Down To Earth But Sky High

 From time to time I’ll dust off, then rummage through my old collection of vinyl 45s.  Even if I don’t play them, it’s nice just to thumb through a box or three to, essentially, conjure up some fond memories of my youth (well, mostly fond).  It’s been a while since I’ve had a turntable hooked up to the stereo, but even though I have 98% of my 45s on one digital format or another, I’ll occasionally have a turntable night and enjoy the sound of the needle on vinyl, the crack and pop as it negotiates the grooves once more, some of which are well worn.  During such a retro-feast I’ll also happen upon a single or two that will prompt the question ‘I don’t recall what that song sounds like’.  One such track that had become a distant memory was ‘Down To Earth’ by the curiously named British outfit Curiosity Killed The Cat, purchased back in 1987 (is it really over 25 years ago?).  So with my own 21st century curiosity stirred, I thought it a reasonable move to investigate further the music and career of Curiosity Killed The Cat (or as they would eventually become - Curiosity).

At the heart of the British pop-soul quintet Curiosity Killed The Cat was front man Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot, a former model and rap artist, whose curiosity led him to join the London based musicians Nick Throp (bass),

Migi Drummond (drums), Toby Anderson (vocals/ keyboards), and Julian Brookhouse (guitar) during 1984.  In a case of it’s not what you know but who you know, Eric Clapton (a family friend of Volpeliere-Pierrot) offered the young group some studio time to record some material the band had written. The as yet unnamed band recorded a song titled ‘Curiosity Killed The Cat’ which came to the notice of band manager Peter Rosengard, who signed the band and decided they should change their name to the song title they’d recorded.

During 1984, Curiosity Killed The Cat started playing the London club scene, including gigs at the Embassy Club, and by 1985 had established a substantial following, leading to a recording contract with Mercury Records (Phonogram).  The bands funk edged, soulful pop wasn’t a million miles away from contemporary ‘blue-eyed soul’ U.K. bands The Kane Gang, Blow Monkeys, Breathe, China Crisis, Deacon Blue, Hipsway, Johnny Hates Jazz, Swing Out Sister, and Hue & Cry (for all - see previous posts).  The first single released during 1986 was ‘Misfit’, for which the band travelled to New York to record a music video with Andy Warhol.  The video was an homage to Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’, with Warhol holding lyric cards while Ben

Volpeliere-Pierrot danced in an alley way.  ‘Misfit’ initially made the U.K. charts in late ‘86 (#76) but would return for a more successful stay after the band’s profile was elevated.

That elevation would come compliments of the band’s second single ‘Down To Earth’.  There was nothing understated about the single ‘Down To Earth’ which broke into the British charts in late ‘86, and by early ‘87 had skyrocketed to #3 (OZ#87).  The band’s appeal to the British music press, and hoards of fans, was largely down to their flamboyant front man Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot, who was never short of a cheeky word or newly designed beret.  After the acclaimed production duo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare left the project, Stewart Levine took over the recording reigns as producer, whilst veteran studio musician Rob Cremona handled some of the playing duties, the seasoned hands proving invaluable in helping Curiosity Killed The Cat lay down the tracks for their first album, ‘Keep Your Distance’.  In May of ‘87, the album bolted into the U.K. charts at #1, which it managed to hold on to for two weeks (13 weeks inside the top 10, OZ#47).

‘Keep Your Distance’ proved far more approachable than its title suggested, and yielded three more hit singles; ‘Ordinary Day’ (UK#11), a re-release of ‘Misfit’ (UK#7/OZ#97/US#42), and ‘Free’ (UK#56), keeping the Curiosity Killed The Cat brand in the charts, and music press for most of 1987.

A full two years passed before Curiosity Killed The Cat had recorded enough material to answer the question that was already being asked - ‘whatever happened to….’.  Studio session man Mike McEvoy

co-wrote most of the songs, whilst Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro also leant some cache to the album.  The lead out single was the funk infused, high energy track ‘Name And Number’, which assumed the title of ‘moderate hit’, and found it’s numerical abode at #14 on the U.K. charts late in 1989.  A refrain from the song worked its way into the De La Soul track ‘Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)’ two years later.  But it would be the only charting single that was yielded from the band’s sophomore album ‘Getahead’ (UK#29), which had a tighter, more energised sound, that alienated the band from the teen based audience which had bought ‘Keep Your Distance’.

After ‘Getahead’ failed to make much of a substantial inroad into the British charts, Mercury Records parted ways with the band.  By 1992, Curiosity Killed The Cat had whittled down to a trio under the name Curiosity and had signed with RCA Records.  In April, the lead out single for a new album was released.  ‘Hang On In There Baby’ (a cover of the old Johnny Bristol hit) was reflective of the band’s determination and became the equal of the band’s biggest chart hit to date (UK#3).  However, the follow up singles proved

less curious to the music buying public; ‘I Need Your Lovin’ (UK#47), ‘Gimme The Sunshine’ (UK#73), leaving little anticipatory fanfare for Curiosity’s 1994 album ‘Back To Front’.

The band then went their separate ways, with Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot contributing to several independent projects, as vocalist and/or songwriter.  The original members of Curiosity Killed The Cat reformed for a one off performance on a U.K. National Lottery special.  Since then Volpeliere-Pierrot has continued to perform and occasionally record under the band’s banner.

A Recipe For Success

1983 was a bumper year for up and coming Australian bands to break through on the national scene.  The likes of Real Life, Allniters, The Expression, Machinations, Pseudo Echo (see previous posts), and Hoodoo Gurus all took that giant step toward Australia wide recognition, and another young band from Melbourne also added their own level of freshness to an ever burgeoning Australian music scene.  I recall watching an episode of Countdown in late ‘83 that featured videos from two new bands, Pseudo Echo (who hadn’t even been signed to a recording contract) with the vibrant track ‘Listening’, and Kids In The Kitchen with the atmospheric song ‘Change In Mood’, the latter having just made its national chart debut.  Both bands would soon be knocking on the door of the national top ten, and for a time at least, would tussle for the title of most popular young band on the Australian music-scape.

Australian bands of that era weren’t shy about challenging some of the established international acts in terms of style and sound.  During 1983, the ‘new romantics’ movement out of Britain was dominating Australian charts - the likes of Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Ultravox (see previous posts), ABC (see previous posts), and Japan had taken elements of the new wave/post punk scene and added a flamboyant, fashion driven aesthetic to it.

During late ‘82 into early ‘83, a young quintet of musicians took the synth-pop core of the new wave scene, and married it to a funk based rhythm, to create an infectious synergy of sound for live audiences on the Melbourne club scene.  Over a period of eight months Kids in the Kitchen forged a following among fans, and built a repertoire of original material.  During this period the band’s larder line-up featured the

charismatic vocalist Scott Carne, Greg Woodhead (keyboards), Greg Dorman (guitar), Craig Harnath (bass), and Bruce Curnow (drums).  Scout’s from Mushroom’s White Label recognised the bands potential and in mid ‘83 secured the lads signatures to a recording contract.

Recording sessions with famed producer Ricky Fataar followed over the next couple of months, and by September of ‘83, the first aural dish was served up in the form of the single ‘Change In Mood’.  The single immediately whet the appetite of the record buying public which consumed it in sufficient numbers to push Kids in the Kitchen into the national charts during October ‘83 (incidentally a full month ahead of cross town rivals Pseudo Echo).  Over the summer holiday period Kids in the Kitchen and Pseudo Echo battled it out for the hearts, minds, and ears of the Australian music buying public.  ‘Change In Mood’ reached boiling point at #10 early in ‘84 (#2 in Melbourne), though Pseudo Echo’s ‘Listening’ (#4) won that particular chart skirmish.

Kids in the Kitchen had also undertaken a hectic touring schedule, opening pop-up restaurants….I mean playing gigs nationally, initially in support of Models (see previous posts), and soon as headliners in their own right.  Internally though the band were unsettled ingredients wise, with new members Alistair Coia (keyboards), and Claude Carranza (guitar) being added to the mix.  As ‘Change In Mood’ was sliding out of the charts, Kids in the Kitchen released their second single, the funk infused ‘Bitter Desire’.  I recall being

completely hooked on the song’s funky guitar riff and fat big brass sound, and playing my copy of the single incessantly.  ‘Bitter Desire’ proved to be desirable to record buyers, reaching #17 nationally (#9 Melbourne) in mid ‘84.

All seemed to go quiet in the kitchen for the most part of a year, as the band worked on completing their debut album.  By mid ‘85 Kids in the Kitchen were open once more for patrons, with the silky smooth lead out single ‘Something That You Said’ (OZ#19) being overheard in the top 20.  Soon after their debut album ‘Shine’ was unveiled, with the title track released in accompaniment.  Whilst ‘Shine’ (#40) the single offered a mildly tarnished chart performance, the source album shone brilliantly, in part due to the fact that Kids in the Kitchen devotees had built an appetite for over eighteen months in waiting for it to be served.  ‘Shine’ the album contained the previous hit singles, and thus had sufficient allure to push sales to #9 nationally, resulting in platinum status (over 70,000 dishes…units sold) over a period of 43 weeks in the charts.

As Kids in the Kitchen took to the touring circuit, there were too more singles lifted from the ‘Shine’ album menu.  The anthemic tinged ‘Current Stand’ roused spirits sufficiently to stand proud at #12 nationally, whilst the single ‘My Life’ (OZ#74) represented little more than an after dinner mint.

The band then entered a hiatus for roughly six months, before defrosting around June of ‘86 with the stand alone single ‘Out Of Control’ (OZ#33), which reminded diners that Kids in the Kitchen still existed.  More lineup changes ensued, most notably in the drummers chair, with Bruce Curnow being fired, and replacement

Sterling Silver in turn leaving the band after just one gig (to join Cyndi Lauper’s band).  The revolving drummer door eventually stopped on Jason Stonehouse.  The band was then able to set about in earnest the recording of their sophomore album during the first half of ‘87.  With no fewer than four producers having their fingers in the pie, the resultant dance oriented album ’Terrain’ (OZ#39) offered a few highlights but was overall an erratic affair - a case perhaps of ‘too many cooks…’.

The lead out single ‘Say It’ spoke loudly enough to be heard at #31 nationally, and whilst I purchased a copy of the second single, ‘Revolution Love’ (OZ#44), the days of Kids in the Kitchen serving up top 20 fare had come and gone.  Ex-Go 101 drummer Simon Kershaw (no relation to Nik) joined the band in late ‘87, but after touring into early ‘88, the writing was on the restaurant wall, and Kids in the Kitchen closed for business soon after.

Lead vocalist Scott Carne joined rockabilly band Priscilla’s Nightmare, who released a single and self-titled EP during 1989.  By 1990, Carne had embarked on a solo project resulting in the dance-pop single ‘All I Want To Do’ (OZ#63) and ‘Freedom’ (OZ#84), and toured as an opening act for new jack soul outfit Soul II Soul.  Bass player Craig Harnath moved in to production work with the likes of Chocolate Starfish and

Kylie Minogue.  I also recall he produced the comic cover songs featured on the D-Generation’s Late Show during the mid 90s.

Kids in the Kitchen may not have scaled the heights of cross town rivals Pseudo Echo (who scored a U.S.#6 hit in 1987 with ‘Funky Town’), but the trajectories of the two bands were remarkably similar overall in terms of the number  of Australian chart hits, and the period during which both bands were active.

The Waite For Bad English In Song

By late ‘81 the band that was The Babys was no more.  Frontman and senior Baby John Waite was left standing, wondering what to do.  As Waite told Jeff Sewald in Bam, “I was the last person to make it out of The Babys.  What does a lead vocalist in a band do when his band deserts him?”  Well isn’t it obvious, John?  He embarks on a solo career.  And after relocating to New York City, that’s precisely the path  that John Waite took. 

Having accumulated enough credit points whilst with The Babys, the Chrysalis label backed John Waite the solo artist, and in 1982 Waite released his debut solo album, appropriately titled ‘Ignition’ (US#68).  In terms of production quality the album shone through, having been in the safe production hands of Neil Geraldo (Pat Benatar’s guitarist and producer - see future post).  As he had done so for The Babys, Waite co-wrote several of the tracks, though it could be said he may have missed the input of ex-Babys’ bandmate Jonathan Cain.  Still, elements of The Babys’ power ballad brand echoed on tracks such ‘Going To The Top’.  Stylistically, the album belonged more firmly in new wave territory, with guitar/synth driven mainstream rock such as ‘White Heat’, ‘Be My Baby Tonight’, and the lead out single ‘Change’ (US#16 mainstream rock chart).  But overall, as with the last couple of Babys’ albums, ‘Ignition’ was missing that spark, that throttle surging, hook laden song that would make an impact on the charts.

Two years elapsed before John Waite resurfaced with his sophomore solo album, ‘No Brakes’ (released on EMI).  If ‘Ignition’ had failed to ignite the charts, its follow up album vehicle ‘No Brakes’, in title at least, promised to be a runaway success.  Producer David Thoener took the production booth reigns to guide John Waite through recording nine tracks in all, of which Waite had a writing hand in five.  Their was a winding back on the new wave synth driven sound, and a clear focus on mainstream 80s style rock, with FM play list accessibility in mind.  Mid tempo pop-rock resided alongside fat sounding power ballads, and there’s no doubt that ‘No Brakes’ (US#14/OZ#27/UK#64) had a sound that perfectly conformed to the era during which it was released.  ‘Missing You’ was the gun track in the album’s hit holster, and was fired at the airwaves as the lead out single.  The early signs were promising as ‘Missing You’ was put on heavy rotation by MTV and FM play lists.  Formulaic rock ballad it might have been, but it was delivered faultlessly by Waite’s impassioned vocal style that was a key signature of The Babys’ sound.  It was also a heartfelt reflection of the emotions Waite invested in co-writing the song.  As Waite told Billboard magazine at the time, ‘Missing You’ “was really explaining a lot about myself, what was on my mind that I didn’t really want to admit to”.  What ever question marks John Waite may have had over his capacity to succeed as a solo artist, they disappeared as ‘Missing You’ zoomed up the Billboard Hot 100 charts and didn’t stop until it broke the sounds barrier at #1 during September of ‘84 (OZ#5/UK#9).  The song replaced Tina Turner’s ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ (Turner would later record a version of the song herself), and in turn was replaced by Prince’s ‘Let’s Go Crazy’.  Waite himself took great pride in achieving a #1 U.S. hit, something The Babys as a collective were unable to do.

As successful as ‘Missing You’ had been in raising the profile of John Waite the solo artist, the follow up

singles ‘Tears’ (US#37), and ‘Restless Heart’ (US#59) fell short of finding the top 10 home on the charts that ‘Missing You’ had.  Regrettably, 1985’s album ‘Mask Of Smiles’, though reviewed favourably by critics, couldn’t put a smile on John Waite’s face, despite reaching #36 on the U.S. charts, and spawning a US#25 single in the form of ‘Every Step Of The Way’.  Interestingly, ‘Mask Of Smiles’ was rounded out by the song ‘No Brakes’ which was the title of Waite’s previous set.  Waite released a third and final solo album under his contract with EMI titled ‘Rover’s Return’ (US#77/OZ#99).  Unfortunately there was no return to the upper echelon of the charts for Waite, at lease not in his guise as a solo act, though the single ‘These Times Are Hard For Lovers’ (OZ#59) was a catchy little guitar rock number that would have sounded at home on a Bon Jovi album.

With his three album deal with EMI completed, Waite shopped around for a new record deal and was signed up by A&R staffer Don Grierson to the Epic label.  Waite had grown weary of the solo scene and had decided he’d prefer to be involved in a collaborative environment as the member of a group.  His manager suggested he contact some of his old Baby’s bandmates, and one night backstage at a Heart concert Waite met up with Babys’ keyboardist and chief song writing collaborator Jonathan Cain.  Cain had been involved with arena rockers Journey (see previous posts) for the previous seven years, since his split from The Babys in 1981.  The two agreed to write some material together, and so during 1988, John Waite embarked on yet another chapter in his career, one that would see him once more return to the top of the charts.

The ink of reconciliation led to the formation of Bad English, the rock ‘supergroup’ comprising Waite and Cain, who were joined in class by bassist Ricky Phillips (also ex-Babys), guitarist Neal Schon (ex-Journey & Santana), and drummer Deen Castronovo.  The band took the inspiration for their name from a term oft used by Waite and friends during casual pool games whilst recording some new material. The quintet were signed up by Epic Records (who doubtless recognised the hit making potential of the combo), and during 1989 Bad English set about composing some hit songs.  Having composed seven tracks in house, Waite and co. met with Epic A&R staff to look outside options for more material.  Fortuitously, John Waite had been friends for some years with acclaimed hit songwriter Diane Warren, who had penned the track ‘Don’t Lose Any Sleep’ for Waite’s 1987 album ‘Rover’s Return’.  Warren had penned a rock ballad style song and initially offered it to Canadian soft rock quintet Sheriff, who placed it in the ‘to revisit at a later date’ column.  When the 30 day option to take the song elapsed, Epic’s A&R department recognised the song’s perfect fit for the newly formed Bad English.

Though officially classed a supergroup, Bad English faced the challenges of all ‘supergroups’, in getting the in house chemistry to gel.  In the Warren penned power ballad ‘When I See You Smile’, Waite and his classmates had the perfect vehicle to meld that chemistry just so.  The band chose to release the up tempo (Danger Zone-esque) track ‘Forget Me Not’ (US#45), but it would be the follow up ‘When I See You Smile’ (OZ#5/UK#61) that would attract the attention of record buyers.  The single debuted on the US Hot 100 during September of ‘89, and by November was listed on the Hot 100 ‘honours roll’ at #1 (in the process replacing Roxette’s ‘Listen To Your Heart’ - see future post).  The ascent of ‘When I See You Smile’ to the pinnacle of the US Hot 100 was cause for five pearly white smiles on the members of Bad English.  Proof that the long standing writing partnership of Waite and Cain could still deliver, arrived in the form of the follow up single ‘Price Of Love’, the slow burning power ballad settling inside the US top five early in 1990 (US#5/OZ#43), whilst the self titled album performed solidly (US#21/OZ#17/UK#74), sales further boosted by the airplay of follow up singles, ‘Heaven Is A 4 Letter Word’ (OZ#98), and ‘Possession’ (US#21).

Bad English proved to be a one term wonder, as the follow up album ‘Backlash’ (UK#64) failed to spawn any hit singles, or any interest on the album charts.  Soon after, the ‘supergroup’ called it quits, with John Waite resuming his solo career.  Over the ensuing 20 years, John Waite has continued to satisfy his long standing fan base with regular album releases, the most recent being 2011’s ‘Rough & Tumble’.

 The name John Waite may not reside in the upper echelon of pop rock notoriety, but in a career spanning over 30 years, Waite has carved some very impressive niches along the way.  Few can claim to have enjoyed chart success with two separate bands and as a solo artist.

The Birth Of A Crescendo Rock Quartet, Or Maybe Quintet

If I were to pose the question which country of origin did The Babys hail from, I would think a good number might say the U.S.  After all that was the country they enjoyed a good deal of commercial success in during the late 70s, but despite their power pop/A.O.R. music style, the rock quartet actually hailed from London.  The Babys managed to align themselves with the power ballad movement which burst to prominence in the U.S. from the mid to late 70s and hit its peak during the 1980s.  The power ballad generally followed a formula of sorts, which could best be described as crescendo rock.  Two examples of that era that encapsulate the crescendo rock formula were ‘More Than A Feeling’ by Boston, and ‘Baby It’s You’ by Promises, both of which took listeners on an emotional and sensory rollercoaster ride of under 4 minutes, but the likes of Journey, REO Speedwagon, Styx, Heart, and Foreigner all enjoyed considerable success during the era.  A song’s intro and verses would feature a gentler vocal with delicate crisp keyboard or guitar accompaniment, and would then explode in a surging, spine tingling, wall of sound chorus that completely envelops the listener - rinse and repeat with a refined middle eight, refrain, or bridge thrown in - and there you have it, crescendo rock for the masses.  Of course writing a hit song, even one that taps into a formulaic approach is never that easy, otherwise countless other bands would have cracked the top 40 code.  As it happened, an English band, became one of the leading proponents of the power ballad/crescendo rock genre.

In 1976, the British music scene had been hijacked by punk, but not everyone was enamoured with minimalist thrashing and destruction of instruments.  A more palatable and appealing diversion from punk was delivered in the form of power pop.  So it was that a young singer and guitarist called John Waite co-founded The Babys.  Waite had been playing in rock and jazz bands since he was a teen, and only ever considered one career path.  The name of The Babys was chosen as ironic, because the band intended to play a boisterous brand of music.  Waite actually took on bass duties in addition to vocals, and was joined in The Babys by Wally Stocker (guitar), Mike Corby (keyboards/guitar), and Tony Brock (drums).  They adopted an interesting strategy to attract interest, not from British record labels, but from the potentially more lucrative Stateside scene.  Producer Mike Mansfield came up with the concept for one of the first video demos.  A budget of US$10,000 (substantial dough in those days) was used to produce the video, which highlighted the groups looks and image as much as the music they were playing - Waite did his best Ziggy Stardust impression, appearance wise.  It was a gamble, but one that paid dividends as The Babys were signed by the Chrysalis Records label.  Chrysalis already had several high profile A.O.R. (album oriented rock) acts on their books, and recognised the potential of the English quartet to crack the lucrative U.S. market.  There was no point in playing on the British invasion angle, and all the resources in terms of recording, production, promotion were geared toward presenting The Babys as a U.S. style power pop/AOR artist and gaining significant airplay on FM radio.

In late ‘76, The Babys eponymous debut album was released.  The recording had been overseen by heavyweight producer Bob Ezrin, but of the ten tracks included none stood out as a hit single with the possible exception of the power ballad ‘Over And Over’.  Despite substantial marketing clout from Chrysalis ‘The Babys’ only managed to crawl to US#133 - but it was early days, and the band’s full potential had barely been tapped.


The band spent a considerable amount of 1977 in studio, this time with producer Ron Nevison, who had worked with the Todd Rundgren vehicle UFO.  The Babys debut set offered only a glimpse of their potential, but this time out the band delivered with a perfectly blended palette of elaborately balanced power ballads and stripped back, hard rocking numbers.  The suits at Chrysalis must have known they were on a winner, as a massive marketing campaign went into full swing for the release of The Babys’ sophomore album ‘Broken Hearts’ (US#34/OZ#9).  The lead out single was the stunning power ballad (crescendo rock) ‘Isn’t It Time’.  The single was a tour de force and showcased both The Babys as a unit, and John Waite’s range as a vocalist.  It mattered not that ‘Isn’t It Time’ wasn’t penned by the band, as The Babys made it their own in studio.  The intro and verse act as the calm before a storm, caressing the listener with pure soothing sounds, before organised bedlam is unleashed in the chorus, with John Waite trading vocal refrains with The Babettes (the female backing vocalists), whilst a lush orchestral filled the sonic palette with brass and string backing.  It was a powerhouse song, unpretentious in style, and breathtaking in delivery.  ‘Isn’t It Time’ peaked at #13 on the U.S. charts (perhaps shy of expectations), #45 in Britain, but surged all the way to the toppermost of the poppermost in Australia, that’s #1 by the way.  The follow up single ‘Silver Dreams’ (US#53) showcased The Babys mastery of simple, delicate, atmospheric playing, and is perfectly counterbalanced with a track like the guitar driven ‘And If You Could See Me Fly’.  The Babys also toured extensively in support of the album, adding further to their growing profile Stateside.

Soon after the release of ‘Broken Hearts’, The Babys underwent their first personnel change with the departure of keyboardist Mike Corby, who was replaced by a key song writing addition to the mix in the form of Jonathan Cain, whilst bass player Ricky Phillips was also recruited to free up Waite for vocal and rhythm guitar duties.  All of this took place during the sessions for the band’s new album.  On initial presentation to the studio suits, the band were told to make some changes which included adding in a few new songs rounding out to a track listing of nine new songs.  ‘Head First’ (US#22/OZ#18) hit the shelves in early ‘79, and was supported by the title track lead single (US#77) penned by the original core trio of Waite, Brock and Stocker.  Most of the other tracks were also written in house, including the energetic rocker ‘Love Don’t Prove I’m Right’ and the acoustic ballad ‘You (Got It)’, but the stand out track wasn’t penned by the band themselves.  ‘Everytime I Think Of You’ proved a perfect book end of sorts to ‘Isn’t It Time’.  The intro to ‘Everytime I Think Of You’ gently welcomes the listener with John Waite’s restrained vocals, and Jonathan Cain on piano.  Sweet shimmering strings are overlaid to enrich proceedings as Waite continues to caress with his vocals.  Thirty seconds in Tony Brock’s drums burst to life, and surging strings flow in unison.  John Waite’s energised vocals are met in kind by the Babettes vocal refrains as they trade lines through the surging wall of sound chorus.  Time to take a breath as all grows quiet over the bandscape for the next verse, and repeat escalation of intensity toward the next chorus  that comes rushing toward a crescendo.  Enter guitarist Wally Stocker to deliver a sublime and restrained solo overladen with a lush string arrangement bridging to Waite delivering one more verse which pulsates into the final tumultuous chorus and fade to finish.  It’s impossible to capture in words the sheer brilliance of a track like ‘Everytime I Think Of You’, but a US#13 and OZ#6 chart result in early ‘79 doesn’t do justice to the song, which would prove to be, in my humble opinion, The Babys’ finest moment.

In 1980 The Babys waved their British heritage by entitling their new album ‘Union Jacks’ (US#42/OZ#58), ironic given newish recruits Cain and Phillips are American.  The band also moved in a slightly different musical direction, hinted at on the album cover which featured the band with black leather jackets and serious rock cred facial expressions.  Studio time for the album had been shared with producer Keith Olsen (Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Pat Benatar, Journey, Foreigner), who helped the band move away from some of the ornate power balladry of albums past, and engage with the more immediate and pared back sound of new wave/power pop.  Cain’s synthesizer and Stocker’s punchy guitar come to the fore to compliment Waite’s vocals, whilst Phillips and Brock pump out infectious rhythm lines.  Perhaps the closest to the band’s previous lush crescendo rock is the title track which at almost six minutes far exceeds the track times elsewhere on the album.  The single ‘Midnight Rendezvous’ (US#72) shapes up as a quintessential new wave synth/guitar driven track, but it lacks that hook laden quality offered by much of the competition at the time.  The follow up single, ‘Back On My Feet Again’ (US#33/OZ#92), is a personal favourite of mine and for some reason reminds me of The Who - perhaps its Jonathan Cain’s synth-riff.

Late in 1980, The Babys released their fifth and, what would prove to be, final studio album.  ‘On The Edge’ (US#71/OZ#98) was wall to wall Babys’ compositions, which might on the surface suggest team harmony, but on closer inspection (and listening) it was clear that there were some unhappy Babys in the crèche…um….studio.  The band’s level of frustration had grown over the course of their last album, which failed to build on the success of earlier albums by delivering a knock out blockbuster hit.  Cain once more was positioned front and centre with his keyboard and synthesizer riffs but the hand is overplayed, and the overall balance of the album suffers as a result.  The Cain and Waite penned ‘Turn And Walk Away’ (US#42) was an agreeable little rocker and was an apt title to round out The Baby’s Hot 100 experience.  There’s nothing inherently sub par about the tracks on ‘On The Edge’, it’s just that nothing stands out as a track that you’d want to play over and over.

If the band had been ‘on the edge’ while recording the album, they effectively went over the edge soon after.  With internal disputes rife and seemingly a loss in musical direction and inspiration, keyboardist Jonathan Cain was the first to go separate ways in early ‘81 when he joined Journey (see previous posts).  Soon after Brock, Stocker and two smoking barrels…oops, I mean Phillips moved on to other projects.  That left vocalist John Waite with only one choice, to embark on a solo career.  In time that career would exceed the pinnacle of The Babys’ achievements, and would eventually lead down a road toward reconciliation with some of his Babys’ cohorts.

But all of that is a tale for another post - coming soon to a blog near you, in fact this blog.

The Starstruck Jo Kennedy

During my teenage years there were a number of songs that, though I loved them at the time, seemed to fade to the periphery of my mind as 20s became 30s became…well, you get the idea.  But these songs never disappeared, as there would continue to be fleeting moments of a tune, a lyric here, a chorus there, and I would be lured back to thinking about how much these tunes meant to me, the energy, the vibrancy they embodied.  And over time I’ve tracked each and every one (well most) to obtained as pristine a copy as I could locate.  A lot of these songs have been by Australian (or Kiwi) artists, and occasionally I’ve managed to stumble across a compilation of rare hits, or a reissue of a seemingly long lost album.  One such uncovered treasure, which took me nearly 20 years to happen upon is the track ‘Body And Soul’, by female vocalist Jo Kennedy.

In 1982, the Australian motion picture ‘Starstruck’ was released in cinemas across the country early that year.  Australian cinema was in a healthier state in the early 80s, well healthier than it is in the 20teens.  Directed by Gillian Armstrong, it was a quirky musical, with more comic than dramatic moments.  Essentially the plot of the film centres around a search for fame and fortune as a singer, as pursued by the character Jackie Mullens, and her cousin Angus, both of who frequent the pub owned by her family.  Angus enters Jackie in a talent competition called the ‘Wow! Show’, and if she wins not only will it be her big break into showbiz via a showcase performance at the Sydney Opera House, but she can rescue the family pub from closure with the $25,000 prize money.  Needless to say she wows the judges and audience, and her dreams of being discovered come true, with a detour or two along the way.  Jo Kennedy played the role of Jackie Mullens, who breaks into song frequently throughout the film’s numerous musical numbers - she’s not the shy retiring type.  The two standout musical numbers are a performance of ’Body And Soul’ all the regulars at the family pub, and ’Monkey In Me’ during the New Year’s eve concert/talent show.  Most of the movie’s charms lay in the musical numbers, though there are sufficient laughs from the many and varied eccentric characters along the way.  Along with the Angels’ Graham ’Buzz’ Bidstrup as band director, and producer Matk Moffatt overseeing Jo Kennedy’s performances, the music coordinator on the film was one Phil Judd, ex of New Zealand music legends Split Enz.  Judd’s band at the time, The Swingers (see future post), also appear in several of the film’s music sequences, including performing the title song during the end concert sequence.

But the Split Enz connections didn’t end with Judd’s involvement.  The song Jo Kennedy sings to take out the talent competition, ‘Body And Soul’, was written in the non-cinematic world by one Tim Finn.  Originally titled ‘She Got Body, She Got Soul’, the track appeared on the 1979 Split Enz album ‘Frenzy’.  The Jo Kennedy adaptation also featured vocals from, then Mondo Rock front man, Ross Wilson.  The film ‘Starstruck’ enjoyed moderate box office success, and was spruiked on Countdown by Molly Meldrum - it was a rarity for contemporary Australian popular music to be featured in a big screen vehicle.  Jo Kennedy also appeared on Countdown, helping to propel the Mushroom released ‘Body And Soul’ to a chart high #5 in mid ‘82 (spending 19 weeks on the charts).  The follow up single, ‘Monkey In Me’ didn’t climb higher than #76, but saw Jo Kennedy sit comfortably on the charts for another 22 weeks.  The soundtrack to ‘Starstruck’ also impressed film goers and music aficionados sufficiently to elevate the album to #13 nationally during mid ‘82.

As featured in the film, enjoy the video clip for ‘Body And Soul’ by Jo Kennedy.

In The Nick Of Time

From time to time, whilst rummaging through a mountain of pop classics, I’ll rediscover a gem that’s been hiding away for longer than it should have.  One such nugget of delicious pop is the 1978 hit ‘Hot Child In The City’, recorded by one Nick Gilder.  After sampling the smooth, soulful song, I decided to dig a bit deeper into the career of the artist behind the hit.  What follows is the result of that casual investigation.

Nick Gilder was born in London during 1951, and at age ten emigrated to Vancouver, Canada.  His teenage years were spent attending a technical college, but a love of music saw Gilder move towards a career in a band.  In 1971, he formed a band with friend and guitarist Jimmy McCulloch (not of Thunderclap Newman or Wings fame) under the cheeky title Sweeney Todd.  The glam rockers enjoyed limited success in their native Canada, but in 1975 released their eponymous debut album (CA#14) on the London Records label.  The release of the Sweeney Todd single, ‘Roxy Roller’ (written about groupies), initially met with little success.  Around the same time both Gilder and McCulloch left Sweeney Todd, due to the well worn path of internal bickering, and the duo decided to try their lucky across the border in the U.S., setting up base in Los Angeles.

Gilder and McCulloch signed to the Chrysalis, which saw the potential in some of the power pop songs the duo had penned together.  The period coincided with their former label London Records releasing the single ‘Roxy Roller’ again, with a new vocalist, but using the original backing track.  Suffice to say when Chrysalis got wind of it they slapped an injunction on it, effectively banning further airplay of the single, but not before the Sweeney Todd version had charted in Canada during 1975.  Chrysalis then had Gilder record a new version of the song for U.S. release, whilst a completely new version was released in Canada by a new Sweeney Todd lineup.  A good recipe for lawyers, but the whole episode did little sales for any of the versions of ‘Roxy Roller’, though the Nick Gilder version did chart in Australia in early ‘77 (#29), following on by an original Gilder track, ‘She’s A Star (In Her Own Right)’ (#71) had flirted with chart success a few months earlier in Canada - both tracks lifted from Gilder’s debut solo album ’You Know Who You Are’ (including re-recorded Sweeney Todd material & produced by Stuart Alan Love).  But it wouldn’t be long before Nick Gilder would become a star in his own right, and people would know who he was.

During 1977, Gilder and his label attempted to arrange acclaimed Beatles’ producer George Martin to oversee production on Gilder’s sophomore album.  When schedules couldn’t be aligned, producer Mike Chapman (Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie) stepped in to fill a breach.  Chapman had already enjoyed massive success producing acts in Britain, and was about to have his stamp of production dominate the U.S. charts.  All of the tracks for the album ‘City Nights’ (CA#13) had been written by Gilder and his song writing partner Jimmy McCulloch.  Initially the pair felt the album track ‘All Because Of Love’ should be the lead out single, but the suits at Chrysalis felt another song should be chosen, and for once they made the better judgment call.

The song they chose was a sultry, slow burning pop-rock track whose subject matter was a lot darker than the mood of the track might suggest.  Singer Nick Gilder explained the theme of the track ‘Hot Child In The City’ to Rolling Stone magazine.  Essentially it told the tale of runaway teenage girls, sold into prostitution and drug use, as relayed from the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles night life, all told through the medium of ‘an innocent pop song’.

‘Hot Child In The City’ was released in mid ‘78, and by late June regular airplay had pushed the song into the Billboard Hot 100.  But the single, in the nature of its sound, would prove a slow burner up the U.S. charts.  It would take all of 20 weeks for ‘Hot Child In The City’ to find a home atop the Billboard Hot 100, during the week ending 28 October 1978 (the longest ascent to #1 in the history of the Billboard charts to that time).  Interestingly, the song it replaced atop the charts was ‘Kiss You All Over’ by Exile (see previous post), another in the production stable of Mike Chapman, who was just about to dominate the U.S. charts in similar fashion to the U.K.  Nick Gilder’s stay at the summit was brief, as the very next week Anne Murray’s ‘You Needed Me’, offered a more innocuous subject matter in place of ‘Hot Child In The City’.

The success of ‘Hot Child In The City’ went further than a #1 hit, as at the time it became the biggest selling single in the U.S. for the Chrysalis label, and remained so until overtaken by Blondie’s ‘Call Me’ in 1980.  It also went to #1 in Gilder’s home country Canada (OZ#18), but chart success eluded Gilder in his native Britain.

The follow up single (I’d like to see you follow that), ‘Here Comes The Night’ (CA#21/US#44) predictably made only a fraction of the chart ripple that its predecessor did.  Gilder went back into the studio in early ‘79 to record his next album, but when ‘Frequency’ (CA#79) was released listeners had already tuned into another frequency.  Although, the single ‘(You Really) Rock Me’ (CA#35, US#57, OZ#95) did rock the upper reaches of the charts, albeit fleetingly.  Predictably, Gilder and his label Chrysalis parted ways following the lacklustre sales of his last album.  Casablanca Records offered a recording lifeline in 1980, and the album ‘Rock America’ (co-produced by Gilder) surfaced later that year, along with the singles ‘Wild Ones (Feeling Electric)’ (CA#22) and ‘Catch 22’ (CA#26).  Gilder recorded two more albums during the 80s, 1981’s ‘Body Talk Muzik’, and a 1985 eponymously titled set, which realised the last charting singles for Nick Gilder, ‘Let Me In’ (CA#50), and ‘Footsteps’ (CA#95), in his native Canada.  Gilder continued to write and record music, and a number of his tracks have been recorded by artists such as Bette Midler and Pat Benatar.  The 1984 hit ‘The Warrior’, recorded by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth (see previous post), was co-written by Gilder.

A Smash Heart Of Glass

1979 saw the disco movement at its peak, and conversely also about to be pushed over that peak and crushed beneath the weight of the opposing ‘new wave’ and ‘post punk’, movements.  New York outfit Blondie were one of the flag bearers for the ‘new wave’ movement, and so it seemed a little counter intuitive for the six piece outfit to offer up what was, for all intents and purposes, a disco song.  But therein lay the genius of Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante, and Clem Burke.

Written by Harry and Stein, and lifted from the band’s multi-platinum 1978 album ‘Parallel Lines’ (US#1, OZ#2, UK#1) the single ‘Heart Of Glass’ (OZ#1/US#1/UK#1) would not only challenge the (arguably) vacuous disco scene, but single handed hijack the genre.  The album was produced by prolific control room operator Mike Chapman (see previous posts The Knack, Racey), and the glossy production shone throughout on other hits such as the no nonsense rocker ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ (OZ#39,UK#5) and the more sultry ‘Picture This’ (OZ#88/UK#12).  But it would be ‘Heart Of Glass’ which would indelibly stamp its signature beat and rhythm line on the minds of every commercial music listener of the era, indeed beyond.  The success of ‘Heart Of Glass’ also in part owes something toward the music video, shot in the famous Studio 54, and featuring the iconic image of Debbie Harry centre stage.

More on the evolution of Blondie, and solo career of Debbie Harry, but for now enjoy the irresistible lure of ‘Heart Of Glass’ (the 'Studio 54' version and Top of the Pops, featuring Chris Stein as a 'disco Beatle')