pick up on that.
What really happened was we were so alien that no one wanted to touch us. And so we wouldn't get played."
Joey also recalled writing songs for “Leave Home”:
“I wrote most of the stuff I contributed at my apartment in Forest Hills before I left and moved back to a place in the city.
I had no amp at home, just an electric guitar.
I recorded it onto a cassette and played that back at rehearsal.”
The song “Pinhead” is the last track on side 1, and the famous Ramones “Gabba Gabba Hey" from “Pinhead" was taken from the 1932 horror film “Freaks”, which the band saw in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Ramones saw “Freaks” at an art house cinema on a rare day off when an outdoor event they were to perform at was canceled due to bad weather.
One of Freaks main characters is a microcephalic, or "pinhead", named Schlitzie.
In Allan Arkush's film, Rock 'n' Roll High School, during a Ramones concert at The Roxy, a character in a Schlitzie mask appears on stage carrying a large sign with the phrase "Gabba Gabba Hey".
Afterwards, the band wanted to relive the experience, and a roadie, usually Mitch "Bubbles" Keller, would appear on stage in a Pinhead mask, hand the sign to Joey Ramone, and perform a dance on stage, colloquially referred to as the "jerk dance".
Click on the link below to watch “Pinhead”:
Stephen John Harrington, better known as singer Steve Strange, passed away on this day in 2015 (February 12)
Strange was involved in the London punk scene in the late 70s, and formed a punk band called the Moors Murderers which included future Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, future Clash drummer Topper Headon, and future Psychedelic Furs drummer Vince Ely.
He’s best known however as the singer for Visage in their iconic 80’s hit “Fade To Grey”.
Earlier, Strange also appeared in Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” video.
Steve Strange suffered a heart attack and passed away aged 55.
Click on the link below to watch “Fade to Grey”:
On this day in 1988, the Icehouse single “Electric Blue” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #88 (February 13)
The song from the “Man of Colours” LP was co-written by Iva Davies of Icehouse and John Oates of legendary duo Hall & Oates.
Oates, who also contributed backing vocals, said that if Davies had not released the song under the Icehouse name then it would have been a Hall and Oates track!
The radio favourite went all the way to #1 in Australia, #4 in New Zealand, #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and #10 in Canada.
Indie rock band The Killers performed the song in a livestream in August 2020, which Davies later called, "the most impressive" cover he'd seen.
The video for "Electric Blue" was shot on the roof of the New South Wales Teachers Federation building at 23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia.
The actress featured in the video is Paris Jefferson who also features in the Icehouse music video, "Crazy".
Click on the link below to watch it:
On this day in 1978, the Richard Clapton single “Down in the Lucky Country” debuted on the Australian charts at #73 (February 13)
Released as a single from Clapton’s classic Australian album “Goodbye Tiger”, “Down in the Lucky Country” peaked at #70 on the Australian charts.
Clapton wrote most of the songs for “Goodbye Tiger” while he was in Europe, but most, like this one, are about Australia.
“Down in the Lucky Country” was not chest-beating patriotism, but rather a slightly darker look at where the country was heading, and a wistful glance back at the past.
Great song…
Click on the link below to watch:
This week in 1988, the Midnight Oil album “Diesel and Dust” debuted on the US Billboard 200 Album Chart at #197 (February 13)
Midnight Oil spent several months in mid-1986 on the Blackfella/Whitefella Tour of outback Australia with indigenous music groups Warumpi Band and Gondwanaland, playing to remote Aboriginal communities.
The experience had a profound effect on the band members, inspiring the “Diesel and Dust” album, focusing on the need for awareness and recognition by Australia of past injustices involving First Nations people and the need for reconciliation.
Long-term bass player Peter Gifford left the band before the album's release due to extensive touring schedules, and was replaced by Bones Hillman, formerly of New Zealand band The Swingers.
“Diesel and Dust” peaked at #1 on the Australian albums charts for six weeks, and also topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand, #5 in Sweden, #7 in Switzerland, #13 in Germany, #14 in the Netherlands, #19 in the UK, #21 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart.
“Beds Are Burning" from the album was their biggest international hit single, peaking at #1 in Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, Top 5 in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, #6 in Australia and the UK, and #17 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
At the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) 1988 Awards ceremony, Midnight Oil won "Best Cover Art" for Diesel and Dust. It also won "Best Single" and "Best Song" for "Beds Are Burning".
Rolling Stone editors named it the best album of 1988 (the year of its United States release), and later ranked it the 13th greatest record of the 1980s.
In October 2010, Diesel and Dust was listed at #1 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums, and in December of 2021, the album was listed at #5 in Rolling Stone Australia’s ‘200 Greatest Albums of All Time’.
Click on the link below to watch “Dreamworld”…..The Breakfast Creek Hotel is up for sale!
On this day in 1977, the Electric Light Orchestra single “Rockaria!” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #40 (February 13)
Welsh soprano opera singer Mary Thomas features on the track, particularly on the intro.
On the first take of the song Thomas actually began the vocal too early, but Jeff Lynne elected to use that take, complete with her interjection, "Oops!", although the interjection is omitted from some later pressings of the album!
The second single from their LP “A New World Record” is a typical ELO rocker, with Bev Bevan driving the beat, and the trademark string section prominent throughout.
It eventually peaked at #9 in the UK, and #10 in Australia.
Click on the link below to watch the clip:
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