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The Boomtown Rats “The Fine Art of Surfacing”

sfilzen — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 15:07:26 +0000

The Boomtown Rats “The Fine Art of Surfacing” released 40 years ago today, October 9th, 1979 (at least I’m pretty sure it was – Wikipedia’s date of June 2nd 1979 is most definitely incorrect as virtually every other website says October). Post-punk/new wave with a heavy dose of organ and sneer, The Fine Art of Surfacing was Boomtown Rats’ third album and it went to #7 on the UK charts. The record has the Rats most famous track, “I Don’t Like Mondays,” which went to #1 in the UK and to #73 in the US as the lead single from the album. It received pretty decent airplay on US radio stations, though not so much in San Diego as the subject of the song was a 1979 school shooting that occurred in that city by Brenda Ann Spencer, who gave the reason for her violence as “I don’t like Mondays.” That song is a classic, but also great are “Someone’s Looking at You” (#4 UK), a song about Bob Geldof’s burgeoning infamy with political activism; “Diamond Smiles” (#13 UK), a track about suicide; and the spacey new wave song “Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero).” Our version of The Fine Art of Surfacing seems to be an original as it has hidden tracks – Side A is a bunch of creepy laughing that goes through the run-out groove and Side B has a weird voice saying “That concluded episode three. We will return…” with then a door or something closing.

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Band Aid “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

sfilzen — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:59:09 +0000

Band Aid “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” released on this date, December 3rd, 1984 in the UK (released in the US on December 10th), b/w “Feed The World.” Original US 45 rpm release that I happily bought in December ‘84. Is this the best Christmas single ever? YES! It spent 5 weeks at #1 in the UK and is one of the fastest selling singles of all-time there, raising money for famine relief in Africa.

Written by Boomtown Rat’s Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was an amazing collaboration of the top British pop and new wave stars of the mid-80′s (a few Americans in the mix as well): I could’ve just about passed out with giddyness watching the video (probably still can!). Simon LeBon! David Bowie! Bono! George Michael! And the b-side! Simon wishing me a Happy Christmas!

Besides the single version of the song’s video, a 30 minute documentary (here is Part 1 and Part 2) of the making of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was released just before Christmas in 1984, full of interviews, out-takes, George Michael’s blinding white teeth, Simon LeBon’s “Wild Boys” era blond mane and Andy Taylor whacking John Taylor on the head during recording. Perfection.

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The Boomtown Rats “The Fine Art of Surfacing”

sfilzen — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 15:05:27 +0000

The Boomtown Rats “The Fine Art of Surfacing” released on this date, October 9th, 1979. This original LP contains two hidden tracks in the runoff grooves: Side 1 creepy laughing over piano dabbling with the lyrics “that’s not funny, I’m not laughing” and Side 2 the spoken “That concludes episode 3. We will return…” The album reached #7 on the UK charts with three hit singles. Sadly, the most famous of these, “I Don’t Like Mondays” (#1 for 4 weeks in the UK and #73 in the US), is even more relevant today. The song refers to the January 1979 shooting spree at an elementary school in San Diego by 16 year old Brenda Ann Spencer. Bob Geldof was inspired to write it after reading that a reporter asked Spencer why she carried out the shooting and she answered: “I don’t like Mondays.”

I never really listened to the Boomtown Rats back in their first iteration from 1977-1985 (they reformed in 2013 minus keyboardist Johnnie Fingers and guitarist Gerry Cott). Most of my familiarity with the band came from Bob Geldof’s role as the anti-poverty humanitarian organizer for Band Aid and Live Aid, as well as his starring role in Pink Floyd’s 1982 film “The Wall” (which scared the crap out of my 11 year old self – those horrifyingly masked kids going through the meat grinder gave me nightmares). That said, this LP is a really enjoyable pop/new wave album, mostly upbeat and bouncy in its musical arrangement and very unlikely to give me bad dreams, despite some of the darker lyrical content.

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