My favourite poster when I was a teenager - I wonder why?
Another mini-timeslip moment is upon us, dear reader - and yes! It's back to the wild'n'wacky world of 1981 again...
In the news headlines at the end of April/early May forty years ago: The trial of the Yorkshire Ripper for 13 murders and seven attempted murders of women began (with the inevitable blanket coverage in the papers for weeks), there was rioting in Ealing and Finsbury Park in London and also at Southend-on-Sea, unemployment in the UK hit 2.5 million for the first time in fifty years, it was Valéry Giscard d'Estaing vs François Mitterrand in the French presidential elections, and Billie-Jean King was "outed" when her former partner sued for "palimoney". In our cinemas: Superman II; Gregory's Girl; Raging Bull. On telly: The Chinese Detective; Clapperboard; That's Life!
And in our charts this week in April '81? Eurovision-winners Bucks Fizz celebrated their third [and final] week at the top, managing to prevent Ennio Morricone's Chi Mai (Theme From The BBC TV Series "The Life And Times Of David Lloyd George") and the annoying Stars on 45 from ever gaining pole position. Also present and correct were Sugar Minott, Madness, The Jacksons, Shakin' Stevens, Stevie Wonder, Landscape and former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet.
Hovering around the outskirts [its highest position was to be #10], however, was this slice of New Romantic pomposity at its most extreme!
The smell of books and hot stone surround us
Tough is the leather thats strapped to my skin
Strong are the bonds that we make
We feel the steam as it rises around us
Up from the soil that is cracking its back
Tough us the leather thats strapped to my skin
Strong are the bonds that sing
Work til you're musclebound all night long
Work til you're musclebound all night long
Gotta work til you're musclebound all night long
Gotta work til you're musclebound all night long
We're building fires that will burn until morning
The smell of books and hot stone surround us
Tough is the leather thats strapped to my skin
Strong are the bonds that we make
To hear a pulsing from chanter to mountain
Down through the vein and into the grain
Strong is the shoulder that moves to the time
Here is the land it can break
Work til you're musclebound all night long
Work til you're musclebound all night long
Gotta work til you're musclebound all night long
Gotta work til you're musclebound all night long
Subtle. I like it...
It's the painty arms, isn't it? You were thinking of decorating your room and the boys helped you choose the colour?
ReplyDeleteI made them rub it all off with those chamois-leathers! Oh, there was Swarfega everywhere by the time I'd finished... Jx
DeleteI rather recall that image... what was it from? And Spandau Ballet. It would be a few more years until they broke big state side. I loved their sound. Thanks for the trip in the memory machine. PS... I posted something on Bucks Fizz just yesterday on my blog!
ReplyDeleteIt's a studio photo from their Paint Me Down video shoot. I didn't care about the song that much - it was hot boys in well-filled chamois loincloths!
DeleteAs for Bucks Fizz - I'll check out your blog forthwith. Jx
Are they wearing ShamWows?
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to pronounce when one is tugging at them with one's teeth. Jx
DeleteThey don't look too impressed. Maybe they were hoping for loincloths a bit more bedazzled.
ReplyDeleteIf you got nothing to do later, I see that Etsy has some "Men's sequin changing thongs." for your perusal.
The whole New Romantic "thing" revolved around never being seen to smile much, but I imagine that sans scarves and flounces, the Spandau boys were somewhat uncomfortable - before, of course, they "discovered" sharp suits and sold out to the MOR crooner brigade with True and suchlike.
DeleteThongs for men - "sequin changing" or otherwise - are an evil torture device that should have remained in the realm of the "Kiniki briefs" adverts in the back pages of the Sun and the Mirror circa 1987, where they belong.
Jx
I imagine the purpose was to not keep the sequin thongs on very long at any rate, but the ones I saw were highly reviewed by men who wore them, so there's that.
DeleteGosh he was just so Cool
ReplyDeleteTony Hadley? As Rusty Egan described him in that Blitz Kids documentary: "He was just that tall fella who always stood at the back of the club, posing and not talking to anyone. Who knew he had such a voice?!" Jx
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