When I was younger, I was fascinated by the American Music Charts. Pre-Internet, it was tough to keep up with what was happening on the other side of the pond.
Who were 'Daryl Hall & John Oates'?. How about 'Tom Perry & The Heartbreakers' or 'The Go-Go's'? The radio was the only way you were going to hear about these duos or bands.., and these were the artists hitting the top of the US 100 billboard.
I knew about them but struggled to hear the music and the radio for the most part failed to deliver. More than once I blindly bought a single, just so I could hear what was going on ‘over there’.
"We Got the Beat – The Go-Go's" was one of these, and I loved it.
Over here, nobody seemed to give a shit about American music. We had our own quirky bands and artists that never made an appearance stateside. Was it just a 'me' thing?
Diana Ross – Chain Reaction (Eaten Alive – 1985)
@bozz brought this one to my attention recently after his post about classic female vocalists. I couldn't quite believe it when he stated he had not heard this song before.
In the UK, it was a major hit in 1985, reaching the top of the charts and staying there for three weeks. Yet Diana is American and this particular song written by the Bee Gees and boasting Barry Gibb's very distinctive backing vocal flopped in America.
Intrigued, I noted that another Diana song. 'I'm Still Waiting', which also topped the UK charts also flopped stateside. Such is the discrepancy of different flavoured ears between the two sides of the ocean.
I remember watching the video for 'Chain Reaction' and not quite believing how Diana managed to look so young in the black and white footage. I was duped for a while thinking it was some sixties archival material with lip-synching trickery added.
Diana was 41 years old at the time of release and yet looked like a 17-year-old to me. When the colour part appeared, that mirage was instantly washed away. That was some filming, to remove a good 20 years of age. I guess, being extra skinny helped things a lot.
Today, I can't listen to this. It was overplayed at the time and still is on the rotating 80's radio hit channels floating around. It's better left in the past.
The Jam – Start (Sounds Affects – 1980)
I could have chosen any number of Jam songs, as the band made little impression in America yet here they were incredibly popular. As a post-punk band come Mod this was hardly a 'thing' stateside, and their following was always going to be limited.
If they could have added some 'Country' overtones, then of course the Americans would lap it all up. I still don't understand this obsession with this genre..., so easy-going and laid-back.
In contrast, The Jam were all sharp angles, pokes and change of direction, and this is more apparent in ‘Start’ than most of their back catalogue,
A song just over 2 minutes long harks back to the punk era of a few years prior but there's nothing simple about this band's music. The vocal harmonies between Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton always had my attention and just listen to that fantastic bass.
Lead vocalist, Paul Weller had little success in America after the breakup of the Jam, and I would be interested if any American readers even know the name.
I was a little slow on my appreciation of 'The Jam', and am not so fond of some of their other singles, but this is not the only one that managed to get my ear.
Madness – Night Boat to Cairo (One Step Beyond – 1979)
'...They just don't get it?...'
What would the American public think of Madness? I would guess at 'Far too British’, and out there.
Yet the American market loved Benny Hill, who came from the same mould, albeit with risqué sexual sketches that looked hopelessly dated now.
'...Cringe... I hated Benny Hill, and 'Are you Being Served' even more so...'
Madness was similar and slapstick but in a musical kind of way. A band that seamlessly made great use of the Trumpet in popular music was something very different making Madness very popular during the first half of the 80's.
'Night Boat to Cairo' was one of their earlier hits, though I was tempted to post the instrumental 'One Step Beyond' as the video always makes me chuckle.
Like 'Paul Weller' of 'The Jam', lead singer 'Suggs' boasted a very distinct English voice typical of the South and London. I have noticed this doesn’t tend to go down well with the Americans.
Lose your accent, or remain invisible to the largest market on Earth?
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