Cats – it had to happen – my favourite musical genre, featuring many of my favourite ever bands.
By 1978, after Punk’s initial incendiary impact had waned, it was clear that “the Seventies” as we knew them, were over. Disco and various ponderous excruciating MOR dinosaurs had been condemned to the musical dustbin of history. In the UK, a socio-cultural revolution was underway. Punk had inspired a plethora of new youth cults, each featuring their own fashions and music.
A massive mod revival was also underway, which would eventually see a three-piece from Woking become the UK’s most popular band, until the frontman, songwriter and lead guitarist, Paul Weller, decided to wind it up. Their mantle was quickly grabbed by a four piece from Manchester, featuring a mop headed Rickenbacker enthusiast and one of the most flamboyant and vainglorious figures in rock history.
But, back to those youth cults – as well as Punks they included Rude Boys, New Romantics, Goths, Industrialists (whose origins were Germanic) and regrettably, Skinheads. Psychedelia would also undergo a mini-revival from the early eighties on.
Parallel to these movements were the many bands (and the odd solo performer) that emerged from Punk around ’76-’77, which were not necessarily aligned to any particular youth movement. They included the likes of the Stranglers, the Clash, The Damned, the Buzzcocks, Joy Division/New Order, Human League/Heaven 17, PIL, UK Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Simple Minds and XTC. The latter are two of my favourite bands of all time. The groundbreaking bands at that time were not necessarily from the UK either – think the likes of Talking Heads, Devo and Blondie, for example. Here in Oz, we had the likes of Split Enz and the Models.
As the seventies morphed into the eighties, “New Wave” as a genre began to feature prominently in the hit parades in the Anglosphere. There are so many bands that were around from about 1981 onwards who could lay claim to being classified (incorrectly or otherwise) as part of this “New Wave”, that there’s no point in trying to even list them.
Anyway, enough rabbiting on (and barely scratching the surface) from me. Here’s two of my favourite tracks from that magical era:
XTC: This is Pop
Simple Minds: The American
Enjoy, people! Please post freely, especially those who remember the era as vividly as I do.
Not a new wave band per se, and at the end of the era, but The Models certainly started out that way with
I Hear Motion.
Promised You a Miracle!
One of the most prominent New Romantics of the time – Steve Strange.
The exquisite goil dancer was a gunnette for hire back in her day. I remember her appearing in an XTC video, but not evidently, Making Plans for the Nigel.
Who had his plans in British Steel. 🙁
So much for the “imbed” feature. Trying again…
I Hear Motion.
Sorry for screwing up your thread, Rabz.
And another. Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
Rather timely.
calli – do not ever forget about me …
I was a very young mum when this music became popular…and many late nights listening to the radio and trying to get the littlies to sleep.
Right at the end of the cycle, but one of my favourites.
Good choice, Calli. I came home from tennis way back when i was living with my grandparents, and i saw my grandmother watching an ABC special on Simple Minds (no, not the Four Corners reporters) and she said “you should listen to this band, they’re really good!”
They must’ve been good to break through four decades of modern music she wouldn’t listen to.
Beery – two cabs to the Toucan … 🙂
Released in the early ‘80’s, and still fabulous.
No one does daggy like Australians!
Australia’s Pseudo rock band
XTC.
Early days, raw and brilliant. Was a tragedy they stopped touring. Their later stuff was whimsical with flashes of peerless pop. Their Dukes of Stratosphear psychedelic albums were magnificent.
Indeed. Real, I give you Naz Nomad and the Nightmares (one of the bands namechecked above):
“I can only give you everything, Baybee …”
For good ol’ Arks – Primal Scream channelling Syd Barrett … 😕
Wow, Rabz. Never heard of it. Countdown has a lot to answer for.
And wheeling out Miss Moss … 🙂
Paula thinks i’m posting True, but far too saccharine for my taste. An earlier effort showing off not only the lead singer fabulous voice, but a great example of the genre.
To Cut a Long Story Short.
Take note, srr!
This just sneaks in the timeframe: Style Council – Walls Come Tumbling Down.
I love this for a few reasons:
Great song,
The video is shot in Poland four years before the “walls came tumbling down” on the Polish Commies.
It was filmed in a jazz club where the Style Council were unknown.
Check out the name of the car in the ad at the 1:53 mark LOL.
The lyrics are almost pitch perfect for the end of a commie regime … except for the second last verse which is anti-capitalism and Brit government. Pretty ironic for the cold war period.
Many people tell you that they’re your friend …
Simple Minds – Sweat In Bullet
Thanks, jupes – Paul Wallee – one of my favourite artists of all time, but very prone to the phenomenon known as “Soap Boxing”. 🙁
Too many teardrops, to be crying …
96 Tears … 🙂
Simple Minds – Love Song
Peoples – if you’re not happy, you know what to do. We wouldn’t want any panic.
“Burn down the disco …
Hang the blessed DJ …
Because the muzak they constantly play …” 😕
I used to love Scotland in those days- now not so much
Milts – just revel in the moments …
This probably doesn’t belong in this category but I remember Robert Plant doing something completely different from his Led Zeppelin work. He did the cover of The Sea Of Love.
Yazoo, Don’t go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sQGwDeambg
Alison Moyet, Love Resurrection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2n-blwYJ4s
OK, Cats – this is a difficult moment and I don’t give a rodent’s. My favourite song of all time.
The first time I heard it, I knew it was special. All over the place, but in a structured way. When you’re thinking about HBOTs, there is no better tune.
You immediately feel very alive. Like the first time one of my erstwhile mates described this tune …
Simple Minds – In Trance As Mission
Duran Duran was synonymous with new wave, but Girls on Film gets the gong not only as their best song for their innovative takes on guitar, but one of the most memorable film clips of their generation.
Interview with the leader of the Mysterians …
“So tell us Mr Mark, or may I call you Question? About your name ….” 🙂
Milt – I give you Sweat in Bullet and that sound in 70 cities …
I’m not surprised that Simple Minds has dominated this thread.
While a bit late to the party, they’ve aged better than any other new wave band. I took a little bit of turning, but Promise Me a Miracle won me over and they just got better from there.
There being of course, two versions of the latter – here’s the one with Jimbo …
Why…it’s an interloper from the 1960s.
And so early in the thread?
😀
err, Rog, you’ll live …
Crossie – a magnificent ditty.
Wow you all are off and running. I’ll have to catch up. (My excuse is I’ve been off deporting a rat, which as you know is one of my eccentricities.)
For new wave I can’t go past Malcolm McLaren, so here we are:
Buffalo Gals (1982)
(I’d link the version of McLaren’s own channel but the audio is terrible, this one is better.)
A late blow-in to the genre, Australians being traditionally late to such parties, but manage to usually hold their own. Send Me An Angel.
The best new wave album was Elvis Costello’s ‘This Year’s Model.’
Prove me wrong.
I even saw him perform it – note for note but with added aggression – in 1979 with The Attractions.
Great band.
Sons and Fascination is an awesome album
Buffalo Gals
All that scratchin’ is makin’ me itch – Duk, Duk, Duk … 🙂
LOL
Another favourite from the end of the cycle.
Bruce – that’s the clip you were after. Amenee, amenee, amenee …
In my top five, easily Squire. The bizarre thing is that it was combined with “sister feelings call” – another legendary agglomeration of songs.
I have vinyl and CD copies of this marriage of convenience.
This one is slightly out of the time range, but the band is pure new wave. I choose it because I just had a very young brushtail sitting on my left foot. That’s a first. She was newly roaming around the Cafe by herself without mum. She got a bit of bread for dinner.
Roam (B-52s, 1990)
south of the border now- love the Rover SD1 in the clip-beautiful car
The McLaren:
“Her name was Cho Cho San and I was her man …”
Gut wrenching stuff. 🙁
The first New Wave band was probably Rich Kids, formed by Glenn Matlock in 1977 after he left the Sex Pistols.
I used to have their eponymous first single on vinyl, which charted and got them on Top of the Pops.
Do The Only Ones qualify as New Wave?
I think so.
I remember the day I scored their debut album. It was drizzling. Perfect. So much unfulfilled promise.
Red vinyl, iirc.
OK. Enough from me.
Is Malcolm McLaren the father of rap? Not a fan, but he was clearly way ahead of the curve. Credit where credit is due.
Surely this is something you would prefer to forget rather than draw attention to. Some sort of long hidden skeleton in the family closet. My recollection of most of the cultural artifacts that you fondly remember is that they were best known for terrorising passengers on British Rail on their way to “football” matches.
A few minutes later, she was back. Climbed up my flyscreen and leapt onto my hand, which has a piece of carrot in it. Protein!
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (1981)
Beery – his entire career (if it could be dignified with such a term) has consisted of unrepentant pillaging.
Hadn’t listened to the madam butterfly song since about 1980 until tonight. It is seriously magnifique.
Thanks for that, Squire Kelly. Life is what you make of it.
We have no future in British Steel, if that’s any consolation.
English yoof being terrorised on British Rail on their way to a nightclub … 😕
it’s alright for you the police
Deathwish – The Police
Went off to find something which fits with my very furry evening. Tried the Flying Lizards’ Money and Summertime Blues, but they are boring. So here’s Wall of Voodoo:
Mexican Radio (1982)
Have you heard it on the news …
About this (allegedly) fascist groove thang … 😕
China Crisis – Working With Fire And Steel
OK peoples – when you want to impress a goil, you play this:
Penthouse and Pavement, all 12 inches of it … 🙂
On presenting her with another piece of carrot young possum just bit my thumb, ow.
No Mercy (Stranglers, 1984)
Hey, Standartenführer Schwab – Let me go! 😕
No arguments here. Pump It Up
Never been a Heaven 17 fan. So here’s Ian Dury instead.
What A Waste (1978)
A message to the hitlerists that have destroyed the last two years of our lives – Anger is an Energy.
I could be wrong, I could be right.
They put a hot wire to my head, because of the things I did and said
The written word is a lie …
A Nambour based group of teenagers have enjoyed success. Something like modern punk. This is a quintessential Aussie song. Since that song they have become established and are now young adults doing quite well.
Milt – you have done well, Squire – they were awesome.
African and White …
(Didn’t want to do it, but I have to link this very well known Ian Dury vid since it has a solo by his sax player playing two saxes simultaneously. Amazing. Marvelous single, and the whole album makes the miles go by in the car go very quickly.)
LOL – you cannot see those dirty, illiterate, hi-viz toxic masculinity personages* voting for the labore pardee anytime within the next century.
Hawkey would be unmoved in his grave, having sold them out decades ago.
*As perceived by anyone “employed” by the ALPBC.
Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Yeah, now we’re talking. My favourite:
Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt 3
Sublime sax.
Wow, 17 million views. That’s serious. Good onya guys!
I much prefer them to the pap pop of so many down under bands. I’m more of a Joy Division or Gaye Bykers on Acid person.
The woild has a way of looking at peoples …
One of the most out of it songs in human history. Fits nicely within the window as well.
Imagine Peta Crudkin and Fatso Murray hearing this – they would be very outraged.
“Communist garbage”
“Yeah, play that to the unemployed steel workers in Bathurst and they’ll take to you with a stale bread roll, I tells ya!” (much canned laughter ensues)
The braindead lamestream meeja. Just when you think they couldn’t get any more ridiculous, it’s “hold my non gender specific alcoholic beverage” time … 😕
Serious Fender solo also. All the important food groups. I do love the Blockheads. Reasons To Be Cheerful has a park bench.
The Bench That Plays Ian Dury Songs
Age of Consent – New Order live
One of the comments is a cracker: “most bands make it look so easy , i love the way New Order make it look difficult.” LOL true.
The studio version is better.
very gay, very early 80s, very Sydney
They wrote that album, Power, Corruption and Lies, with many acid trips. The lyrics are nonsense. The music is good.
For poor ol St Ruth …
That’s a good track, haven’t heard it before. I have a lot of time for Sting. This one seems to fit our current time well, which is pretty amazing if you think about it.
Russians (1985)
Adam Ant – Desperate But Not Serious
History repeats the ol’ conceits … 😕
Thompson Twins – King For A Day
commos but good song
Bluddee hell, peoples – I’m not having it. Paul Walleee was quite possibly the greatest English rock ‘n’ roll personage ever – on a par with Pavel McCartney and Jonathon Lenin. The songs speak for themselves.
That’s entertainment
Start
Eton Rifles
Going Underground
Funeral Pyre
Absolute beginners
Town called Malice
Precious
The bitterest pill
Not to mention his typically unsubtle blundering into the world of intimate personal relationships as essayed in the epic Stanley Road.
Yes.
Took me a while to find this one in the dusty attics of my brain. Starstruck, 1982, with the luminous Jo Kennedy.
Hey Roger, Another Girl, Another Planet, is one of my all time favourites, but I reckon it’s punk rather then New Wave… but whatever. It’s a great little song, about heroin addiction apparently.
Good to see so many Simple Minds fans on here, shat all over U2 IMO. Saw Simple Minds at the ANU Refectory in 1983, INXS was back up from memory.
The Stranglers were a strange band in some ways, had some great punk and new wave songs, were schmalz originally I think, but jumped on the trend and did exceptionally well. Nuclear Device was about Bjelke-Petersen, and Peaches was crude, Hanging Around is a classic, and Golden Brown is magnificent.
Paul Wallee, blundering (as he was prone to do) into the complicated world that is a relationship between a man and a woman.
Here is the news (1981)
Once, a long time ago, I had the album on vinyl, very very good.
Pete Shelley
What about Amy Stewart Knock on Wood – jolly good
Very much under rated. Excellent lyricist.
Sorry Rabz, I know you’re a big Paul Weller fan, but his stuff never really grabbed me.
I’m more of a big Robert Smith fan… outstanding talent. Went from Siouxsie and the Banshees through the gothic phase and an incredibly brilliant pop phase. And all good stuff!
Pete – the second side of “Sparkle in the Rain” contains songs that seem to feature Bozo performing guest vocals – here we go: The kick inside of me …
The second side of Sparkle in the Rain being an epic journey that I would encourage all Cats to embark on. 🙂
Pete – bloody hell – the Cure – how could I have forgotten them?
A Forest …
yes ELO are brilliant
Their greatest song.
Lene Lovich – Lucky Number
Amy Stewart Knock on Wood
Not all disco was monstrous. Just about 91.3% of it.
Bluddee hell – another example of disco not being monstrous … 😕
Me too. Never really like Paul Weller for no especial reason I can think off.
Seconded! Lullaby (1989) Magnificent.
Talking of Pete Shelley… what about Howard Devoto who was with him in The Buzzcocks, and later formed the fantastic Magazine.
Two other bands that stand out for me are the original Ultravox (definitely pre-Vienna) and the NZ band Mi-Sex, named for one of the former’s songs.
Ultravox songs like “Dangerous Rhythm”, “My Sex”, “The Wild, the Beautiful, and the Damned”, and the excellent punk classic “Young Savage”.
Brilliant!
thanks Rabz and everyone- that was a lota fun! Time to hit the sack
You’re right Milt – same here.
I’ll just leave it here, has anybody yet mentioned Blondie or the most innovative band ever, Devo?
Simple Minds, ok yes. The Kick Inside, though, is something else entirely.
The Man with the Child in His Eyes (1978)
Wuthering Heights (1978)
She fits the New Wave time period but her music isn’t new wave.
I don’t know what it is exactly, but it’s damn fine.
Sacré bleu, Pete: please see below (quoted from the text above):
It’s enough to make you lust after a goil with a short skirt and a long jacket … 🙂
Formidable Cool is formidably cool Rabz.
But how could you not have put up the perfect Cake video?
Shame upon you sir.
The Avengers – Short Skirt, Long Jacket
That’s it for me. Lessee, have to think of a 1978-1985 anthem to go out on. Tough.
Ok, here we go:
Johnny Warman – Screaming Jets (1981)
Great stuff Rabz.
What about Siouxsie and the Banshees?
Or Crissie Hynde?
Coves – the Pretenders and Siouxsie and the Banshees are among my favourite acts of all time – very poor of me to forget them.
Easily done Rabz.
I’m late to this but just think of Aus music in the eighties not mentioned;The Go Betweens, The Scientists, The Birthday Party, Crime and the City Solution, Flowers and the superb Triffids, the best of the lot.
I took a wrong turn
Off on an unmarked track.
I’ll try to be on time next time squire.
Missed this night’s debauchery. So I’ll talk to myself. Hope New Order got a run, too young to appreciate Joy Division, but loved New Order, also Sumner and Marrs Electronic are often over looked.
As are The The who are another quality post punk, new wave band. Sure everyone would’ve heard Infected.
Good stuff Rabz. Maybe do a regular music post like Wolfmans at the movies.
Fact check: True. Great band who don’t get the recognition they deserve.
Hazza – they are, last night’s was the third – first Saturday night of each month.
Coves – look up last month’s radio show, the theme of which was “Ozzie Classics”. The Triffids get several honourable mentions.
Annie Lennox? See also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCdneDxFRYQ
The Beer Whisperer:
March 5, 2022 at 8:17 pm
Duran Duran was synonymous with new wave, but Girls on Film gets the gong not only as their best song for their innovative takes on guitar, but one of the most memorable film clips of their generation.
I concur. Best film clip ever.
A bit of PIL?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMaVIAlJlnw
A smidge of madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw-8AGRcyvk
And the new Sicktorian/WA theme song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2oXzrnti4
I concur. Best film clip ever.
Ahem….
1
&
2 (go about 2:30 for the start of the song, this was the number one reason to set your VCR to Tape Rage back in the day.
The ending is unusual.
Odd that nobody has mentioned these 1980’s blokes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dto5vxHsuug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn6uHne3oyc
To cut a long story short
Before they become too smooth they did some interesting stuff.
Crossie – The Plant also covered Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren“.
The definitive cover of “Song to the Siren“*, with the mighty Liz Fraser.
*1984
Rabz you are right, This Mortal Coil’s version is superb. As for The Sea Of Love, Robert Plant does it best.
Blue Man Group + Venus Hum.