The Flying Lizards : Money (That's What I Want)
In July of 1979, The Flying Lizards released the U.K. novelty hit, "Money (That's What I Want)", a cover of Barrett Strong's 1959 hit. It would quickly climb to U.K.#5, forever associating itself with the Summer of 1979. The Flying Lizards was actually one guy, David Cunningham, who played all the instruments. The detached vocal performance is by Deborah Evans-Stickland.
The song also managed to get radio airplay in the United States, peaking at U.S. #50 in January of 1980. By this point, I had started a band with a friend. He played guitar. I wrote lyrics and played percussion on whatever I could find, coffee cans or chair legs. There was something about the minimalist, avant-garde approach appealed to me. Of course I bought the album the following year!
