X is for XTC

Now as you know I'm competing in the A-Z Blogging Challenge this month and (like many others I'm sure) I had thought ahead for some of the letters and X was always going to be XTC simply for their single Senses Working Overtime.

What I didn't realize until I came to write this post was that XTC were active from 1976 right through until 2005 and released 14 albums.   This was a total shock to me as I couldn't name any other XTC song besides the excellent 1982 single that I've mentioned before - Senses Working Overtime.

Did you know of any other XTC songs?   I have always thought of them as a one hit wonder so I'll be interested to hear if you know their other music.

and I've got one, two, three, four, five,
senses working overtime.....

Check them out on TOTPs thanks to YouTube.

W is for Wham!

It's funny, but when I think of Wham! I find it hard to believe that they were only together as a group for four years.   During those four years however Wham! certainly made an impact on the music scene and the two boys who made up the band - George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley certainly came a long way from schoolboys in Watford.

Their first single was Wham Rap and didn't light any fires under anyone, but their second single Young Guns climbed up the UK charts to the number 3 spot which caused them to re-release Wham Rap and this time everyone loved it and you could find young people all over the UK joining in with the 'rap'-

Hey everybody, take a look at me,
I've got street credibility,
I may not have a job,
But I have a good time,
With the boys that I meet down on the line.....

Wham!'s first album was called Fantastic and it really was!   My brother had this album on vinyl, but somehow it always seemed to be in my room when he was looking for it - oops!   I loved the intro of Club Tropicana and the chorus of Bad Boys........basically I really enjoyed the whole album.

Three albums later and Wham! had parted company although they've all remained great friends with George a regular visitor to Andrew's home in Cornwall and also the best friend to Shirley Kemp who was one of the original back-up singers for Wham!   In fact George set Shirley up on a blind date with the bass guitarist of Spandau Ballet - Martin Kemp back in the 80s and the couple are still together today and are loving parents to two children.

Although Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Last Christmas and I'm Your Man were great songs, I personally think that Wham!'s first album was their best even if Wake Me Up Before You Go Go and Last Christmas are probably two of my more favorite Wham! songs.   The Fantastic album contained all great songs in my opinion, not just some, but what do you think?   Name your favorite Wham! song and favorite Wham! album.

What is 80s Music?

My dd simply rolls her eyes at alot of my musical choices, but she was listening to a song the other day and was shocked to find it was from the 80s because it had a great guitar sound to it!!! I really need to educate that girl! Anyway she asked me what is 80s music and I realised just how hard that is to answer.

There's the rock of Bon Jovi and Poison and you can't leave out Bruce Springsteen. Then you have the pop of Madonna, Fun Boy Three and Bananarama. The New Romantics movement, house music and goth were also embraced by the 80s. Trying to explain that a lot of the 80s music scene was about diversity was really difficult.

I think most of the people I know seem to think of the pop of the 80s when they talk about 80s music, but it really was so much more than that. I think at times the 80s compilation cds that we can buy have made us forget some of the less mainstream sounds that blasted out from our ghetto blasters or sony walkmans (the cassette tape version).

I took her to see the Proclaimers and the B52s earlier this year and in December she'll be able to experience Blondie and the Pretenders so perhaps she'll start to appreciate 80s music more.

What was your favorite type of music to listen to during the 80s??