1981 - Now we're talking... For x-daysofmusic

Another year of this #x-daysofmusic challenge set up by @backinblackdevil.

Two things mark this year - One is that I got a job as a paper-boy and started buy (a lot of) records. The other is the introduction of the world's greatest secret agent:

David Jason and Terry Scott were at their best in this series. It was quite weird and some of the jokes in the early series are brilliantly awful.

Music-wise, the year combines the sublime and the ridiculous. Often in the one song. I'll stick to singles I bought (and still have):

Pat Benatar - Fire & Ice

From Precious Time. Have this on transparent(!) vinyl
The intro chug is the same as the intro chug for AC/DC's 'Touch Too Much'. Make of that what you will. Benatar wasn't taken seriously for a long time - rock being totally misogynistic inn the early 80s. However Pat and her partner came up with some classic songs and I'm told she can still cut it live.

Gillan - Mutually Assured Destruction

I have the 7" with a booklet of a mini-play - a poor-man's Waiting for Godot
My first gig! 16th December at the Reading Top Rank (long since demolished).
This is the line-up I saw - Janick Gers had replaced Bernie Torme who was on the record. Being a scrawny 14-year-old I was able to squirm to the front of the crowd waiting to get in, but blew it by heading for the merch stand when the doors opened (a habit I never changed). I remember being crushed, and Janick climbing a mountain of speakers during his solo, and this song being gob-smacking. I have pretty much everything Gillan released, as the singles tended to be non-album tracks and/or well packaged. Too much of a fan for my own good.

Budgie - Keeping A Rendezvous

From Nightflight. 7" picture disc
Budgie were a band that never made it into the first division, but consistently came up with good albums. A Welsh three-piece fronted by bassist Burke Shelley and with a series of great guitar players, were formed in 1967. They released albums throughout the 70s, but after '82 they were just a touring band. I saw them supporting Gillan at the Top Rank. Pick up Bandolier, Power Supply, Nightflight and In For The Kill for their best.

Headgirl - Please Don't Touch

From St Valentines Day Massacre E.P. I have the 7" version - should have bought the 10"
This got to number 5 in the UK Charts! Heavy metal was on Top of The Pops pretty much every week in the early 80's, meaning all sorts of weird and wonderful bands appeared on the show and metal fans were forced to watch Spandau Ballet. Philthy isn't drumming because of an injury during the recording sessions. Girlschool released two classic albums and then tried to break the States. The backlash in the UK pretty much ended their commercial period and they split up not long after. The next year, Lemmy recorded Stand by Your Man with the Plasmatics' Wendy-O-Williams, leading to Fast Eddie Clarke leaving the band.

Blue Öyster Cult - Burnin' For You

From Fire of Unknown Origin. Apologies for Charles Grodin - this is the only suitable video I could find
The song that really cemented BÖC in my mind. My sister had the album bootlegged on tape and we played it to death. It marked the end of the band's original line-up and they were never the same again. You need the 12" for the cracking live tracks on the b-side.

Saxon - And The Bands Played On

From Denim & Leather. 7" picture disc
For a long time Saxon were my favourite band and I was still a Saxon fan when most of the world preferred Iron Maiden. Biff was a better singer than Paul Di'Anno, although that changed with Bruce Dickinson's arrival in Maiden. Wheels of Steel was an early album purchase and listened to repeatedly. I didn't see them play a concert for a few years later as no-one I knew was williing to go with me. As opposed to Iron Maiden, where I kept being offered spares for Hammersmith Odeon gigs. This is Saxon's song about the first Donnington Monsters of Rock Festival the year before.

J.Geils Band - Freeze Frame

From Freeze Frame. 7" picture disc
Not as famous a song as Centrefold from the same album, but more representative. Never knew much about Mr Geils and his band, I just dug this song. This was another band which had been going since the '60s and apart form this album were only known in North America. J. Geils died in 2017, according to Wikipedia.

My days of music: 1967 - 1968 - 1969 - 1970 - 1971 - 1972 - 1973 - 1974 - 1975 - 1976 - 1977 - 1978 - 1979 - 1980