The power pop party that never stops! Bringing you more non hits and non memories from long lost nobodies from nowhere.
Todays region for our unknown legends of power-pop is Lincoln Nebraska.
[Baby] It's You really doesn't have new wave-ification so it's not your typical power-pop sound for 1979. Just the classic crunchy variety of crunchy classic. 70s guitar pop gold with hooks galore.
Still quite an unknown tune but shoulda been heard across the FM airwaves now and forever in Canaidia and Australia and a number one for two weeks...
The power pop party continues... this time with some mighty Aussie action from The Go-Betweens label The Able Label
Sometimes I think this is the greatest seven inch single to ever come out of Straya.
An irresistible blazing romp, Sunset Strip is surf influenced new-wave power-pop performed with so much youthful enthusiasm and urgent melodiousness you can't help being delighted.
Look out euphoric claps galore!
They were from Brisbane but singing about LA's Sunset Strip or a tv show or something yet still he's singing about a girl in there somewhere... whatever it's catchy as hell with a gloriously sunny summer sound.
Some bands just don't make the big time... who cares I suppose because we will always have this bit of magic where The Riptides captured the pure power-pop lightning in a bottle.
The power-pop party carries on and we're just getting started.
Speaking of Blondie this is Gary Valentine who was once the bass player in Blondie. He wrote X Offender and I'm Always Touched By Your Presence Dear. After he was booted from the band he formed The Know with the drummer from 20/20 and the old bass player from The Motels.They were highly touted but onlymanaged just the one seven inch single and this is it.
Our Gazza sounds like Tom Verlaine's horny younger brother here in this frazzled frenzy of punky power pop.
Power Pop is almost always about male lust and liking girls and guess what I Like Girls is about.
Liking all kinds of girls.
I think one of the line's in this song is:
I like girls and without exception they like me
Which is abso-fucking-lutely legendary.
Here's a further sample of some of the hard to catch poetry:
Some guys like to wear them skinny ties and look in the mirror
And other guys like to think otherwise they make believe
And there's only one thing that I like and it's the best thing in the world
Catchy bit of garage-y Beatlemania... a brisk bit of power pop action, ultra melodic with dazzling close harmonies and a hell of a beat... undeniably pretty bloody good.
Hangin On The Telephone - The Nerves [1976]
Sorry but it's just impossible to go past quite possibly the most addictive two minutes of guitar pop that fucking rocks ever put to wax. The anguish and desperation of teenage lust is captured here with immense palpability.
Frantic.
Nerves singer/Guitarist Jack Lee wrote the greatest power-pop song of all time, a coupla years later Blondie brilliantly covered it. However The Nerves devastatingly delicious version of this tale of romantic teen turmoil is at least 75% better.
The power-pop party continues with all the misses and non memories from all the lost regional nobodies you never heard of.
Real Life Saver's got all of the lovely hooks... melodiousness for days... everything here is in the right place... an array of tasty guitar goodness... a Pizza dee resistance! A platter du jour!
Despite being released in the new wave era, no new-wave-ification detected here, this is just classic old school power-pop. Coulda been made five years earlier, know what I mean. Who the hell is/was this guy? All I know is this primo slice of pure power-pop turned up on one of those Shake Some Action cd compilations I bought many moons ago, twenty five years ago. Turns out Gazza came from Kansas City and made one of the sweetest unknown seven inch singles in the game... that's it.
Speaking of The Nerves Jack Lee used to perform this one with his old band back in '77.
This is from his debut 1981 solo record and of course you know it because a coupla years later Paul Young covered it becoming one of his biggest hits that was also included on his million selling album from 1983 No Parlez.
However the original Jack Lee version is quite different: Melodious driving jangly power pop with some fantastic soaring tripped out guitars. A great lonesome & longing in the midnight hour atmosphere captured here. Top stuff. Shoulda been all over the FM airwaves then and now and forever.
Soft rock gold keeps on coming. All the gold. All the soft rock magic. All the time. CardrossManiac delivering the soft rock golden goodness.
Diamond Girl is most golden romantic soft rock with jazz inflections which = pop perfection: Makes you feel good, makes you feel fine.
This gets on such a euphoric in the pocket groove with that smooth driving bass, alluring guitar hooks and those swinging congas plus all the catchy vocal melodies, breezy harmonious back ups, jaunty keys, jazzy flute, enticing tempo changes...
Speaking of long lost summers, nostalgia and romance here's the ultra smooth soft rock masterpiece Under The Jamaican Moon.
Impeccablewith its light latin feel, exquisite vocal melodies, breezy harmonies, sublime smooth jazz guitar and immaculate baroque touches from the master arranger Nick DeCaro himself.
Get out your summer drinks with umbrellas in, pop on your best Hawaiian shirt and luxuriate in this splendorous tropical atmosphere... .
...it's time to get free and easy...
Its all about the sand between your toes, the tide rippling at your ankles, the sea breeze in your hair, seduction on your lips and everything going just right in the moment...
