Eddie Grants "Electric Avenue"

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When I hear "Electric Avenue" (good) it automatically
reminds me of "Break My Stride" (atrocious) by Matthew Wilder.

"I sailed away to China/In a little rowboat to find ya"

I'd rather stick a bear cub in my butt and throw rocks at its
mother than hear "Break My Stride."

Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:51 (nineteen years ago) link

I LOVE "Break My Stride"!!!! I think there's been a remix of it, actually

I heard the recent crappy Elec. Ave remix on the ferry from Calais to Dover and thought the same thing.. "they couldn't break this song"

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:58 (nineteen years ago) link

I love the bit in The Church's cover of "It's All Too Much" when Kilbey breaks into "Electric Avenue" for no particular reason

Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 18 February 2005 18:19 (nineteen years ago) link

"Electric Avenue" is cool, but on that album "Walking on Sunshine" (not the Katrina & the Waves song) kills.

Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Friday, 18 February 2005 18:24 (nineteen years ago) link

I saw on that electronic music myths thread where Ned mentioned "Don't You Want Me" and "Tainted Love" as his 'roots', well, I'd concur, but right up there with those two bellwethers is this song. I think, even though it came out a year later, this thing sounded even *more* otherworldly to my young ears in 1983.

Totally agree, but that's because those two earlier hits were both kinda pedestrian and straightforward, synth-effectswise. Fewer sci-fi whooshes and whatnot. (Not to say that they aren't good songs, understand.)

Speaking of Casey Kasem, I remember another anecdote he related back in '83. Seems that the young (REALLY young, long before the Equals) Eddy Grant and his friends despised that new musik called rock n' roll when it was first stirring up a storm in England. And for whatever reason, maybe as a form of protest, they decided to attend a much-hyped London concert, in their school uniforms, just so they could stand their with folded arms in obvious disapproval. And wouldn't you know, after a few numbers they got swept up in the excitement and had a great time and were rock fans by the time they left the concert hall. What performer was incendiary enough to have made such an impression on Eddy & his friends? BILL HALEY & his Comets! True story. (Casey Kasem said so, and Casey don't lie!)

Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 18 February 2005 19:07 (nineteen years ago) link

And for whatever reason, maybe as a form of protest, they decided to attend a much-hyped London concert, in their school uniforms, just so they could stand their with folded arms in obvious disapproval.

gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 18 February 2005 19:10 (nineteen years ago) link

I've always wanted to know: what does he sing at the very end of this song? It sounds like:

"Rockin' in the DAY-time!
Rockin' in the night!
Rockin' in the Yuckteepamommy!"

Joe (Joe), Saturday, 19 February 2005 03:16 (nineteen years ago) link

It's his tribute to William Faulkner.

Ken L (Ken L), Saturday, 19 February 2005 03:39 (nineteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...
Interesting fact about the "Electric Avenue" in Venice

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association estimates that there are over 7.2 million RVs currently on the road, and about 1 million of these are occupied by full time RVers, meaning drivers without a permanent address. This phenomena underscores a cultural shift away from permanence to a more nomadic lifestyle dependent on a flexible infrastructure of cellular phones and satellite Internet, as well as a growing network of RV parks catering to a mobile populace. The full time RVer is not limited to the stereotypical senior citizen, it is a diverse group of drivers, many employed in normal jobs but preferring the independence, flexibility of a mobile residency.

The effect of this new mobile class is now being felt in the California cities of Venice, Santa Monica, and West Los Angeles, which have become popular magnets for campers seeking the comforts of coastal living. Boasting some of the most expensive real estate in the United States, these coastal cities have priced out most people from purchasing property in the vicinity of the bleach. However, living within blocks of the beach is still a possibility for the average person with an RV. This economic dichotomy has made Los Angeles one of the first cities to have to grapple with the desire of some of its residents to live on the streets full time, in their automobiles. Electric Avenue in Venice is one such street, with free parking available amongst the expensive new artist lofts; it is frequently occupied by up to half a dozen RVs each night.

Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 15 March 2005 08:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Such a great song. When it came out, my little brother was like 2 or 3, and he loved it and made us put it on over and over. We had a little decorative grove of trees out front of our suburban/rural house, with cedar chips and stuff, and my brother somehow decided that was Electric Avenue, so for years afterward that was a reference point -- "Where'd you leave the lawn chairs?" "Oh, they're in Electric Avenue."

gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 15 March 2005 08:41 (nineteen years ago) link

"I Don't Wanna Dance" was a lot better.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 15 March 2005 09:23 (nineteen years ago) link

hahaha

j blount (papa la bas), Sunday, 20 March 2005 18:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Good lord, that's amazing!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 20 March 2005 18:50 (nineteen years ago) link

Elrond busting out "ROCKING IN MIAMI, MY MOMMY' during the Council scene = surely the Ring would have had another fate.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 20 March 2005 18:51 (nineteen years ago) link

when i was in S.Africa a few years ago, they played a techno remix of this every five minutes on the radio. that and lincoln park. good times

The JaXoN 5 (JasonD), Monday, 21 March 2005 06:15 (nineteen years ago) link

Eddie Grant wrote Prince Buster's "Rough Rider" in 1968, later covered by the Beat.

late adopter, Monday, 21 March 2005 08:15 (nineteen years ago) link

-- Everybody Wants to Rule the Curt1sss (curtis.stephen...), March 20th, 2005.


hahaha
-- j blount (jamesbloun...), March 20th, 2005.


Good lord, that's amazing!
-- Ned Raggett

What's amazing? Could somebody explain the joke to me? (Pref. slowly and w/no big words!)

Myonga Von Baffled (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 21 March 2005 10:18 (nineteen years ago) link

I didn't get it at first either. But now that I've had my few hours sleep and looked at it again, I think they are supposed to look like each other. And they do,

Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 21 March 2005 11:46 (nineteen years ago) link

three years pass...

It was a home-made Pineapple Mellotron.

-- Speedhump Bungle (noodle vague), Thursday, February 17, 2005 10:46 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Link

prophetic, considering that this song is in pineapple express and all ...

Eisbaer, Friday, 29 August 2008 05:29 (fifteen years ago) link

It still rocks the party when I play it out.

moley, Friday, 29 August 2008 05:31 (fifteen years ago) link

there's a line in this song that sounds like
"deep in my heart i abhor ya"
which always seemed like an awesome thing to say, but some lyrics websites say that it's "i'm a warrior"
which one is it?

velko, Friday, 29 August 2008 05:36 (fifteen years ago) link

sounds like "deep in my heart I am warrior"
since he mentions working hard like a soldier in the beginning of the verse

El Tomboto, Friday, 29 August 2008 05:39 (fifteen years ago) link

that makes sense, still a badass song

velko, Friday, 29 August 2008 05:56 (fifteen years ago) link

Damn, I always thought it was 'abhor ya' too

moley, Friday, 29 August 2008 06:22 (fifteen years ago) link

sounds wayyyy more like "abhor ya"

ledge, Friday, 29 August 2008 08:19 (fifteen years ago) link

for one thing a brit would never pronounce it "war-ya"

ledge, Friday, 29 August 2008 08:20 (fifteen years ago) link

Not that Eddy Grant is a Brit.

I've always heard it as "abhor ya" in the same way that he sings "you're a bastard, just like Pharaoh" on "War Party" rather than "you're a bad star."

Marcello Carlin, Friday, 29 August 2008 08:26 (fifteen years ago) link

well I don't know what's on his passport but he's lived here long enough to have more than a hint of britspeak.

ledge, Friday, 29 August 2008 08:32 (fifteen years ago) link

He's not saying "bastard"?!

Doctor Casino, Friday, 29 August 2008 12:48 (fifteen years ago) link

donut OTM btw:

BOY!! B-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-E-E-E-E-E-ERRRRRR

Doctor Casino, Friday, 29 August 2008 12:48 (fifteen years ago) link

One of my friends live on Electric Avenue, and another lives in a house in Hackney owned by Eddie Grant! What are the chances...

chap, Friday, 29 August 2008 12:53 (fifteen years ago) link

two years pass...

cause you're a passport just like pharaoh

Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 03:58 (thirteen years ago) link

OUT IN THE STREETS

slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 05:26 (thirteen years ago) link

if you're going to go through the trouble rocking all the way down to electric avenue, I don't think you need to take it any higher.

akm, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 05:32 (thirteen years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc7n45m4VTc

song destroyed

frogbs, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 13:13 (thirteen years ago) link

So many 80s videos featured someone standing up only to FALL THROUGH THE WATER FLOOR.

OUT ON THE PLAYGROUND.

And Vienna's Calling.

http://tinyurl.com/vroooo0ooooom (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 15:33 (thirteen years ago) link

three years pass...

they used a prophet 5 and a linn lm-1

analogsynthmuseum, Sunday, 31 August 2014 13:35 (nine years ago) link


Grindcore band Anal Cunt covered the beginning of the song on track "Eddy Grant" from their 1994 album Everyone Should Be Killed.

Mark G, Monday, 1 September 2014 07:53 (nine years ago) link


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