#Italo House

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Balloony • Jesus On Channel Four • Toys (Use It) • Everybody Dance • James Brown Is Dead • I'm Raving • L.A. Style Theme • Twilight Zone • American Dream • It's Your Life, Baby

Submitter's Note: The song James Brown Is Dead was such a major hit, that it kicked off a trend/"meme" of producers using similar naming conventions for songs of a similar style. These include James Brown Is Still Alive by Holy Noise, James Brown Is Dead Or Alive?! by J.Y. Factory, Who The Hell Is James Brown? by Big Boss, and so on and so forth. Sometimes, other celebrities like Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley were substituted into the role as the trend evolved and took on a form of its own.

Youtube

[singlesablog]

Bona Drag ‘89

“Getting Away With It” (1989) Electronic Factory (UK) / Warner Records (US) (Written by Sumner/Marr/Tennant) Highest U.S. Billboard Chart Position – No. 38

When Pet Shop Boys first approached (coaxed, begged?) Dusty Springfield near the end of her career to duet with Neil Tennant on the 1987 single “What Have I Done to Deserve This?”, few of us could have known that this would lead to a great many more collaborations from the boys, or how fruitful this instinct would become.  It was also in that same year that they both (mainly Neil) collaborated with a group newly named Electronic, which would be comprised of the lead singer of New Order, Bernard Sumner, and Johnny Marr, the ex-lead guitarist and songwriter for The Smiths. “Getting Away With It” was a huge moment in my circle that year (as well as on the dance floor) for it’s sound combined the coolness of the alternative scene with disco, even though no one ever wants to say that very bad word. 

We all adored it.

The Smiths had disbanded in 1987, leaving Johnny Marr as a journeyman (never being the lead type).  We all loved The Smiths passionately because they were in part “our" band, and spoke to gay culture, and because, yes, Morrissey was a genius. We all hated him for ending it all too soon, because yes, it was all his fault.  His narcissism was not hard to apprehend, in content or image.  Johnny Marr's pairing up with Sumner was something of a miracle because both were surprisingly interested in house music, specifically an emerging genre known as Italo House, which leaned more toward Europe and upbeat electronic piano riffs.  They worked on the single first, along with an early cut called “Lucky Bag” (seek it out it is a jam) in the pure Italo House style, and went on tour to support Depeche Mode that year.  They ultimately spent 18 months finishing the debut album Electronic, which a lot of folks consider to be a minor classic.  Neil appeared on yet another track (“The Patience of a Saint”), and we were all in disco heaven—it was just so cool.

I am now surprised to discover that the secret behind “Getting Away” may the be sly and hateful jabs toward The Moz himself, who famously disdained anyone who ever ate meat, or any style of music he did not personally direct.  He is on record for dismissing electronic music in general as useless, so the jabs at his persona in the lyrics (“I’ve been walking in the rain / just to get wet on purpose”) are penchant, and just what he had coming.  It was only the year before that Morrissey had released a track called “Hairdresser on Fire” (as the B side to the A single “Suedehead”), one of his more famous B sides, which include the lyrics 

“Here is London Home of the brash, outrageous and free You are repressed But you're remarkably dressed Is it real?”

to which (apparently) the boys from Electronic responded in verse

“I've been talking to myself Just to suggest that I'm selfish (Getting ahead) I've been trying to impress That more is less and I'm repressed (I should do what he said)”

Which may be nothing, or may be pointed.  It is on record that Morrissey criticized the song in a 1991 interview, calling it "totally useless" and joking that the song had a "very apt title”.  

It is certain that both Marr and Sumner were looking to explore new freedoms and territories outside of the straight jacket of rock and roll.  It is especially ironic that Morrissey, one of the patron saints of gay identity, would be so narrow and humorless about pop music in general.  Then again, maybe not; I love him, but a kinkier curmudgeon would be hard to locate.  It has been suggested that Neil Tennant continued the lampooning of Morrissey with the B side to the single for “Was it Worth It?” (which flopped), “Miserablism” (which is iconic in their catalog), and paints the picture of a person using inversion as a religion:

“Every performance tends to reach the same conclusion No happy endings but a message to depress Saying life is an impossible scheme That's the point Of this philosophy

Miserablism Is is and isn't isn’t

Miserablism Is is and isn’t isn’t."

Electronic’s last album (of 3 total) was released in 1999.  They have never formally disbanded, but are likely done with the project.  Morrissey is still making records and slagging people off to this day.  There are no plans to reunite any version of The Smiths.

---

The collaborations with icons of gay culture would certainly continue for the Pet Shop Boys.  In 1992 they had their biggest success outside of their band by producing Boy George’s cover of “The Crying Game”, the title track for the movie of the same name.  It was a success worldwide, a Billboard No. 15 in the US (Boy George’s highest ever here as a solo act), as well as a dreamy synth pop gem.  Neil Tennant told NME in 1993, "I think George sings that song really well, he sounds a bit like Roy Orbison” which is rather true, a credit to the production and vocal alike. Charles Aaron from Spin said, “Heard it in a mall, wanted to weep in my Orange Julius.” to which I would say, didn’t we all Charles, didn’t we all.

"The Crying Game" by Boy George, 1992

The song title “Getting Away With It” is suggestive of many things.  As a member of the band The Smiths, Morrissey and the band adopted an anti-look look, very industrial city clothes, even presenting as nondescript.  But Morrissey had a way of inverting this idea, sporting a giant pompadour, thick NHS black glasses, an inoperative plastic hearing aid during performances, and receiving gladiolus flowers on stage from fans.  His was not an undramatic pose, and actually part of the long tradition of the gay man presenting as a fop.  

A fop from "What is this my Son Tom?", 1774

In England alone there was the “macaroni” of the Georgian period, followed by the Beau Brummell of the Regency period, and then the Aesthete, which culminated in the late 19th century with the writers Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde.  For the opening in 1892 of  his play“Lady Windermere’s Fan”, Oscar sported an unnatural green carnation as a publicity stunt (it actually signified nothing).  However nothing can easily become something.  The green carnation went on to become a craze for aesthetes, a tip off for the presence of homosex, and finally aided in Oscar’s undoing when an 1894 novel by the name of The Green Carnation by Robert Hitchens was used as evidence in Wilde’s sodomy trial to send him to Reading Gaol prison for 2 years, even though Oscar personally had nothing whatsoever to do with it’s publication or content.  He went on to comment 

"I invented that magnificent flower, but with the middle-class and mediocre book that usurps its strangely beautiful name I have, I need hardly say, nothing whatsoever to do. The flower is a work of art. The book is not.”

Oscar Wilde died only a few years after his imprisonment in 1900 at the young age of 46.  

His crime: high style.

Oscar Wilde, pictured with a green carnation.

[fuchinobe]

(1990, Irma CasaDiPrimordine, 49 73548)

[coloursteelsexappeal]

Black Box - Ride on Time (1989)

[randomvarious]

Corona - "The Rhythm of the Night" 1993 Eurodance / Eurohouse / House / Italo House / Synthpop / Europop

[swampgallows]

Peggy Gou — I Go (Soulwax Remix) Gudu Records [GUDU007RMX], 2022

[eltrenretro]

1991 Classic Italo House 90s D J H Featuring Stefy – I Like It Ital...

[nineteenfiftysix]

Livin' Joy - Dreamer (Don't Stop Movin', 1996)

[joffartac]

Jerome Stocks - Baby I Need Your Lovin’

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

I know you like it • Tokyo 018 • Time traveling • This moment • Timeless • Take yours • Night drive 2.0 • Simoon • Lins • Bass man

Spotify ♪ Bandcamp ♪ YouTube

[thisisrealy2kok]

Thanks for bringing memories back from a simplier time <3

Always glad to help! ;-*

[fuchinobe]

(1993, Dance Device, DADE 6700 185)

Remix by Peter Vriends

[chaptertwo-thepacnw]

[randomvarious]

Corona - "The Rhythm of the Night" (Live @ Radio Record Dance Festival, Saint Petersburg) 2013 Eurodance / Eurohouse / House / Italo House / Synthpop / Europop

Corona's unbelievably gorgeous frontwoman Olga de Souza was absolutely reveling in this moment here as she was afforded the opportunity to perform her group's beloved early 90s Eurodance classic in front of thousands of people, 20-plus years after it had first been released. So good.

[389]

[pretentious-art-love]

Album Review #55 - L'amour toujours by Gigi D'Agostino

Ah, sadness, the all ever recurring sadness, have you noticed how most dance music is just happy? I mean, naturally, if you are dancing you are happy, you are energetic. But, to be honest, I like dance music that retains that feeling of sadness, not just of sorrow, but also that feeling of wistful thoughts, for some, it could be nostalgia, for others, it could be something they haven't experienced yet, something they are longing for. Okay, actually, despite what I have said just now, there is actually quite a lot of dance music that retains that feeling of sadness, but I don't think there ever was a music genre that properly depicted that sensation of longing in such a romantic way, than Italo Dance.

With the duration of this whole album, it might seem a bit too long, but keep in mind Italo Dance is a singles genre, this album all in all has several remixes of its own songs, alternate versions, and repeats, if anything, I think seeing it as a boxset it is more fitting, a boxset where you can pick the versions you want, make yourself a nice playlist, activate the cross-fade, and enjoy all in all a nice DJ Mix, you can still play it in full, and a lot of the songs might sound similar at times, but if there is something true to the the Italo Dance formula is the ever lasting downcast trance you end up in when you play it. When you play Italo Dance, you are not only listening to it, you are feeling it on every limb, go ahead and try it, slowly move, standing up, sitting down, dancing it is just a fantastic activity, not just when you do it as a coordinated and practiced skill, but as an expression of the soul, I want to move my arms, my shoulders, even if I look silly, even if I am crying and tears are coming from my eyes, I want to move as well and express what I am feeling with my extremities, my head, my skin.

A downbeat, robotic sounding big emotional delivering vocals, a piano carrying the main melody and careful, or sometimes a silly, cute simple synth that sounds more like a sampled horn than anything else, and at the end delicate keyboards that create a flimsy but delicate atmosphere around you. Even songs like The Riddle, as I mentioned in my review of the single, even with its majestic nature, it maintains a feeling of pure optimism, as if you were going into an adventure, and it is beautiful, absolutely beautiful, songs like The Riddle are songs that I want to describe my life with.

Chansons for the Heart doesn't have just a body with energy but also a kind heart and a wishful soul, it is a beautiful filled with brimming passion which I would recommend to anyone with a broken heart to give it a try, if you allow it to, it will make you cry. Oh and there is also a whole bonus disc, but that one is just okay.

8/10 for Chansons of he Heart

5/10 for Beats for the Feet

7/10 for the whole album