Instant Hit: Gruppo Sportivo- Disco Really Made It

"Disco Really Made It" was a hit for the Hague based Dutch group back in 1979. The band name was inspired by a poster the they once saw and it was referring to the band as a team. Not really much disco sound here, more a story line, they provided a nice New wave gem at the crossroads between two decades. This was one of the first releases for Gruppo Sportivo on Ariola Benelux record label and the song also appeared on several single compilations during the 90's.

Instant Hit: The Tapes- Blue Thighs

"Blue Thighs" was the first single released by the Dutch group The Tapes which was considered as Holland's answer to Talking Heads. This song was released in 1980 and it appeared on their second album Party. During their career they released three LP's.

Annabel Lamb

Annabel Lamb is a British singer-songwriter. She has released six albums to date (including a Top of The Pops performance in 1983, with her cover version of The Doors "Riders On The Storm", her only hit on the UK Singles Chart). She has been diverse at times, her earlier albums showing decidedly new wave, synth-pop, experimental rock, jazz and ethnic influences.

In 1983 she released her debut album "Once Bitten" The U.S. version of the album differed from the UK release and as well as different cover artwork, contained the single "Riders On The Storm" which was not present on the original UK issue.

Lamb has also been a session singer and musician for the likes of Toni Basil and Tina Charles.As well as her recording and touring career, Lamb has co-written songs with many other artists, notably the song "Amazed Are We" for Maxi Priest. Amongst her influences, she lists James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Jane Siberry, Fairport Convention and Paul Brady.

Comateens

The Comateens were originally a New Wave duo formed in 1978 in New York City by bassist/vocalist Nic North and guitarist Ramona Jan. Soon after, Lyn Byrd joined on vocals and synthesizer, and the duo became a trio. When Jan departed in 1980, North's brother Oliver joined on guitar, completing the final lineup. The band was one of the first in the world to record solely with a drum machine, joining the ranks of the burgeoning electro-pop avantgarde along with bands such as Suicide, Kraftwerk and Soft Cell.

This New York trio played a bouncy brand of dance rock rooted in chintzy '60s Farfisa organ pop and spooky horror movie soundtrack music. The group first gained recognition in 1979 with a homemade single that featured a stripped- down version of Bowie's "TVC 15," which they re-recorded for their first LP. They contributed two tracks to the influential Marty Thau Presents 2x5 compilation and their debut album, the self-titled Comateens, (1980) featured the band's bizarrely original compositions alongside covers of "Summer in the City" (The Lovin' Spoonful), "TVC 15" (David Bowie), and the theme song from TV's The Munsters.

After they were signed to Virgin Records they released the second album, 'Pictures On A String' which diverges into rock quirkiness and danceable commercialism, pushing a powerful disco beat on "Get off My Case" "Cinnamon" and other numbers. In 1984 the band released their final album, 'Deal with It', which featured live drums played by Chuck Sabo. The band also rode the New Wave by appearing on the then new and innovative MTV in several videos, and in interviews with pioneer VJs Mark Goodman and Martha Quinn.

The band split up in 1985. Oliver North died in 1987 of asthma-related heart failure. In 1988 Nic North (now Nicholas West) and Lyn Byrd recorded an album, West & Byrd, together. In 1990 the duo, again under the name Comateens, recorded the song "A Place For Me" which became a European hit. Virgin Records released a retrospective compilation of their music in 1991 called "One By One: Best Of Comateens" which has become a rare and much sought-after record among collectors of New Wave music.

The B- 52's- Funplex

'Funplex' is the forthcoming eighth studio album recorded by The B-52's during 2006 and 2007. The album will be released on March 25, 2008.It is the first album of new material that the group has released since Good Stuff in 1992, although the band did record two new songs for their 1998 compilation album Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation.

The first single from the album was released digitally on 29 January 2008, and is the title track, "Funplex". The single was featured on this blog earlier this year.

Instant Hit: This Island Earth- Take Me to The Fire

"Take Me To The Fire" was one of the two singles released by the five-piece band This Island Earth during their brief existence in the mid-80s. The single was available in both 7" and 12" formats and featured "Pearl of Love" as its B-side. Released in 1985 by Magnet, the track received regular airplay on WLIR radio during the summer of 1985.

Instant Hit: Mo- Fred Astaire

"Fred Astaire" is a very cheerful and a catchy tune by a Dutch group Mo. This song was released back in 1980 and is from their self titled album Mo. They released another album in 1982, entitled Ha Ha! The sound of Laughing

Blondie- Necessary Evil

'Necessary Evil', scheduled for release in September 2007, is Deborah Harry's fifth solo album. It includes 17 tracks, including the first single "Two Times Blue", released on iTunes June 6, 2007. The album has already been released in the UK. It will be released in the USA on October 9, 2007.

Polyrock

Polyrock emerged in the late 1970s as pioneers of post-disco and new-sensibility dance music in New York. The band comprised vocalist Catherine Oblasney, guitarist Billy Robertson and Tommy Robertson, drummer Joseph Yanece, and keyboard player Lennu Aaron. 

During their brief existence, they released two records on RCA in 1980 and 1981, Polyrock and Changing Hearts and an EP entitled ‘Above The Fruited Plain’. Polyrock’s self-titled album was released in 1980 and produced by Philip Glass. It was influenced by Television and Brian Eno and the 70s art rock scene. Their only two single releases from their debut album were "Romantic Me" and ‘Working on my Love’.

Their second album Changing Hearts follows the same basic pattern but loosens up the sound, occasionally breaking away from austere dance music for a taste of straightforward pop, including a reworking of the Beatles' "Rain." 

Their third release was an EP entitled ‘Above The Fruited Plain’. The five songs on this EP had more character and melody than any other previous Polyrock release and featured one of Polyrocks best songs "Call of the Wild". Their final release No Love Lost was a compilation of Polyrock’s songs which was released on cassette only and which included a collection of  Polyrock’s live performances, plus unreleased demos dating up to 1984. The band disbanded in 1983.

In 1990, Billy Robertson and Catherine Oblasney formed the group 9 Ways to Sunday and released a self-titled album. Robertson died in September 2018.

Their music was never released on CD until 2007, when it was reissued on Wounded Bird Records.

Retrovision: Comateens- The Late Mistake

Instant Hit: Les Rita Mitsuoko- C'est Comme Ca

"C'est Comme Ça" was a big hit for the French group Les Rita Mitsouko in 1986. The single was released through Virgin Records and it was taken from their second album The No Comprendo which was produced by Tony Visconti. It remained as one of the biggest hits for Les Rita Mitsuoko. In 2007, Fred Chichin the original founding member died from cancer.