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keith a
9565 posts

Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 17:46
Moon Cat wrote:


One of the odd highlights for me at the time was the often quite odd sight of a rock/metal band like Gillan or Whitesnake suddenly appearing on Top of The Pops 'performing' their hit and being surrounded by the often bewildered studio audience shuffling about sort-of-dancing with perhaps a few at the front showing some initiative and attempting a polite head bang. And as one of the few metal-heads at school I was often required to explain "what on earth was that all about?!" the next day from inquiring and bemused class-mates.


Blimey, Moonie. Who were these people still shocked by long hair and a rock beat in the 80's?!

Are you sure these classmates and people at TOTP weren't discerning music lovers who recognised that the likes of Here We Go Again were actually pop fodder with a stodgy beat?

Or am I protesting too much and I really do need Kiss in my life?

; )
Moon Cat
9577 posts

Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 17:50
Flogging Fireball XL-5 at the used rocket mart.
IanB
IanB
6761 posts

Edited Sep 17, 2008, 17:57
Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 17:55
keith a wrote:
Moon Cat wrote:


One of the odd highlights for me at the time was the often quite odd sight of a rock/metal band like Gillan or Whitesnake suddenly appearing on Top of The Pops 'performing' their hit and being surrounded by the often bewildered studio audience shuffling about sort-of-dancing with perhaps a few at the front showing some initiative and attempting a polite head bang. And as one of the few metal-heads at school I was often required to explain "what on earth was that all about?!" the next day from inquiring and bemused class-mates.


Blimey, Moonie. Who were these people still shocked by long hair and a rock beat in the 80's?!

Are you sure these classmates and people at TOTP weren't discerning music lovers who recognised that the likes of Here We Go Again were actually pop fodder with a stodgy beat?

Or am I protesting too much and I really do need Kiss in my life?

; )



Well you know what I think. Everyone should have one foot stompin' Kiss album (preferably Alive or Alive II)

BTW Here We Go Again was Ray Charles. Here I Go Again was by Whitesnake and they were crap by the time they had a hit with that song.

There is a direct (and scientifically proven) relationship between the bouffant bounce of Coverdale's hair and the diminshing quality of their albums.

Though I can think of at least one other oft critically reviled lead singer for whom the same thing could be said ;-)
Kid Calamity
9042 posts

Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 17:55
I'm afraid this grouping together of all these bands into one convenient lump for marketing / journalist purposes got my goat at the time. I've never liked that sort of thing, really. It worked with Punk and to some extent with Post Punk, but that was it, really.

NWOBHM was just silly. The bands reminded me of those saturday afternoon wrestlers we had on World Of Sport on ITV. Ridiculously tight spandex over beer bellies and clumsy macho posturing.

I'm afraid to my ears a lot of these second division heavy rock bands really didn't do it for me. Even Diamond Head, who seem to be getting the most praise and respect, here. I suppose I'd already seen enough of the likes of Judas Priest, UFO and Scorpions by this time and had started seeking out new sounds. Like (heh) Pop Will eat Itself.

I was designing sleeves for a few bands mentioned here in 1989-90. Almost all of them either wanted a nubile babe on the cover or a skull.
Moon Cat
9577 posts

Edited Sep 17, 2008, 18:19
Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 17:56
keith a wrote:
Moon Cat wrote:


One of the odd highlights for me at the time was the often quite odd sight of a rock/metal band like Gillan or Whitesnake suddenly appearing on Top of The Pops 'performing' their hit and being surrounded by the often bewildered studio audience shuffling about sort-of-dancing with perhaps a few at the front showing some initiative and attempting a polite head bang. And as one of the few metal-heads at school I was often required to explain "what on earth was that all about?!" the next day from inquiring and bemused class-mates.


Blimey, Moonie. Who were these people still shocked by long hair and a rock beat in the 80's?!

Are you sure these classmates and people at TOTP weren't discerning music lovers who recognised that the likes of Here We Go Again were actually pop fodder with a stodgy beat?

Or am I protesting too much and I really do need Kiss in my life?

; )





Well, most kids at my school were into two-tone and/or the pop of the day in this most musically formative of periods and thus were genuinely perplexed by the late 70's early 80's long haired axe widdlers, especially if they appeared on TOTP. You gotta remember if someone like Gillan or Saxon appeared on telly at all it was a real rarity and they really stood out like cock bulges in spandex on TOTP. (until Milli Vanilli came along)

But yes, you are and you do, and one day, you will..... you will. mwahahahahhaaaaa! ;^)
Moon Cat
9577 posts

Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 18:01
ANyhoo, the big hit of Here I Go Again was the 87 version. The original not quite as big hit (about 83?) was miles better, but that 'snake was miles better too. Coverdale with fugly bluesrock men and brown hair - good. Blonde and MTV friendly sessioneers..baaaad
Moon Cat
9577 posts

Edited Sep 17, 2008, 18:17
Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 18:16
Kid Calamity wrote:
.

I was designing sleeves for a few bands mentioned here in 1989-90. Almost all of them either wanted a nubile babe on the cover or a skull.


? And your problem is....?!!!!

;^)

Actually I think you're being a bit disengenuous here KC. For all it's silliness and posturing, as far as I can see, the NWOBHM was, at its heart, a genuine grass roots movement of sorts. I think, for a lot of the bands it was fueled by a genuine love of the music and a need to escape from drabbery. A lot of the music came out of the working class Midlands and the North and again, it was about living all the crap behind and escaping. Naive, posturing maybe - but heroic IMO all the same. And don't forget, a lot of the OTT presentation, no matter how lame it seems today, was partly inspired by memories of glam rock too. Mott, early Queen, Alice Cooper et al. all mind fodder for young spotty 'erberts with their first flying V

And, unlike punk, the bands didn't really have an ideaology or sloganeering to fall back on if they weren't great muscians or a just generally a bit crap. By that I mean, a crap punk band could always say "yeah we're shit but we meeeean it man - we're singing about issues and the kids and things that are important. We have a message!". You're average NWOBHM band, singing about beer, chicks, Rock itself, and if you're very lucky, dragons, didn't have the luxury of that - it was live by the rock, die by the rock.
keith a
9565 posts

Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 18:18
IanB wrote:


BTW Here We Go Again was Ray Charles. Here I Go Again was by Whitesnake and they were crap by the time they had a hit with that song.



Apologies to Ray for bringing him into things!

But when were they good exactly? This is a band, remember, who released an album entitled Love Hunter in the same year as the Teardrop Explodes released Sleeping Gas.

I know what I was listening to!
keith a
9565 posts

Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 18:20
Kid Calamity wrote:


NWOBHM was just silly. The bands reminded me of those saturday afternoon wrestlers we had on World Of Sport on ITV. Ridiculously tight spandex over beer bellies and clumsy macho posturing.



At the risk of sounding like Sir John, that's the post of the week for me!
keith a
9565 posts

Re: NWOBHM
Sep 17, 2008, 18:22
Moon Cat wrote:


But yes, you are and you do, and one day, you will..... you will. mwahahahahhaaaaa! ;^)


Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

; )
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