Just briefly, I think Smokie, though deeply unfashionable, are absolutely marvellous. Big in Germany still I hear. You can't beat them, though I'm not mad on Living Next Door To Alice, especially the Roy "Chubby" Brown version, which alack is what most people think of first whenever their name is mentioned.
Have they not heard the likes of If You Think You Know How To Love Me, Lay Back in The Arms Of Someone, It's Your Life, Stumblin' In (with Suzi Quatro) and Mexican Girl? If you're not familiar, give them a go.
I was talking recently to some friends about the fact that songs just aren't called things like Mexican Girl, Carribbean Queen or The Girl From Ipanema anymore, and I think we came to the conclusion that it's due to the fact that foreign lands and their inhabitannts don't hold such an allure. You can fly to Brazil in 10 hours now. Forget three weeks on a packet steamer. You can get to Barcelona for £1.50, so big deal.
These days, it's more likely that any Mexican Girl would be banged up in an asylum seekers centre than be the object of a desire in a song.
It's getting more like Children Of Men everyday.
Oh, for those innocent days.
3 comments:
I'm mad about Island Girl by Elton John, but it does sound hugely un-PC these days.
The global village is to blame. Shame really, otherwise we'd surely be groovin' to things like Kyrgystani Woman or The Boy from Szrebreniza.
How is your Dean Friedman CD going down, Kitten?
I'm with you on Smokie. "I'll meet you at Midnight" still resonates.
I seem to having a lot of coversations aboout naff '70's music lately.
Pop over to iShouldbeworkings blog. We expounding the virtues of Racey and the Rubettes just last week.
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