The First Singles
Who Knows How to Make Love Stay?
Doug and the Slugs! I will always love this band for their name, which apparently DID hold them back initially, but it was doubtless part of the charm for me. They don’t sound like anybody else I can think of. Not to overstate it - I’ve only heard their singles - but those are totally, undeniably good, without being cool in any way.
Up Where We Belong
Kind of not appropriate for my age. I don’t know why 11-year-old me fancied this - it must’ve struck me as emotionally powerful, despite my not understanding it. No memory of it, besides buying it.
Safety Dance
One of my early favourite “I’ve moved to the big city now” moments was in 1990 - September 6th, as I’ve checked now. The Pursuit Of Happiness were playing a free show down at Nathan Philips Square, and we found out that day and went. Kro and Mike and I filled up Big Gulps and Slurpies with booze for the way there.
The first band up was Men Without Hats, well past their heyday, but with special guests from Voivod, the Doughboys - and Mitsou. They did a speedy, heavy version of Men Without Hats. It was memorable and rare and kind of funny.
Then we watched TPOH - my first of many excellent TPOH shows. Then we walked down Queen West and went to some second-story bar with a blues band whose leader played from a belt full of different harmonicas. Fun night.
Rosanna
This song sounds today exactly like it sounded then. It has a special kind of precision that’s nearly sterile. I still like it though, especially the synth solo. Did you know Toto played much of the music on Thriller? #crazyfacts
Rock This Town
Of all of these records, The Stray Cats are the band I still think are pretty great. I’d still put this record on in mixed company.
Stray Cat Strut
THIS song has a special place in my heart. I figured this song out on my first guitar almost immediately after getting it. I’ve played this song at campfires, busking in subways, with my little sister, with my band, with my wife, for thirty years. Silly song to know so well. :)
Illegal Alien/Turn It On Again Live
This problematic, carelessly racist video/single is super weird. I’d forgotten it mostly except for one aspect that’s always stayed with me. The revealing at the end of the crew and the sets. When I learned about Post-Modernism in 1990, This was what I flashed to (why?) and the association stuck. I know that’s a ridiculous paragraph. It is what it is.
The song is surprisingly stupid, and I think sort of hard to listen to. Maybe it was its similarity to Shaddap You Face that hooked me.
Free at Last
LASTLY: I did not intend for today’s exploration of my first few 45s to coincide with Goodbye Fucker day for *45’s presidency, but here we are. Waving with my middle finger, all ill wishes and plenty of pending vengeance: Goodbye, Donny Two Times. You sucked hard.
Here’s Vic Chesnutt with Elf Power doing their perfectly apt ode “Little Fucker” (from 2009).
Thanks for reading. Tell your friends.