Right by the Moon by K. Barre (Giorgio Dolce)

Another perfect example of my beloved genre of Italo.  Right by the Moon came out in 1984 on the Italian label of Many records.
This

K. Barré record was an international hit and licensed to several labels around the world.

GO TO THE MOON HERE

Touch by Secession simply an Synth Pop New Wave masterpiece

Simply a Synth-Pop new wave masterpiece.  Produced by the likes of the brilliant John Rocca from Freez. The Scottish group had a string of dance hits in a short period from 1983 to 1987.  They released only one about called A Dark Enchantment in late 1987. TOUCH ZIP

There is actually even another version with the female handling the leads.  But I prefer the guy.  In my zip I've got four versions including the super long Hot Tracks edit.

Touch (Part 3)

Spend my life without your touch, I cannot satisfy

All my dreams
Simple as can be
Just to see us
Walking side by side
It won't be easy
But even I can see
If we're to survive
We'll have to compromise our pride
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
Spend my life without your touch, I cannot satisfy
I can tell
By the look in your eyes
That I'm wasting your time
Don't turn your back on me
Turn your back on me
What can I say
What can I do
To keep from losing you
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
Spend my life without your touch, I cannot satisfy
All my dreams
Simple as can be
Just to see us
Walking side by side
It won't be easy
But even I can see
If we're to survive
We'll have to compromise our pride
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me
I really need your touch
I never hurt so much
I really miss your touch
Give your affection to me



A LIST OF SYNTH POP NEW WAVE GROUPS

Nuclear Love Anne-Marie Goeman (Annie G.)

The only release by Annie G was Nuclear Love in 1984.  To me it sounds more dated then a lot of the releases from that period.  But it does have a fun NRG vibe to it.  Produced by Bob Esty it came out originally on MCA in 1983 then it was re-released on Linyl Vinyl in 1984.  I couldn't really find any more information on this artist but there was a restricted my space page which looks like it's hers. https://myspace.com/_annie_g  It's there that I got her full name.
NUCLEAR LOVE
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FATA MORGNA DISSIDENTEN

Rare Fuzz Dance release from 1984.  A limited number were pressed on orange vinyl.

GET IT HERE

Swedish Beat Box Remix B. Blasé Shame

Swedish Beat Box remixes of Italo Disco records are legendary.  This one by B. Blasé is from 1985.
SHAME

This 1984 release was the follow up to his debut single Shake it Now.

YOU HURT ME BUT NOW YOUR FLESH LIES ROTTING IN HELL

Berlin based Shark Vegas was a new wave group that toured with New Order and was signed to Factory Records.  I love this kind of electronic Factory sound.  Sort of similar to Section 25.SHARK VEGAS ZIP

Interestingly enough though a U.K. release (licensed from West Germany), the track was a flop in Britain but got a lot of club play in the U.S.

You can hear Bernard Sumner's distinctive guitar riffs at the very end.  The harder sounding b side sounds as if it could be a New Order song.

Looking from a Hilltop

Section 25 were produced by Martin Hannet and later Bernard Sumner of New Order and Electronic fame.

They were one of many acts who found success on Manchester's Factory label.  They are most well known for 1984's Looking from A Hilltop which was even a stable at The Paradise Garage.

It's considered a classic from the synth pop genre and features those deadpan vocals that I'm often drawn to even in Italo Disco songs so it sort of gives that feeling while also giving an Electro goes New Wave kinda feeling too.

How Classy was Scritti Politti? My 80's idol

  REFRESHEDGreg Wilson Edit LINKS FROM A 2010 BLOG, REFRESHED EVEN FURTHER JULY 2016

                                                                                                         photo credit Steve Elm






photo credit Furio Andreotti

CABARET TIME!
AN ABSOLUTE ZIP
BIG SCRITTI ZIP
I'll admit I've always had a weakness for a falsetto, from the soulful Stylistics to the disco pop of the Bee Gees. But there was one singer that took it to the max for me and became my idol in the process.

Wales born, Paul Julian Strohmeyer recorded under the alias Green Gartside as the lead vocalist for Scritti Politti. Scritti began recording in 1978 as a post punk band and reached their peak in 1984 as a synth heavy, sampling and midi-sequencing electronic dance pop act. They were active even as  recently as 2006 with the l.p. White Bread and Black Beer. Though only Green Gartside remained from the original incarnation.


Scritti Politti seemed to have their hands in many bags, influenced by many genres of music from soul and reggae to disco, funk and synth. Using super high quality experimental production techniques and getting a hand from the legendary Arif Mardin (Bee Gees and Chaka Khan to name a few) they were able to capitalize on the Synth Pop that was hot in the early 80's and still hold onto to enough of a disco sound to make music that was supremely danceable.

They also featured superb graphics and marketing. A new Scritti Politti 12" was bound to have a beautiful picture cover and many of their fans became collector's who wanted to have the latest pressing even if they already had the song in their collections. Not unlike the rabid Smiths fans of the time.

They broke in a big way with their double A side of Wood Beez (pray like Aretha Franklin) and Absolute. What does it mean that each night he goes to bed he prays like Aretha Franklin? Damned if I knew but it sounded great. The song also includes one of my favorite lines from a song:

"there's nothing I wouldn't do including doing nothing."

Green's voice was just perfect. It seemed to caress the music.  Falsetto but not fem. Lyrics full of irony and mock philosophy. Intelligent pop.

The music was synth but not techno. Danceable but not agressive. Kraftwerk meets Abba.

Fred Maher of the band Material joined Scritti Politti as a drummer and this is when they catapulted to fame.
Cupid and Psyche 85 sold as an l.p. in America because Perfect Way became a pop hit in 1985. It went all the way to #11 pop and for two seconds a few people knew who Scritti Politti were. The mix by the legendary Francois K. didn't hurt. Though this sort of disappointed me cause they felt so English import to me and furthermore Perfect Way was one of the worst songs on the l.p. But alas it coined them a one hit wonder destined for inclusion in one of those VH1 run-downs on whatever happened to thems.

They should have made it big with Hypnotize.  But at least it was their most attractive 12" cover.  The Word Girl is also genius, pure reggae in falsetto.

By this time I was growing out my hair to look more like my idol Green. At one point I succeded though I had more of a natural wave that made my locks fall into curls at the bottom. By the time I moved to New York City in 1988 and became a club monster I started incorporating extensions and what had been curly interspersed with straight hair became more like dread locks. Hey the look worked for a while there. Now it kind of looks silly in retrospect but doesn't everything twenty years later?

By the time Provision came out in 1988 I didn't care about Scritti Politti much anymore. But once in my heart always in my heart so here I post a more recent picture of Green Gartside and I can always wish for some major triumphant come-back that will make me worship at the temple of Green once again.

Life Force with the vocals of Dotty Green had a few Hi Nrg releases in 1984 and 1985.

Pretty frivolous and light and very much synonymous with the Hi Nrg sound that was so popular after the disco era.  Songs like this got a lot of play at Heaven in London and The Saint in New York City and Trocadero Transfer in San Francisco.  

As A.I.D.S. decimated the community this sound pretty much went to the wayside.  House became the standard and more Euro Dance was being made which brought that lightweight dance sound into the late 80's and 90's.  

At the time it wasn't my favorite.  But as entries in my disco museum they are valid to be aware of and to be embraced by some, why not?

What a Way to Go was the first Maxi Single

Invitation was the second dance hit for Life Force

Klapto Computer Game Italo Disco 1983 MAGIC

Refreshed Links

Valter Fausto Bassani released three italo disco records under the moniker Klapto.  He also used other aliases with Meccano being the most well known.

1983 was the best year in history of Italo Disco

The first and probably the most infectious was Mister Game in 1983.

Queen of the Night was their follow-up in 1984.

ITALO DISCO CLASSIC REMAKE STAY Marx & Spencer

Refreshed Links

British singer Tracy Spencer had a few Italo Disco hits in the 80's.  First in the duo Marx and Spencer along with David Marx and later as a solo artist.

Interestingly the first two maxi singles by Marx and Spencer were remakes.  The first in 1983 Stay which has been covered by everyone and their cousin followed by the Genesis gem Follow You, Follow Me the following year.   A STAY ZIP another stay zip

Stay with it's perfect mix of cheese and italo disco brilliance became a favorite by the DeeJay's at WBMX in Chicago and was played in mix shows throughout the 80's.

Tracy went on to have a couple massive pop hits in Italy including the fun Run to Me in 1985.  RUN TO ME ZIP

Keep an eye on this space I might update it with the Follow You, Follow Me maxi single.  And here it  is CAMPY GENESIS OMG it doesn't disappoint.  Talk about cheesy it sounds like a 3 year old is playing the keyboards, and Tracy's vocals not only sound like a chipmunk but it seems like she's faking a bad accent to accompany David Marx who clearly is using an alias.  So bad it's good.  It just happens to be my favorite Genesis song to boot.

radio, radio, the rose of Tokyo was my radio

Just nonsensical enough to be the best thing ever.  Italo Disco in all it's splendor.

Hell it even has what seems like an attempt at a rap!

CITY-O' ROSE OF TOKYO

DiscoMagic had so many tricks up it's sleeve.  Sometimes I can't really tell if some of these songs were tongue-in-cheek or they were being absolutely serious.  All I know is that they bring me serious joy.