Frankie Goes To Hollywood ‎- Two Tribes b/w One February Friday (1984)

"Two Tribes" is an anti-war song by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records on 4 June 1984.
The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Presenting a nihilistic, gleeful lyric expressing enthusiasm for nuclear war, it juxtaposes a relentless pounding bass line and guitar riff inspired by American funk and R&B pop with influences of Russian classical music, in an opulent arrangement produced by Trevor Horn.

The single was released at a time when the Cold War had intensified and fears about global nuclear warfare were at a peak. Although Johnson would attest in a 1984 radio interview that the "two tribes" of the song potentially represented any pair of warring adversaries (giving the examples of "cowboys and Indians or Captain Kirk and Klingons"), the line "On the air America/I modelled shirts by Van Heusen" is a clear reference to then US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan had advertised for Phillips Van Heusen in 1953 (briefly reviving the association in the early 1980s). The title of his first film had been Love Is On The Air.

The lyric "working for the black gas" is, according to Johnson, "About oil surpassing gold. How you might as well be paid in petrol."And the line "Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?" was inspired by the 1959 British film Cover Girl Killer.

Johnson explained, "The TV was on in the background while I was doing me ironing and suddenly this character came out with that statement." (The actual dialogue, which occurs at about 48 minutes 24 seconds into the film, is "Surely sex and horror are the new gods in this polluted world of so-called entertainment?")

The track featured snippets of narration from actor Patrick Allen, recreating his narration from the British Protect and Survive public information films about how to survive a nuclear war. (The original Protect and Survive soundtracks were sampled for the 7-inch mixes.)


A - Two Tribes »Cowboys And Indians« (3:54)
       Vocals – Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford
        Written-By – Johnson, O'Toole, Gill

B - One February Friday »Doctors And Nurses« (4:56)
        Performer [Played By] – Brian Nash, Mark O'Toole, Peter Gill
        Written-By – Nash, Johnson, O'Tolle, Morley, Rutherford, Gill


Companies, etc.

• Record Company – Ariola Eurodisc GmbH
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Zang Tuum Tumb
• Published By – Perfect Songs
• Pressed By – Sonopress
• Printed By – Mohndruck Graphische Betriebe GmbH
• Distributed By – Ariola Group Of Companies

Credits

• Art Direction – XLZTT
• Engineer – Steve Lipson
• Photography By [Of V.I. Lenin] – Anton Corbijn
• Producer – Trevor Horn

Notes
Released:  1984
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country:  Europe
Genre: Synth-pop
Label: Island Records ‎
Catalog# 106 495

The Specials ‎- Ghost Town b/w Why? (1981) - single

"Ghost Town" is a song by the British two-tone band the Specials, released on 12 June 1981. The song spent three weeks at number one and 10 weeks in total in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Addressing themes of urban decay, deindustrialisation, unemployment and violence in inner cities, the song is remembered for being a hit at the same time as riots were occurring in British cities.

Internal tensions within the band were also coming to a head when the single was being recorded, resulting in the song being the last single recorded by the original seven members of the group before splitting up.

The B-side, written by two different members of the Specials. "Why?" is a plea for racial tolerance and was written by guitarist Lynval Golding in response to a violent racist attack he had suffered in July 1980 outside the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead in London, which had left him hospitalised with broken ribs.


A - Ghost Town (3:40)
       Written-By – Dammers

B - Why? (2:54)
       Written-By – Golding


Companies, etc.

• Record Company – Ariola Eurodisc GmbH
• Engineered At – Woodbine Studios
• Published By – Plangent Visions Music Ltd.
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Chrysalis Records Ltd.
• Pressed By – Sonopress

Credits

• Engineer – J. Rivers
• Producer – John Collins

Notes

Released:  1981  

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM 

Country:  Netherlands  

Genre: Ska 

Label: Chrysalis Records/2Tone Records

Catalog# 103 338

Spandau Ballet - Muscle Bound b/w Glow (1981) - single

"Muscle Bound" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the third single from their debut album Journeys to Glory. In the UK, it was released as a double A-side with the song "Glow"; elsewhere, "Glow" was included as the B-side.

A spare funky guitar-lick gets stomped on all over by a galumphing drum beat and a somewhat monotonous chant number two.


A - Muscle Bound  (3:56)
       Written-By – G. Kemp 

B - Glow  (3:47)
      Written-By – G. Kemp 


Companies, etc.

• Record Company – Ariola Benelux B.V.
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Chrysalis Records Ltd.
• Copyright (c) – Chrysalis Records Ltd.

Credits

• Design – Graham Smith 
• Producer – Richard James Burgess

Notes

Released: 1981 

Format: Vinyl, 7", Single 

Country:  Netherlands  

Genre: New Wave, Synth-Pop 

Label: Chrysalis Records 

Catalog# 103 125