From Alphaville to ALF. I was a fan of the TV show back in the day, but I had never heard of this single until recently. Produced by Ben Liebrand, originally for Belgian TV.
1. Stuck On Earth
2. Stuck On Earth (Club Mix)
3. Cruisin' On Melmac Interstate
I was researching some information on Youth Group's cover of the Alphaville classic "Forever Young" when I was reminded of how I discovered the original song in the first place. It led to some interesting musical developments for me personally so it seems appropriate to recognize this song in all the various versions.
Alphaville's one hit in the UK was "Big In Japan" in 1984 which was marginally before my time and the band did not feature on the 80's themed compilations I collected over the years. Although "Forever Young" is regarded as a prom-theme staple in the US, it also never charted and remained on the outskirts of '8o's musical history.
I'm not one to pay attention to commercials, but I caught a snippet of an ad for the Saturn Ion here in the US back in 2003 and was intrigued by the backing track. Here's the commercial:
I initially mistakenly thought the track was by The Walkmen, which led to a series of aborted downloads and confusion. After more research on some forums, I discovered that it was the Alphaville track. Here's the original music video (warning - extreme cheese alert!):
I was excited to discover that Alphaville was not only a prolific (though critically panned) outfit, but that I really liked the synthpop sound which was very polished, with slightly affected vocals. As I discovered, they had continued making music throughout the '90's and into the new millenium, in much the same style. I was mildly surprised, because synthpop had died in the UK in the late '80's and had never really flourished in the US.
What I discovered was that in Germany in particular, the synthpop sound had remained commercially viable, bucking the trends towards grunge, britpop and teen pop elsewhere, and that many German groups had built up an impressive catalogue completely unknown to me. Bands such as De/Vision, Camouflage, Sea of Sin and others became new favorites. I discovered that all this and more was available through the excellent website A Different Drum, which also acted as a US label for many acts.
While my passion for synthpop has ebbed and flowed over the following years, "Forever Young" will always remain a personal favorite. Another blogger has kindly put together the following short compilation, including the original version, the extended version, and a brilliant modern remix version. If that leaves you wanting more, then Jacyk's Music Memories has a more comprehensive compilation of remixes here.
If all this leaves you wanting more Alphaville, there's plenty around. Start here for a good rundown of various mixes of the better known songs.
And finally, let's not forget the cover version that started this whole stream of consciousness rambling:
I'm always happy to report on the discovery of a good music blog. Today, I'd like to introduce Best Kept Secrets, which I discovered while googling an Immaculate Fools album. Let me put it this way: anyone who has the good taste to feature albums by Brotherhood of Lizards, The Silencers, Diesel Park West and The Caretaker Race in just the last couple of weeks clearly deserves your time and attention. You can also find The Indian Givers album Love Is A Lie, which I have never seen anywhere previously except, of course, on the fine blog you are now reading.
In which we imagine a world where the compact disc was introduced in 1980, and now-obscure artists and albums could be preserved for posterity...
Torch Song debuted as a trio on Wish Thing, an ethereal set of instrumentally subtle synth-dance tracks, given most of their character by Laurie Mayer's delicate voice and the gimmicky production. "Don't Look Now" and "Sweet Thing" are appealing, airy concoctions; a demento version of "Ode to Billy Joe" seems calculated to shock and/or offend but is nonetheless amusing. Intriguing. (Trouser Press)
I was trying to think of a clever way to introduce several tracks that have been worming their way into my head this week. Then it hit me - it's my blog and I can do what I like. And so, despite a delay enforced by having to watch the mid-season finale of Battlestar Galactica twice (in two words, frak me!) here is an eclectic collection for your enjoyment.
If you enjoyed the debut album, which I reposted yesterday, then you might also like the follow up, which received an even more limited release and was the last MATW album to utilize their classic synth-rock sound. Standouts include the title track and the very Smiths-like "I Don't Want To Go There".
