Great stroll down memory lane, Tom. New Wave restored my faith in culture. I despised disco. My novel "The Unreals" is filled with references to my hatred for it. Elvis Costello was my favorite. He went from computer operator to rock star. I went from computer operator- well stayed one for a long time- to lowly paid published author. Did you like Graham Parker? Very Elvis-like,. While researching my book "On Borrowed Fame," we became friends through email. And then I met him twice at his local concerts. Great guy, but he broke my heart when I interviewed him a few years back, and told him how much I loved New Wave, and hated disco. To my shock and disappointment, he said he liked disco better. Go figure. Great stuff- thanks!
I was one of the "disco sucks!" crowd too, but now in my dotage I actually love that music. Any way you slice it, "Saturday Night Fever" is a fantastic album.
I always preferred Graham Parker to Elvis C., but only because I always pull for the underdog who looks like maybe he didn't sell out. I like Elvis C. a lot, but I like Graham Parker more.
Back in the late 1980s, I actually got a chance to interview him for HEADLINERS magazine (R.I.P.) in D.C. when he was on his solo acoustic tour, playing small clubs.
G.P. was in town for a pair of shows at The Bayou (R.I.P.), an old nightclub under the Whitehurst Freeway in Georgetown. Both shows were the same night, an early show and a late show. I had interviewed him earlier in the day. My date & I left about midway through the second show because it was getting really late. After we exited, Parker noticed we were gone (we were sitting in the balcony, looking right over the stage) and said to the crowd "The asshole so-called rock critic finally left, so now we can have some fun." Or so I was told by people who didn't leave.
Mattered to me then, doesn't matter to me now. Parker's discography is stellar, I still listen to his stuff decades later, usually the less-well known albums because I played those classic ones 'til the grooves were gone back in the day.
As for disco, I hated it on general principle when it was popular, but I like a lot of it now, especially the really junky but fun stuff like the Stones' "Dance (Pt. 1)" and Marvin Gaye's unstoppable "Got To Give It Up." Chic is also usually reliably great.
Thank you for your comment! I look forward to reading your new book!
Funny that FoS were really hairdressers! Rick Meeder, an Atlanta bassist and wit whose dad ran 96 Rock back then told a story about hollering across the hall to the DJ, “Hey, are you going to that Flock of Hairdressers concert tonight?” only to discover they were sitting in the studio being interviewed.
I can never forgive Blondie for what I’ve always considered the first rap song.
“The Rolling Stones, Police, Journey, Foreigner, Genesis, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., The Kinks, Joan Jett, Huey Lewis, George Thorogood, Loverboy, and so on.”
Damn solid! Foreigner 4 was my first concert. They got their asses handed to them by Billy Squire. LOL. I’m serious.
Those are just the big time bands at huge outdoor all-day JFK (or Meadowlands, NJ) events. During the 80s I also saw Squeeze a few times, U2 a bunch, Cheap Trick a bunch, Pat Benatar, Bangles, Molly Hatchet, Outlaws, Terrence Trent Darby (remember him? He was HUGE for about three months, and put on a great show), Ziggy Marley, Graham Parker, on and on and on.
I've seen Sting/Police a ton, even though I never listen to him now; my ex-wife loved Sting, so we saw him a couple times, plus 3x with the Police, and believe it or not, I was living in Paris just out of college when he debuted with his solo band The Blue Turtles, and I saw one of those opening shows at the Mogador Theatre, he was there the whole week. The theater wasn't even full.
There was an Amnesty International charity show at the Meadowlands with both U2 and a reunited Police in 1986; they did an encore with both bands onstage for "Invisible Sun."
I remember nothing about that Kinks show, sadly, part of an all-day JFK festival show. Must've been one of the days I did a ton of drugs.
2) You took me to RFK Stadium to see The Jacksons on their Victory Tour in 1984 or 85ish, when you almost got into a fight with a mom a couple of rows in front of us, ahhh...memories.
Good write-up of a great musical era. Regarding Stein whacked out on stage, during the Clash at Bonds fiasco I was able to get tickets for four different shows, and at one of them Mick Jones was clearly whacked out, forgetting lyrics, sloppy playing, stumbling around. Joe Strummer looked like he wanted to kill him.
And yes, Clem Burke is Blondie's secret weapon yet he rarely comes up in great drummer conversations, I guess because they're a pop band.
Thank you for this. I loved Blondie, the group!😆🙌🏼
It was sad when they started to decline and I agree with what she said about it being a time of obliterating the artists and the message they had to bring. It still is happening, unfortunately huh?
Great stroll down memory lane, Tom. New Wave restored my faith in culture. I despised disco. My novel "The Unreals" is filled with references to my hatred for it. Elvis Costello was my favorite. He went from computer operator to rock star. I went from computer operator- well stayed one for a long time- to lowly paid published author. Did you like Graham Parker? Very Elvis-like,. While researching my book "On Borrowed Fame," we became friends through email. And then I met him twice at his local concerts. Great guy, but he broke my heart when I interviewed him a few years back, and told him how much I loved New Wave, and hated disco. To my shock and disappointment, he said he liked disco better. Go figure. Great stuff- thanks!
I was one of the "disco sucks!" crowd too, but now in my dotage I actually love that music. Any way you slice it, "Saturday Night Fever" is a fantastic album.
I will grant you that the Bee Gees made it sound as good as it could sound.
On the disco thread....Chic we're the absolute nuts...xj
I always preferred Graham Parker to Elvis C., but only because I always pull for the underdog who looks like maybe he didn't sell out. I like Elvis C. a lot, but I like Graham Parker more.
Back in the late 1980s, I actually got a chance to interview him for HEADLINERS magazine (R.I.P.) in D.C. when he was on his solo acoustic tour, playing small clubs.
G.P. was in town for a pair of shows at The Bayou (R.I.P.), an old nightclub under the Whitehurst Freeway in Georgetown. Both shows were the same night, an early show and a late show. I had interviewed him earlier in the day. My date & I left about midway through the second show because it was getting really late. After we exited, Parker noticed we were gone (we were sitting in the balcony, looking right over the stage) and said to the crowd "The asshole so-called rock critic finally left, so now we can have some fun." Or so I was told by people who didn't leave.
Mattered to me then, doesn't matter to me now. Parker's discography is stellar, I still listen to his stuff decades later, usually the less-well known albums because I played those classic ones 'til the grooves were gone back in the day.
As for disco, I hated it on general principle when it was popular, but I like a lot of it now, especially the really junky but fun stuff like the Stones' "Dance (Pt. 1)" and Marvin Gaye's unstoppable "Got To Give It Up." Chic is also usually reliably great.
Thank you for your comment! I look forward to reading your new book!
Funny that FoS were really hairdressers! Rick Meeder, an Atlanta bassist and wit whose dad ran 96 Rock back then told a story about hollering across the hall to the DJ, “Hey, are you going to that Flock of Hairdressers concert tonight?” only to discover they were sitting in the studio being interviewed.
I can never forgive Blondie for what I’ve always considered the first rap song.
O don't blame Blondie for rap! Just blame them for *mainstreaming* rap!
Thank you for your comment!
That’s true. Had to be a CIA/Tavistock creation…
“The Rolling Stones, Police, Journey, Foreigner, Genesis, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., The Kinks, Joan Jett, Huey Lewis, George Thorogood, Loverboy, and so on.”
Damn solid! Foreigner 4 was my first concert. They got their asses handed to them by Billy Squire. LOL. I’m serious.
Never saw The Kinks. Alas…
Those are just the big time bands at huge outdoor all-day JFK (or Meadowlands, NJ) events. During the 80s I also saw Squeeze a few times, U2 a bunch, Cheap Trick a bunch, Pat Benatar, Bangles, Molly Hatchet, Outlaws, Terrence Trent Darby (remember him? He was HUGE for about three months, and put on a great show), Ziggy Marley, Graham Parker, on and on and on.
I've seen Sting/Police a ton, even though I never listen to him now; my ex-wife loved Sting, so we saw him a couple times, plus 3x with the Police, and believe it or not, I was living in Paris just out of college when he debuted with his solo band The Blue Turtles, and I saw one of those opening shows at the Mogador Theatre, he was there the whole week. The theater wasn't even full.
There was an Amnesty International charity show at the Meadowlands with both U2 and a reunited Police in 1986; they did an encore with both bands onstage for "Invisible Sun."
I remember nothing about that Kinks show, sadly, part of an all-day JFK festival show. Must've been one of the days I did a ton of drugs.
Thank you for your comment!
She was and is absolutely gorgeous. Just stunning. Great post. Thank you!
Ahh the memories, thank you!
And now I feel old
Two things pop in my head as I read this piece...
1) the price of the tickets...$15.75. LOL
2) You took me to RFK Stadium to see The Jacksons on their Victory Tour in 1984 or 85ish, when you almost got into a fight with a mom a couple of rows in front of us, ahhh...memories.
That's right! We saw Michael Jackson and the Jacksons at the absolute height of his fame. I remember that lady, her kid wouldn't sit down.
Not a show where you could get to the field and fight to the front. They had seating all the way down. Good times!
I turned down a chance to usher for a stadium show for MJ in 1984 as I figured it would be a big mess. He did have some amazing songs looking back.
Good write-up of a great musical era. Regarding Stein whacked out on stage, during the Clash at Bonds fiasco I was able to get tickets for four different shows, and at one of them Mick Jones was clearly whacked out, forgetting lyrics, sloppy playing, stumbling around. Joe Strummer looked like he wanted to kill him.
And yes, Clem Burke is Blondie's secret weapon yet he rarely comes up in great drummer conversations, I guess because they're a pop band.
Not seeing The Clash live is my greatest musical regret. I can't believe it never happened, they were my favorite band. Thank you for your comment!
This is how I feel about never seeing Van Morrison live. I quite honestly never had a realistic chance but it is a big regret.
Thank you for this. I loved Blondie, the group!😆🙌🏼
It was sad when they started to decline and I agree with what she said about it being a time of obliterating the artists and the message they had to bring. It still is happening, unfortunately huh?
What drivel!
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