— Neil Tennant
In their follow-up to the landmark single "Blue Monday", New Order flew to New York to record "Confusion" with famed producers Arthur Baker and John Robie. They had no sooner completed the session and Baker was off, a presumably still warm reel-to-reel of his latest recording under his arm. He hopped in a cab which made its way through Manhattan just as a young woman (who we'll call Wendy) got off her job slinging pizza and rushed home to change for a night out (without even acknowledging her very sullen looking parents and younger sister, sitting round a chess set at the dining room table). The members of New Order, meanwhile, have been busy packing up their instruments and joking around with their manager but they would soon be on their way too. They're headed to The Fun House, as are Baker and Wendy. The producer arrives and hands over his latest recording to DJ John "Jellybean" Benitez. Wendy hits the dancefloor and is immediately the star of the show as she gets her groove on with some shirtless mustachioed guys. The band pose for some photos and then look on as Wendy and everyone else at the club gets down to their newest single.
The above is a description of the video for "Confusion", a perhaps mythologized account of the song's transition from recording to dance sensation. Quite how it was actually cut and distributed to the clubs is beside the point but two things are significant. First, Baker's priority was getting his latest work to The Fun House, having it pressed and in the shops could wait. Second, the band, in taking in the dancefloor rave up from the DJ booth, becomes the song's audience and Wendy becomes the performer. In short, the charts don't matter so much and who cares about the artist so long as the kids are dancing.
"I'm So Hot for You" comes from this world of the New York dance clubs. This week's entry is a bit of a continuation of what I wrote back in October, which just so happened to be the last NY dance record to cop a SOTF, as well as Neil Tennant's most recent previous turn in the reviewer's chair. Having made the point that American dance pop had been marginalized at home while embraced by the British (and, indeed, the rest of Europe), I have to wonder if that's simply how they wanted it to be. Producers and DJs led a cozy existence, with some even doubling in both roles. Bobby "O" Orlando was more into playing music and studio wizardry than spinning but he nevertheless understood what would go down in the clubs even if he had no idea and/or no interest in what might work for radio. Disco having long been considered passe, mainstream American radio had little time for this type of thing but it had a sufficient enough following in New York to keep the clubs packed.
Still, it didn't exactly catch on in Britain either, in spite of the best efforts of Tennant and the deejay over the road. Seeing as how there are so many flop records that were anointed SOTF, I've wondered just what was missing that failed to get them on the charts (aside from, of course, the reviewer having absolutely lousy taste). While some lack that commercial spark, a modern sound and/or big time record company money, "I'm So Hot for You" suffers from the kind of anonymity that comes with being the product of the New York dance scene. The vocalist — who may or may not be Bobby O himself — is workmanlike but that probably helps not to distract from the production and the superb percussion. Nicking, as Tennant notes, the distinctive synth from The Human League's "Don't You Want Me" gives it a familiarity which may have worked in the clubs ("I think I've heard this one before") but could seem like shoddy pilfering when sitting down to give it a listen.
Bobby O's finely-tuned Hi-NRG sound was becoming a major influence on Tennant, who continued to press on with his musical ambitions when not penning record reviews and taking the mickey out of hard rock bands at his day job at ver Hits. All he had to do now was get himself over to New York and try to track him down. Good thing he had his position at a top pop mag in order to do so.
~~~~~
Also Reviewed This Fortnight
The Human League: "Mirror Man"
While Bobby O was busy pinching synth bits from Sheffield's finest, ver League were, in turn, mining Motown for the follow-up to their world-wide smash "Don't You Want Me", a sign that they were trying to move on just as others were embracing them. Consequently it lacks the sonic futurism of their terrific crop of '81 singles and is the first indication that they would never reach those heights again. Leader Phil Oakey would eventually admit that it was inspired by Adam Ant but you have to wonder if he had his own success in mind when he penned these lyrics about losing touch with fans. (He evidently took heed as he remains by all accounts an absolutely smashing bloke) "Relax, everyone," Tennant writes. "The new League single's alright." Good man, Neil: reassure ver kids that Phil, Joanne, Susann and the other three are still doing decent work while keeping expectations in check. Not half-bad but no "Love Action" either.
The above is a description of the video for "Confusion", a perhaps mythologized account of the song's transition from recording to dance sensation. Quite how it was actually cut and distributed to the clubs is beside the point but two things are significant. First, Baker's priority was getting his latest work to The Fun House, having it pressed and in the shops could wait. Second, the band, in taking in the dancefloor rave up from the DJ booth, becomes the song's audience and Wendy becomes the performer. In short, the charts don't matter so much and who cares about the artist so long as the kids are dancing.
"I'm So Hot for You" comes from this world of the New York dance clubs. This week's entry is a bit of a continuation of what I wrote back in October, which just so happened to be the last NY dance record to cop a SOTF, as well as Neil Tennant's most recent previous turn in the reviewer's chair. Having made the point that American dance pop had been marginalized at home while embraced by the British (and, indeed, the rest of Europe), I have to wonder if that's simply how they wanted it to be. Producers and DJs led a cozy existence, with some even doubling in both roles. Bobby "O" Orlando was more into playing music and studio wizardry than spinning but he nevertheless understood what would go down in the clubs even if he had no idea and/or no interest in what might work for radio. Disco having long been considered passe, mainstream American radio had little time for this type of thing but it had a sufficient enough following in New York to keep the clubs packed.
Still, it didn't exactly catch on in Britain either, in spite of the best efforts of Tennant and the deejay over the road. Seeing as how there are so many flop records that were anointed SOTF, I've wondered just what was missing that failed to get them on the charts (aside from, of course, the reviewer having absolutely lousy taste). While some lack that commercial spark, a modern sound and/or big time record company money, "I'm So Hot for You" suffers from the kind of anonymity that comes with being the product of the New York dance scene. The vocalist — who may or may not be Bobby O himself — is workmanlike but that probably helps not to distract from the production and the superb percussion. Nicking, as Tennant notes, the distinctive synth from The Human League's "Don't You Want Me" gives it a familiarity which may have worked in the clubs ("I think I've heard this one before") but could seem like shoddy pilfering when sitting down to give it a listen.
Bobby O's finely-tuned Hi-NRG sound was becoming a major influence on Tennant, who continued to press on with his musical ambitions when not penning record reviews and taking the mickey out of hard rock bands at his day job at ver Hits. All he had to do now was get himself over to New York and try to track him down. Good thing he had his position at a top pop mag in order to do so.
~~~~~
Also Reviewed This Fortnight
The Human League: "Mirror Man"
While Bobby O was busy pinching synth bits from Sheffield's finest, ver League were, in turn, mining Motown for the follow-up to their world-wide smash "Don't You Want Me", a sign that they were trying to move on just as others were embracing them. Consequently it lacks the sonic futurism of their terrific crop of '81 singles and is the first indication that they would never reach those heights again. Leader Phil Oakey would eventually admit that it was inspired by Adam Ant but you have to wonder if he had his own success in mind when he penned these lyrics about losing touch with fans. (He evidently took heed as he remains by all accounts an absolutely smashing bloke) "Relax, everyone," Tennant writes. "The new League single's alright." Good man, Neil: reassure ver kids that Phil, Joanne, Susann and the other three are still doing decent work while keeping expectations in check. Not half-bad but no "Love Action" either.
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