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New Wave MLT?
I don’t believe we have seen a MLT cover of a British New Wave song. One group I have recently recommended is The Stranglers. Another one would be a significant group emerging out of Liverpool at the forefront of the post punk, new wave era in the late seventies.
Following is a synopsis of their history, lifted from Wikipedia.
“Echo & the Bunnymen are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freitas joined as the band’s drummer. Their 1980 debut album, Crocodiles, went into the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart., The band’s cult status was followed by mainstream success in the UK in 1983, when they scored a UK Top 10 hit with “The Cutter”, and the album which the song came from, Porcupine, hit number 2 in the UK. Ocean Rain (1984), continued the band’s UK chart success with its lead single “The Killing Moon” entering into the top ten.
In November 1978, Echo & the Bunnymen made their debut at Liverpool’s Eric’s Club, appearing as the opening act for The Teardrop Explodes. The band played one song, a 20-minute version of “Monkeys” which was entitled “I Bagsy Yours” at the time. By the time of their debut album, 1980’s Crocodiles, the drum machine had been replaced by Trinidad-born Pete de Freitas. The lead single, “Rescue”, climbed to UK No.62 and the album broke into the Top 20 at No. 17, following critical acclaim. Their next album, Heaven Up Here (1981), was an even bigger critical and commercial success,
In June 1982, the Bunnymen achieved their first significant UK hit single with “The Back of Love” (No. 19). In July 1982, they performed at the first WOMAD festival. This was followed in early 1983 with their first Top 10, the more radio-friendly “The Cutter”, which climbed to No. 8. The parent album, Porcupine, hit No. 2 in the album chart. Now firmly established as a chart act, further hits followed with a one-off single, “Never Stop” (No. 15), and “The Killing Moon”, a preview from the new album featuring a dramatic McCulloch vocal, which became the band’s second UK Top 10 single at No. 9.
Echo & the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon” (Live in Liverpool 2001)
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4 Replies
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I just know Lisa is keen to have a crack at a punk rock song. There was no doubt way back in 2007 that the MonaLisa Twins were going to be an accomplished and successful musical force on this planet! How good is this from a 13 year old?
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Well Howard, in that 2007 Live album, MLT demonstrates their remarkable versatility as musicians early on in their career doing superb interpretations of many genres from hip hop/reggae “Aufstehn” by Seeed to songs by legendary soul artists like Bill Withers “Ain’t No Sunshine” to hard rock anthems like Deep Purple’s “Smoke On the Water” to supreme folk rock music of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” to jazzy guitar works of Carlos Santana’s “Samba Pa Ti” to new wave Sandi Thom’s “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker” to southern country rock of CCRs “Proud Mary” to the Beatles many tracks and everything in between!!! Whatever genre of music they decide to do, they are all just brilliant. Their Aufstehn for example sounds better than when Seeed does it.
BTW, thanks for the in-depth music lesson on the Punk/New Wave music development. I remember just towards the end of my high school days, Punk rockers and their styles were taking off. I remember those spiked Mohawk hair cuts and hearing about the slam dancing nightclubs. Even got to know some in school, smart kids too!
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Well yes, it seems that The MonaLisa Twins had most genres covered in their breakout 2007 concert as you have nicely covered in your response Jung. However, I wouldn’t consider new wave to be amongst them. Sandi Thom is much closer to Mona’s and Lisa’s musical generation than to new wave music. Sandi’s genres are Pop, folk, R&B, rock, blues.
I hadn’t endeavoured to give an “in-depth music lesson on the Punk/New Wave music development”, but rather simply detailed Echo and The Bunnymen’s involvement. However, I believe it is another rich vein to be explored, including groups like The Clash, Blondie, The Pretenders, XTC, and many more. I copied a more detailed review of new wave music with my synopsis from Wikipedia in my Topic “Sweet Little Lisa”.
I believe Sandi Thom would have had a very strong impact on our very young MonaLisa Twins as they would have just turned 12 when “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker” reached number one on the UK singles chart. Ironically, Sandi Thom also released a cover of “House of the Rising Sun” three years after the MLT’s cover.
Once again, Wikipedia is helpful here.
“Thom was born in Banff. She attended Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen. Thom spent three years playing piano and singing in a band from Gourdon in Aberdeenshire, called The Residents. Thom became the youngest student ever to be accepted at the prestigious Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). In 2003, Thom graduated from LIPA with a BA in Performing Arts. Thom has assisted many charity appeals for Oxfam’s work in Malawi and across east Africa. Thom supports Rangers.
Following her online webcast concerts from her basement in Tooting, and accompanied by increasing airplay exposure, “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker” was re-released on 22 May 2006 by RCA Records UK and debuted at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. Thom performed on Top of the Pops, making her major terrestrial television début, and in June the song reached number one on the singles chart.
The song was later nominated at the Brit Awards for Best British Single. In the Republic of Ireland, “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker” also reached number one, and in Australia, it was number one for ten consecutive weeks, becoming Australia’s highest selling single of 2006. Thom’s début album, Smile… It Confuses People was released in the United Kingdom the same month and débuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, eventually selling over one million copies worldwide.
Her sudden rise to stardom was scrutinized by the British press and by her fellow artists. James Frost and Robin Hawkins from The Automatic stated that “If she was a punk rocker with flowers in her hair she’d get the s*** kicked out of her by other punk rockers, for having flowers in her hair. […]” This notion that her success has been carefully orchestrated by the use of public relations was echoed by media commentator Charlie Brooker: “She is the anti-christ of music”.
Thom’s third studio album, Merchants and Thieves, was released independently in May 2010 with “This Ol’ World” (featuring guitarist and then boyfriend Joe Bonamassa) as the lead single. The album was released by Thom on her own label Guardian Angels, which she formed after her split with RCA. Musically it moves from pop folk towards blues and roots influences. Thom’s cover version of the track “House of the Rising Sun” was released as a download-only single and extra track on the deluxe edition of the album. It was also given away as a free download to readers of the Scottish Mail newspaper.
Merchants and Thieves was nominated for Best Album at the British Blues Awards 2011, and for Best Jazz/Blues Recording of the Year at the Scottish Music Awards. Thom was also nominated for Artist of the Year and her label Guardian Angel Recordings was nominated for Record Label of the Year.
Thom’s fourth studio album, Flesh and Blood, was released in September 2012. The album was recorded in Nashville’s 16 Ton Studios and features The Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson as guest producer, and other musicians such as Audley Freed and Rolling Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys. Thom then released her first live concert DVD, which featured a guest performance from former boyfriend Joe Bonamassa.”
I don’t mean to embarrass Lisa as I think it is rather cute for a 13 year old trying to be so cool with a sophisticated song like this. The Twins’ English diction is superb considering it was their second language and only what they had learned in school, and before their epic adventure Downunder to improve their spoken English. Listen carefully as Lisa sings “sewed my new blue jeans”!
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I hadn’t considered Blondie in the Punk/New Wave genre, but her music was radical and new I remember and it stood out. It was hard to not take notice when her video Rapture came out. I liked it. Looking back I can see her as part of the new wave in 1979 with Rapture and Heart of Glass. I remember the Pretenders too. So I guess I did enjoy new wave. Interestingly MLT met Blondie (Deborah Harry).
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