STEVE LAKE "Running Away" 12'' single, (UK, 1987)

"Life Of Riley" is probably the best song he wrote in his solo period after the split of his legendary Zounds. It passed nearly unnoticed though, as Steve Lake didn't included it in any of his two solo albums ("Murder Violence Sex Divorce" and "So Cruel"), like he did with his other single-tracks, but he prefered to hide it on the b-side of this 12'' single. The gems sometimes choose to travel subtly..

Running Away 12''

  

NITS " Quest " (Netherlands, 1995)

 

QUEST is a rare-material (b-sides, alternative takes, unreleased tracks) bonus disc included in the limited box-set edition of their 1995 best of, "NEST". To tell the truth, it holds no great unknowns, no surprises -it's mainly for the devotees. What it says, more or less, is what you 've already known from the proper albums of NITS:  One and only dutch band back in '80-'90 was able to lay the bridge between avant art and the wide pop audiences so enduringly.

NITS Tear Falls

Quest

PATRIK FITZGERALD +3 " Tunisian Twist " (UK, 1986)

A commercial failure of its time and rather thrown in oblivion ever since, "Tunisian Twist" is Patrik Fitzgerald's third and last Red Flame album, not counting the 1993 compilation "Treasures From the Wax Museum".
The once punk-poet, backed here by a proper outfit (drums, bass, trombone, piano, trumpet etc.), starts finding his solitary way out of the era inclining to a more classic pop form, melancholic but always sharp, the same one that, 8 years later would give birth to his next great album "Pillow Tension".

Today i have picked the track "Putting Wings On Aeroplanes" for listening.

We're waiting for the strike to end
Counting days
Counting hours
Hoping we don't lose our jobs
Ready to lift the hammers
Ready to place the bolts -
We'll go back to work again
Putting wings on aeroplanes
Once i went, for free, to Spain
I was proud to travel, that day
In the plane i'd helped to build
Landing in a foreign field
Something strange, though, had gone on
Our boss went instead to Hong Kong
Booked into the best hotel
A hundred waiters waiting
And we went back to work again
Putting wings on aeroplanes
Then it came, that awful moment
I was sad to travel, that day
In the plane i'd helped to build
Landing in a foreign field
Run, with the others
From the plane
Towards the hills of southern Spain
The aeroplane was now deployed
To destroy, or be dastroyed
I'll never go back to work again
Putting wings on aeroplanes
I'll never...



Patrik Fitzgerald - Putting Wings On Aeroplanes

More Patrik Fitzgerald at LaFolieDuJour:
Grubby Stories, (1979)
Treasures From The Wax Museum, (1993)
Pillow Tension (1995)

The Pop Anachronism Of TOT TAYLOR

Tot Taylor, a tin pan alley lover in the heart of 80s music industry

Tot Taylor is an english composer, songwriter, film-scorer, producer and founder of the 80s label Compact Organization. His vision for a contemporary pop art influenced by favourite songforms of previous decades (Beatles, Burt Bacharach...) and especially by pre-rock'n'roll music (Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, George Gershwin...) found expression in a number of solo albums, scores for films or theatre plays, and other music, which he wrote and produced, (using often the alias Teddy Johns), for Compact artists such as Virna Lindt, Mari Wilson and others...

In spite of Compact Organization comparative commercial success circa 1981-83 and the influences it spred around (think of el records for example), Tot Taylor's music, with all its irony, self-parody and witty eccentrity, remained largely ignored and only japanese labels has reissued in 90s a part of it.

Selected 80s Works:
TOT TAYLOR Playtime (LP, 1981) - Inside Story (LP, 1982) - Box-Office Poison (LP, 1986) - Menswear (LP, 1987) - My Blue Period (LP, 1987) - THE SOUND BARRIER Suburbia Suite (LP, 1984)

A LFDJ introduction to Tot Taylor

01 offbeat (single, 1980) - 02 this time tomorrow ("Playtime") - 03 an appointment with you ("Playtime") - 04 this romance starts here ("Playtime") - 05 playtime ("Playtime'') - 06 love man (vocals: Mari Wilson, single, 1980) - 07 the girl with everything (single, 1981) - 08 don't spy on me (single, 1982) - 09 the crimson challenge ("Inside Story") - 10 richard rodgers ("Inside Story") - 11 car scribbles ("Suburbia Suite") - 12 australia ("Box-Office Poison") - 13 spoil her ("Box-Office Poison") - 14 the tearjerker waltz ("Suburbia Suite")

TOT TAYLOR - An Appointment with you

J J BURNEL "Un Jour Parfait"

French estetism in J.J.Burnel solo album. The last leader of The Stranglers offers us 12 slightly lewd tracks: with small “acoustic carvings” and French verses (the native language of J.J.B). "Un Jour Parfait" undoubtedly refers to the European pop art obsessions of the artist. 1988 Epic Records.

Un Jour Parfait Theme

Si J'Etais

Weekend

Tristeville Ce Soir

Un Jour Parfait

Via Dolorosa

Le Whiskey

Crazy (She Drives Me)

Garden of Eden

Reves

Waltz

Via Dolorosa (Spanish Version)

Here is the lyrics of the dashingly fragile track "Week-End".

Week-end

C' était l 'autre week-end
Je l' ai vue attendant un soupirant
C' était l' autre week-end
Les cheveux bleus au vent
Les yeux blonds espérant

Son regard, tant de peine
Un sourire hésitant soulignant vingt printemps
Son regard, tant de peine
La passion recherchant
La haine, l'amour, sans plus souffrir

S' en est allée de ma mémoire
De mon passé, de mon histoire
S' est transformée, blanc et noir
Pour un instant ou tout le temps

Contre-nuit, belle de jour
Rêver d' être l' amant
Alternant noir et blanc
Belle de nuit, contre-jours
Les couleurs me grisant
L' âme en amour à deux tranchants

S' en est allée de ma mémoire
De mon passé, de mon histoire
S' est transformée, blanc et noir
Pour un instant ou tout le temps

C' était l' autre week-end
C' était l' autre week-end

J J BURNEL - Week End

Week End

It was on the last week-end
I saw her waiting for a suitor
It was on the last week-end
Her blue hair in the wind
Her blond eyes hoping

The expression in her eyes, so much sorrow
An hesitant smile underlines twenty summers
The expression in her eyes, so much sorrow
Looking for the passion
Hate, love, no more suffering

She went away from my memory
From my past, from my story
Transforming herself, black and white
For a moment or for ever

Contre-nuit, daytime beauty
Dreaming to be the lover
Alterning black with white
Night beauty, contre-jours
The colours go to my head
In love soul has two cutting edges

She went away from my memory
From my past, from my story
Transforming herself, black and white
For a moment or for ever

It was on the last week-end
It was on the last week-end

Thanks to Joan for helping me with the french version

UN JOUR PARFAIT
(12 tracks, 44 min)

EPIC SOUNDTRACKS "Rise Above" (UK,1992)

Epic Soundtracks (birthname Kevin Paul Godfrey),brother of Nikki Sudden (1956 - 2006) was the drummer of Sudden`s band SWELL MAPS. During the 80`s he played on JACOBITES works. At that time he joined CRIME & THE CITY SOLUTION and later he formed (along with Rowland Howard) THESE IMMORTAL SOULS. Two albums released under that moniker... and early nineties, Epic, who has already been one of the most well respected session musicians of indie circuit, started working on the idea of a first solo work. Finally "RISE ABOVE" came to reality before the end of 1992, featuring contributions of J Macsis(Dinosaur Jr), Martyn Casey(Bad Seeds), Anthony Thistlethwaite(Waterboys), Will Pepper(Thee Hypnotics), Lee Ranaldo(Sonic Youth) and Rowland Howard. Songs, built mostly on piano-voice with addition of horns and strings, have a classic pop art ballad character, and certainly are quite influenced by BEATLES.

RISE ABOVE followed by two more albums: "SLEEPING STAR" & "CHANGE MY LIFE" and a collection of out-takes called "DEBRIS". A fourth, unreleased, album "GOOD THINGS" saw publicity only in 2005... nearly eight years after Epic had passed away, suddenly, in his sleep.

RISE ABOVE (60mb)

M.OXLEY & C. ABRAHAMS coal (AUS,1994)

Chris Abrahams, a "visible" and "invisible" (jazz) musician of the legendary 80`s australian underground, member or session man of several bands of the era (Laughing Clowns, Benders, The Sparklers, a.o.), after released some not very famous albums, found finally wider recognition by adding his keys to the ceremonial cosmic pulse of THE NECKS (avant post jazz trio). In the meanwhile he had a hand to some gems, that his later success should have normally moved out of shade. "COAL" is one of them. Chris plays almost all instruments here (keys, guitars,drums), leaving...Melanie Oxley`s magical vocals to "navigate" through hammond rivers of eerie flowing ... the bitter sweet songs.

Full of simple, straight, indie-soul-blues ballads, "COAL" sounds a very cool, modest and calm title for the album. It isn`t, considered this aussie fairy sets hearts on fire...

aussie fairy in rivers of eerie flowing

COAL (52mb)