My Favorite Obscurity
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:
Comments
OMG, someone else has heard of Chilliwack! My favorite tune of theirs is "Arms of Mary" from the LP Lights from the Valley.
Posted by: Vince O'Connor | February 2, 2008 1:48 PM
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...
Posted by: jason | February 2, 2008 1:51 PM
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...
Posted by: Ilya Burlak | February 3, 2008 2:23 PM
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...
Posted by: jason | February 3, 2008 2:59 PM