When I saw this 'tag' appear on my feed and posted by a friend, after the recent gloom I actually got rather excited again and sat thinking long and hard about which year I'd choose first. The decade was easy, but the year.......
Personally, this was an amazing year. I turned 21 in April, my birthday party taking place in a club in Wakefield called 'Rooftop Gardens' and the day after my birthday starting with me waking up in a bus shelter in my home village covered in vomit and being looked upon deservedly contemptuously by a load of people who were rather unsurprisingly waiting for a bus. Thankfully none of them knew me! My career was taking off and I partied hard. It was the 80's for heaven's sake, who didn't? I took my first holiday abroad with my best mate to Benidorm in Spain at a time when Benidorm was still just ahead of Ibiza in the party town capital stakes.
At that time, in late May 1987, in every club in Benidorm, this first track I've chosen was the soundtrack to summer '87. Played at least 5 times a night, the opening bars are so memorable and whenever I hear them even now, they transport me back so vividly to that those hot nights in Spain. I can still describe the club we frequented the most and I could even tell you exactly what we were wearing.
Back when Whitney was still an innocent looking, fresh-faced young lady with the most incredible smile. I give you 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody'.
and after her sad death, now with added poignancy.
Life was an endless merry-go-round of bars and clubs and expensive clothes, but this was juxtapositioned against the terrible tragedies that took place this year and the ongoing fight to free South Africa from racial segregation. Apartheid was thankfully being brought further into the public's consciousness and later on that year, the ever-expanding bubble of growth created by the massive economic boom and it's associated mentality of greed imploded in the Black Monday stock market crash.
It is difficult to describe the euphoria and excesses of the age, but certainly, by watching movies of that time, you could get a good idea and see the stark contrasts. Both Wall Street, the story of Gordon Gecko and the greedy excesses of Wall Street being offset by the humanitarian tale of the fight against apartheid and the evil and oppressive South African regime in the movie Cry Freedom still one of my all-time favourite movies, seemed to sum up the main themes of that point in history perfectly and concisely.
I could write all day about the 1980s but this is about the music and the reason I chose 1987 was that there were still some great pop songs in the charts but it was the year that House music came to the fore and became the de facto dance music. Everything since is still based upon these roots laid down by the homegrown dance music production coming out of Chicago from the mid-80s. I loved it and still own a fabulous collection of white labels, demos and remixes from the time.
There were two clubs in Leeds I frequented around this time. The famous 'Warehouse' and a really cool poseurs joint! called Mr Craig's which was probably the most upmarket club in Leeds at the time. It was typical of the times with its garish, over the top design, neon lighting, mirrors and faux Art Nouveaux, but the sound system was incredible. The bass lines could 'vibrate the shit out of your arse' as my friend once put it and so this first track, is a tribute to the memory of those club nights when even I, got up to dance!
This is 'House Master Boyz & The Rude Boy Of House - House Nation'. A classic and produced by Keith Farley, a Chicago based producer who released singles under various other names. Points available of you can name some without googling!!
This track in all its guises and remixes was totally hypnotic, and possibly a forefather to the acid house that was to come as I listen now 30 years later as opposed to the slower, Deep House. Brilliant, classic House at its best. Enjoy!
Next up and a single taken from a seminal album by a band I didn't really like back then and most certainly don't like today; U2.
I chose this track however, for no other reason than its possibly one of the greatest songs ever written and stands the test of time, sounding as good today as it did back then on its release in 1987. I am of course talking about With or Without You. The album, The Joshua Tree, also spawned two more incredible singles in 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', and 'Where the Streets Have No Name' but it was 'With or Without You' that really stood out for me.
Finally for 1987, although I could go on forever! I give you one of the most beautiful songs and stunning vocals ever written. I talked earlier about Apartheid, and it was after watching a TV news bulletin which showed white South African soldiers shooting black children that Labi Siffre was inspired to come out of semi-musical retirement and write (Something Inside) So Strong.
This track cannot fail to move you, and this particular performance is stripped back of the gospel backing vocals and sees Labi sat at the keys of his ubiquitous 80's DX7 singing and playing straight from his heart.
With track sort of transcended the cause, and in my memory, it is also a sad reminder of other tragedies that happened that year such as the Hungerford Massacre, Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster the Remembrance Day Bombing and the King's Cross fire.
No amount of partying could make up for these tragic events, that in retrospect, completely suppressed the good times.
In memory to good times and bad. The incredible Mr Labi Siffre with '(Something Inside) So Strong'
Dry your eyes!