Old Business: My "Most Important Power Pop Band of the '80s" poll closed last week. Pretty good voter turnout with 46 of you taking a moment to voice your opinion. Cheap Trick ended up edging the Plimsouls 13 votes to 11. Even though their best work was behind them, the Trick were certainly the most high profile act working consistently in the genre. We can all forgive them for "The Flame" (some of you might even secretly like that one) and the utterly forgettable album The Doctor. The Plimsouls were great, but in the end that appearance in the movie Valley Girl, wasn't quite as earth shattering as it should have been. I was pleasantly surprised to see Marshall Crenshaw receive a few votes after getting none the first week of the poll. He ended up in a very respectable third place. Again, I'd like to apologize to Tommy Keene for leaving him off the list. I presume that had he been on the poll, he would have garnered more than his one write-in vote.
I hope everyone participates in the new poll. This week's question centers on one of the artists on PPEV2: the Producers. The reason I've picked the Producers, is that I don't hear much about them among the Power Pop glitterati. Their two initial albums have been mostly unavailable for the last twenty or so years. Their biggest hit in the U.S., "She Sheila" was all over MTV in 1982 and may have been the first time I ever witnessed a Keytar (really, I think this is just a keyboard with a guitar strap):
I don't know exactly where I stand on the Producers question, but I do know that the track I picked, "What's He Got", has been popping into my head at random times for the past 30 years. That's worth something, idn'it?
Wish I could tell you all about the other 24 artists on this volume, but I just don't have the time. Besides, I wouldn't tell you anything you couldn't look up yourself via Alta Vista.
Happy Listening!
Power Pop Explosion! 1980-1983: Vol. 2
01. The Swingers, “Counting the Beat” [1982]
02. Any Trouble, “Yesterday’s Love” [1980]
03. The Sidewalks, “Rhythm Kids” [1981]
04. Modernettes, “Barbra” [1980]
05. The Action (U.S.), “She’s Got My Heart” [1982]
06. The Innocents, “Sooner or Later” [1980]
07. Dirty Looks, “You Can’t Love Me” [1980]
08. The Producers, “What’s He Got” [1981]
09. Secret Affair, “I’m a Bullet” [1980]
10. The Chords, “Maybe Tomorrow” [1980]
11. Squire, “Take a Look” [1983]
12. The Rockers, “Don’t Leave Me Tonight” [1980]
13. Code Blue, “Modern Times” [1980]
14. The Ejectors, “Fade With the Summer” [1981]
15. The dB’s, “Black and White” [1981]
16. Fleshtones, “I’ve Gotta Change My Life” [1982]
17. Crash Street Kids, “Mystery Girl” [1982]
18. Berrys, “The Little Things” [1983]
19. The Windbreakers, “I Never Thought” [1983]
20. Richard Barone & James Mastro, “I’ve Got a Secret” [1983]
21. The Blades, “Hot for You” [1980]
22. Taxi Boys, “Bad to Worse” [1981]
23. Rattlecats, “Back to Life” [1981]
24. The Smart Remarks, “Mary’s Got Her Eye on Me” [1982]
25. Utopia, “Say Yeah” [1982]
Total Time: 1:10:46
Download it here: Power Pop Explosion! 1980-1983: Vol. 2
6 comments:
Thanks as always! And: Tell your lovely and rockin' wife that I said happy birthday!
Thanks again for the 2nd installment. On the Producers: When I was in college (1981-1985), three Producers songs were on my frat's party tapes: "She Shiela," "What's He Got," and "I Love Lucy." I recall the album cover had each band member on a riduculously high-altitude folding director's chair. We considered them a fun, guilty pleasure. Not quite hacks, but somewhat light and 2nd rate. Yet fun, humorous and danceable.
thanks again, love it!
You're all welcome!
LCP: G. says thanks for remembering!
B: That's probably where I would vote too.
R2R: Got your artwork, and will be posting it sometime this week.
Great list, thanks for this! Especially for including Any Trouble. How great were they?
Great stuff. What's She Got is the one I remember from MTV with those giant director chairs for The Producers and those god awful brightly colored clothes they were wearing.
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