exotica new wave of the early eighties

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what do you make of the latin/caribbean-lite mini-movement of new wave pop of 81-83

I'm thinking of the post-ska stuff from ex-specials fun boy 3 david byrne-produced "waiting"... and the big singles from the english beat's "special beat service": "I confess" & "save it for later" - just before they went full on john hughes w/ general public, maybe some Madness singles too...and then from the american side stuff like kid creole & the coconuts's "doppelganger" and "wise guy"...maybe even musical youth's "pass the dutchie" fits in here (though even that is a bit more capital-R authentic Reggae for what I'm thinking of) maybe even some culture club too. there must be more...

stuff with a kind of non-specific "island" feel, elements of r&B, ska and latin stuff... but definitely post-full-on Rude Boy 2-Tone - when those groups started to be more Pop-chart Pop... and elements of World Beat w/o the earnestness of that

What else fits here?

Was it a good thing?

What happened to it?

Why did this stuff not get revived when lots of other danceable guitar rock of similar vintage got enshrined in "Disco Not Disco" post-punk Valhalla in the past couple of years?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 13:27 (twenty years ago) link

also from the same era and maybe relatable: "electric avenue" and "the land down under" and maybe even juluka

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 13:43 (twenty years ago) link

Too Shy fit in?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 14:20 (twenty years ago) link

Kid Creole and the Coconuts?

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 16:04 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, i think i mentioned them

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 16:45 (twenty years ago) link

Hey! I love this thread. To me there are 2 scenes, the first is the british post-punk stuff that was merging with/influenced by the 2Tone Ska stuff. A lof of this is sort of getting revived in the post Disco Not Disco times, it's just it falls through the cracks. There's straight up disco punk noise all the way to Ska-by any other name. Boots For Dancing, the Glaxo Babies, the Higsons, Manicured Noise, Maximum Joy, Float Up CP, Disclocation Dance, etc. Then there's all the NYC Ze records type stuff, Kid Creole, Coati Mundi, Konk, ESG, Liquid Liquid, and one neat crossover that has yet to re-enter hipster spheres(i.e., only the real record geeks are feeling it) is Funkapolitan, I think they were a white london group produced by Kid Creole who had a minor disco hit with "As the Time Goes By." Some of the UK stuff got way too polished and "latin", I have one single by Working Week, you can't even dance to it, but it features harmony vocals by Robert Wyatt and Tracy Thorn! They later went "house" I think. There's a great compilation, called Touchdown, I think, named after the Higsons song, : FEAT ANIMAL MAGIC, DESIGN FOR LIVING, DISLOCATION DANCE, FARMERS BOY, THE HIGSONS, MAXIMUM JOY, PINSKI ZOO, POPULAR VOICE, VITAL EXCURSIONS(from the web) Pinski Zoo I think took themselves seriously as a jazz band, as did Rip, Rig and Panic, even featuring Don Cherry(and daughter Neneh who'd stay on with Float Up C.P. the other Pop Group offshoot, speaking of which Pigbag, of course!)

But what I really want to mention is this one damn 2Tone 7" I have, produced by Jerry Dammers and ska-esque in it's horns but totally post-punk in it's aggression and I can't remember what it's called!

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 20:21 (twenty years ago) link

thanks dan... actually i think there was a Ze records comp out recently... i should track that down

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 20:26 (twenty years ago) link

There are 2 Ze comps, one's more No Wave/Punk/Noisey, the other's more Kid Creole/Was Not Was dancey. The 2 tone song I was thinking of was "The Moment's Gone" by the Apollonaires, which came out around the same time as the Higsons stuff. I was DJing my weekly party a year ago and played "Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" by Kid Creole and everyone was dancing so I was really happy. Then a female friend said "I like all the songs so far but what's with this gay caribean boat cruise music?" Exactly.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 20:32 (twenty years ago) link

not to keep answering my own posts, but I was just looking at the discography page on the 2-tone website and they specificially mention that The Higsons and the Appolonaires were conspiculously left off the influential 2Tone Story comp and other comps. They also mention the label made no money with Dammer's ventures in Jazz/Funk which is really the term that is used to describe a lot of what I'm talking about(specifically, the Higsons and Appolonaires). In the UK, Jazz Funk really neither Jazz of Funk, but a weird, spacey, raw Disco sound, stuff like Francine Mghee, Powerline, Atmosfear. I can see how it relates to a lot of the post-punk funk stuff as well.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 20:38 (twenty years ago) link

yeah i'm kind of into the whole "gay caribbean boat cruise" angle of this stuff myself but it does seem to put some people off it

really curious about the appolonaires and higsons now too

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 20:46 (twenty years ago) link

five months pass...

revive... anyone else fascinated by this stuff too? I'm thinking of throwing a "Lifeboat Party" DJ night of this shit.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 16:19 (twenty years ago) link

another killer idea shunned by the gayboatcruise-unfriendly masses

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 16:32 (twenty years ago) link

lizzy mercier descloux?

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 16:35 (twenty years ago) link

You need some Amazulu. Or maybe you don't.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 16:40 (twenty years ago) link

BLUE RONDO A LA TURK

― eleki-san (eleki-san), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 19:32 (twenty years ago) link

are these too obvious?:

haircut 100 - favourite shirts
haircut 100 - love plus one
aztec camera - oblivious
burning sensations - belly of the whale

maybe the *ahem* vibe of the vibes on psych furs' "love my way"...?

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 19:40 (twenty years ago) link

"Mondo Bongo" The Boomtown Rats
some of Bananarama, Adam & The Ants, Bow Wow Wow, the Clash, etc
all have that african drums sound that swept Britan early 80s

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 31 March 2004 19:41 (twenty years ago) link

Side note: anybody see R. Altman's "O.C. and Stiggs" about two rich suburban teenage troublemakers who are obssessed with King Sunny Ade?
Great gay stoner bud flick.

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 31 March 2004 19:43 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

Japan - 'Tin Drum' is probably the best 'exotica' album I've heard.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 11:14 (eighteen years ago) link

JoBoxers?

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 12:03 (eighteen years ago) link

The Belle Stars: "Sign of the Times"?

maybe some Madness singles too
Certainly – "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" should fit right in.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 12:16 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm trawling with a wide net here... but try these.

Antena - "Be-Pop"
Allez Allez - "Allez Allez"/"African Queen"
Modern Romance - "Queen Of The Rapping Scene"
Quando Quango - "Genius"
Amazulu - "Cairo"
Bananarama - "Aie A Mwana"
Pigbag - "Sunny Day"/"Getting Up"
The Creatures - "Right Now"
Animal Nightlife - "Love Is Just The Great Pretender"
Blue Rondo - "Me & Mr Sanchez"/"Carioca"/"Klactoveesedstien"
Jimmy The Hoover - "Tantalise (Wo Wo Ee Yeah Yeh)"
Malcolm McLaren - "Soweto"
Orange Juice - "Two Hearts Together"/"Hokoyo"/"Tongues Begin To Wag"
Funkapolitan - "In The Crime Of Life"/"War"
A Certain Ratio - "Shack Up"
King Trigger - "River"
Here's Johnny - "Idlewild"
Rip Rig & Panic - "Go, Go, Go! (This Is It)"
Maximum Joy - "Stretch"
Bow Wow Wow - "Louis Quatorze"/"Uomo Sex Al Apache"/"W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah NO! NO! My Daddy Don't)"
Adam Ant - "Goody Two Shoes"
Monsoon - "Ever So Lonely"
...and probably some stuff by Set The Tone, as well.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Martin Denny anyone?

http://knovamind.com/catalog/images/Greatest%20Hits.jpg

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 12:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Didn't a fellow who played saxophone with the Sw1ng1ng Laure1s periodically spam this board with advertisements for his book? They might well fit on your list, Mike.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 12:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Pigbag: Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag
Wham!: Club Tropicana
Boomtown Rats: Banana Republic
Malcolm McLaren: Double Dutch

And certainly no doubt about lots of Culture Club material fitting in:

I'm Afraid Of Me
I'll Tumble 4 Ya
White Boy
Mister Man
The War Song
The Medal Song

If you count reggae, there are a couple Eddy Grant hits as well

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:16 (eighteen years ago) link

For Modern Romance, add "Everybody Salsa" and "Don't Stop That Crazy Rhythm"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link

I do find myself strangely fascinated whenever Fun Boy Three videos come on VH1's The Alternative.

― Edward III (edward iii), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 05:07 (eighteen years ago) link

six months pass...

More please!

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Mainly because I've become obsessed with the worldbeat carribean afro pop of Lizzy Mercier Descloux's "Zulu Rock" reissue and this thread seems the closest in spirit.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Saturday, 6 May 2006 22:13 (seventeen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

Yo mention of Amazulu, The Beat, Specials, Musical Youth, Don Letts, Smiley Culture and a bit of hard core reggae..London was the place for the gigs in 80's, track down Photographer Pogus Caesar's excellent pics of the above musicans and more in OOM Gallery's exhibition MUZIK KINDA SWEET (http://www.oomgallery.net)==

― G.Gabson, Tuesday, 30 May 2006 11:18 (seventeen years ago) link

House on fire - Boomtown rats.

Lovely record that.

― ant, Tuesday, 30 May 2006 11:49 (seventeen years ago) link

eleven years pass...

can't find an exact thread for this:

i've been listening to early ymo/hosono/sakamoto records lately and would like recommendations of any more electronic exotica albums from the 70s/80s.

― new noise, Monday, 21 August 2017 19:31 (six years ago) link

yello ?

some of their early stuff would definitely fit that requirement.

― mark e, Monday, 21 August 2017 19:41 (six years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQO4nGlV3E8

― mark e, Monday, 21 August 2017 19:43 (six years ago) link

How 'bout this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsa6Ue47Zgc

― everything, Monday, 21 August 2017 20:55 (six years ago) link

some stuff by Telex, e.g.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0zsNukwNQM

Lio - Speedy Gonzales

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU0fkw3kjJ0

M - Abracadabra

https://youtu.be/QZit49iElO8?t=14m27s

― soref, Monday, 21 August 2017 22:20 (six years ago) link

sorry, that's Mayday by M, not Abracadabra

― soref, Monday, 21 August 2017 22:20 (six years ago) link

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