Last night's Synth Britannia

Not Another Hill

On BBC4. An excellent journey through the weird and wonderful. I'd almost forgotten New Order's Temptation. Fantastic to see and hear it again. And of course the weird but wonderfully named 'Throbbing Gristle'.....Now where are my high waisted strides.

thejesusandsedischain

indeed a great programe it prob increased the late great J G ballards profile amongst the kids as well.do you think gary numan wears a wig now?

all show no go

I thought it was a great show as well. I made a point of watching it because it had a host of artists that I was very much into at the time (Numan, Depeche, New Order, Yazoo, OMD etc). I'm still a big fan of Depeche Mode to this day.
If I remember rightly, legend has it that Gary Numan used to only eat sausage and mash and nothing else.

Splottboy

Taped it, watching it later. What about the Human League, THE THE, Orange Juice?
Best memories of '81, walking into the White Hart in Newark, with Joan of Arc blasting out from the juke box. Great days...

andy162

OMD had great songs but looked like the geography teacher you would take the p1ss out of. Tank tops on Top of the Pops! I ask thee!

Early DM, great value. Fletch in leather kecks doing his little wiggly dance, Dave looking like a Burtons shop assistant.

I've always liked New Order but never liked Blue Monday. Biggest selling 12" & all that
but thought it was an overrated toon(?).

downfader

What about John Foxx? Was he in there? He's PRETTY influencial in the electronic music scene.

..or Brian Eno?

Anonymous

downfader wrote:

What about John Foxx? Was he in there? He's PRETTY influencial in the electronic music scene.

..or Brian Eno?

Roxy music was on after on another show, "do the strand".

Not Another Hill

downfader wrote:

What about John Foxx? Was he in there? He's PRETTY influencial in the electronic music scene.

..or Brian Eno?

John Foxx was on being interviewed and some of his performances from the past. Plus Ultravox of course.

I thought Vince Clarke's contributions were interesting.

downfader

Not Another Hill wrote:

downfader wrote:

What about John Foxx? Was he in there? He's PRETTY influencial in the electronic music scene.

..or Brian Eno?

John Foxx was on being interviewed and some of his performances from the past. Plus Ultravox of course.

I thought Vince Clarke's contributions were interesting.

8)

Will check out the iPlayer later. :P

all show no go

Casual name dropping alert!

I've seen Midge Ure in my local chippy and he also buys his vino-collapso and sausages in my local co-op.

donnie murdo

Good show about a great era in UK music but dwelled for too long on some aspects and bands IMO. I think it missed a few bands/people from that era though, that had also influenced and contributed to the synth movement.

Art of Noise, Jean Michel Jarre, A Flock of Seagulls, Giorgio Moroder, Blancmange, Japan to name a few.

Thanks to Spotify you can go down a synth sountracked nostalgia trip with ease..

Yazoo 'Too Pieces' currently playing. Top tuune!!

all show no go

When I think Flock Of Seagulls, all I can ever remember is the haircuts.

antooony

all show no go wrote:

When I think Flock Of Seagulls, all I can ever remember is the haircuts.

I'll get this nerd fact in before Niceandsleazy does. The Flock Of Seagulls took their name from a Stranglers lyric from a song called Toiler On The Sea.

downfader

donnie murdo wrote:

Good show about a great era in UK music but dwelled for too long on some aspects and bands IMO. I think it missed a few bands/people from that era though, that had also influenced and contributed to the synth movement.

Art of Noise, Jean Michel Jarre, A Flock of Seagulls, Giorgio Moroder, Blancmange, Japan to name a few.

Thanks to Spotify you can go down a synth sountracked nostalgia trip with ease..

Yazoo 'Too Pieces' currently playing. Top tuune!!

I thought FOS and AON were US bands, and JMJ is French. IMO the first pioneers of the synths in popular music were the Progrock bands of the 60s and 70s (ELP, Pink Floyd, even the Beatles had a play too - Abbey Road)

donnie murdo

I suppose there are loads of influences who paved the way of the synthsound.

Jean Michel Jarre is French but Kraftwerk are German and the were heavily mentioned in the programme. I would have thought he was just as influential. Also Tangerine Dream were not mentioned (another German group).

And Art of Noise and A Flock of Seagulls were both British.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Flock_of_Seagulls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_of_noise

downfader

donnie murdo wrote:

I suppose there are loads of influences who paved the way of the synthsound.

Jean Michel Jarre is French but Kraftwerk are German and the were heavily mentioned in the programme. I would have thought he was just as influential. Also Tangerine Dream were not mentioned (another German group).

And Art of Noise and A Flock of Seagulls were both British.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Flock_of_Seagulls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_of_noise

Cheers for that!

Massive fan of Kraftwerk too! 8)

Anonymous

Propaganda, whilst not really synth were good at that time.

Does Trio, "da da da" qualify ? I drove my parents mental playing this over and over and over......see what I mean.

donnie murdo

Kraftwerk were/are brilliant

They have also just released all their albums remastered.

Very tempting!

Propaganda were another good synth era band from Germany.

andy162

I think Flock of Seagulls were actual hairdressers(?)... Looking at their barnets no wonder they jacked in the sniping & took up music.

They also recruited their guitarist when he was about 15. Got his parents permission to join etc then proceeded to live out 100% the rock n roll lifestyle.He ended up a bit of a mess at one stage. If have a look at one of their vids he looks 9 rather than 15ish.

Splottboy

Vangelis... Greek, but so what?

Walter/Wendy Carlos did "Switched on Bach" before Clockwork Orange.
It's totally Classical tunes in electronic form. Very basic but groundbreaking.
Have seen Jean Michel Jarre twice, Manchester Opera House and MEN.
Both amazing concerts.

Saw group called The Modern Eons, supporting the Stranglers in 1980.
Electro pop, but censored ....

Kraftwerks "Tour de France" CD fantastic for turbo training sessions.

Splottboy

Vangelis... Greek, but so what?

Walter/Wendy Carlos did "Switched on Bach" before Clockwork Orange.
It's totally Classical tunes in electronic form. Very basic but groundbreaking.
Have seen Jean Michel Jarre twice, Manchester Opera House and MEN.
Both amazing concerts.

Saw group called The Modern Eons, supporting the Stranglers in 1980.
Electro pop, but censored ....

Kraftwerks "Tour de France" CD fantastic for turbo training sessions.

CHRISNOIR

donnie murdo wrote:

Kraftwerk were/are brilliant

They have also just released all their albums remastered.

Very tempting!

There's a compilation of live Kraftwerk clips on BBC4 this Friday. Just before it is a documentary on 'Krautrock' which should be brilliant - certainly worth staying in for.

downfader

Finally watched it on the iPlayer. Great stuff.

Used to read a mag years back called The Mix, and another called Future Music where the emphasis was on muso's and synths. There were some pretty amazing inteviews with Numan, Human League and all the 80s synthpop pioneers.