It's 1985 and you've been dumped... what music?

[thekumquat]

Welcome back to little_details!
I'd actually tried to post this in May 2017, but the Dreamwidth version wasn't yet open. As it happens, while I finished the story in question (only really of interest to Antonia Forest fans), I'd still appreciate answers:

"I'm writing a story which for various reasons is between April and June 1985, in England. A 17-year-old boy who generally takes himself way too seriously and has just been dumped, wants to put on some loud music to express his feelings. Rock, punk, not disco - any song that would be available via reasonably mainstream means at that time.

If the timeframe were more flexible, the obvious song would be Joan Jett & the Blackhearts "I hate myself for Loving You", but that came out in 1988. Queen's "Friends will be Friends" would do, but again that's 1986. Ideas?

If anyone happens to know *when* in 1985 that Jimmy Somerville left Bronski Beat to join the Communards, that would also be helpful.

Hoping the DW version of this community takes off!"

Comments

[thekumquat]

I know people who could put the player needle in the right place within a few seconds, on their favourite albums, but not sure how common that might be? Cassette is certainly most likely, whether album or mixtape recorded off the radio/a friend's tape.

Any songs from those albums you'd recommend? I only know Purple Rain.

Phonographs have visible tracks and gaps

[dsrtao]

People who use a phonograph regularly would be able to put the arm in the right place on most albums immediately -- by counting the shiny rings between tracks. At 33RPM (the 12" discs, 22 minutes per side) a 2 second gap is a complete shiny ring.

If your character has been drinking or is otherwise unsteady, it could take longer to find the gap accurately. Dropping the needle roughly is a good way to scratch the record. Want to add more misery? That scratch will be there permanently and audibly.

Re: Phonographs have visible tracks and gaps

[thekumquat]

That's what I thought. I grew up with very little music, so only took a couple records off a player in 6th form, then scandalised a friend some years later when he asked me to put a record on. He asked "Haven't you ever put a record on a player before?" And was shocked when I said no. We were very drunk and it was probably a rare album - he became a record dealer...

[theladyscribe]

Tbh I'm not terribly familiar with any of them except Born in the USA, which is a pretty angry (anti-war, pro-union) album overall. The title track is a very angry and disillusioned take on the Vietnam war and treatment of veterans in its aftermath (though it famously gets trotted out as a rah-rah America song by people who don't listen to the words). It was a major hit, but the other bands probably appealed more to younger audiences. The Tears for Fears album is the one with "Shout (Let It All Out)," which would be a likely winner for a sad teenager dealing with heartbreak and disappointment.

[thekumquat]

Ah, was wondering about TfF. Thank you.

[heinous_bitca]

Songs from the Big Chair (the one with Shout) came out in February 1985, so that theoretically could work. Shout was released ahead of the album release, per Wikipedia, in November 1984.

You could also go back to the earlier TfF album, The Hurting. I had a French exchange student stay with me the summer of 1984, and she got me into their album (I'm in the US), and Mad World is on that album. The whole album is banger, if you ask me!

[full_metal_ox]

The title track is a very angry and disillusioned take on the Vietnam war and treatment of veterans in its aftermath (though it famously gets trotted out as a rah-rah America song by people who don't listen to the words).

Another predictable item on my hometown’s Fourth of July fireworks playlist was “Young Americans”—you know, an expatriate Englishman’s musical snapshot of American post-Watergate anguish and malaise. There really needs to be a Time-Life compilation entitled “Pay Attention To The Damn Lyrics.”

[theladyscribe]

Oh my god, that's amazing. XD

[full_metal_ox]

Isn’t it? Apparently the chorus is sufficient cause to start hooting, “U!!! S!!! A!!!”

[reynardo]

Because the space between tracks on a record are blank, they show up quite clearly, so placing your needle on one of these was pretty easy, thus dead easy to pick out a favourite track.