80s pop-synth

[PeterG]

And now for a few of my favourite individual tracks.
First out from Deutschophile Brits, The Mobiles, is Drowning in Berlin from 1981. Listen to how the synth kicks in again after the fairgorund music & German lyrics. Phantastiche!


And here now, one of the innovaters, all the way from back in 1978, Human League - Being Boiled. Note the riff that Visage later borrowed on Fade to Grey.


Here it is.

[PeterG]

Also, Startled Insects:

Excellent stuff!

[bob_32_116]

^^ there is a big difference between how Talk Talk sounded in the beginning and what they developed into. At the start they sounded much like the other synth-pop that I disliked so much - the song Talk Talk typifies that sound. By the time of their last album they were doing stuff that could be called progressive with a small 'p', or "art rock" if you prefer. I believe Steven Wilson has cited Talk Talk's later albums as a big influence on the sound of No-man.

[GuitarGeek]

That album ("The Golden Age of Wireless") is fantastic...the only weak track imho is the opening song "She Blinded Me with Science" which got lots of radio play at the time. Radio Silence, Flying North, One of Our Submarines, many of these songs stand up to a prog fans requirements for great listening.

If I remember correctly, She Blinded Me With Science wasn't even on the original album. It was added by the record company to later pressings after the single took off Stateside. There were, apparently at least five different releases of the album (two in the UK, and three in the US) that each had different track listings (and even different mixes on some songs). The original UK edition apparently had a three song suite on side two, with Wreck Of The Fairchild segueing into Airwaves, which in turn segued into Radio Silence. The only other release, apparently, where these segues are replicated is the "special edition" CD that came out a few years ago. The special edition CD also has She Blinded Me With Science programmed as a bonus track.

Prog connection: that's Simon House, who some of may recall from his days playing with Hawkwind and Bowie, playing electric violin on She Blinded Me With Science.

[Rarebird]

How about Alphaville?

[Obscured]

I love Howard Jones, he's doing one of those (yet again) retro tours this summer-
Line-up
Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey
Howard Jones
Midge Ure
China Crisis
Katrina Ex Katrina and the Waves

[undergroundrailroad]

If I remember correctly, She Blinded Me With Science wasn't even on the original album. It was added by the record company to later pressings after the single took off Stateside. There were, apparently at least five different releases of the album (two in the UK, and three in the US) that each had different track listings (and even different mixes on some songs). The original UK edition apparently had a three song suite on side two, with Wreck Of The Fairchild segueing into Airwaves, which in turn segued into Radio Silence. The only other release, apparently, where these segues are replicated is the "special edition" CD that came out a few years ago. The special edition CD also has She Blinded Me With Science programmed as a bonus track.

Yes, I owned the US version of the album before the She Blinded Me with Science EP came out. It begins with "Europa and the Pirate Twins" but doesn't have "One of Our Submarines." It does have the divine "Leipzig." I got rid of that version of the album many years ago, but luckily found a used copy recently to replace it.

Although I don't think it belongs on "The Golden Age of Wireless," I've always liked "She Blinded Me with Science" just fine.

Tuxedomoon had a brief synth pop phase, although there are strong avant leanings. I've always liked what they did here -

[adap2it]

And let’s not forget this stunner from Toronto’s Strange Advance:

I posted this Band and link earlier in the thread. Great tune, and they are from Vancouver, not Toronto...

[SuperTed]

Scritti Politti's Cupid & Psyche 85 album was towards the end of my favourite period for 80's music but it's a cracking disc!

[Rogue Mail]

Wally Badarou was mentioned earlier in the thread and it reminded me of this.

And one of my all time fave synth-pop tunes, though this one could be considered a little more epic...

[trurl]

Scritti Politti's Cupid & Psyche 85 album was towards the end of my favourite period for 80's music but it's a cracking disc!

I agree, one of my favorite albums of the 80s. Great album, full of 8-bit Fairlight goodness!

[klothos]

Great album, full of 8-bit Fairlight goodness!

for sure

[PeterG]

^^ there is a big difference between how Talk Talk sounded in the beginning and what they developed into. At the start they sounded much like the other synth-pop that I disliked so much

The same is basically true for Simple Minds. I like their early synth stuff but not so much their later U2 soundalike stuff.

[PeterG]

How about Alphaville?

Absolutely, they had some great stuff.

[bob_32_116]

The same is basically true for Simple Minds. I like their early synth stuff but not so much their later U2 soundalike stuff.

Yes, but the funny thing is that in the case of Simple Minds I agree with your assessment, whereas in the case of Talk Talk I much prefer their later stuff.

[trurl]

I'm gonna drop something on y'all later when I get a chance.

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

Is it possible that no-one's mentioned:

[markwoll]

Yazoo ( Yaz)
Yet another

[trurl]

http://www.wikiupload.com/TMMC4DCTIYPT6UX

So here's a link to a cover of Nik Kershaw's Wouldn't It Be Good by a local girl named Candace Nichols. Forgive me for the self-promotion but it's just such a damn good song and no one has ever really heard this version; the cd it's from was never released on any physical format and even her download site was never promoted. She did an album of cover songs, mostly from the 80s and I basically insisted she do this song. I did the track, played everything and did back-up vocals. The idea was to try and keep it very 80s but up the groove a lot, like it was done by some other 80s band, a funkier one. I still tried to keep the synth vibe the same. Let me know if you like it!

[klothos]

Is it possible that no-one's mentioned: BLUE NILE

As awesome as they are, I personally dont consider them "synth-pop" --- well, at least I can't put a song like "Lets Go Out Tonight" in the same box as Erasure's "A Little Respect"....Not really sure what to call them as they were waaaaay ahead of their time - most certainly "electronica" ( hell, that term wasnt even coined back then) but they were the first band to do whatever sub-genre you would put French band Air and Coldplay in

[JJ88]

Blue Nile's 'Hats' showed that it was indeed possible to have a certain 'soul' using electronic instruments and programming. But it's not really 'synth pop', I don't think, at least not in comparison to some names in this thread.

I'm not sure about early Simple Minds. Even then, they were too rock to really qualify, I think, although there seems to have been some audience crossover.

[luvyesmusic]

http://www.wikiupload.com/TMMC4DCTIYPT6UX

So here's a link to a cover of Nik Kershaw's Wouldn't It Be Good by a local girl named Candace Nichols. Forgive me for the self-promotion but it's just such a damn good song and no one has ever really heard this version; the cd it's from was never released on any physical format and even her download site was never promoted. She did an album of cover songs, mostly from the 80s and I basically insisted she do this song. I did the track, played everything and did back-up vocals. The idea was to try and keep it very 80s but up the groove a lot, like it was done by some other 80s band, a funkier one. I still tried to keep the synth vibe the same. Let me know if you like it!

Well-done, Fred. I'm listening to it for the fifth time in a row. ;-) It beats the socks off the re-make by Danny Hutton Hitters from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack ( which I did not buy, by the way-just to make that clear.;-) ) The original is heard to beat and the video concept is cool, too. Maybe I'll attach the clip of Nick performing this song with a horn section that rocks.



I love many the 80's Euro synth Pop bands/songs . I bought myself an Ensoniq TS10 analogue just so I could make some noise, too.

[SuperTed]

http://www.wikiupload.com/TMMC4DCTIYPT6UX

So here's a link to a cover of Nik Kershaw's Wouldn't It Be Good by a local girl named Candace Nichols.

This is excellent - you should probably think about a career in music! ^_^

[trurl]

This is excellent - you should probably think about a career in music! ^_^

Nah, that would be silly!

The original is heard to beat and the video concept is cool, too. Maybe I'll attach the clip of Nick performing this song with a horn section that rocks.

Yeah, I agree, that's why we went in a little different direction- it was almost, hey, what if it had been a Howard Jones song! Which is ironic because there's a clip of the two of them doing it together but it's acoustic. That clip with the live horns is probably the best live clip I've seen of him doing that song!

[PeterG]

I'm not sure about early Simple Minds. Even then, they were too rock to really qualify, I think, although there seems to have been some audience crossover.

Well in 80, 81 they were most definitely a synth band, and were no more rockier than say Duran Duran or Ultravox. They also looked like most of the New Romantic bands. And I can assure you from my own experience that SM songs were being played in UK clubs/discos alongside Duran Duran, Human League, Spandau Ballet etc during that period.