See! Here I am!

Greg Vandike only released a few singles, and none of them went anywhere (the only one that even kind of went somewhere was “Clone” from 1979, and all it seems to do is appear on equally obscure compilations of new wave music.) However, they rank in my own assessment as some of the finest undiscovered pop gems — Mr. Vandike simply must have not been well connected, because I think they beat the pants off of the comtemporary efforts of a shrill, angry Gary Numan. The lyrics are quite inventive and at times extremely endearing, especially in his song “Marie Celeste”. The lyrics are a series of metaphors related to boats and the sea in general, as it relates to a relationship with a girl. It feels like an inspired mix of John Foxx and Squeeze. When the “water water everywhere” stanza of “Marie Celeste” kicks in, the song reaches a level of greatness that makes you wonder why this wasn’t a hit.

• click to play: Greg Vandike — Marie Celeste

Or why anything else he released wasn’t a hit. After a few more singles (some of which I own, some of which I am still trying to find), his success in releasing music commercially ceased. Little else is known about him other than that he’s from Plymouth in Devon and is related to a musical family which included his mother June Marlow, who sang the jingle for a “Fry’s Turkish Delight” advert.

He died unexpectedly in March 2007, too, just a few months before I had discovered his music. His Myspace profile remains stuck in time and a reminder of how the internet, and recorded media in general, leaves behind a fairly haunting reminder of past existence. I am not much of a believer in heaven or hell, but I wonder if Greg would have thought in a million years that people from across the world would still be enjoying what he made even after his death, singles seemingly left to rot in obscurity?

Obscurity, thankfully, does not mean total oblivion. He will be remembered, even if by a few.

• The Monochrome Set — On The 13th Day

Corrugated horse flesh candy in lime marmalade
Dolphin heads in aspic with a butterfly brocade

Venus fly-trap tigers of a tin-foil tapestry
Timber moles in mustard, warbling in a minor key

Another band that has an enriching early history is INXS. Their second single, “Just Keep Walking”, is a lovely mix of XTC (their big influence, apparently), mixed with what feels like Thin Lizzy and Television. Michael Hutchence’s voice resembles the Michael Hutchence the superstar, but only slightly. It’s a light and charming pop single, and lacks pretentiousness like its sophomoric British-Antipodean sisters U2. It sounds a lot like Australia is. By the early 80’s, there were few bands in Britain content to hammer out simpler songs like this, and one usually has to look down under for a latency that keeps the whole post-punk ‘thing’ in perspective.