Nostalgia 1975

I usually only write about stuff I like. There always has to be an exception to any rule. Here is something I DON’T like. Of course, the records were purchased unheard in the hopes that I would like them…. (But it does fit in with an earlier post…and it sorta kinda fits in with the next post to come).

When you think about it, for pretty much every single ever released, no matter how good or bad it was, someone somewhere was hoping that it would turn out to be a hit record. This could have been the recording artist, the manager, the producer, the A&R man or just the drummer’s mother. I will always remain eternally bewildered regarding the number of fantastic tunes over the last 50 years that didn’t become hits. This was often explained by a lack of radio airplay. A similar number of dire excuses for music became hits simply because they GOT masses of radio airplay.

These two singles just didn’t have the wow factor even though A Raincoat and Andy Arthurs would go on to issue better tunes later.

When “Nostalgia ’75” was released the title was meant to be ironic. Sometimes I do get nostalgic for 1975. It was a turning point career year when I almost became a journalist instead of the direction I ultimately chose. Ah well, “Today’s Newspaper is tomorrow’s chip wrapper”. Actually that phrase doesn’t really work now. I guess the last time I walked down a street eating chips wrapped in an old piece of newspaper would have been around…….. 1975…….. We’re back to “Nostalgia ’75”.

The “b” side of this single played at 33.3rpm and featured three tracks from the forthcoming “Digalongamacs” Album which evidentally in August 1975 was almost called “Macs by Graves” !!!! (They must have already taken the cover photo…)

Andy Arthurs released a number of solo singles such as this brief (only 2 minutes long!) tune from 1977.