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Not bad at all. Needs another multi-track (If they are still a thing) added to fill the sound more; the melody is shallow.
If the song had been released 40-odd years this would have been a B-side on a 12-inch or a deep album track. Credit to Heaven 17, they have never stopped touring. I was surprised to know that Red Box still go on the road every once in a while.
Neil Arthur is now Blancmange and still tours. Stephen Luscombe had to retire about 15 years ago due to health.
Very good indeed, great production, sounded great through headphones and within seconds I knew I was going to like it. I'd have known it was Heaven 17 and Glenn Gregory's vocal even if I hadn't been told who it was. Infact I would have assumed this was an old 80's track of theirs almost, it was so close to their classic sound of that time.
Just a shame it won't be a hit. None of these artists seem to be able to break into the official singles chart anymore with their new material. Heaven 17 haven't charted since 1993. I'm sure it will pop up on the Heritage Chart however.
The Heritage Chart is crucial, but it appears to be neglected by mainstream media channels. We need a TOTP revamp, IMHO. The axing of TOTP killed music, along with MTV dumping music for garbage programming. When people had SKY or cable TV, sports and music channels were what were on the most at their houses.
HMV need to bring back listening booths, scan a barcode on the listening station, and play the album over a pair of headphones.
I am still hearing the oldies in HMV.
Heaven 17's new album will be released without the masses knowing, apart from true fans. I don't think albums are advertised during ad breaks on TV like they were in the 90s and early 2000s, same with tours. Not forgetting decent music magazines are just shy of £10.
HMV didn't even stock Flock of Seagulls' last 2 albums, not even on their website, so will it be the same for Heaven 17?
With what does HMV make most of its money nowadays? They don't even try to properly promote any new music very well. I think the couple of HMV's I've recently been in of theirs look rather sad and dishevelled, and empty, in Milton Keynes and Northampton.
You think the axing of TOTP in 2006 killed music GM? I'm not so sure about that. I hope JK drops in on this chat here because of what you've said, because when TOTP ended in July 2006 I actually thought the music scene and quality over the next three years from 2006 to 2009 was remarkably vibrant and actually improved at the point the show ended with variety and interesting new groups that I liked, even the charts returned to moving about better like they traditionally had done. This coincided with the download era replacing CDs much more. I found myself watching the full played out Top 40 countdown on one of the pop channels on Freeview at the time on Monday evenings, newly enthused again at nearly 40, as if I was 16 again, yet had not watched TOTP since the late 90's. By 2010 my interest was waning again. I was not alone in thinking like this, on another forum I saw someone else say exactly the same thing and that they thought we had a little golden period of pop again in the UK around 2007 -2008. So JK, if you are reading this, what do you think to GM and my points here, you're qualified to tell us and I'd love to hear your take on that.
With what does HMV make most of its money nowadays? They don't even try to properly promote any new music very well. I think the couple of HMV's I've recently been in of theirs look rather sad and dishevelled, and empty, in Milton Keynes and Northampton.
You think the axing of TOTP in 2006 killed music GM? I'm not so sure about that. I hope JK drops in on this chat here because of what you've said, because when TOTP ended in July 2006 I actually thought the music scene and quality over the next three years from 2006 to 2009 was remarkably vibrant and actually improved at the point the show ended with variety and interesting new groups that I liked, even the charts returned to moving about better like they traditionally had done. This coincided with the download era replacing CDs much more. I found myself watching the full played out Top 40 countdown on one of the pop channels on Freeview at the time on Monday evenings, newly enthused again at nearly 40, as if I was 16 again, yet had not watched TOTP since the late 90's. By 2010 my interest was waning again. I was not alone in thinking like this, on another forum I saw someone else say exactly the same thing and that they thought we had a little golden period of pop again in the UK around 2007 -2008. So JK, if you are reading this, what do you think to GM and my points here, you're qualified to tell us and I'd love to hear your take on that.
With what does HMV make most of its money nowadays? They don't even try to properly promote any new music very well. I think the couple of HMV's I've recently been in of theirs look rather sad and dishevelled, and empty, in Milton Keynes and Northampton.
HMV probably makes money from overpriced vinyl, merchandise and their expansive yet expensive K-Pop section.
Rich wrote: With what does HMV make most of its money nowadays? They don't even try to properly promote any new music very well. I think the couple of HMV's I've recently been in of theirs look rather sad and dishevelled, and empty, in Milton Keynes and Northampton.
You think the axing of TOTP in 2006 killed music GM? I'm not so sure about that. I hope JK drops in on this chat here because of what you've said, because when TOTP ended in July 2006 I actually thought the music scene and quality over the next three years from 2006 to 2009 was remarkably vibrant and actually improved at the point the show ended with variety and interesting new groups that I liked, even the charts returned to moving about better like they traditionally had done. This coincided with the download era replacing CDs much more. I found myself watching the full played out Top 40 countdown on one of the pop channels on Freeview at the time on Monday evenings, newly enthused again at nearly 40, as if I was 16 again, yet had not watched TOTP since the late 90's. By 2010 my interest was waning again. I was not alone in thinking like this, on another forum I saw someone else say exactly the same thing and that they thought we had a little golden period of pop again in the UK around 2007 -2008. So JK, if you are reading this, what do you think to GM and my points here, you're qualified to tell us and I'd love to hear your take on that.
Without going into too much detail about the mid-2000s. I do remember the skate punk/alt rock from America was still going strong, but it has waned a bit now. Blink 182, Bowling for Soup, Sum 41, All-American Rejects, The Offspring are no longer young guys now.
At a record fair last year, a stall holder was talking to a guy who was wearing a Blink 182, shirt. The fan told him that they need to retire or pretend to stop doing the comedic stuff like they did when Dude Ranch exploded. Marilyn Manson is now an old geezer but still tries to be edgy. When I saw him live, it was embarrassing at times. The Antichrist era he can still do well.
The problem also is a lack of venues these days for me, Southampton is awesome for gigs, but many of the surrounding towns have venues, but it's mostly tributes who book them.
Green Man wrote: Not bad at all. Needs another multi-track (If they are still a thing) added to fill the sound more; the melody is shallow.
If the song had been released 40-odd years this would have been a B-side on a 12-inch or a deep album track. Credit to Heaven 17, they have never stopped touring. I was surprised to know that Red Box still go on the road every once in a while.
Neil Arthur is now Blancmange and still tours. Stephen Luscombe had to retire about 15 years ago due to health.
Very memorable video.
I agree the melody is weak, there is no hook to it. It sounds like a filler track on an album. I have to say that I don't have much interest in new music from old 80s bands. They are rarely any good. On these nostalgia concerts the crowd sighs when the artists say they are going to do a new track, or go the bar for a drink.
Heaven 17 didn't actually do their first tour until the 90s, due to the complexity of their sound, which couldn't be re-created live until the 90s (like the pet shop boys).
They do still tour a lot, particularly on the nostalgia circuit, although I've never actually seen them. Its only Glenn and Martyn now. Ian Craig-Marsh went off the grid and no longer contacts the other two members.
I have seen some oldies on the nostalgia circuit, but when they play new songs, I have not heard the audience sigh or leave.
I did have a budget live album by Heaven 17 I think it was released on the Prism label, which released well-circulated bootlegs as official releases. It was a very messy concert to be honest, Robbie, then again, it could have been one of their first gigs from the 1990s; sources seem to be unknown on those types of CDs.
Prism CDs were always found in bargain bins, petrol stations, card shops, outlets, market stalls, and sometimes Virgin Megastores.
Done some research on the Prism CD, which they released the first live gig Heaven 17 did. Heaven 17 released the album on their own label to be sold at shows. No wonder it was a very messy live recording. We all start from somewhere. Other dodgy record labels I remember well are Delta, Tring and Fat Boy.
Fat Boy and Tring swamped the media departments in Peacocks and Co-Op. I still have their Double Play series of Johnny Paycheck, the sound quality is beyond shit.
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