Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXXXIV--The Belle Stars: Sign of the Times

 Regular readers (both of you) will recall that I've written a time or two about songs that I discovered thanks to promotional singles that were sent out back in the day by record labels.  This week's featured tune is another such song, though it was helped liberally by heavy rotation on MTV back when the "M" in MTV still stood for "Music...."

The Belle Stars (a nice play of words on Belle Starr, famed outlaw of the old west) had a very brief though fairly productive career in the 1980's.  The eight piece all female band formed in London in 1980, and released several cover versions as singles, three of which charted in the U.K., which lead to their first--and only--album.  The band released their first original song and it became their biggest hit...and from there it was all downhill.  The band would release four more singles without much chart success and by 1985 five of the band members had left.  The remaining three would record one album, but after the first single did not chart, the album was shelved and by 1986, the Belle Stars were no more.  While the band only had on studio album, they have managed to release not one, not two, not three, but four--yes, four--greatest hits albums.  Also, their cover version of "Iko Iko" would reach #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was featured in the movie and opened the soundtrack for Rain Man.

Fun Fact:  Much to my surprise, my weekly half-assed research found that the Belle Stars opened for The Clash three times in May of 1981...which goes to show that concert opening acts make for some strange bedfellows.

"Sign of the Times" was released in 1982 and was the fourth single released from their first and last album, the oh, so inventively entitled The Belle Stars.  The single would reach #3 on the U.K. Singles Chart, and #75 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album peaked at #15 in Great Britain but only reached #191 in America.

One of the recurring themes of Friday Night Jukebox has been my love for female vocalists, and when you add in some tasty harmonizing you have a recipe for an emaycee fave.  There's some nice bursts of jangly guitars, and the drums provide a pulsing beat to a break-up song with attitude.  The chorus is to die for--it's so catchy it's contagious.  While there are obviously major differences, one can almost see the blueprint for the Spice Girls in the Belle Stars, and in this one, girl power turns into a glorious piece of pop pie.

Lyric Sheet:  "This is the sign of the times/Piece of more to come/This is the sign of the times/Time to be alone..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee