Czech singer Marie Rottrová performs Hodina H (Zero Hour) – her 1981 cover version of Stayin’ Alive.

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This exuberant disco-funk anthem completely passed me by at the time. I was listening to very different music when it came out in 1981.

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There are deep cuts and then there are deeper cuts. This UK reggae gem by Sharon Little falls into the latter category.

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Rarely has a band changed direction quite so radically, frequently and successfully as The Thompson Twins.

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This is the first song I heard by Blancmange when it was included on the Some Bizarre Album compilation in 1981.

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Sixties soul veteran Gary U.S. Bonds had a second career in the early ’80s after Bruce Springsteen wrote and produced two albums for him.

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Whatever we expected from Pete Shelley’s solo debut in 1981, after a string of superlative singles by Buzzcocks, a queer synthpop anthem came as a surprise.

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DAF’s minimalist electro and ironic lyrics are a far cry from the sweet synthpop coming out of the UK, and didn’t get past the radio censors in 1981.

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I love dipping back in to old compilation albums and discovering early efforts by two or three bands who went on to become big names. Stevo’s first compilation, Some Bizzare Album, uncovered this one.

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