Tag Archives: 1981

John Lennon – Watching the Wheels (1981)

by 1980s, The Beatles • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Watching the Wheels” is a single by John Lennon released posthumously in 1981 after his murder. The B-side features Yoko Ono’s “Yes, I’m Your Angel.” It was the third and final single released from Lennon and Ono’s album Double Fantasy album, and reached number 10 in the US and number 30 in the UK. In “Watching the Wheels” Lennon addresses those who were confounded by his “househusband” years, 1975–1980. During this period, he “retired” from the music industry to concentrate on raising his son Sean with Ono. The acoustic demo of “Watching the Wheels” is featured in the ending credits to the 2009 film Funny People. The song features a hammered dulcimer accompanying the lead piano. The photograph on the cover was taken by Paul Goresh, a fan of Lennon who also took the infamous photo of Lennon signing a copy of Double Fantasy for his killer, Mark David Chapman. Both photos were taken at the same place, in front of the Dakota building, which was the site of his 1980 shooting. Later, Chapman was recorded in police custody reciting the line “People say I’m crazy” from the song.




john-lennon-watching-the-wheels

Written by: Lennon
Recorded: 6 August-13 October 1980
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Jack Douglas

Album Released: 17 November 1980
Single Released: 13 March 1981 (US); 27 March 1981 (UK)

John Lennon: vocals, keyboards
Earl Slick, Hugh McCracken: electric guitar
Tony Levin: bass guitar
George Small: keyboards
Michelle Simpson, Cassandra Wooten, Cheryl Mason Jacks, Eric Troyer: backing vocals
Andy Newmark: drums
Matthew Cunningham: hammer dulcimer
Arthur Jenkins: percussion

Available on:

  • Double Fantasy
  • Power To The People – The Hits
  • John Lennon Anthology
  • Acoustic

[Source]

Yoko Ono – Goodbye Sadness (1981)

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by 1980s • Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Season of Glass is a 1981 album by Yoko Ono, her first solo recording after the murder of her husband John Lennon. The album was released less than six months after Lennon’s death and deals with it directly in songs such as “Goodbye Sadness” and “I Don’t Know Why”. Season of Glass charted at number 49, making it Ono’s highest-charting solo album to date. The front cover features Lennon’s bloodstained glasses positioned next to a half-filled glass of water, with a view of Central Park in the background. A young Sean Lennon features on the track “Even When You’re Far Away”, recounting a story his father used to tell him. A music video was created for “Goodbye Sadness” featuring footage of John and Yoko together. The video was screened on the first episode of Saturday Night Live’s seventh season.




seasonofglass

Goodbye Sadness, goodbye..goodbye..
I don’t need you anymore.
I wet my pillow every night,
But now I saw the light.

Goodbye, goodbye, sadness,
I don’t need you anymore.
Goodbye, goodbye, sadness,
I can’t take it anymore.

Goodbye Sadness, goodbye, goodbye,
I don’t need you anymore.
I lived in fear ev’ry day,
But now I’m going my way.

Goodbye, goodbye sadness,
I don’t need you anymore.
Goodbye, goodbye, sadness,
I can’t take it anymore.

Hello Happiness, wherever you are,
I hope you hear my song.
Never want to cry again
Or hold my breath in fear again.

Goodbye, goodbye, sadness,
I don’t need you anymore.
Goodbye, goodbye, sadness,
I can’t take it anymore..

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The Teardrop Explodes – Reward (1981)

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In November 1980 Alan Gill left The Teardrop Explodes, claiming not to enjoy the touring lifestyle. Julian Cope would later praise him for his strong creative impact on both the band and its perspective, but also suggested that with the band’s growing success Gill had found himself “afraid to compete.” Gill was replaced by former Shake guitarist Troy Tate but by now Cope and Balfe’s abrasive relationship had worsened to the point that Balfe was ousted as group keyboard player, although he continued to be involved with management. As well as broadening the band’s sound and outlook, Alan Gill had brought in an all-but-complete new song before his departure, which he and Cope had reworked. This was released as the band’s next single, “Reward”. In January 1981, the song hit No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart (with the semi-estranged Balfe joining the band to mime trumpet playing during their Top of the Pops appearance). “Reward” was added to the tracklisting of a hastily commissioned Kilimanjaro reissue and the band found themselves to be rising mainstream stars, with the ever-quotable Cope a favourite for magazine interviews. The band relocated to London to take advantage of their growing success, although by now Cope was retreating into a drugged lifestyle and beginning “a period of unrestrained megalomania.”




Soft Cell – Sex Dwarf (1981)

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The duo’s first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, hit UK #5 and further explored the now-trademark Soft Cell themes of squalour and sleaze. “Seedy Films” talks of long nights in porno cinemas, while “Frustration” and “Secret Life” deal with the boredom and hypocrisy associated with suburban life. A companion video titled Non-Stop Exotic Video Show was released alongside the album and featured videos directed by Tim Pope. The video generated some controversy in Britain, mainly due to the scandal involved with the “Sex Dwarf” clip. The original version of the music video featured Almond and Ball in a bloody butcher shop surrounded by chainsaws, nude actors, and dwarves. However, the film was confiscated by police and censored before it was even released. As a tongue-in-cheek substitute, a re-filmed “Sex Dwarf” appeared in Non-Stop Exotic Video Show featuring Almond dressed in a tuxedo, directing a symphony orchestra of transvestites.




[via Ulrich Lauridsen]

23 Skidoo – The Gospel Comes To New Guinea (1981)

by 1980s, Industrial • Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Ten minute dark, brooding instrumental with Fritz on bass, Alex on drums, Sam on guitar and Johnny on percussion with a cassette loop of the band chanting a Chinese phrase and Johnny playing clarinet. Recorded at Cabaret Voltaire’s Western Works Studio and Produced by 23 Skidoo, Stephen Mallinder and Ken Thomas for Fetish Records in July 1981. One of the greatest tracks of all time! Enjoy!

[via Mark Stewart]

ABBA – Slipping Through My Fingers (1981)

by 1980s • Tags: , , , , , , ,

This 45 rpm was a promotional created for Coca-Cola Japan by Discomate Records. The cover of the record features an illustration of the ABBA band members Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltslog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and the back has the lyrics to the song and the advertising slogan used at the time in Japan, Yes Coke Yes. The record itself has the song on one side and an autographed photograph of the band. While the song was not one of the bands biggest hits, it was used in the musical and movie versions of Mamma Mia. As a collectible, you can find several copies on e-Bay for $ 40.00 to $ 60.00. [Source]




[Dedicated to Jens Jermiin]

Alan Vega – Be-Bop-A-Lula (1981)

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Collision Drive continues the trend started on the first Alan Vega album of incorporating Vega’s love of ’50s rock and R&B. “Ghost Rider,” which sounded cold, sleek, and mechanical on Suicide’s first album, now becomes an upbeat rockabilly rave-up. Vega covers Gene Vincent’s “Be-Bop-A-Lula” and plays it mostly straight (although he does throw in his trademark howls and yelps, along with some synthesizers). The two versions of “Magdalena” aren’t really different enough to justify their presence, although the song itself is likable. The track that stands out the most, however, is the 13-minute “Viet Vet,” an extended poetic rant in the pattern of Suicide’s “Frankie Teardrop.” It will either seem like a brilliant piece of performance art, or it will sound unbearably self-indulgent, depending on a listener’s tolerance for Vega’s excesses. For the most part, though, rollicking tracks like “Raver” and “Rebel Rocker” are enjoyable and exciting enough to offset any of the less successful experiments. Collision Drive may be uneven, but at its best, it will definitely provide more than enough smart art pop to chew on.

A-Side:

B-Side plus interview:



Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports – I’m A Mineralist (1981)

by 1980s, Jazz • Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason fronted the group who made the one-off self-titled album Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports in May 1981 in the UK and US, this being Mason’s first major work outside of Pink Floyd. However, the album is considered by many a Carla Bley album in all but name, since she wrote all the songs and co-produced it. It is sung by Robert Wyatt, except for the opening song. The album was recorded in November 1979 but its release was delayed for almost two years.




Depeche Mode – New Life (1981)

by 1980s, Electropop • Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Today we mark a true milestone in the annals of ’80s synthpop: Depeche Mode’s classic debut album, Speak & Spell, was released on Oct. 5, 1981 — exactly 30 years ago. To mark the occasion, we present, below, the band’s first few appearances on U.K. TV institution “Top of the Pops,” which find a group of very young men — introduced as “Depech-ay Mode!” — miming along to their early hits. [Source]