Didn't see them live. Didn't know that any band members were queer. I was in college and just LOVED the music. It is different but still has a groove. Big fan of Kate and Cindy's lead vocals. I often refer to their backing vocals as "vocal percussion". "Give Me Back My Man" is still my go-to, but I will listen to any song off their first two albums, at any time. Gimme gimme gimme.
I came across this video while doing some research. TopPop was a music show on Dutch TV and, at the time, it was one of the only music programs available. Belgian TV was pretty bad back then (with no music shows at all), so all of Flanders ended up watching Dutch TV instead.
TopPop would record every band or artist visiting Holland for promo purposes. However, if a song failed to chart, they often didn’t use the footage. I believe this video is one of those cases — I had never seen it before! It’s a great example of how they were the ultimate party band: bringing fun and energy, even in a dull studio setting. 😃
Thanks for reading and reacting, jeleonard193. Enjoy your Sunday!
This was fascinating because it's a band I knew about but obviously I was missing the backstory, its place in dance music history and the influence it had across the board. I also really enjoyed reading about how they connected with you on a personal level. Fantastic read!
Thanks, Andy. Researching and writing these weekly pieces has been such a great way to reconnect with different parts of my life, and this one even more than usual. I never imagined this journey would be so much fun, or that it would lead to connecting with fellow music writers and lovers from all over the world. So thanks again for reading, sharing, and for your wonderful compliments. Wishing you a great Sunday!
That's amazing, Pe. It's crazy how our writing endeavours sometimes take us to the most unexpecyted places. Honoured to be part of your journey and so glad we've connected. Have a fab Sunday too!
I've probably seen The B-52s live more than any other band. They are so much fun! Such a great catalog of songs. I actually don't know Dirty Back Road but I like it! Thanks!
I only got to see them once (on the Cosmic Thing tour), but it’s still one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The funny thing is, in Belgium, the B-52’s were always super popular with the movers and shakers of the early eighties. So the venue was packed with media folks and music pros — and a lot of them had really gone all out dressing up. I’ve never seen so many people in thrift shop outfits in one place! And don’t even get me started on the number of wigs. It definitely added to the atmosphere, of course.
Thanks so much for reading and reacting, Dan. Wishing you a fantastic weekend!
Always so much more than a novelty act . I love the intensity of tracks like Give Me Back My Man and Queen Of Las Vegas but my favourite is Girl From Ipanema Goes to Greenland, written after the death of Ricky Wilson and produced by the great Tony Mansfield.
Ha! I thought I was the only one that liked that song! 😁😁. Now we are two! Have you ever heard the incredible twelve inch version of the song? (A Shep Pettibone remix). Anyway thanks for reading & sharing your thoughts Paul! Always appreciated!
Not a song I’ve heard before but I loved it as well as the amazing write up. I only know a few songs from their earlier couple albums but sounds like I definitely need to check both of them out in their entirety.
If you like what you’ve heard from those albums, definitely check out the full albums, Mark. They’re two of the best from that period. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
This was a great read and an excellent education. I'd heard this song (when I listened to the entire album it's on) but completely forgotten about it until now. I never picked up on the double entendre nor the more subtle bits such as the harmony switch you write about here. Really cool.
The UK/European version is definitely better. Island Records had it remixed specifically for the UK and Europe, making it completely different from the US version.
Just wanted to add that I also think Mesopotamia is a cracking album. I have dug out all my B-52s vinyl and have spent the afternoon dancing the mess around! Thanks for reminding me about them!
The goal of the newsletter is to help readers reconnect with the key artists and bands that shaped the history of dance music, and your reaction shows it's a mission accomplished for this one 😁
So great to hear that, Martin. Which version of Mesopotamia do you have: the original US release or the remixed European edition?
What an excellent 'deep cut' of theirs to feature. Their self-titled was part of my childhood (my mother had the record) and they had a handful of music videos that were played on Australian channels (including a Private Idaho performance recorded down under). But it was with the release of Funplex, my final year of highschool, that their influence on my queer identity took hold. (Side note: Funplex has aged somewhat wonderfully in my opinion)
I was lucky enough to see them in London, 2019, and other than "messing" with Love Shack, the show was incredibly fun. It was a nominally a seated show, but no one did. I have S/T in my top 5 records of all time, while Wild Planet sits just outside the top 50.
I enjoyed your wonderful summary, and gonna be spinning this LP later on!
It’s so wonderful to hear their “magic power” has lasted across generations! 😃 Funplex is great too—though, I’m a fan, so I’m probably a little biased and wouldn’t say anything bad about any of their releases. Thanks so much for reading and reacting, Taro. Wishing you a great Sunday! (And if your Sunday’s already wrapped up by the time you read this 😃, then have an amazing start to your week!)
My mix man does it again driving the dirty back road from Athens to NYC. The Island 🏝 cred only rises with the 52s. Punk averse other than the Slits. And still here all over non-era radio which seems to be a thing today. I remember when hearing the Cars right after Blue Oyster Cult aka More Cowbell (Shake it Up / Fear the Reaper) would not be possible but now they go together seemlessly? I know little about DBR but that's why you're here. It was on one of those two front to back must listen LPs.. Remember those? So I know it but not as a banger. The 1st 2 LPs: if you were at a house party nobody would dare switch to any other band just flip the vinyl and keep dancing. How could you not? Later Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys picked up the Punk Dance slack but INITIALLY? Shattered? Rock this town? CLASH? WLIR was NYC's only "New Music" station so we were on our own and the Bs owned the dance floor. Got to see them open for the Talking Heads but not at CBGBs. I did see too many other bands and played there 3xs KilPig then Animal Clinic opening for Nina Hagen *who you could DJ along with the B-52s without irony or losing a step. OK there's always more but that's one. And finally fronting Roadkill NYC that made me feel like I was in the Hilly click. Yes, an animal theme runs thru those 3 but no relation other than moi. (See my soundcloud.com/stevegabe) The B52s were a party band with deep emotions, killer beats, humor, harmonies, cheesy keys, and punk funk guitar... This ain't no disco? I think the Talking Heads spoke too soon. All the punk / new wavers / no wavers really wanted to do was dance, dance, dance 🕺 💃.
Wow, Steve! I saw them once in Brussels, much later on. It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to — though I might be a little biased 😁. I completely agree with your description. If they ever invent a time machine, you’ll definitely find me in NYC in the early ’80s 😃. Thanks so much for reading and reacting. Wishing you an amazing weekend!
Didn't see them live. Didn't know that any band members were queer. I was in college and just LOVED the music. It is different but still has a groove. Big fan of Kate and Cindy's lead vocals. I often refer to their backing vocals as "vocal percussion". "Give Me Back My Man" is still my go-to, but I will listen to any song off their first two albums, at any time. Gimme gimme gimme.
Link to one of the best videos ever made : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swBDlOk0V6Y
I came across this video while doing some research. TopPop was a music show on Dutch TV and, at the time, it was one of the only music programs available. Belgian TV was pretty bad back then (with no music shows at all), so all of Flanders ended up watching Dutch TV instead.
TopPop would record every band or artist visiting Holland for promo purposes. However, if a song failed to chart, they often didn’t use the footage. I believe this video is one of those cases — I had never seen it before! It’s a great example of how they were the ultimate party band: bringing fun and energy, even in a dull studio setting. 😃
Thanks for reading and reacting, jeleonard193. Enjoy your Sunday!
Thanks for the research.
Great write up on one of my favorite tracks! The first two albums are perfection, no skips.
Couldn't agree more Jami. Thanks for reading & reacting!
This was fascinating because it's a band I knew about but obviously I was missing the backstory, its place in dance music history and the influence it had across the board. I also really enjoyed reading about how they connected with you on a personal level. Fantastic read!
Thanks, Andy. Researching and writing these weekly pieces has been such a great way to reconnect with different parts of my life, and this one even more than usual. I never imagined this journey would be so much fun, or that it would lead to connecting with fellow music writers and lovers from all over the world. So thanks again for reading, sharing, and for your wonderful compliments. Wishing you a great Sunday!
That's amazing, Pe. It's crazy how our writing endeavours sometimes take us to the most unexpecyted places. Honoured to be part of your journey and so glad we've connected. Have a fab Sunday too!
I've probably seen The B-52s live more than any other band. They are so much fun! Such a great catalog of songs. I actually don't know Dirty Back Road but I like it! Thanks!
I only got to see them once (on the Cosmic Thing tour), but it’s still one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The funny thing is, in Belgium, the B-52’s were always super popular with the movers and shakers of the early eighties. So the venue was packed with media folks and music pros — and a lot of them had really gone all out dressing up. I’ve never seen so many people in thrift shop outfits in one place! And don’t even get me started on the number of wigs. It definitely added to the atmosphere, of course.
Thanks so much for reading and reacting, Dan. Wishing you a fantastic weekend!
That sounds very cool! Enjoy your weekend too!
Always so much more than a novelty act . I love the intensity of tracks like Give Me Back My Man and Queen Of Las Vegas but my favourite is Girl From Ipanema Goes to Greenland, written after the death of Ricky Wilson and produced by the great Tony Mansfield.
Ha! I thought I was the only one that liked that song! 😁😁. Now we are two! Have you ever heard the incredible twelve inch version of the song? (A Shep Pettibone remix). Anyway thanks for reading & sharing your thoughts Paul! Always appreciated!
Not a song I’ve heard before but I loved it as well as the amazing write up. I only know a few songs from their earlier couple albums but sounds like I definitely need to check both of them out in their entirety.
If you like what you’ve heard from those albums, definitely check out the full albums, Mark. They’re two of the best from that period. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
This was a great read and an excellent education. I'd heard this song (when I listened to the entire album it's on) but completely forgotten about it until now. I never picked up on the double entendre nor the more subtle bits such as the harmony switch you write about here. Really cool.
That’s exactly the aim of the newsletter! 😁 I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for reading and reacting, SDB!
I saw them at the Hammersmith Palais on their first visit to the UK and they were wild. Those first three albums are just glorious!
I have the UK release version. Every track is a banger…Cake is one of my favourite B52s songs.
The UK/European version is definitely better. Island Records had it remixed specifically for the UK and Europe, making it completely different from the US version.
I agree Martin. Thanks for reading & reacting!
Just wanted to add that I also think Mesopotamia is a cracking album. I have dug out all my B-52s vinyl and have spent the afternoon dancing the mess around! Thanks for reminding me about them!
The goal of the newsletter is to help readers reconnect with the key artists and bands that shaped the history of dance music, and your reaction shows it's a mission accomplished for this one 😁
So great to hear that, Martin. Which version of Mesopotamia do you have: the original US release or the remixed European edition?
Great song. Great band. Great piece. :)
Thanks Ben. Much appreciated. Wishing you a great week ahead!
What an excellent 'deep cut' of theirs to feature. Their self-titled was part of my childhood (my mother had the record) and they had a handful of music videos that were played on Australian channels (including a Private Idaho performance recorded down under). But it was with the release of Funplex, my final year of highschool, that their influence on my queer identity took hold. (Side note: Funplex has aged somewhat wonderfully in my opinion)
I was lucky enough to see them in London, 2019, and other than "messing" with Love Shack, the show was incredibly fun. It was a nominally a seated show, but no one did. I have S/T in my top 5 records of all time, while Wild Planet sits just outside the top 50.
I enjoyed your wonderful summary, and gonna be spinning this LP later on!
It’s so wonderful to hear their “magic power” has lasted across generations! 😃 Funplex is great too—though, I’m a fan, so I’m probably a little biased and wouldn’t say anything bad about any of their releases. Thanks so much for reading and reacting, Taro. Wishing you a great Sunday! (And if your Sunday’s already wrapped up by the time you read this 😃, then have an amazing start to your week!)
A beautiful article about a beautiful band!
Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing, Kal. Wishing you a great Sunday!
My mix man does it again driving the dirty back road from Athens to NYC. The Island 🏝 cred only rises with the 52s. Punk averse other than the Slits. And still here all over non-era radio which seems to be a thing today. I remember when hearing the Cars right after Blue Oyster Cult aka More Cowbell (Shake it Up / Fear the Reaper) would not be possible but now they go together seemlessly? I know little about DBR but that's why you're here. It was on one of those two front to back must listen LPs.. Remember those? So I know it but not as a banger. The 1st 2 LPs: if you were at a house party nobody would dare switch to any other band just flip the vinyl and keep dancing. How could you not? Later Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys picked up the Punk Dance slack but INITIALLY? Shattered? Rock this town? CLASH? WLIR was NYC's only "New Music" station so we were on our own and the Bs owned the dance floor. Got to see them open for the Talking Heads but not at CBGBs. I did see too many other bands and played there 3xs KilPig then Animal Clinic opening for Nina Hagen *who you could DJ along with the B-52s without irony or losing a step. OK there's always more but that's one. And finally fronting Roadkill NYC that made me feel like I was in the Hilly click. Yes, an animal theme runs thru those 3 but no relation other than moi. (See my soundcloud.com/stevegabe) The B52s were a party band with deep emotions, killer beats, humor, harmonies, cheesy keys, and punk funk guitar... This ain't no disco? I think the Talking Heads spoke too soon. All the punk / new wavers / no wavers really wanted to do was dance, dance, dance 🕺 💃.
Wow, Steve! I saw them once in Brussels, much later on. It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to — though I might be a little biased 😁. I completely agree with your description. If they ever invent a time machine, you’ll definitely find me in NYC in the early ’80s 😃. Thanks so much for reading and reacting. Wishing you an amazing weekend!