Romantics Revisited

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Haven't posted in ages, but I thought it would be fitting to express my respect for Mick Karn. You will be missed.   :(...

Well... whenever anyone recalls "The New Romantics", Blitz Kids, or 80-ies in London... we definitely connect those memories with the names of Boy George, Steve Strange... and Marilyn! =)
So... few days ago we've created a community, dedicated to Peter Robinson aka Marilyn, one of the sexiest pop-stars of 80-ies.

We are welcoming all of you here: ru_themrmarilyn the community is frequently updated... .))

hear more on last.fm  http://www.last.fm/music/The+Thoug…

Anyone with even a passing interest in synthesizers and early 80's pop will probably find the documentary Synth Britannia interesting. It's airing on BBC4 on Friday at 9, I understand. I for one shall be glued to the idiot's lantern. Here are a couple of articles about it: one fairly in-depth one from the Guardian here and another shorter, but entertaining one where Martyn Ware and Andy McCluskey get a bit *MIEAOW!* from the Telegraph here.

Just thought I'd share this obscure delight from Peter Godwin with you. It was posted on F**eb**k today but I thought it should be delivered to this classy spot. I'd never seen it before so imagine it may be new to some of you.

At the tail-end of the '00s, it always makes me happy to discover cracking songs from the 80's that I hadn't heard before. The synths are gorgeous, the tune is epic and the lyrics of a man's forlorn love for a model from an advert have that rarefied mixture of preposterousness and exquisite, fringe-flicking melancholy that characterises the best tunes of the era.

Godwin actually produced and wrote for Ronny and I find it interesting that the lady in the video does look rather like her, facially. (The synths also remind me a bit of the synths on To Have And Have Not.) I love the bit where she bats the remote from his hand like an irritable cat.

I am aware that MySpace has recently fallen from favour among many users, but have still gone ahead and made a MySpace page about Ronnyanyway. I felt she should have one as there wasn't anything much about her on there, or anywhere on the net in fact. There's a few nice pictures on there anyway, and a couple of tunes. I hope to scan some of my stuff from books and magazines and put that on there when I finally locate my scanner (I moved house recently). I've got a great book with a questionnaire filled in in her own handwriting (quite unusual, all uppercase and left-slanting!) that I hope to put there.

There's also a couple of videos from YouTube including a great one that nuromantik directed me to. I hope the people that put them there won't mind me sharing them - if you are reading and you do mind, please let me know.

I secretly look forward to a polite but severe email from Ronny ordering me to take it all down :D

I have just seen that a YouTube user called R4949 has kindly put a wonderful video of Ronny performing her synth-swirling masterpiece of gender confusion, Blue Cabaret.

Her voice sounds as good live as it does on record, and her performance is distilled essence of Romo. She eschews the try-hard sexuality of so many female performers, and captivates utterly with fabulously arch facial expressions, fringe-flicking and immense poise and charisma. The uniform and rouge-wearing Romo boys "manning" the synths and drums are a nice touch too.

with revised track listing:

Side One

It's No Game (No. 1)
Fashion
Teenage Wildlife
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Ashes to Ashes

Side Two

Up the Hill Backwards
Kingdom Come
Because You're Young
Scream Like a Baby
It's No Game (No. 2)