Today's forgotten classic comes to us from former Adam and the Ants bass player, Kevin Mooney aka Wide Boy Awake. 'Slang Teacher' was the one notable hit from the band.
Roxy Music knockoffs Icehouse had a top 40 hit with this slick little number in early 1983 . The song peaked at #31 and was one of several charting songs for the band including 'Electric Blue', 'Crazy' and 'Great Southern Land'. The Australian band is still active today.
Icehouse- Hey Little Girl (1983, Chrysalis Records)
From the ashes of X-Ray Spex, Classic Nouveaux reached #43 on the U.K. charts with 'Guilty' in November of 1983. The band would go on to have six other songs to make the charts.
Classic Nouveaux- Guilty (1981, Cherry Red UK Records)
We celebrate the 21st day of our 80's Days of Summer as well as our nation's 235th birthday with a no-brainer. X's '4th of July' from their 1987 album See How We Are. This was the first X album without founding member Billy Zoom on guitar.
The original, reunited lineup including Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom and D.J. Bonebrake continue to perform to this day.
So here we are, just hours away from Independence Day. I thought this might be a fitting song. And it's a two-fer.
Originally written and recorded by Billy Bragg in 1983, the song (with an additional verse) was also a hit for the late Kirsty MacColl just a year later. Produced by her husband Steve Lillywhite (of U2 fame, among others) it peaked at #7 on the U.K. charts.
Billy Bragg- A New England (Live, 1985)
Kirsty MacColl- A New England (1984, Stiff Records)