Once again, because of American Idol, I forgot to post a video last week so I have to double up. I know, I know, I'm not supposed to do two-fers on any day but Tuesday, but Tuesday is Idol night, so deal with it.
I thought I was going to have to dig deep this week to find something because I've been feeling lately like my forgotten video well is running a bit dry. But then, after a quick search of my blog, I was amazed to discover that I somehow never posted one of my favorite '80s songs - one that certainly qualifies as "forgotten," and one that could be a "classic," depending on who you ask.
Ladies and gents, I give you "Kayleigh" by British prog-rockers, Marillion.
This lovely tune only made it to #74 on the US charts but the video got plenty of MTV airplay, despite the lack of "prettiness" in the band. The song hit #2 in the UK, where Marillion enjoyed much greater success. I'm fully expecting my one regular Brit reader (and current Firecrotch, The Imaginary Reviewer) to dazzle us by rattling off several more Marillion hits in the comments section. Maybe he'll even know where Fish is hiding these days. (The lead singer, not Abe Vigoda.)
The follow-up single to "Kayleigh" was "Lavender," which I remember seeing about 3 or 4 times on MTV before these guys completely fell off the face of North America.
I can kind of understand why "Lavender" was never a bigger hit. Even though the song has a pretty melody, that chorus is just ridunkulous. I mean, Fish is singing about lavenders being green and blue? Aren't lavenders lavender?? And what's with all the "dilly dilly" nonsense? He's craving a Dilly bar? A pickle? It was probably one of those stupid placeholders, like "sussudio," and, like Phil Collins, Fish just left it there because he was too lazy to think of something that actually made sense.
Well, now I'm craving a Dilly bar. Dammit.
I thought I was going to have to dig deep this week to find something because I've been feeling lately like my forgotten video well is running a bit dry. But then, after a quick search of my blog, I was amazed to discover that I somehow never posted one of my favorite '80s songs - one that certainly qualifies as "forgotten," and one that could be a "classic," depending on who you ask.
Ladies and gents, I give you "Kayleigh" by British prog-rockers, Marillion.
This lovely tune only made it to #74 on the US charts but the video got plenty of MTV airplay, despite the lack of "prettiness" in the band. The song hit #2 in the UK, where Marillion enjoyed much greater success. I'm fully expecting my one regular Brit reader (and current Firecrotch, The Imaginary Reviewer) to dazzle us by rattling off several more Marillion hits in the comments section. Maybe he'll even know where Fish is hiding these days. (The lead singer, not Abe Vigoda.)
The follow-up single to "Kayleigh" was "Lavender," which I remember seeing about 3 or 4 times on MTV before these guys completely fell off the face of North America.
I can kind of understand why "Lavender" was never a bigger hit. Even though the song has a pretty melody, that chorus is just ridunkulous. I mean, Fish is singing about lavenders being green and blue? Aren't lavenders lavender?? And what's with all the "dilly dilly" nonsense? He's craving a Dilly bar? A pickle? It was probably one of those stupid placeholders, like "sussudio," and, like Phil Collins, Fish just left it there because he was too lazy to think of something that actually made sense.
Well, now I'm craving a Dilly bar. Dammit.
Comments
What sort of a dude calls himself FISH anyways?
I've no idea what happened to Fish, but throughout my NME reading days I still saw Marillion tour adverts, so I guess they're probably still on the road, playing to a handful of denim jackets in smoky pubs. I could be wrong, but I remember reading somewhere that they were one of the first bands to take pre-orders for a new album from fans over the internet to fund its recording. That would have been around 2000.
Vegetable Assassin: Someone who was born with the name "Derek Dick".
Still worth it :-)