Before reading this blog ………. I strongly recommend that you read (if you haven’t done so) or re-read (if you don’t remember) my last post about producer extraordinaire Trevor Horn’s dynamic 12-inch ………. and then come back here for more Horn’ful penetration.
Quick Recap…
| This is Trevor Horn… |  |
| He’s the guy who produced and performed “Video Killed The Radio Star” world-wide smash-hit track. And he’s collecting millions of dollars of royalties from it. |  |
I did some major digging and discovered some fascinating, forgotten facts and hidden gem tracks from The Buggles.
In 1980, the Buggles’ duo Geoffrey Downes (keyboards) and Trevor Horn (vocals) — who were coming off an international success with their New Wave album The Age of Plastic and the acclaimed single “Video Killed the Radio Star” – to help out on a new YES album. Downes suddenly left Buggles when Trevor learned that YES’ keyboardist Rick Wakeman was leaving the band, and therefore snatched him as well as lead-vocalist Jon Anderson to work on the next Buggles album Adventures In Modern Recording. The Buggle’s second album was completed in 1981 but was never released or charted. The album was a gem masterpiece.
A Little Bit of YES…
| This is Rick Wakeman. |  |
| This is Jon Anderson. |  |
| Vangelis … in his studio setup in hotel room in Paris … working on his 1987 Direct album. |  |
| During 1981-1983, Jon Anderson worked with Vangelis who’s famous for Blade Runner soundtrack and Oscar-winning theme for Chariots Of Fire. |  |
| YES’ biggest hit single was 1983′s Owner Of The Lonely Heart (youtube video link). YES – “Owner Of The Lonely Heart” (mp3) |
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Buggle’s 2nd Album – Age In Modern Recording…
Since this album was never charted, there was only one single released as a 12-inch ……… an absolutely incredible track I Am A Camera with Wakeman on the keys and Anderson on the mic, which can be heard below, among few bonus tracks.
The Buggles – I Am A Camera (12 Inch)
Listen to the all the instrument layers, arrangements and chord progressions.
The Buggles – I Am A Camera (12 Inch) (mp3)
The Buggles – On TV
The Buggles – Blue Nylon
The Buggles – Blue Nylon (mp3)
Buggle’s 1st Album - The Age Of Plastic…
The Buggles – I Love You Miss Robot
The Buggles – I Love You Miss Robot (mp3)
The Buggles – Clean Clean
The Buggles – Clean Clean (mp3)
The Buggles – Astroboy
The Buggles – The Living In The Age Of Plastic
The Buggles – The Living In The Age Of Plastic (mp3)
While the norm for most tracks go anywhere between 3:30 to 6:00 minutes in length, I prefer 15:00 minutes or longer, like the four seasons. Give me 4 long tracks to fill the hour, and I’ll be one very happy Iraqi. I love tracks that take me on long journeys through various movements. One of my all-time favorite synth-pop groups is PROPAGANDA from germany … who sound like twisted ABBA + Industrial + TechnoPop + Darkness. My favorite Proganda track is P:Machinery. I’ve taken two 12-inch vinyl versions of that track and conjoined them together as one … the way I want to listen to P:Machinery by:
Propaganda
Although he produced only a handful of tracks of renown and disappeared into obscurity almost as quickly as he had emerged from it, Manny ( Man ) Parrish is nonetheless one of the most important and influential figures in American electronic dance music. Helping to lay the foundation of electro, hip-hop, freestyle, and techno, as well as the dozens of subgenres to splinter off from those, Parrish introduced the aesthetic of European electronic pop to the American club scene by combining the plugged-in disco-funk of Giorgio Moroder and the man-machine music of Kraftwerk with the beefed-up rhythms and cut’n'mix approach of nascent hip-hop. As a result, tracks like “Hip-Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop)” and “Boogie Down Bronx” were period-defining works that provided the basic genetic material for everyone from Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to Autechre and Andrea Parker — and they remain undisputed classics of early hip-hop and electro to this day.
Man Parrish
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
[...] Heatstroke Moments: Man Parrish I Love You Miss Robot :: Trevor Horn – Part 2 [...]
TRUE STUFF
….crying because this is sosososososo epic ! YEAH , I wasn’t born in the rad 80′s *SADLY* but music isn’t like this any more. I’m reallllly young and I know this. Only if they actually played actual music on Mtv now a days “The Age of Platinum” wouldn’t belong to Justin Barbie. Any wayssss ( Thanks for putting this up!) [>[]_[] ]> +Robot-O Jr+
Great stuff, good website, have been listening to all the Frankie remixes the last week, went to Propaganda to other Trevor Horn productions. Buggles Plastic Age, the first 7″ I bought as a nine year old in the Netherlands.
Man, Trevor has to be one of the GREATEST record producers out there. I feel bad that I cant talk to him though. I really loved all of the Buggles Albums, but I REALLY honour Yes- Drama. God Bless You, Sir Trevor Horn!
Ugh, and Why does this STUPID generation play all the great classics like they used to. All of the so called “Music” today, isnt even real, all its about is sex, and lovey crap. Man, I miss the good times!
Really sorry to say – Wakey & Anderson /weren’t/ on Adventures in Modern Recording.. the vocals on I Am A Camera are Horn, and the keys were done by Geoff before he left to form Asia.
AiMR was released in the UK, but was a flop. I had a copy until the Great Cultural Cull of 1997/8. Chris Squire sanctioned the use of recorded crowds from a Yes concert, but that was the only Yes involvement in the project. To my ears, I Am a Camera was the best track on the LP, the rest was so-so compositionally altho’ the production was something that set standards for the rest of the decade