Cowboys International - Aftermath

The Cowboys' first or maybe second single, released in 1979. It doesn't hit the heights of their masterpiece, "Pointy Shoes", which I've already posted, but it's still a good solid specimen of lost early new wave.

Holly Beth Vincent - Honalu

The gorgeous opening track to Holly's second album (titled Holly and the Italians, but credited to her alone), from 1982. This would be on all those New Wave Classics collections, if there was any justice in the world.

Simple Minds - Chelsea Girl

Now here's a trip down memory lane. What a different band Simple Minds were back then! The keyboards remind me of a Van Morrison song (not that one), Jim Kerr looks like Gary Numan, and there's some rather wankery guitar in the middle. Still, there's an infectious song underneath it all, and I love an infectious song no matter how embarrassingly it's dressed.

Their second single, from 1979.

Psychedelic Furs - Sleep Comes Down

Not one of their best-remembered songs, I don't think, but this track from 1982's Forever Now has always been a favourite of mine. It's simple and sing-songy, almost effortless in its dreamy perfection. I can recall hearing a slower live version too which I'm not sure the source of - any info would be appreciated.

Nick Heyward - On a Sunday

Nick was one of my very first pop star crushes and I still get a bit silly and girly watching this. I don't think much was expected from him when he left Haircut 100, but his solo debut North of a Miracle, from 1983, was actually pretty good. It's lightweight, sure, but so is a lot of the stuff on this blog. In a different sort of way. I take retrospective vindication from the fact that no less a label than Cherry Red decided to reissue it a couple years ago.

This was my favourite single from that album (and oddly enough, the least successful).

Scars - All About You

As promised (ages ago). Enjoy.

The Radio - One of Two Ways

2007 single and track from The Radio's second album, Charm Offensive. The Radio were occasionally referred to as an Irish supergroup, although Rollerskate Skinny is probably the only related band that will mean anything to anyone outside of Ireland. And they sounded nothing like Rollerskate Skinny, instead being something of an early '80s (very early '80s) new wave revivalist band. There was inevitably a touch of the novelty act about them, although they were never as crass in their retroism as a similarly-influenced Irish band around at the same time, Neosupervital, who bizarrely seemed to be a lot more popular. Anyway, The Radio had some really nice tunes and were pretty fantastic live. Awful name though.

Holly and the Italians - Rock Against Romance

Anthemic tune from Holly Beth Vincent's debut album, The Right to be Italian. This is really very similar to that Nuns track I posted last week, although being released a year later (1981), it was considered new wave rather than punk. Labels, eh?

The Calloways - Kalamazoo

There is a decided lack of information available about this band. They may have been from Edinburgh, but they don't seem to have released much of anything. This very new-wavey track, which dates to the early-mid '80s, appeared on the wonderful 1996 cassette compilation A Sandwich and a Sweater. Anyone know anything about them?

Split Enz - One Step Ahead

Classic Kiwi new wave, released as a single in 1980 and the following year on their second album Waiata. I always thought of this song as a sort of inferior sibling to their masterpiece "I Got You", but it's still a thoroughly enjoyable little pop song, much better than most of the rest of their material to be perfectly honest.

I really like the video too, but that might just be nostalgia. Or the fact that nobody would ever make a video like this today.

China Crisis - Working with Fire and Steel

I don't post a huge amount of '80s new wavey chart pop, but I still have dozens of those old records lying about and I'm slowly getting around to re-evaluating them all. One that's fared surprisingly well - considering I didn't really like it that much in the '80s - is the second China Crisis album, Working with Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs Volume 2. I think in 1983 I was probably too young to appreciate the subtlety of their songwriting, the political undertones and the fantastic oboe touches that appear in various spots. Everything sounds better with an oboe in it.

"Wishful Thinking" was the big hit off this album, and it is a lovely song indeed, but the title track just edges it in terms of the how-did-I-not-recognise-the-genius factor.

Holly Beth Vincent - Dangerously

For most people, Holly Beth Vincent's main claim to fame is probably that she wrote the song "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" for her old band, Holly and the Italians, which was much later covered by Transvision Vamp. I didn't care much for the original (sort of a poor woman's "Rip Her to Shreds") and I have even less time for the cover version but for some reason it was a reasonably big hit so I guess I have to mention it here.

A lot of the rest of Holly Beth's stuff is quite good in an early-'80s new wave singer-songwriter sort of way. You know the type. This is her masterpiece, a contemplative and deceptively laid back-sounding piece of synth-funk with strange sporadic horn intrusions and probably her best vocal performance ever.

It appeared on the US version of her second album, from 1982, which was confusingly titled Holly and the Italians but credited to her alone.

Blondie - 11:59

Album track from Parallel Lines and the b-side to the "Heart of Glass" single. That was the first record I can remember buying and I loved it so much I wore it right out. Only this side, I mean. I don't think I even listened to the a-side very much.

What a great pop song it still is. There's just nothing about it not to love.

Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way

Here's a real nostalgia one for all you '80s kids. Forever Now, their 1982 third album, was where the Furs really shed their punk and post-punk roots and settled firmly into that genre that was slowly ceasing to be "new wave" but never really found another name that everyone could agree on. It was the Britpop of the '80s, I suppose.

Having said that, this particular song was as new wave as anything they ever did. And oh how I loved it! I had the 7" and it skipped right at the start of the chorus after the second verse and to this day, every time I hear the song I still subconsciously expect it to skip at that point. Which is how you know you really loved a record. Even today I'm still awed by what a great tune this was. One of the best singles of the era, definitely.

Ultra Vivid Scene - Crash

This wouldn't have been one of my favourite UVS songs back in the day but I've developed a new appreciation for it lately. They might have been known as a shoegaze band but this is closer to classic '80s new wave than anything else.

From their 1988 self-titled debut album.

1000 Mexicans - Teaching Fish to Swim

An obscure English band from the mid-1980s. I'm not sure exactly where they were from. Mildly atmospheric new wave pop with a few "exotic" instruments. They were ok.

This was from their 1985 debut album.

Altered Images - Don't Talk to Me About Love

Just heard this again recently and had forgotten how much I loved it. OK, it's from their worst album (1983's Bite), and overproduced within an inch of its life. But isn't it irresistible anyway?

Blondie - Accidents Never Happen

A great album track (from Eat to the Beat) that I've rediscovered recently. When you hear the same six or seven singles all the time, it's easy to forget how good some of their lesser-known material was.

Check out Clem Burke in the background, looking like a little boy who's sitting in front of a drum kit for the first time.

The Associates - Even Dogs in the Wild

Another brilliant Associates track, this one from their 1980 debut album, The Affectionate Punch. A different version of this was released a couple years later on a flexidisc issued by Flexipop magazine. Remember Flexipop? What a great little magazine that was. Until it basically became the publishing wing of the Batcave. I admit I still bought it though.

Scars - Leave Me in Autumn

Another totally unseasonable song, but trust me, I need it in this weather. Scars were from Edinburgh and were active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, starting off as a post-punk band but becoming best-known for an utterly delightful pop single, "All About You". I'm sure that'll make an appearance here eventually, but for now I'll put up my own personal favourite Scars track, which is also from their only album (1981's Author! Author!).