Skip to main content

Retro Video of the Day - So Long

There are many songs (and groups for that matter) from the 80s that may have flew under the radar in North America while enjoying decent success in other countries. Fischer-Z was one of those groups and "So Long" was one of those songs.


Fischer-Z was formed in 1979 in Britain and released nine albums until their split in 2002. The founder and lead singer, John Watts went on to do some solo stuff but never reached the same level of success he did with Fischer-Z.


Though they had some hits in the U.K., Portugal, Belgium and Germany, their biggest success was in Australia with a couple of top 20 hits including the song "So Long". It was this success that has confused some to thinking they were actually an Australian band.


The video below for "So Long" featured some classic 80s video standards like bad lip syncing, misty atmospheric vibe, a cheap Humphrey Bogart look-a-like, and cheesy interpretation of the story line. Having said that - that's what made the videos from the 80s so memorable.


One other interesting note - John Watts lyrics were heavily influenced from his experiences as a mental health care worker. Kind of explains the pain you feel in the lyrics when you listen to this one. Seriously under-rated track from way back.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Site

Just a heads up, the blog has now moved to a more modern WordPress site over at https://retroguyswonderland.com   Site is up and under slight construction. New posts coming soon!   - Retroguy's Son (The SysOp)
Post a Comment
Read more

Royal Wedding Retro Copycats

Time and time again there is evidence that nothing is new. It's all been done before. Everything is a remix. There are very rarely new and original ideas. Need more proof ? Check out the picture below of the recent Royal wedding of Will and Kate and the other classic Royal wedding in Cinderella which was a Disney movie from 1950. Honestly, you'd think the British Royal family could come up with an original thought !!
Post a Comment
Read more

R.I.P. Sir Roger Moore (1927-2017)

It's a sad day for Bond fans with the news of the passing of Sir Roger Moore at age 89 after a short battle with cancer. The charismatic actor wore the 007 mantle for seven films playing the super suave British secret agent, James Bond from 1973 to 1985, replacing Sean Connery and went on to be the longest serving Bond to date. Roger had early success on television portraying Simon Templar in the "The Saint" and that role groomed him well for taking over the 007 franchise. He did have quite the television resume before taking on films including roles in "Ivanhoe", "The Alaskans" and "Maverick" and with Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders". His big break came in 1973's "Live and Left Die" that launched Moore's Bond. Roger brought a smoother more gentlemanly vibe to the role compared to Sean's rough and tumble Bond. The mix worked well and it brought a new standard to how Bond would be played in future films....
Post a Comment
Read more

Earth, Wind and Ozzy !!

There is no doubt that the advent of technology has produced many amazing things that most of us never saw coming or would ever think was possible. Furthest from anyone's mind would be the mashing of two polar opposite musical styles of heavy metal and funk. Not possible you say? Check out the fine work by DJ Cummerbund as he seamlessly combines the heavy metal madness of Ozzy Osbourne with the super slick, funky rhythms of Earth, Wind and Fire to produce a mashup of Crazy Train and September. Ain't technology grand??
Post a Comment
Read more

Retro Video of the Day - Domino Dancing

I remember first spinning the original West End Girls track on a white label and thinking that this was completely fresh (how long has it been since you used that word in that context?) and probably the start of a new and prominent trend in dance music. Whether you called it Electro-Pop, Electronica, EuroBeats, or crap, it was undeniable that pop music was moving away from strictly guitars and experimenting with new electronic sounds that ushered and defined what '80s music was all about. The Pet Shop Boys have always been on the forefront of that movement and have continually put out new music over three decades. Domino Dancing, released in 1988, really helped them cross over to a wide range of audiences. It reached #5 on the U.S. Billboard Club Play listing and cracked the Top 10 of almost all the countries it was released in. Extra Retro Bonus !
Post a Comment
Read more