Monday, December 24, 2018

1978: A Few We Missed


The Rumour : Frozen Years


I can't post everything worth hearing from 1978 in a single year. This is my attempt at a make good. Let's begin with Graham Parker's Rumour, who  signed their own deal with Stiff Records and recorded the unfairly forgotten Frogs Sprouts Clogs and Krauts.


"Till It Shines" is a deep cut from Stranger in Town, a massive hit album from Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, which also featured  "Hollywood Nights", "Still the Same", "Old Time Rick + Roll" , "Feel Like a Number" and "We've Got Tonite".


In 1978, six years before they became a funk band, Scritti Politti released the debut single "Skank Bloc Bologna" on their own St. Pancras label. It's a grower. In fact, John Peel liked it enough to play it on his show which ed to a record contract with Rough Trade in 1979.



One of the reasons 1979's Broken English would be such a wonderful surprise is because two  years earlier, Marianne Faithfull attempted to record a country album. Originally called Dreaming My Dreams, it was re-released in 1978 as Faithless. Her cover of Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is the most listenable track on the album. 



Let's end on a good note. Nick Gilder hit US#1 with "Hot Child In The City" but that wasn't the only catchy tune on City Nights. "Here Comes the Night" is an ear worm that just missed the US Top 40. 




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