It’s the first week of the year and we welcome back from hiatus, Retro Cassette Fridays! Each week in the OUTinPerth office we’ll slip on three albums from the past. We’ve got a box of filled with 156 releases of yesteryear to work our way through during 2014.
S’ Express
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
1989
S’Express were one of the breakout bands of the UK’s acid house music scene in the late 80’s. Mark Moore and his tribe of club identities crafted a dance album that is still intriguingly interesting to listen to today. From the opener of ‘Theme from S’Express’ which was a huge hit through a number of dance tracks this band never leaves the dance floor. Second ‘Superfly Guy’ also stands the test of time and the band’s cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘Hey Music Lover’ is guaranteed to make you get up and dance.
Kula Shaker
Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts
1999
Kula Shaker are one of those ‘other bands’ from the Britpop era, quickly forgotten but certainly worth remembering. Maybe if they’d brought their 60’s influenced folk pop out 15 years later they’d have been remembered in a different way. The band’s first album ‘K’ went to Number 1 on the UK charts. They scored a huge hit in 1997 when they covered the song ‘Hush’ which had been made famous by Deep Purple and many others. This album is filled with psych influenced rock numbers, the single ‘Shower Your Love on Me’ is a great track, overall the album is a great listen, even if at times it’s all a bit overblown – a sign of the times. Interesting trivia – lead singer Chrispian Mills is the son of Disney actress Hayley Mills and grandson of acting legend Sir John Mills.
Haircut 100
Favourite Shirts
1982
A huge hit in 1982 with the singles ‘Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)’ and the very catchy ‘Love Plus One’. This band sound like Dexy Midnight’s Runners or Madness but look more like Duran Duran. They are six very well dressed boy who look like they’ve just had a break from playing cricket on the album’s cover image. There is a great jangly guitar sound to their music and a proliferation of bongo drums. Of course being the 1980’s there is a lot of saxophone on this album.
Check out previous editions of this column here.
Graeme Watson
