Over on the Whatever tonight, Scalzi asks, “What’s a song you love that you think no one else knows about?”
I scanned my brain for the most obscure old song I could think of and came up with a little ditty called “My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)” by a Canadian band named Chilliwack. This was one of the first 45s I ever bought way back in the early ’80s, right after “Jessie’s Girl” and “Another One Bites the Dust.” As my loyal readers can no doubt guess, I still have the vinyl, but I haven’t listened to it in years. (I keep thinking that someday I ought to invest in a phonograph again and give all my old platters a spin, just to remind myself of what music used to sound like; it’s been so long since I played an actual record…)
A couple of years ago, after much searching, I finally tracked down a CD compilation that included the song. It’s not quite the masterpiece my twelve-year-old self believed it to be, but it’s still got a dang catchy hook, and I love the early ’80s pop-rock sound. Those were the days, baby. And wouldn’t you know it, there’s a video for it on YouTube. Apparently, I am not the only person who knows about this tune after all. Oh, well… can’t win ’em all, I suppose. Enjoy a little blast from the past:
OMG, someone else has heard of Chilliwack! My favorite tune of theirs is “Arms of Mary” from the LP Lights from the Valley.
Yep, sure have, Vince, although I confess this is the only song of theirs I know. Listening to it again, though, I’m thinking it might be fun to track down some more of their stuff. I’ll have to look for the album you mention…
I’ve got quite a big stash of such songs, having grown up on B-list European pop music in the 80’s. For Scalzi, I posted “Brother Louie” by Modern Talking (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ect3VoEUJn8). It could as well be “Moskau” by Dzchinghis Khan (http://youtube.com/watch?v=BQAKRw6mToA). The list could go on…
Wow. I think I’ve just been out-obscured. I’ve never heard either of those songs, Ilya. But then Euro-pop was never really my thing, a shameful affection for ABBA notwithstanding. I’ve always been a guitar boy…
Incidentally, I love the hair on the lead singer for Modern Talking. No, seriously, I do; I always wanted hair like that and could never pull it off…