1979

Marianne Faithfull made a comeback, a generation after she came to fame in the Sixties, with the powerful Broken English. (more…)

It’s funny to recall how much I hated disco at the time because this is another of those songs that just puts a smile on your face the minute you hear it.

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RIP Julz Sale (Delta 5)

23rd October 2021 · 1970s, 1979, Music, Punk
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RIP Julz Sale, the singer in proto-feminist post-punk band Delta 5 – a vital part of the soundtrack of my youth.

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An important figure in the history of reggae, Lincoln Barrington Minott is credited with being the instigator of the Dancehall style that took over from roots reggae in the early Eighties. 

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A bit of a classic from 1979, as featured in the film Rockers, this is effectively a double-bill of vintage rocksteady duo The Maytones and the great toaster I-Roy.

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Madness were the only all-white band in the Two-Tone family and put the fun factor into the updated ska sound. This was their first top ten hit. (more…)

Black Uhuru could have been the successors to Bob Marley & the Wailers as the kings of reggae. Their early work, with Sly & Robbie at the controls, remains flawless. (more…)

Early hit by Barrington Levy, recorded when he was only 15 and released in 1979, five years before his huge crossover hit Here I Come changed the face of reggae. (more…)

Reggae and Punk were natural partners, linked by their outsider credentials, exemplified by Coventry band The Specials and the Two-Tone explosion of 1979. (more…)

The Bodysnatchers were an all-female seven-piece ska revival band from London and The Boiler was the chilling centrepiece of their live performances. (more…)