Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1985 - (page 203)

[Saddleworth2]

Disgraceful omission to exclude Meat Is Murder and Lowlife - I should ban Saddleworth for those two crimes alone ;)

I shall duly mention both in a day or two when I jot my memoirs down :)

listen mate, you have your obsessions, I have mine. ;-)

 

[threespires]

Disgraceful omission to exclude Meat Is Murder and Lowlife - I should ban Saddleworth for those two crimes alone ;)

I shall duly mention both in a day or two when I jot my memoirs down :)

I knew I wouldn't have to nominate from Meat Is Murder as you'd be along to do so, but I hadn't anticipated you'd be going for Low-Life too :-) so it'll have to be two tracks from that on the playlist.

I threw away most of my vinyl at a time when it looked like it was a 'dead format' :-(
However, more by accident than design, I retained a couple of boxes that luckily turned out to have some of my favourite albums, EPs and 12 inches inside. These are now mostly in possession of my eldest and whilst I have to make do with the CD of Low-Life he gets to run his hands over the beautiful, tracing paper encased cover of New Order's Low-Life. My favourite NO album has varied over the years but this has probably spent more time as the #1 object of my affections than any of the others.

Creating music that is both simple and sublime at the same time requires a certain type of genius that NO show off multiple times on this album. They do it from the off with the opening track which is my nomination. Full of trademark NO, be it Hooky's melody driven chorused bass; Barney's faintly gnomic lyrics or the stately rhythmic propulsion. There are songs on the album that have more going on but this is a study on how sometimes less is more.

New Order - Love Vigilantes

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

listen mate, you have your obsessions, I have mine. ;-)

Me? Obsessed? Think you have tagged the wrong poster here ;)

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

1985, the year pop music died. At leas that's what I tell my A-ha loving missus.

In truth, it was heading that way. Less innovation and more middle of the Atlantic music. A few notable exceptions stood out, Tears For Fears seminal album, Songs From The Big Chair, being one. With two tracks already being picked from it you'd think that another would be overkill...but no...it's a doozy and goes to show how good that album was/ is.

Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels

Earlier today, I was sure I was going to pick this, but as a double-shot of Broken/Head Over Heels as I'd nearly insist that both should go together. But what do I know, and a quick relisten of the album reminded me of why I still love that "forgotten" 2nd track buried between the two blockbusters.

I do know that putting in a full day of work can lose you 3 songs from this year chosen today, and one from next year I was about to write up for this weekend, but I suppose that's just all Talk (Talk) now. Probably best that BB got it anyways and knowing the "EU" single release prior year poaching was always possible.

Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma, it shows there's some good tracks already here, so all you people in the street, some days the world drags me down... but there's always more...

Senior Prom was great and that also led into "the longest summer" of 1985 from late May until mid-September when the "fall quarter" would start. When I hear of attending Live Aid or not, that meant something entirely different from my vantage point. I was about an hour away distance-wise from JFK Stadium in Philly, but in saving up for college, sitting in the roasting July 15 95F/35C heat was not something that was ever going to happen funds wise. It might as well have been a world away.

A few friends I know who went were not exaggerating when they called conditions inside the concrete stadium with 100K people "boiling hot" and "sweltering". The Philadelphia Fire Department even set up open-air showers and hosed down the crowd to help people cool off. Meanwhile, I was camped out at home with our new family VCR and getting the best of all the bands in both London and Philly on my 3 VHS tapes which I would later play into the ground. Do I regret not going? Not really, despite my proximity as those I know who went missed out on the UK acts back then, of which I got to see the Best of Both Worlds.

Anyways, one of the songs that helped inspire the concert in addition to "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was this. I still vividly remember the simultaneous broadcast of this single by over 8,000 radio stations on April 5. On that day at 10:25 am ET, radio stations across the globe aired the song to support USA for Africa's famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. I know where I was that day. It was driving down to the beach over a long Easter weekend with my then emerging high school senior girlfriend where weeks and months of signals would no longer be ignored that weekend. Hard to believe that was over 40 years ago, but unlike many memories over time, that one still remains pretty vivid.

"We Are The World" - U.S.A. For Africa

(I highly recommend the 2024 Netflix documentary, "The Greatest Night in Pop" if you haven't seen that too as it was a fascinating story of how it all came together)

 

[threespires]

Earlier today, I was sure I was going to pick this, but as a double-shot of Broken/Head Over Heels as I'd nearly insist that both should go together. But what do I know, and a quick relisten of the album reminded me of why I still love that "forgotten" 2nd track buried between the two blockbusters.

I do know that putting in a full day of work can lose you 3 songs from this year chosen today, and one from next year I was about to write up for this weekend, but I suppose that's just all Talk (Talk) now. Probably best that BB got it anyways and knowing the "EU" single release prior year poaching was always possible.

Ah-hey-ma-ma-ma, it shows there's some good tracks already here, so all you people in the street, some days the world drags me down... but there's always more...

Senior Prom was great and that also led into "the longest summer" of 1985 from late May until mid-September when the "fall quarter" would start. When I hear of attending Live Aid or not, that meant something entirely different from my vantage point. I was about an hour away distance-wise from JFK Stadium in Philly, but in saving up for college, sitting in the roasting July 15 95F/35C heat was not something that was ever going to happen funds wise. It might as well have been a world away.

A few friends I know who went were not exaggerating when they called conditions inside the concrete stadium with 100K people "boiling hot" and "sweltering". The Philadelphia Fire Department even set up open-air showers and hosed down the crowd to help people cool off. Meanwhile, I was camped out at home with our new family VCR and getting the best of all the bands in both London and Philly on my 3 VHS tapes which I would later play into the ground. Do I regret not going? Not really, despite my proximity as those I know who went missed out on the UK acts back then, of which I got to see the Best of Both Worlds.

Anyways, one of the songs that helped inspire the concert in addition to "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was this. I still vividly remember the simultaneous broadcast of this single by over 8,000 radio stations on April 5. On that day at 10:25 am ET, radio stations across the globe aired the song to support USA for Africa's famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. I know where I was that day. It was driving down to the beach over a long Easter weekend with my then emerging high school senior girlfriend where weeks and months of signals would no longer be ignored that weekend. Hard to believe that was over 40 years ago, but unlike many memories over time, that one still remains pretty vivid.

"We Are The World" - U.S.A. For Africa

(I highly recommend the 2024 Netflix documentary, "The Greatest Night in Pop" if you haven't seen that too as it was a fascinating story of how it all came together)

Before watching it, I assumed the Netflix doc would be a heavily manicured and somewhat saccharine record of events. But I sat there with my mouth wide open at some of it. Definitely worth a watch.

 

[mrbelfry]

I was mostly 7 in 1985 and have no real memory of what I was doing. I'm reasonably confident I wasn't in a pub - at best i would have been sat outside sharing a lemonade with my siblings. I also have no recollection of Live Aid so must not have been paying attention to anything.

I do have strong memories of Brothers In Arms being played very loudly in the house at some point particularly whilst being forcibly made to spring clean. When the windows got opened Brothers in Arms got played.

Walk of Life by Dire Straits is my first nomination because it soundtracked the greatest moment of my life. I'm not sure how old I was but alcohol would definitely not been involved and I think it was at a neighbours wedding. Her brother Lawrence would often dance like Michael Jackson - particular highlight was when he took of his belt and threw it across the room. Not really relevent.

At the wedding I'm dancing with my mum. Walk of Life comes on and I go all in. I'm strutting around my mum as if I'm actually doing the walk of life. For that one moment in my life I'm living the best version of me. Having an amazing time. When suddenly a teenage girl asked me to dance. My life was about to change for ever as I'd never felt cool before. Never felt wanted (I'm a middle child obviously). As I stood on the cusp of manhood I shyly turned her down and returned to my seat. It would be years before I danced again and I've been a loser ever since.

My memory has been coloured by the shame of cowardice since but when I look back I think the young lady I turned down looked like Maxine Peak. Modesty and accuracy forbids me retelling this story as the day I was super cool and turned down Maxine Peak but i guess i turned down Maxine Peak

Walk of Life is now more meaningful as symbolic of my life - opportunity refused due to cowardice.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I was mostly 7 in 1985 and have no real memory of what I was doing. I'm reasonably confident I wasn't in a pub - at best i would have been sat outside sharing a lemonade with my siblings. I also have no recollection of Live Aid so must not have been paying attention to anything.

I do have strong memories of Brothers In Arms being played very loudly in the house at some point particularly whilst being forcibly made to spring clean. When the windows got opened Brothers in Arms got played.

Walk of Life by Dire Straits is my first nomination because it soundtracked the greatest moment of my life. I'm not sure how old I was but alcohol would definitely not been involved and I think it was at a neighbours wedding. Her brother Lawrence would often dance like Michael Jackson - particular highlight was when he took of his belt and threw it across the room. Not really relevent.

At the wedding I'm dancing with my mum. Walk of Life comes on and I go all in. I'm strutting around my mum as if I'm actually doing the walk of life. For that one moment in my life I'm living the best version of me. Having an amazing time. When suddenly a teenage girl asked me to dance. My life was about to change for ever as I'd never felt cool before. Never felt wanted (I'm a middle child obviously). As I stood on the cusp of manhood I shyly turned her down and returned to my seat. It would be years before I danced again and I've been a loser ever since.

My memory has been coloured by the shame of cowardice since but when I look back I think the young lady I turned down looked like Maxine Peak. Modesty and accuracy forbids me retelling this story as the day I was super cool and turned down Maxine Peak.

Walk of Life is now more meaningful as symbolic of my life - opportunity refused due to cowardice.

brilliant :-)

 

[mrbelfry]

Did we do Take on Me by A-ha in 1984? If not then this.



An absolute banger of a song with an incredible music video. Back in the day we had a dodgy sky box and we used to make VHS recordings of MTV either over night or when we were at school (can't remember why or when we did it). This was a song that in my memory united the whole family and when you were reviewing the tape you'd call everyone together to watch it. Live action and cartoon had been used before like when Mary Poppins danced with penguins but it had never been this cool before. Years later MxPx would do a punk cover and that along with Chick Magnet was my bass warm up song of choice for a long time

 

[Jazzman]

This is a very strange playlist so far. 3 Tears for Fears songs FFS.
Let me offer something else

Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
Light pop, but still gives me a good mood

Mr. Bad Guy - Freddie Mercury
Need this man in the list for his Live Aid performance alone. This is a different kind of tune, but great.

This is England - The Clash
Love this one.

Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
Nice rythm, nice video ;-)

 

[hallsteve62]

@Jazzman. I love the Clash but that whole album was terrible : (

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

@Jazzman. I love the Clash but that whole album was terrible : (

Jones had left and formed BAD.
The record company demanded one more album……

 

[Jazzman]

@Jazzman. I love the Clash but that whole album was terrible : (

To tell you the truth I am not much of a Clash fan at all. I agree about the album. But for some reason this song speaks to me. I think it is because I come from nothing. When I was young I thought I'm gonna show them all. Now I am wiser and know I will remain nothing :-)

 

[hallsteve62]

Jones had left and formed BAD.
The record company demanded one more album……

True but it was still dreadful. I saw them at the Apollo on that tour iirc. Strummer, Simenon and three ringers. Not a good gig...

 

[BimboBob]

Did we do Take on Me by A-ha in 1984? If not then this.



An absolute banger of a song with an incredible music video. Back in the day we had a dodgy sky box and we used to make VHS recordings of MTV either over night or when we were at school (can't remember why or when we did it). This was a song that in my memory united the whole family and when you were reviewing the tape you'd call everyone together to watch it. Live action and cartoon had been used before like when Mary Poppins danced with penguins but it had never been this cool before. Years later MxPx would do a punk cover and that along with Chick Magnet was my bass warm up song of choice for a long time

I'm glad that someone picked this. Saves me doing it. Over a billion views on the Tube plus it was the years 2nd/ 3rd best selling song worldwide for the year so churlish to exclude it on the grounds that it's fucking A-ha.

 

[hallsteve62]

To tell you the truth I am not much of a Clash fan at all. I agree about the album. But for some reason this song speaks to me. I think it is because I come from nothing. When I was young I thought I'm gonna show them all. Now I am wiser and know I will remain nothing :-)

Songs resonate with people for different reasons, mate. As long as you enjoy it then that's all that matters!

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I was mostly 7 in 1985 and have no real memory of what I was doing. I'm reasonably confident I wasn't in a pub - at best i would have been sat outside sharing a lemonade with my siblings. I also have no recollection of Live Aid so must not have been paying attention to anything.

I'm not sure about the rest of you (ok, maybe I am..), but I will gladly take a 7 year old @mrbelfry joining the music party in 1985 as a rich edition to this thread as a hopeful regular going forward!

I do have strong memories of Brothers In Arms being played very loudly in the house at some point particularly whilst being forcibly made to spring clean. When the windows got opened Brothers in Arms got played.

Walk of Life by Dire Straits is my first nomination because it soundtracked the greatest moment of my life. I'm not sure how old I was but alcohol would definitely not been involved and I think it was at a neighbours wedding. Her brother Lawrence would often dance like Michael Jackson - particular highlight was when he took of his belt and threw it across the room. Not really relevent.

Maybe not, but worth the mention, and nice nomination and story of such. You may remember it one way, but the way it reads, this is what it says to me:

And after all the violence and double talk
There's just a song in all the trouble and the strife
You do the walk, yeah, you do the walk of life
Hmm, they do the walk of life

 

[OB1]

I was mostly 7 in 1985 and have no real memory of what I was doing. I'm reasonably confident I wasn't in a pub - at best i would have been sat outside sharing a lemonade with my siblings. I also have no recollection of Live Aid so must not have been paying attention to anything.

I do have strong memories of Brothers In Arms being played very loudly in the house at some point particularly whilst being forcibly made to spring clean. When the windows got opened Brothers in Arms got played.

Walk of Life by Dire Straits is my first nomination because it soundtracked the greatest moment of my life. I'm not sure how old I was but alcohol would definitely not been involved and I think it was at a neighbours wedding. Her brother Lawrence would often dance like Michael Jackson - particular highlight was when he took of his belt and threw it across the room. Not really relevent.

At the wedding I'm dancing with my mum. Walk of Life comes on and I go all in. I'm strutting around my mum as if I'm actually doing the walk of life. For that one moment in my life I'm living the best version of me. Having an amazing time. When suddenly a teenage girl asked me to dance. My life was about to change for ever as I'd never felt cool before. Never felt wanted (I'm a middle child obviously). As I stood on the cusp of manhood I shyly turned her down and returned to my seat. It would be years before I danced again and I've been a loser ever since.

My memory has been coloured by the shame of cowardice since but when I look back I think the young lady I turned down looked like Maxine Peak. Modesty and accuracy forbids me retelling this story as the day I was super cool and turned down Maxine Peak but i guess i turned down Maxine Peak

Walk of Life is now more meaningful as symbolic of my life - opportunity refused due to cowardice.

Lovely story.

 

[OB1]

Did we do Take on Me by A-ha in 1984? If not then this.



An absolute banger of a song with an incredible music video. Back in the day we had a dodgy sky box and we used to make VHS recordings of MTV either over night or when we were at school (can't remember why or when we did it). This was a song that in my memory united the whole family and when you were reviewing the tape you'd call everyone together to watch it. Live action and cartoon had been used before like when Mary Poppins danced with penguins but it had never been this cool before. Years later MxPx would do a punk cover and that along with Chick Magnet was my bass warm up song of choice for a long time

I deliberately left it out of the 1984 coda because it was a UK hit in ‘85.

 

[OB1]

Another fine addition to the write-up collection @Saddleworth2 .

My first playlist pick is Prince: Raspberry Beret.

I remember buying the album from which it comes and being rather disappointed after the highs of its predecessor but this track on its own was for me a match for anything on “Purple Rain”. It quickly became one of my favourite tracks by anyone and a summer playlist / mixtape perennial. Pure pop perfection.

It’s also a track I associate very strongly with ‘85. I remember buying the album during my lunch break at my second job that I started in February 1985 in London, after spending all my life to that point living within 20 miles of city centre Manchester. A big move that only lasted 15 months but was a valuable experience and got me onto the property ladder at a good time.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Another fine addition to the write-up collection @Saddleworth2 .

My first playlist pick is Prince: Raspberry Beret.

I remember buying the album from which it comes and being rather disappointed after the highs of its predecessor but this track on its own was for me a match for anything on “Purple Rain”. It quickly became one of my favourite tracks by anyone and a summer playlist / mixtape perennial. Pure pop perfection.

It’s also a track I associate very strongly with ‘85. I remember buying the album during my lunch break at my second job that I started in February 1985 in London, after spending all my life to that point living within 20 miles of city centre Manchester. A big move that only lasted 15 months but was a valuable experience and got me onto the property ladder at a good time.

It was my eleventh pick. Ousted by Jagger/Bowie not for quality but just thought the former better represented 1985. Brilliant track by a musical genius.