Best Modern Romance Single

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I must confess that, prior to consulting wikipedia, I had no idea they had covered Baltimora's Tarzan Boy.

Poll Results

Option	Votes
Queen of the Rapping Scene	6
Best Years of Our Lives	2
Everybody Salsa	2
High Life	1
Don't Stop that Crazy Rhythm	1
Move On	0
Good Friday	0
That's What Friends Are For	0
Just My Imagination	0
Burn It!	0
Walking in the Rain	0
Modern Romance/I Believe In Me	0
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White	0
By The Way I'm Still In Love With You	0
Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey	0
Tonight	0
Tarzan Boy	0

― Grandpont Genie, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 08:37 (nineteen years ago)

Bizarre.

But my vote goes to "Queen Of The Rapping Scene Open Brackets Nothing Ever Goes The Way You Plan Close Brackets You See As It Says On The La-BEL Dignified Don Now Then Now Then Owowowowoo" (for that subliminal "Tarzan Boy" link) purely on the basis of its "French" "rap." Who was responsible for that anyway? Belle Out Of Belle and the Devotions?

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 08:58 (nineteen years ago)

ha ha that gets my vote too!

Is it rly supposed to be French??? Is that what that accent is supposed to be?

Musically, Queen of the Rapping Scene is definitely the best. But lyrics like "come fly with me in my 2CV" are classic too. There has never been another band quite like Modern Romance really; they pulled off a neat trick by appearing on the surface to be part of the whole eighties, jolly, cocktail party, let's have a great time ethic which melds seamlessly w/ what Wham were doing but you don't have to delve v deep to find that MR were far more knowing and taking-the-piss in their attitude. I almost voted for Eveybody Salsa as the lyrics of *that* are also indicative of what I mean, e.g. "Castro loved to salsa, cool dictator scene".

― Grandpont Genie, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:05 (nineteen years ago)

Funnily enough, I was singing a tune of theirs this mornin'

"OI AM 19, DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!! I WON'T REACH TWENTY AND I DON'T WANT TO!!!"

they lied.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:08 (nineteen years ago)

I'd have voted for the "Everybody Salsa/Salsa Rappsody" 12" mega-medley, which finds time to bitch at the NME for leaving Modern Romance off their "History Of Funk" Wallchart.

But instead, I'll go for Um Ze Quin, Um Ze Quin, Um Ze Quin Of The Repping Sin.

― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:10 (nineteen years ago)

Or indeed (xpost x 2) "Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey" for:
a) being EXACTLY the same song as "Everybody Salsa";
b) totally pwning the "career" of Blue Rondo A La Turk.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:11 (nineteen years ago)

Fantastic live band, that Blue Rondo. Unfortunately, they were also "above" such antiquated plebian rituals such as doing gigs, to paying punters. Silly arses.

― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:20 (nineteen years ago)

it was years after first hearing MR that I first heard Saturday Night Beneath the Plastic Palm Trees by Leyton Buzzards and I definitely preferred it when they were just a name and a title in the Guinness Book of Hit Singles coz the title is the best thing abt it.

― Grandpont Genie, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:20 (nineteen years ago)

"Klakto Vee Sedstein" totally pwns every ModRo track tho.

Hang on, rewind: Modern Romance wanted to be on NME's "History of Funk" ? How deluded can it get?

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:23 (nineteen years ago)

I have to agree that there's something so compelling about the Lorraine Chase does Franglais singing on "Queen of the Rapping Scene" that it rides comfortably above the rest of their work. Plus compulsory chipperness makes me gag my stomach out.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:25 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not so sure abt the compulsory chipperness thing - it certainly doesn't "gag my stomach out", I agree in certain circumstances it can be really annoying but I think that there seems to be greater effort and professionalism in the MR chipperness than the Wham! chipperness. Also, TOTP audience with cardboard trumpets!

― Grandpont Genie, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:29 (nineteen years ago)

Got a bit boring after Geoff Deane jumped ship, though.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:30 (nineteen years ago)

To tell the truth, I hated this crap and never want to hear it again.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:31 (nineteen years ago)

In most moods I actually find them perfectly pleasant and fun, but when I think about them for any length of time I get this horrible earnest 80s "chipperness in opposition to Thatch" vibe that feels strained and self-important. So many post post punk bands seem to do this: appropriating joyful musics without any sense of joy, or sump'n.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 09:33 (nineteen years ago)

Let's survey the evidence..

The Leighton Buzzards (punk), Modern Romance as per the first single (new romantic), and Modern Romance the subsequent salsa lite band.. ...

The phrase "bloody awful bandwagon jumpers" springs to mind.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:34 (nineteen years ago)

Loved "Don't Stop That Crazy Rhythm".

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:39 (nineteen years ago)

You would.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:47 (nineteen years ago)

How do you feel about "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang"?

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:48 (nineteen years ago)

Did they cover that one too?

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:51 (nineteen years ago)

And, no, no need to stop that crazy rhythm as long as it is accompanied by a great tune and a catchy singalong chorus.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:53 (nineteen years ago)

Is craziness important to the rhythm?

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:55 (nineteen years ago)

You better ask Modern Romance. The rhythm isn't the reason why I like that song. It never is the reason why I like any song.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:55 (nineteen years ago)

get away!

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:57 (nineteen years ago)

No I think you'll find that was Georgie Fame.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:58 (nineteen years ago)

"I'm ambivalent about the crazy rhythm"

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 10:59 (nineteen years ago)

I remember Peter Powell on the Tuesday teatime chart rundown being distinctly irked by "Don't Stop That Crazy Rhythm" to the point of exclaiming "why is garbage like this clogging up the charts and keeping out proper music"?

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:01 (nineteen years ago)

(answer being: WEA hyping)

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:02 (nineteen years ago)

I loved it when Peter Powell had a hissy fit.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:02 (nineteen years ago)

How about Roman Holiday, Galaxy, David Grant or Nick Heyward?

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

THIS IS THE KIND OF OLD-SCHOOL RAP THAT GEIR LIKES.

― Eisbaer, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:05 (nineteen years ago)

No that would be "The Message" and "Planet Rock". :)

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:06 (nineteen years ago)

Why were you wasting time wallowing in amelodic rhythm dominate coloured rap howling while ignoring proper music such as King Trigger, Jimmy the Hoover and One The Juggler?

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:12 (nineteen years ago)

oh oh ee yeah yeah

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:14 (nineteen years ago)

seriously, the queen of the rapping scene's mic skills are SO bad that it's charming. i presume that this was deliberate (i mean, the song was done in 1982 & hip-hop really hadn't taken hold in the UK but even so.)

― Eisbaer, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:15 (nineteen years ago)

King Trigger: did they have that song, something about "... .in a dug out canoe"?

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:15 (nineteen years ago)

I remember Record Mirror ripping the piss out of Jimmy the Hoover.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:17 (nineteen years ago)

Eisbaer:

EARLY RAP IN THE UK TOP 40 (not a definitive list cos I’m doing it quickly and haven’t heard everything)

Dec 79: Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight #3
Dec 79: Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin #30
Jan 81: Blondie - Rapture #5
Jun 81: Evasions - Wikka Wrap #20
Jun 81: Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood #7
Dec 81: Adam And The Ants - Ant Rap #3
Jan 82: Modern Romance - Queen Of The Rapping Scene #37
Aug 82: Grandmaster Flash - The Message #8
Dec 82: Malcolm McLaren - Buffalo Girls #9
Jan 83: Wham! - Wham! Rap #8
Mar 83: Kenny Everett - Snot Rap #9
Jul 83: Gary Byrd & GB Experience - The Crown #6
Oct 83: Rocksteady Crew - Hey You (Rocksteady Crew) #6
Nov 83: Roland Rat Superstar - Rat Rappin #14
Feb 84: Break Machine - Street Dance #3
Feb 84: Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - White Lines #7
Feb 84: Mel Brooks - To Be Or Not To Be (The Hitler Rap) #12
Mar 84: Afrika Bambaataa - Renegades Of Funk #30

(from an old FT post)

― Groke, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:19 (nineteen years ago)

The King Trigger record was called "The River." Steve "Scab" Sutherland in MM reckoned them the future of music.

I don't recall their ever progressing to an album, unlike, for instance, Set The Tone.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:20 (nineteen years ago)

ah the old Skag funk! Before we all knew the skag....

That list misses out the Clash "This is Radio Clash" (That was top 40 wasn't it?)

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:23 (nineteen years ago)

No, but "The Magnificent 7," which I think is the one you meant, was.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:23 (nineteen years ago)

Probably Mark! I didn't know it had rapping in it (and couldn't guess from the title).

― Groke, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:23 (nineteen years ago)

"Snot Rap" really was a high-water mark for Hip Hop.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:24 (nineteen years ago)

One which Tom missed out:
Nov 71: Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) #1

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:24 (nineteen years ago)

Listen to 'The River' here, King Trigger fans; http://www.kingtrigger.co.uk/

Tantalise is a great song in the lineage of classic one hit wonders like 'John Wayne is Big Leggy', 'Brilliant Mind' and 'Driving away from home'.

― Billy Dods, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:27 (nineteen years ago)

Hayzi Fantayzee did have a couple of other hits - "Sister Friction" and "Shiny Shiny" (the latter now sounds a lot weirder than it did at the time and its first four seconds in particular invent Tricky).

Chart progress of "Snot Rap" up to the week of the Tory election rally:

56-27-10-9

Chart progress of "Snot Rap" from the week after the Tory election rally:
13-26-45-67

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:29 (nineteen years ago)

1975: Telly Savalas - If

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:29 (nineteen years ago)

Aug 1966: Napoleon XIV - They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:39 (nineteen years ago)

1956(?): Eamonn Andrews - Shifting Whispering Sands

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

"I first came across the shifting whispering sands when I was out Gold prospecting in the Yukon..."

Eamon! Hunting for teh Bling!

― Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:44 (nineteen years ago)

I wish there was Youtube footage of Danny Blanchflower telling him to fuck off.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:45 (nineteen years ago)

"So heavy and oppressive I could scarcely breathe"

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

Everybody Salsa because it's a timeless club jam, though Queen Of the Rapping Scene's rap is pretty awesome.

― dan selzer, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

fourteen years pass...

Is this really the only Modern Romance thread? Their first album Adventures in Clubland should be worshipped by all the hipsters as a dance-pop classic. Not a bad song in the bunch.

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 9 September 2021 00:23 (four years ago)

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