“Greetings pop pickers.” So, with September already upon us and the weather having instantly gone to hell in a hand cart (there is a biblical downpour as I write) It occurred that a few radiation vibes might come in useful and that perhaps a ballroom blitz of power pop might cheer us all up. It is of course the opening September Gurls that set the wheels in motion, but then what happened is number of competing musical ideas, not to mention songs, tumbled forth. The result is a willfully wayward take on a genre that sits on the fringes of the mainstream, sometimes offering the big hits, yet somehow never of the cool school, occasionally nerdy, occasionally needy, yet packed with soaring melodies and guitar hooks a-go-go. Buckle up, as some probably equally willfully wayward explanation is needed.
What exactly is power pop? Some people have spent plenty of effort and words trying to codify and define it. The term was first coined by Pete Towshend of the who in the late mid 60s to explain his own music and in so doing, he referenced the Small Faces (whilst suggesting they had already moved on) and The Kinks. But arguably the genre, as it has become known, gained true momentum in the USA, in direct response to the British invasion. We covered aspects of that a couple of months ago with The Beatles revolutionising the US pop scene and Dylan setting a more cerebral revolution off in the fab four’s heads.
Such was The Beatles domination of the airwaves and the singles charts, holding the top five spots at one point, that a homegrown response was inevitable. America duly obliged, collectively picking up guitars, plugging in and amping up. As the US geography lent itself to detached houses with garages attached, these became the rehearsal room for hundreds or even thousands of bands and it probably wasn’t just Joe’s mum screaming “turn it down.”
Some of these bands would become reasonably successful, although quite a lot remained local legends. The whole scene was diligently and perceptively documented by Lenny Kaye and released as a double album in 72, titled Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968. It’s worth an aside or two to say that this first crossed my path in 1980, by which time a whole new wave of equally upstart bands was in full flow. Around this time a load of spin offs from the concept emerged and ultimately Rhino Records picked up the licensing challenges involved and not one, but two richly expanded CD box sets appeared under the Nuggets title.
By Lenny’s own admission getting the project over the line was hard work and, in the end, he just threw his own favourites into a hat, regardless of strict criteria, which seems a sage strategy to me. There’s a real mix of inspirations from blues, rhythm and blues, psychedelia and the afore mentioned British sound. Of the latter, The Nazz were an early vehicle for Todd Rundgren and The Knickerbockers deliver what sounds like an outtake from 64 / 65 Beatles. The Chocolate Watch Band are included More on an evolutionary basis, rather than a strict genre fit. Afterall, talking about girls is a common enough theme throughout.
Blondie, of course, were lumped in with the punk scene, mostly because of the CBGBs and New York origins. The Nerves Hanging On The Telephone is pretty much a power pop genre defining record from a band formed in 74 in LA and including three of the key players, Jack Lee, peter Case and Paul Collins. The single was also released on Bomp Records so if you want to delve into this more, that’s a good starter. Blondie’s version is included here for a little feminine balance in a style dominated by winsome young men.
Through the early and mid-70s there were a number of acts that favoured a simple melodic song approach over the rifftastic rock and complexities of prog. Badfinger were signed to The Beatles Apple Records and benefitted from direct input. Their debut hit Come and Get it was written and produced by Paul McCartney and Day After Day was produced by George Harrison. Todd Rundgren also managed some blissful pop mixed into a prodigious and occasionally confounding output, and Couldn’t I Just Tell You is one such delight.
Through the glam years there are numerous singles that could be squeezed in and some playlists out there even include the dreaded Bay City Rollers. No thank you! It was the later 70s and the mod revival and new wave, however, that really saw power pop take over the world, by nature if not by name. The Jam may have been angsty, but knew how to write a good tune and Chrissy Hynde may well have exposed her hind quarters in a famous photo of McClaren’s punk protegees, but produced hit after hit with The Pretenders. Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds seemed to be at the heart of everything and you can add Elvis Costello, Squeeze and on and on.
The mod revival significantly returned the 60s to the spotlight and history repeated itself as psychedelia reared its head again. Kimberley Rew first came to people’s attention in The Soft Boys, featuring the bonkers brilliance of Robyn Hitchcok. Rew was no slouch himself, however, penning Going Down to Liverpool, covered by The Bangles. It was the follow up, Walking On Sunshine, written when he was in Katrina and the Waves that became a massive hit, to the point that it is amongst the crown jewels of EMI publishing catalogue, topping the income from advertising. Katrina and the Waves even won the Eurovision song contest. A rare UK triumph.
The Bangles were a pillar of a college rock scene in the USA, which morphed into the Paisly Underground, but as genres overlap it’s best not get too tied up with definitions. There are a few personal highlights from 80’s American guitar bands, whose arpeggiated guitar sounds filled my musical world and occupied my turntable obsessively, but to keep this playlist manageable so much is excluded and probably needs a volume II. Alternatively, you can find yourself a copy of the Children of Nuggets box set and lose yourself for years. R.E.M. provide a suitable genre hopping finale to the playlist if not the story, as Fountains of Wayne, Jellyfish and The Lemon Twigs are amongst a host of acts keeping power pop’s flag flying. “Not ‘arf.”
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