Here's a song that never fails to lift the spirits. It came my way again yesterday morning while scrolling on my phone and avoiding getting out of bed, courtesy of a Big Audio Dynamite Facebook group I'm a member of. It was a clip of Aztec Camera and Mick Jones miming on what looks like Spanish TV in 1990. I can't find the clip on Youtube so can't post it but Roddy, Mick and the rest of Aztec Camera are giving it their all, miming enthusiastically and bouncing around, Mick in a BAD II bucket hat and white Stussy t- shirt and Roddy in a red Italia 90 Espana long sleeved t- shirt (there were a set of these available that summer- Brasil, South Korea, Espana and Italia. I got the Brasil one after seeing them in The Face and wore it to Glastonbury. As we walked to the Pyramid Stage from our tent on the Saturday morning to watch James a man started talking excitedly at me in Portuguese, assuming I was Brazilian. 'Sorry mate, I'm from Manchester').
Good Morning Britain is a cracking song, rattling along with a twangy guitar line, uptempo drumming and Mick and Roddy trading lines and firing off verses and choruses like it's the easiest thing in the world. The lyrics dissect the state of the UK after ten years of Thatcherism and an even longer period of England marginalising its neighbours and prods a finger at the relentless cheeriness of breakfast TV. Roddy manages to find some optimism in the chorus and in the last verse, 'Love is international/ And if you stand or if you fall/ Let them know you gave your all/ Worry about it later'
Good Morning Britain (Julian Mendelsohn Mix)
The Julian Mendelsohn Mix is pretty much the same as the single version. Mendelsohn is best known for his work producing the Pet Shop Boys Actually and Disco albums and he gives Good Morning Britain a radio friendly sheen. There was also this remix courtesy of Norman Cook, at that point riding high with Beats International. In truth, this remix doesn't add much to the song.
Good Morning Britain (Morning Acid Remix)
Here's the promo video. Whenever I hear Good Morning Britain now it always makes me feel that Roddy should update it, rewrite the words to reflect the state of the UK all these years later- although reading them now maybe, sadly, they don't really need changing at all.
3 comments:
Great Post for a great song that, as you say, sadly is as relevant now as it was back then.
Great idea re Roddy Frame updating the lyrics. Billy Bragg does this with some of his songs too, especially Sexuality and Waiting For The Great Leap Forward, re-written to reflect current issues.
Yep, Billy does that quite a lot doesn't he. Cat Power does too.
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