Stupefied: The NME UK Top 50 Singles of 1980

Back by no demand whatsoever, I felt inspired to continue the series of NME year-end lists, so here you go - 1980 in all of its glory. Lake Placid, Russian boycott, great records & more video with each release. You could easily do a second, completely different, list, and it would be just as good. Please note that the Spotify list is not as complete as the YouTube list due to availability.

01. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

02. The Jam - Going Underground

03. The English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom

04. Joy Division - Atmosphere

05. David Bowie- Ashes to ashes

06. Bow Wow Wow- I Want My Baby On Mars

07. Grace Jones - Private Life

08. David Bowie - Fashion

09. BOW WOW WOW - C30 C60 C90 Go!

10. Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster (Jammin')

11. The Teardrop Explodes - Treason

12. Dexys Midnight Runners - Geno

13. The Jam - Start

14. UB40 - Food for Thought/King

15. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - New Amsterdam

16. A Certain Ratio - Shack Up

17. Echo and the Bunnymen - Rescue

18. UB40 - My Way Of Thinking

19. Kurtis Blow - The Breaks

20. The English Beat - Best Friend

21. Elvis Costello & The Attractions ~ I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down

22. The Cramps - Drug Train

23. The Fall - Fiery Jack

24. Dexys Midnight Runners - Dance Stance (Original 7'' Version)

25. Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary

26. The English Beat - Hands Off... She's Mine

27. The Subterraneans - My Flamingo

28. Magazine- A Song From Under The Floorboards

29. Comsat Angels - Independence Day

30. The Undertones - My Perfect Cousin

31. Stray Cats - Runaway Boys

32. Robert Wyatt - At Last I Am Free

33. Robert Palmer - Looking For Clues

34. Dexy's Midnight Runners - There, There My Dear

35. Madness - My Girl

36. Squeeze - Another Nail In My Heart

37. A Certain Ratio - Flight

38. Au Pairs - Diet / It's Obvious (7")

39. Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica

40. Caberet Voltaire - Seconds Too Late

41. Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out

42. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - High Fidelity

43. Aswad - Warrior Charge

44. Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Love Comes in Spurts

45. Smack - Edward Fox

46. The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me

47. Bette Bright - Hello I Am Your Heart

48. Linx - Rise and Shine

49. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House

50. Adam and the Ants - Dog Eat Dog

John Holt RIP

John Holt - RIP

Movie of the Week: Bad Brains, A Band In DC

Watch it while you can!

Hopeton Lewis RIP

Hopeton Lewis - RIP

Daily Travels: West 42nd Street

Photo by Andy Schwartz

Stupefied: The NME UK Top 40 Singles of 1979

Not.

Its been a few months since I've run a playlist, but here we are. The first day of summer seems a good time for it, and picking up where we left off, 1979 is a great year. This list would serve a party well...I hope you enjoy it!

As usual, stream/watch below or do it directly on Spotify or YouTube. (If you have the time, check out the YouTube version - there are always some surprises & things forgotten.)

1. Eton Rifles - The Jam
2. Gangsters - The Specials
3. London Calling - The Clash
4. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
5. Strange Town - The Jam
6. Message In A Bottle - The Police
7. Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
8. Spacer - Sheila B Devotion*
9. Shake Your Body - The Jacksons
10. Memories - Public Image Ltd.
11. Death Disco - Public Image Ltd.**
12. My Feet Keep Dancing - Chic
13. Rock Lobster - The B52's
14. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
15. Making Plans For Nigel - XTC
16. Queen Of Hearts - Dave Edmunds
17. The Pictures On My Wall - Echo & The Bunnymen
18. Life During Wartime - Talking Heads
19. She's Beyond Good & Evil - The Pop Group
20. Boogie Wonderland - Earth Wing And Fire
21. Rowche Rumble - The Fall
22. Living On The Front Line - Eddie Grant
23. The Prince - Madness
24. Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
25. Touch - Lori & The Chameleons*
26. Transmission - Joy Division**
27. Get Over You - The Undertones
28. Memphis Tennessee - Silicon Teens
29. On My Radio - Selector
30. Pop Musik - M
31. Girls Talk - Dave Edmunds
32. Heart Of Glass - Blondie
33. We Are Family - Sister Sledge
34. Stop Your Sobbing - Pretenders
35. Where’s Bill Grundy Now - Television Personalities*
36. Saturday Night Beneath The Plastic Palms - Leyton Buzzards*
37. Time Goes By So Slow - Distractions*
38. Protection - Graham Parker**
39. A Message To You Rudy - The Specials
40. Electricity - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

* - No version on Spotify available
** - Studio version replaced by live version

Rare back issues of Wax Poetics magazine available now!

Rare back issues of Wax Poetics magazine available now! 

Philip Smart RIP

Philip Smart - RIP

Although I'm not entirely familiar with the body of work this man ended up making his living with, he did play an important role for me many years ago. He was part of the WNYU, 89.1 FM, team that I grew up with in the early 80's, and was even more important for the fact that he was the only one there playing all reggae on his specialty show, Get Smart. Smart went on to play a crucial role in the Jamaican music scene here in the New York metropolitan area for the last 30 years. You can read an excellent article about his career over at Red Bull Music Academy.

Fellow WNYU DJ, Tim Sommer (host of Noise of the Show) had the following to say: "At WNYU in the very early 1980s, there were a handful of us snotty kids, all convinced we could change the world by playing "Is Vic There?" and begging the tri-state area to listen to Teardrop Explodes and Young Marble Giants; but there was one slightly older gentleman amongst us who seemed to posses a grace and calm that completely eluded us hopped-up, club-hopping, day-sleeping music geeks who thought the Holy Grail could be found in the bins of 99 Records and Sounds. That gentleman was Philip Smart; and on the same airwaves inhabited by myself, John Loscalzo, Evan Davies, Naomi Walker, Michael Dugan, Sal Locurto, Dominick Milano, Tony Garcia, and too many others dear to my heart to mention here, Phillip played music of devastating simplicity, power, cultural meaning, depth and joy. 

I am very proud to have shared a radio studio with him, and to have known him, even if it was only just to nod at him and as I stepped out of my noisy chair and he stepped into the room with his sweet, deep presence. He had an extraordinary life beyond (the lost) Loeb Student Center, too, as a producer and recording engineer of nearly profound influence. Thank you Phillip, for being so far beyond us little shits, yet never above us. And have a good voyage wherever the universe takes you next."

Before & After: The Bed's Too Big Without You

Before - The Police (1979)

After - Sheila Hylton (1981)

William Clarke (Third World) RIP

William Clarke - RIP

Stupefied: The NME UK Top 30 Singles of 1978

 

1978 was a mighty fine year. Post punk got underway in earnest, some rock bands started appropriating disco into their repertoire, and most of them made videos, or appeared on one TV show or another. There are some real treats in the YouTube version of this playlist. I hope you enjoy it!

As usual, available via Spotify or YouTube. Your choice.

01. Ever Fallen In Love - The Buzzcocks
02. Public Image - Public Image
03. What A Waste - Ian Dury
04. Miss You - Rolling Stones
05. Radio Radio - Elvis Costello
06. I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea - Elvis Costello
07. Hong Kong Garden - Siouxsie & The Banshees
08. White Man In Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
09. Shot Both Sides - Magazine
10. Sign Of The Times - Bryan Ferry
11. Shame - Evelyn 'Champagne' King
12. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury
13. Rising Free EP - Tom Robinson Band
14. Satisfaction - Devo
15. Ambition - Subway Sect
16. Take Me To The River - Talking Heads
17. It's The New Thing - The Fall
18. I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass - Nick Lowe
19. What Do I Get - The Buzzcocks
20. Germ Free Adolescents - X Ray Spex
21. I Am The Fly - Wire
22. Because The Night - Patti Smith
23. Damaged Goods - Gang Of Four
24. Mr Know It All - Gregory Isaacs
25. Night People - Alan Toussaint
26. Mighty Real - Sylvester
27. Private Plane - Thomas Leer
28. Where Were You - The Mekons
29. Hard Workin' Man - Captain Beefheart
30. Down At The Doctors - Doctor Feelgood

Movie of the Week: Trench Town, The Forgotten Land (2007)

Junior Murvin RIP

Junior Murvin - RIP

Prince Jazzbo RIP

Prince Jazzbo - RIP

Movie of the Week: Rude Boy (1980)

Why This Guy Loves The Ruts (as everyone should)

Despite the fact that this guy obviously went to the Henry Rollins School of Broadcasting (cool it with the distracting hand movements!), its a great pleasure to see someone talking about the Ruts quite articulately & passionately.

This gives me an excuse to plug Ruts DC's latest, Rhythm Collision Vol. 2. Be sure to visit their website to buy a copy of the album direct from the band, and grab a free MP3. 

Just Because: Lee Scratch Perry

Ruts DC: Rhythm Collision Vol. 2 is here! Listen to "Mighty Soldier"

What a fantastic surprise! Collecting my mail after getting home from a couple of days out of the city, I received a mysterious padded mailer from the UK. Upon closer inspection, turns out it's from Mr. Dave Ruffy, the one & only drummer for Ruts DC, and it turns out it's a copy of their brand new album, Rhythm Collision Vol. 2. Life is good! Anyone who has read Stupefaction for a while now knows what a huge fan of the Ruts and Ruts DC I am.

About a year ago, I featured a new song, "Mighty Soldier," which leads off the new album and you can listen to again below. Considering that Vol. 1, released 30 years ago, remains firmly high on my desert island disc list, surviving members Segs & Ruffy (the rhythm section, wouldn't you know?), and a fantastic crew of support players, have done masterful work that just may rival the original. The overall scope and cohesion of this album as a single piece of work cannot be underestimated - this exactly how I feel about Vol. 1, and it suits this one to a "T". From the beginning, each track weaves into the next to take you on a bass heavy journey of rhythm that is incredibly rewarding. The album is twelve tracks in all - 9 on the album proper, and 3 listed as bonus cuts. It was recorded with Mad Professor, who also engineered Vol. 1 thirty years ago, and mixed by Prince Fatty. It's pedigree is undeniable. 

About the album, the band says, "We have decided to release this album on our own Sosumi Recordings, embracing the DIY ethic that propelled The Ruts into the 7" vinyl market in 1978, and allowed us to release Volume 1 in '82."

p.s. From the "even more excitement department," according to the liner notes, there is a book about the band in the works by Roland Link. It will be called Love In Vain: The Story of The Ruts & Ruts DC.

Ruffy & Segs

All I can say is thank you, Ruffy & Segs. You've made this Ruts fan extremely happy. I honestly never thought I'd be listening to new Ruts music again in this lifetime.

Ruts DC have already played a few album kick off shows in the UK this month. Later this summer they'll be playing the following shows, and it wouldn't surprise me if more are added along the way:

August 10 - Blackpool - Rebellion Festival

August 25 - Penzance, Cornwall - 3 Chord Festival

September 6 - Preston - 53 Degrees

September 7 - Newcastle - North East Calling

September 13 - Reading - Sub 89

More in September - German & Scottish dates TBC

Buy the album directly from the band,  or at your favorite retailer,

and keep up with Ruts DC via the following links:

Official website 

Facebook 

Twitter 

 

Happy guys, from left: John "Segs" Jennings, Mad Professor, Dave Ruffy

Cedric Brooks RIP

Cedric Brooks - RIP

Before & After: Riffs, Part 36

Before: Harry J All Stars "The Liquidator"

After: The Staples Singers "I'll Take You There"