I’ve always felt that image was a huge contributor to an artist’s success in the rock ‘n’ roll business. But I never quite put together how important distinctive hair was…
“A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Popular Music” offset lithographic print by Pop Chart Lab.
- Ted Kulczycky
So I’m spinning records at WORN’s Decades Dance, and I’ve been contemplating what I’m going to play and thinking about “vintage music” in general.
I’m starting to wonder if there might be two completely different ways of listening to music. A lot of people tell me that they really like a specific song because it reminds them of a specific point in time… “My Prayer” by the Platters was playing on the radio when Laurie had her first kiss at the drive-in… The Fifth Dimension’s “Wedding Bell Blues” was all over the radio the week Emily’s daughter was born… Sam’s first slow dance was to Styx’s “Come Sail Away”…
Certainly, I have associations with some of my favourite music. I have a fond and vivid image in my mind of Matias’s first girlfriend screaming, “I’m not no limburger!” along with the B-52s’ “Dance this Mess Around” at the first real teenager party I attended. But that’s not even my earliest memory of it. When I was nine, my cousin Donny showed me the first B-52s album and said “This is New Wave. I’m not crazy about it, but it’s future music. It’s what you’ll be listening to when you’re a teenager.”
And he was right. But the crappy BASF tape I had copied his album on wore out a few years later. So I exchanged the Corey Hart record I had won from MuchMusic (I correctly identified all the celebrity cameos in the Ghostbusters video) at my favourite used record store for a genuine vinyl copy of the album. It sounded so much better than the crappy tape.
In the early 2000s, I had to go a while without a turntable. I remember being at the now-defunct Virgin Megastore at 14th and Broadway in New York and seeing the B-52s CD on sale for $5! I bought it and got back to the place I was staying, and listened to it on a DVD player through a crappy TV’s speakers. And it sounded damned good after going so long without hearing it.
A couple of years ago, I was managing a book warehouse, and we had a bunch of punk kids working there. They only had about six different tapes, but the one we’d agree to play the most was the B-52s.
My point is that I have MANY associations with “Dance this Mess Around” and the first B-52s album. Sometimes when I listen to it, I think about one old time or another. But sometimes I think about Kate Pierson’s amazing voice, and how I’d like to stay at her bed & breakfast. Sometimes I think that guitarist Ricky Wilson died way too soon. Sometimes I think about what I’m going to cook for dinner. The music seems to grow with me and adapt to what’s going on in my life.
But I recently attended a bazaar in a church basement, and as I walked in, A-HA’s “Take on Me” was blasting over the crappy sound system. Something about hearing that song while walking into a large room with stale air and a couple of hundred people put me into a time machine. It was like being 15 and crashing the dance at Northern Collegiate.
But let me make this clear, I HATED that song when I was 15. I found the lyrics insipid (and not just because English is A-HA’s second language). The singer’s performance is equal parts pretension and melodrama (with no hint of wit). The melody is crude and broad and the arrangement is unbearably eager but without any edges or solidity.
Alright I guess I still hate it. But something about hearing it…every once in a while…under the right circumstances…in the right environment…makes me feel good.
It seems odd that music I liked doesn’t particularly make me nostalgic, but music I hated does. I guess that I have associations with “Dance this Mess Around” because I like it, but I like “Take on Me” because I have associations with it.
I’d like some input on what songs WORN readers have associations with. I’m especially interested to hear what vintage music from the nineties really “takes you back.”
- Ted Kulczycky
In my capacity as WORN’s Official Musician, I was invited by a reporter to compile the imaginary “WORN Fashion Journal Original Soundtrack Album.” Although excerpts of it may have appeared in Humber College’s newspaper, I thought that my full list might be of some interest to our blog readers.
The WORN soundtrack is a combination of songs that are popular at our events, popular in the office, or featured in the magazine. Ideally, dialogue from WORN appears between tracks (a la Pulp Fiction, and other 90s soundtracks).
Track Listing below!
1. You Can’t Hurry Love — The Supremes
This song is discretely quoted somewhere in almost every issue. A must.
2. Daddy Cool — Boney M
Filled the dance floor at every event we’ve had - and just look at their album covers.
3. He Hit Me and It Felt Like a Kiss — Hole
I don’t think Hole ever released this cover version officially, but it’s all over the internet. Courtney Love, sixties girl-groups, Carole King and feminist/post-feminist politics are all inextricably linked with WORN in numerous ways.
4. Let Me Kiss You — Nancy Sinatra
Ms. Sinatra has appeared in WORN a couple of times, but “Boots” is way too obvious. Her 2004 comeback album came out while Serah-Marie was concocting the idea for the journal, so it was an easy choice.
5. I Put a Spell on You — Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
I wrote a little piece on Jim Jarmusch’s personal style for issue 3. Screamin’ Jay comes up in Jarmusch’s films numerous times, and you can’t really question the fashion choices of a guy wearing a cartoon bone in his hair.
6. Spirit in the Sky — Norman Greenbaum
On the few occasions we’ve done fashion shows, we always use this as the music. Probably our ultimate runway choice.
7. I Believe When I Fall in Love — Stevie Wonder
It has figured prominently at the events we’ve thrown with Slowdance Night, and it’s a highlight of my and Serah-Marie’s wedding CD, which is always a popular door-prize at our Valentine’s events.
8. Warm Leatherette — Grace Jones
The spectre of Ms. Jones figures in WORN several times (see our “Cut to the Grace” photoshoot, issue 7). This cover of the Normal song always gets them dancing.
9. Gift & Seasonal — The Chorus Barloff
This is my band. This song is about your parents buying you clothes for Christmas.
10. Zebra Kiss — Donzelle
We featured her in issue 6, and I love the picture that accompanies this track on her MySpace.
11. Blue Suede Shoes — Elvis Presley
Sonya Topolnisky wrote an impassioned defense of the King’s jumpsuits for issue 6 so he has to feature on the soundtrack somewhere. I was tempted to choose more obscure clothing-related titles like “Big Boots” or “Something Blue” but, frankly, they suck. We want the WORN soundtrack to be listenable, so I went with the obvious choice.
12. Mercy Seat — Nick Cave
Personally, I can’t stand him, but Nick Cave’s an icon thats made an appearance in Worn (issue 1), so he’s got to be here somewhere. I think this song’s pretty okay.
13. Safety Dance — Men Without Hats
The band started in Montreal, as did WORN, and there’s an article about safety pins as fashion accessories in issue 2. Something by Television or Richard Hell would’ve been more appropriate, but people seem to associate this with safety pins for some reason, and it’s real popular at our events.
14. Je T’Aime…Moi, Non-Plus — Jane Birkin
Written by Serge Gainsbourg for Brigitte Bardot (and rejected). Sexy, stylish, atmospheric, campy and WORN.
15. Cherry Bomb — The Runaways
So many songs to choose from here, but this is the hit. Their manager, Kim Fowley was profiled in issue 3, but we really should do something about them specifically at some point. Just search youtube for old concert footage and be wowed. Narrowly beat out Joan Jett’s solo “Bad Reputation.”
16. Tear it Up — The Cramps
We did a feature on psychobilly fashion for issue 4. Members of Montreal band the Gutter Demons were featured, and I was really tempted to put them on the album. But Lux Interior passed away last year and I’m still a little devasted, so I went with the psychobilly grandparents. If you can track down a copy of the film “URGH!: A Music War” check out the incredible performance, with Lux wearing nothing but ill-fitting spandex pants and black mascara singing the entire song with the mic jammed in the back of his throat.
17. Just a Little Lovin’ — Dusty Springfield
The “Dusty in Memphis” album goes into the office cd player at least once a week.
18. King’s Lead Hat — Brian Eno
“ENOBOX II: Vocals” rarely goes a week without a spin, either.
19. Material Girl — Madonna
The title of our regular feature on fibres. Mandatory.
20. Gold — Spandau Ballet
The Material Girl Column in issue 6 is subtitled “Spandex Ballet,” a nod to these 80s crooners.
21. Grease — Frankie Valli
Coco & Laura’s sidebar on tanning lotion in issue 6 notes that “Greece is the Word.”
22. Paint it Black — Rolling Stones
Coco & Laura also note that black paint was once used as primitive sunburn protection.
23. Heart and Soul — Diane & The Javelins : We decided on the title “Art and Sole” for our collaboration with the Bata Shoe Museum and Keds very early on. This song got stuck in my head every time someone said the title. This is my favourite recording, found on most Joe Meek compilations.
24. Devil With the Blue Dress On — Shorty Long
Issue 9’s piece on vintage denim is titled “Devil With the Blue Jeans On.” Close enough.
25. Who Are You - -The Who
The subtitle of Gwen’s “Everything I Know About Fashion I Learned from My Mother” column in issue 9. Also, my Editor-in-Pants/spouse, Serah-Marie, calls this “Theme from CSI.” Good illustration of the differences a slight generation gap can create…
26. Hockey Night in Canada Theme — Dolores Claman
Really the only appropriate thing to listen to while perusing our Don Cherry piece in issue 10.
27. Norwegian Wood — The Beatles
Fashion designer Angie (and her line that shares the name with the Beatles song) is featured in issue 10.
28. After Hours — The Velvet Underground
The lyrics accentuate a photo-spread in issue 6, and Moe Tucker is a personal style-icon. This song can’t go anywhere but last on any album.
-Ted Kulczycky
