Tuesday 31 December 2013

A look back at 2013

Since I tend to prefer 1980s and 1990s music to more-modern stuff, most of the 'new' music I discover is older tracks that I missed the first time around, or songs that I completely forgot about and rediscover.

Here's a few old tracks that were 'new' to me this year, from the 205 videos I uploaded to youtube in 2013 (though some of those were blocked worldwide):




Movement 98 featuring Caroll Thompson 'Joy and Heartbreak':

A really nice song released in 1990.  This sounded vaguely familiar when I discovered it on a VHS compilation I'd bought, though I have no recollection of hearing it before.



Junior Tucker 'Don't Test':

Also from 1990, and another track I found on a VHS compilation.  Some questionable lyrics, but I love the sound effects and the bass line in this one; it sounds great cranked up in the car.




E-Zee Possee - The Sun Machine



Another one from 1990.  I just heard this for the first time the other day.  Love the white lipstick in the video, and of course the song.



Kym Mazelle 'Was That All It Was?':

I could say 'was that all it was' about 2013, but this is yet another track from (very early) 1990.  I remember reading about this one in UK pop magazine 'Number One' (which would arrive in Australia a couple of months after the publishing date), and seeing Kym review the new release singles around the same time, wearing the same fake fingernails as she wears in this video.  Although I had seen Kym's name mentioned a few times in UK pop magazines, I hadn't actually heard any of her music until her duet with Jocelyn Brown, 'No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)' in 1994, so this one passed me by.




Gary Clail On-U Sound System 'The Emotional Hooligan':

Although Gary lacks in vocal 'chops' (at least, by conventional singing standards), I'd much rather listen to his music than many of the more 'accomplished' singers.  I knew 'Human Nature', 'Who Pays the Piper' and 'These Things Are Worth Fighting For' previously, but this one was new to me.  I bought the VHS this was on specifically for this video, as I liked the 3 Gary Clail tracks I knew of, and this one didn't disappoint.  Love the shades, also.



Gwen Guthrie 'Can't Love You Tonight':

You gotta love a song that mentions 'herpes' in the chorus.   This time from 1988, this was (and still is) only the 2nd Gwen Guthrie track I've heard.  Perhaps one of the first songs about the AIDS epidemic, unfortunately this didn't achieve much commercial success.  "The only nasty thing I like is a nasty groove" - this track definitely has one of those!




Swimming With Sharks 'Careless Love':

From 1988, with a rather unusual group name... Otherwise known as 'Humpe & Humpe' in their native Germany (I guess that name didn't sound so appealing in English), I was previously aware of Inga Humpe's (the non-blonde one) cover version of Pet Shop Boys' 'Do I Have To', and instantly recognised her when seeing this video for the first time.  The synths during the intro sound quite similar to those used in Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill', but they also remind me of Stevie Nicks for some reason.




The Poppies 'That's What We'll Do'


This track from 1993 sounds to my ears a little like a hybrid between Voice of the Beehive & Belinda Carlisle (though still sounding different from both of them).  Yielding just 33 views in 2 and a bit months, and peaking at #83 in the UK, this one definitely deserves more exposure.




Ugly - Boom the Future:


Another track from 1993 that just missed the UK top 75.  This time from Heaven 17 front-man Glenn Gregory.


Ultracynic 'Nothing Is Forever':


From 1992, an early 'rave pop'-type track (if that's a genre).




Zoe 'Lightning':

The less-successful follow-up to 'Sunshine On a Rainy Day', but just as good (even better IMO).  Lightning definitely didn't strike twice for Zoe on the charts, though this wouldn't budge from the #37 position in the UK for 3 weeks in November 1991... which is actually pretty good for a low-peaking single like this in the UK at the time.




Ioni 'Sentence of Love': 


And last but not least, my favourite 'new' old track of 2013 - this time from 1993.  I created a separate blog entry about this track in October.


Well, that's it for 2013.  Bring on 2014!

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