Back in my other blog I used to do some nostalgic stuff about old SMASH HITS covers, which amused about 5 people. What better way to pad out this new blog than to continue to take the piss celebrate those magazine covers of yesteryear in a similar manner...
We're back to 1984, and the end of November, with electro doom merchants Depeche Mode on the cover. Chief songwriter and leather perv Martin Gore is seemingly the centre focus for this cover, with Dave Gahan, Fletch and Alan "Wild"er having a a good laugh about him in the background. Martin's been hanging around Hamburg again, can you tell? This would have been a cover feature to accompany their latest barrel of laughs, the double A-side single "Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody". Increasingly becoming darker lyrically, with mentions of life support machines, wrist slashing and road accidents, this was a gloom fest that made The Smiths seem like Bucks Fizz in comparison. Which can only be a good thing. Right kids?
What else then? U2 are mentioned, presumably on the back of major top ten chart success with "Pride (In The Name Of Love)". Well, they even made it onto a NOW album for the first time therefore were now officially "pop". Then there's Limahl, no longer with Kajagoogoo, with his second hit single, the massive "Never Ending Story" from the kids film of the same name. This was a enormous hit all around the world, but the film did disappointing business. However, like many films that underperform, it found it's audience with the kids on video where it sold by the shedload over the following years, and now is one of those Christmas staples. Limahl's hair though as you can see hasn't improved, looking like a fibre optic spider plant.
Prince! I'll do more about him in a separate post later on, but he's hitting his commercial height here with the "Purple Rain" soundtrack, an absolute classic. Wham! (always with an exclamation mark please) are featured, with George and Andrew well into their imperial phase now, though I can't listen to most of their stuff now. It's all gone from naff to credible to nostalgia back to naff again. Prefab Sprout are mentioned, so that will be to promote their second flop single "When Love Breaks Down", a number 88 disaster first time around, now recognized as a classic. Paddy McAloon always gave a good interview though so I can see why he'd be featured. Frankie refers of course to the mighty Scouse hit machine Frankie Goes To Hollywood (SMASH HITS were always ones for shortening) who were, of course, well into their own imperial phase with future third Number One single "The Power Of Love" released the previous week in a variety of formats by the mental ZTT records. Siouxsie's there as well, not sure why. Possibly because of the "Thorn EP" the Banshees released the previous month. Or maybe it was just a nice poster.
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| "Tee hee... psssst. Martin's turned poofy. Pass it on." |
We're back to 1984, and the end of November, with electro doom merchants Depeche Mode on the cover. Chief songwriter and leather perv Martin Gore is seemingly the centre focus for this cover, with Dave Gahan, Fletch and Alan "Wild"er having a a good laugh about him in the background. Martin's been hanging around Hamburg again, can you tell? This would have been a cover feature to accompany their latest barrel of laughs, the double A-side single "Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody". Increasingly becoming darker lyrically, with mentions of life support machines, wrist slashing and road accidents, this was a gloom fest that made The Smiths seem like Bucks Fizz in comparison. Which can only be a good thing. Right kids?What else then? U2 are mentioned, presumably on the back of major top ten chart success with "Pride (In The Name Of Love)". Well, they even made it onto a NOW album for the first time therefore were now officially "pop". Then there's Limahl, no longer with Kajagoogoo, with his second hit single, the massive "Never Ending Story" from the kids film of the same name. This was a enormous hit all around the world, but the film did disappointing business. However, like many films that underperform, it found it's audience with the kids on video where it sold by the shedload over the following years, and now is one of those Christmas staples. Limahl's hair though as you can see hasn't improved, looking like a fibre optic spider plant.
Prince! I'll do more about him in a separate post later on, but he's hitting his commercial height here with the "Purple Rain" soundtrack, an absolute classic. Wham! (always with an exclamation mark please) are featured, with George and Andrew well into their imperial phase now, though I can't listen to most of their stuff now. It's all gone from naff to credible to nostalgia back to naff again. Prefab Sprout are mentioned, so that will be to promote their second flop single "When Love Breaks Down", a number 88 disaster first time around, now recognized as a classic. Paddy McAloon always gave a good interview though so I can see why he'd be featured. Frankie refers of course to the mighty Scouse hit machine Frankie Goes To Hollywood (SMASH HITS were always ones for shortening) who were, of course, well into their own imperial phase with future third Number One single "The Power Of Love" released the previous week in a variety of formats by the mental ZTT records. Siouxsie's there as well, not sure why. Possibly because of the "Thorn EP" the Banshees released the previous month. Or maybe it was just a nice poster.
Have I missed anyone? Oh yes, Thompson Twins. Well they can just fuck right off. "Lay Your Hands On Me"... I'd like to lay some paving slabs over you, more like.
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