Since I've been using this record cover as my avatar for my blog, I felt obligated to post this anniversary. Today in 1979, "Pop Muzik" hits #1 on the charts.
"Pop Muzik" is a 1979 song performed by M, fronted by Robin Scott. "Pop Muzik" is widely considered one of the forerunners of the use of synthesizers in mainstream music. From the album New York • London • Paris • Munich (1979) (Sire/MCA - in U.S.)
Robin Scott describes the genesis of "Pop Muzik" this way:
"I was looking to make a fusion of various styles which somehow would summarize the last 25 years of pop music. It was a deliberate point I was trying to make. Whereas rock and roll had created a generation gap, disco was bringing people together on an enormous scale. That's why I really wanted to make a simple, bland statement, which was, 'All we're talking about basically (is) pop music."
Along with Scott (now 60 years old), other musicians who played on the track were his brother Julian Scott (on bass), then unknown keyboardist Wally Badarou, Canadian synthesizer programmer John Lewis (who died of AIDS in 1985) and Brigit Novik, the backing vocalist.
In the late Sixties Scott studied at Croydon Art College, with Jamie Reid and Malcolm MacLaren. MacLaren introduced him to Vivienne Westwood, with whom he later co-wrote 'The Bride of fortune' which will feature in Scott's forthcoming catalogue release 'Life Class'.
The 12-inch single version was notable for the B-side having a double groove such that the two tracks ("Pop Muzik" and "M Factor") both started at the outer edge of the record and finished in the middle (with a long silence at the end of "M Factor" since the track was the shorter of the two). This resulted in a fairly random selection of tracks.
"Pop Muzik" was re-released in remixed form several times, first in 1989. Other remixes and remakes recorded by other artists have come from all sides since its creation, including Marcus' "Pop Muzic 2001", eX-Girl in 2001, and by Junior Vasquez and the Dub Pistols in 2003.
A dance remix of the original M track by Steve Osborne was used by U2 during the introduction to each concert on their 1997-1998 PopMart Tour. The remix was later released as the "Pop Mart Mix" on U2's "Last Night on Earth" single, with new vocals by Bono and slightly altered lyrics.
source [Wikipedia] and http://www.robinscott.org
Always wondered what happened to Brigit. This was one of the two recoeds I ever bought, the other was Lene Lovich's "Lucky Number." Nice blog by the way.
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