Adventures in a broken land
Watching the very laddish So Hard to Beat documentary about four decades' worth of rock and pop from Northern Ireland (watch on BBC iPlayer here if you're in the UK) one band leapt out. And it isn't who you'd imagine. Yes, The Undertones are seminal but no it isn't them. Yes, Stiff Little Fingers are mentioned by every musician as an influence, but alas, not them. Yes, Ash's Tim Wheeler is a handsome bugger, but no. Not them. And yes, I danced my tits off in clubs to D:Ream and Peter Cunnah is still shaggable, but no. Not them.
The Adventures were once taken under the wing of Simon Fuller but never really took off. They were always on the radio, especially in 1988, but the records were usually found in the bargain bin. I had a soft spot for them (and and a hard one for lead singer Terry Sharpe). They had a classic late 80s line-up: loads of blokes and one girl. Their music was also of the time; anthemic melodies, soaring guitars and stadium synths. Sea of Love, capturing that grandiose pomp pop, was their biggest album spawning the top 20 hit Broken Land, below and the lesser hits (but still radio favourites) Drowning in the Sea of Love and the brilliant, One Step From Heaven.
The band already had a presence, when four years earlier, they scored a string of top 75 bothering singles from their debut album Theodore and Friends. Below is the Janice Long favourite, Another Silent Day and my choice Send My Heart.
Send My Heart - The Adventures
The Adventures fan site here - lovingly created and vare comprehensive.
3 comments:
sigh - i kinda miss the days when bands were able to have several minor single successes and an album before they were deemed not a viable option for the label. nowadays it's "hmmm, you only made number 12? You're dropped!" Divs.
Fantastic. Thanks for "Another Silent Day" - I had completely forgotten them and that song! Great tune.
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