The first song which springs to mind on hearing the name Pete Wylie would be Story of the Blues. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

I saw Edwyn Collins live once when he was the support act for McAlmont and Butler's one and only gig.

The first song which springs to mind on hearing the name Pete Wylie would be Story of the Blues. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

 

I would not have known who he was in those days, as I did not start buying Smash Hits until 1986. I had the song on a Ronco compilation tape called “Hits Of 83” a few years before then, but I did not make the connection between Wah! and Wylie until a couple of years after “Sinful”.

 

“Hits of 83” was one of those compilation albums where it was stated that if you bought one volume you got the other ‘free’, though in reality it was just a double album. At the time it was released I do not think the volumes could be purchased separately, though I can imagine many ‘orphaned’ parts turning up in charity shops across the land.

 

I had “Hits of 83” stuck at the side of my bed for about 10 years, ever since I decided to stick the cases together so that I would not loose either parts. It is a pity that I finally moved it a few months back, as today I would have liked to have seen what else was on the tapes.

 

This was because on 6Music this morning, they [Chris Hawkins and co.] were asking about what recordings listeners had on tape that should have been updated onto CD and whilst they were reading out various comments, they mentioned another Ronco album called “Raiders Of The Pop Charts”.

 

Now “Raiders Of The Pop Charts” was one of the first compilation albums that I had in my collection, though my copy is on vinyl rather than cassette, and a tune from the album was actually played on the radio, which was Heaven 17’s “Let Me Go”, one of my personal favourites.

 

Later on in the show, they were trying to remember if “Raiders Of The Pop Charts” was part of a series of albums like the worldwide “Now” franchise or if it was just a ‘one off’. Being another Ronco record I guess it could be seen as two separate albums in a series, as it was also released as a ‘buy one get one free’ offer.

 

I am not too sure if it was part of a series or not, though I do have another album by Ronco called “Chart Encounters Of The Pop Kind” which featured the same man on the front [this time in a tracksuit holding an odd triangle shaped object, whereas before he was dressed as Indiana Jones] so many more Ronco albums may have been released, all with badly punning film spoof titles.

 

Many of the other albums that listeners had on tape, such as Swing Out Sister and Blancmange, are ones that I own on CD, so I must have bought them about five years after they were first released.

 

As well as playing songs that listeners had on cassette, Hawkins also played Underworld’s “Dark and Long” [between songs by Heaven 17 and Blancmange]. I do not know if you remember Underworld from back in the late 1980s, many years before “Born Slippy” and just a few years after they had evolved from that squiggle named band [‘Freur’], but in 1990 I nearly bought their album on cassette for 49p.

 

In those days, Underworld were supposed to sound like a ‘funky rock’ version of The Thompson Twins or like an English version of INXS, acts that would have been great reference points for me in those days, but as I had only read about the band in the press, I decided at that time to buy an 49p album by Kon Kan instead.

 

My plan was to go back a couple of weeks later to buy the Underworld album and a record by Limahl, though by the time I got around to going back, the store had closed completely. Whilst I am not too bothered about Limahl’s solo albums now [though I would like to get Kajagoogoo’s hits DVD], I wish I had bought that Underworld album, especially since I ended up buying many of their subsequent releases.

 

The album may have been already re-issued because I know that the Freur albums have, though I have not seen any for sale. You may remember the album which I wanted, it was one that could be mistaken for a Sigue Sigue Sputnik record, as it featured a Tony James style shot of Karl Hyde in glasses and hat [i think he was the cover star though I cannot be certain].

 

By the way, the last record I heard on 6Music today was King’s “Love And Pride” [the parent album being a record that I actually have on cassette in my collection]. I mention this because in addition to the recent news about 6Music, you may like to know that VH1 has also been discontinued, though this time with a replacement MTV channel that will show hits mainly from the 1980s.

 

Loz

 

The first song which springs to mind on hearing the name Pete Wylie would be Story of the Blues. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

I saw Edwyn Collins live once when he was the support act for McAlmont and Butler's one and only gig.

 

imho this is easily the best thing wylie ever did

 

Whoever said Oasis is off their head... just because Wonderwall is their most enduring tune doesn't mean that Live Forever, Don't Look Back In Anger, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Importance of Being Idle et al are forgotten.

 

I fear Linkin Park will only be remembered for Numb/Encore :(

imho this is easily the best thing wylie ever did

 

 

Hello,

 

I am afraid you will have to tell me what song you have posted here, as I have turned off all the ‘interactivity’ due to all the computer use regulations in force here. On the other hand, if you have posted “Diamond Girl”, I may actually make a point of putting the Internet on at home tonight [i am a very infrequent user at home and as Metal Britannia starts tonight with a film about Iron Maiden, I think I will end up watching that instead when I get in tonight].

 

In regards to Wylie’s “Diamond Girl” I think it is about 24 years since I have last heard that record as I do not think that it was included on the “Sinful” album, a CD that I must have last played sometime in the late 1990s. If I remember correctly the “Diamond Girl” single was a duet with a vocalist called Josie Jones, and if my memory serves me well, I think she was billed on the single in a way akin to ‘The Magical’ or ‘The Marvellous’ Ms Josie Jones.

 

As a follow up to the comments of a previous contributor who mentioned Edwyn Collins, people may like to know that a clip from a recent interview was played on 6Music News today, that featured Collins discussing his forthcoming recording plans. In addition to collaborating with one of the Jarman Brothers from The Cribs, Collins said that he had written a number of new songs intended for an album that is to be released later on in the year.

 

It is great to hear that his speech is almost back to normal now, being greatly improved since last time I heard him speak and at one point in the future I hope to get Grace Maxwell’s book about his recovery. Also, in addition to the interview, “Blue Boy” was played on 6Music again, which along with King’s “Love and Pride” must be the retro track that I have heard most times on the radio in the last month, in fact, I think I have heard those records more times than the record that should be at Number One next week.

 

May I ask if you are also a 6Music listener? If so, how do you feel about the recent proposals? On the other hand, if you would like to discuss old radio formats in general, whether it be about Radio Tip Top or The Goons, Adrian Juste or Kenny Everett, I will be only happy to contribute to your memories.

 

Loz

 

 

I often listen to 6Music - it's one of my main ways of hearing new music. So I think the proposal to close it is dreadful. It's the only radio station with a clear remit to promote new music and it's the only place (here's where it fits into retro :lol: ) where you can regularly hear old sessions from the John Peel programme etc. There's a thread on this in the chart chat forum.

Hello,

 

I am afraid you will have to tell me what song you have posted here, as I have turned off all the ‘interactivity’ due to all the computer use regulations in force here. Loz

 

'better scream' which accordng to my sisters single was from 81, although youtube reckons '79 ... maybe a sleeper, i dunno.

Whoever said Oasis is off their head...

 

I think it was me, mainly because they made a career out of doing the same song for about 15 years! OK, I hate Oasis!

Whoever said Oasis is off their head... just because Wonderwall is their most enduring tune doesn't mean that Live Forever, Don't Look Back In Anger, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Importance of Being Idle et al are forgotten.

 

I fear Linkin Park will only be remembered for Numb/Encore :(

 

I fear there are some countries were they are recognised only by two songs :lol: