One day in the late summer of 1994, I was browsing through CDs at the Sound Warehouse location at the corner of Hwy 281 & Bitters in San Antonio (that space is currently a Mexican restaurant, El Jarro de Arturo).
I had recently attended my ten-year high school reunion and music from the early '80s was running through my head a lot. So when the teenage kids behind the counter played "867-5309/Jenny" followed by "Vacation" by the Go-Go's and Zappa's "Valley Girl," it naturally caught my ear, so I walked over and asked what they were playing. After a heavy sigh and an eyeroll, the salesgirl smacked her gum and directed me to this series, of which the first five volumes had recently been released. I bought Volume 5 and that started my love affair with this series. I eventually picked up all the discs and even though you didn't ask, here's how I rank the 15 volumes, in countdown fashion. Included with each selection is a link to my track-by-track breakdown of that volume plus what I consider to be the top three tracks on the compilation, in alphabetical order:
"Close (To the Edit)" - The Art of Noise
"Tenderness" - General Public
"Voices Carry" - 'Til Tuesday
"Tenderness" - General Public
"Voices Carry" - 'Til Tuesday
"Generals and Majors" - XTC
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
"Up All Night" - Boomtown Rats
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
"Up All Night" - Boomtown Rats
"Head Over Heels" - The Go-Go's
"It's a Mistake" - Men at Work
"Perfect Way" - Scritti Politti
"It's a Mistake" - Men at Work
"Perfect Way" - Scritti Politti
"Change" - Tears for Fears
"In a Big Country" - Big Country
"True" - Spandau Ballet
"In a Big Country" - Big Country
"True" - Spandau Ballet
"I Got You" - Split Enz
"Pop Muzik" - M
"Vienna" - Ultravox
"Pop Muzik" - M
"Vienna" - Ultravox
"Cruel to be Kind" - Nick Lowe
"My Sharona" - The Knack
"Video Killed the Radio Star" - Buggles
"My Sharona" - The Knack
"Video Killed the Radio Star" - Buggles
"Oblivious" - Aztec Camera
"Our Lips are Sealed" - Fun Boy Three
"They Don't Know" - Tracey Ullman
"Our Lips are Sealed" - Fun Boy Three
"They Don't Know" - Tracey Ullman
"Never Say Never" - Romeo Void
"Talk Talk" - Talk Talk
"Who Can It Be Now" - Men at Work
"Talk Talk" - Talk Talk
"Who Can It Be Now" - Men at Work
"Love Plus One" - Haircut 100
"Someday, Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw
"A Town Called Malice" - The Jam
"Someday, Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw
"A Town Called Malice" - The Jam
"Rio" - Duran Duran
"Save It for Later" - The English Beat
"Too Shy" - Kajagoogoo
"Save It for Later" - The English Beat
"Too Shy" - Kajagoogoo
"Looking for Clues" - Robert Palmer
"New Toy" - Lene Lovich
"Tempted" - Squeeze
"New Toy" - Lene Lovich
"Tempted" - Squeeze
"Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" - Haircut 100
"Flaming Desire" - Bill Nelson
"O Superman (For Massenet)" - Laurie Anderson
"Flaming Desire" - Bill Nelson
"O Superman (For Massenet)" - Laurie Anderson
"(Keep Feeling) Fascination" - Human League
"Promises, Promises" - Naked Eyes
"Whistle Down the Wind" - Nick Heyward
"Promises, Promises" - Naked Eyes
"Whistle Down the Wind" - Nick Heyward
"Dance Hall Days" - Wang Chung
"Hero Takes a Fall" - The Bangles
"Wouldn't It Be Good" - Nik Kershaw
"Hero Takes a Fall" - The Bangles
"Wouldn't It Be Good" - Nik Kershaw
"Kiss Me" - Tintin
"She Blinded Me with Science" - Thomas Dolby
"(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17
"She Blinded Me with Science" - Thomas Dolby
"(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" - Heaven 17
Note: the series also included three auxiliary compilations: New Wave Women, New Wave Dance Hits, and New Wave Halloween.
You must have read my mind yet again, Mark.
ReplyDeleteBeen (slowly) working on multiple posts about chronological playlist of the Just Can’t Get Enough series. Kind of like I did with the Have A Nice Day series a few years back. Plus some bonus discs/playlists of extended versions of the songs from the series.
The ongoing Synth Pop Saturday series has brought more than a few songs and artists that are featured on JCGE back into focus.