Whistling in the 80s

 

Our favourite guest blogger Richard continues whistling:

At the start of the 1980s, a Belgian TV presenter started his brand new TV show with Tachtig is Prachtig.
That is Eighties are the Greatiest if you translate it loosely. So be it. In the 80s, whistling continued to be in every corner of popular music. Apart from a few TopPop tunes, this set will be mainly on the bubbling underwave and independent scenery.
Two great top hit tunes, Wunderbar by Tenpole Tudor and Street Dance by Break Machine are irresistible and deserve a new notice. Tenpole Tudor is also a band that could be featured on the “Lost Violins” compilation.

On this compilation, we go from one extreme to the other; we have Latul, the guitarist of Massada, with his Fusion Pop Jazz and Software, an obscure experimental UK band. From Australia, The Models and Sunnyboys, New Zealand's Tall Dwarves, from Germany Ja Ja Ja, and I believe Hylton “Whistling” Brown also hails from Germany, but I am not sure. Shinehead, who could be Jamaican, is a UK-born US American.
Swell Maps, The Membranes, and The Camberwell Now (with the über brillant Charles Hayward) and Fad Gadget (the late great Frank Tovey) are English.
The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Raybeats, Meat Puppets, and Circle Jerks are whistling from the States.
Rocky Sharpe & The Replays should be worked in as many compilations as possible. Their stylish and superbly performed neo-classical doo-wop/ Rock ‘n’ Roll is represented here with Love Love Love.
And the best tune is from the Hours compilation on Plurex Records. One of the best titles ever is by Dislocation Dance – The Next Year I Returned to St. Michelle (But Marie Had Gone, And With Her My Childhood).

Enjoy!