Platinum Blonde (bassist/singer Mark Holmes, guitarist Sergio Galli, and drummer Chris Steffler) started off as a Police cover band and you can hear some of that influence in their sound. They were a mix of punk and new wave and I think it's safe to say they were the biggest new wave band to come out of Canada. I got to see them play a few songs at a NYE concert but never got to see their entire show. After playing a ton of club and school gigs, their material made its way to David Tickle1, who agreed to produce this, their debut album.
There are some similar sounding songs, which is common in a debut album. However, their punk/pop/rock feel struck a chord with me and many others, as this album took Canadian radio by storm, going double platinum and getting the band nominated for a Most Promising Group Juno.2 It still sounds great decades after its release in 1983.
I’ve already written about Doesn’t Really Matter here. As I was writing this post, I realized that song needed its own post and that pushed this one back so it would publish first. Gee, no wonder I’ve been finding it hard to write on a regular basis!
The title track was the second single and while it is similar sounding to the first, its subject matter is living under the threat of nuclear war. Director Rob Quartly leans into this idea in the video for the song, which takes place in an unground bunker where serious decisions are being made. This video was nominated for a Juno. Galli’s guitar work is solid in this one.
Sad Sad Rain mixes up the tempo on the album and tells the tale of a man yearning to go back to his boyhood. I am surprised this wasn’t a single as it’s one of my favourite tracks on the album.
Take It From Me was the fourth single and features a breathing pattern running through the second verse. It tells the story of someone who finds themselves falling in love despite themselves, knowing the other person will not return it.
Cast A Shadow slows things right down. We hear some ethereal sounds from Holmes in the bridge and the song itself is about someone in the throws of depression. “I’ve been here too long.”
The pace picks back up with some great guitar from Galli opening up Leaders In Danger. The song really showcases the strength of all the members and has some beautiful harmonies. Its roots are in bitterness about the system, something that is still relevant.
Steffler’s distinctive drum opening for Not In Love will be instantly recognizable by any Canadian kid in the 80s. The third single again features Holmes’ plaintive vocals insist that they aren’t in love (when they obviously are), Holmes’ strong bassline, and a change of tempo in the bridge that has Jo-Anne Bates alternating vocals with Holmes. The video for this song is a live concert at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square and there’s a lot of animal print. I’m pretty sure it’s the NYE concert I was at but couldn’t find out for sure, since they also did a full concert in May in the same location.3
The song got a second life when the electronic duo Crystal Castles did a cover with The Cure singer Robert Smith. It’s a very interesting interpretation.
Video Disease opens with another interesting guitar rift from Galli and it’s the most interesting track on the album, showcasing the band’s musicianship. The lyrics are ideas strung together so it’s very abstract yet still danceable.
I love All Fall Down, probably because it sounds very Fixx-like. The lyrics are about a child watching his parents’ marriage fall apart and hints at the dad cheating on the mom. It’s not a song for everyone, it’s a love it or hate it song.
The final track, Cinderella Story, is a coda to the album, tying into Video Disease. Again, a love it or hate it track but I like how it creates a quiet denouement to the album.
Enjoy your listening cafe!
Who was coming off his work with Split Enz and would later produce other Canadian acts Gowan and Red Rider. (Their best work IMO.)
They lost to Parachute Club, who I wrote about here:
Both were cold!