Guess Who Just Got Back Today

Raised from the depths of obscurity, it's the return of Retro Universe.

Two and half years is a long enough sabatical.  I could claim a  prolonged case of writer's block, but not with any conviction.  The lure of the soundtrack to my youth has proven simply irresistible.

It's time to once more recapture the spirit and vitality of your youth via the elixir of classic hits.

The potion is in preparation, but to satisfy your salivating ears (is that even possible?) here's a dash of Flash...& the Pan from 1983....'Waiting For A Train'.

A Matter Of Time

Greetings and salutations to those of you who may recall this particular Seagull from another time called the past, and another place called Retro Universe. Though I may have been grounded in recent times, rest assured I remain committed to continuing the journey I commenced via this blog some 2.5 years ago. When the rest of the world allows time, and I summon up the energy, I shall take to the nostalgic airwaves once more and pilot this blog into reaches of the Retro Universe not yet explored.

Stay tuned....because if you leave me you know I'll only come too ;)

Pilot Of The Airwaves Revives The Radio Star

The management here at Retro Universe are proud to announce the arrival of The Ultimate 80s Radio Show, hosted by Ultimate Bart, which kicked of to much fanfare and suitable salutations on Wednesday 17th February. DJ Ultimate Bart shall be reliving some of the highs (and lows) of the magnificence that was the 1980s via hit after hit after hit streamed live to your laptop, desktop, or whatever top you see fit to use. He shall also be regaling you with some tidbits from Retro Universes own cavernous vault of music trivia and scintillating anecdotes.

You may avail yourself of this most excellent entertainment via the link on the left hand side of this page, and be sure to check out Ultimate Barts personal blog here: ultimatebart.blogspot.com

So drink deeply from the rich waters of 80s music brilliance!!

Absent On Duty

Hi all,

sincere apologies for the lack of activity on Retro Universe of late, but I have been laid low with some health issues. Things are on the up and up though and I'm optimistic of being fully back in the swing of things in a week or so. In the meanwhile, I'll post the long overdue sequel to my Prefab Sprout post. In coming weeks stay tuned for posts on - Wa Wa Nee, Straitjacket Fits, Marshall Hain, Trio, Bobby McFerrin, David Dundas, Escape Club, Ottawan, Human League, Kincade, First Class, Go West, Bertie Higgins, Hue & Cry, Racey, Tim Finn, Allniters, Peaches & Herb, Howard Jones, Billy Squier, Frida, Uncanny X-Men, Dee C. Lee, Survivor, The Ferrets, The Floaters, Burton Cummings, Corey Hart, Silver Convention, Boris Gardiner, Exile, Diesel, A Taste Of Honey, Judie Tzuke, Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne, B.J. Thomas, Ultravox and Midge Ure.

Beyond that, later in the year I'll be posting on Hollywood Beyond, The Tom Tom Club, Paul Young (& The Q-Tips), Eddie Money, The Kingbees, The Kings, Kim Carnes, Gino Vanelli, America, Loverboy, Kids In The Kitchen, Device, Paul Carrack, Quiet Riot, Great Buildings, and Tears For Fears to name a few.

Cheers,
A.FlockOfSeagulls

Mission (Phase One) - Complete. Stand By For Phase Two...

Greetings and salutations all. Today marks exactly a year since I launched the good ship Retro Universe into cyberspace. Initially, this blog was an outlet for me to express my thoughts and opinions about some of the songs and artists I enjoyed growing up (and still enjoy today), and in the process share some interesting titbits about those artists careers along the way. That’s still the intention by the way, but those half page blurbs during the early days have kind of expanded over time to become less potted, more epic length histories (sometimes covering two or three posts). I’ve enjoyed the process of developing as a writer (if you could call me that), but of late I’ve felt like I’m running out of steam and enthusiasm. Believe it or not I’ve got another forty plus draft posts in the can, and I’d planned to write about ninety more to take the blog through to the end of this year (that was when I’d intended to wind things up). But - best laid plans and all that - my heart’s not really in it at the moment, and I need to step away for a bit. Each post takes a lot of time and energy (and I mean a lot) - more than I’d originally intended investing - and I don’t want maintaining this blog to become a chore, or worse an ordeal, rather than an enjoyable hobby. So, time to take a break for a little while - freshen up, and hopefully regain that drive and enthusiasm which inspired me in the first place. When I return to the helm in a couple of weeks or so, and as Jo Jo Zep once sang “I will return”, I’ll post the longer ‘essay style’ drafts which I’ve already written, but in terms of penning future posts, I’ll attempt to take a more economical approach. Actually, if I take a look back at the posts I was writing during the first few months of the blog - that’s the style (and length) I’d like to get back to - less thorough I know - but more succinct, and less taxing (and time consuming) to research and write. If you’re a regular reader, or casual passer by, I hope you’ll keep Retro Universe bookmarked for future reference - I‘ll be back posting soon….stay tuned ;)

Enough of the self indulgent rant. Time to sign off (for now) with a highlight from one of my all time favourite artists - Electric Light Orchestra. E.L.O. (as they’re better known) evolved during 1971 out of the eclectic British psychedelic-rock outfit, The Move. Roy Wood (guitar/vocals), Bev Bevan (drums), Rick Price (bass), and recent recruit Jeff Lynne (guitar/keyboards/vocals) comprised E.L.O.’s initial line-up. Actually, it was the addition of Lynne to The Move’s roster that proved a key factor in the group’s metamorphosis into E.L.O. Roy Wood left after the band’s first album , leaving Jeff Lynne to take over at the controls. Over the next couple of years E.L.O.’s line-up was expanded to include (among others) Richard Tandy (keyboards), Kelly Groucutt (bass), and Mik Kaminsky (violin). Under Jeff Lynne’s creative direction, the Electric Light Orchestra lived up to their name with a unique brand of orchestral pop-rock, infused with strains of rockabilly, blues, 60s psychedelic rock, melodic pop, and straight up classical music arrangements.

My personal opinion (which is the only one I can really offer) is that no one before, or since, has come up with the unique sound that defined E.L.O., and the reason comes down to writer, producer, singer, guitarist, and considerable musical genius Jeff Lynne. Sure his ambitions for E.L.O. were grandiose, but both he and the band delivered on those ambitions, and then some. Over a fifteen year period, Electric Light Orchestra notched up a swag of gold/platinum albums, and almost thirty top forty hits (across the U.S., Britain and Australia). During the mid to late 70s, E.L.O. was one of the biggest live drawcards in the world, regularly selling out stadium venues. Songs such as, ‘Livin’ Thing’, ‘10538 Overture’, ‘Rockaria!’, ‘Hold On Tight’, ‘Telephone Line’, ‘Shine A Little Love’, ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’, and ‘Rock And Roll Is King’, became instant classic, um, pop-classics. Albums such as ‘A New World Record’, ‘Discovery’, ‘Time’, and ‘Out Of The Blue’, thirty years on still stand up to the most intense scrutiny and scream “eternal gem”. If I had to choose one song by Electric Light Orchestra that resonates more powerfully with me than any other - and that is a mighty tough choice - I’d choose ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ (US#35/UK#6/OZ#87). The track featured on E.L.O.’s 1977 double album ‘Out Of The Blue’ (US#4/UK#4/OZ#3), released on the band’s own Jet Records label. If ever my mind is in need of a ray of sunshine, something to cut a swath through a mental fog, Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ blows the clouds away. Put simply, ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is a sublime slice of orchestral-pop heaven.

So, until I once more return to the Retro Universe controls, peace and happiness to everyone, and be sure to take time over the next couple of weeks to listen to the music that you love.

And now….“Goodmorning, today’s forecast calls for blue skies”…enjoy ‘Mr. Blue Sky’.

Wishing You A Simply Wonderful Christmastime

Well it’s that time of the year again. No not International Dance Like a Giraffe Day, though seriously it deserves more recognition than it gets.

It’s time to place Retro Universe on hiatus for a couple of weeks, in order to finish Xmas shopping, watch the Boxing Day Test Match, eat, drink, frolic in the sunshine, and generally act all merry-like. To anyone who reads this, please have a happy and safe holiday season. Be kind (to others and yourself), be happy (for others and yourself), and listen to great music!

Thankyou to regular readers of this blog (if there are any) for your ongoing support, casual passers by, and those who have arrived for the first time (don’t worry a porter will be along shortly to collect your luggage). I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey thus far, exploring the stories behind some of my favourite songs and artists, and I sincerely hope you‘ve enjoyed at least some of my ramblings along the way. My desire, nay determination, is to return in early ‘09 to continue this magical mystery tour of classic popular music. The Retro Universe music menu for the new year includes: Hot Chocolate, Fox, The Waitresses, Sailor, Big Country, Buggles, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Captain Sensible, Melissa Manchester, S.O.S. Band, Til Tuesday, Georgia Satellites, Climie Fisher (& Naked Eyes), JoBoxers, Mi-Sex, Army Of Lovers, Haysi Fantayzee, The Ritchie Family, Venetians, Ram Jam, Gary Wright, QED/Jenny Morris, Johnny Hates Jazz, Industry, Del Amitri, Tenpole Tudor, Jellyfish, Bucks Fizz, The Reels, Underworld, Sparks, De Barge, Wild Cherry, Candi Staton, Adam & The Ants, Sunnyboys and…well, you get the idea ; )

So leave some room after your Christmas pudding to digest all of that fabulous fare coming soon to Retro Universe. As they say in the classics - stay tuned!

In the interim, I’d like to leave you with something appropriate for this festive season. You may have picked up on the fact that I’m a bit of a Beatles’ fan - both their group efforts, and their solo work. One day, I hope to annoy net surfers with a Beatles blog (but only after I’ve exhausted material for, or feel like a change from, Retro Universe), but for now you’ll have to content yourself with a couple of classic Xmas tunes from Messrs McCartney and Lennon.

‘Wonderful Christmastime’ was released in late ‘79, and credited on the charts to Paul McCartney (UK#6/OZ#61), though it was recorded while Wings were still an active unit at the time, and feature in the promotional video. The song was later included as a bonus track on the CD release of Wings’ ‘Back To The Egg’ album (in my humble opinion the best Wings set of them all - though it was a relative disappointment in commercial terms). ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ isn’t exactly a McCartney classic, but if you’ve consumed enough eggnog, chances are you’ll find yourself happily singing along to its cheery tune.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) was credited to John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band with Harlem Community Choir, and was released (the first time) in time for Christmas ‘71. The song peaked at #3 in the U.S., #4 on the U.K. charts (in ‘72), and #9 in Australia (also for the first time in December ‘72). Deservedly, ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ has become a staple on radio play lists every festive season. Not only does it serve as a reminder of Lennon’s genius and humanity, but its sentiments are suitably poignant, and uplifting.

Oh, and if you Googled ‘International Dance Like a Giraffe Day’ and found anything interesting, let me know.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night! See you all on the flip side in ‘09 ; )

Removing Song Links

Hi all,

over recent times I've received several notifications from blogger.com regarding the removal of a number of previous posts from my blog due to infringement of copyright - with relation to the inclusion of the song links. Since this is just a hobby and I've no wish to get involved in any legal wrangles I've removed the links to sample mp3s. So sadly I won't be sharing any more examples of the fine work of these artists, but as I've always intended I would urge all visitors to Retro Universe to support the artists involved regardless, and purchase their work if it is currently available.
I'll republish several posts that have been taken down in recent days - but future posts will not include links to sample mp3s. I hope that you'll all stay tuned though for my own ramblings on some of the great songs and artists of the mid 70s through early 90s period in popular music.

Keep the faith always!
A. Flock Of Seagulls

Time For Launch T Minus Zero

I dub this Blog 'Retro Universe' and wish all who visit this wonderland an informative and rewarding trip into the mercurial popular music realm of the last 50 years.

Though a fan of most things from 50s rockabilly through 60s psychedelia, 70s funk n' disco, 80s new wave, 90s grunge to cutting edge 00s fair, I remain unabashedly bias toward everything 80s. What I hope to share through this medium are those songs, those artists, those events in popular music history that have served as a constant companion and rare inspiration in my life, and in so doing help to keep the dream alive!

So, welcome aboard and enjoy the journey :)

(Oh and in case you're wondering the image above right is the front cover to the 1979 Wings album 'Back To The Egg' - a classic!)