Tag: Retro

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Best tunes of 1993: #6 Mazzy Star “Fade into you”

<< #7    |    #5 >>

A tired, late night acoustic strum is accompanied by the ghost of a slide guitar and what sounds like a tired pianist playing one-handed so as not to spill his half-empty mug of beer. And up there onstage with this motley crew of musicians is Hope Sandoval, trying to hide in the shade of the microphone stand, eyes closed and crooning softly, singing about someone that sounds like her, but isn’t her, perhaps someone she loved that never noticed her, never took the time to understand where she stood.

“Fade into you,
I think it’s strange you never knew.”

This is the sound of Mazzy Star’s big hit, the unexpected catapult into the mainstream. It was an unassuming song that somehow captured the imagination of many and encapsulated a feeling at the time. It boosted sales of the group’s sophomore album, “So tonight that I might see”, on which “Fade into you” was track one, so that two years after its release, it garnered platinum status in the States and Gold in the UK.

Mazzy Star was formed in Santa Monica, California in 1988 when David Roback enlisted the vocal help of his friend Hope Sandoval when his previous group, Opal, lost their lead vocalist. The duo released three albums between 1990 and 1997 before dissolving due to their collective unhappiness with the music industry. They reformed in 2012 and released another album the following year but things stalled after that, even more so after David Roback passed away from cancer in 2020.

Much of their sound remained steadfastly in the dream pop realm, a slow and lilting environment in which Sandoval hides behind behind the echoes of her lovelorn and breathy vocals. It is music that continues to haunt long after it is played but none of their songs, for better or for worse, have quite had the impact of “Fade into you”.

For the rest of the Best tunes of 1993 list, click here.

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Eighties’ best 100 redux: #89 Frankie Goes to Hollywood “The power of love” (1984)

<< #90    |    #88 >>

I’ve written a few times already on these pages* about how Toronto’s alternative rock radio station EDGE 102 (aka CFNY 102.1) did a countdown on the air in the dying days of the 20th century, ranking their top 1002 songs of all time. It was, for me, some of the best commercial radio I’d ever heard, making for great conversation and prognosticating between alt rock music fans, reminding me of songs I’d loved forever and some I’d long forgotten, and of course, introducing me to classics I’d not yet discovered.

One such example of this latter category was broadcast and ranked in the high 100s, wedged in between Yazoo’s “Nobody’s diary” and The Stone Roses’ “Fools gold”. It sounded familiar, but not, an unconventional love ballad, lyrics referencing “hooded claws” and “vampires”, but sung with glorious, impassioned sighs. Midway through, I turned to my tool rental store colleague, Chris, with whom I was working that day, and he returned my quizzical look with one of surprise. “You don’t know ‘The power of love’ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood?”

Of course, I had known the Frankie Goes to Hollywood of “Relax” and “Two tribes” infamy, they were ubiquitous in 1984, but this was something completely different, and I was hooked.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood was started by vocalist Holly Johnson in Liverpool in 1980. The original edition didn’t take, so he tried again with a different lineup the following year. The five piece lineup that would sign to ZTT Records in 1983 included Mark O’Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitars), Peter Gill (drums), and Paul Rutherford (keyboards, tambourine, and dancing). The band would only ever record two albums, but one of these was the iconic debut album, “Welcome to the pleasuredome”, an album that boasted three consecutive #1 UK hit singles, and a fourth that could only make it as high as #2. It was a smash the world over, even in North America, and this on the back of their their love affair with the music video and MTV’s love affair with the band. Their second album, 1986’s “Liverpool”, didn’t come close to its predecessor’s success internationally, but did reasonably well in England and Europe. The band acrimoniously split in 1987. Holly Johnson successfully sued ZTT to get out of the contract, publicly stated he would never perform with his ex-bandmates again, and successfully blocked them from using the Frankie Goes to Hollywood name.

I loved “Relax” and “Two tribes” as a pre-teen and though the nostalgia factor kept me dancing to them on retro nights, “The power of love” became a mainstay on my adult life playlists through most of the 2000s**. It is a ballad that had more of a timeless sound than the rest of their dated, new wave dance hits, boasting real instruments and less Trevor Horn production. It is a love song about love, rather than lovers, and Holly Johnson puts on the vocal clinic that you’d have every right to expect. It’s magical.

Original Eighties best 100 position: n/a

Favourite lyric: “I’m so in love with you / Purge the soul / Make love your goal.” Oh yes, indeed.

Where are they now?: Remember when I said Holly Johnson vowed never to perform with his Frankie bandmates again? Well, he did just that, for one song, at Eurovision 2023, last May, the first time they had performed together onstage since 1987. But of course, nothing since.

*I’ve posted links to playlist versions of this list for both Spotify and Apple Music consumption.

**But somehow I managed to forget to include this great track the last time I was putting together this list of 100 great 80s tunes.

For the rest of the Eighties’ best 100 redux list, click here.

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100 best covers: #44 Blur “Maggie May”

<< #45    |    #43 >>

I’ve already written about the Help Warchild album on these pages* and tagged it as my favourite ever compilation. Another one that I really liked was Ruby Trax, a 3 CD set released by the NME in celebration of its fortieth anniversary. They collected together 40 covers of number one hit singles from over the years done by current artists of the day. I remember finding a used copy of it at the long defunct Penguin Music on McCaul street, four or five years after its release, and didn’t hesitate to open my wallet for it. I wasn’t looking for it because, lord knows, I never thought I would see it here in Canada, but I certainly recognized what I had in my hands immediately. A friend of mine** had put this cover of “Maggie May” by Blur on a mixed tape for me and being a pretty huge fan of said band, just had to know of its provenance.

“Maggie May” was originally recorded by Rod Stewart for his debut solo album. It was released as a b-side to what was supposed to be his first single, “Reason to believe”, a song I’m reasonably sure I’ve never heard. The b-side started get more play on the radio and has since become his best known song. The album version of this song about a young man’s affair with an older woman starts with this out-of-place acoustic guitar solo. But once it gets going and the hammond organ meshes with the 12-string guitar and the mandolin, it reminds you why it’s a classic, especially with Rod’s inimitable vocal chords providing the words.

Blur’s cover sounds like Blur right at the height of Britpop… because… of course, it was. Rowntree’s loose drumming, James’s bopping baseline, Coxon’s wailing and feedback-laden guitars, and Albarn’s freewheeling organs and cheeky vocal turn. It’s trimmer than the original and at four minutes, feels perfect.

Sure, theirs is not the original but they put their own stamp on it. And well, I love their stamp. Sorry Rod the Bod fans, I’m going with one of my favourite bands on this one.

Cover:

Original:

*In fact, a couple of its tracks have already graced this very list at #74 and #53 and we’re not near done yet.

**That same friend who had made a personal favourite mixed tape of retro 80s tunes.

For the rest of the 100 best covers list, click here.