A Different Approach to the Music of the 1980's

* Discovered?
Sure they were signed, but who knew?

* Going Solo, Going Nowhere!
The restless one's who leave behind their bandmates to briefly go it alone.

* Long forgotten one-hit wonders

* What is local?
Checking in on unsigned talent.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

YIPES!! How Did We Wind Up Here?

Happy New Year to all of you who have made your way here either in the past or now, for the first time. As we usher in a new year, I thought I might take you back to the beginning of a new decade. Alright, twenty-nine years ago it was a new decade. Unbeknownst to me then, it had become a decade that I would often defer to musically, and almost thirty years later make a valiant attempt at briefly educating other's in a subject I have come to receive an imaginary PhD in; the "Unknown 80's."

It was not until 1981 when I had accidentally stumbled across this 1980 release by a band that hailed from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Musically clueless; a condition you will find noted on this site repeatedly, I was still in the judge a book by it's cover state of mind. Generally, the bland coloring on this, their second album cover, tied in with the simplistic name of the band would have made for an instant turn-off, had I not flipped the cover over to peruse the album's contents. Stop right there, my musically uneducated mind commanded! Is that Darlin' listed on side two? Darlin' as in the Wilson/Love Darlin' made famous by The Beach Boys? This called for an immediate spin on WNYT Radio's production studio turntable, an easy task as I was already in that very space perusing the soon to be discarded records along the back wall. The space had been inexplicably reserved for albums no longer considered for radio station airplay. Most of those that had found their way to this lowly were there for good reason. This particular record however was a gem, a true piece of gold haphazardly deposited amongst the wasteland of Fool's Gold. Admittedly, had it not been for the accidental finding of a Beach Boys remake here, this musical treasure may forever have remained buried. As the album would surely not be missed, I took it home on a permanent loan basis where it now resides safely amongst the records on my back wall, a place I return to often.

The Official Story:
From Wikipedia:

Front man McCurdy was influenced at an early age by the first appearance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. After teaching himself guitar and participating in several high school bands, he went on to front Yipes! in the late 1970s. Often described as a power pop or New Wave band, Yipes! enjoyed some moderate success after being signed to RCA/Millennium in 1978. However, the label dropped the band after only a few years.


From TrouserPress.com:

Wisconsin's Yipes! first appeared on Big Hits of Mid-America Vol. 3, the watershed Twin/Tone compilation. Their two albums are filled with sprightly, hard-edged power pop given distinction by energetic, cliché-free music, witty songs and Pat McCurdy's expressive, gangly vocals. What makes Yipes! worthwhile is their spirit of good fun, an avoidance of obvious derivativeness and well-conveyed enthusiasm.


Although I have chosen not to feature "The Ballad of Rudolf Kaiser" in this go around, I do feel the need to highlight just a bit of the quirky lyrical witticism that is Pat McCurdy.

The Ballad of Rudolf Kaiser (Einstein)
Hey Mr. Einstein brilliant as a man can be
Messing with the universe, thinking scientifically
Well, if you're so smart
Why is your daughter hanging around with me?
Hey Mr. Einstein it don't mean that much to me
If matter isn't relative or MC squared don't equal E
And my one track mind says
Your little girl was meant for me

Pat McCurdy continues to make music and tour today. Visit his website at www.patmccurdy.com/, where you can secure your own copy of this long lost treasure along with several of Mr. McCurdy's other musical contributions. Now go ahead and hit the play button below, remove yourself from the New Year and take it back twenty-nine years to the burgeoning of a new decade musically. Thanks again for dropping by. Make sure to leave a comment on your way out, then pass along the word.
See ya next month!

Morty!
Jan. 2009