Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDLXIV--Thompson Twins: Hold Me Now

Should just start calling it A Week Late Friday Night Jukebox...

If last week's tune was a fine slice of seventies pop pie, then this week's tune is a fine slice of eighties pop pie.  Honestly, the eighties are not my favorite decade of music, but it certainly had its moments--like this week's featured song....

The Thompson Twins originally formed as a quartet in Sheffield, England in 1977 before settling in London.  They went through a number of incarnations (at one time the band sported seven members), but by 1982 they began performing as a trio.  They had a number of hits in the U.S. and their native U.K. until 1989 (they became a duo in 1986), but commercial success eluded them after that.  In a twist, they changed their musical style (dub-influenced chill out) and their name (Babble) in 1993, but by 1996 they had called it a career.  The Thompson Twins released eight studio albums (with three top ten, including a #1, in the U.K. and one top ten in America), and thirty-five singles (five of which hit the top ten in Great Britain and three in the U.S.).  The band also made an appearance at Live Aid in 1985.  Unlike many bands, they have chosen not to reform for the obligatory reunion tours--and have let their body of work speak for itself.

"Hold Me Now" was the first single from their 1984 album Into the Gap.  The single reached #4 in the U.K. and #3 (with a bullet!) here in the States.  The album was their only #1 in their homeland, and their highest charting here in America at #10.

(Not so) Fun Fact:  In the aftermath of the international success of this week's tune, the Thompson Twins were under immense pressure from their management and their record company to record another hit like "Hold Me Now."  The band admitted that it was much easier said than done and hinted that it wasn't really what they wanted for the band--both of which may help to explain their early demise.

One of the things that really impressed me this week as I listened to "Hold Me Now" for my half-assed research is how well the song is written.  Band members Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey were a couple at the time (they'd eventually marry, have two children, and, sadly, divorce), and the song chronicles an argument they'd had and the resulting reconciliation.  It well captures the desire and relief--I especially like the "I'll apologize even though I don't know what for" line.  Bailey delivers impassioned vocals, there's a nice variety of percussion, and the chorus--emaycee fave!--is as catchy as all get out.  Special shout out to Jon Leeway for the killer backing vocals at the song's closing.  I've noted a time or two (or three) about band's that have that one moment of greatness, and "Hold Me Now" was that moment for the Thompson Twins.

Lyric Sheet:  "You say I'm a dreamer/We're two of a kind/Both of us searching/For some perfect world/We know we'll never find..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCLVI--Adam and the Ants: Antmusic

And again this week we have another tune discovered during the After Dinner Music Sessions, courtesy of CBS Records and their promotional single extravaganza...

Adam and the Ants formed in London in 1977.  Their first incarnation lasted until January of 1980 when three members of the band left to form Bow Wow Wow .  The second incarnation would go on to have considerably more commercial success than the first, especially in their native U.K., and last until 1982.  Adam Ant (yeah, nobody really named their kid that--real name Stuart Goddard) was the only link between the two, and he would go on to some solo success, as well.  The band released three LPs during their short tenure, with one going to #1 and another to #2 on the British charts.  Adam Ant would release six albums before calling it quits (two more top five albums in the U.K.) in 1995, though in another instance of Money Matters in Rock and Roll, resumed his solo efforts in 2013 and has released two more albums.  The band had six top five singles, and Ant himself had two more.  The band has also released 11 compilations and three box sets, which is pretty impressive considering Adam and the Ants have only released eleven studio albums in their careers.  Still, they had an impressive run for four years, and are considered part of the second British Invasion into the U. S. music market (though with considerably less financial success than the first).

"Antmusic" was released in 1980, and was the third single from their album Kings of the Wild Frontier.  The single would reach #2 on the British charts, though it did not have any success on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album would reach #1 in the U.K. and was the best selling album for 1981 in their native land (it would peak at #44 on the Billboard 200).  The album would also go on to win a Brit Award for album of the year.

Fun Fact:  In what will be a first and last here on Friday Night Jukebox, this week's band makes use of Burundi drums and their music is considered to be Burundi beat (for the music it borrows from comes from Burundi--the only other band to employ the sound is Bow Wow Wow and I didn't like any of their songs).

And speaking of Burundi drums (segues are for amateurs), one of the many things that sets "Antmusic" apart from so many other minor hits is the drums, which are almost like two drumsticks clicking together and really help, along with the chants, to make the chorus ever so memorable.  The song itself, I believe, is a kick in the ass to disco (though it could just be to the music industry's trend of over saturating talentless tripe in the name of making a buck), and suggests that this month's flavor should be, surprisingly enough, "Antmusic."  Ant does a fine job of of vocalizing his disdain for flavor of the month as a means to making music, there's some nice guitar (nothing fancy, just your average 80's pop song guitar solo) that adds a little edge to the song, and the lyrics are a bit clever as to why one should prefer to be an ant rather than a coked up disco dancer.  No, this one won't make anyone forget "Night Moves," "Baba O'Riley," or "Born to Run," but it's a nice cut that provided a bit of a segue (that word again!) from the punk movement to new wave.  And every now and again, a little fun goes a long way in providing listening pleasure.

Lyric Sheet:  "It's so sad when you're young/To be told you're having fun/So unplug the jukebox/And do us all a favor, yeah/That music's lost its taste/So try another flavor/Antmusic..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee