Links of worthwhile reading -
Mess and Noise
Herald Sun
The Age
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Roland S Howard of Boys Next Door passes on...
Links of worthwhile reading -
Mess and Noise
Herald Sun
The Age
Monday, November 23, 2009
Models Interview circa 1986 (Molly Meldum)
Found a great interview with Sean Kelly and James Freud from around 1986 up on youtube.
7 minutes long, quite worth watching, for the Models fans out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zma5B0CsPCA
Enjoy!
7 minutes long, quite worth watching, for the Models fans out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zma5B0CsPCA
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Spandau Ballet and Tears for Fears tour AUS & NZ
APRIL 2010
17 - Perth, Caversham Sandalford Winery
19 - Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
21 - Melbourne, Rod Laver
23 - Sydney, Entertainment Centre
24 - Newcastle, Entertainment Centre
27 - Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
29 - Auckland, Vector Arena
Source is http://www.remembertheeighties.com/ (love this site!)
The word is that both bands will be participating in VFESTIVAL 2010, but this is unconfirmed, more word-of-mouth and common-sense.
17 - Perth, Caversham Sandalford Winery
19 - Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
21 - Melbourne, Rod Laver
23 - Sydney, Entertainment Centre
24 - Newcastle, Entertainment Centre
27 - Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
29 - Auckland, Vector Arena
Source is http://www.remembertheeighties.com/ (love this site!)
The word is that both bands will be participating in VFESTIVAL 2010, but this is unconfirmed, more word-of-mouth and common-sense.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
MODELS site online!
The unofficial MODELS fan site has launched! There are heaps of photos already. A detailed discography is in progress, and there will be a section for song lyrics.
Check it out!
http://handonhandle.ning.com/
Have a great one!
Check it out!
http://handonhandle.ning.com/
Have a great one!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Spandau Ballet reform and are to release new material!
True Friends Again(link: http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/music/true-friends-again/2009/05/23/1242498975781.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1)
May 24, 2009
Spandau Ballet tell Celia Walden how they mended rifts to hit the road again.
It's 1AM on Nikki beach in Cannes. Seagulls circle overhead and Tony Hadley is singing the first few bars of True in my ear. Recognising the voice through the din of the club, two micro-skirted girls wander over.
"You're not? Oh, my God - you are!"
"I am," Hadley agrees.
"Do you know that True is my favourite karaoke song ever?"
Spandau Ballet get the karaoke comment a lot - that, and men expressing their heartfelt thanks to the band for providing the soundtrack to adolescent fumbles and later proposals.
What do the boys feel when they hear one of their hits?
"I think pride is the word," says songwriter Gary Kemp.
"Yeah," says Hadley. "I'm just glad I wasn't in Kajagoogoo. Everybody wants to leave a mark in their lives and we've left ours."
You can't argue with that. Spandau Ballet's '80s power-pop ballads and new romantic look defined a generation. When the band broke up in 1999, the records kept selling - 25million to date. Then, a decade ago, during a court case when three of the five-piece band tried to sue Kemp for unpaid royalties, Hadley insisted that "hell will freeze over before we get back together".
"It must be bloody cold, then," Kemp chuckles.
The band announced their reformation two months ago, deciding that there was no better place than the Cannes Film Festival to promote their world tour.
With the band's combined age of 241, there was always a worry that my "night with Spandau Ballet" could have turned into Horlicks back at the hotel but a 10-year break from pop-star antics means that Tony Hadley, Gary Kemp and brother Martin, John Keeble and Steve Norman are raring to go.
Hadley, once pale and effete, is now a thickset, amiable-faced 48-year-old, while 49-year-old Gary's features have turned from raffish to faintly villainesque. Martin, the blithely good-looking former EastEnders star and youngest of the bunch at 47, fills the "little brother" role in the group.
"What we've missed the most is the banter," he says, revealing a rack of white teeth. "There was a huge part gone from my life after we split up."
Saxophonist Steve Norman says: "When you talk to footballers who have retired, they never say that they miss playing the game; they miss the dressing room and the camaraderie, and it was the same with us."
Still, there must have been a night of grievance-airing.
"A night?" Hadley blasts. "More like two years of it. There were plenty of times when Gary and I ended up abusing each other, but we got through it."
Gary says: "It took us a while to realise that it's not defeat to go back, it's victory."
It is also, of course, the promise of serious cash. In a climate when jumpsuits are back in fashion, Spandau Ballet saw a chance to make a Take That-style comeback. "There are all these comparisons with Take That," Gary says, "but we're really different to them. We are a band. There's a guitar player, a drummer, singer, bass; that's a very different thing to be a part of. People yearn for the '80s because pop music was so fantastic in those days."
Hadley signs an autograph for a pretty Italian fan whose wedding dance, she volunteers in broken English, was to True. "It's amazing the effect that song had," Gary says. "I remember Kevin Costner saying, 'That was my wife and I's most important record."'
Keeble says: "It's crazy how many fans have stayed with us from the first time around."
Will the boys be donning the eye make-up and stonewashed jeans for their tour? "We do want to grow old reasonably gracefully," Hadley says. "There's nothing worse than 48-year-old rock musicians trying to dress like 20-year-olds.
"And this time, we're in it for the long haul. What the past 10 years have taught us is that we will never have a hiatus again." And they all toast the sentiment.
"Mainly because we are too old …" Gary laughs. "We will always be part of Spandau Ballet from now on."
May 24, 2009
Spandau Ballet tell Celia Walden how they mended rifts to hit the road again.
It's 1AM on Nikki beach in Cannes. Seagulls circle overhead and Tony Hadley is singing the first few bars of True in my ear. Recognising the voice through the din of the club, two micro-skirted girls wander over.
"You're not? Oh, my God - you are!"
"I am," Hadley agrees.
"Do you know that True is my favourite karaoke song ever?"
Spandau Ballet get the karaoke comment a lot - that, and men expressing their heartfelt thanks to the band for providing the soundtrack to adolescent fumbles and later proposals.
What do the boys feel when they hear one of their hits?
"I think pride is the word," says songwriter Gary Kemp.
"Yeah," says Hadley. "I'm just glad I wasn't in Kajagoogoo. Everybody wants to leave a mark in their lives and we've left ours."
You can't argue with that. Spandau Ballet's '80s power-pop ballads and new romantic look defined a generation. When the band broke up in 1999, the records kept selling - 25million to date. Then, a decade ago, during a court case when three of the five-piece band tried to sue Kemp for unpaid royalties, Hadley insisted that "hell will freeze over before we get back together".
"It must be bloody cold, then," Kemp chuckles.
The band announced their reformation two months ago, deciding that there was no better place than the Cannes Film Festival to promote their world tour.
With the band's combined age of 241, there was always a worry that my "night with Spandau Ballet" could have turned into Horlicks back at the hotel but a 10-year break from pop-star antics means that Tony Hadley, Gary Kemp and brother Martin, John Keeble and Steve Norman are raring to go.
Hadley, once pale and effete, is now a thickset, amiable-faced 48-year-old, while 49-year-old Gary's features have turned from raffish to faintly villainesque. Martin, the blithely good-looking former EastEnders star and youngest of the bunch at 47, fills the "little brother" role in the group.
"What we've missed the most is the banter," he says, revealing a rack of white teeth. "There was a huge part gone from my life after we split up."
Saxophonist Steve Norman says: "When you talk to footballers who have retired, they never say that they miss playing the game; they miss the dressing room and the camaraderie, and it was the same with us."
Still, there must have been a night of grievance-airing.
"A night?" Hadley blasts. "More like two years of it. There were plenty of times when Gary and I ended up abusing each other, but we got through it."
Gary says: "It took us a while to realise that it's not defeat to go back, it's victory."
It is also, of course, the promise of serious cash. In a climate when jumpsuits are back in fashion, Spandau Ballet saw a chance to make a Take That-style comeback. "There are all these comparisons with Take That," Gary says, "but we're really different to them. We are a band. There's a guitar player, a drummer, singer, bass; that's a very different thing to be a part of. People yearn for the '80s because pop music was so fantastic in those days."
Hadley signs an autograph for a pretty Italian fan whose wedding dance, she volunteers in broken English, was to True. "It's amazing the effect that song had," Gary says. "I remember Kevin Costner saying, 'That was my wife and I's most important record."'
Keeble says: "It's crazy how many fans have stayed with us from the first time around."
Will the boys be donning the eye make-up and stonewashed jeans for their tour? "We do want to grow old reasonably gracefully," Hadley says. "There's nothing worse than 48-year-old rock musicians trying to dress like 20-year-olds.
"And this time, we're in it for the long haul. What the past 10 years have taught us is that we will never have a hiatus again." And they all toast the sentiment.
"Mainly because we are too old …" Gary laughs. "We will always be part of Spandau Ballet from now on."
Friday, March 13, 2009
MODELS - The Other Side of the Cassette
Now, here is something interesting...As you may know, Models released a bunch of pretty damn fine b-sides to their Out of Mind Out of Sight range singles (those being Big on Love, Barbados, Out Of Mind Out of Sight, Cold Fever, King of Kings). The majority of these b-sides were released on side 2 of the Out of Mind Out of Sight cassette - I have two of these, so can verify this fact. Three remixes of the first three singles appear there too (this is like the CD release, except for the b-sides).
Now, it seems a Radio-Only release with a weirdly inverse cover was released, with those same remixes (nothing rare there), but also with the b-sides that appeared on the cassette... ergo the album / EP name 'The Other Side of the Cassette'.
Ultra-rare, never seen or heard of this before. I won it on ebay so it should be here soon for me to take better scans of.
Tracklist -
A1 Out of Mind Out of Sight (12" version)
A2 Big on Love (12" version of OZ single)
A3 Barbados (12" version)
B1 Tropic of Cancer
B2 Preacher of the Black Lagoon
B3 Blue Moon
B4 Steamroller Blues
A few photos from the auction appear here, for the file and to spike your interest! Better ones coming soon! (is anyone reading this?)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
BOHDAN - Fear of Flying
Bizarro find of the week!Bohdan X is the stage name of British-born former punk rock singer, Bodhan Kubiakowski, in the Australian bands JAB and Bohdan and the Instigators, both features of the emerging punk rock scene in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1970s. He was also a highly successful DJ on Melbourne's 3RRR radio station from 1978-1995.
The reason for mentioning this on the blog? Well, it seems apart from the obvious links to MODELS via JAB (care of the Suicide Records compilation LETHAL WEAPONS), the supporting musicians on his first solo EP are no less than 3/4 of the MODELS at the time!!
This must've been a litmus test for Sean Kelly and Andrew Duffield to work with James Freud! The singles On (official) and Radio Controlled (unofficial) would've come shortly afterwards! And then I Hear Motion and the resulting album! What a cool find!
But, I cannot seem to source any mp3 for this one! Any help appreciated! Has anyone heard this EP? What's it like?
Information from DISCOGS below -
Bohdan - Fear Of Flying
Label: Rumur Records
Catalog#: RUME 001
Format: Vinyl, 12", EP, 45 RPM
Country: Australia
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave
Credits:
Backing Vocals - Sean Kelly
Bass - James Freud
Drums, Backing Vocals - Calum McAlpine
Engineer - Chris Thompson
Guitar - Bruce Friday
Keyboards, Producer - Andrew Duffield
Saxophone - Wilbur Wilde
Written-By, Producer, Vocals - Bohdan
Notes: Recorded and mixed at Richmond Recorders, Melbourne, Victoria
Backing Vocals - Sean Kelly
Bass - James Freud
Drums, Backing Vocals - Calum McAlpine
Engineer - Chris Thompson
Guitar - Bruce Friday
Keyboards, Producer - Andrew Duffield
Saxophone - Wilbur Wilde
Written-By, Producer, Vocals - Bohdan
Notes: Recorded and mixed at Richmond Recorders, Melbourne, Victoria
Tracklisting -A1 We Are Different
A2 No No No
B1 Son Of Sam
B2 Fear Of Flying
A small amount of information is available here.
Monday, February 9, 2009
JAMES FREUD AND THE RADIO STARS - Modern Girl
As she crosses the floor she knows
(what does she know?)
She's seen it before and she goes
(where does she go)
There she stood
This fancy fashion creature
And everybody knows
She is my little Senorita
Because I fell in love
With a modern girl
Fell in love
With a modern girl
With a modern girl
As she crosses the street where she lives
(where does she live)
Nobody knows what she gives
(what does she give)
Where she walks
The hands reach out to greet her
And no one seems to understand
My little Senorita
Well I fell in love
With a modern girl
Fell in love
With a modern girl
With a modern girl
(instrumental break)
As she crosses the floor she knows
(what does she know?)
She's seen it before and she goes
(where does she go)
There she stood
This fancy fashion creature
And everybody knows
She is my little Senorita
Because I fell in love
With a modern girl
Fell in love
With a modern girl (la la la la lah)
With a modern girl (la la la la lah)
With a modern girl (la la la la lah)
With a modern girl (la la la la lah)
With a modern girl (la la la la lah)
Original Promotional Video
Saturday, January 31, 2009
MODELS - Two Cabs to the Toucan
Written by Sean Kelly and Andrew Duffield
Incoming Taxi
Come in yellow
Incoming Taxi
Come in black cab
Hail all black cabs
Private house?
We're an Independent
Hand on handle
(chorus)
Not to the Airport
Not to the Can (You never know)
Not to Tel Aviv
Unwelcome in Japan
Back to the back-seat
Directions to the Man
Parramatta rank
Parramatta (Four cabs, Three cabs...)
Two cabs to the Toucan
(Repeat)
Two Cabs to the Toucan (short video)
Cut Lunch (long promo, including all tracks and interviews)
Trivia -
There are at least two different versions of Two Cabs to the Toucan. The first, released on CUT LUNCH (and "Models COLLECTION" and also "Models and Friends") is 3:19. The second appears on the UK release of Local and/or General, and was remixed by Steve Brown, coming in at 3:48!!
Two Cabs was never officially released as a single, although I do possess a rare double-A side 7" vinyl of it, with the flip being a track by Jo Zep and the Falcons. Weird, eh?
MODELS - Man 'o Action
Written by Sean Kelly
Man 'o Action
Inane fool
Per fer vid um
Abandon
Open Fire
Words are faster than man o' action
--
This track was actually re-recorded for re-release on all versions of the Local and/or General album.
MODELS - Atlantic Romantic
Written by Sean Kelly and Andrew Duffield
She said that I didn't fit her description
She said that I wasn't even handsome
I'd think that she is so romantic
I'd follow her across the Atlantic
(chorus)
She said that I was the only one
She said "My favourite boy"
She said it to me in a nice way
In a polite way
Over and out
She said that I didn't fit her description
She said that I wasn't even handsome
I think that she is so romantic
I'd follow her across the Atlantic
(chorus)
She said that I didn't fetch her prescription
She said that I wasn't even handsome
I think that she is so specific
I'd follow her across the Pacific
(repeat chorus)
Atlantic Romantic live on Countdown ABC Australia (1981)
Cut Lunch mini-slices (from the rare promo video)
There are at least two versions of Atlantic Romantic. The first appears on the original UK-recorded Australia-released album (Local and/or General). The second is on the UK-release of the same album, with every track remixed by Steve Brown. Interesting!
MODELS - rare song lyrics!
This blog will mainly follow New-Age, Post-Punk, Pre-Pop, New Romantics.
One of my favourite bands from way back is MODELS. Some folk refer to them as 'THE MODELS', but the band-members are adament that this is not their real name (despite some records I have being labeled as 'THE MODELS'.
MODELS are quite well renowned for their cryptic and sometimes quite unintelligible lyric, particularly pre-James Freud. Not including lyrics on the LP (or CD/CASS) tip-in sheets magnified this view.
I'm going to start slow, but first up are a couple of previously unavailable song lyrics, for tracks from their pre-James Freud days, off the 'CUT LUNCH' 10" EP.
I've seen many attempts at lyrics off 'CUT LUNCH', and I feel this will satisfy the readers thirst for lyrical content.
As mentioned, the CUT LUNCH releases never included a lyric sheet of any kind. But interestingly, for the UK release of 'LOCAL AND/OR GENERAL', there was a lyric sheet. Not only that, but a couple of tracks from the Australian release were dropped, and remixed versions of ATLANTIC ROMANTIC, TWO CABS TO THE TOUCAN, and MAN 'O ACTION were included - along with the lyrics! So they'll be up for your perusal today.
Thanks for reading!
One of my favourite bands from way back is MODELS. Some folk refer to them as 'THE MODELS', but the band-members are adament that this is not their real name (despite some records I have being labeled as 'THE MODELS'.
MODELS are quite well renowned for their cryptic and sometimes quite unintelligible lyric, particularly pre-James Freud. Not including lyrics on the LP (or CD/CASS) tip-in sheets magnified this view.
I'm going to start slow, but first up are a couple of previously unavailable song lyrics, for tracks from their pre-James Freud days, off the 'CUT LUNCH' 10" EP.
I've seen many attempts at lyrics off 'CUT LUNCH', and I feel this will satisfy the readers thirst for lyrical content.
As mentioned, the CUT LUNCH releases never included a lyric sheet of any kind. But interestingly, for the UK release of 'LOCAL AND/OR GENERAL', there was a lyric sheet. Not only that, but a couple of tracks from the Australian release were dropped, and remixed versions of ATLANTIC ROMANTIC, TWO CABS TO THE TOUCAN, and MAN 'O ACTION were included - along with the lyrics! So they'll be up for your perusal today.
Thanks for reading!
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