27th August 1983, cost 40p
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Record Mirror 27th August 1983, cost 40p |
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| Page 1 · Page 8 · Page 10 · Page 17 · Pages 28 & 29 · Pages 40 & 41 · Page 49 · Page 50 |
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Front Cover Features Big Country (main photo); Bruce Foxton - chic and cheerful (inset photo) Other features - New Edition, A Flock Of Seagulls, The Glove, Cabaret Voltaire; Star Songs: Kim Wilde. Big Country pic by Kerstin Rodgers, Bruce Foxton pic by Eugene Adebari. |
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Page 8 RELEASES GENE LOVES Jezebel, who made the independant charts with their last single 'Screaming', release the follow-up on August 26. It's called 'Bruises' and is available in both 7 and 12-inch versions. Gene Loves Jezebel - Bruises (7"), uploaded by In Depth Music. TV AND RADIO FRIDAY, features the last 'Pop Carnival' (BBC2) and the JoBoxers see the brief series off with a bang. As for the regulars - 'Unforgettable' (C4) features the Four Pennies and Ronnie Carroll while the jam-packed 'Switch' (C4) has the telly debut of Special AKA plus the Stray Cats and The The while on video you get New Order, The Jam and the B52s. |
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Page 10 Singles PEDRO Big Country 'Chance' (Phonogram) This group's success reflects, to my mind, the worsening standard of current music. In comparison to the band leader's previous group the Skids, they're not a patch, though with this record the Celtic guitar heroes have moved away from that now characteristic Fender bagpipe beat. Instead, the tempo's slower and the song reminds me of Springsteen's 'The River'. I suppose I should praise the fact that they've released what for them is a daring single, but I'm afraid I still can't work up any enthusiasm. Big Country - Chance, uploaded by adamcharney. |
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Page 17 Gig Advert Big Country at the Hammersmith Odeon, Thursday 29th September 7.30pm Support from One The Juggler Tickets 4.50, 4.00 from Box Office & usual agents BIG COUNTRY - 'In A Big Country', Hammersmith Odeon 1983, uploaded by BC1000stars. Click to see the Programme from the Crossing The Fall Tour. |
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Pages 28 & 29 Go Wild In The Country I'M LYING in this field, see. And somewhere in the distance four figures are perched precariously on top of a great lump of dirt. They begin to mime for what seems like the thousandth time and camera follow their every move. "They" are Big Country and they've come to wonderful Alton Towers - the Disneyland of the Midlands - to film their new single for Granada's 'fun' music programme 'Hold Tight'. Only, instead of shooting the chaps in the fun fair where most of the programme is usually done, some bright spark thought they'd be incredibly witty and stick them in the middle of this field (for Big Country - get it?). Result - the group, plus full entourage, have to brave wasps, adders and the odd Harier Jump Jet to spend four hours sizzling in the sun, eating ginger snaps and getting thoroughly bored. All this so some snotty kid in Dulwich or wherever can have the joy of watching three minutes of their heroes on TV. Fun, eh? Such are the wonders of the wild and glamorous world of Pop and it's a situation Big Country are finding themselves in more and more, as they establish themselves as a 'hot' band. Their exhilarating 'Fields Of Fire' single still turns the old stomach muscles with pure delight at Stuart Adamson's seering guitar sound and it's the ex-Skid's distinctive style which has set Big Country apart from the rest, making them one of the most exciting new bands of the year. EVEN THOUGH their debut album 'The Crossing' failed to impress on first hearing, it improves with age and has proved to be a real wow with the punters - smashing straight into the top five. So everything should be fine and dandy for the fun-loving foursome, particularly with Stuart being hoisted to the unenviable heights of 'Sex Symbol'. For all this though, Adamson himself seems strangely unimpressed. "I suppose I do enjoy it," he says with all the enthusiasm of a cow entering MacDonalds (sic),"but I don't particularly like the lifestyle that goes with it. "Being in hotels and staying away from home for long periods of time isn't too good. I just feel that I have music in me which deserves a chance to get out. And if I have to do this I have to do it. I mean, you can walk away from anything." Big Country fans should rest easy though, for the situation doesn't seem to be bad enough for such drastic action yet. In fact, Stuart, who I'd always thought of as the 'intense' sort, who's deadly serious about his 'art', is actually a lot more full of fun and jolity than he comes across in his interviews. Off duty, he smiles, he eats sweeties, he turns cartwheels and best of sll, he used to read the Bunty - but more of that later. About his music though, he talks with the utmost earnestness - and talks... and talks. "I'm really serious about what I do but I think you can be without being po-faced. If I'm talking about my work then I do treat it seriously because I put a lot of myself in it. "Perhaps too much really," he concedes, "because I do tend to take it too personally and can't stand back from it. But if we don't treat ourselves seriously then we'll lose a lot of the people who care a lot about us. "I suppose I am a bit dogmatic in the way I see things but that's just how it is inside my head and I have to tell other people about it." The thought of being dogmatic doesn't seem to terrify the guitarist too much, though. In fact, in talking about his music he positively oozes super-cool confidence. At the same time though, you get the definite impression that to attack Big Country's work would have the same effect on Stuart as to tell other people that they had a gross personal freshness problem. Still, such questions have to be put - and in Big Country, Stuart is definitely the one to do the answering. Although he strongly denies that the other three members of the group are purely the Stuart Adamson backing band, Mark , Bruce and Tony obviously are accustomed to letting the ex-Skid do all the explaining. So, while Adamson bares his soul they get on with more important things. Drummer Mark Brzezicki and guitarist Bruce Watson discuss sweets and chocolate while Tony Butler, the band's bassist, is off having 40 winks somewhere. Meanwhile, Stuart explains what he was trying to get across in 'The Crossing'. "It's all things I've observed and feelings I've had myslef. I think the songs are very human in what they describe. They're not songs about buildings and food." This is true - they are songs about ships and storms, nuclear war and babies - all performed with Adamson's blistering guitar work to the fore. If you were being unkind you might point out that they seem to have recorded 'Fields Of Fire' three times on it by mistake but the new single 'Chance' is a definite change of style and reveals a much more melodious side to Big Country. It's one of the strongest tracks on the album and the band are obviously happy with it. "It wouldn't have been right for us to do another up-tempo number and 'Chance' has been going down really well live as well." Stuart then lets slip a surprising influence on the striking artwork on the album - comics. "I think the images on the cover are maybe borrowed from the Eagle or the Hornet," he admits. It seems Stuart was a great reader of such things and, warming to the subject, he continues "Aye, and the Dandy and the Topper as well - and the Bunty." He laughs and beings to get almost excited. "I'll always remember the Four Marys - and you'd get cut-out figures on the back. They'd always be stories too, about girls being stopped from being ballerinas or gymnasts by their wicked uncles even though they had great natural talent for it." He laughs and offers the explanation, probably just in case anyone thinks he's a cissy, "I used to read them round my Gran's." Suddenly he comes over all nostalgic and proclaims in a voice full of warmth and emotion "Winker Watson - Oh brilliant." YES, WELL! Changing the subject before the poor man says something he might regret, I wonder how Big Country are finding the pressures of 'fame' that the success of their singles and album has brought them. The signs are obvious as the group walk around the fun fair after completing their filming. A conveyor belt of fans approach for autographs, cheeky grins or the odd limb or two. "We always try and make the effort to talk to people," says Stuart. "We always stay behind at gigs to sign autographs. It's great. It's also important to have that contact and show people that there's nothing magical about groups - or the people in them anyway - and that they're just very ordinary, fragile, stupid human beings." It's a taste of lifr from the other side of the fence for Stuart who grew up with his own heroes. People as diverse as Leonard Cohen and Bill Nelson both had a lot of influence on the young Adamson no doubt helping to maintain his sanity during his years as a student environmental health officer. "I still am in awe of meeting certain people and when I do I get really embarrassed. You never lose that. "It was like today when we were putting down the backing track at Granada for 'Hold Tight'. All the Coronation Street stars were in the canteen and Bruce and Mark were running after them getting autographs. It's weird cos you dinna hae a clue what their names are in real life - it's just Vera Duckworth or Deirdre." Although Big Country are unlikely ever to attain the same heights of megastardom as these people, they are obviously doing quite nicely, thank you. Stuart is under no illusions as to the permanency of that situation though. "I think things do peak eventually and inevitably run their course. When it happens it's important to realise that it has and not try to cling on to something that isn't there. But that's being pessimistic of course. For the moment things are just fine." Not always a little ray of sunshine during an interview, Big Country's guitar wizard does have his moments. When asked how he would like to be remembered he answers immediately, "as absolutely brilliant". When last seen he was disappearing into the sunset at Alton Towers to hurtle down a steep slope at a ridiculous speed on a toboggan - all in the name of fun. Ah, the pioneering spirit of it all. With get-up- and-go like that how can his wish fail to come true? Eleanor Levy Small photo: "BIG COUNTRY relax after a hard evening reading Bunty comics". Both Pics by Kerstin Rodgers. |
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Pages 40 & 41 STAR STYLE Bruce Foxton ALTHOUGH BRUCE Foxton veered away from the mod style suits the Jam used to favour, he still wanted to retain his smart image. He asked us to find him a selection of interesting sweaters and casual suits in pastels, greys and blues, so we shopped at Demob, Paul Smith and Crolla, where classic clothes come just a bit outof the ordinary. Some of the clothes we used are costly, but you've got to remember that people in the public eye need to look out of the ordinary and this reflects in the price. But compared to the suits Bruce previously had specially tailored for him, these outfits are no more expensive. Pictures by Eugene Adebari. Styling by Daniela Soave. RIGHT: Trousers part of khaki suit, £149.50 from Paul Smith. Floral Street and Avery Row, London. Pastel cotton sweater, £85 from Crolla, Dover Street, London ABOVE: Prince of Wales check suit, £85 from Demob, 47 Beak Street, London W1. Shirt, model's own. Tie, £5 from Paul Smith. Shoes, £30 from Demob. LEFT: Navy and red sweater, £30 from Paul Smith. White trousers, £38 from Crolla. Shoes, model's own. |
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Page 49 Week ending 27th August 1983 Top Albums and Tapes 12, 13, 4 The Crossing, Big Country, Mercury 16, 17, 19 Let's Dance, David Bowie, EMI America 25, 25, 25 War, U2, Island 37, 33, 2 Golden Years, David Bowie, EMI America 42, 45, 22 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie, RCA International 58, 71, 16 Aladdin Sane, David Bowie, RCA International 76, 86, 3 October, U2, Island 77, 99, 2 Boy, U2, Island 86, -, - Low, David Bowie, RCA International 89, 82, 5 Diamond Dogs, David Bowie, RCA International 91, 75, 2 Heroes, David Bowie, RCA International 99, -, - Pin Ups, David Bowie, RCA International 100, -, - In The City, The Jam, Polydor (This week / last week / weeks in chart) |
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Page 50 Week ending 27th August 1983 Top Singles as used on Top of the Pops 3, 3, 3 Long Hot Summer, Style Council, Polydor 12, 29, 4 Let's Dance, Kinks, Arista 15, 15, 9 The First Picture of You, The Lotus Eaters, Sylvan/Arista 40, 25, 5 Freak, Bruce Foxton, Arista 58, 58, 3 Ballerina (Prima Donna), Streve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Stiletto 76, 74, 3 Money Go Round, Style Council, Polydor (This week / last week / weeks in chart) Freak - Bruce Foxton (Top of the Pops 1983), uploaded by Paul Lockhart. |