Today I post the final volume in my Power Pop Explosion Series. Though please stay tuned over the next few weeks as I have more Power Pop compilations lined up. Also, please take a moment to vote in the latest Burn and Shine Poll. I’d like to know which year you think was the best for our favorite sub-genre of Rock & Roll. I chose the last two years of the 70’s and the first two years of the 80’s as the primary possibilities, because I seem to find so many great songs from those years. You may, however, believe some other year might be the best. If so, I’d love to hear which year and why—just leave me a comment.
Featured on today’s compilation is a track that I’ve had in my collection since it came out back in 1980. As I’ve mentioned before on Burn and Shine, I do not claim to have known all these bands since their original release dates. Even my favorite band of the bunch here, the Plimsouls, had been around for a while before I bought anything by them. I did not get around to picking up Everywhere at Once until about five years after it’s release.
Way back in the summer of 1980 though, there was a radio station here in Chattanooga that used to do trivia questions every afternoon. If you happened to be the first caller with the right answer, you won a prize: usually a promo album. I used to listen religiously, and I would call in whether I knew the answer or not. Although I cannot for the life of me remember the station's call letters, I do remember the question that won me Phil Seymour’s self-titled debut. For the record the question: What are the three top Orange producing states? I knew Florida and California, but guessed Texas and was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had the right answer.
The DJ may or may not have told me what I had won, I don’t remember that either. I do remember getting my Mom to take me way the heck out to the station to pick up my prize and being pretty disappointed and even embarrassed when I saw the cover of the album:
At the time I was all about AC/DC and had only just recently gotten through my Kiss phase (it was the summer after 6th grade), so Mr. Seymour with his too tight, blue and black-striped shirt looked a little “sissy” to me. I wish I could say that I took it home listened to it and it changed the way I thought about music. Nope. I did listen, but it was just not RAWK enough for me. I gave it to my older sister, who kept it in her collection until about 20 years later when I asked for it back.
Better late than never, I guess. I just wish I had been savvy enough back then to have given it a few more spins. Surely those melodies would have eventually crawled into my skin. Maybe I would have even tracked down the Dwight Twilley Band or 20/20 (two bands he had been involved in) and my whole junior high experience might have been different (maybe I would have gotten beat up more?). Never mind, I’m glad things worked out the way it did. I did eventually get around to loving those bands, and I managed to escape Junior High with a few less black eyes.
Happy listening!
Power Pop Explosion! 1980-1983: Vol. 4
01. The Great Plains, “When Do You Say Hello? [1983]
02. The Saints, “Simple Love” (Original Version) [1980]
03. Astrobeats, “Tight Jeans” [1982]
04. Rain Parade, “What’s She Done To Your Mind?” [1983]
05. The Plimsouls, “How Long Will It Take?” [1983]
06. Jack Lee, “Give Me Some Time” [1981]
07. Trend, “Girl On TV” [1982]
08. Phil Seymour, “Baby It’s You” [1980]
09. Marshall Crenshaw, “There She Goes Again” [1982]
10. The Bats (Boston), “Not Easy For Me” [1982]
11. The Vapors, “Somehow” [1980]
12. Split Enz, “History Never Repeats” [1981]
13. The Continentals, “Fizz Pop (Modern Rock)” [1980]
14. Australian Crawl, “Errol” [1981]
15. The Crooks, “All the Time in the World” [1980]
16. Strand, “Seconds Waiting” [1983]
17. The Jags, “Woman’s World” [1980]
18. Purple Hearts, “Jimmy” [1980]
19. Fools Face, “Won’t Make It Hard” [1981]
20. The Pencils, “If You Really Wanna Hurt Somebody” [1982]
21. The Tweeds, “I’m Thru” [1980]
22. Single Bullet Theory, “Hang On To Your Heart” [1982]
23. The Three O’Clock, “Fall To the Ground” [1983]
24. The Roulettes, “Baby Don’t Go” [1981]
25. The Keys, “I Don’t Wanna Cry” [1981]
Total Time: 1:11:28
Download it Here:
Power Pop Explosion!: 1980-1983: Vol. 4Also, faithful Burn and Shine Reader, T. Remley has offered up artwork for all four volumes of Power Pop Explosion. Check it out:
Download a zip with all the artwork here:
Power Pop Explosion Artwork!
