The brain is an amazing thing. The power it has is remarkable… a power we have not even begun to harness. I am back in my positive thinking mode, where I am going to try to focus on the good and the strong… to put ideas and dreams out into the universe and put all of my brain’s energies on overdrive.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
As I was walking the dog, seemingly out of nowhere, Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years” popped into my head. Why? I’m not sure. Don’t get me wrong… it’s a great song from an album I listened to throughout college… but why at that particular moment did this particular song take over my brain’s jukebox? Did I hear it from a passing car stereo? Was someone playing it in a house we walked by? I don’t think so… but I don’t know.
Either way, there it was. All of sudden I started humming, then singing “Holding Back the Years”.
I am just going to quote this straight from Wikipedia because it is really cool and something I had no knowledge of… “Simply Red originated from the 1976 Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. Manchester art student Mick Hucknall was one of the many young music fans present, along with Mark E. Smith of The Fall as well as original members of the bands Joy Division, The Smiths and Buzzcocks. The first incarnation of the band was a punk group called The Frantic Elevators, which existed for 7 years, with limited releases on local labels. They split in 1984 with only limited local attention and critical acclaim for their final single, “Holding Back the Years.”
Look at that list!!! Joy Division… Buzzcocks… The Smiths… More great bands to discuss soon!!! I LOVE music!
Simply Red – Picture Book
After the demise of The Frantic Elevators and out of its punk ashes rose Simply Red. I love how Wikipedia calls them a “blue-eyed soul band”… and yes, that means soul music performed by white folk. This is their debut album and upon its release in 1985… a whole lot of nothing! The first few singles failed to ignite… including the new version of The Frantic Elevators “Holding Back The Years.” Then in 1986, they re-released that single again and… Voila! MAJOR HIT!!!
Timing, timing, timing. With that single now jumping the charts, the album followed suit and Simply Red would soon be known all over the world.
In addition to the tune that dropped onto the turntable of my mind, I love “Come to my Aid,” “Money’s Too Tight [To Mention]“ and the cover of the Talking Heads’ “Heaven.” I first heard that song when it was used in a production at Northwestern… Agh… blanking on the play… Anyway, it grabbed me then and was actually the reason I tracked down the band.
I also have some recent, political issues with David Byrne, but that is for another time. Today is about my 1986 and my Simply Red… and random songs that pop into my brain, seemingly out of nowhere… but perhaps not!
