The Associates- Party Fears Two (First Listen)
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
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Song Link: • The Associates-Party F...
I'm from Dundee, Scotland (where Billy Mackenzie the singer formed The Associates). We are very proud of Billy and the band here. This is an unexpected treat to hear you give a listen and review. I always felt Billy was a cross between Peter Hammill and David Bowie. Cheers from Dundee
Exactly! Dundee legend
Listen to the rhythm devine yellow Shirley bassey later sung by Billy.
Billy's an original... iconic. His style reminds me of Klaus Nomi. Cheggitout! 💖💖💖
Love the emotion in Billy's voice, this was always a special song to me as a kid in 80s Edinburgh
Greetings Johnny ! I love Billy, his divine vox and this great album... 40 y in my mind !!
I'm ok with your greatest voices trio ! " No " is my all times favorite track !
Even after 40 years it still sounds fresh.
It sounds almost futuristic , let alone fresh
Billy Mackenzie has one of the most phenomenal voices I've ever heard. As a performer he was very charismatic too.
I have soft spot for this song, poor Billy tragically took his own life, and I can’t hear the song without feeling a pang of sorrow for him.
It makes me sad to think about it.x
@@Kitcat363 Listen to The Cures "Cut Here". Robert Smiths heartbreaking regret of not taking the time to speak to Billy the last time he saw him.....
I remember when this was first released, it was like "What the hell is this?" swiftly followed by "who cares, this is brilliant."
@Richard_Jones I heard it for the first time a month ago and believe me ! It hits exactly the same to this day ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT
Billy has the voice of an angel and many many admirers within the music business.. you must do Country Club from the Sulk album but you may also find the albums after this one and his solo albums more to your liking. His vocal range and breath control is outstanding and only got better as his career progressed. He was an artist like no other - the voice and the cheeky lyrics make him a much underrated musical genius. Getting to know Billy can seriously enrich your life.
His voice is amazing indeed, and i would recommend another hit single from them, "Club Country". It's from the same album, i think you'll like it too!!!
Love this song. "AWAAAAKE MEEEEEE"!!!!
You can tell this is Scottish just by the accent of the instruments! True.
This song never did anything for me in the 80's. Now I can't get enough of it. His voice is domineering the whole song. Thats how a song should be. Awake me!
In 2010 I was obsessed with this song for 2 months. The texture. The pain! The beauty! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Yes. Yes! YES! The Associates were like no-one else. Even in a deceptively poppy song as this, they sounded like they could careen out of control at any moment, like an amusement park ride being ripped out of its moorings. Of course Billy's vocals added to the atmosphere of barely contained chaos. It's kinda amazing that a song as wild as this was a TOP 10 UK hit.
Justinus, if you want to hear something much more minimalistic from the Associates, I would recommend White Car In Germany - possibly the chilliest song ever, like a monolith carved out of permafrost. It is magnificent but possibly not for everyone.
Hey, keep taking care and staying safe. This craziness is bound to end at some point.
great description
Billy Mackenzie was a fantastic singer. He had a 4 octave range. This was a brilliant song written in 77 if I recall but wasn't released until 82 because the band knew it didn't fit in until the new romantic genre became popular. Post punk. Billy, died tragically young, he will always be remembered for being perhaps one of the greatest singers who very people know about these days. Great song. Rest in peace, Billy Mackenzie, you were an amazing singer.
You know Alan Rankine died in his sleep on Christmas day?
There has never been a song like it before...nor since. Billy had a voice that was truly angelic, a real one-off and could pretty much do anything. There's a reason why Andrew Lloyd Webber wanted to use him for years and equally, why Billy refused. May I recommend the live version of 'Wild is the wind' in the STV studios to see what he could do with a truly, difficult song. Bowie did a great cover of it, but Mackenzie smashed it. The man is still greatly missed.
great song. Billy McKenzie had a great voice.
The sad thing is that Billy (usually just Bill to his friends) committed suicide due to his depression and his mother dying. He also had a bit of a drink problem (I guess this song was a bit of "write what you know") but the suicide is doubly sad because he had a lot of friends in the music industry who could have helped him. Bill had one of those great "I don't give a s^*t, I'm going to throw as much modulation at it as I can" voices. Talking about great strange voices, try Roger Chapman, starting with Family, then Streetwalkers, then his solo stuff. And if Bill had a "Let's throw lots of modulation at it" voice, then Roger has a "Let's throw lots of vibrato at it" voice. Still gigging at 78 (or would be if Covid wasn't about!)
Lol Tolhurst of The Cure spoke very fondly of him
This is British 80,s you will never get even close. Love from Glasgow 🇬🇧
One of if not the best song ever released in the 1980’s, Billy’s haunting voice the amazing chord progression and the keys make this a song your ears were made for
Great song brilliant band, Billy is sadly missed
And Alan.
It was 1981 and he nailed it. RIP Billy
:) Good to see the dude from my Home Town is still drawing in an audience.
Billy MacKenzie RIP.
This is scorched into me. I love it . Us Celts do have dark dubious relationship with alcohol . I know . Only too well . I am a Celt . A Scot . My Grandad was a violent alcoholic . This song makes me cry . It is amazing . It is profound. Thankyou for highlighting it .
❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴will never get fed up with this song! Been listening to it since it was first released! It was ahead of it’s time! RIP Billy 🥰
There were a lot of people trying to imitate the Associates for a while, and they _were_ pretenscious, because they were trying too hard and putting it on. Bands like A Flock of Seagulls and Heaven 17 and Ultravox, although their song Vienna is also remarkable for the atmosphere it conveys. A lot of people doing vogueing before voguing, trying to look expensively dressed and mysterious. Party Fears Two was a happy accident of writing that enabled Billy McKenzie to show off what he could do. He was anything but pretenscious, being humble to the point of shyness, so much so that he retired himself from pop fame as fast as he could. Some people also seem to read him as being a diva, in terms of being both perfectionist and easily bored, because he was having so many musical ideas all the time and wanted to move on to the next lyric or melody as quickly as possible, and performing his best work to his dogs instead of in a recording studio in a focussed way.
This song is wonderfully insane. Over the top, melodramatic vocals and fabulous keyboard melody. But then I like Peter Hammill, Bowie blah blah.
Billy had an amazing control on his voice.
Awesome band!! trippy stuff. He is overly dramatic on this one (in a good sense), really talented singer. Check "Amused as always", "Paper House", "No", "Skipping", "White Car in Germany" and SPECIALLY "Kitchen Person" wich is a mad banger of a song
R.I.P Alan ranking,,,1958/2023
Phenomenal song. I had a cassette version featuring 2 different versions of the album. Both were fantastic.
The late great Billy Mackenzie. Miss him.
Still miss Billy so much, he was just a beautiful and talented man.
Associates Party Fears Two entered the UK Top 40 on the 20th February and peaked at no.9.
The top ten this week was...
1 - Tight Fit - The lion sleeps tonight
2 - Toni Basil - Mickey
3 - Haircutt 100 - Love plus one
4 - Fun Boy Three/Bananarama - It ain't what you do
5 - J. Geils Band - Centerfold
6 - Jam - A town called malice
7 - Depeche Mode - See you
8 - Iron Maiden - Run to the hills
9 - Soft Cell - Say hello, wave goodbye
10 - Bow Wow Wow - Go wild in the country
Other selected tracks from this week's Top 40 included...
ABC - Poison arrow
Adam & The Ants - Deutscher girls
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid of Orleans
Stranglers - Golden brown
Madness - Cardiac arrest
Adrian Gurvitz - Classic
Daryl Hall & John Oates - I can't go for that
Kraftwerk - The model
Imagination - Just an illusion
XTC - Senses working overtime
Meatloaf - Dead ringer
Associates - Party fears two
One of my favourite weeks for music in the 1980s. Have fun with this list if you dare x
OK, so I was a teenager at the time, so I'm bound to be biased, but what an outstanding list of acts from so many different musical styles. And so typical of the UK charts to have the rubbishy novelty track at no. 1. Classic line-up, thanks for that. I would be in 'old-f**t' territory to say singles aren't what they used to be, but I can't see the same wide variety of styles in modern charts.
Some really good stuff there - and some Crap !! - Ah Memories !!
Have to agree with you on this one.Such variety and innovation. A pop year unsurpassed.
@@zzkiplington Hard to believe that I liked at the time and still like six of the top ten singles! Maybe a record; pun half intended!
@@MisAnnThorpe love em all
Billy MacKenzie's singing and also visual performance was perfectly in place for 1982, slightly neurotic but with a colourful texture that wasn't overly present in 1981, and for sure if 1981 was the year of thoughtful socially conscious tracks, 1982 felt like a year of celebration fireworks and pots of colourful paint being dashed all over the place lol x.
I love his voice I saw him live in 85 he was brilliant.
It got me on the first listen too - all the way back in 1982 - and subsequent listens turned this song into an obsession for me.
R.I.P. Associates co-founder Alan Rankine who noe joins fellow bandmate Billy MacKenzie 😞
Justin, you're absolutely right about Billy Mackenzie's exaggerated singing (who sounds almost like a parody of David Bowie in his most pompous moments) but anyway he was a talented and original singer ! nevertheless "Party Fears Two" is not my favorite track from the Associates because I find the melody a little too sweet for my taste.
Note that the bass is played by The Cure former bassist Michael Dempsey, who also provides great bass parts on the tracks "Club Country" and "It's Better This Way" on the same album.
It was mind blowing and unique at the time so can’t imagine what today’s generation will make of this. Features Martha Ladly from Martha and Muffins on keyboards too. 😎🎸
Love this song, loved 1982 :)
The Associates are LEGEND!
They were a good 80's band, this was played a lot on the radio at the time. The Divine Comedy did a good cover of this song. Glad to hear this again.
The Divine Comedy version was the one that introduced me to the Associates (though their music is giving me a hard time, really eccentric). So if Justin enjoyed this, he should check out The Divine Comedy, one of those unique indie acts/artists that's really criminally underrated.
@@murdockreviews You're not wrong, a great band, I love Neil Hannon's voice.
@@markspooner1224 yes. Great voice!
I’d love some reactions to Divine Comedy - I saw Neil Hannon live recently and he’s great live. A true original and full of ideas.
@@dawnivison7678 i truly envy you. Would love to to see the man in concert.
I love this song it’s haunting god bless billy x
Classic New Romantic track!
Loved this song since it came out. So hooky!
Excellent vid
Regards from
Dundee👍🏻
Beautiful yet haunting song, billy your vocals are incredible. Amazing star who's light was taken too early. Rip billy
Never really heard these guys. Sounds like they took Bowie’s New Romantic sensibilities, added some Peter Hammill and drove it into the ground. Love the vocals.
18 Carat Love Affair is one of the best songs ever written and performed, ngl.
I once met Billy MacKenize in a gay pub in Edinburgh 30 years ago. The pub was empty, and he came over with his cute dogs and I recognized him but I couldn't say anything cos it woulda been crap. But I knew who he was. And he knew that I knew who he was. But it was fine. I never saw him again.
Scottish indie music of the 80s has some amazing stuff waiting for you. We did good, back in the day
Orange Juice, anyone?
@@murdockreviews Jesus and Mary Chain "April Skies" - ring tone on my mobile phone
@@keithwright8626 🤘
The wonderful Cocteau Twins.
I remember hearing this song when it was in the UK singles chart. I was a musically unsophisticated 16 year old and absolutely hated the vocals. Subsequently, I've come to appreciate Billy's vocal gymnastics and the left-field pop of their songs.
He sounds like Peter Hammill more than anyone else.
IIRC, he did claim a Hammill influence.
Billies voice was amazing....such a sad loss.
"Rangkin" is a pronunciation I've heard of that surname.
Great theatrics in the lyrics (including the melodrama of it all) - the strains in some of the notes show the nervousness being told of directly. No, it's not "good" singing (in a quotidian, "safe" kind of way), but it's interesting, which is better. And in the little blemishes of someone's voice (as with the little blemishes in their faces) lies the humanity. That which is trowelled over all smooth starts becoming manufactured (or maniquined? ... I want to make up a word like that -- for the ceramic humans sold to us by the image vendors).
(From the point of view of my own little obsession, it makes me think of the badly remembered incident in which Tim Smith quietly listened to some record company _suit_ "advising" some singer he knew, and then pulled the singer aside and told him - quite forcefully, from what I recall of the story - not to listen to Them. Because you're good enough just the way you are. Because the genuine you is just as good as the improved you the people polishers can make out of your mere flesh and bone. And this goes for voices as well as faces and bodies and accents and quirks ... etc. Don't believe them. It's not what'll decide whether you become a marketable product or not.)
Yes, it's odd, and so unique, and thus not easy to calibrate against something that follows whatever has become the "standard" (it's just a fashion, but we have a tendency to standardise, that makes it seem something more than that), so it takes more time to get familiar with a song like this on its own terms than with one that gives you all sorts of references back to that which has become familiar to you (because for some or other reason it sold well some years ago, largely), so good on you for not rushing to a "final judgement" on it.
I'll try to hide the "ugly" singing (it's not) with all its rough edged humanities poking out of it all over the place that they went in for in a "reply". (Not that that would be easier to ignore than is this TLDR; :-) , but it's the thought that counts. )
Bonus (a mix of trained traditional singing - beautiful; and rough and hearty hearthland singing - also beautiful). *Abandoned Lighthouse* ua-cam.com/video/zlvOoYyg_xU/v-deo.html
(with a touching touch of of stage fright to further animate things)
A nice pop tune about alcoholism. Influenced by Roxy Music, three of them being on Roxy’s Avalon videos. Martha, of Martha and the Muffins was on the video playing the piano. The voice is an exaggeration of Ferry.
MacKenzie's voice is obviously hugely influenced by Bowie but I can at time hear Shirley Bassey in there too. Can't hear any Ferry but can definitely hear a Roxy Music influence in some of the Associates' music.
Forget the lyrics this song sounds brilliant … love it.
Oh, and how could I forget the song, Breakfast? One of the most exquisitely beautiful yet macabre songs ever? An absolute must hear!
You really need to do a reaction video to their other song, 'Club Country' That one will send you flying, man!
Even though I'm late to this party, thanks for reviewing this phenomenal track on one of my favourite albums of the 1980s. So sad that we lost Billy MacKenzie so young, and just recently, Alan Rankine. Appreciate your take on this, 42 years after its release.
Justin, wow, The Associates! I love that you reacted to an Associates song. They were one of my favorites and I have a lot of their music. I think Billy's voice is great if underappreciated by most. Their cover of Blondie's Heart of Glass is incredible. The Perhaps album is breathtaking: Those First Impressions, Schampout, Waiting For the Loveboat, and especially The Best of You are must hears. However my favorite Associates song is Something's Got to Give from the Wild and Lonely album. Such great great stuff. Thanks for reacting to an Associates song, I believe this may be a UA-cam first!
These were part of the New Pop sound coming out of Scotland in the early 80’s, along with their contemporaries Orange Juice, Simple Minds, Aztec Camera, Josef K etc.
this was the album full version you reviewed, totally different from the released single.
this version (album) captures the drama that flowed through the rest of the album through songs like skipping.
believe me when i say that there was no other operatic vocalist around in the early eighties that could sing like that bar annie lennox and liz fraser in my view.
thanks for posting.
This song brings back so many memories of the early 80's. Back then I just loved the tune. When I actually got round to buying this album in the late 80's, I started to understand the depth and dark sentiment of the song more. I like McKenzie's voice, although I don;t think I ever got through the whole album in one sitting. He does sound a little like Matt Bellamy, but also Peter Hammill, with a bit of Fish (Marillion) thrown in - with a Bowie influence. The early 80's was a great time for pop in the UK.
Whole album is brilliant
Thanks Justin. Club Country and Fire to Ice for me
Sounds familiar but I think it's a first listen for me. Nice song and choice. Thx.
Their earlier stuff is absolutely mental with even more outrageous vocals and extremely experimental.But another hit of this album Club Country is fantastic.I loved them but they are like marmite.Visualy they were very appealing to the ladies as well.And some guys also lol.Also the Cure song Cut Here is about Mackenzie.
You don't seem to get it. But , hey , yesssssss . Opera . Sooo true . Yes . I'm tapping as I go through . So , ypu said . Come to Scotland .😁😁♡.
My favourite song
This song immediately grabbed my attention the first time I heard it in 1982 when I was 12 years old. That keyboard riff has always stayed with me and it's very haunting. Billy Mackenzie had an amazing voice and could hit some serious notes. Club Country is another one that had the same impact on me and that came out shortly after Party Fears Two. It's only after rediscovering this song in 2017 that I understood the lyrics.
I've watched a few reaction videos to this song. You are the first to mention the piano. For me, party feels two is all about mckenzies etheral voice and the perfect piano riff, which i agree doesn't get tiring to listen to.
Whippets for Sale.
Didn't know of that band. But nice discovery. Although I'm not fond of the arrangements, the voice is incredible and the melody is great.
Great album from 1982 with Billys amazing voice. Check out Skpping and Country Club, too.
"No"!
@@MisAnnThorpe Yes! 😀
For some of us, this never gets tiring.
If you really like this song, you are my friend.
I remember this voice. So.......I shouldn't leave a "thumbs down", right? (and I love the early eighties, some of my favorite years in music) How about Simple Minds "New Gold Dream"? or that last line reminded me of Ultravox: "All Stood Still"
Haha exactly!
Literally everyone I know (we're in our 50's now ) loves this ,along with Club Country and others. As an aside , I think Morrissey had a fling with Billy and William it's really Nothing has something to do with their relationship
I loved this when if first came out. They produced good music ,shame Billy took his own life .
Yeah, it sounded like it was from another planet when it came out.
He did some work with Yello a bit later, but if you want to hear his voice at it's best, The track Breakfast is the one you want due to both the performance and the sparseness of the backing track.
Maybe for a fun moment! Usually the vocals mean a lot to me. I can’t get into Rush specifically because of his vocal styles. So I probably wouldn’t seek them out
I feel the same about Rush and Yes. I know they are great musically but the vocals really ruin it for me.
Interesting...I like Geddy's and Jon's vocals but not Billy's.
Some trivia: the other half of the associates, Alan Rankine, produced Cocteau Twins "Pepermint Pig" ep in 1982. Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie simply hated it with all of their forces. This was the main cause that Cocteau Twins never brought again a producer for its records, producing the records themselves until the end of their careers
Simon Raymonde also produced Billy Mackenzies posthumous album Beyond the Sun which is great.
It's an example of the well produced commercial radio fodder that was around in the 80's - I remembered it as soon as it began playing , but it's worth noting that I hadn't given it a single thought since it's airtime was discontinued !! Try something by The Smiths
Interestingly enough the Smiths track William , it was really nothing was written about Billy MacKenzie from the Associates.
@@sspsfivefivefive Wow - I had no idea !! - I always liked the track - Cheers !!
@@jonsey156 and this was Billy's response to Morrisey ua-cam.com/video/vb3KOdhDkF8/v-deo.html&feature=emb_logo
@@Parmigiano502 Thanks for the link ! - To be quite honest the track was quite forgettable - guess you need to be a fan to appreciate it - Cheers !
@@jonsey156 ha ha, I can honestly say as a fan... its bloody awful...I always took it as Billy taking the mick out of Morrisey and was never a 'serious' take.
Better with the video.🌹👍
Quite simply one of the most original and beautiful voices in pop ever,"where theres love" from the Wild and Lonely album is pure emotional beauty,and his work never disappoints,right up to the truly spectacular album "beyond the sun" released after his death.
Thanks so much for playing in full .listen to (the rhythm device) yellow Billy on vocals
I rushed out and bought the 12" single when I first heard it in 1981. It sounded like something from the future - amazing !
I keep confusing this name with The Association so I keep expecting a mid 60s sunshine pop band.
This is alright. I wouldn't buy it but if it showed up for free in my iTunes account I would be okay about it. I am okay with his voice. I have listened to far worse, heck I like Frank Ifield's cover of "I remember you" and that is a bit out there.
Good review.
The Association had superb harmonies and one of the great anti-war songs of the Vietnam era..".Requiem for the Masses"
Good choice. Still hope you get to the bands Big Audio Dynamite and Siouxsie and the Banshees one day.
PMSL...you utter so and so!!!... can't believe you put my surname through google ha ha...good God man, it's 5 letters, dread to think how you'd pronounce 'pizza'...no wonder you found 'Gerald' problematical, still you did better than my dental nurse who called me Mr. 50221...anyway...yes mate, my recommendation was all about introducing you to Billy Mackenzie, but the Associates are a cracking band to get into, far more complex then you would give credit for based on PF2...Billy was an enigmatic, tragic and troubled soul who took the rock'n'roll route out of this mortal plain...and the 'Party' was Billy himself and his fear of being in a 'two' or relationship...but its all about his voice and I knew it would capture your attention...but you shouldn't be thinking classical here, because he would often perform at venues like Ronnie Scotts in London, so jazz and those are the live performances you should look for ...thank you so much Justin, means a lot....at least I can pronounce your surname...*picks up my girlfriends metaphorical hand bag, todays colour is cerisse, tosses head in diva like fashion and exits stage left*
Haha ty Mario!😅
I remember the Associates ftom the 80s, great times. X
Look up Bono s thoughts on Billy McKenzie ......on you tube . A one off
Look for this party fears two. With the goth woman on it. And lyrics. By the way this song has been played millions of times at parties with songs like tom hark the piranhas and lip up fatty. Bad manners
Club Country was the one
For the first time ever, I went into a song as blindly as you (I had never even heard about the band). It felt kind of refreshing to be able to do that.
Its fun isn't it?!😄
Headed towards Klaus Nomi territory, which is fine. Maybe do some Klaus. Not necessarily my kind of music but, it’s part of history so it’s good to hear. I didn’t know anything about them till Mario mentioned them earlier with a link... saw the video then so, I wasn’t totally ignorant.
Glad for Mario.
Hi David. Your name-checking of Klaus Nomi reminds me that he featured a few times on the soundtrack to the recent TV series We Are Who We Are (a coming of age drama set on a US military base in Italy).
What a nice bloke you are David, cheers mate...so, my first job was in a hotel, and I can name drop for the UK, and without a shadow of doubt, the most down to earth and genuinely sincerest celebrity I ever met was Klaus Nomi who stayed at the hotel when he performed on the 'Old Grey Whistle Test', and who joined the staff after a late shift down the nearest club in Oxford Street, sans his theatrical gear I hasten to add. Just a really sweet guy and we were all saddened when he passed away a couple of years later...so it was around the time he released 'Total Eclipse' that the Associates came onto my radar but it was before PF2...interesting that JP mentioned 'classical' but it was Nomi who was classically themed , whereas Billy was more jazz influenced. Hope you are doing well David, look after yourself.
@@Parmigiano502
Wow, great Klaus connection story. He certainly was unique and left far too soon. Take care also and congrats again.
@@gaiaeternal5131
Cool, I look for it.
Interesting to see Peter Hammill pop up in the comments here. I love Billy and Peter for their passion and dedication to the song...right, I'm off to watch your 'A Louse is not a home' first listen! Thanks!
On bass: Michael Dempsey, The Cure's original bassist 🙂
Matt Bellamy is exactly whom I had in mind!
Check out what Bono said about Billy
Always loved that little harpsichord-like riff, especially when the celestial voices kick in. A tiny ray of light in era populated almost exclusively by flounciness. I don't think Billy is any more exaggerated than say Peter Hammill. A decent song from an era defined by flounce and bad singing.
billy had an eight octave range!!... Billys voice was the best in the buisness.. EVER!! look up his cover of 'wild is the wind'