The Passions: "Skin Deep"

9 July 1981

"A near-instrumental with wiry guitar and hustling beat taking first place over choirs and bursting balloons...Barbara Gogan ...contribute[s] some spirited but largely indecipherable wailing"

— Red Starr

Our first proper dip into the Smash Hits Singles of the Fortnight and we've already happened upon a flop. The Passions were coming off their first — and, as it would turn out, only — Top 40 hit with "I'm in Love with a German Film Star", a reasonably good tune which descends into novelty too much for me to take it seriously. But they took a bold step with its follow up. Dispensing with that whole song thing, they manage to carve out a groove with layers of robotics, funk guitar, synthesized choirs and, yes, Gogan's wailing (I can't hear the bursting balloons myself but there's lots going on in there) building upon each other. It doesn't seem especially remarkable at first but as it all frantically comes together the effect is startling and begs for repeat listens. 

It would be easy and understandable to look on askance at such a good record being denied even a nominal chart entry but I just don't see it. If anything it strikes me as the sort of little-known album cut that fans trot out to self-righteously belittle casual listeners. And they'd be right to do so. It may not have made an impact at the time but hopefully their fanbase appreciated it for the killer live showstopper that it almost certainly had to have been. And they had a SOTF as a feather in their caps — assuming anyone bothered to tell them. (Quite what effect, if any, that this modest achievement had on peeking the interest of readers is something I hope to go into at some point in the future)

To be fair, though, the competition isn't exactly stellar. Beyond this and the little number I've praised below, the only other single that has made of an impression is the lightweight but charming and catchy "When You Were Mine" by Bette "Mrs. Suggs" Bright (which Red Starr didn't think much of). Elsewhere we have some familiar acts doing pretty substandard work. U2's "Fire" is not even particularly notable for this single-word-album-title/Christian-lite rock period prior to their ascendancy, Kate Bush reminds us that she could be just as capable of irritating listeners as captivating them and did you know that Spandau Ballet is an anagram for Paul's Bland Tea? Just saying.

~~~~~

Also Reviewed This Fortnight

Icehouse: "We Can Get Together"

We're a half-dozen years ahead of the pink-florescent-leotard-soft-rock-slickness of "Electric Blue" — not to mention one positively epic permed mullet in the accompanying video — but this is equally drenched in the eighties, albeit in far less grievous fashion. Some new wavy guitar, a synth and some big drums provide the backbone to a simple yet spirited piece with a promo featuring some state-of-the-art early eighties graphics. Dated but in a good way — and that goes as much for song as video. So worthy of praise that it could have easily been a co-SOTF alongside The Passions. Perhaps "Red Starr" felt that they had brighter days still to come and didn't need to be propped up. "File under Highly Promising," his nibs concludes but I'm quite sure they never bettered this little gem. Their hairstyles, on the other hand, still needed some work.