The first record to feature electronic phasing effects, Toni Fisher’s eerie and extraordinary song, The Big Hurt, entered the US Billboard Chart at number three in 1959. The record-buying public presumably beguiled by the enigmatic Fisher’s vocal delivery and the mind-bending phasing provided by her producers Stan Ross and Dave Gold, propelled the young singer into stardom.

Legend has it, that WKBW DJ, Dick Biondi, would introduce the song on his show as “Toni Fisher’s weird one”. Well, on that strength alone Toni is the first entrant in our Surreal Singles Club.

The wonderful reverb and phasing adds a melancholic and unnerving sheen to what seems like a usual 1950s pop song and gives the song it’s Surrealist edge.

Bizarrely, The Big Hurt is often dismissed as a ‘gimmick’ track but it is one of the most influential tracks in electronic music history. And besides, what’s more surreal than Miss Fisher looking a bit like a latter day Joan Crawford on the cover? I mean, how did she know Joan Crawford would turn out like that?? If that’s not surreal then what is?

Toni Fisher – The Big Hurt

Released in 1978 on the Crypto label, this funky little jazz number comes from the cult French jazz duo Cortex. Taken from Alain Mion and Alain Gandolf’s third album Pourquoi, Sans Toi is a quirky mix of electronic sounds and groovy Gallic pop.  Apparently written for Mion’s wife, this is more than loving tribute to his beloved spouse. Also, watch out for the bit with the sexy sax!

Magnifique!

Cortex – Sans Toi

As it’s Eurovision tomorrow, I thought I would post one of my favourite Eurovision moments ever! Trust me, it’s amazing!

Seminal Belgian electronic band Telex were asked by their manager to represent Belgium in the 1980 competition, the bemused band agreed although they didn’t take it entirely seriously… As group member Marc Moulin would later explain, “”We had hoped to finish last, but Portugal decided otherwise. We got ten points from them and finished on the 19th spot.”  Oh, Telex! You crazy rebels!

Anyway, their effort is a crazy, off-kilter electro-pop song with plenty of Eurovision-kitsch. (I’m sure Sebastien Tellier was taking notes for his Eurovision entry for France in 2008.) I won’t say anymore as you have to see and this fantastic loopy spectacle for yourself.

You were robbed Telex, robbed!!!!

Viva Europe!!!

Telex – Euro-Vision

Finding infamy with their controversial debut single ‘Relax’ in 1983, cheeky Scousers Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s follow up single was the astonishing ‘Two Tribes’. An awesome production built round a throbbing, infectiously original riff, it showed off  Holly Johnson’s distinctive vocal style to striking effect.

The power of the single lay not merely in its appropriately epic production but the topicality of its lyric which dealt with the escalation of nuclear arms and the prospect of global annihilation.

In order to reinforce the harrowing theme, the group included a chilling voice over from the actor Patrick Allen taken from government papers on the dissemination of information to the public in the event of nuclear war. Allen’s Orwellian instructions on how to avoid fall out while disposing of dogs, grandparents and other loved ones gave the disc a frightening authenticity that perfectly captured the mood of the time.

Like all Frankie’s singles, the record was available in various 7-inch and 12-inch remixed formats with superb packaging and artwork. The annihilation mix was considered groundbreaking at the time due to its complete reconstruction of the original song. From the opening air raid sirens to Johnson’s closing lines of the song, borrowed from an unnamed literary source ‘Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?’ boldly resonate and add more unease upon the listener.

The six-minute plus version of  ‘Two Tribes’ was played in its entirety on UK lunch time radio shows and duly entered the charts at number 1, remaining in the premier position for an incredible nine weeks while the revitalized ‘Relax’ nestled at number 2.

A Godley & Creme promotional film of the song which featured caricatures of US President Reagan and Soviet leader Mr. Chernenko wrestling was rightly acclaimed as one of the best videos of the period and contributed strongly to the ‘Frankie package’.

Truly revolutionary and mind-blowing, it just proves that your older sister was right all along – pop music in the eighties was bloody brilliant.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Two Tribes annihilation mix

Ahhh, the summer. There’s nothing like the summer with a bit of Carly Simon. What’s Carly Simon got to do with the summer? I hear you ask. Well, my friends this timeless ‘Balearic’ classic will tell you ‘why’ (arf!).

Produced by the mighty Chic in 1982 for the flop movie ‘Soup For One’ (the soundtrack has been mentioned a few times on this website, notably here), it was considered a bit of late disco cash-in by the critics and the public alike (it reached a giddy #74 on the Billboard chart!). What did they know huh? ‘Why’ is by far one of the best pieces of work that Chic have ever done and the best song Carly Simon has ever done (it beats ‘You’re So Vain’ – who cares who it was written about? I still think its Warren Beatty btw Carly…). Tinged with melancholy, the song is an intriguing mix of reggae-lite disco and off-beat pop. Constantly enticing the listener with its bouncing rhythm and the simple vocal refrain of  ”la, di-da, di-da”, its clear why the record-buying public of 1982 didn’t get it. It was waaaay ahead of its time.

It was only in 1989 when the whole Hacienda/acid house/Ibiza/Balearic thing kicked off that the song started to get recognition. DJs such as Mike Pickering and Graeme Park reclaimed the song and turned into a Hacienda classic. Treating a generation of clubbers to the whole concept of mellow, feel-good sunny vibes.  When A Tribe Called Quest sampled the instrumental for ‘Bonita Applebum’, the tracks’ legacy across the emerging house and hip-hop scene were finally confirmed.

A bona-fide summer classic. Just don’t mention the 1999 Glamma Kid version…

Carly Simon- Why