Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1984 - (page 198)

Mad Eyed Screamer said:
Yeah the.Blitz scene in Camden certainly were the New Romantics and personally I think it all merged into one with DM,(the early electro pop era), Human League - the Dare period not the Being Bioled / Sound of the Crowd era.
The Smash Hits bands as I called them, not meant in a derogatory way, that’s who Smash Hits featured along with Adam Ant and Haircut 100 and Kim Wilde!
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Can we not get too much ahead of ourselves ;-)
 
Been difficult to pick a final one. Despite Germ Free Adolescent being nominated in the previous year I was going to go with Warrior In Woolworths. As has already been pointed out probably the original Riot Grrrl who left us too soon; proof that punk can be jaunty and that jauntiness makes the world a better place.

But this thread is about music evolution and so we can't miss out one of the great albums of 1979. Sometimes music it's about fantastic melodies that make people happy and sell in huge volumes. But sometimes music is about standing on Beachy Head and being a bit out there, thereby intriguing a smaller number of people to go and create their take on your sound. From Mark E Smith to Aphex Twin, Nick Cave to the JD/NO guys the number of people inspired by this album is legion even before you get into the hardcore industrial music it spawned.

For the purpose of the playlist I'm going with the most accessible track which is more of a gateway than a real feel, but get yourself a copy of the album - even if you can't get into their unsettling musical world the ironic album cover is one of the best you'll own. From the seminal 20 Jazz Funk Greats...

Throbbing Gristle - Hot On The Heels of Love
 
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homerdog said:
I'm Flirtin' with Disaster by not choosing Dream Police, I Want You to Want Me, Just the Same Way, Every Time I Think of You, Cheap Sunglasses, or loads of other rock classics released in this year. Punk and New Wave - pfft, I don't know what all the fuss was about!

This song from Randy Bachman, the writer of American Woman and You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, was a minor hit in '79, but definitely has that distinctive BTO sound - Let's Rock!

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Sweet Lui-Louise - Ironhorse
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I can’t find this on UK Spotify :(

Never listened to Ironhorse but I love a bit of BTO.

As compensation, I have added the other tracks you mentioned but you can have those as free picks.
 
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I’ve snuck in another favourite track from 1979. This is one of my playlist perennials but one not many may be familiar with. A little slice of power pop perfection: (You Really) Rock Me by Nick Gilder.
 
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
Yeah the.Blitz scene in Camden certainly were the New Romantics and personally I think it all merged into one with DM,(the early electro pop era), Human League - the Dare period not the Being Bioled / Sound of the Crowd era.
The Smash Hits bands as I called them, not meant in a derogatory way, that’s who Smash Hits featured along with Adam Ant and Haircut 100 and Kim Wilde!
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You mentioned Kim Wilde you bastard.

*goes for a lie down
 
Two singles I bought on the same day, both on the Harvest label and both on coloured vinyl:
The Scorpions - Is there anybody there / Another piece of meat
Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Revolt Into Style

And another couple of good singles:
Styx - Renegade
Thin Lizzy - Waiting For an Alibi
 
stan bowles said:
Two singles I bought on the same day, both on the Harvest label and both on coloured vinyl:
The Scorpions - Is there anybody there / Another piece of meat
Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Revolt Into Style

And another couple of good singles:
Styx - Renegade
Thin Lizzy - Waiting For an Alibi
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I think I may have that Scorps single is a box in the attic.
 
Got bored with the lack of action so I have added a few tracks at the very end of the list, so those not interested can ignore them. All bar one of them are personal favourites from the time and one (Chris Cross) is a soft rock classic I was introduced to much later.
 
homerdog said:
Although only a minor hit in '79, I bought this classic on picture disc after hearing it playing in the local record shop:

Driver's Seat - Sniff 'n' the Tears
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Was going to my selection , proof that a good moog solo and driving guitar riff could more than match it with disco mania.

Glad they got over the production issues to release it as it was.

Minor hit who cares a good track is a good track.
 
mancity111 said:
Was going to my selection , proof that a good moog solo and driving guitar riff could more than match it with disco mania.

Glad they got over the production issues to release it as it was.

Minor hit who cares a good track is a good track.
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A track that I didn’t know but a band with a familiar name. Liked it so much I bought a best of: it was cheap.
 
Last 3 from me

Garland Jeffreys an artist I got into on his next album’ Escape Artist’ which featured members of the E Street band and Lou Reed but this is off the album American Boys and Girls which I bought next.The album isn’t on Spotify but the single from it is ‘MATADOR’

Another fave of mine released his only solo album before he died.Little Feats Lowell George ‘TWENTY MILLION THINGS’.

He was first touted as an Elvis Costello sound alike but his later albums proved there was a lot more to him and his was a very accomplished pianist.I remember seeing him at the Apollo and was surprised how tall he was.He released 2 albums this year, I’m going for his debut single
IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?
 
Bought my first single in 1979. YELLOW VINYL!! I was 12 and going to the local Northenden disco Tuesday night at the British Legion.i remember them playing this, Jimmy Jimmy by the Undertones, Buzzcocks, the Clash..Rod Stewart and Quo!
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RobMCFC said:
I’ve still got one pick left and I don’t think we’ve had this song yet:-

“Message in a Bottle” - The Police
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We haven’t, because I forgot to add it to my coda. One of may favourites from the year, which I do associate with late summer of that year (it was released as a single in early September).

I think it was in 1979 that I had a ticket to go and see The Police in Manchester and I had a ticket. A very attractive young lady that I knew, who was dating someone else, asked to come with me with a view to buying a ticket from a tout. The Police’s popularity was growing faster than a bamboo grove and the FTH was already not large enough to satisfy demand, so we did not get a sniff of another ticket and I had to sell mine. She did buy me a meal as compensation.

I did eventually see the Police on their next two tours and when they reformed in this century. Oddly, I never bought any of their records until they released a complete works cd; although I think I have a few of their albums on vinyl in my collection as it also includes my wife’s albums.
 
Mancitydoogle said:
Last 3 from me

Garland Jeffreys an artist I got into on his next album’ Escape Artist’ which featured members of the E Street band and Lou Reed but this is off the album American Boys and Girls which I bought next.The album isn’t on Spotify but the single from it is ‘MATADOR’

Another fave of mine released his only solo album before he died.Little Feats Lowell George ‘TWENTY MILLION THINGS’.

He was first touted as an Elvis Costello sound alike but his later albums proved there was a lot more to him and his was a very accomplished pianist.I remember seeing him at the Apollo and was surprised how tall he was.He released 2 albums this year, I’m going for his debut single
IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?
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Good job I know who he was.
 
OB1 said:
We haven’t, because I forgot to add it to my coda. One of may favourites from the year, which I do associate with late summer of that year (it was released as a single in early September).

I think it was in 1979 that I had a ticket to go and see The Police in Manchester and I had a ticket. A very attractive young lady that I knew, who was dating someone else, asked to come with me with a view to buying a ticket from a tout. The Police’s popularity was growing faster than a bamboo grove and the FTH was already not large enough to satisfy demand, so we did not get a sniff of another ticket and I had to sell mine. She did buy me a meal as compensation.

I did eventually see the Police on their next two tours and when they reformed in this century. Oddly, I never bought any of their records until they released a complete works cd; although I think I have a few of their albums on vinyl in my collection as it also includes my wife’s albums.
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That FTH gig was fantastic. I had a front row seat. Started off at the left hand side of the stage and finished at the right hand side after all the mayhem during the gig. Oh to be 17 again...
 
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