Permanent Record Podcast

Episode 55: Erasure - The Innocents (1988) Part 3   By popular demand (well, by the sincere request of her co-host), Sarah is back to provide the information on the latest episode of the Permanent Record Podcast. Brian and Sarah are once again joined by art designer, Classic Pop Magazine contributor, and 80s music aficionado Andrew Dineley to wrap up the discussion on Erasure's 1988 worldwide hit album, "The Innocents."  Part 3 - Track by Track, Continued The lack of singles and videos on Side Two of this album doesn't give our three hosts any problems in terms of discussion material. However, at least one of them does have a couple of problems with the track selection and track listing. The three do find common ground with their mutual enjoyment of The Kick Horns' contributions to the album, and they all seem to feel there was at least one more single-worthy track on this side--but is it the same song for each of them?  Brian, Andrew, and Sarah cover a rather wide variety of subjects as they talk about Side

Episode 54: Erasure - The Innocents (1988) Part 2 Brian and Sarah return with Classic Pop contributor and all-around good guy Andrew Dineley to discuss side one of this classic 1988 album!  This side may have fewer songs than its flip side, but it is fully packed with hit singles, so along with talk of the music, our intrepid hosts also make time to consider three music videos and three record sleeves.  It's a lot to pack into one episode so forgive them if they go a bit long! Part 3 - Track by Track The Terrific Trio gets to gab about two huge worldwide hits with "A Little Respect" and "Chains of Love."  Andrew reminds Brian and Sarah that in the UK, "Ship of Fools" was also released and did quite well on the singles chart, which causes all sorts of envy and bitterness.  However, the mood is set to right by the lovely story of YouTube sensation Neil Francis - because no one can be depressed after watching him sing "A Little Respect" while waiting for the train!  Let's see, then Sarah and Andrew team up aga

Episode 53: Erasure - The Innocents (1988) Part 1 For the next three episodes, Brian and Sarah are thrilled to welcome a very special guest to the show. Andrew Dineley is an art designer and regular contributor to Classic Pop magazine with the feature "Pop Art." He also hosts his own podcast called "Art On Your Sleeve" which talks about the design work of the albums and singles from 80s artists such as the ones discussed on this very podcast. Andrew was gracious enough to share his time, knowledge, and personal experiences in an in-depth look at Erasure's third album, "The Innocents." Part 1 - Album History Vince Clarke and Andy Bell finally found UK chart success with their second album, "The Circus," but Erasure's third album, "The Innocents," was the one that started their 'Imperial Phase' in the UK. It also gave them their breakthrough in America. Sarah fills us in on the release, sales, and chart information for the album, which includes a bit of a surprise in the UK chart history. Moving on, Andrew, B

Episode 52: ABC - How to Be a...Zillionaire! (1985) Part 2 It's been a couple of weeks since Brian and Sarah started their discussion of ABC's third album, "How to Be a...Zillionaire!" And unfortunately, they were only able to cover the first two tracks on side one before they had to cut the episode short. So, this week they have a lot of catching up to do! Part 3 - Track by Track, continued Our hosts jump right back into things and find themselves with two more singles and three videos to discuss on Side One.  One video completely delights both Brian and Sarah, and the other two are a little less interesting to them both. Side Two only contains one video, but according to Brian's research, it's a rather notable one in music video history. Speaking of notable, Brian makes a notable revelation while discussing a song on Side Two, which refutes some of the things he said in the Personal History section of the previous episode. In addition to music, of course, our hosts talk quite a bit about fashion-- in relat

Episode 51: ABC - How to Be a...Zillionaire! (1985) Part 1   Even with fifty episodes now under their belts, Brian and Sarah still have plenty of "new old" albums they want to talk about. But how to decide on the next one? Well, Martin Fry of ABC turned 60 on March 9, so it seems like a good time to take a look at a classic ABC album. The one they choose is not the seminal debut album, "The Lexicon of Love," but the band's third effort, "How to Be a...Zillionaire!," released in 1985. Part 1 - Album History This album marked yet another departure in both sound and style for ABC. Sarah explains how the  album came to be produced by Martin Fry and Mark White, and she tells the story of the audition process for new band members. Both she and Brian then talk about how and why the new members were ultimately selected. The other notable aspect of this era of ABC was the cartoon imagery. Sarah explains where that originated, and Brian adds to the story with some information he gleaned from friend of the show Andrew

Episode 50: Depeche Mode - Some Great B-Sides Brian and Sarah are excited (and maybe a little surprised, as well!) to be at the fifty-episode milestone of the Permanent Record Podcast. To celebrate, they decide to do something different for this show. It's not quite "flipping the script," though; it's simply flipping some records to talk about some of their favorite Depeche Mode B-sides. Each host chooses three B-sides to talk about, and as they take turns discussing each selection, it works out that the songs are just about in chronological order as well. The fact that the songs are B-sides doesn't stop our intrepid hosts from finding information to talk about with each track. Brian and Sarah discuss live performances of the B-sides, remixed versions, and in the case of one B-side, chart position! Brian shares an interesting remix story which completely delights Sarah, and both of them reminisce about their college days and how Depeche Mode was a big part of those memories. And, once again, we find Brian ta

Episode 49: David Bowie - Let's Dance (1983) Part 3 The month of February is coming to a close, and so is Brian and Sarah's discussion of the 1983 David Bowie album, "Let's Dance." This episode finds our hosts ready to flip the record to Side Two of this classic LP. Part 3 - Track by Track, continued Side Two, like Side One, also contains four tracks. However, only one of the tracks on Side Two was released as the A-side of a single, and it actually came out a year before the album did. Brian and Sarah spend some time discussing the differences between the movie soundtrack version of "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" and the album version. Another song on Side Two is revealed to be a cover, although unlike "China Girl," David Bowie didn't have a hand in writing it. While Brian and Sarah both enjoy the song, they have some issues and questions about Bowie's decision to include it on the album and the lyrics he changed. But by the time they get to the last song on "Let's Dance," there's no question about it-- bo

Episode 48: David Bowie - Let's Dance (1983) Part 2   Another week has passed, and it's time once again for Brian and Sarah to discuss a classic album. Last week they set the stage for the 1983 album by David Bowie, titled "Let's Dance," by talking about the three-year period between his prior album and this one. They also discussed the release of "Let's Dance," its huge success, and the subsequent worldwide tour. In this episode, they'll discuss the songs on Side One. Part 2 - Personal History This is the first time Brian and Sarah are discussing an album that neither of them owned back in high school. Brian explains when and why he got into David Bowie, and what his first Bowie-related purchases were. Sarah says she knew the big hits from this album, and surprisingly seemed to remember seeing at least a couple of the videos as well. But she got into Bowie around the same time, or maybe even a little after, Brian did-- which was a mere 23 years ago. But it should be clear from the amount of information and o

Episode 47: David Bowie - Let's Dance Part 1 (Bowie: 1980 to 1983)   During the "Colour by Numbers" episodes, our hosts mentioned the fact that a David Bowie song, "Let's Dance," prevented a Culture Club song from reaching number one on the charts. Brian and Sarah decided that now would be a good time to look into that number one song, and the album from which it came-- which is just about to celebrate its 35th anniversary. Part 1 - Album History "Let's Dance" was the first studio album from David Bowie in three years, which for him was a rather long break. It also marked several departures: from his record label, from his longtime producer, and from his typically more avant-garde, less accessible sound. Brian felt it was important to explore the three-year gap between albums, to better understand what led David Bowie to create "Let's Dance." So with his stack of Bowie books at his side, he and Sarah spend time talking about the period from 1980 to 1983 and what activities and events were prominent in Bowie's

Episode 46: Culture Club - Colour by Numbers (1983) Part 3 After a brief break, Brian and Sarah are back and ready to finish their discussion of "Colour By Numbers." The first two episodes were rather lengthy, so the challenge they face is whether they can discuss the entire second side of the album in a respectable amount of time, especially given the fact that there are three more singles and videos to talk about! Part 3: Track by Track, Continued Side Two of "Colour By Numbers" starts off with the first single released for the album, and a video Brian reveals-- much to Sarah's surprise-- he had never seen before, until doing research for the podcast. Two other videos are discussed during this episode, one which our hosts deem excellent, and one which they both agree is of more questionable quality, much to Brian's dismay and discomfort. Sarah announces she has many examples of misheard lyrics to share, and in one instance, Brian says he misheard the same wrong word. Sarah corrupts Brian (so he claims) by

Episode 45: Culture Club - Colour by Numbers (1983) Part 2 This week Brian and Sarah continue their discussion of the first side of Culture Club's second album, the 1983 release "Colour by Numbers." However, before they look back in time again, Brian looks to the future and shares information on some new music Culture Club has recorded but not yet released. Part 3: Track by Track, continued Last week's episode only got as far as the first track, which was a very popular single with a memorable video. As it turns out, the second track, "It's a Miracle," was also a hit single with a great video, so Brian and Sarah have a lot of information to share for this song as well. Brian goes into a little more depth about the songwriting collaboration between Culture Club and Phil Pickett, and in particular, Phil's relationship with guitarist/keyboardist Roy Hay. As they progress through side one, Sarah and Brian collaborate on another mini music lesson-- this time on a genre of music called bossa nova. And although Bri

Episode 44: Culture Club - Colour by Numbers (1983) Part 1 It's a new year, and Brian and Sarah are ready to get back into discussing classic albums! But first, they need to take care of a little leftover business from 2017. They announce the winner of their "Into the Gap" album giveaway, who was randomly selected from people who wrote in to the show and mentioned their favorite episode.  They also remind the listeners of the winner of the digital download for the Human League's "Dare" album. Then, there's no putting it off any longer-- they begin their look into an album by a group many listeners mentioned over the past year as being one of their favorites.  The group is Culture Club, and the album is the 1983 release "Colour by Numbers." Part 1 - Album History "Colour by Numbers" was the sophomore effort by Culture Club, but based on record sales and chart position for both the album and its many singles, it definitely didn't suffer from the "sophomore slump." Brian and Sarah trade statistics on the album'

Episode 43: Erasure - Crackers International (1988) Part 2 plus Pet Shop Boys - "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas"   For the last episode of 2017, Brian and Sarah take a quick break from holiday preparations to finish their discussion of the 1988 EP by British synthpop duo Erasure, titled "Crackers International." (And it just so happens there's a big box of Christmas crackers in the studio with our hosts as they record!)  And in keeping with both the episode's Christmas theme and the "British synthpop duo" theme, Brian and Sarah also discuss the song "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" by the Pet Shop Boys. Part 3: Track by Track, Continued The second side of the UK release contains only two songs, just like the first side. However, Brian does get into discussing the various remixes of the first song on side two, "Knocking On Your Door." Both Brian and Sarah continue to praise Vince Clarke for his effortless keyboard riffs, and they also have very complimentary things to say about Andy Bell's vocals on bo

Episode 42:  Erasure - Crackers International (1988) - Part 1 Plus Wham!  "Last Christmas" With the holiday season now in full swing, Brian and Sarah finally carved out some time in their busy schedules to sit down and record another podcast. And this week's selection has a definite holiday theme-- it's the November 1988 EP from Erasure, titled "Crackers International."  However, they decide to make it an even more Christmasy episode by throwing in a bonus track at the end-- one of the best known Christmas songs of the 1980s. Part 1 - Album History This is the first EP Brian and Sarah have discussed on the show, so both hosts provide some information on how EPs are classified in both the UK and the US. They then go on to talk about where this album falls in the Erasure discography, and where it charted in various countries. Sarah provides a lot of information about the cover art, and voices her skepticism about whether the picture is an homage or more of a ripoff. Brian explains there is a "Crackers Internat

Episode 41: ThompsonTwins – Into The Gap (1984) Part 3   The cast of Permanent Record Podcast is back!  It feels like it has been more than two weeks, but evidently that’s due to the high-level of fun that Brian and Sarah packed into their last 14 days.  After the two hosts sum up their experience seeing Culture Club in concert over the prior weekend, they get back to their discussion of the Thompson Twins’ classic 1984 album “Into The Gap,” Part 3: Track by Track, Continued This side of the record provided a major international hit for the band with the first single “Hold Me Now.”  Do Brian and Sarah enjoy this song as much as they did the whole of side one – or do they feel, 33 years on, that the song has been overplayed?  And what aspect of this music is impressing Sarah the most?  Whatever it is, she shows up ready to educate us all on the topic!  Meanwhile Brian lets us know which of these songs he would have selected as the 3rd US single and also which song he thinks would have fit comfortably on the gr

Episode 40: Thompson Twins - Into the Gap (1984) Part 2   This episode finds our hosts feeling much healthier, and they're definitely up to continuing their discussion of the 1984 Thompson Twins album, "Into the Gap." They were only able to get through the album history, their personal history, and the first song last time, so there's still a lot of good music to get through! But before they head back "Into the Gap," Sarah mentions a couple of current events having to do with lead singer Tom Bailey, who recently returned to the performing scene after almost a three-decade absence. Part 3: Track by Track, continued As they resume the track-by-track analysis, Brian reminds the listeners that he and Sarah are discussing the UK version of the album of "Into the Gap," so the track listing is just a little different from the US version.  He also points out that either way, there are three singles and three videos on the first side. And it turns out the delay in recording this episode ended up serving two purposes--

Episode 39: Thompson Twins - Into The Gap (1984) Part 1   This artist selection for this episode was inspired partially by the previous two episodes. In the discussion about The Cure, it was mentioned that Boris Williams had joined The Cure after leaving his position as a touring member of the Thompson Twins. Brian and Sarah decided it was a good time to talk about that previous band Boris Williams was in, and they chose the Thompson Twin's fourth album, 1984's "Into the Gap," to discuss here. Part 1 - Album History Brian reminds us that some of the early history of the band was covered during the mixtape episode, so the focus on the history shifts more to the making of the album and some of the adventures the band had during recording in the Bahamas. For a brief moment, Brian thinks he's doing a James Bond movie podcast, until Sarah brings him back to reality. They go on to discuss the chart success of the "Into the Gap," some mixed reviews from music critics, and the album art. Brian reveals that the cover

Episode 38: The Cure - The Head on the Door (1985) Part 2 Brian, Sarah, and guest co-host Colby Zell have returned to the BlueZone Podcast Headquarters to finish their exploration of "The Head on the Door"-- no, not an actual head on a door, but the 1985 album by The Cure. Part 3: Track by Track, Continued Side One ended with a bang for two of the hosts, but a whimper for the other. And as Side Two is played, there are several more two-against-one conflicts, but with different parties on each side. Two more videos are discussed, and surprisingly, Sarah confesses to being disturbed by one of them. Also in this episode, Sarah eagerly revisits the topic of saxophone solos with Brian, who loudly voiced his opinion on them during the Tears for Fears "Songs From the Big Chair" episodes. Colby continues to share thoughtful insights on how the songs spoke to him as a youth and is especially into talking about the song "A Night Like This" - or maybe not! The Baby Screams Close to Me A Night Like This Screw Sinking Pa

Episode 37: The Cure - The Head on the Door (1985) Part 1 After 36 episodes, Brian and Sarah decide it's finally time to discuss one of alternative rock's most long-lived and influential bands, The Cure. The album they select is the sixth release from Robert Smith and company, 1985's "The Head on the Door."  And, they've brought in friend of the show and guest co-host Colby Zell to join in the discussion, since this album is near and dear to him as well. A lengthy and lively conversation ensues! Part 1: Album History "The Head on the Door" is the first album by what many consider to be the classic Cure lineup. Brian provides us with details on how this incarnation of the band came to be, as well as what other things Robert Smith had going on in the time immediately beforehand.  Sarah shares the release and chart information for the album, explains where the album title came from, and also prompts an interesting and somewhat humorous discussion about the album cover art. Part 2: Personal History Colby explain

Episode 36: Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame (1982) Part 2 This week continues the discussion of Depeche Mode's sophomore effort, the 1982 release "A Broken Frame. " Before the review of side two begins, though, Brian shares with the audience some information relating to one of the videos discussed on the previous episode, which he learned while doing research for this episode. Part 3: Track by Track, Continued Our hosts flip the album to discover what awaits them on side two. What they find is a hodge-podge of musical styles, some mediocre lyrics, some well-written lyrics, and the song that Brian declares to be his least favorite Depeche Mode song of all time! There's a lot of giggling from our hosts while they discuss the only video on this side, again directed by Julien Temple, and Sarah continues to come up with creative names for the various sounds she hears throughout the five songs. And how do The Simpsons find their way into this discussion about Depeche Mode? Satellite The Meaning of Love A Photograph