You know when you get a song stuck in your head? And it just goes around, and around, and around until you think maybe I might just be stuck like this forever? Like when your parents warned you about making that face, because you know the wind might change and then you'll be stuck like that?
The source of my current brain lock is "Tenderness" by General Public. Oh gods I loved this song when it was released in 1984. I bought the 12" vinyl (remember those kids?) and wore that thing out dancing around my bedroom. Pure, bright, shiny 80's pop.
(Trivia factoid - If you've seen the movie "Clueless", the song was used over the closing credit sequence.)
A wise person once said that a problem shared is a problem solved, so in the spirit of solving my problem here's a clip from YouTube:
(And here's some background info on the band over at answers.com)
At the time I knew nothing about General Public, except that I loved the song. In Oz they pretty much amounted to a one-hit-wonder, promptly disappearing without a trace once the moderate success of "Tenderness" was over. What I didn't realise was their background in the UK ska movement as members of English Beat. I liked a number of ska bands in the 80s, but was never that familiar with English Beat.
Oh crap. Just thinking about ska made me think about The Specials, which made me think about "Ghost Town", which means that I have a new song running through my head now...
This tow-ow-own,
Is coming like a ghost town...
15 comments:
Oh Lord, you are totally taking me back to another time and place!
The Beat was terrific, and their song "I Confess" was one of the best tunes of the eighties, in my not-so-humble opinion.
As you'll recall, the other half of The (English) Beat became Fine Young Cannibals, whose hot and soulful lead singer Roland Gift had a nude scene in the Stephen Frears film "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid".
See how trivia begets trivia? Which then somehow leads to thoughts of naked men?
It always ends up (ooh err) at naked men here on TOA, just the way it always ends up at shoes on Fabulon. :)
I do indeed remember Roland Gift of FYC. Oh lordy. I also remember, for some bizarre reason, that The Face magazine always used to refer to the film as "Sammy and Rosie Get Dial Backwards".
You want to go head to head on trivia?
The image of you bouncing around in your 80s room, playing that 12" over and over, just makes me happy, mijo.
I'd forgotten all about this song and never knew all the connections to those other Pommy bands. Cor blimey!
Thanks for taking me back to a simpler time!
My fave 'Beat' song is Mirror in the Bathroom...
Look out Itunes, here I come!
A fabulous song by the Beat was "I Confess". LOVE IT!
Glad you enjoyed boys! Now that I've discovered that my new office doesn't block YouTube, well hold me back! :)
I had that on vinyl, too. Still do, actually.
So much love for English Beat and General Public, oh my god.
I got to see General Public around 1986 or so - what a good time.
Fantastic! So you were feeling the love too FG?! I would love to have seen them live.
"Tenderness" is one of my strongest memories of high school. Dancing in my room with my friend Beth and my little sister.
I love the song so much I put it on my wedding "soundtrack" CD.
Oh wow. The thought of you and Randy, the newly wed FreakGeeks, cutting a rug to it gives me the happy.
woo woo, I liked this love too - never loved it so much but it was definitely a keeper. the clip on YouTube had some terrible syncing problems, but I love the way Roger can't help having a bit of a skank every now and then :) btw there's a live version of the (E) Beat doing Tenderness on YouTube too which sounds great.
The Specials were more of a fav because I had a crush on Terry Hall who went on to Fun Boy Three. I still curse Bananarama for having a duet with FB3 and then being more successful!
huh, that's "liked this song"... I'm sure you got it.
thombeau said...
A fabulous song by the Beat was "I Confess". LOVE IT!
YES!
One of the best lines in music came from that song: "Being dead don't hurt, no, only dying."
My favorite EB song, "Mirror in the Bathroom".
Written for shameless narcissists like me!
Just found your blog, TOA.
Love it!
Emma P.
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