First, they take your pride; turn it all inside

What do Pete Burns (Dead or Alive), Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen), Julian Cope (Teardrop Explodes), Budgie (Siouxsie and the Banshees), Paul Rutherford (Frankie Goes to Hollywood), Ian Broudie (The Lightning Seeds), Mick Jones and Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Billy Bragg, Phil Collins - and Renee and Renato have in common?

All, in some way, have an association with the magnificent Pete Wylie!

The latter two were not (of course) directly connected to John Peel's favourite artist of '83; they were merely, on this and the subsequent few weeks of January thirty years ago, the performers on the record (Save Your Love) that kept Mr Wylie aka The Mighty Wah! off the top of the charts.

The others on that estimable list all (at some stage or another) collaborated with him on his many and varied musical projects - the most recent being fundraising for justice for the Hillsborough disaster victims.

Anyhow, after that most convoluted of introductions, here - definitely on my playlist to welcome in the New Year of 1983 - is his masterpiece Story of the Blues:

The Mighty Wah! - The Story Of The Blues

Here in my pocket
I got the Story of the Blues
Try to believe me
'Cos it could be front page news

I say I live with it like it hasn't happened yet
I keep thinking of everyone
How I'm the one, the one they're trying to get
To tell the Story of the Blues

First, they take your pride
Turn it all inside
And then you realise
You've got nothing left to lose

So, you try to stop
Try to get back up
And then, you realise
You're telling the Story of the Blues

Feeling browbeaten
Day after day
I think it's over
But I just can't get away

You say forget it
We'll don't jump the gun
You're laughing this time
Next time you might be the one
To tell the Story of the Blues

First, they take your pride
Turn it all inside
And then you realise
You've got nothing left to lose

So, you try to stop
Try to get back up
And then, you realise
You're telling the Story of the Blues

Utter genius.

[He was rather cute, too...]

Pete Wylie on Wikipedia