Five From Five Friday

So it's Friday again, so here's something for the weekend.

I watched that Madness film Take It Or Leave It, last night. Loads of great shots of 'old' London, and by that I mean Camden town in the late Seventies. Wasn't London bleak back then. My Dad still thinks it's like that, but of course it changed beyond all recognition, even in the 20 odd years I've been living here. The film was great, very raw, very real, and probably the experiences they had back then are no longer to be found for young bands today. But hey, what do I know. Here's the single that never was, Bed And Breakfast Man.



Now here's Dutch prog poppers Earth & Fire, as introduced to me by my brother's father-in-law, a Dutchman who's mad on music. I rather like this lot. As with all Euro groups, they sing in English. Here's Memories. It's haunting, I warn you.



And now a departure. This is a Thompson Twins song I wasn't that au fait with at all until I rewatched the John Hughes film Sixteen Candles. It's really rather lovely. No video of the Twins singing it, so you'll have to turn your back and imagine it.



We can't let the five pass without including something from Australia. Here's the new found confidence of a nation with an identity, with Gangajang and Sounds Of Then (This Is Australia). My sister-in-law perked up when she heard this at our house, not having heard it since was in Australia in the late Eighties she told of singing it at the tops of their voices as they crossed the Nullaboor Plain in a camper van. And that about sums it up.



Finally, in all her glory, here's bonkers German disco goddess Amanda Lear, who as I recall used to be all over the music papers, but I'd never heard a note of her music until earlier this year, when she turned up on a European comp I bought off eBay. It's very electronic, very now. La Roux could learn a thing or two. I believe Lear led a very colourful life, very much as you'd expect an androgynous Euro Bond-girl type who went out with Bryan Ferry would do. Here's her German Top Ten hit Follow Me.