Still Running

Fear not. It's never too late to appreciate an artist or a piece of art. 

It is, however, a bittersweet historical phenomenon when the cultural intelligentsia takes hold of some work of greatness after its creator has passed, especially when said creators were largely ignored during their so-called heyday. Think Poe and Van Gogh, Nick Drake and Sublime. A Confederacy of Dunces. Kind of a bummer to think how ubiquitous "Nevermore" and "Starry Night" became, and how international car commercials and multiple dedicated cover bands now honor people's music that were passed over in real time. Sadder still to think that the public's appreciation once upon a time might possibly have saved these artists from untimely demises.

When I think of big songs that hit the charts posthumously, I always begin with "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," released one month after Otis Redding's plane crash. "Me and Bobby McGee," Janis Joplin's take on the Kristofferson classic, came out three months after her overdose. "A Change Is Gonna Come." "Buffalo Soldier." "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song."

Joy Division fits into both of these categories. The band, and this song. 

Well now. As the Buckinghams sang, kind of a drag.

Enough of that then. Roight!

What I really came here to say today was that sometimes it's bloody brilliant when an artist publishes a work to no or relatively limited fanfare . . . but then is still around when it eventually hits the big time. I'm thinking strictly music for the moment, but I'm sure it has existed in all art forms.

Take for example, the (imho) severely annoying "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Scottish act The Proclaimers. It did fairly well upon its release in August 1988. It did especially well in Iceland (!). It registered nothing on the US Richter scale. And then . . . Benny and Joon. A light fare American movie with Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson and mental illness actually treated relatively unidiotically. Eh. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" was a lead single on the soundtrack and went to #3 on the Billboard charts. And it's hung around for way too long since. I do like this cover of it quite a bit, though.

"Red Red Wine" draws similarly scathing opinions from many, though not from me. It's a keeper, says this guy. A Neil Diamond number that was covered in a dancehall ska style by someone whose name should've been my alma mater's mascot (check it out), and then covered by UB40... who had not heard the original. It's a lot like when Camper van Beethoven covered the Chocolate Watchband version of the Kinks classic "I'm Not Like Everybody Else," even though they didn't know the original hit. You know? Of course. 

Anyway, UB40's version of "Red Red Wine," off their exceptional 1983 collection of old reggae and ska covers, Labour of Love, topped the UK charts but only went to #34 in the US. According to Wikipedia:

In 1988, UB40 performed the song at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert. Soon after, program director Guy Zapoleon of Phoenix-based KZZP placed the full version on the station's playlist, and it soon became the station's most popular song. With UB40 ready to release Labour of Love II, A&M Records promotion man Charlie Minor asked UB40 to hold off on releasing the album so that the label could reissue and promote "Red Red Wine." On the Billboard Hot 100 chart of October 15, 1988, the song hit No. 1.

Billy Vera and the Beaters. Household name? In 1986 they were! Their only hit, "At This Moment," stalled at #79 in 1981. But when the tune became Alex P. Keaton's love theme with his girlfriend Ellen (Tracy Pollan, still MJF's real-life wife) on Family Ties for a few episodes, it went to #1. Like Number One. Ridiculous. Have you heard it? 

Brian Wilson. No, I meant, "Brian Wilson." The song. From everybody's favorite Canadian punching bag, Barenaked Ladies. Look, back in 1992, when rob was touring the Northeast US and parts of Canada as our fraternity's Pro Frat Guy, he came across BNL's debut Gordon. And he gave me the cassette to listen to when he retired from that gig. And it was good. Still listenable, if you're me. I'm sure NJDave doesn't like it, though I read that he recently succumbed to Steely Dan. The band, not this. Anyway, that album and the single "Brian Wilson" made a little hay on the Canadian charts, pretty good for a quintet of schmelts, but the rest of the world gave it a hard no. More of the same for their second and third albums. But when in doubt... do a live album!!

Rock Spectacle hit the shelves in 1997, and somewhere, our of nowhere, "Brian Wilson" caught fire. It's a rather solid version, complete with lots of audible fan-singing. (One of my favorite things.) But what DJ or promoter made this happen? Can't find that yet. Maybe the GTB intern can help. Pitter patter.

There are plenty of instances of songs taking a few years to break through, be they "Layla" or "Lady" or, of course, Inner Circle's "Bad Boys." But that's not what I'm here to discuss. (After all this, he has a relevant point?)

Enter Kate Bush. Nope, no jokes here.

For the woefully uninformed, Kate Bush is a British pop singer whose work dates back to the 1970's. While songs of hers like "This Woman's Work" and "Wuthering Heights" saw some success, and while I liked her for her back-up or duet turns on Peter Gabriel songs ("No Self Control," "Games Without Frontiers," and most prominently "Don't Give Up"), her biggest hit was always 1985's electronic-drum-backed "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)." I liked it then, I like it now. It's great vocally and is just 80's synth brilliance.

And a weird video apropos of the era.

"Running Up That Hill" found itself squarely in the alt-80's realm; it has played heavily on SiriusXM's First Wave channel for years. As for charting, with a hard ch, it peaked at #3 in the UK and #30 in the US back then. Not bad.  

Kate Bush has kept making music, though nothing that has stood out, at least not like this tune. Meanwhile, her influence on vocalists of latter days, especially ones like Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos, is evident. Not a bad career at all.

And then... stranger things happened. I mean Stranger Things happened. The show started playing "Running Up That Hill" in this most recent season, thereby introducing it to a whole new generation of listeners and appreciators. 

Right now, as we live and breathe and eat and drink and type and read, here are the "charts." Check it out!

US

UK

It's also #1 in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Belgium. 

I know, I know. I frequently rail about mainstream mass music tastes, the hideousness of Billboard this millennium, and the paper-thin pop that inhabits these annals. But still, for a 63-year-old singer/songwriter whose last #20 single in the US was never ever, this is unexpected and super cool. 

And never too late.