Blog Archives
FlinterFile: Little River Band- I’ll Always Call Your Name
The Little River Band released their first album in 1975. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: The Cars- Just What I Needed
From 1976 on, the Cars were playing live shows. However, they didn’t have a hit – yet. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: BLØF- Liefs Uit Londen
In 1998, the band Bløf released their first single. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Dire Straits- Sultans Of Swing
The Dire Straits released their first single in 1978. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Firefall- You Are The Woman
What if your debut single becomes your biggest hit? Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Nicolas Peyrac- So Far Away From L.A.
Nicolas Peyrac released one of his first successes in 1975. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Bonnie Tyler- Lost In France
This was the first hit Bonnie Tyler had. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: The Undertones- Here Comes The Summer
The Undertones, a punk rock band, made their debut in 1979. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Kajagoogoo- Too Shy
With this song Kajagoogoo made a successful debut in 1983. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: The Doobie Brothers- Nobody
The Doobie Brothers made their debute in 1971. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Eddie Money- Baby Hold On
If you would like to know something about career changes, Eddie Money probably can tell you something. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Wendy & Lisa- Waterfall
In 1987, Wendy & Lisa made their debut with this song. They first met each other in the band The Revolution. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Tanita Tikaram- Good Tradition
In 1988, Tanita Tikaram released her debut album. There were two big hits on the album, Twist In My Sobriety and Good Tradition. Tanita was only 18 years old when writing and recording the songs. Its lyrics are about a family, which runs on two extremes: love and hate. Good Tradition was her debut single, but Twist In My Sobriety had the honour of charting first. The song was a number 10 hit in the UK. Enjoy
Tanita Tikaram- Good Tradition
FlinterFile: Anna Of The North- The Dreamer
In 2015, Anna Lotterud (better known as Anna Of The North) made her debut with the single Sway. And as that was in summer, there had to be a winter song, too. She managed to make such a song, fitting December perfectly, and without doing a lot, it got a million Spotify plays in no-time! A perfect song to play this Christmas, and mind you: it’s probably not the last we’ve heard of her! Enjoy
Anna Of The North- The Dreamer
FlinterFile: Sigala- Easy Love
In 2015, the DJ Bruce Fielder released his debut single under the name of Sigala. He wrote the song after drinken some beers on Sunday. He took a part of the song ABC by the Jacksons, put a house beat under it and then played it to Tito Jackson… who absolutely loved it. Of course this is no guarantee for having a hit, but he debuted on number 1 in the UK, higher than the original by the Jacksons, who made it to number 8. Enjoy
Sigala- Easy Love
FlinterFile: The Blue Nile- Tinseltown In The Rain
In 1984, The Blue Nile released their only hit. They were without money and without record compagny to release their music, so they really had a problem. The demo of this song was played on a shoestring! Their engineer then took this song to Linn Hi-Fi, who saw changes to market their new equipment, if the Blue Nile used it. They were given 15 000 pounds to record their debut album. This song, the single of the album, was about their home town Glasgow, where the singer tries to find love between all the asphalt. It was number 87 in the UK, but a bigger hit in the Netherlands: number 28. Enjoy
The Blue Nile- Tinseltown In The Rain
Song of the day: Matt Bianco- Whose Side Are You On?
In 1984, Matt Bianco started their career with the album Whose Side Are You On?. The title track of that album only was a small hit in the Netherlands, as it reached number 23. The text is about a spy, and this is a reference to the name of the band (as that was a spy). Enjoy
Matt Bianco- Whose Side Are You On?
Song of the day: Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show- Sylvia’s Mother
In 1971, Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show made their debut with a real story. The writer of the song, Shel Silverstein, had a real phonecall with the mother of Sylvia, who told him that she was going to marry a Mexican bullfighter. Earlier on, he was writing poems, stories and he also wrote A Boy Named Sue (we will see that song in just a couple of days…). It was a big hit, number 2 in the UK and number 5 in the US. Enjoy
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show- Sylvia’s Mother
Song of the day: Van Halen- Runnin’ With The Devil
In 1978, Van Halen got started with this song. As the very first song you would hear from Van Halen (unless you would start with side 2 from their album), it immediately introduced you to who Van Halen was. With an intro that was invented by Gene Simmons, who also recorded their demo, their career got started. With a guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen, a squeal and little tricks from the studio, they got to number 52 in the UK and 84 in the US. Enjoy
Van Halen- Runnin’ With The Devil
Song of the day: The Shapeshifters- Lola’s Theme
In 2004, the Shapeshifters delivered their debut single. The song started when Simon Marlin listened to the records of his wife. With the idea for the beat, he started working on a song he named after his wife. The lyrics were sung by Cookie, a singer in the London Gospel Choir. When everything was put together, it made a number 1 hit in the UK and the US club chart. Enjoy
The Shapeshifters- Lola’s Theme
Song of the day: Amy MacDonald- Mr Rock & Roll
In 2007, Amy MacDonald made her debute. The first song from the album This Is The Life, Mr. Rock & Roll, was the first full single from the album. The song is about being yourself, in the song presented by two people who fit together, but as a result of not being themselves, they pass each other. In the UK, the song made it to number 12.
Amy MacDonald- Mr Rock & Roll
Song of the day: KT Tunstall- Suddenly I See
In 2005, KT Tunstall released her debut album. She was inspired by the poet and singer Patti Smith, and since the album cover of the album Horses did something to KT Tunstall, she also took inspiration from that for her album cover. The cover of Horses gave Tunstall the idea what she wanted to do with her life. This song did well in the charts, as it did number 12 in the UK and number 21 in the US. Enjoy
KT Tunstall- Suddenly I See
Song of the day: Maroon 5- This Love
In 2004, Maroon 5 made their debut to the pop music scene. With their first album, they immediately established their fame. The second single, This Love, was written by the singer, Adam Levine, when his girlfriend went away after they broke up. He was excited about making the record at one side, and sad about his girlfriend leaving on the other side. The situation made a good song: number 3 in the UK and number 5 in the US, making this song the first big international hit. Enjoy
Maroon 5- This Love
Song of the day: Anastacia- Not That Kind
In 2000, Anastacia released her first album. From that album, the second single was Not That Kind. The song actually is somewhat older, from 1998. It was then performed to get Anastacia a contract on a label. She succeeded and polished the song some more for the album. It did well: number 11 in the UK and number 9 in the US Hot Dance Club Chart. Enjoy
Anastacia- Not That Kind
Song of the day: Lene Marlin- Sitting Down Here
In 1999, the Norwegian singer Lene Marlin managed to score a hit in different countries. It was the second hit from her debut album. Most of her later work did only reach the hit charts in Norway. This song managed it to place 5 in the UK and the Netherlands. Enjoy
Lene Marlin- Sitting Down Here
Song of the day: A-Ha- The Sun Always Shines On TV
In 1985, A-Ha had established their career with their debut album, of which Take On Me was the second single and a big hit. They released The Sun Always Shines On TV as the follow-up, but the recording did not go smoothly. Though the secretary thought it was a big hit, they were sick when recording it, having two members lying on beds in the studio. In the UK it became number 1, in the US number 20. Enjoy
Song of the day: Wet Wet Wet- Wishing I Was Lucky
In 1987, Wet Wet Wet made their debut. Their first single was Wishing I Was Lucky, which was recorded on a thight budget: it only cost them 600 pound! The drummer, Tommy Cunningham, heard the single on the radio when he was in a shop. Surprised he felt like shouting that it was his song. Eventually, it became a number 6 hit in the UK. In the US, it made it to number 58. Enjoy
Wet Wet Wet- Wishing I Was Lucky
Song of the day: Fischer-Z- The Worker
In 1979, Fischer-Z released its debut album Word Salad. The first hit of the band was a clear demonstration that John Watts, one of the persons that formed the band, knew how to address political issues in pop songs. Watts himself stated that the focus on the keyboard rather than the guitar did the work. Anyway, the song became a hit, with number 53 in the UK and even number 20 in the Netherlands. Enjoy
Fischer-Z- The Worker
Song of the day: The Zombies- She’s Not There
In 1964, the Zombies reached number 12 in the UK with their debut single She’s Not There. Rob Argent, the writer of the song, started with the title of a John Lee Hooker song, namely No One Told Me. This became the first line of his song. On a performance, he played the first verse, and Ken Jones encouraged him to write the rest of the song. The song’s distinctive feature became the harmonies with an electric piano. Enjoy
The Zombies- She’s Not There
Song of the day: Nina Simone- My Baby Just Cares For Me
This song was a jazz standard for the movie of the musical Whopee! from 1930. Eddie Cantor sang this version. In 1958, Nina Simone recorded another version, which was featured on her debut album. In 1958, the song stuck to number 82 in the UK. This changed in 1987, when Chanel No. 5 used the song in a commercial. The song would be number 5 in the UK and even number 1 in the Netherlands! Enjoy
Nina Simone- My Baby Just Cares For Me
Song of the day: Joe Jackson- Is She Really Going Out With Him
This song was Joe Jackson’s first single ever! He released it in 1978 as the first single of the album Look Sharp! The song would hit the charts in 1979, when the album was released. Joe Jackson said he first heard the title, and then started thinking about the content with the pretty girls who meet monsters. Later live versions would also be hits, and often you hear the live version on the radio rather than the studio version. Enjoy
Joe Jackson- Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Song of the day: Madness- One Step Beyond
In 1964, Prince Buster (a Jamaican ska singer) recorded One Step Beyond as a B-side to a single. This B-side was totally forgotten, until 1979. That was the year Madness released their debut album One Step Beyond, with as single One Step Beyond. The intro of the song was stolen from another Prince Buster song, and Chas Smash (one of the Madness members) recorded the rest. This single was a number 7 hit in the UK and number 76 in the US club chart, and now it’s song of the day! Enjoy
Madness- One Step Beyond
Song of the day: The Shirts- Tell Me Your Plans
Your year starts with some seventies! The Shirts were an American punk band, which got its name by one of the formers not caring about a name. He said: call it anything, shirts, pants, shoes, The Shirts! After a few years in which they got little to no attention by labels, they got to Harvest, who assigned them Mike Thorne, a former Sex Pistol, as producer. Their debut album became popular in Europe, and it featured this song as single. It even got to the top 5 in the Netherlands! They toured in the opening of Peter Gabriel, but they were never a big hit band. Enjoy
The Shirts- Tell Me Your Plans
Song of the day: Pitbull- Fireball
This summer, Pitbull invited John Ryan to sing on one of his records, so they could enter the charts together. Well… they succeeded. The song went to number 23 in the US, number 49 in the UK and even to number 1 in the Netherlands. In the US, it has sold around 750 000 copies now! For John Ryan, this was his debut (though he has already written some songs). Enjoy and dance to
Pitbull & John Ryan- Fireball
Song of the day: Baltimora- Tarzan Boy
In 1985, an Italian act had a hit with its debut single. It would be their only hit, but then it was a very big hit: it was 1 in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, reached 3 in the UK and made it to 13 in the US. It uses the cry of Tarzan in the refrain, which makes it recognizable for Tarzan fans. I like the song very much, enjoy
Baltimora- Tarzan Boy
Song of the day: Alphaville- Big In Japan
This is one of the covers which I think is a bit mysterious. If I see it, it captures my eye and I have to watch out that I don’t watch it for too long.
One of the questions which I have is who the man on the front is.
But okay, let’s move to the music. It is a very good album, has some big hits on it, like Forever Young, and it was the debut album of Alphaville.
The song which I think is very nice as song of the day is Big In Japan.
Enjoy listening to it, and listen to the other tracks of the album, too! Tip!!!
The FlinterFiles 