Sad Cafe' - Everyday Hurts

Mancunian band Sad Cafe' had been around since 1976 and although building up a small following never really did anything till this single hit the charts. Released in September 1979 it slowly climbed the charts to number 3 that year and also was a small hit in American where it was renamed Everyday. To help this gorgeous ballad hit the charts the record company released the single in blue vinyl and also a picture disc (a rarity, a song being released on 2 different formats to get it into the charts). It came off the album Facades (an anagram of Sad Café) which also was released in blue vinyl and got to number 8 in the album charts!

I have seen the band quite a few times and have met them several times and were a great bunch of guys and always happy to meet the fans. I followed the band for a few years before the lead singer Paul Young left the band to join Mike & The Mechanics. Here's the single, with the picture cover, blue vinyl and picture disc versions!

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire have always been favourites with the critics and when they released this, their third album the praise was heaped onto the band. The album, was inspired by the upbringing of two of the band members, Will & Win Butler in a suburb in Houston, Texas. It was recorded in Canada and New York and when the band finished a track, they pressed it onto a 12'' acetate and used it for the master for the CD, therefore the album and CD sound both the same! The sleeve for the album featured 8 variations of the cover too!

Released in the UK in August 2010 it went straight to number 1 in the UK and the US charts and won a Grammy the following year and a Brit for Best International Album. In June 2011 they released an expanded version of the album with a couple of extra tracks and a dvd about the album.

It is an album I never tire of listening to, it has got some great songs on, my faves being Suburban War, Sprawl II and Month Of May but don't take my word for it, go give it a listen!

Tears For Fears - Shout

With news this week that Tears For Fears are going to be back in action this year, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of their first album, I thought I'd feature this single that shot the band into superstardom around the world. Released in November 1984 and got to number 4 in January 1985 and hit the top spot in America the same year. It was off the classic album Songs From The Big Chair and Shout was a change of sound as the band sound was going more towards a synth pop, rock, stadium band sound. The song was basically about protesting rather than keeping quiet, but to think about what you are protesting about rather than just going ahead and just have no idea why you are protesting, also the single lasted over 5 minutes but was still played heavily on the radio. A classic single for classic times, I think it is from one of the last great years for UK pop music!

Roger Daltrey - Giving It All Away

In between a tour break by The Who, Roger Daltrey set about recording his solo album, Daltery. In 1972 The Who were recording in the studio where writers Leo Sayer and David Courtney were recording material for Leo Sayer. Roger liked what he heard from them and asked if they would write some tracks for his forthcoming solo album. As David and Leo had loads of tracks demoed and half written they let Roger choose. He Chose Giving It All Away, a powerful ballad that really suited Roger's voice, full of emotion and power. The track was a hit and reached number 5 in 1973 and was his first solo hit single. This also started the career of Leo Sayer as a few months later he was to have his first hit single too and he also recorded his version of his song on his second album Just A Boy.

Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free

Released in the hot summer of 1976, Candi Staton scored a huge hit with this song which was from the up and coming disco era of the 70's. Candi, originally was a gospel singer who toured the churches before setting out on a solo career. She teamed up with writer David Crawford and hit number 2 in the UK charts with this song. The lyrics may be of a down trodden subject matter but it was set to an upbeat track to dance to. She had another couple of UK hits before disappearing till the early 80's when she scored with a cover of Suspicious Minds and later again in the 90's with the classic dance track You Got The Love. Today she is still touring and singing on the gospel circuit.

Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys

Ok, I wasn't so sure if I should put this on here without it looking like the blog is turning silly, but to keep it true to me, this is from my childhood and I still think it is a really really good song. I remember my Mother playing this to me when I was a young child, it came out in late 1969 and I will have been 6 years old and the song was the first number 1 of the 1970's. I don't know what happened to our original copy of this single, but mine came off Ebay.

Rolf Harris heard the song when he was in America doing a tour. The song itself is about two brothers who grow up together and end up fighting in the American Civil War, it was wrote in the early 1900's and is a very emotional song, listen to the lyrics, never mind it is Rolf singing. He asked his then TV producer on the BBC to do an arrangement of the song on his show, the reaction to the song was enough for Rolf to record it as a single. To be honest, I really like Rolf Harris but I think over the years a lot of people think he became a bit of laughing stock. Here's the single

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Rage Hard

This was Frankie's fifth single and was released in the summer of 1986. The band were riding on the wave of Welcome To The Pleasuredome's success and had a lot to prove about who they were and that they were not the puppets of Trevor Horn. The single was a big hit and got to number 4 in the UK and came with the usual amounts of remixes. I remember them on Top Of The Pops performing the single throwing money around on stage and always thought it was such a strong single. It is my favourite FGTH single, I just think it has so much power to it. The album it came off Liverpool was moving more towards a rockier feel rather than the dance of the last album. They never hit the same highs as the previous singles and album which was a shame but it also showed just how the British record buying public came move on to the next big thing, which around this time was the start of Stock, Aitken & Waterman.