Short post this week as we have NYC Popfest just around the corner and even tomorrow we have a gig with The Prams, Papa Topo, Jessica & The Fletchers and Gingerlys. So pretty busy with all these things, count also that I’ve been a tour guide the past weekend.

I know the podcast hasn’t been published and we really wanted to do so before Popfest. We’ll see if tomorrow morning we can make it. It has been hectic. But after this month things should go back to their normal flow.

This week then I have a curious question for all of you, about what do you think about this song. It’s not indiepop, but it’s pop and it’s independent. The thing is, and you’ll notice, that this song reminds me way too much to another song released 11 years after. A song that was to become a big hit.

From Wikipedia we know that:
English Evenings were a British new wave duo that released one album in 1985 entitled After Dark. Before English Evenings, Lee Walsh was a member of the band Sly Fox, whose name later changed to One Adult. After the band broke up and with its members going their separate ways, Walsh secured a record deal under the name of English Evenings, together with bandmate Graham Lee. They released only one album in 1985, on the UK independent label Safari Records. Although their producer was the famous audio engineer and producer Phil Harding, they did not meet with much success.After disbanding, Graham Lee and Lee Walsh went on to later produce a football song for Leeds United in 1990, entitled “We Are Leeds”.

Most of their records were released on Safari Records, like the singles “English Evenings” (1983), “Touch” (1983), “Tear You Down” (1984), “I Will Return” (1985). But I’m mostly curious about their last single, the one released in 1986 on GFM Records (catalog GFM 106) called “Those Brilliant Teens”, a song about teenage suicide. That’s the the A side, whereas the B side was “The Other Side”.

So here’s the thing. The song is way too similar to Pulp’s “Common People”. And I’ve been curious about this similarity for a week now, since I heard this song for the first time. I really don’t know what to think, but I really doubt it’s just a coincidence. I’ve been googling around if any other person has written or wondered about it. There are, but a few. On Youtube there’s a comment.  On Rateyourmusic.com there’s also someone calling it a proto “Common People”. But that’s it. There’s nothing more. And I find this pretty odd.

You can also listen to a demo version of this song on Youtube.

I wonder, what do you think about this? Coincidence or not? Or maybe I’m missing something in the story that I have no clue?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Listen
English Evenings – Those Brilliant Teens