Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1986 - (page 212)

[threespires]

Prior to the.10th Summer at GMEx there was another mass gathering of top artists in the form of the Red Wedge tour.

Aimed at attracting younger people to take an interest in politics and specifically Labour, it was organised or at least fronted by Billy Bragg and Paul Weller. It was seen as much too socialist lite for some bands like the Redskins but was really aimed at getting bigger names to participate. Alongside Bragg , The Style Council, and The Communards an eclectic mix of people joined them including the likes of Elvis Costello, Madness, Heaven 17, Jerry Dammers, The Beat, Sade, Lloyd Cole, Prefab Sprout etc. Each performing a small set. Who joined each night varied including on one brilliant night in Newcastle which I was lucky enough to be at, where to everyones amazement out sauntered The Smiths at which point the place went absolutely apeshit. No one had any idea they would be playing and apparently it was a sufficiently impromptu decision that they ended up using the Style Council's gear. Might only have been four songs but it was proper light the blue touch paper stuff.

Alongside the big names there were less obvious acts, Junior Giscombe of Mama Used To Say fame turned out to be a red under the bed. There was also huge scepticism when Gary Kemp walked out, with more than a few 'what's the tosser from Spandau Ballet doing here' type comments. He sat down with an acoustic guitar and said he was going to play a new song he'd been working on. After he finished he got a really warm reception. It was an embryonic and stripped down version of what was later released as Through The Barricades and it was much better than the eventual SB single.

The gigs were generally a bit chaotic but great fun and typically finished with a rousing rendition of Stand Down Margaret. If only she'd listened.

 

[Protein Junkie]

Final track and no apologies
Van Halen - Why Can’t this be love.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Here is the missing track if you would like to add it. I got it from Tidal.

And I saved that track but here's the thing, other than loads of other non-trivial things Spotify knows about me and my age of "78" and whatnot, it also knows I'm in the US and is not letting me play or even add that track to the playlist.

I tried to add it to the playlist, but it is only letting me play "Swamp Thing" from Strange Times.

Post-edit: It appears I was just able to add it to the playlist, but I have no way of telling if it worked as the song is not showing up as visible in the song listings for me. Maybe most/the rest of you can see it? Sorry if it is out of order too, but I can't arrange it if I can't see it. I'm curious if any others in the US can see it too...

 

[Saddleworth2]

And I saved that track but here's the thing, other than loads of other non-trivial things Spotify knows about me and my age of "78" and whatnot, it also knows I'm in the US and is not letting me play or even add that track to the playlist.

I tried to add it to the playlist, but it is only letting me play "Swamp Thing" from Strange Times.

Post-edit: It appears I was just able to add it to the playlist, but I have no way of telling if it worked as the song is not showing up as visible in the song listings for me. Maybe most/the rest of you can see it? Sorry if it is out of order too, but I can't arrange it if I can't see it. I'm curious if any others in the US can see it too...

I can see and play it in the UK. Well added mate ;-).

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I can see and play it in the UK. Well added mate ;-).

Great, thanks for confirming. I just went into "Edit" the playlist, and then I did see the "Mad Jack" track greyed out, so I was able to move it up to the ordering that @hallsteve62 had originally requested, so it is now there too. Thanks for all the help again!

 

[RobMCFC]

I see Steve Cropper, guitarist with Booker T & The MGs has died. He featured prominently in our write-ups of the early 60s and co-wrote and played on “Sittin’ On The Dock of The Bay”, was in the Blues Brothers and was a general all-round legend of early rock & soul.

 

[homerdog]

Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money contains the lines
Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang
'Be my little baby'

This refers to Ronnie Spector (former wife of convicted murderer Phil 'Wall of Sound' Spector) of the Ronettes and their '60s hit of the same name. Appropriately, Eddie persuaded her to perform on the song and appear in the music video, which subsequently reignited her career.

 

[OB1]

Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money contains the lines
Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang
'Be my little baby'

This refers to Ronnie Spector (former wife of convicted murderer Phil 'Wall of Sound' Spector) of the Ronettes and their '60s hit of the same name. Appropriately, Eddie persuaded her to perform on the song and appear in the music video, which subsequently reignited her career.

Nice pick. Frees one of my unused picks up. Love to song and Ronnie’s contribution.

 

[OB1]

Good write-up of the year BTW. Only just now had chance to read it. Introduced me to some tracks I didn’t know. Looked the DoDeans cd up on Amazon -£300 to buy!!!! I didn’t bother; took a punt on a best of as an Xmas pressie.

 

[OB1]

For my second pick, I’m going for the buffoon who produced a song better than anything on the first Van Hagar album.the rock n roll sunshine that is:

David Lee Roth: Goin’ Crazy!

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

Absolutely brilliant write up @Black&White&BlueMoon Town and I liked the US aspect on the year in respect to the sports side.

I remember my Mum coming back from Oldham Market with a leg of lamb which she'd bought extremely cheaply from one of the 'auction' vans they used to do. Needless to say it was from Wales about a month after Chernobyl and after they put 2 and 2 together, it went into the bin! :)

Here's my picks:

West End Girls - The Pet Shop Boys

It doesn't really need an introduction, it's an absolute classic of the era. Ultra smooth, great synths and that detached 'rapping' over the top just makes it. On one level it's quite a simple song, but it's the way each part works from the bass, the synths, the riffs just make it sound like it's something you could do at home if you could afford that latest Casio keyboard from Argos, but but you can't!

It's one of the greatest songs of the 80s and just seemed to sum up that era.

Angel Of Death - Slayer

I am not a thrash metal fan, but this album is a landmark in metal with the 'Angel Of Death' both controversial and a classic of the genre. This album pushes metal into a more extreme, faster, darker area. The album is brutal - tracks played at breakneck speed with heavy, bone crunching riffs. 1986 was a good year for metal with albums from Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax etc but none of them pushed it as far and as hard as Slayer did.

Walk This Way - Run DMC & Aerosmith

Maybe other than White Lines by Grandmaster Flash, this is simply the greatest rap record ever made. It takes a good song by Aerosmith and takes it to a completely different level. Quite simply, this rap track is a masterpiece and has not been bettered in my opinion. It's brilliantly done - the drums alone mean you know this track from the first second. Then the guitar comes in. Then the rapping starts. It absolutely rinses the Aerosmith version (in my opinion!)

It was quite controversial back in the day with both rap and rock fans not liking it, but the video featuring both bands broke a lot of boundaries on MTV.

Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your Body

We're hearing more of the synths at play, but the sound of Chicago is now heading around the world. As a young kid, I just remember hearing these new sounds and wondering what type of music it was. The simplicity of the bass/riffs meant that I could play them quite easily on the Yamaha keyboard we had (the disco beat didn't match any Roland drum machine mind). These songs just sounded absolutely alien. As a young kid, I had no idea what jacking was or how you could do it to your body, but this sounded amazing. This was music I could hope to make myself!

Of course, Jack Your Body might not sound great nowadays but it's another calling that club music, electronic music, Acid House, House Music is coming! In turn, club culture will transform pub culture into something that resembles modern Manchester.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I see Steve Cropper, guitarist with Booker T & The MGs has died. He featured prominently in our write-ups of the early 60s and co-wrote and played on “Sittin’ On The Dock of The Bay”, was in the Blues Brothers and was a general all-round legend of early rock & soul.

I just saw that on the news tonight and all the artists he touched and collaborated with, lots out of Stax. A very nice tribute in this link below and he was well represented on this thread over the years in the music we've covered that he was a part of.

‘Play it, Steve!’

Steve Cropper, guitarist and member of Stax Records' Booker T and the M.G.'s, has died at age 84

Steve Cropper, who co-wrote classic songs, including “(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour,” during his years playing guitar at the legendary Stax Records in Memphis, has died.

apnews.com

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Highly enjoyable write up B&W. There was one paragraph that might as well have been in Swahili (guess which ;-))

The Super Bowl Shuffle (might make the Coda!)? The Buckner error in the World Series? The First Division nonsense? ;-)

but the rest of it was a fun trip to the past with many historical and cultural references that chimed; be it the forgetful Oliver North or Victor Sifuentes who of course would go on to become President of the United States (though I seem to remember being more enamored of Susan Dey).

I enjoyed his work in Dexter too. And my adult daughter didn't know who he was...

Some cataclysmic events too and I think in hindsight I'll include the 'big bang' in those :-)

Three songs on the initial playlist that I wasn't familiar with at all which was a bonus too.

Hmm, Orr and BoDeans (despite the playlist) are somewhat obvious, but you got me on the 3rd. I took you for being familiar with Love and Rockets too, and maybe sampled the early Smithereens when Rob nominated 11 given how much that prior song was mentioned.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

Good write-up of the year BTW. Only just now had chance to read it. Introduced me to some tracks I didn’t know. Looked the DoDeans cd up on Amazon -£300 to buy!!!!

I still have that original CD, nice!

However in 1986, I played that in cassette form all summer long as I wouldn't buy my very first CD until 1987, and I bought that before I could afford a player! I will be selecting a song off of that release next year too.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

For my second pick, I’m going for the buffoon who produced a song better than anything on the first Van Hagar album.the rock n roll sunshine that is:

David Lee Roth: Goin’ Crazy!

He he.. I figured you'd have something to say about that, and for the record, I did note that I think our tastes might have been diverging a bit around that time a few years prior. ;-)

 

[BimboBob]

Steve 'Silk' Hurley - Jack Your Body

We're hearing more of the synths at play, but the sound of Chicago is now heading around the world. As a young kid, I just remember hearing these new sounds and wondering what type of music it was. The simplicity of the bass/riffs meant that I could play them quite easily on the Yamaha keyboard we had (the disco beat didn't match any Roland drum machine mind). These songs just sounded absolutely alien. As a young kid, I had no idea what jacking was or how you could do it to your body, but this sounded amazing. This was music I could hope to make myself!

Of course, Jack Your Body might not sound great nowadays but it's another calling that club music, electronic music, Acid House, House Music is coming! In turn, club culture will transform pub culture into something that resembles modern Manchester.

I'll see your Steve 'Silk' Hurley and raise you...

Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk - Love Can't Turn Around 12" Mix

Oooh the bass!

 

[threespires]

The Super Bowl Shuffle (might make the Coda!)? The Buckner error in the World Series? The First Division nonsense? ;-)

It's the bottom of the fifth and the old grey goose on second juxtaposition has struck out on celery, or something.

Hmm, Orr and BoDeans (despite the playlist) are somewhat obvious, but you got me on the 3rd. I took you for being familiar with Love and Rockets too, and maybe sampled the early Smithereens when Rob nominated 11 given how much that prior song was mentioned.

A bit more 'never seen Star Wars' than that :-)

 

[Jazzman]

Walk like an Egyptian - Bangles
Absolute Beginners - David Bowie
Who made who - AC/DC
Orgasmatron - Motorhead

 

[RobMCFC]

..... as I wouldn't buy my very first CD until 1987, and I bought that before I could afford a player

I suppose I should mention my first CD player - part of a relatively cheap Philips stack that included a twin cassette deck and turntable (the latter didn't get that much use).

I'd only bought about 15 albums on vinyl before I decided that I'd had enough of scratchy record sounds. I paid £400 (most of my student loan money as I lived at home) for the CD system in December 1986, and the first two CDs I bought with it were:

The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range
Invisible Touch - Genesis

 

[homerdog]

Angel Of Death - Slayer

I am not a thrash metal fan, but this album is a landmark in metal with the 'Angel Of Death' both controversial and a classic of the genre. This album pushes metal into a more extreme, faster, darker area. The album is brutal - tracks played at breakneck speed with heavy, bone crunching riffs. 1986 was a good year for metal with albums from Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax etc but none of them pushed it as far and as hard as Slayer did.

Thrash metal has never really been my thing either, although I did listen to Reign in Blood when it came out. It was produced by the influential Rick Rubin, who also produced Walk This Way by Run-DMC/Aerosmith and (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) by the Beastie Boys, two other great songs from '86.

Josef Mengele was the "Angel of Death" and I remember there was some controversy when the song came out. It was criticised as being supportive of him (which the band have denied), but it led to me being interested enough to find out what he did and to recognise the full horror of the atrocities carried out by him and others at Auschwitz.