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Beware of the Skin Deep!
Dave Greenfield, the keyboardist from The Stranglers has passed away – Covid-19. They have only just recently completed a tour of Australia. Played the Tivoli in Brisbane in February this year. I saw them at the Queen’s Hotel, Brisbane in March 1979. Brilliant live band and a brilliant venue (RIP).
It was still the height of punk mania in Brisbane and young punks had a habit of spitting on their favourite groups. Local punk, V2, spat on the bass guitarist, Jean-Jacques Burnel who promptly bashed V2 in the head with his guitar. Blood everywhere! An interesting interview between Howard Gipps and the Stranglers on the Willesee show at the time got them banned from their gig on Countdown.
https://roadrunnertwice.com.au/2015/02/stranglers-in-strife-the-1979-australian-tour/
Mona and Lisa mentioned Dave Greenfield‘s passing on Twitter. They also referred to the Stranglers’ single, “Golden Brown”.
They have released 18 albums and 24 singles, including “No More Heroes”, “Peaches”, “Always the Sun” and the 2003 Top 40 hit “Big Thing Coming”, which was seen as a return to form. My favourite Stranglers’ song is “Skin Deep”.
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25 Replies
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And yes, I would love to hear a MLT cover of this. Some wonderful Dave Greenfield keyboards for Rudi to tackle and that lovely, pumping bass of Jean-Jacques Burnel. I’m sure Lisa would do well on the bass too, if she felt inspired to pick up the hoffner or her other preferred bass guitar. Then of course there’s also an excellent drum beat just waiting for Mona’s magic with the sticks.
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Nope, cant say I’m not at all familiar with this song or band, as neither of my older bros had the albums and /or no one else in my family had heard or liked their stuff, I’m guessing…lol… but I can see where MLT could do their own MLTBuzzing Touch on this….indeed !!!!…
This has got to me wondering, just what all exactly bands (excluding Beatles…lol) from UK, Aussie, etc made it big in Canada/USA over the years in terms of fanbase, radio airplay, touring…. Air Supply and INXS and Midnight Oil come to my mind, Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton John, etc !?
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The big one from Australia would be AC/DC, probably followed by country artist Keith Urban, then probably the Bee Gees.
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Yes, Jim, I know of ACDC( I had always thought the were a UK band, unless my older bro told me and I wasn’t paying attn to him, lol and just assumed they were UK) Keith Urban, BeeGees , of course I know of their stuff, somewhat, as I first got hooked on Keith with ” Walk in the Country” song, but I don’t really follow his stuff much now…lol…as for BeeGees, well, I knew more of their stuff in the 70s when I was a kid not realizing some of their 60s stuff was sung by them until I got older and came to that realization…..????
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And Jim, as has been mentioned by David, The Seekers, who were huge in England in the mid sixties and don’t forget that other successful Australian sixties group, The Easybeats. Not so well known outside Australia, but a favourite of mine was The Masters Apprentices, who originally hailed from Adelaide. I saw them play live in Brisbane in 1969.
”The Masters are to Australia what the Rolling Stones are to England, and The Doors are to America — Stan Rofe, quoted in Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia”.
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One of the most fascinating things I’ve learned since joining this club is how vast the differences sometimes are from country to country concerning familiarity with particular groups and particular songs. And it all seems to boil down to marketing decisions rather than to cultural differences. Thanks to everyone here for expanding my musical horizons!
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Interestingly, while I was listening to Australia’s Radio National this evening, they played the Stranglers’ “Skin Deep”, following which the comperes discussed the death of Dave Greenfield and a little of the history of the Stranglers. They also suggested that the planned tour of Australia in February would have been postponed due to the Covid-19 virus. As Jean-Jacques Burnel is the only remains original member, I doubt they will continue as the Stranglers.
An extract from Telegraph Obituaries The Telegraph 6 May 2020
“As punk matured into what became known as New Wave they developed a more expansive sound, centred even more on Greenfield’s layered, intricate keyboards.
He was largely responsible for their best-loved song, Golden Brown (1982). His baroque harpsichord – mostly in 6/8 time – gorgeously underpinned Cornwell’s haunting paean to heroin (the singer had recently spent eight weeks in Pentonville for possessing the drug).
Despite its subject matter – and the band’s bad-boy reputation – it became a favourite on Radio 2, and was only kept off the top of the UK chart by the Jam’s A Town Called Malice. An Ivor Novello award followed.
The band’s success continued throughout the 1980s, and though Cornwell left at the end of the decade, Greenfield, Black and Burnel carried on touring and recording with an assortment of singers and guitarists. They had been finally been planning to call it a day this year with a farewell tour, which was postponed thanks to the pandemic that claimed Greenfield’s life.
Away from music, Greenfield was a medieval battle re-enactment enthusiast, and held a pilot’s licence for several years. He also owned a pub for a while, and at home he kept a collection of pet rats.
Dave Greenfield is survived by his wife Pam.”
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A similar lesser known gem of a band I liked was REO Speedwagon. They are originally a 60s band that had a big hit in the late 70s with a hit song “Keep On Loving You”. There’s was one of the first non Beach Boys albums I bought, REO Speedwagon “Infidelity”. Their biggest hit came later in the 80s with “Can’t Fight This Feeling” which stands out as one of the best 80s hits for me. They are still active and performing today.
The biggest Australian band I liked was AC/DC, especially the earlier period when Bon Scott was alive as the lead singer.
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Speaking of the Easybeats, here’s the latest from Fil, discussing the song of theirs that MLT covered:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTd50EGC1kE
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I saw a lot of Speedwagon before they became big – they had a contract with the student union where I went to college in the early 70’s. Probably played there 4-5 times a year.
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Jim. They are a versatile band aren’t they, from 60s style rock to all the variations in rock/pop through the decades to present. Would have loved seeing them live back in their early days too!
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Yes, am a fan of REO Speedwagon as well….
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Another brilliant video from the Stranglers: “Always the Sun”.
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Dave Greenfield – Top 10 Keyboard Moments, John Robb
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Duchess – From the Album Raven
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