Utter, utter, utter Popular.
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15 November 2009 · 
x1 · Music
A-ha! It must be Popular time.
Finally, some photographs fresh off the CCD rather than a year or more old. These are from Helensburgh, downriver from Glasgow on the Clyde, at around noon on Saturday. They aren’t tinted black-and-white shots: the sepia effect is from the camera’s cloud setting, with some minor tweaking of the contrast. Click for bigger versions.
The last few Popular hits of 1985 were up and down, but for me they evoke a particularly memorable time. What most brings back the year for me in chart terms, though, is scarcely to be found on the UK number ones chart. The Eurythmics were one touchstone, although I’ve already mentioned that Australia had the other hit from that album. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” was another; I bought the 7”, and remember feeling slightly out of step in doing so, because it didn’t make the top five in Australia. Tears for Fears are a big gap, and there’s another band we’ll get to soon enough. I also bought and adored Simple Minds’ “Alive and Kicking”, which no doubt is too late in their discography to be cool, but sod that. (Hey, my favourite album of theirs is Real Life, so what do I know.) And although they never bothered the top ten, Killing Joke’s “Love Like Blood” and Night Time were huge for me that year, thanks to a mate at matric who put me onto them. He also introduced me to the charms of Who’s Next and Quadrophenia, so I owe him double; thanks, Sim.
October 2009