Classics Nouveau?

WTF?!

It's a gloomy Sunday, all dense cloud and chilly dankness. I only got out of bed around 3 o'clock, there being no light to awaken me.

Time for a selection of "newer" (and not-so new) choons that have caught my ear of late to brighten the horizon, methinks...

Let's open proceedings with our ever-reliable "house band", with their take on one of my all-time favourite songs, ever:

Postmodern Jukebox ft. Chloe Feoranzo - Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode 1920's Jazz Age Cover)

Speaking of "80s vibes" - there appears to be a wholesale revival of such sounds around at the moment. Not least with this one, which, if it were not for the demi-drag makeup and feathered hat, might well have been a Tears for Fears album track:

VOYA - Too Shy for Love

Taking us more down the path well-trodden by the likes of Bauhaus and their 80s Goth compatriots, this:

Night in Athens - Words Unspoken

Next, a lady who has obviously listened to Depeche Mode's Violator album on repeat:

Madeline Goldstein - 1996 Expectations

The wonderful Miss Kim Wilde [coincidentally just featured in Ms Scarlet's 2025 comeback] has delved back into the decade where she started, too! If Gary Numan wasn't involved here, someone's nicked his synthesisers...

Kim Wilde - Midnight Train

[see also: Ms Scarlet's Wonky Words. Spooky coincidence.]

And, finally, a song that is actually from the 1980s [and one that was played on Gary Davies' Sounds of the 80s show on BBC Radio 2 just this week] that - much like my little "mixtape" I put together towards the end of last year - is one I have never previously played here, despite it being a favourite of mine for 37 years!

Desireless - Voyage Voyage

As ever, dear reader, I welcome your thoughts!

Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide

It's been quite the week for famous names "dropping like flies", or so it seems...

... icons such as Dame ONJ, Issey Miyake, Raymond Briggs, and, of course that stalwart of the classic Motown era, Mr Lamont Dozier!

Decades before the likes of the BeeGees or Stock Aitken Waterman, Holland-Dozier-Holland was the true "hit factory" - the songwriting partnership that made Tamla-Motown, and launched the careers of gazillions of household-name artists (some of whom, such as Miss Ross, are stil going today) such as Mary Wells, The Temptations, Junior Walker and the All-Stars, Freda Payne, and this lot - a classic selection of H-D-H creations that don't even begin to scrape the surface of the great man's vast repertoire, nor his legacy to the world of music...

The Supremes - Stop! In The Name of Love [The Hollywood Palace, 1965]

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Nowhere To Run [1965]

Four Tops - Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) [1965]

The Supremes - The Happening [The Ed Sullivan Show, 1967]

Chairmen of the Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time

Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hanging On

RIP, Lamont Herbert Dozier (16th June 1941 – 8th August 2022)

Everybody lives for the music-go-round

Speaking of blondes...

...it was Kim Wilde's 60th birthday last week! Lordy, that really makes me feel old.

Let's take a little trip down memory lane to her very first hit, from way back in Spring 1981. I was still in school.

Kim Wilde - Kids In America

Looking out a dirty old window
Down below the cars in the city go rushing by
I sit here alone and I wonder why

Friday night and everyone's moving
I can feel the heat but it's soothing, heading down
I search for the beat in this dirty town

Downtown the young ones are going
Downtown the young ones are growing
We're the kids in America (Whoa)
We're the kids in America (Whoa)
Everybody live for the music-go-round

Bright lights, the music gets faster
Look, boy, don't check on your watch, not another glance
I'm not leaving now, honey, not a chance

Hot-shot, give me no problems
Much later, baby, you'll be saying never mind
You know life is cruel, life is never kind

Kind hearts don't make a new story
Kind hearts don't grab any glory
We're the kids in America (Whoa)
We're the kids in America (Whoa)
Everybody live for the music-go-round

Come closer, honey, that's better
Got to get a brand new experience, feeling right
Oh, don't try to stop, baby, hold me tight

Outside a new day is dawning
Outside suburbia's sprawling everywhere
I don't want to go, baby

New York to east California
There's a new wave coming, I warn ya
We're the kids in America (Whoa)
We're the kids in America (Whoa)
Everybody lives for the music-go-round

We're the kids
We're the kids
We're the kids in America
We're the kids
We're the kids
We're the kids in America
We're the kids
We're the kids
We're the kids in America

Loved it at the time, and love it now. To finish, however, here's a little joy Kim released earlier this year - despite the fact that on first glance I thought that was June Whitfield, I think this is fab!

Kim Wilde - Numinous

Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18th November 1960)

Cerddoriaeth newydd*

Relaxing at the record deck

It happens when one reaches a certain age, I suppose: "newer music" and I drift apart, as I settle into the "comfort zone" of classical stations and retro Radio 2. Or is it just that I am bone idle, and can't be arsed to share some of the gems I gather from around the interwebs? Regardless, here's my first such "round-up" in absolute bloomin' ages...

First up, let's get this one out of the way without much in the way of comment (other than I doubt it will win) - the official UK entry for Eurovision 2016. It's a fair-to-middling song. They need voice coaching and production. They're not particularly pretty. It's Joe and Jake and You're Not Alone:

Joe and Jake - You're Not Alone

Among the early fan favourites is apparently this one. At least you can tap your feet to it - it's Spain's Eurovision entry Barei and Say Yay!

Barei - Say Yay!

Moving back to the world of "real" music, Pet Shop Boys - currently basking in the glories of being THIRTY YEARS at the top of their game - have a new one out, and it is (of course) very good indeed. It's Happiness:

Pet Shop Boys - Happiness

Speaking of that great musical era, the world's gone mad for the 80s lately (and not a moment too soon, I say!) - or so it would seem, especially given the widespread critical praise and generally warm reception for the new film about one of that decade's most unlikely "sporting heroes", Eddie The Eagle. On the Gary Barlow-produced soundtrack for the movie, several of our favourite stars from our youth have recorded brand new songs, in the style of the times (and their heydays). First off the block is Holly Johnson and Ascension...

Holly Johnson - Ascension

...then there's Marc Almond's Out of The Sky...

Marc Almond - Out of the Sky

...and Kim Wilde - Without Your Love:

Kim Wilde - Without Your Love

Fabulous, all! But what of their latter-day successors?

Well, there's Ben Ivory and Gold, a rather deep synth-pop extravaganza reminiscent of Nik Kershaw, for a start. He's cute, too:

Ben Ivory - Gold

It's synths-a-go-go where the esoterically-named NZCA Lines is concerned, and I rather like it! Here's Two Hearts:

NZCA Lines - Two Hearts

This one "by yer" is a bit odd, innit? Not only is it entirely in Welsh, like, but it looks (at the beginning of the video) as if the lovely Gwenno is dancing down a street very close to where I used to live in Cardiff, hundreds of years ago... All very strange, it's Fratolish Hiang Perpeshki (whatever that means!):

Gwenno - Fratolish Hiang Perpeshki

And finally, here's a rather fab new one courtesy of Mr D's esoteric Inexplicable Device blog. I can quite understand why he raves about it so; both song and video are utterly brilliant! It's Miike [sic] Snow and Genghis Khan!

Miike Snow - Genghis Khan

As ever, enjoy! And let me know what you think...

[*Cerddoriaeth newydd = "new music" in Welsh]

Bladmuziek

Another quick compilation of the latest "newer" music to cross my consciousness is due, methinks...

I first heard this wondrous number a couple of months ago, but, still pondering on all things Dutch after our fab weekend in the 'Dam last week, I realise I haven't yet featured the latest from Holland's finest (and house fave here at Dolores Delargo Towers) Miss Caro Emerald. It's a bit of an anthem for my life...

Caro Emerald - Liquid Lunch

Taking a trip from the sassy campness of the Netherlands to the electro-dance music wonderland that is Sweden, here's the new single from the lovely Oh Land. It's rather hypnotic:

Oh Land - Renaissance Girls

One that was introduced to me (once again) by the lovely Henry at Barbarella's Galaxy, with one of the cleverest videos I have seen in a long time, is the rather fab Safe and Sound by Capital Cities:

Capital Cities - Safe and Sound

Father Tiger, a gay LA duo led by the incredibly cute singer Greg Delson, has released a most catchy new single First Love (a portion of the iTunes proceeds of which will be donated to fight for marriage equality in the USA). You really must watch this wonderful video through to the end...

Father Tiger - First Love

Cranking things up a level, here's a sexy new production by former Kazaky collaborator the Greek wannabee-sex-bomb Andreas for his new single Another World. Meaty, beaty big and bouncy - I love it!

Andreas - Another World

We have been in mourning here at the Towers since we learned that the uber-kitsch BearForce 1 had split up. However - joy of joys! - their former singer, Belfast-born Robert Brown, now known as Circuit21, is back in business, with a remix of his new single - a cover of the EG Daily Hi-NRG classic Love in the Shadows - by DJ Cahill, no less. This is truly fabulous...

Circuit 21 - Love in the Shadows

And finally... after a gap of 22 years, the long-awaited third release in the Music of Quality and Distinction series from the Martyn Ware (of Heaven 17 and early Human League fame) side project British Electric Foundation has been released! These collections - the first of which way back in 1982 is an all-time fave, and was responsible for the massive relaunch of Tina Turner's career in the 80s - feature contemporary artists providing a new "spin" on old (and often obscure) songs.

With its spooky themed video, from Music of Quality and Distinction volume 3 Dark (which also features Sandie Shaw, Andy Bell, Boy George, Sarah Jane Morris and Green Gartside among others) here's our very own Kim Wilde covering Stevie Wonder's Every Time I See You I Go Wild - fang-tastic!

British Electric Foundation - Kim Wilde - Every Time I See You I Go Wild

As ever, enjoy - and let me know your thoughts!

Musical melange

It's time once again for a little taste of some of the newer music that I rather like at the moment. An eclectic mix, it is too...

First, let us welcome the return of none other than 80s pin-up Kim Wilde, here with a rather good cover version of 90s classic Sleeping Satellite from her new album of covers, Snapshots:

Kim Wilde - Sleeping Satellite

Alphabet Saints were described in The Guardian as "fastidiously futuristic in a 1972 way, looking back to a time when they looked forward to a now that wasn't overly focused on then". You can make your own minds up on that one, and just enjoy their single Jessica's Heartbreak:

Alphabet Saints - Jessica's Heartbreak

Ready for something genuinely different? There is absolutely nothing quite like the experience that is Psychologist, and his absolutely bizarre song Propeller...

Psychologist - Propeller

Let's lighten things up a bit. How about a nostalgic return to the sound of House music, with the marvellously funky Azari & III, and their new single Manic?

Azari & III - Manic

And last, but most definitely not least, it's the return of our favourite perv here at Dolores Delargo Towers - Mr Johnny McGovern aka Gay Pimp with his paean to everybody's secret fantasy - the Sexy Nerd. I love it!!

Johnny McGovern aka Gay Pimp - Sexy Nerd

Enjoy!

A smorgasbord of 80s talent returns!

It's as if the 90s and the Noughties never happened - we have excellent new music releases this month from Donna Summer, Kim Wilde, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Andy Bell! A feast of nostalgia. Enjoy...

Donna Summer - To Paris With Love (WaWa Radio Edit)

Kim Wilde - Lights Down Low

OMD - If You Want It

Andy Bell - Non-Stop